St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, Milwaukie Oregon

Readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter: May 20, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, "Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus-- for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Psalm 1
Beatus vir qui non abiit
1
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2
Their delight is in the law of the LORD, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.
4
It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5
Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.

1 John 5:9-13If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 17:6-19Looking up to heaven, Jesus prayed, "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth."

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:29:00 +0000

Youth fundraisers for the Mission Trip:

On May 19th, we will have a garage sale at the home of the Mallory-Whites. We are accepting donations for this event. If you have donations, you may drop them off at the church or contact Risa for a pick up, or drop them off at the Mallory-Whites but be sure to call ahead.

Eat out at Burgerville! The youth will be at Burgerville in Gladstone on Tuesdays, May 29th & June 19th from 5-8pm to fund-raise for the mission trip. During this time, the youth will be serving and busing the tables in the restaurant and will receive 10% of the evenings profits. In addition, the manager has agreed to add 25 cents for each "specialty" milk shake that is included with a meal, to the group's profits. Be sure to plan ahead and buy scrip and come enjoy an evening of fellowship with other church members, good food and support the youth. Invite your family and friends as well. Remember it is Strawberry season at Burgerville!

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Coming Up:

Sowing the Seeds of Happiness Saturday, May 19th 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at St. Aidan’s, Gresham.
Presented by Cammie Bella*
Neuroscience and experiential research have shown that some of us are by nature "happier" and more resilient than others. This workshop will provide some foundational information on our "equation" for happiness but will focus mainly on the intentional choices we make to boost our happiness. "Happiness" in this sense is not defined as the "ha-ha" feeling of perpetual optimism, but rather a sense of deep peace and contentment, despite external circumstances. We will explore tools to find ourselves in a "peaceful stance" more and more of the time.
Fee: $20: payable in advance or on the day of event; make checks out to Life Compass Series and mail to Peter (below) Pre-registration advised so we have enough hand-outs.
For more information & to register, contact: Peter Fritsch, plfritsch@hotmail.com or 1-541-228-4167; 901 Diamond St. Springfield, OR 97477.
*Cammie is a retired Family Nurse Practitioner and leads retreats & classes on a variety of topics.
She is a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a Spiritual Director, and a Licensed Lay Preacher @ the Church
of the Good Samaritan in Corvallis, OR.

Live webcast features discussion about mission with Episcopal Presiding Bishop, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, May 19 from Washington National Cathedral.
A live webcast featuring an enlightening conversation about mission between Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be available at no fee on Saturday, May 19 at 12:30 pm Pacific, on the website of the Episcopal Churchwww.episcopalchurch.org and will be available on demand afterwards.
Hosted by Washington National Cathedral, the event will be moderated by David Crabtree, news anchor at WRAL-TV in North Carolina and an ordained deacon.
Framing the conversation on the Anglican Five Marks of Mission, the questions to be explored are: “What does Mission mean to me”; and “What does mission look like in the world.”
The May 19 event is the first in a series of discussions about mission with the Presiding Bishop and other prominent religious leaders.

Sunday, May 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oregon Episcopal Cursillo invites all Oregon and Southwest Washington Cursillistas, past, present, and future, and everyone else, to a Grand Ultreya Gathering and Potluck, to be held at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 8818 SW Miley Road in Wilsonville. There will be singing, praying, rejoicing, eating, and time to connect with others. Bring food to share. Contact oregoncursillo@gmail.com for more information.

Join us for the final concert in our 2012 season! Sunday, May 20 at 2 pm: Hannah Brewer (organist, St Michael and All Angels), Joe O'Donnell (organist, First Unitarian), Matthew Smith (organist, St. Stephen's), and Rob Stoltz perform works of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Louis Couperin, J. S. Bach, Horatio Parker, Max Reger, Joseph Jongen, Healey Willan, Benjamin Britten, and more on the lively Gress Miles pipe organ. A reception follows the concert. $10 suggested donation. St Stephen's Episcopal Parish, SW 13th and Clay, Portland.

Providence Hospice will present Seven Strategies: Coping with the Recent Death of a Loved One, a free, one-hour seminar open to those who have been bereaved in the past year. It will be offered at Providence Milwaukie Hospital, 10150 SE 32nd Ave. on Monday, May 21, from 1-2 p.m. in the Mother Gamelin Room. It will be offered at several other sites as well; check the poster in the Parish Hall for those dates and locales. For more information or to register contact Anne Kister at 503-215-4636 orAnne.Kister@providence.org.

Summer Seminar 2012: Living Together
June 11th-13th, with a free evening lecture open to the public on Tuesday, June 12th.
Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove, one of the leading voices in the New Monastic movement, is our keynote speaker as we come together as an intentional community asking the ancient question: “what do you seek?”
In an age of fragmentation and isolation, a grassroots movement has begun that seeks to put Christians in touch with the rhythms of community life we find expressed in scripture and tradition. In the Pacific Northwest, we’re experiencing a rich revival of intentional living in community – much of it grounded in a rich spirituality that unites ancient wisdom with contemporary concerns. Come experience what it means to live together, to structure our lives in relationship to a community of prayer and practice that forms us in the image of the one who created us. $50 ($25 for students/clergy), online registration at www.center-for-spiritual-development.org.

Grief Recovery Weekend: Are you, or someone you love, grieving the end of a marriage from a death or a dIvorce? A grief recovery retreat for the widowed, separated and divorced will be held the weekend of June 29 -July 1 at The Griffin Center in Milwaukie, near Clackamas Town Center. (Registration by June 25 is recommended) The next scheduled Weekend is December 7 - 9, 2012.
The retreat consists of presentations by Beginning Experience team members, periods for private personal reflection and sharing in small groups. The weekend begins on Friday evening and concludes Sunday afternoon. The cost of $195 includes lodging for 2 nights in a double room, meals and resource materials. Special arrangement may be made for payment, and partial scholarships are available.
Please call Jeri Shaw at 503-314-3697 for more information. You could also email using this address: shawjeri@frontier.com. Additional information may be found on the website of International Beginning Experience: www.beginningexperience.org.

OTHER INFORMATION YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW:

Beginning Experience, a peer ministry, was created with the help of the founders of Marriage Encounter in the 70's. The Oregon team, active since 1978, provides 3 healing Weekends each year. It is a peer ministry of people who have benefited from this program and have received training to offer the opportunity to others.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Jamie Berry, Eucharistic Minister · Maria Aikin, Lector

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Jan Graves, Debra Lehmann & Beryl Fetters, Eucharistic Ministers
Elizabeth Van Drimmelen, Arianna Van Dyke, & Melissa Northway, Acolytes
Nancy Lane, Phil Wallace & Barbara Redman, Lectors
Bruce Fontaine & Sharon Fontaine, Ushers
June Koenig, Greeter
The Rev. Pat Stephen Denny & Veronica Murray, Healing Team

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter: May 13, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 10:44-48While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Psalm 98
Cantate Domino

1
Sing to the LORD a new song, *
for he has done marvelous things.
2
With his right hand and his holy arm *
has he won for himself the victory.
3
The LORD has made known his victory; *
his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4
He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to
the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
5
Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; *
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
6
Sing to the LORD with the harp, *
with the harp and the voice of song.
7
With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
shout with joy before the King, the LORD.
8
Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
the lands and those who dwell therein.
9
Let the rivers clap their hands, *
and let the hills ring out with joy before the LORD,
when he comes to judge the earth.
10
In righteousness shall he judge the world *
and the peoples with equity.

1 John 5:1-6Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

John 15:9-17Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Youth fundraisers for the Mission Trip:

On May 19th, we will have a garage sale at the home of the Mallory-Whites (14934 Quinalt Court, Oregon City.) We are accepting donations for this event. If you have donations, you may drop them off at the church or contact Risa (503 758-5705) for a pick up, or drop them off at the Mallory-Whites but be sure to call ahead 503 518-3028.

Eat out at Burgerville! The youth will be at Burgerville in Gladstone on Tuesdays, May 29th & June 19th from 5-8pm to fund-raise for the mission trip. During this time, the youth will be serving and busing the tables in the restaurant and will receive 10% of the evenings profits. In addition, the manager has agreed to add 25 cents for each "specialty" milk shake that is included with a meal, to the group's profits. Be sure to plan ahead and buy scrip and come enjoy an evening of fellowship with other church members, good food and support the youth. Invite your family and friends as well. Remember it is Strawberry season at Burgerville!

Please join us in the West Wing at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 14, for Monday Morning Scones & Notes
* Cards & notes to parishioners on our prayer list and/or home-bound.
* Reminders to people at Rose Villa and Willamette View about Tuesday services.
* Birthday cards for June.
* Others as you would like to add.

Do you consider yourself a member of St. John’s? Sometimes people join the parish without getting into our database. If you haven’t filled out a membership form yet, please consider doing so. It will give you options for being on our mailing list, in our directory, and more. It will ensure that clergy can contact you in times of emergency and offers opportunities for joining ministries that may interest you.

