Newsletter, CoP, Aug. 22, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Aug. 22, 2021, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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,

I am sitting outside on our side porch/patio area, having read and heard my share of the daily news. I’m not sure how much “news” we can take before we say to ourselves and anyone within hearing distance: “Enough is enough.” On the troubles in Afghanistan, we see pictures of pandemonium and yet are reminded of stories of bravery of translators and remember the history of how our nation got involved in that place so far away. It's a mixed bag. This morning, someone, in his pickup truck, drove up to one of the buildings in DC, and the Capitol Police were called to do what they vowed to do: “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Again, a mixed bag of emotions and thoughts. I’m sitting surrounded by a beautiful garden that needs some serious trimming, while remembering that not too far away, in northern California and parts of the Pacific Northwest, fires blaze out of control. Mixed. Some days, we all need to sit back and get some perspective, context, take a breath, and get a sense how we all move forward together into the future, as a community of faith, into a world that is always changing, in which we are emissaries of the risen Christ, bringing grace, peace, justice, and love. Not so mixed. Just needed to breathe in, and breathe out, and remember who and whose we are.

This week’s sermon is based on one of the Psalms for pilgrims, Ps. 84. There is always the question in our lives, “Where the heck are we going as everyday pilgrims?” This Psalm says it best: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise” (vv. 1-4). Our target, our destination for our earthly pilgrimage is God. I love that even swallows find a home and nest in God’s “temple.” Throughout the week, we keep meeting people who are on a pilgrimage, seeking a place to “be church.” That’s what happens when we gather together on Sunday afternoon: we meet each other, and are church unto one another. Christ’s body. Christ’s Spirit. Sharing Christ’s mind, as part of the body of Christ. Join us this Sunday as we explore both this Pilgrim Psalm and our pilgrimage of faith. 

** Reminder: On Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, we will gather together on Zoom and maybe (just maybe) in person if you are living in the Portland area, to celebrate our anniversary. We will be gathering via Zoom, thanks, in no part, to the presence of the Delta variant, which re-configures so much of the world in which we live. So here’s a task for you to consider: Think of one powerful memory or meaningful way, or comedic way, that being part of this growing, evolving, ever changing community of faith has touched your life, the life of others around you, or the world in which we live. For example, I still remember the night we re-poured pounds of rice into smaller bags for families who were in need of food in Portland. Now, your turn. We will share these memories on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. We will share Communion on that day as well, and a toast afterwards of your favorite libation.

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Events!

Aug. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Sept. 5, Holy Holiday! (Labor Day Weekend)

Sept. 12, Celebrating the Fourth Anniversary of the Community of Pilgrims! 4 pm, Gather and Devotion and Holy Communion on Zoom! Huzzah!

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern

· Linda's brother Gary and thanksgiving he could attend his birthday party.

· A Happy Birthday to Linda.

· The people of Afghanistan and the surrounding area.

· Wisdom for political and military leaders, and those who work in non-profit programs in Afghanistan.

· Refugees from Afghanistan.

· Domestic terrorists and white nationalists.

· Our southern border.

· Minority communities in the US who are slow to get the COVID 19 vaccine.

· Roberta's friend Zeta who is still hospitalized.

· Thanksgiving for Karen's good visit to Yakima.

· Assistance for Marge Stockwell.

· Chuck's neighbor who is a recovering alcoholic and his wife Liz.

· Caring and supportive families.

· Firefighters in this area as well as California.

· Those living homeless and hungry on the streets of the world.

· Thanksgiving that vaccines are going up in hot spots in the US and hope more people get vaccinated quickly.

· People in Haiti which has suffered within a month not only an insurrection and  unstable government but also an earthquake, an approaching tropical storm, low vaccine rate, and high COVID rate…

 “God, in your love, attend our prayers…” 

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Poem

St. Francis and the Sow, by Galway Kinnell

The bud

stands for all things,

even for those things that don’t flower,

for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;   

though sometimes it is necessary

to reteach a thing its loveliness,

to put a hand on its brow

of the flower

and retell it in words and in touch

it is lovely

until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;   

as Saint Francis

put his hand on the creased forehead

of the sow, and told her in words and in touch   

blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow   

began remembering all down her thick length,   

from the earthen snout all the way

through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,   

from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine   

down through the great broken heart

to the sheer blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering   

from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and blowing beneath them:

the long, perfect loveliness of sow.

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Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter, CoP, Aug. 15, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Aug. 15, 2021, Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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 Wise Pilgrims,

As I write this newsletter, it is 102 degrees outside the house. This is the most recent beginning of our “heat dome” in Portland, OR. Tomorrow will be one more day of the “heat dome” in Portland. And then it begins to cool down again to “normal” temperatures for summer in Portland on Saturday. Well, the climate has changed and is changing. We can't stop the already-melting of ice in northern areas of the world. Let us prayerfully act in ways that will temper any more changes in the atmosphere for generations to some over the land, the air, and the seas.

