August 1, 2021
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Masking Up in Love
The statistics don’t lie: COVID-19 infections are on the rise in Oregon again, many of them the extremely contagious Delta variant. Following the recommendations of the Oregon Health Authority and the Centers for Disease Control,
St. Andrew now requires EVERYONE—even vaccinated individuals—to wear a mask inside the building. Disposable masks are available at the Narthex entry if you need them.
As Pastor Susan reminds us, “we are building this ship as we sail.” We have made a few changes to worship, beginning this Sunday, that will help our community stay safe. You will find more information on these changes in your worship folder on Sunday, and on the St. Andrew website at https://standrewlutheran.com/the-post-pandemic-worship-experience/.
We understand that some people may feel more apprehensive about worshiping in the Sanctuary. As always, make the decision that is best for you and your household. Thankfully, we have a variety of worship options. 11:00 am worship in the Sanctuary of the Firs makes use of our outdoor space, and we are blessed with a talented team of technology wizards who make remote worship possible.
We can do this to protect each other and especially to protect our children who are not yet able to receive the vaccine. Masking is a profound and visible sign of our commitment to neighbor and community care.
Wednesday Evening Prayer
Midweek Evening Prayer Services will continue to be offered through the summer months via Zoom. Meditations will be drawn from Devotional Classics. All are welcome this Wednesday, August 3 for social time at 6:45 pm and service at 7:00 pm. Centering Prayer follows at 7:30 pm. Participate in all or part of our scheduled time together. Look for links to this worship service at midday on Wednesdays in Allison’s email.
Lydia Circle
Lydia Circle will meet Tuesday, August 9 at 1:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room. This month’s study is from the August Gather magazine and is entitled “Just Hope.” It is based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 and Ezekiel 37:1-14. With guided discussion, we will see that through the gift of the body of Christ our hope is bigger than our human situation. Any are welcome to join us and you need not have read the lesson to take part. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.
Celebrating a Century
Helen Rogers turns 100 on July 31. What a milestone! Please join us after early worship on Sunday, August 1, when we’ll sing Happy Birthday and share our best wishes with her. Helen’s family is providing the cake and we’ll have coffee and tea set up and available on the front patio (please wear a face mask if you are inside the building). We’ll have a card basket for Helen, too, so she can enjoy reading any messages you’d like to share with her.
Happy Birthday, Helen! Many of us pray we could be as pinochle-sharp as you are at any age.
Gratitude for a Good and Faithful Servant
Phyllis Vachal has led and participated in the Service Committee for over 30 years. (She will tell you that she has done it forever!)
Through her service on behalf of St. Andrew, thousands have been fed and cared for due to her dedication. Over the last several years, she has been responsible for distributing the local benevolence funds of the congregation to non-profit organizations that help the hungry, houseless, survivors of domestic violence, and children and families in poverty. Her contributions have also included coordination of the collections of school bags, personal care kits and baby supplies for Lutheran World Relief. She has truly lived out the words of our Lord: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Phyllis has decided now is the time to take a much-deserved rest from this important work. The Service Committee wishes to thank her for years of service and contributions. Blessings to her in the next chapter of her life.
LuAnn Staul,
Service Committee
Community Carbon and All Creation Sings
Who knew our Community Carbon team were such music lovers? (Well, me, but it’s my job to know such things, isn’t it?)
Anyway, the Music Ministry was grateful to receive a generous gift from the Community Carbon team of ten copies of the new hymnal All Creation Sings (abbreviated as ACS in our worship folders). You’ve seen songs and liturgy from this hymnal in worship all spring and summer, and now we have enough copies that the Sanctuary Choir will be able to use them! Thanks for helping us further enhance worship with these new hymnals.
Allison Katsufrakis,
Minister of Music & Media
Nifty Notters
Come join the Nifty Notters Saturday August 7 and Saturday August 21 from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We’ll be working on twin sized quilts for LWR and Safeplace youth shelter and baby quilts for Virginia Garcia Clinic and Birthright of Hillsboro. We just recently started making donations to Birthright, and they were so excited to be able to give new baby quilts to their new moms.
