September 9, 2011
Friends,
“You are God’s work of art!” (Ephesians 2); and “If we only knew what we were receiving in the Eucharist we would leave the Table dancing!” (Marty Luther)
What a splendid celebration we had with Gerry Grosz and his Jazz Kitchen. Gerry composed 2 new pieces just for our worship. He told me afterwards, “I love this place; it inspires me every time I come here.” Gerry has composed new pieces for Jazz at Peace, the Hope for Japan Benefit Concert presented by A Pair of Jeans, and now for our worship as well. Meditating, dancing, powerful Children’s Time, gracious Communion, nurturing the Heart – the gift of Spirit and worship. Our thanks to the Jazz at Peace/Jazz Church West Team for bringing the Jazz Kitchen to worship and to Pr. Margareta for the Jam in the Cross!
President Pat Leong announced last Sunday that the congregation has decided to move our worship time to 9:30 am beginning Homecoming Sunday on September 18. The Council and Clergy see this change as a pivot point for Peace to establish a solid education component for both Adult Education and Sunday School. Multiple adult classes can be offered from 11:10 – 11:50. You will be asked for topics that you want to engage. Members of Peace will be asked to share their expertise in classes. The 4th Sundays of each month will be the time for our Committees to meet and organize our ministries. The Sunday School Staff would like to have 6 teachers/assistants in their pool. Pr. Anita is coordinating this. Training is provided. Commit yourself to Life Long Learning! (Those in the Bible 365 Class know the joy of faith strengthened and deepened.) Let’s offer our children and adults the best Spiritual Formation possible! And all will continue to enjoy our delectable Hospitality Time in between worship and education.
The Holy Convergence – our 7th Annual Interfaith Festival – is celebrated on Sunday, September 18 from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. It is sponsored by I-SRV (Interfaith – San Ramon Valley) and is hosted by Peace Lutheran. We will explore the themes our Earth/Faith/Food CSA provides. The Orpheus Ensemble will drum, Devotional Singers from the MA Center will chant, and Chi Kung Master Kaleo Ching will ground us. There will be prayer, panelists, information booths from participating congregations and plenty of Organic Food. This is a blessed and relaxed opportunity for new connections and insights. Spread the word – invite friends to join you. Experience the feel of the global spiritual community! To download the flier for Holy Convergence in PDF format click here.
And as long as you’re downloading fliers, how about downloading and sharing this one for October 2′s St. Francis Blessin of the Animals Pet Festival!
Please keep in your prayers: Lois McGee, Nancy, Julie and George, Jeanne and Pete, Erica, Dwane Michael, Kersti Malvre, Toby and Chris, April and Matt, the Healing Prayer Team, for the release and delight of the creative energy/gifts given each of us, the Altemus family, the family of Betty Duffy, Pete Yellin, the people of East Africa dying of famine and drought, political prisoners.
Taize Contemplative Prayer: The Healing Prayer team will be sponsoring a Taize Prayer Service on the 4th Friday of each month at 7:00 pm beginning on September 23. It is a beautiful and simple service composed of repetitive chants, brief scripture, a period of silent prayer and the opportunity to pray around the cross. It is a Centering Experience which allows us to be and pray in the stillness of the Spirit. Taize began in southern France several decades ago. Peace has periodically offered this service. Rev. Lucy Kolin of Resurrection Lutheran in Oakland will lead Taize with her music. Prayers for peace and reconciliation in our lives and world shape the flow of this healing service. Friday evenings initially seem an odd time but the truth is Taize graciously concludes our week and brings energy for the weekend. Some years ago a member of Peace named Casey Barton said: Taize is like soaking in 3 hot tubs simultaneously. Find out for yourself. This is a gift to the larger community – invite your friends. Enjoy the silence, the quiet, the calm: Be still and know I am God.
The Healing Prayer Team will resume healing prayer during Communion at Sunday worship in the near future.
What do you think: The Choir from Centerpointe Presbyterian, Gary Sponholtz, the 7 A’s, Pr. Elizabeth preaching/presiding, Emily and Dan’s Wedding, Amar and Sybomar Khalsa and Sikh Chants, the birth of Margo El Mogazi, Pilgrimage Sunday on the Labyrinth with Jeanie Locklear and Trio con Brio, Reggae Love Fest, Mark Miller’s Deficit Crisis Presentation, Gerry and the Jazz Kitchen…….though deaths and heavy times are upon us, it has still been a blessed summer. Thank God for our communion and community.
