Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Jan. 14, 2018

Dear Friends, Family members, Inquirers, Newcomers, and Seekers,

Greetings on a winter's day in Oregon. I hope this email finds everyone doing well as we engage in the work, play, study, homework, and rest, which we are called to participate in, wherever we may be. 

This coming Sunday we will continue to play "catch-up" with the Church calendar as we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus Sunday.  Last Sunday, we caught up on a celebration of Epiphany and "old" Christmas, singing "We Three Kings" at the beginning of our time together, and concluding with "Silent Night." Again, many thanks for all who came, and thank you, Olivia, for a beautiful solo in "Silent Night." The theme of pilgrimage is all over these texts that unveil important moments of Jesus' life. For example, in the story of the visit of the three magi, we read that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are on a pilgrimage right after the visit, for Herod was about to search for the Christ-child to destroy him (Matt. 2:13).  Mary, Joseph, and Jesus went on a pilgrimage, as refugees in a foreign land, to Egypt. In the focus verse for this coming Sunday (Mark 1:4-11), the baptism of Jesus, we witness the public beginning of Jesus' pilgrimage of faith, in which the heavens open up, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove on Jesus, and a voice comes from the heavens, "You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased" (Mark 1:10, 11).  And with this extraordinary blessing, the Holy Spirit immediately drove Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, and off he goes, our Pilgrim God, to show us the way (Mark 1:12) as people of The Way. So, where is the Spirit sending us out, as baptized followers of Jesus in this new community of faith that God is creating? May our prayer be this week, "Show us The Way."

This coming Sunday, Matt Huerta will join us again as our ASL interpreter.

Last Sunday, we began talk about creating a Steering Committee, who would work with Chris and I as we move forward in growing as a fellowship. We are creating this Steering Committee of 3-4 people, because we are not a church and have no Session, but we need other voices in our growing fellowship. Let's continue to pray about this, and this Sunday or next, actually form a Steering Committee that will meet on a monthly basis with Chris and I. Thank you!

On another high note, the 1001 Worshiping Communities offers a Health Care Grant of $1,500, and the New Ministries Team of Presbytery of the Cascades has agreed to match those funds.  As a result, I (Brett), will have health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act in 2018...and for that gift/grant, I am truly thankful.

We discussed last week the opportunity to take a walking tour of Portland's Albina Historic Area as a faith community.  It is on Saturday, Feb. 3, beginning at 10:30-12:30 pm. I'll let individuals purchase their own ticket for $10.  Here is a link to the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hidden-history-of-albina-portlands-black-history-tickets-41887371255?aff=erelexpmlt. This is part of Black History Month in Portland.

On Sunday, Feb. 4, we will be meeting at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, packing school bags as our service project-of-the-month, with Nina Clippard leading this activity.  Stay tune for more events. 

Finally: on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7:15 am, there will be the 16th Faith Labor Breakfast at St. Andrew's Catholic Church, 806 NE Alberta St., sponsored by "Portland Jobs with Justice".  RSVP to aj@jwjpdx.org.

Kathy--our marvelous potluck setter-upper--is going to be gone from Jan. 28-Feb. 11. Who would like to volunteer to set up our table for all the potluck goodies?

Our prayer concerns this week included the following:

1. For Sue Malter as she recuperates from pneumonia.

2. For the families of Hazel Torgerson and Mark McClanahan as they heal from their losses.

3. For Larry Kelley's family after Larry's mother died.

4. For the Beldin family, Luke's friends, for their loss and with in vitro fertilization so their child can live.

5. For Olivia's grandparents who come to visit on Wednesday, may they be well so they can enjoy their travel and visit.

6. Gratitude for Brett's return and Chris filling in during his absence.

7. For those who are sick this winter.

8. For safety for those caught in the winter storms on the east coast and for the fish and animals suffering in the extreme cold.

