Friday Reflections Dec. 26, 2014

26. December 2014 · Comments Off on Friday Reflections Dec. 26, 2014 · Categories: Bishop, Diocese Of San Joaquin, firstFRIDAY · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Friday Reflection Title

12-26-2014

As we enter Bethlehem this week, “Come, let us adore him” as he truly is,  a baby – dependent, vulnerable and Hope Incarnate.
As we enter Bethlehem this week, “Come, let us adore him, as he becomes, a baby who grows through adolescence into adulthood – dependent, vulnerable and Hope Incarnate.
As we enter Bethlehem this week, “Come, let us adore him, as we, too, were born to be – dependent, vulnerable and Hope Incarnate.
May that which is both gift and burden be ours this Christmas – dependency, vulnerability and Incarnating Hope.
Christmas Blessings San Joaquin

+David, Tracy, Ian, Zoe and Lexi


“Travel Light, leaving baggage behind.”

                                                                             Luke 10:1-12

From the Diocesan Office…

For All Clergy:
 

HOUSING ALLOWANCE: Dear Clergy, please remember that you need to have a housing allowance resolution passed by your Vestry/Bishop’s committee in December of 2014 for the 2015 tax year. If you have any questions about this process or would like a recommended format, please contact Canon Kate.

 

For Clergy, Vestries and Bishop Committees:

The Bronze Disaster Preparedness Plan:  

Is to be completed by all parishes and missions and turned into the Diocesan Office. Many thanks to St. Clare of Assisi- Avery, St Matthew’s- San Andreas, St. James- Sonora, St. John the Baptist- Lodi, St. Raphael’s- Oakhurst, Holy Trinity- Madera, Church of the Saviour- Hanford,  St. Paul’s- Bakersfield, St. Paul’s, Modesto, St. Sherrian’s, Kernville, St Anne’s, Stockton, St. John the Evangelist, Stockton and St. Paul’s, Visalia.
For those parishes and missions who have not completed this: They need to be turned in ASAP.
For Clergy and Treasurers:
Be on the look out for manila envelopes arriving right after the first of the year. Clergy will receive the yearly reports and forms that are required by the Episcopal Church and the Diocese and Treasurers will receive forms and information for assessment reporting.
 
ALL MAIL…
for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, Bishop, Canon, and Administrator is to be mailed to 1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355.

Thank you,

Ellen Meyer,

Administrator

3rd Annual Diocese of San Joaquin Integrity Chapter Retreat..

The Time to Register is Now.
Do Not Miss Out!

    

  • Friday, January 23rd – We gather in the evening for fellowship, snacks, a movie and discussion as we arrive at ECCO in Oakhurst, south of Yosemite.
  • Saturday, January 24th – Canon Randy Kimmler leads our retreat program throughout the day.
  • Sunday, January 25th – After morning Eucharist with Bishop David and free time, we enjoy lunch together before departure.

 $130 per person/double room

2 nights, 5 meals

Registration

 

For questions or to register contact:

Integrity Diocesan Organizer,

Jan Dunlap 661.201.2630661.201.2630

Email: [email protected]

 
Meet Canon Randy Kimmler, our 2015 Retreat Leader.  
 
Randy is Missioner for Vocations in the Diocese of Los Angeles, where he supports and oversees clergy development prior to and after ordination. About 8 years ago, he helped plant the Community of the Holy Spirit (CHS) in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Lay-organized and led, the group is an emergent progressive Christian community that is being studied by many Episcopal dioceses. “It’s not a church. It’s not a mission. It’s an
anomaly and dioceses around the country are trying to figure out what to do with groups like us that are springing up all over the place.” Those who attended the 76th General Convention 2009 in Los Angeles experienced wonderful worship services and worship spaces designed by Randy and his team. Randy attends St. John’s ProCathedral in Los Angeles, serves on the Bishop’s Commission on LGBT Ministries and has been recognized by Bishop Jon Bruno for his significant service to the wider church.

Interfaith …

 The Dalai Lama and Karen Armstrong are confirmed keynote speakers! Already more than 3,200 people have registered for the 2015 Parliament of World’s Religions in Salt Lake City. This may well be the largest interfaith gathering ever convened. The meeting is intended to move beyond talk to action, addressing three important issues for all human beings: climate change and ecological sustainability, the increasing wealth-poverty gap, and religious hate speech and violence.
If you are involved in interfaith work, this meeting will provide you with important information, personal connections, and inspiration! If you would like to begin interfaith work, attending this conference is a very good way to begin.
Information about registration and program proposals can be found here:
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm?n=35&sn=1
Finally, I would like to extend my personal invitation, as a Trustee of the Parliament, to all in the Diocese of San Joaquin. I would love to see you there!
In God’s Peace,
Rev. Dr. Anne Benvenuti

For Northern Deanery…

Northern Deanery Meeting
 
10:00 a.m., St. John the Evangelist, Stockton
 

For Southern Deanery…

Southern Deanery Meeting
 
11:00 a.m., St. Michael’s, Ridgecrest.
 

Whats going on…

What’s Happening in the DIO  
 
Diocesan Council Teleconference Meeting, January 22, 2014, 6:00 p.m.
 
Northern Deanery Meeting, January 31, 2015, 10:00 a.m., St. John the Evangelist,Stockton
 
Integrity Retreat, January 23-25, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst
 
Diocesan Council and Standing Committee Retreat, Friday-Saturday, February 20-21, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst

   Click on the link below to see more upcoming events and meetings around the diocese.

 

From our Parishes and Missions..

Diocesan Website and Facebook…
 Have you checked it out?
Keep up to date on news and events with our
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin website 
www.diosanjoaquin.org  

 

Facebook  
Check out postings from Bishop David and Canon Kate at 
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin

The Episcopal Church Website
Episcopal News Service

For the Bishop and  Canon’s Calendar…

Bishop David’s Calendar –Click Here
 
Canon Kate’s Calendar- Click Here

 

For our Diocesan Prayer Calendar….click here

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December 2014 ROTA

29. November 2014 · Comments Off on December 2014 ROTA · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ROTA for December 2014 is now available on the calendar page.

Friday Reflections Nov. 28, 2014

29. November 2014 · Comments Off on Friday Reflections Nov. 28, 2014 · Categories: Bishop, Friday Reflections · Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Friday Reflection Title

11-28-2014

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued the following statement on the way forward from Ferguson:

 

The Episcopal Church joins many others in deep lament over the tragic reality that continues to be revealed in Ferguson, Missouri. The racism in this nation is part of our foundation, and is not unique to one city or state or part of the country. All Americans live with the consequences of centuries of slavery, exploitation, and prejudice. That legacy continues to lead individuals to perceive threat from those who are seen as “other.” The color of one’s skin is often the most visible representation of what divides God’s children one from another.

 

Michael Brown’s death was and is a tragedy, and has become a powerful witness to those divisions between human beings in this nation. His death also carries the potential to become a sacramental offering – if it continues to challenge us to address our divisions and the injustices in this nation that are far more than skin deep.

 

This nation was founded with a vision for freedom, a vision that has required repeated challenges in order to move toward true liberty for all the people of this land. Christians understand the sacred vision of the Reign of God as a society of peace with justice for all. May the life and death of Michael Brown drive us toward reconciliation that will shake the foundations of this nation toward the justice for which we were all created. The Episcopal Church will continue to partner and push for racial reconciliation in Missouri and across this land. I ask you to stand with hands extended in love, to look for the image of God in every neighbor, and to offer yourself in vulnerability for the sake of reconciliation across this land. May we become instruments of God’s peace and healing, made evident in communities of justice for all.

 
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church


“Travel Light, leaving baggage behind.”

                                                                             Luke 10:1-12

From the Diocesan Office…

For All Clergy:
 
HOUSING ALLOWANCE: Dear Clergy, please remember that you need to have a housing allowance resolution passed by your Vestry/Bishop’s committee in December of 2014 for the 2015 tax year. If you have any questions about this process or would like a recommended format, please contact Canon Kate.
 
For Clergy, Vestries and Bishop Committees:

The Bronze Disaster Preparedness Plan:  

Is to be completed by all parishes and missions and turned into the Diocesan Office. Many thanks to St. Clare of Assisi- Avery, St Matthew’s- San Andreas, St. James- Sonora, St. John the Baptist- Lodi, St. Raphael’s- Oakhurst, Holy Trinity- Madera, Church of the Saviour- Hanford,  St. Paul’s- Bakersfield, St. Paul’s, Modesto, St. Sherrian’s, Kernville, St Anne’s, Stockton, St. John the Evangelist, Stockton and St. Paul’s, Visalia.

 
For those parishes and missions who have not completed this: They need to be turned in ASAP.
For All Clergy and Parishioners:

The Diocesan Staff would appreciate your assistance in getting the contact information for the Provost, Chancellor, Dean, or President of the public and private universities, colleges and junior colleges in our geographical location. If you know who to contact, please call the diocesan office or email [email protected].

ALL MAIL…
for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, Bishop, Canon, and Administrator is to be mailed to 1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355.

Thank you,

Ellen Meyer,

Administrator

News of  the Archbishop of Canterbury…

 Most Rev’d and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

Dear friends and fellow parishioners,

The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the second-largest Christian denomination in the world.

