From Pastor David’s Desk …
“Intersectionality: The study of the intersections between different systems …”
The big word in higher education today is intersectionality. I hear it at our Lutheran Seminary in Berkeley, CA and on local college campuses. It is when two ways of thinking collide or intersect. Sometimes it creates friction and other times gives us the freedom to adopt a new path. It is also a perfect way of thinking about this 50-day season of Easter.
–Easter is when God’s gift of new life collides with death
–Easter is the peace that comes when we remember the loss of a loved one and entrust them to God
–Easter is our ability to finally see how our path can merge with another who may be heading another direction
–Easter in our neighborhood is finding the crossroads of safe streets and compassion for the houseless.
Some claim that these intersections do not exist and never will. At St. James, by faith, we know differently. We know the Christ who collides with death on a Friday and emerges with a new direction on an Easter Sunday morning. We know death of the old system can lead to life. All of that causes us to sing “Alleluia” for the next 50 days!
–Pastor David
Wednesdays At St. James …
We continue our Wednesday schedule throughout the spring:
–Noon Eucharist – a 30 minute service in Pioneer Chapel
–Pastor David’s Class – 12:40 to 1:30pm
“From Jesus to Constantine: How It All Began”
Weekly Class Topics:
April 3rd The Myth of Persecution
10th 62 Christianities. Which One Is Right?
17th 3rd Corinthians? What Happened to It?
24th How We Got the New Testament
May 1st Baptism and Eucharist Take Center Stage
8th The Doctrine of the Trinity
15th Jesus to Constantine: What We Learned
Fifteen to twenty people have joined weekly as we worship and then ask “What happened after the first Easter?” So far we have explored how St. Paul served as Jesus’ “marketer,” what non-religious sources say, and the rise of anti-Judaism. In April and May we will discover that there were 62 different “Christianities,” why 3rd Corinthians was excluded from your Bible, and the important role of Emperor Constantine. Join us as we unwrap the first 400 years of Christianity.
Spring Bach Cantata Vespers …
Mark your calendars for our Bach Cantata Vespers service on Sunday, April 28th at 5:00pm. The St. James Choir, guest singers, soloists, organ, and orchestra will present Bach’s “Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats” BWV 42. The service will be followed by a reception in Pioneer Chapel. We look forward to seeing you there!
“VOICES FOR PEACE” …
With conflict in the Middle-East, come and hear voices from our Muslim and Jewish neighbors. We gather:
–Sunday, 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 at our 11:00am Open Space class.
–Sunday, May 12th. Zmira Lovejoy is a spiritual leader and student rabbi at Portland’s P’nai Or Jewish Community. During our first reading she will share the Hebrew Scripture that Jews worldwide will hear and also be our presenter at the 11:00am Open Space class.
Let’s learn from their perspectives.
CROP Hunger Walk …
The Portland CROP Hunger Walk is scheduled for 2:00pm on Sunday, April 28th, starting right across the street at First Christian Church. Our team, the Soles of St. James, is raising money to support the many global projects of Church World Service, as well as our neighbors at Northeast Emergency Food Project. To join our team, or donate, go to CROPHungerWalk.org or talk to Esther Portnoy.
Let’s Give a Gift to World Hunger …
We mark the 50th anniversary of Lutheran World Hunger by giving a financial gift for the work ahead. Thank you for already giving $13,747 toward our St. James gift to them. It will provide food and the tools for self-sufficiency in 64 countries.
In February St. James challenged the other 112 Lutheran Churches in Oregon to give by offering to match the first $10,000. Your gifts are encouraging others to provide help to this important ministry.
Did you know you are helping Guisela, a single mother in Guatemala? After dealing with chronic malnutrition, her daughters Darriana and Maidy have learned to farm vegetables like oyster mushrooms and tend to egg-laying hens. Due to your generosity, Guisela’s daughters are smiling again.
You can give through April 30th with cash, electronically, a stock gift or by check made out to “St. James” with “hunger” in the memo line.
