Our Core Values

Our Leadership Community has been drafting on some defining statements for the New Light Community. After a dialogue session in which we narrowed down the list of values shared by our community and thought through how best to articulate them, here is what we came up with...

Our Core Values:

• Community: Faith is a journey best traveled with others who share common values and a common commitment to life together. We strive to be formed as a community steeped in God’s love, expressed in loving relationships with one another, and engaged in the larger community in which we live.
  
  
• Inclusivity: No one is outside the bounds of God’s grace. We strive to practice generous hospitality, welcoming and embracing everyone with the same love we have received from God. We affirm the sacred worth of every human being – no exceptions.
  
  
• Creativity: At the foundation of our faith is the story of a God we call Creator – a God who is continually in the process of creating, who gifts us with creativity and invites us to create. We strive to incorporate music, drama, visual arts, dance, and other creative elements in all that we do.
  
  
• Transformation: As we journey inward, we strive for transformed lives, so that our lives better reflect the love of Christ; as we journey outward, we strive for a transformed world that better reflects God’s vision of peace and justice.
  
  
• Simplicity: In a world preoccupied with materialism, consumption, and greed, we long for a simpler way. We strive to live simply, both individually and in our life together; to generously share our resources and practice faithful stewardship of God’s Creation.

A Potato Planting Party!

The New Light community is gathering for a fun outing and a day of service. Want to come along?!

Join Cultivating Community for a day of pancakes, potatoes, and play!

What: Seventh Annual Potato Planting Party

When: Saturday, May 3, 8am-2pm.

Where: Turkey Hill Farm, 120 Old Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, ME

What to bring: A dish to share for a midday potluck. Work gloves and hand pruners if you have them.

Cost: $5 for the pancake breakfast. Everything else is free and open to the public.

We'll meet up in Portland at 8:30 am and carpool to the farm, or you can meet up with the rest of the group there.

Here's the schedule for the day:

• 8-9:30 Pancake breakfast--all local except for fair trade coffee. Just $5 -- add $2 for Farmer Bob's sausage.
• 9-11:30 Potato planting, pea trellising, and other farm chores
• 11:30-12:30 Potluck lunch. Bring a dish to share. Entertainment by jazz pop quartet TOAST
• 12-2 Kids activities, workshops, and farm exploration presented by Cultivating Community and our friends from Farm Camp, the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, Cape Farm Alliance and Kitchen Gardeners International.

Learn more about Cultivating Community -- a wonderful organization that describes its mission this way:

Cultivating Community is growing sustainable communities. Based in Portland, Maine, we use organic, sustainable practices to grow food in our community and school gardens and at partnering farms. That food feeds those among us who are most vulnerable. And we use our community food work as an engine for high-impact youth and community development programs that reconnect people to the natural and social systems that sustain us all.

Give us a shout if you have questions!

Movie we are watching at our Monday Gathering

For the Bible Tells Me So

We are looking forward to watching this together and learning together how to live compassionately toward one another and our world.

Earth Day Celebration and Neighborhood Clean Up

Tuesday, April 22

11am-2pm

Meet in front of Starbucks and then we'll join in the Earth Day Celebration in Congress Square.

4-7pm

Help spruce up the Parkside neighborhood after the long winter. Pick up free trash bags and drop off full bags at the Parkside Neighborhood Center. A group of us will be helping to pick up trash in the Parkside Neighborhood. Come along and have some fun!

Labyrinth Walks

I got this in an email today from Trinity Episcopal Church:

I will be away this Thursday, but I hope to get to the other events. If you have a chance, check it out.

Trinity Labyrinth Walks

Please join us for the following
upcoming labyrinth walks:
Thursday, April 17th
Thursday, May 15th
Thursday, June 19th

The labyrinth will be open between 4 and 8 pm for meditative walks. Trinity is located at 580 Forest Avenue in Portland.

On Wednesday, May 14th, Trinity will host a workshop on labyrinth walks from 7PM – 9 PM. This will be an introductory workshop offering a brief history of the labyrinth, uses of the labyrinth and ideas for approaching your walk. Participants will have the opportunity to walk the labyrinth. There is no charge for the workshop, but space is limited so please call Trinity (772-7421) to reserve your place.

All are welcome.

Online calendar now up and running

With a little assistance from the ever helpful Erica (thanks, Erica!!) we now have a Google calendar set up so you can keep track of all the things coming up.

You'll see the link on the left, there at all times for your convenience.

Check it out here.

Wayside Soup Kitchen

This Monday night instead of our usual gathering we are going as a group to serve at the Wayside Soup Kitchen here in Portland. Some of us have been there on our own, but I am looking forward to the experience of all going together and then reflecting on the experience over our own pot of soup. (Our supper will actually be soup unlike what we will most likely be preparing and serving).

After previous times there I have longed for a greater mutuality between the patrons and the servers, but at the same time I am grateful that this daily ministry feeds hungry people 365 days a year in a respectful and welcoming way.

We'll see you there.

Matthew's Begats

As I was doing my daily devotional reading this song came to mind from Andrew Peterson's Christmas Album.

"Matthew's Begats" is the most engaging telling of Jesus' heritage that I have ever heard.

Listen Here but you have to click on Matthew's Begats once you get to the site.

There is also a book based on this song by Andrew Peterson. My sister and brother-in-law gave it to Rachel for Christmas. I wish I could read it right now, but it is on her bookshelf and I dare not wake her. Hopefully, I get to read it in the morning.

Enjoy the music!

Bumper Art

So tonight at our Monday night New Light gathering at Alison & Oliver's house, we had a good time over dinner recalling some funny bumper stickers we've seen, with religious messages. Here are a few from our list, as well as some funny ones Sara and I found online tonight.

Please don't take these too seriously...

• Jesus loves you, but I'm his favorite.
• What would Jesus do for a Klondike Bar?
• Jesus loves you. Everyone else thinks you're a jerk.
• Jesus is coming. On three, everyone yell, "Surprise!"
• In case of rapture, can I have your car?
• Heck is where people go when they don't believe in Gosh.
• God loves you, and I'm really trying.
• Are you as close to Jesus as you are to my bumper?
• Jesus saves. He uses double coupons. (Sara's personal favorite)

And a few with more serious messages...

• Separate church and hate.
• God is not a Republican... or a Democrat.
• God bless the whole world. No exceptions.
• When Jesus said, "Love your enemies," I'm pretty sure he meant don't kill them.
• Poverty is not a family value.
• Live simply that others may simply live.
• I love my country... but I think we should start seeing other people.

Any favorites to add to the list?

Portland In Depth Story Archive

Blue Room Project

It my internet searching, I found a cool website of a Portland publication that is no longer in business but has fascinating articles and magnificent photos in their archives.

Check it out sometime and learn more about this fascinating and wonderful city we call home.

Pray for Peace

Check out this video: Union Station in Washington, D.C. on the five-year anniversary of the war; coordinated by Shane Claiborne of The Simple Way community in Philadelphia.

Thanks to Sojourners for sharing this on their blog.

The Way of Compassion

I try to listen to the Story Corps podcast whenever I can. Today I listened to this amazing story of someone who I think acted just like Jesus. I wish I could act more like this rather than withholding what I think is mine and being selfish all the time.

Listen here

It seemed to be just in line with what Jesus said:

Luke 6: 27-36

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

What does this story make you think about?