Folks,
The alternative first and sole third lessons appointed for this Sunday include forms of the wonderful "summary of the Law", to love God while Mark's gospel delightfully includes the word mind) and love your neighbour. (In Deuteronomy, Moses encourages the people to "Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away.") And Paul, in his Letter to the Hebrews, poetically concludes by saying that such loves will "purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!". He waxed poetic as well when describing the good things as having come thru the "greater and perfect tent" but to ensure clarity explained that by this he meant "(not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)". But I am especially taken with the conversation in Mark's gospel between a "scribe" (encyclopedia.com says that scribes were originally "clerks whose function was to copy royal and sacred manuscripts" and later "one who was learned in the Law of Moses". Scribes often appears as "bad guys" in the gospels, but in this discussion Jesus sees wisdom in the scribe when he answers with an echo of Jesus' summary of the law and Jesis says “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” We appreciate such simplification and pray we all might as the appointed Collect says in very human terms accept the gift of faith by God's grace: "Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen." Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events We want to lead off with a reminder that St James Church in Paso Robles will have their Oktoberfest TODAY at 1pm Harris Stages Lines near San Miguel. Call the parish at 805.238.0819 for tickets and details. A reminder to visit the San Luis Obispo Deanery website and calendar at www.sloepiscopalians.org and calendar pages there and at te websites of the parishes listed therein/ St Matthews Church in San Ardo, St Marks Church in King City and St Lukes Church in Jolon will all have morning worship services this Sunday at 10am St Lukes will be led by our friend lay person Roy Morris, St Marks by Fr Filemon Diaz and St Matts by Tony(!) and yours truly. The CreationCare group from St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande completed their five part series this past week. While we look forward to their next Adult Education events, we were delighted to see that they appeared to be sharing some of the same materials as were used in the earlier series put on by St Benedicts Church in Los Osos. Note that the group from St Bens has made it known that the resources they developed for such study are freely available to all. For those resources, including the videos and handouts in the study guide go to https://www.stbenslososos.org/a-beginners-guide-to-creation-care-and-the-climate-crisis/ In another instance of parochial cooperation, St Barnabas tells us of a special event as follows: "Join us at Saint Peter's Church in Santa Maria on Sunday, October 31 from 12-3PM for a festive and fun Dia de los Muertos community celebration! Everyone is welcome! We'll have free food and candy, games and prizes, and activities for the whole family! Community members are welcome to bring an item to contribute to the community ofrenda such as a photo, flowers, treats, etc. Individuals are also invited to set up their own ofrendas to remember and honor loved ones. To reserve a space or ask for more information, call or text (805) 242-3794." Also this Sunday the secular world is celebrating Halloween and for many parishes it is also the start of the observance of All Saints Day (Nov 1 from whence we get Halloween, ie All Hallow's Eve, and Nov 2 is All Souls Day). St Barnabas and other parishes will have parishioners bring photos of their departed loved ones to church but display them on Nov 7 and 14. St Benedicts in Los Osos tells us of another worthy spiritual program: "HOLLISTER INSTITUTE – Opportunities for stimulating discussion and thoughtful exploration on Tuesdays at 10:15am on ZOOM. Currently: "The Dream of God" by Verna Dozier" See St Ben's website for details." Also at St Bens All Saints Day, also observed with a slide show of all the photos of those have died at their 10:30am Eucharist service. And of course Thanksgiving Dinner is coming up and the St Bens family will have a potluck style dinner at the church - again see their websites. St James Church in Paso Robles tells us their organist. Grant Smith, will be participating in an organ concert at CalPoly on Nov 4. Go to the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center for details and tickets. Good Shepherd Church in Salinas is celebrating both feast days thru the week with an outdoor COMMUNITY ALTAR to hold photos and memorabilia of those who have died. A Remebrance Eucharist will be on Nov 7 at 5pm. From the Broader Church The El Camino Real Diocesan Convention will be on Nov 6 online and delegates need to register. For full details and to register, go to www.realepiscopal.org or contact Kirstin at kirstinr@realepiscopal.org The seminary of The Episcopal Church on the west coast, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, tells us of a number on online resources including a talk by theologian Prof Scott MacDougall. For these go to www.cdsp.edu And note of thanks to longtime friend Rev Nathaniel Pierce for pointing out that in last week's news we reported the national (and beyond) General Convention of The Episcopal Church will be in 2022. not 2021 as reported.
