Sunday, October 27, 2019
Dear St Luke Community,
I write this to you as the air fills with the smell of smoke around us. It’s heartbreaking and our prayers are with the communities directly affected. We pray that they find the support they need and the perseverance required to get through circumstances that we all pray we will never have to face.
I don’t believe God has a plan or that God is responsible for this kind of destruction and tragedy. I do however believe that God is always working autonomously and through us to bring healing in the form of kindness, loyalty and love for our fellow human beings during times of suffering. God is the yes to the no. God is the resurrection after death. God is the hope in despair and the light in the dark. And if God is all of that, than we, who are created in God’s own image, have the ability to bring healing by reflecting God’s love in how we choose to live.
I am grateful for our St Luke Community, in all the ways we show up for those who need assistance, and we’ll do it again this Sunday as we dedicate the offering to help those directly affected by the fire.
This Sunday in worship we’ll examine our giving. We’ll be hearing from scriptures that call on us to examine why we give. Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, dedicated years of her life to caring for the poor on the lower east side of Manhattan. Theologian Parker Palmer writes of a time when he heard Dorthy Day (a hero of his) speak at a conference. He writes this;
I heard her start to ruminate about the "ungrateful poor.” I did not understand how such a dismissive phrase could come from the lips of a saint - until it hit me with the force of a Zen koan. Dorothy Day was saying, "Do not give to the poor expecting to get their gratitude so that you can feel good about yourself. If you do, your giving will be thin and short-lived, and that is not what the poor need; it will only impoverish them further. Give only if you have something you must give; give only if you are someone for whom giving is its own reward.”
I believe God created in us a “must give” muscle that needs exercise to develop. It's counter-cultural to give in a way that giving becomes its own reward, but it’s at the core of the kind of love we care called upon by God to express.
See you Sunday,
Nicole
Outreach and Deacon Ministry
All are welcome to attend
DIAPER DRIVE ~ Please help St Luke support Oma’s Village in our annual Diaper Drive. St Luke will be collecting diapers, sizes 3-5 thru Sunday November 3rd. It’s easy to participate! Just pick up some diapers and bring them to St Luke and we’ll have them delivered to moms in need at Oma’s Village.
St Luke’s November Food Drive Barrel ~ San Francisco-Marin Food Bank - Fill a Plate This Thanksgiving. Many families, homeless or not, won’t go hungry this Thanksgiving thanks to our help. St Luke will collect all varieties of canned proteins/meats: Beans, Peanut Butter, Tuna, Salmon, Sardines, Chicken, Turkey, Beef. You may also donate funds using the green envelope and with the notation FOOD DRIVE. $1 = 2 Meals! When you fill an empty plate, you ease a worried mind and you improve nutrition to help kids eat healthier. Every food item and every $1 changes lives. Please give generously.
Ritter Center Christmas Gift Barrel ~ We are supporting Ritter Center of San Rafael. Ritter Center serves Marin families & individuals who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. St Luke’s Barrel will arrive Friday, November 8th. Simply take a tag from the Christmas tree in the Narthex and bring back an unwrapped gift for that child to the office by Thursday, December 12th. Our barrel will be picked up by Ritter Center volunteers on Friday, December 13th.
Mill Street Meal Providers ~ Monday, November 4th, Group A
Ongoing Events
All are welcome to attend
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, November 12th, 6:00 PM
Pizza and Theology - 3rd Tuesday, November 19th, 7:00 PM
St. Luke Women’s Bridge - 4th Tuesday, November 26th, 10:30 AM
Session Meeting - 4th Tuesday, November 26th, 7:00 PM
Upcoming Events & Announcements
All are welcome to attend
St. Luke 's Men's Group ~ Tuesday, November 5th, 6:00-8:30 PM
Michael Antieri will host, 636 Biscayne Dr. S.R. Please direct questions to John Lenser at H-415.485.4333, C-415.446.8418 or
St. Luke Stewardship Sunday ~ November 17th STEWARDSHIP 2020
A Wonder-Full Life-Giving Your Time, Talents and Treasure a special day to consider in assessing your commitment to St. Luke and its ministry in 2020. Letters and pledge cards will arrive this week.
St. Luke Women’s Association Annual Christmas Tea & Program ~ Friday, December 6th, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
SAVE THE DATE and invite your friends to enjoy St Luke’s Holiday cheer. The afternoon includes Tea, Coffee, Sweets, and Savories with a Music Program and a RAFFLE.
First Annual 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.