Communications | St. James Lutheran Church

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” –Winston Churchill

From the Pastor’s Desk … When I open my Bible, I read that • Israel was fed with manna from heaven • Elijah was sustained by bread and meat brought by ravens • The disciples traveled with a common purse, and Jesus fed 5,000 with a young boy’s lunch. God has a...

“Your kingdom come; your will be done …”

From the Pastor’s Desk … Are you heaven-bound? The American philosopher Dalles Willard authored a book in 1998 titled “The Divine Conspiracy.” In it he suggests: “I am thoroughly convinced that God will let anyone into heaven who, in his...

“Unknown territory is where the imagination gets stimulated.” –Rebecca Solnit

From the Pastor’s Desk … There is nothing like getting lost! Other than that uncomfortable feeling in your stomach, you may discover a wonderfully unexpected path. So, what if we thought of our inevitable mistakes as an opportunity to create a new vision. What...

“We’re only here for a minute.” –Brian Doyle

From the Pastor’s Desk … The local writer Brian Doyle served as the editor of “Portland Magazine” and authored thirty books. Before dying at age 60 in 2017, he wrote: “We’re only here for a minute. We’re here for a little window. To use that...

“Select Your Own Music” –1954 Juke box

From the Pastor’s Desk … St. James celebrates 135 years of ministry this month, and we have always had a knack for trying new things. In 1954 a Juke box (pictured above) was installed in the narthex entry area at a cost of $1,100 (that’s over $13,000 in today’s...

“Crash helmets and life preservers.” –Teaching a Stone to Talk

From the Pastor’s Desk … At St. James, we are entering the Pentecost season. God’s Spirit is on the loose. Strap in! Perhaps that’s why Annie Dillard once wrote of Christian worship: “Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely...