Mardi Gras Pictures

Take a look at the fun we had at Tuesday Night's Mardi Gras Party.

Weekly Worship Starts March 1st!

Good News! New Light Worship has gone weekly.

No more waiting a whole month to enjoy a wonderful worship service with your favorite people.

As we begin our journey through Lent in preparation for Easter plan on joining us weekly for worship at 6pm at Hope.Gate.Way (185 High St. Portland). Show up at 5:30 for snacks and gathering.

As we continue to grow, and transition to weekly worship in our new space, think about bringing a friend along!!

Give me words to speak...

Moved into the neighborhood...

This morning, Sara, Erica, and I began our weekly staff meeting by reading and reflecting on today's Scripture reading from the first chapter of John's Gospel.

We read, as we often do, from The Message, a contemporary interpretation of The Bible by Eugene Peterson. I was really struck by the beauty and power of these words as Peterson interprets them...

John 1:1-18 (The Message)

The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
Everything was created through him;
nothing — not one thing! —
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn't put it out.

There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn't even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn't want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.

John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."

We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding —
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.

----------------------------

I love the image of Christ as the Life-Light, and I love the reminder that in Jesus, God "became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood." Wow.

If you don't have a copy of The Message, I highly recommend it. I don't think it necessarily replaces a more literal and traditional translation (such as the New Revised Standard Version or Today's New International Version), but I find that it often provides a fresh new window into the beauty and power of God's Word. Check it out.

High Street Renovations

I'm so excited that I had to share some pictures of all the wonderful work happening at our new space Hope.Gate.Way at 185 High Street. It's hard to believe everything that has happened since we were there last week for worship. Be sure to come back next Sunday (March 1st) for worship and to see the space nearly finished!!

The entrance with the new ramp in, and some new paint.

The "main room" almost finished. new paint, the start of the new floor, new doors, new ceiling tiles, and of course, magnetic paint on the poles for our magnetic poetry.




















I told you I was excited...I took pictures in the bathrooms!

Check out some more pictures on the New Light Web Album

New Website

We have a new website! It's still a work in progress, so please be patient as all the pieces come together. Check it out: New Light. And be sure to check regularly for updates.

Mardi Gras Party

We will be having a Mardi Gras party on Tuesday, February 24, at 5:30pm at Allen and Sara's house. This celebration will take place in lieu of our regularly scheduled LIFE groups, so come one come all!

We will be having a pancake dinner, including a variety of juices and delicious toppings. Evening activities will include fun games, mask making, and of course, beads.

This will be an event you won't want to miss!! Bring a friend to join the fun.

Be The Change

During Last Month's Worship Gathering we watched this cool video. I have been listening to the song ever since. It's a great message.

This Sunday is our next worship gathering. We'll be at hope.gate.way in the midst of the construction. More coming soon about what our focus will be....here's a hint...February 14th....God is _____. The L word, but not the mushy kind.

Journey Groups

At New Light we're in the process of developing these three-person, gender-specific groups meeting regularly for deeper sharing, accountability, and mutual support. We're forming men's Journey Groups and women's Journey Groups.  Through self-reflection, prayer, and the guidance of two companions on the journey, participants will be encouraged to set their own goals for spiritual growth in order to take steps toward deeper love for God and neighbor.

Soon there will be three women's groups and one men's groups going.  Talk to Sara, Allen, Erica, or Wanda for more information.

Containers of Divine Love

God of affection, devotion, passion, tenderness, and all forms of love, this day we thank you for the myriad of ways that we have been given a touch of your goodness. We thank you for your many generous gestures:

...love that draws us to friendship and fidelity,
...love that leads us to kindness and compassion,
...love that stirs in our flesh and dances in our bones,
...love that lures us toward the sacred and serene,
...love that calls us to new vision and growth,
...love that soothes our heartaches and gentles our pain,
...love that sees worth in each human being,
...love that believes in us and whispers with hope,
...love that sings in the seasons and sighs in the wind,
...love that taps on the door of forgiveness
...love that longs for peace among all humankind,
...love that surprises and fills us with awe,
...love that sings praise for the face of earth's beauty,
...love that offers the hand of warm welcome,
...love that respects those who won't come too near,
...love that urges us to take risks and have courage,
...love that goes out to those from afar,
...love that embraces the shadow in us,
...love that sheds the old skin and welcomes the new,
...love that ripens our souls for the final journey home.

Source of love, we offer thanks for how you are abiding in all of these forms of love. May the hearts we give and recieve remind us of you, the One Great Heart, holding us all in the tenderness of your love. Amen.

Joyce Rupp, from Out of the Ordinary
(Ave Maria Press, 2000)

Community Worship Gathering

This Sunday, February 15 at 6:00pm
at Hope.Gate.Way. ~ 185 High Street

We hope you will join us for this month's Community Worship Gathering, this Sunday evening at 6:00 pm. As always we'll have coffee and snacks ready at 5:30 pm, with worship beginning at 6:00. Come and bring friends! Our Community Worship Gathering is your opportunity to gather with the full New Light community. Maybe there are people who are part of another LIFE Group whom you haven't seen for a while, so come and let's be together as a community.

This month our time of worship will focus on love, and will feature some excellent musicians. As always, feel free to bring friends along.

Highlights from January Worship Gathering