Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, July 28, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: July 28, 2019, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Chapel, Rose City Park PCUSA, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213 Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

Dear Community, Gathering, Mingling, Interested, and Group of Pilgrims,

It is summer in the Pacific Northwest! The hot days and cooler nights of our area of the world are a blessed relief. However, the impact of climate change is being felt throughout parts of Europe and parts of the US as we are in the grip of extreme weather patterns around the world. Prayers for action in healing Mother Earth!

The Gospel for this Sunday is Luke 11:1-13. It is a passage that includes so much in it, from Luke’s Jesus teaching the disciples to pray using what we call the “Lord’s Prayer,” a story of the blessings of being persistent, closing with the well-known seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open. What is amazing about all three parts of this passage is the centrality of relationships: ours as a community of faith with God, and us with each other. For example, in what we call the “Lord’s Prayer,” or my Catholic friends call the “Our Father,” we pray this prayers as a community that prays together and stays together beginning with “Our Father,” and not “My Father,” and including “give us this day our daily bread.” And secondly, we are called to be in relationship with each other, as a community, in which, through our relationships, we draw strength in the challenging times, and joy in celebration of life. Join us this Sunday as we explore the gifts of the Spirit in our community as we become daily bread for the rest of the world.

_____

Events!

July 28, Pastor Chris preaches at Colonial Heights, Portland, OR;

July 28, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

Aug. 4, Pastor Brett preaching at Portsmouth Union Church, Portland, OR;

Aug. 4, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Aug. 11, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Aug. 18, A Holy Vacation Day;

Aug. 25, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church; 

Sept. 1, Gathering and Worship Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sept. 8, Pastor Brett at Hillsboro First UMC;

Sept. 8, Second Anniversary Celebration of Community of Pilgrims! Rose City Park! Join us, one and all!

____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

_____

Poem

Bleezer’s Ice Cream, by Jack Prelutsky

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:

COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan chrisdungan1@msn.com 

Newsletter, CoP, July 21, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: July 21, 2019, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213; Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

Dear Wanderers, Dreamers, Doers, and Contemplative Ones,

I write this newsletter looking out over the beautiful waters of the Puget Sound as I ride the train back to Portland from Seattle on a somewhat cloudy, summer’s day, with the promise of sunshine in Portland. We live in an incredibly beautiful part of the world. 

This Sunday’s Scripture focus is Jesus’ time with his close friends, Mary and Martha, found in Luke 10:38-42. In the last few weeks, the Gospel passages have focused on the “doing” of our faith as disciples of Christ, and this week we are reminded of the practice of the "being" of our faith. For example, two weeks ago, we focused on Jesus sending out 70 disciples, two by two, to do the work with others of healing and sharing the good news that the realm of God is near at hand. Last week, the focus was on the Good Samaritan and who is our neighbor, in which we were reminded to love God with our entire being, and to love our neighbor, just like the Good Samaritan did in taking care of the one stricken on the roadside of life. This week, we are reminded of the balance of our faith, that there is a time to "do" the faith and times to simply "be" in the faith and present with Christ. I am reminded of the Benedictine practice of “ora et labora,” prayer and work, and the art and practice of balancing these two ways of following and being with Jesus in our life together as the Community of Pilgrims. Join us Sunday as we explore the place of prayer and work as a community of faith. 

***

A big THANK YOU to Moreland Presbyterian Church, for the opportunity last Sunday, July 14, 2019, to gather together, talk together, worship together, share the Lord’s Supper together, and to share a meal together. What a wondrous time!  Holy and special! Hope we get to do it again some time! 

_____

Events!

July 20, a Thank You Volunteer Appreciation BBQ/Picnic by Human Solutions! All of us invited to come; 4-6 pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 17405 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR.

