Yes!

Agreeing with your partner is the first rule in improv. It is what keeps things going and gets you places you wouldn't have gone by yourself. Oh yea, and it's really funny.
Our spiritual lives are like improv except our partner is a lot bigger. Agreeing keeps things going and gets us places that are amazing.
In the first chapter of Luke, Mary gets the pitch from God (via Gabriel) and her response was, "...Let it be with me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)
So this Sunday Sept 2 at 4 p.m. we'll begin our service with some improv practice.
Then we'll go visit with some folks at Autumn Care (especially our friend Marg, and anyone you might know). We'll get a chance to share some smiles, some scripture, some agreement and maybe even a song. It will be a great way to be in worship.
Then, we'll head back to Wesley Cottage by 5:30 for hotdogs and nachos or whatever you want to bring. (Rob will bring hotdogs and buns you bring the rest)
Since we won't have school the next day, we'll have a movie or two set up (if you have a netflix or iTunes suggestion let me know) and you can bring any games you would like to play as we say goodbye to summer.
Bring a friend or an enemy you would like to be friends with...
Rob

Stone Soup Worship this week will be on Saturday Evening 8/18 before the dance.
Katrina has put the info together for us for Contra Dancing and Camping!

Important Contra info: FUN !!!!! its fast, spinny, but importantly no pressure just come and experience great live music and dancing!

The band  is SLIGO CREEK STOMPERS [Sarah Foard, Adrian Erlinger, Jess Eliot Myhre, Chris Ousley ]

bring drinking water and flat shoes.  Dance shoes, jazz shoes, simple flats...basically anything Will work (people wear tennis shoes and boots!), BUT it is easier with something with worn soles with a  bit of slip to them.  bare feet are not allowed.

                      pot luck is at 6:30, lesson 7:30, dance starts 8:00, ends 11:00

                      $8.00 per adult (12 under is free)

Harvest Moon Society has a web site if you need more info. http://www.harvestmoonfolk.org/

and this is a great informational site about contra with a little video for those who would like a Pre-view!

http://www.sbcds.org/contradance/whatis/

Important Camping info: AT Jones Gap State Park Group Site A (really there is only one group site...) Tell ranger you are coming to camp at "group A Site".  They will direct you to "Camping parking" (which will be close to the office across the river) each vehicle must check in to get a parking tag...Then we will go to Camp site :) .5 miles  from car parking lot.

All are welcome, bring a friend or two or three!

We will be the leaving methodist church as a group at 1:30 (You can come to camp site ANYTIME its about a 30 minute drive), this is just for the ease of those wanting to head out together!). 

           Bring own camping gear..(tent, sleeping bag flashlights, bug spray...etc....)  We will have two stoves to share (Thomas and I are each bringing one so we can group cook breakfast in the morning).  Pancakes and scarmbled eggs?!  Smores at night?!

Sunday check out is technically 12 but they said there is no one coming in after us so......everyone can do what you like... hang out, bring some games, hike, play in the river!! relax.....

Please let me know if you have any questions, 

Katrina 828-606-8994

.....I can't think of anything else right now.

Lot's to recap here
This week Stone Soup Goes Tubing on the Green
Meet at 2 p.m. at the church. We'll carpool and head down to the Green River.
We'll get tubes at Green River Cove Tubing and start from there. Tubes are usually $7 per tube but I think we'll have enough for group rate and with the church rate we may only pay $4. We'll just have to see.
I'll paddle a ducky so I can carry some snacks (whatever you bring (within reason)).
Then we'll pull out at the rapid called Little Corky for snacks and worship.
I imagine we could be home by six, give or take?

Stone Soup for Aug 18-19 (Worship Saturday night at Jones Gap State Park) no Sunday afternoon service on the 19th.
Next week will be big fun. We're going to learn Contra Dancing.
Celtic spirituality says, "Never give a man a gun until he knows how to dance."
I think the idea is that you must know the joy and delight of what we treasure in orde to be good stewards. So let's go learn to dance...
Katrina leading us in this. Here's what she's setting up for us.
We have a camp site reserved for us in Jones Gap State Park. It fits up to 25 people and costs $6 per person for camping, 2 p.m. check in. Then in the evening, we'll go contra dancing ($8 per person, kids under 12 free). Don't worry if you've never done this before, they have lessons for beginners before the big dance. There is also a full pot luck before.
6:30 Potluck
7:30 Dance Lessons
8-11 Dance at River Falls Lodge

Pics from last week...

Mountain Top Experience Guaranteed...

