Sept. 5th: Behind the Scenes Prep (No Gathering)

Hello friends...

LAST WEEK Thank you for last week's gathering. What a gift to gather at the Lopez-Ericksen home. Thank you to everyone who came, brought food, and made room for one another. Shout out to the real ones who know how up-and-down September weather can be like. We started out pretty chilly, but by the end we enjoyed some nice summer rays. If you're new to Portland and ever wondered why you see people wearing shorts and hoodies at the same time... now you know.

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NEW WEBSITE

Our new website is live!

While it's still at our usual URL AccessCov.com (where the .com stands for community not commerce) there are a bunch of new pages giving more detail and color about the particulars of our new church community. Check it out, and let us know how you're receiving it, if you have notes, if it's just meh... whatever. We want to hear from you. (Plus you'll be helping us test out the contact page to make sure everything is working right.)

Also, we're starting a new habit for our Sunday gatherings: the check-in.

As we step into this season, we’re beginning a simple Sunday rhythm of checking in when you arrive. It’s quick, and it helps in a few ways: it lets us welcome newcomers well, it keeps our kids’ ministry safe with a clear sign-in and pickup, and it helps our team stay connected with you and follow up when it matters. Want to see how it works? Here’s a short explainer on our site: how check-in works →. (And if you don't have a smartphone, no worries — a greeter with a tablet should be able to help you at the door.)

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speaking of which...

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Please be patient with our staff and lead team. As it should be, we are always paying attention to how much capacity our people have and trying to make the best prudent choices about who can contribute and how. As such, there are some personnel transitions underway. We can’t share every detail yet, but we’ll tell you more as these changes become official. Thank you for your grace in the meantime.

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Our first gathering at the Foster Theater is Sunday, September 13th.

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Would you help keep us in prayer? Pray for Joel and Jelani as they shape our worship, the flow and feel of the whole service, for a new room and for the newcomers we hope to welcome. Pray for — and be patient with — our lead team and ministry leaders as we learn new procedures, not only for the Foster Theater but also for our midweek gatherings and monthly potlucks at First Tongan United Methodist Church. There’s a lot of quiet, behind-the-scenes work in a move like this, and your patience and prayers help carry us forth. God's grace is abundant.

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One final set of thoughts.

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This week’s lectionary readings hold two threads that fit exactly where we are. In Exodus, God gives his people careful logistical instructions for the first Passover — a meal eaten “with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand” (Exodus 12:11, NRSVUE).

If you've ever felt bad about not being able to stop and slow down for every meal, you are not alone. In this Exodus text, God's people had to stay dressed and ready to move. If you read the rest of the story you know that God was about to do something shocking and miraculous, something that would spare them from direct harm. Thus, the people needed to stay focused and vigilant to receive what was about to come. It’s a reminder that the ordinary details of getting ready — the setup, the new procedures, even the check-ins — can be holy work, and even in difficulty we can engage with clear eyes and open hearts, eager to see God do the the impossible.

And then in the NT letter reading, Paul names the one thing that ties it all together:

“Owe no one anything, except to love one another” (Romans 13:8, NRSVUE), for “the night is far gone, the day is near” (13:12).

So as we prepare — and stumble through a few new procedures along the way — let’s give each other plenty of love, patience, grace, and a little slack. The day we’ve been getting ready for is nearly here. God's love has carried us thus far, and God's love will bring us through this season as well.

Onward in the love of grace of Jesus, who as always, gives us Access.