It’s important for us at St. Paul’s to always remember that we are part of larger entities: the diocese, the province, the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion.
Below is the link to a talk by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, our spiritual head. I hope you’ll take the time to read it.

As E.M. Forster says in his novel Howard’s End, “Only connect.”
To find out more about Archbishop Welby click  here.

The Rev. Tim Vivian,
St. Paul’s, Bakersfield

Ordination to the Deaconate Steven Karcher…

          

Pictures of the ordination ceremony for Steven Karcher held at St. Paul’s, Bakersfield  November 22, 2014 including a diocesan “selfie”  that is becoming a tradition in the Diocese of San Joaquin.
Congratulations and many blessings go to The Rev. Steven Karcher, Deacon serving at
St. Sherrian’s, Kernville.

News of St. John the Evangelist ‘s Celebration for Fr. Andres…

  St. John the Evangelist, Stockton

San Joaquin honors pioneer Filipino priest

Diocese contemplates revitalized ministry

[Episcopal News Service] The pioneering missionary spirit of the Rev. Justo Andres just may help spark a revival of Filipino ministry at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist in Stockton, California, according to the Rev. Fred Vergara, missioner for Episcopal Church Asiamerica Ministries.

 

Some 30 years ago, Andres founded the Holy Cross Filipino Mission at St. John’s, in theEpiscopal Diocese of San Joaquin, and on Nov. 16 the diocesan community gathered to celebrate that legacy and his 85th birthday as well as possibilities for new ministry.

 

San Joaquin Bishop David Rice officiated at a Eucharist in Andres’ honor. He said the service commemorated Andres’ 1983 call to the Stockton community and “the ministry he has provided and the significant place he represents in the life of the Diocese of San Joaquin and in the Filipino community and ways in which he has so faithfully lived out his priesthood in our midst.

 

“This is a response to our context as we’ve seen, experienced and engaged it in the Stockton area,” added Rice. “We think that responding to that part of our landscape, part of our population and community is the right thing to do.”

 

Andres often conducted services for migrant workers in the fields and for the sailors aboard ocean-going ships that docked at the Port of Stockton. The Holy Cross Mission served as a satellite agency of the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, assisting many in attaining their naturalized U.S. citizenship.

 

He also served as a translator within the Stockton court system and was a member of a police advisory committee.

 

In a telephone interview with the Episcopal News Service, Madeline Ruiz, sister-in-law of Andres, speaking for Andres who suffers from age-related hearing loss, described him as excited “but surprised about the celebration.

 

“He asked me why are they honoring him,” said Ruiz. “I said it’s because you started a Filipino ministry at St. John’s and now that they got the church back, they want to honor you.”

 

Under Andres’ leadership, the Holy Cross congregation flourished and included Filipinos, Latinos, Southeast Asians and Anglos among its membership. The congregation disbanded when theological differences split the diocese in 2008. St. John’s property had been held by a breakaway group, but was returned to the Episcopal Church earlier this year.

 

Rice said the diocese is considering revitalizing its ministry among the Filipino community. “We are discerning, praying through, contemplating, pondering and giving thought to how we might continue to engage and develop that ministry.”

 

The Rev. Canon Kate Cullinane, diocesan canon to the ordinary and St. John’s priest-in-charge, said nearly 200 well-wishers attended the gathering and a joyous reception afterward.

 

The reception included traditional Filipino food and dancing as well as line dancing, she said. There was also a serenade of Andres, with participants each presenting him a flower.

 

“I loved the fact that so many people from the neighboring Filipino congregations and the neighboring congregations from the deanery came” to support Andres and this service, Cullinane said in an e-mail to ENS.

 

Rekindling the ministry will be a collaborative effort within the diocese, she added. “We don’t see this as a St. John’s project, but a northern deanery project,” she said.

 

Andres was born in Bacarra, in the Ilocos Norte Province of the northern Philippines, the youngest of seven children. He was educated at St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary and the Far Eastern University in Manila and was ordained to the priesthood in 1955 by the Most Rev. Isabelo Delos Reyes Jr., obispo máximo of the Philippine Independent Church.

 

His first parish assignment was to Ozamiz City in the southern Philippines’ region of Mindanao, before accepting a call to Maui. He was among a trio of priests who were part of the first wave of Filipino priests called to the Episcopal Church.

 

Two other priests, the Rev. Timoteo Quintero and the Rev. Jacinto Tabili, also accepted calls to Hawaii. Quintero founded St. Paul’s Church in Honolulu and Tabili served in Hilo on Hawaii’s big island but later returned to become a bishop in the Philippines, according to Vergara. In the early 1960s, Andres was called to serve Good Shepherd Church in Wailuku on the island of Maui.

 

In 1983, Andres accepted a call to St. John’s in Stockton. He is the sole survivor of that first wave of Filipino priests serving with the Episcopal Church, Vergara said. Raquel Nancy Andres, his spouse and partner in ministry, died in 2009.

 

Vergara, who preached at the Nov. 16 Eucharist, noted that St. John’s was organized a year after the city of Stockton was founded and played a key role in the development of the city. The church has an equally important role in the future of the California city, he said.

Asians and Pacific Islanders account for 22 percent of Stockton’s 300,000 residents, according to 2013 U.S. Census data.

 

“We gather here today in the name of Christ to witness the work of a creating and re-creating God,” Vergara told those who gathered at the bilingual worship service at St. John’s.

“In this beautiful city of Stockton, God will start this work with you and me. Together, we shall be God’s instrument in starting the revival, renewal and re-creation of St. John’s.

“This is the challenge to us, to rediscover the treasure that is at St. John’s and to invest our talents to pray for the revival of Stockton’s destiny,” he said.

 

“Just as its history is tied with Stockton’s history, so is the revival of Stockton to be tied to the revival of St. John’s – and the destiny of Stockton be tied to the destiny of St. John’s. With the spiritual revival of St. John’s, will follow Stockton’s revival in peace, progress and prosperity.”

 
-The Rev. Pat McCaughan is a correspondent for the Episcopal News Service.
 

Advent  Devotions…

 Advent is the liturgical season that occurs four weeks prior to Christmas, beginning on Sunday, November 30.  Advent is a time of reflection and preparation.

 

The resources are ideal for personal, congregational and community planning and scheduling of Advent observances.

 
Devotions from leaders

The leaders of The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Anglican Church of Canada and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared devotions for each of the four weeks of Advent.

 
Downloadable devotions are available here.
 
Advent 1 (November 30) Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
 
Advent 2 (December 7) The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church
 
Advent 3 (December 14) Bishop Susan Johnson, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
 
Advent 4 (December 21) The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, Primate, Anglican Church of Canada
 

From Bishop David and the Deacons of the Diocese of San Joaquin…

 “. . . for I was hungry,

 
 

and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:35-40

What do most people do when they see a homeless person? They look away and pretend they didn’t see the person. Some will give a little money. We, as Christians, are called to do more. Spare change won’t buy the toiletries they need for basic hygiene, and a little food can tide someone over until the next soup kitchen opens.

Bishop David and the Deacons in the Diocese, are coordinating a program to help. Each congregation will soon be receiving a shipment of drawstring backpacks. They need to be filled with some basic items, carried in our cars, and given to those we see in need. It’s simple and can make a world of difference to someone on the streets.

The list below is merely a suggestion. Most of these can be obtained at dollar or 99 cent stores, and WalMart will often have a better price. Be sure to ask the stores for donations of these items – you may just get them for free.

Depending on the needs in your particular area you may wish to change some of the contents. There are many more things which could be added, but these backpacks are meant to be carried around and handed out – weight is an issue. Choose carefully and prayerfully the items you put in your backpacks.

 

Bottled water
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Deodorant
Hand Wipes
Comb
Razor
Soap
Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion (from motels when you travel)
Tissue
Emergency Blanket
Small Microfiber Towel (Amazon.com)
Hand Sanitizer
Socks
Scarf
Hat
Cookies
Sandwich Crackers (peanut butter or cheese, for example)
Granola Bars
 
Deacon Carolyn Woodall
 
NOTE: Backpacks just arrived and will be distributed to the churches!

Stole Making Workshop Fundraiser for Car-thedra Fund…

Deadline to sign up is NOW!! 

 
Stole-Making Workshop
in Support of the Diocesan Car-thedra Fund
Saturday, 6 December 2014
9am-5pm
Episcopal Church of the Saviour, Hanford
 

Fr. Luis Rodriguez will be leading an all-day practical workshop on traditional stole-making techniques (all by hand). The day’s aim is that each participant will leave with a completed stole, and so reasonable sewing skills are a requirement to help move things along smoothly. This workshop is limited to only 10 participants so that each can get individual attention. It will meet at the Episcopal Church of the Saviour in Hanford and the cost is $100, the entirety of which will go the Diocesan Car-thedra Fund. A sack lunch will be provided. The registration fee does not cover materials, but good fabrics for stoles can be easily and relatively inexpensively acquired. To register download, complete and return to the diocesan office the linked registration form (click here) along with a check to cover the cost. Please do so as soon as possible, and Fr Luis will email you with a list of materials. If you have any questions, please contact Fr Luis by email ([email protected]) or phone 559-584-7706.

