More than a Church, We're a Gathering

One Great Celebration

You are Cordially Invited to a Celebration of 1's:

1 Year of Gathering Weekly
1 Year of Gathering at Promenade Square
1 August 2010

Sunday, 1 August 2010
5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

In September 2006, a group began gathering monthly to share and deepen their souls. Over the next few years, enlivened and prompted by the Spirit, this eclectic spiritual group gradually evolved into The Gathering, a new church start of the United Church of Christ. Today we are still committed to spiritual growth; we still seek to know God through the practice of spiritual disciplines, compassionate service and prophetic action; and we are still evolving. We believe that authentic relationship with the Divine means authentic relationship with the world, and we seek to be agents of healing and hope. We are an ecumenical faith community, drawing from and enriched by a variety of traditions, and we choose to affiliate with the United Church of Christ.

This Sunday, we will gather to celebrate our stories - those that ground us in our faith traditions, those we are currently creating together, and those particular Gathering stories yet to be made.

Our offering will be two-fold: because it is our anniversary, we will receive an offering for The Gathering; and because it's a first anniversary of sorts, we will honor the occasion by receiving a traditional "first anniversary" gift - paper goods. The recipient for this special offering will be the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank. They need paper goods of all kinds - paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, cups, plates, etc. For our shared potluck meal, you're invited to bring something that reflects your experience of The Gathering. (I know it's an old joke, and I'm trying hard to resist, but it would be so easy to say "mixed nuts" or "fruit salad" here - and you have to admit, both actually fit.)

Come celebrate this day - and bring your stories with you!


Coming Attractions

Sunday, August 1: The Gathering Anniversary Worship. 5:30 pm. 618 Locust Street.
Sunday, August 1: Oneness Blessing, 1:30 pm, Unity Church.
Monday, August 2: Quaker Sitting, 6:30 pm, 2701 Briargrove Lane, Hosted by Nancy York.

Sunday, August 8: The Gathering. Co-led by Teresa Rylander and Howard Green, the evening will build on the love conversation started a few weeks ago. John Shelby Spong, Dale Allen Hoffman, and the Tao Te Ching will all be represented. Offering designee: Bread for the Journey. Potluck theme: Light & Easy. 5:30 pm. 618 Locust Street.
Sunday, August 15: The Gathering. A Taize Service of Song and Prayer. 5:30 pm. 618 Locust Street
Sunday, August 22: The Gathering. Dinner and a Movie. The Garden. Discussion led by Maurice Toliver. 5:30 pm. 618 Locust Street.
Thursday, August 26: West Texas Organizing Strategy. 7:00 pm. Location tbd.
Sunday, August 29: The Gathering. Community Conversation Regarding Our Priorities (aka Gathering for Sacred Business). 5:30 pm. 618 Locust Street.

September preview-- The Gathering Film Series: Neighbors Known and Unknown begins.


News and Notes from Gatherers:

Sunday night, July 25, The Gathering blessed and sent on their way Irene and Larry Luvaul who have moved to Tenino, Washington, just outside Olympia. Irene begins her new job as Office Manager for a major Olympia law firm Monday, August 2, while Larry will be unpacking and helping their grandson settle into living in the Northwest. As they said good-bye and expressed their regret in leaving The Gathering, they invited us all to visit and watch the eagles nesting in their trees. To keep in touch, contact Irene at: luvaul@suddenlink.net

In a note received 7/26/10, Ellen King wrote: Dear Gathering Friends, I miss you guys! As I think over the past several months I am reminded of your friendship and your generosity. The $300 was a life saver as I had not received funding yet to drive to South Dakota. I was able to do that stress-free. Time and again you extended care to me, and I will forever be grateful for your kindness and love. I do miss you and think of you often! With my love, Ellen
Ellen's email address: Ellen.king@ymail.com

Returning to Las Vegas... Having left it 3 years ago, Leia Morrison has now returned "home" with the help of her sister. Leia's transition was eased by Ann, Becky, Howard, and others. It was a sacred privilege to know Leia and share part of her time in San Angelo. We wish her all the best in the next phase of her life's journey. Leia's email address: msleiam@msn.com


Kid's Eat Update: From Carol Rigby-Heibert:

We are 3+ weeks into our Kids Eat! summer meals initiative and we want to share with you about our effort so far. During the week ending July 23:

Over 2,200 meals were served to children, over 2,800 total meals were served. The 8 church walk-in sites provided lunch for an average of 38 children, 9 adult family members, and 6 volunteers per day.

