The Pathfinder: May 23rd, 2024
A Last Chance
to Visit
When the Revolutionary War was ending and it was clear that the rebellion of the colonies was going to successfully expel the British Empire, the vestiges of the Church of England in the soon-to-be United States faced a significant decision point. How were they going to order themselves? And, how would they be known?
The Church of England in America wasn’t going to fly, and while there was a sense that they wanted to continue to order themselves around the scriptural-inspired holy orders of deacon, priest, and bishop, there was a heated discussion about whether or not to have bishops. There was little popular interest in replicating the English model of bishops who also served in the political sphere (like the House of Lords), but a consensus emerged that a democratically elected, locally focused icon of the wider church could be beneficial.
In time, the Episcopal Church was born and the office of bishop, in the Greek epi + skopos, or one who oversees, one who has perspective, became the way that this expression of the Anglican Communion was known. And to do this day, roughly 235 years later, this continues to be the case.
Roughly every three years the bishop visits the congregations of their diocese, presiding at services, teaching, and with meeting with congregants. On Sunday, June 2nd, we will have our final visit from the 8th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus. At the end of July he will retire from his service as diocesan bishop of our diocese and newly-consecrated 9th Bishop of our diocese, the Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios, will become our diocesan bishop, or bishop with oversight for Episcopal ministry in the Bay Area.
Recently we met as a staff with Bishop Marc and Archdeacon Nina to plan the visitation for June 2nd. As we began to plan, our meeting began to feel like one of the last episodes of a TV sitcom, where the characters remember their most zany moments and the screen fades to those episodes. In our case, we remembered moments when Bishop Marc was present at All Souls over the years: when his visitation coincided with an Open Door Dinner and a Black Lives Matter die-in on University Avenue, when his visitation in May of 2021 was his first in-person visitation coming out of Covid, and when the Proud Boys came to Berkeley in 2016 and we took part in a peaceful action in response, with Bishop Marc blessing and joining the 100+ All Soulsians who marched with other faith communities to King Civic Center Park.
Our final visit with Bishop Marc will unfold over the day, beginning with the 8am service in the Chapel, then heading to the Parish Hall for a 9:15am question and answer session with him, out the doors to the Courtyard for a 10:15am Living Waters Capital Project blessing, which will lead into the 10:30am service with baptisms and confirmations and receptions, oh my! Finally, Bishop Marc and Archdeacon Nina will head up the hill to our Parish Picnic in Tilden Park (Padre Picnic Area) which will kick-off around 12:30pm.
Please join in the visitation on Sunday, June 2nd for any and all of it. Hear Bishop Marc preach for the last time as our bishop, ask him a burning question, support fellow All Soulsians as they are baptized, confirmed, and received, give thanks for the work to be done over the next eight months, and share a picnic with All Soulsians young and old.
In all, take the opportunity to thank and wish Godspeed to Bishop Marc for his oversight of our diocese and of our parish for the past 17 years.
Peace,
– Phil+
Worship As Collaboration: An Invitation to Serve
In his book, Liturgical Sense: The Logic of Rite, the Rev. Dr. Louis Weil– former professor at CDSP– writes this:
“Liturgy is the common action of the whole people of God and not merely an act of the ordained which the people observe.”
And,
“A liturgy must be more than watched or heard. It must connect at the deepest levels with the realities of the worshipper's life.”
Weil goes on to emphasize the collective, collaborative nature of all worship, including– and especially– the Eucharist. Every person who enters the doors of the church participates in a meaningful way in the celebration and transformation that happens there. The priest isn’t so much a celebrant or officiant, but rather a presider over a shared liturgical action. And the power of liturgy is measured not by its conformation to rubrics or doctrines (though those have a place). The power occurs when a liturgy is able to touch us personally, speaking to our deepest human longings, questions, and needs.
In my experience, Weil’s words capture much of how we see worship at All Souls. Under this view of liturgy– collective, collaborative, and participatory– the role of lay people is vital. So we’d like to renew an invitation to join us in the act of worship is particular, important ways.
On Sunday, June 9th, after the 10:30 service (around noon), we’ll host a training for many kinds of lay liturgical roles. Here are some of the ways you might serve:
Lectors and Intercessors stand at the ambo and read Scripture, or offer prayers for our community.
Chalice Bearers help distribute wine during Communion, carrying a chalice, a flagon, or a cruet of grape juice.
Healing Ministers stand at the altar in the back of the nave during Communion, offering healing prayers (in your own words, or using forms provided).
