Dear Friends,

   It has been great to see new faces on Sunday mornings!  It is also nice to have some people returning.  We missed you!!!!!  It is so good to have so many of us worshiping together again.  Thank you all for showing up!  It is always nice to have visitors and some old friends, too.  Let’s keep up the momentum!

This Sunday we will be staying after worship for Sue to lead us in a workshop on prayer beads.  She will provide the things needed to make the beaded chains or you can shop for your own beads or a mixture of both. I know prayer beads aren’t “Quaker”, but beads are used in many religions to help focus quietly while in waiting worship.  Beads are used for prayers all around the world.

Buddhism and Hinduism have Mala Beads.  There are generally 108 beads plus a larger “guru bead.”  They are used to count mantra repetitions or japa. Islam has Misbaha or Tasbih beads, usually either 33 or 99 beads representing the 99 Names of Allah. Christianity has many different kinds of prayer beads.  The most well-known is the Catholic Rosary.  This ring of beads is made up of 59 beads and, in general, is used to meditate on the mysteries of Christ and Mary. The Eastern Orthodox use a knotted wool rope of 100 knots or string of beads with 33, to be used with “the Jesus Prayer.” This prayer (O Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me) is repeated rhythmically and is known as noetic prayer or the “prayer of the heart.” Its aim is to quiet wandering thoughts and center the mind and heart in the presence of God. The Anglican and Protestant prayer beads are also made up of 33 beads, one for each year of Jesus’ earthly life.  They are divided into four sections for the four weeks of the month with seven beads for each day in each of the sections. Five beads hang down, sometimes with a cruciform at the end. Sikhism, the Bahá’í Faith, Jainism, and certain Jewish traditions also use prayer beads.  We have a lot of examples to choose from as we make ours original, which is Quaker, to pray in your own way.  The beads only purpose is to help you listen for God (Universe, Higher Power, Divine, Truth), whatever that means to you.

Remember, “As part of the Prayer Beads Workshop on the 25th, I asked attendees to bring a list of meaningful prayers, poems, affirmations, blessings, quotes, etc. to share with the group. It’s occurred to me that sharing such personal words may feel too vulnerable for some ~ whatever you do choose to share I’ll read, anonymously, while we’re creating our prayer beads and print copies of them the week after we meet,” says Sue.

I enjoy beading as some of you already know, so I am definitely looking forward to Sunday. There are many, many things that are joyful to me – thank you for letting me be your pastor! One of the things I do that is so joyous is helping to feed people at the Interfaith Food Pantry.  Sue also helps in this endeavor as well as lots of people who cook and help serve in some capacity for people who are coming to the pantry to get food.  (Many serve as volunteers for the pantry as part of the Friends testimony to let your life teach.  Thank you!) Many participants who come to the pantry for food are very hungry and really appreciate a hot meal before their shopping experience.  I look forward to the last two Tuesdays in the month when we are at the Klamath Lutheran Church as part of the Interfaith Food Pantry.  This past week we served a chili that was based on beans and tomatillos, salad, and peach cake.  Of all the families we fed (around 50) what stood out for me were two little boys who were so hungry, so adorable, and grateful for a nice dinner.  There is always someone in the crowd that is such a blessing, and this past week it was those two little boys.  They were preschool aged, brothers but so different in looks and dispositions.  It is so easy to love a child, and I am grateful that our ministries reach people of all ages.  If you would like to volunteer at the pantry, please contact Alicia Pinkerton (contact me for her email address), and she will help you sign up as a volunteer.

Sunday week (November 1, 2026) has several special aspects to it.  To begin with, set your clocks back an hour before you go to sleep on Saturday. You get an extra hour of rest! Sunday morning begins at 9:00 AM with Bible Study.  We are using the book of Mark in our Lectio Divina Sunday Bible Study, and we have a wonderful time listening together and discerning what the scriptures bring up for us.  It is open worship (unprogrammed) Sunday at 10:00, and we look forward to the beautiful sounds of both the harp and flute brought to us by the Fays. Also, the sound of silence that is truly a dear friend.  That Sunday in other denominations and belief systems is “All Saints Day.”  It is a day to remember those who have died and to honor them in some way.  If you would like to bring a picture, a special item, or just a memory to share we can all reflect on the blessings that have paved the way for the lives we live today. Then after worship at 11:00, we will be singing the songs we will be singing during programmed worship in November.

Don’t forget our two potlucks coming up towards the end of the month.  (You always bring such fabulous dishes to potlucks!) On November 15 at 11:00 we will be having a church potluck after worship.  There is a sign-up sheet on the entry table.  This potluck is to celebrate and give thanks for our community at KFFC.

Then on November 21 we will be joining friends in town for a joint Trans-Remembrance Day at 2 at Klamath Lutheran Church remembering the transgender people who were killed in 2025, and at 3 o’clock we will be eating at Klamath Lutheran with people invited from the town to show our support for our LGBTQ+ town community members. Many from the LGBTQ+ community do not have a place to go for Thanksgiving, and this is our “Friendsgiving” potluck to show we care and are supportive. Everyone enjoyed the vegetarian salads that you brought to the last town potluck, so it has been asked if our congregation can bring vegetarian salads again.  We are doing this Trans Remembrance Day and potluck in conjunction with the Klamath Universal Unitarian Fellowship and the Klamath Lutheran Church, congregations that make three open and affirming congregations in the town.  We would like to support our LGBTQ+ members and our town.  Please come and join us in both the Remembrance Day service and the following potluck.

I hope you are enjoying the fall colors!

Please look on the calendar below and find ways to plug into our KFFC community.

With respect,

Leigh

• October 26 – Committee Reports Due in the Office
• October 26 – Church Cleaning Morning at 9:00
• October 27 – 5:00 PM – Food Pantry – If you want to volunteer, please contact Alicia Pinkerton

November 2026

• November 1- 9:00 AM Bible Study
• November 1 – 10:00 AM Open worship remembering those who have gone before us
• November 1- 11:00 AM singing the songs for the month
• November 4 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting
• November 8 -11:00 Book Group chapters 19 &20 of Richard Rohr’s The Naked Now.
• November 10 – 5:30 PM – suggested date for Ministry and Care
• November 11 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting
• November 14 – 9:00 AM Church Cleaning
• November 13 – 6:00 Game Night @ Klamath Lutheran Church
• November 15 – 11:00 AM Thanksgiving Church Potluck at the rise of meeting
• November 17 – 5:00 PM Food Pantry – If you want to volunteer, please contact Alicia Pinkerton
• November 18 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting
• November 21 – 2:00 PM Trans day of Remembrance
• November 21 – 3:00 PM Friendsgiving Potluck at Klamath Lutheran Church.
• November 23 – Committee Reports Due in the Office
• November 24 – 5:00 PM- Food Pantry – If you want to volunteer, please contact Aliciapinkerton@gmail.comNovember 25 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting