Fall 2021 NEWS
Worship Theme
Beginning September 12, 2021 and continuing through the end of the Pentecost season, we will be exploring the theme of God’s provision and God’s calling as we read stories from the Hebrew Bible together.
A couple of examples include…
… God CALLS all of creation into existence, including humankind, and God PROVIDES all that is needed for life in its various forms to flourish. (Genesis 1-2)
…God CALLS Moses to rescue God’s people from oppression and PROVIDES the voice and the words that Moses needs to answer such a daunting call. (Exodus 2, 3 & 4)
The Hebrew Bible is filled with story after story of God’s abundant generosity, God’s steadfast provision of everything we need for full and meaningful. Likewise, we read of the many and varied ways that God calls us… to heal, to steward, to nurture, and to love.
When we read these stories we find ourselves invited to ponder…
What are the gifts with which God has provided us?
And, how might we use these gifts to answer God’s calling to love our neighbor as ourselves?
I look forward to reading these stories and pondering these questions together with all of you in the coming weeks.
God’s peace,
Pastor David
Beginning September 12, 2021 and continuing through the end of the Pentecost season, we will be exploring the theme of God’s provision and God’s calling as we read stories from the Hebrew Bible together.
A couple of examples include…
… God CALLS all of creation into existence, including humankind, and God PROVIDES all that is needed for life in its various forms to flourish. (Genesis 1-2)
…God CALLS Moses to rescue God’s people from oppression and PROVIDES the voice and the words that Moses needs to answer such a daunting call. (Exodus 2, 3 & 4)
The Hebrew Bible is filled with story after story of God’s abundant generosity, God’s steadfast provision of everything we need for full and meaningful. Likewise, we read of the many and varied ways that God calls us… to heal, to steward, to nurture, and to love.
When we read these stories we find ourselves invited to ponder…
What are the gifts with which God has provided us?
And, how might we use these gifts to answer God’s calling to love our neighbor as ourselves?
I look forward to reading these stories and pondering these questions together with all of you in the coming weeks.
God’s peace,
Pastor David
Baby Care Kits - September & October 2021
Baby Care kits are shipped to countries where women in poverty bring babies into a world with little or nothing to care for them. These kits will contain basics like blankets for warmth and soap to keep baby clean.
Throughout the pandemic, ChristChurch volunteers have continued to collect items to make Baby Care Kits to donate to Lutheran World Relief.
Volunteers are looking for the following items:
What's an InGathering?
InGathering is a local gathering of groups that make and collect kits to help areas in need worldwide. Find out more here.
Baby Care kits are shipped to countries where women in poverty bring babies into a world with little or nothing to care for them. These kits will contain basics like blankets for warmth and soap to keep baby clean.
Throughout the pandemic, ChristChurch volunteers have continued to collect items to make Baby Care Kits to donate to Lutheran World Relief.
Volunteers are looking for the following items:
- Bars of soap (300 needed, preferably unscented)
- Cloth diapers (600 needed)
What's an InGathering?
InGathering is a local gathering of groups that make and collect kits to help areas in need worldwide. Find out more here.
Blessing of the Animals October 3, 2021
Let’s be honest, during these last 18 months, those of us with animals in our households have already been bringing our pets into our worship space. So let’s really invite them in - to give thanks for them, to acknowledge the gift they are to us, and to bless them! On Sunday, October 3rd, during our 9:30am worship time, we will be celebrating the Feast of St. Francis by blessing our pets and beloved creatures! We invite you to share your beloved animals with the whole worshiping community in two ways…
First, consider sending in a picture… it could be a faithful companion of many years, it could be a pandemic puppy or COVID kitty, it could be the birds or other creatures that you have been sharing your outdoor space with. Please attach your photos to an email and send it to pastordavid@comchristchurch.org by Thursday, September 30th.
Second, if possible, have your furry (or scaly, or feathered) family member with you in your sacred Zoom worship space. Together we will give thanks for and bless all God’s creatures!
Let’s be honest, during these last 18 months, those of us with animals in our households have already been bringing our pets into our worship space. So let’s really invite them in - to give thanks for them, to acknowledge the gift they are to us, and to bless them! On Sunday, October 3rd, during our 9:30am worship time, we will be celebrating the Feast of St. Francis by blessing our pets and beloved creatures! We invite you to share your beloved animals with the whole worshiping community in two ways…
First, consider sending in a picture… it could be a faithful companion of many years, it could be a pandemic puppy or COVID kitty, it could be the birds or other creatures that you have been sharing your outdoor space with. Please attach your photos to an email and send it to pastordavid@comchristchurch.org by Thursday, September 30th.
Second, if possible, have your furry (or scaly, or feathered) family member with you in your sacred Zoom worship space. Together we will give thanks for and bless all God’s creatures!
Worship Transition Team Update - September 1, 2021
Returning to in-person services: The dramatic rise in virus cases precludes us from even considering any form of in-person services until at least after Christmas. We all wish it wasn’t so. The transition team will keep the congregation updated if anything changes between now and Christmas. The church council, worship team, and others are exploring ways to invigorate our Zoom worship experience.
