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Great God in heaven, You know our state and those that surround us are being ravaged by forest fires and that communities, property and people are at risk. We ask today that You would show Your great power and send rain without wind so that these fires would cease to burn. We pray that You would protect fire fighters, pilots, ground crews and support staff as they work to keep property safe from these fires. We pray most of all that lives would be spared.

Give grace to those who are being evacuated from their homes and businesses. Watch over them and keep them in Your care. Protect homes and properties from further damage so that lives are not needlessly disrupted.

And, we ask you to bless those who lost loved ones on September 11th.
They live in our memories and in the silence of our hearts.

We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Poor People’s Campaign

A National Call for Moral Revival is non-partisan but deeply committed to moral politics and public policy. For years we’ve demanded nothing less than a reconstruction of society around the needs of the poor and dispossessed. To do this, we must bring the agenda of poor and low-income people front and center in this election cycle and beyond.

Join us on Monday, September 14th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT for a National Moral Monday Mass Assembly and Teach-In: Voting is Power Unleashed,* a massive online event bringing together poor and low-income people and allies who will learn about voter power, engagement, registration and protection and how to organize our communities to defend the vote.

Poor and low-income people hold the power to change the political calculus across the nation. The attacks on voting rights, voter suppression and in-person voter intimidation will only escalate in the weeks to come. That’s why we need to pull the movement family together for this massive teach-in to spread the tools people need to defend our democracy. Leading civil rights attorneys Caitlin Swain and Sherrilyn Ifill from Forward Justice and NAACP Legal Defense Fund will lead a powerful session on what grassroots leaders need to know as we enter the voting season. Organizers will lead us through the urgent voter engagement programs of the Poor People's Campaign.

RSVP to Join Us for this Historic Event During a Critical Election Season

We will be joined by PPC coordinating committees in 43 states and other civic, religious and social justice organizations and cultural activists Erika Alexander, Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda, D.L. Hughley and Charlamagne tha God. In addition, presidential candidate Joe Biden has accepted our invitation to directly address our agenda and the priorities of poor and low-income people. President Trump was invited to join us, but has not responded.

Imperfect, fragile as it is, our democracy is worth fighting for.

Forward together, not one step back!

Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis

Co-Chairs, Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival

*This event will be fully closed-captioned and translated into ASL and Spanish.

Don't skip this powerful analogy.
Compound Interest
 
 
When Peter turned 21, he started investing $200 a month every year for nine years. At age 30, he stopped investing.
 
Peter's friend John started a little later, investing $200 a month every month starting at age 30 until he turned 67.
 
So at age 67, who had more money in their account?
 
At the end of nine years, Peter invested $21,600 and ended up with more than $2.5 million.
 
Peter's friend John invested $91,200 over the course of 37 years. At age 67, he had built up $1.4 million, but he never caught up with Peter.
 
The effect that time had on Peter's investments gave him an advantage.
 
That’s the power of compound interest.
 
Now, let's apply this analogy to Blacks. For many years, I've heard many people say that slavery happened a long time ago and ended a long time ago. That over 50 years ago, the United States enacted laws protecting the civil rights of Blacks.
 
After all these decades, as I was recently told, giving preference to Blacks is reverse-racism.
 
Let us examine this from a broader perspective. For 246 years, Americans enslaved Blacks. Slavery has been illegal for 155 years since the 13th Amendment passed in 1865.
 
For 345 years, Americans legally discriminated against blacks. Fifty-five years ago, the United States passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, making discrimination illegal and protecting the civil rights of Blacks.
 
White Americans began investing in their families and culture for decades and centuries before Black Americans were allowed to begin investing. Even then, however, Blacks received a lower rate of return.
 
Through redlining – steering Blacks to certain neighborhoods, separate from whites – banks and realtors kept property levels lower which deprived Blacks of the opportunity to build asset wealth, thus keeping them in poverty. This practice continued through the 2010's.
 
Admission offices give preference to children of alumni. Because alumni are rarely Black, Black children face a disadvantage in entering the universities that generate America's ruling class and powerbrokers.
 
These are just two examples of many more including policing, salaries and wages, voting, abortion practices, and sentencing laws.
 
Whites had a head start investing in their future. Centuries later, Blacks were in a position to invest but at a lower interest rate. It's no wonder that whites are better off than Blacks.
 
Conversely, when you ask whether it's time for Blacks to stop expecting Government and institutions to make reparations for practices that occurred eons ago, and though you acknowledge the existence of episodic racism but deny the existence of systemic racism, think back to my early example of compound interest and consider the compounded effects that decades and decades and decades of segregation, discrimination and humiliation that Blacks have endured.
 
That’s the power of compound injustice.
 
"Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples." –Pope Francis
47th Annual Neil Kelly Memorial Virtual Auction
Benefitting the St Andrew Community Center
Main Event: Oct 24th, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
 
Bakers wanted!
We would like to offer 6 to 10 gorgeous delicious desserts. If you are willing to donate please EMAIL Anita Lindsay 
ALindsay@snjmuson.org

Donation Wish List - what can you contribute?
Custom Christmas Wreath
Family Photo Shoot
Spiritual Retreat (zoom)
Interior Design (I need this!)
Will - Legal Services
Landscaping
Christmas Carols - (A family sings Christmas Carols for families who sign up.)
Delicious Wine
Toot Sweet - Beep your horn when you deliver a dessert a month to the lucky winner.

Sponsors -  support your community!
Do you own a business? Are you a partner in a firm? Sponsor our event and support the work of the Community Center.

Contact Lisa Hatten lhatten@standrewchurch.com  (503) 880-0116

Walnut Park Shelter

Cooks are needed for the last two Mondays in September and October. We provide the food and you cook in the Community Center kitchen. The shelter is located just 1/2 mile from St Andrew on MLK and Killingsworth. We just drop off the food. No serving.
Contact Lisa Hatten if you are interested.  lhatten@standrewchurch.com
2020 Zahm Lecture

From the Big Bang to The Saint John's Bible: The Role of Astonishment in a Scientist’s Journey to Integrate Faith and Reason

Dr. Gintaras Duda, Catholic cosmologist and Chair of Physics at Creighton University, asks: how can we reconcile science with belief in a personal Christian God? Astonishment and wonder offer one route for this fundamental reconciliation. Dr. Duda will stress the fundamental need for theological and philosophical perspectives on some of the biggest questions in cosmology today. Free live Zoom webinar, Wednesday, September 16 at 5pm. For information on connecting to the webinar, visit up.edu/garaventa/events or email garaventa@up.edu.
Thinking about becoming a catholic? 
The RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is the process for welcoming adult newcomers into the Catholic Church.  If you are thinking about becoming Catholic, and have not received one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation), then this process is for you.To keep everyone safe during the pandemic, our preparation for the Sacraments will consist of short videos to watch at home, Zoom sessions on Sunday from 11:00-12:30 PM, and informal weekly check-ins on Wednesday evenings. We will formally begin our sessions this Sunday, September 13, 2020. For more information contact Michael Prendergast mprendergast@archdpdx.org 
We also welcome any parishioner who may want to serve as a sponsor or be part of the RCIA team to contact Michael.
To see previous Newsletters click HERE.
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