We are worshiping just next door at Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist throughout the construction period at St. James. Join us for worship and fellowship on Sundays at 9:30am.
From Pastor David:
“On the Road Again”
–Willie Nelson tune
During my July/August Bible Study I have had fun bookending my recorded comments with Willie Nelson’s song, “On the Road Again.” We are all “on the road again,” moving spiritually to a new place. But what place? Lord knows we carry plenty of baggage due to COVID, Supreme Court decisions, fall ballot measures, and our building renovations. So where? T.S. Eliot has an answer:
“…the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
This month our St. James school children return to newly updated classrooms in our church building. They arrive in a familiar space that looks afresh. In October we will do the same.
–We will gather after worship on August 14th to discuss (with coffee in hand) how Matthew 25 couples with the 1804 journey of Lewis and Clark. Old stories with new insights.
–In Jesus, often the old and the new merge to create life. Even the Gospel writers’ use of the word “repentance” is better when translated from the original Greek as, “to change your mind and see things anew.” My prayer for us all this summer is to follow “the road again” so that we may arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
–Pastor David
Building Renovations at St. James:
Renovation continues at St. James! Scaffolding that stretches to the ceiling fills both our worship area and Pioneer Chapel as seismic and roof work continues. Roofers are crawling all over the church buildings and we will have a new roof over our church in the next few days. Two huge generators from PGE went in the ground to power our HVAC system. All the CDC rooms are painted and have new carpet or tile. The CDC teachers moved back in on Friday, July 29th, kids to follow. Our St. James school returns August 1st. We are scheduled to return to our worship space in October 2022.
Pastor’s Summer Bible Study:
What does the 1804 journey of Lewis & Clark have to do with our St. James Ministry? How about with the war in Ukraine? Join Pastor David by listening to his online Bible Study titled “Seeing Our Neighbors.” It will center on Matthew 25 and draw from real-life stories of how you are helping mothers and children in Ukraine through Lutheran World Relief. It will be available on our St. James website each Wednesday morning.
Here’s what to expect in August:
Wednesday, August 3rd
“I Was Hungry. You Gave Me Food.”
John 6 and Matthew 25
Wednesday, August 10th
“Our Journey with Lewis & Clark”
Isaiah 25 and Matthew 22
Sunday, August 14th, 10:45am
“Canoeing the Mountains”
In-Person Open Space Discussion
New Member Sunday:
We rolled out the welcome mat on Sunday, August 14th, 2022 to receive those who will make St. James their spiritual home. They were introduced during worship. If you too would like to make St. James your church home, please see Pastor David.
St. James Scholarship Ministry:
The St. James Scholarship application was open to students who are members of St. James attending an undergraduate program or trade school. The deadline to apply was August 15th, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact the St. James office.
Portland to Coast:
Lutheran Ligaments, in its 22nd year as a relay walking team made up of members and friends of St. James Lutheran Church, will be hitting the road from Portland to Seaside on Friday, August 26th and Saturday, August 27th. We are looking for two additional people to be backups for our current registered team members. We are also looking for three additional volunteers and two vans. Contact Larry or Linda Larsen for more information.
Sunday School Returns:
Sunday School and Open Space return on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We will kick off the program year at Sixth Church and then are scheduled to move back to our newly renovated St. James historic building in mid-October. Mark your calendars and join us as we grow in faith.
