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 Through the Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship we have the pleasure of sharing with others as we volunteer, attend services, teach, play and learn, chant, meditate and listen. From the youngest to the oldest, we are blessed to be a part of this group. This E-Newsletter attempts to capture some of the opportunities we have to grow together.
This coming week-end, there will be a special meeting to discuss some important changes to the Portland Center's managing structure. Saturday, March 5th a presentation will be followed by a discussion. A briefer presentation and discussion will be held after service on Sunday, March 6th. The Managing Council and Nominating Committee hope you will be able to attend. The article titled A Special Announcement was sent out as an email in late February. It is included in this E-Newsletter for your convenience.
Jai Guru,
Your E-Newsletter Committee
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship |
Portland Center Newsletter
March 2011, Vol 2, Issue 3 |
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| Links to SRF and Nearby Groups | |
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| From Master |
 "Inherent in the Self-Realization Fellowship teachings and spiritual techniques are the help and blessings of the SRF line of Gurus. Devotees who conduct their lives according to SRF principles will be blessed with the hidden and open direction of the SRF Gurus."
Spiritual Diary: An Inspirational Thought for Each Day, Guru-Disciple Relationship, March 2nd, Selections from the Writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles, California, 1996
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| Sunday School | |
Portland Center Invites Your Children to our Sunday School
"It isn't academic education alone that makes people happy. It is "how-to-live" education - how to develop a harmonious, moral life, stronger will power, and spiritual understanding - that will bring happiness."
- Paramahansa Yogananda
 We would like to welcome your children to attend our Sunday School. They will learn to energize, chant and meditate during the classes as well as take part in an offering and a prayer service. We have a different theme and craft every week from SRF Mother Center.
The first Self Realization Fellowship Sunday School began at the Hollywood Temple in the 1940's. Paramahansa Yogananda designed the classes to teach children to develop a personal relationship with God and seek Him above all else.
 The Sunday School meets from 11:00 to 12:00 during the Sunday morning service. There are two classes available: one for ages 3 to 8, and the other for ages 9-13. Young children must be able to use the restroom on their own. Parents are welcome to stay for the first class and are encouraged to attend the service on Sundays after that.
 This is a wonderful opportunity to familiarize children with the spiritual teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. If you have questions about Sunday School or would like to volunteer as a teacher or assistant please call the Sunday School Coordinator, Sarah Floyd at 971-570-5683, or e-mail her at sarahfloyd21@gmail.com.
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| Portland Center's Parent Infant Space |
 The Parent Infant Room provides a space where parents can care for a child or children not yet old enough to participate in Sunday School, while listening and watching the service via closed circuit television. There are educational toys for the children to play with as well.
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| Community Service Committee Book Drive |
The Community Service Committee will be collecting children's books between February 17th and March 20th. Books can be placed in the collection box in the Information Room. These books are donated to Albertina Kerr Society. Books that are educational are appreciated.
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| Council Corner - A Special Announcement | |
The Managing Council and the 2011 Nominating Committee would like to share a brief message with you concerning the previously cancelled annual elections and how Portland Center is moving forward to serve the needs of our members:
Dear Friends and Fellow Devotees,
In early January, it was announced that the annual elections would not be held until further notice. At that time the Nominating Committee came to the Managing Council with concerns about
finding volunteers to serve in important roles of leadership. It seemed as if our current mode of operation was no longer serving us and that a complete paradigm shift was needed.
Realizing this, the Managing Council and the Nominating Committee came together to develop a more workable structure for our Center. After nearly two months of weekly meetings, research into how other centers are organized, extensive discussions, prayerful reflection, and the guidance and encouragement of Center Department, this nine-member team is now ready to share its findings and other vital information about critical changes to our Center.
To this end, we will be holding two meetings to present the new structure. The first meeting will be held on Saturday, March 5th from 10am - 2pm, with lunch included...[read more] |
| Young Adults Group | |
To the young adults,
The Portland Center has a Young Adults Group (YAG) that meets every month or two for meditation, spiritual study, food and fellowship. Sometimes we plan special outings such as hikes or picnics. We have a wonderful time together and are always looking for new friends! If you are interested and between the ages of 18-39 then please sign up for our event e-mail list located in the Information Room on the bulletin board or call Sarah Floyd at 971-570-5683 or e-mail her at sarahfloyd21@gmail.com. We hope to see you at our next gathering!
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| Building Maintenance Committee Recruiting | |
 The building maintenance committee has a keen need for safety conscious devotees who have some basic maintenance skills and tools. The Center has various maintenance needs and we would like to know who is available to serve in this way. If you have time for any project, large or small, please contact volunteer@srfportlandcenter.org or fill out a volunteer form in the Information Room.
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| Day of Service Results | |
 Thanks to the awake and ready volunteers, the Day of Service brought good results. The chapel and six rooms were cleaned and dusted and polished from ceiling to floor. Several maintenance projects were completed or progressed to the next phase and outdated equipment was taken out to be donated. One of the highlights of the day was sharing stories about our Guru and our paths while we worked or as we sat down to rest in between projects.
There were some things we didn't get to so if you were unable to attend this Day of Service and would like to participate next time, your help would definitely be appreciated. Watch for a reminder in May.
 Soup, salad, cheesy bread and nutty bars were tasty and satisfying. We are grateful to the volunteers who coordinated the day keeping us well fed and productive, the volunteer who led our meditation, and all those who helped clean. There was plenty of work to keep us all feeling needed.
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| Quarterly Calendar of Services | |
The Quarterly Calendar of Services, including weekly services and special commemorative events,
is available through the Portland Center website. Please click Quarterly Calendar of Services to view the schedule for this quarter. To view the website calendar, also available on the Portland website, go to the Calendar.
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Joking Around |
A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping".
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Preparing the E-Newsletter and Volunteering from Home | |
 The E-Newsletter is truly a group effort. I enjoy coordinating it because it is a way to serve, further my own progress on the path, and strengthen my connection to Self-Realization Fellowship and the Portland Center. Working on the E-Newsletter has allowed me to be a little creative, and has helped me hone my computer skills.
I was looking for something I could do from home, that would not require me to be present or available at any specific day or time. I was a 24-hour care giver and unable to predict when I'd be able to volunteer. So when I was asked if I could prepare an email list for Portland Center I said yes, although my Excel skills were a little rusty. Curiously, within a month, I was researching the feasibility of an electronic newsletter.
Coordinating the E-Newsletter each month has been a wonderful way to get to know many of the extraordinary volunteers at Portland Center, as well as the variety and volume of activities hosted at the Portland Center. Deciding what to include and the pre-release approval process has helped me learn and understand some of SRF's values. I get to take photographs and then select a few to illustrate the text. I actually write and edit very little, thanks to each of you who are preparing the articles, and our skillful editor. I especially enjoy reviewing Master's works and finding text that enlightens the stories appearing that month.
I take pleasure in seeing the end result, knowing that we are strengthening our communications in this small way. If you would like to help out with the E-Newsletter, including taking photographs at Center activities, or want to learn more, please contact me, Linda Traeger, at newsletter@srfportlandcenter.org.
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Spiritual Homework | |
The following Spiritual Homework is reprinted with permission from the Glendale Temple, from their March 2010 archives:
Spiritual Homework for March 2011
This month [begins] with the March 7 anniversary of our Guru's mahasamadhi-conscious ecstatic exit from his body into omnipresence. In Brother Satyananda's Sunday lecture on that day, he talked about the unconditional love which our Guru offers each disciple. Our Master has expressed these sentiments throughout his teachings in both prose and verse, but never more beautifully than in his "Prayer for SRF Disciples." A prayer and a pledge made directly to God.
Two-thousand years ago, Jesus Christ also expressed these very same sentiments in a prayer recorded in the book of John, chapter 17. It is an amazing experience to carefully read these two prayers, one right after the other.
Homework Assignment
So the spiritual homework for this month of March is simple, yet devotionally profound: Study our Guru's prayer for his disciples, found in the published booklet "Prayers of a Master for his Disciples," then read carefully the prayer of Jesus for his disciples, found in the New Testament, John 17. Side-by-side these two prayers demonstrate the intimate relationship a true guru has with God, and the powerful feelings of commitment which a guru has for each disciple. Those wishing to study this more deeply can find the verses along with our Guru's commentary in Discourse 72 of The Second Coming of Christ.
Jai Guru, Brother Satyananda
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| April E-Newsletter |
Please submit articles and photographs by March 23rd for the April E-Newsletter. If you have questions about other matters please talk to a member of the Managing Council or visit the SRF International website for further information. In Divine Friendship, |
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Newsletter Committee
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
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