Happy Thanksgiving

"At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." ~ Albert Schweitzer 

 
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

The Gathering meets next on Sunday, December 2nd at 5:30 pm at 618 Locust Street. 

Gathering in Gratitude

"The generosity of God in sharing the goodness of creation with us can elicit only one possible response - that of gratitude."- Esther de Waal

This Sunday night we will engage in the spiritual discipline of gratitude as we gather for worship at 5:30 pm.  Come prepared to be inspired, touched, transformed. As a way of living our gratitude for daily nourishment, our offering is multifacted: we will receive non-perishable foods for Project Dignidad, as well as cans of chili for the Christmas Box effort (see article below).  We will also share a potluck meal.  Please remember - we always have plenty of food, so you don't "need" to bring anything.  If you'd like to contribute but can't come up with a food dish, you're always welcome to contribute to the "kitty"

Sunday, Nov 17 at 5:30 pm
618 Locust

Gathering to Converse with Veterans

 

Sunday, 11 November 2012, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

 
According to Wikipedia, Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.  Observed on November 11, it coincides with other international holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.  The significance of  November 11 is because major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.

In considering this Sunday, the Worship Planning Workgroup realized we are all somehow shaped by veterans.  After all, almost all Gatherers are either veterans or children, spouses, siblings, friends, or parents of veterans.  We wondered about the effects of serving in the military on one's soul and spiritual journey.  In addition, we wondered how being a veteran impacts one's religious beliefs and/or faith journey.  So, in the best Gathering style, we'll have a conversation with some of our veterans - Larry, Tim, Les, and Crockett have agreed to share some of their military experiences with us.  In addition to story sharing, we'll also examine the Just War theory and theology as well as the Just Peace church movement.

Our financial offering will be designated for Meals for the Elderly because as Ann points out, many veterans are currently served by Meals for the Elderly.  In addition, we will continue our special November offering effort to bring dry and canned goods for Project Dignidad.  Since this is the second Sunday of the month, we will not have pot luck.

The Intersection of Citizenship and Spirituality

Debates rage today about the role of religion in public life, and it seems religious rhetoric is increasing (or maybe just getting louder). As the world becomes more interconnected, various religions are inhabiting the same space, and many in the United States and around the world want to shape the public realm according to the dictates of their own religious traditions and particular interpretations of their sacred texts. Others, frustrated with this intolerance, take a completely secular approach to citizenship and want absolutely no intersection between anything spiritual and anything political.

But for those of us who intentionally work to integrate our spiritual lives with the rest of our lives, the situation is more complicated. We live within the tension of working to allow our particular faith perspectives to inform our politics without dictating that others believe and govern from our perspectives. We agree with the perspective that, "At it's best, the church is a community of moral discernment in which the connection between discipleship and citizenship can be a matter for serious deliberation." Sunday's worship invites us to this serious deliberation.

Governmental policies may be determined theoretically, but they have real life consequences, one of which is climate change and its effects. Zack Beauchamp points out that income inequality is "the single most important predictor of vulnerability to storm damage." As such, our financial offering this Sunday will be directed to Hurricane Sandy relief. Another consequence of current political policies is that many people in San Angelo are hungry. So every Sunday in November we will collect food for Project Dignidad. Canned vegetables and meats, peanut butter, bags of beans and rice are always needed and appreciated. And speaking of sharing food - we will join together in our potluck Sunday night.

 4 November 2012, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street 

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