Office of Public Affairs…

Over the past five decades, the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) has named over 200 scholars and ministry leaders as ECF Fellows. Today, I am pleased to announce that the application for the 2015 Fellowship is now open. (click open)

 

Please forward this email to an emerging scholar or ministry leader who you believe would benefit from ECF’s support. We believe that by supporting individuals at an early stage in their ministries, scholars and ministry leaders can make a lasting impact on the wider Church.

Applicants to the Fellowship Partners Program should bear the following in mind:

*ECF is committed to strengthening the leadership capability of the Episcopal Church. Applicants to the academic and ministry tracks are asked to describe how they will be developing the next generation of leaders for the Episcopal Church, whether in the context of academia, a local congregation, through a church-wide initiative, or in another setting.

*An ECF Fellowship provides both financial support and networking opportunities. ECF has typically awarded three to four Fellowships per year. New awards range up to $15,000 for the first year and are renewable for an additional two years. In addition to this financial support, new Fellows join a wide network of past Fellows and ECF partners with them so that they may share their knowledge, experience, and best practices with the wider Church.

*The application requires a significant commitment of time and is due on March 13, 2015. The selection process for an ECF Fellowship is highly competitive and a strong application requires a significant investment of time and effort. We encourage all applicants to begin this process early. ECF will announce the 2015 Fellows in late May.

Please visit the ECF website, http://www.episcopalfoundation.org/, to learn more about the Fellowship Partners Program, the application process, and be sure to review our list of Frequently Asked Questions. You will find profiles of the 2014 Fellows here and our complete list of all ECF Fellows here. Please email me or my colleague Brendon Hunter, Associate Program Director, should you have any questions about this program or the application process.

United Thank Offering Grants…

 

 
2015 United Thank Offering Grants
 

In recognizing the Five Marks of Mission, especially “to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation”, the United Thank Offering is seeking to address the current culture of violence by supporting the mission of peace as expressed in the Gospel. The Gospel of Love proclaimed by Jesus Christ is the focus for the United Thank Offering Grants during the 2014-2015 period.

The 2015 United Thank Offering Grant Application is now available. The following information should be helpful in preparing a United Thank Offering grant application. All additional forms necessary for the completion of a United Thank Offering Grant are also included below. The deadline for submission of a completed application (and required documents) is 5pm (EST) on Friday, January 15, 2015.

Click here to go to The Episcopal Church website  for application forms OR

here to new United Thank Offering Website.

3rd Annual Diocese of San Joaquin Integrity Chapter Retreat..

 

    

  • Friday, January 23rd – We gather in the evening for fellowship, snacks, a movie and discussion as we arrive at ECCO in Oakhurst, south of Yosemite.
  • Saturday, January 24th – Canon Randy Kimmler leads our retreat program throughout the day.
  • Sunday, January 25th – After morning Eucharist with Bishop David and free time, we enjoy lunch together before departure.

 $130 per person/double room

2 nights, 5 meals

 

Registration Deadline – Dec. 20th.

For questions or to register contact:

Integrity Diocesan Organizer,

Jan Dunlap 661.201.2630

Email: [email protected]

 
Meet Canon Randy Kimmler, our 2015 Retreat Leader.  
 
Randy is Missioner for Vocations in the Diocese of Los Angeles, where he supports and oversees clergy development prior to and after ordination. About 8 years ago, he helped plant the Community of the Holy Spirit (CHS) in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Lay-organized and led, the group is an emergent progressive Christian community that is being studied by many Episcopal dioceses. “It’s not a church. It’s not a mission. It’s an
anomaly and dioceses around the country are trying to figure out what to do with groups like us that are springing up all over the place.” Those who attended the 76th General Convention 2009 in Los Angeles experienced wonderful worship services and worship spaces designed by Randy and his team. Randy attends St. John’s ProCathedral in Los Angeles, serves on the Bishop’s Commission on LGBT Ministries and has been recognized by Bishop Jon Bruno for his significant service to the wider church.

For Central Deanery Clergy…

Central Deanery Clericus:  
 
December 4, 2014 at 11:30 AM.
Dear Clergy,
We have been invited to meet with Father Mike Lastini at his church in Hanford for prayer, lunch and discussion about community organizing.
Site: Immaculate Heart of Mary, 10355 Hanford-Armona Road, Hanford.  His office phone is 584-8576.
 
Suzie Ward+

For Southern Deanery…

Southern Deanery Meeting
 
11:00 a.m., St. Michael’s, Ridgecrest.
 

Whats going on…

What’s Happening in the DIO  
 
Central Deanery Clericus, December 4, 2014, 11:30 a.m., Emmaculate Heart of Mary, Hanford
 
Clergy Retreat, St. Anthony’s, Three Rivers, December 9-11, 2014
 
Diocesan Council and Standing Committee Meeting, Saturday, December 20, 2014,
11:00 a.m., St. Paul’s, Modesto
 
Integrity Retreat, January 23-25, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst
 
Diocesan Council and Standing Committee Retreat, Friday-Saturday, February 20-21, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst

   Click on the link below to see more upcoming events and meetings around the diocese.

 

From our Parishes and Missions..

                                                     

THIS WEEKEND!

Dear long- time and new friends of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church,

 

We are writing to inform you of a very important gathering which is coming up on the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30, 2014.

 

We are hoping that you will mark your calendar, save the date and plan to attend the celebration here at St. Andrew’s which will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. The laying of the cornerstone, for the structure of the church building, was November 30, 1934. It was the beginning of a community-wide project. We are told that many people, in Taft, were involved in the making of the adobe bricks. They were formed out of the soil in this place.

 

We request the honor of your presence at the 10:00 AM service on November 30, 2014. The Rt. Rev’d David Rice, The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, will preside at the worship service.

The service will be followed by a luncheon gathering, and at that luncheon we will have members and previous members reminisce about some of the important events in the history of St Andrew’s.

 

To honor our Scottish connection, we will also share in a wonderful Scottish meal. So far the menu will include…..Cottage Pie, Cock-a-Leaky soup, Scottish eggs, clootie dumplings and Short bread. I hear there may even be haggis???

 

The congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, is looking forward to welcoming everyone who has had and does have, a connection with this beautiful church. Let us gather to celebrate our past and look forward to the future, of this important place of worship in Taft, California!

 

Let us celebrate together, In Christ,

 

The Congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

 
 

Diocesan Website and Facebook…
 Have you checked it out?
Keep up to date on news and events with our
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin website 
www.diosanjoaquin.org  

 

Facebook  
Check out postings from Bishop David and Canon Kate at 
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin

The Episcopal Church Website
Episcopal News Service

For the Bishop and  Canon’s Calendar…

Bishop David’s Calendar –Click Here
 
Canon Kate’s Calendar- Click Here

 

For our Diocesan Prayer Calendar….click here

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Friday Reflections Nov. 21, 2014

21. November 2014 · Comments Off on Friday Reflections Nov. 21, 2014 · Categories: Bishop, Diocese Of San Joaquin, Friday Reflections · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Friday Reflection Title

11-21-2014

From Bishop David
Last Sunday I was driving on The 99 in the Car-thedra (Great Episcopal Ride by-the-way [thanks again everyone]) and I switched to one of my programmed stations on the radio.  If you must know, it is 98.9, a self-proclaimed “soft rock” station.  Periodically, a lad by the name of John Tesh appears espousing tid-bits for better living, Tesh isn’t important to this reflection, in other words, I am digressing.  Now, instead of the typically groovy tunes on 98.9, I encountered on the day in question, yes, on the 16th of November, non-stop Christmas Jingles.  I found myself working on the presupposition that 98.9, in their infinite wisdom and/or commercialized foresight, was playing a “Wee Yultide Teaser” for mid-November listeners.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I returned to The 99 and whilst driving I turned to 98.9 only to hear, you may not be surprised at all, Christmas Jingles.  After listening to these “Yule Tunes” for two hours (yes I did) I realized this was not a teaser at all.  Again, perhaps it is no surprise to you, 98.9 is playing, as I craft these words, non-stop Christmas Ditties.
I must say sisters and brothers, I like listening to Bing, Nat and Burl as much as the next person, in fact, possibly more than the next person  The thing is, as much as I am perhaps nostalgically inclined, I simply cannot bring myself to listen (more than I already have) to “songs of the festive season.”  In addition, I am struggling with the fact that we are already inundated by Christmas Decorations and Ads on the tele.  San Joaquin, for your bishop, this is simply too much, too soon.
It is not that I am a proponent of “liturgical” or “seasonal” approaches like absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder or the hide-and-seek of the nativity.  In other words, it is not helpful or healthy to pretend that the Incarnation hasn’t occurred.  However, if we begin to observe and celebrate the feast-in-question, a month in advance, we will run the risk of being completely and utterly exhausted by the time 25 December arrives or worse yet, feel “done with it” before it happens.  The other aspect of my meandering reflection involves one of the loveliest not-to-mention poignant Seasons in the Christian Year, namely Advent.  Advent affords us the opportunity of rediscovering important Christian concepts and human responses like anticipating, expecting and “actively waiting.”  Please, please, thricely please, let’s not give that away for the premature “Ho-Ho-Ho’isms” we are already encountering.
For almost twenty years we have lived in a place where Christmas was about anticipating a Bar-B-Que on the beach with family and mates and preparing for the summer holiday.  I write this because the Cappel Rices will observe and celebrate this Northern Hemisphere Christmas in a very big way indeed, however we will not start before Thanksgiving or before Advent.  I look forward to singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus and Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming with you in the days of anticipation and expectation and waiting before us.
Blessings
+David

 
“Travel Light, leaving baggage behind.”

                                                                             Luke 10:1-12

From the Diocesan Office…

For All Clergy:
HOUSING ALLOWANCE: Dear Clergy, please remember that you need to have a housing allowance resolution passed by your Vestry/Bishop’s committee in December of 2014 for the 2015 tax year. If you have any questions about this process or would like a recommended format, please contact Canon Kate.
 
For  All Clergy and Lay Employee: LAST DAY!

MEDICAL AND DENTAL RENEWALS: Those of you currently covered through the Episcopal Church Medical Trust for your health and/or dental insurance will see a letter coming to your home in the very near future. If you wish to change your plans in any way a response will be required by November 21st. Watch for the notice in the mail.

 

For Clergy, Vestries and Bishop Committees:

The Bronze Disaster Preparedness Plan:  

Is to be completed by all parishes and missions and turned into the Diocesan Office. Many thanks to St. Clare of Assisi- Avery, St Matthew’s- San Andreas, St. James- Sonora, St. John the Baptist- Lodi, St. Raphael’s- Oakhurst, Holy Trinity- Madera, Church of the Saviour- Hanford,  St. Paul’s- Bakersfield, St. Paul’s, Modesto, St. Sherrian’s, Kernville, St Anne’s, Stockton, St. John the Evangelist, Stockton and St. Paul’s, Visalia just completed their report. Thank you!
For those parishes and missions who have not completed this: They need to be turned in ASAP.
For All Clergy and Parishioners:

The Diocesan Staff would appreciate your assistance in getting the contact information for the Provost, Chancellor, Dean, or President of the public and private universities, colleges and junior colleges in our geographical location. If you know who to contact, please call the diocesan office or email [email protected].

ALL MAIL…
for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, Bishop, Canon, and Administrator is to be mailed to 1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355.

Thank you,

Ellen Meyer,

Administrator

Sacred Order of Deacons…

Dio seal
By the Grace of God
 
The Right Reverend David C. Rice
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
 
will ordain
 
Steven Michael Karcher 
 
to the Sacred Order of Deacons
 
 
Saturday, November 22, 2014, at 4:00 p.m.
 
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
2216 17th Street
Bakersfield, California 93301

 
 
Clergy Vest with Red Stoles
 

From Bishop David and the Deacons of the Diocese of San Joaquin…

 

 “. . . for I was hungry,

 
 

and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:35-40

What do most people do when they see a homeless person? They look away and pretend they didn’t see the person. Some will give a little money. We, as Christians, are called to do more. Spare change won’t buy the toiletries they need for basic hygiene, and a little food can tide someone over until the next soup kitchen opens.

Bishop David and the Deacons in the Diocese, are coordinating a program to help. Each congregation will soon be receiving a shipment of drawstring backpacks. They need to be filled with some basic items, carried in our cars, and given to those we see in need. It’s simple and can make a world of difference to someone on the streets.

The list below is merely a suggestion. Most of these can be obtained at dollar or 99 cent stores, and WalMart will often have a better price. Be sure to ask the stores for donations of these items – you may just get them for free.

Depending on the needs in your particular area you may wish to change some of the contents. There are many more things which could be added, but these backpacks are meant to be carried around and handed out – weight is an issue. Choose carefully and prayerfully the items you put in your backpacks.

 

Bottled water
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Deodorant
Hand Wipes
Comb
Razor
Soap
Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion (from motels when you travel)
Tissue
Emergency Blanket
Small Microfiber Towel (Amazon.com)
Hand Sanitizer
Socks
Scarf
Hat
Cookies
Sandwich Crackers (peanut butter or cheese, for example)
Granola Bars
 
Deacon Carolyn Woodall
 
NOTE: Backpacks just arrived and will be distributed to the churches!

Stole Making Workshop Fundraiser for Car-thedra Fund…

Deadline to sign up is NOW!! 

 
Stole-Making Workshop
in Support of the Diocesan Car-thedra Fund
Saturday, 6 December 2014
9am-5pm
Episcopal Church of the Saviour, Hanford
 

Fr. Luis Rodriguez will be leading an all-day practical workshop on traditional stole-making techniques (all by hand). The day’s aim is that each participant will leave with a completed stole, and so reasonable sewing skills are a requirement to help move things along smoothly. This workshop is limited to only 10 participants so that each can get individual attention. It will meet at the Episcopal Church of the Saviour in Hanford and the cost is $100, the entirety of which will go the Diocesan Car-thedra Fund. A sack lunch will be provided. The registration fee does not cover materials, but good fabrics for stoles can be easily and relatively inexpensively acquired. To register download, complete and return to the diocesan office the linked registration form (click here) along with a check to cover the cost. Please do so as soon as possible, and Fr Luis will email you with a list of materials. If you have any questions, please contact Fr Luis by email ([email protected]) or phone 559-584-7706.

 

Deacons in Our World Today…

Coming Anon to a Service Near You!
During the upcoming months, and starting on November 9th, Bishop David will be accompanied by a deacon when he visits your congregation. The deacon and Bishop David will be showing the video “Deacons in Our World Today,” and answering questions about the vocational diaconate. You will need to have a DVD player and television, or laptop, speakers and a projector available. Please notify Ellen Meyer ([email protected]) at the Diocesan office if your congregation lacks this equipment so arrangements can be made.
Deacon Carolyn Woodall

Office of Public Affairs…

   

Office of Public Affairs

 

Applications now accepted online for

Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps

2015-2016 placements

 

[November 6, 2014] The Episcopal Church offers untold opportunities for young adults to live, work and pray with brothers and sisters around the Anglican Communion through the Young Adult Service Corps. Commonly known as YASC, applications for 2015-16 are now being accepted for the Young Adult Service Corps from young adults between the ages of 21-30.
“YASC provides an opportunity for young adults to explore their faith in a new capacity and to live out the Baptismal Covenant by seeking and serving Christ in all persons,” noted the Rev. David Copley, Mission Personnel Officer. “Applicants must have a high degree of maturity and possess a faith commitment and the willingness to be a humble guest, and the ability to be an authentic companion.”
 
The application is available online here www.episcopalchurch.org/yasc The application deadline is Friday, January 2, 2015.
 
Where are the YASC?
 
Current YASC members can be found throughout the Anglican Communion. They are working in administration, agriculture, development, education, and technology. They are serving Brazil, Burundi, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay.
 
Read their thoughts and reflections on their blogs herehttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/content/blogs/yasc
 
Among the possible placements for 2015-16 are Brazil, Burundi, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Uruguay and Zambia.
 
For more information contact Elizabeth Boe, Global Networking Officer, at [email protected].
 
The Episcopal Church: www.episcopalchurch.org
YASC: www.episcopalchurch.org/yasc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/episcopalian
Twitter: twitter.com/iamepiscopalian
 
On the web:
Applications now accepted online for Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/notice/applications-now-accepted-online-episcopal-church-young-adult-service-corps-0
 
For more info contact:
Neva Rae Fox
Public Affairs Officer
The Episcopal Church
[email protected]
212-716-6080 Mobile: 917-478-5659

United Thank Offering Grants…


 
2015 United Thank Offering Grants
 

In recognizing the Five Marks of Mission, especially “to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation”, the United Thank Offering is seeking to address the current culture of violence by supporting the mission of peace as expressed in the Gospel. The Gospel of Love proclaimed by Jesus Christ is the focus for the United Thank Offering Grants during the 2014-2015 period.

The 2015 United Thank Offering Grant Application is now available. The following information should be helpful in preparing a United Thank Offering grant application. All additional forms necessary for the completion of a United Thank Offering Grant are also included below. The deadline for submission of a completed application (and required documents) is 5pm (EST) on Friday, January 15, 2015.

Click here to go to The Episcopal Church website  for application forms OR

here to new United Thank Offering Website.

Godly Play…

 

  

Interested in Godly Play Training?  

 
Holy Family Fresno is considering hosting a Godly Play training possibly Spring 2015. We are trying to gauge the interest of parishes that would like to participate and share the cost of the training. Cost depends on how many parishes attend. We will advise final cost and dates of training after we have an exact count on attendees. If you know of a parish outside our diocese that might be interested in participating, please pass along this information.
 
What is Godly Play? Check out the link below:
http://www.godlyplayfoundation.org/
Here is a sample of a Godly Play lesson:

Contact:
 
Cathie Olivas
559-676-5088
[email protected]

3rd Annual Diocese of San Joaquin Integrity Chapter Retreat..

 

    

  • Friday, January 23rd – We gather in the evening for fellowship, snacks, a movie and discussion as we arrive at ECCO in Oakhurst, south of Yosemite.
  • Saturday, January 24th – Canon Randy Kimmler leads our retreat program throughout the day.
  • Sunday, January 25th – After morning Eucharist with Bishop David and free time, we enjoy lunch together before departure.

 $130 per person/double room

2 nights, 5 meals

 

Registration Deadline – Dec. 20th.

For questions or to register contact:

Integrity Diocesan Organizer,

Jan Dunlap 661.201.2630

Email: [email protected]

 
Meet Canon Randy Kimmler, our 2015 Retreat Leader.  
 