9. Celebration that certain things have improved and for 2017 being the best year ever in reduced poverty and child mortality rates worldwide (Nicholas Kristof's NYT's article).

10. Prayers for Sue Sauce in the wake of her husband's passing.

Finally, a baptism of Jesus prayer, by Jan Richardson:

Blessing the Baptism

As if we could call you
anything other than
beloved
and blessed

drenched as we are
in our love for you

washed as we are
by our delight in you

born anew as we are
by the grace that flows
from the heart of the one
who bore you to us.

***

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett and Chris

Happy Epiphany Feast Day!

Dear Friends, Family members, Newcomers, and Inquirers: Happy Epiphany Feast Day! While we will celebrate and honor it tomorrow, let us remember this prayer, published by Evangelical Lutheran Church of America: "Almighty and ever-living God, you revealed the incarnation of your Son by the brilliant shining of a star. Shine the light of your justice always in our hearts and over all lands, and accept our lives as the treasure we offer in your praise and for your service through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." See you tomorrow Jan. 7, 2018, at 4-6 pm, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church Chapel.

Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Jan. 7, 2018

Dear Friends, Family Members, Inquirers, Seekers, and Newcomers!

Happy 2018! It always takes some time to write "2018" to realize that we are in a new year.

Happy Epiphany! And Merry "Old" Christmas cheers!  This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the seasons of Epiphany with a touch of Christmas. We will begin our time together singing "We Three Kings of Orient Are," and ending with our "Silent Night" from our planned 4th Sunday of Advent/Christmas Eve worship. In the Appalachian hills, from northern Alabama to Maine, the "staunchly anti-Catholic, fiercely independent Scots-Irish rejected a calendar created by Pope Gregory XIII in the 1500s (he fixed the Julian calendar supposedly), which established Christmas to be on Dec. 25. By the mid-1700s, when the folks from Scotland and Ireland began settling the Appalachians, they were adamantly opposed to the notion of embracing a new calendar — a new calendar invented by Catholics and adopted by some distant government on the far side of the ocean." They kept Christmas on Jan. 7. Here's a link for more information on this history: http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/12/25/why-early-appalachian-settlers-originally-celebrated-christmas-in-january/. In their honor, and because of our weather pattern, let us celebrate Epiphany (the end of Christmastide) with a touch of Christmas. Our focus Scripture will be Luke 2:14-20.

This Sunday, we welcome Matt back as our ASL interpreter.

Our prayer requests include the following: 

1. For Hazel Torgerson who died Dec. 30, 2017, at 102 and those she left behind. Gwen Wildfong is the only remaining charter member of Saint Andrew's.

2. For healing for those suffering from the seasonal flu-cold going around.

3. Continued prayers for Linda's brother Gary and his family. Gary suffers from several illnesses, including Parkinson's, and now neuropathy is robbing him of his sleep.

4. For peace and reconciliation for Bob and Vivian Terral and their family, that they may reach out to one another.  Prayers for Vivian's happiness in her new care setting.

5. For all those who do not have a warm place to sleep and warm food to eat. Prayers for safety and shelter for the homeless.

6. For a safe New Year's Eve and all those traveling this weekend.

7. For Chris and Brett, for your strong partnership. Prayers of gratitude to have you as our spiritual leaders.

8. Sue Malter's healing.

9. Traveling mercies for Brett.

Finally, a prayer-poem by Howard Thurman:

The Work of Christmas.

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among people,

To make music in the heart.

May we gladly--by God's grace and Christ's mercy and Spirit's leading--be about the work of Christmas, this day and all the days of our lives as a fellowship of Christ's pilgrim people.

Buen camino,

Pastor Brett and Pastor Chris

Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Dec. 31, 2017

Dear Friends, Family Members, Inquirers, Seekers, and Newcomers,

After a cold, icy, and snowy Christmas Eve--which stayed around for the next few days--I believe we are all grateful to be on the other end of that frosty reminder of Oregon winters. Thank you, everyone, for your support in our decision to cancel our gathering on Christmas Eve. As I drove pass Rose City Park Presbyterian Church at 5 mph at around 5:30 pm that night, sliding slightly  along side a TriMet bus with chains on it, I was happy everyone stayed home, warm and safe.

