The Pathfinder: January 30th, 2025
What in the world is Candlemas?
You may have noticed that we are not celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany this week: instead, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord which also goes by the name of Candlemas.
This is one of the oldest feast days in the church calendar - it’s mentioned as far back as the 380s! There is math involved…
Candlemas comes 40 days after Christmas. According to the Jewish laws recorded in Leviticus, 33 days after a male child was circumcised (7 days after birth), his mother needed to be purified by offering a lamb as a burnt offering and either a young pigeon or dove as a sin offering. Using December 25 as Jesus’ birth date, February 2 marks the date Mary (and Joseph) would have travelled to the temple to fulfill the law. As the 40 days make a nice parallel with Lent, many Christians around the world use Candlemas to mark the end of the Christmas season and take down their decorations.
Candlemas gets its name from the custom of parishioners bringing their candles to their local church on the Feast of the Presentation - the candles were blessed and then used the rest of the year in the home. A procession of lighted candles also became a prominent part of the celebration.
FUN FACT - A traditional German superstition held that if the sun appeared on Candlemas, a hedgehog would cast a shadow, making a "second winter.” German immigrants in Pennsylvania brought the tradition with them, hence Groundhog Day!
We will have a candle-lit procession this Sunday! Please take a candle as you enter for worship. After communion has finished, we will light the candles, process down the aisle to the front of the church, and finish gathered around the baptismal font for the final prayers and blessing.
Peace,
–Matt Wolka, Associate for Music
January Vestry Meeting Reflection
The Vestry of All Souls gathered for a meeting on January 15, 2025. The meeting began with a review of the agenda, followed by a reflection session conducted by Jill to set the tone for the gathering.
Phil+ presented a dress rehearsal of the Godly Play story, developed by Phil+ and Emily+, to share with the congregation in remembrance, appreciation, and blessing, as we begin to be able to use the newly refreshed spaces. The Living Waters Capital Improvements has been a significant effort by many hands over many months, aiming to renew our spaces.
Grace provided an update on Living Waters, sharing the excellent news that, thanks to careful management of our budget and resources, and because the PG&E service update came in under budget, we will be able to complete the existing scope of service and will have surplus funds remaining! Grace reported that the Property Team is now considering which of the projects we originally hoped to accomplish—but initially fell outside the scope of the budget passed by the Vestry—can now be reintroduced.
The group reflected on last year's Vestry Retreat, deliberating which aspects were essential, and which could be omitted or reimagined, as the Vestry begins planning for the upcoming Vestry Retreat. For the first time since 2020, the Vestry will be going away for the annual retreat. Since the pandemic, retreats have been held either via Zoom (2021) or locally at Saint Clement’s (2022-2024). This year, the Vestry will head to the Bishop’s Ranch over the weekend of January 31st-February 2nd. Returning and new Vestry members will have the opportunity to establish their goals for the year, become acquainted and socialize, and hold the first meeting of the new Vestry.
The term of service for a Vestry member begins at the time of election (or acclamation) during the Parish’s annual meeting and runs three years, through the following January. At this final meeting of the Vestry year, the graduating class—Jill, Jenny, Nathan, and I—shared reflections on our service. Speaking on behalf of this group, it has been both challenging and also deeply rewarding to serve as members of the Vestry.
Phil+ addressed several topics in his Rector’s report, including an update that we hope to have a concrete seismic report soon and then will need to run the report past contractors to obtain a sense of the potential costs. The report will include a list of projects recommended to maximize safety and a second list of those projects required to come up to code.
The meeting concluded with closing prayers led by Nathan.
–Sarah Kern, Senior Warden
Give with Flowers
A very moving service during the church year for many of us is the Easter Vigil, particularly that time when we bang on the doors, loudly proclaim that Christ is risen, and process from the darkness into the church which is filled with light, music and beautiful flowers.
Can you imagine Easter without flowers, Palm Sunday without palms, Christmas, or any Sunday, for that matter, without flowers? Even the intentional act of not having flowers during Lent would lose its meaning. Maybe the flowers in the church are not something you pay particular attention to, but you might notice if they weren’t there.
The flowers at All Souls are funded almost totally by donations to the Flower Fund, which is a memorial fund and not part of the operating budget. A donation to the Flower Fund can be a meaningful way to remember loved ones. It can also be a thanksgiving for blessings received, or to honor a special person in your life, or to recognize an occasion, like a birthday or anniversary. Your remembrance or thanksgiving can be included in the bulletin for that Sunday, if you wish. Your donation can be any amount, but as a reference, since people often ask, the flowers cost approximately $75 each week.