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Folks,
The lessons appointed for this Sunday include from Job, Hebrews and Mark. I'd like to concentrate on the lesson from Job, probably my favourite Old Testament book, which begins with Job's responses to the Lord, in which Job admits his back talk was "out of line" and repents. And of course after this record of their conversation (which followed all that Satan put Job thru) we hear how every good thing was restored to Job. While the entire story may have "made up" for teaching, I think it does a great job of that teaching., including that Job had heard of the Lord, but now has seen him, which helped caused his repentance (ie re-thinking, but note that we are not told that Job had not during his trials been an especially egregious sinner - thus that part of the story is basically about most of us, depicting the substance of the question "Why do bad things happen to good people". Job himself admits that though he had heard of the Lord, now he has seen him. This aspect of the story underscores why Christians so value Jesus as God made manifest in human form (remember "Emanuel" means God with us). I cannot help but enjoy that Job was careful to include his three daughters in his inheritance planning, probably something uncommon in the early days of the Jewish nation, along with their seven brothers. Above all however, I note his restoration occurred after Job "had prayed for his friends". It seems to me that those who seek blessings for all are themselves blessed by God. May we all learn this lesson, and seek to bless those around us! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) Events Because of travel for medical reasons, this weeks events section is again brief. Our own St Matts will be meeting for Morning Prayer at the usual 10 am hour, ad for other events please see the many sources online, including parish calendars and the Deanery calendar at www.sloepiscopalains.org We do want to reiterate that we are continuing, now with the folks from St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande, in their Creation Care webinar. We are delighted that such events have spread to many parishes in many places. To join in the fifth and final session of the Adult Ed webinar at St Barnabas this coming Thursday at 7pm, Zoom in to https://saintbarnabas-ag.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=debb1b33eb11372203a975524&id=d2302b1691&e=acee3ced34 and for full info on the series see their websites. We are also happy to have met briefly with the EarthCare team at St Benedicts in Los Osos, and learn of their ongoing efforts locally at home and at the parish property to care for our planet home and as they are continuing efforts to spread such teaching, especially by freely offering the resources they have developed for their "A Beginners Guide to Creation Care and the Climate Crisis" to all, individuals and groups. As we have mentioned, you can find those resources at St Ben's websites. From the Broader Church We just want to mention that our own Diocese of El Camino Real diocesan convention is coming up soon (and resolutions hearings even sooner) - and fully online - for websites go to www.realepiscopal.org ff. And we are also to have the General Convention of the EpiscopalChurch in 2021, materials in preparation are being posted - for full info watch the websites at https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001JKJVyafLkwjL_GLpvOILWlsnaG-Gi74N_uiIC2LF3qAeyZTfr6bUsiPl8tx6TH1nikR1Kw-AGWkFIqZubJya8k0oPdNCSbMir4febD07Hkr0d7yHsI5jVgCGtE4QOwizpcByCiMJA21gy_4ks3XMYSE9SdtbKqq-jL7XmYE3pN2QtfRRdTWkWIlxC9lC6r7T&c=umtIt9uJbfTT_l13-za_VmYdNqIfYF14Fid36AqbgaIRUQ-E1J3opA==&ch=QLTBVSUuE9Cv7Wpg68u_W0QIW8Re9kSQ-2tcmjhu0u4f_wOFFBjGkA== Folks,
The lessons this week include more from Job, this time an God's amazing statement to Job of God's mighty power and (left unspoken but clear from the lack thereof) Job's humility. The lesson from Mark's gospel continues this notion as Jesus. who is both fully human and fully God, is asked by James and John to grant favours. Jesus' reply is a sort of yes and no and indicative of this remarkable dual nature. They will be able to drink from his cup and be baptised as he was baptised. But Jesus says the heavenly seating arrangement is not his to grant - suggesting it is up to God alone. Paul makes clear that in his ministry, including the above gospel, Jesus was showing his human nature, and submitting to suffering for us all and thus God called Jesus his son (saying to Jesus "today I have begotten you" and that "You are a priest forever". Paul then notes that as a priest he offered up prayers to the One who was able to save him from death. Jesus thus learned obedience via reverent submission. Note that the word "submission" doesn't sit well with me. But it is a reality that in order to God's work we need to be ready for some difficulties - it is a reality. Yet elsewhere we hear that his yoke is easy, his burden light - as will ours be if we submit to this reality. That easy yoke and light burden is made so by the life of the spirit in God, a spiritual lift that makes all our difficulties in life bearable. May we all live well in the spirit of God! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events We will have to make this a brief report because. of special event for Tony(!) and myself tomorrow. As some of you know, we have enjoyed the work of chronicling local history with a series of recorded oral histories of "old timers" in our ranch area. It is with a bit of irony that our friends of the SLO Gala Pride Center in San Luis Obispo will be doing an oral history of myself and Tony, and our 33 years of work for inclusion for all, in the church and in society. I guess that now we ARE the old timers! Nevertheless, we were pleased this past Thursday night to have joined in a new effort we have, as you know, become very involved as our understanding of a future climate crisis grows - in this case another CreationCare event hosted by St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande (the second the series of 5, and similar in nature to the EarthCare series we participated in fully with the group at St Benedicts Church in Los Osos. We were equally happy with this event as church folks and others wrestled with some of the many difficult issues presented by Climate Change, with prayer and intellect. St Barnabas' series continues the next three Thursdays, Oct 21 and Oct at 7pm via zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83236567171?pwd=Si9WVzJXdGg2MGlhbmVlUzh5S0Rwdz09 Meeting ID: 832 3656 7171 Passcode: 191892 We hope to see you there! Also this week on Wednesday at 3pm the EarthCare group at St Benedicts that orchestrated the earlier EarthCare event will have their regular meeting, seeking local solutions to environmental concerns. Our own St Matthews Church in San Ardo will have Morning Prayer at the usual hour of 10am. And our fellow missions St Lukes, Jolon and St Marks, King City, will be meeting together at St Lukes at 10am for morning worship with Eucharist and led by Fr Carl Hansen, St Marks previous vicar. St James Church in Paso Robles, as we indicated previously, will be having a "German Oktoberfest" fundraiser at Harris Stage Lines on River Road (between San Miguel and Paso Robles) on Oct 30 starting at 1pm. See St James website for full info at www.stjamespasorobles.org And up at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco we hear that their "Forum" will feature the topic, "Can Silicon Valley Find God?" - full info at https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001m07-ju3_W7eMsms3m8j2wJ6Bd2q0AcJ1kJFPWvbjN-UqxryEn7jtA5E5CDbXkmrwWHvpjddNk4H3NwfEkXtrmM-enYcKYhIR_yaz8oeoPMo_j_UaGF29khlpP5kpM3uwGcqhfGBdp8lVgKXrBYp3yEHRGzMhQ2XEwjfmKgfWYl5NgEtdY1usimbvUDDclx3VZvkOtu5mrMyz171-wCH5rGaTfSzh8xBXGm6ux7aK9n4QghhWY5CyLCjqSUfUr_-HdcU1NqaBZN8=&c=m50C0cliCEQqXyq62EEq5WEL0iA_u7gRvKnFI9bOmBXkYrjMwOn3Bg==&ch=EbMzIMH3274HUjJgY4cv07VefUlbAo2GR_0S_T1zpgVkc0xd_gGPrA== From the Diocese The effort to get ourselves organised for the upcoming (Nov 6) Diocesan Convention via the digital platform used of las year's convention (and will be used for a "Spring renewal" event set for April of 2022. For full info and registration info go to https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=75edc93cda&e=f136cc0442 Resolution hearings will take place on Zoom this month at 6:30-8:30 pm on the following dates: October 19: Budget October 20: Constitution and Canons October 21: Resolutions Friends,
The lesson for this Sunday include another passage from Job in all his humanity, sad and protesting at his troubles and seemingly unable even to find God and ending hoping he could just disappear: "God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!" The Psalm appointed, as with Jesus on the cross, echoes this misery: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Paul tells the Hebrews that Jesus "in every respect has been tested as we are" - again the amazing story of God identifying with humanity thru Jesus. and reminding us of our own humanity "all are naked" before God. The Gospel lesson from Mark reminds us of Jesus' own humanity, as he says to the man “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." But he goes on to say to the disciples that all who have lost family, home and fields for the sake of the Good News will have it returned in this life as well as eternal life in the age to come. (Note that bibleref.com seems to have it right when saying that while we will have family and fields again in this life, Jesus is speaking of the family of the church and the fields that enable those people to live, albeit WITH PERSECUTIONS, Job, Paul and Jesus experienced). As so often, it is up to Paul to deliver the "punch line" as he that despite the weakness of our humanity, our high priest (Jesus) understands because he we was tested as we are "in every respect", and summing it up "Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Some of you know that the idea of GRACE is one of my favourite, one of those things that you recognise when you experience it. May we all receive God's mercy as we recognise the grace of God! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts Events As most of you know, we live at a working ranch, and while we need to brief this week due to projects here, we are quite concerned about climate change as all involved in agricultural production should be. This past week saw the last session of the EarthCare event from St Benedicts Church in Los Osos along with session two of a similar event at St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande (where Pastor Rob actually lives on a ssall ranch as well). We are glad to report that if you have missed the St Ben's event you can see all the materials, etc online by going to https://www.stbenslososos.org/a-beginners-guide-to-creation-care-and-the-climate-crisis/ (Note that such events are occurring in many places, and after the St Ben's event we headed off to the second session of the event at St Barnabas. We were very happy that the St Ben's event was meant to include people from everywhere and will be making the course available to church and other groups, and that St Barnabas is extend their invitation to all.) St Barnabas Adult Education "Creation Care" program will have their third session on Thurs Oct 14 beginning at 7pm. To Zoom into this event go to https://saintbarnabas-ag.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=debb1b33eb11372203a975524&id=d62fb055a8&e=acee3ced34 Several more "CreationCare" events are occurring in many place. One such that hear of from our Presiding Bishop, Most Rev Michael Curry, is called Green the Church 2021, a Virtual National Summit and is led by Interfaith Power and Light (formeraly Episcopal Power and Light) and will take place from Oct 10-13. For full info and registration into go to https://default.salsalabs.org/T0d15c776-abdb-43f6-9f9e-01482dee84ab/29545680-ee5d-4e6f-81b4-0f0aa4b8b71a At the end of this month St James will be having Oktoberfest at 4pm - read more about this in upcoming episodes of St Matts News and save te date! St James is also hosting Laura DeLoye of the Alzheimers Association as she presents a program for caregivers on Responding to Dementia Related Behaviors from 10-1 on Sat Oct 25 - lunch will be provided. Note that while St Lukes Church in Atascadero continues with weekly services on Sunday (including Morning Worship at 9am) and midweek, the parish will be working and playing with St James, as at both above events! Our friends at St Lukes Church in Jolon tell us that Suray and Fr Filemon of St Marks Church will lead worship at 10am, while we at St Matts in San Ardo will have Morning Prayer at 10am - please join one or the other! Our friend Pastor Linda McConnell of Good Shepherd Church in Salinas tells us that they will be studying Simply Good News, by N.T. Wright beginning on Oct 15 at noon and that Confirmation Classes continue. For full info on these events to to https://goodshepherdcorral.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cbc9cee2ea785c71ef0cbb3c&id=c66a2eb135&e=cc1155f723 and https://goodshepherdcorral.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cbc9cee2ea785c71ef0cbb3c&id=fe538aaf1b&e=cc1155f723 From the Diocese The Diocese tells us to Register for the upcoming Diocesan Convention at https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=ea3245e6cd&e=f136cc0442 and Registration is open now, and that you can follow the Convention at tat same webpage. Also note that St Andrews Church in Saratoga will have a special day on Oct 10 (TOMORROW!) organised around their ECHO Shop (El Camino Homeless Organization). This event is their largest source of outreach funding. Folks,
The lessons for this Sunday include some of the most "sexist" I have seen as a group in the lectionary, and it up to us to see thru such language to the real import of those lessons. Job says to his wife, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak" (and in the alternate lesson from Genesis we see God creating Woman from one of Adam's ribs). In Hebrews we have the usual reference to God as "he", and in Mark's gospel we hear Jesus admit that God allowed divorce for men. (We note that the lessons may be timely with the news that women's marches are being planned across the country). As is so often the case, we must see thru the language presented to the real message, including steadfastness people of whatever gender, the fact that language in the past chose in many "western" languages, including English, to use male pronouns when meaning a "person", and Jesus pointing out to the Pharisees that what God really was trying to do was commend the partnership of marriage. Indeed the alternative Old Testament from Genesis makes clearer how important for life such partnerships can be! We were reminded this week of such a partnership in our longtime friend Dwight Edwards who came to St Matts and led worship as a seminarian - he is still fondly remembered by members of St Matts. Dwight got married later in life to a wonderful woman, Rosi, and they lived together in Pacific Grove during and after Dwight's time as rector of St Marys-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church there. Tony! and I went to visit Dwight who had many fond memories of his time at St Matts and our neighbouring mission St Lukes in Jolon. Together they illustrated the joy of the marriage partnership, the value of which is what such lessons are really talking about - and in Rosi and Dwight's case that lesson was amplified by the fact that when they married there was no thought of children, career, income etc - nothing but the spiritual value each gave to the other. In such beautiful and really fulfilling marriages one can see that the "one flesh" the scriptures talk about is really better understood as "one spirit". While we want to be sure to make community for the many who are alone, we know that such quality marriages and spiritual partnerships are inclusive rather than exclusive of those in need of community. May we all share the joy of such inclusive couples of whatever gender, and together with them enlarge the community for all! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events As we have been mentioning, during this Season of Creation, we have been attending the "webinar" offered by the EarthCare group at St Benedicts Church in Los Osos, including this past Thurs, where we heard several good ways parishes can emphasise "Creation Care". One simpler one is to worship outdoors, as parishes have been doing as well due to Covid. Some parishes, like Good Shepherd in Salinas have even had hiking as a part of their worship program (and we at the ranch are constantly outdoors). The webinar comes to its high point and final session this coming Thursday, Oct 7 at 6:30pm. You do not need to have attended the prior sessions (though their materials are available online) by going to https://www.stbenslososos.org/events/facilitated-sessions-creation-care-the-climate-crisis/ and to attend the Zoom event on Thurs Oct 7 at 6:30pm go to Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86790129694?pwd=RzJTVFhNSHdOb3Y3QVBBNG5oZW9mQT09 Meeting ID: 867 9012 9694 Passcode: earthcare Meeting Time: 6:30-8 p.m. PDT Note that this Thurs will also be the second session of the Adult Ed series on Creation Care at St Barnabas Church, Arroyo Grande. We are delighted to have both places studying similar matters and open to all! To attend the St Barnabas event on Thurs Oct 7 at 7pm, go to https://saintbarnabas-ag.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=debb1b33eb11372203a975524&id=ae22e2e301&e=acee3ced34 In accord with such EarthCare / CreationCare events, more or less set in the church calendar around the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, who loved creation, many parishes including St Barnabas will have a blessing of animals and pets. At St Barnabas, the blessings will take place inside the church during Sunday worship at 8am and 10am. St Lukes Church in Atascadero also will have blessing of animals and pets, but outdoors in drive-by fashion, after Sunday morning services at 9am (thus from 10:30am to 11:30am). Morning worship is both in person and via Zoom - email Fr Greenwood for an invitation, and if you want to receive communion note that as well - it will be brought to your home. St Sephens in San Luis Obispo is also doing "drive through" blessings this Sunday from 1-2pm n their parking lot on Pismo Street. Their Sun morning worship services are 8am and 10am. Special thanks to Kathleen Pennington for providing us this link to a Joint Statement on Climate Change by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch: https://tinyurl.com/JointStatementClimate St Peters Church in Morro Bay invites "All Creatures Great and Small" to come to church and receive a blessing this Sun at 10am. St Peters tells us that the cookbook, Angels in the Kitchn, put together by women of the parish, is out with a second edition. As substitute for the Fall Eclectia at St Petes, Lenny Erickson is conducting an informal conversation, in connections with Open Culture's offering of "100 Days of Dante," honoring the 700th anniversary of the poet's birth. Subscribers (it’s free) get an e mail each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 100 days, containing a 20-minute lecture on the Canto for that day. An on-line version of the text is provided by the site, or you can read with your copy; it's usually 3-4 pages. Sponsored by Baylor University, it's a great way to read a work some of us have set aside for "later.' Google "100 Days of Dante" and subscribe with name and email to get your Canto 3x-a-week! Those of us who are participating get together electronically to discuss what we’re learning. Info: lennychas@gmail.com St James Church in Paso Robles is having worship Sun at 10am and Evening Prayer Wed at 6pm (our friend Laura Learned will be the homilist) in person and via Zoom. Bible Beat will on Thurs at 11am will be Zoom only: https://zoom.us/j/97608924151?pwd=SVJscVUzaEU4c25GcEtKZlQvN0V1dz09#success This Sunday the parish will welcome Bp Lucinda Ashby at the 10am service. For further details go to www.stjamespasorobles.org Note that the above and more events can be seen on the Deanry calendar at https://www.mychurchevents.com/calendar/74061144 and at parishes websites, including under the Deanery/Churches tabs at http://sloepiscopalians.org/index.html Good Shepherd Church in Salinas will have a Blessing of he Animals at 10am worship services outdoors tomorrow at 10am. They are also beginning Confirmation classes on Oct 10 at 11:15am (after morning worship). Their Book Club on Fridays @ Noon, beginning October 15th, will begin the series: Simply Good News by N.T. Wright to explore “Why the gospel is news and what makes it good.” Registration is available for the series at https://goodshepherdcorral.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cbc9cee2ea785c71ef0cbb3c&id=9903041c12&e=cc1155f723 St Pauls Cathedral in San Diego, in place of their 9am Forum this Sunday, will have a blessing of the animals between 8am and 10:30am services. From the Diocese Online Registration will be available beginning Oct 5 for the Nov 6 Diocesan Convention. For full info go to the Convention webpage at https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=8eb0ba4c25&e=f136cc0442 And tomorrow there will be a Goodwill Fundraising Donation Drive from 9am to 2pm at St Thomas Church in Sunnyvale. |
WILLIAM BARTOSH
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