From the Administrative Assistant

In Gratitude

I’ve always found goodbyes to be especially challenging, which is in part why I’ve waited until the last possible moment to write these words.  It’s a combination, I think, of feeling overwhelmed by the task of trying to express what these past few years of working at All Souls have meant to me, and the recognition that in leaving this place, things will change. I won’t get to experience the quiet comfort of running into Marilyn, or Jill, or Alan as I make my rounds throughout the property. I won’t get to belly laugh with Emily over a particularly slap-happy moment of a Zoom call about web design, or stop with Phil to admire the robins alighting the birch trees outside our office windows, or linger in the threshold of Dent’s doorway discussing our callings, or hug Breneta in the Jortyard (™ Annie Rovzar 2022, let my legacy live on), or pause to chat with some of Jordan Court residents about the Berkeley of their youth. 

As I sit here recalling so many wonderful moments from my time here, for as much as I’m sad to be leaving, above all, I feel so grateful to have walked with this community over the past few years. 

I stepped into this position just a few months shy of the pandemic. For everything that was unstable about our world, looking back, I realize that one of the few things I came to consistently count on during those uncertain years was how people showed up at All Souls, with and for each other, global pandemic and all. It was something of a miracle, really, to see all the forces of this community that rallied to make church happen when just waking up into the fog of another interminable pandemic day felt like a feat. If that’s not evidence of the Spirit at work, I don’t know what is. 

I’ve been so touched by the kindness, generosity, and commitment of All Soulsians during my time here, and for all the ways you’ve each made working here a total delight. I want to thank Jill Churchman and Kaki Logan for lending a helping hand in so many different ways. From organizing the Ole’ Diggers to clear out the Parish House to filling in for me when I’ve been away, it was a blessing to have your support. Martin Ortega, thank you for making my job so much easier and for being a true steward of our property. Thanks to Charlie Myers for rescuing me from the insanity of trying to figure out how to set up the internet in our new offices. Thank you to Suzanne Nelson for being at the ready to tend to our landscaping. Thank you to every parishioner who stopped by the office and brightened my day with a visit. It has been a joy to serve as your administrative assistant!

To the staff: Emily, Phil, Maggie, Liz, Jamie, Dent, Steve, Scott, Betty (and Michael!), thank you for your patience and grace with the countless bulletin typos–more seriously though, thank you for caring so much about this community and each other, for making me feel so at home on the team, and for making work such a meaningful and hilarious place to be. I will miss you all dearly.

I’m headed to the Redwoods Monastery at the beginning of August for a  month-long monastic internship program to discern where God might be calling me next. Lately I keep thinking of lines from this Levertov poem about annunciations, “those moments when roads of light and storm open from darkness”, and I find myself at such a moment, eager and anxious and trusting that God is preparing something new in me. 

Please keep me in your prayers, and know that I will be holding you all in my heart and prayers as well. May this community continue to keep turning towards God’s light, growing in communion with one another along the way. 

One last thing–I would like to take this opportunity to officially instate myself as the unofficial Camino companion in residence (well, let’s call it a low residency for the time being!) I’ve loved chatting with many of you who’ve made the journey or plan to, and am happy to continue being a resource for anyone looking to make the journey. 

My personal email is annierovzar@gmail.com, don’t hesitate to reach out, for Camino talk or otherwise! 

In gratitude, 

Annie

From the Rector

Vaya Con Dios

There are times along the road of life when you receive more that you possibly could have expected. The last nearly four years with Annie Rovzar has been one of those times. Back in the fall of 2019 we knew that Annie was a quick learner and would be able to publish our bulletins without much trouble at all. We also had a sense that she had a kind and thoughtful presence with many kinds of people. And we quickly saw that she was able to work well with boiler mechanics, pest removal specialists, door guys, painters, and fire suppression technicians. So early on it was very apparent that Annie was qualified (in truth, over-qualified) for the parts of the position that we had posted.

But what we did not know and have been graced to learn are all of the gifts that she has offered All Souls Parish that were not in the job description. Foremost among those gifts being the expansiveness of her spiritual life and the skill and depth with which she is able to communicate the trust she has with God. Time and time again Annie led us to a closer walk with Christ­­––whether it was in her meditations in our Lenten devotional booklets, her work on our seasonal Prayers of the People, or in an Advent Taize testimonial. (I still have an image in my mind of Annie sitting on a bench on the Camino in Spain talking with Jesus) She has helped guide and shape much of our collective spiritual life, all with a remarkable ease, a keen sense of humor, and a consistently open heart.

The myriad who have interacted with All Souls through the Parish Office (All Soulsians needing help with funerals and bulletins and keys, 12 step groups and others who use our spaces, Jordan Court staff and residents, Heart’s Leap staff and families) will miss Annie’s presence and attention. I can also speak on behalf of those of us who have been on the staff of All Souls––Liz, Maggie, Emily, Jamie, Dent, Steve, Betty, and Scott––that it has been a gift to have Annie at the hub of our common life. We will be praying for God’s guidance and grace wherever the path next takes her.

Vaya con Dios, Annie!


Phil+

Campout Reflection

Put your roots down, put your feet on the ground

You can hear the earth sing if you listen

The sound of the river, as it moves across the stones, is like the sound of the blood in your body as it moves across your bones

Are you listening?

These lyrics, from a simple song Emily taught us during Sunday worship at last weekend’s Big Sur Campout, have become the best kind of earworm for me since we’ve returned home. They’ve invited me to recall the sound of the rushing Big Sur river that ran alongside our campsite and to try to re-create the sense of calm and connection I felt for two glorious days in the woods with 30 other All Soulsians (and a couple of very good dogs) of all ages.

Without cell phones, work concerns, or electricity, we could do the careful, holy work of listening.

…to the trees swaying in the breeze and the hushed, reassuring sounds of a camp full of people going to sleep exhausted and waking up the next day bleary but ready for the day

…to a crackling campfire and heated debates about the best type of marshmallow for a S’more (Are you Team Charred or Team Golden?)

…to morning prayers and evening songs that, somehow, we all knew the words to

…to the whoops of children of all ages floating the river in innertubes over and over and over

…to stories told by an expert storyteller and the shrieks of delight from his littlest listeners

…to tales of hiking adventures and mishaps recounted over a delicious dinner that seemed to have limitless courses

…to new friends and familiar ones

…and to the cares and concerns of those who’d made the trip

It was great to be the church in this beautiful stretch of God’s creation near a river whose waters running over the stones remind us to listen to the earth sing. I can’t wait for next year!

~Melissa Devereaux

 

Building Bridges Tisha B’Av

Continuing our collective practice of praying together, Congregation Beth El has invited All Souls and St. Paul AME to join them for the observation of Tisha B’Av at Congregation Beth El, on Wednesday July 26th from 7-8:30p, in person and on Zoom. On that day, the 9th (tisha) day of the month of Av, Jews around the world make space to remember, to mourn, and to pray.

Please join us online or at Congregation Beth El (1301 Oxford Street) on Wednesday, July 26th to continue building bridges with Congregation Beth El and St. Paul AME. Together we will listen, remember, sing, share, and pray.

Tisha B’Av Zoom Link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84585613144?pwd=cnoxTVBXMlMvMXl3VEVrS0dPZkNWQT09 

Meeting ID: 845 8561 3144

Passcode: 731913

Save the Dates

  • August 19, All Souls at the As game
  • August 27, Homecoming & Blessing of the Backpacks
  • September 15-17, Parish Retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch

Weekly Worship

Join us for worship this week:

  • 8am, contemplative Eucharist (in Chapel) 
  • 10:30am, sung Eucharist (click here to access the live stream)
  • 5p, the Sunday Night Service, is on summer break!

You can access the live stream through our website or by tuning into our All Souls Episcopal Parish Youtube page. Click here to watch on Sunday morning. 

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.

Formation

Adult Formation Classes

  • Reading Between the Lines Bible Study @ 7:00a. Click here to join by Zoom, or join them in-person in the Common Room.
  • Reading Between the Lines Bible Study @ 9:15a. On break for the summer.
  • Summer Book Group #2 – The Meal That Reconnects: Eucharistic Eating and the Global Food Crisis by Mary E. McGann, Led by Ruth Meyers In The Meal That Reconnects, Dr. Mary McGann, RSCJ, invites readers to a more profound appreciation of the sacredness of eating, the planetary interdependence that food and the sharing of food entails, and the destructiveness of the industrial food system that is supplying food to tables globally. She presents the food crisis as a spiritual crisis—a call to rediscover the theological, ecological, and spiritual significance of eating and to probe its challenge to Christian eucharistic practice. Drawing on the origins of Eucharist in Jesus’s meal fellowship and the worship of early Christians, McGann invites communities to reclaim the foundational meal character of eucharistic celebration while offering pertinent strategies for this renewal. The book is divided into three sections so we will plan to talk about Part I on July 9th, Part II on July 16th and Part III on July 23rd.

