Let us bow in awe, as our Mother Divine spreads
Her mantle of beauty across the earth. May Her visible presence
enliven our efforts to contact God in meditation.
We invite you to be with us at Portland Center as we seek God together,
in meditation and spiritual fellowship!
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"Come, Spirit! Come with the glory of the dawn; come with the vitality of the sun; come through the portals of our silence.
O Spirit Beautiful, open the window of nature and the windows of our minds, that we may behold Thee in all Thy glory."
Paramahansa Yogananda
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Upcoming Events at Portland Center
Sunday April 14 - Memorial service
for Sharon Schaefer 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Good Friday, April 19
- Chapel open for
individual meditation
(nonconducted) 10:00 a.m. - noon
Easter Sunday, April 21
- Join us after the 11:00 a.m. Reading Service for our annual
Easter potluck
! Please bring a vegetarian dish serving 8 - 10 people. Also, a children's
Egg Hunt
will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the Center garden, weather permitting.
Saturday May 4
-
Long meditation with kirtan
, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. If you are unable to stay for the entire four hours, you may enter or leave the chapel during periods of chanting.
Wednesday May 10
-
Birthday commemoration
for Swami Sri Yukteswar. See below for more details.
Sunday May 19 - General Membership meeting
following the Inspirational Service, 12:15 - 1:00 p.m. Please see our Managing Council news for more information.
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Swami Sri Yukteswar Birthday Commemorative Service
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Come celebrate with us on
Friday May 10
as we observe the birth anniversary of our blessed Paramguru. The commemorative service will be held from
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
, preceded by an optional meditation beginning at 7:15 p.m.
It is customary to bring a flower symbolizing devotion, and if financially able, a monetary offering in an envelope as a symbol of loyalty and gratitude to the Guru and his teachings.
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We are pleased to announce that our Sunday School is growing! We have added a younger children's class for ages 3 to 8, and the older children's class is for ages 9 to 13.
Thank you to all the families of SRF for supporting our Guru's important work with children in the SRF Sunday School programs.
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Seabeck Retreat, June 7 - 9
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Every year the Seattle Center of SRF hosts an SRF
monastic-led retreat
at the
Seabeck Conference Center
on the Olympic Peninsula. The retreat includes guided practice of the Energization Exercises, kirtan meditations, inspirational talks and satsangas (wherein monastics answer questions submitted by devotees), and meditation technique review classes. There is also ample free time for relaxation on the retreat grounds where you may practice the presence of God and enjoy the natural scenic beauty of Seabeck.
This year's retreat will take place on the second weekend of June, and
registration begins in early April
. More information is available on
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*****
“Every person needs a retreat, a ‘dynamo’ of silence, where he may go for the exclusive purpose of being newly recharged by the Infinite. Retreating from unceasing activity to cultivate a deeper awareness of God will allow Him to renew your strength
and bring you lasting peace and happiness.”
Paramahansa Yogananda
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On March 17 a stalwart corps of devotees enjoyed each other's spiritual company while spiffing up our beautiful Center for spring. After starting the morning with meditation, we worked joyfully, shared lunch together, and concluded the day with the satisfaction of a job well done in service to Master.
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Talk about attention to detail!
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Restoring foyer to spotlessness
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Lovingly caring for plants
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Feeling the joy of serving!
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Young helpers take a break
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Preparing lunch for
a hungry crew
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Thank you
to all who served!
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Also, there's still time to register for this year's
World Convocation
, which Mrinalini Mata described as “a large, soulfully beautiful representation of Guruji’s spiritual family from around the world." Those who have attended agree that "Gurudeva’s divine love permeates this occasion, enfolding all who are present and those devout souls near or far-distant who are with us in spirit.” Click below for more details, along with inspiring photos from past Convocations.
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News from the Managing Council
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Greetings, members and friends of Portland Center!
Now that SRF is holding livestreamed satsangas from Mother Center and Convocation, Managing Council is moving forward with preparations to host group screenings at Portland Center. Our first step is to solicit bids for window blinds to darken the sanctuary, enabling streaming events and other videos to be clearly viewed. Bids and samples will be presented at a
General Membership Meeting
on
Sunday, May 19
. Subscribers to our e-newsletter will receive a special email reminder for this important meeting.
Along with researching window coverings, we are investigating the possibility of installing security cameras to provide additional safety for our members who volunteer during the evening, and for those hours when the Center is unattended.
Other projects on our agenda include fixing the sound on the family room television, planning and holding a safety meeting for all volunteers, solving the irrigation problems in the front, holding an India Night event, and planning for the upcoming General Membership meeting.
We would love to hear from you if you are interested in serving our Center as a Managing Council member, Sunday School teacher or Service Reader. These responsibilities are a great way to get some “advanced training” from our Guru! After receiving nominations for these positions, names are submitted to SRF Center Department for their review and final approval. Please contact any Managing Council member if you are considering serving in this way.
Many thanks to each and every one who comes to meditate at the Portland Center to help fill our spiritual hive with the honey of God’s love, peace and joy. Meditating together is such an uplifting and strengthening experience. We hope to see you there!
In Master’s Love,
Sarah, Shikha, Nate, Sumuki and Rebecca
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Other Activities
Sunday School
classes are offered every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until noon 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
are held on the third Sunday of each month in the Sunday School Room following the Inspirational Service. Light refreshments are provided.
Kirtan Meditations
, 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. Paramahansa Yogananda strongly encouraged chanting as a way to deepen one's meditations and devotion.
Kirtan services start with group practice of the Energization Exercises at 8:00 a.m., followed by periods of chanting and meditation. During the 10:00 a.m. service, there will be chanting instead of an opening prayer, followed by a reading. If you are unable to stay for the full kirtan period, you may enter or leave the chapel during chanting at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
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How to Make a Financial Contribution
Portland Center of SRF is supported solely by financial contributions from members and friends, and by volunteers who donate their time. Proceeds from our Book Room sales also benefit the Center.
If you write a check to the group, please know that checks payable to "Portland Center" will be deposited locally and used to support our Center's activities, pay utility bills etc. Checks payable to "Self Realization Fellowship" are sent to SRF headquarters in Los Angeles, where they are used to support SRF's worldwide activities. It is customary when writing checks during special services such as commemoratives to make the check payable to SRF.
Some members choose to make regular donations to our Center. One convenient option is to set up automatic bill pay through your bank.
Your support is deeply appreciated!
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Mother's Day, Sunday May 12
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Carved statue from India, depicting Mother Mary in meditation posture. The Sanskrit inscription reads "Salutations to beloved goddess Mary!
May your blessings be showered upon us."
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Looking for other SRF groups in the Pacific NW or throughout the world? Click below for SRF's website directory:
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Just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in the Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship. Don't forget to add newsletter@srfportlandcenter.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
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