December 20, 2020
Worship Connection Problems?
St. Andrew’s tech team is offering a new service on Sundays for anyone having difficulty connecting to worship. Between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm, you can simply call the church office at 503-646-0629 to get help from the pros.
Remember that Rebecca Fako Uecker also continues to offer technical help for church-related purposes. You can contact her via email.
Adult Education: The Miseries of Job
Steve Christiansen concludes his exploration of the Book of Job at 10:00 am on Sunday, December 20, with Session 8. You’ll find a course outline on St. Andrew’s website and can access the class using the same Zoom link needed for Sunday worship.
Holden Evening Prayer on Wednesdays
This coming Wednesday, Julie Aageson will offer a meditation from her new book, Finding Home, as part of Holden Evening Prayer. Please join us on Wednesday, December 23:
- 6:30 pm: Informal Gathering Time
- 7:00 pm Holden Evening Prayer
- 7:30 pm: Centering Prayer & Other Opportunities
Advent offers the perfect opportunity to engage in Centering Prayer as we sit in silence to await the celebration of Christ’s coming.
The Zoom connection link is sent out Wednesday afternoons, so watch your inbox for it.
Coming in January –
The Gospel of Mark
St. Andrew’s Adult Education offering in January will focus on “The Gospel of Mark: A Narrative Theology,” taught by Jim Aageson. Mark’s gospel presents its theology in narrative form where the actions and words of Jesus reveal a powerful vision of God’s reign. As Aageson notes, “in this kingdom, things are turned upside down: the first are last, the sinners and the dishonored are invited to the table of fellowship, and those closest to Jesus are often filled with fear rather than faith.” The class will begin at 10:00 am on Sunday, January 10.
A-Caroling We Go
Sing along or just listen. The Werner sisters invite you to enjoy a short recording of favorite carols (all in the public domain) on our website.
Scroll to the bottom of St. Andrew’s worship page to find the video.
Christmas Week Worship
Sunday, December 20, 4:30 pm
Blue Christmas Service
Zoom – link in email
While Advent is a season of hope and Christmas is a season of joy, not everyone feels hopeful or ready to celebrate. Grief, illness, aging, depression, loneliness, unemployment and loss are magnified, especially during a pandemic. As we enter into the longest night of the year 2020, join us at sunset for a Blue Christmas worship service in the St. Andrew worship/community Zoom room. Then, if you’d like to share in some conversation with our caring ministers and Pastor Robyn, just bring your own tea or hot apple cider and stick around to talk.
Sunday, December 20, 7:00 pm
Advent/Christmas Vespers
Livestream – link in email
Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 4:00 pm
Birthday Party for Jesus!
Zoom – link in email
For a family-focused celebration, please join us at 4:00 pm on Thursday, December 24, via Zoom for a special Birthday Party for Jesus. We’ll be featuring carols, games, and a visit from our favorite furry friends! Families are encouraged to dress for the occasion, whether in ugly Christmas sweaters or with party hats and balloons! Plus, we’ll be giving a special birthday gift to Jesus by doing something nice for others. If you’d like to contribute to this gift, you can do so online via the church website or by mailing a check to the church; just make sure to mark it for the Birthday Party for Jesus. Keep an eye out for the Zoom link for this event in the “Worship Links” e-mail the week of Christmas Eve.
Keep an eye out for the Zoom link for this event in the “Worship Links” e-mail the week of Christmas Eve. We hope to see you there!
Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24,
6:45 pm Musical Prelude begins
7:00 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Livestream will be on the homepage; no link required
Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 1:00-4:00 pm
Stay Home, but Not Alone!
Zoom – link in email
1:00 pm: Christmas Social Time—share your favorite Christmas stories.
2:00 pm: Games—join Scott Taylor, Pastor Robyn, and Janet Parker for hilarious fun.
3:00 pm: Show & Tell—share your favorite gift or play us a Christmas song.
Anytime: Notify Rebecca Fako Uecker to be assigned a Zoom breakout room whereyou can meet with family or friends to support one another in Staying Home to Save Lives.
