The retreat this year was an enormous success! Attendance was near capacity and it was heartwarming to have so many devotees come together to connect with God and Guru. It creates a very special atmosphere.

The theme was "Benefits of a True Guru" and we started with a guided meditation on Saturday morning. During the afternoon, many devotees took a very therapeutic hike from the beautiful sea cliff retreat down to the beach. Later in the afternoon we showed the video, "Wisdom of the Bhagavad-Gita"; a very powerful talk which explained the wisdom of the SRF path and highlighted the importance of having a true Guru. The fact that we all saw it together heightened the impact.

In the evening, we had our potluck dinner with a wide variety of marvelous dishes and desserts, followed by a long Kirtan. As always, activities are voluntary, allowing some devotees to take personal time for rest or study.

Overall, the retreat was a wonderful experience and provided a marvelous opportunity to reconnect with God and Guru.

This year's All-Day Christmas Meditation will be on Saturday December 19th from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm.

While an all-day meditation may seem impossible, please try to attend, as new members often testify that the hours pass like minutes. If you cannot be present for the whole day, please plan to attend the first period of meditation only. Devotees who are only free during the second half of the day should try to meditate at home and tune in mentally with the group. Through your earnest efforts, you will receive the blessings and divine aid of God, Christ, and the Gurus of Self-Realization Fellowship.

Please bring fruit and a monetary donation as a devotional offering. Dress warmly and comfortably, and you may wish to bring a blanket or cushion. If you wish to practice the Aum Meditation Technique, you may bring a mediation armrest.  Please download the All Day Christmas Meditation Instructions for more information.

May God, Christ, and Gurus inspire and uplift you with Their endless blessings. We sincerely hope you can join us for this most holy day.

-- Paramahansa Yogananda

On behalf of all the members, MANY THANKS to all who served in 2009. We appreciate what each of you have done and the beautiful spirit with which you have done it!

Volunteering and Serving in 2010:
Making Resolutions for the New Year

Volunteering and Serving
All are welcome to volunteer at the chapel and there is a great range of choices. It is a wonderful way to serve Master's spiritual family and to enjoy the fellowship of other members. For more details, download a volunteer form.

Financial Support
Our chapel meets its operating costs solely through the donations of our members. Although all member donations are strictly voluntary, at the beginning of each year, we ask that you consider making a regular monthly donation to the support of the chapel. It is not necessary that you tell anyone of your decision. Some members send a monthly check, others simply make a donation each week at service.

Meetings and Voting
In order to vote at Annual and Quarterly Business Meetings, you must be an SRF student who attends an average of one service a week and who is able to attend the Business Meetings. In order to know if we have a quorum at the meeting, we need to be able to count the voting members present. For this purpose, we ask that members who wish to vote in elections notify the secretary that you will commit to attending an average of one service a week in 2010 and to coming to the quarterly meetings.

San Francisco Meditation Group will be conducting an all-day retreat on February 13th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The theme will be "The Divine Love of God" and activities will include group practice of the Energization Exercises, guided meditation, kirtan, a recorded talk by Master and a video by Sri Daya Mata.  All are welcome and deeply encouraged to attend this opportunity to deepen your spiritual practice in a supportive environment with other devotees.

"In the consciousness of one who is immersed in the divine love of God, there is no deception, no narrowness of caste or creed, no boundaries of any kind. When you experience that divine love, you will see no difference between flower and beast, between one human being and another.  You will commune with all nature, and you will love equally all mankind."

Self-Realization Fellowship warmly invites you, your family, and friends to a Christmas Open House at the Mother Center on Saturday, December 12, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. For more information, please see the Richmond Temple Bulletin Board. There is a sign-up sheet for ride sharing in the binder at the Richmond Temple Information Desk.

The Richmond Temple All-Day Christmas Meditation this year will be held on Saturday, December 19th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. You may pick up a copy of the instructions for the Christmas Meditation at the Richmond Temple Information Desk.

The Richmond Temple Christmas Party will be December 20th after services on Sunday.

For more information and directions, visit the Richmond Temple Website.