Randy is Missioner for Vocations in the Diocese of Los Angeles, where he supports and oversees clergy development prior to and after ordination. About 8 years ago, he helped plant the Community of the Holy Spirit (CHS) in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Lay-organized and led, the group is an emergent progressive Christian community that is being studied by many Episcopal dioceses. “It’s not a church. It’s not a mission. It’s an
anomaly and dioceses around the country are trying to figure out what to do with groups like us that are springing up all over the place.” Those who attended the 76th General Convention 2009 in Los Angeles experienced wonderful worship services and worship spaces designed by Randy and his team. Randy attends St. John’s ProCathedral in Los Angeles, serves on the Bishop’s Commission on LGBT Ministries and has been recognized by Bishop Jon Bruno for his significant service to the wider church.

For Southern Deanery…

Southern Deanery Meeting
 
11:00 a.m., St. Michael’s, Ridgecrest.
 

Whats going on…

What’s Happening in the DIO  
 
 
Ordination for Deacon -Steven Michael Karcher, Saturday, November 22, 2014, 4:00 p.m., St. Paul’s, Bakersfield.
 
Clergy Retreat, St. Anthony’s, Three Rivers, December 9-11, 2014
 
Diocesan Council and Standing Committee Meeting, Saturday, December 20, 2014,
11:00 a.m., St. Paul’s, Modesto
 
Integrity Retreat, January 23-25, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst
 
Diocesan Council and Standing Committee Retreat, Friday-Saturday, February 20-21, 2015, ECCO, Oakhurst

   Click on the link below to see more upcoming events and meetings around the diocese.

 

From our Parishes and Missions..

                  

Sounds of Expectation

A Community Concert Series

Sunday November 23, 2014

3:00 p.m.

  

Click Here for more information 

 

The Episcopal Church of the Saviour

519 North Douty Street

Hanford, CA

559-584-7706 

 

                                                     

 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

 Wednesday Educational Events  

  6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.

  703 5th Street, Taft, CA

November 26, 2014

Women of the Bible

with Ashley Musick

 
Educ

                                                     

Dear long- time and new friends of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church,

 

We are writing to inform you of a very important gathering which is coming up on the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30, 2014.

 

We are hoping that you will mark your calendar, save the date and plan to attend the celebration here at St. Andrew’s which will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. The laying of the cornerstone, for the structure of the church building, was November 30, 1934. It was the beginning of a community-wide project. We are told that many people, in Taft, were involved in the making of the adobe bricks. They were formed out of the soil in this place.

 

We request the honor of your presence at the 10:00 AM service on November 30, 2014. The Rt. Rev’d David Rice, The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, will preside at the worship service.

The service will be followed by a luncheon gathering, and at that luncheon we will have members and previous members reminisce about some of the important events in the history of St Andrew’s.

 

To honor our Scottish connection, we will also share in a wonderful Scottish meal. So far the menu will include…..Cottage Pie, Cock-a-Leaky soup, Scottish eggs, clootie dumplings and Short bread. I hear there may even be haggis???

 

The congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, is looking forward to welcoming everyone who has had and does have, a connection with this beautiful church. Let us gather to celebrate our past and look forward to the future, of this important place of worship in Taft, California!

 

Let us celebrate together, In Christ,

 

The Congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

 
 

Diocesan Website and Facebook…
 Have you checked it out?
Keep up to date on news and events with our
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin website www.diosanjoaquin.org  

 

Facebook  
Check out postings from Bishop David and Canon Kate at 
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin 

The Episcopal Church Website

www.episcopalchurch.org
 

For the Bishop and  Canon’s Calendar…

Bishop David’s Calendar –Click Here
 
Canon Kate’s Calendar- Click Here

 

For our Diocesan Prayer Calendar….click here

Episcopal ShieldDio seal

Happy Birthday Father Justo Andres

18. November 2014 · Comments Off on Happy Birthday Father Justo Andres · Categories: St John The Evangelist · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rev. Lyn Sermon

18. November 2014 · Comments Off on Rev. Lyn Sermon · Categories: Rector, Sermon · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sermon
Proper 28, Year A

This is another gospel that is difficult for me to understand, let alone try to tell it as good news to you. Matthew has a theme, last week with the maidens and their oil lamps, this week servants and talents, and next week the separation of the sheep and the goats. There was an earlier ‘kingdom of God is like’ where a king throws a banquet for his son and those invited do not come. The ending to all these parables is that someone is left out or thrown out in the darkness where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Our challenge is that Matthew’s audience was different than those of us listening to his words today. Matthew writes, primarily, to Jewish Christians who are struggling both with the delay in Jesus’ return, the parousia (pair-oo-see-ah), and the Jewish population surrounding them. They have differentiated themselves from their Jewish family and are not sure how to embrace the Gentile Christians. It seems the end time has come – the temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed, and yet Christ has not returned as they expected he would. As time went on Christians began to focus more on how to act than on preparing for the arrival of the son of man in the near future.
Looking at the gospel in the terms of what it meant to Matthew’s audience may give us ideas as to how this is good news for us today. The ‘talent’ in the gospel story is a huge sum of money. Five talents today would be around 4 million dollars. It is only important to know that it was a great amount of wealth to leave with a servant.
“In the Parable of the Talents, the master showed great trust by leaving so much money in the care of three servants. The FIRST servant honored that trust by using the master’s money wisely. Likewise the SECOND servant. Those two servants respected the master. They knew what he wanted, and did their best to give it to him. The THIRD servant, though, acted quite differently. (Perhaps) he acted differently because he felt differently toward the master.
He didn’t respect the master. He didn’t love the master. He feared the master. He thought of the master as a hard man, even though the master has been generous to all three servants. This third servant didn’t care what the master wanted, so he didn’t try to do what the master wanted. The third servant cared only about himself –– his own life. So instead of using the master’s money wisely, he buried it in the ground. In the culture of that time, he would not be held responsible for the sum if he buried it and it became lost. Because he didn’t want the responsibility, he just hid it away. But it didn’t work. The master left the money to be used. He expected his servants to DO SOMETHING –– to make the world a little better place –– to make someone happy –– to put the money to work. “ (Sermonwriter, Dick Donovan)
God gives us gifts, abilities that we call talent. We are expected to use those gifts. When they are used, they multiply, and spread the goodness of God’s kingdom. When we hide them, ignore them, or choose to not do anything (like burying them away), we do lose them. They remain unused or worse fade away to nothing. God asks that we use the talents that have been bestowed upon us.
I tend to picture God as a merciful, loving, forgiving, creator. To see a judgmental, condemning God is difficult for me. That third servant pictures a God that is indeed unmerciful, unloving and most definitely unforgiving. Fear of the consequences of losing what God has entrusted to him leaves him one option – to hide it all away. Would God care if we try to use our talents and end up losing them? I don’t think so.
It seems that God is most upset and hurt when we turn away and hide – only because God knows that in the end we will be hurt by our own actions.
How you respond to God by either boldly using your gifts/talents or hiding them away will indicate the way you envision God. Are you the beloved child of a loving, merciful, caring, forgiving God? Or are you the servant of a Master “who is harsh, reaping where he does not sow, and gathering where he did not scatter seed”? Paul tells us that we are “children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness…God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Over the next week, reflect on three things: What has God given you? What are you doing with those gifts? What should you be doing? Next week’s gospel will outline how we are to use our God given gifts/talents. It is a special Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the season after Pentecost. It is the last Sunday in our church year. We can continue this conversation next week…

