Hello, my Silverton Friends family!

I hope this note finds you all well.

I’m writing because today is a big day for me and for the whole Pattison family.

Today – at long last – is the official release date for my book, Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus. This is a book that’s been almost three years in the making. My co-author, Chris Smith, and I are incredibly proud of it. Slow Church would not be a reality if not for the love, support, and inspiration of our friends and family. So I need to say something from the bottom of my heart:

Thank you.

It’s been humbling to see Slow Church receive early attention in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and in other news outlets around North America and Europe. Often, these stories speculate about a “Slow Church Movement.” But Chris and I have never talked about Slow Church in these terms. Our goal hasn’t been to spark a movement, it’s been to fan the flames of a conversation – a broad and long and, yes, slow conversation about how churches can be faithfully rooted in both the place and pace of their neighborhoods.

Today, that conversation goes public.

You’re receiving this email because, as our church family, you’ve already been a part of that conversation. It takes a village to write a book. But I have one more huge favor to ask: Will you help us let people know that the book is now available to purchase? Even though we’ve tried to make it as simple as possible for you to share this news, we recognize what a big deal this is. Recommending a book means putting some of your own social capital on the line. We wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think it was important.

Here are five simple ways you can help us spread the word.

1. Recommend the book to a friend or family member.

Social media is pervasive, but word-of-mouth is still the most persuasive. Recommending a book while sitting with a friend over coffee or a meal is also the method that fits best with Slow Church, which is all about developing deep presence with God and neighbor.

2. Send an email, or post on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

We’ve created a special page on the Slow Church blog with a lot of resources for our book launch. These include shareable quotes, key endorsements, early reviews, a digital sampler that includes two chapters and the Table of Contents, direct links to places where the book is for sale, and other ways to connect with the Slow Church conversation online.

3. Use Slow Church in your Sunday school class or book club.

This is the recommendation of John Wilson, editor of Christianity Today’s Books & Culture magazine. Slow Church is a book best read in community. Every chapter ends with Conversation Starters, questions for discussion and meditation. And next week Chris and I will be publishing a free, downloadable Group Discussion Guide to help readers go even deeper.

We have a special discount bundle specifically for Sunday school classes and book clubs. It includes:

• 5 paperback copies of the Slow Church book
• 2 paperback copies of Chris’s book, The Virtue of Dialogue
• 1 paperback copy of my first book, Besides the Bible: 100 Books that Have, Should or Will Create Christian Culture – a great resource for book clubs
• A one-year subscription (four print issues) to the Englewood Review of Books
• Free shipping

This is a $130 value—all for just $80.

In addition, Chris and/or I will do a half-hour Google Hangout or Skype call with any group of five or more people going through the book. This is less relevant since we’re all in the same town, but I thought I would mention it. For Chris and I, it’s all about the conversation!

4. Rate the book

If you’ve already read the book, it would be enormously helpful if you could rate or review the book on sites like Amazon, Powells.com, BN.com, and Goodreads.

5. Come to the Silverton “Slow Church” Book Launch Party.

We are having a party to celebrate the book’s release. Join us on Friday, June 6, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Gear-Up Espresso. My co-author will be in town, and the event will be informal and lots of fun. It would make me so happy to see you all there.

Finally, I’d just like to ask for your prayers and well-wishes – for me, Chris, our families, and our little project.  Pray for traveling mercies, for good health, for energy and patience. Pray too that we would be good stewards of our message and of the stories we’re hearing along the way.

Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,

John

 

P.S. I realized after writing this letter that some friends and family have been waiting for launch week to buy their own copies of the book. If you’re one of those folks, here are a few of the places Slow Church will be available to purchase starting tomorrow. Some brick and mortar stores – Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, etc. – have copies of the book coming into the store but they may not be on the shelves yet.

• Amazon – (Paperback)   (Kindle)
• Powell’s
• Hearts & Minds Books*
• IVP – (Paperback)  (E-book)
• Barnes & Noble
• Christianbook.com (Paperback)  (EPUB)
• A Local Bookstore Near You

*My favorite independent Christian bookstore.

Silverton Friends Church enjoys being part of our community and serving every third Wednesday night at the community dinner.  Wednesday, June 11, we will have something wonderful to celebrate, by then we will have served 100,000 meals.  This is a huge milestone for our community and for all those who faithfully serve, cook, and clean-up each Wednesday.  So join us on June 11 at First Christian Church, Silverton (starting at 5pm) for the celebration!

What is Quaker Business?

At Silverton Friends Church the Quarterly Meeting for Worship for Business is the central means for making decisions, translating concerns into action, and considering matters relating to the organization of the Meeting and its program and activities as an ongoing religious group.

Friends assume that in the transaction of business the Meeting will be able to act in unity. If unity cannot be achieved, the Meeting defers action. Friends do not reach decisions by voting, since we believe that voting may be a method of imposing the will of the majority on the minority; it may serve to divide rather than to unify a group.

Instead of voting, the Meeting reaches decisions by “sense of the Meeting,” by which is meant the Meeting’s sense of God’s will.

The Clerk is not a conventional presiding officer; rather the Clerk must listen, gather expressions of opinion, maintain a focus, and seek to recognize and articulate unity.

According to the traditional practice of Friends, when the Clerk believes that agreement has been reached on a particular subject, the proposed decision or action is stated by the Clerk and is embodied in a written “minute.”

The Clerk or Recording Clerk then reads the minute, which may be approved by informal expressions of agreement, or revised or modified on the basis of further suggestions. The minute, as finally adopted, is recorded as the official decision or action of the Meeting.

The Clerk has the role of deciding when the sense of the Meeting has been reached. If one or two persons are unconvinced, they may nevertheless remain silent or withdraw their stated objections (“stand aside”) in order that the item of business may be completed. If, however, they remain strongly convinced of the validity of their position and state that they are not able to withdraw the objection, the Clerk will generally find that a sense has not been reached.

In determining the sense of the Meeting, the Clerk takes into account the verbal expressions of opinion, the wisdom and experience of Friends, and the level of opposition expressed. While all attenders at a Meeting for Business are welcome to contribute to the discussion, the role of non-members in reaching a decision, and in the recording of the decision, remains under consideration.

A Friends Meeting for Business should parallel the spirit of a Meeting for Worship. The Meeting for Business is preceded by a period of silent worship, and sometimes includes additional periods of silence if time is needed for collective meditation or if Friends feel moved, by the nature of matters before them, to express praise or seek guidance through worship.

If discussion becomes heated, of if deep cleavages of opinion appear, the Clerk or some other Friend may ask for a few moments of silence.

Frequently, after such a period of worship, a new spirit is manifested in the discussion, and Friends find themselves able to attain unity.

SFC’s Quarterly Meeting for Business will be held this Sunday (May 18th) following worship (10:45am) and potluck (12:15pm). It will be open to all who are “active participants” in the life of the church, members or not. 

This past Sunday, Pastor Bob shared this prayer to help us enter into our time of worship and sabbath.  We pray this will help you enter your sabbath rest throughout the week as you focus on the Lord of Creation, Liberation, and Resurrection!

Lord of Creation,
create in us a new rhythm of life
composed of hours that sustain rather than stress,
of days that deliver rather than destroy,
of time that trickles rather than tackles.

Lord of Liberation
By the rhythm of your truth, set us free
from the bondage and baggage that break us,
from the Pharaohs and fellows who fail us,
from the plans and pursuits that prey upon us.

Lord of Resurrection,
May we be raised into the rhythm of your new life,
dead to deceitful calendars,
dead to fleeting friend requests,
dead to the empty peace of our accomplishments.

To our packed-full planners, we bid, “Peace!”
To our over-caffeinated consciences, we say, “Cease!”
To our suffocating selves, Lord grant release.

