Super Bowl Party

Join us on Sunday, February 3, beginning around 5:00pm at Allen & Sara's house (31 Sheffield Street, Portland) for a fun time of watching football, commercials, and the half time show. We'll have plenty of "alternative" activities for those who aren't football fans as well. Bring your favorite appetizer to share!

Read on for information about our Souper Bowl of Caring service opportunity...

Help us feed hungry neighbors

On Super Bowl Sunday, we’ll also participate in a national effort, called “Souper Bowl of Caring,” to help feed hungry people. The idea is simple: all around the country, churches, schools, and community organizations are collecting non-perishable food and monetary donations to support soup kitchens, food pantries, and hunger relief organizations in their local areas. All of the money collected is donated to a charity selected by the participating organizations — none of the money is sent to Souper Bowl headquarters.

The non-perishable food we collect will be given to Project FEED (Food Emergency Exchange Depot), an emergency food depot located in the basement of Woodfords Congregational Church. Project FEED was founded in 1975 by a group of clergy and lay-people concerned with the growing number of Portland residents who were without a reliable source of food in emergencies. Project FEED is supported by 23 churches and 2 synagogues in the Greater Portland area and is staffed completely by volunteers.

Financial gifts received in the soup kettle will be given to Wayside Soup Kitchen, Maine’s largest soup kitchen, which has been providing nutritious meals to the homeless and poor of Greater Portland since 1986.

In 2007, over 14,500 groups participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring, generating over $8 million. Since the Souper Bowl of Caring began in 1990 as the idea of one local church youth group, more than $41 million has gone to help people in need.

New Light Daily Devotional Reading

We are moving through Scripture using the
S-O-A-P-Y Guide

Here are the daily readings for the next few days.

Friday - January 25: John 4:16-26
Saturday - January 26: John 4:27-42
Sunday - January 27: Mark 7:31-37
Monday - January 28: John 4:43-54
Tuesday - Janary 29: John 5:1-18
Wednesday - January 30: John 5:19-29
Thursday - January 31: John 5:30-47
Friday - February 1:John 6:1-15
Saturday - February 2: John 6:16-27
Sunday - February 3: Luke 9:18-27
Monday - February 4: John 18:15-18, 25-27
Tuesday - February 5: John 18:28-38

Enjoy! & aim for openness as you read.

Living the Questions begins Monday at 5:30

After a false start due to last Monday night's winter madness, we're all set to start the new group, Living the Questions, this week: Monday, January 21, from 5:30-7:30 pm, in the downstairs community room at O'Natural's (83 Exchange Street, Portland).

Learn more about some of the topics we're be exploring in Living the Questions.

Learn more about our community of faith, New Light.

Please join us on Monday evening for great food and a little introduction to this group.

New Light Daily Devotions

Guide to Daily Devotions
Week of January 18-24, 2008

S – Scripture: Read the assigned passage slowly and carefully.
O – Observation: Record observations on the passage… What is the lesson for you?
A – Application: How do these words apply to you in your own life?
P – Prayer: Write a prayer to God concerning this passage and your life.
Y – Yield: What do you need to surrender to God for this lesson to become alive in you?

Daily Exercise:

· Read the assigned Scripture passage.
· Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts and reflections in your journal
· Pray the Covenant Prayer


Day One: James 1: 1-18

Day Two: James 1: 19-27

Day Three: James 2

Day Four: James 3: 1-12

Day Five: James 3:13 – 4:12

Day Six: James 4:13 – 5:12

Day Seven: James 5: 13-20

Oh, the snow!

The snow is beautiful, but....

Today we were planning on starting our new group at O'Naturals, which is very exciting. But now we have snow, snow, snow. It is only supposed to get worse this afternoon. I called to cancel our food order this morning (since I didn't think many would show up). Allen and I are/were planning to head down just in case anyone shows up, but they told me to call ahead in case they are closed. So....bummer! It looks like a total wash, for today.We'll just act like we were gonna start next week on the 21st and go from there.

