Author: Jill Richard

November 2020 From Your Congregational President

Posted on by Jill Richard
Elections 2020
Declaring & Teaching – Jesus is Lord ! 
Elections

Well if it is November it must be time to talk about elections. By the time you receive this the big one should be just about behind us depending on when you receive your copy and hopefully we can all move forward in unity in praising the Lord and celebrating the many blessings He has provided to us as brothers and sisters in Christ here at St. Paul. For one, we can continue to celebrate that we have been gathering as such for 142 years and that we continue to grow and thrive in His Spirit ! 

So what about elections? The church will have elections for officers and board members at 12:30 on December 5, 2020. We encourage those interested in serving to contact me or someone on one of the boards and ask to be nominated for a position. We are always looking for people willing to serve the Lord. Currently we are without a Vice President who would normally head-up the election committee. I have asked the board chair persons to confirm that those currently serving are willing to continue to serve for 2021, same for officers. At this time it appears that everyone will continue to serve in their present positions for the coming year.

 If there is anyone currently serving that does not want to continue to serve, please email Terri Green and myself so we can remove you from the ballot.

Council meetings have been sparsely attended and council has agreed to limit in-person meetings. Our next meeting will be at 12:15 on Sunday, December 5th if we have new business that needs to be addressed. Following that meeting council is not planning to convene until March 18, 2021 at 6:30 PM. If there is any new  business that requires a council meeting we may try to conduct it online as a Zoom call where Pastor and I would meet in his office or we will schedule an in person meeting if there is sufficient interest.

Did everyone enjoy Reformation Sunday and the welcoming of our new confirmands? That was truly exciting and something to celebrate. The Elders and Pastor will be working on the calendar Advent.

The Truth Will Set You Free

Here is a reading I found on the LCMS Church Calendar for Reformation Day, The Truth Will Set You Free, John 8:31-36; “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Now that is encouraging !

In celebration of Reformation Day, I thought it appropriate to share some more scripture. A few weeks back we read Mathew 21:23-27; here is the scripture followed by some commentary from Mathew Henry.

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Commentary:

Our Lord Jesus (like St. Paul after him) preached his gospel with much contention; his first appearance was in a dispute with the doctors in the temple, when he was twelve years old; and here, just before he died, we have him engaged in controversy. The great contenders with him, were, the chief priests and the elders, the judges of two distinct courts: the chief priests presided in the ecclesiastical court, in all matters of the Lord, as they are called; the elders of the people were judges of the civil courts, in temporal matters. These joined to attack Christ thinking they should find or make him obnoxious. See how woefully degenerate that generation was, when the governors both in church and state, who should have been the great promoters of the Messiah’s kingdom, were the great opposers of it! Here we have them disturbing him when he was preaching, v. 23. They would neither receive his instructions themselves, nor let others receive them.

This is just the first paragraph of Mathew Henry’s commentary on this reading, it goes on for several pages and I would encourage anyone interested in learning more about this scripture to continue to read it online, it really helps to bring it to life.

Stay Healthy!  Hope to see you in church in the very near future.

In His Service,

Tim Grace

A Note from Pastor Rich – November 2020

Posted on by Jill Richard

Welcome to November! 

It is time to prepare for winter.  Pull out your winter clothes, and add another blanket to your bed.  November also has some important times.  There are elections, Thanksgiving, shopping sales, Advent starts this month.  How did this month get its name?  It comes from a Latin word meaning nine, because in the Roman calendar there were only 10 months in the year and November was the ninth month.  Now you know the rest of the story. 

 

For some, November may mean the onset of winter. 

But good news, winter will not last forever. Spring will return.  At times we may feel like our lives may be in the winter.  But we know that we can trust God to get us through.  Jesus is here for us.  Trust in the Lord! Life in Heaven awaits us.  Enjoy November!

 

God be with you,

Pastor Rich

Hi Gang,

     I continue my lonely existence at the Senior Center. I await the time when you will return! If you are having the November blues, I have some November smiles for you.       Ready?

