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Sunday, February 10, 2019

This Sunday 

Dear St. Luke Community,

This Sunday we welcome the Reverend David Slorpe back to St Luke. For those who may not know, Dave was my first mentor at Mt Tam United Methodist Church. We worked together there and I learned more from him in that time about what it means to be a Pastor than I did in 3 years of Seminary. Dave’s heart is one of the biggest you’ll ever have the pleasure being in the company of. And I trust always that the St Luke community will welcome Dave and his wife Jan with all the same warmth. 

Dave will be preaching on Luke 5:1-11. Jesus performs a miracle by supplying an abundance of fish. Simon is so overwhelmed he falls to his knees and says “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” 

Debie Thomas writes;
“I love the abundance at the heart of this story.  In Jesus’s day, the fishing industry in Palestine was fully under the control of the Roman Empire.  Caesar owned every body of water, and all fishing was state-regulated for the benefit of the urban elite.  Fishermen couldn’t obtain licenses to fish without joining a syndicate, most of what they caught was exported — leaving local communities impoverished and hungry — and the Romans collected exorbitant taxes, levies, and tolls each time fish were sold.  To catch even one fish outside of this exploitative system was considered illegal.  

How amazing (given this historical context), is an image of boats so laden with fish that even a weathered fisherman like Simon Peter finds the catch overwhelming.  This is extravagant, excessive, bountiful generosity.  Food for all, food security for all, justice for all, nurture for all.  In this eucharistic image of plenitude, Jesus shows Simon what God’s kingdom will look like when it’s fully established.  God’s kingdom will suffer no empty nets, no empty tables, and no economic exploitation of any kind.  God’s kingdom will mean good news for all.  Meaning that if whatever we profess as Christians is not good news for all — it’s not God.” 

Yours in Christ,
Nicole

Upcoming Events & Announcements

All are welcome to attend

2019 Initial Offering ~
$30 Per Capita Please use a yellow pew envelope for your 2019 payment. Your payment helps offsets the yearly payment St Luke makes to Presbytery of the Redwood for each member. Please write “Per Capita” on the memo line of your check.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in concert!  ~ Thursday, February 28 & Friday, Saturday, Sunday March 1, 2, & 3
Don't miss your chance to see wonderful local singers present Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in concert! Admission is free, but donations will be gladly accepted to support the Street Chaplaincy. St. Luke and other local congregations’ partner with the Street Chaplaincy to host Tuesday night Wellness Gatherings where we join the street community in worship and share a meal together. Last year's Jesus Christ Superstar was a huge hit, so reserve your spot for free at www.theatreatlarge.org Performances are February 28 & March 1 at 8 pm at First Presbyterian San Rafael, and March 2 at 8 pm and March 3 at 2 pm at First Presbyterian San Anselmo. Questions? Ask Joanne Larson   or 415-306-1085.

Mariner’s Interfaith Sunday ~ March 3rd 10:00 AM
We gather in worship with the men and women who have shown their dedication in service to the ships and safety that preside over our cherished sea. The St Francis Yacht Club’s, Sons of the Sea Men Choir will bring the gift of music for this special occasion.

Mill Street Meal Providers ~ Monday, March 4th 
GROUP A  - The first Monday of the month. Please contact Volunteer Coordinator Stacy Bischoff at   or 415233-3406 for more information.

Fat Tuesday Feast ~ March 5th
The night before Lent begins, this traditional celebration brings rich and delicious food together in community. Location TBD.  A good time for neighbors and children to come and get to know one another. Email

First Presbyterian SR April Mission April 7 – 13, 2019
We are invited to go along on First Pres. annual 2019 Mission trip. They are still working out the details but their tentative plans are below. April trip dates are April 7 – 13, 2019. We fly to the work site on Sunday, April 7, do home rebuilding Monday through Friday. We fly home on Saturday, April 13. We are looking at three sites in Texas that were devastated by Hurricane Harvey: Corpus Christi, Houston, or Rockport. The work assignments include putting up drywall, taping and mudding, tongue in groove flooring, framing, painting, and roofing. Construction experts guide volunteers every step.

Continuing Events

All are welcome to attend 

Deacons and Committees ~ Tuesday, Feb. 12th, 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM

Bible Study Series ~ Wednesday, Feb. 13th, 9:30 AM 

Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursday, Feb. 14th, 9:00 AM

St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ Monday, Feb. 18th & Tuesday, Feb. 26th, 10:30 AM

Pizza and Theology ~ DATE CHANGE - Monday, Feb. 18th, 6:30 PM Creekside, SA

Acoustic Sunday ~ February 24th

Session ~ Tuesday, Feb. 26th 7:00 PM

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Sunday, February 3, 2019

This Sunday 

Dear St. Luke Community,

This is a big Sunday. All Sundays are big as we worship God, but we will also be gifted with the enjoyment of receiving five new members. We are most grateful to God for the presence of the entire St Luke community and our hearts sing with thanksgiving as people feel called to deepen their commitment through membership or make official what they've already been experiencing at St Luke. To do so on a Sunday when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper makes it all the more meaningful as we remember and affirm our experience as one body in Christ.