Bring a lunch and join us for all or part of the day. No experience is needed and all supplies are provided. We had several wonderful fabric and supply donations these past months, and now need people to cut that fabric into squares. This can be done either at church or at home. If you’d like to help, or have any other questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.
Sock It to Me – Outside In
Once again we, the St. Andrew Community, have an opportunity to demonstrate Community and Neighbor Care by
improving the lives of young people in our city. Since 1968, Outside In has transformed lives by helping break
the cycles of chronic homelessness, poverty, and poor health among Portland’s LGBTQA+ community, people of color,
those experiencing homelessness, and the underserved.
Currently, Outside In is in high need of socks. Please consider contributing to this request by purchasing new men’s and women’s socks and bringing them to church between July 25 and August 29. There will be a barrel in the Narthex and the socks will be delivered to Outside In at the end of August. Both staff and clients of Outside In appreciate this congregation for all of our support over the past years and send their thanks once again for your contributions.
Thank you,
Service Committee
Feeding a Multitude
Driving around Portland this summer, it’s clear that the hunger and homelessness crisis prompted by COVID-19 continues to trouble many people in our community. The saints of St. Andrew have already shown generosity in offering assistance. Given the uneven state of recovery, it’s no surprise that some individuals and families are still in
desperate straits. All contributions to the food barrel in our Narthex are delivered to the St. Matthew Food Bank for distribution to people suffering from food insecurity. Thank you for caring for others!
Prayer for Putting On a Face Mask
Creator God, as I prepare to go into the world, help me to see the sacramental nature of wearing this cloth. Let it be a tangible and visible way of living love for my neighbors, as I love myself.
Christ Jesus, since my lips will be covered, uncover my heart, that people would see my smile in the crinkles around my eyes. Since my voice may be muffled, help me to speak clearly, not only with my words, but with my actions.
Holy Spirit, as the elastic touches my ears, remind me to listen carefully and caringly to all those I meet. May this simple piece of cloth be shield and banner, and may each breath that it holds be filled with your love.
In your name and in that love I pray. Amen.
Rev. Richard Bott,
Presbyterian Church of Canada
Sabbatical Blessings
Gracious God, Loving Lord,
Psalm 1 declares that those who delight in the Word of the Lord
shall be like trees, planted near streams of water,
which yield their fruit in due season.
Bless Pastor Mark in this sabbatical time,
that your river of love and delight will bring deep rest and renewal,
bless his writing, and protect his solitude.
May this be a time to receive your spacious grace.
Return him to us in September ready to share hissabbath lessons with us.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Gracious God, Loving Lord,
Bless St. Andrew in this sabbatical time as well,
that as we pray for Pastor Mark,
we also embrace this time to receive your spacious grace.
We also need deep rest and renewal as we recover from the last 18 months.
Walk with us in these weeks, as you walked with the disciples to Emmaus,
listening to their grief, that we will recognize you in the breaking of the bread
and be fed and repaired by your resurrection love.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Yoga Class Returns in August
After more than a year’s hiatus due to COVID-19, yoga class is coming back to St. Andrew! If you participated in earlier classes or are curious whether a yoga discipline might be good for you, mark your calendar for 10:00 am on Wednesday, August 11, and plan to check it out.
The St. Andrew community is so fortunate that certified teachers Geetha, Gloria, and Barbara are willing and able to continue this program. All skilled instructors, they give their time freely to help the rest of us maintain balance, flexibility, and mobility.
The class is free, no experience is required, and the teachers offer guidance for people of various levels and abilities. Instruction is provided for both chair and floor yoga, so if you find it difficult to get up from floor positions, don’t worry. Chair exercises are always an option. If you’d like to try floor yoga, please bring your own mat. Class lasts about an hour and is open to the public, so bring a friend. All are welcome.
