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Join our sacred gathering on Sundays normally at 6 PM at the Annapolis Friends Meeting at 351 Dubois Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
Click here for directions.
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Joy is what happens when we
allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.
Marianne Williamson
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July 28, 2013
Fifth Sunday on the Path of Awe & Wonder
wonder...joy...trust...beauty...cosmos...awe...
Sacred Gathering at 6 PM
hospitality...amazement...delight...
Annapolis Friends Meeting
351 Dubois Road, Annapolis
REFLECTION BY THE REV. WAYNE SCHWANDT Gathering Leaders
set-up/put-away: Dave Miller
greeter/usher: Sylvia Oliva
reader/communion assistant: Kim Hinken
offering invitation: Sylvia Oliva
community hour hosts: John Petrosillo & Tim Mortimore Co-creating a progressive Christian Spirituality
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Chesapeake Pride Festival 2013 August 3rd from 12-6 pm Mayo Beach Park, Edgewater, Maryland |
"i thank you god for most this amazing day"
e.e.cummings
i thank you god for most this amazing day:
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should a tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
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From our archives:
A HISTORY OF CHESAPEAKE PRIDE FESTIVAL
From Picnic to All-Out Festival
by Suzie Robertson, August 2012
 Once upon a time, just a wee bit before we slid from one century into another, there was a pastor of a new, small mission church in Anne Arundel County, Maryland who dreamed of creating a secular venue for the LGBT community to gather in celebration. And it happened! Through exhaustive networking, Wayne Schwandt, pastor of MCC of the Chesapeake (now the independent spiritual community, Evolve Chesapeake) invited the local LGBTS community to a picnic in late August. And people came! And had fun! And celebrated their pride!
So, the Chesapeake Pride Picnic became a yearly occurrence. With the strong assistance of Annapolis Gay Men (AGM) in the planning and on the day of the event, it grew to include raffles, and door prizes, and games including volleyball, which was as enjoyable to watch as it was to play. Held at a county park, the picnic was limited in what it could offer, though. No live music, no alcohol, no vendors. Even as the participants grew to about 75, it just wasn't what had been envisioned for Pride. So, the dream grew and changes were made.
Making the transition from a large picnic in a quiet park to a very public festival was a scary endeavor. Would folks attend? Would it be a flop? Would a small church, who was entirely funding the experiment and providing a majority of the crew needed to plan and run the event, be adversely affected if it failed? The venues we could afford and who would welcome the LGBT community were very limited. Food vendors would not commit since our estimated
attendees were too small for them. We were hoping for 150, which would more than double the attendance of the previous picnics. Had we dreamed too big?
Chesapeake Pride Festival made it's debut in August 2006, in Edgewater, Maryland at Londontowne Public House, a beautiful venue on the South River. We had lost the partnership of AGM but were pleased with the arrival of the Annapolis Green Party's Karen Jennings who threw herself into the planning and implementation wholeheartedly and brought many straight, supportive allies to volunteer on the day of the Festival. And the day was a success! Too successful, in fact, in that we had over 250 folks who attended that day, which was way over capacity for the venue.
The next year, 2007, Chesapeake Pride Festival moved to the Anne Arundel County Fairground in Crownsville. It provided room to grow. 600 folks came that year. CPF returned the following year, too, but it became apparent that the site was just too hot and not exactly what we were searching for. So, the Chesapeake Pride Festival committee went back to work, searching for a new home for future Pride festivities.
2008 was the first year at Mayo Beach Park in Edgewater. With a beautiful bayfront beach, shade trees on the hill, an air-conditioned hall, and lots of parking, Chesapeake Pride Festival had found its new home. Live music, vendors, food, beer and wine, and a drag show on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay make a great day. Compared to other Pride celebrations, Chesapeake Pride may seem small but it represents big growth for the LGBTS community in the Anne Arundel County area.
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Recollections from the ChristPath Seminar June 2013
by Sylvia Oliva
Before the seminar began I was privileged to be with the Creation Spirituality Communities Leadership Circle, in which each person gifted us with wonderful samples of some of their current work. From a kundalini meditation set to blues, to an amazing, non-threatening self-discovery exercise, to a recounting by an enthusiastic young woman on how she teaches children the four paths of Creation Spirituality through body prayer, art, and a weekly "to do" action. It was very enriching! The circle concluded with the beautiful sound of singing bowls gathering us into a body prayer in which we each invited our ancestors and all those invisible angels and powers to be with us, with this seminar, and in what we will carry forth from this place. (More to come.)
