The Pathfinder: April 23rd, 2026
The Common Cup
“Though we are many, we are one body because we all share one bread and one cup.”
With these words, we send a lay eucharistic minister to bring communion to a member of the congregation who is ill or in care and unable to be present at the Sunday service. Yet our practice of sharing “one cup” has changed significantly in recent years, and our statement is as much aspirational as it is lived experience.
The practice of sharing a common cup is ancient, extending back to the earliest Christian communities and to Jesus's last supper with his disciples, when he took a cup, blessed it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Drink this, all of you.” In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul commented: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16).
During the Middle Ages, the belief that the wine becomes Jesus’s blood during the eucharist came to be taken more and more literally. Out of fear of spilling even a drop of the blood of Jesus, lay people ceased to receive the consecrated wine at all.
The Protestant Reformers during the sixteenth century insisted on restoring the common cup to the laity. Martin Luther condemned the practice of withholding the cup from the laity. In a 1548 “Order of the Communion,” the church in England directed the priest to “bless and consecrate the biggest Chalice or some fair and convenient Cup or Cups full of Wine, with some Water put unto it. And that day not drink it up all himself, but [take] one only sup or draught.” After centuries of the priest alone receiving the cup, specific instructions were needed!
With the emergence of germ theory in the latter half of the nineteenth century, some churches of the Reformation began to change their practices, shifting to the use of individual cups. But Episcopalians continued to share a common cup. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer directs that there be only one chalice on the altar during the Great Thanksgiving, with an additional flagon of wine from which additional chalices may be filled after the bread is broken. Even though there may be several cups from which people drink, the Prayer Book assumes that people will share these common cups.
The COVID pandemic forced us – All Soulsians, other Episcopal churches, and every church that was using a common cup – to change our practice. At a time when millions were dying and medical experts were still coming to understand the disease, that was an essential decision. After we were able to return to in-person worship, we first received only the bread, then began offering wee chalices for individual use, and later added the common cup. Renae Breitenstein reminded us of this recent history in her Pathfinder article in March.
As I have traveled around the church and talked with clergy colleagues in recent years, I have seen various practices. Some congregations offer only a common cup, others only individual cups, still others offer both options (as does All Souls), and some offer only intinction, in which the bread is dipped into the wine and then eaten.
From my perspective as a scholar and teacher of liturgy, the common cup is preferable to individual cups. It is a significant symbol of our shared participation in the body of Christ, and there is strong historical precedent, particularly in the insistence of the 16th-century Reformers that laity be able to share the cup.
But there is also a medical question: is it safe to share a common cup? Knowing that I am not qualified to answer that question, I reached out to Matt Willis, who was the public health officer in Marin County from 2013-2024 (including during the COVID pandemic) and writes the Your Local Epidemiologist in California Substack. I asked him about medical risks of sharing a common cup for communion.
Dr. Willis’s answer was reassuring. Drinking from a common cup is no more risky than other practices like shaking hands, shopping, traveling, being with friends. Several of our practices with the chalice help mitigate risk: the silver cup itself, wiping the rim of the chalice, rotating the cup after a person sips from it, the alcohol in the wine. Common sense suggests refraining from drinking when you have a sore throat or viral symptoms. And someone who is immune-compromised needs to exercise greater caution.
A study by a Canadian Anglican physician, David Gould, during the AIDS epidemic, came to a similar conclusion. Dr. Gould also discouraged the practice of intinction, that is, dipping the bread into the wine (which is not customary at All Souls) because it can be more risky – hands are more likely to be a source of infection than lips.
Both Dr. Gould and Dr. Willis point out that no published studies have found a common cup to be culprit in the spread of infection. Both reassure us that sharing communion from a common cup is no more risky that than other daily activities that bring us into contact with other people.
So I invite you to reflect on your own practice as you receive communion. How does our practice help us embody our belief that “though we are many, we are one body because we all share one bread and one cup”?
–The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers
Belonging at All Souls: Join Our Membership Class
You are welcome at All Souls no matter your membership status. For many, becoming a member is a meaningful outward sign of commitment—a way to formally mark your journey with this parish family and engage with the All Souls community in a deeper way.
