1 Notes, Articles, and Updates to The Messenger: 503.232.8500 www.taborheightschurch.org

Email to church@taborheightschurch.org 6161 SE STARK ST. PORTLAND OREGON 97215

February 4 (sun) All Church Meeting after 11am Worship

Led by the Vision Board

February 5 (Mon) Staff Meeting @ 11:00am

February 10 (Sat) Future of Tabor Heights @10am - Noon

February 14 (Wed) UWM Circle meeting @12:00 pm

Ash Wednesday Service @ 7:00 pm

February 17 (Sat) Serving Day Saturday @ 11:00am

Weekly Events:

Mondays: Walking group @ 9:30am

Thursdays: Men’s Group @ 10:00am

Choir Practice @ 7:00pm

Winter ‘18

INSIDE: Monthly Highlights Pg. 2 What’s Happening Pg. 3 Joyful Moments Pg. 4 People’s Journal Charlene Blakely and the Master Family Pg. 5,6 Class Review Great Figures of the New Testament Pg. 7 From Your Lay Leader Joanne Dobrinski Pg. 8 From the Office Introducing New Staff and Pastor’s Note Pg. 9,10

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New Year’s Eve Fellowship and Potluck

New Year’s Eve was celebrated with a large gathering of Tabor Heights, God’s Grace, and guests from the community for a festive potluck dinner. Fellowship among the many gathered was another wonderful chance to become acquainted with brothers and sisters in Christ from various cultures. Fellowship was continued as some were doing clean-up chores and others were playing games and visiting. The evening ended with Holy Communion in the sanctuary and the singing of “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” (Hymnal #117) to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne”. We are thankful that we were able to end the year 2017 surrounded by God’s love and we look forward to continuing developing deeper relationships with God and each other in this new year!

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Thank God and Thank YOU!!

Thanks to the people of Tabor Heights who donated $1500 to aid Joseph-Fils Inelus in his quest to become a green card resident of the US and to avoid deportation to Haiti. He was a medical translator in his home country, which has been experiencing an economic crisis; he has found employment here

and now in Florida. He plans to return to Haiti someday and be with his family. Joseph asks us to keep praying for him.

Vision Board Retreat

The current and new board members spent their time in Alton Collins Retreat Center from January 26 to 27 with prayers and planning for the year of 2018. Keep our Vision Board and its members in your prayers.

McCurdy Ministries

Thanks from McCurdy Ministries for all the labels that they have been receiving. They would like to share that the Campbell’s Soup labels will not be needed anymore, but they are still in need of the Box Tops for Education and Tyson’s Project A+ labels. Please turn in the labels collected to Lois Lee or place them in the sandwich bag that is posted up on the UMW bulletin board.

Art Walk with Trish

This year Tabor Heights UMC is participating in the Tabor ART WALK.

We are asking par-ticipants and friends that would like to display art, to contact Trish Dawsonatdawson@leartiest.com.

We will NEED hosts and hostesses for this two day event! Please add your name to the HOST/HOSTESS signup sheet for the time slots you are able to host or hostess and use the TABOR ART WALK signup sheet to enter your name un-der the appropriate category.

Habits for a healthy heart

• Talk to a health care provider about personal risks

• Quit tobacco

• Stay active

• Eat better

• Maintain healthy weight

• Know your numbers: cholesterol, blood pressure, and

blood sugar.

YAY!! HURRAY!!

No more haggles with the problems attributed to 50-year-old erratically functioning toilets in the upstairs ladies’

restroom! They were replaced by 1.26-gallon, water-efficient toilets. Many thanks to Tom Lohkamp and Cory Taylor for installing them, which was not easy, considering the smallness of the stalls. The 2 toilets were joyfully donated by a member of Tabor Heights who is challenging others to consider funding replacements for the other old toilets throughout the building.

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Birthdays

January Carole Rennie 1 Sylva Denney 9 Charlene Blakely 14 Anne Fitchner 15 Clark Eisert 25 Thai Pham 30 February Al Bailey 4 Steve Sloan 6 Jean Vann 11 Sadie Eisert 12 Doris Crockett 12 Dona Larsen 18 Dennis Bridges 24

Loving memories of All Saints:

Jacy Frison, December 20, 2017

Your Celebrations are important for us to recognize with our family in Christ:

Please do not be reluctant to let us know if yours is missing on the monthly edition of

‘Messenger’ by sending a note to: church@taborheightschurch.org

Wedding Anniversaries

Jan .4th David&Violet Master

Feb .19th Jim & Carolyn

DOUGLAS

Feb.24th John & Mia GO

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again— rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

Contact Information Updates

Joan Finney: (c.p) 503-313-9068

John & Mia’s New Address: 3736 B SE 91st Ave

Portland, OR 97266

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Charlene !

