Dear Friends,

As we step into August, we send warm Summer greetings to you and your loved ones.

I wanted to remind our community that Rev. Rich Tafel will be on vacation, and will not be preaching this month and through September 8th. During his absence, we have prepared a wonderful lineup of speakers to lead us in worship. We will also invite members of our congregation to take turns facilitating services, to help foster a sense of community and shared leadership.

This coming Sunday, we are honored to have Church of the Holy City (CHC) Vice President, Dr. Malcolm Peck support the service and the facilitation of Sunday discussion time in Rich's stead.

We are also thrilled to welcome Julia Storberg-Walker (see the full bio below) as our guest speaker. Julia will lead us in a conversation about how we notice moments of divine grace in our busy lives today. How do we recognize those moments? How do we integrate them into our being, our self-stories, our actions? Together we will reflect on how our inner healing and development relate to our ability to sense these moments, and learn to notice these gifts to our soul.

Please note, while Rich is away, our Sunday services will be conducted fully ONLINE. Recordings of those services, and the follow-up discussions will be posted on our CHC website.

Do not hesitate to reach me (contact information below), if you have any questions or requests I can help answer.

See you Sunday!

Kateryna Pyatybratova

CHC Community Coordinator

katempya@gmail.com

(202) 817-9176

Guest Speaker Bio | Dr. Julia Storberg-Walker

Julia Storberg-Walker is Chair of the Human and Organizational Learning Department, Program Director of the Organizational Leadership and Learning Program, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Human and Organizational Learning in the George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

After serving in various leadership capacities at Deloitte & Touche and Deloitte Consulting (1985-1999), she shifted to the non-profit sector and received her PhD in Work, Community, and Family Education from the University of Minnesota in 2004. She has been recognized for her critically-informed teaching, research, and activism/service as the recipient of multiple awards including the R. Wayne Pace Book of the Year Award by the Academy of Human Resource Development (2019), the Laura Bierema Critical HRD Award (also from the Academy of Human Resource Development) in 2017; and the Outstanding Research Award from the International Leadership Association (2015).

Julia was inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension by North Carolina State University—during her tenure there, she was the recipient of over $1.2 million dollars in grants, and submitted almost $7 million dollars in grant proposals. She is a former Vice President and Board member of the Academy of Human Resource Development, former Editor-in-Chief of JCI and SCOPUS-ranked Human Resource Development Review, and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Management, Spirituality and Religion Interest Group of the Academy of Management.

Currently, Julia’s activist/scholar work is generative and aims to develop equitable and compassionate frameworks, models, and processes for the purpose of catalyzing whole planet interdependence and flourishing.

This work is transdisciplinary and grounded in contemporary philosophical perspectives including posthumanism, new materialism, quantum field theory, and wisdom traditions spanning diverse cultures and historical moments.

Readings for the Coming Sunday

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

John 20:27-29

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Swedenborg Insight

Seen in its own right, a loving person's inner spirit is an angel of heaven, and while we are living in the body we are also in the company of angels, even though we are not aware of it; and once we are released from the body we join them.

Save the Date on August 4th for a Hybrid Event |

Reiki and Indigenous Healing Practices

We are excited to announce that Jenn Castillo-Staats, a local Reiki Master with a Master's in Social Work, will be giving a special virtual presentation this Sunday at the New Church of Montgomery (directions and Zoom link available on request). Jenn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of energy work. You can learn more about her background and practice here.

This event promises to be a unique exploration of Reiki and Indigenous healing practices, highlighting the connections between energy work and Swedenborgian principles.

To attend, please RSVP by emailing newchurchofmontgomery.org. When you RSVP, kindly mention if you are a member of the Church of the Holy City, so that you can be acknowledged in our extended community.

Above is a flyer created by Gloria with more information about the event. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of healing practices that resonate with our spiritual teachings.

CHC Community Chest | Make Your Request Today

If you have a request for our CHC Community Chest for the month of August, you can send it to Kateryna Pyatybratova (katempya@gmail.com) to share in our upcoming newsletters.

Thought of the Week

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