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Religion
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- Written by: Darla Lewis
The church’s candlelight service is a meaningful way to symbolize the light of Christ coming into the darkness of the world.
The Advent wreath, with the Christ candle in the center, represents the light of Christ. They take that candlelight and light everyone’s candle from it. The light of believers is magnified on their faces and has all the importance of the light when Christ was born.
When everyone in the church has their candle lit, the people walk out of the building carrying Christ’s light out of the building and into the world as they sing “Silent Night, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, and “Joy to the World.”
One candle of the Advent wreath was lit each Sunday of December until the final one – the central Christ candle – will be lit on Christmas Eve. The Advent candles represent hope, peace, joy and love.
The religious significance of this service is a reminder of how simple the birth of Christ was. He was born in a small town in a tucked-away place, and the candlelight in the modern day is just a symbol of something simple and meek and peaceful.
When the busyness ends, the candlelight service serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. Our chief end in life is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
The candlelight service will commence at 7 p.m. in the church Sanctuary.
The service includes a solo, “O Holy Night,” sung by Alexander O’Meara, a children’s ministry with Jeannie Markham (for both the young and the young at heart), scripture readings, carols and communion which will be followed by the lighting of the candles prior to exiting the church.
All are welcome to this or any of the 11 a.m. Sunday services and/or special services throughout the year.
Pastor Bob Green and the congregation of the Upper Lake Community Church look forward to celebrating with you.
Darla Lewis is the secretary at Upper Lake Community Church.
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- Written by: United Christian Parish
The schedule of events follows.
Dec. 9: Where’s my comfort? If God is bringing “comfort and joy” and I’m not feeling it, is there something wrong with me?
Dec. 16: John the Baptist has "Good News for Vipers!” With friends like this, who needs enemies? Our “Belles with Bells” choir will be adding to the joy.
Dec. 23: Mary’s Gift to the World. Mary shares how she felt about giving birth to the one called Emmanuel, or "God with us.”
Monday Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Celebration with Carols and Candlelight. The Light of the world is here, come join us in a special worship!
Dec. 30: I Love Christmas Carols: Christmas Carols Celebration. One last chance to sing our favorite carols together in 2018!
All Sunday morning services begin at 10 a.m. with a Christmas Carol sing 15 minutes before the service starts.
Children are welcome to stay, but there are special activities happening downstairs after the lighting of the Advent Candles.
United Christian Parish is located at 745 N. Brush St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-4788.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The retreat will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at A Positive Light Center for Spiritual Awakening, at 6470 Kelsey Creek Drive in Kelseyville.
The event is open to the public and offered on a donation basis.
This retreat is focused on instruction and practice with mindfulness and loving kindness meditations, lecture, interactive exercises, and question and answer periods.
Based on his latest book of the same name, Griffin's retreat will focus on the traditional teachings of metta, or loving kindness, practice.
"This practice is sometimes depicted as a simple 'open your heart and love everybody' practice, but a closer look at the Buddha’s teachings reveals a more complex and nuanced picture," noted Griffin. "In a time of great conflict and contention in our society, it can be extremely valuable to see how the Buddha addressed these relevant topics."
Topics to be explored are the challenges of living with other people; the risk of hating anyone, even your enemies; and the dangers inherent to conventional loving relationships.
Griffin is also the author of “One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps” (Rodale Press 2004) and “A Burning Desire: Dharma God and the Path of Recovery” (Hay House 2009).
He teaches internationally at Buddhist centers, addiction treatment centers, professional conferences, and academic settings, specializing in helping people in recovery connect with meditation and a progressive understanding of the 12 Steps – a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for tackling addictions, including alcoholism.
As a leader in the mindful recovery movement and a founder of the Buddhist Recovery Network, Griffin is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and twelve step participant.
He teaches nationally on the synthesis of these two traditions and has trained with leading Western Vipassana teachers, including Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Ajahn Amaro.
Griffin is hosted by local meditation teacher, Reiki Master and director of A Positive Light, Joanie Lane, and local mindfulness teacher and author, JoAnn Saccato.
Space is limited for the event and early registration is encouraged. Participants are invited to wear comfortable clothing and to bring a lunch. Mats, cushions, water and tea are provided. Donations are gratefully accepted.
For more information and to register visit http://www.apositivelight.com or call 707-279-6031.
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- Written by: Upper Lake Community Church
Rev. Green will describe to us how he, and wife Cherie, have faithfully answered the call of God to serve the Majority World Mission Movement from Latin America, serving under four Latin American leaders with various Latin American contexts.
Rev. Kelly, ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America where he and Cherie assist a diverse global Latin American Church in its recruitment, training and deployment of cross-cultural laborers for work among the unengaged and unreached peoples of the world, especially the Islamic world.
Having received additional training through the Fuller Graduate School of World Mission, together with the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary of Beirut, Lebanon, they have ministered in and from Colombia since 1998, having founded mission-training ministries that are now led by national leaders that continue to impact the world.
Rev. Kelly and Cherie have seen firsthand how God has worked through Latin American cross-cultural workers to build His Kingdom among all nations from West Africa to Southeast Asia.
They are called to continue their work as they receive invitations throughout the Americas and beyond to teach and mentor aspiring cross-cultural workers and church-planting movements.
All are welcome to come and hear Rev. Kelly on Nov. 25 as he shares his new ministry opportunities with us.