NEWSLETTER February 2012
Spectrum News
Silence
Pride Picnic 2011 New
July 5
Words From Pastor Bruce
New August 2011
Spectrum
Spectrum of Findlay, Inc. is an organization created to support, promote
and encourage the inner action of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi sexual, and Transgender
(LGBT) community, within itself and with the surrounding communities.
Our goal is to educate and assist our communities with events and charitable
actions. These events and actions will promote acceptance and understanding
between the LGBT community and our communities.
Our fundraising goals are to help those less fortunate and struggling
through these tough economic times. Many of us have been lucky and want
to give a little something back.
Our Goal is to raise money to support these events and actions. A portion
of the money raised will go towards a food pantry in Findlay for the upcoming
Easter Holidays. If attending the Spectrum dinner, there will be a $10
cover at the door to get in and will include one raffle ticket, dinner,
non-alcohol drinks, and entertainment. There will also be a cash bar.
Once in, you will be able to purchase more raffle tickets as well as 50-50
and door prize tickets. Feel free to buy raffle tickets now or at time
of event.
The fundraising dinner we will be hosting on February 25th, 2012, will
be held at:
The Moose Lodge Family Center
1028 West Main Cross St.
Findlay, Ohio, 45840
Raffle tickets can be purchased prior to the event by contacting Spectrum
through thier facebook page or by e-mailing them at findlayspectrum@yahoo.com
(Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5)
Here is a list of the prizes:
1st Prize -- Insignia 42” LCD TV
1080p/120 mhz
2nd Prize-- Toshiba Laptop 15.6/4GB RAM/320 GB hd/ AMD
3rd Prize-- Porter-Cable 18v Cordless Drill/Circular Saw Combo
Good luck and we hope to see you there.
Silence
From Jesse
I really want to learn how to meditate;
to go deep inside myself and find the inner strength which God has given
me. Often times when I sit in silence and really dig, my mind seems to
wander. Instead of reveling in the wonderful spirit that is God, I end
up singing the last song playing on the radio or find myself drifting
off to things going on at work or with church.
I have recently begun attending a meditation time which is being offered
by our sister church. The first time we met, we spent some time getting
to know each other and then during the hour long session, we spent “spurts”
of time in silence. The spurts last about 10 minutes, with spiritual readings
in between. This week we did two sessions which lasted about twenty minutes
a piece. Forty minutes of silence!! When our leader told us that we were
going to spend 45 minutes in silence my first thought was, “there
is no way I can make it that long.” I even pictured myself getting
up during the session and bolting for the door. But I stuck it out, and
during that silent time I tried really hard to clear my mind of any other
thoughts and to focus on what God holds for me. I reached inside and tried
to feel my body from the inside out. I imagined where I was in my body,
starting with my toes and working my way up. It was quite amazing to feel
a tingle in each part of my body as I pictured it my mind. It really did
keep all the other distractions of the day from entering in! It’s
also good to recognize your posture as you meditate. At a bible study
I attend, we talked about prayer, and one method of prayer is to sit with
your back straight, your hands on your thighs with palms up; waiting for
God to fill them with whatever he has in store for you. This is also a
great posture for meditation. Another key in meditation is to pick a word
or phrase that you will use to bring yourself back as your mind begins
to drift off. I have not found mine yet, but tonight as I would started
to drift off, wondering why the furnace in the church was running so much,
why the clock ticked so loud, I tried to draw my mind back to God and
what he has in store for me. It may just be that “God” is
my word.
I think we all need to set aside time during the day to allow silence
into our lives. Find a place and time that works for you, turn everything
off, and open your mind to allow peace and understanding into your life.
The next time you are on your way home from work or headed to the store
or church, turn the radio off in the car, put your cell phone in “silent”
mode, and look around as you drive, enjoying the wonderful sights which
God created. Drink in the beauty of all there is. It’s amazing what
we can find if we close our mouths, open our minds, and hear the silence.
One last thing, as the lyrics to a song I have sung in church say :
“Be still and know that He is God,
Be still and know that He is holy,
Be still, O restless soul of mine;
Bow before the Prince of peace,
Let the noise and clamor cease;
Be still.”
