“A Year of Forgiveness”

An Invitation to All

This fall the people of Clarkes United Methodist Church, at 18773 S. Windy City Road, Mulino, at the intersection of Gard Rd. and Windy City Rd, begin a special series on Sunday evenings at 6:00 P. M. two Sunday’s per month.  We are calling the series “A Year of Forgiveness” and it is designed to engage a much wider audience than our church.

The first segment begins on September 16^th with a study of the book, The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha.  Those of us who have read the book, an award-winning international best seller, describe it as mesmerizing and powerful.  This is not a religious book trying to get us to embrace a particular doctrine.  It is a human book describing our common struggle with “un-forgiveness” and our common need for peace at all levels. The book jacket portrays it this way:

Dramatic, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting, The Crying Tree is an unforgettable story of love and redemption, the unbreakable bonds of family, and the transformative power of forgiveness.

The sweet part, the part that makes this an unusual opportunity, happens when the author, Naseem Rakha, introduces us to her book on September 16^th.   Yes, she is coming to Clarkes, and will come again when we finish the book in December.  Naseem Rakha lives in Silverton and has graciously agreed to meet with us.  She will bring books for purchase and will sign them at our request.  She wants her books to spark discussion about the healing power of forgiveness.

For more information on her book, go to www.naseemrakha.com.  You will be surprised.  Also check out our website at www.Clarkesumc.org and send us an email if you plan to come (or just come).  If you have questions, call our pastor, Tom Truby at 503-956-5912.

Finally, to make the offer even more attractive, Tony, our chef of Italian descent, will serve different Italian soups each night of the series beginning at 6:00 P. M.  The Sunday night dates for the fall series are:  September 16^th, October 7^th, October 21^st, November 4^th, November 18^th, December 2^nd and December 16^th, the first and third Sunday of each month.  It is all free and we want lots of people to participate! Mark it on your calendar!  We promise to finish by 8:00 P.M.

We are thinking through what we will offer for the second and third segments of “A Year of Forgiveness.”  We know the second segment will start on Sunday night, January 6^th and go through March 17^th following the same twice monthly pattern.

If you would like to attend, we would appreciate you letting us know by using our RSVP function.