Keep Jammin!
Pr. Steve
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September 2, 2011
Friends:
The cynic says evil – war, famine, betrayal, etc. – outweighs the good; hope is irrational and it would have been better if humans hadn’t been created. Writes the great Jewish scholar Maimonides,
Such reasoning stems from narrow parochialism. A person looks at his/her own fate, or at what happens to a friend, or at the disasters facing the whole human race and thinks: This is decisive in the vastness of things. Or a person finds that in their life unhappiness predominates and judges the universe from that experience. But we are not the center of the universe, neither as individuals nor as the representatives of the whole human race. God’s universe must be considered as one great whole composed of interrelated parts, and its majestic purpose in not the gratification of our tiny selves.”
What a blessing to Walk the Labyrinth this past Sunday and to experience the gift of our community on the journey together. Gratitude to Jeanie Locklear and Trio con Brio for their beautiful music and to Pr. Margareta for suggesting and prompting our Pilgrimage Sunday.
The family of Ki Altemus sends their thanks for our prayers and ministry with Ki during these past years. Please keep Ki’s family – Nancy, Dan, Rich and Bob and their families in your prayers. The life of Ki enriched Peace. May her transformation by baptism and her death in Christ enrich the Kingdom of God as well.
Our Reggae Love Fest proved a delight for all the participants. The band Native Elements was outstanding and they enjoyed the spirit of the crowd who attended. Delicious food, tasty Specialty Drinks, a chance to relax and dance made for a happy celebration and fun connections with the larger community. Our thanks to Carol and Al Barake & Julie and Robert Arnone for coordinating this event, to the couples and persons who sponsored the Love Fest and to all the Committee folk who broke a sweat preparing, serving and cleaning up for the day! From Chris Cortez: “We had a wonderful time playing for you all yesterday. On behalf of the band, I wanted to thank you for your kind generosity and invitation to play for your congregation and the community in Danville. I hope that the folks who were in attendance had a good time. Please send our warmest regards to everyone who helped make the event a success.”
Jazz musician Gerry Grosz will bring his Jazz Kitchen to play for our worship this Sunday. It promises to be a unique and marvelous celebration.
Dear Pr Steve: As a part of my job as staff writer here at Lutheran World Relief, I check the internet for mentions of our organization. It was through this search that I discovered that Peace Journey is supporting LWR’s response to the East Africa drought. I just wanted to send a note of thanks. Through the support of communities of faith like yours, Lutheran World Relief is able to reach out to so many in East Africa with not only help for today but for the coming days as well. We believe that walking with communities in poverty, listening to them and helping them to overcome the barriers that prevent families and communities from living productive lives is our unique, God-given calling and mission. Your support makes it possible to strive toward that mission. God bless Peace for all that you do. Nikki Massie Staff Writer/LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
Last Sunday I mentioned some of our Clergy’s talents and skills which members may not be aware of. Pr. Anita’s online Ministry SisterFriends offers support to lesbian women around the country. She receives about 500 hits daily. She provides spiritual care for women who often feel isolated and cut off from their religious communities and faith. Peace is glad to be the congregational home hosting this ministry. Pr. Margareta has been interviewed on numerous Swedish TV and radio programs and for national magazines regarding her Ministry with Children especially when facing death, their spirituality and pastoral care of their families. Her ministry served international families from around the globe. She has co-authored 3 books: Children’s Existential Questions: How they understand their Diseases and Dying; Ethical issues Related to Abortions (Commissioned by the Church of Sweden); and Egg Donations: Ethical Perspectives on Artificial Insemination (Commissioned by ‘Save the Children Sweden). In addition she was selected by the Diocese of Stockholm to be trained as a Spiritual Director in 1996 which complemented her ministry as the Senior Chaplain for Women and Children at the Karolinska University Hospital. Are we at Peace not blessed by these clergy and their gifts unimagined?
