Beaverton celebrates National Welcoming Week from September 9-18: How can you help welcome others?
#UpliftingMessage
Farmer and author Rowland Robinson wrote,
“September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn.”
With fall’s arrival this month, farms are busy ingathering apples, blackberries, filberts, garlic, onions, and other seasonal produce.
One treasured memory of moving to Oregon was finding in my new office an assortment of gifts. There were guidebooks, maps, a city history book, an orchid, greeting cards, and a welcome basket chock full of “Beaver” state presents and treats. As a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, I appreciated the thoughtfulness of gifts helping my family acclimate to a new community.
I learned that only Oregon has an official state nut, the hazelnut or filbert. They flourish here in the perfect climate of the Willamette Valley and can live a century or more! The Celts believed that filberts gave one wisdom and inspiration… perhaps a good snacking choice for students returning to classes this month? The hazelnut is unique because it blooms and pollinates in the middle of winter; the fertilized flower stays dormant until June when the nut starts forming. Life hidden in unexpected seasons bears fruit later.
Beaverton celebrates National Welcoming Week from September 9-18. One in a series of quarterly “Partner Gatherings”, this event “brings together immigrants, refugees, and U.S.-born residents to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone”. This year’s theme is “Where We Belong” reflecting how and why belonging occurs, and ways we can break barriers so that immigrants, refugees, and U.S.-born residents can all benefit from welcoming everyone.
The week’s activities celebrate the contributions of newcomers and provide opportunities to build cross-cultural relationships and understanding.
- How can we foster belonging for all?
- What gifts might we offer to and receive from newcomers?
- What hidden life in unexpected places might bear fruit later?
Rev Sybrant has a Masters in Divinity, Social Work, and a Doctor of Ministry. For more information, visit us at 15050 SW Weir Road, www.murrayhills.org | 503-524-5230
