From the Associate Rector
A Sacramental Worldview
Today, June 15th, the Episcopal Church commemorates Evelyn Underhill, Mystic and Writer, who died in 1941.
A Great Cloud of Witnesses, The Episcopal Church’s calendar of commemorations of saints. Has this to day about her:
“Evelyn Underhill’s most valuable contribution to spiritual literature must surely be her conviction that the mystical life is not only open to a saintly few, but to anyone who cares to nurture it and weave it into everyday experience, and also (at the time, a startling idea) that modern psychological theories and discoveries, far from hindering or negating spirituality, can actually enhance and transform it.”
While I don’t know much about Evelyn Underhill, I find myself resonating with this sentiment: that the Spiritual life is for everyone, and it can be accessed in any time and place. It’s not just for extra-special holy people, and it’s not just for special times set apart from everyday life. In seminary, I learned about this concept as having a “sacramental worldview,” meaning that everything in life can be holy, and sacramental, when the person experiencing it maintains a spiritual discipline and commitment to seeing the world this way.
I particularly learned about this concept in a text book assigned by our very own Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, called La Vida Sacra: Contemporary Hispanic Theology, by James Empereur and Eduardo Fernandez. Among other things, this book talks about popular religion in Latino/Hispanic contexts, Empereur and Fernandez say this about popular religion:
“In popular religion there is an integration of the sacred and the secular. Other cultures can learn from popular religion how God is operative in all of human experience.”
On Monday, some of our high school youth and I, along with Toni Martinez Borgfeldt, Teresa Munoz, and Michael Drell will be traveling to Mexico on an immersion trip. While we are there, we will broaden our understanding of what it means to be a part of the Anglican Communion, as well as learn about life in a predominantly Catholic country. A big part of this will be learning about popular religion, and the way that culture; art, music, and the stuff of life, are infused with sacramental meaning. My hope is that by experiencing this in another culture, we will learn to look at the stuff of our own lives in a new way, and begin to see them as suffused with God’s grace and love for us.
I look forward to seeing how God shows up for us in our travels, and I ask your prayers for our safety as we travel. We look forward to sharing with you all when we return home.
If you would like to financially contribute to this trip, we would greatly appreciate your support! Checks can be mailed to All Souls, or put in the offering plate on Sunday morning with “High School Immersion Trip” in the memo line.
Thank you!
Maggie+
Reflection from a Confirmand
Confirmation – Finally Ready
About seven years ago a friend encouraged me to apply for a job at All Soul’s. (It was Emily’s job, and I was assured it was part time. ). A lifelong Presbyterian and instructor in Community College, I was not looking for work, but my friend was so insistent, I acquiesced. I had a very pleasant conversation with the interview committee, but we all agreed that the job was not for me. I did visit All Soul’s, however, and within the year, I became a member.
The following year my marriage of 30 years ended suddenly, and I was devastated. I felt intense grief over the loss of the relationship, and anxiety and fear about life, faith and death. I felt existentially alone—as if I were floating aimlessly in a dark, vast emptiness—a cold Universe with nothing to anchor me. My mother, father and brother had all had passed away, and my 19 and 20 year old daughters were struggling to cope with the divorce themselves.
I just did not have sufficient inner resources to face life alone. It wasn’t that I couldn’t spend time alone exactly. Being alone is fine, even enjoyable, if I know someone is coming home. But in spite of having several close friends, I missed having a partner who especially loved me. I had to be brave to face each day while not really being prepared to do it.
So, I began a journey to grow into my situation. I needed to learn all over how to accept and to enjoy life. I needed to conceive of God and faith differently.
I did a deeper dive into All Souls—at worship and chapel and Adult Formation. I had a Stephen Minister and served on Vestry. Advent and Lent and Easter took on new meaning. Buddhist literature helped—Pema Chodren and Jack Kornfield—and Christian mystics were inspiring—Jim Finley, Thomas Merton, St. Teresa of Avila, Meister Eckhart.
Little by little, healing sneaked up on me, but three events in particular were especially significant in my healing process:
1.) As I lamented to a spiritual mentor that I couldn’t imagine how the awesome, timeless God of this vast universe could possibly be concerned with me, she quietly responded. “Well, God is immanent.” I heard this as if for the first time. Of course! God needn’t look for me; God lives within us!
2.) At our Christmas Eve service I was so happy that my younger daughter had come with me and so delighted to be surrounded by so many All Soulsians that between the sermon and eucharist, the singing and trumpet, the greens and ribbons, the candles and handbells, I thought I was in heaven. When we sang “In the Bleak Midwinter” and Christina Rossetti’s lyrics read,
“What can I give him?
And my heart was so full, I just said, “ OK. I will.”
3.) Finally, during chapel the Wednesday prior to Good Friday, we were discussing the betrayer Judas and how his intentions seemed not to have worked as he had hoped—after all, he threw away the 30 pieces of silver and ended his life. For the first time I felt compassion for him. In the past six years whenever I have prayed the Lord’s Prayer, each time I came to the part, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,” I always thought, “Nope. Sorry. I can’t forgive my wife for leaving.” But this day I thought, “OK. I will.”
