THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, April 24, 2022, Second Sunday of Easter. Join us for a performance at 2 p.m. this Sunday by Bobby Jo Valentine at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church. 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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Greetings, Community of Pilgrims!
Happy Eastertide!
For me, there is always much joy when we get to sing “Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!” It was good to hear that song sung, and for me to play it on the piano, last Sunday in worship with Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church and Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship. Alleluia! Christ is risen, indeed!
This Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, the focus is on the Apostle Thomas, who is kind of the “patron saint” of our current, skeptical, “question authority” age, as one biblical scholar noted the other day. Poet Malcolm Guite calls him “the courageous master of the awkward question.” The Scripture is John 20:19-31. The scene? All the disciples are locked in a room somewhere in Jerusalem, scared of the authorities finding them out, and branding them as a religious sect of sorts, with their Rabbi now deceased at the hands of the Roman army. We have the mystical event, where the risen Christ appears to all of the disciples gathered together. Unfortunately, Thomas was out of the room when it happened, and doesn’t believe the others. Who can blame him? We would all be a little skeptical of accepting such wonderful news if we hadn’t seen the risen Rabbi with our own eyes, heard him with our own ears, felt his presence in the room with us at the same time. Or in our day and age, if we didn’t get a picture of him on Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat or TikTok, did it really happen? Let us pray that we can be a little bit like Thomas after Christ re-appeared before the disciples another time, in which the risen One said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” May it be so. Amen.
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Service Project Success!
A BIG thank you to one and all for a very successful Lent/Easter Service Project with HomePlate! We brought in around $1,500 worth of clothes, tarps, stakes, and food items! What a marvelous gift to this community of young people who are homeless and houseless. What a marvelous example of love-in-action, in which Jesus calls his disciples to love one another: “Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this they will know you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13: 34-35). Again, thank you, all!
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Community of Pilgrims in the Presbytery of
the Cascades “Cascades Connection”
We were mentioned in the latest issue of the Presbytery’s “Cascade Connections”
“I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOMED ME
What does it look like when communities live into the Matthew 25 initiative? What can happen when we link arms with our communities to embody Good News?
Moreland PC, in collaboration with Lutheran Community Services, Sellwood Community House and the Community of Pilgrims (and countless individuals in the community) have welcomed and helped two Afghan families get settled into their neighborhood. One family now lives in a church-owned house across the street from the church and the other in an apartment nearby. While many churches, individuals and organizations are welcoming refugee families, what makes this story so beautiful is how it truly became a neighborhood engagement to welcome and support these families.”
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On Sunday, April 24, 2022, at 2 pm, the Community of Pilgrims is invited to join Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church (7119 N. Portsmouth Ave., Portland, OR) to sit back and enjoy the music of Bobby Jo Valentine. Bring children! Bring friends! Here is the one (1) request: As part of a “Support Ukraine” effort, there is going to be a bake sale after the concert at the Church. Members of Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church are inviting the Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship to bring some baked goods that can be sold after the concert, with all proceeds going to Ukraine through ELCA channels.
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Events!
April 24, Second Sunday in Easter, We will meet at 2 pm for a performance of Bobby Jo Valentine, Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church!
May 1, Third Sunday in Easter, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom.
May 8, Fourth Sunday in Easter, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom.
May 15, Fourth Sunday in Easter, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom.
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Prayers of Celebration and Concern
We pray to the Creator of all creation:
Prayers of Thanksgiving:
· Booster shots #2 and for medicines that are fighting COVID 19, not only here, but around the world.
· All children and grandchildren, especially as they enter the last few weeks of school before summer break.
· Our first tastes and sensations of spring, and we are ready for more.
· The human and societal resources to make things better in the world.
· Our communities of faith, that provide support and love.
Along with that, we share prayers of concern for:
We especially pray for good health, comfort, and wholeness for our friend Linda Fuqua-Anderson. Her daughter Marissa Fuqua Miller wrote an email today, indicating that the doctors have found that Linda is living with an advanced case of lung cancer. We will continue to keep everyone in the “loop” as to continued news of her health. Prayers of love and support are requested at this time by her family.
· Christian's sister Yarrow who has breast cancer and brother-in-law Jules who has prostate cancer.
· For Paula’s family, sister of Carol Stanfield/Earl’s sister-in-law, who died this week.
· Prayer for Sally Kabat’s grand-niece, Allison, who is ill.
· Prayer for Guy McCully, friend of Brett and Christian’s, for possible skin cancer.
· Roberta's friend Kathryn who is serving with a mission team in Poland.
· A safe trip to Portugal later this month for Roberta and Randy, with friends.
· Countries at war including Ethiopia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, and Russia.
· Transgender youth who are under attack through state legislation limiting health care access, ability to compete in sports, and other restrictions.
· Protection of our voting rights under attack in 19 states which passed laws restricting access to voting through an array of barriers and requirements.
God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen.
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Poem
St. Thomas the Apostle, by Malcolm Guite
“We do not know… how can we know the way?”
Courageous master of the awkward question,
You spoke the words the others dared not say
And cut through their evasion and abstraction.
Oh doubting Thomas, father of my faith,
You put your finger on the nub of things
We cannot love some disembodied wraith,
But flesh and blood must be our king of kings.
Your teaching is to touch, embrace, anoint,
Feel after Him and find Him in the flesh.
Because He loved your awkward counterpoint
The Word has heard and granted you your wish.
Oh place my hands with yours, help me divine
The wounded God whose wounds are healing mine.
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Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.