From the Rector

Tears, of Joy

In the midst of a world that continues to reel from the heartbreak of the war in Ukraine, I write to you this morning with news of remarkable joy. After seven years of visions and dreams, planning and persistence, generosity and hard work, Jordan Court is coming alive.

In the past few weeks more than half of the residents have moved into their new homes, with the rest set to move in before month’s end. Thanks to the efforts of our welcoming team, the Rev. Marguerite Judson, Margaret Sparks, Mary Rees, Annie Rovzar, Michael Drell, and Jennifer Tung from SAHA, and the work of dozens of All Soulsians, we have had a welcome basket waiting for each resident as they moved in. And then, thanks to a gift from a donor outside of the parish, we have a houseplant for each resident the day that they move in.

I have had the privilege of bringing some of the plants over to the new Community Room in Jordan Court as some of the new residents are signing their leases. And it is hard to put into words the relief, giddiness and joy that has overflowed from our new neighbors. Now, there have been a lot of tears in the past several years of our common life, so it is incredible to be able to witness tears of joy.

Part of what has sustained me in this long and arduous process has been the belief that real, substantial good would come from our efforts to build affordable housing for elders. But up until now that belief has been somewhat intangible. Seeing the deep and profound joy in the eyes of our new neighbors has quite literally put a face on this hope. And that’s when the tears come, for me. Because the prayers we have held and acted upon are becoming real. 

And it hasn’t just been with our new neighbors. We are now just beginning to use the spaces that we too have dreamt of for years. The first meeting on the terrace overlooking the hills, the first class of visiting seminarians in the Community Room and on the terrace overlooking the Bay. And after decades of dreaming (and a couple of months of supply snarls), next week we will be moving our offices to Jordan Court, setting the stage for the next chapter of life in these rooms in the undercroft.

Then, this past Sunday evening, the first trips into the labyrinth began. Our youth walked the labyrinth, entering our Lenten practice of the pilgrim’s path, and beginning a practice that I hope will be held by parishioners and residents for a long, long time. I invite you this Sunday to join in the path, as the courtyard will be open around the services.

There will be more to come as we live into this new turn of life at All Souls Parish, Berkeley. But for today, I just want to share the good news, that in the words of the Psalmist, we who went out years ago bearing seeds for sowing have finally returned, carrying sheaves of joy.

Peace,

Phil+

The Pilgrim’s Path

Enjoying the Labyrinths at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve is a park in the East Bay Regional Park District that has many fascinating geological features. It is also home to the Mazzariello Labyrinth found in the bottom of one of the quarry pits in the park. Although this is the only officially sanctioned labyrinth in the park, there are several others hidden away in various parts of the park. The park map has 11 numbered stops in its self-guided tour of Rouond Top Volcanoes and those numbers can be helpful in locating the labyrinths. In the interest of keeping things a bit mysterious, we include the locations of three of the labyrinths and pictures of some others.  Dogs are welcome in the park and may be off leash in most places. 

The Mazzariello Labyrinth is located near the #2 marker in the park. Take the wide path down and explore!

There is a heart-shaped labyrinth located in a different quarry pit near the #5 marker.

The most easily accessible labyrinth is near marker #4:

Here are some of the other labyrinths in the park!

-Anne Yardley

From the Living Waters Campaign

Praying and growing together during Lent and Beyond

“…pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you”.  Thessalonians 3:1  

It is that time of year again where we turn our hearts toward the mystery of the Holy days of Jesus´ persecution and resurrection. There are many ways to enter into this journey. However, there is an extra journey we at All Souls are on with the Capital Campaign. In a way, All Souls is entering a time of resurrection, as funds and prayers are being gathered to revitalize our buildings and ministries for the next century. 

The Campaign is an opportunity to grow in faith and fellowship, and prayer is the backbone that will sustain our efforts. From now until Holy Week, you are invited to support the campaign with your ongoing prayers for the life and ministry of All Souls. We also invite you to write prayer petitions on the cards located in the Narthex, and place them in the box designated for it. These can be prayers that are personal to your life or to our communal life. You can also submit petitions online with this form.  There will also be opportunities to write prayer petitions during Soup and Story and other gatherings throughout Lent. These petitions will be shared (anonymously) and prayed for during the Prayer Vigil in Holy Week.

Every year, one of the ways All Souls prepares to enter the mystery of Easter, is by holding vigil in the Garden of Repose in the Chapel, just as Jesus and his disciples did before his crucifixion. This year, we will hold a 24-hour vigil, starting at the end of the evening Maundy Thursday service, and going through the night and day until the evening Good Friday service. We hope that you consider dedicating one hour of prayer, individually, with a friend or other group you are a part of at All Souls that you wish to come together to grow closer to God during these holy days. You can join the vigil in person or in your heart. You can sign up in the Narthex, online, or by contacting Nydia MacGregor (nydiamm@gmail.com).

In Memoriam

We are deeply saddened to share that Barbara Nelson has died. She will be remembered for her wry sense of humor, her behind the scenes service to our community as a sacristan, and her insights in the Thursday morning Bible Study. We will share information about her memorial service at Piedmont Gardens as it becomes available. In the meantime, please pray for Barbara, for her family and friends, and for this community as we mourn. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

We would also like to share that The Rev. Dr. Louis Weil has died. He served as Hodges-Haynes Professor of Liturgics at CDSP from 1988-2009, and has been a friend and mentor to many in the All Souls community over the years. As the announcement from CDSP stated, “His teaching and scholarship shaped countless students and had a profound impact on the theology and practice of the Episcopal Church.” May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Save the Dates

April 10, Palm Sunday

Holy Week: April 14, Maundy Thursday; April 15, Good Friday; April 16, Easter Vigil

April 17, Easter Sunday

Weekly Worship

Join us at 9am, in-person, outdoor service in the courtyard. This service will move indoors if the weather is below 40 degrees at 8:15a, if the AQI is over 150, or if there is rain.

Or (and!) join us indoors for the 11:15 service or on the live stream at 11:15a, which can be accessed through our website or by tuning into our All Souls Episcopal Parish Facebook page. Click here to watch on Sunday morning. At our 11:15 service, masks are required.

Then join us outdoors at 5p Sunday Night Service for a Eucharistic Service.

If you miss a Sunday, you can always catch the sermon on our homepage or as a podcast, anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Wednesday 9am Service

Join the Zoom call here, or join us in person in the Nave at 9a. Password: 520218. Masks are required for this service as it is indoors.

Living Waters: Renewal for our Second Century Capital Campaign

The Living Waters team invites you to visit (and bookmark) the new module of the All Souls website to keep track of our campaign efforts, https://allsoulsparishorg.dreamhosters.com/capital-campaign/. There you’ll find an overview, FAQs,  campaign calendar, resources, and general announcements about our effort. We also invite you to read our first newsletter, if you didn’t already see it in your inbox. We look forward to communicating with you through the website, email, print, and social media in the weeks ahead.

Adult Formation Classes

This Sunday

We have just three classes being offered this Sunday:

• Reading Between the Lines Bible Study @ 7:30a. Contact Kate Murphy, kmurphy2209@gmail.com to join that Zoom call.
• Reading Between the Lines Bible Study @ 10:10a. This Bible Study meets in the Chapel downstairs or on Zoom. Contact Daniel Prechtel, dprechtel1@gmail.com to join that Zoom call.
• Reconsidering Sin and Salvation with Dr. Scott MacDougall @10:10am.
  • March 13th – “Sin” – we will use that view of the human condition as a starting point for exploring what the concept of sin does and does not mean. Throughout the series, these reconsiderations will be based on scripture, theology, and the Anglican tradition, in conversation with our own lives and experiences.  Scott will be presenting in person in the Common Room and we will also be sharing this via zoom (click here to enter the Zoom call).

Children, Youth, and Family News

Join us this Sunday at 10:00am, for Sunday School! Children Pre-K-Grade 3 will meet downstairs in the Godly Play classroom. Grades 4-5 will meet upstairs in the Sunday school classroom.

Youth Group and Office Hours continue this Sunday for youth in grades 6-12. Meet in Maggie’s office at 10:00am for a donut and check-in, then join us for youth group from 7:00-8:30pm in the Parish Hall!

Other News & Notes

Online Giving

There is a super easy way to give to All Souls––for either a one-time donation or for your ongoing pledge––that is through an app called Vanco Mobile (what used to be called GivePlus). You can find this app through the app store on your phone. Once downloaded, search for All Souls Episcopal Parish and you’re in! If you’d prefer not to download the app, you can just as easily give online through our personalized online donation page by clicking here.

Stephen Ministry: Christ Caring for People through People

That’s the motto of Stephen Ministry. The Stephen Minister’s role is to bring God’s love into the lives of people who are going through a difficult time or experiencing a crisis. What do Stephen Ministers do? They listen, care, support, encourage, and pray with and for a person who is hurting. And in the midst of this confidential, one-to-one, caring relationship, God’s healing love comes pouring through.

