This book explores the tough questions that many of us grapple with. How can we recapture the confidence we once had as we stumble through the dark times that seem increasingly bleak? As bad news piles up—from climate crises to daily assaults on civility—how can we cope? Where, she asks, “Do we start to get our world and joy and hope and our faith in life itself back...with our sore feet, hearing loss, stiff fingers, poor digestion, stunned minds, broken hearts?" We begin, Lamott says, by accepting our flaws and embracing our humanity. Drawing from her own experiences, this book shows us the intimate and human ways we can adopt to move through life’s dark places and toward the light of hope that still burns ahead for all of us.

Wednesdays throughout Lent, 7-8:30pm

Catechesis is an old word that refers to an ancient idea: being shaped by religious instruction. Our hope for this class is to provide non-violent and non-dominion Christian instruction that’s accessible for both teenagers and adults. Furthermore, our hope for this class is to encourage a Christianity that’s capable of grounding us, inspiring us, and leading us more deeply into lives that flourish. Each class will cover relevant content and engaging practices that help to give Christian shape to our lives:

• 2/21, Living the Bible, Inspiration 

• 2/28, Living Incarnation, Union

• 3/6, Living Atonement, Repair

• 3/13, Living Resurrection, Wholeness

• 3/20, Living Trinity, Community

• 3/27, Living the Way, Practices

Lent is a church season during which we’re invited to slow, to simplify, and to deepen. You’re warmly invited to join us for Catechesis During Lent. Interested, have questions, or want to RSVP? Please contact Pastor Ben.

Meeting at the Gilbert’s home in NE Portland

The New Year is a season during which many of us take time to rethink life rhythms and commit to new and healthier habits. With this in mind, our New Year’s Evening of Education will offer two workshops that intend to encourage fiscal health and thoughtful engagement with the Bible. Following the workshops, we’ll gather over snacks and drinks to connect. Questions? Contact Mike. Planning to attend? RSVP with Mike for directions.

Do's and Don'ts of Personal Finance

It’s a new year and that can mean new resolutions, including getting your finances in order! Dan Gilbert—Pearl’s Treasurer and a Certified Public Accountant—has lived and breathed everything finance for over 40 years. At this workshop Dan will discuss the Do's and Don'ts of personal finances by covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time. The plan is to discuss a broad swath of content, spanning biblical attitudes toward money to practical ways to save and invest. Come to learn and get your most pressing money questions answered.

Thoughtful Engagement with the Bible

During the New Year many of us commit to reading the Bible. However, this commitment quickly becomes problematic as we encounter passages that are violent, or bigoted, or in contradiction with today’s scientific and historical findings. This workshop will begin by exploring the Bible’s formation to establish an ancient interpretational lens that encourages the use of reason. It will then provide an overview of the books in the Bible to help us better understand their content and relationship to one another. Finally, it will trace the biblical story that encourages a perspective of trajectory toward ever-increasing love.

The New Year is a season during which many of us take time to rethink life rhythms and commit to new and healthier habits. With this in mind, our next Book Discussion will consider James Clear’s Atomic Habits. Clear—one of the world's leading experts on habit formation—reveals practical strategies that will teach you how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. Questions? Contact Mike.

Join us for our next book discussion as we read Marilynne Robinson’s acclaimed novel Gilead. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award, Gilead is a hymn of praise and lamentation to the God-haunted existence that Reverend Ames loves passionately, and from which he will soon part. In 1956, toward the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, an account of himself and his forebears. As we read his letter, we encounter mystery, loss, beauty, heartbreak and love, and throughout the pervasive presence of Divine Love. Whether or not you have time to read the book or listen to the audiobook, you’re warmly invited to join in this discussion. Questions? Contact Pastor Ben.

Pearl offers many classes throughout the year filled with content. But there’s something to be said about an organic conversation in which any direction can be taken. At this unique offering, we’ll begin by setting a framework through which we can think about and discuss Christian ideas. Then, we’ll open the time for discussion and see where it goes. A few Christian words and theologies that could be discussed—just to get you thinking—are the Bible, heaven, the devil, atonement, faith, etc.

Questions? Contact Mike Roth.

Please note: This class is now full. Please consider attending the weekend retreat version of this class, which will be offered February 2-4 on the Oregon Coast!

Wednesdays throughout October and November (10/4-11/8), 7-8:30pm
Many people who find themselves at Pearl have either begun or are in the process of deconstructing harmful, Christian faith. Yet, what is good Christian faith? To help thoughtfully answer this important question, you’re warmly invited to participate in this six-session class. To ensure there’s space for dialogue, we’re capping this class at eight people. To ask questions or to RSVP, please email Pastor Mike. By way of content, here are the topics we’ll cover:

• Week One, Wednesday, October 4, Gospel as Good News

• Week Two, Wednesday, October 11, Bible, Part I: Formation, Accommodation, & Inspiration

• Week Three, Wednesday, October 18, Bible, Part II: Books, Sections, & Trajectory

• Week Four, Wednesday, October 25, Salvation & Atonement

• Week Five, Wednesday, November 1, The Afterlife

• Week Six, Wednesday, November 8, Being Christian

A rare combination of mystic, scholar, and activist, Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the west. In No Death, No Fear, Hanh explores life through the perspective of complexity rather than dualism and by doing so nurtures peace in the midst of pain, sorrow, and death. You’re warmly invited to participate in discussing this book as well as its connections to the way of Jesus.

Questions? Contact Pastor Mike.

Church Office

The Devil—who is called by many names in scripture and culture— takes on many forms and holds many roles within Christian perspective. But who is the devil? What does the devil do? And, where did the devil come from? This class will pay particular attention to the evolution of the devil in christian consciousness. It will also consider the contextual situation from which ideology about the devil rose. Finally, this class will consider the rhetorical function of the devil, pondering its value and role in christian life, today. Questions? Contact Pastor Mike.

What do you get when you mix a fidget, precious beads or stones, and mindfulness practice? The Rosary! The Rosary is an ancient religious exercise that invites us into the story of Jesus. On Maundy Thursday—when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with friends—we’ll take time to learn about the Rosary. We’ll then work our way through the Sorrowful Mysteries, taking time to pause and to thoughtfully reflect on Jesus’ passion—the agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion. Bring along your own Rosary or use and take home a simple Rosary that we’ll provide. Questions? Contact Pastor Mike.

Book Discussion: The Unbearable Wholeness of Being: God, Evolution, and the Power of Love, by Ilia Delio
Following 2nd Service, Church Office

In a recent sermon, Pastor Mike celebrated recent conversations between Christian faith and science, and he encouraged us to read scientific-theologians such as Ilia Delio and John Polkinghorne. If that struck a chord, consider participating in our next book discussion! In The Unbearable Wholeness of Being: God, Evolution, and the Power of Love, Ilia Delio, provides a convincing case for love as the source and goal of an evolutionary process that calls humans to become increasingly loving creatures that participate in healing and co-creative work.

Every Wednesday throughout Lent (3/1-4/5), 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Many people who find themselves at Pearl have either begun or are in the process of deconstructing harmful, Christian faith. Yet, what is good Christian faith? To help thoughtfully answer this important question, you’re warmly invited to participate in this six-session class throughout the Season of Lent. To ensure there’s space for dialogue, we’re capping this class at eight people. To ask questions or to RSVP, please email Pastor Mike. By way of content, here are the topics we’ll cover:

• Week One, Wednesday, March 1, Gospel as Good News

• Week Two, Wednesday, March 8, Bible, Part I: Formation, Accommodation, & Inspiration

• Week Three, Wednesday, March 15, Bible, Part II: Books, Sections, & Trajectory

• Week Four, Wednesday, March 22, Salvation & Atonement

• Week Five, Wednesday, March 29, The Afterlife

• Week Six, Wednesday, April 5, Being Christian

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

Educational Evenings provide space for us to deepen into our Sacred Story by exploring theological and practical topics together. You will be able to attend one workshops we are offering, and afterward we will all re-gather for refreshments and conversation. Please RSVP with Pastor Ben and let us know which workshop you would like to attend, and to get the address.

Dos and Don’ts of Personal Finance  - A Christian Perspective
Facilitated by Dan Gilbert
It’s a new year and that can mean new resolutions, including getting your finances in order! Dan Gilbert—Pearl’s Treasurer and a Certified Public Accountant—has lived and breathed everything finance for over 40 years. At this workshop Dan will discuss the Do's and Don'ts of personal finances by covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time. The plan is to discuss a broad swath of content, spanning biblical attitudes toward money to practical ways to save and invest. Come to learn and get your most pressing money questions answered.

Reconstructing Christian Hope: The Good News of Apprenticeship
Facilitated by Pastor Ben Conachan
In recent centuries, the centerpiece of Christian Hope has been “getting into heaven”—and accordingly, this is what salvation has come to mean. But the Gospel of Jesus is for our whole lives, now: Good news! God is taking students in learning a way of life that is truly, deeply, good. This seminar will cast a vision for why becoming an apprentice of Jesus’ way is deeply good news, what Jesus proposes to teach us, and how we can practically enroll as students of Jesus in our every day contexts and roles. This is the first session of a forthcoming course which follows and extends our “Reconstructing Christian Faith” class, but everyone is welcome to join.

A common experience for people who are in the process of reconstructing their Christian faith is to know what to do with the Bible. If you find yourself thinking, what exactly is the Bible? Or, how am I supposed to read the Bible? Or, I don’t think I can read the Bible anymore. Then, we want to encourage you to read and discuss Rob Bell’s, What is the Bible? This book encourages an appreciation for the humanity behind the Scriptures. As Bell explains, "You cannot get to the holy without going through the human.” With this in mind, rather than asking "Why did God say . . .?” Bell encourages us to ponder, "What’s the story that’s unfolding here and why did people find it important to tell ? And, what was happening in the world at that time? And finally, what does a particular passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God was at that time?" In asking these questions, Bell goes beyond the one-dimensional question of “Is it true?" to encourage a dynamic relationship with the Bible’s ability to inspire our lives for good.

Ecotrust Conference Room, 11/5(Pizza Provided) and 11/19 (Bring Your Own Food), 5-8pm
Joining just for discussion? 11/5 and 11/19, 7-8pm

”Exterminate All the Brutes” is based on three texts that critically understand the history of European expansion from the perspectives of those most impacted by it: Africans, African Americans, Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, the people of Haiti, and Jewish survivors of the German Holocaust. Infusing the film segments with a combination of personal narrative, historical scholarship, and drama, the film's director Raoul Peck recasts the history of the last five centuries without the usual whitewashing of conventional history-telling by calling out colonialism as the genocidal project it was. Peck's vision for the film is to “reflect on society…to break the limits of art,” and the resistance to truth and the ignorance it generates by “deconstructing the making and masking of history, digging deep into the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism — from America to Africa and its impact on society today.” There are 4 episodes in this documentary.

You are invited to join us at Ecotrust to view two episodes at a time followed by discussion facilitated by Carrie Kondor. You are also welcome view the episodes on your own and join us at Ecotrust for the discussion portions which will take place during the final hour of each meeting. Please note: this documentary is streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Spectrum, Apple TV, Kanopy, and HBOMax.

To sign up for this viewing and discussion, please contact Pastor Ben.

Ecotrust Conference Room, 11/5 (Pizza Provided) and 11/19 (Bring Your Own Food), 5-8pm
Joining just for discussion? 11/5 and 11/19, 7-8pm

”Exterminate All the Brutes” is based on three texts that critically understand the history of European expansion from the perspectives of those most impacted by it: Africans, African Americans, Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, the people of Haiti, and Jewish survivors of the German Holocaust. Infusing the film segments with a combination of personal narrative, historical scholarship, and drama, the film's director Raoul Peck recasts the history of the last five centuries without the usual whitewashing of conventional history-telling by calling out colonialism as the genocidal project it was. Peck's vision for the film is to “reflect on society…to break the limits of art,” and the resistance to truth and the ignorance it generates by “deconstructing the making and masking of history, digging deep into the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism — from America to Africa and its impact on society today.” There are 4 episodes in this documentary.

You are invited to join us at Ecotrust to view two episodes at a time followed by discussion facilitated by Carrie Kondor. You are also welcome view the episodes on your own and join us at Ecotrust for the discussion portions which will take place during the final hour of each meeting. Please note: this documentary is streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Spectrum, Apple TV, Kanopy, and HBOMax.

To sign up for this viewing and discussion, please contact Pastor Ben.