Vegetables and Love Grow in the St. Philip’s Garden

Just as a prism of glass miters light and casts a colored braid, a garden sings sweet incantations the human heart strains to hear. Hiding in every flower, in every leaf, in every twig and bough, are reflections of the God who once walked with us in Eden.         —Tonia Triebwasser, The Color of Grace

 

Sheryl and I are working together to get a food garden up and running at St. Philip’s. Sheryl is interested in growing food for the poor and I’m interested in growing flowers for the altar a few months out of the year so we are going to work together. My biggest goal is to do a few Sunday school lessons using the garden to illustrate Christian concepts. We’re slowly getting young people involved but they’ll have more fun once the area is weed free and they can just plant and watch things grow through the summer.  We’ve had help from Dennis, Hannah, Brett, Andie, Tim, Hannah, and Seth.  Youth Sunday School will have a few garden-oriented projects through the summer, and hopefully will have something to show for the Harvest Festival.

Summer schedule isn’t set yet, but there are plans afoot to hold Youth Alpha meetings for five summer evenings at church with the help of Francis.  These are dinners intended to be safe, honest places to bring your doubts and questions, and work through the difficulties of discerning your spirituality.  This is something you can bring your non Christian friends to.  There will be no youth group meetings July 27 through August 11 for vacation purposes. Also, for the kid-friendly 1st Sunday services, Gen-14 Youth band won’t be playing July 8 or August 5, but the piano accompanist is ready to play some fun songs for our shortest worshippers.

There are two more openings for Sierra Service Project available to any high schoolers in the diocese.  This year it is in urban Los Angeles.  Let me know if at all interested.  Rock-n-Water was cancelled this summer, but Camp Saint Andrew’s is hosting a Diocesan summer camp and is taking applications for kids 8-14.  I have the contact information if interested.  New Beginnings retreat as you know was cancelled when organizers Desi and Mike Brown needed to stay at the hospital until their baby came, which he did—at 3 pounds and very early too.  Parker Brown is expected to be able to go home by his due date this summer.  Please keep this nice family in your prayers.  A new date for New Beginnings will be set in the fall.  Many thanks for the countless hours spent by High Schoolers Michelle S., and William and Serena E. preparing a great event for middle school youth.

Be sure to fill out the St. Philip’s Membership Update form in this issue.  We’re filling in details for our PowerChurch database and we want really accurate and complete information. I’ll have to hound you if you don’t send them in!

             Carter Potts, Youth Director

Go East, Young Man

Ben Connor, the 21-year-old son of Tod and Nancy Connor, is on a six-month assignment at Odiyan, a Buddhist Monastery in Northern California.  It is named for the ancient kingdom of Oddiyana located in the northwestern corner of the Indian sub-continent, almost directly across the globe from today's Odiyan.

Known as the “Land of the Enlightened”, Oddiyana was a repository of Buddha's teachings and the birthplace of Padmasambhava, the founder of Buddhism in Tibet. Ben spent a trial period at the Buddhist Temple in Berkeley, and has now begun as a worker assisting in the building of Citamani Temple at Odiyan. Prayers of spiritual support for Ben, the monks and other workers are much appreciated. You can read more about this Tibetan Buddhist temple at http://www.odiyan.org

New! Yoga at St. Philip’s

St. Philip’s members and the general public are invited to experience yoga and classes on Tuesdays in the sanctuary.  Yoga classes are offered at 8 – 9:30 am on Tuesday mornings.  Several congregation members have been among those attending, and they have given very positive feedback.  The classes are taught by Doug Andrews, of Ananda Sangha in Boulder Creek, and they are designed to accommodate all levels of yoga experience—including none! 

The classes are gentle, and all postures can be modified.  Classes are a $12 donation, or a discount card is available for multiple classes.  Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes and check it out.

    Susan Seaburg