The Pathfinder: February 20th, 2025
A Year of Priesthood
Two years ago— February 2023, my final semester of seminary— I found myself at a crossroads. For years, I’d followed a process of discernment, exploring a call to the priesthood.
Many times, I’d doubted, faltered, and nearly stepped off the path. What kept me going was an intuition– fragile, tender, insistent– that down this path was wholeness and integration. I didn’t know how, but I sensed that this call could someday make me feel fully alive.
Month after month went by, until eventually, there was no more time for discernment. I had to choose: Go ahead with ordination to the transitional diaconate in June, or wait. I didn’t feel ready. I had no idea what my vocation would look like (parish ministry? chaplaincy? writing?). Nothing felt clear.
I prayed. I journaled. I meditated on these questions:
Am I really prepared?
What does the role of an ordained minister mean to me?
If I wait– a year, or two, or many–will my call become stronger and clearer?
I listened for a clear “yes” or “no.” None came.
Eventually, I shared my doubts with my Bishop. She invited me to turn my questions around, to approach them from a slightly different angle.
Instead of asking, “Am I really prepared?”, I could ask, “How might my current preparation serve others?”
Instead of asking, “What does this role mean to me?”, I could ask, “What does my community see in me that draws them to believe I could be a priest?”
Rather than asking, “Am I fully formed?”, I could ask, “How can I commit to a lifetime of constant growth, constant learning?”
Spoiler: I did, in fact, get ordained to the priesthood– almost exactly a year ago this week. And so I’ve been thinking about that process of discernment– the kinds of questions that ultimately allowed me to say “yes” to the call. My Bishop helped me reframe the focus of discernment– to turn it from an inward-facing, solitary process into something that pointed me outward.
Questions about individual discernment became questions about community and relationship.
Questions about preparedness became questions about ongoing growth.
Questions about who I am became questions about who we are together.
It strikes me that we– as individuals, as a parish, as a Church, as a nation– are at a juncture of deep and urgent discernment. We’re in a time of reckoning, a season when each of us must determine what we’re called to do. How will we use our gifts and skills to work for justice? Are we ready and willing to say “yes” to what might be demanded of us as Christians in this time and place?
I’ve found that those questions– about individual skills, individual assent– can feel lonely and overwhelming. And so I wonder about reframing the questions that we are collectively discerning at this time.
Rather than ask, “What do I believe?”, we could ask, “How can I live and act in such a way that my beliefs are alive and apparent to others?”
Rather than “Are we ready to face the challenges ahead?”, ask “How will we adapt, and improvise, and find a way forward together?”
Instead of “What gifts or skills could I possibly offer that would help this situation?”, ask “How might this situation draw out skills and capacities I didn’t know I had?”
These are simple reframes. But they remind me that when we feel stuck and unable to answer a question– and I imagine we’ll feel stuck many times in the coming months– it can be helpful to approach the question from a slightly different position. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my first year as a priest, it’s this. Saying “yes” to a call does not require feeling fully “ready,” or believing that I, alone, am sufficient. Saying “yes” simply means being willing to risk, to trust, to begin.
Thank you for welcoming, challenging, and sustaining me in this first year of priesthood. I’m honored to journey alongside this community.
–Emily+
Searching for our new Associate for Welcome and Kinship
A committee of All Soulsians has deliberated together for the last few weeks to begin the search for a new Associate for Welcome and Kinship.
Our beloved Emily Hansen Curran concludes her last few weeks with All Souls before dedicating her life’s next chapter to launch and sustain St. Lucy’s Church as it becomes the newest congregation in the Diocese of California. Emily continues to inspire us to welcome others without judgement and offer everyone a place at our common table.
All Souls Parish remains committed to the welcome of strangers, inclusion of spiritual inquirers from every background, and the calling of all Christians to be the body of Christ in the world. We are searching for a new Associate to support this commitment. To read the complete job description, click here. Salary and benefits are included in the position description along with information on how to apply. The committee intends to select a candidate outside of our parish membership.
You may be asking yourself, “What can I do to help fill this important role?” Great question! We hope that our broad community can reach out with enthusiasm and speed to find a wonderful candidate. Please forward the position description to your contacts and encourage them to spread the word and to apply.
The search committee for the new Associate for Welcome and Kinship is comprised of the following All Soulsians: Dan Hardy, Cathy Goshorn, Erin Horne, Brian Beachler, Annie Hayes, Sarah Crawford, Toni Martinez Borgfeldt, and Deirdre Nurre. If you have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Dan Hardy at danwhardy@gmail.com or Cathy Goshorn at ogoshca@yahoo.com. Applications are due by Friday, March 21, 2025.
May we continue to welcome one another into the love and light of Christ.
–Deirdre Nurre on behalf of the search committee
Building Interfaith Bridges
The BIB team is planning monthly events through April to further the relationship building among Congregation Beth El, St. Paul AME, and All Souls Parish.
As our world becomes more fractured every day, now, especially, is a time to “reach across the aisle” to our neighbors. Mark your calendars to join us at these events on our Spring calendar.
THIS Sunday, February 23, 2025, members of Congregation Beth El (CBE) and St. Paul’s AME (St. Paul’s) will join us at the 10:30 am service. Please extend your warmest All Souls welcome to our guests. Also, please remember to wear your name tags.
In March, date to be determined, All Souls Justice and Peace ministry will host a movie night and invite members of CBE and St. Paul’s to attend. Last year, the film was American Fiction about a man trying to navigate between his genuine self and the self the white world expected him to be. Afterward, Dr. Mary Turner from St. Paul’s shared her insightful observations with the audience.
