Join United Methodists all over the world on Wednesday, June 24, at 10:00 am PDT. Pray and lament for the racism in our midst and hear God's call to join in the work of dismantling racism and pressing on to freedom for all.
Participate here or at https://www.facebook.com/unitedmethodistchurch. More info on the UMC's stand against racism may be found here
When God called me to come here, the call came through my district superintendent, Kate Conolly. I had told her the previous week, “Don’t call me unless a church comes up that has your heart singing.”
On Sunday night, March 8th at my SPRC team in Banks I told them Kate had said there were no churches open, so they were stuck with me another year. Two nights later, while Karen was doing tutoring, my cell rang and Kate’s name was in the window. I stepped into the small hallway to the downstairs bathroom where we had our washer and dryer, and took the call. As I answered, Kate literally started singing. “BRIAN! THIS IS KATE! I HAVE SOMEONE YOU NEED TO TALK TO!!!” My pulse increased. “An appointment? She had just told me there were no churches,” I was thinking.
The way such calls work is your own DS makes the call and then, if you are to move out of the district, hands the phone to the DS overseeing the church to which you are transferring or tells you to expect a call from them.
Since she was calling from cabinet meeting - with all the District Superintendents, Conference Treasurer, Bishop, and others, -- she handed her cell phone to Bonnie Parr Philipson. Bonnie was DS for the Columbia District, which was then called Metro. Bonnie told me how when my name came up suddenly the whole room was unanimous. They wanted me to move to Westside beginning July 1st.
I was a bit staggered. I thought of Westside as a big, important place, making a splash as a new church start, as a place with incredible music, and ministry to youth and homeless populations. She told me some about the church and what they thought I would bring to this appointment, and then gave me overnight to think, pray about it and talk to Karen.
It was with some excitement when Karen finished with her client that I told her about the appointment possibility. We drove out to the church in the next couple of days to at least see the building. We prayed and felt like God was excited about the possibilities in our lives and the lives of the folk at Westside.
Because of this appointment, much changed. I came and met with a large group of people on Thursday night the 12th and then again on another night. I remember tearing up at the beauty of all of you at that first meeting. Someone said, “He’ll fit right in. A westside weeper!” You just were beautiful with your passion, love of music, love of one another. You asked deep, theological questions. It was this amazing conversation. I was stunned with you all.
I remember another meeting with you not long after that, at which Nancy MacDonald’s first question was how I handled conflict. Perhaps a clue that you had some.
In saying yes, another change was housing. For 22 years of pastoral ministry, we had lived in parsonages. With this appointment, we could buy our first house. So, we began the process of discerning what we wanted, where we wanted to live, and hunting for houses! We finally found and settled on the one where we are living, made an offer, it was accepted and moved in on June 4th. During the last month at Banks, we commuted Sundays and other days back and forth to the Banks community and began to find our way in the new setting.
After July first, so many of you came and helped -- painting the whole interior of the house. Dian Green was a huge gift in color choices. Many called and greeted me on the phone. It was this vast week of sharing. I remember a delightful phone call from Julie Campbell telling me of their first-ever RV vacation slated that week so she was sorry they could not come help. Her description of the RV and dogs and kids and the plan was hilarious and such a great introduction to her and the Baumgartner family. It was a great week. Thank you.
We launched.
I was staggered by the community that gathered for the two Sunday services. So many new faces, stories, lives. It was an exciting, new adventure. That fall Colloquy occurred at Westside and one of the pastors who came told me, “You won’t last 3 years. This place is rife with conflict.”
I was a bit taken aback. I knew there was conflict. Isn’t there always conflict whenever we people are together long enough to rub off the rough edges?
But I felt she spoke from a limited perspective. First, she really didn’t know me. And second, she didn’t take into account the beauty of who you are! She said it was a place rife with conflict. But you know what else this place was “rife” with? Dynamic faith and joy, vision for the possibilities of ministry, and a desire to make a difference in the world. This place was “rife with love” -- love of neighbor and love for one another too. Indeed, this place then was “rife with beauty,” and that has not changed.
I cannot imagine we are this near the end of 11 years. Thank you, all of you, as some have left and others have come, for your willingness to be a part of this experiment in loving God and loving one another. We have tried something immense together and it has made a difference. Can we even count how many lives have been impacted through Jesus using us here at Westside over these years? We cannot, I’m certain. For often it is not the people we might think of, but the ones we do not think of we ought to be counting.
We might not think of the stranger who wandered into worship and began weeping and received prayer and assistance.
We might not think of the woman who came for counseling because of unprocessed grief, on 27 different medications, and left after one prayer time and one appointment experiencing healing. Such healing that over the next few months, she was able to get off of all but 2 of her meds. God healed.
We might not think of the people impacted seeing the cross lit up at night.
We might not think of the migrant camp workers who met love in Bonnie Becker and many others week after week.
We might not think of those who visit the dental van and experienced the love of Jesus through Kari and Merry and others.
We might not think of those driving by for whom the sign had just the right words on the right day.
We might not think of all the people who left, even who left angry, but whose lives Jesus impacted even as they left and in whose lives Jesus yet works.
We might not think of those people, and so many, many others who have sensed upon their hearts the call of God and are following Jesus because of a prayer prayed, a card written, a story told, or a hug shared. We might not think of them, but God remembers them all.
And we might not think of the impact you have had on me. I literally believe you saved my life in so many ways. Thanks for making provisions to be a pastor who was on the road sometimes. Thanks for supporting me through some tough, tough seasons. Thanks for believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. Thanks for dreaming with me for all the possible places God might lead us. Thanks again for encouraging me and making it possible for me to take sabbatical. It was a journey that saved my heart and my life.
What a difference God has worked through you. Well done Good and Faithful servants of the Living God!
If you missed worship on Sunday, catch up here (https://holtrich.my.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/holtrich.my/recording/play/0030a148668e4baa86822976649d4a16)
A slideshow honoring Pastor Brian’s time at Westside was shown during worship on Sunday. If you missed it, watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce0rQq92Zu8.
Online comments following the slideshow:
Pursingers – Brian…you are truly Blessed. Love the “Old Jewish character” you played!
Sullivans – Beautiful! Love that show. You are beautiful Brian. We’re all the better for having you in our lives. You’ve taught us to be unconditional in our love and most importantly to be the person God intended. Brian gives us plenty of animation on his own.
Martha – Oh my gosh…Sorry Mom….I’m crying! We will miss you Brian! Know that you are loved! Know that you aren’t gone from our lives.
Wendy F. – We love you so much!! This is a pastor transition but not a friend transition!! We get to continue to be active friends and that is a blessing to all of us.
Amy F. – Once a Westside weeper, always a Westside weeper. Brian you are such a blessing to us all.
Kari – Thank you Fred! And everyone who sent photos in! Lots of love to you Brian! Friends Forever!
Stephanie – I needed to cry happy tears…Thank you Jesus for allowing us to know and share so many beautiful memories w/ Brian.
Bonnie – What Sally said. I’ve learned so much from you Brian.
Francie – Maybe it’s better we’re all remote, imagine this going down AT Westside…..
Cosgroves – It’s been a journey of love! Brian, It’s good to be present to yourself…xxxooo
Paige – This is harder because you are truly our friend and brother. We are beyond blessed by you.
Weavers – God Bless you, Brian. Thank you for sharing your wonderful spirit with our small church. God is with you always.
Carol – Brian, Thank you for Blessing our Westside Family & extended families for all these years!!! We love you and your family!!!
Merry – Thank you for being our friend and teaching us so much.
Pastor Brian – Thank you all for these precious gifts and wishes. Your hearts are beautiful and I love you a lot!
Sharing a story from Choosing to be Kind & what the result of this was:
Cosgroves – I chose kind when I chose not to respond to a snarky Facebook post.
Amy – Dad says you’re a kid Dave (re: Dave S. Birthday tomorrow)
Merry – I am in touch with Nina M. and pray for her daily. She’s in Canada and is worried about America.
Ivan – I choose kindness daily with drivers on the road.
Martha – Those of us who will never see 64 again agree with Ed!
Bonnie – Nurse was kind at Kaiser when she snuck me in to sit with Tom and Tami Ely while they waited for transport….that never showed up.
Susan W. – Happy pre Birthday Dave! Next year Medicare! I got mine March 1 and used it June 3!!!
