Newsletter, CoP, Jan. 29, 2023

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Jan. 29, 2023, Fourth Sunday of Epiphany, 4 pm, Rise Church (10445 SW Canterbury Ln., Tigard, OR 97224), or on Zoom.  Contact Pastor Brett for Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell 919-444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

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Dear Community of Pilgrims,

I want to begin with a few words that play off of “Thank you!” Thank you, Community of Pilgrims (CoP) Presbyterian Fellowship for showing up, Sunday after Sunday in this new venture in which we practice the old habit of meeting and eating together, with the Eucharist and a pot-luck supper as part of our gatherings! Thank you for engaging me and each other with new thoughts and ideas about Scripture and theology. Thank you for caring for one another. Thank you for caring for the world in which we live. Thank you for caring for immigrants and refugees who have moved to Portland. Thank you for working with other churches in addressing issues of homelessness and hunger in Portland. Thank you for showing up for protests, doing justice, and causing some “good trouble.” Thank you for letting me visit you in your homes and work places. And thank you for being an example of God’s love in the world today. Thank you!

The Scripture focus this week is Matthew 5:1-12. It is commonly called “The Beatitudes” or “The Blesseds,” because there is a string of the words, “blessed are.” As I read and re-read them, I am reminded how Jesus is setting us apart from some of the people in the world in which we live. Jesus promises us comfort when we are feeling poorly, either figuratively or literally; mourn; are overwhelmed by the sense of being meek in an angry world; and have a hunger for justice and righteousness in a world that has sought another dangerous path. And then there is that call to be peacemakers in the world in which we find ourselves almost constantly at war or confronting civil strife. In the end, Jesus reminds us which side God is on. We just need to be reminded of this truth from time to time, like this upcoming Sunday. Join us this Sunday as we hear and receive this story, again, reminded that, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “we must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.”

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Events!  

Jan. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Feb. 5, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Feb. 12, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Feb. 19, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation:

God, we are thankful for:

·      We are thankful for The Community of Pilgrims;

·      Thankful for the new call to La Mesa Presbyterian Church for Brett;

·      Celebrating Hazel Fergus Anderson’s second week of life;

·      Chuck Stilson out of the hospital;

·      Jan Peterson of Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church being out of the hospital;

·      Ron Fortlander’s birthday;

·      April’s new grandchild;

·      Kathy Fukuyama’s son’s wedding in Jan., 2023;

·      Laura Faulkner’s new grandchild;

·      Roxanne and husband’s upcoming trip to Israel;

Holy One, receive our prayers of concern: 

·      Marily’s ongoing health crisis;

·      Christian’s mom’s move to assisted care;

·      Maureen’s health struggle with cancer;

·      Gun violence and mass shootings in the US, that they may cease and desist;

·      Transgender youth and Drag Queens;

·      Voting rights;

·      Women’s reproductive rights;

·      Climate changes;

·      Immigrants and refugees around the world… that they may have a home;

God in your love, receive and attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

Beatitudes, by Malcolm Guite

We bless you, who have spelt your blessings out,

And set this lovely lantern on a hill

Lightening darkness and dispelling doubt

By lifting for a little while the veil.

For longing is the veil of satisfaction

And grief the veil of future happiness

We glimpse beneath the veil of persecution

The coming kingdom’s overflowing bliss

Oh make us pure of heart and help us see

Amongst the shadows and amidst the mourning

The promised Comforter, alive and free,

The kingdom coming and the Son returning,

That even in this pre-dawn dark we might

At once reveal and revel in your light.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Newsletter, CoP, Jan. 22, 2023

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Jan. 22, 2023, Third Sunday of Epiphany, 4 pm, Rise Church (10445 SW Canterbury Ln., Tigard, OR 97224), or on Zoom.  Contact Pastor Brett for Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell 919-444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

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Dear Community of Pilgrims,

Even in these short days and long nights of winter, there are buds and shoots all around gardens and forests. Even amid bare limbs of trees, which are in slumber, they continue to feed on the moisture caught by the wet leaves that fill our yards. On my daily walks of late, I’m glad to see such small signs of life which will soon turn to more obvious buds and blossoms. If all life is a miracle, I am thankful for such miracles.

The passage from Matthew’s Gospel this week seems to be set in two parts (Matthew 4:12-23). In the first half, we understand that Jesus makes his home in Capernaum, which is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. If he actually had a home there, we don’t know. Matthew’s Jesus then talks about the future realm of God’s love, calling people to repent, for the realm is near, embodied in the very life of Jesus. Knowing that he could not do this mission alone, and that it would “take a village” to do it, Jesus starts to call out the twelve who would be his primary community. His first disciple is Andrew, who he calls from his work as a fisherman. And Jesus tells him, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” (4:19). And Andrew “immediately” dropped his fishing nets and followed Jesus. Then he called brothers James and John, sons of Zebedee, to leave their nets and follow him, and they did the same thing that Andrew did. They "immediately" dropped their nets and followed Jesus. Here’s the question for us: When have you heard Jesus call you to do something? To be somewhere? Does Christ’s Spirit continue to do this kind of calling, in this day and age, asking us to pick up and leave what we are doing and follow Jesus to the ends of the earth? Do we do so "immediately?" Join us Sunday as we discuss this thing called “calling.” 

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Events!  

Jan. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Jan. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Feb. 5, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Feb. 12, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation:

We give you thanks God for:

·      Chuck being home;

·      Jan at Portsmouth Trinity who is now in rehab;

·      Hazel Fergus Anderson’s birth;

·      Sarah and Ellen’s wedding;

·      For Community of Pilgrims, as a community of faith;

·      For a young person at Home Plate who got a full-time job!

·      Todd, who is fighting cancer, who is doing well during treatments;

·      Thanks for rain;

·      All those fighting cancer;

·      Thanks for modern medicine.

O God, we pray for:

·      Carolyn Getty, with a dairy farm in NY, widow, near the end of her life;

·      Sarah’s mother who is still in hospice;

·      Marily Quesnal’s slowly improving health;

·      Yarrow Halstead’s fight against cancer;

·      For Larry Cobb and Charles Flaum, who both are fighting chronic health conditions;

·      Christian’s mom, who is moving to assisted care;

·      Sue Malter;

·      For those nations engaged in war or civil strife, including Ukraine; Afghanistan; Iran; Syria; Yemen; Sri Lanka; and Myanmar;

·      Gun safety in the US;

·      Global climate change;

·      Transgender young people who are targets of conservative politicians; 

·      Women’s reproductive rights;

·      Voting rights in heavily gerrymandered districts and states;

·      Discrimination in the workplace;

·      The ongoing refugee and homeless situation around the world;

·      Homelessness and gun violence on Portland’s city streets.

God in your love, receive and attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

A Prayer (author unknown)

So many things wash up to my shore

In course of the day, a year, a lifetime;

Valuable gifts;

Luminous events.

Yet the smallest thoughtless word

Can throw me off my bearings.

Listen to the small

Voice within,

Calling you back to the Center.

Reminding you of what really matters.

Asking you to reserve judgment.

Wait on Time

To understand the shape of things.

Look within for strength

And the patience to endure.

Look without.

You are not alone.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Jan. 15, 2023, CoP, Newsletter,

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Jan. 15, 2023, 4 pm, Rise Church (10445 SW Canterbury Ln., Tigard, OR 97224), or on Zoom.  Contact Pastor Brett for Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell 919-444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

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Dear Community of Pilgrims,

This coming Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, the focus is on the baptism of Jesus, in which we celebrate and remember this important initiation ritual in the life of the Church. In Matthew 3:13-17, the event of Jesus’ baptism happens rather quickly, filled with spiritual overtones, and the first presence of the Trinity, which would be echoed in the readings towards the end of Matthew’s Gospel. To begin, we have Jesus coming to John on the shores of the muddy Jordan River. Even though John insisted that he be baptized by Jesus, realizing who was in front of him, nevertheless John gives in to Jesus’ request to be baptized. And with that act of submission on Jesus’ part, being baptized by John, his relative, in coming out of the water, an epiphany was made about who was just baptized. First, there was the Spirit of God in the form of a dove descending and actually alighting—landing—on Jesus! Then there was the third part of the Trinity: Creator. Father. Parent. And the words spoken here from the heavens are important as they locate who Jesus is in the Trinity of faith: “This is my son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Wow. Succinct. Terse. To the point.  But powerful. And since that first baptism, we’ve been baptizing people for over 2,000 years. Join us this Sunday as we discuss the power of the ritual of baptism in the life of the Church. 

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Events!  

Jan. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Jan. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Jan. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation:

We give you thanks God for:

·      The birth of Hazel Fergus Anderson, daughter of Adrianne and Scott Anderson, sister to Edie, and granddaughter to Christian and Brett;

·      For modern science and medical health care;

·      For the birth of Henry Deporre, Christian’s great-grandchild;

·      For Melissa and Ken in Santa Rosa, CA;

God, we pray for: 

·      For Chuck, who was in the hospital the last week;

·      For Carole’s cousin Becky who lost her husband Same in the past weeks;

·      Prayers for Becky and her family;

·      For a friend’s brother, Al, discharged from the hospital and in need of rehab;

·      For Roberta’s nephew, Sam;

·      For Katie returning to U of O;

·      For California, confronted by storm after storm;

·      For gun safety;

·      For the US House of Representatives dysfunction;

·      Youth at HomePlate and Outside In;

·      For those abused in the Church;

·      Sally, who will be in assisted living facility (friend of Roxanne’s)

·      Christian’s mom who is moving to assisted care;

·      Jan, at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church, who was in the hospital;

·      For Sue Malter.

