News & Events

Pastor’s Note for October 24

How do we keep our spirits up in this continuing season when we all wish so much that things were back to some semblance of normalcy, even as the darker days of the fall rains are upon us? This week, there was some of the first good news we’ve had in a while, that OHSU is predicting that between people who have had the virus and the continuing vaccinations, Oregon should reach a level of about 85% of people having antibodies to the virus by late December. This is a level that they say will bring some of the gifts of near herd immunity, making it harder for the virus to spread, and lowering numbers of infections and hospitalizations. What a relief and joy this would be, after such a long season! In our Scripture reading for Sunday, we have [...]

Pastor’s Note for October 17

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This time of year, friends will often ask, “What are your plans for the holidays; any travels on the horizon in the new year?” But this year, the answers are often more uncertain; “We hope to get to see family and maybe take that delayed vacation, whatever’s possible at the time.” Continued impacts of the pandemic, even amid booster shots and easing numbers of those in hospital, lend a note of uncertainty to what lies ahead, making it more challenging to plan. We hesitate at times to get our hopes up, having had to postpone so many gatherings and travels already in the past 18 months. In a time that has held such uncertainty, our Scripture reading for this Sunday brings us the last reading from the book of Job, telling the story of a good man caught up in tempestuous times, when all [...]

Cookin’ with First Pres! Next Installment: Sunday, October 24

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Ready to get cookin’? Next Sunday, October 24, at 5:00 pm, the FPC Fellowship committee presents the second round of “Cook it up with First Pres!” Sarah Schwab will be our hostess this week! Sarah will be making her great-grandmother’s oﬃcial Schwab Buttermilk Pancakes. We hope you’ll join us (and maybe you can host with one of your favorite recipes in the future). Follow this link to RSVP, get the zoom link and see the ingredient list. Questions? Email Amy Hall. [...]

Pastor’s Note for October 10

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Some of the most important questions we ask in life are also the most difficult. Why didn’t I get that job offer? Why did my child receive this diagnosis? Why do bad things happen to good people? And where is God in the midst of human suffering? This Sunday I invite you to join me as we turn our attention to the book of Job and the questions he asks in the face of his own suffering. There are no easy answers to any of these questions, but there are reasons to hope. Livestream the service or join in-person Sunday @10:30am. Pastor Carmen [...]

FPC Presbyterian Women (PWM) Virtual Bake Sale Continues Until Thanksgiving

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The Presbyterian Women Ministry (PWM) will be holding a virtual sale between August and Thanksgiving this year. Proceeds will benefit PWM operating and mission projects for the coming year. There’s still time to donate items to the PWM online sale. Just send the church office via hello@firstpresportland.org the particulars of what you are willing to donate, how many, the cost per item, and when your products will be ready. Help to make this year’s virtual sale a success! Please click here to view a list of available items! Make sure to check back every week for updated items! [...]

Pastor’s Note for October 3

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Dear Church Friends, This Sunday, as we turn the page to October, we will celebrate World Communion Sunday, a time of recalling our connections with the church across the world. We will be using a communion liturgy from the Uniting Church in Australia, and saying a version of the Lord’s Prayer from a New Zealand Prayerbook. In my time serving in ministry in Australia, there was a wonderful sense of being able to pray for the churches back home and their Sunday worship, as their Sunday services happened some twelve hours after ours. While there, we sang a hymn that held a reminder of the prayers that go up across the world for the work of Christ’s realm and reign, “while earth rolls onward into light.” 1 The day you gave us, God, is ended; the darkness falls at your [...]

Pastor’s Note for September 26

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The book of Esther doesn’t feature prominently in the Common Lectionary…possibly because God doesn’t really appear there. I suspect it was only included in the Canon due to its central role in the origins of the feast of Purim. While it is an interesting story (one which we’ll explore on Sunday), God remains silent and missing in the telling. This has always intrigued me, but I think serves to remind Christians of something very important. While we live our everyday lives in faith, God is often silent and removed from the day-to-day routine. That does not mean that God is absent. God is always there, just sometimes in the background. I believe that God is just as active in the backgrounds of our lives as God is in the forefront of them. As people of faith we live confidently because [...]

Memorial for Rev. Dr. William Creevey, September 19th

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A memorial for Rev. Dr. William (Bill) Creevey was held this past Sunday, September 19th, at 3:00pm. To view the memorial, please click here. [...]

Pastor’s Note for September 19

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This week, Olympic gold-winning Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt has been in the news as he is going for gold again, this time for a newly-released album of his reggae music. He is celebrated for being the fastest human being in history for setting the world record for the 100m dash, running it in 9.58 seconds, a record that has stood unchallenged for 12 years. Sports commentators say he is the greatest runner we’ve ever known; some have noted that his last name seems to have foreshadowed his path in life! The world gives acclaim to those it deems the greatest, the writers who are given the Booker or the Pulitzer, the chefs whose restaurants win a rare three Michelin stars, the iconic musicians who have huge followings. But in our Scripture for this Sunday, Jesus talks with the disciples about [...]

Columbarium Dedication on September 26th

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Please join us for the dedication of the recently completed Memorial Garden and Columbarium on Sunday, September 26th, after worship. The dedication service celebrates the culmination of a three-year project spearheaded by Columbarium Committee Chair, Joyce Evans, and Committee Members Laurna Shively, Ann van Bever and Jon Bates. The installation of the Memorial Garden and Columbarium is a timeless and welcome addition to the church’s Plaza and provides a peaceful place for quiet meditation and remembrance. [...]

Pastor’s Note for October 24

Pastor’s Note for October 17

Cookin’ with First Pres! Next Installment: Sunday, October 24

Pastor’s Note for October 10

FPC Presbyterian Women (PWM) Virtual Bake Sale Continues Until Thanksgiving

Pastor’s Note for October 3

Pastor’s Note for September 26

Memorial for Rev. Dr. William Creevey, September 19th

Pastor’s Note for September 19

Columbarium Dedication on September 26th

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