  • What do you use to mend a jack-o-lantern? A pumpkin patch.
  • Who won the skeleton beauty contest? No body.
  • Who helps the little pumpkins cross the road to school? Do not know? The Crossing Gourd.  Ha haha. 
  • If money really did grow on trees, what would be your favorite Season?  
  • What did one leaf say to another? I am falling for you. 

 

If you were able to answer the above questions, you may continue. Otherwise, STOP here.

 

  • If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.
  • I bought some powdered water but I do not know what to add to it. 
  • How many of each species did Moses take on the ark with him?
  • What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?

Answers to the last two…

  •   Moses was not in ark, Noah was.  
  • A Stamp

 

                                               Enough for November!, Hope to chat next month.

Pastor Don’s Message – November 2020

Posted on by Jill Richard
Childrens sermon online

Pastor Don’s Message

Dear friends in Christ,

New Church Year!

It looks like we’ll be starting the new Church Year on Sunday the 29th, while still in Phase I. Nevertheless we’ll continue with our special services including Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday Evening Advent Services, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. My hope is to have all of these services online since our sanctuary space is limited to between 25-50 people under the current phase. It doesn’t look like we’ll be hosting the Yamhill Chorus this year, as well as a preschool or youth service; but we can still sing our favorite Advent and Christmas hymns and carols together online. I’ll keep you posted as to what the services will be, what time, and how you can participate.

Covid Fatigue

If you are suffering from Covid fatigue, you’re not alone. I am too. I’m getting used to the way things are going but at the same time, I don’t want to get too comfortable with it. I miss so many things such as Sunday Bible study, new member group, Saturday men’s group, Thursday night Bible study after Praise Team practice, to name a few. I’m very pleased though to have been able to confirm J.P Garstka, Ben Granquist, and David Sanchez on Reformation Sunday. I had to modify our original plan quite heavily due to the pandemic, including missing out on camp at Lutherwood.  As I mentioned in my sermon on Reformation Sunday, there was no confirmation class of 1919 here at St. Paul, most likely due to the Spanish Influenza. Next year’s class will be a challenge as we try and figure out how to effectively meet and learn more about our Christian faith.

You’re so giving!

I want to thank all of you who donated items for the Fall rummage sale – it was a success! And I certainly wish to thank all of you who donated your time to get it ready, staffing it, and cleanup. On that note, we are not taking any more donations until further notice. With the wintery weather coming, we will be using the Connect Center as a gymnasium for the preschool and other small group gatherings. Please do not place any items on the parsonage porch either, as we want to keep that area clear for the winter as well. The funds received from the sale will go towards our youth participating in the 2022 LCMS National Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas.

God’s Providence

The president of our district, Rev. Paul Linnemann reports the churches in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska seem to be doing well despite the pandemic – none of them have folded because of it. Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised at this good news since Jesus Christ is Lord of the Church. He protects us and will continue seeing us through this pandemic and through whatever other adversities come our way.

Online Church Services

Stay with the Church online, and in-person if you can. We need Jesus more than ever and our Advent season will help us keep our eyes fixed on Him. May the Lord be with you and your household. 

 

 Pastor Don

A Message from Pastor Rich (October 2020)

Posted on by Jill Richard
Don't worry talk to God

Greetings in Christ Jesus

 

To many seniors, the times we are living are not like anything we have experienced in our lives.  Riots, destruction of major cities, cries to defund the police, charges of racism, words of hate, and on goes the list.  We are concerned about our children and grandchildren.  Is there anything we can do?  Yes yes yes!  We have a powerful weapon. Please use it.  What is it?  I quote E. M. Bounds.  “Prayer is our most formidable weapon, but the one in which we are the least skilled, the most adverse to its use.”

 

In 2 Corinthians 10:4 we read, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Use prayer as a spiritual weapon to pull down the strongholds that hinder God’s love. 