There is a signup sheet! (Of course, there is.) A Flower Chart for 2025 is up in the narthex. The chart is available for you to sign up for the Sunday you want to give the flowers. More than one person can sign up for a particular week. If your desired week is full, call or email the church office and Diana (diana@allsoulsparish.org) will take the information. Your donation can then be made online, or by putting a check in the plate on Sunday or mailing to the church. Be sure to note Flower Fund in the memo line of your check.
–Cathy Thompson
A bridge not at all too far - Building Interfaith Bridges at Shabbat service
Congregation Beth El invited All Souls and St. Paul AME church to participate in their fourth Friday “Shabbat-in-the-round” service on January 24, as part of the Building Interfaith Bridges (BIB) program. As described by Beth El: “using both the words of our historical liturgy and many wordless melodies, we welcome Shabbat with a focus on the transformative power of music.”
The liturgy and music was a beautiful tapestry of rituals and prayers set to music - some dating back millenia, some very contemporary. And this being Berkeley, there was even a prayer sung to the tune of “Blowing in the wind.” Personally, I found the older (typically Ashkenazi) music to be especially evocative and moving - gotta admit that A minor scale just has a way of stirring the soul.
Left: With Anna Fogelman (right) and Mike Austin (center). Right: Q&A session after the service
We had a solid contingent from All Souls, including Jenny Kern, Kate Stout, Kim Wong, Raymond Yee and his wife Laura, Tim Hausler, Wendy Calimag and her husband Ed, and my partner Josh and I. After the service, Rabbi Becca held a Q&A session and was very generous with her time answering our questions about the service and Judaism in general.
As I was listening to the prayers sung in Hebrew and following along with the helpful English translations in the Siddur (prayer book), I found myself marveling again at the timeless wisdom of the ‘ancients’ - on pursuing justice and mercy; seeking strength in the face of adversity; cherishing the memory of the dead; trusting that good will in fact prevail. Particularly over the past week, it’s so easy and tempting for us to think that our time and circumstances are unique or especially dire. I left the service reminded that indeed there is “nothing new under the sun” - we’re really not that special… and that’s quite reassuring, actually.
Please keep a look out for announcements about future BIB events and we hope to see you there! For more information about BIB, please see this FAQ, or contact Bonnie Bishop, our liaison.
–Paul Mathew
Brighten: to make a place lighter. Have you noticed that the areas of the Undercroft are brighter? All areas have been brightened up with new lighting! The classrooms, the hall, the chapel, the bathrooms and the Common Room all have new efficient lighting, most spaces with motion sensors. What a difference this makes and along with new carpet and paint, things are looking quite spiffy.
Outside, the new lampposts in the courtyard shine brightly and make for a much safer pathway than we had previously.
The elevator ‘tower’ has been finished except for flashing.
Oncoming rain will pause work on the elevator shaft but it will continue asap once the rains stop.
Although we are turning rooms over for use, work is still in progress! If you have questions or concerns about what you see, please contact Ann Myers @ annclairemyers@gmail.com for clarification.
Egress continues through both Narthex doors and out the nave to the Jordan Courtyard. Remember to bundle up!
Left: Night time in the courtyard. Right: Siding ready for paint.
–Ann Myers and the Property Committee
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
SUNDAY
7:00am, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or Click here to join by Zoom.
8:00am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please access the Chapel through the copper doors on Cedar St.
9:15, Adult Formation in both the Common Room and the JC Comm Rm.
10:30am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here.
7p, Youth Group - All Grades.
WEDNESDAY
9:00 am Eucharist, either in the Jordan Court Community Room at 9:00 a.m., or by Zoom here.
Adult Formation
“Repairs in the Bay Area,” with Isaiah Project partners
The Isaiah Project team is introducing each of the four organizations that are receiving All Souls grants through the tithe from our Living Waters campaign. A representative from each organization has or will join us to talk about the work of repair that they are performing in our local East Bay communities. Our last grantee will be presented THIS SUNDAY:
Elizabeth House (January 5)
The Center for ArtEsteem (January 12)
The American Indian Child Resource Center (January 19)
Youth Spirit Artworks (February 2).
We meet at 9:15 am in the Jordan Court Community Room on the following Sundays: January 5, 12, 19 and February 2nd.
Liturgy and the Lyric: A Workshop in Reading and Writing Mysteries, with poet Tess Taylor
How do the forms of poems relate to the forms of prayer? How might the reading of poems help us more deeply engage the psalms, the Bible, and liturgical language? And how might the figures of poetry– small and large-- help us access the mysteries of the Bible and of the Divine? In this course, offered across three weeks, Tess Taylor ( author of five books of poetry and a practicing All Soulsian) will explore some of the shapes, forms and pathways of poetry in and outside liturgical texts—inviting us to use that exploration to deepen our experience of liturgy, prayer and Biblical text. Come ready to read, write, and explore. Feb 2, 9, and 16 at 9:15 in the Common Room.