Sermon
Proper 27, Year A

How many choices have you made in your life, and how many choices has life made for you? It feels that way sometimes; we don’t get to choose. Life happens and we find ourselves dealing with it. There is seemingly so much beyond our control that we hold on to the things that are familiar, comfortable or stable – until someone or something comes along and messes with our life. Perhaps that’s why religion survives. We need the hope that all will be well.
The Israelites have made it to the land that God had promised them. They have been on a journey for years and almost nothing is the same. Sure they have something to eat and water to drink, but they still longed for the ‘good ole days of slavery in Egypt’. But now, they have settled in their new land and they are asked to make a choice – a choice for how they will live out their lives. Joshua gathers the tribes and says, “choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods our ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living, …or serve the LORD.” It is an important decision because if they choose to follow God, their LORD, then they can’t change their mind later without paying the consequences. The God of the Israelites was a vengeful and jealous God, and yet the people choose to follow the one God, to forsake all those other gods. They make their choice publically in front of the assembly so as to be held accountable. They choose to stay with the God that has protected them and done great works in their sight.
This morning Jesus tells another parable about the kingdom of heaven. This one has to do with 10 maidens and their lamps. Five bring extra oil – just in case. Five do not. Well, the bridegroom is delayed and all ten lamps are low on oil. The five that brought the extra oil are present when the bridegroom comes and get into the wedding feast. The others are late because they had to run to the market to get more oil and get locked out. Culturally, at that time, “the bridegroom has gone to the home of the bride to determine and sign the marriage contract with the bride’s father and then he will return with the bride to his home (or that of his father). Since negotiations about the terms of the marriage contract could get involved, perhaps the groom’s delay should not be considered unusual. At the return with his bride, the wedding feast could begin at the bridegroom’s household. The ten maidens await the groom’s return with his bride.” (Sacra Pagina, Matthew, page 349).
Hard to say what choices were made by the maidens that led some to get extra oil and some to not bring any. Did some choose to go have manicures/pedicures in preparation for the banquet and then not have time to get to the market? We can identify with this scenario. We’ve overscheduled our day so that we don’t have time to pick up something at the market or we are late for a meeting or we miss our child’s event? And we’ve done it more than once! That’s one lesson to take from the story. Don’t get so involved with doing, that you forget to take care of living.
Jesus was speaking in parable using events from everyday life. The people listening to Matthew’s gospel would understand that he is the bridegroom and that the “maidens become positive and negative models on how to act in view of the Son of Man’s delayed arrival.” (Sacra Pagina, Matthew, page 350). This parable reiterates the need to be prepared, to be ready, “because you do not know the day or the hour.” Another lesson to take from this parable is not so much about judgment or the character of God as about being ready for the kingdom of heaven and what the time of Jesus’ return will be like.
There are two ways of looking at the “end time”. One is called cataclysmic, and the other is the continuum. The people to whom Matthew was writing lived with a belief of a cataclysmic eschatology. The Son of Man would suddenly return and if you weren’t prepared, you got left out, like the foolish maidens at the wedding banquet. My preference is the continuum, that the end time comes with the reign of God. All people on earth will work together and bring about the reign of God. We are all ready, because it can’t happen unless the whole earth is one family. It rather goes along with the vision of a loving, merciful, God. It also makes our job harder. We not only have to get our own lives in order, we need to help and support each other. In this way, we need to use the resources we receive to help bring about the reign of God (heaven on earth). That is the lesson to take from the readings today. For the people in Matthew’s day, they thought Jesus was coming at any time and had to be prepared. For us, so much time has passed; it is a matter of continuing to work more than being prepared.
We gather our pledge intentions this morning. The money is used to continue our work in bringing about the kingdom of God here in our community. I pray that we share our gifts and talents with each other and with those in need, believing that God will continue to provide for us. We, as Christians, have promised to serve the LORD. Let us follow the role model of the wise maidens and be prepared to do this work. AMEN.

Susan And Mark Hall Enjoying Their Boat

13. September 2014 · Comments Off on Susan And Mark Hall Enjoying Their Boat · Categories: Mark Hall · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Racing with Susan C. Hall and Bob Glass in the Great San Francisco Schooner Race. I am calling off the number of feet between us and the Race Committee Boat to our fearless skipper Mark Hall.

Friday Reflections Sept. 12, 2014

12. September 2014 · Comments Off on Friday Reflections Sept. 12, 2014 · Categories: Bishop, Diocese Of San Joaquin, Friday Reflections · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

 The Friday Reflection Title

9-12-2014

St. Clare of Assisi – The Episcopal Church Mission to Ebbetts Pass
 

Yes, St Clare’s is still a Mission Church. In the Upper Foothills, it’s on Highway 4 leading up to the High Country of the Sierras, the Pass often closed in winter. Except for vacationers heading for their cabins and Lake Alpine and the ski slopes, the resident population is otherwise sparse and the congregation at St Clare’s small but devout and faithful and always welcoming to strangers. We come from as far away as 25 miles, one couple from the East Bay on the last Sunday of the month.

 

We’re mostly retired and living on fixed incomes, but nevertheless support local appeals such as a Woman’s Shelter and Santa’s Express. We’ve also sent occasional collections to the St. Margaret sisters in Haiti to show our appreciation for what the sisters do on our behalf. We cannot match the generous giving of larger congregations nearby but this tiny Episcopal Church, in the view of its priest, ‘Punches above its weight’. We chiefly fulfill our apostolic ministry individually by commitment ‘to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.’

One member, only occasionally present on Sunday, is engaged caring for the infirm elderly at home. Our Treasurer is often absent, either active as a member of Mountain Rescue (helicopter crew) or on extended training. Another, John, is unable to attend church owing to paralysis. Father Basil brings the church to him after service and reminds him, “We are Church”. His wife, our Senior Warden, has his constant care, though with professional assistance. We have an excellent music tradition with a small pipe organ accompanied by a cellist and a soprano. Our Cellist is part of the annual Bear Valley Music Festival administration. She’s also involved in many other goings on in and about Murphys.

Evangelism engages us all, though not necessarily with new members but every one contributes magnificently to a warm and generous faith community, subject to fears for the future but always being reminded of the wider Diocese, and beyond, of which we are a significant part.

Live in the present. If you live in the past, God cannot be with you: His Name is not, ‘I was’. If you live in the future, God cannot be with you. His name is not, ‘I will be’. But if you live in the present, God says, “I am with you for my Name is I AM”. With that assurance, we look forward with hope.

We see the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament, but we are the Present Testament.

Fr. Basil Matthews

 

“Travel Light, leaving baggage behind.”

Luke 10:1-12

Car-thedra Fund…

 “car- thedra  filler up”

artist The Rev. Stephen Bentley

We are but a few weeks into the “Car-thedra” Appeal.  Firstly, Episcopalians of San Joaquin, congratulations and exceedingly well done!  Secondly, I wish to offer this brief reflection concerning what I think this “drive to/in our prospective Car-thedra” is all about.  This appeal has far less to do with the ultimate purchase of a new Episcopal Ride than it pertains to the ability of a community to respond together.  In the simplest form, in light of a challenging history (yes, I am learning the extent to which this is an absurd understatement), amid uncertainty, and amongst what must feel like perpetual litigation, and the like, we can do something extraordinary and we can do it together.  So again, well done sisters and brothers.  Let’s make our goal by Diocesan Convention.  Let’s show that we can do wonderful things together.

 

Your Bishop,
+David

Please send your contributions to:
the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355
 
Please make your check payable to the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin and please note “Bishop’s car” in the memo line.
 
Note: The Car-thedra fund now totals $15,757.00.
 

 Support the Car-thedra Fund…

Stole-Making Workshop
 

in Support of the Bishop’s Car-thedra Fund

Saturday, 6 December 2014
9am-5pm
Episcopal Church of the Saviour, Hanford
 

Fr. Luis Rodriguez will be leading an all-day practical workshop on traditional stole-making techniques (all by hand). The day’s aim is that each participant will leave with a completed stole, and so reasonable sewing skills are a requirement to help move things along smoothly. This workshop is limited to only 10 participants so that each can get individual attention. It will meet at the Episcopal Church of the Saviour in Hanford and the cost is $100, the entirety of which will go the Bishop’ Car-thedra Fund. A sack lunch will be provided. The registration fee does not cover materials, but good fabrics for stoles can be easily and relatively inexpensively acquired. An initial short meeting will be held at Diocesan Convention (time to be determined) to talk about materials needed. To register download, complete and return to the diocesan office the linked registration form (click here) along with a check to cover the cost. The deadline for for registration is Thursday, 23 October. If you have any questions, please contact Fr Luis by email ([email protected])  or phone 559-584-7706 559-584-7706.

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From the Episcopal Church…


 
Office of Public Affairs
 

2014 Jubilee Ministry grant applications now accepted
 

[September 9, 2014] Samuel McDonald, Director of Mission and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, has announced that applications for Episcopal Church 2014 Jubilee Ministry grants are now being accepted in two categories: Program Development Grant and Program Impact Grants.

“Jubilee Centers are a vital and vibrant part of the mission of The Episcopal Church in our walk with those in need,” explained the Rev. Canon E. Mark Stevenson, Domestic Poverty Missioner. “They highlight the numerous, varied, and locally managed ways that we are committed to making a meaningful impact against the cycle of poverty that holds hostage the lives of so many.”

Application forms are available at:  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/domestic-poverty-ministries

One Program Development Grant, up to $35,000, will be awarded to a new or existing ministry that can demonstrate a new or re-visioned strategy and methodology to make an impact both locally and beyond itself.

Ten to 20 Program Impact Grants, ranging from $750 to $1,500 each, will be awarded to initiatives of Jubilee Centers that make a positive and measurable impact in the lives of those in need.

Stevenson continued: “While Jubilee Centers with a wide variety of missions and programs dealing with poverty alleviation are encouraged to apply, priority in grant awards will be given to those ministries with a strong educational and/or early childhood development component to their work. For example, a feeding ministry that teaches nutrition skills to care-givers of children would have priority over a program that only provides meals.”

All currently designated Jubilee Centers are eligible for this year’s grants.

Deadline is Tuesday, September 30. Grant recipients will be announced in October.

Information for ministries seeking to become designated as a Jubilee ministry and benefit from the network of support and be eligible for future Jubilee grants, applications and explanation of the process is here http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/domestic-poverty-ministries

For more information contact Stevenson at [email protected].

 

Call To Annual Convention…

Call to Annual Convention

Dio seal

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
55th Annual Convention
October 24-25, 2014
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355

“Travel Light, leaving baggage behind.”
Luke 10:1-12
Renewal of Baptismal Vows with music
Friday 4p.m.
 
Holy Eucharist
Saturday 10a.m.
(Parishes bring banners, singers)
 
Clergy: White Stoles
 
Click below for the following forms/letters to find out more about annual convention and to register.

All members of our diocese are most welcome!

Safe Guarding God’s Children…

SafeGuarding Children On Line   
 
Please do not forget these special treasures.    
 

 

As the new school year begins and Sunday School starting, each diocesan member working with children must complete or have completed the training program developed by Praesidium for the Episcopal Church Pension Group.

