Sunshine Cathedral MCC
1480 SW 9th Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315-1375
954-462-2004
fax 954-462-7070
www.sunshinecathedral.org
info@sunshinecathedral.org
The Weekly Newsletter of the Sunshine Cathedral MCC
November 23, 2008
Helping kids at Christmas
Kevin Brown, Rose Patterson, and Sonia Mitchell ask that you sign up to adopt a child for Christmas. Go to the Social Hall after worship and select a child’s name, and then bring your unwrapped gift to the church to make a child’s holiday joyous. Kevin, Rose, and Sonia will be working with Jack and Jill Day Care, Kids in Distress, and other local organizations to make sure children will have a smile on their faces at Christmas. For additional information, speak with someone after worship in the Social Hall or contact Kevin Brown, kevin@sunshinecathedral.org.
A benefit for Tuesday’s Angels and Leather Archives and Museum
Bound South presents The Leather Masked Ball III on Friday, November 28th, at 8:00 pm. The event will benefit Tuesday’s Angels, Fort Lauderdale, and the Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago. NYC DJ Sin Morera and recording artist Cyon Flare will perform at The Ball held at Purgatory, 1000 West State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets for the event may be ordered online, www.LeatherMaskedBall.com — $35 VIP and $25 general admission with advanced purchase.
Pastor Durrell Watkins to perform Mass Wedding on November 30th
At 11:30 am, on November 30th, following the second worship service, Sunshine Cathedral will offer a “Mass Wedding” ceremony in protest of Amendment 2. If you and your life-partner (regardless of your genders and whether or not you have had a union or marriage ceremony before) would like to be part of this event, simply stand with us on the front lawn at 11:30 am on Sunday, November 30th (the first day of Advent, the beginning of the Christian year).
During our “Mass Wedding” ceremony, we will affirm the dignity of all people and the holiness of mutual affection. The Senior Pastor will then confer the Rite of Blessing on all couples in attendance. All couples, gay, lesbian, and straight who believe in marriage equality are invited to participate.
Those who wish to have a certificate commemorating the Rite of Blessing can register for the ceremony by clicking here. There will be a $5 administrative fee for those who wish to obtain a certificate. Certificates will be mailed to those who register; however, one need not register or ask for a certificate in order to participate in the Mass Wedding ceremony.
Finally, it should be noted that this ceremony does not confer the legal rights of matrimony or civil union; but it will send a clear message to the world that at least one church recognizes the sanctity of love and commitment regardless of the genders involved. Please join us on the front lawn with your significant other on Sunday, November 30th, as we demonstrate our commitment to justice and equality for all.
Above and Beyond Sunday
November 23rd is Above and Beyond Sunday. We’ve been putting aside one dollar a day for 99 days so that on November 23rd we can give $99 above and beyond our regular offerings to support the ministries of Sunshine Cathedral. Throughout 2008 we have cut spending as much as possible to make up the deficit from 2007. We are proud to say we have spent less money than we’ve collected this year, but we have had to depend on fundraisers to help pay down the deficit. We want to end 2008 in the black and begin 2009 in a very strong position so that we can continue offering the best educational, worship, artistic, and outreach programs possible. This Above and Beyond offering will help us do just that.
At the end of the service on November 23rd, we will collect our Above and Beyond offering. Even if you didn’t make an Above and Beyond pledge but you would like to contribute something to this second offering, your extra generosity will certainly be accepted and very much appreciated. We hope Sunshine Cathedral has proven to be a great blessing in your life. Your financial contributions will help the Cathedral be a blessing to many others as well. Thank you for giving Above and Beyond!
We remember William Wood
Born June 25, 1926, and passed away June 19, 2005
Pillars Society bequest: November 2008
William Wood always attended the first service at the Sunshine Cathedral during the latter years of his life. Each Sunday he sat with Rick Killoran, Dave Keller, and Bob Graham.
Bill had several discussions about his estate with Rick Killoran, who was Co-chair of the Pillars Society. He informed Rick that the Sunshine Cathedral was listed as a beneficiary in his Last Will & Testament. He also remembered another favorite charity here in South Florida, The Stonewall Library & Archives.
After his death, Bill’s estate provided for the care and well-being of his partner in life, Philip Gamble. When Philip died earlier this year, Bill’s estate honored the Sunshine Cathedral with a bequest, which we received in November 2008.
Thank you William Wood for your special care and affection.
You can be a different kind of Christmas angel
They say that vision is the first to go. Did you know that many of the Sunshine Cathedral’s congregants are unable to drive a car after dark? As the result, some of our church members are not able to participate in or attend evening church functions. Imagine not being able to go to church on Christmas Eve! Now there’s an opportunity for you to help. This Christmas we are organizing volunteers to pick up and drive home congregants who otherwise would miss our beautiful Christmas Eve service. All volunteers will use their own vehicle for transport. We are recruiting volunteers to drive for any of our three Christmas Eve services. We’ll do our best to pair drivers with someone who lives in your general area. If you need a ride to church this Christmas Eve or would like to be someone’s driver, please call Amy Walker at 954-882-5928 during the evening and weekends.
Another Cathedral member in city government
We all know that Congregant Suzanne Boisvenue serves on the Oakland Park City Commission. We now have another congregant in city government! Cathedral member Justin Flippen has been elected to the Wilton Manors City Commission and has also been chosen as the Vice-Mayor of Wilton Manors. Congratulations, Justin!
Wednesday night break in December
Because of holiday activities, we will suspend our Living the Questions series in December. Beginning January 7th, we will resume the Living the Questions series, which will run until February 18th. Then, on February 25th, we will offer an Ash Wednesday service. After that, there will be no more Wednesday night services until after Easter. But don’t worry; there will be Lenten groups, Light University classes, and a new Sunday evening worship experience beginning in January. We will still have MANY opportunities for learning and worship here at Sunshine Cathedral. Join us for the remaining Wednesday nights in November, and join us again on Wednesday nights in January and February. Let’s have a wonderful holiday season!
Sharing the Light, this holiday season
We are entering an exciting time in the life of our Cathedral as our holiday season begins this week. There are many opportunities to Share your Light!
Here are just a few:
The Christmas Angel program starts today. Each year we host an extravagant Christmas Eve Celebration. This year’s celebration will be held here at the Walt Lawrence & Stephen Lewis Center for Worship and the Arts. The Reverend Durrell Watkins will be sharing the good news at all three services on Christmas Eve, 7:30 pm, 9:00 pm and 10:30 pm. We could not provide such a celebration without our angels. We would like to thank you for becoming an Angel by providing you guaranteed seating at the service of your choice and a dedication / memorial in the Christmas Eve bulletin. To become a Christmas Angel, just click here.
As you shop this season, please remember those who have challenges getting food to their table by bringing in non-perishable food items each week. Our weekly collection will be sent to Broward Food Cooperative. A special offering of food items will be received this Christmas Eve. Please bring a canned good or other non-perishable food item to our Christmas Eve celebration. All food collected at Christmas Eve will be sent to the Pantry of Broward.
Do you like to bake cookies? We are looking for cookie bakers that can provide (as in bake, not taken from a Publix bag) three dozen cookies each. These will be used to make special gifts for our congregants after each Worship Service on Christmas Eve.
We are honoring kids this holiday season by partnering with Kids in Distress. More information on this outreach will be coming soon.
Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated with a worship service at 12:00 noon in the Robert Graham MD & Paul Fasana Chapel followed by potluck dinner.
Our Sunshine Cathedral Music Ministry will present “tonight, heaven touches earth” on Sunday, December 7th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available in Simply Divine Books and Things, from any choir member or online by clicking here. A special treat for the evening will be a live nativity starting at 6:00 pm in front of the Cathedral on 9th Ave.
As you can see will need a lot of smiling faces and helping hands to get the job done. If you would like to participate in any capacity this holiday season please contact Reverend Michael Diaz mdiaz@sunshinecathedral.org 954-462-2004 ext. 208 to get involved.
Pillars night at Tropics
Sunday, November 23rd, is Pillars Society night at Tropics Restaurant. We will have a reception from 5:00 – 6:30 pm, which includes hors d’oeuvres and two complimentary beverages of your choice.
For those who want to stay for dinner at 6:30 pm, Tropics is offering a special dinner price of $21.00, tax and tip included (each pays own). Our menu selections will include prime rib, chicken, fish, and a fourth main course to be determined.
Members of the Pillars Society are encouraged to bring guests who may be interested in becoming members or want to learn more about including the Foundation and Cathedral in their estate plan.
Q&A with Rev. Durrell Watkins
Question: I tend to see Jesus more as a human teacher than as God in human form. But the more I come to this conclusion, the more I wonder if Jesus still needs to be central to my faith. What are your thoughts?
Answer: The official Christian doctrine of Christ is that Jesus was fully human AND fully divine. This Both/And reality doesn’t sit well with our Either/Or habits of thinking, and so the church has tended to downplay, ignore, or even deny Jesus’ humanity. I commend you for trying to reclaim it, but I wonder if it can only be reclaimed at the expense of his divine nature?
Systematic Theologian Paul Tillich referred to God as the “ground of being”. Whatever is, must be part of the I AM. I don’t tend to think of the material world as “this” and the divine realm as “that”. I don’t think of “here” versus “there”. I think of Reality, and I assume that you and I are part of Reality. What is ultimately real is divine, and divine reality is the source of whatever exists. So, if Jesus was really human, then he had to be part of what is really real; that is to say, for Jesus to be fully human means that his nature is also divine.
My guess is that the usefulness of contemplating Jesus’ divine / human wholeness is that we will eventually come to realize our own. Jesus becomes our archetype, our model showing us the truth about ourselves. Jesus says in scripture, “I and the Infinite are one”, and we read that and think, “yes, I and the Infinite ARE one!” Jesus is the way that shows us our potential. Jesus is the truth that reflects our truth. Jesus is the life that reminds us of our participation in divine life.
I, too, find myself focusing on Jesus’ human qualities, and in so doing, I find myself embracing his divine potential as well. Furthermore, as I realize that Jesus is fully human which is how he can be fully divine, I also begin to realize that as you and I embrace our full humanity, we are becoming more divine. So, for me, Jesus remains very useful to my faith development because the more I learn about Jesus, the more I learn about my own sacred value. I think that’s definitely worth the effort.
Simply Divine’s newest arrival — Sex As God Intended by John McNeill
The bookstore is pleased to announce the arrival of Sex as God
Intended by John J. McNeill. The book is a “a bold and moving
statement of faith and discovery by the former Jesuit priest whose quest
for truth and understanding has inspired countless souls and changed
Church history forever.” We are proud to have Father John and his partner
Charlie as members of Sunshine Cathedral and continue to wish them and his
book great success. “This book represents a concise summary of the wisdom
culled over a lifetime. Fr. John’s ideas have enriched the faith of
thousands, including fellow teachers, religious scholars, ministers, and
lay folk.” Congratulation Fr. John!
There are a limited number of books in the bookstore. Should we sell out, click the book image at left. This will take you to amazon.com. By using the Cathedral’s amazon.com link, a percentage of your purchase will be returned to the Cathedral.
Cathedral parking
In an effort to make parking easier for our friends with limited mobility and for our first time guests, we are asking all able-bodied Cathedral staff, volunteers, and worship team members (choir, ushers, altar servers, etc.) to please park in the grassy parking area on the southeast side of the Cathedral on Sunday mornings. Thank you for offering this extra hospitality by helping us utilize all our parking capabilities to the fullest as we continue to grow.
Native American Heritage Month
In 1990, a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month” was issued by the White House. Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994. This month, we stand together to honor the First Nations’ members of our [Metropolitan Community Churches’] congregations and communities.
Sunshine Cathedral prepares to launch new campus — virtually
The Sunshine Cathedral Virtual Campus will soon be launched as one of the newest campus venues of the Sunshine Cathedral. Currently we have the Fort Lauderdale Campus, a Jamaica Campus — which covers five parishes, and the budding Miami campus.
The Sunshine Cathedral Virtual Campus is intended to be its own online campus reaching out to people who are not able to visit one of the three “physical” campuses. Those who participate in Sunshine Cathedral’s life through the virtual campus will be asked to give time, talent, and treasure just as members who access the physical sites do.
The Virtual Campus will offer people who are struggling to “come out” in other churches a way to feel connected to an affirming and supportive spiritual community. It will also provide worship and education opportunities to people who don’t have access to one of our physical sites. Finally, the Virtual Campus will be one of the ways that we resource all of our sites as well as other churches. We have been asked to work with groups in Guyana and Suriname, and the Virtual Church will be one of the ways that we will be able to resource these countries as they seek to build progressive, pro-gay faith communities. This is one more exciting way that we will be Sharing the Light with the World!
Our Virtual Campus will soon be offering topical “Webinars” by noted leaders and scholars from the fields of theology, politics, and social activism (many such leaders, such as MCC Moderator Nancy L. Wilson, are already scheduled as Webinar presenters); online membership classes; new Light University self-paced courses; seasonal online study groups; social networking opportunities, and more. With the Sunshine Cathedral Virtual Campus we will have the capacity to reach up to 1,000 individuals in any singular “virtual” event no matter where in the world those individuals may be!
To launch our new Virtual Campus, I would like to invite you to join us for our first seasonal event: An Advent Study Group on December 4th, 11th and 18th at 7:00 pm (ET). More information about how to register will be available soon.
If you have questions about the Sunshine Cathedral Virtual Campus please contact Reverend Robert Griffin at robert@sunshinecathedral.org.
Thanksgiving food drive
Donations are being accepted through Saturday, November 29th, at any participating Bank of America Banking Center. Food donations will support the important work of The Pantry of Broward. Most needed food items include: tuna and canned meat, pasta and sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned fruits and vegetables, soup, shelf milk, dried fruit and nuts, breakfast cereal, and peanut butter. Simply drop off any of these non-perishable food items at a BOA and know that you are helping to feed seniors and care-giving grandparents this holiday season.
Biographies introduce our spiritual heroes
November 26: Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883) — Abolitionist preacher. Born a slave to a Dutch family in New York, Sojourner (a name she chose later in life) was freed when slavery there was abolished. She became noted as a passionate itinerant preacher and a legend even in her own life. She devoted her life to the antislavery cause, and later to women’s suffrage and equal rights. While some thought it was best to set aside the rights of women for a later date, in her mind the two were inseparable. She was widely acknowledged as one of the most influential women of her day.
November 27: Harvey Milk (1931 – 1978) — First openly gay elected official (USA). Although not a professional politician, Harvey Milk ran for a seat as a City Supervisor in San Francisco in order to stand for the rights of people without a voice — blue-collar workers, the elderly, racial minorities, and especially gays and lesbians. He expected he would die violently, and was shot five times at close range by another politician angered at his stand for gays. That night 40,000 people took to the streets in a candlelight vigil outside City Hall. Although not a religious person, he is remembered because, as Cardinal Juan Fresnos of Chile said, “Whosoever stands up for human rights stands up for the rights of God.”
November 29: Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980) — Prophet of social justice. Despite the fact she held no official position in the Catholic church, and that her thoughts were mostly rejected in her life, it was said at her death that she was “the most influential, interesting, and significant figure” in the history of American Catholicism. Committed to social justice and pacifism, she founded a lay movement, the Catholic Worker, which sought to live out the radical gospel commandment of love in the social and political realm by embracing voluntary poverty.
Articles
- Helping kids at Christmas
- A benefit for Tuesday’s Angels and Leather Archives and Museum
- Pastor Durrell Watkins to perform Mass Wedding on November 30th
- Above and Beyond Sunday
- We remember William Wood
- You can be a different kind of Christmas angel
- Another Cathedral member in city government
- Wednesday night break in December
- Sharing the Light, this holiday season
- Pillars night at Tropics
- Q&A with Rev. Durrell Watkins
- Simply Divine’s newest arrival — Sex As God Intended by John McNeill
- Cathedral parking
- Native American Heritage Month
- Sunshine Cathedral prepares to launch new campus — virtually
- Thanksgiving food drive
- Biographies introduce our spiritual heroes
Links
- Sunday morning worship service PDF
- SunBurst PDF
- November SunBurst archive
- October SunBurst archive
- September SunBurst archive
- Make a Donation!
- Sunshine Cathedral calendar
- Sunshine Cathedral website
- Sunshine Community Foundation
Subscribe
RSS feed
Subscribe through My AOL
Subscribe with BloglinesWeekly worship and meetings
Sunday
in the Worship Center
| Morning Worship | 9:00 & 10:30 am |
|
Time-honored traditions with today’s message of hope and help |
|
Wednesday
| Living the Questions | 7:00 pm |
We remember
Spiritual Heroes and Special Days
Our spiritual heroes and special days are:
| November 26 | Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883), abolitionist preacher |
| November 27 | Harvey Milk (1931 – 1978), first openly gay elected official (USA) |
| November 29 | Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980), prophet of social justice |
In Remembrance
We remember our loved ones on the anniversary of their home-going:
| Johnny Cassiliano | November 24, 1993 |
| Dieter Murphy | November 25, 1989 |
| Jim Cordean | November 25, 1998 |
| Sal Asciutto | November 27, 2002 |
| Zelda Earl | November 28, 2004 |
| Jeanne Howard | November 29, 1993 |
| Mardy Sorko-ram | November 29, 1998 |
Abundance Report:
Sunday, November 16, 2008
| Attendance | Offering |
Per Capita |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Service #1 | 211 | 2,058.00 | 9.75 |
| Service #2 | 346 | 3,622.00 | 10.47 |
| Midweek | 16 | 102.00 | 6.38 |
| Light University | 5 | ||
| Jamaica | |||
| Bay Point Assisted Living Service | |||
| Presidential Place | |||
| Miami | |||
| Sunday School | 4 | ||
| Giving with Ease | 1,276.00 | ||
| Other Offerings | 1,340.00 | ||
| Totals | 582 | $8,398.00 | |
| Earned Income | 1,484.00 | ||
| Minus MCC Cooperation | (671.84) | ||
| Total Available for Ministry | $9,210.16 | ||
| Budgeted Weekly Requirement | 11,000.00 | ||
| Unclaimed Opportunity | $(1,789.84) |
November Month to Date
| Attendance | Offering |
Per Capita |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Service #1 | 635 | 8,346.00 | 13.14 |
| Service #2 | 1,046 | 11,562.00 | 11.05 |
| Midweek | 49 | 175.00 | 3.57 |
| Light University | 5 | ||
| Jamaica | |||
| Bay Point Assisted Living Service | 46 | ||
| Presidential Place | 30 | ||
| Miami | 15 | ||
| Sunday School | 7 | ||
| Giving with Ease | 6,548.00 | ||
| Other Offerings | 3,223.00 | ||
| Totals | 1,833 | $29,854.00 | |
| Earned Income | 15,859.95 | ||
| Minus MCC Cooperation | (2,389.52) | ||
| Total Available for Ministry | $43,339.43 | ||
| Budgeted Weekly Requirement | 33,000.00 | ||
| Our Abundance | $10,339.43 |
Detailed information is available on the Cathedral web site.
Special prayers for those serving in the military
Remember in your prayers during this week those family members and friends who are serving in the armed forces in Iraq and other countries. Contact the Cathedral office to add names to this list.
- LCPL Christopher Bonner
- Lt. Col. Gregory L. Bonner
- Lt. Eric Pidek
- MSG. Christopher Madorma
- BM2 Kristie Hamm
- PFC Daniel Steinberg
- SFC Ray Philips (& his family)
- PFC Sarah H. Slotnick
- MSG John P. Groover
- Specialist 4th Class James Wolf
- Sgt. Karen Josack
- Cpl. Colin V. Ford, USMC
May our Master Teacher, Jesus, be with you to defend you, within you to keep you, before you to lead you, behind you to guard you, and above you to bless you now and always; and to bring you home safely.