Peace will once again host the Holy Convergence on Sunday, September 18 from 2 – 5 pm. This is an utterly unique Interfaith Festival with all of our interfaith congregations/communities/assemblies participating. The focus this year will be on Earth/Faith/Food themes. There will be drumming, presentations, prayer, chanting, Labyrinth walking and more. If you wish to be involved as one of the hosts for the day please let me know.
The Pacific Choir composed of Korean youth whose debut performance was at Peace several months ago, recently sang at Herbst Theatre for a special Korean Cultural Celebration. Congratulations to our young friends who continue to rehearse at Peace on Sunday evenings.
Congratulations to Alan and Kelly who will be married at Peace this Saturday.
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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August 21, 2011
Friends:
My sisters and brothers, I implore you by God’s mercy to offer your very selves to God: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for God’s acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world, but let your minds be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the yearning of God, and to know what is good, acceptable and mature. (Romans 12: 1-2)
Our condolences to Nancy Carlston, Jeanne and Pete, Julie and George and all the family on the death of Ron. A loss for us all. There will be a Viewing at Peace this Tuesday evening from 6 – 8 pm. The funeral service honoring the life of Ron will be held on Wednesday, August 24 at 1:00 pm. The Carlstons welcome all their friends from Peace and offer their gratitude for all of your prayers.
Next Sunday will be our Pilgrimage Service in which we will Walk the Labyrinth for the Eucharist. Please bring a hat, shades and comfy shoes as we walk on our Journey into God.
Congratulations to Ro Lo Bianco on the successful defense of his Master’s Thesis! We thank you, the frogs thank you, the creation thanks you (can never get enough advocates) and probably Parisa thanks you most of all!
Ki Altemus Memorial Service will be on Sunday, August 28 at 2:30 pm at Piedmont Gardens in Oakland. Carpooling is being arranged. Call our office if you wish to attend.
The Reggae Love Fest is just a week away – Aug. 28 from 4 -7 pm. Native Elements is touted as the best reggae band in the Bay Area! This is a wonderful opportunity to invite friends to share a beautiful, relaxing afternoon with you. Great food is coming your way too. Thanks to those who have volunteered to assist the Planning Committee (Carol Baraka, Julie and Robert Arnone). Last minute volunteers are encouraged to arrive by 3:15 pm. Please bring extra Lawn Chairs if you have them.
Gratitude to Amar and Sybomar Khalsa and friend Eric and Kelly for their music leadership this morning. If you would like additional chant music for home use, their son Ram Dass (an equally gifted musician) has just produced his first CD – The Alchemist’s Prayer. 5 copies will be available at worship next week.
“For the beauty of the earth and sky, beloved.
For the beauty of the fire and flow, beloved.
I will know you, I will know.”
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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August 18, 2011
Friends:
Make us worthy, Lord to serve others throughout the world who live and die in poverty or hunger. Give them, through our hands, this day their daily bread; and by our understanding give them love, peace and joy. – Mother Teresa
It was a marvelous joy to celebrate the Wedding of Emily and Dan Trubey-Weller last Saturday. Such a blessing to have so many Peace People present to share in the Eucharistic Feast of Love.
Please keep the family of Ki Altemus in your prayers as they and we mourn her death. Ki was a long time member of Peace and her Memorial Service will be at Piedmont Gardens in Oakland on Sunday, August 28 at 2:30 pm. Carpool arrangements can be made for any who would like to attend.
This Sunday our Sikh friends Amar and Sybomar Khalsa will share the music of Sanskrit Chant with us. Always a gift to have them return to Peace. This music will lovingly open your heart.
On these next two Sundays Council will ask for your decision regarding our proposal to change our Worship time to 9:30 am and Sunday School/Adult Education to 11:10 with our Hospitality Time from 10:45 – 11:10.
The Pet Festival Committee will have a short 10-15 minute meeting after worship this Sunday. A brief review of where we are and some additional assignments will compose our agenda. Please speak with Greg Grebe if you are willing to assist.