If someone you know is facing a crisis—large or small—and could benefit from the caring presence of a Stephen Minister, talk to Rev Maggie Foote (maggie@allsoulsparish.org) or Stephen Ministry Leader Madeline Feely (madelinefeeley@gmail.com).  Our Stephen Ministers are ready to care for you!

Soulcast

Check out Season 5, Episode 11 and our new series on pilgrimage, with special guest, Peggy Patterson!

Meal Train

If you are able to help provide some meals for parishioners in need, please contact Cathy Goshorn to help out! We are in great need at this time to help care for each other––please consider helping other All Soulsians in need by providing meals or gift cards for meals. You can reach Cathy at ogoshca@yahoo.com.

Lenten Pilgrim’s Path Journey

It’s not too late to pick-up your journey through Lent. This year we’re using the image of a labyrinth on which to journey into Holy Week and Easter Sunday (the center of the labyrinth), and then out back into the world through the season of Easter, ending in Pentecost. You can journey with us using our 2022 Lenten Booklet, which provides daily prompts for reflection on this journey (click here to access the booklet).

Catechumenate

What is the Catechumenate? The Catechumenate is a class where we teach about the Episcopal Church in an attempt to give an idea of what this Episcopal church and faith tradition are about. Folks who take this class (called Catechumens) will learn from a number of thoughtful people in this community and hopefully get a glimpse of Episcopal theology, history, and structure, as well as how to use the Book of Common Prayer and some ideas on how to read the Bible. The class will meet on the six Sunday evenings of Lent (March 6-April 10) at 7p in person and on Zoom. All are welcome, even if you’ve been an Episcopalian for a long while. But, if you are looking for an introduction to this tradition or are hoping to be baptized (whenever that can happen), Confirmed, Received, or Reaffirmed into this tradition, this is most certainly the class you’ll want to take. I hope that many of you will join this year’s class as we attempt, together, to wrestle with what it means to be an Episcopal sort of Christian in our world. If you have any questions or would like to sign-up, you can write to Emily at emily@allsoulsparish.org.

Episcopal Summer Camps––Save the date!

Interested in Episcopal summer camps for your kids? While registration has not yet begun, the dates have been dropped. Check out the latest with all the dates and descriptions of camps!

The Bishop’s Ranch: click here

St. Dorothy’s Rest: click here

Associate for Music Position

As many of you know, Dr. Jamie Apgar, our beloved Associate for Music, will be leaving us this spring. The job posting for his position just went live today, click here to read about it (or pass it along to a potential candidate!). 

Adult Formation Committee wants your input!

The Adult Formation Committee is in early stages of planning for the summer reading group and the calendar for the 2022-2023 season. We would love to hear your ideas about:

1. What book or books might you recommend for the summer reading group?
2. What classes would you like to attend next year?

Suggestions of both topics and speakers are welcome!

Please send your ideas to Anne Yardley (ayardley@drew.edu) before March 7th. Thanks for helping to shape our communal learning opportunities!

The Sunday Night Service is on a podcast! 

One of the new attenders at our Sunday Night Service is the creator and host of a podcast! Over the last few months she has interviewed some of the core team for the Sunday Night Service and created a podcast series that ended up being about the new service here at All Souls! It’s quite an honor and it’s a well-done podcast, too. If you’re interested in hearing the life stories (or some of them) of Emily Hansen Curran, the Rev. Maggie Foote, and the genesis and impetus behind the new service, check out the whole podcast series! It’s called the Abbey Normal podcast (click here).

An Invitation from our friends at St. Paul’s AME

Dear All Souls Church Family and Community,

Praise God!

The P.E.S.W. and the 5th District A.M.E. Church Prayer Ministry invites you to join us for a Prayer Walk in Sacramento at the California State Capitol on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

We are inviting prayer walkers to pray on their feet for human rights, peace in Ukraine, voting rights, housing, education, and overall community, government and global issues.

This is an ecumenical gathering on the grounds of the California State Capital from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

All are welcome!

If you have any questions, please contact

the following St. Paul A.M.E. Church – Prayer Walk organizers:

Rev. Dorisalene Hughes, (619) 787-8883

or

Exhorter Grace Livingston-Nunley, (510) 220-5549

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” – Ephesians‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭(KJV‬‬)

Thanks and Blessings,

The St. Paul A.M.E. Church Prayer Ministry