The Pathfinder: December 11, 2025
New Incarnations
Our former music director, Christopher Putnam, may he rest in peace, used to approach planning for Christmas Eve every year in the same way. He used to say that every year to begin the Christmas Eve service you know you’re going to sing O Come All Ye Faithful. And, every year you should always ask the question how should we begin Christmas Eve?
CP was absolutely right. There is a wonder and a majesty and an intimacy in the music and rituals that we have developed over centuries of approaching the Mystery of the Incarnation. We have received wondrous gifts from our predecessors in the faith, whether they be Advent Wreaths, or Christmas trees, or carols like O Come All Ye Faithful, In the Bleak Midwinter, Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming, Silent Night, and many more.
But the danger present in all of these gifts is the suffocation of nostalgia, just doing the same things because we have before. And so every year, as we get ready for this feast, we do our best to bring this story to bear in our context, in this moment. Every year, after Christmas, when we return from our long winter’s nap, as a staff, we evaluate the ways that we celebrated the Incarnation. What are the ways that the Light showed through? What can we leave behind and have all the story that we need? What might be possible in the year to come? The results of this year’s discernment have been at least threefold: a new way to tell the Nativity Story, a new service schedule, and a new piece of liturgical art.
Emily B will be writing about the new telling of the Nativity Story in next week’s Pathfinder, so I will leave that to her, but I can say that I am excited about the wonder that I believe it will evoke. As for the new service schedule, it involves the Christmas Eve(ning) services. Since COVID, attendance at the Midnight Mass has decreased dramatically (down to 75 people in ’24), while attendance has risen at the 4 pm (204 people in ’24) and 8 pm (307 people in ’24) services. People seem to be voting with their feet. For several years I hoped that this trend would reverse itself, but in conversation with other Episcopal priests, I learned that this has been the case in congregations all around the Bay Area.
So, I’ve decided to change the three services on Christmas Eve––this year we will have the 4 pm service with Eucharist and Nativity Story, and then will offer our Carols and Candlelight service (with Eucharist) twice, at 7 pm and 9 pm. I realize that this will come with a sense of loss for some, I among them. And, it seems that the energy of the parish has shifted, and I want to meet it.
Finally, on Christmas Eve, we will unveil the gift of a visual interpretation of the Incarnation, an icon of the Tree of Life. The icon, once again designed and painted by the Rev. Dr. Paul Fromberg, shows Mary with the Christ Child in her womb. In this incarnation, flanking the Tree are two of Mary’s companions in the faith. St. Elizabeth, her cousin and confidant in Luke’s Gospel, is on the left, and St. Anna, the name given to Mary’s mother in the Orthodox tradition, is on the right. As this icon has come to life, I have found myself moved over and again at the visual representation of the wondrous Mystery. I hope that as you spend time with the icon in the upcoming season, you encounter the same wonder.
No matter where you find yourself this Christmas, at All Souls or away, I hope that you will be able to find a space––at a church, in your home, in your heart––to revel in a new way in the great Mystery, of God-with-us.
Peace,
–Phil+
Open Door Dinner is Back in the All Souls Kitchen!
As many of us know, the All Souls Open Door Dinner ministry has been providing delicious jambalaya meals on the second Sunday of the month for hungry and unhoused people in Berkeley for more than 30 years.
Over the past 20 months, while the All Souls kitchen was undergoing remodeling, we have been cooking in the kitchen at St Mary Magdalen church, which very generously offered to share their space with us.
But as of November, we are back, baby! We’re cooking in the All Souls kitchen on the new induction stove and a new griddle, which makes it easier than ever to cook 120 jambalaya meals.
Here’s how a typical open door dinner goes:
First, a volunteer shops at Costco on Saturday for all the ingredients. On Sunday, in the kitchen, we start chopping vegetables, sausage, and bacon at 8 am; start cooking rice and processing roasted chickens around 9 am, and start sautéing and assembling the jambalaya in big pots around 10 am. After the 10:30 service (around 12:30), the assembly crew begins packing jambalaya into to-go containers, and dropping those into bags with fruit, water, bread, and a cookie. Volunteer drivers then deliver half of these to encampments in Berkeley and the tiny house community in Oakland, while the others are picked up at All Souls. And then we clean up.
While we are grateful for Cal student volunteers from the Undergraduate Street Outreach team, we can always use more All Souls volunteers!
Volunteers join one of three Open Door Dinner “teams” that rotate responsibility for the dinner throughout the year. This way, you only need to commit to one meal each quarter. Volunteers typically either shop, cook, assemble, deliver, or clean up. Upcoming dates for the Open Door dinner are:
Sunday, December 14 (Team 3)
Sunday, January 11 (Team 1)
Sunday, February 8 (Team 2)
Sunday, March 8 (Team 3)
If you would like to join a team or have any questions, please email Jennifer Akiyama (akiyama.jennifer@gmail.com).
–Jennifer Akiyama
November Vestry Meeting
The Vestry gathered on November 19th for its monthly meeting. To begin, Jesse Kadjo read a poem by Assata Shakur, and led us in a reflection. We then approved a consent agenda which included October Vestry minutes and September Financials.
Living Waters Project Progress – As she has done throughout the year, Grace Telcs provided a helpful update on Living Waters capital project updates over the month: a passed health inspection in the kitchen; landscaping progress includes the start of plans for fire-safe plantings around the church; and a note that a few of the back pews in the church will be swapped out in favor of chairs, to add flexibility and accessibility; meanwhile wood from the pews will be reused in the organ project.
Rector’s Report – Phil covered a lot of ground in this month’s rector’s report.
He started by reminding us in this busy season at church, to give All Souls staff and clergy a little time to respond when trying to reach them, ideally via email rather than text particularly in off-hours; and especially to keep in mind that Emily B and Mother Rachel’s roles are not full-time as Phil’s is – hard to remember with all they do! All of us on Vestry appreciated the reminder, and pass it along for any who work closely with clergy or staff. (It prompted me to do a quick audit of my own recent exchanges with Phil on seismic work below).
Next, Phil gave an update on the organ restoration and expansion. The organ was available for our All Souls feast! And work goes along as planned. It was even discovered that some of the parts are literally turning to dust, so the work is perfectly timed!
Lastly, Phil gave an update on the Building Interfaith Bridges “pulpit sweep” (formerly “swap”) he attended at St Paul’s AME; and how our space was so vibrant and FULL this weekend, just as the Living Waters capital project envisioned: a celebration of life, small groups, learning, church services, a concert and a music ensemble, and youth group. What a great weekend. And it makes me sorry to segue to one last disruption for a final piece of seismic work.
Seismic Work update and vote, and impact to Parish Hall – Phil, Richard Lynch, and I gave the Vestry an update and recommendation for Vestry vote, on behalf of a ‘seismic task group’, on a final piece of important seismic construction work. Our seismic group also included Ann Myers and David Brown, and received helpful review and input from All Souls’ Finance Committee.
The Vestry voted unanimously to approve the recommendation to proceed with the remaining seismic work, undertaken from inside the Parish Hall rather than from outside, to save roughly $100,000 and reduce likelihood of using a further $100,000 contingency budget, while keeping the timeline shorter and less susceptible to rain delay. This maintains the possibility of an early childhood tenant coming back in time for academic year 2026-27. We all noted the disappointment of losing the Parish Hall space for the first months of 2026, from after Christmas until just before Easter. And noted appreciation for the hard work and gifts that make this work possible, including the All Soulsian whose gift enabled this final seismic work.
Annual Operating Campaign update – Richard Lynch gave the Vestry an update on our Annual Operating Campaign. Our pledges collected are getting to nearly 90% of our 2026 budget. This is great! Thank you so much to those of you who have already pledged. If you have not yet pledged and intend to, please do – having the pledges known in advance allows All Souls leadership, including the Vestry, to budget with confidence for 2026 (which will arrive in 4 weeks). Also, just in case you didn’t know, as I didn’t until fairly recently, the annual operating budget at All Souls really is just what we all collectively give - there aren’t other funds, there is not funding from the Diocese (the reverse is true: our parish supports the Diocese). So the phrase I have heard around All Souls that “we all make church,” is both a way we want to show up, and also a budget reality. Thank you, all.
2026 Budget Review – Following naturally from the Operating Campaign, Phil led us in review of the 2026 budget. We got down into the details together - where we expect spending to be higher or lower in the coming year - and left with a few questions we will address before voting on the final 2026 budget at December’s Vestry meeting.
Taize update – Ryan Greene-Roesel gave a brief update on this pilot Fall season of Taize services that have been running Tuesday nights. Roughly a dozen All Soulsians on average have been showing up at 8pm on Tuesdays to enjoy a time of Taize chant and quiet meditation, with one Vestry member who has attended noting what a great opportunity to decompress it gives in the middle of the week. Thanks to Ryan, and to Molly, Kris, and Emily B, for getting this service started. We look forward to its return in January after the Advent and Christmas season.
After a full meeting, we adjourned at 8:52 pm with Jesse leading us in closing prayers.
On a quick personal note, since I am writing this during Thanksgiving week: I am deeply thankful for this my first year on Vestry, for the ways it has allowed me to see up-close all the terrific and soulful work of All Souls, by the clergy, staff, and by all the many volunteers.
–John Gearen
Whistlemania at All Souls
“I’m almost begging at this point. We cannot find a location anywhere to hold our volunteer work day on Saturday.” Somehow, this desperate organizer heard that All Souls might be willing to host 40 volunteers to assemble Rapid Response packets in support of vulnerable immigrants.
This group, called Whistlemania, is loosely related to Indivisible East Bay and Bay Resistance. Hosted last Saturday in the Common Room by the ASEP Justice and Peace Ministry, Whistlemania volunteers assembled 2,000 packets for dissemination in the Oakland School District and plan to disseminate many more.
The packet includes a whistle and three cards, each with a different purpose:
1.) a card explaining our rights when being accosted by ICE
2.) a card offering a chance for an immigrant to drop on the ground with identifying information when being detained without witnesses
3.) a card explaining how to use the whistle (three sharp whistle blows for ICE near and one long blow for ICE attacking.)
The whistles are 3D printed and very loud.
We were very happy to share our space and to make a connection with Whistlemania.
–Kaki Logan
The Ordination of Emily Hansen Curran
Enjoy these photos taken on Saturday, December 6th at Grace Cathedral.
–The Staff
Announcements & Events
Saturday
5 pm, TrillSeekers Concert in the Nave.
Sunday
7:00 am, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
8:00 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
9:15 am, Adult Formation: “The Gospel of Matthew,” with the Rev. Michael Lemaire in the Parish Hall and Rehearsal for Christmas Eve Nativity Story in the Godly Play Room.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the Godly Play room.
12 noon, Captial Update Forum in the Nave and Coffee Hour in the Courtyard.
7 pm, All Grades Holiday Youth Group.
Learn With Us
Capital Update Forum
Please join us on Sunday, December 14, at 12 noon in the Nave for an update about all the capital work we have been doing at All Souls, and the projects that remain for the first half of 2026. You'll learn about our elevator, the new plans for landscaping, and the work ahead for seismic strengthening.
