THIS SUNDAY: July 1, 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 Wayfarers, Drifters, Searching Souls, Sauntering Lives, Friends, and Family Members,
We are knee deep in Portland summer. The weather (so far) is just right for a summer’s stroll, a swim in a pool or lake, walking along the water line of the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon coast, and taking a gentle nap after a long, hot day.
On dictionary.com, there is a “Word of the Day.” On June 28, 2018, the word of the day is “transmundane”. It is an adjective, meaning “reaching beyond or existing outside the physical or visible world.” It is literally “beyond” and “mundane”, brought together.
The focus Scripture—Mark 5: 21-43—is a re-telling of two miracles: the healing of Jairus’ daughter—who was at the point of death—and the woman who had been hemorrhaging, who touched Jesus’ cloak. Both of these miracle stories reflect the transmundane reach of the realm of God’s love for humanity. Indeed, these miracle stories, and every miracle around us, is a reflection of the transmundane nature of God in Christ, and these are stories we need to be reminded of today. On the southern border of this country, Jairus’ daughter lies dying today in little girls jeopardized by illness. Little boys and girls lack of food and water, and the necessities of life, the safety and security they—and we all—deserve, and are not permitted. How can we be the “miracle” in the lives of these young girls and boys teetering on the edge of life and death? How can our actions reflect the transmundane nature of the Spirit in the world today?
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Events!
Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30, Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of the Cascades; First Presbyterian Church of Salem;
Friday, June 29, 2018, 12 noon, Pastor Brett will be on a panel addressing LGBTQ+ issues and Faith Communities at Portland City Club. Go to this site for more info: https://www.pdxcityclub.org/calendar/?eid=9008
Saturday, June 30, there is a “Families Belong Together” rally in Portland, OR: https://act.moveon.org/…/families-belong-together_a…/search/
Sunday, July 1, 4-6 pm, Gathering and Worship with Community of Pilgrims;
Wednesday, July 25, 7 pm, Steering/Guide Team, Chris Dungan Home;
Sunday, July 29, Pastor Brett will be preaching at Trinity UMC in Toledo, OR;
Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, 10:00 am, Pastor Brett will be 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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In honor of the refugees in the world today:
Learning to Love America, by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim
because it has no pure products
because the Pacific Ocean sweeps along the coastline
because the water of the ocean is cold
and because land is better than ocean
because I say we rather than they
because I live in California
I have eaten fresh artichokes
and jacaranda bloom in April and May
because my senses have caught up with my body
my breath with the air it swallows
my hunger with my mouth
because I walk barefoot in my house
because I have nursed my son at my breast
because he is a strong American boy
because I have seen his eyes redden when he is asked who he is
because he answers I don’t know
because to have a son is to have a country
because my son will bury me here
because countries are in our blood and we bleed them
because it is late and too late to change my mind
because it is 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