July 21, Pastor Brett preaching at Woodburn Presbyterian Church;

July 21, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church;

July 28, Pastor Chris preaches at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church;

July 28, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

Aug. 4, Pastor Brett preaching at Portsmouth Union Church, Portland, OR;

Aug. 4, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Aug. 11, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

____

Prayers of Celebrations and Concerns

·     Prayers for those of us who are teaching the rest of us how to age gracefully;

·     Prayers for those in the hospitals, those recovering from surgery, and those in rehab centers, seeking health and wholeness;

·     Prayers for the earth, and renewing our efforts in slowing down climate change;

·     Prayers for justice and hope in the face of hateful, racist rhetoric, and the rising tide of fascism around the world;

·     Prayers for stepping back from warring madness to peace in the world;

·     Prayers for the children from other countries caught in cages on our southern borders, and their families;

·     Prayers of celebration for those with birthdays and anniversaries during July;

_____

Poem

For the Children, by Gary Snyder

The rising hills, the slopes, of statistics
lie before us.
The steep climb
of everything, going up, up, as we all
go down.

in the next century
or the one beyond that, they say,
are valley, pastures,
we can meet there in peace if we make it.

To climb these coming crests one word to you, to
you and your children:

stay together 
learn the flowers 
go light. 

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan chrisdungan1@msn.com 

Newsletter, CoP, July 14, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: July 14, 2019, 9:30 am Moreland Presbyterian Church, 1815 SE Bybee Blvd., Portland, OR 97202; Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

Dear Summer Pilgrims, Wandering Pioneers, and Voyagers of the Faith,

Summer seems to have found Portland, finally, and we are experiencing more days of sunshine than cloud cover and rain at the end of this week, though we needed the moisture! Let us all enjoy the long days of summer to come!

This Sunday, the focus Scripture is Luke 10:25-37. These verses contain within them the well-known story of the Good Samaritan! This story strikes close to home these days, as we are reminded that it was the marginalized Samaritan in the story—an outsider to those who are Jewish—who did the right and good thing in aiding the one who was stricken on the roadside and in need of help, and not the others who passed by the one in need. In today’s world, there are plenty of stories of the marginalized “others,” like the ancient Samaritan, who also turn out to be the one who does the right and good task, practicing charity and kindness upon those stricken and left alone on the busy roadside of life, when those who we would expect to do the “right thing” fail to rise to the opportunity to love one another. The question for us is not only who do we wish to emulate in this story, but who is Jesus in this story? The Samaritan? The one who is suffering on the roadside? The inn keeper?  Join us this Sunday as we discuss this story!

***

This Sunday, July 14, 2019, rather than meet at 4:00 at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, we will join the folks at Moreland Presbyterian Church in worship together, at 9:30 am, in their Fellowship Room, as we bring our communal practice of “Gathering and Worship” to this host community of faith! Join us for this wonderful experiment!  Address is above!

_____

Events!

July 14, Moreland Presbyterian Church worship! 9:30 am at Moreland Presbyterian Church!

July 20, a Thank You Volunteer Appreciation BBQ/Picnic by Human Solutions! All of us invited to come; 4-6 pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 17405 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR.

July 21, Pastor Brett preaching at Woodburn Presbyterian Church

July 21, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

July 28, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

Aug. 4, Pastor Brett preaching at Portsmouth Union Church, Portland, OR

Aug. 4, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA.

____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

____

Prayers of Celebrations and Concerns

·Health, healing, and wholeness for Melissa, Lorinda's daughter, who has breast cancer.

·Thanksgiving that Shu and David joined us tonight.

·Happy Birthday to Ray Moholt who turns 86 tomorrow, and for Linda's mother, now deceased, whose birthday is also tomorrow.

·Continued peace and well-being for Sue Malter.

·Continued peace and well-being for Liz who was hospitalized briefly this past week;

·Our country and its leadership.

·Alaska where climate change is causing record-breaking high temperatures, drought, unusually warm coastal waters, and wildfires.

_____

Poem

The End of Summer, by Rachel Hadas

Sweet smell of phlox drifting across the lawn—

an early warning of the end of summer.

August is fading fast, and by September

the little purple flowers will all be gone.

Season, project, and vacation done.

One more year in everybody’s life.

Add a notch to the old hunting knife

Time keeps testing with a horny thumb.

Over the summer months hung an unspoken

aura of urgency. In late July

galactic pulsings filled the midnight sky

like silent screaming, so that, strangely woken,

we looked at one another in the dark,

then at the milky magical debris

arcing across, dwarfing our meek mortality.

There were two ways to live: get on with work,

redeem the time, ignore the imminence

of cataclysm; or else take it slow,

be as tranquil as the neighbors’ cow

we love to tickle through the barbed wire fence

(she paces through her days in massive innocence,

or, seeing green pastures, we imagine so).

