Folks,
The lessons for this Sunday include from the prophet Jeremiah announcing the coming of a "righteous Branch" for the house of Israel and the gospel lesson from Luke warning of "great distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves" (which reminds us of climate change predictions). Such prophecies remind us to keep watch over all. But this first Sunday of Advent, combined with the Thanksgiving feast, might best be reserved for meditatively giving thanks for all our many blessings, for each of us owes ourselves such "time off" from the weight of the world's woes to acknowledge those many blessings. It is in this spirit that we commend to you all the epistle appointed in the Revide Common Lectionary wherein Paul writes "How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?" For all our communities, family, friends, neighbours, our spiritual communities, our nations our world, let us pause for a moment and give thanks and enjoy our being together in those communities! Our love to all, Bart and Tony! and for all of us at St Matts! Events Folks this weekend we want to reiterate those events mentioned in the pages of our SLO Deanery website, at www.sloepiscopalians.org and also such events as have not yet transpired (see previos St Matthews News). We want to reiterate that St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande will have a special Thanksgiving Service TOMORROW at 3pm and St Benedicts in Los Osos will have a Thanksgiving community dinner, also TOMORROW. For full details on both of these events, please see thei websites via the Our Churches tab at the SLO Deanery website at the above mentioned url. One Origin of the Thanksgiving Story We commend to all readers the very moving Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by President Lincoln (Honest Abe) in the midst of the travails of a nation at war with itelf - see http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm From the Diocese We were especially joyed by our Bishop Lucinda Ashby's Thanksgiving Message: Dear people of El Camino Real, As we approach Thanksgiving Day, the diocesan staff and I are reminded of our gratitude to you all for the countless ways in which we walk in faith this year. During this time, our shared journey causes us to reflect more deeply and live more fully. We are thankful to share this pilgrimage together along The Way of Love. I remember Thanksgivings in my own past, where we planned and shopped, and prepared and set the table with so much care. In our family, this was an opportunity to sit together, often elbow to elbow, and share in conversation and food. Often, there were remembrances of someone in the family or group of friends, who had created a Thanksgiving fiasco, or who was missed at the table that day. There has often been much hilarity, and sometimes a few tears. Thanksgiving Day is a celebration that reaches deep into our faith journey. It is a day that we set aside to remind us all to be grateful and to express that gratitude—to God, to our loved ones, co-workers, people whom we encounter in our daily lives. It is an opportunity to find belonging and expand our family boundaries. It is also a time to let our gratitude be transformed into actions of generosity, as we feed those who are hungry and help those who are in isolation to find community. In your quiet moments of meditation in the days ahead, I invite you to join in the Litany of Thanksgiving (BCP p. 836): Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us. For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea. We thank you, Lord. For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ, We thank you, Lord. For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends, We thank you, Lord. For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve, We thank you, Lord. For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play, We thank you, Lord. For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity, We thank you, Lord. For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice, We thank you, Lord. For the communion of saints, in all times and places, We thank you, Lord. Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. My husband, Bob, also joins me in wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!
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Friends,
In accord with the church calendar, this Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, has appointed lessons in the lectionary which all discuss the notion of kings - rulers of nations and individuals. (Note that some have changed to "Reign of Christ Sunday" - it would be interesting to know the politics, etc behind this fairly recent - 1925 - designation by the Roman Catholic Church.) The lesson from Samuel repeats the "last words of David" wherein David tells us he was anointed by the God of Jacob, has ruled justly, and his cause will prosper even while the godless are thorns to be consumed in fire. In Revelation we hear a paean to God while Jesus is referred to as God's faithful witness and "ruler of the the kinds of the earth", who saved us by his blood from our sins and who is "coming with the clouds". These lessons are fit with the theme of this Sunday, but the gospel lesson from John goes beyond. In his interview with Pilate. he ducks the question when he is asked if he is "King of the Jews", first telling Pilate his kingdom is of a different nature and noting that his followers are not out trying to foment revolution. Indeed when asked directly if he is a king, he replies noting that it was Pilate who used the word "king", Jesus goes on to say "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." Jesus adds that those who "belong to the truth" listen to his voice. I don't know about you, but I don't want another king. Rather, I want one who will testify to the truth. Let us all also testify to the truth of God's love! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events This Thanksgiving Week many parishes are having dinners and special services for the parish community and friends. One such parish having a dinner will be St Benedicts in Los Oso, while St Barnabas in Arroyo Grande will be having a special service on Thanksgiving Eve. You can read about these events along with others and regular worship services by going to the events calendar and parish links at the SLO Deanery website www.sloepicopalians.org Besides their Dinner St Bens will be participating in an online (Zoom) Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration TOMORROW at 3pm - the link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89802283933?pwd=VFVsZXFOakxnaWtyMVIvbzFPcllsQT09 with Meeting ID: 898 0228 3933 // Passcode: thankful If you are travelling to the home of family or friends (we are having both come to the ranch) please remember while you are feeling that warm and welcoming sense that many are less fortunate. Most parishes have good connections to organisations that help such as ECHO (El Camino Homeless Organisation) which has their own website at https://www.echoshelter.org/ and subordinate pages where you can read about their three "campuses" in North SLO County along with volunteers opportunities. Other Events St Benedicts in Los Osos tells us of their Advent series which will focus on the "the desire of Creation for Christ's coming with reconciliation and new life." The series will draw from All Earth Is Waiting, by Katie Dawson and begins on Dec 2 and continues on Thursdays at 3pm thru Jan 6. See https://www.stbenslososos.org/events/all-earth-is-waiting-good-news-for-gods-creation/ St Bens is also having a Hollister Institute series discussing "The Book of Joy" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama starts Nov 30 and continues on Tuesdays at 10:15am via Zoom - see St Bends websites. Rather like the stores and shops, while we are not yet past Thanksgiving, several parishes are planning Christmas events, including the St Lukes Church in Atascadero will be having their annual Christmas Bazaar from 9am to 6pm on Dec 3 and from 9am to 1pm at the church. St James Church Paso Robles will have their Women's Christmas Luncheon Sat Dec 4 at noon at the church (please call the office for full info). St James will also be participating in the Interfaith Thanksgiving service mentioned above. And St James will participate in the 3rd annual Turkey Trot around Atascadero Lake Park on Thanksgiving Day starting at 8:30am. The event is a fundraiser for ECHO (see above) and we note that St James Newsletter contains the list of items most in need by ECHO. St Pauls - San Pablo Church in Salinas will be hosting an Interfaith Thanksgiving also at 3pm while collecting food and monetary donations for the Monterey Food Bank. St Marys Church in Pacific Grove will have an organ concert on Sat Dec 4 at 5pm when Dr. Cathryn Wilkinson, will play a selection of music entitled In the Moon of Wintertime: Peaceful and Joyful Music for Advent and Christmas. EarthCare / CreationCare News The EarthCare team at St Bens in Los Osos met again this past week and are making available their efforts in the Guide series they put forward - an online series of events aided by videos and study guide. They will be working with CreationCare folks at the "national church" (ie The Episcopal Church - but remember that their of several dioceses outside the United States). For our part we are continuing with acorn and tree planting at the ranch and every year for the past 25 years have started many trees growing (the trick is to protect them from excessive heat which seems to be getting worse), drought and ground critters (squirrels, gophers, etc). At our own St Matts in San Ardo (regular worship service at 10am Sunday) we want to note that despite being very near an important oil field, our members, including some who work in the oil fields are attuned to the need to the need to safeguard our climate and we are glad to report that some of the employers there have been working to move their operations to less climate impactful energy production even while they provide necessary petroleum products - you can see a video on this from some of them at https://youtu.be/raKxjPC8kkY The beautiful Episcopal Bishop's Ranch near Healdsburg tells us they are having winter retreats - learn more about them and the ranch at https://www.bishopsranch.org/ From the Diocese As most of our regular readers will know, two Saturdays ago we had the El Camino Real Diocesan Convention online via Zoom. With such a large (we saw as many as 210 participants at one point in time!) Zoom event it was necessary for most to be "muted" until recognised by the Bishop as chair. In her Address Bp Lucinda Ashby said: "We are at a tipping point right now," she added, "for we have been gifted with a crisis that has forced us as a church to alter our behavior and to examine our beliefs and practices. This is a place of both danger and opportunity.” And we have to give thanks for the Zoom service which meant not having an hour and 50 minute drive to Salinas, etc (and others come even farther). The Zoom event still allowed, by way of the "chat" function, for brief visits with friends from around the Diocese and thus similar to in person. The Bishop's Address from Convention can be seen and heard at the diocesan youtube page at https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=633c9c16a2&e=f136cc0442 and available to read in English and Spanish at other diocesan webpages at www.realepiscopal.org et al Go there to read it along with other diocesan events, one of which is the upcoming one day Advent Retreat in person (at St Pauls-San Pablo Church in Salinas) and online via Zoom on Dec 4 from 10am to 2pm. The Diocesan Office also tells us of another Advent Retreat thusly: The Pacific Center for Spiritual Formation is offering an online Advent Virtual Retreat (via Zoom) centered on John 1:1-5. “The light shines in the deepest night, and the night did not overcome it.” The retreat is Saturday, December 4, 10 am to 3 pm. Cost is free but voluntary donations are always welcomed. For more information, visit the event page at https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=4c8cb1b789&e=f136cc0442 Folks,
On this last Sunday of the Pentecost Season, we seem to have some practical advice from the Old Testament while Paul's epistle seems the more ethereal (if lengthy) lesson - to my mind a reversal since I generally think of the OT as being the history of the community with frequent encounters with a God not"of this world" while Paul seems more often to be building the new communities in the young churches by way of practical concerns. Hannah was "barren" they would have said, and her husband loved her all the same even though he had at least one other wife as was common at that time (this was included to make the point of love). Meanwhile the gospel lesson doesn't seem to fit neatly into either the practical nor community building with Jesus speaking of a hellacious time to come with buildings destroyed, wars, earthquakes and famines. The reality however is that both the Old and the New are very concerned with a spiritual life while making a community that cam ;ive together harmoniously. And then comes Jesus, who seems to wipe away all such careful and spirit-led community building. I don't know of a better lesson for understanding the importance of "context". As we know elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus was careful to admonish the importance of the law and always had a spiritual view even with parables set in the "here and now". To my mind, revolutionary times to come are always potentially just around the corner even when we think things are "settled". Thus Jesus speech here is really a reminder to be ready for whatever comes even while living in the spirit-led community. And the way to such readiness has always been seen by spiritual leaders as "detachment", ie not clinging to the things of our earthly lives even while we strive to build healthy and prosperous lives for ourselves, our families, our communities. I remember years ago when sharing an ocean front apartment just after college (lots of fog) reading a philosophical book with a chapter titled "The Undistracted". It was the perfect read for me at that time in my life as I was "free" - free from the work of college courses and just starting a new job where everything was potential without build up expectation. To this day, in the midst of family and responsibilities, I think back fondly to those days - they are an important reminder of the need to loose those "chains" that philosopher Rousseau spoke of, and be ready for change. The trick is do so while living well and responsibly in the midst of them. Tony(!) pointed out a special bit in these lessons: "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together,..." which at once is both practical in a local context and spiritual in the context of community. Our love to all - with prayers for such undistracted and free lives while living responsibly in our communities! Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events This past week was one of a lot of very high-speed internet use, including taking in a couple of webinars on climate change from the fine list put together by The Episcopal Church as it observes the actions of the COP26 gathering in Glasgow. Such efforts were mere raindrops in the river of attention we all will need to pay to matters of climate change. TEC has been working closely with the interfaith group Interfaith Power and light - now IPL, but originally Episcopal Power and Light. For the recordings of the Zoom gatherings of the Episcopal Delegation to COP26 https://www.facebook.com/EpiscoClimate/videos/206557288256232 and for more about IPL go to https://www.interfaithpower.org/ where the homepage shows the solar collectors on the roof of a cathedral. Also last Sunday with that speedy internet we were able to take in St Lukes morning worship, held both at the chapel and online via Zoom. If any of you cannot make it to your regular place of worship, try such services! In other events, St Matthews will meet for morning worship at 10am at the chapel on the corner of Railroad St and Jolon Rd in downtown San Ardo. And our fellow missions St Lukes in Jolon and St Marks in King City will meet at St Marks chapel, 301 Bassett St, in King City, but at 11am. This will be the Sunday of Bishop Lucinda's official visitation to the