U P D A T E D * N O V E M B E R 1 5, 2 0 0 8 * 11 :1 4 P M

Save the Date: I want to call your attention to several events that are happening at All Saints this coming season. Check out the church’s website for more information.

For Advent: Quiet Day for Leaders

Led by Margaret Benefiel

Saturday, December 6, 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
All Saints Parish, 1773 Beacon Street, Brookline

In twenty-first century America, leaders are rewarded for their drive, decisiveness, productivity, and long work hours. What would it look like for a leader to cultivate the inner life, to step off the treadmill, to take time apart for personal reflection? What would leadership arising from a core of spiritual groundedness and compassion look like? This Advent, come apart for a quiet day to reflect on these themes and to get spiritually renewed. Whether you find yourself in leadership roles at work, at church, at home, or elsewhere, this workshop is for you. Whatever your sphere of influence, come learn how to be a more effective, fulfilled leader within that sphere.

This will be an experiential, interactive workshop in which participants’ own leadership experiences will serve as the basis for reflection and discernment.

Fee: $45 (scholarships available). See the Ruah website for more information.

***Service opportunities***

El Hogar

A group of teens are planning to go to Hondurus for a missions trip in the summer. Planning for this trip has already begun. Becky Taylor is looking for young adults who may be interested in participating in this trip. The trip will be partnering with the El Hogar ministries (http://www.elhogar.org/) If you’re interest in learning more, please email Becky reled@allsaintsbrookline.org
Learning @ Lenox

We are in the process of setting up an open house to introduce a service opportunity with a new after school program at St Augustine and St Martin. Volunteer opportunities are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Stay tuned for more information!

Sunday Mornings and Thursday evenings at Athan’s

Why office hours? It’s my chance to get to know you and to be available in a counter-cultural way, to have an official non-busy time. Also, as a priest, I find that my theology and way of thinking is influenced by the people in the communities that I service. I found an interesting blogspot entry that gives an introduction to Karl Barth and a quote about his famous comment about the Bible and Theology: “My thinking, writing, and speaking developed from reacting to people, events, and circumstances with which I was involved.” But Barth also said: “Revelation is not a predicate of history, but history is a predicate of revelation.” So, yes, the Bible in one hand – the right; the newspaper in the other – the left.

Taking Karl Barth’s saying seriously, for more than a year I sit in a coffee shop and read the paper (or a book) before coming to Sunday morning services. You may join me, I will be there by 9 a.m. Sunday mornings at Athan’s Bakery (www.athansbakery.com) or Thursday between 5:15 and 6:30 p.m. and after 7:30 p.m. by appointment. The coffee shop is at 1621 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446, (617) 734-7028. If you get there and I’m not there, I’m probably enroute, but feel free to call my cell to see if I’m coming or if I have a copy of the Times or the Globe, or a book.