February 14, 2021

Super Bible Bowl: FEUD!

The Super Bible Bowl returns to St. Andrew on Sunday, February 14, at 10:00 am! This year, the Bowl will be fully digital, hosted via Zoom during the normal Christian Education hour. But, the virtual nature of the event isn’t all that is new this year: instead of the usual “Jeopardy” format, this year the battle between council and confirmands will take the shape of the popular game show “Family Feud.” We hope you will join us to cheer on the contestants!

Ash Wednesday

Since worship continues to be online and therefore none of us need to worry about driving at night, this year St. Andrew is going to have just one Ash Wednesday service: at 7:00 pm on February 17. You’ll receive the Zoom link to access worship earlier that day.

If you would like to have ashes available for the imposition of ashes—self-administered, of course—you may pick up a small bag from the box to the left of the front entrance doors at St. Andrew. Please e-mail Allison Katsufrakis if you’re unable to come to the church and she will deliver ashes to you.

Centering Prayer will follow the Ash Wednesday worship service
for all who are interested.

Adult Education: The History, Art, and Architecture of Churches

Sunday, February 21, 10:00 am
From the most humble chapel to the great cathedrals of Europe, churches are places to hear the Word of God and worship together, at least when there isn’t a pandemic raging. Beyond the utilitarian function, every church has stories and a history, and most contain art and are places for the performance of the arts. Many church buildings are masterpieces of art and craftsmanship themselves.

In this class we’ll look at some of my favorite places of Christian worship and appreciate their history, architecture, and the artwork they contain. I’m a bit of a Europhile, so we’ll be paying special attention to churches, chapels, and cathedrals in Europe. In these days of restricted travel, it is the perfect time to pack our virtual bags and set out together to visit some of the most interesting and beautiful places of worship.

Paul Navarre

participate via Zoom

Looking at Lent Through Poetry

Those familiar with Mary Oliver’s poetry will recognize her instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

The word “Lent” comes from an old English word for “lengthen,” and refers
to the lengthening of those long-anticipated days of spring. With both the cross and the empty tomb approaching, the church prepares itself with 40 days of fasting and reflection, all for the sake of more fully celebrating Easter’s song of spring when it comes.

And so if Lent is about lengthening light, it’s also about broadening our hearts and preparing the way, making room for careful attention to what matters most. As the poet Mary Oliver puts it, living well involves attention, astonishment, and testimony—and poetry itself can be a great help along the way. The best poems can help us notice the world, attuning our eyes and ears to wonders we might otherwise overlook, and inspiring us to share what we find.

The words of scripture and the poetry of Mary Oliver will be our guide in a Lenten devotional this year. Each week, biblical texts and Mary Oliver’s poems illumine each other, pointing toward simple, powerful practices you can try yourself and with your family or friends.

Week by week, we’ll travel a Lenten journey together toward Easter morning—and thereby do our part, in a world so full of shadows, to help lengthen the light and welcome the joy of God’s spring.

Taking America Back for God

Our own ELCA presiding bishop, Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, participated with Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry and others in an online forum, Democracy and Faith Under Siege: Responding to Christian Nationalism, on January 27. Dr. Andrew Whitehead offered a clear summary of Christian Nationalism from his new book, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States. The recording of the presentation and other compelling resources for confronting Christian Nationalism are at
the following links:

https://bjconline.org and
https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/ and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmgWHBoGBi8

2020 Giving Statements

2020 giving statements are ready. Go to the Give page of the church website to download and print your statement from your InFellowship account. We advise you to check it carefully against your own records; if you see any discrepancies, please contact the church office or Financial Secretaries.

Please note that statements will be mailed out only upon special request.
If you need a statement mailed to you, please contact the Financial Secretaries or the church office (503-646-0629).

Treasurer Needed

St. Andrew’s Financial Committee is searching for a Treasurer. At the end of June 2021, Anne Newell will be stepping down from that role to pursue new activities. We’re looking for someone to step into her shoes and we’re hoping someone in the congregation will be “willing and able.”

Whether one person or a team step forward, we’ll train and assist you in taking over this important function for our church. Please prayerfully consider this opportunity to serve. Call Anne Newell at 503-781-9076 for more information.

Praying

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

© Mary Oliver
From Thirst: Poems

Preparing for Next Sunday
February 21, 2021

Reading: Genesis 9:8-17
Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

Go to “Preparing for Worship” for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.

Let’s Talk, Let’s Listen Reboot

Last summer, the St. Andrew MACG Core Team organized a listening campaign, encouraging members to make phone calls to people we missed seeing at church. Now that this unusual holiday season has arrived, and the colder weather prevents outdoor gatherings, it’s time to check in once again. Who are you wondering about? Who would you like to check in with?

We encourage you to make contacts by phone, email, or by writing a note or sending a card. And then, please let us know what you found out.

To sign up to contact someone, please click on this link.

To give feedback about your contact, please click on this link.

Questions? Please contact Pat Christiansen, Larry Bliesner, Scott Taylor, Bob Stadel, Victoria Kovalenko, Lynn Santelmann, or Pastor Robyn. And thank you for keeping our community together and strong.

MACG Core Team

Table Talk: Are We a Nation of Child Abusers?

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. In an effort to cultivate this kind of spirited discussion we have a tradition at St. Andrew of gathering for Table Talks. Though we cannot gather in person, Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk via Zoom on Thursday, February 25, 7:00-8:00 pm.

In a February 3, 2021, opinion piece in the New York Times, Nicholas Kristoff asserts that “We Are a Nation of Child Abusers.” He notes that for a long time the United States has had “one of the highest rates of child poverty in the advanced world.” The coronavirus pandemic has aggravated the suffering of children in our nation. He points out that when Jesus says in Matthew 19:14 “suffer the little children” he is absolutely not implying that “the little children shall suffer.” In Kristoff’s view the elements in the $1.9 trillion dollar American Rescue Plan addressing child poverty are historic. Child poverty could be cut in half. By the time we gather for this Table Talk, the American Rescue Plan will likely have been enacted in some form. We will have a chance to reflect on Kristoff’s provocative editorial and the American Rescue Plan. We will also reflect on how the pandemic has impacted children and youth in our nation.

In preparation for this Table Talk I encourage you to read Kristoff’s editorial.

In Need of Prayers…

Family and friends of Mildred Leppert (sister-in-law)	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Judy Heidinger
Nan Thompson	Continued good spirit on her journey through cancer	Nan Thompson
Mary Brown	Accurate diagnosis and successful treatment	Bob & Mary Brown
Amy	Effective treatment; comfort for her husband Chris	Bob & Judy Scholz
Carol Adkison (Mary’s sister)	Correct diagnosis and treatment	Bob & Mary Brown
Fran Miller	Healing and recovery from knee replacement	Fran Miller
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Health care workers	Strength, courage, protection, and support	Staff
St. Andrew Council & Executive Committee Staff	Wisdom and discernment	Staff
St. Andrew Foundation	Blessings on their ministry	Staff
Karen Klingelhafer, Kyler Vogt, and all seminarians India Jensen Kerr and all theology students	Encouragement and support	Staff
Military personnel, especially Justina Hailey Hope Brocker, Evan Dahlquist, Dawson Dethlefs, Neil Fiegenbaum, and Jerami Reyna	Courage and protection	Staff
Community of Christ (Hillsboro, OR) Trinity Lutheran Church (McMinnville, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Masjid Abu Bakr (Portland, 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

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.

Spirituality Book Group News

The Spirituality Book Group will meet on Zoom to discuss Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, on February 21. The book is a series of vignettes that combine Nature, Poetic Imagery, and Indigenous Lore.

An Amazon reviewer wrote that “Reading this book has reminded me to cultivate my love for the Earth in ways that my daughters can participate in, and to recognize the relationship between people and nature as a two- way street. We do not simply destroy or protect nature—we evolved in direct relationship with plants, and plants evolved in direct relationship with us.”

Details:
Time/Place: Sunday, February 21, at 3:00 pm via Zoom
Discussion Leader: Kristin Sacks

The Zoom link will be sent out to all those on the Spirituality
Book Group e-mail list a few days before the meeting. All are
welcome. If you would like the Zoom link, contact Mary Smith.

Future Reading:
March 21, A Long Petal of the Sea, by Isabel Allende
April 18, The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates
May 17, This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger
June 13, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
July 18, The Murmur of Bees, by Sofia Segovia

Happy reading! May 2021 be a better and brighter year, filled
with hope and also, of course, filled with good reading!

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February Movie Night

Since February is Black History Month, we will discuss Loving, a dramatization of the U.S. Supreme Court decision: Loving v Virginia. This was a 1967 landmark civil rights case in which the Supreme Court struck down state laws which prohibited interracial marriages. It is also a love story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple whose only “crime” was that they wanted to get married.

You can stream Loving on Netflix, then meet with us via Zoom on Friday, February 26, at 7:00 pm. Plan to bring out the popcorn and gather around your computer screens as we talk about what we liked (and didn’t like) about this month’s movie.

You’ll find the Zoom link for this Movie Night in Carol’s “Weekly News” e-mail on Friday, February 26. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Smith.

Woodland Plantings

The people at Clean Water Services in Washington County took advantage of some pleasant days recently to plant more than 1,000 bare-root plants in St. Andrew’s wetland and woods. If everything grows well and flourishes, we will have 50 additional Oregon white oaks, as well as 50 Ponderosa pines, 50 grand firs, 50 Oregon ash, and 100 red alders. That’s a lot of trees.

In addition, 50 vine maples, 50 Indian plums, 50 mock orange, 50 red-osier dogwood, and 50 each of thimbleberry, blue elderberry, red elderberry, Douglas spirea, snowberry, oceanspray, and tall Oregon grape were added.

We were supposed to get just 50 skunk cabbage, too, but “lucked out” when the team discovered they had extra to share, so they actually planted 600 on our property. We’ll soon discover if the plant is as stinky as it sounds.

Highlights for the Week

Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sunday, February 14, Transfiguration of Our Lord

8:30 am	Livestream Worship	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Super Bible Bowl “Family Fued”	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Tuesday, February 16

10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Zoom
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd

Wednesday, February 17 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

5:45 pm	Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal	Sanctuary
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Ash Wednesday Worship Service	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Game Night	Zoom
8:00 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, February 18

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Council Meeting	Zoom

Friday, February 12

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd

Sunday, February 21: First Sunday of Lent

8:30 am	Livestream Worship	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation	Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Education: The History, Art, and Architecture of Churches	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

Thank you for supporting the ministries of St. Andrew!