February 21, 2021

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Super Bible Bowl: FEUD!

Snow postponed our scheduled contest last
week, but the Super Bible Bowl will return to
St. Andrew on Sunday, February 21, 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!

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

Sunday, February 28, 10:00 am (delayed one week due to snow)
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

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.

Wednesday Evening Prayer for Lent

Focusing on a psalm of lament, Psalm 13, Randy Schutt will
provide the meditation for Wednesday Evening Prayer on
Wednesday, February 24, at 7:00 pm.

Our Wednesday evening schedule remains as follows:

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!

The First Sunday of Lent

Check the church website for poetry, prayers, and practices that we can employ in the week following the First Sunday of Lent, which is February 21. If you haven’t yet discovered “The Poetry of Lent,” you’ll find it under the Education tab.

From wild love to the ancient Celtic image for the Holy Spirit to lighting a candle and powering down, the challenge this week is to listen for how God may be calling us to change.

Lenten Food Drive

We know how to do this! Despite a pandemic that kept us away from the church building, last year’s Lenten Food Drive was more successful than ever as members of the congregation generously contributed cash to help feed those people around us living without reliable sources of food.

Our goal in 2021 is to raise the equivalent of six tons, or 12,000 pounds, of food. You’ll remember that each dollar given equals three pounds of food. In other words, if we can accrue donations totaling $4,000, we will meet our goal and take a significant step toward providing the comfort of food security for our neighbors.

It’s easy to donate electronically by logging into your InFellowship account and selecting “Lenten Food Drive” in the drop-down menu. Go to the church website and click on Give to begin.

Looking at Israel

Where do you keep the family Uzi? Do you bring it with you to the grocery store? Shopping? Who teaches the Israeli Defense Forces to shoot?

Have you been to the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles? And what a lovely spot that must be….

Well, you’ll find answers to these questions and many others you never thought of, in A Day in the Life of Israel, library call number 956.94. It’s a great book. Lovely pictures. Check it out and find out what brand of hamburgers are sold in Israel for yourself.

Pam Farr
Adult Librarian

Preparing for Next Sunday

February 28, 2021

Reading: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Gospel: Mark 8:31-38

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.

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In Need of Prayers…

Family and friends of Mildred Leppert (sister-in-law)	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Judy Heidinger
Junin (friend)	Peace and comfort as death nears	Lloyd Meyer
Bennett and Tucker (6-month-old cousins)	Healing and recovery from a rare metabolic disorder	Laura Geczy-Haskins
Ian McAlpine	Healing and recovery from COVID-19	Warren & Donna McAlpine
Garrett (friend’s 11-year-old son)	Complete healing and discharge from hospital	Rebecca Uecker
Frannie Gladhill (daughter-in-law)	Healthy pregnancy and safe delivery	Kristie Gladhill
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
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Holy Trinity Catholic Church	Blessing on their work	Staff
Joyful Servant Lutheran Church (Newberg, OR) Christ the King Lutheran Church (Tigard, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Congregation P’nai Or (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.

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Reckoning with Racism at St. Andrew

A group of us from St. Andrew have been participating in a program called Reckoning With Racism, sponsored by Common Table. Common Table is a gathering of interfaith leaders and practitioners who have committed to learning more about one another, trusting one another, and standing together to highlight the public work of faith communities in Oregon, deepen relationships between faith leaders and elected officials in Salem, step into the public sphere as peacemakers, and being active in public advocacy and witness.

(https://www.commontableoregon.org/overview)

We have been meeting since September along with teams from faith communities throughout Oregon. We are discussing our involvement, both voluntary and involuntary, in systemic racism in Oregon, and how this leads to the oppression of certain groups. It can be disconcerting to take a close look at real racism – there is an impulse in me to deny that racism is a reality. But this group, referred to as the “Reckoning With Racism Learning Cohort,” is blessed with leaders and planners who want love to be the guiding force.

We have been encouraged to love ourselves and each other as we ask questions such as, “Has our faith community displaced any oppressed persons in order to have a building, in order to own land?” “Does my personal history, my family, owe its economic status to the oppression of others, directly or indirectly?” “Who has lived on the land I now occupy (or even own), and who has benefited from what the land produces?”

The plan for the Learning Cohort is to spend 9 months together learning, reflecting and thinking about appropriate action. Resisting the impulse to move to action too quickly, we hope to really internalize nonracist thinking. It is not easy and sometimes not fun, but it is a worthwhile endeavor.

If you are interested in joining, there’s still time. Contact Mary Smith with your questions.

Janet Vorvick

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.

Pastor Susan Kintner

This Sunday, February 21, Pastor Susan will be providing pulpit supply for St. Andrew. We’re happy to share that she will begin her work as Pastor of Caring Ministries with us on March 1.

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Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, February 21, First Sunday of Lent

8:30 am	Livestream Worship	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Super Bible Bowl “Family Fued” (rescheduled from last week due to weather)	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Tuesday, February 23

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd
12:15 pm	Community Carbon Leadership Meeting	Zoom

Wednesday, February 24 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Wednesday Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Game Night	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, February 25

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Table Talk	Zoom
7:00 pm	IT Meeting	Zoom

Friday, February 26

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd
7:00 pm	St. Andrew Movie Night: Loving	Zoom

Sunday, February 28: Second 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	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!