November 28, 2021
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Book Sale Sunday
The magical day is here and you’re going to be amazed by the rich diversity of used books on our sale tables! Thank you for all the great books you’ve brought in to make this fundraiser for our St. Andrew libraries happen.
Go to Fellowship Hall between services (9:30-11:00 am) or after the second service (12:00-2:00 pm) this Sunday, November 28, to shop. Cash and checks accepted. Book tables will be arranged by topic.
We have a complete set of yellow spine Nancy Drew mysteries for $1 each, but you must purchase the entire 56-book set. (Note: This set is available on ebay for $175.) Also for sale are two complete sets of the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, each with some damaged books that are priced accordingly.
And the prices for everything are really good!
$2: Hardcover adult and young adult books
$1: Soft cover and mass market (smaller, old-style paperbacks)
$2: Newer, nicer children’s hardcover books
$1: Older children’s hardcovers
$1: Children ‘s paperbacks with spine
3/$1 or 50 cents each: Children’s paperbacks without a spine
4/$1: Magazines
Plus, we have a huge box of free books. While damaged, all except two of these are complete, with no pages missing. The free box also includes magazines. Please note that the quilt magazines available may not have all their pages, so be sure to check that the quilt pattern you want is all there.
So, do come! And, if you don’t like the prices, we’ll be glad to negotiate—or you can always pay more!
Pam Farr
Adult Librarian
Advent Evening Prayer
Beginning this week, Advent Evening Prayer will be offered on Wednesday evenings with worship in-person in the Sanctuary. Our theme for the season is “Holy Darkness.”
At 7:00 pm on Wednesday, December 1, Randy Sinn will offer a reflection on “Darkness Is Holy,” drawn from the creation story in Genesis 1:1-19.
Giving Tree Donations Needed
As the Christmas season approaches, we look forward to once again sharing our love and care with Barnes Elementary School families in need. This year we will collect donations to put toward gift cards to make the season more festive for these families. Please make your gift no later than Sunday, December 12. For each donation that is received, we’ll add an ornament to the Giving Tree in the Narthex.
One of the families St. Andrew is assisting suffered an apartment fire a few months ago, where they lost everything. That family is currently living in a shelter, but receiving help that they did not expect to receive. The family is overcome with gratitude.
In another situation, grandparents are caring for four young children and trying to make ends meet after their son went to prison. They thought their child-rearing days were done, but are now doing all they can to make life safe and secure for the grandchildren.
In addition, our area is welcoming refugees from Afghanistan who are navigating a new culture after having to leave so much and so many behind.
Along with the Barnes Elementary counselors, project organizer Donna Brocker is working to assist these families and many more. If you have questions, please contact Donna at 503-502-6156.
Welcome Sunday
We will celebrate Welcome Sunday on December 5. If you would like to affirm your baptism and become a member of St. Andrew, please contact Pastor Mark Brocker, 503-646-0629, ext. 201, or email brockerms@standrewlutheran.com.
Flooring Feedback
The Facilities Management Team is seeking input on Sanctuary flooring. Should the carpet be replaced or should we investigate hard-surface options and costs? A pending gift to St. Andrew would cover 90-100 percent of the cost of new carpet and its installation. Moneys in the PIPE (Property Improvement) Fund itself are not sufficient to cover either the carpet option or a hard surface alternative. Please submit your feedback via this Google form or call Pam Meredith at 503-475-3568. Responses will be accepted through Friday, November 26. Thank you!
Hanging of the Greens
Please join us Saturday, December 4, at 9:30 am for the “Hanging of the Greens.” We’ll set up the Christmas tree and decorate the church for all to enjoy as we celebrate Advent and
the birth of Christ. Boy Scout Troop 618 is generously donating the wreaths and greens to deck our church again this Christmas season. If you have questions, please contact Tammy Piscitelli.
