Sacred Traditions And Rituals

a call to connection

Wishing Our S.T.A.R. Family and Friends a Joyous Christmas Season …

a Blessing-filled New Year and an Invitation to Join Us …

Sunday Evening, December 27^th

at 6:00 p.m.  

​

Tranquility With Tea

a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls

Reflection on Soul Friends – Companions for the Inner Way

Our prayerful Meditation and Contemplation will consider the term “spiritual direction” 

 What is it exactly?  

How can it help me on my spiritual journey?  

Where can I find a spiritual director?

During our reflection, Andy Crosland will shed light on these and other questions regarding the practice of “spiritual direction” which dates back to the Desert Mothers and Fathers.

 And, incorporated into the reflection will be a short session conducted by Gail McCormick and Sue Perrin.

Perhaps considering a Soul Friend  to accompany and guide us as we continue along the Inner Way 

 might be a wonderful New Year’s resolution to consider!

Andy teaches Spiritual Direction with the Haden Institute in Hendersonville, North Carolina; 

Gail is a graduate of the Education For Ministry Program offered by The University of The South and 

Sue is a graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, D.C.    

  

A portion of the offering collected Sunday evening has been designated for the Citizens Scholar Program

– honoring Andy, Gail and Sue for sharing their creative energy with us. 

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SUNDAY EVENING!

In the Fellowship Hall

At Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina     

 

 

PLEASE DON’T MISS AN EVENING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS! 
 

SPIRITUALITY OF CHRISTMAS IMAGES
 

a service devoted to the images of Christmas 

Followed by Refreshments and Fellowship

 

Sunday Evening, December 13^th  

6:00 pm

 

The season of Christmas is celebrated through images we see, as well as those we hear, smell, touch and taste.

 

In a series of Lessons and Carols, we will learn more about some of the images we associate with the Christmas Season … then joining our voices, sing the songs of Christmas.

And, we need your help in creating our Christmas Altar! 

 

PLEASE bring along a favorite Christmas icon that may have become a special Christmas tradition to place on and be part of our altar.

 

We hope you will be join in the festivities, especially if you haven’t been with us for awhile – for a very special celebration of the hope, joy, light and love of this season … a festival to life itself!

 

The festivities continue after the service with Refreshments and Fellowship and an opportunity to hear more of Christmas in A Christmas Program of Bells, Songs and a Children’s Play in Central’s sanctuary.

 

Central United Methodist Church

In the Fellowship Hall

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306

Reflection on “Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread”

Please Don’t Forget and Bring Along a Friend or Two

 

 

 

Sunday Evening, November 22^nd at 6:00 p.m.

Tranquility With Tea

a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls

 

Ways of giving thanks are many and varied.  We are especially sensitive to those ways at this time of the year.  Thanksgiving Day gives us the opportunity to contemplate the many blessings we have received and offer our thanks for them. 

We welcome back Theresa Horton who has created our prayerful meditation and contemplation for the evening.  Through chant and reflection, she will help us consider a somewhat different understanding of the Aramaic translation and meaning for this phrase of the Lord’s Prayer … Giving us a prayer to offer as we gather with Family and Friends around our own Thanksgiving Table.

Theresa is an attorney in Greenville, whose interest in and study of the Aramaic words of Jesus is based on the works of Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz – who studied with Matthew Fox before finding his own unique path.

 

A portion of the offering collected Sunday evening has been designated for the Resurrection Power Ministries – a faith-based program providing an after-school program for K-4 through high school age youth – honoring Theresa for sharing her creative energy with us. 

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THE 22^ND!!!

 

In the Fellowship Hall

At Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

A Service Devoted To Heretics

 

a service devoted to honoring heretics

Sunday Evening, November 8^th

6:00 pm 

There have been heretics among us down through the ages … 

Folks who have traveled their religious journey on a path just slightly off-center from the accepted way.  

Some of these men and women, once considered heretics, became recognized and celebrated as saints!

