Day 925: Tuesday, September 27, 2022

• Diarmuid's Visit,

• Accompany at St. Patrick's

• Art Trails with Bob McFarland

(Photo by Bob McFarland)

Announcement #1: Diarmuid's Visit

From Nancy McFarland and the Education Committee:

For my part, I (Nancy) wrote to Diarmuid about our ideas for his consideration.

For Sunday, 11/13, a talk from 2-4 (seems a bit long to me but he can finish earlier), followed by our usual liturgy, led by Enid (and Peter, if he is here) or Diarmuid - or both. I told Diarmuid about our idea his talking about evolutionary spirituality, taking from his last 2 books:

Oh, the talk would be for Emmaus and the wider community) so we’ll need to get the word out soon.

And I told him about the possibility of meeting with just our Community on Thurs., 11/10 from 1-3 but would get back to him on the topic. We first discussed how we might work in a more collaborative and empowering way, given our vulnerabilities so not so many responsibilities fall on a fee. But I think the discussion evolved and it was suggested rather that he talk to us about transformation, from the personal to the transformational…to the cosmic? Said I’d get back to him on the subject.

And Victoria has emailed Therese at Knox to see if we can use their place; other options include the community room next door to me, or our home if space allows. (that is, for the Thurs. program).

Joy! Nancy heard back from Diarmuid and he is already starting on his Sunday presentation and will provide slides for powerpoint and a title and a short paragraph in due order!

Announcement #2: Request from Victoria - Subject: Nomadic Shelter at St. Patrick's: From: Betsy Randolph <rjurny@gmail.com> from St. Patrick's Date: September 24, 2022 at 4:01:33 PM PDT To: Victoria MacDonald <victoriamacd2012@gmail.com> Subject: Nomadic Shelter Hi Victoria, I'm writing to you to see if you or anyone in Emmaus would like to help for a couple of hours at the first Redwood Gospel Mission Nomadic Shelter Saturday, Oct. 1. at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church. This is the first one since the pandemic! We will host one on the first Saturday of every month from October through March. We need a few more people to eat with guests, serve the meal and greet people at the door. We could use a couple of people to bake cookies ahead of time and bring them to St. Patrick's. We ask all the volunteers to meet there at 5:30. Some jobs will be over in less than an hour, others will take longer. All will be done by 8 or 8:30 when the clean up crew, all St. Patrick's folks, finishes up. Please let me know if you or anyone else in Emmaus would like to help out. You all did a great job in 2020. While I know you are very busy helping out at the Sam Jones Shelter perhaps some could help out for a short time at the Nomadic Shelter. I'll look forward to hearing from you. You are welcome to call me at (408)981-2024 or simply reply to this email. I hope you all in Emmaus are well. Best wishes, Betsy Randolph Please let Victoria know if you're available for this Saturday evening!

Announcement #3: Art Trails with Bob McFarland

Please make it a point to visit Bob McFarland's studio if you have a chance to see his amazing work:

Address: 2404 2404 Marylyn Cir

Petaluma, CA 94954-1810

Email: rnmcfar1938@yahoo.com

Of his art Bob says:

I photograph for beauty. Beauty is as essential to life as air. We are addicted to it. We are zombies without it. All living organisms survive, thrive, with the pursuit and enchantment of beauty. The satisfaction, the passionate desire for beauty provides, Plato thought, our greatest pleasure, our greatest happiness.

The world we live in is so wonderful and mysterious, we need only to believe in transcendence merely beyond our egos to experience harmony, integration, wholeness, the contemplative nourishment that gives us our humanity: compassion, innocence, dignity, purity, peace -- the hallmarks of our very humanity.