 

Full listings of completed courses by churches and/or diocesan member are available upon request. Please direct your inquires to the Diocesan Coordinator for Safeguarding God’s Children, Stephanie Gilmer at [email protected].

 

Internet access to Safeguarding God’s Children: www.SafeguardingOnline.org

Thank you,

Peace and Abundance,

Stephanie Gilmer

 

For Northern Deanery…

Northern Deanery Meeting
 

The next Northern Deanery Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2014, 10:00-11:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s, Modesto. 

For Central Deanery…

Central Deanery Meeting
 

The next Central Deanery Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, October 12, 2014, 3:00 p.m.  at Holy Family, Fresno. 

For Southern Deanery…

Southern Deanery Meeting
The next Southern Deanery meeting is scheduled for

11:00 a.m., St. Sherrian’s, Kernville.

From the Diocesan Office…

For Clergy:
The Clergy and Parish Directory is now being updated for next  year and will be handed out to you at Annual Convention. This year pictures  will be added to the directory. Please send in your portrait picture to the Diocesan Office NOW. All Clergy including deacons and postulants pictures are needed. Many thanks to Justo Andres (first picture in), Gail Bernthal, Heather Mueller, Elaine Breckenridge, Canon Kate, Anne Benvenuti, Stephen Bentley,  John Shumaker, Teri Van Huss, Luis Rodriguez, Steve Karcher, Tim Vivian, Kathleen West,  Carolyn Woodall, Connie Jacobs and Kathie Galicia for getting their pictures in promptly!
For Clergy, Vestries and Bishop Committees:

Important Annual Convention:
Assessment is to be current for each parish and mission to have seat and voice at Annual Convention.
Promote Annual Convention at all services and activities and have registration forms available.
Nomination Forms for Diocesan Council and Standing Committee are due September 10, 2014. Nomination forms can be found in FR section: Call to Convention. 
The Bronze Disaster Preparedness Plan:

Is to be completed by all parishes and missions and turned into the Diocesan Office. Many thanks to St. Clare of Assisi- Avery, St Matthew’s- San Andreas, St. James- Sonora, St. John the Baptist- Lodi, St. Raphael’s- Oakhurst, Holy Trinity- Madera, Church of the Saviour- Hanford, and  St. Paul’s- Bakersfield for completing their plan.

Great news! St. Paul’s, Modesto has joined the ranks of those who have completed their Bronze Disaster Preparedness Plan. Thank you St. Paul’s, Modesto.

For All Clergy and Parishioners:

The Diocesan Staff would appreciate your assistance in getting the contact information for the Provost, Chancellor, Dean, or President of the public and private universities, colleges and junior colleges in our geographical location. If you know who to contact, please call the diocesan office or email [email protected].

ALL MAIL…
for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, Bishop, Canon, and Administrator is to be mailed to 1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355.

Thank you,

Ellen Meyer,

Administrator

Whats going on…

What’s Happening in the DIO
 
Commission on Ministry Meeting, September 13, 2014, 10:00 a.m., Holy Family, Fresno
 
House of Bishops- Taipei, Taiwan September 15-24, 2014
 
Southern Deanery Meeting, September 20. 2014, 11:00 a.m., St. Sherrian’s,  Kernville
 
Standing Committee Meeting, September 27, 2014, 10.00 a.m., Holy Family, Fresno
 
Central Deanery Clericus, October 2, 2014, 11:00 a.m., St. Paul’s, Visalia
 
Northern Deanery Meeting, October 11, 2014, 10:00 a.m., St. Paul’s, Modesto
 
Convention Arrangement Committee, October 11, 2014, 11:30 a.m., St. Paul’s, Modesto
 
Central Deanery Meeting, October 12, 2014, 3:00 p.m., Holy Family, Fresno
 
Annual Convention, October 24-25, 2014, St. Paul’s, Modesto

   Click on the link below to see more upcoming events and meetings around the diocese.

 

From our Parishes and Missions..

Tostado Dinner

September 13, 2014,

4-7pm

St Francis Episcopal Church

915 East Main Street

Turlock, CA

Chef John Simkins

$8.00 a plate!

A great dinner for all!!!

Church of the Saviour
Hanford, CA

Book Signing  
at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Bakersfield

Sunday, October 19, at 11:45
in the parish hall. Admission is free.

The Rev. Dr. Anne Benvenuti
 

The Rev. Dr. Anne Benvenuti, Assisting Priest at St. Paul’s Bakersfield, who lives in Kernville, has recently released a new book, Spirit Unleashed: Reimagining Human-Animal Relations. The book has been nominated for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction by her publisher, Wipf and Stock.


 

Dr. Benvenuti is participating in a series of activities related to this book and to the role of religions in eco-spirituality.  She attended the Summer Session at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics in July.  She is scheduled to speak at the UN NGO Conference at the UN Center in New York City on the topic of The Earth Charter and the Beloved Community on August 27th.  Additionally, Dr. Benvenuti has been invited to the Religions for the Earth Conference at Union Seminary in New York in September. She is one of 200 religious leaders selected by Karenna Gore to develop strategies for religious leadership in preparation for the UN Climate Summit and for embracing ecological ethics more broadly.  Benvenuti will address the spiritual connection of humans and other animals as part of a panel on Spiritual Experience in Nature.

 

Dr. Benvenuti will also be taking part in a series of readings and book signings this fall, including Brown University, University of Chicago, the American Folklore Society meeting in Santa Fe, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bakersfield.

The event at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2216 17th Street, Bakersfield, CA and  will take place on Sunday, October 19, at 11:45 in the parish hall. Admission is free.

                                                     

 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

 Wednesday Educational Events  

  6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.

  703 5th Street, Taft, CA

September 17, 2014

Bible Study on the book of Ecclesiastes with The Rev. Heidi Edson

September 24, 2014

Film featuring the ministries of Fr. Damien and Mother Marianne Cope of Molokai who have been made Saints in the Roman Catholic Church.

October 1, 2014

Film ” Brother Son and Sister Moon ” about St. Francis

October 8, 2014  

Presentation on Hospice

End- of- life – directions will be available

October 15, 2014

Roots and Dreams and Transformations in the Emerging Church

with The Rev. Nancy McMaster

October 22, 2014

The Camino

with Andrew Matthews

Photos and stories of his journey on The Camino which is The Way of St. James, from the Pyrenees in France to Santiago in Spain, that has been walked for over 1000 years

October 29, 2014

Walking the Labyrinth

November 5, 2014

The Evil Associated With Lying

with Mary Vera

November 12, 2014

What Makes the Episcopal Church Unique

with The Rev. Heather Mueller

November 19, 2014

Presentation on Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating

November 26, 2014

Women of the Bible

with Ashley Musick

 
Educ 

                                                     

Dear long- time and new friends of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church,

 

We are writing to inform you of a very important gathering which is coming up on the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30, 2014.

 

We are hoping that you will mark your calendar, save the date and plan to attend the celebration here at St. Andrew’s which will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. The laying of the cornerstone, for the structure of the church building, was November 30, 1934. It was the beginning of a community-wide project. We are told that many people, in Taft, were involved in the making of the adobe bricks. They were formed out of the soil in this place.

 

We request the honor of your presence at the 10:00 AM service on November 30, 2014. The Rt. Rev’d David Rice, The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, will preside at the worship service.

The service will be followed by a luncheon gathering, and at that luncheon we will have members and previous members reminisce about some of the important events in the history of St Andrew’s.

 

To honor our Scottish connection, we will also share in a wonderful Scottish meal. So far the menu will include…..Cottage Pie, Cock-a-Leaky soup, Scottish eggs, clootie dumplings and Short bread. I hear there may even be haggis???

 

The congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, is looking forward to welcoming everyone who has had and does have, a connection with this beautiful church. Let us gather to celebrate our past and look forward to the future, of this important place of worship in Taft, California!

 

Let us celebrate together, In Christ,

 

The Congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

 
 
Diocesan Website and Facebook…
 Have you checked it out?
Keep up to date on news and events with our
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin website 
www.diosanjoaquin.org  
Facebook  
Check out postings from Bishop David and Canon Kate at 
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin 

For the Bishop and  Canon’s Calendar…

Bishop David’s Calendar –Click Here
 
Canon Kate’s Calendar-Click Here

 

For our Diocesan Prayer Calendar….click here

Episcopal ShieldDio seal

Rev. Lyn Sermon

08. September 2014 · Comments Off on Rev. Lyn Sermon · Categories: Rector, Sermon · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sermon

