Religion

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Written by: Editor

Published: 07 March 2016

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake Ministerial Association (LMA) is pleased to announce the 26th Annual Community Good Friday Service.

The service will be at noon on Friday, March 25, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, located at 1190 N Forbes St., Lakeport.

Good Friday is the day that Christians commemorate the death of Jesus.

This special service will help participants to experience the emotional aspects of the passion story: the betrayal, abandonment and agony of Jesus – and why we ultimately call these things “good” on Good Friday.

Throughout history churches, congregations and individual Christians have sought to enhance their understanding of the events that happened on that first Good Friday in a variety of ways.

They have sought to remember the story by reading from missives, reading the Gospel narratives, recalling the last seven sentences Jesus spoke from the cross and, for a privileged few, by traveling to the Holy Land itself and seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as near as one can guess the path based on the Gospel texts.

This year the association will focus on the last sayings of Jesus from the cross.

Congregations which have confirmed participating in this year’s observance include Galilee Lutheran Church, Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, Kelseyville United Methodist Church, Lake County Bible Fellowship, Lakeport Christian Center, Lakeport Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, New Hope Community Church in Lucerne, New Life Foursquare Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church.

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Written by: Shannon Kimbell-Auth

Published: 06 March 2016

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A labyrinth is not a maze. It is a winding, circular path which leads only to the center and out again. There are no false or trick turns.

The labyrinth can symbolize many things. Primarily, it is a spiritual discipline which has been used in many different traditions, including Christianity, but has been found in cultures as long ago as 4,000 years before Christ. 

United Christian Parish is pleased to announce the creation of a temporary labyrinth the community is invited to come and walk on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first three weeks of March.

We will provide a bulletin which offers four different printed guided meditations one might choose to use as they walk the labyrinth.

BLESSING THE DUST. This labyrinth walk is for those who are feeling burned out by stress and anxiety. This is a guided healing experience for the hurting.  (Isaiah 61:3)

FOCUS ON PRESENCE. This labyrinth walk is for those seeking a deeper spiritual connection to Christ; less doing, more being. (Psalm 46:10)

PILGRIMAGE OF DISCERNMENT. Like the Focus on Presence this guided meditation seeks the presence of God but also asks what do I need to do in my life right now? What do I need to change? (Jeremiah 29:11)

INTERCESSORY PRAYER. Like the focus on presence this guided meditation seeks the presence of God but also asks what do I need to do in my life right now? What do I need to change? (1Peter 5:7)

There is no single “right” way to walk a labyrinth as you may guess from these distinctly different guided meditations. You may wish to try different approaches on different nights or days.

You are also welcome to simply walk and pray and see what the Spirit offers. All are welcome. Please plan for 30 minutes to an hour for your labyrinth walk.

The labyrinth opened March 1. Upcoming openings include:

– Tuesday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;

– Thursday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

– Tuesday, March 15, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;

– Thursday, March 17, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

United Christian Parish is located at 745 N Brush St. in Lakeport. For more information please call 707-263-4788.

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Written by: Editor

Published: 01 March 2016

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Local mindfulness teacher, author and life coach, JoAnn Saccato, M.A. is the guest speaker for the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County on Sunday, March 6.

The service begins at 11 a.m. at the church, located at 3810 Main Street in Kelseyville. Guests are welcome.

Saccato will speak on using compassion-based mindfulness as one of many tools for recovery from stressful situations, including disasters such as the 2015 Valley fire.

“Is there anyone you know in our community that wasn't affected by the Valley fire in the fall of 2015?” she asked. “While we all were impacted in varying degrees, everyone has had a physical, emotional, spiritual and cognitive response.”

Saccato will share some common patterns of reaction and helpful coping skills that can benefit both the individual and the community at large.

Mindfulness is a body-based practice that invites one to purposefully pay kind, non-judgmental attention to our experience, moment-by-moment.

Studies indicate that mindfulness can help reduce stress and stress-related illnesses; increase focus and attention; decrease incidences of, and relapses with, depression; reduce anxiety; aid with addictive and compulsive disorders; aid the immune system; and aid in sleep and digestive disorders.

Saccato noted, “My own experience and response to the fire has created the perfect opportunity for me to see that compassion-based mindfulness is a valuable and practical tool for anyone's recovery.”

Saccato, a native of Lake County, lives in the fire-affected area and is the author of “Companioning the Sacred Journey: A Guide to Creating a Compassionate Container for Your Spiritual Practice” and a forthcoming book, “Compassion-based Mindfulness for Peace, Clarity and Freedom.”

For more information on Saccato visit www.Compassion-basedMindfulness.com or call 707-350-1719.

Contact the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County at http://www.uuclc.org/ or call 707-587-4243.