Season of Light

As the days grow shorter and darkness becomes more pronounced, we will prepare for the coming of the Light during worship Sunday, 18 December 2011, 5:30 p.m., 618 Locust Street. Wednesday is the Winter Solstice, and we will immerse ourselves in the particular gifts of darkness, as well as celebrate the in breaking of the Light into Darkness. What does this mean in terms of worship? We'll "see" on Sunday. If possible, please bring a candle to use during worship. You will take it home with you.

Our food theme will reflect and balance the day and season. First of all, the earth's season of growing darkness prompts creation into dormancy, quiet, inner reflection. And secondly, because of the holiday season, many of us have been feasting on all kinds of fun, special, rich foods. Combining that with our worship theme, let us share "light" potluck fare.

Our offering will be designated for The Gathering.

Sharing Sacred Holiday Stories

Many of the traditions and meanings of the Christmas season are conveyed through stories. Stories about a baby born in a manger, angels singing about peace, light piercing the darkness. As my mentor Les Pugh reflected, these stories have a place in our lives. They encourage our ponderings and touch us to be reverent. Many Gatherers have grown up with additional stories of the season - for instance, stories about a grinch, a frosty snowman, and flying reindeer. Do these, too, encourage our ponderings and touch us to be reverent?

We will share and ponder our sacred holiday stories with each other this Sunday. You are invited to share with the group a story of some sort (a reading, a memory, a story from scripture, a family tradition, etc) that conveys to you the meaning of Sacred Presence during this holy season. Of course, in our sharing, we will be creating stories and traditions of our own.

Our offering will be designated for pancake supplies. Join us Sunday, December 11, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust.

Gratitude

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful
for each of you
and the spark you bring
to The Gathering.
May your Thanksgiving day and
season be filled with an abundance of
Gratitude, Joy, and Peace.
--Karen

Gathering
Sunday, November 27

We will join with others this Sunday for the San Angelo Living Together (SALT) 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 27, but we will gather again at 618 Locust, on Sunday, December 4.

Remembering and Giving Thanks

Sunday, November 20, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust

November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a time set aside in memory of those who have died as a result of violence against transgender individuals and a time for communities to express solidarity and hope for a better future for gender diverse people everywhere. This Sunday, The Gathering will come together to participate in this world-wide observance with a time of prayer and reflection and a reading of the names of those who were lost over the last year.

The recipient for our offering will be TransYouth Family Allies, an organization devoted to empowering 'children and families by partnering with educators, service providers and communities, to develop supportive environments in which gender may be expressed and respected.'

We will also collect pancake mix and syrup for Christmas food boxes. Following worship, we will share our community potluck meal.

Blessed Gathering

November's focus on gratitude is a great time to enjoy and engage with Lucinda Williams' song Blessed - which is what we will do during Sunday's Gathering. With the word so popular now, what does "blessed" actually mean? Or does it even still have any meaning? What's the power of being blessed and blessing others? Williams' song invites us to reclaim the power of "blessing" in surprising ways. Consider, for instance, these lyrics:

We were blessed by the battered woman who didn't seek revenge,
We were blessed by the soldier who didn't need to win.

Come join the conversation and be blessed! Our offering recipient is still to be determined.

Gathering for Blessings
Sunday, 13 November 2011
5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

Harvest Time

Fall is a time of harvest; the emphasis on Halloween has become "harvesting" lots of candy; November 1 was the Feast of All Saints and November 2, the Feast of All Souls; Thanksgiving, observed with tables laden with food, is a few weeks away, followed by Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years - all with their particular feasts and parties. Not surprisingly, Halloween through New Years has been called "The Season of Feasting." As we begin this two month trek with so much emphasis on religious holy days and special food, our attention turns to the deeper behind the feasts: hunger. For what do you hunger? With what are you "filling" yourself? Sunday's worship will explore ... Appropriately, worship will include Communion, and we will share our communal potluck meal following the service.

Our offering will be designated for Mission 1. Mission 1 is a special effort by the United Church of Christ to feed the hungry and confront worldwide food-related injustice. The goals of Mission 1 include:

* collecting more than 1 million items of healthy food for local food banks,
* to collect more than $111,111 for hunger-related ministries in the United States and $111,111 for East Africa famine-related ministries,
* to send more than 11,111 letters to Congress asking to reform US foreign assistance programs to more effectively benefit hungry and poor people worldwide.

Our offering will include a monetary component, a canned and dry food collection for Project Dignidad, and a "letter component" - in that letters re: worldwide hunger issues will be available to sign and send to Congress.

Pre-Halloween Surprise

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

There's nothing scary about this week's Gathering - but it is a surprise, so I won't write about it here. Check your email for more information, and come join the community of skeletons, goblins, zombies, witches, bats, and other Halloween critters for a festive night of celebration.

Please let me know if you don't get a personal invitation!