In October
Peace Be Still:
Finding Calm & Healing
Amidst Life’s Stormy Seas
Artful Worship, Joyful Service
Sunday Celebration:
Weekly at 10:30 am
Artist Credit: Peace Be Still by He Qi
Given all that is going on in our nation and our world right now, this seemed like a fitting summary for our theme in October. How do we stay calm, centered and courageous when things seem so discordant and disordered in the world? What helps us find coherence in our energy field when events around us may feel chaotic?
I believe there are many gems in both the canonical gospels (the ones included in the Bible) and the Gnostic gospels that can give us clues for how to answer these questions. The Gnostic gospels in particular are full of metaphysical wisdom that remind us that there is a larger Presence that maintains itself at all times; that is ‘unchanging and unperturbed and completely beautiful”* no matter what may be happening in the turbulent times of our lives. (*a quote from the Gospel of Truth).
We invite you to join us at 10:30 am each Sunday as we seek this solace together, so that as we are strengthened, we may also be a positive force of courage, peace and love for the world. We are also resuming our children’s program on the second Sunday of the month - on October 12th. And we are incorporating new music for community singing into many of our Sunday services with accompaniment by Tom Finch. Details about the theme for each Sunday are included below.
Peace Be With You
Pastor Kimberly
Shining the Light of Hope, Courage and Compassion
Oct 5 Finding Hope in Hard Times Using a lesser known Gnostic text, The Gospel of Truth, we will explore how this gospel encourages us to not give up hope during hard times. It eloquently illustrates how “the ignorance” may be able to stir up terror and fear for a time, but it does not prevail, because it is not connected to the ultimate ‘Truth’ which is the essence of Divine unity and presence. It invites us to follow the path of Christ Consciousness that Jesus taught so that we may remain connected to the energy of Presence and of Truth.
Oct 12 Peace, Be StillIn Mark 4, we have the story of Jesus rebuking the storm. While the disciples are anxious and afraid as the waves buffet the boat, Jesus is able to remain calm.
How might we also keep our eyes on the steadiness of the horizon, finding peace within while the storms of life rage around us? This Sunday will include our Children’s Program led by Anna Smith. Children of all ages are welcome!
October 19 Sophia Consciousness: Healing Our Souls & Society Through the Reunification of the Sacred Feminine with the Logos.
Gnostic cosmology says that in the beginning, the Logos (Christ Consciousness) was wedded with Sophia as his equal counterpart. Suffering happened when she was separated from her beloved. Certain gnostic texts also point to the reunification of Sophia with the Logos as the recipe for healing the splits within ourselves and with the world. We will explore some of the gnostic texts about unification and alsocelebrate the sacrament of communion as an embodiment of that unity.