|
|
If you would like to be notified when each issue
of the Grapevine is put online, click here.
|
|
Table of Contents for March 2001 [Vol. 3 No. 3]
ONE OF US
"Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you" (Matthew 26:73). Peter follows Jesus
into the courtyard of the high priest. It is a cold night and he wants to join those who are warming
themselves by the fire. Certainly it is dangerous for him to be associated with Jesus, but he also wants
to belong. His Galilean accent gives him away. One of the bystanders knows that he is not a local. So he is excluded from their circle.
This passage speaks to us all when we are excluded and left out in the cold. We want to belong. But we are identified as being strangers.
At a recent ministerial meeting at Community Baptist Church, we watched a video of Presbyterian pastors of different races, talking about the racism that they encounter daily. It made me sensitive to the
covert racism that I experience.
These are some of the things that people say frequently to me
- "Where are you from?" The inference is that you are not from around here. The answer that they do not want is, that I am from Santa Rosa. I have lived here ten years.
- "I like your cute accent" I now find this comment demeaning. I resent being stereotyped.
- "Jolly good, old chap. Have a nice cuppa tea!" People mock me by trying to imitate my accent.
- "Why do you people eat cold toast and drink warm beer?" This suggests that I am responsible for the eating habits of people in Britain.
Like Peter, I want to belong. I have lived in the USA nearly half my lifetime. I am a citizen and I have
paid as much tax as the next person. It has been an uphill struggle to become assimilated into the local culture and I have made sacrifices along the way.
Perhaps you will say that I am being over sensitive. I have all the advantages: I am a white, male, protestant, Anglo-Saxon. I wonder what it would be like if I was black, Asian or Latino, Jewish or a
woman. These people are marginalized every day and as "outsiders" are treated as the scapegoats for whatever is wrong in our society.
I heard of a Mexican-American who silently gave his shopping list to the clerk at the store counter. As
she began to fill it she turned to her friend and said, "You'd have thought they would have learnt how to
speak English by now." He said, "Give me back my list; I will go elsewhere." One cannot begin to understand how insulted he must have felt.
It is in response to such situations that we renew our baptismal covenant, committing ourselves to
"strive for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being."
At the Diocesan Convention last November a resolution concerning "The Birmingham Pledge" was passed. Martin Luther King was locked up in jail in Birmingham, Alabama. There was a conference in
September (see their website www.alabamalive.com/new/ birmingham/No.
Those who make this pledge "strive to eliminate racial prejudice from my thoughts and actions;
discourage racial prejudice by others at every opportunity; treat all people with dignity and respect;
strive daily to honor this pledge, knowing that the world will be a better place because of my effort." There will be workshops around the diocese about the pledge and about racism.
In our own community in Sonoma County we are working towards becoming a hate free community. The definition of a hate free community is one in which 60% of the local religious centers sign on. My
hope is that we at St. Patrick's will join others in becoming more aware of our (often unconscious) racist attitudes and that we will serve Christ by respecting the dignity of every human being.
--Hugh Stevenson
VESTRY WORKSHOP
Nine vestry members and the Rector gathered at Bishop's Ranch on February 3 for a workshop, led
by Bishop George Hunt. The Eucharist formed the pattern of the day. For the readings, we studied the passage from 1 Corinthians, where Paul says that we all have gifts. For the confession, we looked at
our worries about St. Patrick's. For the offertory, we accepted responsibility for different committees within the church. And at the end of the day we shared the bread and wine of Eucharist.
We also got to know each other by looking at our needs for inclusion, control and affection, with the help of the FIRO-B instrument. We took a group photograph (see the notice board in the Parish Hall.)
We proposed a new vision statement for St. Patrick's: "We envision a community of grace and love through Jesus Christ our Lord."
We also developed a new Mission Statement: "St. Patrick's is a joyful community, worshipping in the Episcopal tradition, valuing diversity, and reaching out in love and concern for others."
We went through the list of projects left over from last year and thought up some new ones for 2001. One of these is the construction of an arbor to provide shade and shelter for the memorial garden.
What do you think of this idea? Glenn Hendrix has been invited to come up with a design.
March at St. Patrick's
March 4 is the first Sunday of Lent. Bishop George Hunt will preach at both services and celebrate at
the 10:00 a.m. service. This is the beginning of the Arts Festival, "For the Beauty of the Earth," at St.
Patrick's. The children of Sunday school under Dorothy Pierce's direction have made a new banner and an altar frontal.
March 11.
The Arts Festival continues. The 10:00 a.m. Eucharist will be a contemporary service with special music, offered by "Kausay," who come from Chile and play music from the Andes.
