Dear Fremont Family:
Thank you for a marvelous Pentecost worship last Sunday. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit throughout our time together, and I was humbled by your willingness to go to new and creative places together in worship. I especially enjoyed the dramatic reading of the Acts 2 account of Pentecost, the “sermon in conversation” with your insightful shared reflections, and our experimental play in the Spirit both with the “storm” that we made with the Young Disciples and the Voice Orchestra we created together.
And, what a feast we shared afterward! I loved the strawberry shortcake as well as the bounty of delicious Korean food prepared by Sarah Mun and Jefferson Chao. The Argentinian empanadas disappeared so quickly I didn’t even get to try one! The day together was fun and full of meaningful fellowship. Thank you to everyone who purchased Venezuelan cakes and also made cash donations. We sold the entire dozen and raised over $400 for the Venezuelan family that we are accompanying. And, we made 25 Blessing Bags to distribute to our neighbors on the street. Wow! You are amazing.
To me, this powerful experience of being community together in tangible ways makes a difference in the midst of the raging social crises. The situation in Los Angeles continues to escalate between protesters and Federal troops, and the situation is remarkably reminiscent of Portland in the summer of 2020. As Christians we can commit to never returning violence for violence, and we can also commit to showing up in solidarity for vulnerable persons, those being swept up in ICE raids and those attempting to protest the raids peacefully.
This Saturday, President Trump is staging a mass military parade in honor of Flag Day and his 79th Birthday. Many cities, including Portland, are holding counter protests to decry this financially wasteful and unnecessary display of militarism. I will be attending the protest (with my poster above), and would love to go with others. We can meet at the church at 11:30am, and then carpool to the Max station at the Lloyd Center to ride together downtown. The protest will be at the Battleship Oregon Memorial in Tom McCall Park from noon to 4pm. I plan to return to the church no later than 3pm. Please bring water, snacks and sunscreen with you.
On Sunday, we spoke of the Holy Spirit coming to us as advocate and helper in this uncertain and challenging time. May we continue to pray for the Spirit’s help as we walk together in the Spirit’s power.
Grace and peace,
Erin
