"We share God's inclusive and eternal love with everyone!"
“Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.” -Isaiah 41:10
Welcome!
From Pastor David:
WELCOME TO ST. JAMES!
This website serves as our “front door” to ministry in downtown Portland. We offer an array of options. As the impact of this pandemic subsides, we invite you to consider — what fits you?
- Join us for Sunday in-person Eucharist worship (at 9:30am in our sanctuary), or participate via recorded video worship posted to our website each Sunday afternoon (Communications > Worship & Sermons).
- Feed those who live on our Portland streets five times a week by preparing food boxes, or donate to purchase food and needed supplies.
- Deepen your spiritual life with Saturday Contemplative Prayer via Zoom, in-person Wednesday morning Centering Prayer, or join our recorded Bible Study (3 series a year) or virtual Healing Prayer events.
- Help guide our St. James low-income Apartment ministry (122 units), or enroll your child at our St. James Child Development Center (infant through kindergarten-aged children). Presently over 80 children are enrolled.
- Share your creative imagination with our St. James Art Group, or offer your musical skills as our choir prepares to return this fall.
- Meditate on classical music and meaningful Sunday liturgy, or enjoy our monthly Jazz Vespers services on YouTube now and in-person beginning August 15th at 5:00pm.
- Jump onboard to live out your faith with acts of JUSTICE by exploring our embedded attitudes concerning race, gender and LGBTQ+ rights, or be hands-on with our Caring For Creation efforts.
- Partner with us to reach beyond our doors by supporting Lutheran World Relief’s efforts to bring the vaccine to all countries, or pack boxes of school/health kits to meet worldwide needs.
- Join us for the life-changing moments of baptism, fall Sunday School, weddings, celebrations, and memorials; stay connected through Book Club, WELCA, or our Card Ministry; or sit down for a cup of coffee with Pastor David.
There are lots of options at St. James. What fits you as we follow the Risen-Christ?
–Pastor David Knapp
Worship Services
WELCOME TO WORSHIP AT ST. JAMES!NOTE: Since October 23rd, 2022, we have returned to our St. James building. Multnomah County recommends wearing masks indoors. Please do so.
Sunday Morning Worship
- Every Sunday at 9:30am at:
St. James Lutheran Church
1315 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201 - We have posted recordings of our 9:30am worship service to the St. James YouTube channel. They are available to view here on our website by Sunday afternoon: Click here to link to our "Worship & Sermons" page ...
Whether you physically attend in-person with us at our St. James building -- or you watch our video recording on your computer at home -- we invite you to join us for worship!
Jazz Vespers
This month, be sure to join us in-person on Sunday, March 19th, 2023 at 5:00pm when our 2022-2023 Jazz Vespers series continues in our St. James sanctuary -- our special guest for this live performance is David Evans on bass clarinet and tenor sax.Musical accompaniment by Mike Horsfall on piano, Laurent Nickel on bass, and Tim Rap on drums. Valarie Brown is serving as cantor, and Pastor David Knapp is our liturgist. We invite you to attend as we return to our newly renovated St. James Lutheran Church building and we ask you to make a freewill donation (offering) to help support our musicians as we continue our 2022-2023 season. Although we have resumed our St. James Jazz Vespers series in-person -- please remember that you may still enjoy our prior Jazz Vespers on video.
You can find links to all of our previous Jazz Vespers recordings by navigating to "Communications > Music" on the main navigation menu at the top of the page. Or you can click here to be linked directly to the "Music" page.
NOTE: We are delighted that the new CD "St. James Jazz Vespers - We'll Be Together Again" has been released and is available for $20 at the St. James office. It is a collection of tunes recorded during the pandemic by The Mike Horsfall Trio and guests of the St. James Vespers. Enjoy! Please join us once again in-person on Sunday, April 16th, 2023 at 5:00pm when our 2022-2023 Jazz Vespers season continues back at St. James with John Moak on trombone.
