The Pathfinder: December 14, 2023
Holy Questions, Holy Mysteries
One evening when I was about eight, while sitting in front of the Christmas tree, I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up: a “theo-biologist.”
This career, as I imagined it, didn’t exist yet. A theo-biologist would be someone who uses the latest tools of biology– genome sequencing, electron microscopes, orbital telescopes– to investigate theological mysteries. What really was the Star of Wonder? Is there any detectable physical substance to the Holy Spirit?
The question I was really interested in– motivated, no doubt, by the Nativity storybooks I’d just read – was this. What would happen if we sequenced the genome of Jesus? In particular, what kind of paternal material might appear? If we could only find a sample of Jesus’ tissue, I reasoned, then we could run PCR and gel electrophoresis, and see what the Incarnation really means. To be clear: this was a project of belief, not of skepticism. I was absolutely convinced that in place of a regular Y chromosome, we’d find some heavenly substance, some divine allelic signature, confirming that “God became flesh” at the most basic molecular level of life.
When I look back on this story now, I have many reactions. First, I think– how appropriate! I did become a theo-biologist of sorts– a marine biologist who later became a priest. Second, I cringe a little at the glaring flaws, both theological and technical, in my “DNA of God” research plan. But most importantly, I see in this story something we can all learn from: the fascinating, wonderful, expansive ways that children approach the world. In a child’s mind, reason and faith are not yet opposites. As a kid, my instinct was to use investigation to reinforce mystery. Science was a way of exploring and questioning– and exploring and questioning would lead us inevitably toward wonder and holiness, not away.
If you’ve been to church in the last few weeks, you’ve likely noticed something different about the way we worship during Advent. This season, we invite children and families to process in with the choir and leaders, and light the candles of the Advent wreath. We also invite kids to stand at the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer. The child (or two or three) asks these questions:
Why is it right to give God thanks and praise?
Why do we share this bread and wine?
Why do we follow Jesus Christ?
The Great Thanksgiving becomes a conversation, an interweaving of young and old voices, presider and congregation, song and speech. The words are well-known; many of us have them memorized. But through the lens of a child’s questions, we’re all invited to pause and contemplate just how wonder-ful, miraculous, and profound the claims of our faith truly are.
The inclusion of children in liturgy is more than a simple seasonal practice. The centering of children during Advent represents and embodies much of what we at All Souls– and we as Episcopalians– believe about spiritual formation and the role of children in religious life.
First – in our church, we welcome all questions. Church is not a place where children are taught a rigid doctrine or made to memorize a particular set of beliefs. We believe that spiritual formation is a process of investigation and curiosity. Questions are a valuable form of teaching. Our Advent practice has roots in the Ma Nishtana, or “Four Questions” of Judaism, in which a child’s wonderings guide the telling of the Passover story. No question about God is “wrong” or off-limits. Questions do not threaten faith; questions make faith come alive.
Second – we believe that all children, all people, have innate wisdom and connection to the holy. Our youngest children begin Sunday School with Godly Play, a Montessori-based curriculum that centers play, ritual, and story. At the heart of Godly Play is a commitment to “honor the centrality, competency, and capacity of children”-- in other words, to uplift and develop the spiritual gifts that children already possess. Spiritual formation is not a process of changing children, or acquiring external religious truths. Spiritual formation begins by looking inward, trusting that with cultivation and community, we each already have what we need to draw close to God.
Third– we believe that faith is embodied and participatory. In our children’s curriculum, as in our overall liturgy, we strive to include many senses and ways of knowing: sight, touch, smell, taste, sound. Through children’s choir, Nativity Stories, crafts, Godly Play feasts, and our present Advent practice, children are invited to take part in all dimensions of spiritual life. Liturgy is something that’s living, visceral, enacted by voices and bodies moving together through ritual space. We hope to teach children that faith is not something “out there,” but something that lives in each one of us.
One of my favorite childhood Christmas books– and a favorite to this day– is Madeleine L’Engle’s The Glorious Impossible. “The birth of Jesus was a Glorious Impossible,” she writes. “Like love, it cannot be explained, it can only be rejoiced in.” Imagine you’re a child, and this is the first or fifth or eight year you’ve experienced the season of Advent. What questions would you bring to the altar? What sights, sounds, or smells would make you marvel? How would you feel, as the wreath candles burn lower and we move closer and closer to the miracle of Christ’s birth among us?
–Emily+
Stories From Taize: The Daily Camino
This past summer, I walked the Camino route that begins in France. I went because I wanted to practice letting go and letting God, as the phrase says. I learned, though, that this is much harder for me than I thought.
I had never walked a Camino before, but I had spoken to Annie Rovzar about her experiences on the Camino several times, so I thought I pretty much knew everything I needed to know. But, unlike the routes Annie has walked in Spain and Portugal that are both international and where English is the common language, the route in France is, well, French.
And while I knew enough of the language to get my basic needs met, I soon learned that I could not keep up with conversational French.
My lack of language skills quickly became a barrier to forming connections with other pilgrims. When we gathered around dinner tables, sharing stories of our days, of what we saw on the trail, of how our bodies felt, I couldn’t stay in the conversations. I could see the spirit of the Camino happening for them, but I was missing out. And that was a lonely feeling. I felt isolated in my disconnection from the others. It got to the point where I didn’t want to share meals anymore with other pilgrims - I didn’t even want to be with other pilgrims - because the loneliness of being surrounded by people who share a special bond that I don’t feel is worse than the solitude of being alone. So, as I slowly realized that ‘letting go and letting God’ wasn’t yielding the results I wanted, I took matters into my own hands. I had planned to walk for 18 days, but Day 12, I stopped. I got an AirBnb in a town on the route and I stayed there until my scheduled departure date from France. I was looking forward to a quiet few days, away from people with no one trying to talk to me in French except when I initiated it, in a cute little French town. But what did I get when I stopped? A very chatty, very French AirBnb host who wanted me to join her and her husband for meals, in a town that was objectively not cute. I was very unhappy those five days, and I regretted my decision to stop.
So sitting there in my little AirBnb apartment, hiding from my French host, and feeling sorry for myself, it was in that moment of leaving the Camino that I realized I could have kept going. I was only focusing on the rocks and the ruts, on my disappointments and my loneliness and my fears. I didn’t trust that God would fill in the valleys and make the road smooth, if only I kept walking. I didn’t believe that the path was truly a divine highway in the desert; I only saw the desert. I missed the shining light of God’s glory.
There are some days here in my daily life when I let the rocks and the ruts nearly run me off the path… where all I see are the deep valleys and the high mountains, and the road ahead looks impassible, and I just want to stop. But on those days, I remind myself that THIS is my Camino. This life I’m living now IS the path. I know how to stop. I also know that I have it in me to keep walking. And I get to choose. Every day, I get to choose. And on this Camino, on this daily East Bay grind Camino, I’m not walking alone. I know that Emmanuel has already walked this path before me and that the glory of God’s light does in fact shine ahead of me on the path. What greater comfort is there than that to keep me moving forward?
–Annie Hayes
Stories From Taize: Advent Counterclockwise
Before walking the Camino de Santiago last summer, I met with a spiritual director and mentioned that I was wondering how to relate to my former spouse after seven years of separation.
The grief and anxiety of those years had gradually, finally, come to the point at which I was open to resuming a casual, caring relationship.
During the very difficult early days of our separation, I felt persistent anxiety, a strong fear and dread of being alone—cosmically, existentially alone. I also felt a fear of death—not that I wanted to end my life, but instead I thought of the inevitable death I would one day face, alone. My friends were mystified and distressed that I was thinking and talking about death, and It was a tremendous relief to me and to them that these thoughts subsided over time.
Although the divorce was a terrible surprise and upturned my entire life, I eventually came to feel as if it would be a waste to deny or dismiss all the good we had enjoyed together for 30 years and for the 20 years we shared raising our two daughters. But, how does one renew a relationship with someone who has decided to leave you?
In response to my question abut how to relate to my former spouse, my spiritual director suggested I build an altar to our relationship while walking the Camino. She was referring to one particular location on the Camino where pilgrims build small rock altars acknowledging something significant in their lives. I was planning to walk the first 100 miles of one traditional route on the Camino—the 500 mile pilgrimage from South Western France over the Pyrenees and across northern Spain to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.
