Just around the corner is the 35^th Annual Mayfair Auction and plant sale! This year’s theme, “Rooted in Christ” seems very fitting with the changes that have occurred. The Silverton Christian School Board has selected a committee of 9 parents to work together in coordinating the different aspects of the auction:

Jaime Hudson ~ Chair

Lori Roth ~ Donations

Lizbeth Elias & Jessica Reneau ~ Oral/Silent Auction Coordinator

Jolene Ferschwailer ~ Check in/out & Data Entry

Rachael Beede ~ Hospitality

Stephen & Emily Ward ~ Video Production/Marketing

Linda Brusven ~ Plant Sale

The planning team has been working really hard together bringing in new ideas and enthusiastic energy for planning this event.  Please note that the date for the auction has changed to Saturday May 9^th, doors open at 5pm.  Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased starting April 12^th.  Contact Jaime or Teresa in the office for your tickets.  We are still collecting auction items for donations so if you would like to donate items please drop them by the office as soon as possible.  We are looking forward to the changes and energy of the auction this year and hope you will too.

~Jaime Hudson – SCS Board Chair

“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” – Martin Luther

Spring is a time of renewal. I enjoy how the spring rains come causing the crocus, tulip and daffodil bulbs to push their way through the wet soil, how the grass comes back to life and turns a lush, deep green, and how the city is painted with color as all the flowering trees, bushes, and shrubs spring forth with millions of blooms. It all refreshes my soul. It gives me hope. It reminds me of resurrection.

The dead limbs and last year’s dried up foliage must make way for new life to come forth. And the same is true in our lives. We too need the dried up and dead areas to be removed so that our lives can flourish and blossom. Spring is a good time for us to get out our pruning shears and work on those dead areas of our souls. It is time to fill up our compost receptacles with the bad habits, the distractions, the wasted spaces of life, and find time for contemplating a renewed life. It is time to try new, life-giving things.

Maybe it is time to exercise a little more – time to take a walk and get to know your neighbors. It may be time to take an afternoon drive or a long walk at Silver Falls and breath in the fresh spring air. How about a new hobby or a new project?

Ask yourself, “What is something that gives me LIFE?” and then go do it!

Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t just for eternal life after we die, rather it was about bringing life into every aspect of living from now unto eternity. Because Jesus lived, we have hope for eternity, and for tomorrow, and most importantly for the present moment! Our call as people of the resurrection is to live life to the fullest and for His glory each and every day. As N.T. Wright said, “The message of Easter is that God’s new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that you’re now invited to belong to it.”

In what new ways are you planning to “renew your life” this spring? How are you answering the invite to belong to this resurrected life, now? Maybe a walk in the garden will inspire you.

Grace and peace, Pastor Bob+

We are excited to announce our third book study for this year, Sean Gladding’s,  The Story of God, The Story of Us.  We have spent the year looking at the importance of “story.”

• Our first book study we looked at our own stories with, To Be Told: God Invites You To Coauthor Your Future by Dan Allender.
• Our second book study we looked at another person’s story with, Aloof: Figuring Out Life with a God Who Hides by Tony Kriz.

And for our third book study we will delve into looking into the Biblical story with a new set of eyes.  Here is a brief description to peek your interest:

“The ever present ache of exile rises above the comforting sounds of the river, as the image of the house of the LORD in ruins breaks the peace. . . . Despite the warmth of the fire, he feels a chill. He wraps his cloak around him and looks into the eager faces of his people, then closes his eyes. ‘Picture this scene . . .'” Before the Bible was a book, it was flesh and blood. In this book, you can travel with Sean Gladding between the lines of the Scriptures to listen in on the conversations of people wrestling with the Story of God for the first time. Whether sitting around a campfire in Babylon, reclining at table in Asia Minor or huddled together by candlelight in Rome, you’ll encounter a tale that is at once familiar and surprising. The Story of God, the Story of Us can be read alone but is especially rich shared with a group. Sean Gladding presents an account of the Bible that pays attention to its audience as well as its message. He introduces you to people who may remind you of yourself or your family, friends and coworkers. As much as the Bible is a story about God, it’s also a story about you–and all of us–as we encounter God in a new way.  (from Amazon.com)

Again, we will be gathering at Main Street Bistro (in the loft) on Thursday nights from 7-8:30pm.  Feel free to order the book and begin reading (Amazon). Each Thursday conversation will look at a set of chapters to enhance the conversation. We look forward to you joining us on April 30th for our first discussion and for the following four consecutive Thursday nights through the end of May.

Good Friday Service – April 3rd, 6:30pm

Join us for a contemplative Good Friday Service focusing on the seven last words of Jesus on the cross. This will include scripture readings, queries, silence, and reflective music.

At the same time, we will be offering Date Night for parents – so feel free to drop your kids off in the preschool room and join us for this special service before heading to support our community at Silverton’s First Friday.

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Easter Egg Hunt – April 4th, 10-11:30am

Join us (weather permitting) in the picnic area at Silverton Friends Church for our annual Easter Egg Hunt and reading of the Easter Story. Come for the hunt, for story time and for fun games.