Whether you are a brand-new visitor or have been participating in the life of the parish for months, we invite you to join our upcoming Newcomer and New Member Class.
What to Expect
Over four weeks, you will journey with a cohort of others exploring what it means to be a member at All Souls Parish and how our community fits into the tapestry of the broader expression of the Christian tradition. We will dive into key topics including:
Our Shared Life: How we learn and serve together.
Worship: Exploring our common Episcopal practices.
Spirituality: How we experience God in our daily lives.
The Path Forward: Understanding Baptism, Confirmation, serving, and practicing generosity.
At the conclusion of the class, those who wish to formally join the parish will have the opportunity to do so during a New Member Ceremony.
Class Details
Dates: May 3, 10, 17, and 24 (Four Sundays)
Time: 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM (The Teaching Hour)
Location: The Downstairs Common Room
Teachers: The Rev. Rachel Dykzeul, the Rev. Emily Boring, and the Rev. Phil Brochard
No need to RSVP—just join us! We can’t wait to welcome you. Please reach out to Mother Rachel for questions rachel@allsoulsparish.org
–Mother Rachel
Stations of the Resurrection
The forty days between Easter and Pentecost are filled with profound awe and amazing encounters between Jesus and his followers. The terrifying sight of an empty tomb, the ghostlike presence of a stranger on the road to Emmaus, the humility of Thomas as he admits his doubt, and the brilliant ascension and withdrawal into heaven.
This year we are invited to hear from those in our own community as they volunteer to give us the gift of poetry. We are blessed with distinct and beautiful voices from within our church family. Please take a meditative walk around the columns when you get a chance, and you will recognize people sitting near to you as we worship together.
–Diane Haavik
Connect with an immigrant family
"Immigrants are regular people, of course.” This is what Lika, the director of the shelter I visited last year, said to me as I was preparing to return home. Immigrants are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances who must leave their homes, often because to remain would be life-threatening.
This drawing was done in 2019 by a young man as he waited in a shelter in the US. He was hoping to join a sponsor after being incarcerated and then released at the border by ICE. The prompt was "Draw What You Love."
In talking with the people in the shelter, the most common reason they gave for leaving their homes was gang violence. But a variety of other reasons compel people to take such a difficult step— to leave home, family, and friends to begin life anew far from everything they know. And when they arrive, they can neither work nor drive legally.
Have you been wanting to help an immigrant family but don’t how? In the Adult Formation hour this Sunday, Nadia Tavera Medina from IM4HI will tell us about their accompaniment program and explain how we can help.
You (or a group of All Soulsians) could become part of a team to accompany one immigrant or immigrant family for 3 to 6 months as they integrate into life in the Bay Area. IM4HI coordinates teams to help immigrants gain access to resources for food, housing, transportation, legal assistance, education, and socialization. As a team member, you would help with coordinating one limited aspect of a person’s needs. This system makes helping manageable.
To learn more about this invaluable and innovative accompaniment program, come learn with the ASEP Justice and Peace team in the Common Room at 9:15 am. This opportunity could change your life!
–Kaki Logan on behalf of the Justice and Peace Team
Building Interfaith Bridges
In this season of spring festivals and sacred meals, members of all three congregations will come together to break bread, build and deepen the connections among us, and learn about some of one another’s rituals of sacred meals.
We’ll learn from the senior clergy of each community about the Eucharist, Communion, challah, and the Passover Seder, and we’ll share our own experiences of meaning in connection with these rituals. Building Interfaith Bridges invites you to this discussion entitled Rituals of Sacred Meals, featuring clergy of Congregation Beth El, St. Paul’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, and All Souls Parish.
Date: Sunday, April 26 at 11:45, beginning with a potluck lunch and continuing with the program from 12:45 to 2:15.
Location: Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford Street.
In keeping with the theme, lunch will be provided. Please RSVP here. We look forward to seeing you there.
–Bonnie Bishop, Priscilla Camp, Paul Mathew, and Kim Wong ASP BIB Council members
Let them know that We are All in this Together
What is in the minds of the people walking into their immigration court hearings in Concord where we stand vigil once a month? Will they be arrested? Sent to prison? Deported to a country they do not know?
Or wait indefinitely once again with no certainty in sight?
By our presence we hope to offer them encouragement, letting them know they are not alone.
If you’d like to come, we will be sure you have a carpool, a songbook, a stole, and a sign to hold, if you like. The reward is the look on the faces of those entering, or their smile, or a grateful wave, or even just an appreciative nod. One of our clergy persons is always present.
We vigil April 28th, the 4th Tuesday of the month from 7:30 - 9:30 am. If you are able to come, you will be glad you did.
If this would be your first vigil in Concord, please call Kris Starr-Witort (510-759-3237) or Kaki Logan (510-367-9416) or email AllSoulsImmigrationMinistry@gmail.com.
–Kaki Logan
Announcements & Events
Thursday (TONIGHT)
5:30 pm, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room.
Sunday
7 am, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
8 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
9:15 am, Adult Formation classes in the Chapel and Common Room.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the Godly Play room.
11:45 am, Building Interfaith Bridges Event “Rituals of Sacred Meals” at Congregation Beth El.
12 noon, Coffee Hour in the Courtyard
12:30 pm, Pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral
Monday
Spaghetti Again Men’s Dinner at 6 pm in the Parish Hall.
Tuesday
Taize Service at 8 pm in the Chapel. These Spring services will run until May 19th.
Wednesday
9 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
IN MEMORIAM
It is with heavy hearts that we share that Howard Perdue died this afternoon, Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 in El Cerrito. Please keep Martha and his entire family in your prayers in the days to come. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MARSHA THOMAS-THOMPSON - MAY 2nd
You are invited to join us at All Souls on Saturday, May 2nd at 2 pm in the Nave for Marsha Thomas-Thompson’s memorial service. If you are unable to attend in person, the service will be live streamed. Please click here to join the service. There will be a reception immediately following in the Parish Hall.
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR KATE MURPHY - MAY 14th
It is with heavy hearts that we share that Kate Murphy, beloved of St. Aidan's, San Francisco, All Souls, Berkeley, and Christ Church, Alameda, died on Tuesday of this week. Kate and her wife Angela were stalwarts of our early service and bible study for many years. A Service of the Resurrection will be held at Christ Church, Alameda on May 14th at 2:30 pm. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
Worship With Us
TAIZE TUESDAYS
Each Tuesday, from 8-8:30 pm, we hold a community-led program of silent meditation, prayer, and chants from the Taize tradition. The spring series will run through Tuesday, May 19th.
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Sunday School (for kids pre-K through 5th grade) happens every week during the 10:30 service. We follow Godly Play, an approach to spiritual formation that features storytelling, hands-on learning, and wondering. Shortly after the service starts, children follow a teacher, carrying a cross, downstairs to the classroom and return to church at the “Peace.”
To join our Children and Family mailing list, email Emily (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
YOUTH
5th Annual Pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral - April 26th
This coming Sunday, All Soulsians and people from across DioCal, will travel by train, foot, and ferry to Grace Cathedral. We'll depart All Souls at 12:30 pm, take Bart to Oakland, cross the Bay on a ferry, and walk up the hill for dinner and evensong (6pm) at the Cathedral. We will return to All Souls by around 7:30pm. Questions? Click here to email Emily+.
Youth Group (for grades 6-12) generally happens each Sunday from 7-8:30 pm.
Join us on Sunday evenings from 7-8:30 pm for games, art, reflection, and prayer. We alternate between a middle and high school group with some all-grades events.
COMING UP:
April 26 - 12:30-7:30 pm Pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral! This is happening in place of our normal group meeting.
May 3 - High School Small Group
To join the weekly youth mailing list, email Emily (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
Diocesan Confirmations & Receptions - May 2nd
Are you interested in being Confirmed and/or Received into the Episcopal Church? DioCal is offering a service at Grace Cathedral on Saturday, May 2nd at 10:00 a.m. Several All Soulsians are taking part, and we would love to help you discern whether this feels like the next step on your journey of faith. Email Emily+ for more information and to register (deadline is April 25th).
Gather With Us
BUILDING INTERFAITH BRIDGES: RITUALS OF SACRED MEALS - April 26th
See the article above for all of the details. Please RSVP here!