So, as healing came, I wanted to acknowledge that in the midst of this wild and tumultuous life, I want to continue my commitment to a spiritual journey in this Episcopal community. Although much of spirituality and of life remains a deep mystery, I want to step into the circle with you here at All Souls.This past week I was ready and deeply grateful to be confirmed. Thank you all for being here.
-Kaki Logan
Meet our New Bookkeeper!
Betty Winnacker
In case you don’t know, our bookkeeper, Steve, retired in May, and we have a new bookkeeper name Betty! We asked her a few questions to help us get to know her a little better.
From the Episcopal Church
Episcopal churches nationwide to host special activities to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth
By Melodie Womerman
[Episcopal News Service] Dioceses and churches across The Episcopal Church have announced activities marking Juneteenth – June 19 – which commemorates the date in 1865 that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people in the state were freed. This came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, but the order couldn’t be enforced everywhere until after the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865.Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, became a national holiday when President Joe Biden signed legislation on June 17, 2021, making it the first new national holiday adopted since 1983, when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created. While Texas and more than two dozen other states already observed Juneteenth as a state holiday, interest in a federal holiday was renewed in the summer of 2020, during months of racial reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and a number of other Black people. On June 13 Biden hosted a concert on the White House lawn to celebrate Juneteenth and to mark Black Music Month.
As the home of Juneteenth, the city of Galveston provides a virtual Juneteenth Freedom Walk Tour, where participants can learn about five historic sites in the city and their importance to the holiday.
On a reflection entitled “Juneteenth and the Call to Remember” on The Episcopal Church website, the Rev. Willis Foster Sr., canon for diversity in the Diocese of Southern Virginia, and Edna Johnston, a member of the Church of the Holy Comforter in Richmond, Virginia, and the principal of History Matters, note that it is important for Episcopalians to mark this holiday. “Juneteenth reminds us that we must try to understand and talk about American slavery and its legacies. This includes talking and teaching about slavery in our history books, churches, and political discourse. It means remembering the histories of those who were enslaved here in North America and those who have continued to experience and confront racial injustice.”
As an additional resource, Missouri Bishop Deon Johnson in 2021 wrote collects for Juneteenth that others also can use.
Grace Cathedral – Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California, will observe Juneteenth during the June 18 Choral Eucharist that begins at 11 a.m. Pacific. Guest preacher at the service will be Don Tamaki, a San Francisco-based attorney, a proponent of Black/Asian allyship, co-founder of Stop Repeating History and a member of the California State Task Force on Reparations. Artist in Residence Bobby McFerrin and his ensemble Motion will provide music.
St. Augustine’s, Oakland – You are warmly invited to the third annual diocesan Juneteenth Feast Day Celebration this Saturday at St. Augustine’s, Oakland! This special event will be a day of reflection, inspiration, and joy. It will be followed by a celebratory reception at 1:00 p.m. Come and be part of this meaningful gathering as we engage in worship, thought-provoking conversations, and the richness of cultural expressions.
Spread the word!
Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: St Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 521 29th Street, Oakland, 4619
Save the Dates
- June 16, Racial Justice Movie Night in Jordan Court
- June 24, Ann Coburn’s Memorial
- June 29, Faithful Families Dinner
- July 2, Maggie’s last Sunday
- July 14-16, All-parish Big Sur camping trip
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, in the Chapel.
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.
- Thomas Merton Book Group @ 9:15a in the Parish Hall or on Zoom (click here). Thomas Merton was perhaps the most original and influential Christian writer of the last century. From his desk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, Merton’s Trappist vocation and cloistered refuge provided him with the space and time to write more than fifty books. This year we will begin at the beginning, reading together his first book, his spiritual autobiography, The Seven Story Mountain. Please join us as we explore our own spiritual autobiographies alongside this wonderful book.
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 This week, join us for Children’s Chapel during the 10:30am service. Children are invited to follow the Children’s Chapel leaders down the center aisle after the gospel reading, and rejoin their families before communion!
Faithful Families the final Faithful Families of this year will be Thursday, June 29th from 5:30-7:15pm! Join us for dinner, intergenerational formation, and a short evening prayer service. Click Here to RSVP!
Youth Youth Group is on hiatus for the summer.
High School Immersion Trip This year’s High School immersion trip will be to Mexico City, led by Toni Martinez-Borgfeldt, seminarian Michael Drell, Maggie Foote, and parishioner Teresa Muñoz. Eight youth are signed up to go, and are looking forward to a meaningful immersion experience widening their perspective on the Episcopal Church by connecting with youth from Anglican churches in Mexico, experiencing a day of pilgrimage, eating lots of good food and immersing ourselves in the local culture. If you would like to financially support the youth attending this trip, you can send a check to All Souls with High School Immersion Trip in the memo line. Thank you!