Following worship, we gather for our Annual Congregational Meeting. All are welcome to attend. Members will vote on our annual budget, the election of new Elders and Deacons as we listen to reports from committees and chairpersons. There will be a light lunch provided.

In Worship, we hear part two of last week’s scripture. Jesus came home to preach in the synagogue. It was his inaugural moment and he read from the beloved prophet Isaiah. All went well and this week we pick up from where we left off. By the end of the reading, the crowd wants to throw Jesus from a cliff. (Luke 4:21-30) What happened? How did we go from “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”(vs 22) to “…all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built so that they might hurl him off the cliff” (27,28) in just 5 verses? 

We’ll explore the answer to that and more this Sunday.

Yours in Christ,
Nicole

Deacon Ministry

All are welcome to attend

First Presbyterian SR April Mission April 7 – 13, 2019
We are invited to go along on First Pres. annual 2019 Mission trip. They are still working out the details but their tentative plans are below. April trip dates are April 7 – 13, 2019. We fly to the work site on Sunday, April 7, do home rebuilding Monday through Friday. We fly home on Saturday, April 13. We are looking at three sites in Texas that were devastated by Hurricane Harvey: Corpus Christi, Houston, or Rockport. The work assignments include putting up drywall, taping and mudding, tongue in groove flooring, framing, painting, and roofing. Construction experts guide volunteers every step.

Upcoming Events & Announcements

All are welcome to attend

St. Luke Progressive Dinner Saturday, March 16th 6:00 PM -9:00 PM 
There are 12 spaces available first come first serve at $50 per person. Appetizers at Mech’s home at 5:30. The main entree at the Endress’ home at 7:00. Dessert at the Gettler’s home at 8:15. To reserve a spot contact Joanne at 415-454-2705 or  

St Luke Annual Congregational Meeting February 3rd after service, Bayview Room
Expected discussion items; Election of Elders & Deacons, Review & Approval of Pastor's Salary, Review and Approval of Annual Budget, Committee Annual Reports. You are encouraged to attend and participate. If you have any questions or would like more information prior to the meeting please email   .

Mariner’s Interfaith Sunday ~ March 3rd 10:00 AM
We gather in worship with the men and women who have shown their dedication in service to the ships and safety that preside over our cherished sea. The St Francis Yacht Club’s, Sons of the Sea Men Choir will bring the gift of music for this special occasion.

Fat Tuesday Feast ~ March 5th
The night before Lent begins, this traditional celebration brings rich and delicious food together in community. Location TBD.  A good time for neighbors and children to come and get to know one another. Email

Upcoming Cursillo Weekends ~
Women's Cursillo Weekend - May 2-9, 2019
Men's Cursillo Weekend - May 16-19, 2019

Applications online at marincursillo.com 
Cursillo Church Representative:
John Bischoff
415.456.7906

Continuing Events

All are welcome to attend 

Bible Study Series ~ Wednesday, Feb. 6th, 9:30 AM 

Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursday, Feb. 7th, 9:00 AM

Deacons and Committees ~ Tuesday, Feb. 12th, 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM

St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ Monday, Feb. 18th & Tuesday, Feb. 26th, 10:30 AM

Pizza and Theology ~ Tuesday, Feb. 19th, 6:30 PM Creekside, SA

Acoustic Sunday ~ February TBD

Session ~ Tuesday, Feb. 26th 7:00 PM

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Sunday, January 27, 2019

This Sunday 

Dear St. Luke Community,

Our two scriptures for this Sunday place importance on the tradition of reading from “books.”

Nehemiah 8:1-10 and Luke 4:14-21. 

Our Bible is a collection containing many books within it. What is our relationship with these books? While some of us read from the Bible daily, others don't have one. If we were honest about it, we might find everything from love to skepticism to caution around its writings. 

And yet the Bible lives as the center of our faith. Especially for the reformers who placed their primary focus on the “the Word.” In Protestant churches, you'll often find the pulpit front, center and elevated because of the reformers elevated importance placed on the written Word. This came to be in conjunction with the invention of the printing press. Gone was the stained glass to allow more light for reading.

Our Protestant tradition holds slogans, one of which is; sola scriptura (Lat. “Scripture alone”). A slogan of the Protestant Reformation indicating that the church’s authority is only the Holy Scriptures and not ecclesiastical traditions or human opinions. This was called the “formal principle” of the Reformation, or the “Scripture principle.” 

Did you know that Presbyterians have a reputation for being intellectual in their approach to faith? 

Intellectually approaching the Bible is one way to read. And that can be fun. But so can reading with the heart. Placing yourself in the story, as you would any good book. Asking what it must have been like to be them, to live like them, to feel like them. And the more we do that the more we realize with new eyes that we are them. In the particulars of their experiences live a universal truth for all of us.

That is something to celebrate this Sunday Sunday as we worship God and hear The Word. 

See you Sunday,
Nicole

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