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Greetings Friends of the Portland Center,

Brother Devananda at Portland Center in 2015
The October wind and rain have not dampened our spirits to seek God wholeheartedly and to feel the blessings that we receive from the abundance of God's love. We hope you will join us for the sunshine of inspiration and meditation at the Portland Center. 

The fall and winter holidays are approaching and with them there will be some extra special events: two potlucks, a craft sale, the fall annual 6-hour meditation in November and the All Day Christmas Meditation led by Self-Realization Fellowship monastics. To welcome in the New Year we will hold the traditional New Year's meditation on December 31st. The details for these events are either in the Calendar of Services or under the Events link on our website.
 
In Divine Friendship,
 
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
  
Portland Center E-Newsletter
 

November/December 2016 - Vol 7, Issue 6             
In This Issue
From Master
Services and Activities
Fall Meditation
Toy Donations Begin
Thanksgiving Potluck
Christmas Craft Sale
Schedule Changes
All-Day Christmas Meditation
Christmas Potluck
New Year's Eve Meditation
News from the C-Team
Bookroom News
Quarterly Calendar
How to Make a Financial Contribution
November/December E-Newsletter
Join Our Mailing List!
Contact information for SRF and nearby SRF groups
From Master
  
Paramahansa Yogananda
 
  "Beneath the Christmas tree of of civilization, with its many branches of races, may we lay the imperishable presents of goodwill, spiritual service, and unconditional love for all."

From Whispers From Eternity, "A Thought at Christmas"
 





Services and Activities 
 
Fall and Winter Events: See Portland Center's Holiday Schedule for a summary of the upcoming events.
 
November 2016 

Fall 6-hour Meditation - Saturday, November 5th - 10:00-4:00 p.m.
Annual Silent Retreat at Alton Collins Center - November 11 - 13. Registration closed. Portland Center open for regular Meditation and Inspirational Services Sunday.
Thanksgiving Potluck - Sunday, November 20th - Noon
Christmas Craft Sale - November 27, December 4 & 11 - Noon 
Kirtan Meditation - Sunday, November 27 - 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m.
 
Christmas altar
Portland Center altar at Christmas

December 2016

Christmas Craft Sale, Sunday, December 4 and 11  
All-Day Christmas Meditation, Saturday, December 17
Christmas Potluck, Sunday, December 18

For information about the regular monthly schedule and special activities for November and December, please refer to the Portland Center website at srfportlandcenter.org, or pick up a copy of the Quarterly Calendar of Services in the foyer at Portland Center.
 
Fall 6-Hour Meditation, November 5th, 10:00 - 4:00 p.m.
 
The annual  fall meditation will take place on  Saturday, November 5th from 10:00-4:00 p.m.  with kirtan chanting and inspiring readings. There will be a break at 1:30. Please come for the first half if you can only attend part of the time. Come early enough to energize and get settled comfortably before the meditation starts. Anyone with a cough or cold should not attend out of courtesy to others, but is encouraged to utilize this time to meditate at home. 
 
Toy Donations Begin This Sunday
 
numbers-toy.jpg From November 6th to December 18th the Community Service Committee will be accepting donations of Christmas toys for Compassion in Action of Clackamas County. The group suggests toys that are in some way educational. Please place your donations in the white collection box by the Bookroom door.

Thanksgiving Potluck - Sunday, November 20th 
 
Join us for good food and fellowship at our Thanksgiving vegetarian potluck following the Sunday Service. Please bring a vegetarian dish for 8-10 people that does not need to be heated or preheated foods can be brought in a crockpot.  
 
Christmas Craft Sale - November  27, December 4 & 11 - Noon
 
moppy Time to get creative!  The Christmas Craft Sale is a fundraiser and a fun time for the Portland Center.  Contributions of quality homemade gifts are needed and appreciated. Please leave them in the marked box located in the kitchen. Food items can be brought the "day of." Please bring everything else no later than November 20th so that they can be priced. Suggestions for items are on the website at  srfportlandcenter.org/events

treats

Schedule Changes
 
There will not be a Thursday Service on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th.

The Sunday Meditation on December 18th will start at 10:00 a.m. instead of 8:00 a.m. 

December 25th is a Sunday. Services are cancelled on that day. Kirtan meditations will not be held.