Morgan – Ashleigh had a busy day so I hung out with Kendall to give her a little break. We brought her to see my Gramma and Uncle at The Springs. Seeing her face light up was so precious <3
Kari – I was patient and kind to my dental patients that really didn’t want to have their teeth cleaned. Probably the parents appreciated it more than they did.
Brian – I chose kind this week when I went to Rite-Aid this week to get rubbing alcohol to make our disinfecting wipes for the church. The sign said buy 2, get one free. I came to counter and cashier said there is a limit of only 1 per customer. She said she would give me the discount price. I was so confused, but it didn’t matter, I took the one big bottle and left the little ones there.
Sally – We loaned the neighbor eggs to make a special sauce. The result of this was he brought us over dinner! And now that he found out it’s Dave’s Birthday tomorrow, he’s bringing us over dinner again…because he loves us!
Martha – Our son invited us over to his house in NE Portland. We were able to spend some time with 3 year old Ada; watch our little extrovert as she talks to everybody in very adult language asking everyone what they are doing & their opinion about what they are doing. And this was a very wonderful time and a time of kindness actually.
Michele – I have some friends who are dealing with anxiety and depression and a few that unfortunately have cancer. So instead of sending them emails, I actually got them cards & sent them cards. People seem to enjoy that extra little something when you send a card.
Sally – I was really involved with the nursing staff when I was going through the situation with my brother. I wrote a Letter to the Editor of the local paper praising the hospital and the nurses. And I got a call and it’s going to go or be posted tomorrow in the Editorial Section of the local paper. Plus, we have sent numerous thank you notes to the nurses and we have gotten such lovely feedback from them with their appreciation for our appreciation of what they do.
Have you chosen to be kind at some point this week? Share in the comments.
Here are the Next Steps for your faith journey:
Lean in: Learn and revisit Luke 10:38-42 each day this week.
Pray daily: “God, I need help being present for you.”
Tune in: When listening to anyone, tune in to what God is speaking to you about them.
Take a walk and take in the beauty.
I saw the man driving past our house doing 40 with his phone up so it was visible to his eye as he drove and texted. I’ve never been to that level of texting and driving. And have given it up, really. What is it about us people that we really believe we can do more than one thing at a time?
I was talking to a friend and she kept glancing at her phone, tracking stuff that was coming in while we were talking. She was not present.
At one of my one-to-one visits with Erin Martin, our District Superintendent, she asked how I was doing; I began to sob. Okay, it was not my best day. Erin tuned in. She looked at me and was present. She handed me a box of kleenex and listened as I described the depth of loss my heart was feeling. And then she didn’t answer. Instead, she asked me a question which changed my life.
Presence. It makes all the difference. One of the most famous stories in the Bible talks about it eloquently. In fact in many quarters you need only name the sisters involved and people know the story. It is a story about many things, although it has been reduced as if to a single contrast too often. This Sunday, we are looking at it from the back door, from the underside, and looking at how Jesus was there for both these sisters and what his presence meant.
Don’t miss worship!
A handful of members of Fremont UMC felt stirred by the Spirit earlier this week to make plans to gather outside their church's building along NE Fremont Street next Thursday, June 18, to bear witness to our God of suffering love, inconvenient justice, and hard-fought reconciliation in this time of soul-searching and reckoning in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. They'll be holding signs in support of Black Lives Matter and waving at traffic along the sidewalk during rush hour that evening, showing their congregation's support for our siblings of color and our endorsement that our society and systems must change.
They invite you to do the same. Please consider if the Spirit is prompting a similar action outside your church's building at the same time. On June 18th, gather at 5pm in the public place closest to your congregation and make a public witness. Be sure to follow Fremont's lead in following all recommended pandemic precautions, including social distancing and mask-wearing for all.
Pastor Brian is unavailable that evening, but if you feel led, please take photos — we'd love to share them with the District!
This video is the history of the Black Lives Matter movement and why it is about "Black Lives," which in essence is to call us to a greater humanity. The movement is 7 years old. This tells its birthing and invites people to think redemptively about the call of us to be a different kind of person. Please watch here
Please take this 2-minute survey, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DY5C6R6 and give us your thoughts and feelings regarding the next phase of worshipping together.
Thanks!
Jesus, I pray for the people of Westside today that You would bring simple joy and a large dose of hope where despair has reigned. Bring beauty in nature, peace to the heart, and replace worry with contentment. You are able to do that, I know. So I pray You would bend your ear to earth and hear the prayer of these friends and family who really need to know right now that YOU SEE. Amen.
In my daily pain
In my daily sorrow
I close my weary eyes
With Hope for tomorrow.
Tomorrow with no anger
Holding hands is the norm
Generations work together
To avoid the hatred storm.
Tomorrow where any colors
Are floating in the sky
All people melt together
And no one questions why.
Tomorrow filled with laughter
Lives filled with grace
Where there are smiles
On each and every face.
In my daily pain
In my daily sorrow
I know that there will be
HOPE for tomorrow!
—By Martha Tunall
Please take this 2-minute survey, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DY5C6R6 and give us your thoughts and feelings regarding the next phase of worshipping together.
Thanks!
If you are looking for a place to do some good, Family Promise is partnering with Beaverton High School to help families in need. On Fridays they box supplies and the families come to pick them up, or they are delivered on Saturday. This week there is a need for the following items. If you would like to provide any of these items, please let Bonnie know. You can leave them at the church with Beaverton Buddies on the bag and she will pick them up. If you do, please let her know (503-464-6914) so that she can get them to FPB by Thursday afternoon.
Women's deodorant
Toothbrushes
Shampoo
Laundry detergent
Clorox wipes
Household cleaner
Feminine Pads
Diapers size 5
Food (non-perishable)
Mac and Cheese
canned foods like chili, spaghetti-o's
foods that kids would like
basics such as oil, sugar, flour, etc.
Changing Table (a family is requesting one)
Thanks!
A poem by Leslie Dwight:
What if 2020 isn’t cancelled?
What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?
A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw —
That it finally forces us to grow?
A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us
from our ignorant slumber.
A year we finally accept the need for change.
Declare change. Work for change. Become the change.
A year we finally band together, instead of
pushing each other further apart.
2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather
the most important year of all.
There’s no way around it. It’s been a terrible, awful week. I long for the time when the biggest thing causing me sorrow is not being able to sing in church. But now I’m in mourning.
Read the rest of Cesie Scheuermann’s excellent blog post here.
It is surreal.
First this season in the world is surreal and the rioting in the streets is surreal. The kind of season when I keep pinching myself -- is this happening?
But, second, this season WE are in is surreal; we are to my last four Sundays with you, the last four weeks.
For me this all feels right, on one level, but also strange. It was two years ago in March I heard from Jesus, “You have two years left at Westside.” I knew these last weeks were coming then, but that does not help experiencing them now. What a year this has been. I’ve been on a steep learning curve for a whole other area of life and work, on assignment from Jesus. Just like every Bible story there is, I am walking by faith between the call and the miracle.
Do you know what I mean by that?
We know the end of every story in the Bible because it has already occurred. We can read the ending. But all those real people, living real lives, with real faith we read about, they could not see the ending. From Jesus saying, “Follow Me,” to those fisherman, they never imagined what might come. Did they foresee themselves raising the dead and casting out demons? Most likely not. They were in a faith stage between call and fulfillment, between the first step and the end of the journey.
When Jesus said to Jairus “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” And walked with Jairus to his home. Jairus did not know how it was going to end. All he knew was that he walked alongside the Rescuer, the Savior, the One whom he had implored to heal his daughter. He was in the in-between time of faith.
You can look at every Bible story and witness this.
The desperate widow speaking with Elisha in 2 Kings 4 did not know what would happen when she approached the prophet, feeling hopeless and alone. She did not expect the prophet to ask “What do you have in your house?” She viewed what she had as nothing at all.
It’s like that for you too, sometimes, isn’t it? You can feel like you have nothing to offer, no way to be involved in what God is wanting to do. I know that feeling. Perhaps we can take from this one story the encouragement -- God will always use what little we have to accomplish big things.
In this story, this widow got to participate in a miracle. But even in being obedient to the command of the prophet, she could not have known what would happen as she gathered jars and began to fill them, impossibly, with oil. What emotions coursed through her as this occurred? What thoughts came to mind? How did this impact her two boys? She was in the in-between time, the “by faith” season, between call and fulfillment.
This is where we are now. We are in-between. As we part from one another we will still be in that same in-between time. We don’t know all God has planned for us even as we separate from one another. But rest assured, GOD HAS PLANS for us both! He plans to use us in all He is doing. Using what little we have, and as we trust one step at a time, God will lead us to the fulfillment God has planned.
I keep coming back to that thought.
People say, “So, you are retiring!”
“No, I’m not,” I respond. “I am just moving from the local church into a ministry alongside the church in the world seeking still to reach many for Christ.”
People say, “How is the business coming along?”
“Well, that’s hard to tell,” I respond. “Slow, I guess would be one thing. But God has opened some doors and I’m just seeking to be obedient with the steps and praying He shows up.”
It is this in-between time that is tough. I cannot see, we cannot see ahead. That is why in Hebrew walking into the future is phrased walking “backward into the future,” because, no one SEES it. We cannot see what is coming. All we can see is what is behind us.
We can see how God answered prayer for us as a community, met us in the privilege we have had to be together, and as I recounted in May, we can tell of miracle after miracle story of what God has done among us. This we can see.
In my heart, I have a record of so many answered prayers over the decade. These are sign posts. God has done it. God will do it again.
This brings hope. I find that I am a pendulum in this season. I swing between anxiety and hope, between intense grief and joy. I will miss you all.
I will miss walking with you, praying with you, worshiping with you and seeing you weekly and often during the week. All that, I will miss. As we walk in the in-between time, keep trusting. Jesus has walked many, many others through such times before. He knows how to do it. We will come through and be able to be together again. Know this -- I love you all. Pastor Brian
Here are the Next Steps for your faith journey:
Set aside your own priorities this week to treat someone else as you’d like to be treated.
Pray: “Lord, teach me to acknowledge beggars, laugh with a child, speak to those who inhabit the backgrounds of life.”
Refrain from giving answers this week; ask another question instead.
Read the book: 42 Seconds by Carl Medearis
We are starting a series of messages Sunday called 42 Seconds: What can happen in less than a minute. I am basing this off of a great book called 42 Seconds by Carl Medearis, a career missionary to middle eastern countries for decades. He noticed that Jesus had many encounters and if we base those just on the descriptions we have, none of them lasted much longer than 42 seconds. 42 seconds. That’s a brief time. Of course, perhaps we don’t have all the details. True. But with the details we do have we know that Jesus in a short time turned around people’s lives and situations. He brought healing and peace. He showed up and that was what was needed. He asked great questions, “What do you want me to do for you?” and “Do you want to get well?” among them. For these last Sundays of my walk with you, we are going to ask what we might learn for ourselves from the brief encounters Jesus had and the staggering results He achieved. What if we tried employing the seconds He has given us differently by the help of God’s Spirit within us?
We will begin with two great stories from the book of Mark. In his book, Mark detailed out how Jesus had power over nature, the demonic, sickness and death in the stories he placed before the reader in rapid succession from the end of the fourth chapter through the fifth. We will start in the last two of these, a double miracle, the healing of the woman with the 12-year ailment and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. These stories depict Jesus’ encounter with the poorest of the poor and the wealthiest of the rich on the level ground of human loss and need. In these we get a glimpse of how Jesus related to people, no matter their station, as simply that: people. Human beings who desperately needed to encounter hope.
Whereas those around Jesus wanted to categorize the contrasted people in this story, Jesus didn’t. Indeed, He wouldn’t. He never labeled anyone, never diminished humanity, but often, instead asked questions. Here too, “Who touched Me?” and “Why all this weeping and commotion?”
What if we approached time and people like Jesus did? What if we saw others and reached out to them like Him? The change needed in this nation begins in each of our hearts. Over against racism, wickedness and evil, holiness, a change in how we live, will do the most to impact the world. Don’t miss worship at 9 am on Sunday. We will be meeting Pastor Brett in worship and we will hear a Q&A he did with Gayellyn and Kari.
If you have a sewing machine and some time, Beaverton First UMC needs your help in sewing protective masks for our Beaverton community. They will be distributing these masks to the local small businesses in the Old Town area as they prepare to open under Phase 1. The mask guidelines can be found at this link. Please contact the BFUMC church office (office@beavertonumc.org or 503.646.7107) if you have any questions. They can arrange a time for pick-up or drop-off! Thank you!