Worship is the central gathering point for life and work at St. James. As we gather we recall the classic elements of Christian gathering since the earliest times of the Church:
● Confession and Absolution
● Praise
● Reading of Sacred Texts from Hebrew and Christian Scripture
● Confession of Faith
● Prayers of the Community
● Sharing of Christ’s Peace
● The Holy Meal (Communion)
● Sending into the World
The two great “peaks” of the worship experience are Word and Sacrament. The Sunday preaching texts are part of a three-year cycle of readings. Sermon, hymnody, choral and instrumental music reflect the thematic of these texts; Music Ministry is a vital part of worship and life at St. James.
Familiarity with worship forms comes from regular participation in the Sunday Assembly – it is, we are NOT ashamed to say, acquired behavior!!! Worship bulletins with texts, hymn and psalm notes, the “new” red hymnal (Evangelical Lutheran Worship) — and friendly help from your neighbor in the pew and the ushers will help you if you are a newcomer. Be patient – you may help us to discover elements of music and text we hadn’t noticed!
The Sunday liturgy is an opportunity not only to gather together as a community of faith, but to open our doors to everyone, sharing God’s love with all. We hope you will join us for worship, sing with us in the choir, or join our handbell choir!
Contact the Church Office at 503-227-2439, for more information.
Find Driving and Parking Directions here.
Worship Service Schedule
Sunday Morning Worship with Holy Communion
Join us in-person for worship and fellowship on Sundays at 9:30am.
Every Sunday at 9:30am at:
St. James Lutheran Church
1315 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201
Holy Communion is celebrated at each Sunday liturgy. Refreshments and community time follow the worship service. Childcare available from 9:00am-12:00pm.
We have posted livestream 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 recordings on your computer at home — we invite you to join us for worship!
Midweek Eucharist
NOTE: Midweek Eucharist and Bible Study have concluded for this year.
Midweek Eucharist began on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 — and continued every following Wednesday at 12:00 Noon through May 14th. Pastor David led and Colin was at the piano. In March, Pastor David guided us in a Bible Study on the themes of the book of Exodus titled “Unlikely Moses and the Nine Commandments.” It took place immediately following the Wednesday service.
This past spring, Pastor David led a mid-week study on Moses. Thanks for joining him each Wednesday from March 12th – May 14th, 2025 immediately after our 30 minute Noon Eucharist Service in Pioneer Chapel. Who was Moses? Is there archeological evidence that he lived? How many people crossed the Red Sea? Do non-biblical writings mention him? How many commandments did God give Moses? Are those commandments relevant today? Pastor David drew course material from the scholarship of Richard Nysse (Luther Seminary), Carol Meyers (Duke University), Bart Ehrman (UNC at Chapel Hill), and William Dever (U Arizona – Tucson). Read the book of Exodus. Here’s a look at some of our class topics:
Wed. March 12th “Why Moses Matters”
Wed. March 19th “Moses: Murderer or Mentor”
Wed. March 26th “Moses: What Archeologists Found”
Wed. April 2nd “The Exodus: Crossing the Red Sea”
Wed. April 9th “Moses and Bonhoeffer”
Wed. April 16th Wednesday of Holy Week: “Moses and the Passover”
Wed. April 23rd “The Nine Commandments”
Wed. April 30th “The Nine Guardrails”
Wed. May 7th “Jesus and the Commandments”
Wed. May 14th “Wilderness Wandering”
Wednesday Eucharist is on hiatus until next year.
30-minute 12:00 Noon service Every Wednesday in Pioneer Chapel.
A thirty-minute liturgy of Holy Communion takes place in the intimate setting of the Pioneer Chapel. This service provides an opportunity for communal prayer, a brief sermon and reflection. Scriptures may be used from the Daily Lectionary or may reflect the Calendar of Saints and Commemorations available to the wider Christian community.
Jazz Vespers
On August 15th, 2021 at 5:00pm — we began to resume live performances of our Jazz Vespers series here at St. James (NOTE: Since the completion of construction — we will be holding our services back in our newly renovated St. James Lutheran Church building). Please join us in-person for our next Jazz Vespers performance — in our St. James sanctuary — scheduled for Sunday, October 19th, 2025 at 4:50pm.