March 18. Children stay in Sunday school for the entire service. The youth group meets after the 10:00 a.m. service and at 4:00 p.m., Movie Night in the Education center. You are invited to watch
and discuss a contemporary movie.
March 25. Bishop George Hunt will celebrate and preach while the Rector is away. There will be a
table in the Parish Hall during the coffee hours after both services for the Women's History Project. (See note elsewhere)
April 1
is the feast day for John Donne, who was Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Donne wrote in his Devotions, "No man is an island, entire of itself… Therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." As well as being the best-known preacher of his day, he was also one of
the greatest of English poets. His poetry, like his sermons, is filled with passion. This Sunday, the Sunday before Palm Sunday, has sometimes been called Passion Sunday. We will explore the idea of
"passion." The choir will sing anthem, "Wilt thou forgive that sin, where I begun," (the words are by John Donne).
On this day also, we will offer the ministry of healing (the laying on of hands and anointing with oil) to any who wish to come forward to the altar rail after the Prayers of the People.
After the 10:00 a.m. service, there will be a workshop to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday, April 8. There will also be a meeting for Sunday school teachers.
LENTEN STUDY
The History of the Church in the 2nd millennium. The course will be based on 4 one-hour videos
produced by the A & E Channel. It begins with the crusades and the reformation and concludes with Vatican II. We will also include some history of the Episcopal Church in the United States and of our
own congregation. The Rector and John Leech will teach the course. The same material will be offered on Wednesday mornings, beginning February 28 at 9:45 a.m. and Thursday evenings, beginning March
1 at 7:30 p.m. concluding with compline at 8:55 p.m. A $5 donation for the course is requested.
HISTORIC LITURGIES
At the Sunday liturgies in February, we have looked at certain historic liturgies of the Anglican Church.
We have extra copies of the brochures with the Orders of Service in the parish office if you missed one. The Rector consulted a number of books from the Bogart library for this series. They are
recommended for anyone who wants to read more about liturgy and history.
On three occasions (1950, 1979 and 2001), the Episcopal Church has published a series of books for
laywomen and men called "The Church's Teaching Series," which have included studies of our history
and our liturgy. The most recent one about our liturgy is "Opening Up the Prayer Book" by Jeffrey Lee,
a more general study of liturgy than its predecessor, "Liturgy for Living," by Charles Price and Louis
Weil, who focus on the individual rites in the Prayer Book. Back in 1952, Massey Shepherd who was one of the makers of modern liturgy wrote "The Worship of the Church."
Likewise, Frederica Harris Thompsett, in "Living with History," takes a number of themes such as the
place of women in the church and four controversies that the Church has faced, rather than listing
events in chronological order. Robert Prichard's "A History of the Episcopal Church," is more of a traditional history book.
These same books will be useful for the Lent course in church history.
CONFIRMATION CLASSES
Classes will begin during Lent. There will be an inquirers' class for adults on Sunday mornings between
the services at 9:00 a.m. and a separate course for young people on a weekday after school. Please notify the Rector if you are interested. The Bishop will be here on June 3, Pentecost. If you are
confirmed already, but would like to reaffirm your baptismal promises and receive the Bishop's blessing, let the Rector know (833-4228).
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
Works of art will be brought to the parish hall, 4-6:00 p.m. on Saturday March 3 and will be on display throughout the week. Click here for more information.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER
Saturday, March 17. There will be two sittings: 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The cost will be $15 for adults
and $5 for children for this parish fund-raiser. Please sign up on Sunday morning to help. Will you buy tickets for yourself and bring your friends? See or call Margaret Merchat (542-8146).
QUIET DAY
There will be a quiet day at the MacLeods' ranch on Lawndale Road in Kenwood, on Wednesday,
March 28, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. The Rev. Gail Cafferata will lead the day; she is the transitional Deacon from the Church of the Incarnation. There is no charge.
EASTER FLOWERS
During Lent would you like to sign up in the flower book in the Church entrance to give flowers and
other decorations for Easter. Please write clearly the name of the person in whose honor or memory the flowers are being given.
EASTER EGGS
Last year, there were a lot of plastic Easter Eggs at the hunt on Easter morning. Do you have any at
home? There is a rumor that if you bring them back to church, the Easter bunny may refill them for another Easter Egg hunt this year on April 15.
EASTER BAPTISMS
I plan to baptize Brannon Breining at the 11:00 a.m. service on Easter Day, April 15. I am looking for
other children and adults to baptize on the same day. During the season of Lent we will remember these candidates in our parish prayers each Sunday.
Lent originated as a season of preparation for Easter. As the invitation in the Ash Wednesday service says, "This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy
Baptism" (Prayer Book page 265). The congregation joined in the preparation by fasting, prayer and study.