In fact, not being cows, we have no choice.

Summer or winter, country, city, we

are prisoners from the start and automatically,

hemmed in, harangued by the one clamorous voice.

Not light but language shocks us out of sleep

ideas of doom transformed to meteors

we translate back to portents of the wars

looming above the nervous watch we keep.

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan chrisdungan1@msn.com 

Newsletter CoP, July 7, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: July 7, 2019, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Chapel, Rose City Park PCUSA, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213 Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com
_____
Dear Followers of the Way,

Before the July 4th extended weekend begins, I hope that this email finds everyone still enjoying the cooler temps the last few days before the temperature rises again!

The focus Scripture this week is Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, in which Jesus is sending the disciples out on a pilgrimage, two by two (for safety and mutual encouragement), doing the same ministry that Jesus was doing: curing the sick and saying to them, “the kingdom of God has come near to you.” The disciples were warned to expect resistance and rejection, much like we sometimes experience today. What is interesting is that the disciples were not given anything to measure their success or failure. They were simply sent out to be and share the good news of God's love. Today, we are called to go out into the world, accompanied by Christ, the Pilgrim God, carrying on the ministry that Jesus gave us. Or to quote St. Teresa of Avila, “Christ has no body on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless others now.” And out we go, into the world, with the Spirit leading our pilgrimage, as a Community of Pilgrims!

***

If you are looking for a chance to celebrate the Fourth of July a day early, consider going to hear Jo Ann Tower and a few of her friends in the Lake Oswego Millennium Concert Band Concert, Wednesday, July 3, 2019 (today!) Millennium Plaza Park, 200 1st St., Lake Oswego OR, 7 pm! Get there by 6:20 pm and enjoy the Millennium Brass too!

_____
Events!
July 7, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
July 14, Moreland Presbyterian Church worship! 9:30 am at Moreland Presbyterian Church!
July 20, a Thank You Volunteer Appreciation BBQ/Picnic by Human Solutions! All of us invited to come; 4-6 pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 17405 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR.
July 21, Pastor Brett preaching at Woodburn Presbyterian Church
July 21, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!
July 28, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!
Aug. 4, Pastor Brett preaching at Portsmouth Union Church, Portland, OR
Aug. 4, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA.
____
Requests
* Regarding the CoP 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!
* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 
* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.
* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.
____

Poem

I Hear America Singing, by Walt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

_____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris 
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter Community of Pilgrims, June 30, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: June 30, 2019, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Chapel, Rose City Park PCUSA, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213 Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com
_____
Dear Seekers, Dancers, Wheel Chair Pilgrims, and People of the Way,

It seems like an early spring or an autumn day in Oregon today, with the rain saturating the ground and the gray clouds overhead. There is a chill in the air, which makes me re-think why I wore shorts today. 

The focus Scripture this week is Galatians 5:1, 13-25. I kept thinking about the image Paul creates of the world around him, which looks similar to the world around us today, and the radical call for us to be filled with and doing the work of the fruit of the Spirit. The “works of the flesh” are “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these…those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” To say the least, the list of vices articulated by Paul seem to be everywhere today, and, for some, are now considered the norms of life. Behold, the “new normal,” though most ages of humankind have lived by such standards before us. By contrast, Paul continues, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…if we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” I read this passage while looking at the haunting picture coming from the Rio Grande River; while reading stories of children in prison-like setting in Florida; while reading of saber rattling against Iran. We, who are members of the body of Christ, are provided, by God’s grace, with an opportunity to live life differently, and are a beacon of hope, called to change the world, with a radical (in this context) spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Join us this week as we figure out our action steps in embodying the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and world today. 
_____
Events!
June 30, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
July 7, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
July 14, Moreland Presbyterian Church worship! 9:30 am at Moreland Presbyterian Church! We will be leading and assisting in worship on this morning.
July 20, a Thank You Volunteer Appreciation BBQ/Picnic by Human Solutions! All of us invited to come; 4-6 pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 17405 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR.
July 21, Pastor Brett preaching at Woodburn Presbyterian Church
July 21, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church;
July 28, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church;
Aug. 4, Pastor Brett at Portsmouth Union Church, Portland, or
Aug. 4, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church;
____
Requests
* Regarding the CoP 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!
* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 
* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.
* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

_____

Poem

The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing, 
Up in the air so blue? 
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing 
Ever a child can do! 

