June 5, 2025
| Pentecost This Sunday, June 8, is the Feast of Pentecost, when we mark the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus. It has sometimes been called “the birthday of the Church.” While that image has had some justifiable criticism, there remains some truth to it. It is a reminder that the Holy Spirit did not descend on each of them, but on all of them and that the first basic gift of the Spirit on the Followers of the Way was not individual but communal, an experience shared with one another. Then, immediately, their first Spirit-filled act was not an individual healing, or prayer, but a radically communal proclamation of the resurrection to all peoples and nations. The individual gifts of the Spirit are wisdom, knowledge, council, fortitude, understanding, piety, and the fear of the Lord. The single root purpose of all these individual gifts is the creation and building of a community in which the fullness of these gifts is felt and used in the world – the Church. I hope you will join us for our celebration of Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the community of the Church. After our 10:30 feast at the altar, we’ll stay for a potluck so we can enjoy and give thanks for the community in which the Spirit has placed us. Wear your red and be ready for wind and fire and the living breathing Body of Christ that is the Church. |
| Construction Liberty Construction, our remediation contractor, will be here beginning on Monday June 9 and construction will continue for approximately 2 weeks. During this time the basement will be largely inaccessible. As the floor construction winds up, we ourselves will take on the drywall repair and painting. We have a great team of talented people in place to coordinate our efforts (Chuck Atwater, Dan Cullen, and Dave Reesor), but be ready to help if they need a few more hands. |
| Protest This June 14 across the country, including here in Eugene, many large protests and demonstrations are scheduled in reaction to the planned military parade in Washington D.C. If you plan to join these or any large scale actions in the days ahead, Bishop Akiyama is encouraging us all to read and heed the advice posted here: How to Resist Strategically on 14 June . |