Gathering to Co-Create Our Future

The Gathering is a collaborative inclusive community where everyone's voice and perspective matter. As such, you are invited and encouraged to participate in the next Community Connecting Workgroup Meeting and the next Worship Planning Workgroup Meeting. Your scary, creative, meaningful, fun suggestions are needed and will be appreciated!

Both these workgroups will meet Sunday, October 28, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street.

Autumn's Teaching

O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher, for I wish to learn the virtue of contentment. ~ Edward Hays 

Sunday night we will engage the season and lessons of Autumn - literally and spiritually. Our offering will be designated for the Nature Conservancy, and "fall food" is our pot-luck theme, i.e., anything that tastes good in the fall, like soup, chili, s'mores, etc.

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

Faith & Film

The newest film from Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Linda Midgett is coming to The Gathering this Sunday.

The "line" that the film's title refers to is the poverty line, or the line between "the haves and have-nots," as one person in the film puts it. The current poverty line, set by the federal government for the purposes of determining eligibility for government benefits, is $11,170 for an individual or $23,050 for a family of four.

This means nearly half of all Americans live in poverty or barely above the poverty line. How many people in San Angelo are living on this line? How many people in The Gathering?

The documentary highlights the stories of four people who have found themselves on both sides of this line: a former bank vice president who lost his job, a Louisiana fisherman whose livelihood is threatened by environmental degradation and hurricanes, a former homeless man, and a woman who grew up in high crime neighborhood, lifted herself out of poverty, and found herself back in poverty after a horrible accident disrupted her life.

Discussion will follow the 45 minute film. Our offering recipient is still to be determined. We will not have a community potluck meal, but you are welcome to bring movie snacks.

Sunday, October 14
5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

Gathering for Indigenous Worship

Monday, October 8, is nationally recognized as Columbus Day, a day to honor the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. Recognizing the injustices and crimes perpetrated on indigenous peoples across the Americas following Columbus' and Europeans' arrival, however, many states have recently begun observing Indigenous People's Day instead. The purpose of the day is to promote Native American culture and commemorate the history of Native American peoples.

Sunday night we will join and expand this commemoration as we gather for worship with the theme "indigenous people's spirituality". Not only will worship include components of Native American spirituality, it will also include aspects of other indigenous spiritualities.

Noting the significance of animals and environment for many indigenous peoples and combining this with the Feast of St. Francis of Assissi (October 4, Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment), our offering will be designated for Concho Valley PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving). Our potluck theme is anything you consider indigenous.