The Weekly View

February 23, 2020

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

This is Transfiguration Sunday. It’s the Sunday on our liturgical calendar that ends the Season of Epiphany. All of those manifestations of Christ witnessed through Epiphany come to one final climatic moment. 

Frederick Buechner does a wonderful job of describing the scene for us-
It is as strange a scene as there is in the Gospels. Even without the voice from the cloud to explain it, they had no doubt what they were witnessing. It was Jesus of Nazareth all right, the man they'd tramped many a dusty mile with, whose mother and brothers they knew, the one they'd seen as hungry, tired, footsore as the rest of them. But it was also the Messiah, the Christ, in his glory. It was the holiness of the man shining through his humanness, his face so afire with it they were almost blinded. 

Even with us something like that happens once in a while. The face of a man walking his child in the park, of a woman picking peas in the garden, of sometimes even the unlikeliest person listening to a concert, say, or standing barefoot in the sand watching the waves roll in, or just having a beer at a Saturday baseball game in July. Every once and so often, something so touching, so incandescent, so alive transfigures the human face that it's almost beyond bearing. (Originally published in Whistling in the Dark)

Also this Sunday, during Worship, we will be assembling Manna bags that will hold some small and essential items to assist unsheltered folks of San Rafael. Under the leadership of the Outreach Committee, will assemble the bags as part of worship during the offering, remember that offering is an essential response to God for the freely given grace we receive.

As we move towards Lent there is much to look forward to: including a Lenten theme, a Lenten book study, a Fat Tuesday dinner and Mariner’s Sunday. Please take a look at the announcements below for details.

See you Sunday,
Nicole

Outreach and Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to participate 

Manna Bags ~ This Sunday at offering
Over the past two weeks, St. Luke’s Outreach has collected items to fill and distribute “Manna Bags” to the unsheltered population in Marin.
• Socks (the #1 requested item)
• Protein bars
• Mini toiletries (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste)
• Tissue packets
• Ziploc gallon bags
We also purchased rain ponchos and mylar blankets, and will also include a list of Marin resources and services in each bag.  Our goal today is to fill 150-200 bags, which we will distribute next week.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~ Monday, March 2nd, Group A

Designer Clothing Warehouse Sale ~ Click here for the invitation

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
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, February 25th, 10:30 AM
Session Meeting - 4th Tuesday, February 25th, 7:00 PM
Deacons Meeting - 2nd Tuesday, March 10th, 6:00 PM

St. Luke’s mission: To practice love by following Jesus. 
Learn more at www.stlukepres.org
Facebook ~ St. Luke Presbyterian San Rafael
Reverend Nicole Trotter ~
Office Admin., Joanne Trifoso ~
Office Phone: 415-454-2705, Office hours: M, W & Th: 10-1 & Tues: 1-4
Sexton, Carlos Araujo ~ Sunday 8:00 AM-Noon   

Sunday, February 16, 2020

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

Remember that expression you probably heard as a child: it’s for your own good? Some might call it tough love. Others might call good parenting. I remember agonizing over discipling my kids when they were little by not allowing them to participate in playdates because of their behavior. Other times I had no problem expressing tough love, especially when I knew it was the best way to teach them about making a different choice next time. It was for their own good, I’d tell myself.

This Sunday Jesus is expressing some pretty tough love. (Matthew 5:21-37) Some of it is just bizarre, if I may be so bold. But when read in the context of when it was written, we can look past the specifics and begin to look at what the intention of these teachings might be. Like many of Jesus’s teachings, these verses speak to how we should be relating to one another. Jesus seems to be saying, it’s one thing to follow the rules, but when you follow the rules in one area of your life and then make some lousy choices in other areas, it’s not enough. It’s not enough to follow the law, you also have to keep in check what’s in your heart and how you treat those around you. It’s for your own good: that is, it’s for your own goodness. The good that’s in us, given to us by God is like anything else that is living and breathing. It needs water and light. It needs nurturing and sometimes it needs discipline. It’s for our own good when God gets tough and says, that’s not enough, you can do better, and you should, for your own good, and the good of those around you, which for Jesus are one and the same thing. Love God, love others. (Matthew 22:37-39) Love one another as I’ve loved you. (John 15:12) Treat others the way you want to be treated. (Luke 6:31) We can do better. And it’s for our own good. 

See you Sunday,
Nicole

Outreach and Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to attend 

Manna Bags ~ Sunday, February 23rd
Over the next two weeks, St. Luke’s Outreach is collecting the following items to fill and distribute “Manna Bags” to the unsheltered population in Marin:
• Socks ( the #1 requested item)
• Protein bars
• Mini toiletries (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste)
• Tissue packets
• Ziploc gallon bags
We have already purchased rain ponchos and mylar blankets, and will also include a list of Marin resources and services in each bag. Our goal is to fill and distribute 150-200 bags, which we will assemble during worship service on February 23rd.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~ Monday, March 2nd, Group A

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, March 10th, 6:00 PM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, February 25th, 10:30 AM
Session Meeting - 4th Tuesday, February 25th, 7:00 PM

St. Luke’s mission: To practice love by following Jesus. 
Learn more at www.stlukepres.org
Facebook ~ St. Luke Presbyterian San Rafael
Reverend Nicole Trotter ~
Office Admin., Joanne Trifoso ~
Office Phone: 415-454-2705, Office hours: M, W & Th: 10-1 & Tues: 1-4
Sexton, Carlos Araujo ~ Sunday 8:00 AM-Noon   

Sunday, February 9, 2020

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

This Sunday we welcome Reverend Daniel White into the pulpit. Dan will be preaching on John 8:12 and Matthew 5:13-16 and what it means to be a light in the world.

In Bible study this week I was reminded once again of Brenda Matthews, or “Mama Brenda as she was known on the west side of Chicago. Brenda Matthews was a poet, activist, artist, pastor and a motivational speaker for youth.

I’ve told this story before but I’ve learned no one ever remembers what I say so I think I’m safe. 

In 2014  I accompanied roughly 30 high school kids on a mission trip to Chicago. Brenda showed up one evening to speak to the many youth groups visiting from different areas of the country. She turned to the crowd and asked, “Children, (she could get away with calling high schoolers children) why are you here?”

After a long silence, one of the kids said, “To shine the light of God for others.” Mama Brenda pounced on that without missing a beat. “You don’t think we already have God’s light here with us? You think you’re bringing God’s light to us as though you’re the only ones who have God’s light! God is as much here as anywhere else.” Then she paused and asked again, “So why are you here?” 

There were a few more attempts, each one shot down and by now the kids and the adults were too intimidated to speak.

But she continued, “Let me tell you, poor people are not your project. We are not here for you to fix. Our problems are no worse than yours. We may be poor, and we may have drop outs here, but you have children cutting themselves and millionaires secluded in their mansions ready to end their lives. Do not go home and put our pictures on your refrigerators and embellish stories about us so you can feel better about yourselves.You are here for one reason and one reason only. Because we are brothers and sisters in Christ.” 

Matthews died in November of 2014 but her legacy lives on in books, videos and the activism taking place in her name. Each time I tell this story I remember differently, so that’s my disclaimer. I can’t promise that my quotes are exact. But the impression she made is the same: none of us have the corner on light. Everyone is born in the image of God. All people, whether privileged or marginalized, have light to shine. Certainly hunger can dampen a spirit, but so can wealth and status. But don’t take my word for it. Don’t even take Mama Brenda’s word for it. Just read your Bible.

Shine on friends. And let the light of all God’s people shine as one in Christ Jesus. 

Yours,
Nicole

Outreach and Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to attend 

Manna Bags ~ Sunday, February 23rd
Over the next two weeks, St. Luke’s Outreach is collecting the following items to fill and distribute “Manna Bags” to the unsheltered population in Marin:
• Socks ( the #1 requested item)
• Protein bars
• Mini toiletries (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste)
• Tissue packets
• Ziploc gallon bags
We have already purchased rain ponchos and mylar blankets, and will also include a list of Marin resources and services in each bag. Our goal is to fill and distribute 150-200 bags, which we will assemble during worship service on February 23rd.

St. Luke’s Winter Food Drive Barrelill be picked up Friday, February 14th
Please bring canned proteins/meats by Thursday, February 13th.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~ Monday, March 2nd, Group A

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, February 11th, 6:00 PM
Pizza and Theology - 3rd Tuesday, February 18th, 7:00 PM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, February 25th, 10:30 AM
Session Meeting - 4th Tuesday, February 25th, 7:00 PM

St. Luke’s mission: To practice love by following Jesus. 
Learn more at www.stlukepres.org
Facebook ~ St. Luke Presbyterian San Rafael
Reverend Nicole Trotter ~
Office Admin., Joanne Trifoso ~
Office Phone: 415-454-2705, Office hours: M, W & Th: 10-1 & Tues: 1-4
Sexton, Carlos Araujo ~ Sunday 8:00 AM-Noon