May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers,
To break the dead shell of yesterdays, to risk being disturbed and changed.
May I have the courage today to live that life that I would love, to postpone my dream no longer,
But to do at last what I came here for and waste my heart on fear no more.
Excerpt from "A Morning Offering" by John O’Donohue
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I like to avoid the illusion that somehow January 1 changes everything each year. But it is important to reflect regularly on the things that we need to break away from in order to bring in new ways of thinking and living.
John O’Donohue’s morning prayer reminds us that each day is an opportunity to be transformed. There is no “going back to normal” after the events of the past year. Now is the time to re-imagine ways of living together in community that will bring abundance of life to everyone, not to just a few.
Let us “waste our hearts on fear” no more, but be faithful, instead, to God’s purpose for us—to love radically and with abandon.
In love,
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Jan Musgrove Elfers
EMO President
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Upcoming (virtual) Events |
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To learn more about upcoming EMO events and faith community events, visit our Event Calendar. If you would like to submit an event for our website, please fill out an Event Form.
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Jan. 9 @ 1 to 3 p.m.
Hear a panel of legislators discuss their priorities for the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session on topics of interest to the faith community, including: housing / human services, healthcare, economic recovery, climate / environment and police reform/judiciary. Legislators will discuss bills they support, the must-do bills for the 2021 Session and the prospects of passage. Following the panel discussion, the Zoom meeting will allow for a half-hour discussion with the legislators. EMO is a cosponsor of the event. Register now.
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Jan. 30 @ 1 to 4:15 p.m.
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Columbia River Watershed Pastoral Letter, this virtual conference will include a keynote panel, workshops and a closing address from U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. Presented by EMO’s Creation Justice Ministries and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light. Cost: $20 general, $10 students, scholarships available. Learn more and register.
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Feb. 16, 2021 @ 8 - 9 a.m.
You are invited to virtually gather with workers, local faith leaders, and the rest of the Jobs with Justice community, as we gather to hear powerful stories and celebrate this vibrant and resilient community! Due to Covid-19, the breakfast will be held over Zoom to prioritize safety. Tickets are $10, but no one will be turned away if unable to pay. Register now.
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Now available: 2020 Collins Summit "Shalom in Divided Times" |
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If you missed the 2020 Collins Summit, or you'd like to watch it again, it's now available on EMO's YouTube channel.
The 2020 Summit "Shalom in Divided Times: Can we create just peace and real unity?" explored racial, political and social divisions, asking how we bring our whole selves to the table and stay engaged in light of our differences, not in spite of them. The virtual event included a lecture from Lisa Sharon Harper, Q&A, and the opportunity to hear from members of the Common Table and their important work.
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Healthcare for All Oregon: Faith Caucus |
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The Health Care for All Oregon (HCAO) Faith Caucus is looking for people of faith to help educate and mobilize the faith community to make health care available to all.
Their goal is universal access to quality, comprehensive care that is publicly funded and available to everyone without regard to ability to pay. People of faith must be in the forefront of this effort if we are to live up to our ideals of loving and caring for our neighbors.
COVID has highlighted the inequities of a system where access to health care is often dependent on employment, even though fewer employers offer medical insurance each year. Tens of millions of workers have lost jobs due to COVID. With 50 percent of Americans getting insurance through employers, millions are losing access to care. Lack of access already disproportionately affects low-wage earners, among whom minorities are overrepresented. The only solution to such inequity is to create a universal health care system. HCAO is working to do that.
Please help HCAO with this effort. To get involved with the Faith Caucus, contact Mary Lou Hennrich at maryhennrich@hcao.org. To sign a statement of support or to get more information, go to hcao.org.
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Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
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