Sunday, July 27

This Sunday, the sol cafe will be gathering at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) at 4:00ish to hear from a special guest speaker John Pattison. He's coming to speak about his overseas work, and to share generally on a Christian's response to helping the poor in developing countries, linking the human element (Christ's call to love and help the poor) with the environmental element (stewardship issues). It's also called "peoplekeeping" and "earthkeeping", which John has been doing in Uganda.

The RCL readings for this week are:

Genesis 29:15-28 or I Kings 3:5-12

Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128 or Psalm 119:129-136

Romans 8:26-39

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Hope to see you there!

Service Sunday :: July 20

This Sunday the sol cafe will be gathering at the Stollery Children's Hospital (8440 - 112 Street) to do cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks. We will be meeting on the 4th floor on the pedway with the airplanes and planets at 4:00 pm. If you cannot find us or you're late please page Shirley. Service is an integral part of what we do at sol cafe. It is a way for us to look beyond ourselves, and bring tangible help to those who surround us.

We hope to see you at 4:00 at the Stollery!

Sunday, June 22

This week, Sol Cafe will be meeting around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave). We will be celebrating communion, doing a re-cap on our family meeting, hearing from Shirley, and learning a little about one of our predecessors in the faith, Athanasius.

We will also discuss if we should move our meeting time to earlier in the day, as was brought up at our family meeting.

The RCL readings for this week are:

Genesis 21:8-21
Psalm 86:1-10
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39

Hope to see you there!

Family Meeting

This week, the Sol Cafe will be getting together around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to have a family meeting, led by Winston, one of our regulars. We will be discussing ideas for the future and addressing some of the changes that are in the air.

The verses for this week from the Revised Common Lectionary are:

Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

These may or may not be included in the discussion, but do take a look at them before you come!

We hope to see you there!

A Genesis discussion

On Sunday, June 1, the sol cafe will be gathering around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to have a thoughtful discussion on this week's selection from the Revised Common Lectionary.
The texts are:

Genesis 6:9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19
Psalm 46
Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28, (29-31)
Matthew 7:21-29

Discussion will centre on the Genesis passage, as we continue our talk about biblical interpretation, and the culture and worldview of biblical authors.

Hope to see you there!

sol cafe thought for food

On Sunday, May 18, the sol cafe will be gathering around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to gather together for a little thought on food. We will spend a little time talking about where food comes from, consumption habits in Edmonton, and how the Bible can interact with what we think about food. And it will, of course, involve some eating!

It doesn't seem to relate directly to this week's readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, but here they are for your self-directed study:

Trinity Sunday May 18, 2008

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Psalm 8

II Corinthians 13:11-13

Matthew 28:16-20

Hope to see you there!

a sol cafe Sunday

On Sunday, May 11, the sol cafe will be gathering around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to hear from one of our "roaming regulars", our good friend Ryan. One of the original sol cafe patrons, Ryan went on to do several years of work overseas and more recently has taken on Youth Pastor duties at another local church. But like other sol cafe regulars who now roam the world, you can take the person out of the cafe but you can never quite get the cafe out of the person. We're not sure yet what Ryan will be presenting, but we'll post details as soon as we get them.

It may or may not relate directly to this week's readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, but here they are for your self-directed study:

Day of Pentecost May 11, 2008

*Acts 2:1-21 or Numbers 11:24-30

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

I Corinthians 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21

John 20:19-23 or John 7:37-39

Hope to see you there!

Voices for Habitat

On Sunday, May 4, the sol cafe will be doing a change-up on its "usual" (if such a thing exists) Sunday evening gathering. Instead, the sol cafe will be joining in supporting the "Voices for Habitat" fundraising concert being held starting 7 pm at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, 8420-145 Street, (which also happens to be home to sol cafe irregular Joe Walker). Full details on the event can be found by clicking here.

Come for the concert, or contact us if you're interested in volunteering and we'll get you in touch with the concert's volunteer coordinator. We can also help pick up tickets if you let us know that you plan on coming.

It has all the makings of a great evening of music and fellowship, in support of a great cause. Hope to see you there!

God's little bricks

On Sunday, April 20, 2008, the sol cafe will be doing something a little different... a bit of volunteer work perhaps atypical of a church, but a service to our community nonetheless.

Instead of being in our usual coffee shop location, we'll be meeting at 5 pm in the main lobby of the Telus World of Science Edmonton, 11211 142 Street. They need some help taking apart a Lego® sculpture that was made over the summer and sorting the bricks into colours.

Our church's connection is that one of our regulars works at the Telus World of Science, saw a need and made the connection. She has a cousin who said he would come if she could convince him how Lego® is connected to Church. She told him that we are each God's little bricks and by connecting us together He creates incredible things.

Perhaps more profoundly, this is, for her, a public declaration of her faith, in her workplace no less, and a place where faith is not often the first thing on the agenda. Perhaps the question should not be about how Lego® is connected to Church, but how she is.

Hope you can join us and be a part of building some connections with our community, building memories with one another, and building God's church. If you are a bit late, just tell the Box Office you're there for the sol cafe. They'll know where we are. We will read scripture and pray together and dwell among the brick.

The verses for this week from the Revised Common Lectionary are:

Fifth Sunday of Easter April 20, 2008

*Acts 7:55-60

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

I Peter 2:2-10

John 14:1-14

Reflections from Japan

On Sunday April 13, the sol cafe will be gathering around 5 pm at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) for an evening of reflections and inspirations from sol cafe regular Gou from his recent trip to Japan. The evening will also include the sharing of communion. Hope you can join us!

