A great time was enjoyed last Sunday evening at Pat Hines home.  We shared great food, great conversation and played.

This coming Sunday, July 21, we will gather at the Lights' home at 5:30 p.m. for our shared meal. Ann and Crockett live at 9649 Deer Lane in the Ponderosa Estates. Their home is a short drive out Highway 67. If you have not signed up yet, need directions, or would like to car pool, let Ann know by email, annlight@zipnet.us or telephone, 325-632-2626.

The Gathering does "food" very well. We also do "caring about others" very well. This Sunday, in addition to enjoying food together, we'll also care about others by bringing a can of something or a small jar of peanut butter for Project Dignidad.

Dinners for Eight Are Here

The Gathering is hosting Dinners for Eight in the homes of church members in July.  The opportunity to break bread with one another and offer hospitality is time honored tradition.  Information on these events can be found in the last two editions, July 3 and July 11, of our weekly newsletter. 

Dinners for Eight Coming!

Because of the holiday, many of our Gatherers will be out of town or otherwise occupied this Sunday, July 7; therefore, there will be no service this Sunday. We will reconvene Sunday July 14th for the Dinners Eight.

We will join for Dinners Eight on July 14, 21, and 28. We have the Ann & Crockett Light and Pat Hines who are hosting so we need at least one more host and many attendees to sign up. Let Ann Light at annlight@zipnet.us know what you will do and let's make this a fun month of sharing on Sunday evenings.

Sacred Business of Serving

The Gathering is a collaborative community where each person is a valued participant. As such, we gather as a whole for updates and conversations about the life of the community most fifth Sundays, which is this week. We are also a community that values service to others. After all, one of our Practices is Service and another is Compassion. So on this fifth Sunday of June, we will combine these values and practices and Gather for the Sacred Business of Service. The evening will be full of engaging with the Spirit and discussing and deciding things that shape who we are, as well as doing something for others. You are encouraged to participate.

Because it is the fifth Sunday of the month, we will not have a regular pot-luck. Feel free, however, to bring a snack supper and/or snacks to share.

Mapping Soul Country

Cartography (from Greek Χάρτης, khartes = papyrus (paper) and graphein = to write) is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.

This is the subject for The Gathering on Sunday, June 23. We will draw a map of our "soul country. " If drawing a map and coloring it isn't your thing, writing is also an option.   All supplies will be provided for this fun time exploring our life's journey in a different way.

There will be no potluck this Sunday but if you would like yummy goodies to inspire you during this exercise, feel free to bring snacks.

Movie Night!

One of the cool things about The Gathering is that we're always doing something interesting!  For example, this coming Sunday we'll explore the evolution of the Bible.  "Evolution," you say?  In the same sentence as "the Bible"?  And the topic is not creationism or science, but the evolution of the Bible itself?  Yes, exactly.

Using a 25 minute clip from the PBS dvd series "Beyond Theology", we'll look at how various people interpret and make sense of the Bible and the changing meanings of some of the Bible's most well-known myths - for example, the Genesis story of creation. Get ready for a great discussion, which will be particularly timely given our recent Gathering at which we learned about Native American creation myths.

The "Beyond Theology" series explores the evolution of consciousness and examines topics such as the challenges confronting humanity and the changing representations of God.  Bill Moyers praises the series by saying, "This is an ambitious series with some of the most interesting voices in religion in America today. They take us beyond the current conflicts about religion and politics and show us a hopeful vision of faith based on the deepest longings of heart and mind."

Our financial offering will be designated for a relatively new local non-profit agency that's doing great work: Promises for Families, whose mission is to provide quality summer camp, after school programs and academic tutoring for children whose lives have been impacted by parental incarceration.

Also, You are invited to bring non-perishable food items to help support Project Dignidad.

Sunday, June 9
5:30 pm at 618 Locust

"The Gathering"for Worship

Sunday, 2 June 2013
5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

After several weeks of special events, we will return to our foundation this Sunday evening by gathering for worship. We will take as our focus Luke 9:11-17, a story about Jesus and the sacred power of sharing food with each other. Our offering will be designated for the San Angelo Kids Eat summer nutrition program, and you're also invited to bring canned and/or boxed food for Project Dignidad. We will also join together in a potluck meal as a part of our worship experience with the theme "5 loaves and 2 fish", or anything you'd like to share with the community. If you'd like to help Karen co-plan and/or co-lead worship, please let her know.