We are now in the season of Christmastide, in which Christmas lasts for 12 days. During these days we remember, with grateful hearts, for the gift of the Christ-child born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. This season lasts until the day of Epiphany, which the Appalachian folk of NC and TN refer to as "old Christmas," while others remember that this is the day that the Three Wiseman, the Magi, made it to Bethlehem to visit the Christ-child.  In that spirit, we will gather Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, as part of our Christmastide observance and celebration, with Chris preaching, and a potluck afterwards. Then on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, we will gather to celebrate Epiphany, concluding our time together that night with singing "Silent Night" and having our own candlelight vigil, with a potluck to follow. 

As is habit among many of us, as one year comes to an end and a new year begins, we think back to all that has happened in the past year.  Chris and I want to thank you all for joining us on this pilgrimage of faith in September, 2017, and your support for our gathering as a community of faith. For the last four months, we have faithfully gathered together at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church's Chapel, learning more about who and whose we are as we share stories of our lives, our work of service in the community, and pressing forward on our pilgrimage of faith as we follow Jesus, the Pilgrim God. For your support, love, and joy in gathering together, we are thankful.  And with senses wide open, we look forward to seeing what all will happen as we press forward and grow in faith and size on this fascinating, unfolding pilgrimage.

Upcoming events: 

We welcome Grace Totherow as our 4th new ASL interpreter this Sunday.  Welcome, Grace!

On February 4th, March 25th, and May 6th, the Oregon Bach Cantata will need the Chapel space, so we will gather at Colonial Heights for those dates. Nina is going to be working with us in finding service projects that we can all do together, much like we did with the letter writing campaign and Oregon DEQ.  If you have any ideas, please feel free to pass them along to me, Chris, or Nina.

In the coming months, let me know if there is any interest in going to a play, movie, art exhibit, musical event, cultural event, that we could gather together and discuss  afterwards that fits within the vision statement of Community of Pilgrims. 

Prayer requests:

While we usually use this space to share celebrations and concerns from a previous Sunday, let us continue to lift up the following:

1. Prayers of celebration for the existence and growth of the Community of Pilgrims;

2. Prayers of thanksgiving for safety and security of folks on Christmas Eve;

3. Prayers of concern for those who are without shelter, food, and adequate clothing in this winter season;

4. Prayers for peace in the world, especially for people who live in Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and Somalia;

5. Prayers for those who are still putting life together after massive fires, hurricanes, and other  disasters spawned by new weather patterns;

6. For peace and company for those who are alone, confused, and feeling depressed when surrounded by seasonal advertisements that push heavy on seasonal cheer and family gatherings.

7. Prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of the Christ-child, who gives us hope, peace, joy, and love as we gather in Christ's holy name.

For this we pray... Amen

Again, thank you all for gathering together, Sunday after Sunday, as we learn what it means to be a community of Christian pilgrims in this modern age, in the city of Portland.  Spirits' blessings upon all of us in the coming year, with a grateful heart for all the places God has been with us in the year that is drawing to a close. 

Buen camino!

Pastor Brett and Pastor Chris

December 24 gathering of Community of Pilgrims Newsletter

Dear Friends, Family members, Inquirers, Seekers, Newcomers, and Visitors:

I am writing this Friday before Christmas note at my second office at Grand Central Bakery in Multnomah Village.  Amid running errands and dipping into pre-Christmas cheer and celebrations, I took a break from the wonderful crowds of well-wishers and find myself sitting alone in the Bakery, with a hot cup of coffee, an oatmeal chocolate chip, the aroma of freshly made chocolate chip cookies...and a spirit of good cheer.