Second Night Seder, Sunday, April 13, CBE hosts a Passover meal and service in its sanctuary with traditional foods, songs, prayers and a great deal of schmoozing. More details to follow.
Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 9:30 am, All Soulsians are invited to attend St. Paul’s AME to experience their worship service. Senior Pastor Anthony L. Hughes will preach that Sunday. The time conflicts with the Sunday Service at All Souls. Nonetheless, BIB encourages anyone who would like to connect with St. Paul’s AME and hear the commanding voice of Pastor Tony to attend May 11.
If you have questions about these events, please feel free to contact Paul Mathew, Bonnie Bishop, and Kim Wong via realm or traditional email. We hope to see you!
–Bonnie Bishop on behalf of the BIB Team
Inviting: encouraging you to feel welcome or attracted.
What do you want to feel when you walk into a new space? Maybe it is a new store, a neighbor’s house, a different classroom on the first day of school, or maybe, just maybe, it is walking into All Souls for the first time. We have all had these experiences, especially when walking into ASEP for the first time.
The people of ASEP are a welcoming bunch, quick to give a smile and ask a name. There is information for the asking to let you know all about us as a church of Christ. Invitations to join groups, services, Sunday School, etc. are hopefully part of any newcomer’s experience. With all our lovely renovations, our building and grounds are becoming more and more inviting to everyone, not just newcomers. Areas that perhaps didn’t feel welcoming previously certainly do now thanks to better lighting, new flooring and colorful paint. Having access to all three floors, once the elevator is finished, will make ASEP welcoming to all.
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 & Right: Terracotta paint on interior handrails.
Left & Right: Exterior handrails painted.
Left and Right: Elevator pit is in progress. Rebar installed and form boards going in.
Stain is getting started in the Nave.
–Ann Myers and the Property Committee
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
SUNDAY
7:00 am, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or Click here to join by Zoom.
8:00 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please access the Chapel through the copper doors on Cedar St.
9:15 am, Adult Formation in the Jordan Court Community Room.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here.
7 pm, 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
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.
Catechumenate Classes
Are you hoping to be baptized, or Confirmed, Received (this means that you were confirmed in another tradition before now), or Reaffirmed (this means that you were once Confirmed in the Episcopal church, but you would like to renew your confirmation) in the Episcopal Church? Consider the Catechumenate! It's basically a 6-week crash course on the Episcopal Church. This class is also great if you're just wanting to learn more about what the Episcopal church believes about God, humanity, the Bible, or how to use the Book of Common Prayer. The class will be taught during the six Sunday evenings of Lent from 7-8:30 in the Common Room: March 9-April 13th. Reach out to Emily HC if you're interested, emily@allsoulsparish.org.
Young Adult Group Gathering, March 3rd
The next meeting of our 20s and 30s group will be a social gathering on March 3rd, 6:30-9pm, hosted by Tim Hausler. We’ll be making and eating some jambalaya and prepping ingredients for more jambalaya the next day (for the All Souls’ Mardi Gras celebration!). If you want to join the Young Adults email list and/or WhatsApp group, please email tommylbelgum@gmail.com.
Lenten Home Group Sign-ups
Lent is approaching and we're planning on doing Lenten home groups again! We are still seeking a few more hosts. If you're able to offer your home as a meeting place for a group, please fill out your information (neighborhood, day/time preference, accessibility, etc.) under one of the “Group Host” sections on this form. To sign up: If you would like to attend a group, you can add your/your family’s name(s) to this sign-up sheet. There will be a physical sign-up sheet in the narthex on Sunday, too.
If you have questions about this, please email both Emilys! emily@allsoulsparish.org, and emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
Mardi Gras Celebration, March 4th
As we look toward Lent this year, we also look forward to the traditional feast and All Souls favorite: our Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday party! Join us for our jambalaya and pancakes in the Parish Hall beginning at 5:30pm. We’ll also have a bonfire and burn last year’s palms from Palm Sunday. This year’s party will have a twist: many cooks! Due to our ongoing kitchen construction, we invite you to cook jambalaya at home and bring some to share.
We’re looking for 12-15 people/families to cook and bring jambalaya for our community. We will provide our traditional recipe if desired, but you’re also welcome to use an old favorite recipe or try a new one this year. There will be judges to taste-test and hungry All Soulsians to feed.
Sign up here if you are willing to cook some jambalaya!
Additionally, we are looking for electric griddles to cook pancakes! If you have one (or several) you’re willing to let us borrow, please email Emily B.
Our Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday dinner is also our annual Youth Program fundraiser and awareness night. If you are able, please consider a donation of $5-10 for kids 12 and under, $10-15 for adults, $35 max for families (credit cards or Venmo accepted; QR codes will be provided on each table). If you are a jambalaya cook, your shared meal is considered your donation! If you are able to give more, please do. And if cost is a barrier, please join us anyway!
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.”
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 Emily B.
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 Sunday (February 23rd) is the ALL GRADES Youth Group.
Coming up:
March 2nd: All-grades Youth Group
March 9th: High School Small Group
Download our Spring (March/April) 2025 calendar here. To join the weekly youth mailing list, email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
Justice & Peace
Open Door Dinner (ODD) happens once a month on the second Sunday. 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. With the colder weather, 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.
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
2024 Contribution Statements: They are already prepared and ready for download on Realm. You'll see a blue button that says "2024 Contribution Statement" on your Home Profile Page, and also on your Giving Page. If you aren't registered yet on Realm, or if you have trouble, just email, text or call Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary, and she will have an email out to you (or a hard copy mailed if required) within an hour or so. Don't hesitate to ask... but it's a great feature of Realm to see your Giving at any time.
Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary
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 at coffee hour 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.
