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Greetings, friends of the Portland Center!
Welcome to our three-month Spring newsletter.The coming weeks offer multiple opportunities for deepening our spiritual life, as well as connecting with our Portland Center family. We hope you will join us for meditation and fellowship!
Portland Center
of Self-Realization
Fellowship
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Portland Center E-Newsletter
March/April/May 2017 - Vol 8, Issue 2
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Contact information for SRF and nearby SRF groups |
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From Master
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Master and devotees at an Easter Sunrise Service,
SRF International Headquarters, mid-1930s
"Easter may bring its delights of traditional Easter lilies, gift-bearing bunnies, and variously decorated eggs. But I pray that as you celebrate Christ's resurrection these be symbolic of the lily of Christ-wisdom opening in purity in the garden of your soul; that you taste the sweetness of Christ-love in your heart and enjoy the infinitely colored eggs of its blessings of true happiness; and that, like the fast-footed bounteous bunny, you may quicken your pace toward the Divine Home."
Paramahansa Yogananda,
"An Easter Prayer" from
The Second Coming of Christ
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Services and Activities
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Spring Events:
For information about the regular monthly schedule and additional special activities in March, April and May, 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.
Here are some highlights in the coming months:
March 2017
Paramahansa Yogananda Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service
- Tuesday, March 7, 8:00-9:00 p.m., preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15-7:45 p.m.
Sri Yukteswar Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service - Thursday, March 9, 8:00-9:00 p.m.,preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15-7:45 p.m.
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 12
Six hour meditation with Kirtan - Saturday, March 18,
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Kirtan Meditation - Sunday, March 26, 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m.
April 2017
Day of Service - Saturday, April 8, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
See "News From the C-Team" for details.
Good Friday Meditation -
Friday, April 14, 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Easter Potluck - Sunday, April 16, following the 11:00 Inspirational Service
Kirtan Meditation -
Sunday, April 30, 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m.
May 2017
Sri Yukteswar Birthday Commemorative Service -
Wednesday May 10,
8:00-9:00 p.m., preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15-7:45 p.m.
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Paramahansa Yogananda Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service
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Paramahansa Yogananda Lake Chapala Mexico, 1929 |
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Please join us in honoring our Guru on the anniversary of his Mahasamadhi, Tuesday, March 7. The commemorative service will be from 8:00 p.m to 9:00
p.m., preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15 - 7:45 p.m.
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Even when I am gone my help will always be given to devotees all over the world, if they keep in tune....
I shall always be watching over each one of you: and whenever a true devotee thinks of me in the silent depths of his soul, he will know that I am near
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Paramahansa Yogananda,
Self-Realization magazine, Spring 2002
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Sri Yukteswar Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service
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Swami Sri Yukteswar, Incarnation of Wisdom
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A Commemorative
Service honoring the Mahasamadhi of our Paramguru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, will be held Thursday, March 9, 8:00-9:00
p.m., preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15-7:45 p.m.
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Easter Sunday Service and Activities
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We ho
pe y
ou will join us on Easter Sunday, April 16,
for meditation and an uplifting Reading service, followed by our annual Easter potluck luncheon. Please bring a vegetaria
n dish to share that serves six to eight people.
Our Sunday School children
will also have their
annual
Easter Egg hunt.
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Sri Yukteswar Birthday Commemorative Service
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Please join us in celebrating the birthday
of Swami Sri Yukteswar on Wednesday, May 10.
A commemorative service will be held from
from
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
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"Let God work through you; that is the best part of devotion. If He is walking through your feet, working through your hands, and feet, and will, then you will know Him."
Paramahansa Yogananda
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Master and young monks processing carrot harvest
in Encinitas
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Whether you're new to the Portland Center or have been attending for some time, being part of our volunteer family is a wonderful opportunity for spiritual growth and cultivating divine friendship with fellow devotees
. As one of our volunteers recently told us, "Volunteering at the Center has been doubly fulfilling for me. I feel blessed to support Master's vision in whatever small way I can, and having made new spiritual friends is a welcome bonus!"
We offer a variety of ways to serve that fit your schedule and interests, and some projects can be completed from your home as well as at the Center itself. Quite a few tasks require a commitment of less than an hour, while others may take longer. We welcome any amount of time you can devote!