You may choose to listen below to the most recent recording of our Jazz Vespers Service from Sunday, September 21st, 2025. You may also check out some other earlier recordings from our Jazz Vespers series — which are archived under “Communications > Music” here on our St. James website.
This 45 minute jazz musical setting of the Evening Prayer liturgy is held on the third Sunday of each month at 4:50pm. Professional jazz musicians and vocalists lead this reflective service with scriptural reading, psalms, hymns, and prayer. Preludes and postludes from the broad jazz repertoire precede and follow the service.
Click below to listen to the latest recording of Jazz Vespers.
Bach Cantata Vespers
NOTE: Our next Bach Cantata Vespers will take place on Sunday, November 9th, 2025, starting at 4:00pm in our St. James sanctuary. This performance will feature BWV 106 “Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit” (God’s time is the very best time). If you are interested in participating with the choir or the Cantatas, please reach out to Interim Choir Director John Cox through the St. James front office.
The following passages describe Bach Cantata performances at St. James over the past few years …
Fall 2022 Vespers at St. James …
We reinvigorated the St. James Vespers tradition with a service in our newly renovated St. James Lutheran Church building on Sunday, November 13th, 2022 at 5:00pm. This Vespers service highlighted and celebrated the Reformation with instrumental, vocal, and organ music.
Bach Vespers Service on Sunday, November 13th, 2022 at 5:00pm.
We are excited to return to our Vespers Ministry on the second Sunday of November. As we prepare to resume this beautiful tradition, we are looking at refreshing and reimagining it as well. For me, this means we must start with the foundation: the Vespers liturgy itself. This service will focus on highlighting the structural components of the liturgy, where and when they come from, and how they came to be a part of this centuries-old tradition. The ancient roots of this service will be evident in the 3rd Century Hymn ‘Joyous Light of Glory’, and a choral realization of a chant setting of the canticle, ‘Magnificat’ by Charles Wood. Tying into our fall Stewardship theme, the service will feature Paul Bouman’s beautiful anthem, ‘It Is a Good Thing to Give Thanks’.
You may choose to listen below to the most recent recording of our Evening Prayer Vespers Service from Sunday, November 13th, 2022. Click below to listen to this latest recording of our Bach Cantata Vespers.
Summer 2023 Bach Cantata Vespers …
We hope that you enjoyed our Bach Cantata Vespers service on Sunday, June 11th, 2023 at 5:00pm. The service featured Bach’s charming Cantata 112 “Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt” (The Lord is my faithful Shepherd). The St. James Bach Choir was joined by soloists and instrumentalists.
Spring 2024 Bach Cantata Vespers …
Thanks to all who attended our Bach Cantata Vespers service on Sunday, April 28th, 2024 at 5:00pm. The St. James Choir, guest singers, soloists, organ, and orchestra presented Bach’s “Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats” BWV 42. The service was followed by a reception in Pioneer Chapel.
Fall 2024 Bach Cantata Vespers …
We hope that you enjoyed our Choral Vespers service from this past first Sunday of Advent on Sunday, December 1st, 2024 at 5:00pm. The performance — with the St. James Choir, soloists, and orchestra — was centered on Bach’s Cantata 62, “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” (Savior of the nations, come). That occasion marked 300 years since the work was premiered on December 3rd, 1724. The central hymn and text came from Martin Luther, himself, and proclaimed the arrival of Jesus as savior in a number of contexts.
Spring 2025 Bach Cantata Vespers …
Thanks to the 80 people who gathered to worship at our Choral Vespers Service on Sunday, May 25th, 2025, at 5:00pm. Premiered 300 years ago in 1725, Bach’s Cantata BWV 6 “Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden” reflects the Easter season, the essence of our evening vespers tradition, and the difficulties of today. The opening text, “Abide with us, for it will soon be evening, and the day is now declining,” from Luke 24, is typically assigned to the days immediately following Easter. The closing text, from Martin Luther’s hymn “Erhalt uns, Herr” pleads for light in a time of darkness. Four stunning soloists, a talented eight-piece orchestra with violin, viola, cello, oboe, and English horn, guest singers, and the St. James Choir performed this challenging and beautiful Cantata, bringing light to the darkness, and peace to our spirits. Thank you to everyone involved in preparing this service, especially all our behind-the-scenes volunteers and the St. James staff.
We look forward to seeing you again for more Bach Cantata Vespers in the future.