Up in the air and over the wall, 
Till I can see so wide, 
Rivers and trees and cattle and all 
Over the countryside— 

Till I look down on the garden green, 
Down on the roof so brown— 
Up in the air I go flying again, 
Up in the air and down!

_____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris 
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, CoP, June 23, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: June 23, 2019, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Chapel, Rose City Park PCUSA, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213 Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

Dear Hikers, Bikers, Paddlers, and Pilgrims,

What a fantastic time we had at Portland’s Pride Festival and Parade! The sunny weather and the spirit of joy and love permeated the entire parade route, and those of us who were in the parade, and those supported us along the parade route, were fabulous! Let’s do it again in 2020!

The focus Scripture this week fits in nicely with Pride Month, thanks to Pastor Paul! Let me explain: the focus Scripture is Gal. 3:23-29, in which Paul writes that because we are members of the body of Christ, clothed with Christ, there is “no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham (and Sarah’s) offspring, heirs according to the promise.” These social labels and categories—like gender, sex, race, nationality, sexual orientation, age, and abilities/disabilities—are used a great deal in society, such social categories are secondary to our true and primary identity, and that is as members of the mysterious yet real body of Christ. And in the body of Christ, all of us are loved and beautiful and enjoyed by God. And because we are loved and saved/empowered by God’s grace, we are all endowed, by our Creator, with gifts, talents, and services that are to be used for the greater good and building up of the community of faith that we know as the body of Christ. Of course, I would also extend the categories to include that there is no longer LGBTQ+ and straight, able-bodied or disabled, hearing or deaf, young or old, for all of us are one, in community, with Christ Jesus. Join us this week at Community of Pilgrim as we explore the importance of this passage within the greater body of Christ.

_____

Events!

June 23, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 30, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

July 7, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

July 14, Moreland Presbyterian Church worship! 9:30 am at Moreland Presbyterian Church!

July 20, a Thank You Volunteer Appreciation BBQ/Picnic by Human Solutions! All of us invited to come; 4-6 pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 17405 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR.

July 21, Pastor Brett preaching at Woodburn Presbyterian Church

July 21, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

July 28, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

____

Prayers of Celebrations and Concerns

·     Thankful for all who have been traveling across the country and to other parts of the world safely;

·     Thankful for all the birthdays and anniversaries of life and love in June;

·     Prayers for all of us as we grow older, thankful for life and love;

·     Prayers for the earth, and the obvious need to take better care of it, and soon!

·     Prayers for all nations to provide health care to all women;

·     Prayers for peace in this world, and to quiet the rattling of weapons and rhetoric of war;

·     Prayers for those who sleep on city streets, and who have been displaced by the investment of boulders along the highways of our city;

·     Prayers for equality and justice for and among all in this month of Pride!

_____

Poem

Summer Stars, by Carl Sandberg

Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars,
So near, strumming, strumming,
So lazy and hum-strumming. 

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan chrisdungan1@msn.com 

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, June 16, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: June 16, 2019, Pride Parade! Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

Dear Marchers, Walkers, and Watchers of Parades and Pilgrimages!

I write this opening paragraph to all of you from the Hotel Eugene (soon to be The Graduate Eugene Hotel) on the last day of the Oregon-Idaho United Methodist Church Annual Conference. It has been an exciting and busy four days, as the gathering votes for delegates to the General Conference 2020, in which there is some hope of un-doing some of the damage that was done regarding LGBTQ+ people in the Special Conference of February 2019. There is no doubt that people in this Conference are yearning for a way forward that includes the voices and presence of people who are LGBTQ+ and people of color while preserving the good parts of Methodism.

The focus Scripture this week is Romans 5:1-5. The line that stuck out as I read and re-read this passage is as follows: “we boast in our hope of sharing in the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Many of us have known good times in life and times of great suffering. But Paul reminds us that our suffering needs to be considered and maybe re-framed in the great narrative or story of God, in which suffering produces endurance, which produces character, and leads to hope, which does not disappoint us, because God’s love is in us as a community of faith. This is part and parcel of being community of faith with each other: we remind each others of the hope and love we find in each other, because God's Spirit is in each one of us. As we march tomorrow and witness the stories of LGBTQ+ people on parade, many who have known great suffering in life as we have in ours, let us be people of hope! Of joy! Of love!  See you at the parade or on the sidelines tomorrow!  No Gathering and Worship tomorrow!  Just a big, wonderful parade of life!