 

Last Saturday there was a prayer march in Washington D.C. where thousands walked to seven different prayer stops to pray.  It was a joy to watch and pray with the people.  In this difficult time, let us use our weapon of prayer. 

 

We continue our Senior gatherings each Wednesday on Zoom at 1:30 pm.  We can rejoice together and at least see each other.  Hopefully we will soon be able to meet in person.  Until then God be with you and may His peace abide in your hearts.

 

In Christ’s Love.

Pastor Rich

 

Hi gang,

                          How I miss seeing you at the Center.  I sure do miss my PJ!  It is so quiet here.  I hope you can return soon.  I hear that so far six families have joined Households of Faith.  They were excited to receive their kits that you helped provide.  I hope to hear how meaningful they will be to them. 

 

In the midst of all the frustrating happenings, I have a few smiles to share with you.  Ready?! Smile. 

 

  • He who falls in love with himself is not apt to have much competition.
  • Be a patient pedestrian to avoid being a pedestrian patient.
  • Years ago if people missed a stagecoach they were content to wait a day or two. Now they get exasperated if they miss one action of a revolving door.
  • A person who can smile when things go wrong has probably just thought of someone he can blame.
  • The reason the dog is known as man’s best friend is because he gives no advice and never tries to borrow money.
  • Most church members think an epistle is the wife of an apostle.
  • Keep smiling. It makes everyone wonder what you’re up to. 
  • The Sunday school teacher told a detailed account of Jonah and the whale. What does this lesson teach? You can’t keep a good man down. 
  • Tact—The ability to make your guests feel at home when you wish they were.

 

Keep smiling! Chat with you next month.

 

Love, Zeke

A BRIEF EXPLANATION ABOUT CIRCUIT VISITORS AND CIRCUIT 7

Posted on by Jill Richard

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sherwood Oregon is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS.) Our congregations span the entire country. While we walk together in the unity of Christ with two million of our brothers and sisters across the USA, our denomination is subdivided into regions, or districts, in order for our people to work together more efficiently for the kingdom of God. Oregon lies within the Northwest District, which includes Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

 

Just within our state, there are 77 congregations, the majority of them as you might imagine are located west of the Cascades, grouped around the Portland metro area, and along down the Willamette Valley. LCMS churches are further grouped into sub-regions known as circuits. Our congregation is in Circuit number 7, and includes these congregations:

 

Calvary, St. Helens

Grace, Scappoose

Prince of Peace, Portland

Good Shepherd, Portland

Bethlehem, Aloha

Pilgrim, Beaverton

Our Redeemer, Tigard

St. Paul, Sherwood

Living Savior, Tualatin

Triumphant King, Lake Oswego

 

Each circuit is served by a circuit visitor, who is a pastor, either retired or active. The circuit visitor supports and encourages the other pastors in his circuit. He is involved in the call process for churches seeking to call a pastor. The circuit visitor also organizes and conducts monthly meetings for the pastors in his circuit to get together to worship, study the Scriptures or the Lutheran Confessions, and share the joys and pains of the ministry, as one might do in a support group. Circuit visitors go way back to the 1800s when Lutheran congregations were separated far apart from each other, and the pastors needed brotherly encouragement and support from their colleagues. Back then they were called “circuit riders” because they actually rode on horseback to visit the congregations within their geographic responsibility.

 

I am currently serving as the visitor for Circuit 7. I was appointed to this by our district president Rev. Paul Linnemann when the previous circuit visitor resigned late last year. I am happy to continue on in this because the workload is not very much extra, and I enjoy getting to know my brother pastors more.

In order for me to continue on, however, you’ll need to nominate me for the next triennium, which begins Spring next year. If I’m nominated, I’ll run against other pastors in the circuit if they are also nominated. If no other pastors are nominated, then I’ll be a “shoe-in” I guess. The forum for this election will be held at Bethlehem Aloha on Sunday afternoon, Nov 15th. Our church is required to send a lay delegate along with the pastoral delegate (me), to vote for the next circuit visitor. If you are interested in fulfilling this important role, please let me know.