Email Maggie for more information about Children, Youth and Family Ministries at All Souls.
Episcopal Summer Camp Registrations are Now Open!
Episcopal Camps across the country are starting to open for registration, including the Diocese of California’s not one, but TWO summer camps: St. Dorothy’s Rest, and The Bishop’s Ranch. You can find more information about the dates, age ranges, and cost for each camp at the links below:
Other News & Notes
Big Sur Camping Trip, July 14-16
The Santa Lucia Chapel and Campground, a mission of All Saints Parish in Carmel, is a private and secluded campground in the gorgeous Big Sur area. It’s a sweet spot that sits right on the Big Sur River, and is right next door to the Big Sur River Inn and restaurant. There’s a spot to float down the river and a little swimming hole and family friendly beach, complete with a rock to jump from.
Cost: $45 per person for the weekend (children under 5 stay for free; $180 max per family) Note: Santa Lucia has substantially raised their rates, but we are hoping to keep this weekend affordable for all who are interested. Scholarships are available. Talk to Emily Hansen Curran for more information. To reserve your spot you must sign up and pay in full no later than July 1st!
Summer Book Groups!
The Adult Formation Committee is pleased to announce the summer book groups for the summer. All book groups will meet at 9:15am prior to the 10:30am service.
- June 4, 11, 18, 25 Thomas Merton Seven Story Mountain. Led by Jack Shoemaker
- July 9, 16, 23 The Meal That Reconnects: Eucharistic Eating and the Global Food Crisis by Mary E. McGann. Led by Ruth Meyers
- July 30, August 6, 13 The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Led by Emily McDonald
Summer Book Group #1 – The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton
Led by Jack Shoemaker. Starts June 4th.
Thomas Merton was perhaps the most original and influential Christian writer of the last century. From his desk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, Merton’s Trappist vocation and cloistered refuge provided him with the space and time to write more than fifty books. This year we will begin at the beginning, reading together his first book, his spiritual autobiography, The Seven Story Mountain. Published in 1948, it became a national bestseller and is thought by many to be among the finest nonfiction books published in the 20 th century. Merton anticipates the broad curiosity of contemporary Christians and prepares himself for a life of devotion. His work raises questions many of us have had and many of us have struggled to answer. Please join us as we explore our own spiritual autobiographies alongside this wonderful book. This book richly repays rereading, so even if you’ve read it years ago, refresh yourself and join our group. (I am warned that the audio version of this book is significantly abridged.)
June 4th – Part I: Chapters 1, 2, and 3
June 11th – Part I: Chapter 4 and Part II: Chapters 1 and 2
June 18th – Part III: Chapters 1, 2 and 3
June 25th : Part III: Chapter 4 and “Meditatio Pauperis in Solitudine”
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.
Racial Justice Movie Night, June 16th
Come out to the new Jordan Court Community Room to watch the film “Mississippi Masala”. Bring some food and drinks to share. 6:30p for dinner. Movie starts at 7p.
The vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South come together in Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala, a luminous look at the complexities of love in the modern melting pot. Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Sarita Choudhury) spends her days cleaning rooms in an Indian-run motel in Mississippi. When she falls for the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius (Denzel Washington), their passionate romance challenges the prejudices of both of their families and exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities. Tackling thorny issues of racism, colorism, culture clash, and displacement with bighearted humor and and a deeply satisfying celebration of love’s power.
Contact Paul Mathew, pmathew1000@gmail.com or Emily McDonald, emilykmcdonald5@gmail.com for any questions.
Need a parking spot?
We’ve got a parking lot under the Jordan Court apartment building that is available to anyone with challenges with mobility or anyone who regularly drives someone with challenges with mobility. If that is you, and you would like access to the parking garage on Sundays or other times when you are at the church, please reach out to Annie Rovzar, annie@allsoulsparish.org.
Albany Thrives Together
Albany Thrives Together is a local all volunteer nonprofit organization made up of mostly retired people from Albany including many members of St Alban’s. We have been active in Albany for almost 10 years first as the Diverse Housing Working Group then reborn as Albany Thrives Together. Our former minister Julie Wakelee Lynch
was a founding member of the group.
We focus on our three weekly free services: the shower program at the Albany Aquatic Center, the laundry program for low income and unhoused people, and the brown bag lunch program outreach to the encampments. We also lobby the Albany City Council, most recently about the Housing Element. Every city on California is required to submit a Housing Element that indicates how they are promoting housing, especially low income housing, and protecting tenants from unfair evictions. In Albany 53% of the residents are renters and many of them are cost burdened barely getting by so this is important.
By having weekly outreach through our programs, we have been able form relationships with those people we serve. We have been able to connect our guests to housing services and deliver needed equipment such as tents, tarps, and sleeping bags that were donated or that we purchased, and delivered narc-an and fentanyl test strips. Thank you my church sisters and brothers for your contributions. To learn more go to our website AlbanyTT.org and to find out where to donate click HERE.
-Beth Beller
