PMC Welcomes Kevin Siedel / Church @ Champoeg

A morning of Blessing...

On July 5, a wonderful group of PMCers gathered at Champoeg State Park to join those who had been camping there for the weekend for an informal worship service. Together, we spent time in small groups writing blessings for Kevin, and in return, he wrote a blessing for PMC. Below are a few of the blessings that were shared. (unedited)

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To Kevin and the staff at PMC. May this time of transformation itself be a blessing May it infuse your normal lives with peace and hopefulness bringing you together and sustaining you in times of storm and stress and may this final section of the blessing be something about smoothness and performing may you figure it out :)

May God's Shalom rest upon you 
May your relationships at PMC be righteous and life giving 
May they inspire you and us in the direction of God's will and God's desire for our future 
May your coffee always be dark roast and be at the right temperature and in the right amount 
May God grant that you find your traffic lights always turn green and your parking spots always appearing when you need them. 

May you find local nature unique and different than your expectations 
May you enjoy your neighbors the beauty that surrounds you and the joy of a body that propels you along the street
May you have safe travels to and from work on your bicycle 
May you find more room for books, joy, and discovering new authors and 
May  you find new friends that expand your creative outlets

May your mirror always reflect you 
May you reap the rewards of a heart left open 
May closed doors open again 
May bugs treat you how you want to be treated 
May you please watch wolf walkers and may you learn there every reason that life is worth living.

May you find space to be cozy and nosy 
May you find space for hiding as needed and writing 
May you find space for drinking and thinking 
May you find space for ringing and singing 
(Here are a few suggestions for where you may find these spaces, the myf room, red and ink, the furnace room, the Anne Frank room, and the bell tower.)

May your dog help you connect with your neighbors 
May there be room for error met with grace and room for beauty met with welcome 
May you be blessed with challenges 
May there be moving water to refresh your soul 
May you be blessed with people to share struggles and difficulties with to discern next steps while embracing unanswerable questions.

Like this beautiful Oak Grove perhaps beginning with two handfuls of acorns, which grew saplings that became home to all sorts of life - may you (may we) with deep roots broad branches in all the seasons participate in the abundance of our life together.

May you be like the woodpecker in the oak tree at Champoeg, knocking through the hard stuff to get to the good stuff surrounded by so much beauty that you find yourself singing while you do it with the courage to seek into yourself and the world around you and the inspiration to share what you find with us through it all may you have peace and love.

May your hands hold and may your hands release all the spirit has for you.
Blessings of growth, exploration, and joy 
May you find your home here.

Let there be balance in your days as you learn new things.
May you have peace and confidence as you live into being our pastor 
May you have joy in your quiet moments and hope as you carry the cares of our congregation 
May you have courage as you lead us through complex decisions 
Welcome to Portland Mennonite church may you find your full and authentic self in and among this community.

May the spirit of God fill you with joy as you join with us as we continue our joint journey of discovery here in the Pacific Northwest. May you be a channel for the Holy Spirit may you lean into conflict fussing and fuming with grace for all and deliver us from drama may you never walk in the rain with an umbrella so you don't look like a tourist.

Grace and peace in ordinary time 
contentment grace and peace 
in making lifelong friends 
in establishing rhythms of life 
that bring joy and growth 
grace and peace in seeing Jesus in new ways 
through the ordinary reality 
of the frailty and idiosyncrasies 
of wonder of us all 
at PMC.

May you be granted the perspective and clarity to lead us where we can't see yet 
May you bear the worst in us with grace and humor and draw out the best in us with the same 
May your entire family flourish. 

Hopes for your household:
May your tires never go flat in spite of inflation 
May the ants find your kitchen uninviting 
May the aroma of joyful meals fill your home 
May it only rain on the outside of your house 
May Phoebe find lots of squirrels 
May you strive to find the peace of the city 
and may it start in your living room.

Let you find this place to be filled with welcoming people with a deep sense of community 
May you find love, community, friendship, growth, and relationships 
May you meet lots of new friends and may you have fun.

Let there be times of rejoicing and feelings of being surrounded by love and care and comfort in this new beloved community 
May you have opportunities for renewal and restoration within your own faith while in our midst
May the memories of your previous community sustain you like a hammock while the pool hours and the lap availability match the rhythm of your days.