Church & Community News | August 9, 2025
- jessczerwin
- Aug 9
- 4 min read
FAITH AND ISSUES
On August 9, we will begin reading The Great Search: Turning to Earth & Soul in the Quest for Healing & Home, by John Philip Newell, Introduction and Chapter 1 (Seeking Vision: Thomas Berry), pgs 1 – 31.
“Celtic wisdom is built on a strong bond with Earth. In the prophetic figures that Newell draws from, the Garden of Eden represents the inner garden of our souls and the outer garden of Earth, which are seen as essentially one. To live in relation to what is deepest in us is to live in relation to the ground from which we and all things have come. Where are we today, in relation to our true selves and the sacredness of Earth? And how are we to find our way home again?
This life-affirming, nourishing book contemplates these questions at a moment of great spiritual awakening, an era characterized by religious exile on a vast scale. We need a new sense of home spiritually, deeply rooted within ourselves and in our shared journey with each other and Earth.”
Join Us for Worship!
Join us this Sunday in worship as we welcome the Rev. Laurin McArthur as our Worship Leader. We also welcome back our own Chancel Choir, led by Rob Hastings and accompanied by Lynn DeWalt.
To join our Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/914901831?pwd=SHREMGxvUnFWM3h4OVNRRGxwTmxTUT09
Meeting ID: 914 901 831
Passcode: 202339
To help families who wish to attend, we do provide childcare. Please contact Henrietta Jordan at 518-576-2079 or via email at hbjordan@trailmarker.org for more information or to have her plan for providing care to your child.
Coffee Hour
We are in need of volunteers to sign up to provide coffee hour. Please sign up on the bulletin board near the kitchen.
Welcoming Diversity Inventory Discussion
Sunday, August 17
After church on Sunday, August 17th, Dr. Marjorie Purnine from the NY Conference of the UCC will be in the sanctuary to provide information about a Welcoming Diversity Inventory. This is part of the process for selecting a settled pastor as recommended by the Conference.
She will discuss the need to complete this inventory by each church member and will help us understand how this helps us in our discernment.
Please plan to join us either in the Sanctuary or via Zoom for this important discussion.
Tuesday Morning Book Group
The Tuesday morning book group is continuing an exploration of poems of spirit. We’ll be looking at poems that engage with Christianity through the centuries from a wide variety of perspectives, and we’ll also be reading a range of poems from other spiritual traditions and lenses. This will be a fun and reflective way to think about the intersection between spirituality and poetry and an opportunity for us to ask how we can leverage the poetic tradition, which captures spiritual wisdom, experiences and questions, in our own practices and faith communities.
If you would like to join, please email Kate Robinson (krobinson49@gmail.com) to receive the reading. Weekly meetings are Tuesday at 9am in the Van Santvoord Room.
Artistry, Creativity, & Joy on Saturday, August 9
An uplifting evening of songs, stories, poetry and in-the-moment inspirations with Martha Gallagher. This Sat., Aug. 9, 7:30 PM, Keene Valley Congregational Church. Tickets $20. suggested, at the door. NCPR is media sponsor for this event. AdkHarper.com
Music as Spiritual Practice Retreat | August 22-24
HeartSongs is a retreat - time out of time - for exploring, singing and creating mantras, chants and simple songs. Using these as spiritual practice offers us another way to pray. Exploring the joys of expressions of the heart in music and word, each person will have the opportunity to create their own mantra, chant or simple song, with gentle guidance from facilitator, songwriter and spiritual seeker, Martha Gallagher.
The retreat will take place at the Keene Valley Congregational Church and includes Fri. evening 7 - 9 PM, Sat. 9 AM - 12 PM and Sunday 10 - 11 AM, with the Sunday morning session being optional. Retreat fee is $45. Support for this event provided by KVCC and The Adirondack Center for Writing.
For more info and registration:
Seeking Lodging for August Retreat Attendee
A woman from away who is attending the HeartSongs Retreat Aug. 22 - 24 has asked if there might be someone in the congregation who could house her from Fri. evening to Sunday morning. She has attended our past retreats with John Phillip Newell and Padraig O Tuama and is excited that we have a retreat offering this year. If you are willing and able to do this, or have further questions, please contact me.
Thank you in advance and blessings ~
Martha Gallagher
Notes: Creation Justice Church
7 August 2025
SunDay is coming! https://sunday.earth/
Intense heat, floods, wildfires and their smoke… It is frightening, in particular for those that cannot afford to be prepared.
Each and any reduction in carbon emissions will help. But that reduction is only one advantage to alternative energy production. “SunDay” and days before and after during September will draw attention to the fact that wind and solar are the fastest and cheapest way to add power to our grid. Full stop. Killing tax credits doesn’t make ANY environmental OR economic sense. As they will now expire by the end of the year, over the next few months we must urge governors to speed regulatory approval for energy projects that are ready to get off the ground right now. The more we build, the cheaper and cleaner the energy will be.
For more information: katharine.preston@gmail.com
Church Photos
The church is looking to include photos of church happenings into a new website design. If you have any photos you’d like to share, please either email them or text them to Fritz at fsabbow@gmail.com or 518-572-5502.