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

 Beloved, by Jan Richardson

Is there any other word 

Needs saying,

Any other blessing

Could compare

With this name,

This knowing?

Beloved.

Comes like a mercy 

To the ear that has never

Heard it.

Comes like a river

To the body that has never 

Seen such grace.

Beloved.

Comes holy to the heart

Aching to be new.

Comes healing to the soul

Wanting to begin 

Again.

Beloved.

Keep saying it

And though it may 

Sound strange at first,

Watch how it becomes

Part of you,

How it becomes you,

As if you never

Could have known yourself

Anything else,

As if you could ever

Have been other 

Than this.

Beloved.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Jan. 8, 2023, CoP, Newsletter

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Jan. 8, 2023. Epiphany! 4 pm, Rise Church (10445 SW Canterbury Ln., Tigard, OR 97224), or on Zoom.  Contact Pastor Brett for the Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell 919-444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

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Dear Community of Pilgrims,

Happy Feast of the Epiphany! This is Three Kings Day!

I began writing this newsletter on the 12th and last day of Christmas, Jan. 5, 2023. I hope you all enjoyed the season of Christmas, which included, in the midst of this holiday season, the turning over into a new year. Slowly, I took down the Christmas wreaths in the front of our home today, acknowledging that we are in a new season of the Church's life. We are no longer in Christmas but Epiphany, which ends on Feb. 22, 2023, Ash Wednesday.

The Scripture reading for Epiphany is Matthew 2:1-12. The primary verses that stand out to me as I read this passage is this: “When they (the Magi) saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”(vv. 10-11). This is the very definition of the word “epiphany”: The “manifestation of a divine or supernatural being; a moment of sudden revelation or insight” (dictionary.com). The Magi, a group of pilgrims from the East, found the one that they had been seeking, lying in a manger, in Bethlehem. It is the very definition of an “Aha!” moment. They knew that this child, this one, was the one they were called to seek and find. When have we felt this kind of epiphanic experience in our daily lives? In other words, when were we caught surprised at the presence of the Holy in our daily routine of life? Join us Sunday as we focus on such moments of divine revelation in our lives today. And Happy Epiphany!

**

Our story of sharing Advent/Christmas blessings with families from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working with Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church, was published in this week's Presbytery's Cascades Connection. The story is half way down the Cascades Connection. Just click on or copy and paste this hyperlink: https://mailchi.mp/cascadespresbytery/january-5-2023?e=d2d6e7b533. And thank you, all, for this gift of love.

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Events!  

Jan. 8, 4 pm, Epiphany! Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Jan. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Jan. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Jan. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

 For these things we are thankful:

·      For the body of Christ in this season of Christmastide;

·      For good health;

·      For a shelter, food, and clothes;

·      For the freedom to worship;

·      For modes of transportation to move around;

·      For the means to help others in need;

·      For health care, and the advancements in science;

·      For significant relationships and our families who provide us a web of care;

·      For the grace that makes possible our participation in the body of Christ.

We pray for:

·      The world. We especially pray for places around the world in which global climate change is making a big impact this winter, such as northern CA, which has received heavier than usual rains;

·      For leaders of civil government, and that they would focus on the common good rather than ill-gotten gains. We especially pray for the US House of Representatives; 

·      For gun control, climate control, equality with the LGBTQIA2S+ community; women’s reproductive rights, voting rights, and new immigration policies that welcome the stranger;

·      For those places and people caught up in war, including Ukraine; Ethiopia; Syria; Yemen; Afghanistan; Iran; China; and Myanmar. We pray for peace and love to prevail;

·      For the worldwide church, that there would be peace and understanding among us all;

·      For the cities in which we live, and that there may be a way to end homelessness, poverty, and hunger;

·      For those immigrants and refugees in this world;

·      The those in hospice and palliative care, that there may be comfort;

·      For our families and significant relationships where there is tension or deep sadness.

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

For Those Stars That Turn in Us, A Blessing, by Jan Richardson

I do not know

How to keep it all together

Or by what patterns

This world might finally hold.

What I know is that

Our hearts are bigger

Than this sky

That wheels above us.

And what shines

Through all this darkness

Shines through us,

Setting every shattered thing

Into a new constellation

And we can turn 

Our faces

To that light,

To the grace of 

Those stars

That turn in us. 

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Newsletter, CoP, Dec. 24, 2022

THIS SATURDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, Christmas Eve! Joint worship service at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church, 7119 N. Portsmouth Ave., Portland, OR, 97203. 5 pm. We will not meet on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

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Dear Community of Pilgrims,

“The reason for the season of Christmas” is almost here! After the four weeks of Advent, focusing on the movement of God in our world’s story, in which justice, peace, hope, joy, and love prevail in the world that is always teetering on the edge of rejecting these characteristics of a well-lived moral life, we remember the change agent extraordinaire who is born in a town outside of Jerusalem, in Bethlehem. The couple that welcomes the birth of Jesus are not well known. They are of the lineage of the house of King David, but besides that, not too much is known of the family. And the setting for the story is not beautiful and serene. It was an ad hoc situation at best. And right after the birth, the pilgrimage of Jesus’ life begins in earnest, to escape the horror show unleashed by Herod.

There is a refrain in the song, “O Holy Night,” with lyrics by French poet Placide Cappeau in 1843, based on the “divine midnight hour” of Christ’s birth, that speaks to us well today, as it did when it was first written, as well as about the night of Christ’s birth: “O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error, pining, until he appears and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” At the time of Christ’s birth, the world around Jesus’ birth was weary with being occupied territory of the Roman Empire. Sin and error abounded. Weirdly enough, the world feels similar today in some very real ways. We live in a weary and heavy-laden world. God’s faithfulness, in the birth of Emmanuel, God with us, shows up with wonder and surprise. It catches us off guard. There is nothing rational about this birth, or news of it. It came from left field. Off the grid. Out of the framework of our way of knowing the world, and God. And for that gift, let us give thanks. Join us as we read Luke 2:1-20, and remember, again, what God has done, is doing, and will always do in securing the realm of love in our midst today.  

**

Pledge Time! Thank you! Thank you, one and all, for making a pledge for 2023 for the Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship. Your pledge supports the ongoing work of the Community of Pilgrims, including the salary and housing for the pastor, as well as making it possible for us to work together to meet weekly on Zoom or at Rise for worship and prayer, education and discipleship, and continue our work of service and fellowship in the greater community in which we live as we follow Jesus and embrace all. Know, also, that at the end of the year you may contribute the rest of your pledge for 2022, and, if interested, send more funds for the Community of Pilgrims as a charitable contribution for this tax year.

**

Advent-Christmas Service Project: Thank you! Thanks to the Community of Pilgrims and Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church for sharing funds to purchase nine Fred Meyer gift cards for people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who have re-settled in east Portland/Gresham.  Together, both churches raised over $1,000! Thank you so much for making Christmas special in the lives of those who are making their new home in Portland. 

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Events!

Dec. 24, 5 pm, Christmas Eve worship at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church.

Dec. 25, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2023, Holy Holidays!

Jan. 8, 4 pm, Epiphany! Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church

Jan. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

Prayers of thanksgiving for:

Kathy and her commitment to Community of Pilgrims

The traditional Christmas Pageant at East Woods Church this morning narrated by a special needs young man.

The Respect for Marriage Act signed by President Biden.

Brett's experience being Santa.

Chuck's grandson Mike is visiting from Norway.

Chuck for being a wonderful grandfather.

Friends and family.

The lovely service at St. Andrew's to honor Marge Stockwell.

Christian had a safe trip to visit his family.

Midterm elections were fair and safe.

The gifts we have collected for the two adopted families from Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Prayers of concern for:

Roberta's friend who just lost her husband.

Those dealing with dementia.

Paddler Larry Cobb who is in palliative care, and Charles Flaum who has cancer.

France is disappointed they could not successfully defend their World Cup crown after losing to Argentina in the final.

Roberta's former advisor who has been diagnosed with a form of leukemia.

Hot spots around the world including Syria, Yemen, China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Peru, and parts of the US.

Rise of violence in this country against the LGBTQIA2S+ community, specifically transgender community, and the Jewish community.

Global climate concerns including increased carbon dioxide levels, global warming, and pollution.

The epidemic of gun violence in this country.

Germany where last week police arrested far-right extremists on suspicion of plotting a coup.

Those in palliative care and hospice.

Those on death row and prayers that this country abolish capital punishment.

States where voting rights are suppressed.

Safe return to Norway for Chuck's grandson Mike.

May the Christmas spirit spread and prevail.

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

How the Light Comes (A Blessing for Christmas Day) by Jan Richardson

I cannot tell you

how the light comes.

What I know

is that it is more ancient

than imagining.

That it travels

across an astounding expanse

to reach us.

That it loves

searching out

what is hidden

what is lost

what is forgotten

or in peril

or in pain.

That it has a fondness

for the body

for finding its way

toward flesh

for tracing the edges

of form

for shining forth

through the eye,

the hand,

the heart.

I cannot tell you

how the light comes,

but that it does.

That it will.

That it works its way

into the deepest dark

that enfolds you,

though it may seem

long ages in coming

or arrive in a shape

you did not foresee.

And so

may we this day

turn ourselves toward it.

May we lift our faces

to let it find us.

May we bend our bodies

to follow the arc it makes.

May we open

and open more

and open still

to the blessed light

that comes.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Newsletter, CoP, Dec. 11, 2022

HIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, Third Sunday of Advent. Bring three candles! On Zoom or at Rise Church,10445 SW Canterbury Ln, Tigard, OR 97224. Contact me if you need a Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

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Dear Community of Pilgrims,

As we turn towards the third Sunday of Advent, our schedules get a little crazier and a little bit fuller as we make our pilgrimage to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and finally Christmastide. Around our home, a Christmas tree is yet to go up, along with more decorations, but that need will be addressed in good order, and soon.

