Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Eco-Reformation Series, Part I: Journey of the Universe: A New Creation Story for our Times (film)
500 years ago, Martin Luther lit the fuse leading to the Protestant Reformation, centered on the revolutionary idea that God’s grace was not for sale. Now, Lutherans around the world are calling for an “Eco-Reformation,” centered on the revolutionary idea that Creation is not for sale. What does “Eco-Reformation” mean, and why is it important? Join us for this 4-part series and find out!
*Note on Eco-Reformation Series: Readings will be available for each session. Reading in advance is helpful but not (absolutely) required! Please sign up for the series in the Pioneer Chapel or by emailing pastor@stjamespdx.org to receive the readings.
Sunday School Returns:
Sunday School and Open Space returned on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We moved back to our newly renovated St. James historic building on October 23rd, 2022.
Children’s Sunday School Events at St. James:
From October–December, the St. James Sunday School will be hosting three special events for children. Mark your calendars!
October 30th: Exploring The Season of the Soul with crafts and stories related to Dios de los Muertos and All Saints Days.
November 20th: Join in some guided activities for children about the importance of thanks and gratitude. Activities include the children creating “Gratitude Trees” to share with their loved ones.
December 18th: All we need is love and Christmas cookies right? On this day we will have a special event decorating cookies that represent the holiday season we enjoy from Thanksgiving to New Years.
BENEFIT CONCERT
for the
ST. JAMES BACH CANTATA VESPERS
Saturday, September 16, 2017
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Featuring music for Vocal Quartet and Piano Duet
Brahms “Love Song Waltzes, op. 52”
Schumann “Spanish Love Songs, op. 138”
Vocal Quartet
Janice Johnson, soprano
Joann Rauch, alto
Les Green, tenor
Kevin Walsh, baritone
Pianists
Timothy and Nancy Nickel
(Bechstein piano)
7:00 Wine and Savories
8:30 Champagne and Dessert
Fritzi and Larry Frager Residence
506 N. W. Hermosa Boulevard
Portland, Oregon 97210
Seating is limited, with a minimum donation of $50.00 per guest.
All donations are tax deductible, with checks made payable to St. James Lutheran Church.
Reservations are recommended by September 1, 2017.
Please respond to: Chelseas@stjamespdx.org, or by phone, 503-227-2439.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Eco-Reformation Series, Part II: The Case for an Eco-Reformation
500 years ago, Martin Luther lit the fuse leading to the Protestant Reformation, centered on the revolutionary idea that God’s grace was not for sale. Now, Lutherans around the world are calling for an “Eco-Reformation,” centered on the revolutionary idea that Creation is not for sale. What does “Eco-Reformation” mean, and why is it important? Join us for this 4-part series and find out!
*Note on Eco-Reformation Series: Readings will be available for each session. Reading in advance is helpful but not (absolutely) required! Please sign up for the series in the Pioneer Chapel or by emailing pastor@stjamespdx.org to receive the readings.
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: God can turn bad into good!
There will be a short history of the Endowment followed by information on uses of the funds and questions from the board to the congregation about use of other monies that may be available. Hope to see as many there as possible.
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: I am first with God.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Eco-Reformation Series, Part III: Becoming an Eco-Reformed People
500 years ago, Martin Luther lit the fuse leading to the Protestant Reformation, centered on the revolutionary idea that God’s grace was not for sale. Now, Lutherans around the world are calling for an “Eco-Reformation,” centered on the revolutionary idea that Creation is not for sale. What does “Eco-Reformation” mean, and why is it important? Join us for this 4-part series and find out! The series continues October 1 and October 8.
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave.
Lesson: Jesus answers our questions
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Eco-Reformation Series, Part IV: Eco-Reformation at St. James
500 years ago, Martin Luther lit the fuse leading to the Protestant Reformation, centered on the revolutionary idea that God’s grace was not for sale. Now, Lutherans around the world are calling for an “Eco-Reformation,” centered on the revolutionary idea that Creation is not for sale. What does “Eco-Reformation” mean, and why is it important? Join us for this 4-part series and find out!
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: Be good to others
ST. JAMES ART GALLERY EXHIBIT
“Interpretations of Reformation Art:
Original works inspired by art work of Reformation artists”
The St. James Artist Group
Artists’ Reception: Sunday, October 8 at 6:00pm, following 5:00pm Jazz Vespers with guest jazz vocalist Marilyn Keller.
St. James Lutheran Church, 1315 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR 97201
The St. James Artist Group explores the works of the three Reformation artists: Lucas Cranach, Albrecht Dürer and Matthias Grünewald as inspiration in creating new works. What do the works of these Reformation artists suggest to us today? In various media, photography, print, paint, and drawing materials the St. James Artist group attempts to answer this question in individual styles from abstraction to expressionism to realism. The display pairs the artists’ works in reference to the Reformation art pieces whose images and themes that inspired them. Works are on display in Pioneer Chapel Art Gallery during the month of October. Viewing times Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Friday 9am-3pm, Wednesdays 9-11am & 1-3pm, Sundays 11am-12pm, and by appointment. (Chelsea: 503-227-2439)
Click here to download a PDF copy of the Artist Group Reformation Exhibit flyer.