The Reggae Love Fest is only 10 days away on August 28 (from 4 – 7 pm). This is a gift a gift to the larger community to remind them that relaxing and enjoying music and the company of good friends are gifts of God too. 10 couples from Peace and two individuals have signed up as Sponsors for this event, raising over $1,000. If 4 or 5 more of you wish to honor the love of your life with the gift of $100 it would be graciously accepted. (This helps defray the cost of our 10 piece band Native Elements). All should know that Dana and Joan Squire have gone over the top by giving $130 in honor of their 13 years of marriage! Spread the word – there will be burgers, dogs, organic food and a tantalizing Caribbean Drink for the occasion. If you would like to assist with mental or muscle work for the day, please speak with Carol Barake or Robert and Julie Arnone. “Keep it cool, Mon!”
Our thanks to Mark Miller for his excellent presentation on the US Deficit Crisis: Facts, Fallacies and Fixes. Copies of his materials are available. A few people have requested that he offer this again. I will let you know if this can happen.
Please keep in your prayers: Ron, Ralph, Margo, Lillian Bob, Sheila, Joan, April and Janelle, those living with addictions; Parkinson’s; the people starving in East Africa.
I was musing on the variety of music and musicians which Peace has hosted over the years. What pure delight: the Guest Classical Artists (young and old) whom Sue Field has brought our way; Amazonian flute (and dancers); Classical Persian Concerts; Shakuhachi Flute; Israeli songs and dance; a Tympanie concert; Drumming celebrations; Japanese Koto; Jazz –(Latin, orchestral, Innovative). We are blessed! (Please remind me of others you have enjoyed and I have not included.)
The movie I mentioned last Sunday was Babette’s Feast. Outstanding and well worth watching.
[Website Admin's (Anita) note: Babette's Feast is Pr. Anita's favorite movie of ALL time!]
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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August 11, 2011
Friends:
Every midwife knows that not until the womb softens
can the child find the opening to be born.
Soften the treasure of your heart, my Friend,
so that the opening may be discovered
and the dark pain you carry may gracefully lead you to the never-ending grace.
Congratulations to Susanna and Raddi El Mogazi on the birth of Marguerite Joyce. We rejoice in her birth and that everyone is doing well.
Our thanks to Katie Walda and the Centerpointe Presbyterian Choir for their enriching musical gifts this past Sunday. Gary Sponholtz will join us this Sunday.
Dan Trubey and Emily Weller invite you to their Wedding this Saturday, August 13 at 4:00 pm. A celebration not to be missed!
The Earth/Faith/Food Market began its term at Peace last Sunday and will be here for the next 2 months. Such a lovely setting and delicious array of organic produce.
Greg Grebe invites those who are willing to assist in coordinating our St. Francis Animal Blessing and Pet Festival to meet with him the Gathering Hall this Sunday at 9:30 am.
Walking the Labyrinth on August 28: The seed of mindfulness is in each of us, but we usually forget to water it. We think happiness is only possible in the future when we get the things we need. Many people have passed exams and bought houses and cars , yet they are still unhappy. What is important is to find peace and share it with others. This you can do by walking peacefully. Everything depends on your steps. (Thich Nhat Hanh)
For those of you who would like to contribute to Drought Relief in East Africa, we are directing our support through Lutheran World Relief (LWR). You can donate online at lwr.org/donate or by sending a check to: Lutheran World Relief, PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21298 or by placing your check in the Special Offering this Sunday. Please note on your check: East Africa Drought fund.
Gandhi after Hiroshima August 6, 1945: It is fairly simple to count the cost of the atom bomb on the population of that city. It will require a longer time to assess the damage to the soul of the nation that dropped the bomb.
Mark Miller (former President and Treasurer of Peace) will lead a Deficit Discussion Group this Sunday at 9:00 am on the U.S. Budget Crisis: Facts, Fallacies and Fixes. Here is a little of Mark’s background so you know how valuable this discussion will be. Mark spent 25 years in private industry and government research and management as a physicist. He published 40 technical research papers and was awarded 7 patents; worked eleven years experience as a senior equity analyst in tech hardware stocks; was twice recognized in Wall Street Journal’s annual “Best on the Street” survey for performance of computer peripheral stock recommendations, ranked #1 in 2005. He is currently ranked number #1 by Starmine for performance of stock selections in electronic and electrical instruments group. His research has been cited in the press by the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Dailey (IBD), Forbes, etc. Four times over the past two months his research has been cited in IBD articles. Undergrad and graduate degrees in Physics, MBA in finance. Elected to Delta Gamma Sigma national business honorary society. Please join us!