Three church sites distributed an average of 40 take home bags of food. One church site provided sack lunches for the City Recreation Centers - an average of 78 children per day.

Activities and supervised play are being provided at each site. In addition to the children served by the church sites, the Boys and Girls Club sites served an average of 225 children per day.

Interesting and Useful Links

Speaking of Faith
Tikkun
The Center for Progressive Christianity
Process and Faith
The Gathering's Blog
The Gathering's Webpage
Charter for Compassion

Looking forward to many more Gathering opportunities,

Karen

Rev. Karen Schmeltekopf

The Gathering UCC San Angelo

thegatheringsanangelo@yahoo.com
325-374-1566

A Cool Place to Be

Sunday's Sundaes

Inspired by the writings of John Shelby Spong, Ann will lead us in exploring the questions:

"If God is not a being (entity), what does it mean to love God?" and "If God is not a being (entity,) how does God love us?"

Homemade ice cream and trimmings will help cool and soothe our hot discussion. Ann and Crockett are bringing vanilla, and she invites someone else to bring an additional flavor. Of course, we also need the appropriate "condiments" - like cookies, cake, toppings, gooey stuff, etc. Ann suggests:

"If no one has the energy to make homemade, store bought ice cream will be just as good. Bring your bowls, spoons and plan to dive in for a fun evening."

Contact Ann for more info. The offering recipient will be The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, an organization helping wildlife impacted by the Gulf oil spill.


About Us

Purpose:

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.

Practices:

Service, Integrity, Inclusiveness, Love, Compassion, Humor, Joy

ONA (Open and Affirming) Statement:

The Gathering affirms the inherent dignity and sacredness of human beings and the value of all life in the universe. We welcome and celebrate persons of all racial and ethnic heritages, all gender identities and sexual orientations, and all faith perspectives into the full life and ministry of The Gathering.


Holding in Healing Light

* Tasha Nowell, Crockett Light's daughter and Tee Jay Nowell's mother;
* Crockett, Ann, Tee Jay and Becky;
* The Gulf Coast ecosystem;
* Haitians;
* The families of the 10,000 San Angelo children who do not have enough to eat each day;
* Irene and Larry Luvaul;
* Those living in war - US troops and their families, people in Darfur, Iraqis, those living in Afghanistan, those impacted by the Israel/Palestinian conflict.

Contact Us

For more information about The Gathering, find us on the web: The Gathering's webpage; our blog; ; meetup. Or contact Rev. Karen Schmeltekopf, Pastor, 325-374-1566 or by email.

From the Heart

"Only from the heart can you touch the sky." - Rumi

July Gatherings:

Gathering for Spiritual Growth, Service, Community, and Intellectual and Philosophical Conversations

July 11 - The Gathering: Neil will lead a discussion on the contemplation of origin, meaning and humanity from a perspective few have gazed. 5:30 pm, 618 Locust. Pot-luck theme: Summer Delights. Offering recipient will be Our Church's Wider Mission, described as "the lifeblood of ministry and mission in the United Church of Christ."

July 18 - The Gathering: Ann will lead the conversation as we explore the questions "If God is not a being (entity), what does it mean to love God?" and "If God is not a being (entity,) how does God love us?" 5:30 pm, 618 Locust. Pot-luck theme: Homemade Ice Cream Social and all that goes with it. Offering recipient will be The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, an organization helping wildlife impacted by the Gulf oil spill.

July 22 - West Texas Organizing Strategy Meeting.

July 25 - The Gathering: Trudy will lead us in exploring and experiencing a prayerful meditation. 5:30 pm, 618 Locust. Pot-luck theme: Regular potluck. Offering recipient will be the local MHMR Workshop.


Living the Presence of Love

A sister UCC church, First Congregational Church, Hendersonville, NC, was the subject of Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong's July 1 essay. The write-up is about a church choosing to live their values and challenge the prevailing community prejudices - and in the process, living the good news of Holy Welcome. This community is, as Ann Light says, "a breath of fresh air in the mountains of North Carolina," and a powerful example for The Gathering about living our Purpose and Practices. The write-up is too good not to share, but too long to post here. For the whole post, check out our blog - thegatheringsanangelo.blogspot.com. If, for some reason, the link doesn't work for you, let me know, and I'll email the article to you.


