The Apostolic Church is making delicious tamales again this year.
The price is just $15 for a dozen handmade chicken or cheese & jalapeno tamales. Please pre-order by emailing bmw.chavez@gmail.com or texting 971.207.1743 with your name, quantity, and flavor(s). Pick-up will be at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 28, in the Family Room.
Proceeds support missionary families.
Are you seeking a small group of people with whom you can build a strong relationship? Step out and join one of our “Tables of 8,” a group who will meet once a month to share and care for each other over a meal.
Groups can decide when to meet. Start in October or as soon as you can. The hope is that groups will commit to meet through June.
Connect more deeply with those you already know at church, or grow to know someone new.
A signup sheet is available in the lobby or contact the church office. For more information, contact Cindy Loayza.
There’s definitely a chill in the air!
So, let’s feast on soups and bread for the upcoming Fourth Sunday Feast this weekend.
Bring your best chicken noodle, vegetarian chili, or whatever your specialty is, and let’s break bread together. For the non-cooks, bring the bread!
In the Lighthouse, after worship. See you there!
Life can be overwhelming. That’s why God gave us prayer. And each other.
Bring your struggles, your joys, and your prayers this Thursday, September 19, and let’s pray with, and for, each other.
In the Family Room at 6:30 pm.
Question: What does it look like in your life when you are clothed by love and compassion?
Answers:
Patient! Set aside my own agenda. Be a good listener.
You realize what a great abundance you have, and how you can change others by giving.
I stop trying to always teach others something and seek to be taught myself!
At our first Transitions Team meeting on August 18th, here’s another question we looked at:
“How do we want the actual transition to feel on July 2020?”
By this I wanted us to reflect upon what we wanted the transition to feel like when we arrived at July 1, 2020. How would we all be facing it? What would we feel about it?
Right now, it might feel daunting.
One thing the team spoke about was, “We have done this before!” The team cited the sabbatical I took for three months back in 2016 and how that time of having me gone actually worked well for we worked plenty as a congregation beforehand to prepare for it. I didn’t just disappear for 3 months, but we planned, we talked, we shared fears and doubts and processed our feelings. Because of the work we did, the transition of my departure for that sabbatical went really smoothly. And you as a congregation made this immense discovery that I didn’t have to be around for you to be the church. That’s a huge and helpful discovery.
Truly, you know this, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of from time to time, this congregation is not about me. It is all about Jesus. We are not here because of Brian Shimer, but because of Jesus Christ. Now, I know, we all know this. We really do. But sometimes we can forget it for I have been His undershepherd among your lives for a decade and that’s a long time! Well, in some ways it is long, but in other ways, it is so brief! Right? But here we are.
This does not discount the fact that we have grown to love one another. Love is real, and it hurts to part and anticipate parting. So, this question, how would we like the actual transition to feel is important. Here’s what the team wrote. They wanted the actual transition, July 1, 2020, to be described by these words:
Love, Smooth, Easy, Exciting, Nurturing, Peaceful, Safe, Supported, Welcoming for the incoming pastor, Joyously anticipated, seamless, Anticipation filled with joy and faith.
To arrive at July 1, 2020 with those kinds of feelings and expressions will take us really processing the feelings that we have about this departure happening. We cannot just deny that July 1, 2020 will be coming and have it arrive and feel “smooth, supported and anticipated.”
Here’s what the team will be speaking about the next time we gather on September 15th.
What is the story arc that we need to tell and be a part of between now and 10 months from now in order to arrive at July 1 able to say goodbye well because we have worked through the grief we feel, the fears we have, the losses we anticipate, the things we have experienced together which have gone well, the things that have flopped, the moments that have raised our hearts, etc. I’ve really be praying about this, wanting to know how to lead effectively so that we can do this work well.
Could you help me out in this?
I would love it if you would just reflect upon the season you have had here since I have been at this congregation as pastor.
What are some of your favorite memories of the time that we have spent together?
What are some of the high points for you?
What are some of the low points? They are important too.
What will you most miss anticipating my departure?
What are you looking forward to the most about a change of leadership? (it’s ok, I don’t believe for a second that I am the end all in leaders!)
What helps you most as you anticipate this shift in life?
How has Jesus most helped you grow in faith these years?
Was there a message that you most remember? (I know, it is like asking you to remember a meal you especially enjoyed.)
What’s an event you still go back to as a turning point in your life?
How has Jesus shifted your heart and grown you up?
That’s a start. Send your thoughts to me shimer7@gmail.com or send them via our Admin Virginia at office@westsidejourney.org
And know this -- we are walking this path together, so stay on the path, keep showing up at worship, show up at small groups, show up at opportunities to serve and let Jesus keep working on your heart as we walk together.
What does it look like when people who represent Jesus are actually acting like they know him? What characteristics might we expect to see? What might the eyes say? What might the smiles say? What might the hearts say? What words might represent this choice of “following Jesus?” How might we expect such people to act?
It seems like over the past decades in many sectors of society something less than what we might expect has occurred. When the public is asked what they think of the church in nationwide polls and the first word that comes to mind is…
Just a reminder that this is happening tomorrow —
In June, many of us banded together to build walls at Help Build Hope. Those walls were shipped down to Salem to become a home for Ellisha Pepper and her five children through Habitat for Humanity.
Ellisha is a Certified Recovery Mentor and single mom. She knows the struggles of addiction and homelessness. But over the past five years, she has built a path towards self-sufficiency. With her purchase of a Habitat for Humanity home, she and her children will achieve stability and safety. They are very grateful to all the volunteers who helped make this a reality.
On Saturday, September 14, from 1:00 - 5:00 pm, let’s help finish Ellisha’s house in Salem. For more information and to register, visit https://salemhabitat.volunteerhub.com/lp/CUMCP/
Our Transition Team will be meeting this Sunday, September 15, at 4:00 pm.
Please pray for them as they lead us through the transition process: finishing well, processing emotions, and welcoming a new pastor in July 2020.
To stay up-to-date, be sure to read Pastor Brian’s weekly blog at https://www.westsidejourney.com/weekly-blog
Question: In what ways has Jesus become your all in all?
Answers:
He has been all my life. My mom raised my siblings and me in the church.
All ways he is my teacher, comforter, and hope. My life is filled with his Grace.
He is the one constant always there!
Those weeks -- there are too many things to do, too many directions to go, emails flow in, text messages arrive, phone calls pull at us, needs hit like Dorian hit the East Coast -- you know those weeks and those days. So do I.
Distraction in those times is like a masked intruder bringing fear and distress. Life along with our hearts gets splintered at such times. It's a hamster on his wheel-type existence.
Last week, even while on vacation I could remember what that felt like. It was like even while breathing in the air of peace and pause, I could still sense that "intruder" breathing down my neck. It took discipline to come back to center, it took discipline to stop, to get rooted again.
It actually helped that I started vacation sick. Who knew that could be helpful? But, I ate a couple of hard boiled eggs Monday at lunch that it turned out were bad. The result was I felt increasingly worse throughout that day and began to throw up that night for a couple hours beginning at around 630 pm. Hard start, but a true break from the reality of life in the fast lane and a hard stop (at the toilet) that had me just focused on one thing (getting rid of the culprit) and prayer.
It was a simple prayer but still prayer.
The next day, tender but lots better, was a rest day for me. This was a good beginning for a week away for it performed the equivalent of a computer reboot on my system.
It seems in our lives we need to have hard stops. We need times to encounter a reboot in the operating system. We need a space when we step away and get off the "wheel."
God gave us the sabbath. It is an automatic reboot if we come into worship among others, put down the phone, say no to distractions and simply settle into the opportunity to be shifted BACK into first gear. It allows a stop in the middle of the madness.
At the start of the week it was two bad eggs that helped me reconnect with Jesus in a whole new way (!) and at the end of the week, worship did it for me again.
We attended a little Episcopal church in Waldport and there encountered Jesus in the liturgy of worship. The music was unfamiliar (I didn't know a song). I found it was beautiful to listen to those around me singing. The woman in front of me had spent 26 years in the chorus for the Portland Opera company. That woman SANG! The readings, the message, the prayers all transported me into a place of stillness that stuck with me. Distractions ceased. The "wheel" stilled. And I met Jesus.
I don't know what all is happening in your life, but this week friend, return to worship, enter community, pause in life, put down the distractions and be rooted anew in the Jesus who loves you a bunch and just wants to whisper that love into your life.
Here's to life in Jesus alongside of you!
Brian
PS: I can guarantee one thing -- to come into worship with an expectation of meeting Jesus will accomplish that. He will be there for you. Make that hard stop this week, so you don't have to experience it first as I did, at the toilet bowl.
Highlights of the mission trip to the Dominican Republic can now be seen on YouTube. Anytime you need a smile, watch at https://youtu.be/MPrDlnMK3Wg
Eleven members of Westside UMC traveled to Rio Grande, Dominican Republic, for a week, helping build walls for the school and “bridges” between the two cultures.
Many thanks to those who shared their photos and their talents to create this video.
After worship this Sunday, please plan to stay a few minutes and help set up for our Family Promise guests.
If you would like to help during the week, serving meals and hosting evenings, but have not yet been trained, please contact Bonnie Becker. There is a training session on Wednesday, September 11, which would enable you to sign up for the second half of the week.
Our next Family Promise week is December 8-15.
Our monthly gathering will be in the Family Room this coming Monday, September 9, due to Family Promise week in the Lighthouse.
Please join us at 11:30 am. Bring a dish and your joys and concerns to share. All are welcome!
Question: In what ways do you submit to Jesus as your Lord?
Answers:
By trying to live by his example and teachings as much as possible.
I give up the day to him - to guide and help me be his servant.
I’ve learned to let go, let God. Pray instead of worry; love, not judge.
When I listen and obey!
I try to speak with kindness under every circumstance.
At our first transitional team meeting on August 18th, I asked the team to respond to several different questions by writing down responses on sheets of paper posted around the room.
One of the questions was this one:
“What Qualities/Characteristics/Knowledge/Skills for our Future Clergy?”
Here are some of the thoughts and concerns that were shared:
Love of Jesus and love for Jesus
Good sense of humor
No physical wall (meaning: authentic, approachable)
Acceptance of all personalities
Warn this pastor: Free range children – be able to embrace them
Openness to our “come as you are” culture
Welcoming –anyone no matter what
Relationship builder
Sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading/moving *****
(and be forewarned: We Talk Back!)
Jesus focused, Bible Informed – someone who is real and lives the faith.
Someone with new ideas to share and willingness to share them.
Ability to be spiritually accessible
Good self image
After all this: We don’t expect perfection. Love of children all ages
A spouse who would be willing to worship and be part of church too.
Theological Orientation – someone with centrality of Christ and desire for a classical approach to theology voiced by some.
That last one might need a bit of explanation. There are two main approaches to theology which could be described as classical and progressive. That is overly simplistic, for there is actually a continuum of theology between those. And no one person could truly be described as falling into “one camp.” That’s the problem with labels -- no one fits them. Literally. Or once we apply the label we find exceptions. Some view me, for example as very traditional and others view me as progressive! Seriously, labels break down quickly.
But it is true theology is a component of anyone who might come. And theology is also a component of your life and mine.
All of us “do theology.” We are all theologians, although we might not see ourselves as such. Our viewpoints toward creation, toward humanity, toward faith, toward how we live our lives are all based upon systems of belief we have developed. Some of us are more “biblical” in that theology, meaning, we have a basis for action/belief based upon scriptural directives. Some of us are more “practical” theologians, basing our actions on “what is going on,” around us, and asking, “how might we respond?”
Another type of theology is called systematic theology. This branch of approach to theology is based as the name implies on categories (or systems) of doctrine: of first principles, of the Church, of the existence and attributes of God, of the Holy Spirit, of Christ, of Man, of Salvation, and of the afterlife. Each of these are explored and expounded upon. There are huge tomes of systematic theology from Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica to John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, to Thomas Odin’s three-volume Systematic Theology, to Wayne Grudern’s Systemic Theology. There are literally thousands more.
I think one of the main desires in the desire for classical is a faithful trust in Scripture, a deep belief in the real person of Jesus, and a relationship with him, an understanding of him as that miracle over against all others making his life remarkable. He was the Person who makes all the difference. There may be a desire of agreement on all the main issues of the day. But none of us agree on everything, so, more than likely you’ll find whomever comes will have approaches and thoughts that may differ from your own.
The most important thing, as we have discovered time and time and time again is a faithful return to Jesus. We can differ on many opinions of many aspects of life, but do we return to Jesus, do we find hope, life, and relationship and salvation in Him? Then, beyond this there can be other areas that take a backseat to Him and that’s appropriate.
As we say every week -- we are here to love God, love others, and make disciples, which are others who obey everything He commanded.
Here’s the process we are in as far as who might come next to serve as your pastor. We have just brainstormed this list. Next we will be discussing it and expanding it into categories of what are the essential qualities and what are the non-essential qualities. Part of this conversation will need to include our vision for the future, where we believe God is leading us. Then we will communicate these to our District Superintendent. Here is what we are looking for in our next pastor.
The District Superintendent, Erin Martin, loves this church. She wants the best person possible to come in to follow me. At this point, as far as I know they are seeking someone to just follow, not an interim pastor, who would have a two-year stay to prepare for the next person. Through the fall, the cabinet (all the district superintendents and our Bishop) will be discussing possible people who might be able to come here. In January, they may have some kind of list of possibilities, but also will add our congregation to the “Open List” and clergy from across the NW area can “put in their name” as possible candidates. The desire is to prayerfully align “who we are as a church,” “who we seek as a pastor,” with the folk out there. Sometimes God has sent in clergy from other annual conferences to fill vacancies. That’s how I ended up in this conference, God sent me and our family north saying, “I have new places for you.”
So, as you read this list of qualities above, do you have qualities that you would say are important to you as well? Are there other qualities you might like to see in the next clergy person who comes here? If so, email the office@westsidejourney.org and share what those might be. Virginia will add them to our list as the transitions team continues to discuss and share together. And keep praying: God has said He has this and knows whom He plans to send. Our prayer is that this person “hears God’s call.”
Angry, vindictive Ben wanted to get back at his girlfriend so this man who weighs over 400# (having already lost over 300# after having surgery to staple his stomach) decided to punish her by taking a walk, in the summer, on the streets of Phoenix in over 100 degree temperatures! Not the best choice. He ended up with 3rd and 4th degree burns on his feet.
From outside in we can clearly say: not the best choice. But how frequently do we make choices equally poor out of anger and hurt? How frequently are our emotions, our thinking, our choices, our desires and our words dictated by whim rather than connected to faith?
Here’s the basic need in our hearts and lives— to bring our lives back to Jesus moment by moment. What if Ben, rather than this decision to punish and hurt his girlfriend and impact his own life as well, instead of this self destructive action chose to speak, to say: “Here’s what I’m telling myself right now…” and honestly communicated the kind of stuff going on in his head? Well, maybe, rather than thousands of dollars in hospital bills and the possibility of never walking again, they might have worked through the feelings and hurts.
If Jesus is everything the New Testament writers claim he is, truly, then He has the desire, the right, the ability, and the sovereignty to be our Lord in every aspect of life. He literally can be our go-to for all those stray aspects of thought and action. We can give him our hearts and allow him to sway them.
Sometimes we use the words “Lord Jesus” without meaning them. Not that we actually think we are doing this, but we pray to the “Lord” yet don’t follow his lead.
I don’t write to shame, ever, but to expose and raise the question. Is Jesus Lord of your life? Where are the areas, where are the places over which he needs to be given lordship?
For as we look at scripture there’s no doubt that those people living around Jesus believed wholeheartedly that Jesus was the Lord, “My Lord and My God,” Thomas proclaimed. Let’s learn to live this as well, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Here’s another opportunity to receive training for hosting Family Promise families:
Wednesday, September 11
7:00 - 9:00 pm
St Andrew’s Lutheran Church
12405 SW Butner Rd
Our next Family Promise week is September 8 - 14. Receiving this training will allow you to participate during the second half of the week.
To sign up for training or assisting (if already trained), please contact Bonnie Becker.
The church office will be closed this Friday, August 30.
Happy Labor Day weekend!