December 27, 2020
Christmas Week Worship
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 purchasing Shoes That Grow for children in need around the world. 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. Follow the Zoom link for this event in the “Worship Links” e-mail the week of Christmas Eve.
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.
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.
Family Promise Update 2020
Thanks to the strong participation and support of our congregation, St. Andrew’s commitment to being a host site for Family Promise has remained steady this year.
We hosted on-site in January and February and then the world turned upside down! When host sites closed, families were then moved to the new day center on Erickson Ave. in Beaverton and also to an extended stay hotel. Hosting then became “remote.” This involved providing meals, groceries, or restaurant gift cards to be delivered to families wherever they were staying. We hosted remotely in October and November using both gift cards and a team of “on-call” cooks. Flexibility is a Family Promise mantra that we have embraced!
Thanks to generous donations to the Family Promise designated fund, we have also been able to give much-needed money to a Family Promise COVID-19 fund. This has assisted “graduated” families who have struggled with the financial impact of the pandemic. In addition, we sponsored a graduated family for Christmas.
Remote hosting will continue in 2021. The hosting schedule will be made on a quarterly basis at this point. St. Andrew is scheduled for the weeks of January 24 and February 21. Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities!
Many thanks for your donations of time, meals, money, and prayers. We are making a difference.
The Family Promise Leadership Team
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
Luke 2:13-14
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.
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
Resolutions 2021
What will you do for the Earth in 2021? At this time of year, resolutions can help us focus our energies and live our values. For the good of the planet and generations to come, why not pledge to make your lifestyle more sustainable in 2021 Write down your goal. Keep track of the actions you take. A year from now you could be amazed by your accomplishments!
Preparing for Next Sunday
January 3, 2020
Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14
Gospel: John 1:10-18
Go to “Preparing for Worship” for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.
May PEACE & HEALTH be your gifts this Christmas season –
and your blessings all the year through!
Raise Your Voice and Sing!
Opportunities to sing special music for upcoming worship services are now available. I will be organizing duets, solos, and other small ensembles for the offertory during the Epiphany season. Rehearsal time will be scheduled with the person(s) singing and myself and each offering will be pre recorded at a time that works for one of St. Andrew’s tech teams. If you’re interested, please contact me.
Susan Werner Reiser
srwerner.reiser@standrewlutheran.com
503-334-6353
Fantasy Football Championship
Throughout a National Football League season like none before, members of St. Andrew’s Schmalkaldic Fantasy Football League have followed their players on the field and off to escape some of the pressures of the pandemic. And it’s been entertaining. A couple of weeks ago, the twelve teams were pared down to eight for the playoffs. And now there are two!
This week, Ben Moore’s COVID Crushers take on The Wingmen, owned by Jeff Smith and his daughter Julia Emerson, for the championship. Good luck!
Bee-Attitudes
Not all bees make honey. Not all bees sting. And not all bees swarm around a communal hive.
Meet the MASON BEE, a bee that chooses solitude even when no pandemic requires it. These busy insects are pollinating powerhouses!
Thanks to an idea from Brian Cheney, St. Andrew’s Yard Science Team (part of our Community Carbon initiative with EcoFaith Recovery) has begun exploring the super powers that MASON BEES bring to the garden. Stay tuned to learn more in 2021.
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 |
| 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 facing ongoing illness or distress: Tandy Brooks, David Bumgardner, Vic Claar, Marvel Lund, Ian MacDonald, Gary Magnuson, Hugh Mason, Brian McKiernan, Ed Pacey, Corky Poppert, Jolie Reyna, Shane Throckmorton, Gary Tubbs |
Healing and assurance of God’s presence | Staff |
| Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer | Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud | Everyone |
| Bishop Elizabeth Eaton | Wisdom and discernment | Staff |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Blessings on our ministry | Staff |
| Taiwan Lutheran Church | Strength and wisdom | Staff |
| First Lutheran Church (Astoria, OR) Peace Lutheran Church (Astoria, OR) |
Serving with us in the Oregon Synod | Staff |
| Congregation Beth Israel (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.
Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve; Church Office Closed
| 4:00 pm | Birthday Party for Jesus | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service | YouTube |
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 |
| 11:00 am | Zoom Worship | Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
Tuesday, December 29 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm
| 10:00 am | T’ai Chi | former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd |
Wednesday, December 30
| 6:30 pm | Informal Gathering Time | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Holden Evening Prayer | Zoom |
| 7:30 pm | Centering Prayer & other breakout room opportunities | Zoom |
Friday, January 1: New Year’s Day; Church Office Closed
Sunday, January 3: Second 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 |
| 2:00 pm | Mason Bee House Installation with the Yard Science Team | outside near Reformation Earth Garden |