LECTURE
“Why in 2017 Should We Be Interested in the 500th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Protestant Reformation?”
Susan C. Karant-Nunn, Reformation Scholar
Emerita Director and Emerita Regents’ Professor, University of Arizona
Friday, October 13, 2017 at 7:30pm, free event
St. James Lutheran Church, 1315 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97201
In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, St. James Lutheran Church welcomes Dr. Susan Karant-Nunn to illuminate the relevance of Luther’s protest in the modern era.
Dr. Karant-Nunn will explore some of the rich traditions and events of the 16th century and how they relate to the modern world. Her evening lecture, “Why in 2017 Should We Be Interested in the 500th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Protestant Reformation?” on Friday, October 13th at 7:30pm is free and open to the public. The lecture will be held in the Sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church. A renowned scholar, Dr. Karant-Nunn is the author of several books including The Reformation of Ritual: an Interpretation of Early Modern Germany, 1997 and Zwickau in Transition, 1500-1547: The Reformation As an Agent of Change, and The Reformation of Feeling: Shaping the Religious Emotions in Early Modern Germany (Oxford, 2010). She received her Ph.D. in Early Modern European History from Indiana University, her M.A. in Medieval & Early Modern European History from University. She is a graduate of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa in Religion.
Karant-Nunn’s books have influenced the field of Reformation history — so much so that a leading French early modernist, Professor Bernard Roussel of the Sorbonne, in 1997 entitled a plenary lecture: “A la manière de Susan Karant-Nunn: réflexions sur la réforme du rituel dans l’espace francophone” [“In the Manner of Susan Karant-Nunn: Reflections on the Reformation of Ritual in the Francophone Lands”]. Her newest book, THE PERSONAL LUTHER: ESSAYS ON THE REFORMER FROM A CULTURAL HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, will be published on October 17, 2017.
This Friday night lecture is the keynote presentation for a weekend of events celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation at St. James Lutheran Church. A wine and cheese reception with Susan Karant-Nunn follows her presentation.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the Susan Karant-Nunn Lecture flyer.
ILLUSTRATED LECTURE
“Three Artists of the Reformation Era: Matthias Grünewald (+1528), Albrecht Dürer (+1528), Lucas Cranach (+1553)”
Presenter: Joel Nickel, artist and theologian
Saturday, October 14 at 4:00 pm, Free event
St. James Lutheran Church, 1315 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201
In conjunction with the 500th anniversary of Luther’s act, posting the 95 theses on the castle church door in Wittenberg, presenter Joel Nickel proposes that Christians today consider the implications for visual art that this event suggested. The Lutheran tradition has within it a mixed history of iconoclasm that persisted out of fear of idolatry associated with the worship/veneration of saints. But Luther’s “theology of the cross” suggested that we find God, not in philosophical speculation (about beauty or perfection or whimsical spirituality) but in those places where God promises to show up: in the life of Christ, especially on the cross and from the empty tomb. Visual communication is prominent in the 21st century, so the Lutheran style which appeals to the mind and ear must find a way to attract the eye and heart.
The place to begin is with the three prominent artists of the early 16th century, Grünewald, Durer, and Cranach, who knew each other and worked on similar issues/images both classical (Greek) & medieval (ecclesial). All three artists have something to teach Lutherans and other Christians in our own time.
The presentation will focus on the Grünewald Isenheim altarpiece, Dürer etchings, and Cranach paintings highlighting the “social reformation.” There are bridges of comparison between all three artists: crucifixion/resurrection art, Adam & Eve images, and the artists’ contemporary world outlooks.
Reception to follow the lecture.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the Reformation Artists Lecture flyer.
CONCERT
by the Oregon Renaissance Band
Directed by Phil and Gayle Neuman
“Sounds of the Reformation: Music of Martin Luther and his Contemporaries”
Saturday, October 14 at 7:30pm, $10 admission at the door
St. James Lutheran Church, 1315 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201
About the Concert: The repertoire, guaranteed to transport the listener back to the soundscape of music and instruments familiar to Luther, includes the earliest settings of Lutheran hymns by Johann Walther and Caspar Othmayr, as well as music by King Henry VIII with whom Luther corresponded, and other early 16th century dances and instrumental works.
The Oregon Renaissance Band, formed in 1991 and directed by Phil and Gayle Neuman, is a 12 member ensemble that performs on a wide variety of historical instruments including early violin, viola da gamba, recorders, sackbutts, serpent, cornamusen, krummhorns, racketts, tartold, schreierpfeiffen, bagpipes, cittern, spinettino, tabor and other percussion. The group has performed for numerous concert series in the U.S., Canada, and Germany. The ensemble specializes in performances with rhythmic precision, lively ornamentation, precise intonation, and great variety. The members are David Bryan, Sharon Cheney, Daphne Clifton, Ben Fitch, Lori Fitch, Polly Gibson, Andy Harris, Laura Kuhlman, Cindy Markham, Gayle Neuman, Phil Neuman, Kathryn Richer, and Esther Saulle. The Oregon Renaissance Band appears in the 2016 movie “Buddymoon” directed by Alex Simmons and distributed by Orion.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the Oregon Renaissance Band Concert flyer.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Rick Steeves video, part 1
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: God’s never too busy for us.