ADULT FORMATION
This Week: The Gospel of Matthew,” with the Rev. Michael Lemaire
Join the Rev. Michael Lemaire as we will finish our survey of the gospels with the Gospel of Matthew. As we have with the other gospels, we will examine the authorship, theology, and history of this book. We will read some of the unique parables and lessons found in this gospel, noting its particular take on discipleship. The last class will be an overview and wrap-up of all the gospels on a comparative basis. If you have not been able to attend any of the other classes, you may find this overview a beginning rather than an end. Class meets in the Parish Hall at 9:15 am on the following Sundays: Nov. 30th, Dec. 7, 14, 21.
Pray With Us
ADVENT BOOKLET & HOME PRACTICE
If you missed the Advent Festival, we invite you to pick up a copy of this year's Advent Booklet on the theme of "refuge." Where and how do we find shelter, rest, and belonging? How do we know when we’ve “arrived”? What and who sustains us on the journey? Through readings, reflection questions, and wreath-lighting ritual, you will be invited to go deeper into the themes of this season. You can download a copy on the All Souls Resources page, or pick one up in the narthex.
Gather With Us
SOUP & SINGING - WEDNESDAY EVENINGS DURING ADVENT
Join us on the three consecutive Wednesdays of Advent, 12/3, 12/10, and 12/17, for a heartwarming evening of soup supper followed by the peaceful and luminous Holden Evening Prayer. To sign up to bring soup or bread, use this link.
6 pm: Supper (Parish Hall)
6:50-7:30 pm: Holden Eve. Prayer (Parish Hall)
7:30 pm: Choir/Angel Band rehearsal (Nave)
We would also welcome folks who are able to come a bit early (5:30-ish) and stay afterward to help us set the space and clear it at the end.
It feels wonderful to be able to gather for these suppers. Last year, we had to take a pause because of construction in our Parish Hall and kitchen. Now, those spaces are beautifully re-done and ready. We’re excited to celebrate this completion and fill the spaces with new memories this Advent. We hope you will join us!
Give With Us
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS
Donations to the flower fund are always welcome, but Christmas flowers offer a special opportunity for you to remember or recognize a person, an event, or simply blessings received. If you want to contribute to Christmas flowers, you can donate online, put a check in the offering plate, or mail to the church office with 'Christmas Flowers' in the memo line. If you want wording other than ‘For blessings received’ in the Christmas bulletins, please email Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary at giving@allsoulsparish.org before December 18.
Worship With Us
Christmas Eve Services
4 pm - family-friendly service with Nativity Story
7* pm & 9* pm Carols and Candlelight Service with receptions following
(*Note: Rather than a 10:30 pm "Midnight Mass" service, we are having two Carols & Candlelight services.)
Christmas Morning Service
10 am Eucharist
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Advent for Children and Families
Advent is an opportunity for children and families to sink more deeply into spiritual community and practices. This year, we want to draw your attention to five particular ways that children can take part: our Advent Festival, Nativity Story, Sunday liturgy, caroling party, and Christmas Eve services. Email Emily+ (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org) if you’d like to be involved. Download our Children and Family Advent calendar here.
Christmas Eve Nativity Story Rehearsals
Rehearsals for our children’s Christmas Eve Nativity Story starts this coming Sunday, 11/30! Join us again on 12/7 & 12/14 from 9:15-10:15 am in the Godly Play Room. Plenty of roles and costumes for everyone! Email Emily+ emilyb@allsoulsparish.org to take part!
Sunday School: Sunday School (for kids pre-K through 5th grade) happens every week during the 10:30 service. Meet outside of the main Cedar St. doors at the start of the service; teachers will lead you around the corner to our temporary classroom space. (If you’re late, ask an usher for directions). Children return to church at the “Peace.”
To join our Children and Family mailing list, email Emily (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
YOUTH
Youth Group (for grades 6-12) generally happens each Sunday from 7-8:30pm.
Join us on Sunday evenings from 7-8:30 pm for games, art, reflection, and prayer. We alternate between a large, combined middle and high school group and a small high school-only group.