God arises in the divine assembly and judges in the midst of the gods:
“How long will you defend the unjust and favor the cause of the wicked?”
Defend the poor and the orphaned; render justice to the afflicted and the oppressed.
Rescue the lowly and the poor; from the clutches of the wicked deliver them.
They have neither knowledge nor understanding- they walk about blindly.
All the order of the world is shaken.
I said: “You are gods, all of you. Yet like mortals you shall die – fall like every ruler.”
Rise, O God; judge the earth, for yours are all the nations. (Psalm 82)
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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August 4, 2011
Friends:
Every request I make of God is a message telling of my neediness, of my trust in God, of my willing dependence and openness to receive. Prayer is the moment in life where we need not fear to express ourselves in all our vulnerability and imperfection. God already knows; it is we who need to be informed. – (Towards God, Michael Casey)
Family Camp – This week …. One night down and one to go!
We have a fun evening on Wednesday munching tacos while tossing sand, rolling marbles, and dropping pennies. And now there’s one more chance for you to join us for a deeee-licious dinner and fun times!
Friday, August 5
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Begin your weekend with a church yard picnic! We’ll be serving up a hot dog dinner followed by an evening of play! Croquet, badminton, horse shoes and table games! Before we call it a night we’ll be loading up at the Make-your-own-Sundae table!
Join in the action or sit on the sidelines. What you do is up to you. We just want to see you there!
What to Bring: You. Your family. Your friends. And a comfortable lawn chair suitable for kicking back and relaxing in the cool of the evening with friends. Everything else provided!
If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to read this letter about our upcoming Sunday morning worship time change along with a reflection on Baptismal Promises.
The Reggae Love Fest is on for August 28 from 4 – 7 pm in the Courtyard at Peace. You’ll love the 10 piece reggae band Native Elements. You can download and print out a flyer for this event here.
Upcoming Earth/Faith/Food CSA trainings: The CSA market produce delivery will move to Peace Lutheran Church during August and September. Peace volunteers will be assisted by members of the Baha’i Assembly. On Tuesday evening August 2 from 7:30-8:30, Rebecca Calahan Klein will come to Peace Lutheran Church and walk through the set-up process for the next Sunday CSA. Future volunteers are also welcome.
This Sunday Katie Walda and 18 members of the Centerpointe Presbyterian Choir will join us and assist in leading our worship. They will present a delightful and uplifting summer worship gift to all of us. Please honor these guests – who are traversing upon this arduous venture all the way from Pleasanton – with your presence, prayers and encouragement.
Our thanks to Greg Collins for his presentation on the Drought in East Africa this past Sunday. How God weeps for all God’s children who are wasting away. Economics, drought, politics – yes, but most poignantly these consequences are allowed by those who are spiritually wasting away. Click here to download a listing of AID Groups Working in East Africa.
Deficit Discussion Group: Mark Miller will lead a discussion on the U.S. Budget Crisis: Facts, Fallacies and Fixes on Sunday, August 14th at 9:00am. Please join us for fresh views on this important topic.
Our thanks to Pr. Elizabeth for preaching these past two Sundays. She is going to take this next Sunday off so Bible 365 will resume on August 14.
Bev and I had a marvelous time in Montana with our sons. Vacations are a good thing. I hope you are able to enjoy one.
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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July 22, 2011
Friends:
“Our loving is the way God’s secrets get told.”
I hope you enjoyed our worship last Sunday. Sometimes the gifts of the Spirit come so simply and profoundly as in the prayerfulness of our prayers, the music and song of Elisabeth and Sue, the quiet grace of the Eucharist. Keep one another in prayer as Christ holds all of us in prayer.
Our next SUMMER EVENT will be a Joaquin Miller Park [note location change] hike this Sunday, July 24, starting at 2 pm. Our own Jane Powell, an experienced hiker, will lead the hike. Dogs and kids are welcome. Joaquin Miller Park is about 30 minutes from Peace off Highway 13. Find directions and information about the park here.
Continue the conversations about the Council’s Recommendation to advance our worship time to 9:30 so that following Hospitality we can have our Sunday School and Adult Education classes from 11:10 – 11:50…and all of us home by noon.
Family Camp (and by family we mean everyone!) – This will be Great!!
We have two fun evening events planned for the first week in August. Come out for one or better yet, come out for both! Here’s what we have planned….
Wednesday, August 3
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The evening begins with a Build-your-own-Taco bar, and once you’ve been sufficiently fortified it’s on to a series of fun games and crazy races being planned by Pr. Anita. Be prepared for anything!
Friday, August 5
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Begin your weekend with a church yard picnic! We’ll be serving up a hot dog dinner followed by an evening of play! Croquet, badminton, horse shoes and table games! Before we call it a night we’ll be loading up at the Make-your-own-Sundae table!
What to Bring: You. Your family. Your friends. And a comfortable lawn chair suitable for kicking back and relaxing in the cool of the evening with friends. Everything else will be provided! Join in the action or sit on the sidelines. What you do is up to you. We just want to see you there!
The CSA – Organic Marketplace moves to Peace at the beginning of August.
The Reggae Love Fest is on for August 2 8 from 4 – 7 pm in the Courtyard at Peace. You’ll love the 10 piece reggae band Native Elements. $600 has already been raised. Hopefully Dana and Joan Squire will kick in their fair share! Invite your friends.
Bev and I will be on vacation to visit our sons in Idaho and Montana during the last week of July.
Keep looking for God’s secrets happening all around you!
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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July 14, 2011
Friends:
I was passionate, filled with longing, I searched far and wide. But the day that the Truthful One found me…I was at home. - Lal Ded, Women in Praise of the Sacred)
A Mom’s Prayer: Thank you for my children. For their drawings of flowers, houses, horses and cats…they are such a grace to me – such unbounded amazement. Should I be happy or terrified that they trust me so much? I will be happy and I will enjoy them!
Help me to be aware and care and not forsake this precious responsibility.
A Child’s Prayer: Thank you, God for mom – she gave me my first experience of you. Long before any language I lived in an ocean of motherly love. Later on she became different and I discovered she was different from me…and that seemed scary. We were never totally One again nor did we want the same things all the time. Maybe it was then I realized that you and I were different too, God. I don’t believe you and mom are scary any more….though it was fun when we were One. Thank you, God, that ordinary people can point to you and reveal your love. Thank you for mom.
A Grandmother’s Prayer: God make me a good grandma. Help me be there when I am needed but not to interfere. Help me know how to encourage without criticizing, to support without blaming. Make me gentle, warm and grateful when I spend time with my grandchild – my precious gift.
Take a Hike! The next SUMMER EVENT will be a Joaquin Miller Park [note location change] hike on July 24, starting at 2 pm. Our own Jane Powell, an experienced hiker, will lead the hike. Dogs and kids are welcome. Joaquin Miller Park is about 30 minutes from Peace off Highway 13. Check out the official park website here.
Emily Weller and Dan Trubey invite all the members of Peace to their Wedding at Peace on August 13 at 4:00 pm. You know this will be a joyous occasion!
Condolences to Steve Peterson on the death of his mother. May the gifts of her life and love continue to bless those who shared her life.
The Healing Prayer Team is exploring the possibility of renewing Taize Prayer services at Peace in the Fall.
The Family Camp is coming up the first week of August. Lots of details to come.
The Reggae Love Fest has already raised $300 to help pay the musicians their due. The 10 piece band Native Elements will delight you to no end. This Honeymoon Gift to Dan and Emily and in honor of all the loving couples at Peace will be held on August 28 from 4 – 7 pm. Please invite your friends to enjoy this funky, marvelous occasion with you….(and this Sunday we will have to find out how long Dana and Joan Squire have actually been married!)
Thanks for all of Mom’s Prayers: God, when I was young mom taught me how to pray….and many more things too. Now she is older and her days are not as easy. Now it is my turn to pray for her. Thank you, God for all her prayers.
Blessings, Pr. Steve
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June 23, 2011
With Pr Steve and Bev vacationing in Sweden, Libby was kind enough to put together our Good News for this week. Thank you Libby!
Several members of the congregation enjoyed the Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk and S’mores Tuesday night. Thanks to Everett for bringing the outdoor fire pit! The next summer event is a Mt. Diablo hike on July 24.
