Saturday, August 21, 2010

Cultivating Life


We're growing a faith community where life is cultivated

Dinner and a Movie
Sunday August 22, 5:30 pm

We'll watch Academy Award Nominee The Garden, and discussion will be lead by Maurice Toliver.

Synopsis: The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country's most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.

But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.... The powers-that-be have the same response: "The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do." If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?

We'll share garden fresh vegetables and other treats while we watch the movie, so easy-to-eat-on-your-lap garden-fresh kinds of things are suggested for our potluck. In observance of Ramadan, and in response to the devastating floods in Pakistan, our offering will be designated to help Pakistani flood victims.


Seeking to Faithfully & Responsibly Live Our Practices
West Texas Organizing Strategy
Thursday, August 26, St. Paul Presbyterian Church, 6:30 pm.

You are invited to the upcoming "General Find-Out-What-WTOS-Is-About and Find-Out-How-WTOS-Is-Changing-San-Angelo" Dinner and Meeting

We begin our Open and Affirming statement with the sentence:

The Gathering affirms the inherent dignity and sacredness of all human beings and the value of all life in the universe.

Our Purpose states:

Our dynamic community offers you an inclusive spiritual home. We gather as works-in-progress in a chorus of Divine Mystery, committed to the possibilities in all God's creation through authentic relationship.

Because we believe in the inherent dignity and sacredness of all, and because we are committed to the possibilities in all God's creation, and because one of our Practices is, we are members and participants of West Texas Organizing Strategy, a coalition of 60 regional churches and schools who have joined together seeking a living wage, equity in education, affordable housing, access to quality health care, and other issues of justice for all people in the Concho Valley. WTOS has and is making a HUGE positive difference in the lives of many Concho Valley residents.

Thursday, August 26, 6:30 pm, St. Paul Presbyterian will host the monthly WTOS meeting, but at this meeting, 4 representatives from the city will be present to discuss WTOS' concrete impact in San Angelo, we will learn about WTOS' general efforts for the next few months, and we'll also be treated to a barbeque dinner. Craig Meyers says if we want to bring a dessert, that's ok, and if we don't want to bring a dessert - that's ok, too, because other desserts will be there. This is a great and important opportunity to learn more about WTOS and more about how we can make a real difference in the lives of so many of our neighbors. Truly, politics IS local and also a faith issue, and YOU are invited to be a part of this short evening.


Introducing The 2010/2011 Gathering Film Series:
Neighbors Known and Unknown

Thanks to The Gathering's Community Connecting Workgroup and the United Church of Christ's Media with a Mission Grant, The Gathering is offering a film series to provide a place of authentic and respectful relationship and conversation re: contemporary justice issues. Our goal is two-fold: 1) the social justice aspect - educate and expand people's knowledge about and compassion for others; and 2) help The Gathering get more known in the community.

Our first movie, One Peace at a Time, is scheduled to coincide with the Peace Ambassadors' Season of Peace emphasis (formerly known as The 11 Days of Peace). Reserve the date now, and invite others to join you!

One Peace at a Time was written and directed by Turk Pipkin and is the follow-up to his movie Nobelity.

One Peace at a Time
When: Thursday evening, September 16, 2010
Where: The San Angelo Convention Center, North Meeting Room C (Please note, this is a change from last week's e-newsletter.)
Time: 6:30 pm.
Light snacks will be provided.


Reasons to Gather In the Days Ahead...

Thursday, August 26 - West Texas Organizing Strategy meeting, 6:30 pm, St. Paul Presbyterian Church. Barbeque dinner will be provided.
Saturday, August 28 - West Texas Organizing Strategy trip to Austin to learn about upcoming legislative issues.
Sunday, August 29 - Gathering for Conversation Re: Our Priorities, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street.
Sunday, September 5 - Oneness Blessing, 1:30 pm, Unity Church.
Sunday, September 5 - Gathering for Worship, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street. I am looking for help in co-planning and leading worship.
Monday, September 6 - Meeting for silent Quaker worship, 6:30 pm, Karen and Neil's house, 1305 St. Andrews.
Sunday, September 12 - Gathering for Reflection and Conversation using Sharon Salzberg's book Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience as starting point. Teresa Rylander and Karen co-leading. 5:30 pm, 618 Locust.
Thursday, September 16 - The Gathering Film Series kicks off!! One Peace at a Time. 6:30 pm, San Angelo Convention Center.
Sunday, September 19 - Gathering for Worship, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust. I am looking for help in co-planning and leading worship.
Sunday, September 24 - Gathering to receive a blessing via the Oneness Blessing, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street.


Free Trip to



Got your attention, didn't I? It'd be great fun if the trip included a stopover at Austin City Limits music venue, but alas, it's not to be - it's actually for something much more important to the majority of Texans: a day exploring the limits and possibilities in upcoming state legislative issues and how we can be a voice and advocate for voiceless Texans. With the upcoming serious budget deficits, things like mental health care, food stamps, early childhood education programs, etc, are all threatened. West Texas Organizing Strategy is sponsoring a one-day trip to our state capitol to learn about all the issues facing our state and how we can be involved in advocating for justice for "the least of these." It should be a very informative and interesting day, and it'd be great if we had a couple of Gatherers go! For more info, contact me.


Holding in Our Hearts

In all our joys and in all our concerns, may we be ever mindful of the presentness of God among us, and to see new possibilities of the now:

Larry and Irene Luvaul's new email address is: luvaul.l@comcast.net.

United States combat troops have left Iraq. 50,000 troops remain.
Crockett Light has begun cancer treatment in Houston. Contact info: annlight@zipnet.us.

Dusty's plea bargain fell through, and she is incarcerated at Tom Green County Jail awaiting a mental competency hearing.

Russia is on fire and Pakistan is under water.

Children across the world are playing with wild abandon, and youth are dreaming of the future.

Trudy Darling Ballentine donated a keyboard to The Gathering.

UCC leaders denounce fear-mongering of Muslims and Manhattan Cordoba House.

United States combat troops remain in Afghanistan.
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