The Weekly View

Sunday, September 22, 2019

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

This Sunday is Acoustic Sunday and we have the pleasure of welcoming Rev Daniel White back into the pulpit. I will be in worship with you as well, playing and singing along with the acoustic band. Rev Dan will be preaching on Isaiah 43: 1-4 and Matthew 25:34-40. Dan has had many years of experience as a chaplain for Marin Police and Fire Departments. In addition, he spends time at San Quentin as a coach. From where I sit, I see Dan walking the walk and talking the talk when it comes to Jesus’s words;

I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me….‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. 

In Dan’s own words; The fact there continues to be so many living in our midst (even on our streets) who are marginalized and often forgotten continues to challenge those of us in the faith community.  Certainly the lack of civility and divisive rhetoric currently "in the air" does not help.  We need to remind ourselves of what we hold in common with each other, the value of every human being despite divisive voices, and how we can make a difference. 

Amen to that, Dan.
Please join us this Sunday,
Nicole

Outreach and Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to attend 

KIVA.ORG ~ St. Luke’s Women’s Association has supported KIVA for many years and they will be a Deacon’s Ministry in the Fall. KIVA is a San Francisco based non-profit that offers individuals or groups the opportunity to make a $25 or larger loan in many countries.

6th Annual Pedal for Protein ~ September 22nd – 28th, Let's ride!
Supports food bank pantries & projects to help feed hungry people in Northern California. Organized by The Hunger Task Force of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, 100% of all donations go to food projects. PEDALFORPROTEIN.COM. for information.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~  Monday, October 7th, Group B
The first Monday of each month Group A or Group B is assigned a meal item to provide (fruit, milk & bread, main, salad, vegetable, dessert). The volunteers bring a different food item every other month. Please contact Stacy Bischoff at for information.

Bible Study - Wednesdays at 9:30 AM
St. Luke Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7:00 PM
Women's Spirituality Group - Thursdays at 9:00 AM
Deacons Meeting - 2nd Tuesday, September 10th, 6:00 PM
Pizza and Theology - 3rd Tuesday, September 17th, 7:00 PM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, September 24th, 10:30 AM
Session Meeting - 4th Tuesday, September 24th, 7:00 PM

St Luke’s Christmas Concert ~ Sunday, December 8th, 4:00 PM
It’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays! Save the date for the first annual St. Luke Christmas Concert, featuring St. Luke members and friends as they share their gifts in song, music and a few surprises along the way. From classical to contemporary, there will be something for everyone in our decorated sanctuary. Following the concert, there will be a complimentary reception with beverages and appetizers in the Bayview Room. Be sure to invite friends and family, and start the Christmas season with music and friendship. All proceeds will go to benefit St. Luke ministries and church.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

Parables, if you recall, were used by Rabbis as a way to wake up the listener, get them thinking and open up the possibility of various interpretations. Yet this Sunday we hear two parables that have been preached pretty much the same way for centuries now; the parables of the lost sheep and coin. (Luke 15:1-32) Usually, the interpretation is the same; we’re lost, God searches for us, finds us and we repent.

But as New Testament Scholar, Amy-Jill Levine, points out ~
That audience (meaning Jesus' audience) would not think that the man who lost his sheep, the woman who lost her coin, or the father who lost his older son were symbols for God. This is because God doesn’t lose us. Nor would they think of the sheep and the coin as examples of repenting, because sheep and coins don’t repent. In our reading, the three stories are connected. The first two stories set up the third. The main message is about counting, searching for what is missing, and celebrating becoming whole again. 

This idea of becoming whole again is a continuation of last weeks theme. It’s also in keeping with Greg Love’s three weeks after worship series, “Change Towards Wholeness.” 

I do hope you can join us for worship and stay after worship to hear Greg Love (Even if you missed last week).

See you Sunday,
Nicole

Outreach and Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to attend 

KIVA.ORG ~ St. Luke’s Women’s Association has supported KIVA for many years and they will be a Deacon’s Ministry in the Fall. KIVA is a San Francisco based non-profit that offers individuals or groups the opportunity to make a $25 or larger loan in many countries.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~  Monday, October 7th, Group B
The first Monday of each month Group A or Group B is assigned a meal item to provide (fruit, milk & bread, main, salad, vegetable, dessert). The volunteers bring a different food item every other month. Please contact Stacy Bischoff at for information.

6th Annual Pedal for Protein ~ September 22nd – 28th, Let's ride!
Supports food bank pantries & projects to help feed hungry people in Northern California. Organized by The Hunger Task Force of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, 100% of all donations go to food projects. PEDALFORPROTEIN.COM. for information.

Bible Study - Wednesdays at 9:30 AM
St. Luke Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7:00 PM
Women's Spirituality Group - Thursdays at 9:00 AM
Deacons Meeting - 2nd Tuesday, September 10th, 6:00 PM
Pizza and Theology - 3rd Tuesday, September 17th, 7:00 PM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, September 24th, 10:30 AM
Session Meeting - 4th Tuesday, September 24th, 7:00 PM

St Luke’s Christmas Concert ~ December 8th, 4:00 PM
It’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays! Save the date for the first annual St. Luke Christmas Concert, featuring St. Luke members and friends as they share their gifts in song, music and a few surprises along the way. From classical to contemporary, there will be something for everyone in our decorated sanctuary. Following the concert, there will be a complimentary reception with beverages and appetizers in the Bayview Room. Be sure to invite friends and family, and start the Christmas season with music and friendship. All proceeds will go to benefit St. Luke ministries and church.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

This Sunday we hear from the prophet Jeremiah who reminds us of God as potter and us as clay. As clay, we are not just passive but respond to the touch of the hands that shape us and reform us when we shatter. We do shatter. We fall, we fall apart and we become susceptible to all of the ways that take us away from God and into false ways of being. Some of which is in our control, and some of which is not. But our God picks up the pieces, reshapes us, transforms us in conjunction with our willingness to listen. Our willingness to do the hard work of being in relationship with God is not passive but it is grace-filled. Thanks be to God. 

After worship please join us for this three week series with Rev Dr. Gregory Love, Sept 8th, 15th, and 22nd.

Change Towards Wholeness
Both the New Testament and psychology speak of a person’s change from brokenness toward wholeness.  But how does that change happen?  Do we just “set our mind to it, and make the changes”?  Or is it more difficult . . . and if so, why?  Further, what is God’s role in creating this change in us, and what is our role?

This three-week series looks at how we change, comparing and contrasting the views from neurobiology, psychology, and spirituality. It will look at two opposing views of how we change (theology and science that suggests only God can change us; versus theology and science that says we have capacities within us to change, they just need help); and a possible third way that transcends those two views.
 
For more about Greg Love-
Gregory Love is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at San Francisco Theological Seminary and The Graduate Theological Union.  A native of the Northwest, he graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a BA in Modern European History and Religion, and a minor in Sociology.  He received his M.Div. and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. His most recent book, Love, Violence and the Cross: How the Nonviolent God Saves Us through the Cross of Christ, investigates the relation between religion and violence. Dr. Love also brings neurology, evolutionary biology and psychology, and sociology into conversation with the world religions’ ancient wisdom traditions to investigate how change toward wholeness is possible for individuals.Dr. Love has a sixteen-year-old daughter, Claire.  He loves to backpack, travel to new countries, meet friends for coffee, and make his daughter laugh.

September 8th: Guest Musicians ~
Erich Miller has been performing professionally as a percussionist since 1975, the same year he became a member of the American Federation of Musicians. He has studied at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, earned a Bachelor of Music in performance from North Texas State University, and a Master of Music degree in performance from Northern Illinois University. Spending most of his working career touring, recording, teaching and performing in Southern California, Erich has had a varied music career. Highlights include performing under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, playing on a #1 jazz album by the artist Peter White, providing music for television series such as Cheers and Northern Exposure and several national commercials, as well as being featured on soundtracks for many films, most notably Along Came Polly. Steel drums have been one of Erich’s main passions as a player, and he has been fortunate to perform in the birthplace of the steel pan, Trinidad and Tobago, competing with award-winning bands in the national music festival Panorama. Today he is performing on pans built by one of the instrument’s most influential creators, the late Cliff Alexis.

Outreach and Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to attend 

KIVA.ORG ~ St. Luke’s Women’s Association has supported KIVA for many years and they will be a Deacon’s Ministry in the Fall. KIVA is a San Francisco based non-profit that offers individuals or groups the opportunity to make a $25 or larger loan in many countries.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~  Monday, October 7th, Group B
The first Monday of each month Group A or Group B is assigned a meal item to provide (fruit, milk & bread, main, salad, vegetable, dessert). The volunteers bring a different food item every other month. Please contact Stacy Bischoff at for information.

6th Annual Pedal for Protein ~ September 22nd – 28th, Let's ride!
Supports food bank pantries & projects to help feed hungry people in Northern California. Organized by The Hunger Task Force of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, 100% of all donations go to food projects. PEDALFORPROTEIN.COM. for information.

Bible Study - Wednesdays at 9:30 AM
St. Luke Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7:00 PM
Women's Spirituality Group - Thursdays at 9:00 AM
Deacons Meeting - 2nd Tuesday, September 10th, 6:00 PM
Pizza and Theology - 3rd Tuesday, September 17th, 7:00 PM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, September 24th, 10:30 AM
Session - 4th Tuesday, September 24th, 7:00 PM

St Luke’s Christmas Concert ~ December 8th, 4:00 PM
It’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays! Save the date for the first annual St. Luke Christmas Concert, featuring St. Luke members and friends as they share their gifts in song, music and a few surprises along the way. From classical to contemporary, there will be something for everyone in our decorated sanctuary. Following the concert there will be a complimentary reception with beverages and appetizers in the Bayview Room. Be sure to invite friends and family, and start the Christmas season with music and friendship. All proceeds will go to benefit St. Luke ministries and church.