In our readings for Advent, there has been a strong alternative narrative or story, pitted against the story of our lives, offered up to us in our readings this season. The first Sunday, we focused on the call of Isaiah of the realm of God in which swords would be beaten to plowshares, and spears to pruning hooks. We read this in the time of war between Russia and Ukraine. Second Sunday of Advent was about the prophet John the Baptizer, in the wilderness, calling people to get back to basics, to living life in the way that God intended, like following more closely the Ten Commandments, caring for one another, for neighbor, and loving God with our entire being. We read these words in a world in which white nationalists and Christofascists are loud and brazen. The third Sunday of Advent focuses on the personhood of Mary, mother of Jesus, in what we call “the Magnificat,” Luke 1:46b-55 (see the end of the Newsletter for the Magnificat). While Mary begins with the tender words, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” she soon speaks about a world in which justice reigns. It is, in the purview of many commentators, a radical protest song. Some say it is a song that the enslaved Israelites might have sung in Egypt. It is a song that may have been heard in Babylon, sung by the exiled Judeans. It is a song that countless people of faith throughout the ages have sung in times of resistance, in defiance of empires, slavers, domestic or international terrorists, invaders, and the like. “God has shown strength with God’s arm; has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. Has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. Imagine reading or singing these words in Ukraine today. Or Syria. Ethiopia. Myanmar. Yemen. Afghanistan. May it be so. Join us this Sunday as we focus on the Magnificat as not only Mary’s song to the world, but our song, too. 

**

Pledge Time! It is that time again in the year for making a church pledge of time, talent, and financial funds to the Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship. Our Community is dependent upon its members to support it, together, as we gather in life and continue to learn how best to love God, love neighbor, do justice, practice loving kindness, and walk humbly with God in the topsy-turvy world in which we live. In the coming days, you will receive a letter and an email from the Community of Pilgrims, asking each one of you to, please, prayerfully consider your support of our Community. And thank you for past gifts of time, talent, and financial gifts. The deadline for the pledges will be Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. 

**

Advent-Christmas Service Project: We will join with Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church in “adopting” two Congolese families, 9 people in total, with the assistance of Lutheran Community Services NW. We are aiming at providing $100 per person of gift cards. Simply write a check to “The Community of Pilgrims,” for whatever amount you choose, and send it to Bill Kinsey (our Treasurer), 1828 SW Terrace Dr., Portland, OR 97201. Bill will collect the money, purchase the gift cards, and get them to Lutheran Community Services NW. Thanks!

______

Events!

Dec. 11, 4 pm, 3rd Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 18, 4 pm, 4th Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 24, 5 pm, Christmas Eve worship at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church.

Dec. 25, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2023, Holy Holidays!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

Prayers of Thanksgiving:

· Kathy for serving as Steering Committee secretary, recording weekly prayers requests, leading   community service projects, hosting meetings, and as a person.

· Snow that did not stick.

· Brett's former neighbor Eddie who put up an elaborate Christmas display in his yard every year and now after he has moved to a retirement residence, other neighbors continue the tradition.

· Linda Fuqua-Anderson who died this past week.

· Neighbors and neighborhoods we know and they know us.

· Marge Stockwell's 50 years of loving attention and that she got her wish to hear the Hallelujah Chorus.

Prayers of Concern for:

· Paddler Larry Cobb who entered palliative care and paddler Charles Flaum who has been diagnosed with cancer. 

· Chris Dungan's new congregation where there have been a number of losses and people are suffering.

· Kathy and her family as she focuses on different priorities. 

· Marily Quesnel who faces a long recovery after release from the hospital.

· Ken Miller's long stay in the hospital and doctors still unable to determine how to treat calcification in his legs.

· Christian's barber Todd who is struggling with a cancerous growth on his neck and will start radiation and chemotherapy.

· Brett's daughter Adrianne who is due with her second child in five weeks and is joyful and getting tired. 

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

The Magnificat

My soul magnifies the Lord, 

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. 

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 

for the Mighty One has done great things for me, 

and holy is his name. 

His mercy is for those who fear him 

from generation to generation. 

He has shown strength with his arm; 

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, 

and lifted up the lowly; 

he has filled the hungry with good things, 

and sent the rich away empty. 

He has helped his servant Israel, 

in remembrance of his mercy, 

according to the promise he made to our ancestors, 

to Abraham and Sarah and to his descendants forever.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

December 4, 2022, CoP Newsletter

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, Second Sunday of Advent. Bring two candles! On Zoom or at Rise Church,10445 SW Canterbury Ln, Tigard, OR 97224. Contact me if you need a Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

_______

Dear Community of Pilgrims,

The second Sunday of Advent is upon us! It is December, which seems to have come too quickly this year. There is snow on the ground in and around Seattle, and a wet wintry mix predicted now and then for the Portland area. Cities and towns around the country and world are lighting public Christmas trees and menorahs, with holiday craft shows and pop-ups everywhere around us. ‘Tis the season.

