"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, February 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 vocalist Marilyn Keller.Musical accompaniment by Mike Horsfall on piano, Laurent Nickel on bass, and Brent Follis on drums. Valarie Griffiths 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, March 19th, 2023 at 5:00pm when our 2022-2023 Jazz Vespers season continues back at St. James with David Evans on bass clarinet and tenor sax.
“…people tend to believe that everyone sees the world the way they do.” –Temple Grandin
From the Pastor’s Desk …
In her new book Visual Thinking, Temple Grandin writes of the virtues of complimentary minds. She is convinced that the Rosetta Stone of ancient Egypt was only deciphered due to two people whose minds could not have been more different. Thomas Young, a medical doctor, was a spatial visualizer (loved math) while Jean-Francois Champollion was an object visualizer who taught himself to read while listening to monk’s chanting. It took 23 years to break the language code, and one way of thinking wouldn’t do it.
This month at St. James we thank God for complimentary minds; people who stand together in ministry offering disparate talents and ways of thinking.
–On February 22nd Lent begins with repentance – from the Greek “to think differently.”
–On March 5th Ministry Fair will highlight a variety of tasks requiring new thinking.
Where will you share your individual gifts and thinking? We are all made in God’s image — can you imagine the possibilities on our road together?
–Pastor David
Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday …
For hundreds of years Christians have gathered the day before the Season of Lent to use up oil before the penitential time begins (to eat pancakes). We too will gather on Tuesday, February 21st at 5:30pm for such a meal in Pioneer Chapel. It will be the last day to greet one another with “Alleluia.” Then, the following day we join together in worship for the imposition of ashes on Wednesday, February 22nd at 12:00 noon to begin our 40 day Lenten journey to Easter morning. Join us for these ministry events.
Mid-Week Eucharist Returns …
On Wednesday, March 1st we will begin to gather again in Pioneer Chapel for a brief service of Eucharist led by Pastor David. It will be followed by a Bible Study focusing on the last book of the Bible: Revelation. The worship service and study will continue until Pentecost (the end of May).
Ministry Fair …
Join us at 10:45am on Sunday, March 5th for the St. James Ministry Fair! Ministries like the Eco Social Justice Group, Lutheran Ligaments, Contemplative Prayer, Art Group, and more will be present. Come learn about the ministry opportunities at St. James and see where you can share your gifts.
Mark your Calendars!
On March 5th and June 11th St. James will present a Lenten choral vespers and Summer choral vespers featuring the St. James choir. Beginning in May, St. James will also host a number of guest artists for a concert series dedicating our new sanctuary piano. Dates will be available soon!
Annual Meeting News …
Our thanks to all who gathered on January 22nd for our annual meeting and meal. We reviewed ministry reports from 2022, elected new leaders, passed a ministry spending plan for 2023 and celebrated the completion of a renovation year. Here are some quick ministry numbers from 2022: 2 baptisms, 12 new members, 5 weddings, 7 memorial services (3 member and 4 non-member), 254 times feeding the houseless, gathering 71 times for worship, completed a $3.2 million seismic upgrade and renovation, distributed over $30,000 of Endowment funds to worthy neighborhood agencies groups, and ministries, contributed $29,000 to the Oregon Lutheran Synod and the work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and ended the year with an offering surplus of $4,689.