Table Talk: Back from the Climate Brink
Gathered around the table in his home, Martin Luther talked freely and openly with his colleagues and students about matters of faith, theology, and varied aspects of daily life. To cultivate this kind of spirited discussion we have a tradition at St. Andrew of gathering for Table Talks. Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk via Zoom on Tuesday, November 30, 7:00-8:00 pm.
Seminarian Karen Klingelhafer is currently working on a course paper focused on how the life and writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr. can help us address the climate crisis and move us toward a safer planet. She has offered to lead our November Table Talk. In preparing us for this Table Talk she writes: “The smoke – layered on top of a housing crisis wrought by last year’s wildfires, a resurgent strain of COVID-19 and a crippling drought – has left many in the region teetering on the brink. Among the most vulnerable to the overlapping crises: people experiencing homelessness and those who work in the agriculture industry.” Are we at a crisis situation with climate change? Is there a consensus throughout the world? With so many concerns, what do we focus on? How
can we (as a church, as individuals) make an impact?” This is an especially timely topic given that the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) is being held in Glasgow, Scotland, October 31 – November 12.
Advent Classes
Following this week’s Used Book Fair, another pairing of Adult Education classes will be offered at St. Andrew during Advent. All classes begin at 10:00 am.
St. Andrew’s Reckoning with Racism cohort will continue its focus on “A Journey towards Anti-Racism,” which will again be offered in-person in Fellowship Hall and via Zoom.
In a second course during the Advent season, Children & Youth Minister Kyler Vogt will share the approach to reading the Bible that he’s been using with high school youth. This class will meet in-person only in the Chapel. See the article below for details:
“The Kairos Hermeneutic” with Kyler and the HS Youth!
It’s hard to read the Bible. Modern biblical readers have massive separations in history, culture, and language to overcome in the process. Yet, reading the Bible gets even tougher when Christian traditions tells us that the Bible–containing fantastic tales of miracles, gory acts of violence, and outdated legal text all set in a culture bearing little resemblance to our own–is supposed to be the pinnacle of truth and the ultimate authority for our modern lives. To many modern people, this has become a deal-breaker in their faith. In this class, I will show you a way I have learned over the last several years that allows me to read the Bible as truthful, authoritative, and deeply meaningful . . . even if it isn’t always right.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! My vision for this class is to give our congregation a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning with our high school youth. You’ll get to see how we check-in about our weeks, what kind of conversations we have, and witness how deeply we can dive into difficult and complex issues together. So you can get the full experience, this class will be held in-person at 10:00 am in the Chapel on December 5, 12, and 19. If you have any questions or if you just want to let me know you’ll be there, contact me at kvogt@standrewlutheran.com. I hope you will join us!
End-of-Year Stock Donations
Greetings from your Financial Secretaries. As the end of the calendar year approaches, we want to remind you of the process for donating stock to the church.
Contributions must actually be paid before the close of the year to be deductible in 2021. Please allow at least 3 weeks for the completion of the stock transfer sale. If you intend to donate stock this tax year, please start the process as soon as possible.
- Download the Stock Transfer Form from the church website or contact the church office.
- Contact your brokerage firm to initiate an electronic transfer of securities.
- Complete the form, including your intentions for the use of the donation, and email a copy to financial-secretary@standrewlutheran.com. Or you may send a copy to the church office marked “Confidential for Financial Secretaries.” This form must be turned in at the beginning of the process. Without it, we cannot complete your request.
- Upon receipt of the form, one of the financial secretaries will contact you regarding the progress of the electronic stock transfer to Charles Schwab, the church’s securities firm.
Thank you for your generosity to the Mission and Ministry of St. Andrew.
Tammy Piscitelli
on behalf of the Financial Secretaries and Finance Team
Finding Liturgy in Life and Life in Liturgy
An Oregon Synod Lay Education Course
How does liturgy shape us? How might we shape it? Gather with people from across the Oregon Synod this January and February to explore liturgy in daily life, communal worship, and public witness. We’ll pay particular attention to the seasons of the church year, the flow of worship, the invitation of sacraments, and daily practices that help us cultivate a life of depth and meaning. We’ll create space for the integration of blessing, celebration, lamentation, prayer, song, symbols, and ritual crafting. You’re encouraged to bring your whole self as we seek to live in holy rhythm. Pr. Matta Ghaly will be the primary instructor. The course is designed with a Lutheran lens and inclusive heart; all are welcome.