Come and meet several of these folks … and as part of the service, we will have the opportunity to name other heretics and pray God’s blessing on them.

The second in our ‘Trilogy of Services’ recognizing and celebrating All Saints Day.

A WONDERFUL EVENING FOR EVERYONE … WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU! 

Central United Methodist Church

In the Fellowship Hall

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Pottery, Art, Jewelry and Bake Sale This Saturday, November 7 Click here for details

 Blessing The Animals 

And Those Who Love Them

a service devoted to blessing all God’s creatures

Sunday Evening, October 11

6:00 pm

Under-the-Portico

(In case of rain – in the Parking Garage)

PLEASE bring any and all of your Animal Friends – dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, birds, gerbils, horses, cows, goats, etc.  Or bring a favorite stuffed Animal Friend.  Or a photo of an Animal Friend – who doesn’t like to ride or is no longer with us, but loved a whole-bunch!

PLEASE keep your Animal Friends contained and restrained – on leashes, in your arms, cages, crates or trailers.

PLEASE don’t forget to bring along a donation of food, kitty litter, towels, etc. for the Spartanburg Humane Society and Animal Shelter to help care for God’s creatures in need.

And, if you don’t have an Animal Friend, please come along and join in the celebration for the goodness of God’s critters for our lives.  We guarantee you will leave with a smile on your face and an extra one in your heart!

A portion of the offering collected at the service is designated for the Spartanburg Humane Society and Animal Shelter.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE!!!

Central United Methodist Church

In the Fellowship Hall

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Labyrinth Weekend Event in September

Offering Ourselves as Prayers for Peace

 

Friday Evening – 9/11

Walking The Labyrinth By Candlelight

With Live Music by Kathy Q. and Friends

6:30 – 9:00 pm 

Saturday Afternoon – 9/12

Walking The Labyrinth By Daylight

11:00 am – 4:00 pm 

Sunday Evening Service – 9/13

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

A service devoted to forgiveness and renewal

6:00 pm 

This is a special weekend – beginning on the Anniversary of 9/11 and ending on the evening of Rosh Hashanah … offering all of us an opportunity to share our prayerful energy for Peace and ourselves as Peacemakers.  

 

On Sunday evening, we welcome Theresa Horton as she shares her creative energy through chant and helps us expand our Greek understanding of the forgiveness line in the Lord’s Prayer through Aramaic translation. 

 

Woven into the service will be traditions from the Tashlich Service, often celebrated on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah.  Casting away our mistakes, we begin again forgiven and renewed.  Then, blessed we become Peacemakers.

 

Refreshments and Fellowship will be incorporated as part of our evening together. 

Please don’t miss the opportunity to share in this extraordinary journey!

We hope you will join us in walking the Labyrinth as well as gathering with us on Sunday evening. 

         

 

Central United Methodist Church

In the Fellowship Hall

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Sacred Traditions And Rituals

a call to connection 

Please Bring Along a Friend or Two and Join Us For 

Tranquility With Tea

a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls

Sunday Evening, August 9^th at 6:00pm

Our prayerful meditation and contemplation, Meditation on Creating a Mandala has been created and will be offered by Janet McConnell, Naomi Richardson and Patsy Simmons.

During our time together we will create a colorful Mandala – a sacred symbol used in Hinduism and Buddhism representing wholeness and community.  In the beginning, we will create an individual Mandala, then incorporate ‘our own’ into a larger one … symbolizing the collective oneness with our loving community.

Janet, Naomi and Patsy will introduce us to this summer’s hottest trend … The New Joy of Coloring.  So, plan on joining us as we have a chance to sit and be mindful – cheer up, chill out and exercise both the creative & tactical sides our brains – ending with a beautiful and colorful result.  

A portion of the offering collected Sunday evening has been designated for T.O.T.A.L. Ministries. 

