January 9, 2022

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New Adult Ed Classes Begin January 9

With the New Year, we get new Adult Education classes. St. Andrew’s six-week Epiphany term begins between services on Sunday, January 9.

“My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way”

Join Jim Aageson in Fellowship Hall for a class about our life stories as he shares some reflective vignettes from his own life that are intended to prompt others to think about their own experiences. As Jim points out in his description of the class, our life stories “may…enrich the lives of the generations who come after us. They can give life, color, and texture to the family tree. They will be part of our legacies.”

Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look & How Can We Respond?

Has the COVID crisis increased the incitence of mental illness in the United States? How are people struggling with mental illness dealing with the anxiety and isolation of COVID? Janet Vorvick will investigate these topics in an Adult Education class on Sundays at 10:00 am in the St. Andrew room. Janet will discuss concrete ideas for responding to the mental health needs of people already in our congregation and people who may come as visitors. This class should be of interest to those challenged by mental illness as well as those who have friends or family members who suffer. Also, anyone who has an interest in mental illness and what we, in the church, can do will be interested, too. In the upcoming weeks, Janet will address depression, autism, borderline personality disorder, and other specific mental illnesses. Questions about how our worship and programs can help those with mental health challenges will also be considered.

All classes begin at 10:00 am and are offered in person. Details about any online offerings are yet to be worked out.

The Roots Launches January 23!

St. Andrew’s brand new Sunday morning children’s program, The Roots, is launching on Sunday, January 23! We will start off at 10:00 am in the Children’s Commons downstairs.

This completely original program is designed with the fun of summer day camps in mind–kids will move through rotations of storytelling, games, art, service, science, and music as they engage with stories from the Bible. The Bible stories we will be teaching have been hand-picked to emphasize our five core values of God care, Earth care, Neighbor care, Community care, and Self care. This program is open to all kids of vaccination age, kindergarten through grade 5. We are so excited and look forward to seeing you all again! 

If you are interested in participating in The Roots as a volunteer, we still need help specifically in leading games/arts and crafts. Contact kvogt@standrewlutheran.com to join the team! 

Taking Down the Greens

Your help is needed this Saturday, January 8, at 10:00am for putting away the Christmas decorations and taking down the greens.  Thank you in advance!

I would like to thank those who helped to hang the greens and decorations: The Harker Family, Susan Werner-Reiser, Ed Fransen, Roger & Pat Sandquist, Judy Montague, Pam Jelineo, Allison Katsufrakis, Tim Holte, Pastor Mark, Rick LeRoy, Larry Vachal, Scott Taylor, and anyone else. We had such a good turnout and so much fun!

Happy New Year and much gratitude,
Tammy Piscitelli

Parish Chaplain Installation

India Jensen Kerr will be installed as Parish Chaplain at both worship services on Sunday, January 9. In her new role, she will minister to those in crisis; provide and coordinate hospital and home visits; recruit, train, and coordinate Eucharistic Ministers; preach once a month; and provide guidance on self-care and spiritual issues.

Please join everyone on staff in welcoming her to this new position. India can be reached at 503-646-0629, ext. 211, or at india@standrewlutheran.com.

An Opportunity

The Service Committee is in need of volunteers to work at Clothes for Kids, previously known as the Beaverton Clothes Closet. The area of need is on Wednesdays from 2:15-4:30 & 4:15-6:30. Jobs include sorting donated clothes, making phone calls for appointment reminders, and working with a small number of families as they select clothing. It would be helpful if we could provide someone who speaks Spanish, but it is not necessary. This is a ministry that St. Andrew has participated in for several years. We had to take a break during COVID, but now we are trying to fulfill a need within our community once again. If interested or you have questions, please contact Bonnie Bliesner at larrybliesner@comcast.net or call 503-830-7001.

Thank you for your interest and your service.

Resolving to Become Smarter about Plastic

Several people on St. Andrew’s Earth Care Team have made it their mission to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. According to data from 2010, each person in the U.S. discards more than 225 pounds of plastic a year and much of it ends up polluting the environment for all living beings. Plastic is everywhere, including the food chain that humans depend on for sustenance. A recent study carried out by scientists at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and the World Wildlife Fund showed that “each of us consumes about 5 grams of [micro] plastic each week. In short, it is as if every week we are eating a credit card.”

But, there are increasingly more alternatives to plastic packaging and Portland is an area rich with resources to investigate. Liz Hardy recently put together a list of retail stores that help people make the transition to a plastic-free lifestyle, as well as a sampling of online options and some excellent online resources. Pick up a handout from the Earth Care Kiosk in the Narthex and make 2022 the year you reduce the single-use plastic in your life.

The Work of Christmas

Howard Washington Thurman was an American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. A prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in several social justice movements. Thurman died in 1981.

Finding Liturgy in Life and Life in Liturgy

An Oregon Synod Lay Education Course

How does liturgy shape us? And 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 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 online 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.

Giving to a Designated Fund

How does the church’s Finance Team manage donations to St. Andrew? The team works collectively to make sure contributions are handled properly. The Financial Secretaries receive and record income from contributing members and other sources, ensure all receipts are disbursed to the appropriate funds, and prepare a report of individual giving at the end of the calendar year. The Treasurers keep the books of account of the congregation, receive records of receipts from the Financial Secretaries, disburse funds, and provide a report to the Church Council each month.

It’s common for donors to specify that a portion of their contribution go to the Mortgage Fund, with another portion going to the Ministry & Mission Fund. If money donated to the church is not designated, it goes automatically to the Ministry & Mission fund to support ongoing operations.

In addition, donors can direct their contributions to an array of different initiatives—the COVID Fund, a fund for IT Equipment, the PIPE Fund (for property improvement and repair), Lutheran Disaster Relief, etc. Throughout the year, other funds are identified as part of the Service Committee’s work to support local agencies helping people in our community. Our faith community typically collects socks (Outside In) for homeless teens in September, school supplies (Lutheran World Relief) June-October, warm winter clothing (Western Farm Workers) in September, household items (Community Warehouse) in January, and so forth. You’ll find a complete calendar of Service Committee projects online. All of them accept cash donations as well as in-kind contributions.

Whenever possible, the Financial Secretaries request that parishioners support a particular project at the same time that the Service Committee is focused on that initiative. If you’re over 70, though, and must take a Required Minimum Distribution from your retirement account, that might not work, since this is something that is typically done at the end of the calendar year. If you’d like your contribution to go somewhere other than the Ministry & Mission Fund, simply identify the account you want your donation to support by selecting the appropriate drop-down option of designated funds on our website or writing it in the comment line on your check.

St. Andrew people have a history of generous giving to support our Ministry & Mission. For Christians who strive to live as God wants, giving is one way we show love for our most marginalized neighbors. We give joyfully to ensure people have food on their tables and all those necessities that allow them to live in dignity. We give when disaster strikes. We give to support agencies working on behalf of refugees or people facing homelessness. Whether modest or magnified, we thank you for your gifts!

Table Talk: Teaching Anti-Racism – Shaming or Empowering Our Children?

 Thursday, January 27, 7:00-8:00 pm via Zoom 

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. Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk via Zoom on Thursday, January 27, 7:00-8:00 pm.  

You may have seen photos of protestors at school board meetings holding signs that say “Stop Teaching Critical Racist Theory to Our Kids” or “Creating Racial Tension.” These protestors are opposed to teaching children about the United States’ racial history. Many white parents fear that reckoning with our nation’s past racial sins and injustices will make their children feel ashamed. Adam Russell Taylor of Sojourners believes that “cultivating a greater commitment to anti-racism within the next generation will empower our kids, not instill shame.”

In this Table Talk we will discuss the case Taylor makes. Do we have any reservations about teaching anti-racism? At what age should we begin such anti-racism instruction? How might we engage in dialogue with those who want to stop the teaching of Critical Race Theory and other similar theories? To prepare for this Table Talk, please read Taylor’s essay “Teaching Anti Racism Won’t Shame Kids. It Will Empower Them”: https://sojo.net/articles/teaching-anti-racism-won-t-shame-kids it-will-empower-them. 

Fantasy Football Champion: Barton Robison

The 2021 fantasy football season has come to a close, and the St. Andrew Fantasy Football league has a new champion: Barton Robison! After needing a tie-breaker to get past Suzanne Warnes and advance to the league championship, Barton defeated Paul Navarre in the championship matchup to claim the crown. Though this was Barton’s first time ever playing fantasy football, he had a veteran on his team: 44-year old quarterback Tom Brady helped carry his team all season long. Congrats, Barton! 

Thanks to everyone who played fantasy football this year! The age range of participants in this months-long event spanned  from 17 to 85 years old…a whopping 68-year gap between the youngest and oldest participant. It has been so fun to use football to stay connected during another pandemic season. See you again next year!

Kyler Vogt
Children & Youth Minister

Pandemic Protocols at St. Andrew

Vaccinations: In concert with St. Andrew’s commitment to Neighbor and Community Care, we expect all worship participants and all individuals coming into the building for a meeting or activity to be vaccinated if they are eligible to receive a COVID vaccine. Online worship options (on YouTube and via Zoom) continue to be available for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Some meetings also continue to be held via Zoom.

Masks: In Oregon, masks are required for everyone over the age  of 5 inside public spaces. 

Food & Drink: St. Andrew is not yet serving food or drink. Individuals are welcome to bring beverages with them, but to remove their masks only momentarily while drinking. Communal beverage service is not permitted during meetings and food is  not served. A pilot project allowing food in the Youth Room is strictly limited to that space and those individuals. 

Worship: Masks can be lifted briefly to receive communion, but otherwise are to be worn at all times. Worship leaders may remove their masks as appropriate and when physical distancing is possible. We ask worshipers to stay in their pews and greet others outside their family group with a wave, praying hands, or a peace sign when we “share the peace.” People are encouraged to share in communion at their individual comfort level, partaking of wine and bread, bread only, or asking for a blessing by folding their arms instead.

After Epiphany, the Twelfth Night of Christmas

Do you know the traditions surrounding the days that follow Epiphany, which Christians celebrate on January 6 to mark the revelation of Jesus as God incarnate? In medieval times, once the 12 Days of Christmas concluded, tradition prescribed that women take up the work of spinning again, turning raw wool, cotton, or flax into thread that could then be woven into clothing and all sorts of textiles needed by the family.  

Thus, January 7 has long been known as St. Distaff’s Day. The distaff is a stick or spindle onto which wool or flax was wound for spinning. Since spinning was a basic daily task customarily done by women, the distaff became the symbol for women’s work. Even today, spinners mark St. Distaff’s Day, although the tasks they undertake in the fiber arts are much less a necessity and more recreational.

Depending on the year during the Middle Ages, men might enjoy a few extra days of relative leisure following the 12 Days of Christmas. Plough Monday dates back to the 15^th century and marked the day men would return to work in the fields. Plough Monday was the traditional start of the English agricultural year and it followed—can you guess?—Plough Sunday. Plough Sunday celebrations usually involved bringing a ploughshare into a church with prayers for the blessing of the land. 

Thou Shalt Not Lie, Pinocchio

Have you ever actually read the tale of Pinocchio? I hadn’t and there is much more to it than I’d ever heard. Nor did I think of it as a fairy tale, but I guess it is. I must recommend it to you, and to this particular copy as well. The pictures are so odd and captivating that I was quite taken in.

It is what would be known as a cautionary tale, wherein the reader is warned of the pitfalls of certain behaviors or ways of thinking in a story told in such a light and fanciful manner that it’s impossible to dwell on the grave results of wrong-doing. Instead, like Pinocchio himself, the reader skips along into the next scene of mischief. But Pinocchio does eventually learn his lessons, as should we, so that all turns out well in the end. Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi with art
by Sara Fanelli, is a fast and pleasant read offering a new take on the art of illustration.

