From Blacknall’s website:

Dr. John Perkins will be preaching both services this Sunday, and our brothers and sisters from St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church will be worshiping with us at the 11:00 service.

Please join us for a potluck luncheon after church as well. We’ll hear a report from Dick and Nancy Bagge, our missionaries who are doing a counseling ministry in Africa with other missionaries and church leaders. Please bring a salad, a casserole, or a dessert to share. Blacknall will provide the meat, bread, and drinks. Please stay for lunch if you can to welcome these friends and neighbors. This is a true “potluck” so we are trusting that enough of us will show up with food to eat so that there is enough for all of us to eat.

There will also be a brief reception just with drinks in the Atrium for folks who may not be able to stay for the lunch.

Great Day of Service is this Saturday, May 30! There are still open slots for service, but you should sign up now! To sign up, click on this embedded link and follow the directions.

Margot Hausmann is talking through the book of Luke with us this semester. This week (Feb 1) we’re on chapter 5, and we’re happy to welcome “special guest” Allan Poole. Next week — Feb 8 — we won’t have Sunday School but instead will join the rest of the church for a congregational meeting in the sanctuary.

After that, we’ll return to the book of Luke!

On Feb 15, Matt and Kim are having a final PCF bonfire at their country home. They’re moving (but not leaving, fortunately!), and this is our chance to help them say goodbye in style.

As we approach the holiday season, our calendars start to fill with parties and activities. In preparation, we’ve been updating the PCF blog/calendar with activities; if you lose your bulletin or think you deleted that last PCF announcement email, check the blog (or calendar)– the info you need might be there! 

Since we’re thinking through community together right now, the upcoming discussion with Jean Vanier and Stanley Hauerwas should be particularly relevant for PCF. Jean founded L’Arche to offer a community for people with and without disabilities to live in community together, and he will be talking about the service and blessings of L’Arche on Nov 9. We have been invited not only to join together for the evening, but to look at it as a chance for service and hospitality as members of the broader Durham and church community visit with us.

Saturday, November 1, Matt & Kim Andresen will be hosting a fall party at their house–come ready for cider, a bonfire, and s’mores–families are welcome! Watch the mailing list for a reminder and directions, or email the PCF blogger (blacknall pcf at gmail . com (delete all the spaces and replace the “at”… )) for more info.

This Sunday, Oct 26, PCF Sunday school will be led by Abby Kocher, a minister at Duke Chapel. We’re grateful that she is willing to take the time to talk with us about community. If you’re following along in the book, we’ve just finished chapter 4 — thanks to Eric for leading discussion last Sunday! — and [I think!] we’re waiting to discuss chapter 5 until after Abby’s visit.

Also on Sunday…. The annual fall church picnic is at Camp Chestnut Ridge from 3-7pm. Grilled bratwurst and chicken will be provided — bring a side or a dessert, or just bring yourself! Rumor claims that extra blankets and lawn chairs might be worth bringing as well, but it looks like the weather should be nice after a rainy Saturday. Regardless- bring yourself, and come for fellowship, enjoying known friends and making new ones!

NOTED ENVIRONMENTAL THEOLOGIAN NORMAN WIRZBA SPEAKS AT ALL SAINTS UMC

Dr. Norman Wirzba, the former chair of the Philosophy Department at Georgetown College (Kentucky), has joined the faculty of Duke Divinity School. He has graciously consented to give a talk at the All Saints UMC Ministry Center, 7 PM, Sunday, November 9, 2008.

The subject of his talk will be “Sabbath, Economics, and the Resurrection of Wisdom.”

Dr. Wirzba is the author of “The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry,” “Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight ,” “The Essential Agrarian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land” by Barbara Kingsolver and Norman Wirzba, “The Paradise of God: Renewing Religion in an Ecological Age,” and “Transforming Philosophy and Religion: Love’s Wisdom.”

…

For anyone who is concerned about…

**the peaks and extractive destruction of energy, arable land, fisheries, and fresh water;

**the strife, inhumanity, and war associated with “resource scarcities”;

**the ever-more-apparent insustainability of our global economic and agricultural systems;

**the effects of anthrogenic climate change;

**the alienation from God and neighbor inhering in consumer-culture;

**the catstrophic dieoff of species;

**the intensification of socio-economic stratification at home and around the world;

**the commodification of our most treasured landscapes and the enclosure of the last of our commons;

**or our dependency on a faceless bureaucratic grid that seems to be failing…

…Norman Wirzba’s thinking about Sabbath is emblematic of a very new — and very old — way of (re)conceiving ourselves and community.

We look forward to seeing you there on Sunday evening, November 9th.

RSVP will be helpful to anticipate numbers. RSVP to office@allsaintsumc.org

Peace to all.

* * * * *

DIRECTIONS: The All Saints UMC Ministry Center is located at 3109 Globe Road, Morrisville, NC (not far from RDU Airport).

WARNING: The address confuses Mapquest.

At the intersection of Brier Creek Parkway and Aviation Parkway, head west on Globe (left off Aviation, toward Page Road… straight ahead if you are coming down Brier Creek from 70… right off of Page Road onto Globe). The Ministry Center is a beige (?) house north of the road with big oaks in front and bamboo in the back. There is a sign there telling you it is All Saints.

Mapquest WILL show you the intersection of World Trade Boulevard and Globe Road; and if you are there, you can hit the Ministry Center with a pea-shooter.

We’re continuing our study of New Monasticism. This week, Chris Rice will give a short introduction, and Mark will lead the discussion of chapter 2.

The retreat is approaching, so make sure you let Bethany know if you are planning to go. We’d like to have definite numbers by Oct 5 (which is this Sunday!) so we can finalize planning.

This Sunday we will be discussing chapter one of the book ‘New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today’s Church.’ We will begin by reflecting together on your takeaways from Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove’s talk and then discuss key themes from the chapter.

If you did not get a copy of the book at our last meeting, please contact Bethany (blinnesAT gmail DOT com) (they’re $10/copy). If you don’t have a copy before Sunday, you can download the first chapter from the book at the Brazos Press web site.
–from Mark E.

This year’s PCF Retreat will be October 17-19 at Myrtle Beach and we will be focusing on community. This will be a great time of practicing community, having fun, and making space for renewal, so please plan to come! Email Bethany Innes at blinnes AT gmail dotcom to express interest. Also, for all PCF Women–this Sunday is the last Sunday to sign up for the women’s retreat (because it’s next weekend, September 26-28). This is a great opportunity to connect with other Christian women of all ages, and is an amazing weekend. Don’t miss out! There are scholarships available for those who don’t think they can go because of too high gas prices and/or book fees. For more information, see the church website at www.blacknall.org