 

Well, that’s the short history of circuits and visitors in the LCMS! There’s a lot more to it but I thought some of you who were perhaps less familiar with it might find it useful. Most of the time congregations are focused on their own business which is certainly important, but periodically we must help conduct the business of the larger church so that we may continue walking in unity and strength.

 

Pastor Don  

 

Message from Congregational President (Oct 2020)

Posted on by Jill Richard

October 2020 From Your Congregational President

Declaring & Teaching – Jesus is Lord!

 

 

Luke 8:45-55

And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.”  But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.”  When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!”  And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately, and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.

Well, it’s October, Ha!

Above are two beautiful stories that both stir our feelings of faith and believing in the POWER of Jesus to heal and bring life anew. Can you see Jesus walking in the crowd and stopping, everyone looking at Him and he says what?  “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that POWER had gone out of Me.” May this be the case for you as well TODAY and every day, that His POWER flows in your hearts and minds and that you are stirred to action in His name.  Amen.

There is lots going on as we all gain a little bit of confidence in our collective COVID environments. We had a good turnout for the cleanup from the BIG wind storm in September and the campus looks great. I would encourage everyone to stop by the grounds and go for a walk and pray for direction and guidance in what the Lord has for you to do for His church in this coming fall season. There are always sticks and leaves to be picked up as well as gardens to be weeded. Just pick an area and make it look like you think God intended it to be. People need to get outside and do something, anything, to get your blood moving and do something to grow His Kingdom, and what better place to do this than on your church campus.

What’s that you say, you don’t like to garden? Well, we have some painting that needs to be done on the modular buildings, the old schoolhouse and there is some window trim on the sanctuary that should be painted, which reminds me that there is also pruning that needs to be done by the Sanctuary and the Ed Building.

In His Service,

Tim Grace

Message from Pastor Don – October 2020

Posted on by Jill Richard
pew

 

Dear friends in Christ,

 

We’re in around our sixth month of online worship services and even though we’ve been able to welcome 25 people per service back to the sanctuary since June, it remains that virtual church doesn’t have the same kind of accountability as full, in-person worship. We believe that the Holy Spirit works faith through the Word of God, and the internet can transmit that Word, but the pastor has a harder time shepherding the flock when his sheep are invisible to him. He may not know whether they are still following or have left the fold and the faith. I very much appreciate however those of you who have “chatted in” on Facebook Live during the service because at least I know you’re out there. I’ve heard from some of you that you prefer to watch the service later in the day, or even the week, but I have no idea how many of you or exactly who does that.

 

Nevertheless, I think I have a fairly decent idea as to how many of our church members are participating in the spiritual and worship life of the congregation—about 75 percent. That’s slightly higher than what was reported in a recent survey by the Barna Group, which found that one-third of regular churchgoers questioned said they did not watch services online and put church completely on pause during the apex of the pandemic. The number was even higher for those in the millennial generation. Another interesting figure in Barna’s research: when asked if they had contact with a church leader at all in the past month, only 30 percent of practicing Christians replied “yes.” 

 

At this point it’s hard for church leaders to gleam some meaning from all this data. We pray God will end the pandemic sooner than later—all in His time of course—and we’ll be safe to meet together again before we’ve even figured out what it all means. In the meantime we press on as the Church, worshipping our God in response to His Word and all He has done for us. After all, we have much to be thankful for including the fact that the church is still together, the campus is intact and looking good; the preschool is in session, some of our ministries our continuing via Zoom, volunteers are still serving in a multitude of ways, and praise God, the Holy Spirit is bringing children to the saving waters of baptism.

 

On a separate page I’m going to outline a few things happening within our circuit. Some of you might not know what a circuit is, so I’ll explain that as well. There is an important decision coming up for the voter’s assembly before the Northwest District LCMS convention next spring, so I want to give you ample opportunity to consider it.

 

The peace of the Lord be with you,

 

Pastor Don