It is also the “season” for John the Baptizer to help us, in the Christian community, to focus on what matters most: living in the realm of God’s love. The Scriptural focus is Matthew 2:1-13. The one verse that stood out to me as I read it, again, this year was verse 2: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Repent, or repentance, of our sins, is an action we, the hearer and receiver, are to do, which we do in the Protestant tradition weekly, if not daily. We are capable of doing it because of God’s gift of grace which always saves us from ourselves, even before we know it. Why is it important to be made clean? Because the “kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s the reason for the repentance of sins: the kingdom—or reign or realm of heaven, which is God and God’s Spirit—has come near in John’s time in the person of Jesus. Interesting: These words were supposedly uttered before Jesus showed up to be baptized by John in the River Jordan. But then Jesus appears! And we now live in the day and age of living as God’s forgiven and forgiving people, in the realm of God’s love, already inaugurated by none other than the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ, the first born of creation, and the first born of the dead. With all of John’s bluster and bravery, embraced by the overwhelming Good News of salvation, we read this text this Sunday to remember what God and only God can do: make us new, each and every day of our life, as members of the mystical-yet-real body of Christ. Join us this Sunday as we discuss such things!

**

Pledge Time! It is that time again in the year for making a church pledge of time, talent, and financial funds to the Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship. Our Community is dependent upon its members to support it, together, as we gather in life and continue to learn how best to love God, love neighbor, do justice, practice loving kindness, and walk humbly with God in the topsy-turvy world in which we live. In the coming days, you will receive a letter and an email from the Community of Pilgrims, asking each one of you to, please, prayerfully consider your support of our Community. And thank you for past gifts of time, talent, and financial gifts. The deadline for the pledges will be Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. 

**

Advent-Christmas Service Project: We will join with Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church in “adopting” two Congolese families, 9 people in total, with the assistance of Lutheran Community Services NW. We are aiming at providing $100 per person of gift cards. Simply write a check to “The Community of Pilgrims,” for whatever amount you choose, and send it to Bill Kinsey (our Treasurer), 1828 SW Terrace Dr., Portland, OR 97201. Bill will collect the money, purchase the gift cards, and get them to Lutheran Community Services NW. Thanks!

______

Events!

Dec. 4, 4 pm, 2nd Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or Rise Church, Holy Communion, and welcoming Tom Letts.

Dec. 11, 4 pm, 3rd Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 18, 4 pm, 4th Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 24, 7 pm, Christmas Eve worship at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church.

Dec. 25, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2023, Holy Holidays!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

· Cancer surgery went well for Roxanne’s friend Maureen and her margins are clear.

· Discussions and let’s keep having them.

· Thanksgiving and a time to express gratitude.

· Brett’s ordination 39 years ago.

· Roberta’s invitation to preach on January 1st at East Woods.

· Today’s brief sun and the small amount of rain which we need.

· Ric and Jo Ann Tower’s anniversary this week.

Prayers of concern for:

· Larry Cobb, a Dragon Boat friend, had a stroke this past week, and is in palliative care, along with Charles Flaum, another paddler who is struggling with cancer;

· Chris’s friend Diane who is going through marital difficulties.

· Lorinda’s two friends Connie and Marilee.

· Ken Miller has been in the hospital for several months. Prayers for his family.

· Gun violence in this country and for those families and friends who have suffered because of shootings. Our country and the news have become numb to the violence.

· Tommy the homeless man who came into Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church this morning.

· The homeless and houseless people in Portland who are not getting the mental health care they need.

· Katie and friends and all college students returning to campus for the last weeks of the term and prayers finals go well.

· Voting rights in the US.

· Congress will pass the Respect for Marriage Act.

· Countries around the world experiencing conflict and violence including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Syria. Iraq, Pakistan.

· Global climate change.

· Our friend Linda, who died this past week, and all those in palliative care and hospice care.

· Those who are incarcerated.  Thankful Governor Brown has removed convictions for possession of a small amount of marijuana.

· Women’s reproductive rights.

· Lack of public defenders in Portland.

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

St. John the Baptist, St. John’s Eve, by Malcolm Guite

Midsummer night, and bonfires on the hill

Burn for the man who makes way for the Light:

‘He must increase and I diminish still,

Until his sun illuminates my night.’

So John the Baptist pioneers our path,

Unfolds the essence of the life of prayer,

Unlatches the last doorway into faith,

And makes one inner space an everywhere.

Least of the new and greatest of the old,

Orpheus on the threshold with his lyre,

He sets himself aside, and cries “Behold

The One who stands amongst you comes with fire!”