Lay Liturgical Assistants join the altar party and help the clergy with tasks like holding the presider’s binder or setting the table. We haven’t had LLAs at All Souls for a while, but we hope to bring this practice back.
Acolytes (6th-12th grade) carry crosses or torches, lead our processions, and assist the altar party with many kinds of tasks.
We hope you will consider joining us for this training, whether you’re sure you want to serve or you simply want to learn more. Some of these roles apply more to the 10:30am service, but we also welcome folks from the 8am service to serve as chalice bearers, lectors, and intercessors. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Phil+, Emily HC, or me.
Thank you for all you do, through presence and action, to contribute to our collective worship experience.
– Emily+
The Time is Near!
Updates on our construction schedule
We have passed two major milestones in the Living Waters construction process! Last week the Vestry unanimously approved the construction contract with WCI General Contractors.
The contract covers the scope of work we have been discussing for the past several months, totaling just over $2.8 million. The contract approval allowed WCI to develop a preliminary timeline for our project, so this week they provided our first timeline for the hands-on work of rehabbing All Souls. We are very close now to breaking ground!
To prepare for construction, ministry teams have been clearing out items we no longer need and are packing up everything we want to keep for our newly refurbished rooms. On June 8th we could use your help in moving boxes, chairs, tables, tools, etc. into storage. Please sign up for the All Church Moving Day on Saturday, June 8th. Many hands will make light work!
You can sign up for a morning shift—9:30 am to 11:30 or an afternoon shift—12:00 to 1:30. We will provide a bite to eat between 11:30 to 12:00.
Here are the Highlights of the Construction Schedule:
June 6th (tentative) - City of Berkeley issues Building Permit.
June 8th - All Church Moving Day. We need to remove everything from the Parish Hall, the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the Undercroft rooms so sub-contractors can begin abatement and demolition. We could use 20 to 30 people on Saturday June 8th to move everything into storage to the preschool space. The signup link for All Church Moving Day is above.
June 16th - Absolute last day for All Souls property to be out of the Kitchen, Parish Hall and Undercroft, except for the Chapel and the Common Room.
June 17th - Mobilization. Contractors prepare the courtyard as the staging area and bring equipment to the work site. They are planning on reserving the parking area along Spruce Street for trucks and equipment during the week.
June 24 to July 6 - Abatement and Demolition. Asbestos will be safely removed and old construction removed.
July 8 - New Construction begins
December 14 - Construction is projected to be Substantially Complete!
WCI continues to assure us that the Nave will be available each Sunday during construction. Work on the elevator site will take up some of the Nave during that phase, but we should have access to a workable space throughout the project.
The Chapel and Common Room will be accessible on Sundays for much of the duration of construction. During abatement and demolition, there will be no access even to these rooms (June 24 to July 26.) There will be no access to other rooms in the Undercroft during construction. The Acolyte Room, at the top of the stairs in the Crow’s Nest, will be inaccessible throughout construction. The other two Crow's Nest rooms will remain accessible throughout construction.
Most of the Courtyard and the courtyard entrance to the foyer will be inaccessible throughout construction. We will have access to an upscale temporary restroom outside, as well as the bathrooms in the Preschool area and one in the Jordan Court common area.
Of course, as in all construction, changes are expected. PG&E still needs to provide their schedule for installation of new electrical service, and the elevator delivery date won’t be finalized until the elevator site has been prepared and approved. No doubt these dates will shift several times between now and completion, but these dates are WCI’s best estimate of timing as we begin.
Two ½-sized permit submittal drawing sets are available in the parish office for review. Plans can be checked out for a week by contacting Diana Markley.
Here we go! Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we are about to give our beloved All Souls building a new beginning. Construction will certainly try our patience at times, but when it’s finished, wow! We are re-building for ourselves and for many All Soulsians we have yet to meet. We pray for safety for all and are grateful for the skill of the many workers who are about to turn our hopes into reality.
– Kaki Logan
Living Waters Update: An Invitation to Give
On to the construction! Now that we have a construction contract, we will need to pay the contractors. At the moment, there are two efforts underway for the capital campaign phase of Living Waters, one with current donors and the other inviting new donors to join the community of supporters.
As we come to the end of the second year of the fundraising cycle, I have mailed giving statements to donors who have not yet completed their Living Waters commitment. The statements reflect the amount and timing of the commitment we have on file and the payments received so far.
If you have received a statement please review it carefully. We have found at least one mistake in the commitment and in the payments received. We hope people will be able to keep the donation schedule they planned in May of 2022.
As of now, some people are ahead of their schedule, some are a bit behind. My hope is that the giving statements let people see where they are and confirm that their commitments are still a good fit. By June 9th, we would like to receive any gifts that are scheduled in or by year two of the fundraising cycle. There is no need to accelerate donations that are already on track. As always, if you have questions about your commitment, please let me know at rflynch@sbcglobal.net
By the middle of June I will have an update on the giving through the end of year two.
***
On June 1st, we will be holding a Living Waters Reception. It will be an evening of fellowship, refreshments, and inspiration as we gather to discuss the Living Waters project. We have sent invitations to households who have joined All Souls after the end of the initial fundraising campaign in May, 2022, and to All Soulsians who were not in a situation to make a contribution in 2022, but all are welcome.
This will be a fundraising reception and we will seek to support the current work and a number of projects - AV, landscaping and the sacristy, for starters - that are not included in the scope of Living Waters work. But the core of the reception will be an invitation to give generously to a community that is important to each of us. This reception will measure success, not only on the amount raised, but on whether it offers people a path to feeling of gratitude and plenty that comes from supporting a community that is preparing for its next century of service.
If you would like to join us on June 1st, please RSVP by the end of the day tomorrow, Friday, May 24th.
Peace,
–Richard Lynch
Parish Picnic
Hello friends! As we launch into summer, schedules often go a little haywire, but the parish picnic is a wonderful way to set out with the connection of your church family.
We will be gathering in the Padre picnic area at Tilden after the 10:30 service on June 2. This is always a good time, I promise!
How to join the fun?
Bring a side dish to share with others. Beef and vegan burgers plus condiments will be provided. Side dishes, alternative grillables, salads, fruit, and desserts of all kinds will be warmly appreciated.
Bring your grilling prowess! We need grill masters & mistresses to arrive ASAP after the service at All Souls to start throwing things on the grill. Bring your favorite tools! (Thank you to Martín Ortega for securing our site and getting the grills revved up during the service.) Please let me know if you can help with grilling.
Bring your best cornhole game – actual game and/or attitude! We will set up several cornhole fields for a fun tournament. Or bring another game to play with friends!
Bring either sunscreen or a parka, or both! June in the Bay Area could mean anything.
Bring some open questions to make a new friend or dig deeper with an established connection. This is a kairos kind of day.
Looking for even more fun? Join the advance guard (set up) or rear guard (clean up)! Everyone welcome! Contact: jeannieke@gmail.com
– Jeannie Koops
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.
Final Youth Group! Join us for a bonfire in the courtyard with s’mores, games, and reflections on the year, 7-8:30p.
Adult Formation
First Summer Book Group!
Join Jack Shoemaker and other All Soulsians for our first group June 9, 16, 23, and 30th at 9:15am in the Common Room.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Join us as we read Reading Genesis, the latest book from Marilynne Robinson. A recent review of this book calls her “one of the most influential Christian writers and public intellectuals alive today.” Come see if you agree. Her book includes the complete text of Genesis in the King James version, but feel free to read any translation you wish. We will imagine dividing our reading of the 50 chapters of Genesis into four parts, but our discussions of Robinson’s book may well discover a looser structure.
Other 2024 Book Groups:
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.
Any questions? Contact Anne Yardley at ayardley@drew.edu
Children & Family
Save the Date: Parish Camping Trip, July 19th-21st. Join us in Big Sur for a weekend of family-friendly camping and fun! All ages welcome. Details forthcoming; email Emily HC with questions.
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: Our final week of regular Sunday School is this Sunday, May 26th. Stay tuned for updates about children’s ministry over the summer!
Read more about our Sunday School program here.
Sunday School Survey Parents— as we wrap up the program year, we are seeking your feedback to shape next year’s Sunday School! If your child took part in our program in any way, please fill out this survey. We’re grateful for your time and input!
Youth Program Youth Group will take a break from June until late August. 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
Parish Moving Day, June 8th: Join us for a group work day as we pack, clean out, and move items in preparation for our Living Waters construction. All hands are welcome and needed! 9a to noon, snacks provided. It’ll be fun!
Meal Train We are excited to announce a new coordinator for our Meal Train ministry, Sarah Oneto! If you are in need of meals, or if you’d like to join this network to deliver food to others, please email sarahoneto@gmail.com.
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
Memorial Service, June 1st, 11am Join us as we honor the life of David Cooke. Time forthcoming.
Spiritual Autobiography Class with Jane Vandenburgh. Join us this Sunday, May 26th from 12:30-2p in the Jordan Court Community Room. All are welcome.
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.
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.
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.
