I’ve started re-reading the New Testament, and I’m in the Gospels. I love to read the teachings and life of Jesus. Jesus grieved and lamented often. Twice he laments over the fate of Jerusalem. He wept when he was in the presence of those mourning the loss of his friend Lazarus. His heart was heavy and grieving at the last supper with his disciples. He was in deep agony in the garden right before they arrested him. On the cross, he quotes part of one of the Psalms of lament (Ps. 22)
Lament is a key part of our spiritual journey. 42 of the 150 Psalms are considered songs of lament – that’s almost a third of the Psalms! There’s a whole book of the Bible called Lamentations (over the destruction of Jerusalem). A good portion of the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament were statements of lament over the sin of Israel and the destruction and hardship that came or was coming due to their disobedience.
We have long lost the ability and even the understanding and language of lament. Our culture implies that we are to avoid anything that might bring lament. But our Bible says differently. James 1:2 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Then James goes on to say that we grow and mature through our difficulties.
What does it mean to lament? We lament as we face our emotions and verbalize our grief, sorrow, or heartache. We don’t avoid it. We face it squarely with God.
Right at the beginning of Matthew are what we call the Beatitudes. One stood out to me like never before recently. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Blessed is a place of deep joy, contentment, and satisfaction, and that place is found through mourning. It seems so contradictory, doesn’t it? When we suffer or struggle, all we want is for it to pass and go away. But Jesus is letting us know that rather than avoiding loss, pain, hurt, or grief, we need to see it as an opportunity to invite God into our sadness. Rather than trying to avoid grief, we learn to find God in the deepest ways in the lowest parts of life.
The best way we can approach loss, grief, and pain is to let it teach us. Mourning is a path to a deeper experience with God, which creates a deeper soul and character in us.
This Sunday, I’ll finish our series Summer Playlist, and we’ll look at one of the Psalms of lament. We’ll also be remembering and honoring some of the folks we’ve lost this past year. And, I’ll be sharing how communion is a time of lament where we weekly reflect over our sin and what it cost Jesus. You don’t want to miss this special service.
Glen Elliott
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Our Sunday classes are designed to incite wonder, provoke discovery and help your child develop a passionate love for Jesus! Our curriculum is built around simple, but powerful truths, simple crafts and age-appropriate activities that meet little ones where they are at spiritually, cognitively and socially.
All Bible lessons focus around 3 basic truths:
Worship music, crafts, prizes and games
Our Sunday classes are all about digging into the Bible! Kids will be challenged in their spiritual growth through Bible lessons taught personally and through creative teaching techniques. We also incorporate upbeat worship music, as well as crafts, prizes and games that help kids remember the lesson and keep them engaged and excited to come back to church!
We want the church to be a fun and safe place to grow, develop friendships and learn about our amazing God!
All teachers and helpers must be regular attendees of Pantano Christian Church, (having attended regularly for at least 3-6 months or past church attendance is verified if new to the area), and must have a Confidential Application and Background Check on file.
For Benevolence info, please call the church office at 520.298.5395.
Personal financial coaching in available upon request at no charge. A coach will work along side of you in preparing personalized financial statements, establishing a budget, a debt-reduction plan, or whatever else in necessary to get your financial life in order. The goal is to assist you in becoming more effective stewards of the resources God has provided.
Request A CoachMyPantano Portal is our church database website. You'll need a user account to access the Compass. If you already login to MyPantano Portal (CCB) then you can ignore this step.
Sign-upThe Compass will help in your journey along the Pathway to following Jesus well. Experience spiritual transformation and growth with a spiritual assessment that will recommend personalized next steps.
Login to the compassWe're excited to work with you on your upcoming wedding, and look forward to making your day special. Our goal is to equip you for a lifetime marriage and to partner with you to have a marriage that reflects Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we have designed a pre-marriage process for couples desiring to be married by one of our pastors.
Premarital ApplicationPeer counseling is first and foremost a relationship between you and the counselor. It is a free short-term, solution-focused care in a safe and confidential environment, designed to help you move forward on your personal or family journey.
Peer Counseling Request4th- 5th
Times: 6:30 - 8 PM
Dates: January 15 - Apr 29 (No class on Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 8)
Location: Zone 45
When our eyes are set on God, we act right, think right, and live right. God created us to love Him and love others well! This Spring, our preteens will be studying practical lessons from the Bible in order to put God at the center of their lives and guard their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus. Through games, activities, and small group discussion we will check our heart condition and discover ways to get our spiritual hearts in the best shape possible!
Kinder - 3rd Grades
Times: 6:30 - 8 PM
Dates: January 15 - Apr 29 (No class on Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 8)
Location: Rooms KZ 11-13
The sea contains many wondrous sights created by God. When we go under the sea and take a closer look, we see that the sea has much to teach us about God. Join us as we DIVE deeper into what the Bible says about who God is and how he made us!
Times: 6:30 - 8 PM
Dates: January 15 - Apr 29 (No class on Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 8)
Location: Rooms KZ 4, 5, 6
God created the Heaven and the Earth; and God created you!! He designed us to be creative and use our imagination! This Spring, our preschoolers will have fun making Feathery Friends, Mini Maracas, Crazy Creatures and much more as we learn some amazing stories from the Bible. Come join us as we color, paint, glue and draw our way through God’s amazing world!
We've complied a listing of resources from support groups to hotlines to websites to books for anyone in need of assistance/help with a particular life issue.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Tucson Area Intergroup Inc.
Main: 520.624.4183
TDD: 520.882.7422
aatucson.org
Narcotics Anonymous
Local Help Line – Available 24/7
phone: 520.881.8381
trustedservant@natucson.org
Sex Addicts Anonymous
ISO office
800.477.8191
saarecovery.org
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Our vision is to be a catalytic force to bless Southern Arizona and the world and all of our ministries are dedicated in accomplishing this vision. It is the passion and calling of our staff to carry out our vision and core values each and every day.
We are part of a group of churches often referred to as the “Independent Christian Church.” We have no formal connection to a denomination – hence the word “independent.” There are about 5,600 churches like us around the US, with more than 150 averaging over 1000 in attendance.
Mission: Loving people to Jesus & launching passionate difference makers.
Vision: is to be a catalytic force to bring God’s influence to Southern Arizona and strategic places in the world.
There is an ancient saying, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love.” This reflects our heart and belief at Pantano Christian Church. We are a non-denominational church that seeks unity in Christ, based on the essential truths of Scripture while allowing for diversity, differences, and even disagreements over non-essential doctrines. Below are six statements that reflect our corporate essentials and upon which we base our unity in Christ. We all believe much more than these statements and we encourage those who are part of Pantano Christian Church to vigorously search the scriptures and discuss “non-essential” although important doctrines, while not making those views a test of fellowship. Therefore, we believe in and are committed with our whole being to…
The above statements do not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind and is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For the purpose of Pantano Christian Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, discipline, and policy our Elders are the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
The following are core beliefs that shape who we are as a church community and define how we do ministry.