Grace Waves

Friends:

God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder—the source of which is beyond all reason. (Markings, Dag Hammarkjhold)

St. Francis Animal Blessing and Pet Festival:  Everything is set to go!  Excellent organizing arrangements have again been accomplished.  All you need do is spread the word:  invite your friends – the two-leggeds, 4 leggeds, furry, feathery and scaly.  Such a joy this Affirmation of Life and Creation celebrates.  Aren’t you glad we live in ‘San Francisco’s’ neighborhood!
The Youth Group will be meeting with Intern Brock Klobe after worship and they intend to assist at the Pet Festival.
Brock’s Internship Committee will have their initial session this next Tuesday, October 8.  Please keep them and this important work with Brock in your prayers.
9^th Season–Jazz Church West:  Sunday concludes with singer Ed Reed opening our next season.  Ed is only 84 years old and his new CD “I’m a Shy Guy” (a collection of Nat King Cole songs) has received the Editor’s Choice Award from Downbeat Magazine.  Not bad.
Women of Peace:   It is time to reconvene for the Fall!  We will meet on Wednesday, October 9 from 10—Noon at Peace.   Gleanings from our Summer Journeys and all the Wonderful Fall Plans will be shared.
The Partnership Committee invites you to join them for a Dinner and Conversation at Peace on Sunday, October 13 from 4–6 pm.   This is an opportunity to both learn more about the needs and contexts of our Partners in Nicaragua and South Africa and discover how our ongoing work can support them.
It was wonderful to have our former seminarian Brenda Bos with us for a day last week.  Brenda assisted in the shooting of several videos for our new website and doing some teaching about the editing process.  Brenda completed her seminary education with the completion of her Internship.  She is now awaiting a Call in Southern California.  She and her partner Janis are most pleased to have officially signed the adoption placement papers for their son Josh (a teenager!) this past week.  Congratulations and many more blessings.  Brenda sends her love to all her friends at Peace.
Our congratulations to Joan and Jim Strawn who celebrated their 61^st Wedding Anniversary last week!  Continued blessings, joy and grace!
Organ Donations:  Jeanie Locklear made us aware of 2 Organ Donations!  She celebrated another anniversary after receiving a new kidney 27 years ago. What a blessing.  All of us are encouraged to become organ donors ourselves.  And, the fundraising effort to purchase the complementary speakers for our sanctuary organ has already received a gift of $1,000—half of the funds needed!   A Concert to raise the other half will be presented on Sunday, November 10.  Thanks for the generosity of so many at Peace!
First Friday Films:  See WALL-E this Friday at 6.30 pm…..the first animated film (2008) to be nominated for 6 Academy Awards.  A delightful spiritual film that may help teach us how to save the planet!
Inspiring Generosity:  Our thanks to Barb and John Kline of Thrivent Financial for their Forum Presentation and Dialogue last Sunday.  There are so many ways to stir generosity and caring for each other and beyond.  (Of course we are also appreciative that Barb and John are willing to bring their horses to our Pet Festival.  They add magic!)
Michele Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow:  Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness will speak at the Nourse Theater in San Francisco on October 17 at  7:00pm.  Interested?  Perhaps we could carpool.
Thanks to all who have contributed to our Food Barrel.  Your contributions of tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, whole wheat pasta and whatever you wish to contribute are deeply appreciated by the hungry of our county.
Keep in your prayers:  Joan, Bob, Spoon, Ari, loved ones living with illnesses, those searching for work, our Peace ministries, the hungry, the children, those without healthcare, our earth, those who pray for us.
Homilies are recorded every week and are now available on our website. They will also soon be playing on a radio station which our friend Clifford Brown manages.  Details to come.  Keep encouraging new friends and old to check out our website and Facebook.  (Did you know that our Weekly Total Reach on Facebook increased by 4,550%!…..thankfully statistics always tell the truth.)
Sing Along / “Sing Out!” – the Theme Song for the Jazz Church West: will be rehearsed and recorded with Clairdee on Sunday, October 22 at 4:00 pm.  You are invited to join this Community Chorus – for the pure pleasure of it.  This is our first Sing Along Event and you will delight in the joy of it all!
“After the Gluten Diagnosis:  What do you eat, how do you heal?”  Dr. Vikki Petersen presents this free workshop at Peace on Monday, October 14 from 6:30–8:30 pm.  All are invited.
Isn’t it wonderful to now have Harp Music in worship!  To pray and breathe the Psalms in such a contemplative fashion—what a gift.  Our thanks to Dabbie and Jeanie for their continuing musical gifts.

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships—so we may live deep within our hearts.  St. Francis of Assisi

Blessings,  Pr. Steve