The Circle of the Gift

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SoulScapes

August/Sept. 2011

Greetings!

At the core of Franciscan Spirituality is the fundamental belief that everything is a gift. To claim anything as one's own, whether it is property, possessions, money, knowledge, skills, talents, wisdom, or grace, is to misunderstand the astonishing bounty of a God who gives every good thing to us.

For the Franciscan, creation itself is a mirror of the amazing generosity of a God who continually pours out Franciscan Living Entrance Self for us. Sun, moon, stars, wind, air, fire, water, and earth all offer their essence freely and abundantly. As part of creation, humanity is also a mirror of this marvelous outpouring of God.

In Franciscan communities this perspective is expressed in what may be called the Circle of the Gift. Realizing that everything comes from God and belongs to God, each person offers what s/he has to give and receives what s/he needs.

As we enter our 3rd year of operation I find myself in awe of the blessings that continue to grace our Urban Center for Spirituality. The Circle of the Gift is truly evident in the kindness of our friends and supporters. Almost everything in our new space is an embodiment of generosity. The cabinets that house the folding chairs in our meeting room were designed and built by a carpenter friend, the curtains that cover the openings were sewn from a thrift store find by another who is a seamstress. The tailored, padded valences that make use of re-purposed drapes were made by an avid D.I.Y.er. The refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, and hot water pot are all donations from caring souls who know how restoring a cold drink of water or how soothing a cup of coffee or tea can be.

Franciscan Mezuzah

There is an exquisite Tau cross carved out of African cherry wood by Sr. Lorraine Savage, osf, which was created just for our Center. The cross is mounted on the door leading into our meeting room and has quickly become our "Franciscan Mezuzah" as people entering and leaving the Center pause a moment to touch it and recall who they are and whose they are.

The lending library is off to a good start with about 30 volumes of quality spiritual books contributed by several friends. Our growing collection covers the spectrum from Buddhism to spiritual fiction. A volunteer has stepped up to gather a group to explore ways to awaken the sleeping garden that lies hidden under the weeds and debris in the yard behind our building.

The blessings continue to unfold. Those of you who Facebook responded to my invitation to "like" our page and within a few days we had the 25 affirmations that allow us to have our own page. You can now log in at www.facebook.com/FranciscanLiving.

It was wonderful to see so many of our friends and supporters at the recent Open House celebrating our 3rd Anniversary. A legion of folks also contributed their talent, time, expertise and love to making this day a success. As with all Franciscan events there was an abundance of laughter, listening, challenge, community and great food!

If you didn't have a chance to drop by last Saturday, we hope you will be able to visit us soon. The long-awaited outdoor signage is now installed, making it easy to find us at our new space which is located at 2410 K Street, Suite A.

There are also number of summer and early fall programs to assist in exploring the Sacred from the inside out including a ceremony to honor St. Clare of Assisi on her feast day (August 11), a repeat of our popular 60 minute retreat,The Power of Vision, Exploring the Cosmic Christ, a look at evolving Christology, a three week series on mandalas, titled, Entering the Sacred Circle and an outreach project called Dress A Girl, in which simple cotton pillowcase dresses and dolls are made for impoverished girls living in Tanzania. Additional opportunities are described below.

As we move forward you are invited to join the Circle of the Gift by sharing your time, talent and expertise or by pledging a monthly contribution for the support of our Center. May you continue to mirror The One who provides you with every good gift and blessing.

Peace and All Good,

Margie Will, osf

In this issue:

SoulSpace Studio

St. Clare Celebration

Dress A Girl

Event Schedule

Soul Food

60 Second Retreat

AT A GLANCE

RETREATS

SEMINARS

WORKSHOPS

PRAYER

AUGUST

Wed. 8/10/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
6:00 - 7:00 PM

Thurs. 8/11/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Thurs. 8/11/11

St. Clare Celebration

6:00 - 7:00 PM

Sat. 8/13/11

Dress A Girl
11 AM - 2 PM

Sun. 8/14/11
Sabbath Prayer:
Song of the Sea
1:30 - 3:30 PM

Mon. 8/15/11
SoulSpace Studio
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Wed. 8/17/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
6:00 - 7:00 PM

Thurs. 8/18/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat. 8/20/11
Soul-full- Sojourners
A Gathering of Male
Spiritual Directors
9:30 AM

Mon. 8/22//11
SoulSpace Studio
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Tues. 8/23/11
The Power of Vision
6:00-7:00 PM
Wed. 8/24/11

Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
6:00 - 7:00 PM

Thurs. 8/25/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat. 8/27/11
Franciscan Prayer and Presence Circle
12:30 - 2:00 PM

Mon. 8/29/11
SoulSpace Studio
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Wed. 8/31/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
6:00 - 7:00 PM

SEPTEMBER
Thurs. 9/1/11
Exploring the
Cosmic Christ
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat. 9/10/11
A Taste of SoulCollage®
Creating Personal Meditation Cards
10 AM - 1 PM

Mon. 9/12/11
SoulSpace Studio
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Tues. 9/13/11
The Sacred Circle - Nature Mandalas
6:00 - 7:30 PM

Mon. 9/19/11
SoulSpace Studio
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Tues. 9/20/11
The Sacred Circle - Healing Mandalas
6:00 - 7:30 PM

Sat. 9/24/11
Franciscan Prayer and Presence Circle
12:30 - 2:00 PM

Sun. 9/25/11
Sabbath Prayer:
Autumn Surrender
1:30 - 3:30 PM

Mon. 9/26/11
SoulSpace Studio
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Tues. 9/27/11
The Sacred Circle - Prayer Mandalas
6:00 - 7:30 PM

Please see our Website for complete details

Click this link to view our 2011Calendar

WE'VE MOVED!

Franciscan Living

2410 K Street, Suite A

Sacramento, CA 95816

916.718.4797

labyrinth

An Exciting New Opportunity

SoulSpace Studio

Monday Evenings from 5:30 - 8:00 PM

Drop in to nurture your spirit with a variety of art as meditation activities including, mandala making, watercolor, journaling,

and SoulCollage® in a peaceful, meditative, atmosphere.

Arrive when your schedule permits

and stay as long as you wish.

All materials provided.

$10.00

St. Clare Celebration

Thursday, August 11, 2011

6-7 PM

Join us for this prayerful tribute to

the 1st Franciscan woman.

R.S.V.P.

Dress A Girl

Imagine a world where every little girl

owned at least one dress.

What if that dress were made by you?

Saturday, August 1, 2011

11 AM - 2 PM

Bring your sewing machine and scissors

or come to help out by cutting fabric

. For more information about this project please visit

Dress A Girl Around the World

If you are interested in being a part of the Sacramento project,

please contact Lisa.

RETREATS, WORKSHOPS, PROGRAMS

Click here for a link to our calender

AUGUST

Exploring theCosmic Christ

with Lana Engler

Wednesday Evenings, August 10,17,24,31

6:00 - 7:00 PM or

Thursday Mornings, August 11,18,25, & Sept. 1

11:30 AM -12:30 PM

prepaid 10.00 / Door 12.50

Series of four pre-paid for $30.00

St. Clare Celebration

Celebrate the life and legacy of St. Clare of Assisi

in song, movement, and prayer

Thursday, August 11, 2011, 6:00-7:00 PM

No Charge

Dress A Girl

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Contact Lisa Brown for more informaiton

Sabbath Prayer: Song of the Sea

with Margie Will

This monthly 90 minute retreat includes exploration of spiritual

themes though personal reflection, prayer, and shared wisdom.

Sunday, August 14, 2011, 1:30 - 3:00 PM

$10.00 pre-paid / $12.00 at the door*

SoulSpace Studio

Monday evenings, August 15, 22, 29 from 5:30 - 8:00 PM

Drop in to drop in for art as meditation with

opportunities for mandala making, watercolor, journaling,

and SoulCollage®

in a peaceful, meditative atmosphere.

All materials provided. $10.00

Soul-Full Sojourners:

A Gathering of Male Spiritual Directors

with Lew Robinson

Saturday, August 20, 2011

9:30 AM

The Power of Vision

with Margie Will

explore new ways of seeing in this repeat of one of our most popular

60 Minute retreats

Tuesday, July 23rd - 6:00-7:00 PM

$10.00 prepaid only*

Franciscan Prayer and Presence Circle

Saturday, August 27th, 2011, 12:30 - 2:00 PM

Drop in - Donations for the support of the Center accepted

* Fewer than 5 pre-registrations for this session may result in the cancellation

or rescheduling of this program.

SEPTEMBER

A Taste of SoulCollage®

Creating Personal Meditation Cards

with Margie Will

Saturday,Sept. 10, 2011, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Introductory Workshop - all materials provided.

10 AM-1 PM

$25.00 prepaid / $30.00 at the door *

SoulSpace Studio

Monday evenings, Sept. 12,19, 26 from 5:30 - 8:00 PM

Drop in to drop in for art as meditation with

opportunities for mandala making, watercolor, journaling,

and SoulCollage®

in a peaceful, meditative atmosphere.

All materials provided. $10.00

healing hand mandala

Entering the Sacred Circle:

An Introduction to Mandala Making

with Margie Will

What do tree rings, sand paintings, and stained glass rose windows

have in common? They are all mandala forms.

Learn the origin and theory of this ancient spiritual practice as you

create your own personal mandalas for insight, healing

and self-expression. Tuesdays - 6-7:30 PM

Each session will focus on a specific type of mandala.

Sept. 13 - Nature Mandalas, Sept. 20 - Healing mandalas,

Sept. 27 - Prayer mandalas.

Single sessions $10.00 pre-paid/$15.00 at the door.

Complete series of three $25.00 pre-paid*

Franciscan Prayer and Presence Circle

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, 12:30 - 2:00 PM

Drop in - Donations for the support of the Center accepted

Sabbath Prayer: Autumn Surrender

with Margie Will

This monthly 90 minute retreat includes exploration of spiritual themes though personal reflection, prayer, and shared wisdom.

Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, 1:30 - 3:00 PM

$10.00 pre-paid / $12.00 at the door*

* Fewer than 5 pre-registrations for this session may result in the cancellation

or rescheduling of this program.

For more information about these events or to register

contact our office

Dr. Lew Robinson

Spiritual Direction

Many people find working with a spiritual director to be a transforming experience. Our trained directors are members of

Spiritual Directors International.

Spiritual Direction sessions are usually 50 minutes in duration. During each session both the director and directee listen together for signs of the of the Sacred in the directee's life.

Margie Will, osf

If you are curious about this ancient path, please contact one of our spiritual directors by clicking on the e-mail link.

Soul Food

You are holy, the only God,

and Your deeds are wonderful.

YOU ARE STRONG.

YOU ARE GREAT.

YOU ARE THE MOST HIGH.
YOU ARE ALMIGHTY.

You, Holy One, are Ruler of heaven and earth.

YOU ARE THREE AND ONE,

O GOD, ALL GOOD.
YOU ARE GOOD, ALL GOOD,

SUPREME GOOD,

O GOD, LIVING AND TRUE.

You are love.
YOU ARE WISDOM.
YOU ARE HUMILITY.
YOU ARE ENDURANCE.

You are rest.

YOU ARE PEACE.
YOU ARE JOY AND GLADNESS.
YOU ARE JUSTICE AND MODERATION.
YOU ARE ALL OUR RICHES,

AND YOU SUFFICE FOR US.

You are beauty.
YOU ARE GENTLENESS.
YOU ARE OUR PROTECTOR.
YOU ARE OUR GUARDIAN AND DEFENDER.

You are our courage.

YOU ARE OUR HAVEN AND OUR HOPE.
YOU ARE OUR FAITH,

OUR GREAT CONSOLATION.
YOU ARE OUR ETERNAL LIFE,

GREAT AND WONDERFUL GOD,

MERCIFUL SAVIOR.

Saint Francis' Prayer in Praise of God, Given to Brother Leo

A 60 Second Retreat

Who are you?

"In a world

where you can

be anything

be yourself."

Whose are you?