This year has certainly been a different one! And Advent at St. Michael’s will be different, too. The Giving Tree, anticipated by many, will be missing. But the Outreach & Justice Council is still fulfilling its mission of outreach to those small, often local ministries for which our funds make a welcome difference.
With the first Sunday of Advent we begin a new year in the Church, and with a new year we have new opportunities dawning for how we grow together in the body of Christ. How will we, as a whole community, come to resemble the love and way of Jesus more fully in the year ahead of us? That question is at the heart of everything I (James Joiner, Associate Rector) am dreaming up for our Adult Education and Formation offerings this year, a project we’re calling Lift Up 2021.
Who knew back in the spring that the scourge of COVID-19 would still be with us as we head in to the holidays? Portland is suffering along with the rest of the country. Many members of our parish have been impacted by the loss of jobs or having had their work hours reduced.
The St. Michael’s Music Program is up and running! All three of our choirs are meeting over Zoom and doing amazing work in spite of COVID restrictions. The St. Michael’s Singers rehearse on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, the Choristers (3rd to 12th grades) meet on Tuesdays at 4:30 pm, and the Saints & Singers gather to rehearse on occasional Thursdays at 7:00 pm.
In the spring, many St. Michael’s parishioners and friends offered to donate money to help those less fortunate, include some who lost most or all of their income and/or were not eligible for federal funds. At the beginning, volunteers bought and delivered actual groceries to two to four families. Then, as the number of families needing help grew to around 15, the team switched to giving grocery gift cards.
The Outreach & Justice Council has met online every month since the COVID-19 outbreak began and have divided the funds allotted to them from the Operating Fund between many areas of need.
The Advocacy Action Committee of St. Michael’s is making available a publication entitled “Democracy Values & the 2020 Election: A Reflection Guide for Faith Communities.”
Shopping for backpacks and school supplies in August has become part of the rhythm of our lives, and indeed the day we fill those backpacks with brand-new school supplies is one of the best Sunday mornings of the year! St. Michael’s will continue to support children in the foster-care system, this year with a “Back-to-School” effort that looks a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Episcopal Church is urging all its members to take part in the 2020 United States Census. The mission of the census is to count every single person in the United States, without regard to age, immigration or citizenship status, whether or not someone is incarcerated or on parole, or whether they are facing homelessness. The goal of the Church is to help ensure that everyone is counted.
St. Michael’s and the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) invite you into new ways of being, loving, and acting together by engaging in immigrant justice and anti-racism work. Many people at St Michael’s have expressed a desire for a space where they can talk about immigration injustice, racism and white supremacy, and engage in the work of dismantling these personally, in our communities and in the world.
Sunday Services
7:30 – Rite I Traditional language with no music.
9:00 – Rite II Holy Eucharist with choir
11:00 – Inclusive language with choir
1:00 pm – Misa en Español
© 2023 St. Michael & All Angels