One morning while on the camino I was walking alone, a bit behind my two companions. I noticed the path was strewn with lots of stones. I bent over to pick up an oval one about the size of an egg. Immediately, I found another much like it. Then I selected a smaller round stone and then another much like that one. With these four stones in hand, I came around a corner and saw a stone cross with a few small stone altars surrounding it. On a flat rock I placed the four stones: the two ovals touching at the bottom and the two round ones touching at the top, so that it formed a kind of a ring. For me, it was an altar of gratitude for my family—all of us. I said a brief prayer of thanks, sang a few lines of a song, and went along on my way. The gesture had taken so little time, my companions didn’t even know I had stopped. Shortly then, around the next corner, I came to that place where hundreds of stone altars have been built by pilgrims over the years, and while resting there, mentioned to my companions my altar of gratitude.
I returned home from the Camino late on a Tuesday night, and two days later on Thursday night, I attended a Stephen Minister supervision meeting. Marilyn Flood was offering a summary of a book about grief and pastoral care.• The first stage of grief, she reported, is sadness, anxiety, and fear, including the anticipation of the loss of our own life.
And so, there it was. My thoughts and early preoccupation with fear regarding my own death was “normal,” a natural part of coming to terms with a major loss. Because surely, a major loss is a kind of a death. Learning this was a revelation and a great relief to me.
At the end of her summary, Marilyn explained that the final stage of grief is . . . . gratitude. I nearly fell out of my chair. This was it! I had graduated! (metaphorically speaking.) Building that altar of gratitude was an indication to myself that I had passed through the stages of grief and loss and come out on the other side. A loss is always a loss, some much more profound than others. And one would most often avoid the loss if at all possible. But inevitably, loss does occur with all its challenges, and we must somehow manage to go on.
And it makes sense eventually, to be very grateful for what we have lost. If what we have lost hadn’t been so important and so wonderful, why would we need to grieve it so deeply? When I think of my former partner now, I think primarily of the great times we spent as a couple and how grand it was to raise our children together. And then unexpectedly, comes the unbidden gift of gratitude for how the process has caused me to grow into a person softened and enriched by the buffets of grief.
And so it is: the same pattern as all the rest of life—only in reverse. This pattern begins in death and rises to new life. Advent in reverse. We make this arduous journey through grief and loss, and eventually, with the help of God, we land with gratitude into a new beginning.
* Kenneth R. Mitchell and Herbert Anderson. All Our Losses, All Our Griefs: Resources for Pastoral Care. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1983.
–Kaki Logan
Light-from-Light Eternal
Over the past few days, we have celebrated two of my favorite All Souls traditions: the Advent Festival, and the Annual Christmas Caroling Party. For those who don’t know me, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love everything Christmas. I do mean everything.
I love tacky Christmas lights, tasty holiday treats, and of course Christmas Carols sung wildly off key. Much to the chagrin of my wife and neighbors, I overdo everything Christmas.
But for me, these holiday traditions are not mere seasonal merriment or simple nostalgia. My “Griswold-ish” decorations and out of key singing are yearly reminders of the light we are able to find during the darkest hours of our own winters. They are a reminder to come home—whatever home may be. A remembrance to refill our lives with the light we may have once long ago forgotten.
It is no coincidence that my favorite Christmas Carol is “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.” It is a joyous hymn of invitation. An invitation to reconnect with the light; and perhaps if we are truly lucky become light for others. We all have times in our lives where we lose contact with the light. Some of us found ourselves alone in the midst of a dark, snowy, wintery night without a sliver of light. But on those darkest of winter nights, there is always someone who has made it through that same darkness holding out light for us to follow. If we are truly lucky, we are able to come into the light. We are able to accept the invitation and stand alongside others, feeling the light, and truly becoming “joyful and triumphant.” In those moments, “light-from-light” is created and we become a beacon for someone else. This is the eternal joy I celebrate each Christmas. The joy I felt as we sang my favorite song again this year at the Caroling Party.
So each year, I add more obnoxious Christmas lights to my tacky display. I join my All Souls family in singing songs of invitation and building wreaths of light. In these acts, I acknowledge the darkness and express my deep gratitude for the all the light that fills my life. So next year, please join us and sing wildly out of key. Come build and light your own Advent wreaths so a glimmer of light just might reach someone lost in darkness.
Or just come for the Nicol’s Chili and the Legrand’s Kinder Punch. Both are delicious.
