Religion: November events

Thanksgiving Sunday Services for The First United Methodist Church at Fourth and Lead in Downtown Albuquerque begin at 8:30 a.m. with the contemporary Crossroads Service with 4th Street Sound. At 9:40, there is a Sunday School hour for children, youth, and adults. At 11:00 a.m. a Traditional Service with Chancel Choir is offered. Both services this week will enjoy texts from both old and new testaments with music of praise and thanksgiving from children, adult, and bell choirs to celebrate the blessings of this day and of our lives. Visitors are invited and all are welcome. — First United Methodist Church

An Akathist is a poetic form of sung praise unique to the Orthodox Church. "Glory to God for All Things" was composed in Communist Russia in 1934 and is identified with Fr. Gregory Petrov, who died with the Akathist in his possession in 1940. It expresses gratitude for all God sends to us, for the beauty, the love, the help and even the difficulties which help us to grow. All are welcome. — All Saints of North America Orthodox Church

As our hearts overflow with gratitude to Our Lord, we offer a Rite 2 Eucharistic Service (with Holy Communion). All are welcome. Check our website for upcoming Advent events, or call the church office at 830-0572. — Hope+In+The+Desert Episcopal Church

We are excited to welcome guest speaker Franklin Graham at all four weekend services on November 28-29. Franklin Graham has devoted his life to meeting the needs of people around the world while proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The eldest son of Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, he serves as President and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Under his leadership, Samaritan's Purse has met the needs of poor, sick, and suffering people in more than 100 countries, and conducts the Annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Project. As an evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, he has led crusades around the world. Be sure to join us for one of our weekend services on Saturday at 6:30 PM, or Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:15 AM. — Calvary of Albuquerque

A one to seven day silent retreat, “Clarifying Meditative Work – An Extended Retreat”, will be held from Sunday, 11/29 to Sunday, 12/6 on ten quiet acres in Tijeras, just outside of Albuquerque. Fees range from $50 to $230, depending on the number of days you come. It is alright to come for one day or more. Advance registration is required. The retreat will bring together people interested in meditation from any tradition - including Tibetan, Zen, Vipassana, Hindu and Western – as well as people meditating without any traditional context. The spirit of the retreat should appeal to people who enjoy the writings of Pema Chodron, Toni Packer, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie and Krishnamurti, among others. Both experienced sitters and those newly interested in meditation will have a chance to explore directly what meditative work is and how it sheds light on the concerns of our lives. The retreat does not focus on teaching techniques or spiritual theory, although it will be fine if these topics come up for discussion. Instead participants can share issues and concerns in their lives or issues from or about their meditation and we can discover directly what is helpful and what is not. The group will explore the possibility of shedding fresh light on issues of our lives, not theoretically, but from a quiet, meditative listening to each other and to oneself. Each retreat day will include quiet sitting, group discussion, a short talk and some time to meet one on one. The day is held in silence, without talking, except for the morning talk, the afternoon discussion and one on one meetings. None of the activities are required and participants are free to find their own way. The facilitator is Jay Cutts, who has attended retreats with Toni Packer for over 30 years. Jay says, “Meditative work is, in its deepest sense, not theoretical, not goal oriented, not a matter of time or progress. It is the direct opening, fully complete in this moment now, to a simple, compassionate, open awareness that allows the myriad fears, clingings, confusions of the mind that we all suffer from to be revealed in a new way and at the same time brings us intimately, undividedly and lovingly in touch with the wide universe in all its profound stillness. I feel that, in our deepest hearts, it is the possibility of this openness that we come together to clarify.” There is an introductory workshop on 11/14 from 2 to 5 pm in Albuquerque. For reservations or more info, or to be on the mailing list for future workshops, please call Jay at 281-0684 or visit: www.cuttsreviews.com/meditation/ — NM Center for Meditative Inquiry and Retreat