RECENT  ANNOUNCEMENTS

September 2023​

The 8:00-10:00 a.m. kirtan is cancelled this month but will resume October 29th.   The doors will open at 9:30 on September 24th.

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Our monthly social is being held on Sunday, September 17th in the Sunday School room.  This is an opportunity to meet one another and share in fellowship while enjoying light refreshments.

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There are two special commemorative services coming up this month. The first one will be on Tuesday evening, Sept. 26th as we will celebrate the Mahasamadhi of Lahiri Mahasaya. The second one will be on Saturday, September 30th.  For both services, an optional meditation will be held from 7:00 to 7:45. This will be followed by the service from 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Please bring the traditional offering of a flower or flowers as a symbol of devotion to God and the Guru and a monetary donation in a plain white envelope symbolizing loyalty to the cause of SRF.  Do not smell the flowers as the scent is part of the offering given to God. 

Please note that the starting time for the meditation has changed from 7:15 to 7:00. Late arrivals may quietly enter until 7:15. 

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A one-day silent retreat is scheduled for Saturday, October 14th  at the beautiful Alton Collins Retreat Center.  The program will include the Energization Exercises, inspiring readings, chanting, meditation, and ample free-time to walk the trails.  A   vegetarian lunch will be served. Registration forms may be downloaded from the Portland Center website or you may pick one up from the table in the Information Room.  They should be submitted no later than September 10th.

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The Seattle Center will be hosting a monastic tour that includes Kriya initiation and technique reviews on the weekend of September 22-24th.  The hotel location and schedule for this tour is on the Seattle Center’s website at www.srfseattlecenter.org   Because of this event, our September monthly kirtan at 8:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of this month will be canceled, and we will be holding the regular Sunday meditation and Inspiration service on that morning. The Kirtans will resume in October, on the last Sunday of the month going forward.

 

All are welcome to enjoy our meditation garden every Sunday following the service.  You may linger there as long as you wish until the usher needs to close the building. To access the garden, please use the door in the Sunday School room.

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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."

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Previous announcements:​​

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• The third Sunday of each month is the monthly social; an opportunity for us to connect with one another following the 11:00 service while sharing in light refreshments served by our Hospitality Committee. We hope you will be able to join us for this opportunity to enjoy spiritual fellowship on July 16.

• 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. 

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• Our Book Room will be open after the service this morning, where you can browse our collection of inspiring SRF publications and useful devotional items.

• At the conclusion of our 11:00 Sunday service, 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.

• A great way to stay in touch with what is going on at our Center is to receive the E-newsletter. This is sent out every two or three months to your email. To sign-up for the E-newsletter, you may fill out a form at the Newcomers Table or sign up for it on our website.

• Sunday School will be starting again this year if there are qualified teachers and teacher’s aides. The SRF Youth Services offers training to devotees who would like to volunteer for this important and meaningful service . No prior experience is necessary. If this is something that captures your interest, please send an email to Mike O’Brien at the Portland Center email address or fill out a volunteer form. If you know of any SRF devotees who have children please inform them that we hope to start offering Sunday School. If they are interested, please have them contact us. The email address is: Portlandcentersrf@gmail.com and can also be found on the internet.​

• 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.

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