SALT this Sunday

Ecumenical Advent Worship with San Angelo Living Together (SALT)
St. Paul Presbyterian Church, 6:00 p.m.

We're adding a little "SALT" to Advent by joining with others this Sunday for the San Angelo Living Together community-wide Advent service and meal. Worship begins at 6:00 p.m. and will consist of gospel singing, scripture reading, and prayers. St. Paul Presbyterian Church, the host, will provide dinner following worship. As in previous years, the evening promises to be full of good singing, good conversation, and a chance to develop relationships with people across the city. Meet at St. Paul Presbyterian, 11 N. Park Street, for the 6:00 worship time.

Please Note: We will NOT meet at 618 Locust Street this Sunday, November 28.

Gathering to Give Thanks

This Sunday we will gather to celebrate and give thanks by sharing the rich and full gifts and experiences of Gatherers, so come ready to share and enjoy readings, poems, art work, scripture, stories, etc, about different experiences and meanings of Thanksgiving.

As is our practice, we will share hospitality and a meal with others - but with a twist. Instead of having a large Thanksgiving dinner together, we will have a minimal meal of soup and crackers Sunday night. If you have a crock pot and want to bring soup, do so, or bring a can of something and we will mix the various cans together and have "hobo" soup. But here's the deal: so that we can share the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with others, we'll donate Thanksgiving food items to the Concho Valley Area Food Bank. So please bring Thanksgiving staple items such as cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, green beans, yams, cake mix, etc., and we'll gratefully share our abundance with others via the Food Bank.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into God's presence with singing. Enter God's gates with thanksgiving, and the courts with praise. Give thanks to God. For the Lord is good; God's steadfast love endures for ever, and Divine faithfulness to all generations.--Psalm 100:1-2, 4-5

The generosity of God in sharing the goodness of creation with us can elicit only one possible response - that of gratitude.--Esther de Waal

Sunday, November 21
5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

Autumn

The bite in the air,
the smell that crisp October wind brings,
the earth moist and pungent
ripe grapes scenting the air
the mossy wet aroma of decay
and the leaves
coming on like paper lanterns,
dressing for death in colors of sun and blood
this is autumn

from Wabi Sabi Simple,Richard Powell

Practicing Gratitude

This coming Sunday, November 14, we will gather for a time of contemplative meditation focused on gratitude. We will "practice gratitude" by giving our offering to the San Angelo Friends of the Environment. For the potluck, you are invited to bring something for which you are thankful. Ann has noted before that "We are truly a 'bread and fishes' group where there is always plenty of food. So if cooking is not your favorite activity, or if you are rushed for time, bring something easy like chips, bread, soda or a smile. Share yourself--never worry about food."

Sunday, November 14, 2010
5:30 pm
618 Locust Street

Thursday is Movie Night

Join us for Call Me Malcolm on Thursday, November 11 at 6:30 pm. The movie will be shown at the new SpringHill Suites Hotel, 2544 Southwest Boulevard (also off Loop 306 access road, close to The Olive Garden and Home Depot). Inside the hotel, look for the Raiders Room.

Voluntary donations will go to Angelo State University's HERO, Helping Educate Regarding Orientation.

Gathering to Remember Our Saints

Sunday night, November 7, the saints will come marching in as The Gathering observes All Saints Day, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street. For this remembrance Sunday, we will be celebrating the lives of those loved ones (pets as well as people) who are no longer with us. Ann suggests you bring a photograph, newspaper clipping, memento, or just a note to place on our special altar to honor the life/lives of your loved one(s). In the best of Gathering fashion, it will be an interesting mix of traditions.



Our offering is designated for Hope United Church of Christ in Georgetown, TX, a South Central Conference new church start, which just started worshiping in October. Hope United is chosen for a couple of reasons:

As we honor our faith ancestors, we recognize and affirm our relationship with those who have come before us in the UCC; and appreciating that even as we are still a new church start we are becoming the ancestors of those who will come after us, we are giving to another UCC church in formation - our younger sibling, so to speak.

Hope United "seeks to be a community of faith that is open to all, offering the freedom to explore the questions of life, share the love of Christ, grow in faith, and work for peace and justice." We also celebrate the beginning of a brand new church start - Christ United in Carrollton, Texas.

Our potluck theme is anything your saints inspire you to bring. All are welcome!

Sunday, November 7
5:30 pm, 618 Locust St