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| Dear Portland Center Friends, Wishing you all a peaceful and joyful summer, and the blessings shared by everyone during SRF's Worldwide Convocation in August. Please join us in praying for peace. In Divine Friendship,
E-Newsletter Committee Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
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Portland Center E-Newsletter
July/August 2016 - Vol 7, Issue 4
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| Contact information for SRF and nearby SRF groups |
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From Master
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"...Lo! there in the crystal pool of peace, Thou didst show me my face to be like Thine!
Now, I know I am the Lion of cosmic power. I will no more bleat in fear of weakness and suffering: I will roar with the vibrant power of the Almighty!..."
(Paramahansa Yogananda, 'Make me a lion of Thy all-conquering Wisdom,' from 'Whispers From Eternity')
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Services and Activities
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Family fun |
For information about the regular monthly schedule and special activities for July and August, 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 will not take place in July and August.
A Memorial Service for Thalia Matthews will be held on July 9th at 11:00 a.m. (Details in article below.)
A Day of Service and picnic will take place on Saturday, July 16th, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (More details below.)
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Good food, good fellowship
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The monthly
Sunday Social, July 17th,
will take place after the Inspirational Service. Come share laughter, light refreshments, and conversation with other attendees and devotees.
A Commemoration Service for Mahavatar Babaji will be held Monday, July 25th, 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, July 31st
, and Sunday, August 28th, 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.
August 2016
The
monthly Sunday Social will take place
at noon on
August 21st.
We hope you will join us.
 Janmashtami, the commemoration of the birth of Bhagavan Krishna, will be celebrated Thursday, August 25th from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. An optional meditation will be held 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.
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Schedule Change
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T
he Sunday 10:00 a.m. meditation will now end at 10:45 a.m. (instead of 10:50) to give the readers, the Hospitality Committee, and the Sunday School more time to settle in and prepare for their activities.
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Summer Day of Service and Picnic July 16th
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We are combining a Day of Service with an informal picnic at the Portland Center on Saturday, July 16th. The day will begin with a 30-minute meditation at 9:30 a.m. The tasks will begin at 10:00. We will break for a picnic-type lunch around noon. The food will be provided by members of the Coordinating Team and Hospitality Committee.
Our building is in need of some hands-on help. There will be chores in the backyard, inside the building, and perhaps even some painting of fences.
There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer. If you can't sign up in person, please send an email to the Portland Center so that we can get an idea of the head count.
This is a great time to meet other devotees and contribute to our beloved Guru's spiritual hive. Any time you can give is appreciated. We hope you can be there!
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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 will begin August 21st and must be paid in full and mailed by October 11th.
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India Night Celebrated on June 25
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Passages
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A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 9th at 11:00 a.m. for Thalia Matthews, followed by a "vegan potluck" (no dairy, meat or eggs). Thalia was a strict vegan and requested a vegan potluck held in her honor. Her family and friends welcome anyone who wants to attend.
Thalia Matthews was a member of our group in the late 80s and early 90s, when the Center was located at the small place on Broadway. She passed away in March.
Please bring a dish. All are welcome to attend.
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A Note from Center Department
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We are pleased to announce that four new eBooks have just been published by SRF.
In addition to Autobiography of a Yogi, our eBook editions of Metaphysical Meditations, The Law of Success, How You Can Talk With God, and Scientific Healing Affirmations are now available on Amazon.com and Apple iBooks.
We are happy to release the definitive editions of these classics by Paramahansa Yogananda for use on a variety of e-readers, phones, and tablets, and we look forward to releasing more titles in the coming months.
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Annual World Convocation, August 7 - 13
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The 2016 SRF World Convocation will take place in Los Angeles, California from August 7 - 13, 2016. The number of Portland Center devotees who attend year after year is testimony to the value of this spiritual experience.
Convocation Registration is now available through the
SRF website
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| Quarterly Calendar of Services & Other Activities |
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No Sunday School in July and August. Sunday School classes will 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 also available on the Portland Center website.
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Coordinating Team News
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Air conditioning!
We finally have an installation date of July 5th-6th for the air conditioning. It takes two days to do the work with a full crew.
Bruce Mosias and Tom Strange, our maintenance team, will be installing insulation in the ceilings to complete the job. The insulation will help keep energy costs down during the summer as well as the winter.
Thank you to the Committee chairpersons and members who serve our Center and Guru year-round. We enjoyed meeting with the chairpersons Sunday, June 26th, to review accomplishments of the first six months, and discuss operating procedures and plans for the remainder of the year.
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Coaching the committees on new communication tools
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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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September/October E-Newsletter
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2016 India Night performance
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You are welcome to submit event photographs, taken with the permission of those photographed, for our upcoming E-Newsletters. Please send them to: [email protected].
The deadline for submissions to our next issue is August 20th.
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Vasu and Mukund
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Thank you!
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In Divine Friendship,
E-Newsletter Committee
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
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