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Diocesan Digest, March 23
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A homily from the Rev. AJ Buckley.
I don’t know about you, but I kinda get how the Israelites are feeling when they ask “Is the Lord among us or not?”
I understand the psalmist when they plead that we not “harden our hearts as our forebears did in the wilderness.”
I understand the woman at the well who says to Jesus, but “Sir, the well is deep and you have no bucket.”
In these cries, I hear the cries of the people at women’s marches, and the fears and worries of people on social media, and in my own life. Because it’s so easy to find our fleshy hearts covered over with stone when we fear. It’s so easy to wonder “Is the Lord among us or not?” when we fear. It’s so easy to see the task as monumental and feeling as if we lack that means to accomplish it, like the woman who stated, “Sir, the well is deep and you have no bucket.”
The things that fill the well can feel endless. People without water. People without food. People without homes. Animals endangered and going extinct. Pollution. Global Climate Change. LGBTQ rights. Women’s rights. Raising the minimum wage. Rising costs and plummeting wages and jobs. Peace in Syria. Peace in Israel. Being able to walk down the street holding hands with the one you love no matter what. Bullying and mental illness. Abuse and addiction. Feeling lost and abandoned. Feeling not “enough.” All these things and more. The well seems to be getting deeper and deeper and it’s understandable to feel like, here we are, standing there with no bucket, and a whole lot of thirst.
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Congregation Close-up: St. Gabriel, Portland
The St. Gabriel congregation is dynamic and growing. We invite all to “come as you are, and wherever you are on your journey of faith.” Our Rector, LouAnn Pickering, is gifted in preaching in a way that really has to be experienced, as it is difficult to describe the depth of heart and joy of spirit she shares with all of us. In addition to our congregation, we have established St. Gabriel Preschool and Yew Life Center as ways to reach beyond our walls to the expanding Bethany region.
Our music ministry plays a vital role in deepening our faith experiences. In addition to the choir, whose 15ish members sing three Sundays per month, music director Jessica Israels arranges for soloists and guest performances from the community. Her mother, Margot, offers free voice lessons for choir members, and together they bring a connection with the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra who have given several performances, both worship centered and concert style, of the Ellington Sacred music. Jessica has incorporated a section of the band to play on All Saints Day, and hopes to continue this on an annual basis. Reece Marshburn and Marianna Theilen, known in Portland as the By-Lines, add to our special Sunday music and concert offerings. For the congregation, engaging in music is a form of spiritual enrichment, and there is a great love and appreciation for this ministry.
Visit the St. Gabriel website.
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Pentecost Offering Grant: The Meditation Garden
Each year an offering is taken on Pentecost Sunday and divided by the Diocesan Council between two types of project grants. Half goes to programs, and the other half to "bricks and mortar" projects.
In 2016, All Saints (Portland) received a $950 grant for a "bricks and mortar" project called the Meditation Garden. Not only would a more beautiful garden enhance the area for our All Saints family, but would be an invitingl welcome to Hot Meals guests and the wider Woodstock community.
Following a plan to create a beautiful, safe, and low-maintenance space, All Saints volunteers enclosed the area with native ferns and vinca. They brought in three large boulders (over 600 pounds each!) for seating that is both beautifully natural. They preserved the two large trees that were already there and enclosed them and the ferns with edging. The center of the garden is fine pea gravel. There is nothing in the garden that can easily be picked up and used for mischief! The low plants and the open trees provide serenity, and ensure openness for safety.
This ambitious plan was carried out through the grant of the Diocesan Council and the work of terrific All Saints volunteers. Thank you to everyone who carried out this sometimes back-breaking work!
Applications for the 2017 Pentecost Offering Grants are due June 4. Visit our website for more information.
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Upcoming diocesan and church events:
There are several Safe Church and
Diverse Church 1
trainings around the Diocese this year.
P
lease register early so plans can be finalized with accurate numbers.
Youth Mission Trip
:
applications are due March 29
for YMT 2017, returning to the Paiute Reservation in Burns to host VBS and do work as needed around the reservation.
St. Benedict Guild Lent Quiet Day: meditate on the theme "Justice is the restoration of beauty to that whch is broken." Christ Church, Lake Oswego, April 1, 8:30 am - 3 pm.
Healing Touch Class: learn how to minister through hands-on, heart-centered energy work. North Lake Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Portland. April 1, 9 am - 6 pm.
Vestry/BAC & Treasurers Workshops
: Register now to attend a workshop on April 1 for important resources and training. St. Paul, Salem, 10 am - 2 pm.
The Tallis Scholars: professional choral ensembles based in England comes to sing sacred literature. St. Paul, Salem. April 2, 4 - 5:30 pm.
Godly Play Core Training: three-day training for volunteers on the fundamentals of facilitating Godly Play sessions for children. All Saints, Hillsboro. May 19 - 21.
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Events and Notices
Bishop Michael's Visitation Schedule:
St. Gabriel, Portland: March 26
St. Francis, Wilsonville: April 2
Register now: Clergy Conference will be April 24 - 26 at the Oregon Garden Resort. Our guest speaker will be Sister Simone Campbell of the Catholic social justice group "Nuns on the Bus." Conference schedule and registration information is available here. Hotel reservations must be made by March 24 in order to guarantee room availability.
Save the date: Holy Eucharist with Reaffirmation of Vows and Blessing of the Oils
Tuesday, April 11 at Trinity Cathedral, Portland
Wednesday, April 12 at St. Mary, Eugene
Both services will be at 11:00 am followed by lunch.
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Word of the Week
Whether you're a cradle Episcopalian or just walked through the red doors yesterday, chances are you've encountered some of the special vocabulary specific to our faith and wondered, what does that mean?
Check out previous entries on our
Instagram
account.
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We are the people in the Diocese
Congratulations to the Rev. Dn. Maureen Hagen!
On March 18, the Rev. Dn. Maureen Hagen was installed as President of the Association for Episcopal Deacons. In the Diocese of Oregon, she serves as deacon at Christ Church, Lake Oswego and as director of the Academy for Formation and Ministry.
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