Some of our committees are bookroom attendant, flower arranging, community service, cleaning, Sunday School teacher and assistant, service reader, and greeter. For more details and a complete list of committees, please check our website:
If you would like to find out more about our service opportunities, we invite you to complete a volunteer application in the Information Room after Sunday service, or you may go to our website link above.
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Sarah Floyd, Volunteer Coordinator |
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Sarah Floyd, our Volunteer Coordinator, will also be happy to speak with you personally about your inter
est in serving. You may contact her by calling
971-570-5683 or through email at
Sarahfloyd21@gmail.com.
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Bookroom attendent assisting customers |
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Serving food during India Night |
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Keep
ing our Center beautiful!
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SRF Annual Convocation and Center Representatives Conference
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Held yearly in Los Angeles, CA, the Self-Realization Fellowship Annual Convocation is a week of spiritual fellowship, meditation, kirtan, pilgrimages, and classes on the teachings of our Guru, Paramahansa Yogananda.
Convocation 2017 will take place August 6 - 12
, with main events occurring at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Online registration is available through S
RF's Convocation Information page
. Hotels fill up quickly, so if you plan to attend, be sure to see details on the SRF website.
The yearly
Center Representatives Conference
will be held on Wednesday during Convocation week, with the theme "Leading Services in Centers, Groups and Circles." If you will be attending Convocation and are interested in participating, please contact one of our Coordinating Team members: Rebecca Field, Sharon Schaefer or Sarah Floyd.
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Seabeck Retreat
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On
June 9th-11th 2017, the Seattle SRF Center is hosting their annual monastic-led regional Retreat at the
Seabeck Conference Center, located near the Hood Canal on the Olympic Peninsula. Devotees who have attended remarked how the peaceful environment and inspiring presence of the monastics facilitate going deep in meditation. For more information and registration, you may contact the Seattle Center:
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News from the C-Team
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Making Soulful Connections...
The Coordinating Team of the Portland Center is hosting the next
Day of Service
to be held on
Saturday April 8th from 10:00-3:00 p.m.
There will be a meditation at 9:30 a.m. for those who would like to attend. Not only do we spend the day beautifying our Center but these events are a good time to meet new people and socialize with other spiritually minded souls. There will be lunch too! So come garden, polish, organize and pray the day away! We hope to see you there. Please sign up in the Information Room if you plan to come.
We're also putting out the call for volunteers to help with this year's
India Night, tentatively scheduled for
Saturday, June 24. Presenting this much-loved event relies on the coordination of several teams for decorating, meal planning, set-up, and serving of food. Let's make this happen! A sign-up sheet is also available in the Information Room.
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.
Jai Guru!
Sarah Floyd
Sharon Schaefer
Rebecca Field
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SRF Website: Treasure Trove of Guidance and Inspiration
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If you haven't browsed Self-Realization Fellowship's website lately, we encourage you to check out the wealth of written material, videos and photographs it contains. Of special interest may be the "How-to-Live" section titled "Spiritual Light for These Challenging Times.
" (See link below)
This timely topic is introduced with these words:
Confronted by the turmoil and uncertainty in today's world, many people are seeking understanding and direction for themselves and their families. In the wisdom-teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, we find guidance and support to see us through any crisis....We hope you will find herein a renewed faith in the eternal love and protection of God-and in your own God-given power to walk this earth as His immortal child, with strength, understanding, and compassion for all.
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Quarterly Calendar of Services & Other Activities |
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.
Kirtan Services start
with the Energization Exercises at 8:00 a.m., followed by periods of devotional chanting and meditation.
During the 10:00 a.m. service, there will be chanting instead of an opening prayer and a reading. Master strongly encouraged chanting as a way to deepen one's meditations and devotion. If you are unable to
stay for the full kirtan period, you may enter or leave the chapel during the chanting at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Quarterly Calendar of Services
Copies of the Quarterly Calendar of Services,
listing our regular services and special commemorative events, are available in the foyer near the front door and in the Information Room. The
Quarterly Calendar for January-March 2017 is also available on the Portland Center website.
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How to Make a Financial Contribution
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Portland Center of SRF is supported solely by financial contributions from members and friends, and by 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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June/July//August E-Newsletter
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The deadline for submissions to our next issue is May 15th.
Thank you!
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In Divine Friendship,
E-Newsletter Committee
Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
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