The Bach Cantata Vespers Services at St. James are unique to Portland as they present Bach’s cantatas in the historical context for which they were created. Presented with the same readings and spiritual milieu that inspired Bach to compose his cantatas, listeners are enriched in hearing Bach’s works in their sacred context.
Newly commissioned motets by contemporary American composers are another feature of the event, bridging the old and the new.
Parkside Piano Series
Wrapping up last summer’s Parkside Piano Series …
Thank you to all who came to enjoy the music, everyone who supported the series with your offerings, especially to our Piano donors.
Last summer we heard three incredible concerts celebrating our sanctuary’s new Mason & Hamlin grand piano.
- On Sunday, June 23rd, 2024, we welcomed The Trillium Piano Quartet who presented two very different takes on classic chamber music: Robert Schumann’s “Piano Quartet in E-flat Major”, and film composer Danny Elfman’s “Piano Quartet”.
- On Sunday, July 28th, 2024, Hammer & Peg – featuring cellist Dylan Rieck and pianist Reece Marshburn – brought us a fun, fascinating mix of classical works, original pieces, and new arrangements of non-traditional repertoire including a Bossa Nova, Ragtime, and even a beautiful ballad by Billy Joel.
- Tim and Nancy LeRoi Nickel returned on Sunday, August 11th, 2024, presenting a concert that featured not only our beautiful piano, but also our two organs in just about every combination imaginable — featuring piano duets by Clara and Robert Schumann and their friends Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn — as well as Gaetano Piazza’s “Sonata” for two organs and Leo Sowerby’s “Dialog” for piano and organ.
All of the concerts were at 4:00pm — with a suggested donation of $15 — followed by a champagne reception.
Thanks to those who joined us again this summer for a new Parkside Piano Concert —
Fourth Sunday at 4:00pm — on August 24th, 2025 …
Parkside Piano Concert: Sunday, August 24th at 4:00pm with David Saffert …
David Saffert is a Portland based, classically trained pianist from Wisconsin. He has been seen on stage in sketch comedy, improv, solo piano concerts, and in his very own music & comedy variety shows. David has worked as a pianist with such organizations as the Guthrie Theater, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Opera, Oregon Symphony, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage and the Interlochen Arts Camp. He was recently featured in “All Classical Radio Artist Anthology: 40 Creatives of the Pacific Northwest” and was knighted by Portland’s Royal Rosarians. His first solo piano album, “Stopping Time,” came out Spring 2025 and is available at davidsaffert.com. David tours the country as Liberace in “Liberace & Liza: A Tribute” and is currently advised by Bo Ayars, Liberace’s own music director from 1973-1975.
Music Ministry
St. James Choir
NOTE: The St. James Choir is starting rehearsals again on Thursday, September 4th, 2025 …
We are pleased to welcome our interim organist Paul Flyger. Also, we welcome John Cox as our interim choir director who begins this first week of September, as our choir returns for Thursday evening rehearsal and Sunday worship. This fall the St. James Council will create a search committee to fill these permanent positions.
The St. James Choir continues a long and distinguished congregational tradition of liturgical and concert singing. Their repertoire includes a wide range of music from composers of the Renaissance and Reformation periods to contemporary works by local and nationally-known composers, such as Timothy Nickel, Frank Ferko, and others. Members rehearse every Thursday evening from 7:00-8:30pm during the program year (September through early June). Most choir members also participate in the Bach Cantata Vespers Services. People of all ages are invited to sing with us!
St. James Handbell Choir
NOTE: The St. James Handbell Choir is currently on hiatus.
The St. James Handbell Choir contributes to Sunday morning and occasional liturgies throughout the year. Music will be selected based on the number of ringers who volunteer! No prior experience with bells is required; just a willingness to learn and make music in a team setting!
St. James Pipe Organ
The three manual Pipe Organ incorporates some of the ranks from the original 1908 Estey tracker pipe organ. Originally only 9 ranks, this instrument was electrified and reconditioned in 1949, then re-built and expanded in 1989 by Portland organ builder Richard Bond to include 32 ranks with three manuals and pedal. Five original Estey ranks were retained in the Antiphonal division in its former chamber on the main floor. The new Great and Swell were installed in the rear balcony gallery. Read about the Architectural History of St. James.