This on-line course is offered through the Oregon Synod’s SALM and Lay Education Program. We’ll meet the following eight Tuesday evenings on Zoom from 6:30-8:00 pm (Pacific Time): January 11, January 18, January 25, February 1, February 8, February 15, February 22, and March 1. Authentic participation and relationship-building are the priority. Course participants and/or their congregations are encouraged to donate, as they are able, on a sliding scale between $20-$160, but donations are not required to register. If you’d like to sign up for the course, please do so through the registration form.
Food Pantry Help Wanted, 2022
St. Andrew members have continued to serve at the Food Pantry at St. Matthew during the pandemic. We had to make a few changes. Families came and met us outdoors while we all wore masks. While families have missed the opportunity to come inside and select food, they were fed well with fresh produce and a bounty of packaged food, meat, dairy products, and also some surprises such as pumpkin pie. Our volunteers took orders in English, and sometimes in Spanish, and we packed bags with creativity and a prayer. On some dark rainy nights, our main challenge was to find the correct car for each grocery cart of food. Thank you: Steve Grover (and friends); Jim & Pat Hilliker; Roger & Pat Sandquist; Dan & Sharon Fako; and Eric & Jan Luttrell.
We look forward to getting our families back into the pantry sometime in 2022. In the meantime, here is a plea for more volunteers.
In addition to helping serve families at the center, we need volunteer pairs of two to deliver food to families who are not able to come to the center. Volunteers pick up a pre-packed box for the family and add fresh and frozen or refrigerated items. Deliveries could be scheduled on a Sunday afternoon or a weekday between 2:00-8:00 pm. The time involved is 1-2 hours. You do have to have a car and be ready to locate the address. You will be given information for 2-3 families and you will call to learn more about food preferences and a time that will work for delivery. This does not have to be a long-term commitment. A team can serve one time only or once a month or twice a year, or whatever works with their schedules.
This seems to be a great family opportunity and folks can try this out and see how it works. If you have questions, contact Sharon Fako at sfako24@comcast.net or erica97229@gmail.com.
New Books on the Shelves
Adult Librarian Pam Farr has added several new titles to the bookshelves in recent months:
Fiction
A Land of Sheltered Promise, by Jane Kirkpatrick
At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon
The Mitford Snowmen: A Christmas Story, by Jan Karon
Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team, by Elise Hooper
Non-Fiction
The Wright Brothers, by David McCullough
The Steward: A Biblical Symbol Come of Age, by Douglas John Hall
Apprenticeship: Embracing Life and Practicing Humanity in the Way of Jesus, by Terry B. Kyllo
She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders, by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Oregon Geographic Names, by Lewis A. McArthur
Madam Secretary, by Madeleine Albright
After the Locusts: Letters from a Landscape of Faith,
by Denise Ackermann and Desmond Tutu
Preparing for next Sunday, November 21, 2021
Lesson: Malachi 3:1-4
Gospel: Luke 3:1-14
Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.
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.