A long time ago (75 years to be exact), in the small

town of Newberg, Oregon, Charles and Erma Carlisle

were blessed (chuckle) with a late-in-life baby girl. They

already had two daughters, Joan (13) and Nancy (8).

Poor Charlie never got his boy, but he could not have

been a better dad to three girls. I was the one who was

blessed. My mother was a super mom before there was

such a term. The world’s best cook and seamstress. And

she was famous for her wonderful homemade cakes.

Yum!!

I had a pretty good childhood of that era. The neighborhood kids were my good friends.

We rode bikes, roller skated, made mud pies, and played cowboys (I was always Dale Evans).

We had to let the boys pick this because we made them be our escorts when we played ‘Rose

Festival Queen’. Life was good and safe. We attended the Methodist church; I was a girl scout;

and my sisters were in Rainbow. We went to the beach a lot and had lots of picnics.

When I started high school, Rock ‘n Roll had become popular. And I learned to dance. I

loved to dance! There was a local TV show, High Times, that was a tiny little version of

Bandstand. My boyfriend and I won the dance contest three times—my debut and swan song

all at once.

I had so much fun in high school! I was pretty active in several clubs, etc. My junior year,

I met this tall, dark-haired, duck-tailed boy who had transferred from California. He had the

neatest cars, and I had always loved cars. Needless to say, I had fallen hook, line, and sinker.

After high school, I went to beauty school in Portland. I loved it! That had been my

dream since I was ten years old. I worked 53 years and I still love it.

The week I finished beauty school, we got married. We moved to Portland and I got my

first job at Lloyd Center. Soon, we started our family. We had a girl named Holli and a boy

named Bret. I have three grandchildren that I helped raise, two girls and a boy.

Sadly, I am now a widow. It’s been a good life with all the ups and downs that everyone

has. But I’d probably do it again and make the same mistakes.

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David & Violet Master

Violet and David Master, after 40+ years in New Jersey, recently moved to

Portland. They joined their two sons, daughters-in-law, and daughter, who are

Portland residents. Their two grandchildren, Mahlia and Benjamin, attend our

church regularly with Violet & David.

David came to the USA for his advance study after completing BS in Electrical

Engineering for a Master’s in Computer Science on January 22, 1970. David

returned to India, where he met Violet; they got married on January 4, 1973.

Violet completed her MD and joined David in the USA in March 1973. They

always stayed around the New York tri-state area, eventually settling in New

Jersey, where Violet completed her residency in Internal Medicine, while David

further added Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in International

Business. Violet started her solo practice while bringing up family, as David

travelled internationally to develop energy projects.

Violet recently received her Oregon State Medical license. Violet and David plan to enjoy their three grandchildren, staying close to their children and family, while enjoying their retirement. They think they have found a great church family at Tabor Heights UMC.

The Master Family

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Class Review

Great Figures of the New Testament

Sunday, January 21st, began a rollercoaster ride as Dr. Amy-

Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University Divinity School gave the

first lecture of the new 24 lectures series on DVD. “The great figures of the earliest years of

the church have been remembered in various ways, depending on the needs and interest of

the evangelists and their communities, because stories of Jesus and the people surrounding

him – both those who followed him and those who did not – took shape in a combination of

historical memory, pastoral concern, and aesthetic taste. What one Gospel chose to highlight,

another ignores; what one canonical text mentions in passing, later tradition substantially

develops.” The ancient texts, which Dr. Levine translates directly from Hebrew or Greek, are

read anew to discover what they say and how they were interpreted by both the secular

culture and the faithful church.

The figures encountered encompass the range of the great figures from the emerging church:

There are shepherds and kings, friends and enemies, evangelists and martyrs, a prodigal son

and a good Samaritan. Representing the models of Old Testament piety are the elderly couple

Elizabeth and Zechariah; their son, John the Baptist, moves us immediately into the

dangerous world of the first century, where messianic fervor was on the rise and popular

prophets knew their lives were in danger. We find a virgin, betrothed to a man named Joseph,

who receives an annunciation from an angel, bears a child through the power of the Holy

Spirit, and faces a parent’s greatest tragedy as she watches the death of her son. We

encounter Jesus’ friends: the contemplative Mary and the vocal Martha, as well as their

brother Lazarus. We explore the stories of the Apostles – Peter and Thomas, James and John,

Mary Magdalene (who becomes known as the Apostle to the Apostles), and Judas Iscariot –

from the times they spent with Jesus to their post-canonical fates. Some lesser known figures

are also explored.

From the early years of the church, we find James, “the brother of the Lord”, Stephen the first

martyr, and Philip the evangelist of Samaria. We will learn about the centurions who repre-

sent Rome’s military presence; Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who orders Jesus crucifies;

and the four generations of the Herodian royal family who appear in the pages of the New

Testament.

You are invited to join the Fireside Class on Sunday mornings at 9:30. The lectures are about

30 minutes long, followed by class discussion. Dula Baker facilitates, but she

considers all members as teachers. Since some class members need to leave early at times, we

begin the lecture shortly after 9:30.

Tabor Heights United Methodist Church

6161 SE Stark St. Portland OR 503. 232.8500 www.taborheightschurch.org

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FROM YOUR LAY LEADER… By Joanne Dobrinski

Greetings all! We opened our first staff meeting of 2018 with a personal sharing time. Cassi Petrus, our new Administrator, joined us. Cassi is a member of God's Grace Church. Her office hours are 10:00 to 2:00 three days a week between Monday and Thursday. She will let Pastor John know which days before each week starts. We gladly welcome her. Be sure to stop by and say hello. Mia left January 7 for two weeks schooling at Garrett in Chicago. The small groups she has been leading resumed the week before she left. Her official internship with Tabor Heights is until June. (Kathy Hand shared an article with me about Mia in the Garrett Aware publica-tion. Ask me if you would like to see it.) John shared with us from Job 23:10-17 where Job speaks about God knowing our path and our response to His leading. Serving Day this month will be on Saturday, February 17, to accommodate some conflicts. Also, we will try a later starting time and offer a brunch to begin with hopes of encouraging more to come and fellowship together. We will begin at 11:00 with a provided soup and bread meal, with work to begin at noon. The community potluck, fellowship time, and worship New Year’s Eve was very well received. Let’s think about a Thanksgiving community meal. There was discussion about the new library in the rose garden area. It seems to be most popular with many books being taken by the community. We encourage all of you to go through those books sitting on your shelves that you no longer read and bring them to share. Devotionals and Bibles have been well received as well as novels. It seems that whatever we put out the community takes to read. A lot of books have gone off the shelves!! We also talked about our support of SnowCap. We thank you all for your faithful support in bringing items for the food barrel. Paul Glynn faithfully empties it and delivers those items every week. Watch future Messengers for articles about this organization and particular items they are asking us to provide. (FYI: The United Methodist Women were able to donate monies from their mission funds to help this work. Evelyn Long is our contact person with them.) Wishing you all a blessed year ahead. “What does the Lord require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

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Pastor John ’s Note

“God Scatters the Privileged” – in sermon preached on January 14, 2018

Reading Genesis during the month of January and the first two weeks of February, the stories can be seen as an early witness to the Kingdom of God in diversity. Truly, the entire Bible stories support it as God’s vision of His kingdom: Isaiah prophesied; Palmists sang the songs of diversity….John foretold things will be happening in the book of Revelation… That dream and vision undergirded Dr. King’s movement for civil and voting rights, both spiritually and philosophically, and deeply reflected his own underlying moral belief and hope as a Christian minister as well. As we observe Dr. King’s Day, we may also have to remind ourselves of the one reality that has not changed over 50 years following his confession: “I am [ashamed] and appalled that eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is the Most Segregated Hour of the week in Christian America.”

Introducing our new staff

Hello!! My name is Cassi-Leight Petrus.

I’d like to say thank you for the awesome welcome that I feel when I am introduced to the parishioners of Tabor Heights UMC. I truly believe that God has led me here for a purpose. I don’t understand why but He does and so I will just hold His hand and trust in Him.

I was born and raised on a little island called Guam, and it was not until I joined the military at 27 that I ventured off the island for the first time. I was in the U.S. Army as a combat medic for about 7 ½ years. I was stationed in Georgia for about 2 ½, deploying with that unit to Iraq for 11 months, and then later stationed in Germany for the last 5 years of my service. At the end of my

contract, my family and I decided to come and live in Oregon to be closer to family.

My husband’s name is Mao and we have 2 daughters, Mauleen (18) and Leilynn (1). My biggest thanks to God the father for saving my life and my family’s life as we have all accepted Him to be our Savior and King. I am thankful to Him because of the many blessings and miracles that He has made happen in my life and all around me. Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!

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In King’s final book, “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community”, he preached to us that we are Christ’s beloved community, the body of Christ: “A beloved community is a most powerful vision of a new coming together, a new community that welcomes all peoples in all their diverse ethnicities and nationalities. Every group, clan, and tribe is includ-ed and invited in….” The tower of Babel, as a simple lesson I take today, is this: We are created to be scattered…to be diverse and to be rich in differences. It is not a punishment from God, but God’s holy interruption to make us grow, learn, and enjoy. So, those who are privileged to travel far can grow, learn and enjoy… those who are less privileged can be invited to grow, learn and enjoy as well in God’s creation. If we stop doing this as God’s community or God’s covenanted people, God will scatter us to travel far to the marginalized, to the edged, and to the isolated… In the meantime, God will invite strangers, immigrants, and foreigners to remind themselves, reconcile with God’s creation, and rebuild the beloved community in the name of Creator, Al-mighty, and Redeemer God. I have been a pastor here at Tabor Heights for 5 and ½ years and a member of Oregon-Idaho Conference for 12 years. What I have learned over the years is that diversity doesn’t “just happen.” Even in a healthy di-verse environment like Tabor Heights, I know that we must always be aware, thinking, consciously consider-ing our life together….And we must understand that diversity is more than ethnicity. It includes culture, family, structure, socioeconomics, physical differences, LGBTQI and religion. Sharing our worship space with God’s Grace Church, hosting Singles’ group and Parents’ Prayer group here, offering space for the Arc-cooking class for people with disabilities, being friends with individuals who need shelter inside and outside the church, I see how important it is to learn from them instead of preaching over them and their life style and teaching my way as the high way without any knowledge or understanding. Simply, I happened to realize how privileged I am to live in this country, to become a citizen, to have my family and church community, and to live without worries and fear of what food I am going to have for the next meal or where I am going to stay tonight…. If you see yourself privileged, I, with the Word of God, challenge you to travel far. I am not saying that you should go on a trip overseas, but if you can, please do so in terms of learning a different language and expe-riencing a culture that you may not know. If you cannot, then go downtown and serve a meal with our Transition Projects team every other month. Once again, you may have to be an attentive listener to learn how serious the homelessness is in the City of Portland and what challenges we all are facing today. There will also be a mission trip to Chuuk this year. It is a calling from our God to send you for His mission there to grow, learn and enjoy. If you see yourself less-privileged, I, with the same Word of God, invite you to be comforted, loved, and sheltered in this place where you’re no longer strangers, immigrants, or foreigners, but you are our family and brothers and sisters in Christ. You’re here to be empowered to create your stories of how God has led you to be here in this faith community and share how excited you are to build your new journey with us. Here are the Words of one of Dr. King’s well-known quotes: “We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.” Then, shall we celebrate ‘Who We Are’ during this year of 2018 as a church of diversity – a church living and acting as one much closer to God’s vision?

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FEBRUARY2018

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATDAY

Sunday School

9:30am Jan. 29

30

31

1

2

3

1 Worship 11am Walking group

9am Parents’ prayer

9am Mens’ coffee

10am Cooking class

10am

WEEK

Choir practice

7:30pm

4 5

6

7

8

9

10

2 Sunday School

9:30am

Walking group

9am Parents’ prayer

9am Mens’ coffee

10am

WEEK Worship 11am

Holy Communion Staff meeting

11am Young Women’

12:00pm

Choir practice

7:30pm

11 12

13

14

15

16

17

3 Sunday School

9:30am

Walking group

9am Parents’ prayer

9am Mens’ coffee

10am Cooking class

10am

WEEK Worship 11am UWM Circle

12pm Senior Fellow-

ship 1130: am Serving Sat.

11am

Ash Wed.

Service 7pm Choir practice

7:30pm

18 19

20

21

22

23

24

4 Sunday School

9:30am

Walking group

9am Parents’ prayer

9am Mens’ coffee

10am

WEEK Worship 11am

Potluck Young Women

‘12:00pm

Choir practice

7:30pm

25 26

27

28

Mar. 1

2

3

5 Sunday School

9:30am

Walking group

9am Parents’ prayer

9am Mens’ coffee

10am Cooking class

10am

WEEK Worship 11am

Choir practice

7:30pm