Happy Pride! On the morning of Sunday, June 16, 2019, we are going to be marching in the Portland LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, under the banner of Community of Welcoming Congregations (CWC), which is an interreligious group welcoming all communities of faith to walk together. Wear your Community of Pilgrims (CoP) t-shirt!  And I’ll have plenty of flyers for CoP for folks to hand out to people in the parade. Meet at 10:45 am at NW 8thand Everett in the North Park Blocks. Our position is number 57! Look for Community of Welcoming Congregations banner and signs!  

_____

Events!

June 12-15, Pastor Brett at OR-ID UMC Annual Conference, Eugene, OR;

June 16, 2019: LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, Portland, OR, All morning! No Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church!

June 23, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 30, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

July 7, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

July 14, Moreland Presbyterian Church morning worship!

____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

____

Prayers of Celebrations and Concerns

1.   Traveling mercies for Brett, and Chris’ friends Ash and Jim.

2.   Continuing prayers for Sue Malter, Liz Mitchell, and Chuck Stilson.

3.   For the family of Quinn, who continues to undergo immunotherapy while also anticipating the arrival of a new baby brother or sister.

4.   For all the children who will soon be out of school, that they may have good summers and freedom from food insecurity.

_____

Poem

From "One or Two Things," by Mary Oliver

       3

The god of dirt came up to me many times and said 

so many wise and delectable things, I lay

on the grass listening 

to his dog voice,

crow voice,

frog voice; now,

he said, and now,

and never once mentioned forever,

       4

which has nevertheless always been,

like a sharp iron hoof,

at the center of my mind.

       5

One or two things are all you need

to travel over the blue pond, over the deep

roughage of the trees and through the stiff 

flowers of lightning-- some deep

memory of pleasure, some cutting

knowledge of pain.

       6

But to lift the hoof! 

For that you need an idea.

       7

For years and years I struggled

just to love my life.  And then

the butterfly 

rose, weightless, in the wind.

"Don't love your life

too much," it said,

and vanished into the world.

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, June 2, 2019

Newsletter of Community of Pilgrims, for Sunday, June 2, 2019. Join us Sunday at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, on the corner of NE 45th Ave. and NE Sandy Blvd., 4-6 pm! Join us! Holy Communion! Potluck included! For questions, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell, 919-444-9111!

Dear Park Strollers, Field Explorers, Mountain Climbers, and Pilgrims,

We welcome this season of backyard BBQs, picnics on lawns, meals on the patio, drinks on the porch, and a meal outside before the music concert, outdoor movie, dance performance, or parade begins in earnest!

The Scripture focus this Sunday is Acts 16:16-34, in which we pick up on Paul’s pilgrimage after welcoming Lydia and her household into the body of Christ. And what follows—from Paul and Silas’ best intentions to help others around the city as they proclaim the Gospel and heal others—is time spent in prison! Healing a young slave girl who is heckling Paul and Silas got them in trouble with the master of the young girl, which created a crowd, and they were charged for “disturbing the peace,” if you will, which landed them in prison. While in prison, they were liberated via an earthquake, and then had an opportunity to bring salvation to the household of the prison guard! The best of intentions led these two through an interesting, circuitous route on their mission-as-pilgrimage! Twists and turns with the unexpected Spirit is the major theme of this story, which reminds us that our unique story, as a community of faith, is also filled with fascinating, unplanned, serendipitous occasions of sharing the Gospel in word and deed. Join us this Sunday as we continue to explore the story of our faith, with all its twists and turns, through the prism of the Acts of the Apostles! 

***

On the morning of Sunday, June 16, 2019, we are going to be marching in the Portland LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, under the banner of Community of Welcoming Congregations (CWC), which is an interreligious group welcoming all communities of faith to walk together. They need to know how many want to walk with us. Please call, text, or email me only if you are wanting to walk with us by Sunday, June 2, 2019.Wear your Community of Pilgrims (CoP) t-shirt! And I’ll have plenty of flyers for CoP for folks to hand out to people in the parade. If someone wants to make a CoP sign to be carried, that would be great as well. I reserved seven spaces for our folks, and still have some openings! Grandchildren and friends and other family members are welcome!

_____

Events!

June 2, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
June 9, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park, PCUSA;
June 12-15, Pastor Brett at OR-ID UMC Annual Conference, Eugene, OR;
June 16, 2019: LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, Portland, OR, Time TBD;
June 23, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
June 30, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
July 7, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;
July 14, Moreland Presbyterian Church worship!
____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!
* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 
* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.
* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

_____

Poem

Sonnet for Ascension Day, by Malcolm Guite

On May 30, the Church observed Ascension Day. On this day, we recognize that Jesus ascended to heaven. And now we await the descending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday (June 9, 2019). In honor of Ascension Day, here is a poem by Malcolm Guite:

We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centered now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we ourselves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed .

_____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris 
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter Community of Pilgrims, May 26, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: May 26, 2019, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Chapel, Rose City Park PCUSA, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213 Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

To the Pilgrims, Missionaries, Engaged Volunteers, and Good Samaritans,

It is May, and the beauty of creation in this part of the world—the Pacific Northwest—abounds. Gardens filled with lilac bushes, gardenias, and roses starting to open up remind us of how the Creator was all about our senses: touch, taste, smell, see, and hear.

This week’s focus Scripture is back to the fascinating tales of the early Christian community of faith, Acts 16:9-15. In Acts 15, Paul teamed up with Timothy on their pilgrimage of faith. This is a reminder that ministry and living life as a Christian is not a solo-activity. What I find fascinating in their pilgrimage of faith—much like my experience with the Community of Pilgrims and my role as the LGBTQ+ Advocacy Coordinator in the United Methodist Church—is that there are so many places, people, and times where the Holy Spirit opens up doors wide and there is easy entry, and times and places and people's hearts that the Spirit seems to forbid entry. The trials and triumphs, joys and disappointments, ebb and flow, of ministry are constant in my work as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament throughout my 35+ years of ordination. I’m sure you, and others in the ministry of the Gospel in our Community, have experienced the same thing. With the Spirit as our guide, we will continue to experience the ebb and flow of our time together as the Community of Pilgrims. Join us this Sunday as we look at the pilgrimage of Paul and Timothy, and how their work of growing the young church reflects our own growing experience as a Community of Pilgrims. 

***

Portland LGBTQ+ Pride Parade! On the morning of Sunday, June 16, 2019, we are going to be marching in the Portland LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, under the banner of Community of Welcoming Congregations (CWC), which is an interreligious group welcoming all communities of faith to walk together. They need to know how many want to walk with us. Please call, text, or email me only if you are wanting to walk with us by Sunday, May 26, 2019.Wear your Community of Pilgrims (CoP) t-shirt!  And I’ll have plenty of flyers for CoP for folks to hand out to people in the parade. If someone wants to make a CoP sign to be carried, that would be great as well.

_____

Events!

May 26, 2019, 9:30 & 11 am, Pastor Brett, First Presby. Church, Salem, OR;

May 26, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 2, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 9, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park, PCUSA;

June 12-15, Pastor Brett at OR-ID UMC Annual Conference, Eugene, OR;

June 16, 2019: LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, Portland, OR, Time TBD;

June 23, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 30, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

____

Requests

* Regarding the CoP 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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

____

Prayers of Celebrations and Concerns

·     Prayers for all those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in the month of May;

·     Prayers for healing for those who are in the hospital or rehabilitation centers;

·     Prayers for safe travels for those who are traveling during Memorial Day Weekend;

·     Prayers for peace in light of those in power who are threatening war against Iran and Venezuela;

·     Prayers for health care for all, especially in light of the anti-abortion bills flooding several state legislatures;

·     Prayers for those experiencing flooding and savage storms in the Midwest;

·     Prayers for gun control in this country.

_____

Poem

Spring, by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –          

   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;          

   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush          

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring          

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing; 

   The glassy pear tree leaves and blooms, they brush          

   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush          

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.          

