Thursday, November 3, 2011

St Stephen's Friends of Music Presents Fall Into the Holidays

Fall Into the Holidays - An evening of food, drink, music, and conviviality to usher in the holiday season benefitting the music programs at St. Stephen's.

Entertainment provided by Portland jazz trio, The Originals performing jazz standards of the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, and featuring  Jules Auger on bass, Morgan Curtis on drums, and Don McFarlane on piano.

Raffle prizes will include a weekend beach getaway in Neskowin, artistic ceramics by Lisa Johnston-Smith, and tickets to St. Stephen's 2011-2012 Concert Series.

Saturday, November 19 from 7 to 10 pm
Sivers Center, 2301, SW 1st Avenue

Map of Sivers Center

Suggested donation $40 per person.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by check to St.Stephen's Friends of Music.

Send to St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish, 1432 SW 13th Ave, Portland, OR, 97201, or online:
http://www.stst.org/.  See the Donate button on the home page.

If using PayPal, be sure to type "Fall into the holidays" under "Special Instructions to Seller" when you check out.

Day of Homelessness Awareness Walk

Day of Homelessness Awareness Walk

Faith communities throughout Portland and Multnomah County will observe the second annual “Interfaith Day of Homelessness Awareness” on Tues, Nov 15.  This year’s Day will focus on three concrete actions that people of faith can take to help end homelessness: Donate/Volunteer/Advocate. The Day will include a “Walk of Awareness” at 7am at the Downtown Chapel.  One spot highlighted on the walk will be our Communion in the Park location.  Visit www.joinpdx.com/dayofawareness.html for more details.  Let Paul know (at JPaulDavis@prodigy.net) if you can walk with StSt.

Stewardship update

We now have in hand 11 pledges totaling $12, 216.  Please fill out your card today.  Just mail it in, drop it in the plate Sunday, or slip it under the office door.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

This Week at St Stephen's

Give thanks for friends! 

This Friday morning our downstairs freezer, full of supplies for our Food Pantry, quit working. Offers of partial space for the food came from Mike McCabe at Hamilton West Apartments (hamiltonwest@cascade-management.com), Melinda Tashnick at Loaves & Fishes (mtashnick@lfcpdx.org), and Doug & Sean at West Café (eat@westcafepdx.com). In the end, Patrick Daley at Blanchet House (chezblanchet@aol.com) was able to store all our food in one of their 12 freezers. It is good to know we have such friends willing to help! Saints Sue Rossiter and Alan and Robbie Ashenberner discovered the problem and got the food moved in time!

Bring a can if you can this Sunday… 

To celebrate the opening of our new Food Pantry this Thursday, Sept 22, 2-6pm, in the Parish Hall, everyone is invited to bring a can for the pantry this Sunday. We want to distribute 750 meals of food! In addition, you can: - Donate grocery bags for people to carry food home - Donate paper supplies and hygiene products (food stamps cannot be used to buy these items) - Volunteer to pick up food at the Food Bank this coming week - Volunteer to help Thursday: set up at noon; greet and assist guests 2-6pm; clean up 6-6:30pm. - Donate cash to buy food wholesale at Oregon Food Bank (OFB). Canned vegetables, tuna, chili, and stew cost us about $15-20 a case at OFB, so a cash donation might be a more effective use of your funds. - Email Roberta Taussig at rmtaussig@gmail.com about what we need this week for the pantry.

And celebrate a new partner for the Table…

Voodoo Donuts (http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php) is partnering with us to provide St. Stephen’s (StSt) Table their day-old’s every Saturday morning to serve as we open the doors for breakfast. They will go perfectly with our hot coffee! Guest and volunteer Mike Perez took our information to Voodoo and made the connection for us. Roberta Taussig will pick up the donuts at 7am every week. Thanks to Mike, Voodoo, and Roberta!

Conversation with Islam, 9am Sunday 

9am Adult Inquiry continues its series on the tenets and practices of Islam. This week: Our guest will be Tawab Kamawal, a member of the Portland Mosque, who will lead a Q&A about the Islamic declaration of faith, prayer and spiritual practice. September 25: The practice of Zakat (charity) and pilgrimage. Hajj is pilgrimage to Mecca, the fifth pillar of Islam. All Muslims who are physically able must make this journey once in a lifetime. Departures from Portland begin Oct. 22. October 2: Women in Islam and any other questions you ever wanted to ask. The rights and responsibilities of women in Islam are equal to those of men but they are not necessarily identical. For Westerners it is often not easy to sort out what is imposed by ancient cultural tradition vs. what the Qur’an actually says.

This Sunday is “Consecrating Sunday” 

We are pleased to welcome Rev. Canon Neysa Elgren, from the office of the Bishop, as our preacher and presider at 7:45 and 10am Eucharist this week. Neysa will also be volunteering at StSt Table this Saturday. At 10am, we will lift up and recognize all the expressions of our inclusive Table at St. Stephen’s, where all are invited to be fed in body and spirit! A special litany by Fr. Dennis and Paul will celebrate our partnerships and ministries including: the Choir and sacramental ministries, StSt Table, Communion in the Park, Operation Nightwatch, Journey Koinonia Catholic Community, Portland Chamber Music, 12-step groups, and Ranger the service dog. Rev. Gary Davis, Rev. Roger Fuchs, and Jesuit Volunteer James “Jimbo” Antonio from Operation Nightwatch will join us, as well as last year’s J.V., Cole Merkel (now at Street Roots newspaper). Come help us kickoff the new program year with this uplifting service about all StSt is doing. Invite a newcomer to join you and find out about us!

 At StSt, we celebrate one message spoken by many voices. The message is that we are all welcome at the Table. Clipboards with weekly bulletins for the children are at the back of the church.

Friends of StSt Music concert, Sunday at 2pm

Sunday at 2:00pm, as part of our 2011-2012 concert series, The Wildwood Consort presents a survey of the French Baroque with the music of Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749), master of the Cantate Française: L'Ile de Délos - a musical depiction of the birthplace of Apollo, where wisdom and pleasure coexist in pastoral tranquility; Léandre et Héro - the tragic tale of lovers separated by water and a fateful tempest; Sonata I "L'Anonima" and other instrumental works. Suggested donation to support the music program is $10.

Last Week’s Noh Garden 

The Choir’s performance of Noh Garden, dedicated to the victims of 9/11, can be seen in excerpts at www.nohgarden.com. Rev. Deacon Ken Arnold hopes to have a film screening in the spring of 2012.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

This Week at St Stephen's

More to celebrate and more to thank!

The basement crew meets again tomorrow to finish cleaning up for our new food pantry on Sept 22. Plus, Robbie Ashenberner (Saturday Breakfast founder ten years ago, at age 11) has volunteered to build new shelves for our pantry storage in the Handel Room. John Lafrentz has offered to fund it. Thank You and Thank You!


Last Friday, thanks to an invitation from Operation Nightwatch to join them, we signed up 38 students from Lewis & Clark College interested in volunteering at St. Stephen’s (StSt) Table! Our new brochure by Faye Tayler was a great way of inviting folks to join us. Maybe you have a friend to invite too? If so, get a brochure Sunday! Thanks again, Faye!

We are also pleased and excited to welcome Erin Burns as our new Program Assistant to StSt Table! Erin’s work study position with us is totally funded by University of Portland. Erin is a junior, majoring in German and Psychology, and minoring in Education. She spent the summer serving breakfast at a meals program in Santa Cruz. She brings organizational skills that will be a great help coordinating volunteers and keeping track of our food supplies. Erin's first day with us is this Saturday at StSt Table breakfast. Welcome, Erin!

This Sunday, remembering 9/11

9 a.m. Adult Inquiry resumes with a special discussion on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. "Pathways to Faith" will be a four week conversation about Islam. Jean and Mic Fleming will give an overview this Sunday, followed in subsequent weeks by guest speakers from the Portland Mosque.

Rev. Dr. Caroline Litzenberger is our guest presider at 7:45 and 10am Eucharist. She will also preach at 7:45am. At 10am, a Noh theater production by Rev. Deacon Ken Arnold replaces the sermon. Noh Garden is presented in memory of the victims of 9/11. The original music was composed by Portland’s Joan McMillen. Featured soloists are Andy McQuery (from St. John the Baptist) as Jesus, and Erin Walker, a recent graduate in Vocal Performance from PSU, as Mary Magdalene. Ken filmed a full version of Noh Garden this summer and plans a DVD for screening in Spring 2012. This is part of a larger work, The Gospel According to Noh, that Ken is developing for stage production. Please mark your calendar for this remembrance Sunday.


After a summer break, Choir resumes rehearsals this Thursday to prepare to sing the Noh Garden on Sunday. Contact Matt Smith for more details at: MSmith215@gmail.com.


Fr. Dennis, Paul, Jim Hryncewich, and StSt Table volunteer Jeremy Chase will be in NYC this weekend to perform a special concert on 9/11 with the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. Sue Rossiter and Anne Kennedy from StSt also plan to attend. More details about the “Day of Community, Day of Faith” events at the (Episcopal) Cathedral of St John the Divine are at http://www.stjohndivine.org/911.html. Paul is also pleased to have scheduled some study time at Union Theological Seminary for our meals program; he will discuss the idea of trauma among those who come to StSt Table with Dr. Serene Jones, seminary president, who has written Trauma & Grace: Theology in a Ruptured World.

At St Stephen’s (StSt), we celebrate one message spoken by many voices. The message is that we are all welcome at the Table. Clipboards with weekly bulletins for the children are at the back of the church.

Next Sunday, Commissioning Sunday

On 9/18, we are pleased to welcome Rev. Canon Neysa Elgren, from the office of the Bishop, as our preacher and presider. In a special litany by Fr. Dennis and Paul, we will lift up and recognize all the expressions of our inclusive Table at StSt, where our mission is to feed those who are hungry in body and spirit! Please plan to attend this kick-off service of the program year. Maybe you want to invite a newcomer to join you! Look for more details in next week.

May our thoughts this week be thoughtful ones.
Paul
Minister for Outreach

Friday, July 29, 2011

This week at St. Stephen's

Please remember this Sunday’s concert
Come support our Friends of St. Stephen’s Music concert series this Sunday, July 31 at 2pm.  Ray Luck, international concert pianist, kicks off our 2011-2012 Concert Series performing works of Mozart, Schumann, and Poulenc. Refreshments will be served after the concert.  $10 suggested donation supports our music program.

This Sunday…

9 a.m. Adult Inquiry continues with the third of three discussions on “religious” travel.  Bring your travelers’ stories of tourist visits and faith journeys.

Dale Carr is our preacher at 7:45 and 10am Eucharist.  At St Stephen’s (StSt), we celebrate one message spoken by many voices.  The message is that we are all welcome at the Table. Clipboards with weekly bulletins for the children are at the back of the church.

Paul is away for the memorial service of his partner Jim Hryncewich’s stepfather, Warren Grund, who died after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease.  Paul returns Monday; Jim is staying with family until Aug 11.


StSt Pantry cleaning party Aug 6

Following StSt Table Saturday Breakfast, all are invited and encouraged to join us for a cleaning party as we make room at StSt for our new Food Pantry coming this September.  Come join us for breakfast, served at 9am.  Doors open at 7:30.  We will begin cleaning the basement and Handel Room at 10:30am.

StSt Pantry road trip Aug 13
On the Saturday following our StSt cleanup party, also at 10:30am, those interested in planning our Food Pantry are invited to join the group heading to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church’s Food Pantry in North Portland to get ideas and suggestions.  Email Paul at Outreach@stst.org and let him know you’d like to go.

Remember the Integrity Picnic

Integrity-Portland and St Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church are co-hosting their 2nd Annual Family Picnic at Laurelhurst Park next Saturday, July 30, at Noon, at Picnic Area B, near the entrance (SE 35th & Oak).  All are invited.  Bring your own food and beverages.  Grill available for cooking.  Beer & wine permitted.  Park map at http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?a=286479&c=38301.  For more info, email OregonIntegrity@gmail.com.  

Thursday, July 21, 2011

2011-2012 Concert Series

Ray Luck – Piano Recital, July 31. Ray Luck, international concert pianist, kicks off our 2011-2012 Concert Series on Sunday, July 31 at 2 pm, performing works of Mozart, Schumann, and Poulenc.

All concerts are at 2 pm. Refreshments will be served after each concert. $10 suggested donation.
Don’t miss a single concert this season:
·    August 28 – Jeremy Griffin/Anna Viemeister, vocalists: Up and coming young artists, Jeremy Griffin and Anna Viemeister have recently completed graduate degrees from University of British Columbia and Manhattan School of Music, respectively.  Before they depart Portland to make their fortunes in New York City, they will perform an intimate recital of operatic scenes and arias by Mozart, Janáček and others.
·    September 18 – The Wildwood Consort: Renaissance and Baroque ensemble, The Wildwood Consort, will perform French music of the Baroque, including Rameau and Clermebault.
·    October 16 – Iridescence: Donna Maebori (flute) and Patti Duthie (piano) will perform a luminous concert of jazz and classical compositions.
·    November 20 – The Julians: Four of Portland’s finest singing women, will return to St Stephen’s to sing the living daylights out of music they love.
·    December 18 – Oregon Chamber Singers: Oregon Chamber Singers, under the direction of Sandra Miller, will perform seasonal favorites.
·    February 19 - Antonio Centurion: The master of the Paraguyan harp will perform music of Paraguay and other Latin American folk traditions.
·    March 25 – Janet Packer, violin, joined by pianist Anthony Padilla, will perform works by Debussy, Gabriel Pierne, Vittorio Rieti and Krzyztof Meyer.
·    April 15 – Melanie Downie Robinson and Friends: Portland's own early music chanteuse will perform an intimate recital of chamber works and arias from the Baroque and beyond
·    May 20 – Organ Extravaganza: Local organists will put the St. Stephen’s Gress Miles organ through its paces.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

This Week at St Stephen's

Remembering Elsie


A memorial service to remember and give thanks for the life of longtime member Elsie Lucas will be held this Saturday, June 4, at 2pm. A reception follows in the parish hall. Co-presiding at the service will be The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald and Rev. Palmer Pardington.



This Sunday


9 a.m. Adult Inquiry concludes its discussion of Marcus Borg’s new book, Speaking Christian, focusing on Ch. 7 “Jesus” and Ch. 8 “The Death of Jesus.” Mic & Jean facilitate the conversation. NEXT Sunday, June 12, Roger Fuchs (Operation Nightwatch Chaplain) speaks about his ministry bringing the Gospel to our hospitality center guests. Roger also presented a poem and homily at last week’s Oregon Viet Nam Memorial ceremony.



Rev. Dr. Caroline Litzenberger is our guest preacher at 7:45 & 10 a.m. Eucharist. Dr. Litzenberger is Professor of History at PSU and has been an ordained Episcopal priest since 2004. Fr. Dennis and Paul are both away this Sunday.
At St Stephen’s (StSt), we celebrate one message spoken by many voices. The message is that we are all welcome at the Table. Clipboards with weekly bulletins for the children are at the back of the church.



Expanding StSt Table


Last Friday, Paul met with Oregon Food Bank services coordinator, Eric Sopkin, about ways we might provide more meals and promote a “healing neighborhood” at 13th & Clay. Eric says the most needed service in our immediate neighborhood is an emergency food box program to help those who are low-income housed but run out of food each month. The proposal is that we add a once-a-month Food Pantry on third Thursdays of the month, 2-5pm in the parish hall. A group to discuss how we might proceed will meet next Tuesday at 11:30am, during “Summer Sandwiches Tuesday” at StSt Table. Paul welcomes those interested to join the conversation or send feedback to Outreach@stst.org.