The readings from the Revised Common Lectionary for this week are:

Fourth Sunday of Easter April 13, 2008

*Acts 2:42-47

Psalm 23

I Peter 2:19-25

John 10:1-10

Casual Sunday

On Sunday, March 30, at around 5 pm, the sol cafe will be gathering at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) for an evening moved by the Spirit. We will start it off by reading our week's verses from the Revised Common Lectionary, a shared calendar of Bible readings:

Second Sunday of Easter March 30, 2008

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

Psalm 16

I Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

Or maybe we will be moved in a different direction altogether. Just come with an open heart and an open mind and a spirit of worship and the evening will most certainly turn out the way it should. Hope to see you there!

Kevin's Homework

Bundle up! This week we're going out into the community around Whyte Avenue to observe and interact with those who call the area home. We will be acting as Kevin's eyes and ears around Whyte as he puts together a report on the role of our church in the community. As we go out, feel free to pray for the people who walk the avenue on a regular basis and ask God what our role can/should be within this neighborhood. We will be meeting at 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) and then go out from there.

Casual Sunday

On Sunday, March 9, at around 5 pm, the sol cafe will be gathering at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) for an evening moved by the Spirit. We will start it off by reading our week's verses from the Revised Common Lectionary, a shared calendar of Bible readings:

Fifth Sunday in Lent March 9, 2008

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Psalm 130

Romans 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

Or maybe we will be moved in a different direction altogether. Just come with an open heart and an open mind and a spirit of worship and the evening will most certainly turn out the way it should. Hope to see you there!

Celebration Sunday—Potluck Style!

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

On Sunday March 2^nd at 5ish the sol cafe will be meeting at Rob & Amanda's abode for a meal celebrating the end of the annual sol cafe fast. In the spirit of the early church everyone is encouraged to bring a part of the meal and join with us as we sit down to a family dinner. For directions to Rob & Amanda's please contact Shirley and just in case you forget or get lost a couple of regulars will be at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to pickup any stragglers.

A Service Sunday

On Sunday, February 24, the sol cafe will be holding its monthly(ish) "service service" where our regular Sunday gathering and worship takes the form of rolling up our sleeves and doing some good. This month we will be meeting at the downtown Salvation Army depot (9618 101A Ave NW) to sort food and do whatever other work needs doing.

If you can join us, please meet at the depot at 5 pm and, unlike our usual "Mexico time" approach, you'll need to be relatively prompt because the facility will need to be locked once we're inside. If you've never been before or need a lift, we will also have a couple of our regulars at Cafe Dabar at 5 pm to shuttle people over. Drop us a note if you think you'll need a lift and we'll make sure to watch out for you.

And for those continuing to follow along, this week's verses from the Revised Common Lectionary are as follows:

Third Sunday in Lent February 24, 2008

Exodus 17:1-7

Psalm 95

Romans 5:1-11

John 4:5-42

whatsoever is good ...

On Sunday, February 17, starting around 5 pm at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave), come and join us for a night of thoughtful discussion based upon the passage:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

Come and connect with us and God—come for the coffee and let God feed your soul.

Casual Sunday

On Sunday, December 9, at around 5 pm, the sol cafe will be gathering at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) for an evening moved by the Spirit. A couple of possible seeds would be discussion of "The Great Emergence" as well as our week's verses from the Revised Common Lectionary, a shared calendar of Bible readings:

Second Sunday of Advent December 9, 2007

Isaiah 11:1-10

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

Or maybe we will be moved in a different direction altogether. Just come with an open heart and an open mind and a spirit of worship and the evening will most certainly turn out the way it should. Hope to see you there!

Evan Almighty

On Sunday, December 2, the sol cafe will be gathering at 7:30 pm -- a slightly later time than usual -- at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) in order hold a screening of the movie Evan Almighty. Why, you ask? Because it is relevant, thought-provoking and very funny. A longer defense of movies in church can also be found by clicking here.

The later time is also because elves drafted from among the sol cafe regulars are helping with the Kids with Cancer Society Christmas Party being held at Galaxyland on Sunday afternoon. If you're interested in more details, drop us a line!

Finally, this week's verses from the Revised Common Lectionary are as follows:

First Sunday of Advent December 2, 2007

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44

Hope to see you there!

Walking the walk

On Sunday, November 25, the sol cafe will be meeting at 5 pm at the Stollery Children's Hospital for a "service" service, an evening where our worship is in the form of a gift of action. We will be spending the evening cleaning up the toy room in the kids with cancer ward, as well as any other jobs that need being done. One of our sol cafe regulars is a nurse on the ward, and as a church we regularly pray for the kids there, their families, and the staff who take care of them. These evenings are another way we try to help out.

Meet at the bottom of the escalator of the East entrance off 112 street at 5 pm. If you think you might be late, drop us an e-mail and we can provide you with further details.

Hope to see you there!

Corinthians Wrap-up (for now!)

On Sunday, November 18, the sol cafe will be gathering around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to finish our recent series on Corinthians. There has been enlightening discussion, so we hope you can join us.

The sol cafe *tries* to follow the Revised Common Lectionary, a shared calendar of Bible readings that covers the entire Bible over the course of a three-year cycle. Our readings for this week are:

Proper 28 (33) November 18, 2007	Isaiah 65:17-25 or Malachi 4:1-2a	Isaiah 12 or Psalm 98	II Thessalonians 3:6-13	Luke 21:5-19

discussion that demands more discussion

On Sunday, November 11, the sol cafe will be meeting around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) for a continuation of last week's discussion of the book of Corinthians. We'll post more details if they become available, or just come with an open mind and open heart and see what God has in store.

For this week, the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary are:

Proper 27 (32) November 11, 2007

Haggai 1:15b-2:9 or Job 19:23-27a

Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 or Psalm 98 or Psalm 17:1-9

II Thess. 2:1-5, 13-17

Luke 20:27-38

Hope to see you all there!