Sunrise Church

10/30/2026

October 30th Prayer

October 30th Prayer

The end of October and the first of November is a deeply spiritual time of the year. The seasons are changing as we move from the warm days of early fall into the brisk mornings of early winter, where the trees lose their leaves, the lush green of summer gives way to leafless limbs. The world becomes transformed from the vibrant liveliness of summer to the stillness of winter.
At this time of the year, the moon often appears especially large. Have you noticed the full moon? It is incredibly bright and beautiful!

This seasonal transformation from summertime through fall into winter has inspired religious feelings about this time of year as an especially spiritual time. The phrase that is frequently associated with the beginning of November is: “the veil between this world and the next becomes thin.” There is a profound sense of the connection between this world and the next.

November 1 is All Saints’ Day, a day of remembrance and gratitude for the faithful. This year, it is a Sunday. We will celebrate All Saints’ Day with communion and the remembering of those that have “Entered the Church Triumphant” during the last year. In a solemn ceremony, we speak their names as a bell tolls.

October 31st (the day before All Saints’ Day) is Halloween. It is hard to imagine that the origins of Halloween are connected to All Saints’ Day, but they are! Another name for All Saints’ Day is “All Hallow’s Day,” making “Halloween” a contraction of “All Hallow Even” (evening). Halloween is the day (evening) before All Saints’ Day. I know Saturday is Halloween with scary costumes and trick of treating! While some people emphasize the “scary” theme of ghosts and goblins, I prefer to think of children ringing our doorbells and greeting us with smiles and laughter. For me, this offers a joyful prelude to the quiet remembrance of All Saints’ Day. ~ Vance

There are deep Gaelic roots to our All Saints’ Day traditions.
The Irish Blessing seems most appropriate:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Amen.

10/28/2026

October 28th Prayer

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Sunday is All Saints’ Day (November 1st). At this worship service, we recognize those that have “Entered the Church Triumphant” since last November. It is a wonderful service that includes tolling the bell in remembrance and gathering at the Communion Table.

The familiar scripture passage from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the witness of those that have gone before us. They are a foundation and “a great cloud of witnesses” surrounding us. I like the admonition for us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” It is a reminder that in every age there are challenges. The witnesses surrounding us provide examples of how these challenges have been met and reassure us that we, too, can met the challenges of our day. ~ Vance

Gentle and gracious Lord,
we thank you for the depth of your love and
the wonder of your goodness.
You can inspire us by the simple things in life.
Open our eyes and hearts to your ever-present grace.
May we feel your joy each and every day!
In Christ’s name we are bold to pray. Amen!

10/25/2026

Sunrise Church

10/23/2026

October 23rd Prayer

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. (I John 4:7-12)

This Sunday is Stewardship Sunday. It is the culmination of our October emphasis on our personal commitment to Sunrise. This year, in addition to your financial commitment, you have the opportunity of volunteering your talents and time for your church family. There was a time and talent form on the back of the Stewardship Letter that you could use to express your areas of interest in volunteering. The form will be inserted in this Sunday’s bulletin.

The title of Sunday’s meditation is, “Imagine!” The scriptures this Sunday invite us to imagine the amazing possibilities that God is placing before us as we become more deeply involved in our family of faith. Stewardship Sunday is sometimes called Dedication Sunday, because it is not simply about a financial commitment (as necessary as that commitment is to the ministry of the church); it is about shared hopes, dreams, and promises. Our church community is a profound witness to God’s love and goodness. ~ Vance


Gracious God, you invite us to embrace your love and to love each other as you have loved us.
May we share the blessings of an openhearted love with others!
May your love become our love reaching out into your world each and every day! Amen.

10/21/2026

10/19/2026

October 19th Prayer

If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:1-5)

The Apostle Paul challenges the Philippians to adopt “the mind of Christ.” The verses above lead into an affirmation of faith that we frequently say in worship. The image of the “same mind of Christ” is an invitation to us to shape our thoughts and therefore our words and actions to resemble Jesus’ commitment to God.

On Sunday, I shared a book with the congregation that I am finding truly inspiring. The title definitely catches your attention. “The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life.” The author, Dr. W. Lee Warren, is a neurosurgeon.

Here is a brief introduction to the purpose and approach of the book:
What if it were possible for you to make structural changes to your own brain so it's healthier and less prone to depression, anxiety, grief, worry, and other issues that make you unhappy and keep you stuck?

In this neuroscience-based, faith-infused, and immensely practical guide, Dr. W. Lee Warren, a practicing neurosurgeon, trauma survivor, and award-winning writer, reveals how to take control of your own mental, emotional, and physical healing by reordering your mind to change your brain ~ resulting in a radically transformed life that is healthier, happier, and more hopeful.

At the heart of Dr. Warren’s approach is the power of your thoughts to shape your life. As a neurosurgeon, he has seen the physical changes that your thoughts can produce in the neurological connections of your brain. The power of your thoughts reinforce how your brain is wired.
Think about it (pun intended!). What we choose to think shapes how we feel, what we say, and what we do! ~ Vance

Gracious God, still in us all voices but your own.
Give us the deep peace that passes all understanding.
Calm our hearts, quiet our minds.
May we be of the same mind as your son, our beloved savior!
Amen.

10/12/2026

October 12th Prayer

Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, you will find a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 24:14)

The book of Proverbs has traditionally been associated with King Solomon. He understood that wisdom is a God-given ability to carefully consider the consequences of our decisions and then to choose wisely. To make wise choices involves clarity of thought, purpose, and action.

One of the primary purposes of the church community is to teach and promote clarity in thought, purpose, and action. It is why we bring our children to church. It is why we gather in community and support one another. It is why we reach out into the world to care for and share with others.

October is Stewardship Emphasis Month. It is a time when we annually renew our commitment to God’s work in the life of our church family. As a family of faith, may everything we do, say, and even think show God’s goodness and grace to one another and the world. ~ Vance

In this Benediction, we celebrate God’s deep involvement in our lives:
May God go:
Behind you, to encourage you,
Beside you, to befriend you,
Above you, to watch over you,
Beneath you, to lift you up,
Within you, to give you the gifts of faith, hope, and love.
And always, always before you, to show you the way. Amen.

10/09/2026

October 9th Prayer

8“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10)

In three of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we hear Jesus speaking with an economy of words that paint vivid images. Parables and pronouncements are brief and memorable. The parable above is part of the “lost and found” series.

In this series of parables there is the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son. We hear the joy of finding what has been lost. Jesus compares this joy to the rejoicing experienced in heaven when someone returns to God’s love.

Being “found” is equivalent to a homecoming. In the parable of the prodigal son, it literally is a homecoming! The son that was lost, in all possible meanings of the word, returns home and is welcomed by a father with open arms and rejoicing. We can feel his father’s joy and the warmth of his love!

These parables of “lost and found” express our deepest longing to be loved and accepted. They remind us of God’s desire for us to return. The Hebrew word for “repent” means “to turn around.” What, too often, stops us from turning back towards God is a fear of rejection. What Jesus tells us is how much joy God feels when we do turn and head home. There is a church in our Presbytery that reminds all worshippers as they are leaving the church grounds to: “Cause God Joy!” ~ Vance

God of our lives, may we trust the joy you find in us.
Open our eyes to the wonder of your love!
Open our hearts to feel the depth of your love!
Open our hands that we might serve you, by serving all your children!
In gratitude, we pray in your son’s name. Amen!