If you haven't received Pastor Wayne's Thanksgiving letter and your pledge card, contact Sylvia Oliva at saoliva44@comcast.net. Please consider what commitment you can make to support our community in 2014 and return your pledge card as soon as you can.

Winter Solstice "Bonfire" at our Sacred Gathering last Sunday. We lit candles in gratitude

to the returning Light.

GAIN'S NEW YEAR'S EVE

INTERFAITH WORSHIP CELEBRATION

Eastport United Methodist Church
926 Bay Ridge Avenue, Annapolis
6:30 PM

GAIN (The Greater Annapolis Interfaith Network) invites all to their 5th Annual New Year's Eve Interfaith Worship Celebration on December 31, 2013, at Eastport United Methodist Church, 926 Bay Ridge Ave., Annapolis. Musical offerings will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the service starting at 7:00 PM. The theme is Peace and Unity. Readings and prayers will be led by participating members of our diverse faith groups and local organizations. After the program we are invited to stay awhile to chat and enjoy refreshments.

Next meeting of the Book Group will be Sunday, January 12, 2004 (weather permitting) at Annapolis Friends Meeting House. We will discuss Part III of "Zealot."

Reminder:

Painting the Stars is shown at Annapolis Friends Meetinghouse every 4th Sunday at 4:30, just before our Sacred Gathering.

Painting the Stars is also shown at Open Arms when we meet at one or another Companion's home every 4th Tuesday beginning at 6:30 p.m.

You can access the Reader from the left sidebar of this
newsletter under "QUICK LINKS: Related Topics".

Food banks throughout the country have been hard hit for the last few years and the need has not bypassed Anne Arundel County. Please help those in need by donating pantry staples (tinned meat and fish, boxed pasta products, infant formula, etc.) as well as personal care products such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, disposable razors, bath/shower soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products. (You can't purchase non-edibles with food stamps.)

From Erine Sedicum

"As I sit next to this stranger on Amtrak, I am reminded of the importance of our community. Her eyes focused on her computer screen and she held her coffee as if it is only her in her universe. I'm reminded how great the universe is when you let people in. You, Evolve Chesapeake, made this journey possible as I learned love is the greatest gift. Thank you, family of choice... My blood family were once strangers."

Mindful Communication

The following article is from The Sunday Capital of December 22, 2013

The Mindfulness Practice Group of Annapolis is offering a series of programs on Sundays Jan. 5 through Jan 25. Each program is held from 11 a.m. to noon at the Fahs House on the grounds of Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, 333 Dubois Road. The programs are based on Thich Nhat Hanh's book, "The Art of Communicating," and each session can be understood independently.
The programs are free and reservations are not required. For more information, visit www.mpgannapolis.org.

Sylvia's notes

from Pastor Wayne's Christmas Eve Reflection: Capable

The Nativity Story was read from both the Gospel of Luke and the Infancy Gospel of James - a less familiar story with an interesting perspective. We may ask ourselves, "Can this story be true?"

In Jesus' time people didn't much care how Jesus was born. Long after Jesus died, Matthew, Mark and Luke plowed through history to find out where Jesus came from, and much poetry, beauty, and imagination go into their stories. The facts are not so important; who Jesus was is important.

In the Contemporary Reading from "The Days are Truly Coming", Bruce Sanguin says that "in an evolutionary paradigm a core meaning of the life of a Jesus of Nazareth is that he becomes the assurance that the universe is now capable of a certain kind of human presence."

Sanguin sees Jesus as "the new human," an "incarnation of the interior dimensions of the evolutionary process." Jesus was the New Human that the world could not stand, that the world had to get rid of! Jesus was filled with cosmic grace, cosmic peace, cosmic hope. One so human that he is Divine! May we commit to the quest to be more human, and may the love conveyed in the ancient stories be the love in our own stories today!

John Shelby Spong said that "to give up our addiction to security" is the means of becoming the most evolved human one can be. Spong also uses the term "to love wastefully.

Jesus revealed the presence of God to us in the world in that he was a New Human. Jesus evolved out of humanity--a big leap forward! He revealed God's presence in that he was filled with love, peace, hope, compassion, forgiveness, grace, and he was present in every moment. The world tried to crush him but his presence lives on in us. We can sometimes glimpse a teensy bit of what that New Life would be like if it were in us. What we are called to is this: Don't live with fear! Give away your love!

JOIN IN ACTION FOR COVE POINT ON JANUARY 8

WITH CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK (CCAN)

As you can see by this poster, there has been a good turnout of people for CCAN's 9-city tour across Maryland in efforts to stop the proposed building of a Cove Point facility for exporting fracked gas to Asia.

CCAN is asking for people to rally with them on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 on the steps of the Annapolis Courthouse, in support of the Sierra Club, who will present oral arguments in their legal case to protect the environment at Cove Point.

This action will be followed by CCAN's lobbying of our State Delegates in the MD State House to pass a legislative moratorium on fracking before Governor O'Malley's executive order against fracking expires.

To register for the event go to www.chesapeakeclimate.org. Click on Take Action then Maryland Actions and go to the bottom right part of the page and click on Events for Marylanders.

Ways to Support our Ministry

At our Welcome Table in the Lobby there are books for sale by Matthew Fox, John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, and others. You'll also find Rick Dove's large selection of beautiful nature photography: 5x7 photocards @$3 and matted photographs @$10. Buying these will help support Evolve Chesapeake's ministry.

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.

This is the iGive Button, a very good way to raise funds when you shop on-line. Currently we will get an extra $5 for each new member that tries

the iGive button, even if they don't do any shopping. Get the button and name Evolve Chesapeake as your charity. It's always absolutely free. Contact Pastor Wayne at SchwandtW@aol.com for technical help in getting iGive.

From the writings of Howard Thurman

I will light candles this Christmas.

Candles of joy, despite all the sadness.

Candles of hope where despair keeps watch.

Candles of courage where fear is ever present.

Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days.

Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens.
Candles of love to inspire all of my living.
Candles that will burn all the year long.

December Covenant Dates:

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Covenant Dates

December 11 Matthew Briggs Birthday

December 13 Joshua Braelon Lekberg Birthday (2010)

December 13 Lauren and Tony Slead Wedding (2003)

December 17 Roshi Chatlani Birthday

December 29 In Honor of Barry H. Cornwall (2002)

December 31 Meta Ann Snyder Birthday (d.1998)

December 31 Cynthia Brister death (2004)

Thank you to all who read this newsletter and to those who send contributions to make it interesting. Please send your contributions to EvolveSylvia@gmail.com.

A Very Happy New Year to All!

Visit our website:

www.EvolveChesapeake.com

and other great websites under Quick Links in the sidebar at the top left.

If you have a profile on Facebook, become a fan of CCSC by clicking here.

Upload pictures, start a discussion, invite friends.

And visit us at Evolve Chesapeake's Sacred Gatherings Sunday 6 PM.