This Sunday at the 11 am worship experience, we will participate in a Liturgy of Healing which is based upon a similar liturgy from Iona. The worship will be held in the Community Room on Sunday and not in the Sanctuary.

As part of the experience, all will be invited to come forward, should they choose to,  for laying on of hands for desired healing. Healing comes in many forms; physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological. This time of worship is in recognition that we all need healing of some sort in our lives.

As part of a ten year perspective, POWER is carrying out a listening campaign (1000 1:1’s in two months), looking at how they are viewed in faith communities that have been supportive.  GPC is part of that listening initiative as some members of the congregation will be asked to share their understanding of the role of POWER and POWER Metro in the life of our congregation and community.

In the beginning of 2019 the Main Line Cluster of POWER Metro came into being.  Now in its infancy, we are working to knit together faith communities along the Main Line to work on issues of racism and social justice. GPC has a Local Organizing Committee (LOC) that meets periodically to consider the congregational interface with the following: Main Line Cluster of POWER Metro, POWER Metro, POWER, and Faith in Action (national parent organization). Members of the LOC at GPC are Margaret Somerville, Mark Fifer, Bruce MacCullough, Julie Sheetz, Larry Cozzens, Pat McCole, and Ginger Fifer.  If you would like to know more about the LOC or the Main Line Cluster of POWER Metro, talk to any member of the LOC. 

October 14

COALESCE: A time of connection in community:

We are reading John Phillip Newell’s, The Rebirthing of God: Christianity’s Struggle for the New Beginnings.  There are still a few books ($12.00) available at church, with the suggestion that it is good if you can read ahead of time, but is certainly not a prerequisite for listening and engaging in the seminar-like environment.

  

We began our time together with a John Phillip Newell Prayer and Chant

Whichever way you turn, There is the face of God

Prayer:Whichever way we turn, O God, there is your face

In the light of the moon and patterns of stars

In scarred mountain rifts and ancient groves

In mighty seas and creatures of the deep

Whichever way we turn, O God, there is your face

In the light of eyes we love

In the salt of tears we have tasted

In weathered countenances east and west

In the soft-skinned glow of the child everywhere

Whichever way we turn, O God, there is your face

There is your face, among us

Chant: Whichever way we turn, Whichever way we turn, Whichever way we turn, there is the face of God

This set up our time together as we finished discussing Chapter 1 “Reconnecting with the Earth” and Chapter 2 “Reconnecting with Compassion/  One of the insights gained from our discussion that there can be a sense of carrying out acts of compassion without fully seeing or feeling the pain that leads to the need for the action. HOW DO WE OVERCOME PARALYSIS? We may not know exactly how the action is going to play out, but we need to do something—start somewhere NO SINGLE ONE OF US IS ALL-IMPORTANT, BUT EACH OF US IS ESSENTIAL. DO/CAN WE BELIEVE THIS? No one else can play that role of compassion for us.  

Reading and discussion for Sunday October 20: Read and begin discussing Chapter 3: Reconnecting with the Light. A primary feature of rebirthing of God involves a reconnecting with the light (John 1:19), “The Light that enlightens every person coming  into the world” It is the Light, at the heart of every newborn child—the Light at the heart of life.  For a portion of our time together we will continue to hear Newell at the Harvard Divinity School Conference. COME JOIN US, WHETHER YOU ARE A REGULAR OR JUST A ONCE-IN-AWHILE DROP IN.  WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU!

Tuesday, October 15th:

10 am Bible Study: Book of Isaiah

7 pm Raising Awareness on Gun Violence at Main Line Reform Temple

Wednesday, October 16th:

7 pm Interfaith Sukkot at Beth Am Israel

7:30 Men’s Group at GPC

Thursday, October 17th:

6:30 pm Dinner

7:00 pm Interfaith Contemplative Practices

Sunday, October 20th:

9:45 am Christian Education

11 am Worship: Service of Healing, Pastor Todd Stavrakos preaching

Tuesday, October 22nd:

10 am Bible Study: Book of Isaiah

 

Birthdays

October 15th:

Jack Holmes

October 16th:

Greg Loux

October 19th:

Larry Cozzens

October 20th:

Kevin Loux

Prayers for Palmer as she prepares to undergo a scan on Wednesday.

Prayers for Gail as she has knee replacement surgery.

Prayers for Jana as she recovers strength in her hand.

Prayers for Pat as she suffers from colon cancer.

Prayers for all those, particularly children, who are forced to flee their homes.

Prayers for the joy of finding the face of God in others.

Prayers of joy at the birth of Cormac.

Sermon:      Experiencing God in Exile

Texts:

Jeremiah 29:1, 4–7 Build houses and plant gardens in exile; seek the welfare of the city.

Luke 17:11–19 Jesus heals ten people with leprosy; only one returns to give thanks.

Our next group of families will be arriving at Beth David on Sunday, October 20, for the week. Looks as if there will be a full house with three families.

Please check out this sign-up and see if you can cover some of the many spots available.
Opportunities to help include setting up the bedding before the families come, making a meal and eating with the families, staying overnight and seeing the families off early in the morning (6 am), or taking the beds down at the end of the week and doing the laundry at your own home.

You will find that the experience is about building relationship with our neighbors – our neighbors at Beth David and our neighbors who do not currently have housing. This is what we are called by Christ to do, not because we are more blessed or fortunate than any others, but because we are all children of God, called to be in relationship with one another.

Prayers for Sarah for the safe birth of her baby.

Prayers for the family of Bill who died.

Prayers of peace for Kasey as she undergoes a difficult time.

Prayers for the family of Jack who committed suicide.

Prayers for Anne as she undergoes bone marrow transplant

Prayers for Pat as she suffers from colon cancer.

COALESCE: A time of connection in community:

We are reading John Phillip Newell’s, The Rebirthing of God: Christianity’s Struggle for the New Beginnings.  There are still a few books ($12.00) available at church, with the suggestion that it is good if you can read ahead of time, but is certainly not a prerequisite for listening and engaging in the seminar-like environment.

Newell offers eight features of “new beginnings”, reconnecting us to the earth, compassion, the Light, the journey, spiritual practice, non violence, the unconscious, and love. A primary question we are asking, What does the statement mean to you that we are made of God rather than simply by God? What are the implications of this question for our life perspective and how we live our lives?

During our session we were able to hear John Phillip Newell at a workshop at Harvard Divinity School. His challenging thoughts on the concept of original sin were introduced and our discussion allowed us to question and consider the impact of this formative precept in church theology.

Reading and discussion for Sunday October 13: Tying up loose ends of Chapter 1 Reconnecting with the Earth and begin discussing Chapter 2: Reconnecting with Compassion.  No new reading assignment for this week.  For a portion of our time together we will continue to hear Newell at the Harvard Divinity School Conference.

COME JOIN US, WHETHER YOU ARE A REGULAR OR JUST A ONCE-IN-AWHILE DROP IN.  WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU!

POWER METRO CONNECTION:  Effort is being made to try to get Representative Curt Sonney, (Republican representing 4th congressional district which is portions of Erie county) who serves as chairman of the House Education Committee, to follow through on a promise he made in June to hold a public hearing on the issue of equity in public school funding.  Call Representative Sonney on Oct 8TH, 9TH or 10TH (between 8 am-4 pm). Hold Him To His Promise! Erie Office: (814) 664-9126, 814-897-2080, Harrisburg Office: (717) 783-9087 

Script, for those unsure about their position on HB 961

Hello.  This is ______________. I live in ___________, PA. I understand that you promised to hold a public hearing this fall on HB 961 and the fair funding issue.  I think a date should be set for the hearing so that the issue of fair funding can be fully aired and understood. I look forward to seeing the date set for the hearing.

Script for those in full support of House Bill 961 which would have 100% of the state money put through the formula:   

SCRIPt:  Hello.  This is    _____, I live in ________, PA and over half the school districts in the state are receiving less than their fair share of funding every year due to the inequities in funding distribution. This is a reminder as the Chair of the Education Committee you promised to schedule hearings this fall on HB 961 and the fair funding issue. I  look forward to seeing a date set for the hearing and I will be checking back in regularly until that date is made public.