Gun sent a postcard from Sweden to the Office. She hosted Pr Steve and Bev, Jan and Pr Margareta on a boat trip on the Baltic Sea! She sends her love.
Don’t forget Family Camp from August 1-3 (in place of Vacation Bible School). We will gather in the late afternoon/early evenings for fun intergenerational activities with kids of all ages, parents and grandparents. Details to come.
Congratulations to Carol Barake as the new Connections Deacon, Robert Arnone as the new Stewarding Deacon, and Dabbie Bowron as the new Council Secretary.
A fond farewell to the Warner family as they begin their cross-country trip to their new home in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
You can check out the latest photo-simulation of the Columbarium/Memorial Garden on the easel in the Gathering Hall. The Committee hopes to finalize the design in the near future. Give feedback to Dana Squire or Nancy Carlston (co-chairs).
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary has an opening for Admissions Associate–a 35 hrs/wk position that reports to the Director of Admissions. The flier is on the kiosk or can be downloaded here.
Emily Weller has sent the following message to Friends of Peace:
Greetings Peace Lutheran Church! Together with our families, Dan and I invite you to celebrate our marriage at our wedding ceremony. The ceremony will be held at Peace on August 13th at 4:00 PM. Peace has been a great church home for us over the past year and a half, and you have all been a wonderful community of which to be a part. Thanks for all of your loving support during that time. We hope that many of you will join us for the ceremony!
On a related note, we are in need of some cupcake pans. One of our close friends will be baking cupcakes as the dessert for our reception. Traveling in from the Midwest, she can only bring so many pans with her. If any of you own cupcake pans and would be willing to lend them out to a great baker, you can bring them to church at Peace on the morning of July 10th. We would very much appreciate this help, and will return them clean and in good condition to Peace after the wedding.
Thanks and much love,
Emily Weller and Daniel Trubey
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June 19, 2011
A recent article on our outdoor labyrinth appeared in the Danville Express. A copy of the news article is below or you can see the original article as it appeared by clicking here. On a related note, there will be a Solstice Labyrinth Walk at sunset this coming Tuesday, June 21st which will be followed by a fire ring and s’mores! Sunset will be around 8:30 p.m. All are welcome to join us!
Labyrinth leads to peace
Circular path can lead to well-being
by Dolores Fox Ciardelli
Photos
|
You don’t have to go far to get away from it all.
A rustic sign next to the sidewalk on Old Blackhawk Road, not far from Camino Tassajara, reads: “Labyrinth walk.” It’s in the garden behind Peace Lutheran Church, and everyone is welcome to walk the path.
The labyrinth, with its single narrow lane that winds back and forth toward and away from the center, is often seen as a metaphor for our spiritual journey: It is meandering yet purposeful.
Labyrinths differ from mazes, which are really puzzles with twists, turns and blind alleys. A labyrinth has only one path and no blind alleys, leading walkers to the center and out again.
In the Middle Ages, labyrinths were often found in cathedrals where penitents would sometimes traverse the path on their knees. Others used the walk as a substitute for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The best known surviving labyrinth is at Chartres Cathedral near Paris and its design frequently has been copied as labyrinths have undergone a revival in the last 15-20 years. Now they can be found at hospitals, retreat centers, universities, parks, at businesses and even in prisons.
The Danville labyrinth attracts people from near and far for walking meditation. Sometimes families bring picnics to enjoy, some members sitting on the garden bench while others walk.
“Walking a labyrinth is a gift we give to ourselves, leading to discovery, insight, peacefulness, happiness, connectedness, and well-being,” said Pastor Steve Harms.
The labyrinth is lit from dusk to midnight for anyone wishing to experience it after dark. The church also holds candlelight labyrinth walks to acknowledge the equinox and solstice seasons, with musicians, artists and refreshments.
On the back of Peace Lutheran Church, near the labyrinth, is an interfaith mosaic mural containing 43,000 tiles that was created by artists and members of the congregation in 2008. Also in the garden is a pole that reads “May Peace prevail on Earth” in seven different languages.
For a respite from your daily life, visit the Peace Garden and walk the labyrinth. |
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