Children, Youth, and Family News

Nursery The downstairs nursery is open and available to you for your use whenever you’re at All Souls. This is not a staffed nursery, so an adult must be there with your child, but if you need a quiet place to take a time out, change a diaper, let your child play or take a rest, the nursery is open for you to do all of those things. If there is a service going on that’s being livestreamed, you will be able to watch the livestream on the computer in the nursery as well.

Side Chapel There is a special seating area located in the side chapel that is meant for children and families, giving children a clear view of the altar, and full of materials with which they can immerse themselves in the actions of the liturgy. All are welcome and encouraged to check it out!

Sunday School On break for the summer!

Youth Sunday morning hang outs and youth group are on hold for the summer.

Other News & Notes

Sunday Night Service on Summer Break

The core team for the Sunday Night Service has decided to have the weekly worship services for the Sunday Night Service take a summer break (with the rest of you!). We’re going to take this time off and devote some of our energy to relaxing and making some plans for the future. 

Though we’ll take a break from our Sunday gatherings, we’ll still meet up this summer for:

  • Beer garden hang outs, June 28th and July 26th at Westbrae Biergarten in Berkeley.
  • A family dinner in August. This will be a Storytelling Dinner meets Family Meeting. Stay tuned for more details in July!

Homecoming

Save the date for August 27th when we’re transforming what has been Rally Sunday into Homecoming––complete with a taco truck and bounce house (yes, you read that right)! The Blessing of the Backpacks will also happen this day in the courtyard just after the 10:30 service when all the other festivities will also begin. Feel free to invite your friends!

New Member Class

If you’ve been hanging around All Souls for some time and would like to learn about what it means to be a member here, or if you’re new and wondering about learning more about All Souls, please join us for our two-series New Member Class August 20 & 27th during the Adult Formation Hour (9:15a). See Emily (emily@allsoulsparish.org) for more information.

Next Summer Book Group (starts next week!) July 30th, August 6th, and August 13th

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Led by Emily McDonald

The Red Tent is the story of Dinah, a minor character in the book of Genesis, chapter 34. The brief episode in which she appears is usually referred to as the “rape of Dinah,” a violent episode that has posed difficulties for biblical scholars over the centuries. Dinah does not say a single word in the biblical text; what happens to her is recounted and characterized by her brothers. The Rent Tent Gives voice to Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, and brings life and story to her more biblically famous brothers.  Although the book is painful to read at times, as some of Dina’s story is tragic, it is well written and a quick read that will astonish you and educate you about the historical context of Dina’s life.  The book will no doubt bring about a lively discussion, as any time we talk about the Old Testament, there are lots of thoughts and feelings… And the author does an elegant job of outlining some of the historically accurate disturbing practices of the time.  The Red Tent is essential reading for the curious Christian.  Please consider attending the 3 week book group where we will discuss the novel along with 1 optional supplemental scholarly article per session. 

All Souls’ Author Event

Our very own Tess Taylor has just published Leaning Toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands That Tend Them, a new edited book of poems, and we are all invited to head out to the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden on August 24th from 5:30-7p to hear an amazing array of poets (including Tess) who will be reading their poems. Tickets are selling fast, and you can get them on the Berkeley Botanical Garden homepage (here).

Last Call for Baseball

Thinking about our All Souls night at the ballpark this year, I keep hearing the chorus of that old Stones song, “This could be the last time, Maybe the last time, I don’t know, oh no, oh no….”  Well, we don’t know if this is the last time but let’s do it one more time.  It’s been part of life at our parish for over 15 years.  And I remind you, it has never been about the quality of the team on the field.  Celebrating summer, celebrating our community life, some purely non-church fun with your church friends.

The windup, the Pitch:  Saturday August 19, A’s vs Orioles, 6:07pm game time, 4:45pm tailgate party in the Coliseum lot with the usual great spread of food & bev, with each Soulsian receiving a 1973 replica jersey of the World Champion A’s, AND following the game a Star Wars Drone Show lighting up the sky.

$35/pp, PayPal / Venmo strongly preferred, RSVP by July 31, don.a.gates@gmail.com.

Don Gates

Please join us for the First Annual Episcopal Impact Fund Volunteer Day

We are thrilled to invite YOU, our amazing community, to a special volunteer opportunity with our grantee, City Hope. On Saturday, July 22, we will serve breakfast to residents of the Tenderloin at the City Hope Community Center. We hope you’ll join us as we give back and connect to the needs of those around us.

Episcopal Impact Fund Volunteer Day – City Hope Breakfast

What: Serve a delicious home cooked breakfast, restaurant-style, to residents in the Tenderloin

When: Saturday, July 22, 2023
Time: 8:00-10:00am, volunteers arrive at 7:30am

Where: City Hope Community Center: 45 Olive Street, San Francisco

Space is limited.