Drowning in a sea of deadlines and death chimes,
we rest in you our lifeline
By your ever-restful grace,
allow us to enter your Sabbath rest
as your Sabbath rest enters into us.

In the name of our Creator, our Liberator our Resurrection and life we pray. Amen

__________________________
From Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

This coming Sunday (May 4), Silverton Friends Church is in for a treat as we welcome Shawn McConaughey as our guest preacher and teacher.  Shawn will be bringing a message from John 4 titled, “Border Crossings” with a Global Outreach focus.  He will also be giving us an update on what is happening with Global Outreach through the Northwest Yearly Meeting.

Shawn McConaughey (often confused with his twin brother Matthew McConaughey – haha!) serves in the NWYM office as Associate Superintendent of Global Outreach and Pastoral Care.  He served as a Friends pastor for 20 years prior to that. He has been married to Katrina for the past 25 years and has two kids Jered and Elsie.

I was present at a meeting a few years ago when a prominent pastor and teacher was introduced to speak on a controversial subject. This in itself ought to make the headlines, since many of our pastors would rather be caught robbing a bank than facing any vital issue these days. The person who gave the introduction said that this pastor was sometimes regarded as a controversial figure, but he was regarded universally as a man of integrity and courage. Then I began to raise some questions within myself about the whole subject of controversy. The first question was, what kind of questions could a person deal with which are not controversial? How many things can a person talk about without risking the possibility of a difference of opinion? And if there is a difference of opinion, the result is controversy. We might discuss the weather, but even there we find some like it hot and some like it cold. How about Heaven? The nice thing about that subject is that nobody can prove much. Maybe you went to see the new movie, “Heaven is for Real” or read the best-selling book where this is the subject, and the boy and his family is labeled controversial. Still there are many people with rather strong ideas about the subject, and they differ with each other. Since nearly everything these days has a controversial slant to it, maybe the best thing to do is become “on the one hand, and on the other” kind of Christ followers. You know the type. They are described by a listener who said he was not quite sure what the person was trying to say, but that they seemed dedicated to the idea of not offending anyone. Even here, however, the results are not always salutary and safe. The person in the middle so often gets thrown at by both sides. Then I asked myself another question. Is the Gospel noncontroversial? Jesus did not find it so; neither did Paul, Peter or the other Apostles. Of course they were all living in pagan environments, while we live in a country where a majority considers itself “Christian.” However Martin Luther found a number of the brethren of his day who did not see eye to eye with him, and John Wesley faced mobs that made him long for safety of a den of lions. I look around me at the contemporary leaders in the Church, today. It seems every one of them is under fire from one source or another and most of them have walked through dark valleys of opposition during most of their ministry. So I came to a conclusion. To be a Christ Follower means to be a controversial figure. To be a Pastor means to be a controversial figure. And if any person refers to you or me as a noncontroversial figure, I would hope that we would demand an apology. May God deliver us from the weak, good feeling, entertainment-based Christianity, of our age and give us the courage to rejoice when living or speaking out our beliefs draw fire. And may we be able to do all this in LOVE. Grace and peace, Pastor Bob+

This morning as I was working through my devotional time and pondering what this past holy week presented us, I came across this brief thought from Kyle Reed who challenges us post-Easter to ask ourselves a question.

For most people inside the church the only hangover they will have all year is after Easter and Christmas (I do say most, you can write in whatever else you want there). The Monday after Easter is one of reflection and remembering. Maybe you crashed hard from the sugar buzz that the Easter bunny provided, or it could be the spiritual buzz that you felt yesterday morning reflecting on why we celebrate Easter. In all honesty the days after Easter provide us with a time to recoup and rest. What I wonder though is what this hangover can do to us?

For someone who has grown up in the church his entire life, the only thing I can remember about Easter from years past is the suits that I got to wear and the candy that I got to eat. It seemed that the Resurrection was the last thing that was on my mind. Call me a spoiled church kid, but I really think that Easter Sunday was just another Sunday with a lot of new people. As I reflected on my time yesterday at church, I continued to ask myself what would be different, how would I be changed from this day and its significance?

I find it interesting that we put a lot of emphasis on lent and the days that lead up to Easter. In the most recent years we have seen lent take on the identity of pulling back from social media and entertainment. People professing their ability to be distracted by twitter, blogs, and television and instead are committing to focus on God. Lent provides us a chance to prepare for what is to come.

But what happens after Easter? Inside of scripture we see the church get its start after Easter (what we would call Easter, Christ Resurrection). We see this amazing hope of life after death preached to every nation. And we see the Church start to grow. Today, what do we see happening after Easter? Do people go back to their everyday lives? Do they come back to church the next week? Are things different? It seems like the church continues their regularly scheduled series after Easter and we go back to living our lives the way it has always been.

I asked myself this question:

How will Easter change You?

*kyle

Again this year we are offering a variety of opportunities for you to take a reflective journey this Holy Week. Our hope is that you will join with us in seeking God’s redemption this Easter Season!

Wednesday (April 16th) from 5pm-9pm  – Returns Art Gallery featuring musical guest Ings and an Illuminated Gospel of Mark (including artists from SFC).  This event takes place at Oak Street Church, Silverton, Oregon.

 

Thursday and Friday (April 17th-18th) 6-9pm Thurs. and 9am-3pm Fri. – Journey to the Cross and interactive walk through of the journey our Lord took to the cross during the first Holy Week. (The activity is self-guided and takes approximately 45 to journey). It will take place in SFC’s gym.

Saturday (April 19th) 10-11:30am – Easter Egg Hunt for kids of all ages!  Join Miss Debbie for a morning of Egg Hunts and Story Time.  This event is held at SFC – meet in the Fellowship Hall.

 

Sunday (April 20th) – EASTER SUNDAY! Join us at 9am for a Family Breakfast,  9:30-10:30am for a Family Craft, and 10:45am for our Easter Worship!

There will be NO children’s church on Easter Sunday. Activity booklets will be provided for the children during the service.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is sensationalism, let me bring your truth
Where there is flaunting of wealth, your simplicity, Lord
And in the midst of noise, prayerful silence

Make me a channel of your peace
To those obsessed with entertainment, let me bring joy
To the vain and the greedy, your humility, Lord
And to the virtual world, authenticity

O Master grant that I may never seek
Quantity over quality
Individualism over solidarity
Anonymity over transparency

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in friending that we initiate dialogue
In networking that we create positive relations
And in the giving of self in love that we truly communicate

By Fr. Stephen Cuyos

_______________________
Pastor Bob used this to end his sermon on Sunday – may it become a prayer that is close to our hearts as it changes each of us.

One of my favorite writers, GK Chesterton, once wrote a poem he entitled, Second Childhood. It speaks of the resurrection:

When all my days are ending
And I have no song to sing,
I think that I shall not be too old
To stare at everything;
As I stared once at a nursery door
Or a tall tree and a swing. …

Men grow too old for love; my love,
Men grow too old for lies;
But I shall not grow too old to see
Enormous night arise,
A cloud that is larger than the world
And a monster made of eyes. …

Men grow too old to woo, my love,
Men grow too old to wed;
But I shall not grow too old to see
Hung crazily overhead
Incredible rafters when I wake
And I find that I am not dead.

Strange crawling carpets of the grass,
Wide windows of the sky;
So in this perilous grace of God
With all my sins go I;
And things grow new though I grow old,
Though I grow old and die.

Friends, what the resurrection of Jesus promises is that things can always be new again. It’s NEVER too late to start over. Nothing is irrevocable. No betrayal is final. No sin is unforgivable. Every form of death can be overcome. There isn’t any loss that can’t be redeemed. Every day is virgin. There is really no such thing as old age. This is the good news in which we live as followers of Christ!

As together we move into the Easter Season, may our mind be focused on the daily resurrection that God’s grace provides. SFC it is never too late to start over – Thanks be to God!

Grace and peace, Pastor Bob+