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
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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