Organ Scholarship Applications Due
Please note that applications for the St. Andrew Foundation’s church organ scholarship are due no later than Monday, October 4. To address the critical shortage of church organists, the fund awards $800 towards organ lessons with a recognized organ teacher. Applicants from age 13 through 30 are invited to apply. Go to the Foundation page on our
church website and scroll to the Organ Lesson Scholarship Fund section to download the 2021 Scholarship Announcement and Application. Applicants from a variety of faith traditions are encouraged to apply.
Worship Feedback
For the past month, people have been worshiping online and in person at St. Andrew and we continue to fine-tune the details.
8:30 am: Worship in the Sanctuary or attend via YouTube. Access this service at any time via the link distributed in Friday emails or the church app notifications on Sunday mornings at 8:15 am. This livestream is recorded and can be accessed later in the day or week by using the same link.
11:00 am: Worship in the Sanctuary of the Firs or via the Zoom link distributed in Friday emails or the church app notifications at 8:15 am on Sunday mornings.
Please note that the outdoor service presents unique challenges to our tech team, which continues to work on improving the quality of the worship experience for remote participants. If you prefer to worship at 11:00 am but want better sound quality, simply connect via the YouTube link rather than Zoom.
Minister of Music & Media Allison Katsufrakis welcomes your feedback. Simply call the church office to leave a message or contact her at allisonk@standrewlutheran.com.
In Need of Prayers…
If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.
| Steve Andersen | Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment | Liz Andersen |
| John Fritz | Healing and recovery in rehab | Staff |
| Steve Yi (nephew) | Healing and recovery from COVID-19 | Kelly Wise |
| Paul (friend) | Healing and recovery | Sonja Ackman |
| Breanna (grandniece) | Uncomplicated delivery of baby Raya | Ginny & Gary Link |
| Baby Raya | Healthy birth without complications | Ginny & Gary Link |
| Those fighting or threatened by wildfires | Protection and safety | Staff |
| Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar Oregon Synod & Staff |
Strength and wisdom | Staff |
| Refugees and immigrants | Acceptance, safety, and just treatment | Staff |
| Military personnel, especially Justina Hailey Hope Brocker, Evan Dahlquist, Dawson Dethlefs, Neil Fiegenbaum, and Jerami Reyna | Courage and protection | Staff |
| Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Willamina, OR) House of Zion Lutheran Church (Woodburn, OR) Immanuel Lutheran Church (Woodburn, OR) Bethesda Lutheran Church (Eugene, OR) |
Serving with us in the Oregon Synod | Staff |
| Muslim Educational Trust (Tigard, OR) | Blessings on our interfaith partners | Staff |
| Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer | Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud | Everyone |
Preparing for Sunday, August 8, 2021
Reading: Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51
Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.
Highlights for the Week
Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.
Sunday, August 1
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion Livestream Worship with Communion |
Sanctuary YouTube |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion Zoom Worship with Communion |
Sanctuary of the Firs Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Scout Court of Honor Rehearsal | Sanctuary of the Firs |
Monday, August 2
| 6:00 pm | Troop 618 Meeting | East parking lot |
Tuesday, August 3
| 7:00 am | Sunrise Women | Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave) |
| 7:00 am | Men’s Gathering & Bible Study | Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave) |
| 10:00 am | Meals on Wheels/Loaves and Fishes | Offsite |
| 10:00 am | T’ai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
| 10:00 am | Worship Planning Meeting | Library |
| 1:30 pm | Service Committee Meeting | St. Andrew Room/Patio |
| 7:00 pm | MACG Meeting | St. Andrew Room |
Wednesday, August 4 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm
| 6:45 pm | Informal Gathering Time | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Wednesday Evening Prayer | Zoom |
| 7:30 pm | Centering Prayer | Zoom |
Thursday, August 5
| 12:00 pm | Team Ministry Meeting | Chapel, Library |
| 7:00 pm | Executive Committee Meeting | Zoom |
Friday, August 6
| 10:00 am | T’ai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
Saturday, August 7
| 9:00 am | Nifty Notters | Fellowship Hall |
Sunday, August 8
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion Livestream Worship with Communion |
Sanctuary YouTube |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion Zoom Worship with Communion |
Sanctuary of the Firs Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |