Letter from a Gatherer

Alex Rios sent the following letter to the San Angelo Standard Times:

Boy, doesn’t it feel great to be on a team? Liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, foreigner, white, black, straight, gay, Christian, atheist, fat, thin, intellectual, redneck, young, old — whatever.

We’ve all been duped. It won’t stop anytime soon, but let’s at least know that it happened to us. We owe ourselves that much.

Whatever invented team we think we’re on, it’s time to ask, “Who owns the stadium we’ve been playing in?” Someone is benefiting from the game itself, and we’ve been blind, loyal, obedient and, best of all, quiet.

Feels good to pretend that you hate or love someone, though. We’re surrounded by heroes and villains, and haven’t we been dumb?

Someone, somewhere is laughing at our flags, our tears and our fat kids. They are smiling right at us. And you know the best part? We insist on seeing it all in HD.

All are welcome, no matter what the team. This Sunday we attend to business matters. As far as I know, there will be no HD.

Spirit and Soul in Dark Times

The darkness of the Haitian earthquake took the world by surprise. A country already suffering, now deals with immeasurable pain. The loss of life, shelter and basic services is staggering. Millions of Haitians have immediate needs for food, water, sanitation and health care. Those trapped in the rubble hope for search and rescue.

Both spirit and soul are needed in dark times. The darker the times, the greater need for soul. Soul deepens when people come together. It grows when we hold one another in difficulty, anytime people make sacred space. In making soul, we plant the seeds for rejuvenation, however far off that may seem.

Consider the words of Michael Meade from The World Behind theWorld: Living at the Ends of Time.

Everyone searches for home and home turns out to be the center of our lives. The real home is the center within each life and each return to the inner center not only calms and heals the person and makes the person whole, but also adds some healing and wholeness to the world around us. When the end (of the world) seems near, it's time to seek the center within and find ways to be central to the healing of the scorched and scarred earth around us. The great tragedies and dramas of life and the threat of it all ending try to return humanity to an awareness of the eternal presence of the divine waiting at the center of each life and all life.

Spirit elevates, soul deepens. The soul of the world cries for the wounded people and shaken, scarred earth of Haiti. With Haiti's infrastructure devastated, other countries have to step up and help out. If capacity and mission don't mess quickly, the soul of humanity will suffer greatly. Keep the people of Haiti in your heart, soul, spirit and prayers.

Prayer

"Prayer is not about words addressed to an elsewhere God. Prayer is about reflection on life and the interconnectedness of everyone and all things within God's Presence."--Michael Morwood

"Prayer is not an escape from the world but an entrance into it."--Ann Ulano

The Gathering will discuss prayer, be it soul filled, spirit driven, heart filled, or heart broken.

What is prayer? What are your habits, experiences and beliefs about prayer? How and why do you pray - or not? Come join us.

Winter Tapestry

Come learn about, meditate upon, and discuss the beautiful and venerable tapestry of many faiths that share and celebrate this winter season. Join us this Sunday, December 20 at 5:30 pm. Safe travels.

Darkness and Light

Sunday's Gathering will be a time of contemplative exploration and prayer as we focus on the gifts and challenges of Winter: The Season of Waiting. What can we learn from our dark and barren times? Where do we experience the Holy during seasons of waiting? What Light do we yearn for and seek? We will explore these and other themes during a time of contemplative meditation.

The Gathering is supplying spaghetti noodles for St. Paul Presbyterian's Christmas Food Mission. Please bring boxes of spaghetti noodles this Sunday.

Our New Logo

The Gathering joyfully celebrates our new logo. Many thanks to the Logo Workgroup for their creativity and hard work!

December 6--the theme is Advent, Yearning for the Light. Spread your light with us at 5:30 pm at Promenade Square.

Practicing Gratitude

The Gathering will center around contemplative meditation this Sunday. The theme is practicing gratitude for this gift called life. The offering will go to the Concho Valley Food Bank.