This Sunday we will meet 4-6, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church's Chapel.  I have reserved some candles from the church, and we will sing "Silent Night, Holy Night," with Olivia singing a solo for the 3rd verse as we conclude our worship. The focus Scripture is Luke 2:14-20. I believe that "A Charlie Brown Christmas" made these verses popular.  Luke tells this story with eyes wide open, probably equally amazed at how the story unfolded as he told and re-told it throughout his life time. There is a slow and gradual build-up of a gathering of a crowd, with an incredible climax to the story, with angelic choirs singing, and shepherds dumbfounded at all that was taking place before their very lives.  What a heck of surprising gift, born that day in the city of David.  It wasn't God upon a white stallion out to save the people with a show of force equal to Rome, or the way that most expected a Messiah to be born among the Jewish religious leaders.  It was absent power and the embrace of powerlessness that our God deigned that the child Christ be born to poor parents, unable to even find a room in an inn that night. Let us behold, the Prince of People, who has come to set us, and the world, free.

Community of Pilgrims: we out-did ourselves with wonderful gifts for the family at Stephen's Creek Crossing that we sponsored, as well as with gifts to Outside In.  Your generosity of spirit, and desire to provide for others, bringing the spirit of Christ's birth to those who wondered what was going to happen this Christmas, was and is beautiful to behold.  Your gift of heart, mind, body, and gifts touched the lives of many.  A big Thank You to one and all!  All of you are amazing. And thanks, Nina Clippard, for helping us connect.

This Sunday, Dec. 24, bring some light refreshments or favorite snacks for our potluck, as many of us will be going home to a special dinner with family and friends. These potlucks have been a wonderful opportunity for us to connect informally, and we are thankful.

Next week, Dec. 31, Chris will be bringing the good news, and we will have our own version of a Big Table gathering.

If there is any inclement weather that stops us from gathering, I will write an email to all without delay, and post the same memo also on Facebook. Stay tuned.

Our prayer concerns and celebrations include:

1. For the McKlinsky family following yesterday's memorial service for their mother Barb.

2. For Laura Faulkner and family. Laura's daughter was treated earlier for bladder cancer and will undergo surgery for new tumors.

3. For Gwen Wilfong whose daughter Carol Jo is dying and for all those who suffer this disorder.

4. For healing Chuck Stilson after his recent TIA stroke. We are grateful to have him back with us tonight.

5. For Bryan and Sara for being here tonight. We welcome you.

6. For Sara's twin brother and family who will be at Nina's house for Christmas.

7. For all of the expressions of Christmas and all the celebrations around the world.

8. For Sayer's pre-school, the Portland Jewish Academy, where they are celebrating Hanukkah. Prayers for all of our Jewish brothers and sisters.

9. For all those afflicted by the civil war in Yemen.

10. For wisdom as Congress debates and votes on tax legislation.

11. For gratitude that Jo Ann's friend who had been diagnosed with breast cancer may not need to undergo radiation. 

12. For those who are hungry and homeless in Portland, and around the world;

13. For those alone and without anyone to love them in this season of love made incarnate.

As we gather for Christmas Eve, remember these words of Mary Oliver from her "Christmas Poem": 

Says a country legend told every year: 

Go to the barn on Christmas Eve and see

What the creatures do as that long night tips over.

Down on their knees they will go, 

The first of an old memory whistling through their minds!

O come, O come, let us adore the Christ child this coming Sunday night, the Pilgrim God.

Buen Camino, Pastor Brett and Pastor Chris

Great News of the 1001 Worshiping Communities Grant

Dear Friends!

Great news!  We received $7,500 for a Seed Grant from 1001 Worshiping Communities of the Presbyterian Church USA.  We are officially recognized by the denomination as a new worshiping community of faith.  The Presbytery of the Cascades will also be matching this grant with an additional $7,500!  We are thankful for this great gift, and we are well on the way of learning to follow Jesus, the Pilgrim God, in NE Portland, Oregon!