Sunday, May 26, 2019
This Sunday
Dear St. Luke Community,
God’s been quite hospitable, placing in front of me an endless wealth of illustrations for this Sunday’s sermon. That word hospitable has many synonyms, my favorite being the word gracious. That’s probably because the word gracious carries with it a bit of the divine which eludes us.
Many of us think of hospitality as welcoming others into our homes or churches and making them feel welcomed with food and gifts, like a St Luke mug filled with goodies. And St Luke is most definitely a hospitable place filled with hospitable people. But this Sunday, I’d like to think of hospitality as a state of the heart, more like grace and less like making a casserole, although God knows I can think of a few lasagnas that were an act of saving grace.
This Sunday, we meet Lydia, (Acts 16:9-15) a worshipper of God and a dealer of fine purple cloth. God opened her heart and her response was to invite everyone over to her place. Her immediate response to having an open heart was to share her home. That’s it. I don’t thank we have to invite everyone into our homes, although that’s a gift too, but what about the way we approach the rest of our life? Do we walk around vulnerable with open hearts or do we put on protective armor as we move through the day? Like Lydia before us, we show up on the Sabbath in the community to have God open our hearts. What good is that if it doesn’t affect the way we live in the rest of our week?
This week someone asked me if the food he provides for the hungry is an act of grace. You bet it is. And so is a smile, a kindness, a warmth, a tone of voice. All of it is the very definition of what it means to be gracious and it always begins with what God does. We give thanks to God by extending it to others.
See you Sunday, you gracious people,
Nicole
P.S. - Please see this very special invitation from Dan Christian below.
Dear Friends,
You are cordially invited to the installation service of the Rev. Daniel Christian as the pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Novato.
Sunday, June 9th at 3 PM.
1180 Lynwood Drive, Novato 94947
Reception to follow.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
All are welcome to attend
6th Annual Pedal for Protein ~ September 22nd – 28th, Let's ride!
Please use the green envelope to donate ~ noting PEDAL4PROTEIN. A ride for a cause! Supports food bank pantries & projects to help feed hungry people in Northern California. 100% of all donations go to food projects and food justice projects, primarily for the provision of lean proteins.
The ride is organized by The Hunger Task Force of the Presbytery of the Redwoods. For details go to http://www.pedalforprotein.com and www.imathlete.com/donate/PedalforProtein5.
The Street Chaplaincy DInner (TSC) ~ Tuesday, June 4th
St Luke will be serving at The Street Chaplaincy dinner. SLP will be serving 80 meals to the homeless and hungry of Marin at First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael. Won’t you join us in service? Janet Abrahamson will (hopefully) be the lead chef for the evening. The St Luke kitchen crew is actively looking for volunteers to prepare, serve and clean-up dinner from 5 until 7:30-ish on Tuesday, June 4th. If you’d like to volunteer, please email Michael~
If you’ve never volunteered but would like to, please do! Serving is immensely soul satisfying.
Presbytery Volunteers Needed ~
Our Presbytery is looking for Elders who would like to contribute by serving on the Committee of Preparation on Ministry. Please contact Nicole for more information.
ICC Workshop ~ Soul Collage ~ Saturday, May 25, 9:00-4:00 PM
Interfaith Counseling Center, 15 Austin Avenue, San Anselmo, CA 94960 $85 Reserve through email:
. Submitted by Kathleen Murphy.
Mill Street Meal Providers ~ Monday, June 3rd GROUP B
Contact Stacy Bischoff,
or 415-233-3406 for information.
Acoustic Sunday ~ Sunday, June 16th, 10:00 AM
A more relaxed worship service.
St. Luke’s Men’s Group ~
Add these dates to your schedule now! We socialize and dine from 6 to 8:30. Bring friends, it’s a great opportunity to introduce them to St. Luke and the Men’s Group. Tues. July 2nd, John Lenser will host. Tues. Sept. 3rd, John Bischoff will host. Tues. Nov. 5th, Michael Antieri will host. If you have any questions or would like to assist the above hosts, contact John Lenser at H-415.485.4333, C-415.446.8418 or email
Continuing Events
All are welcome to attend
Bible Study ~ Wednesdays, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
St Luke Choir Rehearsal ~ Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 PM in the Sanctuary
Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursdays, 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Session ~ 4th Tuesday of the month, May 28th, 7:00 PM
Deacons Meeting ~ 2nd Tuesday or the month, June 11th, 6:00 PM
Acoustic Sunday ~ June 16th 10:00 AM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ Mon. June 17th & Tues. June 25th, 10:30 AM
Pizza and Theology ~ 3rd Tuesday of the month, June 18th, 6:30 PM, Creekside, SA
Deacon Ministry
Serving San Pedro Elementary ~
The Deacons of St Luke reached out to our neighbors, San Pedro Elementary, to inquire about needs they might have for their 600 students. Thanks to the efforts of Jan Smith who met with the Principal and the Community Liaison for the school, we learned of the following items that would help them greatly. We will collect beginning the week after Easter through the month of May. You may drop NEW or GENTLY USED items off in the church office during office hours (M, W, Th 10:00-1) or on Sundays.
Basic stretch pants for kids to change into as needed. Size 4-8.
Underwear and socks size 4-8,
Adult size 5-8 hiking boots,
Duffle bags and sleeping bags for kids
Target Gift Cards
KIVA.ORG ~
The Women’s Association has been supporting KIVA for many years. We have made 24 loans in 22 different countries. 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 of the world. The loans are made to people working in retail, clothing, services, agriculture, and food. It is determined how much the recipient needs to start or expand a business, and then people can sign up to provide the loan amount. (It takes many people to fund one loan.) The recipient pays the loan back in a pre-planned manner.
Our loans have always been paid back, and then we have loaned the money to another person or group. Kiva does charge a small fee with each new loan to help cover their expenses.
There is an update on the website from those who take loans, usually written in English, telling how the loan was helpful.