–Mark Wilson
Join us for Godly Play
It’s an exciting time of growth and change in Children’s Ministry at All Souls! Just last week, we had twenty children attending Sunday School. (And they were surprised with chocolate coins and oranges in their shoes for St. Nicolas Day!).
As we continue to build our children’s program post-covid, we’re looking for dedicated volunteers who are willing to be trained as teachers– regular, or occasional– for our Sunday School program.
To that end, All Souls is hosting a Godly Play certification training on Saturday, January 6th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Godly Play is a Montessori-based approach to spiritual formation that includes storytelling, prayer, art, silence, and ritual. The curriculum serves as an introduction to the life of faith, the rhythm of worship, and a sense of belonging in spiritual community.
In this training, you’ll learn about the philosophy of Godly Play, observe a full lesson, and practice storytelling.
The training is open to anyone. Whether or not you think you’d like to teach, now or in the far future, we invite you to come learn more! We especially encourage parents of young kids to take part, as a way to immerse yourself in the philosophy of our program and consider taking on a role in future teaching or support.
To sign up, please email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org by December 30th. If you have questions about Godly Play, feel free to reach out to Emily B or to our fabulous teachers Jeannie Koops-Elson and Kim Wong!
–Emily+
Living Waters Updates
The Property Committee and HY architect continue to move the Living Waters project forward. There is more information available on our new Living Waters webpage (click here), but here are a few of the the highlights from the past two weeks:
Continuing the iterative process of design, the Vestry and the Property Committee are evaluating a new, no-nave-vestibule option for the foyer/lift elevator location. HY has studied the feasibility, is finishing design development, and WCI (our general contractor) is refining the costs associated with this option.
New ROM cost estimates from WCI and final design drawings from HY will be reviewed by the Vestry soon. The floor plans from the final design and development drawings will be posted on the Living Waters page in the coming weeks.
Our application to PGE for upgraded electrical service is being submitted this week.
January is the target for submitting an application for a construction permit to the City of Berkeley.
–Richard Lynch
Moments to Celebrate
Harlowe Zefting (one of our seminarians) and her husband Chris welcomed their first child, Willlow, born on 11/28/23. Harlowe says, “we are healthy, happy, and very very tired. Christopher and I feel so immensely blessed.”
Grace Kobayashi Turns 100!
Grace was a parishioner at All Souls for many years, and currently lives with her family out of the area, but sent along these photos from her 100th birthday.
What a celebration!
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
Reading Between the Lines Bible Study @ 7:00a. Click here to join by Zoom, or join them in-person in the Common Room.
Midsentence with Mark: the First Gospel In this class, we will explore the Gospel of Mark including what we know about the origins and authorship of the Gospel, its unique Christology, as well as some of its notable parables. This gospel is also used extensively as a source for the Gospel of Matthew and Luke and we will discuss some of the synoptic parallels. This class is a way to get acquainted with the Gospel of Mark and help understand and interpret the gospel as we move through the readings of the coming liturgical year. (November 26, December 3, 19, 17) in the Parish Hall and on Zoom.
Advent Taize For the three Wednesday evenings in the season of Advent at 6p, we gather around for a soup dinner followed by a Taize contemplative prayer service. Dinner is provided each week by different parishioners (you can sign-up here to provide a soup) in the Parish Hall. After dinner we head over to the church for a service of prayers, story, silence, and music. All are welcome. 6-7:30p
Hospitality at All Souls Sign-up here (click here) to contribute to Sunday coffee hour food!
Worship This Week
8am, contemplative Eucharist (in Chapel)
10:30am, sung Eucharist (click here to access the live stream)
Wednesday 9am Service. Join the Zoom call here, or join us in person in the Nave at 9a. Password: 520218.
Friday, 5p Oración del Atardecer (evening prayer) en Español (in Chapel)
Children & Family
Nativity Story Our annual Nativity Story will take place at the 4 pm service on Christmas Eve! All kids/youth are invited to participate. We have many roles and many costumes! Rehearsals will be held from 9:15-10:15 on December 10th and 17th (during Adult Formation hour, between the services). There will also be a dress rehearsal on Dec 23rd, time TBD. Please reach out if you want to take part!
We are also seeking older youth and/or adults to help direct kids and ensure things unfold smoothly at the rehearsals and the performance. If you’re willing to be a “shepherd,” please let Emily B know.
For updates on other Advent events for Children and Families, see Emily B’s article and calendar above!