Foundation Core Values, Part 2
Your St. Andrew Foundation adopted six core values at our recent strategic planning retreat. These are fundamental principles that guide the Foundation’s activities and decision-making. This week, we highlight three of these core values:
COMPASSIONATE/CARING: We are compassionate and caring in all that we do, aligning with the core values: God care, Earth care, community care, neighbor care, and self care.
ACCOUNTABILITY: We are transparent, we acknowledge gifts and we communicate our efforts with the congregation. We will regularly monitor that we are being inclusive and acting within our Christian values.
PARTNERSHIPS: We are partnering with the congregation and other organizations in the community to provide for the well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.
Did you know that last year the Foundation awarded $5,550 in grants (to four organizations) and $2,300 in scholarships (to four individuals)? We are actively seeking new members for our Board of Directors as we carry out our core values and vision.
Are you interested in learning more? Contact Sonja Ackman.
Meet the EcoFaith Match
EcoFaith Recovery has been offered a $2,000 year-end matching grant that will match every first-time donation, the amount of increase of any annual donation, and/or the one-year value of any monthly sustaining donation that you set up before December 31. Your generous gifts help EcoFaith Recovery fund this year’s “Just Vote Harnessing Our Values for Climate and Racial Justice Initiative” and our “Community Carbon” pilot community initiative. Thank you so much for helping EcoFaith meet the match with your generous donations to
www.EcoFaithRecovery.org/Give
or EcoFaith Recovery, P.O. Box 12612, Portland, OR 97212.
With gratitude,
Pastor Robyn Hartwig
Preparing for Next Sunday
December 27, 2020
Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
Go to “Preparing for Worship” for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.
Sound Investments
As equipment has reached the end of its useful life, the sound system in St. Andrew’s Sanctuary has gone through various upgrades in recent years in an attempt to make the spoken word more understandable throughout the room.
- 2010: We switched from lapel microphones to earloops to reduce feedback problems.
- 2013: We replaced the amplifier and crossover to further reduce potential feedback and to equalize amplified voice sound in the room.
- 2016: We replaced the speakers to distribute sound better into pews beyond the center of the room. This also finally opened up the top of the tapestry to full view. (project cost—$7,800)
- 2017-2019: We replaced all wireless microphones due to changes made to the wireless spectrum by the FCC. (cost—$2,000+)
And, in just the past few weeks, Chris Weiss spent about 15 hours installing new wiring and setting up a new (currently borrowed) soundboard, aka mixer, in the Sound Room. As Weiss points out, our needs and expectations for the audio mixer shifted once the pandemic forced St. Andrew to stream its services. At this time, when we are all worshiping remotely, we need to mic things that don’t need amplification when we worship in-person, namely the organ, piano, bells, and vocalist. And, when we move back to in-person worship, we’ll also need to mic the congregation and the choir to provide a full experience for those who continue to worship from their homes.
As Weiss explains, “On any given Sunday before the pandemic, we were only mixing 4-5 microphones, whereas I am now using 16 channels on the new mixer.” He anticipates using 20-24 channels when in-person worship resumes.
Managing Your Mental Health During this Holiday Season
Many of us have found it particularly challenging to manage our own mental health as the pandemic continues, holiday plans are changed, and life as we knew it seems farther and farther away. The Caring Ministries Team recommends a series of articles found on the website for Mental Health USA. This week, take a look at their “Latest News & Updates” and read one or more of the four short articles on their page. Devote some time this week to work on one of St. Andrew’s Core Values: Self Care.
St. Andrew Caring Ministries Team
Pastoral Care
Pastor Mark Brocker (on call Fridays & Saturdays)
office: 503-646-0629 (extension 201)
cell: 503-502-8762
brockerms@standrewlutheran.com
Pastor Robyn Hartwig (on call Sundays & Mondays)
Office: 503-646-0629 (extension 211)
PastorRobyn@standrewlutheran.com
Both pastors are on call Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
In Need of Prayers…
| Family and friends of Ali Alajrab | Peace and God’s comfort at his death from COVID-19 | Staff |
| Family and friends of Bobbie Jo Lynn (friend) | Peace and God’s comfort at her death | Bev Briggs |
| Mary Lynn | Support and assistance in securing care | Bev Briggs |
| Colleen Warnes | Peace and comfort in hospice care | Suzanne Warnes |
| Alvina Heidinger (mother-in-law) | Peace and comfort in hospice care | Judy Heidinger |
| Carol Hogan | Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment | Carol Hogan |
| Pam | Successful radiation treatment | Patty Jones |
| Tammy Piscitelli | Healing and recovery from COVID-19 | Ed & Linda Fransen |
| Elaine May | Healing and recovery from knee replacement surgery | Elaine May |
| Gary Grafwallner | Healing and recovery from skin cancer surgery | Gary Grafwallner |
| Dr. Cara Steinkeler | Strength and protection | Gary & Gail Grafwallner |
| Melanie Waller, Aniyah and Tanner Alcorn | Support and well-being | Melanie Waller |
| Dr. Don Scholz (Bob’s father) | Thanksgiving for coronavirus vaccination (12/30) | Bob & Judy Scholz |
| Hank Scholz (son) | Thanksgiving for coronavirus vaccination (12/17) | Bob & Judy Scholz |
| Everyone | Availability of effective vaccine and few side effects | Judy Scholz |
| Everyone affected by COVID-19 | Strength and support | Staff |
| Health care workers | Strength, courage, protection, and support | Staff |
| Those confined to their homes: Mareline Barnes, Dave Bumgardner, Jean Fredrickson, Tara Harper, Douglas Hooke, Betty Horst, Dorothy Moore, Phyllis Morris, Ed Pacey, Helen Rogers, Dave & Sharon Roth, Margie Schindele |
Assurance of God’s presence | Staff |
| All who are imprisoned | Peace and strength | Staff |
| Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer | Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud | Everyone |
| Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Holy Trinity Catholic Church |
Blessings on their work | Staff |
| Zion Lutheran Church (Port Orford, OR) Zion Lutheran Church (The Dalles, OR) |
Serving with us in the Oregon Synod | Staff |
| Masjid An-Noor (Portland, OR) | Blessings on our interfaith partners | Staff |
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.
Refugee Family Suffers a COVID Death
Ali Alajrab, patriarch of the Syrian family St. Andrew assisted when they first came to the US from a refugee camp in Jordan in 2016, died on November 21, 2020, due to COVID-19. He was the sole support of his wife Fouza and two younger children, Omar and Ahed. The already-struggling family, which left Portland for Southern California in 2017 and later moved to Ohio, now faces even more challenges. For more information or to help them meet their needs, go to their GoFundMe site.
Creation Justice Summit
The 8th annual Creation Justice Summit (formerly the Earth Care Summit) will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Columbia River Watershed Pastoral Letter. The virtual event will include a keynote panel, breakout workshops, and a closing address from U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley.
Register now
$20 general, $10 students, scholarships available
Presented by EMO’s Creation Justice and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light.
Highlights for the Week
Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.
Sunday, December 20, Fourth Sunday of Advent
| 8:30 am | Livestream Worship | YouTube |
| 9:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | Sunday School (age 3 – 5th Grade) | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | Confirmation (6th – 8th Grade) | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | High School Youth Group | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | Adult Education: Job’s Response to Misery | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Zoom Worship | Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 4:30 pm | Blue Christmas Service | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Advent/Christmas Vespers | YouTube |
Tuesday, December 22 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm
| 10:00 am | T’ai Chi | former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd |
Wednesday, December 23
| 6:30 pm | Informal Gathering Time | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Holden Evening Prayer | Zoom |
| 7:30 pm | Centering Prayer & other breakout room opportunities | Zoom |
Thursday, December 24 – Christmas Eve; Church Office Closed
| 4:00 pm | Birthday Party for Jesus | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Christmas Eve Candlelight Service | Livestream on Website |
Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day; Church Office Closed
| 1:00 pm | Stay Home, but Not Alone! Gathering | Zoom |
Sunday, December 27, First Sunday of Christmas
| 8:30 am | Livestream Worship | YouTube |
| 9:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | NO Sunday School (age 3 – 5th Grade) | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | NO Confirmation (6th – 8th Grade) | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | NO High School Youth Group | Zoom |
| 10:00 am | NO Adult Education | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Zoom Worship | Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |