Spirituality
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Spiritual Reflections I am a wrestler. I’m not talking about wearing a spandex singlet with special headgear while I maneuver my way around a circle on a mat. I am not that type of wrestler. When I was in high school, our wrestling team sent competitors to state meets every year. A common sight before and after school were members of the wrestling team running steps, working out in the weight room or trying to make their weight class by losing any extra pounds in a zippered sweat bag. A match consisted of three 2-minute periods. At the start of the first period,
the two competitors faced each other in a standing position. Each wrestler moved around the mat, sizing up his competition, looking for an opportunity to take down his opponent. Standing took a lot of energy. It was not a position of rest, but a position of strategy as each wrestler sought to gain control and maintain restraining power over his opponent. I am this type of wrestler. I wrestle with truths of our faith, of suffering and sickness and tragedy and where is God in it all. I want easy answers, but I find that the longer I walk on this faith journey, the more questions I have.
Spiritual Reflections Share your spiritual reflections... The spiritual leaders of SanTan Sun area churches, temples, mosques and other religious and spiritual gathering places are invited to contribute their Spiritual Reflections in essay format by sending their thoughts, enlightening insights and other writings of a spiritual nature to News@SanTanSun.com. Be certain to put “Spiritual Reflections submission” in the subject line, and keep your articles around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, title and facility name, address, phone number and website. Spiritual Reflections are printed on a space-available basis, and submission does not guarantee print. The opinions represented in this column are those of the author and not that of the SanTan Sun News.
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High Holy Days at Temple Havurat Emet
Wrestling With Faith BY LYNNE HARTKE
July 20 – August 2, 2013
Ephesians 6:13 says that once we have done everything else in our slugit-out, fight-with-each-waking-breath faith journey, we are to stand. After the prayers and the Bible reading and the church services and the doctors saying there is nothing more they can do— stand. To stand is not a position of rest. It is a position of strategy as I seek to gain control—of my hope, my trust, my faith—and maintain restraining power over the opponent—discouragement, doubt, unbelief. I am a wrestler. I have done everything. So I stand. Lynne Hartke is the wife of Pastor Kevin Hartke of Trinity Christian Fellowship in Chandler, 50 S. McQueen Rd. She blogs at lynnehartke.com. For information, visit tcfchandler.org or call 480-963-7698.
The High Holy Day special event, Rosh Hashana, is starting on Wed., Sept. 4 at Temple Havurat Emet. Admittance to High Holy days is included with a full $100 temple membership for first-year members. For more information or for tickets, call Gigi at 480-785-7767.
Chompie’s is catering A picnic catered by Chompie’s will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. Fri., Aug. 2 for members, and includes lean corned beef, turkey and roast beef deli sandwiches served on Challah rolls, tuna and egg salads and chips. Cost is $9 for adults and $4.50 for children younger than 13. A special service for children will follow at 6:30 p.m. and the usual Friday night service will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lecky Room of the Ed Robson Library at 9930 E Riggs Rd., Chandler. Call Carol at 520-423-9941 in Maricopa or Linda at 420-588-1826 in Sun Lakes for information or visit templehavuratemet.org.