March 21, 2021

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March Movie Night: Fiddler on the Roof

Tonight, Friday, March 19, we gather to discuss the timeless classic, Fiddler on the Roof, via Zoom. This film brings together so many themes: family, tradition, repression, prejudice and diaspora. Moments of joy are mixed with moments of pathos, with a background of the beautiful music so many of us have loved for years. 

Connect via the link in the attached e-mail. If you have questions, please contact Mary Smith.

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

Sunday, March 21–10:00 am

Paul Navarre concludes his exploration of some of the most interesting worship places he knows this Sunday. We’ve been to Paris, Trier, and Chartres, as well as several other churches, chapels, and cathedrals. Remember that if you’ve missed earlier classes, you can watch recordings of those on the church website.

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

On March 21, the church will mark the Fifth Sunday of Lent. This week, we focus on mindfulness as we contemplate what our lives would be like if God’s law were “written on our hearts.” The prophet Jeremiah foresees that such days “are surely coming,” bu while we wait we can learn from the Spirit through a thousand teachers among us.

Think of children, whose natural spontaneity expresses genuine wonder at the marvels around them. And Mary Oliver’s verse this week focuses on the delight she experiences when she notices miracles in her neighborhood. “The witchery of living is my whole conversation with you,” she writes in “To Begin With, the Sweet Grass.”

When we set aside things that distract or distress us, we can recognize marvels we would otherwise miss.

A Prayer for the Week

God of wonder and delight,
help us notice the miraculous,
today and every day.
Write your law
on our hearts.
Amen.

Wednesday Evening Prayer for Lent

Focusing on a psalm of praise, Psalm 150, Gary Grafwallner will provide the meditation for Wednesday Evening Prayer on Wednesday, March 24, at 7:00 pm. See the full Lent and Holy Week schedule on the Worship page of the website.

Our Wednesday evening schedule remains as follows:

Watch for the Zoom link in you inbox mid-day Wednesday.

Spirituality Book Group

On Sunday, March 21, the Spirituality Book Group will meet on Zoom at 3:00 pm to discuss The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates. “In this candid and inspiring book,” a Goodreads review says, “Gates traces her awakening to the link between women’s empowerment and the health of societies. She shows some of the tremendous opportunities that exist right now to ‘turbo-charge’ change. And she provides simple and effective ways each one of us can make a difference.”

The Zoom link will be sent to all who are on the Spirituality Book Group e-mail list a few days before the meeting. If you are not on the list, but would like to join in this discussion, please contact Mary Smith at dbits1@gmail.com.

Future Reading

Kid Craft: Butterflies

St. Andrew wants to decorate its Easter banners with butterflies and we need help from all the kids in the congregation. It’s time to get creative with paper and markers or some other materials and make a bunch of butterflies. Simply drop them off in the bin to the left of the Narthex doors and you’ll see them again on Easter. Thank you!

Lenten Food Drive

With two weeks to go before the conclusion of our Lenten Food Drive, you have already surpassed this year’s goal! Yes, as of Wednesday this week, $5,898 has been donated to help feed people who rely on the St. Matthew Food Pantry to meet their nutritional needs. Thank you!

We know that hunger haunts people even in this richest of countries and it will not end when Lent does. So, please continue to consider donating to alleviate hunger right here in our community. Your gifts mean parents’ worries are eased and more people, especially children, are spared the trauma of going to bed hungry.

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.

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.

Online Giving Update

The online giving page has been updated so it will look a little different, but your login information remains the same. Find the link to the new online giving page, watch helpful videos, and more on the church website under Give.

Bach-a-Thon

The Portland Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is presenting its annual Bachathon virtually on Sunday, March 28, at 2:00 pm.

This three-hour program of the organ works of J. S. Bach is free and open to the public; access is via Portland’s American Guild of Organists website  and is a fundraiser for its scholarship program. The Portland AGO awards scholarships to students for the study of the organ with an emphasis on service playing.

During the Bachathon, chapter members, friends, and relatives will perform on nine organs, three pianos, two flutes, cello, violin, and voice. For more information, go to

Portlandago.org.

2021 Mental Health Tips from the Caring Ministries Team

Last week I wrote about Expectations and Acceptance. Piggybacking on those themes is the concept of resilience which can be described as emotional strength. Resilience is the ability to respond, adapt to, and eventually recover from adverse events or experiences. While many factors contribute to emotional resilience, one of its prominent characteristics is the ability to tolerate the emotional distress associated with life’s difficulties. Tolerating emotional distress is like strengthening our emotional “muscles.” This helps us find meaning in the midst of struggle and provides hope to keep going. One way we’ve been encouraged by our St Andrew community to tolerate distress during the pandemic has been to share “unexpected gifts” we’ve received in addition to the many challenges we have each faced.. One of the unexpected gifts for me has been the opportunity to “attend” virtual kindergarten with my 6-year-old grandson, Owen, two days a week. His parents, like many others, are balancing full-time jobs while supervising distance learning. I have been excited to learn that resilience is now a prominent theme being taught at this early age! Many of the messages we hear from significant attachment figures like family members, teachers, and caregivers are internalized as we grow up and may or may not build resilience. Being aware of those messages provides us with the opportunity to reaffirm or replace them as we navigate challenges along the way. Here are a few of the Resilience Building phrases that Owen and I have been learning.

I/We can do hard things. Making mistakes helps our brains to grow. Never give up.

As part of the baby boom generation, resilience was not as explicitly a part of the official school curriculum that I can remember. However, I do remember several people who powerfully modeled resilience through their words and actions. Let’s continue to encourage each other to grow in our ability to be resilient.

I invite you to also reflect on these specific behaviors for intentionally building resilience:

1) Try new things that move you out of your comfort zone.
2) Make connections with someone regularly.
3) Name your feelings.
4) Say YES to the offer of support or help.
5) Practice one positive affirmation like “I can do hard things.”
6) Take care of yourself with healthy food, plenty of sleep, and physical movement.
7) Set a goal, however small, and give yourself credit for accomplishing it.
8) Focus on Gratitude.

For Reflection:

What is one resilience building message that encourages you when tolerating distress? Is there a resilience building behavior that you feel nudged to practice? Name a person who has been a model of resilience for you. Share your thoughts with that person or a friend.

Michelle Sinn

Celebrating a Century!

Betty Horst turns 100 on April 6. Please help her celebrate by sending her a note or card in remembrance of this special day. Imagine all that Betty has seen and done in her lifetime! Address your mail to: Betty Horst, 5720 SW 203rd Ave, Aloha, OR 97078.

Preparing for Palm Sunday Worship

March 28 is Palm Sunday—and if you’re missing the chance to wave some greenery during worship, you’ll have a couple of options. Beginning on Thursday, March 25, you will find palm branches outside the front entrance of the church for you to take home. They are first-come, first-served, and we will only have a limited number, so please take only as many as you need.

Several other options are possible, too. Those who are creatively inclined can fashion their own palm branches from paper or other material you may have around the house. Be creative and reuse something that might otherwise go in the trash—then it’s green in more than one way.

But the easiest (and greenest) way to have something to wave for worship is simply to look in your own yard. The Israelites waved palm branches because that was what was most easily available and abundant. Maybe you’ve got an enthusiastic Oregon grape that you can snip a branch from, a bush that needs pruning, or an evergreen happy to donate a small branch or two. Even a humble weed works and is a great reminder that “the Lord has need of it”!

Save the Date

Do you enjoy talking with people on the phone? Or are you more of a note-writer?  St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team invites you to a Zoom gathering on the afternoon of Sunday, April 18. Please plan to join us in an effort to contact as many members of our St. Andrew community as possible. Details will be coming soon, but for now please mark your calendar and think about who you miss seeing in the Narthex on Sunday mornings.

Bread for the World

Ending hunger can start with a letter or e-mail. Each spring St. Andrew members bear witness to our concern for those who suffer from hunger by participating in the Bread for the World annual letter writing campaign.  These letters inspire our leaders in Washington D.C. to enact policies and pass legislation that will reduce hunger and poverty in the U.S. and the world. 

The current legislative priority of Bread for the World is to urge Congress to invest in anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs in response to COVID-19.  Because of our persistent advocacy, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The legislation contains numerous provisions that will help people struggling with hunger and poverty. But there is more to do as we continue to address the ripple effects of COVID-19.

“Speak out for the rights of all who are destitute.
Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” 
(Proverbs 31:8-9)

Please join me on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 10:00 am on Zoom as I provide a tutorial on how to use the Bread for the World website to submit e-mails to our representatives to advocate for specific programs to impact hunger. 

If you prefer you may handwrite or type a letter to each Representative and both Senators. Following is a template for you to use or modify as you wish:

[Date]

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
2231 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Senator Merkle
313 Hart Senate Office Buildin
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator__________________,
Dear Representative_____________________,

Hunger is reaching historic levels. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate communities across the United States with a disproportionate impact on Black, Latino, and Native American families and immigrants, and worsening the effects of hunger and poverty around the globe.

The pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in our safety net and food systems. And child hunger in both the U.S. and abroad has skyrocketed. Specifically, Congress should:

*Make the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the American Rescue Plan permanent and available to all children regardless of immigration status. The CTC expansion would move millions of children out of poverty, as well as help reduce hunger and narrow the racial wealth gap exacerbated by unemployment as a result of COVID-19.

*Increase U.S. leadership and funding for global nutrition programs without which an entire generation may be denied of their God-given right to flourish.

Now more than ever, my faith calls me to stand alongside those in my community and around the world who have been impacted the most by the global pandemic. Let us work together to ensure U.S. policies help people move out of poverty and feed their families in the U.S. and around the world.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]

Once you have submitted letters please let me know who you sent letters to  (e-mail ljstaul@gmail.com ) so I may track this advocacy on the part of St Andrew.

Yours in Christ,
LuAnn Staul
St. Andrew Service Committee

Introducing Narthex Greeters

Many thanks to those who jumped at the chance to return to our church building as Narthex Greeters beginning April 13. Already both Tuesday and Wednesday are completely covered.

To review, we are looking for fully vaccinated volunteers to spend half a day in the Narthex each week, answering the phone, greeting people, ensuring they follow the protocols, and helping them get the information or make the contacts they seek.

Narthex Greeters will be on duty either 9:00 am-12:30 pm or 12:30 pm-4:00 pm, Tuesday-Friday. Right now, only Thursday and Friday slots are open, but backup volunteers are welcome, too, to step in when others cannot. If you’re at all interested, please contact the church office for more information and to sign up. We are looking for people to make a regular commitment—for instance, coming in regularly on Tuesday afternoons, Friday mornings, etc. Bring a book along to read, visit with friends, get some knitting done.

We encourage both men and women, individuals, friends, and couples to consider whether this volunteer opportunity would interest them. If you receive your final vaccination on or before March 31, you would qualify to participate. Thank you for considering becoming a part of this welcoming ministry.

Worship Schedule

Palm Sunday, March 28
8:30 am Livestream
11:00 am Zoom

Maundy Thursday, April 1
7:00 pm Zoom

Good Friday, April 2
8:00 pm Livestream

Easter Sunday, April 4
8:30 am Livestream
11:00 am Zoom

In Need of Prayers…

Judy Deal	Healing and recovery from shoulder surgery	Judy Deal
Carol Means	Strength and effective treatment for cancer	Carol Means
Nan Thompson	Good results from chemotherapy	Nan Thompson
Bobbie Larson	Effective treatment and healing	Bobbie Larson
Frannie Gladhill	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
Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander	Safe travels to California and back	Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander
Phyllis Smith (sister-in-law)	Thanksgiving for successful aneurysm surgery	Mary Smith
Victims of hate crimes	Protection and peace	Staff
Those confined to their homes	Assurance of God’s presence	Staff
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
All who are imprisoned	Peace and strength	Staff
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Holy Trinity Catholic Church	Blessings on their work	Staff
First Lutheran Lutheran Church (St. Helens, OR) Bethany Lutheran Church (Warren, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Golden Temple of 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.

Table Talk: Finding Your Roots, St. Andrew!

Thursday, March 25, 7:00-8:30 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. Though we cannot gather in person, Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk, led by St. Andrew’s Reckoning with Racism cohort. It will be held via Zoom on Thursday, March 25, 7:00-8:30 pm.

Reckoning with Racism is a nine-month journey focused on systemic racism. It is sponsored by The Common Table of Oregon. People of faith have been invited from across the state into a deliberate process of addressing racism inside our faith community or institution and out in the public square.

As part of this journey, our St. Andrew Reckoning with Racism cohort has been looking deeply into the history of our congregation. Have you ever wondered about the land that St. Andrew sits on? What was here and who was here 250 years ago on this land? What chain of historical events led to our acquisition of this land in 1957? We’ve been looking at the land and the history of St. Andrew—how the Native Americans lived, who were the first settlers, and how we acquired and stewarded the land. You are invited to come and learn and to share your stories!

Finding Home

Living Lutheran magazine will be featuring Julie Aageson’s recent book, Finding Home, in its April issue. In this thoughtful volume, Julie explores what home is and why we all need the haven it should provide. If you’d like to read her lovely essays, the book is now available for $17. You can request a copy from the author (jaageson@cord.edu), or purchase it from the publisher (https://wipfandstock.com). The book can also be ordered from Amazon.

Julie’s earlier books are also available from the same sources: Holy Ground: An Alphabet of Prayer for $18 and Benedictions: 26 Reflections for $15. Once you’ve discovered the peace that comes from reading Julie’s work, you’re likely to return often for the confident comfort and inspiration that she shares.

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Preparing for Palm Sunday

March 14, 2021

Processional Gospel: Mark 11:1-11
First Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
Second Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

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

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Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, March 21, Fifth 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	—
10:00 am	Adult Ed: The History, Art, and Architecture of Churches	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Tuesday, March 23

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

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

6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Lenten Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, March 25

12:00 pm	Staff Meeting	Zoom
2:30 pm	Communications Committee Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	IT Meeting	Off Site
7:00 pm	Table Talk: Finding Your Roots, St. Andrew!	Zoom

Friday, March 26

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd

Sunday, March 28: Palm Sunday

8:30 am	Livestream Worship	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Bread for the World Tutorial with LuAnn Staul	Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation: Bread for the World	Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group: Bread for the World	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!