...because we'll be on a mountain top.*

August 5 Stone Soup will be worshipping on Black Balsam Knob at 6,214 ft altitude. *Weather permitting, we'll meet at Saluda UMC at 4 p.m. and carpool to the parking lot off the Blue Ridge Parkway where the Art Loeb trail crosses the road. It's about a 20 min. (about half a mile with 200 feet of altitude gain) walk from there to the balds. Where we'll have evening tea (bring tea things, sandwiches, veggies and dip, cookies, etc.) Stone Soup will provide stoves, water and basic tea selections. You bring a cup (and special tea if you like). We'll share worship there and for those who wish it, communion. The plan is to stay for sunset (about 8:30, which is kind of late so, you can drive your own car if you want to leave early), so bring a flashlight/head lamp and a jacket.

"And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. Matthew 14:22b-23.


We'll also spend some time in silence at some point.
Maybe it will be on the hike up. It could be a silent pilgrimage for you. Embody what you seek. Walk your prayer.
Maybe your silence will be sitting as the day releases itself to twilight and in your prayer you too are released.
Maybe your silence will be your patient search for something bigger than yourself as we share bread, cup and sky. (Ascribe power to God, whose majesty of over Israel; and whose power is in the skies. Ps 68:34)


Here's a link to info on Black Balsam Knob including directions if you want to meet us there.
http://www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah/pisgah/black.html

Squash-a-Palooza and Ultimate Frisbee at Harmon Field

We'll meet at the church at 4 p.m. and then carpool down to Harmon Field where we'll play on the playgrounds there, and play Ultimate Frisbee. For worship, we'll wrestle with what is ultimate in our lives by reflecting on Matthew 13:44...

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Then it's Squash-a-Palooza! Everybody has to have too much squash and zucchini this time of year, so bring it. Cook it your favorite way and bring it to a squash-any-way-you-can potluck. Of course, if you don't like squash or are already sick of it bring PBJ or whatever pleases you.

If it gets hot, we can cool off in the Pacolet River so bring a towel... and a friend!

Stone Soup for July 22...See Kyle's video
Meet at the Wesley Cottage at 4 p.m.

Below is the prayer exercise we are using this week.
Work with it, see if you find it helpful and post your comments.

The Daily Examen of St. Ignatius Loyola–

Abridged and adapted by Kyle A. Tade

Prayer to begin the Examen:

Holy Spirit, help me to remember those little moments you were with me, those seemingly insignificant glimpses I catch of you in the surprising and unexpected places of my life, this and each day. Allow me to be open to your presence now in this moment as I reflect upon the day. Though I know my prayer is never truly complete, I ask that you guide me through and strengthen me for the hope and the possibility of what tomorrow may bring. Amen.

v Be Still & Remember

o   Take some time to relax, take some deep breaths begin to tune out the distractions and open yourself to the Spirit in the silence.

o   You are always in the presence of God, but in this time of prayer we focus our energies, our bodies, our minds, and our hearts on our creator.

v Give Thanks & Notice

o   To God for the gifts of the day.

o   The gifts you have received and what you gave.

v Look & Call Upon

o    At the ways you have responded to God’s gifts this day, both those you have received and what God has enabled you to give this day.

o   The Holy Spirit, to help you look at your actions and responses, both positive and negative, being aware of and understanding of your limitations.

v Review, Reflect & Ask

o   Notice the details: from your dreams, to waking up, and the context of all that happened throughout the day; reflect upon how you acted. Ask yourself: what motivated me today? How did I feel today: overall, at particular moments?

o   Did I fail today? Where did I not feel at my best? How conscious was I today of God’s presence and actions in my life? For that matter, were there any barriers preventing me from feeling God’s presence?

o   Did I love today? If so, when and how? If not, why and what stopped me?

o   Are there any habits or vices that are harming or preventing my ability to be open to God’s presence? Are there any people?

o   Are there times when God helped me to respond positively to life? Are there times where, I could have been more willing to accept help from God in my response?

v Open & See

o   Allow yourself to look honestly at the day and to be open and to see some of the unexpected and surprising ways God has of appearing in your life; be it through people, through various sights on drives or walks, through conversation, through the first deep breath upon waking, that first stretch in the morning, to the meals shared with others or with the silence. Where have you seen God today?

The Ignatian Daily Examen (it's even more fun than it sounds!)

The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us.  The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. (from IgnatianSpirituality.com)

We'll be studying this spiritual exercise as an ancient way of encountering God.

We'll also be working on what I consider the wonderful summer discipline of Grilling (and by grilling I don't mean interrogating).
Here's some cool links:
 finding God on the Metro
The Daily Examen

So we'll meet for Stone Soup at 4 p.m. at the Wesley Cottage and then walk down to McCreery Park and have a potluck grill out and play in our officially Playful City. Bring all those vegetables and herbs from your garden you've been wanting to grill. Bring meat, chicken or veggie burgers if you want and whatever goes well with grilling.

Call me with questions.

Here are pictures from last week. Thanks so much for our friends visiting from Bryson City UMC and River of Life.