Bits and Pieces

If you haven’t sat through a meditation session held at our church, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere surrounding you. A former classroom has been transformed into a tranquil area with comfortable bench seats and serene wall hangings. You don’t have to sit on the floor crossed legged or in a “seza” position. Cushions are supplied to allow you to maintain a correct posture and the quietness allows you to focus your mind. These sessions are held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from 10:15 am until just before service starts at 11 am. Our Meditation Leader has done an excellent job in bringing people of different ages to these sessions to improve their well-being. Anyone can attend the meditation sessions so try it, you may like it.

It’s a comfortable feeling to see more people helping to carry out traditional duties associated with keeping our church functioning. An example is women “buddying” to learn what’s involved in “Hana Toban,” or decorating the “Onaijin” or church altar. Having more volunteers capable and willing to accomplish this task brings flexibility to this important undertaking.

Although not clearly evident, if you looked closely at the oak trees around the minister’s residence, you may notice that a few of them look “airy.” A member of the jujitsu group that uses our social hall for practices is a certified arborist who volunteers his time trimming and thinning these oak trees. He has lent his expertise in suggesting steps we can take to preserve the beauty of our property but more importantly, provides needed help in our landscape maintenance.

We will soon be undertaking a project to beautify the garden in front and below the church. Much of the pea gravel that comprise the dry riverbed needs to be replaced with clean gravel and the dirt adjacent to the bricks that define its boundaries need to be cut back to prevent soil from entering the area. I will keep you informed of this project so you can happily volunteer your time to beautify the garden.