The Pathfinder: May 9th, 2024
Rest and Reflection
This past Saturday marked a significant transition for the Episcopal Diocese of California, as the Right Reverend Austin Keith Rios was consecrated as the Bishop Coadjutor of our diocese. It was a remarkable service, filled to overflowing with word and sacrament, music and symbolism. It was quite a day for our diocese and more about the service can be found in Toni Martinez Borgfeldt’s article later in this Pathfinder.
This Saturday also represented a moment of turning for me personally as well. As many as you know, I entered into discernment with our diocese about this call for the next bishop of the Diocese of California. The process was demanding. Any process of discernment involves deep listening, testing, and wondering, and it was definitely true of my experience of this discernment. In addition, from the start I knew that if the diocese and I mutually discerned that I was to be part of the final slate of candidates it would be very public, and, it would be public in the diocese in which I live and work. All of this meant that the last half of 2023 was incredibly demanding for me, vocationally and personally. I think it’s fair to say that it took a toll.
Following the election, I was approached by Marilyn Flood in her capacity as the chair of our Personnel team at All Souls. Marilyn recognized the demands of this search alongside the demands of leading this parish and encouraged me to consider using some accrued sabbatical time this summer to rest and recover. After spending time considering this, and with the encouragement of our Wardens, I will be taking two months of leave this summer, from June 10th until August 19th.
As in past sabbaticals taken by me, Kristin, Christopher, Liz, and Emily HC, some of my work will be met by the staff of All Souls, some of it will be met by the Wardens of the parish, Sarah and Grace, and some of it will remain for me upon my return in late August. Since this summer will also mark the implementation of our long-anticipated capital projects, some of my work will be met by an Interim Sabbatical Rector.
To that end, I am very grateful that the Very Rev. Dr. Mark Richardson has accepted my invitation to serve as Interim Sabbatical Rector. Some of you may recognize Mark as the recently retired President and Dean of CDSP (Church Divinity School of the Pacific, the Episcopal seminary up the hill), while others may recognize Mark from our recent newcomers class. I have full trust that Marc will be a skilled steadfast leader and guide for the two months I am away. He has a depth of leadership and administrative experience, is an attentive pastor, and knows the intricacies of North Berkeley well. I have every belief that he will be able to support the Wardens and Vestry, the staff, the broader lay leadership, and the congregation as we worship and serve and learn, and yes, rebuild our physical spaces.
As for me, I will be taking time to rest and read and reflect and spend as much time in the wild as I can. As John Muir famously said, “the mountains are calling and I must go.” I am more grateful than I can convey to All Souls Parish for this time to rest and recover. I look forward to returning in late August to hear what you have learned while I am away, and to share what the Spirit has moved in me while I was gone. Until June 10th, we have Pentecost to celebrate, a Bishop’s visit and Parish Picnic to enjoy, and some shovels to put in the ground to commence the work ahead. Thanks be to God.
Peace,
– Phil+
Reflection on the Ordination of Bishop Austin K. Rios
Last Saturday (with mixed feelings, I must confess), I attended the ordination and consecration of the Rev. Austin K. Rios as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of California. It was a truly joyful and solemn service, and a feast of colors, rituals, rhythms and languages.
With readings, prayers and music in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Tongan and a Lion Dance procession, there was a spirit of unity in our Anglican/Episcopal tradition and a celebration of the cultural and linguistic diversity of our Diocese.
As we welcome Bishop Rios as our chief pastor, it is my prayer that his episcopate be one of blessing, fostering unity and spiritual growth in our Diocese, and witness and service to the Bay Area community. In the words of the post-Eucharistic prayer:
We thank you for raising up among us faithful servants for the ministry of your Word and Sacraments. We pray that Austin may be to us an effective example in word and action, in love and patience, and in holiness of life. Grant that we, with him, may serve you now, and always rejoice in your glory, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
You can read more about the ordination and about Bishop Rios here, and see a full gallery of photos.
– Toni Martinez Borgfeldt
A Holy Journey
On Sunday, April 28th, a mighty group of All Soulsians joined a diocesan-wide pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral!
We began with a blessing and send-off in the All Souls courtyard. We made our way down Shattuck and Telegraph to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oakland, where we joined other youth and made lunch. We then walked to the Oakland Ferry terminal, with a stop in Frank Ogawa Plaza, and rode the ferry to downtown SF.
From there, we journeyed straight up California Street, with a few crucial stops for gelato and boba (an ancient pilgrim culinary tradition, surely). When we arrived at the Cathedral, we were greeted with dinner, a visit from the then-Bishop-elect Austin, and a Vespers service. In total, the trip was about 11 miles of walking! See below for photo evidence that we did indeed arrive at the Cathedral smiling and intact.
A special thanks to Lizzie Belgum, who designed our fabulous t-shirts and a "pilgrim's passport" to trace our stops along the way.
We hope that even more All Soulsians will join us for the 4th Annual Pilgrimage next spring!
– Emily+
Pentecost Ministry Fair & Potluck
Pentecost is the day that we traditionally celebrate as the birthday of the Church. It’s a day when we wear red and we read the story of the Spirit of God falling as a rushing wind with tongues of flame on the people of God. It’s also the day that we celebrate the gifts that we bring to this place, and the gifts this community offers.
Just after the service on May 19th we’ll have a ministry fair and potluck in the courtyard where all of the different ministries of All Souls will be showcased and where we’ll have a chance to eat together and take a look at all the different and varied ministries of this place in one glance (it is truly quite impressive!). Ale Souls is also back at it with a special Pentecost Brew: Great Brews of Fire!
So save the date for May 19th, after the service, to hang out, eat lunch, and enjoy the ways we connect to our own gifts in this place, to each other, and to God by the ways we serve each other and this community.
– Emily Hansen Curran
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
Worship This Sunday
8:00am, Holy 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. Password: 520218.
Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, Sunday @ 7:00a. Click here to join by Zoom, or join them in-person in the Common Room.
Spanish Evening Prayer tomorrow, May 10th, 5:30 pm in the Chapel of the Nativity. Join seminarian Michael Drell and other volunteers for an evening prayer service followed by a community dinner.
Adult Formation
Discovering Practices of Hope with William Stringfellow, taught by Dr. Scott MacDougall
Our social and political climate could easily lead us to despair. The same was true for William Stringfellow (1928–1985). Stringfellow was a lifelong Episcopalian with a fierce loyalty to God’s justice, truth, and love. For him, despair was not an option and active hope the only Christian response to suffering, chaos, and death. This series will ignite our own hope through his inspiring example. This will be our final class of the program year. (April 25, May 5 and May 12)
Confirmation and Reception Interested in being confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church? Bishop Coadjutor Marc Andrus will visit All Souls on Sunday, June 2nd. Reach out to Phil+ or Emily+ for more information.
Summer 2024 Book Groups
The Adult Formation Committee is excited to announce the schedule for book groups in the summer of 2024. We will be offering three different books and hope that you will choose to participate in at least one of them. The groups will meet at 9:15am on Sundays.
June 9, 16, 23, and 30
Marilynne Robinson, Reading Genesis (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2024) and the book of Genesis from the Bible. Led by Jack Shoemaker.
July 7, 14, 21
Charles Duhigg, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection (Random House, 2024). Led by Raymond Yee.
July 28, August 4, 11
Steven Charleston, We Survived the End of the World: Lessons from Native America on Apocalypse and Hope (Broadleaf Books, 2021). Led by Marguerite Judson.
More details will follow but we wanted to share this with you now so you can start reading!
Any questions? Contact Anne Yardley at ayardley@drew.edu
Children & Family
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 for children from pre-K through 5th grade. Children head downstairs at the start of the service, then return after the “Peace.” See an usher if you need directions.
All ages attend a shared Godly Play “Storytime.” Then, our youngest kids (pre-K to 1st grade) remain in the Godly Play classroom for “wondering” and “work” time, while our older kids (grades 2-5) split off for deeper investigation and exploration.
Note to Parents: We encourage all kids to return to the sanctuary after Sunday School and save outdoor playground time for later. In the Godly Play curriculum, we view the Eucharist as an important extension of Sunday School; the sacred space that we create downstairs continues and expands as we join the whole congregation upstairs. We appreciate your help reinforcing this norm!
Note: Our final week of regular Sunday School will be May 26th. Stay tuned for updates about children’s ministry over the summer!
Read more about our Sunday School program here.
Youth Program - Youth Group is happening this week, May 12th, from 7-8:30 in the Parish Hall. Save the date for our end-of-the-year youth bonfire on Sunday, May 26th!
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.
Justice & Peace
Menstrual Hygiene Donations In partnership with a UC Berkeley organization called Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach, All Souls has begun a weekly collection of menstrual hygiene products for folks in the Berkeley and Oakland encampments. Please bring products on Sundays and place them in the designated basket in the Narthex. If you'd prefer to make a monetary donation, you can write a check to All Souls and indicate "hygiene donation." Contact Beth Christensen (beth.christensen@gmail.com) with questions.
Needs of the Community
Save the Date! Parish Work Day, Saturday June 1 Come help us pack and move items into storage, in preparation for our upcoming construction. Around 9am to noon; details TBD.
Sunday Hospitality Sign-Ups Coffee Hour is such a sweet time, but is even sweeter when there is food available for young and old, and even for those occasional neighbors who swing by for a cup of coffee and a pastry on Sunday mornings. If you’re able to bake or cook or purchase food for a coffee hour on a Sunday, please put your name on this document (click here). All food can be dropped off in the kitchen before the service starts.
Everything Else
Lector/Intercessor, Chalice, & Lay Liturgical Assistant Training 6/8 If you are interested in getting more involved in the liturgy on Sunday mornings by serving as a chalice bearer, a healing minister, a lector or intercessor, or (we’re attempting to bring back an old practice of ours) a Lay Liturgical Assistant, please come to a training on June 8th just after the 10:30a service. If you’ve got questions, please see Emily HC, emily@allsoulsparish.org.
Parish Picnic: Save the date for June 2nd, just following the 10:30a service when we’ll all head up to the Padre Picnic Site in Tilden Park for our annual parish picnic. The church will provide the burgers (beef and vegan), buns, and condiments. We just need you all to bring sides, drinks, and desserts. We also need some folks to get up to the site early and to help grill. If you can help out, see Jeannie Koops or Emily Hansen Curran.
Save the Date - Parish Camping Trip, July 19-21! Join us for the annual camping trip to Big Sur this summer. Details and sign-ups forthcoming.
BREAD Camp: Summer's almost upon us! Sign ups are still open for Episcopal summer camp at The Bishop's Ranch! "BREAD Camp is a great place to discover community, spirituality and learn more about yourself. Campers spend mornings exploring spirituality through activities, conversation, and small group discussions. Afternoons are filled with lots of fun including swimming, arts and crafts, hiking and other elective activities. Evenings are filled with fun games, campfires, compline and a few surprises! Lots of music fills each day." Visit bishopsranch.org for details, or talk to Nat Lewis.
