Gathering for Film Night

Sunday, August 11, 2013, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

Water and oil are always important topics in San Angelo, and this Sunday we'll combine the issues when we gather to watch Tapped, a 2009 documentary that examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil. The movie explores the "manufacture" of the water itself, and also where the bottles come from, where they go after use and how they influence our lives while they're with us.

Directors Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsey became interested in the topic after research into ocean pollution "kept leading them to bottled water". The movie won the Best Documentary award at both the Anchorage and Eugene International Film Festivals.

Leading the discussion will be Sin, and our offering beneficiary has not yet been determined. For more information about the movie before Sunday night, check out www.tappedthemovie.com.

Re-Gathering

It's time to re-Gather as a group at Promenade Square, 618 Locust Street, THIS SUNDAY, August 4, 5:30 pm.  We will gather together for worship and to share stories of vacations, reunions, cook-outs, community dinners, sabbaticals, and other summer activities that have reminded us again that the whole universe is indeed God's body (Sally McFague).  Our offering will be designated for The Gathering - our regular operating account and our future facility fund.  Following worship we will share a community potluck dinner.

General Synod News & Views

Thanks to the UCC's use of technology, I, too, attended General Synod this year - that is, I attended via the internet. What a great gift to those of us who could not physically be present - the ability to participate in the denomination as a whole, to engage in worship, hear the speakers, participate in the life and process of our church. Even though Synod is over it's not too late - you haven't missed it; the videos are still available at ucc.org/synod and well worth watching.

Like Douglas Anders, I, too, found Peter Kageyama's talk engaging - and a great way to think about The Gathering. To paraphrase Kageyama, The Gathering UCC can't "compete" with the established and plentiful large churches in San Angelo - they are amenity-rich, financially secure, numerically stable. Obviously, if we try to do what they are doing, we can only fail. What is possible, and what The Gathering is actually doing is engaging in San Angelo in creative and meaningful ways. The result is that despite our small size, The Gathering has a remarkably large presence in San Angelo via our reputation and "good works". In the last few weeks, it has been The Gathering the media has contacted for comment on the Supreme Court DOMA ruling, The Gathering that's been contacted re: Texas women's health care issues, and The Gathering that's been contacted by people seeking a public response to the Trayvon Martin tragedy. Our small UCC new church start community is becoming known as a mighty faithful Christian presence confronting local, national, and global issues of justice and inclusion.

As Douglas pointed out in his article, "the good news about meaning-rich cities or meaning-rich churches is that they rely on ordinary, average, grass-roots people to make things happen" - which is exactly the situation with The Gathering. I may be considered the spokesperson for The Gathering, but our life and vitality is because of the vision, efforts and love for San Angelo and The Gathering by Gatherers. We are truly a collaborative community seeking to join with God in the holy work of creating not just a church, but a community.

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.