The focus for this Sunday is the wisdom of the community of faith in a world that seems to be “failing” in the area of wisdom. I was reading this passage this morning from Ephesians 5:15: “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise.” Ideally, Christian communities should be known for their wisdom in thought and deed in this world. As I read these words about wisdom I was listening to the rising rate of COVID 19 infections and deaths in this country, especially in Texas and Florida, Missouri and Mississippi, where there is a fight about mask mandates and vaccine mandates, listening to how some sad politicians hope to make this a political point in 2022. Not practicing safe distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and not getting the vaccines seems “unwise,” given the nature of this virus…to say the least. There are other places in our family and congregational lives, as well as community and being part of this nation and world in which we must navigate between wise and unwise practices given our circumstances, from the environmental changes mentioned above to immigration policies, election laws and the rise of civil strife, like in Syria and Afghanistan. It seems that wisdom is called for in all such cases.  Join us this Sunday as we continue to explore the nature of Christian community as described by the writer to the church in Ephesus.

** We began meeting on a “kick off” Sunday on Sept. 10, 2017 at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. So on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, we will gather together on Zoom and maybe (just maybe) in person if you are living in the Portland area, to celebrate our anniversary. Place to be announced. Time? 4:00 pm, of course, Pacific Coast Time. Think of one powerful memory or meaningful way that being part of this growing, evolving, ever changing community of faith has touched your life, or the life of others around you. We will share these memories on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021.

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Events!

Aug. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Sept. 5, Holy Holiday! (Labor Day Weekend)

Sept. 12, Celebrating the Fourth Anniversary of the Community of Pilgrims! 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom! Huzzah!

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern

· Happy Birthday to Linda tomorrow and to Christian's sister Dell.

· Celebrations for the dragon boat races yesterday.

· Traveling mercies for Karen as she returns to Yakima, her home town, to connect with family.

· Linda's close friend June who is having serious health problems.

· Recovery for Earl's friend Sam who has been in a trauma unit.

· Celebrations for Earl's niece McKenna Faulkner who has accepted a teaching position at Liberty High School near Hillsboro.

· Healing and peace for Winston's pastor and his family who have gone through a lot of transition.

· Help for people whose livelihood is dependent upon weather.

· People to get vaccinated as quickly as possible and to get COVID infections under control in this country and the world. 

· Empathy and social responsibility.

· Linda's brother Gary to enjoy his birthday celebration this Saturday. 

· The people of Afghanistan who are facing a brutal wave of violence.

· The people of Syria, parts of Ethiopia, and Yemen, and their continued civil wars.

· The fires in Greece...

“God, in your love, attend our prayers…”

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Poem

Summer, by John Clare

Come we to the summer, to the summer we will come, 

For the woods are full of bluebells and the hedges full of bloom, 

And the crow is on the oak a-building of her nest, 

And love is burning diamonds in my true lover's breast; 

She sits beneath the whitethorn a-plaiting of her hair, 

And I will to my true lover with a fond request repair; 

I will look upon her face, I will in her beauty rest, 

And lay my aching weariness upon her lovely breast. 

The clock-a-clay is creeping on the open bloom of May, 

The merry bee is trampling the pinky threads all day, 

And the chaffinch it is brooding on its grey mossy nest 

In the whitethorn bush where I will lean upon my lover's breast; 

I'll lean upon her breast and I'll whisper in her ear 

That I cannot get a wink o'sleep for thinking of my dear; 

I hunger at my meat and I daily fade away 

Like the hedge rose that is broken in the heat of the day. 

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Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter, CoP, Aug. 8, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Aug. 8, 2021, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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 Imitators of God,

For several months, I’ve been working on a book of daily devotions for pilgrims, A Daily Devotion for Ordinary Pilgrims on an Extraordinary Pilgrimage, posting daily entries on my Facebook page for the School of the Pilgrim. I’m up to Day 46, with 319 entries left. This week’s reading from the Psalms is excellent source material for our daily pilgrimage, in which we are reminded of where we are going and where we will be safe: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him” (Ps. 34:8). This is a helpful verse to remember in the midst of a pandemic, amid global warming changes, and other parts of life that are challenging in our daily lives, we have a place of refuge. Let us be thankful that on this pilgrimage of life we can find safety or shelter from pursuit, danger or trouble in God in Christ, our shield from danger and trouble.safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. Someone who provides shelter. This sounds good!

The focus Scripture this week is Ephesians 4:25-5:2. In the beginning of this passage, the writer (who may or may not be Paul) is writing to the young Christian community in Ephesus about the actions and behaviors of those who are part of the Christian community. But the focus this week will be on the last two lines, 5:1, 2: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” How the heck does one imitate God? This is pure pilgrim fodder: Jesus himself provides the pathway or footsteps of God throughout this world, not simply giving us an example to follow by our own grit and determination, but cutting the pilgrimage path for us, and then pulling, pushing, nudging, cajoling and leading us along. We have the ability to imitate God by grace, and may walk the path and imitate God because we are loved by the Spirit of God. Join us this Sunday at 4 pm as we talk about imitating God as a community of faith. The theme? Being imitators of God!

** We began meeting on a “kick off” Sunday on Sept. 10, 2017 at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. So on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, we will gather together on Zoom and maybe (just maybe) in person if you are living in the Portland area, to celebrate our anniversary. Place to be announced. Time? 4:00 pm, of course, Pacific Coast Time. Think of one powerful memory or meaningful way that being part of this growing, evolving, ever changing community of faith has touched your life, or the life of others around you. We will share these memories on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021.

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Events!

Aug. 8, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Sept. 5, Holy Holiday! (Labor Day Weekend)

Sept. 12, Celebrating the Fourth Anniversary of the Community of Pilgrims! 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom! Huzzah!

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern

· People who suffer from PTSD.

· Roberta's friend Zeta who is still hospitalized and facing extensive rehabilitation and for her daughter Tamara, her advocate.

· Marge and her friend and advocate Patty. Thanksgiving for Patty's faithfulness. Prayers both Marge and Patty can continue in strength and peace of mind.

· Lorinda's friend Christine who died this last week.

· Teenagers and young adults who face significant mental health challenges.

· Those who treat those young people. Continued diligence for those in mental health and caregivers in general.

· People to be able to trust in a higher power.

· Other parts of the world without access to the COVID vaccine.

· Bill's cardiologist who died unexpectedly this past week.

· People who are struggling with rent and eviction pressures.

· Those who live homeless and houseless lives.

· The global climate change that continues to have an impact upon our lives.

· Those places in the world in which there is civil strife and civil war.

· The rising number of COVID infections and deaths, especially in the US, Brazil, and India.

· The voter suppression laws in various state houses; may these hurtful laws be vanquished and suppressed.

 “God, in your love, attend our prayers…”  

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Poem

A Blessing, by Jan Richardson

When the wall

Between the worlds

Is too firm,

Too close.

When it seems

All solidity

And sharp edges.

When every morning

You wake as if

Flattened against it,

Its forbidding presence

Fairly pressing the breath

From you

All over again.

Then may you be given

A glimpse

Of how weak the wall

And how strong what stirs

On the other side,

Breathing with you

And blessing you 

Still

Forever bound to you

But freeing you

Into this living

Into this world

So much wider

Than you ever knew.

____

Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter, CoP, Aug. 1, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Aug. 1, 2021, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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!

Happy (almost) 4th Anniversary! Wow! Yeah! Woohoo! Time to celebrate! Come on!

We began meeting on a “Kick Off” Sunday on Sept. 10, 2017 at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. 31 people joined us on that day. So, on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, we will gather together on Zoom and maybe (just maybe) in person if you are living in the Portland area, to celebrate our anniversary. Place to be announced. Time? 4:00 pm, of course, Pacific Coast Time. Celebrating an anniversary is an important event, both personally and as a community of faith. An anniversary allows us to put a pin or marker on a calendar to remind us of something that matters to us. It is a chance to reflect on a relationship or cultural identity, to come together to remember where we started, and joyously celebrate where and who we are today, and get a sense of where we are going in the future. Happy 4th Anniversary to us, Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship! More details to come!

The focus Scripture this week is John 6:24-35. Jesus is talking about the bread of life, and the people who surround him are talking about manna and Moses. What is interesting in this dialogue between the Jewish crowd and Jesus is a matter of trust. One wonders if they always trusted what Jesus was saying, kept wondering who he was, or had their doubts, which provoked this back and forth dialogue. Trust is, of course, front and center in our lives as well. Trust is at the core of the myriad debates around the COVID 19 pandemic and vaccines and masks. We can all appreciate how much more smoothly things run when there is trust among a people and their leader, as we see what is happening in a land and a people and a government in which trust is at a low point. Join us this Sunday as we discuss the importance, the centrality, of trust, between God the Creator, and God’s people.

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Events!

Aug. 1, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 8, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 22, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 29, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern

· COVID 19 vaccine and prayers that everyone wise up and take it.

· Rest, safety, and appreciation for firefighters.

· Celebrations for Brett's new job at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church. He will begin in September for six months, and maybe beyond, to help them assess and discern what they want to do and where the Spirit is leading them.

· Thanksgiving that Christian got home safe and sound.

· A safe return home for Karen.

· Celebrations for Chuck's eighth grandchild born in Norway.

· Safe transition for the Sperry family. Bill has taken a new position in Coronado, California.

· Healing for Zeta who was in a head-on car crash three weeks ago.

· Cindy Fraser's family.

· Gratitude that Luke's foot injury from his motorcycle accident should not lead to long lasting damage.

· Brett's daughter and son-in-law who are moving into their new house in Asheville, North Carolina.

· Good relations among families where there is tension.

· Passage of the infrastructure bill.

· Gaining control of the Delta variant. 

· Smooth planning for Luke and Dayna's wedding in Fort Collins on September 4th. 

“God, in your love, attend our prayers…”

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Poem

August, by Mary Oliver

When the blackberries hang
swollen in the woods, in the brambles
nobody owns, I spend

all day among the high
branches, reaching
my ripped arms, thinking

of nothing, cramming
the black honey of summer
into my mouth; all day my body

accepts what it is. In the dark
creeks that run by there is
this thick paw of my life darting among

the black bells, the leaves; there is
this happy tongue.

____

Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter, CoP, July 25, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, July 25, 2021, Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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 Servant Pilgrims,

Slowly, but surely, our lives are coming to be, in this post-COVID period (sort of), a now-new-normal. We will probably depend upon FaceTime and Zoom more than we did 16 months earlier. We will most likely keep a mask in the car and the house, “just in case of an emergency,” a “lock down” or mask mandate, and we will comply for the greater, common good with this order of science and health professionals. I went to my first indoor live music concert last night, at Kaul Auditorium at Reed College, listening to the music from various music groups at Chamber Music NW, masked, and still washing hands. And so we move forward, open to more gatherings with family and friends, in this new-ish normal of a kind of post-COVID day. Stay tuned!

While working out in the gym, I listen to MSNBC (I know, no surprise). And yesterday I listened to the public figure Fran Lebowitz with Ari Melber on MSNBC’s “The Beat.” I was struck by something she said that helped me decide which passage I should preach on this Sunday, July 25th, either from Hebrew Scripture, the Gospel, or one of Paul’s (or someone like Paul) letters. Talking about today’s modern political culture, she said, “Shameful and shameless share the same root word: Shame. And shame is everywhere around us today.” There is the title for my sermon! Shame, Shameful, and Shameless. And who would fit this word the best but King David. The focus Scripture is 2 Samuel 11:1-15, and it is the story of King David’s affair with Bathsheba, wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah, and his “offing” of Uriah. Here was God’s chosen, God’s beloved, God’s appointed King, David, who is shameful in his affair with Bathsheba, and shameless in killing her husband, Uriah. The word “shame” came quickly to mind as I read the story and heard Lebowitz talk about shame. That’s what this story is about: shame. But this is not the only point as I talk about this historical, biblical figure. We also have shame in our lives. We have done things towards others, or ourselves, that are shameful; in which we are filled with shame. And we’ve acted with no mercy towards others in shameless ways, feeling no shame as our will, our might, our actions, win the day, for us, at least. And yet, God loves us still. Amazing. There is still grace. Astounding. There is still faith. Astonishing. God didn’t give up on David because of David’s actions, though they were part of the messy legacy of David. And David happens to be part of the lineage of Jesus. In other words, David was one of Jesus’ forbearers. Join us this Sunday in which we will talk about shame. And if you don’t join us, shame on you…just kidding. See and hear you then.

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Events!

July 25, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 1, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 8, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 15, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

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Prayers of Celebration and Concern

· Mark Weinress, husband of Tom Donegon who died this week of esophageal cancer.

· Dean's mother Caroline Blackburn who has stopped treatment for cancer.

· Marty Cauley, one of Brett’s students from Duke, who recently died of cancer.

· F___ cancer.  Three deaths in two weeks.

· Thanksgiving for the special Ansel Adams exhibit in Portland Art Museum.

· Comfort for Jane Wickston who lost her partner to cancer.

· All those celebrating difficult birthdays and anniversaries.

· Prayers that we get through this pandemic. Cases are increasing.

· Thanksgiving for the vaccines. Operation Warp Speed was good.

· July birthdays--Brett, Ray, Tamio, and Happy 44th wedding anniversary to Kathy and Tamio.

· An end to the gun violence in Portland where shootings are on the rise.

· Summer in Portland with its long days, mild temperatures, and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

· New tiny home communities for homeless people.

· Control of massive wildfires predicted in Oregon and other states.

· Humans to address climate change and global warming and horrendous floods, and that we take better care of our earth.

· Safe travels for all those on vacation or business trips. 

· Thanksgiving that Eddie, Deborah Marie's cat, has been found safe and unharmed.

· A safe start to the Tokyo Olympics.

 “God, in your love, attend our prayers…”

_____

Poem

Nothing is Far, by Robert Francis

Though I have never caught the word

Of God from any calling bird,

I hear all that the ancients heard.

Though I have seen no deity

Enter or leave a twilit tree,

I see all that the seers see.

A common stone can still reveal

Something not stone, not seen, yet real.

What may a common stone conceal?

Nothing is far that once was near.

Nothing is hid that once was clear.

Nothing was God that is not here.

Here is the bird, the tree, the stone.

Here in the sun I sit alone

Between the known and the unknown.

____

Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter, CoP, July 18, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, July 18, 2021, Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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 Pilgrims of Christly Peace,

Greetings from Seattle. After a hectic beginning of the week, I’m glad to have things winding down on a Friday, in which the weather is far more typical of our Pacific NW forecast, with cool mornings and sunnier summer afternoons in the 80s. This is also time for coveted vacations, trips to the coast or mountains or to other parts of the country, preparations for weddings, and other celebrations of life well-lived. Hooray for times of celebration!

The focus passage of Scripture this week is the Letter to the Ephesians 2:11-22. Biblical commentator Sally Brown opens her commentary on this passage with these words:  “Today’s reading lies at the heart of the theology of Ephesians, and it is not tame.” Yikes! To read and study untamed theology! How daring! How bold! What’s going on? The risen Christ has upset the apple cart of life, tearing down walls that divided people—which for the church in Ephesus was between Gentiles and Jews—and creating a new people: “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us” (v. 14). Having broken down the dividing wall, “we are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone” (vv. 19, 20). Why is this so untamed? The only “peace” that was known in the then-Roman Empire was a peace buttressed by force, by an army, by threat of life if anyone stepped out of line. It was a forced, and a perverted sense of peace. But what God in Christ was offering, as exemplified in this letter, was a peace on new terms, the peace forged not by the "lords” of Empires old or new, in their manifold forms, but in the blood and bone of the crucified and risen Christ. The cross undermined the wall dividing Jew and non-Jew, but that is only the beginning. We can well imagine that Roman occupiers would not be excited about this kind of “peace,” in which their “peace” is undone by the death and resurrection of the Servant God, the Holy One. Only recently in our own country did we allow someone to perpetuate the folly of a forced peace with a weak wall, wasting millions of taxpayers' money. All walls in all countries either come down eventually, or become tourist attractions. Join us this Sunday as we discuss walls and fences, all kinds of peace, and being members of the household of God, with Christ as the cornerstone, in our modern age. 

_____

Events!

July 18, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 25, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 1, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 8, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern

·      We pray for those who are fighting the forest fires in the western part of the US, as well as for rain to end this drought;

·      We pray for the people of Germany and surrounding countries who are facing serious flooding;

·      We pray for voting rights and infrastructure bills in the US, and for people who have not taken the COVID 19 vaccine in this country to simply take it, along with the rest of the world;

·      We pray for those family and friends who are facing serious health and mental health challenges, for the professionals in the health services, and family and friends who are caretakers;

·      We pray for those who have passed this week, that they will truly rest in peace, and we pray for their family and friends;

·      We are celebrating all the people who have birthdays and wedding anniversaries in July!

·      We pray for travel mercies for those on the road. And for those who are on vacation, have fun!

·      We are thankful when those pets we love, who once were lost, are found.

·      We continue to pray for the people who are struggling to simply live in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

“God, in your love, attend our prayers…” 

_____

Poem

The Wire Fence, by Michel Quoist

The wires are holding hands around the holes;

To avoid breaking the ring, they hold tight the neighboring wrist,

And it’s thus that with holes they make a fence.

Lord, there are lots of holes in my life.

There are some in the lives of my neighbors.

But if you wish, we shall hold hands,

We shall hold very tight, 

And together we shall make a fine roll of fence to adorn Paradise.

** 

It is my prayer that this vision for mutual ministry may stimulate new visions for ministry and mission in the place where you live and serve.

____

Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter, CoP, July 11, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, July 11, 2021, Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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. 

_____

Dear Pilgrims of the Prophets,

I woke up this morning with this song in my head, “In the good old summer time, in the good old summer time, strolling through the shady lane, with your baby mind. You hold her hand and she holds yours, and that’s a very good sign, that she’s your tootsey-wootsey in the good, old summertime.” This was one of my dad’s favorite songs to sing on long car trips—in cars that had only an AM radio and lost coverage quickly on long trips. As I read the verses to the song, I am aware that we never sang those. Only the chorus. So sing along with me this summer’s day, “In the good old summertime…”

The focus Scripture this week is Amos 7:7-15, in which we will focus on the prophet Amos. As far as prophets are concerned, I think that Frederick Buechner got it right: “A prophet's quarrel with the world is deep down a lover's quarrel. If they didn't love the world, they probably wouldn't bother to tell it that it's going to hell. They'd just let it go. Their quarrel is God's quarrel.” Amos was one of God’s prophet. He had a tool in hand by which he told and showed Israel that it wasn’t quite in line, literally and figuratively, with God’s understanding of justice. The tool that Amos got this point across with was a plum line. To make a plum line, you attach a heavy weight to the end of a cord, attaching the other end at an appropriate height. Due to the force of gravity, this line will be pulled tight, establishing a vertical or plumb point of reference for construction. Just as a plumb line could help judge the verticality of a wall, so too does God judge the relative uprightness of a community. Unfortunately, God calls Amos to see how God’s plumb line is being used, and what it has found: “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword” (Amos 7:7-9). My question, and one for us to wrestle with is what God’s plumb line would find in today’s world among the nations? Are we following the ways of God? Or would we be found tilting, and needing to be de-constructed and re-constructed so that we were in line with God’s plum line? Join us this Sunday as we discuss God’s plum line and the world in which we live.

**

Thank you, everyone, for your birthday wishes, and for participating in the Facebook challenge/request. $1320.00 was raised on the Facebook page, and $400 was sent in, which bring us to the total of $1,720! Thank you, one and all, for your support of The Community of Pilgrims!

**

Again, a few weeks ago, I had honor of preaching a sermon that was taped on Day 1, which used to be known as the Protestant Hour. I preached the sermon earlier for the Community of Pilgrims in April, and it was taped in April when Christian and I were visiting his family. This Sunday’s Gospel lectionary passage is the focus of this sermon. If you want to read it or hear it, here it is: 

https://day1.org/audio/user-audio/60d34aed6615fb5e7700001c.mp3.

Have fun!

_____

Events!

July 11, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 18, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 25, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

Aug. 1, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern

·      Prayers of thanksgiving for the beauty of the earth, and care for the earth. We are witnessing climate change in our life time, and know that it will take decades to reverse any of the changes, along with massive efforts among all citizens of the earth.

·      Prayers for peace within the nation of Haiti in light of the assassination of the President.  We also pray for peace in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and Afghanistan. 

·      Prayers for people to get the COVID 19 vaccine around the world.

·      Prayers for everyone’s right to vote in this nation with no obstacles or hurdles put in place, or prayers that everyone gets to vote with mail-in ballots, like in OR and WA.

·      Prayers for friends and family members who need health care, especially those in need of mental health care.

·      Thanksgiving that Christian and I were able to (finally) buy a house on Martha St. in Tigard, OR!

·      Prayers for those who are houseless, homeless, and in need of a helping hand.

_____

Poem

In Summertime, by Paul Laurence Dunbar

When summer time has come, and all
The world is in the magic thrall
Of perfumed airs that lull each sense
To fits of drowsy indolence;
When skies are deepest blue above,
And flow'rs aflush,—then most I love
To start, while early dews are damp,
And wend my way in woodland tramp
Where forests rustle, tree on tree,
And sing their silent songs to me;
Where pathways meet and pathways part,—
To walk with Nature heart by heart,
Till wearied out at last I lie
Where some sweet stream steals singing by
A mossy bank; where violets vie
In color with the summer sky,—
Or take my rod and line and hook,
And wander to some darkling brook,
Where all day long the willows dream,
And idly droop to kiss the stream,
And there to loll from morn till night—
Unheeding nibble, run, or bite—
Just for the joy of being there
And drinking in the summer air,
The summer sounds, and summer sights,
That set a restless mind to rights
When grief and pain and raging doubt
Of men and creeds have worn it out;
The birds' song and the water's drone,
The humming bee's low monotone,
The murmur of the passing breeze,
And all the sounds akin to these,
That make a man in summer time
Feel only fit for rest and rhyme.
Joy springs all radiant in my breast;
Though pauper poor, than king more blest,
The tide beats in my soul so strong
That happiness breaks forth in song,
And rings aloud the welkin blue
With all the songs I ever knew.
O time of rapture! time of song!
How swiftly glide thy days along
Adown the current of the years,
Above the rocks of grief and tears!
'Tis wealth enough of joy for me
In summer time to simply be.

____

Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter CoP, July 4, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, July 4, 2021, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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. 

_____

Dear Pilgrims of the Pilgrim God.

For those who are “new” to The Community of Pilgrims, we will, from time to time, on a Sunday, take a “holy holiday.” This is especially true on busy Sundays in which, were we a larger congregation, we would see our numbers dwindle on this Sunday of all Sundays, because it is July 4th. It is the epitome of a summer vacation weekend! Driving down from Seattle this morning to Portland, we barely beat the crowds of people on the highways leaving our cities for weekend destinations. At 4 pm on Sunday, July 4th, even without the fireworks, the Steering Team’s hunch was that most people would be busy with BBQ activities. So, have a blessed weekend with family, friends, and strangers alike. And, in the words of President Biden, let’s celebrate the freedom from COVID 19, and gather together with small groups of vaccinated people. 

This Sunday’s passage will probably be the focus for next week, because it is all about Jesus sending his disciples, two by two, on a pilgrimage, Mark 6:1-13. I am especially drawn to this part: “He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave this place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them” (vv. 7-13). There are three lessons to be learned here. The first is being sent out two by two. Tom Letts, our church coach, reminded us of this central part of pilgrimage, in which we are to go out into the world two by two, not as solo acts, so that we can spend time getting to know others, and share the adventure with each other. The second is what they were sent out with: hardly anything at all. Instead, they were to be totally dependent upon the hospitality of strangers. Totally. And third, rejoice when the Good News is welcomed. And what do we do if we are not welcome in certain places and people? Simply shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them. It is analogous to saying, “I wash my hands of this situation,” taking no more responsibility for what may come. So pray about the practices, as modern-day pilgrims, and how we may enact them today, as we have with the two-by-two rule in The Community of Pilgrims. And see you all next week. Enjoy the pilgrimage.  

**

On Facebook, there is still one more day left! An opportunity always avails itself around one’s birthday to ask friends and family to contribute to a non-profit of the birthday person’s choosing on Facebook. Tomorrow is the last day to give on Facebook! In years past I’ve raised money for Outside In and Southern Poverty Law Center. This year, I’ve chosen The Community of Pilgrims. The goal? $3,000. This will help us continue our work well into 2022, and hopefully 2023. We have a future! Since we are under the umbrella of the Presbytery of the Cascades, you will see that the Presbytery of the Cascades is non-profit one is asked to give to. But read the narrative and you will see it is to the Community of Pilgrims. So far, we have raised $1400. Go to this link, if you are on Facebook or not, and please consider giving today! And thanks for annual pledges as well. To those of you who have given, thanks! And if you want to simply give to the Community of Pilgrims in honor of my birthday, feel free to send a check to Community of Pilgrims, c/o Brett Webb-Mitchell, 9460 SW Martha St, Tigard, OR 97224. And thank you all for your wonderful support of our Community of Pilgrims. 

https://www.facebook.com/donate/570468713935481/10224396768125095/

**

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of preaching a sermon that was taped on Day 1, which used to be known as the Protestant Hour. I preached the sermon earlier for the Community of Pilgrims in April, and it was taped in April when Christian and I were visiting his family. This Sunday’s Gospel lectionary passage is the focus of this sermon. If you want to read it or hear it, here it is: 

https://day1.org/audio/user-audio/60d34aed6615fb5e7700001c.mp3.

Have fun!

_____

Events!

July 4, Holy Holiday! We will not be meeting today!

July 11, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 18, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 25, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern

·      COVID 19 vaccines, prayers that others will get vaccinated.

·      Persons facing extreme weather challenges, e.g., heat, floods, storms.

·      For youth who are at high risk of suicide.

·      For families to find ways to stay together.

·      For Columbia County families, to find housing, cooling centers.  For those continuing to work in this heat.  To provide shelters, water. 

·      Florida, for the building that collapsed, those who died.

·      Linda’s friend Linn who undergoes chemotherapy.

·      Marge Stockwell in assisted living Gresham facility, and helper Patti.

·      May we be invitational.

·      Thanks for Pride Month.

·      Voting in this country, which is less “free” and more suppressed than it was in 1965 after the Voting Rights Act was made the law of the land. 

_____

Poem

Bed in Summer, by Robert Louis Stevenson

In winter I get up at night 

And dress by yellow candle-light. 

In summer, quite the other way, 

I have to go to bed by day. 

I have to go to bed and see 

The birds still hopping on the tree, 

Or hear the grown-up people's feet 

Still going past me in the street. 

And does it not seem hard to you, 

When all the sky is clear and blue, 

And I should like so much to play, 

To have to go to bed by day? 

____

Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter CoP, June 27, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, June 27, 2021, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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. 

_____

Dear Summertime Pilgrims,

To our friends who are not living in the Pacific Northwest, we want to wish you a cooler weekend than we are about to experience. To say or sing, “we’re having a heat wave,” is soon going to be an understatement, if the weather forecasters are correct. Of course, our prayers are with those who have no shelter, as well as with those who have no adequate way of cooling off in these hot temperatures. I will reach out to Human Solutions and see if there is any need of fans with their clients, and keep you posted. Multnomah and Clackamas counties are working on a list. 

After a fascinating discussion on community last week—thanks to Rev. Frank Dew of North Carolina and former pastor of our sibling congregations New Creation Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC—we are going to continue this focus on community this Sunday, reading 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17. One of the lines that stood out to me is this: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (5:7). What does this mean as pilgrims of faith? Last Sunday, Frank reminded us of two things: 1) Community growth is not microwaveable. You can’t simply make it happen quickly as we would a microwaved meal; 2) Community growth isn’t always seen by the naked eye. You can’t simply sit and watch it happen before our eyes. Or as “Poor Richard” (Benjamin Franklin) said, “a watched pot never boils.” And so I would add a third comment about community: we walk not by literal or metaphorical sight per se on the pilgrimage of life as a community of faith. Oftentimes, if not most times, we walk by faith. After all, we know that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Our gatherings, our times of fellowship, our service projects, our prayers, our worship together, our potlucks, our breaking bread and sharing the common cup, are all undergirded and infused by the Spirit because of the gift of grace through faith given to each and every one of us. How do we know that? By 20-20 hindsight, looking in the rearview mirror of life, and seeing what wonders God in Christ has and is doing in our lives, our communities of faith, and in the world. Amid all the criticism of Paul, what Paul did know was the nature of faith, of grace, of love, and the contours of being the body of Christ, which is why Paul’s words from 2,000 years ago still preaches today. Join us this Sunday as we continue to explore what it means, as pilgrims today, to walk by faith and not necessarily by sight. 

**

On Facebook, there is an opportunity around one’s birthday to ask friends and family to contribute to a non-profit of the birthday person’s choosing. In years past I’ve raised money for Outside In and Southern Poverty Law Center. This year, I’ve chosen The Community of Pilgrims. The goal? $3,000. This will help us continue our work well into 2022, and hopefully 2023. We have a future! Since we are under the umbrella of the Presbytery of the Cascades, you will see that the Presbytery of the Cascades is non-profit one is asked to give to. But read the narrative and you will see it is to the Community of Pilgrims. So far, we have raised $580. Go to this link, if you are on Facebook or not, and please consider giving today! And thanks for annual pledges as well. To those of you who have given, thanks! And if you want to simply give to the Community of Pilgrims in honor of my birthday, feel free to send a check to Community of Pilgrims, c/o Brett Webb-Mitchell, 9460 SW Martha St, Tigard, OR 97224. And thank you all for your wonderful support of our Community of Pilgrims. 

https://www.facebook.com/donate/570468713935481/10224396768125095/

**

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of preaching a sermon that was taped on Day 1, which used to be known as the Protestant Hour. I preached the sermon earlier for the Community of Pilgrims in April, and it was taped in April when Christian and I were visiting his family. This Sunday’s Gospel lectionary passage is the focus of this sermon. If you want to read it or hear it, here it is: 

https://day1.org/audio/user-audio/60d34aed6615fb5e7700001c.mp3.

Have fun!

_____

Events!

June 27, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 4, Holy Holiday! We will not be meeting today!

July 11, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 18, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern

·      Thankfulness for the holidays:  Juneteenth, Fathers’ Day, Gay Pride, Summer Solstice, 13th amendment proscribing slavery ratified Dec. 1865.

·      Celebration for Frank Dew joining us.  Thank you!

·      Roberta:   Marge Stockwell moved to rehab facility in Gresham.  Prayers for Marge and helper Patti.

·      For Roberta, who is helping in vacation bible school this week amidst heat and also assisting at another organization.

·      Karen:  Emily, daughter adopted from China, graduated from middle school and will go to Sunset High School next year!   

·      Brett:  Prayers for protests to challenge criminal executions.

·      Halting of voter suppression laws.

·      Strengthen diversity in this country.

·      Heat wave, fire danger.  Prayers to counter and reduce forest fires.

·      Decrease Covid infections and increase vaccinations in world.

·      Deborah Maria:  For a friend’s adult son with mental health issues.  Risk of psychotic break.  Difficult for parents and for him.  Prayers for improvement.

_____

Poem

Don’t Tell Me No, by Jan Richardson

Don’t tell me no.

I have seen you

Feed the thousands,

Seen miracles spill

From your hands

Like water, like wine,

Seen you with circles

And circles of crowds

Pressed around you 

And not one soul 

Turned away.

Don’t start with me.

I am saying 

You can close the door

But I will keep knocking. 

You can go silent.

But I will keep shouting

You can tighten the circle

But I will trace a bigger one

Around you,

Around the life of my child

Who will tell you

No one surpasses a mother

For stubbornness.

I am saying

I know what you

Can do with crumbs

And I am claiming mine,

Every morsel and scrap

You have up your sleeve.

Unclench your hand

Your heart.

Let the scraps fall

Like manna,

Like mercy

For my life 

Of my child, 

The life of 

The world.

Don’t you tell me no.

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.

Newsletter CoP, June 20, 2021

THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, June 20, 2021, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Gather and Devotion on Zoom. 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. 

_____

Dear People of the Way,

Happy Almost Summer! On Saturday, June 19, 2021, we have a new national holiday to celebrate: Juneteenth! It is the day we celebrate the emancipation of Black Americans after the Civil War. Then, on Sunday, June 20, 2021, around 8:30 pm, it is officially the first day of summer. And it is the longest day of the year. It also happens to be Father’s Day in the US. June 19th and June 20th is quite a full weekend. We have much to celebrate and be thankful for!

The focus Scripture this Sunday is Mark 4:35-41. It is one of those stories in which there is a windstorm on the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus is either walking on the water or is asleep in the middle of a storm. The disciples are freaking out in both stories, scared that this is surely the end of life as they know it. They are almost incredulous that Jesus isn’t freaking out like they are. Instead, Jesus, in this story, is asleep in the stern or front area of the boat, sleeping on cushions. Out of desperation, they wake Jesus up from his deep sleep, and asking him, “Don’t you care that we are all about to perish?” What follows is always a surprise: Jesus, aka God, aka Creator, calls the windstorm to cease, which it does. While the disciples are relieved, Jesus sums up the story with this one-liner: “Why are you afraid? Have you still (my emphasis) no faith?” Well, while they may have faith, they weren’t sure how to live life in the flow of this gift. Instead, they went back to their older instincts, like fear, doubt, and worry. The question for us today is similar. When the storms around rock our little boats of life, do we panic as well out of old habits? Or do we turn to God in Christ to steady the storms and our boats of life? Join us this Sunday as we engage this question!

**

On Facebook, there is an opportunity around one’s birthday to ask friends and family to contribute to a non-profit of the birthday person’s choosing. In years past I’ve raised money for Outside In and Southern Poverty Law Center. This year, I’ve chosen The Community of Pilgrims. The goal? $3,000. This will help us continue our work well into 2022, and hopefully 2023. We have a future! Since we are under the umbrella of the Presbytery of the Cascades, you will see that the Presbytery of the Cascades is the non-profit one is asked to give to. But read the narrative and you will see it is to the Community of Pilgrims. The Presbytery knows that I have asked for this gift to come to the Community of Pilgrims. So far we have raised $580. We can do this! Go to this link (below), if you are on Facebook or not, and please consider giving today! And thanks for annual pledges as well. All of you are wonderful in your support of our Community. https://www.facebook.com/donate/570468713935481/10224396768125095/

_____

Events!

June 19th, Juneteenth!

June 20, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

June 27, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

July 4, Holy Holiday!

July 11, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!

____

Prayers of Celebration and Concern

· A full and speedy recovery from pneumonia for Dayna.

· Continued improvement for Roxanne's husband following surgeries.

· Lynette, a nurse practitioner friend whose husband has been diagnosed with ALS.

· Karen's work community which lost one of their longest clients to suicide and another individual in jail recently completed suicide.

· Karen's daughter Emily graduated from 8th grade on Friday and prayers for her transition from friends.

· Wisdom and confidence for all high school graduates.

· Mariner Group friend Carolyn Beck who suffered a heart attack.

· Son-in-law Ken who broke his toe badly while working in the family vineyard.

· Friend Marleen Vermeer and her husband Scott who is undergoing treatment for the return of lymphoma and the prognosis is not good.

· The Seaman/Lyons family--Colin (seven) has a recurrence of leukemia, Allison (mom) is battling brain cancer, Chris (dad), and Owen (little brother).

· Pride. Winston's church rejoices with their associate pastor Dorothy who married Catalina on Friday.

· Earl's granddaughter Makenna who received her Master’s in Education from Lewis & Clark.

· Thanksgiving for the wide distribution of COVID vaccines and prayers more people get vaccinated.

· Thanksgiving for Linda's hug from Helena, the first in 15 months.

· Karen and all mental health professionals who have the ability to carry on with compassion even during hard weeks.

· Deborah Marie's friend's son who is going through a psychotic episode.

· Israel and its new leadership.

· Peace in the world.

· Peace in East Portland where gun violence has significantly spiked in 2021.

· The efforts of Human Solutions to give families a sense of being on solid ground.

· Our Community of Pilgrims as we figure out how to continue meeting.

_____

Poem

Poem for Summer’s Solstice, by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean —

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.