parishes St James Church in Paso Robles will meet for morning worship at 10am with in-person Coffee Hour to follow. St James tells us they seek donations of socks and other items for the ECHO (El Camino Homeless Organisation.) St James tells us ECHO is also putting on a Turkey Trot around Atascadero Lake on Nov 25 at 8:30am as a fundraiser. And next Wed Nov 17 at 6:30 St James will have evening prayer on the feast of St Hugh of Lincoln with the homily to be delivered by our friend (and convenor of the SLO Deanery) David Ottesen preaching. St Benedicts Church in Los Osos tells us besides their regular worship schedule they will be having another Hollister Institute, this time with "The Book of Joy" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. This series begins Nov 30 at 10:15am. See St Ben's websites for full details. And St Ben's EarthCare group meets at 3pm Wed Nov 17 via Zoom - again see St Ben's websites for details. (Note that we try to omit the apostrophe when referring to the name of the congregation, but include it when we meaning something belong to it.) St Bens is also having a grand Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner on Nov 25 at 1pm with the church providing the turkey and attendees bringing side dishes. They will at the event observe rules of distance and mask-wearing. Further on, St Bens will have another book study group on "All Earth Is Waiting" by Katie Dawson beginning Dec 2 for the Epiphany Season. St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande tells us they will have a Newcome Brunch after services (approx 11:30am) tomorrow, and on Wed Nov 24 a special Thanksgiving Eve Worship service. The parish will also have Morning Prayer and Biblical Roundtable at 9:30a Tues and Centering Prayer at 4pm Fri, the latter using the work of Thomas Merton as a guide. Both events are via Zoom - see the parish website. St Barnabas also tells us of the Diocesan Advent Retreat as follows: "Diocesan Advent Retreat - You are invited to join friends from around the Diocese of El Camino Real for a one-day Advent retreat on Saturday, December 4th at 10 a.m. in Salinas. We will gather for Morning Prayer at 10 a.m., and then have Bible study and reflection in small groups, plus quiet time for personal reflection and journaling. We will finish by 2 p.m. Please join us either in person at Saint Paul’s/San Pablo in Salinas, or online (a Zoom link will be sent to you after registration). If you are coming in person, we are asking for a $20 contribution to cover the cost of lunch (scholarships are available). If you have any questions, please contact Canon Martha Korienek" In addition to their services (see www.stpaulcathedral.org) St Pauls Cathedral in San Diego tomorrow with have an Inaugural Poetry Slam, with performances limited to 4 minutes. The event is in person and via Zoom. Tomorrow evening at 5pm St Pauls will have an in-person and live-streamed Choral Evensong honouring veterans - see their websites for details. St Pauls has also put together a web page with concrete steps people can take to help mitigate and adapt to climate change - see https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e7zbJPQ9Q0TegYxrYOD06vseDhKsPt4C-sdXffUrsAolYxnhu84ZuaGtXoVGVB2IAxAcoaMVpyX0hBsqkeOa9sVT9KPOCn2hhPZWgJo9ZGuWcCAgas5WgcvNr5BWfX2tTFdhfxaA4qkiC6DrAC6MEdomXLVLG7EX9Sqz8Jdp8JWLs6ZBz3tfSvRHhA-ikt-Ux7Jph1-gH7kQfzmP_bAd77OqWyMSt8HrYWRbm8vIIxV8LdHcJQBysw==&c=Xq9_QBIz3C8stTODnqKSIY_TG5MsO1g79gdHETDvzeb970u-phmoVA==&ch=RbesTBogKBXNo_9UoQfQ7Ku4P1hUdCaSdAATPrQW-0lzvxrMLvE6xw== The parish will also present a reading of Cold Comfort Farm (a British satire on rural fiction) TODAY at 1pm on Zoom. Join at https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e7zbJPQ9Q0TegYxrYOD06vseDhKsPt4C-sdXffUrsAolYxnhu84ZuaLzxpDb_PqchsS9jYhaCIufWOaZGefdeSIoY1i7ZYvemVYFV16ls5tUHTRfFfno8oGs_FYGeTgmQHf5qC4U1KEDk6alxg-eW4mF5a0xRdpWwkdsOKhEhvQ=&c=Xq9_QBIz3C8stTODnqKSIY_TG5MsO1g79gdHETDvzeb970u-phmoVA==&ch=RbesTBogKBXNo_9UoQfQ7Ku4P1hUdCaSdAATPrQW-0lzvxrMLvE6xw== Folks,
Some are observing All Saints Day this Sunday but the lessons for this Sunday, 24 Pentecost, seem more on point to me, and especially since we read the first part of the Book of Ruth at St Matts last Sunday. This Sunday we read more of Ruth's story along with a passage from Hebrews (Fr Filemon Diaz of St Marks in King City who is quite a Bible scholar tells me much of the supposed Pauline epistles were written by others) wherein we hear of more of Jesus' roles as priest and sacrifice, and the story in Mark's gospel of the raising of Mary Magdalene's brother Lazarus from his tomb. As our lector Raphael read it, I realised more of why the Old Testament Jews chose to include this book beyond the fact that Ruth was in the line of King David (and thus for Christians Jesus' lineage). For beyond those lines the book is a tremendous story of families, sometimes broken and sometimes found. All of us have family members and friends who has suffered the breakup of families, eg by divorce and death. Such traumatic events can leave us at a point of great need and yete unaware of the help surrounding us. Ruth was both wise and lucky choosing to stay with her mother-in-law after her husnand and sons died, and later made a new family with Naomi and her kinsman Boaz who she took to be her husband. Note that they were not of the same tribe as Ruth, and in this she was an early indicator that the God of Israel was to become the Lord of all, with no discrimination. Perhaps we can learn to live and love with those who surround us, and build family. Many of you know that at LGBTQ Pride parades one of the favourite song is "We Are Family", and indeed gay couples seem to have a bit less problem with unwarranted discrimation. We encourage all to make family where you find yourself! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) And for all of us at St Matts! Events Because of a problem with our car we cannot be at St Matthews in San Ardo this Sunday, but morning worship will be available at the chapel at the usual hour of 10am nevertheless. Note that in future we are looking forward to a Eucharist service with Fr Filemon (mentioned above)= day and time yet to be determined. Earthcare/CreationCare Notes Our friend John Horsley of the EarthCare group at St Benedicts Church in Los Osos tell us that The official website for COP26 is: http://www.ukcop26.org Thanks also to Don Maruska of that EarthCare group for these COP26 details): ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many recently gathered to launch the Episcopal witness, advocacy, and organizing during the United Nations 26th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (known as COP26). If you missed the webinar or would like to watch the recording again, you can find the Facebook livestream shared by Episcopal Creation Care. The webinar will also be available tomorrow on our COP26 Homepage on the Episcopal Church website, where you’ll also see blog posts, event links, and other resources. The program agenda from the kick-off can be found here in English or Spanish. For the webinar go to https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=ff47df8c83&e=807a882cff and for the program agenda in English go to https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=b134ea43a4&e=807a882cff and in Spanish go to https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=32c5b90f7b&e=807a882cff Workstream Dialogue events: You are invited to these open discussion events, to share your thoughts on these themes, hear updates from COP26, and plan for our ongoing advocacy and action. * Ambition and NDCs - Wednesday Nov. 10th, 3 PM ET / noon PT - join here * Mitigation: Tuesday Nov. 9th at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT - register here (Spanish interpretation available) https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=550c013610&e=807a882cff * Adaptation: Tuesday Nov. 9th: 2 PM ET/11 AM PT - register here (Spanish interpretation available) https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=062d837cde&e=807a882cff * Climate Finance: Wednesday Nov. 10th: 10 AM ET/7 AM PT – join here https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=85df67bd78&e=807a882cff * Loss and Damage: Thursday Nov. 11th at 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT - join here https://episcopalchurch.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=840ae7a94a40d12c3d9ccf73f&id=4aa8202796&e=807a882cff Prayer and Worship: To remain grounded in our shared faith, we hope you will gather in prayer for climate justice and for those most impacted by environmental injustice. * COP26 Liturgy with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry: Tinyurl.com/COP26Liturgy.“Liturgy for Planetary Crisis: Episcopal Worship Service during COP26.” This service of lament, solidarity, and hope will focus on the need for swift, just action to bring us back into right relationships across the human family and with all of God’s creation. We are thrilled to share the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be preaching. Put it in your calendar and invite your community! * Episcopalians will be joining together for “Climate Compline” each evening during COP26, starting tonight, October 31st. You’re invited to join this Zoom offering each day at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT: https://bit.ly/ClimateCompline * Episcopal Church Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation, available in English and Spanish through the Episcopal Church website. * Rev. Melanie Mullen shared an opening prayer from God's Good Earth: Praise and Prayer for Creation by Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn available from Liturgical Press. * Randy Marks from St. Mark’s Washington DC shared the worship bulletins from a set of three creation care services that St. Mark’s hosted in 2012 – Download here. Episcopal Climate Digest during COP26: We will be starting an “Episcopal Climate Digest” to go out during COP26 from November 1st - 12th. If you have events, reflections, or other resources that you would like to contribute to that digest, email creation@episcopalchurch.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note also that bits of hope for managing our climate appear in many places including eg the cement industry - for example the useful story from The Economist of recent advances in climate protection in this industry at https://click.e.economist.com/?qs=461b01993804c86c3b94cf70107ac36737134718b908f3392f909f52ec05d826ff5933b85e5e6f4ed89c91f50c0dc5d41e99b88b35672c04acda36ad97120f7e From the Diocese Because of this car problem plus the Diocesan Convention this Saturday (we are lucky to have high speed internet where we are staying, so we can attend the Convention online, beginning at 7:30am. For full information about the Convention go to www.realepiscopal.org |
WILLIAM BARTOSH
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