Are you an addict of daily news?  Our do you keep sanity by avoiding hearing too much about political developments that dominate our everyday life?  Holding our hearts together is a challenging process.  We grieve the state of reality and still search for joy in our lives.  Are there spiritual teachings and offerings that can gift us in these days?  Part of our work may be to name the despair we feel, to recognize spiritual teachings that might help us, and to claim the gifts all around us that enable our hearts to feel angst and joy all at the same time.

Presented by John Boonstra who has lived in Hood River for 20 years.  He is an ordained clergy person in the United Church of Christ.  He has been involved in community work around immigrant rights, international peace and economic and environmental justice.  He has worked ecumenically and in interfaith work for the World and National Councils of Churches and was Executive Minister of the Washington State Association of Churches for 17 years.  He has 3 daughters who keep his feet to the fire. He is a member of Riverside Community Church.

This is a First Sundays for Families Service.