| Family and friends of Keith Poppert | Peace and God’s comfort at his death | Claris & Corky Poppert |
| Family and friends of Jack Warnes (brother-in-law) | Peace and God’s comfort at his death | Suzanne Warnes |
| Joe Baker and all who mourn the death of his parents Bill & Marna | Peace and God’s comfort | Pastor Mark |
| Angie Mitlehner | Successful surgery (December 4) | Angie Mitlehner |
| John Fritz | Comfort and wisdom in a time of transition | Staff |
| Lynn Santelmann | Healing and recovery | Paul Navarre |
| Ginny Link | Healing and recovery | Ginny Link |
| John Trom | Healing and recovery | Pastor Susan Kintner |
| Dr. Cara Steinkeler | Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families | Gary & Gail Grafwallner |
| Victims of parade violence in Waukesha, WI | Healing in body and soul | Staff |
| Those facing ongoing illness or distress | Healing and assurance of God’s presence | Staff |
| Tandy Brooks, Dave Bumgardner, Vic Claar, Gary Grafwallner, Ian MacDonald, Gary Magnuson, Hugh Mason, Brian McKiernan, Carol Means, Ed Pacey, Corky Poppert, Jolie Reyna, Nan Thompson, Shane Throckmorton, Gary Tubbs | ||
| Bishop Elizabeth Eaton | Wisdom and discernment | Staff |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Blessings on our ministry | Staff |
| Taiwan Lutheran Church | Strength and wisdom | Staff |
| Grace Lutheran Church (Vale, OR) | Serving with us in the Oregon Synod | Staff |
| Congregation P’nai Or (Portland) | 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 |
Fast Girls: Another Time, Another Context
This is a book I picked out my own self, and it’s not a bad read. It is written as fiction, but based on many facts. I learned some things I didn’t know–like treadmills for horses. Plus some things I’d rather not have learned, but, well, you be the judge and read it yourself.
Fast Girls, by Elise Hooper, is historical fiction. It’s about the 1936 Olympics and three young women who worked through individual challenges to make the Olympic track team. I learned things about Hitler that made me wonder if they were true and things about racial unfairness that I’m sure were true.
This book is a fast read–no pun intended–and I hope enough of you read it to justify my spending the money.
Pam Farr
Adult Librarian
A Thanksgiving Prayer
Most of us express gratitude for the meal before we consume it, but poet Wendell Berry–renowned American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer–a man known to be an ardent champion of a good, simple life, wrote his prayer for after the feast is finished.
Prayer After Eating
I have taken in the light
that quickened eye and leaf.
May my brain be bright with praise
of what I eat, in the brief blaze
of motion and thought.
May I be worthy of my meat.
Wendell Berry
Highlights for the Week
Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.
Sunday, November 28, First Sunday of Advent
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and Livestreamed |
| 9:30 am | Used Book Sale to Benefit St. Andrew Libraries | Fellowship Hall |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and via Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Used Book Sale to Benefit St. Andrew Libraries | Fellowship Hall |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
Monday, November 29
| 10:00 am | Meals on Wheels/Loaves and Fishes | Off Site |
| 6:00 pm | Scout Troop 618 Meeting | Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room |
Tuesday, November 23 – Weekly News submissions due by 12:00 pm
| 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 | T’ai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
| 7:00 pm | Table Talk | Zoom |
Wednesday, December 1
| 10:00 am | Yoga | Fellowship Hall |
| 12:30 pm | Bonhoeffer Seminar | via Zoom |
| 6:00 pm | Bells of Grace Rehearsal | Sanctuary |
| 6:45 pm | Informal Gathering Time | via Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Advent Evening Prayer | Sanctuary |
| 7:00 pm | Wednesday Night Youth Hangout | Youth Room |
| 7:30 pm | Sanctuary Choir | Sanctuary |
Thursday, December 2
| 9:30 am | Seekers of the Heart of God Bible Study | St. Andrew Room |
| 7:00 pm | Executive (Council) CommitteeMeeting | via Zoom |
Friday, December 3
| 10:00 am | Tai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
Saturday, December 4
| 8:00 am | Scouting for Food | Fellowship Hall |
| 9:00 am | Nifty Notters | Fellowship Hall |
| 9:30 am | Hanging of the Greens | Sanctuary |
Sunday, December 5, Second Sunday in Advent
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and YouTube |
| 10:00 am | Adult Ed: A Journey Towards Anti-Racism, Part 2 | Fellowship Hall or via Zoom |
| 10:00 am | Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic | Chapel |
| 10:00 am | Children’s Ministry | Children’s Library |
| 10:00 am | Confirmation | Library and via Zoom |
| 10:00 am | High School Youth Group with Adult Ed | Chapel |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |