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We hope your week is going well and you are looking forward to the weekend. Please pray for peace in our world.
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A Spiritual Reflection for Your Weekend
by Henri Nouwen
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Entering Your Silence:
A Prayer
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Lord Jesus, Help me in this moment to set aside all that has preoccupied me today. Take away the many fears that rage around me. Take away the many feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem, and let me be shaped by you, the Lamb of God. Help me to enter more deeply into your silence, where I can listen to you and hear how you call me, and find the strength and courage to follow you. I ask you to be with me as I listen to your word and come to a deeper understanding of your mystery of calling me to follow you. Be with me now and always. Amen.
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Lenten Reflections
with Pastor Mark
This morning @ 9:30!
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Join Pastor Mark on Friday mornings for Prayer and Lenten Reflections. We will spend an hour breaking open the Word of God and examining how we can deepen our faith through this Lenten journey.
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Friday Mornings
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
March 13, 20 & 27
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Join us for Sunday Worship at PWC
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This Sunday, March 15
@ 10:00 a.m.
Fourth Sunday of Lent
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Make the in-person commitment to be there on Sunday!
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Praise and Worship Never Ends…..It Must Be Lived!
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Pastoral Care Associates presents
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Active Listening Lab
Learn the power of compassionate listening and supportive presence. Develop deeper skills to care for others in times of need.
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Location: Westminster Village
12000 N. 90th Street, Scottsdale,
Second Floor, Saguaro Room
Dates: Saturdays, March 21, 28,
April 4, 18, & 25
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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There will be no Children’s Ministry this Sunday,
March 15
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We will return on Sunday, March 22.
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Please contact Helen Dipree for more information about the Children’s Ministry @ [email protected]
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Our Theme Song for Lent 2026 at PWC
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by Phil Wickham
Please see the link below:
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Pastoral Counseling is available at PWC
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Fr. Mike Lessard is available for pastoral counseling on Wednesdays at PWC. Please call the church office to make an appointment at 480-649-0300.
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At PWC
your tithing & generosity allow us to minister to so many who come through our doors with their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs.
Thank you for your tithing and
commitment to PWC!
From pastoral counseling to grief support, to bible study and adult education, to providing food through Matthew’s Crossing for families who are economically struggling, to Marriage Enrichment and our funeral ministry -- your consistent giving makes a difference, a big change in people’s lives!
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Here are the different ways you can tithe to PWC:
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• Mail in your gift to: Praise and Worship Center, 2551 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ 85225.
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• Sign up for monthly giving with a credit card or voided check. Just call the office at 480-649-0300 or stop by the office.
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Blood Pressure Checks take place at PWC on the first and third Sundays of the month
from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Our medical team is providing the blood pressure checks.
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Arrive to Sunday Service Prepared to Hear God’s Word Proclaimed
The reading for this Sunday, March 15, the Fourth Sunday of Lent is Luke 15:11-32 (NAB, Revised Edition)
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most well-known stories Jesus tells, yet each time we hear it we can notice something new. While much attention is often given to the younger son who leaves home, this parable is really about the heart of the father; a father whose love is patient, compassionate, and always searching for his children.
When the younger son demands his inheritance and leaves, he is essentially saying to his father, “I want your gifts, but I do not want you.” He pursues freedom on his own terms, only to discover that life apart from the father leads to emptiness. Eventually, in his brokenness, he decides to return home—not expecting love, only hoping for survival.
Yet the father does something shocking: he runs to meet him. In the culture of Jesus’ time, dignified fathers did not run. But love moves the father to abandon dignity in order to restore his son. Before the son can even finish his rehearsed apology, the father embraces him and celebrates his return.
The story reminds us of an important truth of the Christian life:
God is always more eager to forgive than we are to ask for forgiveness.
But the parable does not end there. The elder son struggles with resentment. He stayed home, worked hard, and followed the rules, yet he cannot rejoice when his brother returns. His heart has grown distant from the father even while living in the father’s house.
In this way, Jesus invites us to examine which character we resemble at different moments in life.
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- Sometimes we are like the younger son, wandering away from God and seeking fulfillment in the wrong places.
- Sometimes we are like the elder son, outwardly faithful but inwardly resentful, comparing ourselves to others.
- And ultimately, Jesus invites us to grow into the heart of the father, learning to forgive, welcome, and celebrate the return of others.
The Fourth Sunday of Lent comes as a moment of encouragement in the middle of the Lenten journey. This Gospel invites us to reflect on three simple practices:
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- Return to the Father.
If there is an area of your life where you feel distant from God, take a step back toward Him. This may mean spending time in prayer, going to confession, or simply speaking honestly with God about where you are.
- Let go of resentment.
Ask yourself: Is there someone whose blessings make me feel jealous or bitter? The elder son shows how resentment can quietly harden the heart. Lent is a time to release those burdens.
- Practice the father’s mercy.
Look for opportunities to welcome someone, forgive someone, or encourage someone who feels lost or ashamed.
At the end of the parable, the father tells the elder son: “We must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again.” The father’s house is a place of joy, mercy, and restoration. Lent is not only about repentance—it is about rediscovering that we are loved children who always have a home with God.
And the good news is this: No matter how far we have wandered, the father is already watching the road, waiting for us to come home.
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We are looking forward to seeing you this Sunday for Service at 10:00 a.m.
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Love,
Fr. Dale & Pastor Mark
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Keep up with all your PWC friends on Facebook
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Please do not reply to this email;
the sending address is not monitored.
Please reply to: [email protected]
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Chris Pfund PhD, MBA, BSN, RN
President Homestead Health
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phone: (602) 755-4508
fax: (602) 691-0283
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Homestead Health is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping adults live safely and independently at home. We offer a range of in-home and virtual medical services, including concierge medicine, palliative care, transitional care, and geriatric care management. We believe everyone deserves access to compassionate and affordable healthcare.
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