BEER GARDEN MEET UP - April 30th
One Thursday a month, All Soulsians meet up at a different beer garden to connect - for a drink, a bite, a chat, a game, etc. Beer gardens are ideal because they have plenty of family-friendly, outdoor space and are casual enough that anyone can drop by for a spell as they are able. This is an all-ages, intergenerational event—we would love to see everyone there!
April Location: Headlands Brewery, 1280 Gilman St, North Berkeley
ALL SOULS PARISH ANNUAL CAMPING TRIP - July 17th–19th
Registration is now open! Join us for a weekend of togetherness at our private spot on the river behind the Big Sur River Inn. Whether you want to float downstream, let the kids splash in the swimming hole, or chat under the stars, it’s a sweet time for all.
Where? Santa Lucia Campground, Big Sur
Everyone is welcome: Invite a friend and get your tent ready!
Early Bird Option: Limited spots are available to arrive one day early (July 16th).
Sign Up: Register on REALM or on the sheet in the narthex.
Volunteer: We need help with campfires and activities! Click here to email Mother Rachel and to lend a hand.
Learn With Us
ADULT FORMATION
Immigration: A Faithful Response - Common Room*
*Please note the change in location.
The Rev. Deborah Lee and other staff members of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (https://www.im4humanintegrity.org/) will be with us to share their expertise and experience. IM4HI is a group that the Justice and Peace committee has supported for many years. Their core beliefs are: Welcome the stranger. Treat the stranger as your own. Compassion knows no borders. Love has no walls. They work at the intersection of spirituality and social movements. In this series, we will also celebrate the work that All Soulsians have done around immigration and look at the current opportunities for action.
Sunday April 26, we will host Nadia Tavera Medina of IM4HI. She will share information about their Nueva Esperanza Accompaniment Teams (NEAT) Program which provides six months of commitment to a newcomer family or individual.
Imaginative Prayer in the Ignatian Tradition - Chapel*
*Please note the change in location.
In the class on Imaginative Prayer in the Ignatian Tradition, Annie Hayes will lead an exploration of this great practice. Using our imaginations to dig deeper into scripture allows God to communicate with us in a personal, evocative way. We’ll dive into a Gospel story and spend an extended amount of time prayerfully immersing ourselves in the scene. The last 15-20 minutes of class will offer time for individual and group reflection on the prayer experience we just had. So whether your experience of Holy Week and Easter is leading you towards social action or deeper contemplation, we hope you will join us. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Anne Yardley (ayardley@drew.edu).
COMING UP IN ADULT FORMATION
Belonging at All Souls: Newcomer & Membership Class
Are you new to All Souls or looking to deepen your commitment to this community? Join us for a four-week journey exploring our worship, our shared life, and what it means to call this parish home. The class meets Sundays in May (3, 10, 17, and 24th) from 9:15–10:15 AM in the Downstairs Common Room. No RSVP required—all are welcome!
Isaiah Project Class
Join us on May 3rd and 10th at 9:15 am as the Isaiah Project team will update us on the work of the grant recipients. Look for more information in next week's Pathfinder!
BIBLE STUDY GROUPS
All Souls hosts two weekly Bible Study Classes each week. In addition to our Sunday morning group (meets from 7-8 am), we are now offering another group on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30 pm. Both groups meet in our Common Room and use the Reading Between the Lines curriculum. Join us! Drop-ins are always welcome, too!
Justice & Peace Events and Resources
The Justice & Peace Ministry is highlighting five events this week. For more information, email Jenny Kern at Jenkernesq@gmail.com.
Please send prospective calendar items to Jenny Kern Jenkernesq@gmail.com.
IMMIGRATION
Event: Stop Ice Warehouse Detention - National Day of Action for disappeared in America
Location: 2060 Monument Blvd. Concord
Date and Time: Saturday, April 25, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
https://www.mobilize.us/freedomoverfascism/event/941982/
Event: Concord Immigration Court Vigil
Location:1855 Gateway Blvd.Concord
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 28 7:30-9:30am
Contact: Kaki Logan kaki.logan@gmail.com 510-367-9416
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Come celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day by helping to plant trees with assistance from City of Berkeley staff. See below for event details. All are welcome. Registration required.
Event: Arbor Day tree planting at the Berkeley Waterfront
Location: Shorebird Nature Center, 160 University Avenue
Date and time: Saturday, April 25th from 9:30 am–1 pm
Contact person: Lewis Maldonado lewiscm@mac.com
Bay Resistance
Event: Berkeley May Day solidarity march and rally with Bay Resistance
Location: 11 AM March, 2300 Ellsworth Way
11:30 -12:30 PM Rally, 2151 Martin Luther King Way
https://www.bayresistance.org/
Indivisible East Bay
Event: Dance for Democracy with Indivisible East Bay
Location: Strawberry Creek Park 1260 Addison Way, Berkeley, CA 94702
Date and Time: May 1, 5 to 6 PM ( and all Fridays)
Sign up or just show up:
Stay Informed and Take Action with the Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations represents the church’s priorities to the US government in Washington, DC, and offers several ways to connect to their work:
Weekly network calls, Thursdays 10-10:30 am Pacific time, provide information about current events, policy developments, and legislation coming before Congress. Register here.
Weekly immigration update, Tuesdays, 10-10:30 am Pacific time. Register here.
Weekly prayers, released every Friday, prayed aloud on Mondays at 8:45 am Pacific time, name concerns, offer prayer for those who are vulnerable, and seek God’s guidance as we respond. More information here.
Global Partnership monthly calls, 1st Wednesday of the month, 10-11 am Pacific time, consider how the church can address human needs, engage in peacebuilding, and build healthy, mutual relationships. Register here.
Take action by writing to your legislators and other government officials, with Action Alerts. Learn more and sign up here.
Serve With Us
Coffee hour isn’t just about coffee and cookies—it’s about community. After worship, we gather not only to enjoy a bite to eat but also to welcome newcomers, catch up with friends, and strengthen the bonds that make our parish family so special. To keep this ministry thriving, we invite everyone to take part, as they are able.
Each week, we ask a few parishioners to bring refreshments—homemade treats, fruit, or simple snacks—to share. Your contributions help make our hospitality warm and abundant. Please click the Coffee Hour Sign-Up link to support this ministry. We ask for someone to lend a hand (literally) as “host” in support of Scott, and folks to provide some treats (enough to feed 10-15).
Your help will make coffee hour a joyful expression of Christian community and welcome!
Open Door Dinner makes a warm jambalaya meal on the second Sunday of every month for anyone who is hungry. Teams of All Soulsians and friends take turns cooking and delivering. Email Jennifer A. (akiyama.jennifer@gmail.com) if you’d like to help!
Food Bank collection is active for the Good Shepherd Food Pantry. Please bring non-perishable food on Sundays and use the baskets in the Narthex. We also need drivers to deliver food. If you want to help, click here to e-mail Cathy G.
Meal Train delivers food to others. If you are in need of meals or if you’d like to join this team to deliver to others, click here to email Sarah O.
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. They are especially seeking donations of the following items:
Waterproof tarps
Bottled water, or water filtration devices
Clothing, particularly large shoes, socks, and jackets/sweaters
Hygiene supplies and toiletries, particularly wet wipes, toothbrushes, soap
Menstrual pads and diapers
Please bring these donations to the red bin in the Narthex. Click here to email Beth Christensen for donation and other direct volunteer opportunities with USMO.
Everything Else
Volunteer with Episcopal Impact Fund - April 23rd (TONIGHT)
Episcopal Impact Fund is proud to partner with Christ Episcopal Church Alameda in supporting their weekly overnight shelter for unhoused neighbors. This vital ministry offers more than a safe place to sleep—it creates dignity, connection, and care while building meaningful relationships in our community.
You're invited to come together in this shared work by helping provide a warm, nourishing meal for 30+ guests. Join us in preparing a simple, hearty menu of chili, cornbread, salad, and dessert. Cook at home, drop it off, or coordinate a pick-up—however you participate, you’re making a real impact.
Thursday, April 23 | 6:00 PM | Christ Episcopal Church, Alameda
Together, we can show up for our neighbors—with warmth, dignity, and love.
WOODS TO WAVES- MAY 2nd
To learn more about this fundraiser for St. Dorothy’s Rest, click here to see the flyer. All funds raised during Woods to Waves go to support St. Dorothy's Hospital Camp. Hospital Camp is offered each summer in partnership with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital to youth who have undergone transplant surgery.