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU August 9^th at 6:00 pm

In the Fellowship Hall

At Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina      

Tranquility with Tea

Our prayerful meditation and contemplation,

 A Brief Meditation for Mind-Trippers

has been created and will be offered by Tim Brown.

During our time together we will be reminded of the human habit of mind-tripping as a context for the practice of meditation,

 briefly cover the basics of breath-centered meditation,

 and spend the largest portion of time in a guided, seated Meditation.

Tim Brown is an access-services and research librarian at Wofford College.  

He grew up in a free-spirited Roman Catholic home and since college has developed interest in a variety of other spiritual practices.  

His curiosity is free-ranging and he enjoys essay-writing, ink-painting, choral singing, trout-fishing, horseback-riding, sailing, canoeing, gardening and keeping chickens as pets.

A portion of the offering collected that evening has been designated for 

Hope Center for Children – 

 formed when the Ellen Hines Smith Girl’s Home and the Children's Shelter of the Upstate combined forces to provide

 a broader array of services to meet the needs of children and families in our community.      

Sunday Evening, July 12th at 6:00pm

In the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THE 12th

AND

WISH YOU A WONDERFUL & SAFE JULY 4th HOLIDAY WEEKEND!!!

S.T.A.R. News – Sunday Service Reminder for June

Sacred Traditions And Rituals

a call to connection

Reminds You to bring a Friend or two and join us Sunday Evening …

A New Spirituality Journey

a service devoted to creativity, compassion, justice, celebration – picnic & fellowship

Journeys begin with carrying stuff –maybe, in a back-pack?  

And, New Journeys often begin with a symbol, emblem or decoration.  Sunday evening is FLAG DAY!

Our time together will involve the energy of creativity, compassion, justice and celebration.    

It will be an evening filled with color, thoughtfulness, whole-heartedness and dedication … along with the laughter and chatter of sharing a meal together.

So, how will we mark our New Journey and what might we find in our back-packs?

Please don’t miss the opportunity to share in this new journey … complete with a Light Meal – everything provided – and Fellowship!!!

     Sunday Evening, June 14th at 6:00 pm

in the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

We invite you to bring along a friend or two to join us for …

Tranquility With Tea

a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls

  

Our prayerful meditation and contemplation, Reflection on Cosmic Hope – The Hero and Heroine’s Journey has been created and will be offered by David and Rita Heatherly.

On this weekend, as we remember those who died while serving in our country’s armed forces, we will   reflect on those events which embrace all heroes and heroines who journey through life.  Amazingly, we all participate in the journey … an astounding adventure, which leads us to a mysterious place where we will most likely “lose ourselves to find ourselves.” 

Together, Rita and David will quietly and reflectively guide us toward a greater knowing about that adventure and our journeys. 

 Rita has worked with the elderly for over 10 years, through the RSVP Program in Spartanburg and Columbia.  She is a massage therapist and Reiki practitioner in addition to volunteering with Hospice. She loves animals for their sense of humor, honesty, and their ability to love. Rita is the originator of the S.T.A.R. name. 

David has been a Marriage & Family Therapist and professional counselor since 1973.  He received his PhD. from the University of South Carolina in 1984.  He loves Spartanburg and S.T.A.R. Having been involved with S.T.A.R. from the beginning, he considers it to be an important influence in his life.

A portion of the offering collected Sunday evening has been designated for The Spartanburg Animal Shelter and Humane Society – honoring David and Rita for their generosity in sharing Sunday evening with us.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU !

Sunday Evening, May 24^th at 6:00pm

In the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Please bring a Friend or two and join us this Sunday Evening …

Music As Ritual in Religious Experience

a service devoted to rhythm, melody and harmony

  

We welcome Byron McCane and Friends who will share their love of Bluegrass and Gospel Music with us … thought-provoking, foot stomping, handclapping and raising a very ‘joyful noise’ together sort-of-music! 

Music will be woven throughout the service and words for reflection will be offered by our own John Simmons – M.D., D.Min. and Chairperson  for the S.T.A.R. Board.    You won’t want to miss this very special celebration of Mother’s Day … honoring the gift of creative energy given to all of us!       