“Mortal, can these bones live?” –Ezekiel 37:3
From the Pastor’s Desk …
Our St. James 40-day season of Lent is designed to be bumpy. Our theme of “Cross-Examinations” may feel like bumper cars at Oaks Park – one direction and then bumped another way!
The prophet Ezekiel (550 years before Christ) knew the feeling well when God asked if a valley of dry bones could be bumped back to life. We will hear this passage this month and it will remind us of bumping into all our paradoxes:
–Volunteering our skills at Ministry Fair AND silent reflection
–A Bible Study on heaven AND hell
–Following Jesus to his death AND to Easter life
–Releasing heavy burdens AND freeing ourselves for service
–Winter exits AND spring crocuses bloom
It’s all part of our journey of bumping into opposites and asking “So, can these bones of mine live?” Frederick Buechner perhaps identifies the exact spot of collision when he claimed that our vocation in life is “where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” Bumping along with you.
–Pastor David
Wednesday Noon Eucharist Returns …
On March 1st we return to our pre-pandemic tradition of offering a brief service of word, prayer, and Eucharist. It is held each Wednesday at 12:00 Noon in Pioneer Chapel with Pastor David presiding. Each week we center our thoughts around one of the beautiful works of art by Joel Nickel or St. James member Craig Gerke. They both skillfully provide direction for our Lenten journey to Easter morning. Join us.
Wednesday Bible Exploration: “Afterlife and the Book of Revelation” …
The last book in your Bible has plenty scary images:
–the Antichrist,
–the Beast whose number is 666,
–a lake of fire and the whore of Babylon.
What does it all mean? Join Pastor David each Wednesday at 12:35pm (after Noon Eucharist) as he explores the themes of Professor Bart Ehrman’s forthcoming book Armageddon. Ehrman suggests that most of what we have learned about The Book of Revelation is wrong. What do you think? Is it a book about foretelling the future end-times and the afterlife, or is it a hidden history of events already concluded? Bring your Bible as we view scripture, art, and scholarship in search of answers. This will be a 45 minute class now through the end of May.
St. James Ministry Fair! …
Join us on Sunday, March 5th at 10:45am for the St. James Ministry Fair! There will be 22 ministries represented. Come learn about the ministries of St. James and how you can become involved. Be sure to bring a few dollars with you for a chance to win a raffle prize! Raffle tickets are a dollar a piece and all funds raised go to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Prizes include: A bottle of wine and wine tasting for four at Archery Summit Winery, a Fair Trade coffee and chocolate basket, the Art Group prize (a portrait drawing, an art print, and a photo of your choice), and two wheels of brie from the Little Island Creamery. Tickets can be bought with cash or check.
Our St. James Lenten Season Theme …
“Cross-Examinations” is a term usually found in a courtroom. It’s when opposing counsel confronts a witness. But during our 40-day Lenten journey to Easter (February 22nd – April 9th excluding Sundays) we are examining the cross of Christ. Our Gospel Acclamation each Sunday is the hymn “In the Cross of Christ I Glory.” Indeed, this is our task: to examine how the pain of Christ’s death on a cross might help us honestly sing of the cross’ glory.
St. James Field Trip …
Experience the Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice, located in Yamhill, Oregon, with your church family on March 25th and April 29th. Using North American Traditional Indigenous Knowledge (TIK) as a guiding model, Eloheh Farm & Seeds seeks to be a model of regenerative agriculture, animal husbandry, and wild-tending. There will be some volunteer service involved in the experience. The trip is suitable for adults and children. If you would like to participate, contact Mandy Ellertson.
St. James Concert Series …
There will be a new concert series this summer to celebrate and dedicate the beautiful new piano in our Sanctuary! Join us for fun concerts filled with beautiful music at 4:00pm on the following Sundays: June 25th, July 9th, and August 13th. There are many opportunities to support this endeavor through concert sponsorships, piano fund donations, and free-will offerings. Want to know more about how you can be involved? Contact the front office to be connected with Caitlin Stave.