Forms are available on the literature table in the West Wing Narthex or the Tract Rack in the Parish Hall; if you’re not sure where to look, please ask an usher for assistance. You can give the completed forms to a member of the clergy, or slip them under the office door.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Coming Up:

The Recovery Commission of the Diocese of Oregon will sponsor a workshop on May 12thfrom 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the parish hall at Christ Church Episcopal Parish in Lake Oswego. This is an opportunity to deepen your spirituality as you look at your addictions. Is also is a welcoming and safe place to explore your “attachments” or addictions that might be troubling you. For those of you who wish to look at the 12 steps of recovery from a Christian standpoint, we will bring new perspectives on steps 10, 11 and 12. Step 10 is the way all of us should examine our lives on a daily basis looking for where we missed the mark. In step 11, we are seeking insight through prayer and meditation and we will offer a variety of resources to help us deepen this step. In step 12, we carry the message to those who are still suffering. There is not any cost for this workshop and lunch is provided. To register, mail or phone Patty Burke: Pattyburke@aol.com or 503-860-9006.

Feast of the ascension - a Celtic table Eucharist: The Parish of Saints Peter & Paul (8147 SE Pine St) and the Portland chapter of Integrity invite you to a joyous celebration of God's inclusive love and the goodness of creation on the commemoration of the Ascension, Thursday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.. Borrowing a practice from the early church, the Eucharist will be celebrated over a potluck feast. Bring your favorite dish to be blessed and shared as a sacred meal in the context of our worship, richly illuminated by prayers and blessings from the Celtic tradition. All are welcome! For more information, please contact the parish at 503-254-8168 orangcath@comcast.net.

Providence Hospice will present Seven Strategies: Coping with the Recent Death of a Loved One, a free, one-hour seminar open to those who have been bereaved in the past year. It will be offered at Providence Milwaukie Hospital, 10150 SE 32nd Ave. on Monday, May 21, from 1-2 p.m. in the Mother Gamelin Room. It will be offered at several other sites as well; check the poster in the Parish Hall for those dates and locales. For more information or to register contact Anne Kister at 503-215-4636 or Anne.Kister@providence.org.

Sowing the Seeds of Happiness Saturday, May 19th 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at St. Aidan’s, Gresham.
Presented by Cammie Bella*
Neuroscience and experiential research have shown that some of us are by nature "happier" and more resilient than others. This workshop will provide some foundational information on our "equation" for happiness but will focus mainly on the intentional choices we make to boost our happiness. "Happiness" in this sense is not defined as the "ha-ha" feeling of perpetual optimism, but rather a sense of deep peace and contentment, despite external circumstances. We will explore tools to find ourselves in a "peaceful stance" more and more of the time.
Fee: $20: payable in advance or on the day of event; make checks out to Life Compass Series and mail to Peter (below) Pre-registration advised so we have enough hand-outs.
For more information & to register, contact: Peter Fritsch, plfritsch@hotmail.com or 1-541-228-4167; 901 Diamond St. Springfield, OR 97477.
*Cammie is a retired Family Nurse Practitioner and leads retreats & classes on a variety of topics.
She is a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a Spiritual Director, and a Licensed Lay Preacher @ the Church
of the Good Samaritan in Corvallis, OR.

Sunday, May 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oregon Episcopal Cursillo invites all Oregon and Southwest Washington Cursillistas, past, present, and future, and everyone else, to a Grand Ultreya Gathering and Potluck, to be held at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 8818 SW Miley Road in Wilsonville. There will be singing, praying, rejoicing, eating, and time to connect with others. Bring food to share. Contact oregoncursillo@gmail.com for more information.

Summer Seminar 2012: Living Together
June 11th-13th, with a free evening lecture open to the public on Tuesday, June 12th.
Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove, one of the leading voices in the New Monastic movement, is our keynote speaker as we come together as an intentional community asking the ancient question: “what do you seek?”
In an age of fragmentation and isolation, a grassroots movement has begun that seeks to put Christians in touch with the rhythms of community life we find expressed in scripture and tradition. In the Pacific Northwest, we’re experiencing a rich revival of intentional living in community – much of it grounded in a rich spirituality that unites ancient wisdom with contemporary concerns. Come experience what it means to live together, to structure our lives in relationship to a community of prayer and practice that forms us in the image of the one who created us. $50 ($25 for students/clergy), online registration at www.center-for-spiritual-development.org.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant
The Rev. Ric Simpson, Preacher
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacon
Walt Ellis, Eucharistic Minister · Rosemary Ellis & Stephen Cookson, Lectors

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant
The Rev. Ric Simpson, Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Bruce Fontaine, Sharon Fontaine & Phil Wallace, Eucharistic Ministers
Nathan Cougle, Ian Mallory-White & Ian Ball, Acolytes
Chris Thurston, Betty Denny & Connie Ross, Lectors
Don Rader & Mary Dettmann, Ushers
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader & Connie Ross, Healing Team

Sermon: Easter 5, The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

This morning I would like to give you a minute to think about an answer to two questions.

1. When the word “spirituality” is used, what comes to your mind?
2. Given your definition, would this form of spirituality be helpful to you in fulfilling your Christian discipleship?

I’ve been reading a couple of books on the topic of spirituality and I’m intrigued by what we think it is, and how we practice it in our lives.

Today I want to talk, for a few minutes, about just one of the forms of spirituality—the topic of prayer.

Over the years I’ve learned something –that is, if experience teaches me anything I have a hunch that a lot of you stopped praying a long time ago and there may be some who have never prayed at all. And the reason—at least the reason that I hear from people is this: I feel as though I am talking in space, or that I am on the end of a celestial phone line and no one is on the other end.” What I think, when I hear these reasons is that people stop praying because they believe that God doesn’t listen or hear prayers.

So let’s take a few minutes and talk about whether God hears us when we pray. I believe in a qualified “yes”—but let’s see if we can explicate what we mean by “yes”—or at least come to grips with a qualified “yes”.

One of the reasons that we wonder from time to time whether God hears us or not is that it seems impossible for us to visualize the complexity of the whole process. We simply can’t picture what this interchange with God must look like. We know that God isn’t an old man with a long grey beard—or at least I hope we don’t see God that way—but we do picture God in human terms. He’s the great OZ of the universe. And we picture God getting calls from all over the world—“Please make my child well”—“send $50 right away so I won’t be evicted from my apartment”—“We need rain so our crops won’t dry up”—or in another part of the world there is pleading that the “rain will stop so people won’t be flooded out.” Or a heartbroken person appeals to God to heal their unhappiness with life.

When we stop and think of all the requests—and all the variety of requests—and then all of the calls that cancel each other out—the whole idea of effective prayer seems simply unbelievable.

This is how many people picture prayer—the whole thing is too big to handle—even if we admit that we believe God is running the show. We can’t picture it, so we put it out of our minds.

Other people think of God a little differently. We think of God as the cosmic force behind the suns and planets who keeps the universe going. If we have that picture, we can hardly imagine God’s being interested in our personal problems and needs. We may think they are urgent, but we don’t think the God of the solar system and the whole Milky Way should be concerned with whether or not our child or grandchild gets home safely from soccer practice.

Well, whatever the picture of God may be, there may come a time when we simply give up on prayer because the whole concept seems unrealistic.

Let me make a couple of suggestions that I hope will put prayer in a new light for all of us.

Because we are human, we’re bound to be visual—we never get away from the development of pictures—and the deeper we go in thinking about God, the more we will visualize God through pictures. And my hope would be that the bigger the picture that we have of God, the better. In other words, I think we are on safer ground with a cosmic picture of God than a picture of God as our celestial CEO.

As we grow, our picture of God needs to change. And as we increase in imagination and in our depth of perception, we ought to reach a greater understanding regarding the nature of God so that God becomes vaster, more majestic, more transcendent and universal. We should begin to think of God not as someone on the other end of a long-distance phone line, but as a living spirit within us.

When we pray, it should be as though the particle of life which we are, is constantly becoming part and parcel of all of life. We need to feel that we are alive! There is life in you and in me. That life has conceived us, dreamt of us when we didn’t exist, created us unlike any other creature ever made before or any other who shall ever be made hereafter, and when we pray, the life that is within us is reaching out and searching for the life that makes all people, and all the stars, the sun, the moon and every other living thing. It isn’t impossible to believe that the life that took the trouble to become you is aware of our concerns and needs.

St Paul speaks to this in a vastly important line in Romans: “We do not know how to pray worthily as sons and daughters of God, but God’s spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonizing longings which never find words.”

Another frustration with prayer is that we wonder if God hears us at all. Or we don’t seem to get an answer—or the answer we want to hear. We believe that if there’s no answer, no one is home. Most of us don’t expect a verbal answer to prayer. But the answer to prayer often comes in the course of events—the things that happen to us. It’s a mistake to think that if things don’t happen the way we want them to, to assume that we have not gotten an answer at all. If we believe that the answer may be “take some time with this issue yourself” then we jump to the conclusion that God doesn’t hear us at all.

For those of us who have lived a long time, we know, by experience, that we’re not going to get everything that we want or ask for. Can we understand that fact now and remember it later? We’re not going to get everything we ask for in prayer—we already know that ahead of time. Even Jesus did not get everything he prayed for.

There’s a story by William Butler Yeats. It’s about an old Irish priest named Peter Gilligan. He was a faithful priest, but he was getting older and he was tired. Late one night he received a call from a woman of his parish saying that her husband was dying—would he come right away? He complained to himself, got dressed and knelt down to say a prayer before he left the rectory. As he prayed, he fell asleep and the hours of the evening went by—the dawn came—and when he woke up he was terrified and cried out, “The man will have died.”

He went to the home as quickly as he could—the wife met him with a peaceful smile on her face and said, “O Father, thank you for coming again—he died peacefully and with a smile after you left.” And Father Gilligan realized that in the mystery of God, the wife believed that he had been there and that God had made up for his shortcoming in some way he couldn’t understand. What Gilligan said as he left the house—in spite of all the appearances to the contrary—was that God had heard his prayers. These are Yeat’s words:

He who hath made the night of stars
For souls who tire and bleed,
Sent one of His great angels down
To help me in my need.