What is all this juice and all this joy?          

   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning 

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,          

   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,          

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,          

   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.     

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, CoP May 12, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: May 12, 2019, Rose City Park PCUSA’s Chapel, 1907 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213 Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

_____

Dear Pilgrims of a Faithful Community,

Spring is all around us!  If you suffer from allergies, then there is some regret going your way too, though I hope the beauty of the world around us—with flowers blooming, birds chirping, the budding greenness of trees, and warmer days—can be enjoyed by one and all.

The focus Scripture this week is Acts 9:36-43, in which an early disciple of the Way by the name of Tabitha (aka Dorcas) suddenly falls ill and dies. Word of her illness got to Peter, and a miracle was performed, in which Peter witnessed the power of the Spirit of God in bringing her back to life, as confirmed by all the saints and widows in the community. I thought of the power of this story of a faith community, and relationships within a community of faith, when I read of the news of the death of Jean Vanier, who, along with Father Thomas, began the L’Arche community movement in Trosly, France. L'Arche was the subject of my doctoral dissertation. I spent three days with Jean Vanier, talking about l’Arche. Vanier would appreciate this story of the early church community, because it reminds us that “community is a sign that love is possible in a materialistic world, where people so often either ignore or fight each other. It is a sign that we don’t need a lot of money to be happy—in fact, the opposite…love doesn’t mean doing extraordinary or heroic things. It means knowing how to do ordinary things with tenderness.” After all, it was love that brought Dorcas back to life. Join us this Sunday as we continue to explore more about the nature of being a faith community in our world today!

***

Lenten Clothing Collection Update! Thank you, all, for your generous donation of clothes (our Lenten devotional communal practice) that went to Snow Cap, a non-profit that provides these clothes to people in need! Many bags of clothes went to this worthy non-profit!  Well done! 

_____

Events!

May 12, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

May 19, 2019, Pastor Brett preaching at First UMC Ashland, OR;

May 19, 2019, 2:00 pm., Bach Cantata Choir Concert, Rose City Park PCUSA;

May 26, 2019, 9:30 & 11 am, Pastor Brett, First Presby. Church, Salem, OR;

May 26, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 2, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 9, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park, PCUSA;

June 12-15, Pastor Brett at OR-ID UMC Annual Conference, Eugene, OR;

June 16, 2019: LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, Portland, OR, Time TBD;

June 23, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

June 30, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

____

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!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

* Another book for our consideration: The Intentional Christian Community Handbookby David Janzen (Paraclete Press, 2013). We may use this book as we delve deeper into understanding what it means to be an intentional Christian community of faith.

* Finally, Community and Growthby Jean Vanier will be picked up as a book for us to read together.

This summer and autumn, we will choose a Sunday to be a book discussion time, choosing a chapter or two from one of the books to be our discussion for that Sunday instead of a homily!

____

Prayers of Celebrations and Concerns

·The family of Christian writer Rachel Held Evans and the community who followed her.  She died Saturday at age 37 after spending weeks in the hospital for an infection. She is survived by her husband and two young children.

·The family of Don Fowler who died this week.

·Celebration for a good life for Chuck's sister Mariana who died recently.

·Celebration for Liz that she can move back into her own home.

·Susan and others like her who help care for the sick and the elderly.

·Mrs. Anderson, Brett's son-in-law's grandmother who recently died. She was 91 and lived with senile dementia the last five years.

·Brett's daughter Adrianne who is celebrating her 31st birthday and her first Mothers’ Day.

·Unity and peace in our country, Yemen, Syria, Venezuela, Iran, Israel, and Palestine.

·The United Methodist Church facing a surge in defections and acts of defiance after the vote to ban same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy.

·Linda's grandson Sayer who hopes to be accepted into the Winterhaven School, a Portland Public Schools science, technology, and math focus option school.

·The family and friends of Jean Vanier and l'Arche, co-founder of L’Arche.

·The school shooting in Colorado. Prayers for gun control.

_____

Poem

Praying, by Mary Oliver

It doesn’t have to be

The blue iris, it could be

Weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

Small stones; just

Pay attention, then patch

A few words together and don’t try

To make them elaborate, this isn’t 

A contest but the doorway

Into thanks, and a silence in which

Another voice may speak.

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris 

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com