I think that says it all.
Pride Picnic 2011
Hey everyone!
Findlay Spectrum would like to thank all of the wonderful people that came out and attended this years Annual Pride Picnic! A rough count showed around 120 people were in attendance! Spectrum has again reserved the Litzenberg Barn for next years event but note that could change so always remember you can find updates either here or on facebook. You can also e-mail spectrum at findlayspectum@yahoo.com for more information!
Looking forward to seeing all of you next year and again a huge THANK YOU to spectrum for hosting this fantastic event.
Insight from Pastor Bruce
Pastor’s thoughts
With the recent killings in Norway, it has caused me
to think about the state of religion in our world. What comes to me first
is that religion and its connections to nations and policies and cultures
do not have a very good track record. In the last 15 years if I just name
those incidents that flow easily from my mind here is what I come up with.
The war in Iraq in the 90’s was caused by a lot of things too long
to mention here but I know a part of the conflict had to do with the treatment
of the different factions of Islam within Iraq by each other. The destruction
of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon and the other flight that crashed
in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001 all were piloted by people who had
a radical view of Islam and decided to attack a nation that they considered
to be Satan. The Irish Catholics have been killing Protestants in Northern
Ireland for years. Christians were killing Muslims in the mess that was
former Yugoslavia. There is also the Rev. Terry Jones from Gainesville
Florida who wanted to burn the Koran (to give him credit he did have a
change of heart), or the ” Rev. “Pat Robertson who has blamed
gays, people who believe in evolution and the right of a woman to choose
to have an abortion for the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and also blamed
the people of Haiti and their so-called pact with the Devil, for the earthquake
they suffered in 2010!
Now this is just a cursory look at what is out there! But just reading
this is there a person alive who cannot understand why people are leaving
the church in droves, or do not want to have anything to do with religion
of any stripe or color. I tend to agree with them…..to a point.
But then I have to put on my minister garb and begin to mount a response.
Yes there is much evidence to support that the church in general is not
a healthy place for people to explore and express their spirituality.
Why? Because many churches tend to be very dogmatic in insisting that
if you “join” our faith that these are the things you must
do and this is the way you must be. All the while we, who make these demands,
do not come close to living up to them ourselves. Hypocrites! (I can hear
the cry now). But what about the thousands of people in churches who try
and live out the gospel call to minister to the poor, who work hard at
living a grace-filled life, who make valiant attempts to embody compassion
and love as best as they can discern Jesus was calling us to do.
Why don’t we hear from this part of the church? Where is OUR voice,
the voice of those plugging away each day to heed God’s leading,
as they try and improve the lives of others here and around the world?
Why don’t we hear about those who are non-judgmental in their relationship,
who keep open minds when discussing theology, or ideas for ministry or
those who quietly and personally express their piety and allow others
the same grace? We don’t hear about this because it tends not to
be “controversial” or news worthy. But I feel something is
quietly happening below the surface, barely visible to even the observant
eye. I sense that what is happening is what Jesus described in his attempt
to describe the Kingdom of God. If you remember he said that it was like
a mustard seed or yeast/leaven in the dough. What these two things have
in common are that they are nearly imperceptible in size. They are barely
noticeable…yet when they do what they do, slowly and methodically
they grow into something significant. This is what I feel is going on
in the world…..and I cannot point to one particular case and say
“there it is, there is the kingdom of God” but I just sense
that it is taking root and growing, slowly and steadily…..even with
things as crazy as they seem to be. With this in mind, it’s why
I continue to want to call people to come and be a part of it. I have
not, cannot and will not give up on the church’s opportunity to
be leader in this movement. It may be a church that looks radically different
from anything we know now that we call church, it may be a body that is
made up of people that don’t look, think or behave like us save
one thing. We share a common desire to live out love, to extend grace
as it has been extended to us in short we want to become the gospel incarnate!
This in the end is thread that ties us all together.
Let us keep silent no more. Let us rise up and as Gandhi is credited with
saying “be the change you wish to see in the world”. May God
guide you this day.
Rev. Bruce McDaniel
