Tag Archives: Spirituality

The Rev. John R. Mabry

Explorations in Theology, A Weekend of Lectures at Calvary, Santa Cruz on May 16-17, 2014

featuring the Rev. John R. Mabry

The Rev. John R. Mabry
The Rev. John R. Mabry

Friday, May 16, 7:30 p.m.
A CHRISTIAN WALKS IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA

From December 2013 through March 2014, Christian pastor John Mabry went on a most amazing pilgrimage—to visit the most significant sites of the Buddha’s life, and to reflect deeply on what he saw, in conversation with his own faith. From there, his journey took him to Nepal, Thailand, Taiwan, and back to India as he followed the distribution and development of Buddhism around the world. Part travelogue, part history lesson, part comparative theological reflection, this lecture will recount highlights from his pilgrimage, revealing both the frailty and profundity of the human religious quest.

Saturday, May 17, 1:00 p.m.
I BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO IS GROWING: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PROCESS THEOLOGY

What if God is less person than process? What if God is growing and changing as the universe grows and changes? What if God needs us as much as we need God? What if nothing exists except actions? Welcome to the mind-bending world of Process Theology. In this lecture, Pastor and professor John Mabry leads us through the history of this theology in the West, focusing on the insights of its major trailblazers and visionaries. Along the way we’ll discover that reality is far weirder than we think it is, and solve some major theological puzzles along the way.

BIOGRAPHY

The Rev. John R. Mabry is a United Church of Christ pastor currently serving Grace North Church in Berkeley and Our Redeemer Lutheran in Oakland. He is the director of the Interfaith Spiritual Direction Certificate Program at the Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley, and also teaches world religions and spiritual guidance at a number of Bay Area schools. He lives with his wife and dogs in Oakland and sings for the progressive rock band Mind Furniture.

Cost:  $15 per lecture, $25 for both lectures
Cash or checks payable to Calvary Episcopal Church
Reservations:  Call the church office at 831-423-8787
Download the event flyer.

20131116 Pre-Advent Quiet Day

Pre-Advent Quiet Day on November 16 at St. John’s, Aptos

20131116 Pre-Advent Quiet Day
Advent isn’t always the contemplative season we yearn for it to be. Bishop Mary  is to be with us to lead a quiet day, a bit of retreat, a thoughtful time to help us rest in God’s grace before the busy-ness of the season gets a chance to set the tone. Get the jump on the season, and enter it through this doorway.
Please RSVP to church office, 831-708-2278 or sjseacliff@att.net. Download a flyer for the event here. Click here for a map.

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Eucharistic Visitor Training on October 1 at All Saints’, Carmel

Monterey Deanery Shield small 218x238Eucharistic Visitor training for the Monterey Deanery will take place at All Saints’ on October 1, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the church.  Please contact your congregational clergy if you are interested in becoming a Lay Eucharistic Visitor, then register with Ann Wright at annwright6@comcast.net.

A Lay Eucharistic Visitor is an individual licensed by the diocese to distribute the communion host and wine that has already been blessed by the clergy. Lay Eucharistic Visitors are then assigned to take communion to persons who are unable to attend our regular worship services, such as shut-ins or people recovering from illness in hospitals. The bread and wine they carry act as a symbol of the unity of Christ’s Body, which transcends boundaries of time and space, providing a sense of connection to persons who might otherwise feel isolated.

Priest/Deacon:  I send you forth bearing these gifts for (name of person), that s/he may share with us in this Sacrament of Holy Communion.

People: We who are many are one body, for we all share one bread, one cup.

For more information, click here.

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Episcopal Marriage Encounter October 18-20 at All Saints’, Carmel

20131018 Marriage-Encounter_wedding-ringsAn Episcopal Marriage Encounter weekend can help you strengthen your marriage.

Each Encounter is a forty-four-hour experience where married couples can get away from jobs, kids, chores, and phones – and focus on each other.  If you’d like greater depth, growth, and enrichment in your relationship, you’ll like the difference an Episcopal Marriage Encounter weekend can make! The next local weekend is October 18-20. You may register for the weekend online at www.episcopalme.com, and select “Bay Area”.  For more information, please contact Curt & Arlene McClelland, 408-371-5581 or curt@sbcglobal.net.

Registration is limited, so a quick response is encouraged.

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Service for Healing of Violence on September 11 at St. Andrew’s, Ben Lomond

St. Andrew's, Ben Lomond 720x300St. Andrew’s, Ben Lomond, will hold its fourth annual Service for the Healing of Violence at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11.  Despite the date, the service is  not about the 9/11 attacks, but about healing from violence from all perspectives, as a victim, perpetrator, friend/family member, or witness. For more information, click here.

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Festival of Christian Spirituality, September 27-29, at All Saints’, Carmel

20130927 Festival of Christian Spirituality.jpgExclusion and Embrace—Living in Community

The Festival of Christian Spirituality offers a weekend of joyful renewal and spiritual refreshment. We will undertake various spiritual exercises, such as Christian yoga, prayer walks, praying with icons, meditating on Holy Scripture, and using poetry as prayer. Through the Benedictine practice of conversatio we will seek to discern Gospel responses to one of the most pressing issues of our time: exclusion and embrace. One of last year’s festival participants said that conversatio is “life-giving.”

We pray that you will return home from the festival weekend refreshed by God’s grace and
inspired to live out the Gospel in new ways. We encourage you to explore our website for
further information. You may register through the church (831-624-3883) or on our website.

Please see the flyer for more details.

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Women’s Retreat on August 24 at Santa Lucia Mission

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You are invited to join us for a day amid the towering redwoods of the Big Sur Coast, to listen to the soothing sounds of the Big Sur River as it gently splashes over stones. We will explore how we can become a trusting community of God’s women. We will build a labyrinth, a sacred space from the stones of the earth and from Christ’s love in our hearts. You will meet new friends and share stories.
Each of us will bring our own lunch. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

Click here to download the brochure.

When: Saturday, August 24, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Santa Lucia Mission
and Campground
Cost: $15.00
What to bring: lunch, river shoes, a folding chair, comfortable summer clothes, and a sweater or jacket. Camping in Paul’s Meadow and the Mission Cottage garden is free for Friday and Saturday night.

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Festival of Christian Spirituality at Santa Lucia Campground, June 7-9, 2013

Festivals-2013Come and enjoy the Santa Lucia Campground with the Big Sur River running through it! We are located next door to the River Inn. Meet new spiritual friends and learn new ways to grow deeper into your Christian journey. Enjoy our outdoor chapel, the smell of breakfast in the outdoors, and evening barbecue with singing around the fire. Tent camping is available on site. You can also commute (a 35-minute drive south) from the Monterey Peninsula. Some housing is available for out-of-town guests. The Festival begins at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7, and ends after a Communion Service and lunch on Saturday, June 9. The $245 fee includes all meals, the program and its presenters, camping, quiet time to hear the water running off the rocks, and laughter to raise your spirits. Stay on Sunday afternoon for jazz, horseback riding at the beach, hiking, or a possible tour of Point Sur Lighthouse.

See here for more information on the Festivals of Christian Spirituality.