August 7, 2026
August 9th: Imperfect Family Park Gathering
August 9th: Imperfect Family Hangout
Hey everybody!
This Sunday we’re hanging out at Mt. Scott Park. Not a church service, not especially spiritual. But something important for our souls nonetheless… a family hangout.
(If you’re just reading for the logistics, scroll to the bottom!)
Family is at top of mind, not only because this Sunday is a great chance to hang out with folks of different ages in our family of faith, but because of one of the Scripture passages in this week’s lectionary readings:
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Genesis 37:13-17 (NRSV):
And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." He answered, "Here I am."
So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring word back to me."So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, "What are you seeking?"
"I am seeking my brothers," he said; "tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock." The man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
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This short bit of Scripture is a really vivid freeze-frame into the life of someone with a very complicated family history and legacy. I (Jelani) can related to the main character Joseph, because I was also raised as the baby of the family, with a particular set of privileges and responsibilities unique to my role in the family system.
See, Joseph wasn’t just a typical youngest child with entitlement issues… because of his family’s history of broken family dynamics (far too complex to get into here, but a fascinating read if you like messy family drama), he was the youngest child with both signs of — aspirations toward — greatness. His brothers, rather than lifting him up and partake in the collective victory that his ascent might have bestowed, instead treated him like a threat. (They had good reason to view him this way, but for our purposes, that’s neither here nor there.)
So in this moment, Joseph’s father Israel is sending Joseph on a routine check-in with his brothers, to find out the status of the flocks they were tending, which was akin to doing an informal audit of the family business. If instead of being a shepherding family, Israel ran a group of car dealerships, Joseph would have been like the envoy for a regional manager checking in on the sales and inventory of a local sales branch.
It was the kind of informal check-in where things probably appeared normal on the surface, but there was all kinds of palace intrigue afoot, and it wasn’t long before things went really sideways.(Read the rest of Genesis 37 if you don’t already know the story.)
All of us belong to imperfect families with our own individual stories of triumph and trauma, heartwarming stories of belonging and heartbreaking stories of deception and betrayal. And when we gather, not only in our individual households or extended families, but as a broader faith family, those interactions are often fraught with the weight of all that baggage. We do and say things to and with each other that may look mystifying to someone on the outside, but to someone who knows us well, make perfect sense.
Part of the value in our regular gatherings, then, even without the usual liturgies of prayer, worship, proclamation of Scripture and communion… is in the value of knowing and being known, of shedding our emotional armor, bit by bit, and allowing people in our community to play unwitting roles in God’s redemption story, a tapestry being woven through imperfect vessels making dumb mistakes, showing off weird skills, and being joyfully authentic image bearers.
So if you come to the park this Sunday, keep all that in mind. You don’t have to get super deep as you walk among the trees and share moments of levity and laughter. But every time you do, you’re giving yourself and the others around you to share another layer of your true self.
(And spoiler alert — as far as I know, no one is planning to throw you into a pit and sell you to a band of roving traders. But just to be safe, maybe leave your shovel at home!)
Wed August 12th: Book Club
Next week, our book club continues at the First Tongan UMC. James and Veronica Lopez Ericksen are leading a reading of Liturgies For Resisting Empire.If you want to participate and need a copy of the book, reach out to the leadership team. If you don’t have any of our contact info, you can start by emailing Pastor Jelani or Teacher James.
Saturday August 22nd: Elation Hip-Hop Festival
For those of you who really enjoy our Beats & Jokes events, there’s an annual Christian hip-hop event headlined by local talent, and our own Jelani Greenidge, a.k.a. G*Natural, will be a featured DJ and performer. Of course, you can always support the event by purchasing tickets, but because the event will be happening at the Foster Theater — yes, the same Foster Theater where we’ll be having Sunday services — we’re looking for someone who might be willing to represent our church by talking to people and perhaps distributing some free promotional materials. So if you wouldn’t mind getting in free to this concert and helping us spread the word about Access Church, definitely reach out by emailing Pastor Jelani.
THIS SUNDAY (August 9th):
From leadership team member Luke Bonham:
Hello church family! This Sunday’s gathering will be at Mt. Scott Park at 11am… no service, just a time to connect and enjoy one of the best parks in southeast Portland. Meet by the playground, bring a lawn chair, frisbee, or tennis racquet if you want to join an activity.
Additionally, we will be collecting size 2 diapers, baby wipes, or cash to deliver to the Van Curen family, who are actively helping to raise Emily’s new baby Joseph, just a little over a month old now. Help us show some love and community care as they step up to care for this little one.
REMINDERS:
SUNDAY AUGUST 16th: Sabbath Sunday (No Gathering.)
SUNDAY AUGUST 23rd: Celebration at Oxbow Park
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