This event is open to 2 year old thru 4th grade. More details contact Deborah Climer, our children’s pastor at the church office.

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Easter Morning Breakfast & Family Activity – April 5th, 9-10:30am

Before our Easter Meeting for Worship, bring your family and join us for a nice breakfast in our Fellowship Hall (We will begin serving at 9am). Then families are welcome to join us in the CYC Room for a Family Activity from 10-10:30am.

Easter Morning Meeting for Worship  – April 5th, 10:45am

Just over a year ago, SFC welcomed Tony Kriz to speak during Peace Month.  At that time he was promoting his book Neighbors and Wisemen.  Tony has released his second book, Aloof, Figuring Out Life with a God Who Hides.  We at SFC have been engaging the book through a study on Thursday night’s at Main Street Bistro.

To conclude our book study we are proud to announce that Tony will be joining us for our conversation on March 19th.

We will gather from 7-8:30pm at Main Street Bistro, Silverton.

All are welcome!

Tony will have books available. Join us for the conversation whether you have been a part of the study or not. It is always a lively conversation with Tony Kriz. For more on Tony and his latest book check out his website: http://tonykriz.com/

I look at nature and reflect on the existence in it of a force so silent and invisible that human beings were not aware of it till lately; and yet so mighty that the world is moved by it: the force of gravity.

Because of it the bird flies in the sky,
Mountains are held in place,
Leaves flutter to the ground,
Planets are kept in orbit.

There is no better symbol of God’s power and presence.

Scenes of suffering flash through my mind:
Torture chambers;
Concentration camps;
The ravages of famine;
Scenes of war,
Of hospitals,
And of accidents.
And I see him there as silent and invisible as gravity.

I conjure up a thousand painful scenes
From the history of my life:
Of boredom and frustration;
Of pain, anxiety, rejection;
Of meaninglessness and despair;
And in every scene I sense his silent presence.

I see his power like gravity
In every nook and corner of the world:
No place in space,
No point in time
Escapes, for it is all pervasive.

Then I see his love to be like gravity:
I hear Paul’s cry that nothing in creation
Can wrench us from God’s love (Rom. 8:31-39)

I remember with emotion
The times I fought his love
–in vain, for love is irresistible!

I see that God has never ceased to draw my heart.
The pull, like gravity, could not be felt.
But at some blessed moments
That I now recall with joy
The tug could not be missed.

When was the pull last felt?

Not yesterday? Why not?

I end by letting go,
Succumbing to this power of divinity,
As my body does to gravity.

______________________

From Wellsprings: A Book of Spiritual Exercises

This was shared as part of the sermon, “The Gravity of Love” on 03/01/15.

This past Sunday, Pastor Bob shared some resources for those looking to work on, experience, or practice some Spiritual Disciplines during this season leading up to Easter. Here are three great books to help you develop a more spiritually disciplined life.

Celebration of Discipline

As Quakers we look for ways to personally reflect and meditate on our lives of faith. This Ash Wednesday (February 18), Silverton Friends Church will offer a time for individual reflection – a time to work out our salvation and respond to God’s grace.

This will be a tactile, self-led experience offered in the Green Room at SFC.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, open from 6:30am – 8pm

Participants will want to give at least 20 minutes for reflection as they journey through the seven stations which will focus on the elements of Clay, Water, Oil, Salt, Offering, Forgiveness, and Ashes. Each station will include original paintings (by Bob Henry), Scripture, reflections, and actions, concluding with the imposition of ashes.

We are planning to have the Green Room open most of the day (6:30am-8pm) for those who would like to come before or after work, as well as, throughout the day.

Ash Wednesday is traditionally the beginning of the Lenten season in the church, so come and start your Lent off in a reflective way.

NEW 6-WEEK FOCUS

Coming in MARCH for the Women’s Daytime Fellowship

This study will give us a 2-week taste of each of the following teachers.

• Kay Arthur – faithfulness (from Hebrews)
• Priscilla Shirer – abundance (from Ephesians)
• Beth Moore – discerning truth from falsehood

Made to fit busy schedules, the workbook will take between 15-30 minutes daily – please consider investing 6 weeks.

Beside a change of pace, and a fresh focus, this study should help us determine what study or teacher we might like to choose from next.

Join us on Wednesday mornings at 9:30am in the Green Room.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

Jesus is history’s most familiar figure. His impact on the world is immense and non-accidental. From the Dark Ages to Post Modernity, He is the man who won’t go away.

Who is this man?  illustrates how Jesus’ influence has swept over history, bringing his inspiration to the evolution of art, science, government, medicine, and education. His vision for us to lead lives of dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope continues to inspire and challenge humanity today.

In this five-session DVD-based study, John Ortberg reveals how Jesus has had an inescapable influence on our world, and how you and I can make a difference as well.

Sessions include:

• The Man Who Won’t Go Away
• A Revolution of Humanity
• The Power of Forgiveness
• Why It’s a Small World After All
• Three Days That Changed the World

Please sign up for the class using the RESPONSE CARD in the bulletin on Sunday, so we know how many study guides to order.  The five-week study guide is $4.  The first study will be Sunday, March 1 at 9:00am in the Green Room.