He who is wrapped in purple robes,
With planets in His care,
Had pity on the least of things
Asleep upon a chair.

Learning to trust in the power of God to make our prayers real—this is a life-long Christian learning and experience.

Amen

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter: May 6, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 8:26-40
An angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Psalm 22:24-30
Deus, Deus meus
24
My praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25
The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek the LORD shall praise him: *
"May your heart live for ever!"
26
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, *
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
27
For kingship belongs to the LORD; *
he rules over the nations.
28
To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29
My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall serve him; *
they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever.
30
They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *
the saving deeds that he has done.

1 John 4:7-21Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

John 15:1-8Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:23:00 +0000

Adult Education Topic for May 6th: Immortality: A Gift or Curse? Using some of the text from “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” as a basis for our discussion, we will examine the many aspects of immortality and ownership of cells, and the prospects for how this reality may provide benefits and/or consequences for the future. Come join the provocative conversation.

Updated St. John's Bookmark. An updated St. John's bookmark is included with the service bulletins this Sunday. The front, with our Mission and Vision, remains the same. The back side provides the 2012 Vestry Focus Areas and Vestry contacts. Watch for it!

Welcome our newest building user! The Vestry is pleased to announce that Higher Ground Outreach, a fellowship group led by Steve and Marilyn Doss, will begin meeting in the West Wing Conference Room this Sunday, May 6th.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Coming Up:
The Recovery Commission of the Diocese of Oregon will sponsor a workshop on May 12th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the parish hall at Christ Church Episcopal Parish in Lake Oswego. This is an opportunity to deepen your spirituality as you look at your addictions. Is also is a welcoming and safe place to explore your “attachments” or addictions that might be troubling you. For those of you who wish to look at the 12 steps of recovery from a Christian standpoint, we will bring new perspectives on steps 10, 11 and 12. Step 10 is the way all of us should examine our lives on a daily basis looking for where we missed the mark. In step 11, we are seeking insight through prayer and meditation and we will offer a variety of resources to help us deepen this step. In step 12, we carry the message to those who are still suffering. There is not any cost for this workshop and lunch is provided. To register, mail or phone Patty Burke: Pattyburke@aol.com or 503-860-9006.

Providence Hospice will present Seven Strategies: Coping with the Recent Death of a Loved One, a free, one-hour seminar open to those who have been bereaved in the past year. It will be offered at Providence Milwaukie Hospital, 10150 SE 32nd Ave. on Monday, May 21, from 1-2 p.m. in the Mother Gamelin Room. It will be offered at several other sites as well; check the poster in the Parish Hall for those dates and locales. For more information or to register contact Anne Kister at 503-215-4636 orAnne.Kister@providence.org.

Sowing the Seeds of Happiness Saturday, May 19th 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at St. Aidan’s, Gresham.
Presented by Cammie Bella*
Neuroscience and experiential research have shown that some of us are by nature "happier" and more resilient than others. This workshop will provide some foundational information on our "equation" for happiness but will focus mainly on the intentional choices we make to boost our happiness. "Happiness" in this sense is not defined as the "ha-ha" feeling of perpetual optimism, but rather a sense of deep peace and contentment, despite external circumstances. We will explore tools to find ourselves in a "peaceful stance" more and more of the time.
Fee: $20: payable in advance or on the day of event; make checks out to Life Compass Series and mail to Peter (below) Pre-registration advised so we have enough hand-outs.
For more information & to register, contact: Peter Fritsch, plfritsch@hotmail.com or 1-541-228-4167; 901 Diamond St. Springfield, OR 97477.
*Cammie is a retired Family Nurse Practitioner and leads retreats & classes on a variety of topics.
She is a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a Spiritual Director, and a Licensed Lay Preacher @ the Church
of the Good Samaritan in Corvallis, OR.

Sunday, May 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oregon Episcopal Cursillo invites all Oregon and Southwest Washington Cursillistas, past, present, and future, and everyone else, to a Grand Ultreya Gathering and Potluck, to be held at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 8818 SW Miley Road in Wilsonville. There will be singing, praying, rejoicing, eating, and time to connect with others. Bring food to share. Contactoregoncursillo@gmail.com for more information.

Summer Seminar 2012: Living Together
June 11th-13th, with a free evening lecture open to the public on Tuesday, June 12th.
Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove, one of the leading voices in the New Monastic movement, is our keynote speaker as we come together as an intentional community asking the ancient question: “what do you seek?”
In an age of fragmentation and isolation, a grassroots movement has begun that seeks to put Christians in touch with the rhythms of community life we find expressed in scripture and tradition. In the Pacific Northwest, we’re experiencing a rich revival of intentional living in community – much of it grounded in a rich spirituality that unites ancient wisdom with contemporary concerns. Come experience what it means to live together, to structure our lives in relationship to a community of prayer and practice that forms us in the image of the one who created us.
$50 ($25 for students/clergy), online registration at www.center-for-spiritual-development.org.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacon
Jolene Morishita, Eucharistic Minister · Ford Morishita & Jan Childs, Lectors

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Juanita Chambers & Mary Dettmann, Eucharistic Ministers
Elizabeth Van Drimmelen, Melissa Northway & Katie Downs, Acolytes
Barbara Bullard, Mary Dettmann & Rob Long, Lectors
Linda Kidd & Megan Kidd, Ushers
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader & Betty Denny, Healing Team

Sermon: Easter 4, The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

One of the most familiar pictures used in the Bible to teach us about our relationship to God is that of a Shepherd. The imagery of sheep and shepherd was familiar enough to ancient Mediterranean people, given the importance of sheep in the economy. The shepherd was concerned first and foremost with the welfare of his flock. He provided them with the necessities of life—food and water and safety. When a wild animal attacked, he would risk his life for the sheep.

Jesus used this image of the shepherd because it was a common image of the time. He then went further, as John’s gospel records it, when we find Jesus attempting to defend his claims as the son of God as well as speaking to whom he considered to be his followers. Who were Jesus’ disciples. What is a disciple anyway?

The word disciple comes from a Greek word that means “to grasp, to take hold of.” A disciple is one who grasps or takes hold of a teacher and his or her teachings.

This is an apt topic today, because we are having a number of baptisms this morning and the individuals being baptized are committing themselves to be disciples—to affirm the role of the teacher, Jesus. For the young children being baptized, they will later in life, have an opportunity to confirm that commitment.

So during his lifetime, Jesus had a wide assortment of disciples. Some whom we would have expected to be good were actually not so good, and some that we expected to have the most shortcomings, were among the best.

And, this morning as we think about the people being baptized—and thinking back on our baptisms—we can look at the various disciples and identify ourselves with one of several types. These types of disciples can be understood in a few different ways.

The first level, are disciples who merely came to be with Jesus and nothing more. Psychologists tell us in every crowd there are people who are there just because they like to be with large or important groups. We might call these the “groupies”.

Are you feeling neglected or bored? Then get with the crowd! Rub elbows with people and you’ll feel more a part of something important that is going on. Observers of the Times Square New Years Eve celebration say that many people go there for the sole purpose of pressing up close to another human being.

Why did some people follow Jesus? They wanted to be part of the crowd, a part of the action. Some wanted to see a local celebrity, to draw from his charisma. Maybe some of them came to see and be seen—to catch up on the latest gossip.

This level of association is a low level of discipleship, if indeed; it can be called discipleship at all.

A second level of discipleship are those who came to see Jesus not only to be seen, but to hear what he had to say.

Some folks came out of curiosity and they still do. In Jesus’ time these were people who wanted to hear something new—a new idea. And it’s the same in our time. Some people want to be around to be up on the latest thinking, the latest philosophy, the newest insight.

Some years back the New York Times advertised a new subscription service that would tell you the title, author and main idea of a popular book, which enabled a person to name-drop without ever reading the book. And so, some people came to Jesus, and some still do, in an effort to keep up on the in-group name-dropping.

In respect to twenty one centuries of history, many of us as disciples have not changed too much. Jesus—today—is used to endorse about everything and every cause. Jesus is used to bless dictatorships and democracies, unions and management. Jesus is quoted for every existing protest, old and young alike. Hawks and doves claim Jesus. Anarchists and law-in-order advocates do the same.

So when we move to our own contemporary time—our day and age-- we have to ask of ourselves: at what level of discipleship are we? Are we Christians who are here to endorse our own ideas and plans, or the reinforcement of our own vision or social schemes?

To be a true follower of Jesus we have to be disciples who are at a whole different level than we have just described. As true disciples we do what Jesus says: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” And Jesus says, “I told you and you do not believe.” What Jesus is looking for people are people who do something rather than just listen and talk. He’s looking for people with the courage to act.

Jesus was esteemed by many as a man of crystal-clear character. Many respected his teachings and revered him as a great man. Some even thought they ought to follow him. Others turned away when they heard his demands.

And what are these demands in our time? He asks us to do the work of believing and loving. We don’t have to be powerful or well-born to do that. Male or female, any color, old or young, any gender—anything different at all--it takes all of us to make a difference. Believing and loving are possible for all of us. And when we become disciples who believe and love, things happen in our lives. We’re linked to God in a new way and we’re attached to God’s mission for the world. We’re stretched to the full stature of being a human being.

Centuries ago when the Hebrew people were lamenting a lack of knowledge of God, the prophet Isaiah said, “If you will loose the fetters of injustice, if you set free those who have been crushed, if you share food with the hungry, if you give clothing and shelter to the needy—then says Isaiah, “God will answer-‘Here I am’” and God will be your guide and companion. Those who believe and do the acts of love enter the knowledge and the world of God.

Amid all the opportunities we enjoy, do we hear Jesus’ call—do we hear it today—to a higher level of discipleship?

Amen

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: April 29, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:14:00 +0000

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 4:5-12The day after they had arrested Peter and John for teaching about Jesus and the resurrection, the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

`the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.'

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."

Psalm 23
Dominus regit me
1
The LORD is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2
He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3
He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5
You spread a table before me in the presence of those
who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1 John 3:16-24We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

John 10:11-18

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:31:00 +0000

We are saddened to announce the death of Pat Fontaine, longtime member of St. John’s and sister of current Junior Warden Bruce Fontaine. Pat’s memorial service will be held this coming Saturday, April 28, at 11 a.m.

Adult Education Topic for April 29th and May 6th: Immortality: A Gift or Curse? Using some of the text from “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” as a basis for our discussion, we will examine the many aspects of immortality and ownership of cells, and the prospects for how this reality may provide benefits and/or consequences for the future. Come join the provocative conversation.

Updated St. John's Bookmark Coming May 6th. An updated St. John's bookmark will be included with the service bulletins next Sunday, May 6th. The front, with our Mission and Vision, remains the same. The back side provides the 2012 Vestry Focus Areas and Vestry contacts. Watch for it!

Our wonderful Sunday School Teacher, lector, and fellow parishioner, Cathy Behm, has a daughter who recently heroically, without hesitation, and with spiritual guidance I am sure, went through surgery to donate her kidney to a person she didn’t even know; because hers was a good match. Now the time comes to pay hospital, doctor, and medicine expenses for both herself and the person who received her kidney. Cathy’s daughter needs a little financial help and her kidney recipient needs a lot. Cathy’s daughter gave selflessly and is a wonderful example of the spirit at St. John’s. Could you join me in support of Cathy and her daughter’s example of God’s love? We do not walk alone.

In a couple weeks there will be a fundraiser dinner and auction at Persimmons Golf Club for these two comrades. Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased from Sue, in the office by May 3rd. If you can’t make it to the dinner/auction fundraiser, perhaps you could contribute a few bucks to help out. A check made out to St. John’s and identified as a donation to this kidney transplant should do the job. We love you Cathy Behm and are very proud of your daughter’s example.

First Friday Milwaukie resumes on May 4th featuring art by artist Carol Brown.

Thank you from the FTH board members to everyone donating their beverage cans, plastics and glass in support of FEED THE HUNGRY. The BOTTLE DROP program is working great ~ and is SUPER easy. Just grab a green bag ~ fill and return to the church. EVERY little bit….or “can” does help! And Linda Kidd gets a HUGE thank you for her continued help with this effort.

Reminder: If you use the building, please be sure that the doors are locked at the conclusion of your event. Please check all the doors, even ones you didn’t unlock-doors have been found unlocked more than once in recent weeks.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Coming Up:

A memorial service for Joan Waite, parishioner and resident of Willamette View, will be held on April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Willamette View Terrace Auditorium.

The Recovery Commission of the Diocese of Oregon will sponsor a workshop on May 12th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the parish hall at Christ Church Episcopal Parish in Lake Oswego. This is an opportunity to deepen your spirituality as you look at your addictions. Is also is a welcoming and safe place to explore your “attachments” or addictions that might be troubling you. For those of you who wish to look at the 12 steps of recovery from a Christian standpoint, we will bring new perspectives on steps 10, 11 and 12. Step 10 is the way all of us should examine our lives on a daily basis looking for where we missed the mark. In step 11, we are seeking insight through prayer and meditation and we will offer a variety of resources to help us deepen this step. In step 12, we carry the message to those who are still suffering. There is not any cost for this workshop and lunch is provided. To register, mail or phone Patty Burke:Pattyburke@aol.com or 503-860-9006.

Providence Hospice will present Seven Strategies: Coping with the Recent Death of a Loved One, a free, one-hour seminar open to those who have been bereaved in the past year. It will be offered at Providence Milwaukie Hospital, 10150 SE 32nd Ave. on Monday, May 21, from 1-2 p.m. in the Mother Gamelin Room. It will be offered at several other sites as well; check the poster in the Parish Hall for those dates and locales. For more information or to register contact Anne Kister at 503-215-4636 orAnne.Kister@providence.org.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Jim Holway, Eucharistic Minister · Cornelia Cerf, Lector

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Jan Graves, Jim Holway & Beryl Fetters, Eucharistic Ministers
Emily Downs, Abby Elliott & Lexie Elliott, Acolytes
Gail Buchanan, Cathy Behm & Mark Akerman, Lectors
Ian Ball & Erin Harrison, Ushers
Carol Sharp, Greeter
The Rev. Stephen Denny & Zee Wilks, Healing Team

Sermon: Easter 3, The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:33:00 +0000

Each human being is alone. We experience that aloneness in certain events or moments—the loss of our health, of a job, of a spouse, or a friend—maybe even the loss of hope.

Sometimes we experience our aloneness as an annoying, free-floating itch with no place to scratch and sometimes that aloneness is a deep yearning within us that will not let us rest. Often our aloneness gets heavy and is a burden made up of a thousand little irritations and frustrations that weigh us down.

That’s what Jesus’ followers felt after his resurrection—each were experiencing the pain of Jesus’ departure, each feeling a sense of loss at the death of their leader. Whoever else Jesus was, and whatever else he did, in a primary, continuing deep sense, he was the comforting presence and power in his disciples’ lives. And in today’s gospel lesson, we see him, once again, appearing to his friends. Luke tells us that “Jesus stood among these followers and said, “Peace be with you.” “Have you anything to eat?” He came to his disciples where they were, in their aloneness, and in their need for comfort.

You know, it’s all right to need to be comforted. But sometimes I feel a little ashamed when I need comfort. Someone should teach us that it is as blessed to receive comfort as it is to give comfort—that it is as human to need to be consoled as to console. Many of us are raised by our parents, or by some persuasion or by our professional education to be comforters of others. The Christian faith puts tremendous emphasis on that. We often find ourselves holding others rather than being held by others.

We become richer, warmer, more understanding, more compassionate and patient human beings when we understand and acknowledge our own need of receiving love as well as giving it.

In looking at the work and ministry of Jesus’ apostles, where did they and where to we, receive comfort in our lives today?

It’s God who comforts us through the comfort of a spouse, or a friend or a colleague or some special person.

Not long ago I was in a conversation with a person who told me of her fears of herself and her relationship with other people. But she was just beginning to have a friendship that was growing in a positive way. Several days later I received a note which said, “When I am with my friend, I feel cared for and protected as I never have before.”

We all need that kind of a friendship. And to me, one of the most poignant examples of this comfort is what Jesus does in the gospel. A man with no home, no wife, no children. Jesus, who himself walked through a lot of loneliness. And because of that fact, he understands your loneliness and mine. In Jesus, God is made tangible and available and vulnerable for us. He is in us, with us, for us—in our lives and our hearts and our lives together.

God comforts us also in the depths of our own inner being—in our private aloneness—that deep down aloneness.

A few years ago I was reading a book written by an Episcopal Bishop friend entitled Twentieth Century Spiritual Letters. In this book is a letter written by a young son to his father while still in college. Bishop John Coburn’s father had offered him a job in the family company, but the Bishop didn’t take the job—he went to seminary instead. After his fathers’ death, he wrote this:

“I hope, father, that you have forgiven me. I know you have. I knew you did long before you died. Oh, I know I disappointed you. But even when we disagreed about that job, I had a deep feeling, that in the bottom of your heart, you knew I had to be about my own decision, and that meant saying no to you. Thanks for that forgiveness.”

Perhaps, all of us see in a fresh way, as we get older, how much we need to be reassured that we still matter to the people who matter to us. We watch the world, the church, our families, and friends going their own way, but we sometimes find ourselves wondering whether we matter much anymore. We need to know that we hold a special place in the hearts of the people who are special to us. We need to feel comforted.

In a book written by Rainer Maria Rilke called Letters to a Young Poet, the author says this:

“Everything is gestation and then bringing forth. To let each impression and each germ of a feeling come to completion wholly in itself, in the dark, in the inexpressible, the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s intelligence, and away with deep humility and patience the birth-hour of a new clarity: that alone is living.”

That’s living from the inside out. That’s the comfort and the confidence that God is really in you and in me to sustain our spirits.

“While the disciples were telling how they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you. “

He promises that kind of comfort for you and for me. The question is—can we accept the comfort of God? If we can, then that is yet another miracle of the Easter faith.

AMEN

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter: April 22, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Acts 3:12-19
When Peter saw the astonishment of those who had seen the lame man healed, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

"And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out."

Psalm 4
Cum invocarem
1
Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2
"You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?"
3
Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
4
Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5
Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.
6
Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see better times!" *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7
You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
8
I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

1 John 3:1-7See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Luke 24:36b-48While the disciples were telling how they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:41:00 +0000

The book of Genesis is full of marvelous stories. They introduce themes that weave through the Old and New Testaments - and through history. Deacon Pat will give an overview of Genesis during Adult Ed at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Reminder: If you use the building, please be sure that the doors are locked at the conclusion of your event. Please check all the doors, even ones you didn’t unlock-doors have been found unlocked more than once in recent weeks.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Wondering what’s going on at St. John’s or if meeting space is available? The most up-to-date calendar can always be found on the Parish Web Site. Click on an event to see details.

Coming Up:

Adult Education Topic for April 29th and May 6th: Immortality: A Gift or Curse? Using some of the text from “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” as a basis for our discussion, we will examine the many aspects of immortality and ownership of cells, and the prospects for how this reality may provide benefits and/or consequences for the future. Come join the provocative conversation.

First Friday Milwaukie resumes on May 4th featuring art by artist Carol Brown.

A memorial service for Joan Waite, parishioner and resident of Willamette View, will be held on April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Willamette View Terrace Auditorium.

The Recovery Commission of the Diocese of Oregon will sponsor a workshop on May 12th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the parish hall at Christ Church Episcopal Parish in Lake Oswego. This is an opportunity to deepen your spirituality as you look at your addictions. Is also is a welcoming and safe place to explore your “attachments” or addictions that might be troubling you. For those of you who wish to look at the 12 steps of recovery from a Christian standpoint, we will bring new perspectives on steps 10, 11 and 12. Step 10 is the way all of us should examine our lives on a daily basis looking for where we missed the mark. In step 11, we are seeking insight through prayer and meditation and we will offer a variety of resources to help us deepen this step. In step 12, we carry the message to those who are still suffering. There is not any cost for this workshop and lunch is provided. To register, mail or phone Patty Burke.

Providence Hospice will present Seven Strategies: Coping with the Recent Death of a Loved One, a free, one-hour seminar open to those who have been bereaved in the past year. It will be offered at Providence Milwaukie Hospital, 10150 SE 32nd Ave. on Monday, May 21, from 1-2 p.m. in the Mother Gamelin Room. It will be offered at several other sites as well; check the poster in the Parish Hall for those dates and locales. For more information or to register contact Anne Kister at 503-215-4636 orAnne.Kister@providence.org.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service

The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher

The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacon

Jamie Berry, Eucharistic Minister · Maria Aikin & Julie Ann Smith, Lectors

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service

The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher

The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon

Michelle Horgen, Director of Music

Juanita Chambers, Phil Wallace & Bruce Fontaine, Eucharistic Ministers

Nathan Cougle, Arianna Van Dyke & Ian Ball, Acolytes

Lydia Merrigan, Jim Reardon & Barbara Redman, Lectors

Betty Denny & Mary Dettmann, Ushers

The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader & Veronica Murray, Healing Team

Sermon: Easter 2, The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Our gospel lesson for today is a familiar one—the doubting Thomas story. The gist of the story is this: “Jesus came and stood there in their midst; “Peace be with you he said. “Then he said to Thomas, Let me have your finger; see, here are my hands. Let me have your hand, put it into my side. Thomas answered," You are my Lord and my God."

Thomas was crushed by the death of Jesus. For months he had shared Jesus’ life. He had been with Jesus during the exciting days when crowds flocked to hear Jesus teach, when the poor and afflicted found in him a source of new hope. In this man from Galilee he had caught a glimpse of what it was to be a man of God.

But now Jesus was dead. And Thomas was desolate and bitter. How could Jesus have led him on with promises that proved to be empty? If Jesus were so powerless, what hope was there? What meaning or purpose could one believe in for the struggle of integrity and truth?

After the initial shock of the crucifixion, the other disciples seemed to have regrouped and together they returned to the place where they had shared the last hours with Jesus—the Upper Room. They filled their hearts with memories of the days when Jesus was with them. But not Thomas. He, alone, wouldn’t let memories continue his belief; his heart was hardened by his disappointment.

So Thomas missed the experience of Easter—he missed the first encounter with the risen Christ. In the evening of the first day of the first week, the rest of the disciples were together and Jesus appeared to them. Thomas missed that meeting. What a price he paid for his bitterness.

We’re not told what drew Thomas back to the group of disciples. In any event, back he came to the excited disciples who said, “We have seen the Lord.”

It takes but a pencil of light to split the darkness in the heart of an ordinary person. But Thomas was no ordinary man. He came to his faith in Jesus over a road obstructed by numerous doubts and reservations. So with defiance and cynicism he said, “I will not believe until I see the scars.”

He didn’t have long to wait. The first day of the second week Jesus appeared again to the disciples and Thomas was there. We can feel the electrified silenceof the disciples as Jesus and Thomas stood face to face and the eyes of one met those of the other. “Here are my hands, Thomas—touch them. Here is my side, place your hand on it.” And Thomas knelt before Jesus: “My Lord and my God.”

Thomas is a familiar figure. Many people refuse to believe unless they see. To others, belief is being gullible. “Give us the facts,” they say, “before you ask us for our faith.” But this is an age that demands the risks of faith. And this is an age in which risks take effort. We live in a time of silence where people can say, “I will believe this far, and no farther.”

Some in the church today say that Christians are those people who are concerned with just faith, rather than the concerns of the world. We’re concerned with the questions of the life of the spirit, with ideas about God and of God’s power and presence. But others in the church stand along with Thomas—we have different ideas about faith and different ideas about doubt.

A couple of days ago I went to a physical therapy appointment. The man who I have been working with always is upbeat and when I ask him “how are you” he always says he’s excellent. I asked him the other day why he repeatedly says he is excellent and his response was “I have to be--I’ve been bought with a price by the Lord –I’m always excellent. “

I was surprised by this comment—and I didn’t pursue the comment--not because I don’t believe that a Christian can be excellent, but, personally, I come to my own faith by a different route. I come by the way of doubt—by challenging my faith experiences, by studying and working at understanding the person and ministry of Jesus, by trying in every way I can to understand—deeply—what faith is and what it means.

Tennyson, for me, was right when he wrote,

“There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me,
Than half of the creeds.

And Miguel de Unamuno said,

“Faith which does not doubt is dead faith.”

But let me be clear about honest doubts—if they become a hostage to us, or if we make all of our commitments only to doubt, then it is hard to meet the challenges of a greater faith.

How do we escape the doubts so we can become persons of faith? How do we deal with our doubts?

My own experience as a searcher—or a doubter if you wish—says several things to me.

First: I don’t deny the doubts that I have and you shouldn’t either. Acknowledge them. They are a part of who we are. If they are honest doubts, they are nothing of which to be ashamed. We should spell them out so that we know what they are. When we do that, we can put them into our own hands and they can become manageable. They no longer are in control. So, we need to possess the doubts that we have.

Secondly: We need to boldly affirm our faith. Acknowledge what you believe. Many people with doubts gnawing at their spirits are reluctant to confess any part of faith. They feel that unless they can believe in all of the claims and affirmations of Christianity, then they have no right to claim any part. Well, it’s wise to start where we are: and we need to remember that the faith of most of us is a strange mixture of belief and doubt—and that we are not shut out by the presence of God because of our doubts, nor are we denied God’s blessing.

Remember the biblical story of the father who brought his son to Jesus to be healed—“help us if your possibly can?” The father wasn’t sure that Jesus could do anything for the boy. And Jesus said, “Can you believe?” To which the poor father stammered, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” That’s enough—we need to claim the faith that we can claim.

Third: It’s helpful when we take a risk and stretch our faith. Think of the risks that Jesus, himself, took. From the time he stepped into the Jordan River to be baptized by John, until his death, he gave himself into the hands of God; he risked himself over and over again. What is called for today among us is the courage to risk ourselves for faith and to push that faith against our doubts. We can measure our faith on a regular basis and begin to feel its power in our lives.

Fourth: It’s helpful to begin to practice faith, day by day. A few years ago there appeared a letter in the Anglican Digest from a man who had made his annual pilgrimage to church. As you might guess, it was on Easter Sunday. In the letter he complained that he hadn’t understood what was going on and, indeed, that had been his experience each year when he went to church on Christmas and Easter.

No one can become a person of faith simply by stepping inside a church once a year, or by skimming through one page of scripture that happens to appear in the Gideon’s Bible in a motel room.

If we want to become a person of faith, we have to consistently expose ourselves to faith and give ourselves the means of faith—that is to do a bit of scripture study—find a group of others that we can study with-- to pray, and to create a pattern of living that allows faith to grow.

How do we become a person of faith? Look at Thomas. When he committed himself to Jesus as he appeared in that Upper Room, he became a man of faith. And that’s how we—ultimately—become persons of faith.

But you may say to me, “Well, Thomas actually saw Jesus.” Yes, that’s right. But listen to what Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are they who do not see, yet believe.”

In all of scripture no word is addressed more directly to us than this—no message is so unmistakably spoken for us than this.

We become people of faith by believing, not having seen.

“Touch me Thomas, touch me.”

Come, reach out in faith and touch the Lord.

Amen

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter: April 16, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 4:32-35
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Psalm 133
Ecce, quam bonum!
1
Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
2
It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
3
Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4
It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5
For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

1 John 1:1-2:2We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 20:19-31When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:19:00 +0000

St. John’s office will be closed for the afternoon of Friday, April 13th.

A word of “thank you” for our wonderful Easter services. Special thanks to the altar guild and flower guild. They did a fantastic job. And I am always grateful for our Eucharistic ministers, acolytes and ushers. The kids had a great time at the Easter egg hunt and flowering the Cross—29 kids in all! Thanks go to Deacons Pat & Stephen for their involvement and energy, and also to Fr. Ric who was the celebrant at the Easter Vigil. Thanks go to the staff for lots of extra work. Our attendance at the Great Vigil, the early Easter Sunday service and the 10am service was very good. Thanks to all who attended and all who made this a beautiful Easter—and the weather cooperated! Fr. Bud Thurston

THANK YOU for making the Egg Hunt and the Flowering of the Cross such a Wonderful Success!

