Living In God’s Amazing Grace
HAPPENING AT HOLY CROSS,
SEPTEMBER 6, 10:00am:
Our Patio/Parking lot Worship will feature a PRODUCE TABLE EXCHANGE! We are excited to bring back an opportunity people have loved about Holy Cross. Jerry and Kathy Barker are handling this table on Sunday. We will need to social distance (one at a time at the table), but please bring your abundance of produce to share! And bring a bag to take yours home!
Hello, everyone! I just wanted to give a quick shout out to remind you to please call me to RSVP for our Outdoor Worship this coming Sunday, August 23rd. I can be reached at 503/364-6041.
Thanks!
Janet
Here’s a Lenten devotion for the whole family
Every year someone asks me what I’m giving up for Lent (that 40 day period before Holy Week where many Christians seek an inward journey, a connection with the holy).
I used to give up ice cream. There were years I gave up wine. Chocolate, cookies, all those things have hit the list. But I don’t give up things for lent anymore. I take something on. Just one thing. If I take on just one thing, perhaps my lenten discipline will succeed.
Last night at Ash Wednesday services I invited people to a “Holy Lent” and talked about “Lenten discipline”. I’m not sure what folks think when I say that, but for me, a Holy Lent is a mindful lent. Just a few weeks of the year where I remember that I am dust, and to dust I shall return.
I am very pleased with the idea of a Lenten discipline being a devotion – reading, praying something every day for the Lenten season. And I have included one that I found that makes me happy. Its for all ages, for families, for singles, for couples. Try it out, won’t you? (It started on Sunday, but you can start today). Or pick up a devotion at Holy Cross, or even search the web for one that makes you happy. Take on a discipline for lent with me, won’t you? I think we will both be better for it. –
Pastor Patricia+
The kids at Holy Cross let me bring out my Daniel Tiger doll every so often. And we all learn from the very young tiger who is learning things often for the very first time.
The adults at Holy Cross let me sometimes enter into discussions about the life of faith through the eyes of a very young tiger. Because I think we are all dealing with fear today. We cover it up – some of us ‘eat our fears and anxieties’ – mine are most appreciated when they are chocolate dipped. Some of us become angry people – shaking our fists in rage at the ‘fools’ who run things, or the ‘idiots’ who want change to come. Some of us, driven by fear, disappear into ecstasy – (yeah, this is hard to explain) – religious ecstasy is ancient, but modern ecstasy finds worship, prayer and the like to be a vehicle to back out of the conflict we see around us.
But we are transfigured. On the mountaintop in Matthew, Jesus tells the terrified disciples, ‘Get up. Do not be afraid.’ He’s been showing them in his ministry, by healing, and casting out demons, and feeding the people all along. His power is shown to them in a fearful display on Transfiguration, as Elijah and Moses join him in glorious light! But this power display is not to frighten, but to inspire. This life they are called to join is glorious – don’t minimize that – don’t let the fear take hold.
So, when we all get frightened, like Daniel Tiger does, we could learn from Daniels’ mother who tells him to think of something happy. And then what? move forward, step by step, do not be afraid. What might we accomplish if we could move beyond fear to action in the name of the King?
My friends, take a breath, go to that place inside yourselves where we worship our Lord – and change the world.
Pastor Patricia
“In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing.”
I am a movie fan. And a book fan. And I have read “A River Runs Through It” as well as watched the movie half a dozen times. There is something about the father, a Presbyterian minister, and fly fisherman, who teaches his sons about life, and faith, and fishing, that speaks to me. Continue reading ““He’s just been particularly good to me””