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| Dear Portland Center Friends,
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Altar flowers at Portland Center
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We hope you will join us, as you are able, to share the joy of meditating in the peace of Portland Center. Come for an hour on Sunday to the 11 a.m. to noon Inspirational Service, or on a Tuesday evening when the Center is open for individual meditation, on a Thursday evening for the healing and devotional service, or the last Sunday of the month for an uplifting kirtan meditation from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings, the support of Self-Realization Fellowship and the presence of its gurus offer blessings of undescribable, incomparable richness. In Divine Friendship,
E-Newsletter Committee Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
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Portland Center E-Newsletter
September/October 2016 - Vol 7, Issue 5
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| Contact information for SRF and nearby SRF groups |
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From Master
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"Heavenly Father, teach me to remember Thee in poverty or prosperity, in sickness or health, in ignorance or wisdom.
Teach me to open my closed eyes of unbelief and behold Thine instantaneously healing light."
(Paramahansa Yogananda, Metaphysical Meditations, pg. 72).
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Services and Activities
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For information about the regular monthly schedule and special activities for September and October, 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.
Please note that Sunday School resumes on September 4th.
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a Sunday Social
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The monthly Sunday Social will take place September 18th and October 16th,
after the Inspirational Service. Come to share light refreshments and fellowship
with other attendees and devotees
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Monday evening, September 26th
a service to commemorate
the Mahasamadhi (1895) of Lahiri Mahasaya
will be held from
8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
An optional meditation will take place from
7:15 - 7:45 p.m.
Please bring an offering of a flower or flowers as a symbol of devotion to God and the Guru. Please do not smell the flower(s) as the fragrance is part of the gift for God. If financially able, bring a donation in a plain white envelope.
Friday, September 30th, we will commemorate the birthday of Lahiri Mahasaya (1825) from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. An optional meditation will take place from 7:15 - 7:45 p.m. Please bring an offering of a flower or flowers as a symbol of devotion to God and the Guru. Please do not smell the flower(s) as the fragrance is part of the gift for God. If financially able, bring a donation in a plain white envelope.
The Kirtan Group
will lead
kirtan chanting on Sunday, September 25th
, and Sunday, October 30th, during the meditation from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. You may enter or leave during chanting, usually at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
October 2016
There will be a Sunday School Open House on October 31st. More information will be available closer to the date.
For other October activities please refer to the Calendar of Services and website later in September.
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Fall Retreat Date Announced
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The SRF Eugene Meditation Group warmly invites you to attend the weekend retreat at Alton Collins Retreat Center, November 11th-13th. This year the retreat theme is: Love. Serve. Courage. Faith.
"You may be surprised at what seclusion with God will do for your mind, body, and soul . . . Through the portals of silence the healing sun of wisdom and peace will shine upon you."
- Paramahansa Yogananda
Please be sure to mark your calendars now for this blissful event. Registration began August 21st and is first-come-first served. Applications must be submitted by mail, paid in full and mailed by October 11th.
More information is available on the
Portland Center website. See the
event flyer here and access the registration form on the Center's website.
A scholarship may be available for someone who is not able to attend due to financial circumstances. Information on how to apply will be on our website if and when this becomes available.
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Bookstore News
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We are happy to announce that Portland Center Book Room is growing and changing. We now have two attendants to serve you each Sunday while you browse, ask questions or purchase items from our ever-growing inventory including jewelry.
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Paramahansa Yogananda_ 1923 |
New selections include this photograph of Paramahansa Yogananda in New York City 1923, and the 2017 wall calendar.
We encourage you to be a part of our makeover by stopping in after the service with suggestions and requesting items you'd like us to stock. You can also email suggestions to our new co-chairs, Marie Louise Penchoen at [email protected] and Teri Rowe at [email protected].
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| 2017 Wall Calendar |
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E-Newsletter Takeover
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We are looking for someone to coordinate the E-Newsletter. Our current coordinators are needing to change their focus because of job and other life changes.
The E-Newsletter, with over 350 subscribers, has become a useful communication tool for Portland Center, since its inception in 2010. It serves as a reminder for upcoming events and gives the Center an opportunity to share more information than time and space permit through weekly Announcements, the website, and the Quarterly Calendar of Services.
The E-Newsletter is hosted by Constant Contact, which provides strong technical support as needed, as well as on-line tutorials. Archived E-Newsletters serve as templates, and photographs, which are stored in the Constant Contact library, provide a resource for personalizing and enlivening each issue.
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| some of the E-Committee members over the years |
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The bi-monthly schedule and the flexibility to work from home according to one's own schedule make the E-Newsletter an excellent volunteer activity for the person who is unable to make date and time specific commitments.
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| Quarterly Calendar of Services & Other Activities |
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Sunday School classes resume in September and 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 July-September 2016 is currently available on the Portland Center website.
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News from C-team
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Mother Center has assigned Brother Devananda to be the current monastic counselor. He is replacing Brother Muktananda (formerly Brahmachari Allen). We send our best wishes and gratitude to Br. Muktananda for his several years of service to our Center, advising and helping us as we grow.
The final phase of the air conditioning project is insulating the ceiling of the chapel. This will be done in early September. Having the extra insulation will help with the building's overall energy consumption.
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: [email protected].
Jai Guru!
Rebecca Field, Sarah Floyd and Sharon Schaefer
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How to Make a Financial Contribution
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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!
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November/December E-Newsletter
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The deadline for submissions to our next issue is October 20th.
Thank you!
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In Divine Friendship,
E-Newsletter Committee
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
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