A very special Thank You to those who contributed filled eggs and goodies for our annual Easter Egg Hunt! We had a great turnout of about 30 children who all had a spectacular time. Thank you also to those who brought flowers and cuttings for our cross. It looked GORGEOUS this year! Pictures will be posted soon. MANY MANY THANKS!

Leadership needed: Feed the Hungry has an opportunity for you to 'walk the talk.'
Needed are new board members to help guide the program through changes that will help assure that this program will continue for the next 20 years. The expectations of commitment are to attend the 5 bimonthly board meetings, respond to emails seeking opinion and guidance of ongoing projects, actively lead a special project or hold a governing position, work 2 Sundays a year with FTH. Voting for board positions will be held April 24. Please talk with Phil Wallace for questions or if you are interested.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Wondering what’s going on at St. John’s or if meeting space is available? The most up-to-date calendar can always be found on the Parish Web Site. Click on an event to see details.

Coming Up:

A memorial service for Joan Waite, parishioner and resident of Willamette View, will be held on April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Willamette View Terrace Auditorium.

The Recovery Commission of the Diocese of Oregon will sponsor a workshop on May 12th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the parish hall at Christ Church Episcopal Parish in Lake Oswego. This is an opportunity to deepen your spirituality as you look at your addictions. Is also is a welcoming and safe place to explore your “attachments” or addictions that might be troubling you. For those of you who wish to look at the 12 steps of recovery from a Christian standpoint, we will bring new perspectives on steps 10, 11 and 12. Step 10 is the way all of us should examine our lives on a daily basis looking for where we missed the mark. In step 11, we are seeking insight through prayer and meditation and we will offer a variety of resources to help us deepen this step. In step 12, we carry the message to those who are still suffering. There is not any cost for this workshop and lunch is provided. To register, mail or phone Patty Burke.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacon
Walt Ellis, Eucharistic Minister · Rosemary Ellis & Stephen Cookson, Lectors

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Bruce Fontaine, Sharon Fontaine & Mary Dettmann, Eucharistic Ministers
Emily Downs, Melissa Northway & Elizabeth Van Drimmelen, Acolytes
Donna Mell, Nancy Lane & Jim Reardon, Lectors
Erin Harrison & Ian Ball, Ushers
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader & Betty Denny, Healing Team

Sermon: Easter Vigil, The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I received a piece of mail a few days ago—it had printed on the top of it: “The Secret to a Happy Easter”. I eagerly opened the mail, hoping to share with you the secret, but the message inside came from what will remain an unnamed supermarket! Your Easter Ham is in the oven.

So much for the secret of a Happy Easter. The supermarket can’t give what it does not have! Ad campaigns aside, Easter remains the center of Christianity and, at the same time, is the most difficult to understand.

The resurrection of Jesus is ultimately a mystery. A who- done- it on a cosmic scale. The New Testament provides us with some facts—when it happened—we know this with some precision—around the year 30. Where it happened—we know this—in Jerusalem outside the city walls. Why it happened—we believe we know this—because a young Jewish man upset the religious and political leadership of his time. How it happened—this we don’t know. There were no eye witnesses to the resurrection. No one saw it happen and it defies our ability to understand it.

I’m not as concerned about us understanding the resurrection. We can spend a lifetime reading about it, finding the facts, sifting through historical, scientific and any logical means available to us. But the sad fact is that if we spend a lifetime reading about the resurrection, we shall never live it.

St Paul was a man who knew how to live the resurrection. In his first letter to the Corinthians he writes this: “Three things abide, faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.” I want to use these three words as aids to help us live the resurrection.

First, living the resurrection means living in faith. Our faith is rooted in the past—in the event which no one saw with their own eyes, but to which they witnessed and lived their lives. Those early disciples didn’t explain the resurrection—they proclaimed it by word, by deed and by the manner of life that they lived. Faith for us says that God’s power raised Jesus from the dead—ushering in a new relationship between humankind and God.

But a caution is in order: don’t make the common mistake of confusing faith in God with faith in the strength of your own faith. This is a common trap. Christians are men and women whose faith is in the power of God, not the power of their own belief.

Second: Living the resurrection means living in hope. The words sprinkled throughout our celebration bespeaks human hope—victory, healing, new creation. But Christian hope is not the belief that everything will turn out just right. The history of our lives doesn’t always have hope. Sometimes everything is not fine—and sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s getting better.

Christian hope is the hope that stares at the suffering Jesus on a cross, it is a sharing in the grief of his death. Christian hope takes us through all of these tragedies and pains to reveal the reality of the resurrection to us. Living in hope means, that God cares about us and God loves us and is with us through whatever happens to us in life.

Third, living the resurrection means living in love. Paul says faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. It is the greatest because love is the most difficult to do correctly.

Living the resurrection by living in love means that we live in community –we live as a group of people in this place—and it means risks, hurts, conflicts as well as joys. Living in love is our calling—a calling to each one of us to be signs of genuine unselfishness, signs of reconciliation and healing. Living in love means to be symbols of celebration and joy—because God has taken the initiative and brought about a new relationship with us—a new relationship through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus.

These three abide: faith, hope and love. Living the resurrection means living all of these things. Faith requires our attentiveness; hope requires our imagination, love requires our very soul.

I’m thankful to God for this night: thankful that you are here; even thankful that I can’t now or ever explain to you or to myself the mystery of the resurrection; thankful to be a part of this service—singing, a common meal, sight, sound, touch, and loving—that’s what the resurrection is about. We are living the resurrection as we experience and participate in this Eucharist celebration.

The secret to a Happy Easter does not lie in the aisles of a supermarket, but rather in the faith, hope and love which radiates out of our individual lives,

And our life in this community,

And as we live the resurrection together.

Amen, Alleluia.

Readings for Easter Sunday: April 8, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Readings for other services during Holy Week may be found at lectionarypage.net

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Confitemini Domino
1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2
Let Israel now proclaim, *
"His mercy endures for ever."
14
The LORD is my strength and my song, *
and he has become my salvation.
15
There is a sound of exultation and victory *
in the tents of the righteous:
16
"The right hand of the LORD has triumphed! *
the right hand of the LORD is exalted!
the right hand of the LORD has triumphed!"
17
I shall not die, but live, *
and declare the works of the LORD.
18
The LORD has punished me sorely, *
but he did not hand me over to death.
19
Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the LORD.
20
"This is the gate of the LORD; *
he who is righteous may enter."
21
I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22
The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23
This is the LORD'S doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24
On this day the LORD has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Acts 10:34-43
Peter began to speak to the gentiles: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Holy Week Services

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:29:00 +0000

Thursday, April 5th Maundy Thursday: 5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing and Agape Meal (Potluck)
8:00 p.m. to Midnight Vigil at the Altar of Repose

Friday, April 6th Good Friday Noon & 5:30 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy- Each service lasts about an hour.

Saturday, April 7th Holy Saturday: 8:00 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter

Sunday, April 8th Easter Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Calling all Kids!
Easter Sunday promises to be full of fun! We’ll start things off with an Easter Egg Hunt promptly at 9:30am for children aged 11 years and younger. When the service begins at 10am there will be a special Easter Church School lesson in the large classroom downstairs, followed by an Easter craft. Towards the end of the service the children will go up to the Sanctuary and help “Flower the Cross”.
PARISHIONERS & KIDS ALIKE: Please don’t forget to bring flowers and cuttings from your yard for the cross! Thank you!

Child care will be available in the nursery during Holy Week Services.

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:28:00 +0000

A very special Thank You to those who have taken our empty eggs and returned them full of goodies! If you still have empty eggs or would like to donate small toys, stickers, trinkets, bobbles, candy and other items to fill up our eggs please feel free to drop them off this Sunday. Merci, Gracias, Danke, Mahalo, Grazie, Arigato!

Leadership needed: Feed the Hungry has an opportunity for you to 'walk the talk.'
Needed are new board members to help guide the program through changes that will help assure that this program will continue for the next 20 years. The expectations of commitment are to attend the 5 bimonthly board meetings, respond to emails seeking opinion and guidance of ongoing projects, actively lead a special project or hold a governing position, work 2 Sundays a year with FTH. Voting for board positions will be held April 24. Please talk with Phil Wallace for questions or if you are interested.

A memorial service for Joan Waite, parishioner and resident of Willamette View, will be held on April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Willamette View Terrace Auditorium.

Wondering what’s going on at St. John’s or if meeting space is available? The most up-to-date calendar can always be found on the Parish Web Site. Click on an event to see details.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:

Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny & The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacons
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Jolene Morishita, Eucharistic Minister
Ford Morishita & Jan Childs, Lectors

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny & The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacons
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Bruce Fontaine, Sharon Fontaine & Jan Graves, Eucharistic Ministers
Abby Elliott, Lexie Elliott, Ian Ball & Ian Mallory-White, Acolytes
Barbara Redman, Bruce Fontaine & Sharon Fontaine, Lectors
Don Rader & Mary Dettmann, Ushers
Rose Reardon, Greeter

Readings for Palm Sunday: April 1, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0000

At The Liturgy of the Palms

Mark 11:1-11When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, `Why are you doing this?' just say this, `The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'" They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

"Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Confitemini Domino
1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2
Let Israel now proclaim, *
"His mercy endures for ever."
19
Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the LORD.
20
"This is the gate of the LORD; *
he who is righteous may enter."
21
I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22
The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23
This is the LORD'S doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24
On this day the LORD has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25
Hosannah, LORD, hosannah! *
LORD, send us now success.
26
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
27
God is the LORD; he has shined upon us; *
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
28
"You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you."
29
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.

At The Liturgy of the Word

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 50:4-9a
The Lord GOD has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens--
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backward.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
The Lord GOD helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord GOD who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?

Psalm 31:9-16
In te, Domine, speravi
9
Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.
10
For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.
11
I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street they avoid me.
12
I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; *
I am as useless as a broken pot.
13
For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.
14
But as for me, I have trusted in you, O LORD. *
I have said, "You are my God.
15
My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
16
Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me."

Philippians 2:5-11
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death--
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Mark 14:1-15:47
It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people."

While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, "Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, `The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, "Surely, not I?" He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born."

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, "You will all become deserters; for it is written,

`I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.'

But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Even though all become deserters, I will not." Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." But he said vehemently, "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you." And all of them said the same.

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake." And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand."

Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." All of them deserted him and fled.

A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.

They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, "We heard him say, `I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" But even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?" But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am; and

`you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power,'
and `coming with the clouds of heaven.'"

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" The guards also took him over and beat him.

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, "You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth." But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you are talking about." And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean." But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about." At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.]

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so." Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, "Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you." But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, "Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!" Pilate asked them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!" In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah." And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

E-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:38:00 +0000

Palm Cross Making Scheduled for Saturday, March 31. Join us at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall for our annual palm cross making session. Contact Nancy Lane.

The Maundy Thursday Service will begin with a potluck meal in the Parish Hall. If you would like to come to the service but skip the meal, know that the service will start at approximately 6:45 in the church.

Do you need a special dessert for your Easter dinner? Let the Youth Group help! On Sunday the Youth Group will take pre-orders for the following desserts: Cheesecake ($15), Gluten-free Cheesecake ($16), Carrot Cake ($12), Gluten free Carrot Cake ($14), or a dozen Sugar Cookies ($6). The desserts will be available to be picked up Saturday night at the Easter Vigil or Sunday morning at either of the Easter services.

Scrip Update: Our profit so far this year has reached $873.17. That is about average when compared to previous years, but it goes to show that every little bit helps. If you are a scrip supporter, thank you so much for what you do for St. John's. If you want to know more about the scrip program, please see me on Sunday morning, and I'll be glad to give you information!
Church School News......
Please join us on Palm Sunday, April 1st at 10am for the Procession of Palms through the Sanctuary. Afterwards, we will have a special Palm Sunday lesson and craft for kids. Hope to see you there!
***Child care will be available in the nursery during Holy Week Services, April 5th, 6th & 7th. ***
THANK YOU for the Egg Hunt Donations!

A very special Thank You to those who have taken our empty eggs and returned them full of goodies! If you still have empty eggs or would like to donate small toys, stickers, trinkets, bobbles, candy and other items to fill up our eggs please feel free to drop them off this Sunday. Merci, Gracias, Danke, Mahalo, Grazie, Arigato!
Easter Sunday is April 8, 2012

Calling all Kids! Easter Sunday promises to be full of fun! We’ll start things off with an Easter Egg Hunt promptly at 9:30am for children aged 11 years and younger. When the service begins at 10am there will be a special Easter Church School lesson in the large classroom downstairs, followed by an Easter craft. Towards the end of the service the children will go up to the Sanctuary and help “Flower the Cross”.
PARISHIONERS & KIDS ALIKE: Please don’t forget to bring flowers and cuttings from your yard for the cross! Thank you!

Leadership needed: Feed the Hungry has an opportunity for you to 'walk the talk.'
Needed are new board members to help guide the program through changes that will help assure that this program will continue for the next 20 years. The expectations of commitment are to attend the 5 bimonthly board meetings, respond to emails seeking opinion and guidance of ongoing projects, actively lead a special project or hold a governing position, work 2 Sundays a year with FTH. Voting for board positions will be held April 24. Please talk with Phil Wallace for questions or if you are interested.

Coming Up:
Schedule for Holy Week:
Sunday, April 1st
Palm Sunday 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Thursday, April 5th
Maundy Thursday: 5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing and Agape Meal (Potluck)
8:00 p.m. to Midnight Vigil at the Altar of Repose

Friday, April 6th
Good Friday Noon & 5:30 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy

Saturday, April 7th
Holy Saturday: 8:00 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter

Sunday, April 8th
Easter Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

You are invited to Wednesdays of Lent at St. Paul’s, Oregon City. Soup will be served, followed by a time of prayer & reflection on the topic of Celtic Spirituality. It begins at 6:00 p.m. each Wednesday in Lent and runs through April 4.

A memorial service for Joan Waite, parishioner and resident of Willamette View, will be held on April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Willamette View Terrace Auditorium.

Wondering what’s going on at St. John’s or if meeting space is available? The most up-to-date calendar can always be found on the Parish Web Site. Click on an event to see details.
A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Jim Holway, Eucharistic Minister · Cornelia Cerf, Lector

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Stephen Denny, Deacon
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Debbie Lehmann, Jan Graves & Phil Wallace, Eucharistic Ministers
Ian Mallory-White, Nathan Cougle & Elizabeth Van Drimmelen, Acolytes
Nina Dille, Connie Ross & Nancy Lane, Lectors
Erin Harrison & Ian Ball, Ushers
The Rev. Stephen Denny & Connie Ross, Healing Team

Sermon: Lent 5, The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:01:00 +0000

Over the last several weeks of Lent we have focused on the question, “Who is Jesus for us today?” We’ve talked about the humanity of Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth along with his extraordinary ability to call us to a life with God.

One of you, when leaving church last Sunday said to me, “Well, I hope you’re going to talk about how Jesus is God. After I recovered from the comment, I decided to undertake that challenge. I may actually fail at this sermon this morning, because you’re asking me to explain a theological question that is at once the most mysterious within the Christian faith: how is Jesus fully man and fully God.

In portraying Jesus as an ordinary man—and I believe that Jesus viewed his life as an ordinary man—I haven’t meant to imply that he didn’t make a superb impression on those who became his disciples. Because his disciples and followers saw in him a depth of faith and hope and love they had never known in any other person. In his gospel they found the power to be forgiven for the shortcomings in their lives and, just as importantly, to believe—to deeply believe—in the coming Kingdom of God. They didn’t understand what the Kingdom of God meant, but they knew somehow that it was the fulfillment of what every faithful Jew was seeking.

Jesus’ followers were prepared to commit their lives to him—even to his death. His arrest was a shock that destroyed everything they had come to believe and hope. And their panic at that moment of death was inevitable, but it didn’t prevent them from ultimately devoting their lives to him and, for many, their own deaths for the cause of Jesus.

So, in affirming that Jesus was fully a man, we must also know that he was the supreme instance of a human being. He was not superman, or semi-divine. And it’s essential that we understand this fact, not just because we must claim Jesus as being human—one like us—but so that God could become truly incarnate in him.

Christian theology acknowledges that as we emphasize the humanness of Jesus, we also have to be careful not to go to the opposite extreme and deny or make it impossible to acknowledge the fact that Jesus was also God. The basis of Christian faith and hope is found in this very mystery. It’s not enough that Jesus was just a good man-=-or even a perfect man—united to God like every one of the rest of us, but our faith and hope is grounded in the fact that Jesus responsiveness to God—the fulfilling of God’s will and the manifesting of God’s love was in Jesus as it existed in no other human being—before or since. That kind of response would be enough for most of us—in fact it is what many of are committed to believing—Jesus as a man acting for God; but the stumbling block for a great many people is God living as a man.

To understand what our faith actually teaches, we somehow need to find a way of relating God to Jesus without i9nterfering with Jesus’ being a complete and whole human being.

Just as it is with you and me, Jesus’ earthly life must have been a series of occasions for his becoming—for his growth in spirit and maturity. He incorporated the faith in which he had been raised—Judaism—and he learned from the world around him. He was a country man—he learned to read the signs of nature and to see the visible expressions of God in creation. And like you and me—he was drawn to respond to all of these occasions as God lured him closer and closer to God’s self.

As Jesus knew more and more about God, his life moved toward a particular kind of unity. We see him in the Gospels as being inaugurated and empowered and motivated toward God in an ever-deepening understanding of the Kingdom. In fact, I think we can say that the special relationship that Jesus had and the movement of Jesus toward being the incarnation of God was initiated by the Spirit of God. It was God, the Spirit, who took personal responsibility for the development of Jesus, for the life of the human person that developed in the life of Jesus. In other words, it was God who initiated God’s own life in the person of Jesus.

Now there is a subtle point here: what I am not saying is that God controlled Jesus’ life in such a way that Jesus was not really being himself or being human. Jesus was free to determine how he would fulfill his life—how his life would move towards God—not unlike how you and I determine our lives movement, growth and commitment to God. But I believe it’s far to say that God initiated the process: God was personally involved in and with Jesus from the very start. And God could experience the becoming of Jesus as God’s own human life. What was needed for God’s life in Jesus was not that God could control Jesus, but that God was committed to his life in Jesus. It was God’s human experience and God took the full risk of being a man. He moved from one occasion of maturing in life to the next with ho advance knowledge of whether there would be another occasion or what influences their might be on that life. He was at the mercy of other people in his relationships. Above all, he was constantly open to temptation to reject even his own highest potential—because Jesus might have chosen a different alternative—something between the issues of love and the alternative of self-gratification. And God was committed to this choice in advance. What a huge risk for God to take!

Added to this risk that God took, Jesus, in his human mind, could not be aware of his special relationship to God. If God was to experience a truly human life, Jesus couldn’t have thought of himself as a man whom God was living inside of. That would be a failure of God’s living as a human being. The very purpose of the incarnation insisted that Jesus see himself as not more than a human son of God the Father. And only if the man Jesus did not have the slightest suspicion that he was in any way unique, or that he was superhuman, could he be for God an experience of the human life.

God had to run the risk of failing to love in the face of temptation. God had to run the risk of compromising with evil when it seemed to demand more than could be borne in the way of resistance. God had to bear the consequences of evil that became more and more violent in its attack. God had to accept, endure and forgive the response of hate that the spiritual leaders of the Jews and the Roman soldiers increasingly made to God’s own love.

God had to see the hopes for the coming of the Kingdom postponed and finally fade into despair. God had to acknowledge the total failure of a mission and see the most faithful followers flee in bewilderment, panic and defeat. God had to be arrested, condemned as a criminal and be exposed to the most shameful-- as well as painful-- death. And in the end, the crucified God had to suffer desertion by God—by himself—without an understanding of why it happened and without expecting to live on in any way.

Had Jesus failed in his love of God, God could not have forgotten him and tried again with another human life. God’s own human nature would have failed.

We should stop right here—this is a lot to absorb and to think about and to understand. But I want to say one more thing that I hope puts into perspective our role or commitment to our faith at this point: think for a moment more of how little Jesus had and what he accomplished in God. He had almost nothing and he increased it until it became “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” He had less than a dozen faithful disciples and a few more followers—and not always perfect ones by any stretch—he made them into millions of saints and martyrs. He had less terrain to travel on and to preach to than the smallest of our New England states, and he stretched it until it covered the whole world. He had less than three years to do his work and he made them into the equivalent of eternity. He had less than one boy’s lunch to feed five thousand people, and he made it enough to fill the needs of everyone, with some to spare.

The power of this fully man and fully God, is more power than anything you and I can imagine—and it will go on forever!

This is the miracle of Jesus. He can take our lives and what little faith we have and make it strong and full, and loving in every way.

You and I are not Jesus, and we are not God. But we have a promise—and the promise is this: if we take what we have and all of what we are—that is if we will let Love have its way in our lives—we will come to know the transforming power of God within us. The power of the man who was human, and the God who is eternal. What a risk God takes with us—and what a hope we are promised.

Amen

Readings for the Fifth Sunday in Lent: March 25, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt-- a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Psalm 51:1-13
Miserere mei, Deus
1
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; *
in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
2
Wash me through and through from my wickedness *
and cleanse me from my sin.
3
For I know my transgressions, *
and my sin is ever before me.
4
Against you only have I sinned *
and done what is evil in your sight.
5
And so you are justified when you speak *
and upright in your judgment.
6
Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *
a sinner from my mother's womb.
7
For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
8
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
9
Make me hear of joy and gladness, *
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
10
Hide your face from my sins *
and blot out all my iniquities.
11
Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
12
Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
13
Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Hebrews 5:5-10
Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
"You are my Son,
today I have begotten you";
as he says also in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek."

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

John 12:20-33
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-- `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

e-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (St. John, Milwaukie OR) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:31:00 +0000

Adult Education Program designed for Lent: We are going to spend each adult class at 9 a.m. during Lent looking at the week of the Passion. We will be studying the events that lead up to the Passover Feast, the Last Supper, the Agony and Arrest in the Garden, the Accusations and charges, and the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus. We will be looking at how the four Gospels treat these events and will have time for discussion. Bring a Bible with you and come to prepare yourself for a discussion of the Last Week of the life of Jesus. -Frs. Bud Thurston and Ric Simpson

LEAVE YOUR MARK with SPRING BREAK ART! Meet us in the Church School area on Tuesday, March 27th @ 1pm to leave your mark on the walls! We’ll be using hands and feet as our tools, so wear appropriate clothing! If you would like to participate, please contact Hillary Regan:hillaryregan@yahoo.com or 503.705.2548.

Palm Cross Making Scheduled for Saturday, March 31. Join us at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall for our annual palm cross making session. Contact Nancy Lane.

Do you need a special dessert for your Easter dinner? Let the Youth Group help! For the next 2 Sundays, the Youth Group will take pre-orders for the following desserts: Cheesecake ($15), Gluten-free Cheesecake ($16), Carrot Cake ($12), Gluten free Carrot Cake ($14), or a dozen Sugar Cookies ($6). The desserts will be available to be picked up Saturday night at the Easter Vigil or Sunday morning at either of the Easter services.

Youth Mission Trip - You've been hearing that the Youth Group is raising money for their summer mission trip. Now come check out the bulletin board in the parish hall to learn more about what they will be doing in San Francisco in July!

St. Martha's Guild reminds you that there are labeled places for donations to Rahab's Sisters and Clackamas Women's Shelter in the cupboards in the East Narthex. By using these designated spaces for your donations, you can be sure that we can find them all together and your items may be put to good use as soon as possible! Thank you!

Also from St. Martha's -- Please check the white closet in the East Narthex for items that may belong to you or a ministry you participate in. There are many unlabeled items in the closet that will be cleaned up in April.

Scrip Update: Our profit so far this year has reached $873.17. That is about average when compared to previous years, but it goes to show that every little bit helps. If you are a scrip supporter, thank you so much for what you do for St. John's. If you want to know more about the scrip program, please see me on Sunday morning, and I'll be glad to give you information!
Egg Hunt Donations Welcome!

The generosity of our parish is greatly appreciated by the Church School. Once again, we welcome donations of small toys, stickers, trinkets, bobbles, candy and other items to fill up our eggs for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. We could also use more baskets for collecting eggs. Items gladly accepted on Sunday mornings or in the church office. Empty eggs can be found in the Narthex on Sunday mornings, should you like to fill eggs yourself. Many thanks!

Leadership needed: Feed the Hungry has an opportunity for you to 'walk the talk.'
Needed are new board members to help guide the program through changes that will help assure that this program will continue for the next 20 years. The expectations of commitment are to attend the 5 bimonthly board meetings, respond to emails seeking opinion and guidance of ongoing projects, actively lead a special project or hold a governing position, work 2 Sundays a year with FTH. Voting for board positions will be held April 24. Please talk with Phil Wallace for questions or if you are interested.

Coming Up:

Schedule for Holy Week:

Sunday, April 1st
Palm Sunday 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Thursday, April 5th
Maundy Thursday: 5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing and Agape Meal (Potluck)
7:00 p.m. to Midnight Vigil at the Altar of Repose

Friday, April 6th
Good Friday Noon & 5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist

Saturday, April 7th
Holy Saturday: 8:00 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter

Sunday, April 8th
Easter Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Palm Sunday April 1st: Palm Sunday is on April 1st this year, but we’re no fools! We will have a special Palm Sunday lesson and craft for kids. Hope to see you there!
***Child care will be available in the nursery during Holy Week Services, April 5th, 6th & 7th. ***
Easter Sunday is April 8, 2012

Calling all Kids! Easter Sunday promises to be full of fun! We’ll start things off with an Easter Egg Hunt promptly at 9:30am for children aged 11 years and younger. When the service begins at 10am there will be a special Easter Church School lesson in the large classroom downstairs, followed by an Easter craft. Towards the end of the service the children will go up to the Sanctuary and help “Flower the Cross”.
Don’t forget to bring flowers and cuttings from your yard!

You are invited to Wednesdays of Lent at St. Paul’s, Oregon City. Soup will be served, followed by a time of prayer & reflection on the topic of Celtic Spirituality. It begins at 6:00 p.m. each Wednesday in Lent and runs through April 4.

A memorial service for Joan Waite, parishioner and resident of Willamette View, will be held on April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the Willamette View Terrace Auditorium.

Wondering what’s going on at St. John’s or if meeting space is available? The most up-to-date calendar can always be found on the Parish Web Site. Click on an event to see details.

A Prayer for a Time of Transition:
Almighty God, we pray that the power of Christ’s love may be present in our lives as we, the people of St. John the Evangelist, enter a time of prayerful discernment and transition to new leadership. May the Holy Spirit illumine the hearts and minds of those who have the responsibility to lead us as we prepare to build on the vision that is before us. Let not the prospect of change be an occasion for fear and confusion, but rather a time to build trust and increase understanding that Christ’s love may be made known between us and among us that your will may be done. Amen.

Serving at the 8:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, Celebrant & Preacher
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacon
Jamie Berry, Eucharistic Minister · Maria Aikin & Julie Ann Smith, Lectors

Serving at the 10:00 o'clock Service
The Very Rev. Anthony Thurston, Celebrant
The Rev. Stephen Denny & The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader, Deacons
Michelle Horgen, Director of Music
Val Wallace & Debra Lehmann, Eucharistic Ministers
Elizabeth Van Drimmelen, Melissa Northway & Ian Ball, Acolytes
Linda Kidd, Lydia Merrigan & Barbara Bullard, Lectors
Linda Kidd & Megan Kidd, Ushers
June Koenig, Greeter
The Rev. Pat Morris-Rader & Veronica Murray, Healing Team