The Worship Transition Team would like to encourage everyone to get vaccinated unless a physician has said you shouldn’t. Getting vaccinated is one way to love your neighbor. Also, if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have any symptoms, please get tested before interacting with others.
Below are links on how to find testing locations near you:
Below are excerpts from a letter Martin Luther wrote in 1527 during the Bubonic Plague.
Returning to in-person services: The dramatic rise in virus cases precludes us from even considering any form of in-person services until at least after Christmas. We all wish it wasn’t so. The transition team will keep the congregation updated if anything changes between now and Christmas. The church council, worship team, and others are exploring ways to invigorate our Zoom worship experience.
The Worship Transition Team would like to encourage everyone to get vaccinated unless a physician has said you shouldn’t. Getting vaccinated is one way to love your neighbor. Also, if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have any symptoms, please get tested before interacting with others.
Below are links on how to find testing locations near you:
- Testing Information (washington.or.us)
- COVID-19 Testing in Oregon
- Get Tested COVID-19: enters Zipcode
- Google COVID testing near me
Below are excerpts from a letter Martin Luther wrote in 1527 during the Bubonic Plague.
To the Reverend Doctor Johann Hess, pastor at Breslau, and to his fellow-servants of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1527 A.D.):
Others sin on the right hand. They are much too rash and reckless, tempting God and disregarding everything which might counteract death and the plague. They disdain the use of medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but lightheartedly make sport of it and wish to prove how independent they are. They say that it is God’s punishment; if he wants to protect them he can do so without medicines or our carefulness. This is not trusting God but tempting him. God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.
It is even more shameful for a person to pay no heed to his own body and to fail to protect it against the plague the best he is able, and then to infect and poison others who might have remained alive if he had taken care of his body as he should have.
No, my dear friends, that is no good. Use medicine; take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence or has recovered, and act like a man who wants to help put out the burning city. What else is the epidemic but a fire which instead of consuming wood and straw devours life and body?
You ought to think this way: “Very well, by God’s decree the enemy has sent us poison and deadly offal. Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.
If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely, as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.
Excerpted from Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague (1527)
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 43: Devotional Writings II, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 43 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 119–38.
To read the complete letter, click here.
Others sin on the right hand. They are much too rash and reckless, tempting God and disregarding everything which might counteract death and the plague. They disdain the use of medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but lightheartedly make sport of it and wish to prove how independent they are. They say that it is God’s punishment; if he wants to protect them he can do so without medicines or our carefulness. This is not trusting God but tempting him. God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.
It is even more shameful for a person to pay no heed to his own body and to fail to protect it against the plague the best he is able, and then to infect and poison others who might have remained alive if he had taken care of his body as he should have.
No, my dear friends, that is no good. Use medicine; take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence or has recovered, and act like a man who wants to help put out the burning city. What else is the epidemic but a fire which instead of consuming wood and straw devours life and body?
You ought to think this way: “Very well, by God’s decree the enemy has sent us poison and deadly offal. Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.
If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely, as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.
Excerpted from Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague (1527)
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 43: Devotional Writings II, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 43 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 119–38.
To read the complete letter, click here.
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ChristChurch is looking for a Treasurer starting in June 2022
As an officer of the congregation, the Treasurer manages the financial activities of the congregation including income and revenue, expenses and disbursements, payroll, assets, and investments. If you are interested or know someone that would enjoy the work email Rachael for the full job description. Thank you to Rich Radford for the many years he has served in this role. |
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Technical Director volunteers needed
ChristChurch is looking for additional Technical Director volunteers to assist with Sunday morning worship. The Technical Director acts as the Zoom host for online worship. They share the slides during worship, song videos and assist Pastor David online as needed. Hardware needs: • Two monitors (recommended) • Good Wi-Fi speed or hard-wired computer • Reasonable video processor Software needs: • Zoom account (free account works great) • PDF viewer • Microsoft Office (preferred) • Ability to download worship elements (music video, script, PowerPoint or PDF) • Video player to play MP3 or .Mov files: QuickTime, Windows Media Player, VLC Volunteer hours: Sundays from 8:50am until end of worship at 10:30am. What does the Technical Director do? 1. Prior to worship download worship elements from Google Docs Online Worship Elements and open: • PowerPoint slides • Worship songs • Script 2. Sign on at 8:50am with Pastor David to conduct sound checks and go over details for the service that morning. 3. Open Zoom online worship ‘doors’ from 9:00am to 9:30am 4. During Worship follow the script. Share screen to: • Share PowerPoint slides or PDF of the slides • Share song videos (click share audio and video buttons on share prescreen) • Mute worshippers as required • ‘Spotlight’ Pastor when needed • Screen for Zoom “bombers” We are looking for multiple Technical Directors and are happy to train you. If you are interested, please email Admin@comchristchurch.org and Rachael will assist with next steps. |