It is going to be a great group with some people who have been a part of new light for the past few months and some new people who have yet to connect with us. The conversation is sure to be lively with all the wonderful topics in Living the Questions. The food is always great at O'Naturals. We are going to order sandwiches and soup to share. We'll just have a basket so you can donate what you can to cover the cost of the food. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it. Hopefully they will still be open this evening so at least Allen and I can get some good warm food, on this snowy day.

See you here or there.

This Week's New Light Devotions

Daily Exercise:

· Read the assigned Scripture passage.
· Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts and reflections in your journal
· Pray the Covenant Prayer


Day One: Acts 9: 1-9

Day Two: Acts 9: 10-19

Day Three: Psalm 29

Day Four: Matthew 3: 13-17

Day Five: Genesis 35: 1-15

Day Six: Jeremiah 1: 4-10

Day Seven: Matthew 12: 15-21

And we're off... 2008 has begun!

Happy New Year! And welcome to this Winter Wonderland!

There's nothing like a good snowstorm (or a whole series of them in rapid succession!) to transform the landscape. So often we get so used to our environment that we fail to see what's all around us, until a blanket of white makes everything new. As the snowbanks grow higher and higher... as the slush under our feet and the tires of our cars forces us to take a slower pace... as the branches of the trees are highlighted in white and glimmering with ice... as our very breath becomes visible... in all these signs of the season, God nudges us to see and experience the world with fresh eyes.

We're so glad you're checking out our New Light blog. If you're visiting for the first time, you'll notice that what follows is a whole series of reflections, one for each day of the Advent Season through which we have recently journeyed. Interspersed with these reflections, you'll find news about some of the ways we have practiced our faith and interacted with our community in the days leading to Christmas. In true blog fashion, these are all mixed together in progression.

Especially we hope you'll notice the invitation to join us for a new Monday night group called "Living the Questions" about to begin on January 14 - 5:30 pm in the downstairs community room at O'Naturals Restaurant (83 Exchange Street, Portland). We'll share dinner each week, watch a short video clip in which some theologians and teachers reflect on questions of faith, and then spend time in discussion and sharing. We hope you'll plan to join us for this group! If Mondays don't work for you, there's another group meeting on Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm at our home (31 Sheffield Street). Newcomers are welcome in both groups!

Please keep checking back for updates! It's so exciting to take on this journey - rethinking what it means to follow Christ. As a community, we're striving continually to love God more deeply and love our neighbors more fully. Welcome to the journey!

Covenant Prayer - in the Wesleyan Tradition (version 2)

I am no longer my own but yours.
Your will, not mine, be done in all things,
wherever you may place me,
in all that I do
and in all that I may endure;
when there is work for me
and when there is none;
when I am troubled
and when I am at peace.
Your will be done
when I am valued
and when I am disregarded;
when I find fulfillment
and when it is lacking;
when I have all things,
and when I have nothing.
I willingly offer
all I have and am
to serve you,
as and where you choose.

Glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
May it be so for ever.
Let this covenant now made on earth
be fulfilled in heaven.
Amen.

Covenant Prayer - in the Wesleyan Tradition

At the begining of a new year, as a community we have taken on the practice of praying this prayer each day as we seek to follow God more fully.
This is a prayer from our 250 year old tradition started by John and Charles Wesley.

I am no longer my own, but yours.
put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty;
let me have all things,
let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly yield
all things to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And the Covenant now made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.

Guide to Daily Devotions

Guide to Daily Devotions
Week of January 4-10, 2008

S – Scripture: Read the assigned passage slowly and carefully.
O – Observation: Record observations on the passage… What is the lesson for you?
A – Application: How do these words apply to you in your own life?
P – Prayer: Write a prayer to God concerning this passage and your life.
Y – Yield: What do you need to surrender to God for this lesson to become alive in you?

Day One:
Read Deuteronomy 29: 10-15
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer

Day Two:
Read John 15: 1-10
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer

Day Three:
Read Isaiah 58: 1-14
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer

Day Four:
Read Luke 10: 25-37
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer

Day Five:
Read Luke 15: 11-32
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer

Day Six:
Read John 13: 1-17
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer

Day Seven:
Read Acts 2: 37-47
Using the SOAPY guide, record thoughts in your journal.
Pray the Covenant Prayer