There Are No Dark Emotions...

In Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Brown Taylor quotes Miriam Greenspan, "There are no dark emotions, just unskillful ways of coping with emotions we cannot bear. The emotions themselves are conduits of pure energy that want something from us: to wake us up, to tell us something we need to know, to break the ice around our hearts, to move us to act."
Later Taylor adds, "...I learned that sadness does not sink a person; it is the energy a person spends trying to avoid sadness that does that."

I wonder  what was going on in Peter's mind and heart when Jesus told him what was happening...

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

Mark 8:31-35

We'll meet for Stone Soup at the Wesley Cottage at Saluda United Methodist Church at 5 p.m. 3/1/15

We'll have real Stone Soup for dinner. Rob will provide a tomato soup base. You bring what you want to put in it (vegetables, beans etc) or what you want to go with it (bread, salad, a roasted pig etc)

Bring a bandana or something you can use to blindfold yourself for our work on Learning How to Walk in the Dark!

Learning to Walk in the Dark

Change of Venue! Because of icy conditions at the church, we will meet at Hope Pace's house on Gaffney St. Call Rob if you need help getting there 828-606-3452. Just park along the street and walk up to the house.

Stone Soup will meet from 5-6:30 on Sunday 2/22. (Be careful, the parking lot may still have icy spots) Call Rob if you want a ride from downtown or something)

We’ll start a series called “Learning to Walk in the Dark” based on Barbara Brown Taylor's book by the same name. We're going to work on making friends of our fears and dealing with the difficult or scary things(see Dr Seuss above) in life so that we may live more fully. After all, the women who witnessed Jesus' resurrection had to know how to walk in the dark!
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” John 20:1

We’ll eat breakfast for dinner. Rob will bring pancake batter and a griddle, you bring whatever else we need to eat!

For those who would like to receive the imposition of ashes, they will be available. It is a "dark" ritual. (Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday, and using them to make the sign of the cross on the foreheads of participants to the accompaniment of the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return")

All are welcome.

Rethinking Church pt. 2

Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted.
Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually.
To be spiritual is to be amazed.
Abraham Heschel

We had a wonderful Stone Soup last week. We talked of all the great and varied worship experiences we've had over the years. We spoke of  how much things have changed and simultaneously stayed the same.
Then we asked folks to, "describe your most significant spiritual experiences." We heard accounts of powerful experiences of God in nature, at graveside, in critical life moments, etc. but not in the church box.
So this week, our second session on "What kind of church do we (and the next generation) need?" continues the conversation. Maybe the question should include a larger scope, "What kind of church does our community need?" (we can talk more about how we should form our question)
If you could design an important spiritual experience, what would it look like?
If you could design a spiritual experience to share, what would it look like?

We'll celebrate around the table with Italian night. Rob will bring pasta and red sauce, you bring whatever you want to go with it.

We'll meet at the Wesley Cottage at 5 p.m.  Let me say that again,
WE'LL MEET AT THE WESLEY COTTAGE AT 5 P.M.
and be through by 6:30 (so everyone can get home and get their homework done…

Next week begins Lent (google it) and we'll begin a series entitled "Learning to Walk in the Dark" modeled after Barbara Brown Taylor's book by the same title (you can google that too)
Peace,
Rob

What do you yearn for in your spiritual life?

What are the things that are most important in your life?
How are those things generated, nurtured and preserved?
How do you cultivate those things for your children or the next generation?
How can a group of people "doing church" contribute and facilitate all this?
This is our topic and spiritual feast for this Sunday.

Feb 8 we'll meet in the Wesley Cottage at 4 p.m. for a lively discussion and dinner. Sonya and Thomas are brining chicken and biscuits, everyone else can bring a side dish or a dessert.  We'll talk about what kind of church our younger generation needs (and us too!).

Please let Rob know if you are coming Sunday so we can get chicken. text 828-606-3452 or email roberto305@mac.com. Nonetheless, come even if you forget to RSVP, somehow we always have enough.

"They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Everyday their number grew as God added those who were save." Acts 2:42-47 The Message.