January 1st is also a Sunday. Services will begin at 10:00 on that day.

All-Day Christmas Meditation - December 17th
 
The instructions from Mother Center have this to say: "Many years ago Paramahansa Yogananda established the custom of commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ by dedicating an entire day of the Christmas season to meditation and divine communion with Christ. New members often hesitate to face the imagined "ordeal" of an all-day meditation. They should nevertheless be encouraged to make the effort. Anyone who is sincere will find that there is a sustaining power from God, Christ, Krishna, and the Great Gurus that will help him during the hours, which will pass swiftly and give him a memory of one of the most divinely inspiring days he has ever experienced."
 
This year we are blessed to have monastics lead our Christmas meditation. There will be guidelines from Mother Center posted to the website and in our Information Room available in November. Please read these before coming!

Christmas Potluck
 
Sunday, December 18th is our annual Christmas potluck. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share that does not need to be heated and join us for the joyful gathering, following the Inspirational Service. We'll begin with several Christmas carols in the Chapel, while the Hospitality Committee uncovers the dishes on the buffet tables. We hope you will join us.

New Year's Eve Meditation - December 31st
 
Another tradition started by our Guru is the New Year's Eve Meditation. He said it is always beneficial to use this transition from the old year to the incoming new year to meditate and put one's mind on God. He would generally begin meditating with the devotees around 11:30 p.m., and would encourage them to think of the past year - not with sadness, but introspecting to see where they need to change their lives so that they might do better in the new year.
 
Our meditation service will begin at 11:30 p.m. and end around 12:15 a.m.
 
News from the C-Team
 
We wish to extend our warm gratitude to the committee chairs for helping the Center run like a well-oiled machine!  Serving God and Guru is a personal way to connect with fellow devotees and gain a greater understanding of the spiritual principles laid out by our Guru. If you would like to become more involved in serving, please contact Sarah Floyd, the Volunteer Coordinator at sarahfloyd21@gmail.com.   

Portland Center viewed from front As always, we welcome your questions and feedback. There is a suggestion box located in the Information Room. If you would like a response from the Coordinating Team to your suggestions and questions, please write your name and phone number on the note. You may also contact us via email at: PortlandCenterSRF@gmail.com.
 
 
Jai Guru,  
Rebecca Field
Sarah Floyd
Sharon Schaefer
 
Bookroom News

The Bookroom is open every Sunday after the Inspirational Service. Please stop by to peruse the books, DVDs, photographs and other items for sale. The calendars and day planners make great timely holiday gifts and are a way to share the blessings throughout the year. 

Some of our Bookroom volunteers: Charlene, Rhonda and Sally


Quarterly Calendar of Services & Other Activities
  
Sunday School
Sunday School classes are offered every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for boys and girls ages 3-13 in the Sunday School Room. All children age 13 and younger are encouraged to attend Sunday School and may enroll at any time. 
 
Sunday Socials  
Socials are held on the third Sunday of each month in the Sunday School Room, following the Inspirational Service. Light refreshments are provided.  

Kirtan
Kirtan meditations, with devotional chanting accompanied by traditional Indian instruments, are generally held on the last Sunday of the month, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., beginning with the Energization Exercises at 8:00 a.m.  During the 10:00 a.m. meditation service, we have devotional chants instead of an opening prayer and a reading. Master strongly encouraged chanting as a way to deepen one's meditations and devotion.  Devotees who do not stay for the full kirtan period may enter or leave the chapel during the chanting at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Quarterly Calendar of Services  
Paper copies of the Quarterly Calendar of Services, listing services and special commemorative events, are available in the foyer near the front door and in the Information Room. The Quarterly Calendar for October-December 2016 is currently available on the Portland Center website.
Lotus flower
How to Make a Financial Contribution 

 

Portland Center of SRF operates solely by financial contributions and volunteers who donate their time.

  

Some members choose to make regular donations to our Center. One convenient option is to set up automatic bill pay through your bank.

 

To donate by check, please make your check out to "Portland Center". All checks made out to "SRF" are sent directly to Mother Center.

 

Thank you for your support!

 

January/February E-Newsletter  

 

The deadline for submissions to our next issue is December 20th.

 

Thank you!  

 

In Divine Friendship, 

E-Newsletter Committee
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship