Ministry Update 8/21

From Jay

Together we praise, together we love, together we serve

Imagine you are at Starbucks, (or Peet’s or wherever) and you are in line waiting to order your favorite mix of coffee and sugar, and then the guy behind you starts singing. You don’t think too much of it, and can’t quite make out the song but you don’t turn around or anything. Then someone else in line joins in, along with a couple of people seated around the tables. Now it’s just plain weird and you are looking for the hidden camera.

And yet… every Sunday, we come together, and we sing. Why?

It is normal in our culture for people to consume music. It is normal in our culture to see people with headphones on, they’re listening to a song only they can hear and walking to their own beat. What’s abnormal is for us to share music, to participate in it together.

And yet… every Sunday, we come together and we sing.

Here are some genres of music listed on the iTunes store: alternative, blues, latin, hip hop, electronic, reggae, country, R&B, pop, rock, soul, classical etc.

And yet… every Sunday we may give up our music style of choice and sing songs together.

Can’t we just praise God on our own? Ps 92 says “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High”. Can’t I just do that in my car? We all like different music anyway, what’s the point of coming together and singing?

As a church we state the importance of caring for one another and we give a lot of effort and energy dreaming about how we will love our community together. We hear sermons about serving the poor. These things are much easier discussed than actually achieved.

But here’s a beautiful reality: when we have a foundation of consistently joining together in praise, we can accomplish anything together. When we sing together, when we praise together, we enter into a shared experience. This experience is not about the style of music being played in the moment, it’s not about whether it’s classical or rock, or even whether or not I have a voice. It’s about the space we enter into together… a space where we are reminded that there’s a bigger story… His story… and that this world doesn’t revolve around us as individuals, but around God. This is a space where music and praise moves from “mine” to “ours” and from observation to participation. We submit our individual voice to the collective voice of community; and in the process, we learn to submit our individual actions of love and service combining them in a multiplied expression that has a greater impact on each other and the community. When we engage together, praising God in this way, we open the door to loving each other and serving our community in profound ways.

One of the beauties of community is how we carry one another. Maybe today I don’t feel like singing. Maybe today I don’t feel like I can even lift my head or open my mouth to utter a word of praise. Maybe it’s all I can do just to drag myself to church. But in community, my brother and sister to my left and behind me and in front of me can sing for me. They express to God what my heart longs to but cannot do on my own.

And maybe today I can’t see past myself to love another or serve someone. But my brother and sister reach out to me and lift me up and their example spurs me into action.
Together we praise, together we love, together we serve. It’s a gift, it’s beautiful, and I honestly dream that we continue to gain much, much more of the shared experience of living life together, serving together, and praising together.

Exciting News from Pastor Ron and Jorie!

Our family is flying home from Michigan this week and will be going to Seattle to visit our son David and his wife Holly who had their first baby August 14, Leah Christine Kincaid, 5lbs, 14oz, 19". Yes, Jorie and I are grandparents!!! We are excited. David is a resident in anesthesiology at the University of Washington.

On Sunday Mike Matousek, our Minister of Operations, will be preaching the 4th in the B.C. Blogs series from The Psalms. Mike graduated from one of the finest seminaries in our country--Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota-and has been a wonderful gift to our staff and church. I'm sure he'll have some fresh insights.
Sincerely, Pastor Ron

Seasons of Service

School Supply Drive
We are collecting school supplies for our adopted school, William Walker and McKinley Elementary and for various Beaverton Middle and High Schools. You can bring your donations each Sunday in August. Thank you to all of you who have donated generously! Below is a list of the items still needed:
Crayola fine & broad tipped markers
Crayola water color paint sets
Ticonderoga pencils, triangular & chubby
Hand sanitizer
1 1/2 inch three ring binders
Unscented wipes
Pocket folders
Glue sticks (we have plenty of liquid glue)

Helping Hands Is Moving To Mod Building!
FINALLY, the modular building on the West end of our campus is the new site of our Helping Hands Community Center. It has been all cleared out and is ready for volunteers to put in a new laminate floor (donated by a person in our church and that unskilled people can put in), put in shelving and new appliances (also donated). If you can help Saturday, August 22nd beginning at 7a, we will be pulling in the new laminate flooring. Then on Saturday, August 29th we will be moving and installing the shelving and appliances. If you are available to help, please contact Cindy Heinz at cindyheinz@sunsetpres.org or 503.292.9293 x3054

Opportunities to Serve

Join Sunset Choir
If you love to express your heart for God through song, please plan to participate in choir this year. We start the fall and Christmas season with rehearsal on September 9th. Rehearsal is every Wednesday, 7-9pm in the basement on the west side of the building. For questions or more information, contact Jill Hofer, jillhofer@sunsetpres.org.

Production/Tech Team Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for people to fill the following roles:
· Service Director
· Lighting
· Graphics
· FOH Camera Op Week
· Message Slide Designer

In addition we have a new volunteer role: Video production. We'd like to find some video editors in our midst. Are you or do you know someone who could do simple projects for us? (i.e. this week, we have white text (provided) on black screen and need someone to edit.) The level of the projects will depend on who we discover. The content is generally available a couple weeks in advance of the deadline. If you have this skill or know someone at Sunset who does, please email me janetfraser@sunsetpres.org.

Upcoming Events

Sundays in August (2, 9, 16, 23, 30) are a Back to School drive to collect school supplies
for William Walker students as well as middle & high school students in the
Beaverton District. You can find supply lists in the lobby!

September 13 – Fall Kick-off Sunday, choir & orchestra, and Ron’s Sunset Road song
September 13 – All church picnic (details in the bulletin)
September 20 & 27 – Pathways & Connections
September 27 – Praise Night – date moved from August 30th
October 11 – Infant Baptism and Dedication, church-wide Pancake BreakfastOctober 16 – FUN Family Unity Night