Pam Farr
Adult Librarian

Men’s Book Club

Remember when seers foretold the paperless office? Well, that has not happened. Paper continues to be one of the simplest and most essential pieces of human technology used worldwide. This Monday, January 10, Gary Link will lead the discussion of Paper: Paging Through History, by Mark Kurlansky. According to Amazon’s description of the book, “For the past two millennia, the ability to produce [paper] in ever more efficient ways has supported the proliferation of literacy, media, religion, education, commerce, and art; it has formed the foundation of civilizations, promoting revolutions and restoring stability. By tracing paper’s evolution from antiquity to the present, with an emphasis on the
contributions made in Asia and the Middle East, Mark Kurlansky challenges common assumptions about technology’s influence, affirming that paper is here to stay.”

The Men’s Book Club will meet at 7:00 pm in the St. Andrew Library.

Preparing for next Sunday, January 16, 2021

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Gospel: John 2:1-11

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 Bruce Maxwell	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Marlene Maxwell & Staff
Family and friends of Carl Cash, especially his wife Sydney (niece) and their 2 young children	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Judy Deal
Barton Robison	Successful surgery, healing and recovery	Kyler Vogt
Glenda Claborne	Successful surgery and a swift recovery	Steve Claborne
Secelia Holte (sister)	Healing and recover from elbow surgery	Tim Holte
Lynn Valenter (daughter)	Healing and recovery from COVID	Hal & Jeannine Douglas
Aimee (granddaughter) and her family	Healing and recovery from COVID	Rick & Becky LeRoy
Paul Blouin	Healing and recovery from health issues	Sonja Ackman
Donna Faught	Strength and recovery after surgery	Gretchen Bancroft
Warren McAlpine	Healing and recovery	Donna McAlpine
Joyce Bianucci (sister)	Thanksgiving for successful surgery, as well as healing and recovery	Judy Scholz
Dan Bianucci	Strength and support	Judy Scholz
Erica (niece)	Strength and recovery	Kelly Wise
Ethel Ritchey	Healing and recovery from hip surgery	Staff
Dr. Cara Steinkeler	Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families	Gary & Gail Grafwallner
St. Andrew Council, Executive Committee, and staff	Wisdom and discernment	Staff
Karen Klingelhafer, Kyler Vogt, and all seminary students India Jensen Kerr and all theology students	Encouragement and support	Staff
St. Andrew Foundation	Blessings on their ministry	Staff
Faith Lutheran Church (Clatskanie, OR) Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (Seaside, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Islamic Center of Portland (Portland and Beaverton, 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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, January 9, Baptism of Jesus

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation (for grades 6-8)	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Youth Room
10:00 am	Adult Ed: Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look and How Can We Respond?	St. Andrew Room
10:00 am	Adult Ed: My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way, and What Difference Does It Make	Fellowship Hall
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
12:00 pm	Scouts Tree Recycling	East Parkin Lot

Monday, January 10

6:00 pm	Scout Troop 618 Meeting	Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room
7:00 pm	Men’s Book Club	Library

Tuesday, January 11

7:00 am	Men’s Gathering and Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant (1250 NW Waterhouse Ave)
7:00 am	Sunrise Women	Elmer’s Restaurant (1250 NW Waterhouse Ave)
9:00 am	Facility Management Team Meeting	St. Andrew Room
10:00 am	Tai Chi	Fellowship Hall
1:00 pm	Lydia Circle	St. Andrew Room
1:30 pm	Service Committee	via Zoom
7:00 pm	Finance Team Meeting	via Zoom

Wednesday, January 12– Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

Thursday, January 13

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
5:30 pm	HR Meeting	via Zoom

Friday, January 14

10:00 am Tai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Saturday, January 8

10:30 am

Memorial Service: Keith Poppert

Sanctuary

Sunday, January 16- Second Sunday after Epiphany

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry with Donna Brocker	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation (for grades 6-8)	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Youth Room
10:00 am	Adult Ed: Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look and How Can We Respond?	St. Andrew Room
10:00 am	Adult Ed: My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way, and What Difference Does It Make	Fellowship Hall
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

Connecting to Worship