The Weekly View

Sunday November 4, 2018

Dear St Luke Community, 

Last Sunday

On Monday I received this in an email from a parishioner and I have his permission to quote;

“I’ve heard a lifetime of sermons and the sermon you gave yesterday was, without doubt, one of the very best I have heard. I was inspired by your message and the passion in which you gave it.” 

When I asked him to reflect on what particularly inspired him, he wrote back to me the following inspiring words of his own; 

“One thing that I really liked about your sermon last Sunday was how you seamlessly wove a number of important themes together: The faith of Bartimaeus led him to sight and to follow Jesus. Our faith is vital for us to invest in with our time, souls, and finances (Stewardship Sunday). St. Luke is vital to invest in. The Christian Church, in general, isn’t perfect but has done far more good than evil. And the best response to tragedies, such as the mass killings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, is to be constructive and to let our faith show us the way to work for changes in the world. You also gave us a good insight into what it is like to be a pastor at a party! I came to church very upset about the killing in Pittsburgh but left inspired to do my best in being constructive. Life presents many opportunities to help on an everyday basis and I want to do better.” 

I encourage all those who were not at worship last Sunday to please listen as you consider your pledge for 2019.

Click Here For Recording

This Sunday 

All Saints Sunday & Communion Sunday 
Set your clocks back

Please bring a photo of your loved ones for the communion table. There will be special music and a ritual of remembrance as we honor saints past and present, those who we miss but who are still with us. This is one of our more meaningful Sunday’s at St Luke and I do hope you will come and worship together.

We Remember Them
At the rising of the sun and at its going down
We remember them.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter
We remember them.

 At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring
We remember them.
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer
We remember them.

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn
We remember them.
At the beginning of the year and when it ends
We remember them. 

As long as we live, they too will live;
|for they are now a part of us
as we remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength
We remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart
We remember them. 

When we have joy we crave to share
We remember them.
When we have decisions that are difficult to make
We remember them.

When we have achievements that are based on theirs
We remember them.

As long as we live, they too will live;
for they are now a part of us
as we remember them. 

Rabbis Sylvan Kamens and Jack Riemer

Continuing Events

All are welcome to attend

Bible Study Series ~ Wednesday, Nov 7th, 9:30 AM  

Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursday. Nov 8th, 9:00 AM

St. Luke Women’s Association ~ Thursday. Nov. 8th, 1:00 PM
SAVE THE DATE~ Friday, December 7th 1:00-3:00, Christmas Tea & Program. 

Deacons and Committees Meeting ~ Tuesday, November 13th, 5:00 PM 
Note new time.

Committee Meetings ~ Tuesday, November 13th, 6:30 PM

St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ Monday, Nov 19th,& Tuesday, Nov 27th 10:30 AM
(3rd Monday & 4th Tuesday, Sept. to May). 

Pizza and Theology ~ Tuesday, November 20th, 6:30 PM
Creekside, San Anselmo. 

Session ~ Tuesday, November 27th, 6:30 PM

Sunday October 28, 2018

This Sunday

Dear St Luke Community, 

What makes you well? What do you turn to when things are falling apart? If we went around the room, each of us would have a different list of answers.

In this Sunday’s scripture, Jesus turns to the blind man tells him his faith has made him well, and the man’s vision is restored. Is our faith making us well? 

At St. Luke we understand faith as a verb. That “in the doing” of our faith we practice loving and serving others as we understand Christ to have loved and served others; through compassion, inclusion, acceptance, and understanding.

Is that what makes us well? Can we practice loving others as a way of making all well with our soul? Expressing love as a faith-based community is a wonderful place to grow firm foundations for the shaky ground and challenges life brings.

Our two greatest commandments go hand in hand. Love God, love others. In an uncertain world filled with people taking sides, we celebrate the one place in our lives where party lines are erased and the political divide takes a back seat to what unites us. For one hour each Sunday, we worship a God who calls for us to love above all else.

They tell me churches all over the world are declining, but I tell you that never before in my lifetime, have I witnessed a greater need for what the church has to offer through the unity of all God’s children in love. 

See you Sunday,
Nicole

P.S. Please click here to see the important letter from John Bischoff regarding Stewardship.

Continuing Events

All are welcome to attend

Session ~ Tuesday, October 30th, 6:30 PM

Bible Study Series ~ Wednesday, Oct 31st, 9:30 AM  

Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursday. Nov 1st, 9:00 AM

St. Luke Men's Group ~ Tuesday, Nov. 6th, Location TBD

St. Luke Women’s Association ~ Thursday. Nov. 8th, 1:00 PM
SAVE THE DATE~ Friday, December 7th 1:00-3:00, Christmas Tea & Program. 

Deacons and Committees Meeting ~ Tuesday, November 13th, 5:00 PM 

Committee Meetings ~ Tuesday, November 13th, 6:30 PM

St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ Monday, Nov 19th,& Tuesday, Nov 27th 10:30 AM
(3rd Monday & 4th Tuesday, Sept. to May). 

Pizza and Theology ~ Tuesday, November 20th, 6:30 PM
Creekside, San Anselmo. 

Sunday, October 21, 2018

This Sunday - Acoustic Sunday

Dear St Luke Community,

When my kids were little, they would qualify what it was they wanted before they even asked. “Mom, just listen. Mom, hear me out. Mom, just say yes.” 

In Sunday’s scripture, James and John say to Jesus, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (10:35) Basically, they’re saying, “just say yes to what it is we’re about to ask because we don’t think you’re going to like it.” 

James and John were fishermen. They didn’t make a lot of money. They didn't have a lot of influence over what happened. And now they want seats next to Jesus when he’s glorified, they want power, they want influence. We can hardly blame them for wanting any of that. 

But Jesus, again and again in  Mark’s Gospel, flips the norms upside down. Twice he’s said, the last shall be first. He’s told them they must be like children and in this Sunday’s scripture he says;

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”  

So greatness and power for God and Christ look very different than it did back then and it looks very different from how we understand power today. Can we redefine power for ourselves so that it aligns with God’s definition? How do we understand the life-affirming potential of the power of service as against the power of domination? 

There’s only one song to be sung after the sermon this Sunday. Here’s a preview.

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

Gotta Serve Somebody, by Bob Dylan

See you Sunday,
Nicole

P.S. I’ll be on Study leave for worship planning and Adult Ed from Monday, Oct 22-Sat Oct 26th. Dan White will be covering Pastoral care along with our dear Deacons. 

Continuing Events

All are welcome to attend

Bible Study Series ~ No class 10/24 but will resume on Wednesday, Oct 31st, 9:30 AM  

Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursday. Oct 25th, 9:00 AM

St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ Tuesday, Oct 23rd, 10:30 AM
(3rd Monday & 4th Tuesday, Sept. to May).

Session ~ Tuesday, October 23rd, 6:30 PM

St. Luke Men's Group ~ Tuesday, Nov. 6th, Location TBD

St. Luke Women’s Association ~ Thursday. Nov. 8th, 1:00 PM
SAVE THE DATE~ December 7th 1:00-3:00, Christmas Tea & Program.

Deacons ~ Tuesday, November 13th, 6:30 PM 

Committee Meetings ~ Tuesday, November 13th, 6:30 PM 

Pizza and Theology ~ Tuesday, November 20th, 6:30 PM
Creekside, San Anselmo.