Annual Fall Women’s Retreat

Presentation Center, Los Gatos, November 13 -14, 2009, facilitated by the Rev. Eileen Lindeman.

An ancient African tale holds that before each child is born, he or she is given his or her own special song.  After the child’s birth, the community of family and village teach them their song. In times of crisis or distress in the life of a person, others sing that song to them to help them remember who they are.

We are God’s children and God sings our song to bring us back to who we are in times of uncertainty or confusion.  Our song is heard in the events of everyday life, if we listen to our life with the awareness of how God communicates with us. Discernment in the experience of both natural and preternatural events can be learned.

This retreat will combine ancient spiritual practice, small and large groups, time for art/journaling and laughter. Join us!

We will meet at the Presentation Center, Los Gatos: a lovely peaceful venue that used to be home to a community of nuns, the Sisters of the Presentation.  While the program will from from late Friday afternoon to the end of Sunday afternoon, with accommodation and meals, it will also be possible to return home for the Friday night.

Tell us you’re planning to come! To reserve your space, payment needs to be in by October 15.

Costs are: $65 (no accomodation), $120 (shared accomodation), and $140 (single accomodation – limited availability).

The Rev. Eileen Lindeman is an experienced spiritual director, chaplain, and parish priest. She has a Masters in Christian Spirituality and an active spiritual direction practice. Prior to moving to the Bay Area, the Rev. Lindeman was Associate Rector of Christ Church, Coronado for ten years. She was named Chaplain of the Year for Episcopal Community Services-San Diego (1997) and Chaplain of the Year for Sharp Hospital System San Diego (1998). Eileen was ECW Chaplain for seven years, chaplain of the Companions of the Holy Cross and a teacher and chaplain for the Bishop’s School, La Jolla.

Eileen has an extensive background in human services and was the coordinator of placements in field education for Yale Divinity School. In 1994 she was honored by Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson for her work as an advocate for children with developmental disabilities. She is the author of the book Respite Care, published by the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Eileen is married to the Rev. Mitch Lindeman, rector of Christ Church Portola Valley. The Lindemans have three children, one dog and four parrots.

Sermon: Measuring Up

I do believe the touchstone for our reconciliation with all that we are entrusted with, all that we have the potential to be, can be found here, here within these walls.   Here, in our weekly or more rehearsals of those huge words of our faith that call us to be so much more than we think we can possibly be. Here we are called, again and again.  Here where the little plant pots of our souls are nourished and cared for, even though so much is incomprehensible mystery.   This is not the only touchstone available to us, but it is a reliable presence in our lives.  Open every Sunday of every year, and blessed with free parking!

“Everything is waiting for you”

We stand so often at the threshold of presence: real, authentic presence. And here is our invitation to enter.  Here are the flames that dance above our heads.  Here is the breath of the wind blowing on our faces. And here is the conversation: the conversation that needs no translation.  The conversation with our life, with the truth of whom we really are and all that surrounds us, is waiting for us to join in.  We can decide it’s all too hard, and return to our stories and our lists.  Or we can dare in this season of fire and wind to rise up, like Lazarus, and walk towards the light.

Don’t forget St. Bede!

 

Saint Bede's monastery church at St. Paul's, Jarrow

 It’s easy to lose Mr. Venerable himself in all the challenging hoopla of those rising, dusty feet and the clamor and chaos of the rapidly approaching Pentecostal drama, but he’s there! 

Sunday, May 24, aka The Eve of Bede, at 5pm, consider joining the choir,the organist, and the clergy for a Choral Evensong in celebration of our very own St. Bede – scholar extraordinaire, pious Anglo-Saxon monk, and determined historian.

In the midst of death we are in life

Life, death, resurrection? Maybe how we perceive them, what we believe we know about them,  is simply dependent on our attitude.  In this YouTube, you can see how family, friends and the medical staff created a beautiful tribute to the life of Norah Rachel Singh, born on January 8, 2009.

- Jane McDougle

Believing What We Cannot Understand

Jamie wrote a post yesterday about David Hume (click here), that I couldn’t resist replying to.  In this season of post-Resurrection appearances, I think the conversation about what we think we know/believe/understand is most timely.  We do believe in quite a few things we can’t fully understand – love, for instance; time might be another. Anyone interested in chatting?  Are we Peters? Are we a Thomas? Or shall we just avert our eyes, and put our hands in our pockets?

- Jane McDougle