St. James Lutheran Church Newsletter June 2020 1315 SW Park Ave, Portland OR 97201 | www.stjamespdx.org s “The Church Has Left the Building.” - song by Adams Voice You hold in your hands (or on your computer) a newsletter full of ministry. But much of it occurs away from our building. “The Church Has Left the Building” was one of the themes of a recent Lutheran Youth Gathering. It seems to say it all in two ways: Due to this pandemic we are unable to gather for in-person worship and ministry events. It feels strange not meeting in our beautiful sanctuary and seeing your faces. Yet protecting your and others’ health is an act of love. We have indeed “left the building” and I will let you know the second Governor Brown allows us to meet again—now she is hinting at mid-June. In many ways we, the Church, always “leave the building.” Our mission of love reaches out the door to the needs of the world. As the Body of Christ, we act as Christ’s hands and feet with our neighbor. This Pentecost season assures us that God’s Spirit travels with us. We don’t journey alone. Thank you for all the ways you touch the lives of others: checking on your neighbor across the hall or down the street, taking time to daily be centered in prayer, helping the unemployed and houseless with your financial offerings to St. James, and being God’s sustaining presence in an anxious society. As the song lyrics suggest: Your life is a billboard, Let it shine again. Pastor David At St. James, God’s Spirit arrived this Pentecost Sunday with a new banner that hangs proudly from our tower. It was designed and ordered by Linda Larsen, the chairperson of our Worship Committee. Our thanks to Linda and Larry for placing it. The Dove is partially hidden until the adjacent tree is trimmed. 2 May Council Highlights May 19, 2020 The May Council meeting was held via conference call. Present on the call were Pastor David, Becky Bolt, David Scott, Kathleen McDonald, Carl Cottingham, Charlotte Cook, Sue Hammond, Julie Hatch, Mandy Ellertson, Paula Veseth, and Patrick Earnest. Kathleen McDonald led the Opening Prayer. Highlights: Patrick Earnest reported that despite media claims, most childcare centers are still closed with the exception of those that have been declared “emergency centers.” At the time of the meeting, it appeared that most childcare centers would be allowed to open by June 1 with new safety restrictions. Patrick was able to secure a small business loan for the Child Development Center. Pastor David reported that while staff is still mostly working from home, work is being done around the church. Although it is not known when services will resume, it is likely there will be a cap to the number of people in attendance and seating will be six feet apart. There will be at least two services each Sunday to accommodate members. St. James’ ministry to the houseless continues six days a week with the help of St. James members. Pastor David and David Scott will facilitate a Virtual Coffee Hour at 10:30am on Sundays. The Music Call Committee has resolved to postpone the search for a new Music Director until January 2021; Michael Lindner will remain as Interim Music Director until June 2021. Your Faithful Offerings Offerings for the month of April were the highest of any April in twelve years. Thank you for supporting the ministry of St. James. With a decrease of some expenses and an increase in online giving, we are able to continue ministry today and prepare for the uncertain road ahead. Your generosity has made it possible. Thank you. Again this month, you are receiving an offering envelope in your newsletter. If you are used to placing a check or cash in the offering plate, please use it to mail in your offering. You may also go to our St. James website (www.stjamespdx.org) to donate or sign up for electronic withdrawals from your bank account. Contact Sharon Kurtz or Karin Hatch with any questions. “Alone Together” This sign, a few blocks from St. James, describes our pandemic dilemma well. We are alone and we are together: Alone Together. As weeks of isolation and stay-at-home orders takes its toll psychologically, we are staying connected in ministry. Many thanks for our fourteen leaders who check in on members each week so that no one is left out. It is our “St. James—Let’s Stay Connected” ministry. We also now display photos of our beautiful sanctuary that accompany the weekly Sunday audio- worship service as we engage in liturgy, music, readings and the sermon. Additionally we are having fun with our Virtual Coffee Hour each Sunday at 10:30am where we have conversations via Zoom. Forty joined us last week. Our Contemplative Prayer group also gathers by Zoom each Saturday for conversation around a spiritual topic. Recently fourteen were in attendance. Let’s keep connected. 2 3 Stories from Our Members The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives in different ways. Here, four St. James households share their experiences. Jim and Margaret Eickmann Jim and Margaret share that their family is experiencing significant changes in the midst of the pandemic—some positive and others negative. Their son Andrew and his wife and child were luckily able to get out of New York City and are moving to Portland, where Andrew will begin a job with the City of Portland working in housing. Unfortunately, the Eickmanns’ eldest daughter Anna and her family are currently preparing to move from California to Australia due to financial stresses and the education needs of their children. Jim writes, “We try to balance our resulting sadness with our agreement with the wisdom of their decision.” Bob and Gerry Grover Bob and Gerry have found new daily routines to make the quarantine manageable. Gerry substitutes tai chi for her usual daily swim and incorporates the Daily Devotion emails into her spiritual practices. Bob continues to breathe new life into his paintings by adding computer enhanced elements, and prepares for the St. James Immigration Art Show. Their granddaughter recently earned her Masters in Athletic Training from Pacific University and the family celebrated via Zoom. Gerry told Bob, “I’m just glad I have you!” and Bob shared, “It’s so nice to have each other and we consider it a real blessing.” Walter Matera Walter is recovering from sciatica and spends a significant portion of his time doing physical therapy. Unfortunately, the injury has kept him from gardening and walking his dog Dolly, though as he heals he is able to return to his normal routines. He spends his days baking bread and making soup stock. He says, “It's been a cross to bear... but I do know that this, too, will end, thank the Lord.” Kristine Almquist, Eric Deitrick, and son Emmett Kristine and Eric are both able to continue working full-time from home. Emmett has a great third-grade teacher and has adapted well to online learning. His nanny works with him three days a week to keep him on track with school while his parents work. Emmett also continues to take weekly piano lessons via FaceTime. Kristine’s mother’s home in Bend provides an occasional change of scenery where the family enjoys bike rides and time in the woods. While they miss routines like coming to church each Sunday, Kristine remarks, “I have really enjoyed spending so much time with Emmett and the slower pace of life. It makes me question if I want to ‘go back to normal’ as my ‘normal’ was so frantic.” During the quarantine, contact us at: 503-227-2439 St. James Lutheran Church Fax 503-227-0856 1315 SW Park Ave [email protected] Portland, OR 97201 Newsletter Production: Lilli Vellom Pastor David: [email protected] [email protected] Note: all staff are working remotely during the quarantine Newsletter editor: Kathleen McDonald 3 4 Celebrating a Milestone with David Zellmer This month marks fifty years since David Zellmer became an ordained Lutheran pastor. David Zellmer was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He met Kristine while at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and they were married in June 1964. Kristine and David have two children: a daughter, JoAnn, who resides in upstate New York with her husband; and a son, Marcus, who lives here in Portland. The Zellmers have three grown grandchildren. David attended Warburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa and was ordained Rev. Ernest Zellmer at June 21, 1970 at his home congregation, Christ Lutheran, Kansas City, the June 21, 1970 Missouri. He served in Oklahoma and Nebraska before he was called as ordination of his Pastor-Developer of St. Michael Lutheran Church, a new Mission grandson, David. Congregation in northwest Omaha. Eight years later he became an Assistant to the Bishop of the Nebraska Synod, ELCA. His next ministries took him to Pennsylvania, then Wisconsin. During their eight years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, David was instrumental in forming the Tanzania Justice and Education Coffee Project that continues to thrive. After thirteen months as Interim Pastor in Slinger, Wisconsin, David returned to Nebraska to serve Messiah Lutheran in Grand Island, Nebraska until his retirement in the spring of 2007. After retirement, David did part-time development work for the Nebraska Synod and Carol Joy Holling Camp before serving as Interim Pastor at a local congregation. He then became a part-time Associate/Visitation Pastor at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha until he and Kristine moved to Portland in November, 2013.