Nursery The downstairs nursery is open and available to you for your use whenever you’re at All Souls. This is not a staffed nursery, so an adult must be there with your child, but if you need a quiet place to take a time out, change a diaper, let your child play or take a rest, the nursery is open for you to do all of those things. If there is a service going on that’s being livestreamed, you will be able to watch the livestream on the computer in the nursery as well.
Children’s Ministry - Sunday School continues each week during the 10:30 a.m. service. Children head downstairs at the start of the service, then return after the “Peace.” See an usher if you need directions.
Children pre-K to 1st grade: Godly Play (in the Godly Play 1 classroom)
Children 2nd-5th grade: Faith Explorers (in the Fiery Furnace room)
Children’s Choir has returned! Click here to see the flyer for more information.
Youth Program - Regular Youth Group meets on Sundays from 7-8:30 pm in the Parish Hall. However, because of the many Advent and Christmas Activities, our schedule is a little different for the next month or so. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening!
December 17th: Regular Youth Group, 7-8:30 - Advent theology and ritual, and gingerbread house contest!
December 24th: Christmas Eve, no Youth Group
Dec 31st: New Year’s Eve, no Youth Group
Jan 7th: Regular Youth Group, 7-8:30 - Bonfire, New Year visions, Epiphany
If you are not receiving weekly Youth Program updates but would like to, please reach out to Emily B to be added to our mailing list.’
Save the Date: Godly Play training On January 6th, All Souls is hosting a training for Godly Play teachers. Godly Play is a Montessori-based program for spiritual formation, featuring play, ritual, and story. Leaders are trained in a specific style of storytelling. The training will be held in the Parish Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
We are actively seeking teachers and/or alternates to add to our Sunday School team. If you are interested in being trained in this method, please reach out to Emily B to sign up for this event.
Even if you don’t want to teach right now, or you aren’t sure, you are still welcome to attend to learn more about the program and leave open the possibility of teaching in the future.
Please email Emily B by December 28th to sign up.
Justice & Peace
Ways to help with the Israel-Hamas War, from Episcopal Relief & Development Since the start of the current Israel-Hamas war, Episcopal Relief & Development has been supporting long-time partners in the Holy Land including Al Ahli Hospital, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, to provide emergency medical support in Gaza. Despite being hit by two explosions that damaged buildings and claimed hundreds of lives, the hospital is still serving those who are in need of care. Episcopal Relief & Development stands with the brave staff of Al Ahli Hospital as they risk their lives to help others.
Please pray for peace in the Holy Land and consider making a contribution to the Episcopal Relief & Development Middle East Fund to help meet the growing needs of all people in the region.
Stay informed about the Episcopal Relief & Development response at episcopalrelief.org.
Advent Ingathering Every Sunday in Advent we collect items for some of our neighbors in need. Our Justice & Peace team has coordinated lists for each week of Advent and what is needed. Please bring these items on Sunday mornings and place them in front of the altar.
December 3: Roosevelt Middle School Newcomer Project
December 10: West Berkeley RV & Tent Encampments
December 17: YSA Tiny Home Village (please provide monetary donations with “YSA Ingathering” as the memo to your check or online donation)
December 24: Berkeley Food Bank
Everything Else
Greening the Church & Snacks for Christmas Eve For those paying attention to these sorts of things, yes, you’re right: the fourth Sunday of Advent is also Christmas Eve this year! We’ll celebrate Advent 4 on Sunday morning just once, at 10:30a (canceling the 8am service that day), and then transform the Nave for the evening services when we’ll celebrate Christmas Eve together. If you are able to stick around for a few minutes following the 10:30a service to help with the greening of the church, that would be greatly appreciated! Also, if you are able to bring some cookies, snacks, or drinks to share for the receptions following the 8p and 10:30p services, that would be greatly appreciated by all. See Emily Hansen Curran for more details.
Winter & Spring Programs at the Bishop’s Ranch As you wrap up 2023 and begin to look forward into 2024, consider joining in on some of the offerings from the Bishop’s Ranch: Register Here.
Epiphany Reflection Day with Bishop Marc
Rediscovering Celtic Wisdom 2 with John Philip Newell
The Great Search 2 with John Philip Newell
Wild Contemplative and the Wilderness Within
Holy Week: The Tridium with the Holy Women