Proper 25, Year A

          The collect asks God to increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and charity; make us love what you command.   In the time of Jesus, God’s commands were numerous – over 600 rules for the Jewish person to heed.  How difficult to keep all the laws, and yet the Pharisees and Sadducees and the chief priests and the elders of the temple did it.  They kept the letter of the law, but not necessarily the heart of the law.  So this morning they are still trying to trap Jesus with a test.  What is the greatest law?
          Who knows what they expected him to say.  Instead he gives us the commandment, the law that we try to live by today…”love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” is part 1 and the part 2 is to “love your neighbor as yourself”.  I’m thinking that they are impressed with his answer – not that they like it, but he sure had a good answer.  Jesus returns the favor and asks them a question, a question they cannot answer and it ends the game.  “From that day no one dared to ask him anymore questions.”  Can you love what God has commanded? 
          The theme for the Diocesan Convention was ‘travel light…leaving baggage behind.’  We spent heard about baggage from Bishop David and why it’s necessary to leave it behind.  Baggage can be things –possessions we can’t give up; possessions we love more than God or our neighbors.  Baggage can be relationships that have hurt us and hinder us from moving forward – like a diocese that has been isolated and abused.  Baggage can be ideas or habits that we’ve had for so long, we aren’t able to hear or see what new things God is doing in our community. 
Bishop David demonstrated with an amusing visual on Friday evening.  He left the Renewal of Baptismal Vows service at the peace.  When he returned he had traded his cope and miter for a fishing vest, waders, sunglasses and a hat.  He talked about when he first began fly fishing he got all the equipment and clothing so that he could fit in with other fly fishermen.  Then he proceeded to show us what he wears when he goes fly fishing.  He removed the heavy 39 pocket vest filled with all the gear.  He removed the waist high waders.  He was left in a pair of shorts, his clergy shirt, and he slipped on a pair of sandals.  Okay, I’m sure that he wears a t-shirt instead of his purple clergy shirt, but we got the idea.  Baggage needs to be set aside.  It weighs us down and hinders our ability to act.
          This reminded me of an experience I had at a women’s cursillo many years ago.  I’ve told this story before.  We were half way through the weekend and were doing an exercise of washing each other’s hands.  One woman sat at her table and sobbed.  She couldn’t have her hands washed.  Now understand she is one of the those people who are so positive, generous and loving to others that they make your day brighter just by being with them.  It took several minutes, but she was able to share her thoughts with us.  She carried so much baggage that she literally felt like she was holding it all in big shopping bags.  She couldn’t open her hands to let someone wash them because she would drop all her bags, and so she could only clench her hands shut.  Yes, she eventually was able to open her hands and place them in the basin of water, but we had no idea that she felt that way or that she carried such burdens.  We could see the joy that came from setting that baggage down.
          If we are holding on to baggage, we need to spend our time and energy focused on it – holding it, carrying it.  We can’t focus on God or on the people around us, our neighbors.  We can’t keep God’s commandment to love God with all we have and to love ourselves and our neighbor.  That is why Jesus tells those who will listen that those are the greatest commandments and all the laws are encompassed by them.  Putting God first helps us to let go of baggage.  What helps you remember to put God first?
          Our meditation this morning uses the example of making the sign of the cross.  The cross is a symbol many Christians use to help them remember to put God first, but something else may be more relevant or helpful for you.  Prayer beads, an icon, the Lord’s Prayer, a butterfly, a rainbow – whatever works for you. 
This week, think about what helps you focus on God being present.  What baggage would you like to give up?   What do you need to give up?  What do we as the community of St. Anne’s carry as baggage?  I invite you to mentally bring that baggage to the altar at the Eucharist and set it down.  Leave your baggage and open your hands to receive Christ.  Then you will be able to go out with love to put God first.   AMEN.

Sermon

Proper 18, Year A

 Do this for the remembrance of me…
Note:  This is a Children’s sermon, and there are props and dialogue which will not be recorded in this sermon because it hasn’t happened yet.
 For those who are not here in person, this is the set-up.  I bring out a small table and a large bag.  The children are invited to come forward.  I begin to pull things out of the bag and set them on the table.  Some wrapped boxes…toy plastic flutes…some party hats…a pan with something baked in it…a package of candles.  Put some candles in the cake (that’s what is in the pan).  
Ask the children if they know what all of this might be for.   A birthday party?  Yes!  Do we all have birthdays?  Do you celebrate your birthday with most of these things?  Would you have a party with cake and candles, hats, presents and maybe toys to share?  We commemorate (remember in a special way) our birthday.  In the Hebrew scripture this morning we hear a story about the first commemoration of the Passover.
Moses and Pharaoh have been arguing about letting the people of Israel go from slavery in Egypt.  God has sent plagues to make Pharaoh and the Egyptians miserable so that he will let the Israelites leave.  The tenth plague is coming – “about midnight, the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die”, from Pharaoh to the slave to the livestock.  God tells Moses to have the people prepare, and put the blood of the lamb around their door.  When God comes through in the night, God will “pass over” the homes marked with blood and no plague shall destroy the firstborn of that house.  Further, God says, “This day shall be a day of remembrance for you.  You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord…”  And it happened just like God said.  To this day our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate the Passover feast in the spring remembering how God saved the people that night and how God has saved the people many times before and after.  To the children: Now if you will have a seat in the front or you may return to your parents if you wish.
As Christians, we don’t celebrate Passover.  The last time Jesus was in Jerusalem and celebrating the Passover meal in a room with his friends, he changed the commemoration.  He did something new.  “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat: This is my body.’  Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”  (Matthew 26:26-28) 
Does that sound familiar?  That is our Christian Passover.  Every Sunday we remember how Jesus has given us life.  We celebrate the eucharist as a commemoration of what Jesus did.  He gave himself to heal the world.  Our part is to remember his gift and to try every day to love each other. 
God is always present.  Usually we need God the most when we are alone.  How can you remember that God is always with you?  For many Christians, the cross is a way to remember that God is present all the time.  I know that some of you have crosses you wear that have special meaning – maybe they were a special gift or a birthday present.  This morning, I have a cross that I invite you to take.  It’s one that can be stuck above your bed, or on the dash of your car, or on the door of your locker; somewhere you can see it to remind you that God is there.  When you need to talk to God, you can.  Put it where you might need a reminder to feel God’s presence in your day.              AMEN.

Rev. Lyn Sermon

01. September 2014 · Comments Off on Rev. Lyn Sermon · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sermon
Proper 17, Year A

Bring forth in us the fruit of good works…
How does God talk with you? What does it take to get your attention, to make you stop and listen, to hear? Some people are really good at discerning God all the time. Others, like me, not so much. Too often God needs a 2 x 4, that’s something like the burning bush that is not consumed for Moses. God hears our needs, observes our misery and our joys – God is always present in our life. We don’t always notice it.
In this story from the Hebrew scripture, God is asking Moses to help the people in captivity, to lead them “to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Remember that Moses has fled from his posh position in Pharaoh’s court to become a shepherd in a land far away. As a young man, the adopted son of the daughter of Pharaoh, he learns he is an Israelite and that his siblings and mother are slaves. A few days later he tries to help some of the slaves that are being harassed and ends up killing one of the Egyptian taskmasters. So he runs away – far away. Now God is calling him to go back to Pharaoh and bring his people out of Egypt.
This morning we hear the first of many conversations that Moses will have with God as he attempts to get out of doing this task, and then as he is trying to accomplish the task. Moses doesn’t really have a relationship with the people he is supposed to help. He doesn’t know their names or anything about their lives – he didn’t live with them. Moses does know God. Moses listens to what God wants him to do, and then, reluctantly at first, he tries to do the work that God has given him to do. Moses chooses to serve the Lord, to do good works.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he is encouraging the Christians to listen to the word of God. Society is tough for those people; Christians are persecuted. They are a strange minority religion in a city with many different religions. God sends Paul to give them counsel on how to live a life of good works in a culture that values earthly power and riches. The list of things that Paul encourages them to do, we are encouraged to do today. It is not an easy list. “Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another…rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer…extend hospitality to strangers…bless those who persecute you…live in harmony with one another…do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly…do not pay anyone evil for evil…if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink…” So which of those things is hard for you to do? What has God been calling you to do?
Jesus is preparing his disciples for what is to come. It’s not a pretty picture, and it’s not the victory that those who have been following him envisioned. They expect that the messiah will triumph over all who oppress the Israelites (much like Moses who leads the people out of slavery to a good land – their own land) and that they will have peace in a land of milk and honey. Jesus sets them straight. The victory is going to be eternal life overcoming death. Our part is to let go of our love of life as society may dictate as successful and live a life that God dictates as successful. Serve the Lord by bearing fruit of good works.
What has God been calling you to do? That might be the wrong question. What is God doing in the community and how can we be part of God’s work? The emphasis is that God is working whether we choose to do anything or not. God does call us, continually. It’s just not always to do something comfortable. In his last Friday reflection, Bishop David suggested that it may be better stewardship to replace our church lawns with gardens. Can you imagine our neighbors’ reaction if we did that – planted lots of tomatoes, beans, carrots, corn, squash? I was talking with the Bishop about this and how I imagined we would get word from the neighborhood association in short order. We talked about how our church should be a reminder – even an irritant – to our neighbors. Our church should be about raising social issues to the attention of the affluent whether they are sitting in the pews or living in the blocks around us. We’re not a social club; we are called to work with God.
Many of you are involved with groups that are already doing this work. We need to hear from you. How are you helping do God’s work in our community? Are there ways that others can get involved, too? Last Sunday I talked about the Community Partnership for Families and the different programs they are developing with recently released prisoners. Some of us got involved with their backpack project. I know that we have parishioners who are members of the Assistance League, coach youth sports, volunteer for Hospice, and other organizations who are working with God in our community. It’s time to let the rest of us know what you are doing.
I am going to put up a large poster in the back…a Fruits of Good Works. There will be pens available. List your name and the work that you do. If you have a picture you can post, please put it up there. We need to see some of the outreach that is being done by members of St. Anne’s. God is working here in Stockton and we have been called to follow. God promises “for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We can do this – together.

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