Upcoming Class:
Theology and Evolutionary Biology with the Revs. Emily Boring and Mark Richardson
Is there purpose or direction to evolution?
How do we define knowledge?
Do cells or genes have “agency”?
What kind of evidence makes something true?
These are just a few examples of the kinds of questions that we’ll encounter in this class– questions that both science and religion, in turn, have tried to address. Our course will begin with a brief history of the relationship between evolutionary biology and theology, dating back to the early responses of theology to Darwin. We then explore various ways or methods of approaching this relationship still present in our culture. Finally, we will turn to contemporary case studies, exploring the possible theological implications of recent advances in genetics and evolutionary theory. Our class isn’t an argument between science and religion, nor is it an attempt to “reconcile” opposites. We come from a stance of curiosity and integration, exploring how these two disciplines mutually inform one another and meet in lived experience. Join us in the Jordan Court Community Room at 9:15 on the following Sundays: Feb. 9, 16, 23 and Mar. 2nd.
Children & Family
Sunday School (for kids pre-K through 5th grade) happens every week during the 10:30 service, in our newly-renovated classrooms in the undercroft! Enter the narthex and walk down the stairs. There will be signs, and/or an usher can help you find the way. Children return to church at the “Peace.”
Exciting news: The playground is open! Come join other All Soulsian families and kids in the courtyard after church. Please be mindful of fencing around the perimeter.
To sign up for our Children and Family newsletter, please email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
For Both Kids and Youth: Summer Camps!
It’s that time of year… time to sign up for camp! Kids and youth from All Souls have loved attending camp in two places: Bishop’s Ranch (the same place we have Parish Retreat, near Healdsburg), and St. Dorothy’s Rest. Both have roots in the Episcopal tradition and have programs for all ages (and some for families, too). You can find more information about St. Dorothy’s here, and Bishop’s Ranch here.
For children: It can be especially fun to go to camp at the same time as other kids from church! If you’re interested in coordinating dates, please reach out to Brenna Hall, an All Souls parent (brenna.k.hall@gmail.com).
Youth Program
Youth Group (for grades 6-12) happens on Sundays from 7-8:30pm. Generally, we alternate between an all-grades gathering, and a high school small group (~once a month).
This week, Feb. 2nd, All-grades Youth Group.
Upcoming:
Feb. 9: High school small group.
Download our winter (Jan/Feb) 2025 calendar here. Look our for a full winter/spring calendar soon! To join the weekly youth mailing list, email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
Request for collage materials: Do you have old magazines sitting around at home? We are seeking collage supplies for our children and youth programs, and we’d love to give your materials a home! Please bring them to church on Sundays and/or arrange a time to hand them off to Emily B. Thanks!
Justice & Peace
Help for SoCal Wildfire Victims
If you’d like to learn more about how to help the wildfire victims in Southern California, please click on the links below for more information.
Open Door Dinner (ODD) will be happening next Sunday, February 9th. If you are able or interested in helping put the meal together or deliver some meals to the camps around Berkeley, please email Jennifer Akiyama.
Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach (USMO) is a Cal student group that organizes outreach events every Saturday to bring food and resources to homeless encampments in Berkeley. As the weather gets colder, they are especially seeking donations of the following items:
General hygiene products (toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, soap, etc.)
Clothes/cold weather gear
Bottled water
Please bring these donations to the red bin in the Narthex. Email Beth Christensen (beth.christensen) for donation and other direct volunteer opportunities with USMO.
Ladies Luncheon
The second Thursday Ladies Luncheon will return when the Parish Hall is ready!
Needs of the Community
A seminarian at CDSP, Karla Koon, needs temporary help with some domestic chores as she deals with medical treatment. If you are interested in joining a temporary ministry team to provide assistance (between now and the end of May), please contact bonniekbishop@myyahoo.com.
Everything Else
Realm Support (3rd Sunday of every month): We have a new church online directory, database, and community - and you are invited to join! If you are a member here, you should already have received an invitation from Realm. If you’re new and looking to join (or didn’t get an email invite), then see Emily Hansen Curran. For anyone interested in learning more about Realm, who need help troubleshooting any problems logging in, or using different features, we’ve got folks who will be in the Narthex on the 3rd Sunday of each month, after the 10:30 service, with laptops ready to answer your questions and help. Come by and get the help you need.
New E-mail Service: You might have noticed, but we have shifted our mailing service from Squarespace to Constant Contact. Hopefully this will not impact any or many of you, but in case it matters, please add allsouls@allsoulsparish.ccsend.com to your contacts. This will hopefully ensure that the Pathfinder arrives in your inbox and not your spam folder.