COMING UP:
Dec 14 - All Grades Holiday Youth Group
Dec 21 & 28 - No Youth Group - Winter Break
Jan 6 - 1st Youth Group of 2026
To join the weekly youth mailing list, email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
Serve With Us
JUSTICE & PEACE
Advent Ingathering 2025
During the four weeks of Advent, we collect donations for organizations that serve the wider community. Learn more about the work of these four service providers and how you can help each week.
Week 1: November 30th
The Berkeley Food Pantry has been serving the hungry in Berkeley and Oakland since 1969. BFP welcomes donations of packaged foods (NOT expired, damaged, or opened), and they love donations of produce and fruit from home gardens and yards. Popular foods and kitchen favorites often requested:
Canned meats such as tuna and chicken (low-sodium and low-fat)
Peanut butter
Shelf-stable tofu
Low sugar breakfast cereal
Canned soups (low-sodium)
Brown or white rice, pasta, and pasta sauce
Shelf-stable non-dairy milk such as soy, almond, and oat
Healthy snack foods for kids, such as low-sugar nutrition bars and dried fruit
Energy or snack bars for unhoused visitors
Cooking oil
Ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, and mayonnaise
Seasoning such as salt, pepper, herbs, spices, and garlic
Boxes of teabags
Ground coffee
$$$ Monetary donations. For each $1 you donate, BFP is able to purchase $7 worth of food! Make checks payable to All Souls Parish and include BFP in the memo section.
Week 2: December 7th
Elizabeth House is one of our Isaiah Project grantees. Please read the article above for more details on their important work.
For the ingathering, we are requesting that people bring one or more of the following items, which Elizabeth House will wrap and provide to the families at Christmas:
pajamas* for the children
socks for the children and for the mothers
board games (traditional and not electronic) that family members can play together
*Sizes needed are as follows: Infant 0-3 Months; Boys Toddler 9-12 Months; Girls 2T (Toddler) Boys 3T (Toddler); Girls 7; Girls 8; Boys 10; Boys 12.
Week 3: December 14th
American Indian Child Resource Center (AICRC) is an American Indian led, American Indian serving, community service organization whose mission is to “preserve and promote the cultural integrity of American Indian youth and their families.” Founded in 1974, AICRC provides culturally congruent services to American Indian children and families (e.g., culturally focused mental health services for children), recruits and trains American Indian foster parents/families, and prioritizes youth programming. AICRC is also one of four organizations chosen by the All Souls community to receive an Isaiah Project grant, which is being used to support their staffing needs. Another need is holiday gifts for children and youth who participate in AICRC programs.
With this in mind, we will be gathering holiday gift cards from Amazon or Target to give to AICRC children and youth.
Week 4: December 22nd
Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach (USMO) is a volunteer student organization at UC Berkeley focused on providing aid to Berkeley and Oakland homeless encampments. Each week, student volunteers go out to encampments and hand out food, hygiene supplies, medical supplies, and other requested items, such as clothing and desserts. They are committed to bridging the gap between the unhoused community and access to basic services and necessities.
They are requesting the following items, which are in especially high demand in the winter.
Tents
Petrol
Winter jackets
Camping stoves
Butane and propane
Socks
Underwear
Blankets
Gloves
Batteries (any type)
USMO also accepts monetary gifts through GoFundMe, at this link.
All Soups ‘N’ Such Cookbook
The All Soups ‘N’ Such Cookbook is ready for purchase! 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Berkeley Food Pantry. Get your copy (for a $20 gift) in the following ways:
via Realm (look under “registration events” or use the link in the Pathfinder)
during coffee hour (cash or check)
pick up one (or multiple copies!) at the Orinda Bookstore: 276 Village Square, Orinda
Question? See Cathy Goshorn.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…
TRILL SEEKERS CONCERT - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13TH at 5 pm
You are invited to hear Daniel King, All Soulsian and member of the a capella group from Cal called the Trill Seekers, performing in the Nave at 5 pm on Saturday, December 13th. Click here to see the flyer.