Bach Cantata Vespers service featuring Cantata 80 Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott based on the Luther chorale, A Mighty Fortress is our God with the St. James Bach choir, orchestra, and guest organist Mark Brombaugh. We are delighted to welcome Father James Mayo to our pulpit to preach at this service.
BACH CANTATA VESPERS AT ST. JAMES
Free will offering
St. James Lutheran Church (at the corner of SW Park Blocks and Jefferson)
1315 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97201
For more information: call the Church Office at 503-227-2439.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the 2017-2018 Bach Cantata Vespers schedule.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Rick Steeves video, part 2
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: God is the ruler of all.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Reluctant Revolutionary, film & discussion, part 1
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: Jesus teaches us love.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
Reluctant Revolutionary, film & discussion, part 2.
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: What you do is important.
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
News from Mexico with Pastor Janet following her trip.
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: I’m gonna let it shine!
Education hour following the 9:30 am service and coffee.
An introduction to the new e-giving program at St. James.
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: A talent is a gift from God.
Education hour at 11:00am — following the 9:30am service and coffee
Sundays Year-Round, 11:00am-12:00pm
Open Space takes place most Sunday mornings in the Main Sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend and listen, participate, learn, grow, and share as we develop a stronger sense of our individual faith and also who we are as a community of believers in our world today. Topics range from biblical study to current events, social issues, and information session about local organizations. Open Space is a safe environment where all questions and viewpoints have the right to be heard respectfully.
Open Space Schedule:
Much of the fall will be devoted to exploring Pastor Mark Brocker’s published book on faith and ecology entitled Coming Home to Earth. We will kick off the adult class with one session on September 17th titled “Same and Different.” The Eco Social Justice Committee will help facilitate. The time will be spent exploring our similarities and differences as St. James members. The goal is to discover the richness of our congregation and how what we have in common is just as important as what makes us different.
Calendar is as follows:
September 17th: Same and Different — What do we have in common at St. James and where do we find differences?
September 24th: Begin the Coming Home to Earth series with Pastor Mark Brocker
October 1st: Coming Home to Earth: Loss of Love for Earth
October 8th: Coming Home to Earth: Grieving with Earth
October 15th: Coming Home to Earth: The Things that Make for Peace
October 22nd: Endowment Luncheon
October 29th: Reformation Themes
November 5th: Coming Home to Earth: Conversion to Earth
November 12th: Coming Home to Earth: Taking Up Our Ecological Cross
November 19th: Guided Imagery of Oregon History
November 26th: No Open Space
December 3rd: All Creation Sings with Colin Stave.
December 10th: The Christmas Story told by the Old Masters with Paula Carlson
December 17th: Scandinavian Coffee Hour
December 24th: No Open Space
December 31st: Cookies and Carols
January 7th: Pastor David’s Sabbatical Trip
January 14th: Archery Summit Wine Tasting
January 21st: St. James Annual Congregational Meeting and Meal
January 28th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire
February 4th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire with Pastor Mark Brocker
February 11th: No Open Space
February 18th: The Creative Spirit with Monica Setziol-Phillips
February 25th: Wine Tasting with Pastor Barry Rogge
March 3rd: ELCA World Hunger Relief Drive Presentation
March 10th: Wealth Redistribution for Housing Justice in Portland
March 17th: ELCA Statement on Civic Engagement and Faith
March 24th: Scott Baby Shower
March 31st: Easter Festival Coffee Hour
April 7th: Join Esther Portnoy to hear about the Crop Walk – another facet of fighting hunger in our community and world
April 14th: Historian Friedrich Schuler will share some of his expertise on South America in his presentation entitled “Miracles in Amazon: New Discoveries of Ancient Civilizations”
April 21st: Colin Stave previews Bach Cantata Vespers
April 28th: Harris Zafar of Rizwan Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be our guest. He will bring a greeting in worship and present “Hamas/Israeli War – A Muslim Perspective” at our 11:00am Open Space class.
Join us for an exciting series of Open Spaces Sundays this May at 11:00am!
May 5: Cancelling the Classics: Join Mandy Ellertson for an engaging and challenging discussion on issues associated with some classic literature. Come contrast the racially charged language of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn with the book James: A Novel by Percival Everett.
May 12: Gaza and Israel: Our Voices for Peace series continues with Zmira Lovejoy, a spiritual leader from Portland’s P’nai Or Jewish Community.
May 19: Follow-Up to PDX Housing Solidarity: Join the Eco Social Justice committee help set a path forward for how we, as a congregation, might join forces to help a BIPOC family find a way to purchase a home.
May 26: Memorial Weekend – Day Off!
Pastor Janet and the Christian Education Committee are excited to announce the return of Sunday School to St. James! The class serves children ages 4 through second grade. Parents, bring your children at 11:00 am to the large classroom on the second floor which faces Park Ave. Registration forms are available by the front desk.
Lesson: God is with me when I’m scared.