August Gatherings
Co-Planning Requested and Needed

We believe in the power of collaboration, in the power of a team, in the unique gifts, talents and strengths of all participants of The Gathering. We know that the vision for The Gathering and The Gathering community itself are bigger than any one person. We believe the Divine Presence is more fully represented and known when more voices are represented and included. Which is why your help in co-visioning, co-planning, and co-creating our August Gathering times is so important.

In August we begin our new Gathering schedule, with worship scheduled for the first and third Sundays of the month, education/movies/conversation/meditations on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, and the fifth Sunday still being our Community Conversation Regarding Our Priorities (aka Gathering for Sacred Business). Sunday, August 15, has already been designated a Taize service, and Sunday, the 29th, is our Community Conversation Regarding Our Priorities - which means I'd love to have your help with worship planning for August 1, the Taize service on the 15th, and/or The Gatherings on August 8 and 22.

You don't have to have any experience with this! It's a creative conversation between us and the Spirit as we brainstorm, vision, and see where the Spirit's leading takes us. Anyone is welcome to participate. Interested in watching a movie? Interested in discussing a particular verse or reading or want to sing or hear a particular song? Interested in a particular offering recipient? Then come help co-plan a Gathering! To let me know that you're interested, email or call me, 374-1566. The community and our Gatherings are absolutely richer and more interesting because of the collaborative contributions of all of us!
As we engage nationally in conversation and argument about immigration, our Jewish ancestors offer us a word for reflection:

Befriend the foreigner, for you were once foreigners... Deuteronomy 10:19

Sharing Our Resources

Generosity is revolutionary, counter-instinctual. Our survival instinct is to care only for ourselves and our loved ones. But we can transform our relationship to that survival instinct by constantly asking ourselves, 'How can I use my life's energy to benefit all living beings?'

-Noah Levine, "Generosity (and Greed) Introduction" (Spring 2010)

Offering for July 4: $347
$202 given for The People/Plant Connection
$145 given for The Gathering

Who do you say that we are?
Some Descriptors of The Gathering:

Liberal, progressive, inclusive, fun, United Church of Christ, eclectic, Christian, thought provoking, intellectually engaging, LGBT, Interdenominational, multi-cultural, theologically stimulating, compassionate, spiritually nourishing, open & affirming, welcoming & accessible to all, different, philosophical, social justice and nontraditional.

We are a sanctuary for those on a liberal religious path and a beacon of progressive thought and action in San Angelo.

No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life's Journey, You Are Welcome Here.

Gatherers in Our Prayers

Larry Luvaul's on-going recovery

Larry and Irene Luvaul as they prepare to move

Lucy Hines (Pat's Cocker Spaniel) as she undergoes delicate surgery in Dallas on Friday, July 9


Sending you love

And more love. Pass love around. Your loving presence is contagious. The fish and oil-soaked egrets in the Gulf of Mexico need your love. So do the black-maned lions of Africa and bright yellow Gerber daisies of tropical Asia. The Haitians living in tents, the San Angelo children receiving free lunches, and the families of American, Afghani, and Iraqi soldiers all need our love. Partnering with Divine Loving Presence can transform the world.

In Love,

Karen
Pastor
The Gathering
325-374-1566
thegatheringsanangelo@yahoo.com
thegatheringsanangelo.org



Purpose:

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.

Practices:

Service, Integrity, Inclusiveness, Love, Compassion, Humor, Joy

ONA (Open and Affirming) Statement:

The Gathering affirms the inherent dignity and sacredness of human beings and the value of all life in the universe. We welcome and celebrate persons of all racial and ethnic heritages, all gender identities and sexual orientations, and all faith perspectives into the full life and ministry of The Gathering.

Freely Gathering & Gathering Freely

Conversations and a Cook-Out

Sunday, July 4, 2010 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

Come join us in relational delight as we acknowledge our national heritage this Sunday, July 4th by Gathering for celebration and connection. "Nothing formal just fun" is the phrase of the day. Crockett and Neil will provide grills for hamburgers and such, so bring your preference of dogs or burgers and whatever else you like cooked on the grill as we celebrate independence in good company. Communal offerings so far include: hummus, pineapple and fresh-from-the-garden corn on the cob for grilling, potato salad, potato chips, tea, lettuce, tomatoes, Ball Park franks, buns, relish, mustard, onions, chili and sauerkraut, hamburger buns, and pickles.

Our offering will be designated for The People/Plant Connection - a new local organization promoting health and wholeness in individuals and San Angelo via community gardening and other horticultural endeavors.


July Gatherings

Gathering for Spiritual Growth, Service, Community, and Intellectual and Philosophical Conversations

July 4 - The Oneness Blessing, 1:30 pm, Harvest Room, Unity Church.

July 4 - The Gathering: Conversations and Cook-Out, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust.

July 5 - Quaker Sitting, 6:30 pm, 2701 Briargrove Lane. Contact Nancy for more info.

July 11 - The Gathering: Neil will lead a discussion on the contemplation of origin, meaning and humanity from a perspective few have gazed. 5:30 pm, 618 Locust.

July 18 - The Gathering: Ann will lead the conversation as we explore the questions "If God is not a being (entity), what does it mean to love God? How does God love us?" 5:30 pm, 618 Locust.

July 22 - West Texas Organizing Strategy Meeting.

July 25 - The Gathering: Trudy will lead us in exploring and experiencing a prayerful meditation. 5:30 pm, 618 Locust.


Yippee! Yahoo!! Way to Go!!!

The San Angelo Health Foundation today announced that the Kids Eat! summer meal program has been awarded up to $37,385 to supplement the funding already raised collectively as Tom Green County Hunger Initiative and individually by the churches and organizations directly providing lunches to children in July and August. The Gathering contributed $245 to this effort.) The award was made to the Wesley Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, which sponsored the collective application. An article should be in the newspaper Friday or Saturday; a post is already on the newspaper website.

All eleven Kids Eat! summer meals sites will be operating by next Tuesday, July 6. According to Carol Rigby-Heibert, director of the effort:

"We are ready to feed the children of Tom Green County, thanks to the efforts of so many who took that leap of faith!"

Gathering & Seeking

The Gathering is seeking to build a loving, safe, inclusive faith community that is intellectually challenging, emotionally supportive and filled with the strength, integrity and social responsibility that spirituality inspires.

As such, in all our joys, in all our concerns, and in all our actions, we seek to be mindful of the presentness of God among and between us.

We celebrate and are grateful for the on-going recovery of Mr. Morrison, John Geen, and Aretta and Larry Greer's great grand-daughter.

We continue to hold in our prayers the Luvauls, the Geens' son, those whose families are separated and stressed because of war, those who are living in violence and danger, and those who search for yet cannot find humane, safe and satisfying employment.

Even as we give thanks, we dream of further healing and hope.


Contact Us:

Rev. Karen Schmeltekopf
Delighted and Grateful that she gets to be the Pastor of
The Gathering, a United Church of Christ New Church Start
thegatheringsanangelo.org
thegatheringsanangelo@yahoo.com
325-374-1566



Check us out on Meetup.

Summer Solstice

Gathering to Reflect on Sacred Texts
Sunday, June 27, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street

This week's summer solstice prompted curiosity, exploration, and reflection on creation stories - particularly those parts concerning the creation or appearance of light. This coming Sunday we will engage some of these stories and reflect together on the on-going power of their meaning. Undoubtedly, the conversation will be very "enlightening"!

Upcoming Offering Recipient: Project Dignidad

These days Old Mother Hubbard is not the only one with an empty cupboard - Project Dignidad is also in desperate need of supplies, so this coming Sunday, we will be collecting both a monetary offering and a food offering for Project Dignidad. The challenge: if you bring something to share with The Gathering's potluck, then bring at least twice as much, with the extra going for our offering. Remember though, Project Dignidad collects food for their pantry, so bring canned and boxed goods. And for those really looking for a challenge - don't bring anything for The Gathering's potluck - just provide for Project Dignidad! Let's be sure that cupboard is no longer bare!

July Gatherings
Each Sunday in July, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust

July 4 - Cool Conversations while Cooking-Out
July 11 - Neil will lead a discussion on the contemplation of origin, meaning and humanity from a perspective few have gazed.
July 18 - Ann and Neil will engage the community in conversation re: an article by Bishop John Shelby Spong.
July 25 - Trudy will lead us in exploring and experiencing a prayerful meditation.


Cool Conversations while Cooking-Out

Neil, Crockett, and Ann have put together a great plan for our July 4th Gathering. Neil writes:

July 4th we will gather for celebration and connection. Crockett and Neil will provide grills for hamburgers and such. Bring your preference of dogs or burgers and whatever else you like cooked on the grill as we celebrate independence in good company. "Nothing formal just fun" is the phrase of the day. Be sure to bring fixings for your meat dish as well as chips, relish, baked/red beans, potato salad and iced tea. Come join us in relational delight as we acknowledge our national heritage.

In order to keep the group posted about what's coming and what's needed, let us know what you're bringing. thegatheringsanangelo@yahoo.com

Serving Angelo State University Students at United Campus Ministries

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Food 4 Thought ministry at UCM Wednesday, July 23 - particularly Ann Light for organizing the ministry and Howard Green for being present at UCM the entire time. We served more than 18 people - a mixture of students, UCM staff, and Gatherers, and all seemed to enjoy themselves. The hotdogs, chili, potato salad and rest of the meal were delicious - made more so because of good conversations. What a delight it also was to reconnect with students who've left ASU and have now returned for more classes and/or graduate work. For the help you all provided so that this day of service was possible - thank you.

Grateful to be in sacred community with you:

Rev. Karen Schmeltekopf

Pastor
The Gathering
325-374-1566
thegatheringsanangelo@yahoo.com
thegatheringsanangelo.org

Still Blooming in the Desert

Centering Prayer

This third Sunday of the month is our contemplative prayer time, and our theme this month is centering prayer. In the words of centeringprayer.com, "Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship." The website continues:

"Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer - verbal, mental or affective prayer - into a receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with God."

Father Thomas Keating, the priest we have seen with philosopher Ken Wilbur on the Integral Spirituality DVD, will be our model for this practice; you can find him describing the prayer method on this youtube video. Our offering will be designated for United Campus Ministries, a "prayerful place" for many students, and our potluck will be anything - with the notion that our very preparation and engagement with food can be a prayer in itself.

Sunday's Gathering, 6/20
Centering Prayer
5:30 PM, 618 Locust Street


Food 4 Thought, United Campus Ministry - Wednesday, June 23

It is again time to prepare and serve the hungry students at the ASU United Campus Ministries, and just in time for summer, we'll be serving the classic summer meal: hot dogs, buns, potato salad, beans and cookies for dessert. About 25 persons will probably attend.

Ann Light is corralling the food and Gatherers, so contact her if you can help. She says lots of folks have responded so far, and all we need to round out the meal are cookies and potato salad. We need to have the food to Ann either before Wednesday, or at United Campus Ministries, 2453 Dena Drive, by 10:30 on Wednesday. The students are always glad for us to be there on Wednesday, too, so feel free to come and share a hot dog with them. Lunch is come and go from 11-2, and if you're able to be there to help any of that time, that's also great.


Seeking to Give Compassionately and with Integrity

One way The Gathering partners with others and the Divine to co-create a more just and whole world is through our offerings. In 2010, The Gathering has given 48% of what we collect to others. Some of the recipients of our offerings include: Meals for the Elderly, West Texas Organizing Strategy, UCC Strengthen the Church, The Nature Conservancy, Project Dignidad, The Humane Society, Remote Area Medical, and HERO.

The offering on 6/6 was $42 and was designated for The Gathering. $380 was given on 6/13: $245 to Kids Eat Summer Lunch Program and $135 to The Gathering.


A Spiritual Response to the Gulf Crisis

In response to the Gulf oil crisis, the website SpiritualityandPractice.com has examined the complexity of our relationships with both the oil industry and the environment, and they seek to explore and respond to the tragedy from a spiritual perspective.

Each day this month, a new prayer, chant, meditation or thought for conscious reflection is posted to help us connect with the sacred water of our planet.

The posting for June 2 is:

Water is the source of creation,the ancestor of all living things.
It's the bloodstream of the earth.

Public Theology

Last Sunday we discussed public theology, which is the intersection between popular culture and the search for meaning. The "Did You Know?" video can be viewed here. Interestingly, while many people are rejecting the "traditional" place of finding meaning, i.e. faith communities, religious stories keep showing up in public places helping us make sense of our world. An example of this is found on page 24 of the July/August issue of Mother Jones magazine: the head of a well-known tv commentator is attached to a statue of a golden calf. Surrounding the statue is a crowd of people, arms raised in awe and praise. Faintly, in the corner of the picture, is a mountain - hinting, of course, at the story found in the Hebrew scripture (aka Old Testament) Exodus 32-34. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the people were afraid and wanted a more "accessible" god. So Moses' brother Aaron obliged and made a "golden calf" god. To further understand the association, read the article here. To see the picture and join in the conversation, join us at The Gathering this coming Sunday night.


Mystical Lady in Blue Celebration is this Weekend



The second annual celebration of the miraculous relationship between Maria de Agreda of Spain and the Jumano Native Americans of New Mexico and Texas is this weekend. For more information about the weekend, including the Intertribal powwow and the ecumenical worship service, check out the website.


Upcoming Gatherings

Sunday, 6/20 - Contemplative Meditation
Wednesday, 6/23 - Food 4 Thought
Thursday, 6/24 - WTOS
Sunday, 6/27 - Reflection on Sacred Text
Tuesday, 6/29 - Community Connecting Workgroup Meeting
Sunday, 7/4 - The Gathering
Sunday, 7/11 - The Gathering


Links

Center for Progressive Christianity

United Church of Christ

Charter for Compassion

Spirituality & Practice

Speaking of Faith


Contact Us:

Rev. Karen Schmeltekopf
Pastor
thegatheringsanangelo@yahoo.com
The Gathering's Webpage
The Gathering's Blog
(325) 374-1566


325-374-1566

Where the Table is Spread , You are Welcome &

UCC Grant Award

Congratulations! We've been approved for a grant of $1625 from the UCC Media with a Mission program!

The Community Connecting Workgroup is being creative and proactive in experimenting with ways The Gathering can, in fact, meaningfully connect with the community, and thanks to their efforts, some of those dreams and plans are coming to fruition - and we can pay for them.

The CCW applied for a Media with a Mission grant and received the entire amount for which we applied! Woohoo! Great work, CCW! Combining the grant money with some of our own funds, we will run ads/sponsor sites on our new NPR affiliate KNCH, we will expand newspaper advertising to include the Goodfellow Monitor in addition to the Standard-Times, we will add audio capability to our webpage, expand to youtube, and bring back our beloved Dinner and a Movie nights! In addition, we anticipate hosting a Comedy Club, a brown bag lecture at ASU, and possibly a time of enjoying a Dixie Land band. Some of these will be put in place this summer, and some will take place in the fall.

The Gathering is a unique faith community that embodies the messages that God is still speaking and that no matter who a person is or where she is on life's journey, she is welcome at The Gathering. With our marketing effort, we believe that people will be engaged by The Gathering and will check us out. So please come, share the gift of hospitality, make each other welcome - after all, this is who we are: a dynamic community (that) offers ... 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.


This Week's Worship

The Gathering meets this Sunday, June 13, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street, and I look forward to being together again as The Gathering.

After hearing Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite at the Annual Meeting of the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ in New Orleans, I am full of energy, enthusiasm, and hope for The Gathering because she talked about The Gathering! Well, she didn't really talk about The Gathering, but she did talk about the necessity for innovation in creating a faith community - and it appears we have much of that innovative impulse. Some of the topics she covered include "the age of anxiety," "wired wisdom," and "public theology". Sunday night I will share her insights, words of wisdom, and challenges, and you'll definitely want to be part of the conversation!

Our offering will be designated for the San Angelo Kids Eat program - the summer effort to feed a healthy lunch to 10,000 local children. And speaking of eating, because it is now officially hot (100+ degrees definitely counts as "official"), let's bring things that are cool, or will cool us down. Ice cream, watermelon anyone?


Restoring the Dance
SCCUCC Annual Meeting Report

So many things to share about Annual Meeting, but for now, a few highlights: * 460 hygiene kits were given to Back Bay Mission and 437 school kits were given to Church World Service - for a total kit value of over $11,000; * the worship, plenary sessions, and workshops were excellent; * New Orleanians are amazing, resilient people; * the UCC Disaster Ministry effort is not just rebuilding homes, but also rebuilding hope and health; * the food is exquisite; * we collected over $13,000 in offerings for a variety of ministries; * what incredible music!; * Susan Thistlethwaite was provocative and inspiring; and * it was renewing to be with people of like mind and spirit.


In Gratitude

Many thanks go to Nancy for planning and leading The Gathering's monthly worship service this past Sunday.


Holding in the Light

Larry and Irene;
Others who are sick and/or are having surgical procedures in the next few weeks;
Many who are traveling;
Conflict in the Middle East;
Conflict in Darfur;
The families of those killed in the Massey coal mining tragedy and the BP Horizon explosion;
The Gulf Eco-system and all those whose lives and livelihoods are now in peril


Further Opportunities for Connecting

The Lady in Blue Festival, Friday-Sunday, June 18-20

United Campus Ministries, Food4Thought, Wednesday, June 23 - We're serving lunch.

West Texas Organizing Strategy (WTOS) monthly meeting, Thursday, June 24, St. Paul Presbyterian