Ministries | St. James Lutheran Church

“With what grace should I treat others?” –Laura Sasaki Norton

September marks a change in the seasons. It also signals a liturgical change of focus at St. James. During the summer our Gospel readings asked “What does it mean to be a disciple?” Now we ask “How do disciples deal with one another in...

“…there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there…” –John 2

August is a wedding month at St. James. Committing to healthy relationships is worth celebrating! Even Jesus’ mother thought so (always listen to your mother!). Chelsea and Ethan Kimmett are St. James members who will honor their 10th wedding anniversary with an...

“His greatest present, was not to panic.” –Pestered by Plague

Historian and St. James member Friedrich Schuler recently published a book on the 1899 Quarantine Station in Astoria, Oregon. Dr. Hill Hastings is credited with keeping the fishing and timber community safe during the plague. Yet Schuler suggests that his greatest...

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of a bush…” –Exodus 3

Seen any burning bushes lately? In a recent article, Victor Parachin suggests that we could learn something from Moses: how to minister in the midst of diversity. This month we prepare to celebrate the many voices and cultures of Pentecost Sunday (May 28th). So what...

“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)...

“…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....