Sunday Evening, May 10^th at 6:00 pm

in the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

We Look Forward to Seeing You!

You are invited to bring along a friend or two to join us for

Tranquility With Tea

a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls

Our prayerful meditation and contemplation, Reflection on Seeing has been created and will be offered by

 Spartanburg artist, Isabel Forbes. 

Through painting, she will urge us to reflect on seeing the beauty of the mediocre, to evoke a sense of wonder at something we may have seen a million times.        

To honor Isabel for her generosity in sharing Sunday evening with us, a portion of the offering collected that evening has been designated for The Walker Foundation at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. 

Sunday Evening, April 26^th at 6:00pm

In the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT SUNDAY EVENING!

Sacred Traditions And Rituals

a call to connection

Invites You to bring a Friend or two and join us Sunday Evening …

Gifts From Our Mother

a service devoted to ‘weaving together’ in celebration of earth’s wondrous bounty

We will gather together and celebrate God’s gift of our beautiful, complex, precious tapestry we call EARTH … in this glorious time we know as Spring.

We will mark this occasion, when the Earth once again comes alive, as well as mark the occasion of EARTH DAY, officially recognized each April, by creating our own very personal mark … a bookmark or icon using symbolic colors and a gift or two from Mother Earth!

Gathering together we mark our appreciation for the fullness of Mother Earth and mark our responsibility to keep God’s stunning gift alive and well.

Sunday Evening, April 12^th at 6:00 pm

in the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

We Look Forward to Seeing You!

Soul Tending

Tranquility With Tea

a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls

Our prayerful meditation and contemplation, Soul Tending will be a reflection through the movement of Tai Chi created and offered by Syd Harris, Ellen King and several members from the Tai Chi class at The Shepherd Center in Spartanburg.

We will observe the wide and wonderful movements of Tai Chi, which are beautiful, graceful and encourage Soul Tending.

Sunday Evening, March 22nd at 6:00pm

In the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

A portion of the offering collected that evening has been designated for The Shepherd Center – honoring Syd, Ellen and the other Tai Chi class members for their generosity in sharing Sunday evening with us!!!

SPA Day for the Soul-----

                              It All Began in a Garden

Friday, April 17^th

10:00 am – 3:00 pm

*Our time-away together will begin at Goodall Environmental Studies Center, located at the beautiful Glendale Shoals, and end with a meditative tour of Steve’s most amazing garden.

 *The cost is $20.00 for each person and everyone will need to bring along their own lunch – drinks and snacks will be provided by S.T.A.R. 

*Please send a completed registration form with your check made out to Central UMC, noting S.T.A.R. on the registry line – to 

S.T.A.R. c/o Central United Methodist Church

*233 North Church Street

*Sptbg*SC*29306 

or drop them off at the Church Office.      

Our gathering is limited to 20 folks … you won’t want to miss out so, please don’t wait!

Foot Washing----a service devoted to humility and relationships ... Experiencing God in an Apron

Sacred Traditions And Rituals

a call to connection

Reminds You to bring a Friend or two and join us for our Lenten Service 

Foot Washing

a service devoted to humility and relationships ... experiencing God in an apron

We will gather together Sunday evening, to experience ‘God in an apron!”  That humbling experience of washing feet or hands – having them washed or washing another’s.  Or, in most simply remain seated and through prayerful meditation, imagine what it would be like to find Jesus standing in front of you with a towel, pitcher and basin – waiting to wash your feet.    

And, we will have Refreshments and Fellowship immediately following the service …

DON’T FORGET OUR SACK-GIFT-COLLECTION for March:

Socks for Men, Women and Children at the SOUP KITCHEN

 

Sunday Evening, March 8th at 6:00 pm

in the Fellowship Hall

Central United Methodist Church

233 North Church Street

Spartanburg, South Carolina

We Look Forward to Seeing You!