One of our own
I didn’t know Scott Resnick very well. I went to Mexico with him on a mission’s trip, went to church with him, and went on vacations with his family, but he and I never connected deeply. He was honestly a bit of a mystery to me, because he and I were wired very differently. But I watched him, observed him, and respected him.
I watched the way he treated his kids, watched the way they respected and loved him and obeyed him. I watched his love and zest for life, always pushing the envelope and living fearlessly. I watched the way he quietly made connections with high school students, making time for them and investing in them. And I also watched and listened to how Holly looked at him and spoke about him, both before and after his death. She deeply loved and respected him as a husband and father.
So while I am sad Scott is gone, my heart breaks with yours today much more for Holly and the kids that survive him. Holly is one of those people who every time I am around her, I feel privileged to have spent time with her and truly blessed to have been in her presence. There are some people in the world, whose level of authenticity, humility, and depth coupled with their kindness just make them gold, and that is Holly. Holly is someone you can trust.
I find myself just grateful today… grateful beyond words to belong to a community that can respond to Holly and her family. I, along with you, am her church family and we have a special role right now and for the rest of their lives. As I grieve, I know I don’t grieve alone; I grieve with you and with our church. And as I desire to rise up and respond, to reach out, to extend myself in this time of need, I do it on a wave of response all around that is one of the most beautiful things out of this blackness that I have seen in my time at Sunset.
And yet, Holly’s story of loss and grief and pain, is not just hers. There are hundreds of people, in our community, that need a loving touch and helping hand, they too need to know people care. We can’t individually meet every need; but I believe, as a community, we can become more aware and learn to continue to respond better to the needs around us. For all our verbiage about the people outside our walls, the next generation behind us, the need overseas, etc. we also must have a special place in our hearts when the person in need is one of our own.
Pastor Ron’s recent News & Views email…
Last Saturday I received a phone call that Scott Resnick had died Friday night in a private plane crash near Scottsdale, Arizona. My first thoughts were, “Oh, God, no! He is so young… He has four children under the age of 12… He was such a strong Christian… why, Scott?” Of course, I know God never answers those questions. Seldom does he explain to us why things like this happen. I began to pray for Holly and her kids—Kiel, Reilly, Ireland, and Kelton. Scott’s sudden death underscores the truth that life is short, and none of us knows how long we will live. We need to live each day as if it were our last, for God does not give us a guarantee of tomorrow.
Scott’s memorial service will be here at Sunset Saturday, June 6 at 1:00pm… we had a special prayer time Wednesday evening for Holly and her kids and for Scott’s parents Rudi and Shelley Resnick. Shelley’s 57-year old brother David Carlson died May 16, and Scott was flying to Arizona for his uncle’s memorial service when the plane crashed. Please continue to be in prayer for both of these families on the loss of their husband, father, and son.
SEASONS OF SERVICE kicks off this week!
Sunset Presbyterian Church wants its congregation to serve outside the walls of Sunset and be knee deep in community involvement. Seasons of Service allows the congregation to achieve that goal as well as discover the benefits of serving individually and as a family. It’s through serving that we engage our community and become a constant and important resource. Click here for more information. Click here to volunteer for a Seasons of Service event.
Opportunities To Serve
Safety at Sunset
One of the “holes” left after our recent layoffs is the need for a representative from W&CA on the Safety Team. We’d like to fill that hole with a volunteer. Safety on our campus is a responsibility of the Operations team, but they need input and support from all the other teams to handle the variety of needs at Sunset. Those needs range from maintaining a safe work environment for our staff to handling an emergency that might occur on our campus.
If you’re interested in representing W&CA and being a part of Sunset’s Safety Team, please contact carriepeeples@sunsetpres.org. The Safety Team meets once a month on the fourth Thursday from 10 to 11am; however, they may be open to changing the time.
Production/Tech Team Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for people to fill the following roles:
· Service Director
· Lighting
· Graphics
· FOH Camera Op Week
· Message Slide Designer
In addition we have a new volunteer role: Video production. We'd like to find some video editors in our midst. Are you or do you know someone who could do simple projects for us? (i.e. this week, we have white text (provided) on black screen and need someone to edit.) The level of the projects will depend on who we discover. The content is generally available a couple weeks in advance of the deadline. If you have this skill or know someone at Sunset who does, please email me janetfraser@sunsetpres.org.
Upcoming Events
Congregational Survey – May 31 If you missed this yesterday, contact the church office to receive a survey to fill out.
Sunset exists to connect people to Jesus and help people grow into strong disciples of Jesus. We often wonder how well we are doing at developing followers of Christ, so this Sunday, May 31 we will be providing a questionnaire to survey the congregation in several aspects. This will require about 8 minutes at the end of each worship service. The survey is being administered by our own Mike Riley of Riley Research Associates, and he tells us surveys are always best when as many people as possible participate. So Pastor Ron is asking all of us to plan on completing the survey this Sunday to help us know how we are doing in fulfilling our vision.
Father’s Day Special Event – June 21
On Father’s Day June 21 we would like to turn our courtyard and parking lot into a “man’s world” with displays of everything from unique, exotic, and classic cars to motor homes, motorcycles, cigarette boats, ski boats, etc. We have invited a number of men to bring vehicles, and if you have something you would like to display here that morning, please contact Mike Matousek at 503.292.9293 or mikematousek@sunsetpres.org.
May 31 – (Sunday) Infant baptism/dedication and Choir & Orchestra
June 7 – (Sunday) Communion
June 12 – Bike Safety Fair
June 14 – Believer Baptism & Choir/Orchestra Sunday
June 21 – Father’s Day Sunday
July 12-16 – Middle School Camp, click here for more info
July 21 – (Sunday) Communion
August 3-8 – High School Camp, click here for more info
August 18-23 – Kids Camp, click here for more info
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