THIS SUNDAY: June 24, 4 p.m. Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church 1907 NE 45th Avenue – Portland, OR.
Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com
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Dear Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Nomads, Wanderers, Family members, and Friends:
I am writing this letter in a time in which there is much tumult in our community, our city, our state, nation and world. After experiencing the ebullient atmosphere of two Pride marches in Boise and Portland after a week of working with United Methodist folks on issues of justice, this week my “in-box” has been filled with requests for support to be part of various rallies and protests, from Sheridan, OR to Portland, OR. I know that many of us are overwhelmed with sadness and anger, trying to figure out ways to help in the moment of “now” with the southern border crisis, knowing the struggles that are gripping our communities are long in coming, but are coming to a crisis point quickly; daily.
Breaking in to the crisis is this story from Mark 4:35-41: “A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped…they woke Jesus up (because he was asleep) and said, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. Jesus said, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still not faith?’”
It is now, at this time, that I draw on the words of Fred Buechner, who invites us into our little boats of faith, because “Christ sleeps in the deepest selves of all of us, and…in whatever way we can call on him, as the fishermen did in their boat, to come awake within us and to give us courage, to give us hope. May (Jesus) be with us especially when the winds go mad and the waves run wild, as they will for all of us before we're done, so that even in their midst we may find peace, find him" (Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons).
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Events!
Sunday, June 24, 2018, 10:00 am Worship at Southminster Presbyterian Church, Beaverton, OR, Pastor Brett preaching
Sunday, June 24, 2018, 4-6 pm, Gathering and Worship with Community of Pilgrims;
Monday, June 25, 6:45 (though this time could change, and I'll alert you to a change), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” at Cinema 21, Portland, OR, with dinner at San Sai restaurant (across the street from Cinema 21);
Friday, June 29, 1:00 pm, Pastor Brett at Portland City Club;
Friday and Saturday, June 29-30, Presbytery of the Cascades Stated Meeting at First Presby. Church, Salem;
Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, 10:00 am, preaching at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Tigard, OR.
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Requests
*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M,L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!
*Opportunity to discuss and act: From Pastor Linda at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church: “If your folks would be interested in fixing a dinner for the kids from Warm Springs as they are here in the NW College of Construction program-- let me know. Opportunities will be S-Th dinners from July 8-August 8.” Let’s discuss Sunday!
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Poem
From Burnt Norton, by T. S. Elliot
At the still point of the turning world.
Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards;
at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement.
And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered.
Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline.
Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.
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Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com