So keep his fires burning through this night,

Beacons and gateways for the child of light.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Newsletter, CoP, Nov. 20, 2022

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost. On Zoom or at Rise Church,10445 SW Canterbury Ln, Tigard, OR 97224. Contact me if you need a Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

_______

Dear Community of Pilgrims,

Greetings from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Smooth flight from Louisville, KY to Chicago, and I’m waiting to fly to Seattle in the next hour. I’ve spent the last three days at a conference pulled together by the Presbyterian Foundation, which works with our financial resources in the denomination. This conference brought about 30 pastors from large steeple churches and those of us who are considered innovators in the denomination, doing new and exciting things. I shared with them the story of the Community of Pilgrims, as well as listened to the stories of other similar communities. I also got some new ideas and sense of support from the denomination.

This Sunday, Nov. 4, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day. On this day in the life of the Church, which usually follows after All Hallows’ Eve, we remember those who are no longer with us from the previous All Saints’ Day. Bring a candle if you are Zoom, and bring a candle and candle stick holder if you are joining us at Rise Church. 

I look forward to seeing all of you this coming Sunday!

Blessings, Pastor Brett

______

Events!

Nov. 6, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 13, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 20, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 27, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 4, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or Rise Church and Tom Letts.

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

Thanks be to God for:

·      Modern medicine in light of flu, COVID, and other illnesses;

·      Roberta’s neighbor who gave birth;

·      Edie’s birthday (4-year-old granddaughter of Brett & Christian);

·      Ron’s safe trip to visit his parents and move them;

·      Reformation Sunday and the Reformed churches;

·      Sue Malter’s 99th birthday;

·      Chuck’s health;

We pray for:

·      Linda’s health;

·      Roberta and Randy who are COVID positive;

·      Marily Quesnel’s health;

·      Karen’s job interview;

·      Roberta’s nephew’s health;

·      Roxanne’s friend with sarcoma;

·      Jim and Mary Rose;

·      Ukraine, Iran, Yemen, Syria, the Sudan, Ethiopia; Afghanistan, Myanmar, and peace!

·      Voting rights;

·      Transgender rights;

·      Climate control;

·      Gun control;

·      Women’s reproductive rights;

·      Ric Tower’s upcoming visit to Guatemala.

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

A Sonnet for All Saints’ Day, by Malcolm Guite

Though Satan breaks our dark glass into shards
Each shard still shines with Christ’s reflected light,
It glances from the eyes, kindles the words
Of all his unknown saints. The dark is bright
With quiet lives and steady lights undimmed,
The witness of the ones we shunned and shamed.
Plain in our sight and far beyond our seeing
He weaves them with us in the web of being
They stand beside us even as we grieve,
The lone and left behind whom no one claimed,
Unnumbered multitudes, he lifts above
The shadow of the gibbet and the grave,
To triumph where all saints are known and named;
The gathered glories of His wounded love.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Newsletter, CoP, Nov. 13, 2022

HIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Nov 13, 2022, Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost. On Zoom or at Rise Church,10445 SW Canterbury Ln, Tigard, OR 97224, @ 4 pm. Contact me if you need a Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

_______

Dear Community of Pilgrims,

I am writing this newsletter on our country’s Veterans’ Day. We remember not only those who have served this nation as a veteran of one of the military services, but also in recognition that it is also Armistice Day, the end of WWI on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice means a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties. On this day, we remember not only our veterans, but also the suspension of hostilities between warring parties. 

Remembering these holidays and special days of remembrance is important, because they help focus our attention on what matters in the communities in which we live. A holiday is a day set aside, either by cultural custom or is a law, in which normal activities—like business, work, school, or other public services—are suspended or reduced. With the normal activities suspended, we are free to celebrate or commemorate an event  or tradition of either cultural, public, or religious importance. Holidays may be designated and designed by a government, a civil group, or a religious institution, like a church. We have started in the cycle of high holy days and holidays in the life of the Church with All Hallows’ Eve, which is followed by All Saints’ Day, and soon enough, the Reign of Christ Sunday, which is the end of the liturgical year. A new Gospel is the focus of readings for a new liturgical year, which we start reading on the first Sunday of Advent, which rolls into Christmastide, which rolls into Epiphany… you get the idea. Join us this Sunday for the last reading during the “Ordinary” schedule, in which we will read both from 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, and Luke 21:5-19.

______

Events!

Nov. 13, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 20, Reign of Christ Sunday, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 27, 4 pm, 1st Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 4, 4 pm, 2nd Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or Rise Church with Tom Letts.

Dec. 11, 4 pm, 3rd Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 18, 4 pm, 4th Sunday of Advent; Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Dec. 24, 7 pm, Christmas Eve worship at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church.

Dec. 25, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2023, Holy Holidays!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

Thanks be to God for:

·      For present day and saints of old, who care for others and for the world;

·      For rain in the PNW!

·      Medicines for COVID, flu, and Monkeypox.

·      Opportunity to vote

·      For lives of friends who have passed, and for the time and loved shared with them.

·      For persons working with charitable organizations and caring for others.

·      For Roberta’s nephew, Sam, who checked into a rehab center.

·      For the lives of Jim and Mary Rose.

God, hear and receive our prayers for:

·      For Karen and her interview for a new job.

·      For Crispin, Christian’s college friend, who died of a heart attack.

·      For Linda Fuqua Anderson.

·      For those with illness.

·      Roxanne: continued prayers for Maureen Nightingale. 

·      For Chuck’s health.

·      For climate change.

·      For voting rights.

·      For women’s reproductive rights.

·      For transgender youth.

·      Gun control.

·      Hunger and homelessness on city streets.

·      For Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, and Iran. 

·      For the end of white nationalism and Christofascism in this country.

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

Everyone Sang, by Seigfried Sassoon (1920 in honor of Armistice Day)

Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
And I was filled with such delight
As prisoned birds must find in freedom,
Winging wildly across the white
Orchards and dark-green fields; on–on–and out of sight.

Everyone’s voice was suddenly lifted;
And beauty came like the setting sun:
My heart was shaken with tears; and horror
Drifted away … O, but Everyone
Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will never be done.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander

Newsletter, Oct. 30, 2022

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost. On Zoom or at Rise Church,10445 SW Canterbury Ln, Tigard, OR 97224. Contact me if you need a Zoom link. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com. 

_______

Dear Community of Pilgrims,

This Sunday, Oct. 30, is Reformation Sunday!  On this day, we remember our “roots,” as it were, for our theological commitments. Our forebears, like Martin Luther and John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and Jan Hus, provided the framework of our theological commitments today, as well as our model of governance. We believe that the people of God, as a body, can lead congregations, largely democratic means, thanks in large part to the Holy Spirit who is embedded deep into the individual members of the body of Christ.

The Scriptural focus this week is Luke 19:1-10, the story of the rich tax-collector, Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was like everyone else in those days, interested in the latest “fad” at the moment, which was everything “Jesus.” When Jesus was nearby, Zacchaeus wanted to at least get a look at the phenomenon once in his life. He wasn’t expecting to be, a) called out, or b) have Jesus inviting himself to dinner at his own home. That wasn’t on his agenda for the day. But it was on the eternal agenda of Jesus. After all, Jesus said that he was sent to find such people like Zacchaeus, “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost” (19:10). God knows that Zacchaeus had lost his way as a tax-collector, siding with Jewish and Roman authorities, and pocketing some money himself, building himself quite a “lifestyle,” while losing sight of what matters most in life: loving God and loving neighbor. Join us this week as we both celebrate Reformation Sunday and the life of Zacchaeus. 

______

Events! 

Oct. 30, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 4, 5, Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of the Cascades.

Nov. 6, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 13, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.

Nov. 20, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom or at Rise Church.  

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern 

We pray to the Creator of all creation: 

Thanksgiving for

· The gift of two weeks on a honeymoon and being able to come back safe and sound.

· Rain, but sad for darker and wetter days coming.

· Home Plate's open house November 1st at 4:30.

· Visits with family and friends, good conversations, and opportunities to get to know one another better.

· Sharing within our Community of Pilgrims.

· Karen for leading our services for the last two weeks.

· Sue and Jo Ann's birthdays this month. Sue turns 99.

· Our beautiful friend Linda Fuqua-Anderson.

Concerns for

· Jim and Mary Rose both in isolated conditions.

· Marily Quesenal who is back in the hospital for 3-8 weeks to treat a hole in her esophagus.

· The family of Jim Philipson who recently passed away. Prayers for his wife Bonnie Parr Philipson and his daughters.

· The family of Connie Humphries who recently passed away.

· Traveling mercies for Debra who will be traveling to Utah and for Kathy and family who will be traveling to Japan.

· Roberta and Randy who both have COVID.

· Parts of the world where COVID and other diseases are not treated and are wide-spread.

· Candidates who represent the best interests of their constituents will be elected in upcoming elections.

· Safety and fairness for transgender individuals.

· The effects of global climate change on our world

· Threats to voting rights.

· The city streets of Portland.

· Parts of the world with leaders who are pushing war and discontent, including Ukraine, Russia, Yemen, Myanmar, Brazil, Syria, Sudan, and China.

· Iranian women's freedom. 

God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen

_____

Poem

A Mighty Fortress, by Marjorie Maddox

And maybe it was a bar tune,
Maybe not, but there we were, hunched
over too-small desks in History 101,
all ninety-five freshmen humming—
by need not desire—every note, every verse
of Luther’s best-loved hymn, Our helper He…
the right man on our side as we scribbled,
hands almost numb, the body they may kill –
his theology of lyrics, our theology –
from age to age the same for the final question
the spirit and the gifts are ours of the final exam,
and we would win the battle, our hearts pumping
with belief, our throats thumping with crescendo:
one little word would never fell us.

Buen Camino! Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell and Karen Cornwell Fortlander