April  2024​

​

April 30th and May 1st, monastics Brother Naradananda and Brahmachari Bhaskarananda will be visiting Portland Center. Additional details are available on the flyer in the Information Room and on our website.

 

Tuesday night, April 30th, includes practice of the Energization Techniques at 4:40 p.m. followed by a Meditation and Technique Review class from 5 – 7 p.m.  open to SRF Lessons students only, with proof of membership presented at the door. A Satsanga, open to everyone, will follow at 7:15 p.m., with fellowship and refreshments at 8:15 p.m.

 

May 1st we will join with the monastics for conversation and a walk around Leach Botanical Garden from 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 21st is the last day we will be collecting advance payments for group entry. This will shorten the entry line for everyone. The cost is $4.50 in advance today April 21st, to enter as a group at 10:45 a.m. Cash or check only payable to PCSRF; no refunds. Lisa and Linda will be receiving payments in the foyer immediately following the Service. You may also buy your tickets online at sales@leachgarden.org or at the Leach Garden Admission booth, for $5.00 each. Please bring a sack lunch.

 

We recommend carpooling from the Center as parking spaces are limited. Riders and drivers should meet at Portland Center on May 1st by 10:15 a.m. and will return between 1:45 and 2:00 p.m.

 

At 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday May 1 there will be talk at the Center by Brother Naradananda titled “The Power of Affirmation: Using Vibrations to Change and Heal Your Life.” Paramahansa Yogananda first taught publicly about affirmations and harmonizing vibrations in 1924 in Portland – 100 years ago this year! The lecture will be followed by a reception to say goodbye to the monastics. 

 

Our monthly Friendship Tea will be held immediately following today’s Service. Light refreshments will be served.

 

Our monthly Kirtan meditation will take place on the next Sunday, April 28th, beginning with Energization Exercises at 8:00 a.m. You may also enter at 8:15, 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. during chanting.

 

Sunday, May 5th, Sunday School will be open for children age three to twelve, and the video “Finding God in Family Life” by Brother Ishtananda will be streamed at the 11:00 a.m. service.

​

PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS:

​

April, May and June are filled with spiritually inspiring services and events. Learn more through the new quarterly Calendar of Services in the foyer. A flyer with full details about the monastic visit on April 30th and May 1st (Tuesday and Wednesday) is available in the Information Room.

 

Please check your in-boxes to read the new e-newsletter for detailed information about the Center, upcoming SRF events, and photographs. If you haven’t perused it in a while, the e-newsletter provides an excellent overview of the Center. You may sign up for the e-newsletter at the Portland Center website at www.portlandcentersrf.org, or complete a short form available at the Newcomer’s table in the foyer.

 

Portland Center's website now includes a new section about the history of the Portland Center of SRF, originally compiled by the late Kent Hathaway. Follow the Home page tab to the “Our Center” page.

​

A reminder that our chapel is open every Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 for silent individual meditation. As this is not a conducted meditation, one my come and go at any time. 

​

Our Kirtan Group leads the Sunday morning services on the last Sunday of each month, beginning at 8:00 with the SRF Energization Exercises. You may also enter or leave during periods of chanting at 9:00 and 10:00. 

 

At the conclusion of the 11:00 Sunday service, we invite you to enjoy our backyard Meditation Garden. You may linger there as long as you wish until the usher needs to close the building. For security purposes, we ask that you enter and exit the garden through the Sunday School Room.

 

Also, those who wish to stay in the chapel a little longer to enjoy the meditative atmosphere generated during the morning are welcome to do so. We ask those who want to converse with one another after the service to kindly meet in the foyer or the Information Room, to preserve the silence of the chapel. Thank you for your consideration.

​

You may want to mark your calendars now for a one-day retreat that will be held on Saturday, September 21st at Alton Collins Center in Eagle Creek, Oregon.

​

If you know of someone in need of healing prayers, you may submit their names to the prayer box located next to the Lending Library sign-out sheet in the Information Room. These names are regularly collected and sent confidentially to the SRF Mother Center and placed in a box in the Guru’s bedroom, which is now a shrine. The SRF monastics and members of the World Wide Prayer Circle pray daily for those requesting healing prayers. All that is needed is the first and last name of the person. You may also submit names directly on the SRF website "Prayer Requests."​​

​​

Your donations help support the Portland Center. One way to do that is through the Zelle money transfer system. It is free and most often used by banks. Once you enroll, you just need an email address to send the money electronically. The email for Portland Center donations is: portlandcenterdonations@gmail.com  This information will be posted on the bulletin board in the Information Room.

​

Fragrances can be a problem for people who are allergic to them. Please be mindful of others, and we request that you refrain from wearing fragrances when attending services and events at the Portland Center. Thank you for your understanding.

​