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GAIN
(Greater Annapolis Interfaith Network) ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVALAugust 8, 7 PM at St. John Neumann Church
620 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
Shown on large screen. Free and open to the public.
"Queen of the Sun:
What the bees are telling us"
"Queen of the Sun: What the bees are telling us" is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk, and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. For more information contact Martha Scott at 410-295-7550 or at Zakiyyams@verizon.net.
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Support our Local Food Bank
Help those in need by bringing to our Sunday gathering, an item or two for the local food bank when you are able. Most welcome are pantry staples: tinned meat and fish, boxed pasta products, infant formula, etc. and personal care products such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, disposable razors, bath and shower soap, dish soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Collection is ongoing every Sunday.
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 What is Ramadan?
Muslims worldwide are currently in the midst of observing Ramadan. But just what, exactly, is Ramadan? Beliefnet's columnist Reed Hall explains.
Ramadan is well known as the famous month-long fast of Islam. But Ramadan is actually also the proper name of a specific month in the Islamic calendar. Just as September is the name of the ninth month of the Western calendar, so Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
And yes, the calendar month of Ramadan is the month during which Muslims fast, from sunrise until sunset, every single day throughout the entire month. This is not considered optional, but is regarded as a compulsory religious duty (it is one of the so-called "Five Pillars of Islam," each of which is incumbent upon all Muslims to abide by)......
What's so special about the month of Ramadan? Well, it's regarded by Muslims as the holiest month in the entire Islamic calendar. It was during the month of Ramadan that Muhammad first began to receive the divine revelations that would then continue for the remaining 23 years of his life, and which would subsequently be compiled by his followers as the holy Quran (or Koran), which Muslims revere as the actual, literal Word of God.
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From Erine Sedicum:
I rediscovered PLAY,
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Erine's Fish
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it is a 4-letter word
but I believe it means...
P is for Pleasure
L is for Love
A is for Always
Y is for Young at heart...
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Erine's Shadow
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Enjoy the Osprey-CamThe oldest chick took his 1st flight July 19th
and his sister followed July 21st! One more to go...
Chesapeake Conservancy has installed an osprey-cam by the nest of an osprey pair with three fledglings. You can watch and listen to them live at any time by clicking here.
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We've earned $1,564.20 so far!
THIS IS WORTHWHILE:
If you answered "no" to one or both of those questions, you are missing out on donations to help fund our ministry. Talk with Pastor Wayne if you need technical assistance understanding how to do these passive donation options for YOUR community.
Other Ways to Support our Ministry:
Books for sale at our Welcome Table
Titles by Matthew Fox, John Shelby Spong,
Marcus Borg, and others, and
Rick Dove's cards with beautiful nature photos
And remember, your used cell phones and empty ink jet and toner cartridges can also help fund our ministry. These items fit nicely in the offering basket along with remembrance of time and talent you have offered to our ministries and your financial gifts. Bring them to Gathering with you.
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 You can become an individual member of Creation Spirituality
Communities or sign up as a participant in the online
community for free. Join our online community, Chesapeake
Creation Spirituality Community, and participate in the discussion. To get more information and/or sign up, click on www.CreationSpirituality.info. NOTE: This website is well worth checking out. There are interesting videos of Matthew Fox and others explaining various facets of Creation Spirituality, and there is news of upcoming conferences and much more.
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July Covenant Dates
birthdays, anniversaries, covenant dates
July 3, 2010 Scott Bowling & Dave Miller Wedding
July 5, 1966 Erine Sedicum Birthday
July 5, 2012 Death of Jean M. Dove
July 7 Rachel Welch Birthday
July 7, 1999 Death of Esther Elizabeth Grosperrin
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Thank you from the Editor
Thank you to all who are making this newsletter a vehicle for sharing--a letter to the editor, an article you wrote, some news you feel is important for us to know, a poem you wrote or discovered, a song or piece of music that speaks to you, a book review, a photo you want to share, a link to a video, etc. Keep them coming to EvolveSylvia@gmail.com.
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 | Photography by Rick Dove, who has a large selection of his nature photography cards for sale at Evolve Chesapeake:
5" x 7" photocards @$3; matted photographs @ $10. |
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Please visit our website:www.EvolveChesapeake.com and other interesting websites under Quick Links in the sidebar on the left.
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