Cascade Church Portland

in the previous message Krispin Mayfield shared on attachment theory and phew(!!) it was good. Getting curious about the tactics we employ to feel connected to the people closest to us and how they are doing the same thing can be a game changer. We can start making choices instead of just reacting when we tune in to the frequency of connecting to others.  And how this relates to the narratives we've been handed about connecting to God? Shoot dang.  In this message Krispin builds on previous themes of attachment strategies to talk about yield states, self-evaluation and what communion with God and others can look like.  

Krispin Mayfield (LPC) leads us on a journey through attachment theory, which is the science of emotional bonding, and how this interacts with our relationship with God. Enjoy!

For my first job at a church I worked at a nationally registered historical place.  I loved to joke that I was part-time youth director and part-time tour guide. People would stop by to check out a church building built in the 1860's and I would walk them through the building and share some of the stories that I had collected over the years.  Every building tells a story. It tells a story of when and how it was built. It tells a story about who labored to build it and who funded the building. It tells a story of design trends of the time and available resources for its construction.  We tell the stories of the past to remember where we came from and how it informs where we're heading. This Sunday we're going to be sharing the story of Cascade. The places we've come from and where we hope we'll be in the future. While we've held consistent values as a church, how we've demonstrated those values has evolved in really beautiful ways over the past 4 + years.  I hope you enjoy hearing from the folks on our boa

Have you ever partaken in a meal that felt like holy space? Great conversations, a feeling of warmth and the abundance of options. For some, maybe that’s a family dinner, others that’s at fun restaurant in Portland. After my hip surgery, I was given a Sunday off and was determined to participate in Portland’s brunch scene after working most Sundays of my adult life.   Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We waited in a long line that day at Jam with a big group of friends, drinking unlimited coffee which was necessary for those of us figuring out pain killers for the first time to stay awake, and attempting to navigate with my crutches. I found it thrilling being apart of what most people have a choice to do on a Sunday and declared it one of my favorite Sundays ever. The excitement, laughter and fun if that day are forever my scene of what the last supper thought it would be until pivotal statements Jesus makes about a betrayal and his presence no longer being possible. I’ve always wondered if anyone st

Confession:: If I walk into a room where I just saw someone and they're no longer there, I will make a rapture joke. It's as involuntary as breathing or having my heart beat.  Growing up it wasn't uncommon to see "In Case of Rapture This Car Will be Unmanned" bumper stickers and to see copies of the Left Behind book series in homes. Images of piles of clothes on the ground from a rapture are locked in my brain from TV, movies or book illustrations (which begs some questions. Do we keep jewelry but not clothing? What about fillings? What's the policy on dental work staying or going?).  This obsession about the end of the world has created a complicated relationship with the Bible. We've been taught that when we read apocalyptic passages in the Bible (which is a literary form common to the ancient world) they are really clues for how the world is going to end. If we interpret the clues correctly than we will have a marked advantage over every other human being when the world really does come to the end. The B

Ever get a text from a friend about seeing a famous person or being at a place you share a mutual love for?  My favorite response is "Pics or it Didn't Happen".  I love the compounding aspect of disbelief. By asking for visual proof I'm agreeing that the thing they're seeing or doing is amazing. It feels playful and linked to my friend's experience. The other side of that coin is that it can be construed as dismissive. That I fundamentally don't believe them and have placed a burden of proof on them to convince me that they're not a liar.  I wonder what the first century equivalent of this would have been? If you had been present to a miracle of Jesus would you have been met with a "Scribal Account or it Didn't Happen" from your friends? Would you have been believed or doubted and would it even matter?  One of the fallacies that influences us is the "happily ever after" nature of our modern storytelling. We can believe that we are one undeniably miraculous event away from being a true believer in God. I

Kurt Kroon preaches on Mark 7 and the story of the disciples eating without ceremonially cleansing their hands. 

Danielle Mayfield shares from Mark 5 and the ways that Jesus re-centers the narrative of who's lives matter on those who have been marginalized and excluded from public spheres. 

This Sunday we're going to be talking about the Parable of the Sower, or as I knew it as a youth "AM I GOOD SOIL WILL I DIE TONIGHT OH PLEASE DONT LET ME SUFFER FOR ETERNITY".  Ok,maybe that was a little bit dramatic, but the parable really did fill me with a low level of anxiety.  The story Jesus tells is about someone throwing out seed on soil and only one particular patch of soil actually goes on to flourish while much of it never gets started or quickly dies. I was really interested in discovering how I could be good soil and how I could maintain my place in the "Good Soil Society".  The ultimate Christian aim in the world I grew up in was to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is beautiful in so many ways and is still a reason we take the bread individually when we do communion at Cascade. There's a very personal aspect to our faith journey. One area of faith that can be ignored in that world is the communal nature of faith. How does my understanding of Christianity help me understand

Just the other day I had a friend reference the story of Peter walking on water to Jesus.  I'm very familiar with the story. I grew up with images of a sinking Peter in the waves and a gracious Jesus reaching out a hand to lift him up. I remember dreaming of the ability to walk on water and hearing people snidely say, "So and So thinks they walk on water." But as I return to the story I'm struck with how beautifully constructed it is.  There's the unexpected return of Jesus in a miraculous way. There's a devoted follower of Jesus who believes that this kind of miracle could be one of participation and not just observation. There's a thrill of joining Jesus and then failure when the insanity of the moment sinks in (*fist pump* - nailed it).  The story operates as a striking metaphor for so many aspects of faith, doubt, courage, success and failure.  How do we respond when hope joins us in a moment of struggle? Do we stand in awe or join in? Where are the places we're sure we don't belong? How can we be se

Talk a listen to this incredible message from Insil Kang as she draws the most graceful Bible and Keanu Reeves metaphor ever constructed.