In the early church, Easter was the only time of the year when candidates were baptized. It was believed that they drowned in the waters of baptism, dying to their old lives, and rose to new life with
the risen Lord. The Prayer Book (page 312) says that the Easter Vigil is an especially appropriate time
for baptism. It is not a private ritual, but should be "administered within the Eucharist as the chief
service on a Sunday" (page 298), when the congregation is gathered to welcome the newly baptized. So we say, "We receive you into the household of God" (page 308).
Turning Points
Rest in Peace:
Denny Martin died on January 29; he was 87. A crowd gathered for his memorial service at Spring
Lake Village chapel, and an equally large crowd the day after at St. Patrick's. He will be remembered for his kindness and his gentle humor.
Jean Hastings died on February 18 in Calistoga. While a resident at Oakmont Gardens, she brought different friends to St. Patrick's each week.
Priscilla Deavitt died on February 13. She first came to St. Patrick's in 1994, with Margot Howlett.
She was not a regular attender but supported St. Patrick's. She enjoyed providing "R & R" to different people's dogs whom she "loved to death."
Welcome to:
Allen and Buffy Treat who have recently arrived in Oakmont.
Julianna Sand who has been visiting us from Concord, Mass.
Thanks to:
Bishop George Hunt for leading the vestry retreat.
Lori Hunt for taking the youth group skiing in Squaw Valley and Robin Goerl who volunteered to ride "shot gun" at the last moment!
And to Paula Cook for doing the planning.
HYMNALS
We are 20 hymnals short in church. I have ordered some more. Would you like to donate one or more
them? They cost $17 each for the basic singers edition, which we have in our pews. We will place bookplates in them stating the name of the donor and the name of the person being remembered.
Please sign up on the list in the Parish Hall and you're your check to the parish office made payable to St. Patrick's and noted "for Hymnals."
NEW DIRECTORY
New directories are available in the Parish Hall and the Church entrance. Please pick one up. If you
would like us to send you one, please call the parish office. Would you check your entry and make sure we have it right. We have included some e-mail addresses. Would you let us have your e-mail
address if it is not included. Send to: info@stpatskenwood.org
UPDATE ON THE JUMP START PROGRAM
We are pleased to report that we have been invited to hold the Jump Start program for 8-10 young boys incarcerated at the Sierra Youth Center - Los Guilicos, Kenwood. The program will start
Thursday night - 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on April 12, and the following seven Thursdays with graduation on May 31.We have developed the interest of 5 members of St. Patrick's Church and we need another
5-10 mentors in the near future. Any members of St. Patrick's who would like to know more about the program and especially becoming mentors should join the steering committee on Thursday evening,
March 8th at the Hood House at 7 PM on the grounds of Los Guilicos across Route 12 above Oakmont.
For further information please call Paul Offill, 537-7058.
UNIQUE BOUTIQUE WORKSHOP
Workshop meets the 2nd and 4th Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to noon with refreshments. A good time is
had by all. Sewing talents are appreciated but not imperative. Come join us. Dishtowels are ready to be embroidered and if you have friends who cannot come to the workshops we will deliver! Call
Barbara Fry at 538-2164.
JOHN BOGART LIBRARY
There are two new books added to the library this month: Christianity. A Global History, by David
Chidester who explains the many variations and forms of our religion through the ages. He writes vividly as he sets out on a panoramic picture of Christian history. Chidester feels that Christianity has
always been in a constant state of evolution, affecting and being affected by societies and religions
around it. This is an easy to read and fascinating book. Also: Why Religion Matters, by Huston Smith.
This is not an easy book to read. Smith believes materialism, consum-erism and scientism push issues of morality, truth and meaning from our consciousness. It is his hope that humanity will accommodate
the dictates of traditional religion to the modern advances in equal rights, personal freedoms, scientific and technological gains. Timely ideas!
After the middle of March the library will display a pictorial map of Kenwood by Dee Sand who wrote the town history. We have had her book for years but the map is new. The book will be with the new
books on the shelf by the sign-out sheet with the map on the wall above. Do stop and have a look - both are very interesting.
--Ronnie Leonard
OUTREACH COMMITTEE
The committee met Thursday, February 1, 2001, to distribute funds to:
- Episcopal Relief and Development with $1,500.00 for earthquake assistance in El Salvador and India.
- Jump Start for Youth at Risk was given $500.00.
- FISH was given $300.00
- Parish Youth Projects was given $75.00.
The Committee is working closely with the Vineyard Workers Services assisting with their English
Teaching Program. We need parish volun-teers to act as substitutes some Monday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Boyce Springs. We will car pool. Please call Jackie McDonald for information at
538-6728.
--Barbara Fry
UNIQUE BOUTIQUE MEETING
The first meeting for the Annual Unique Boutique will be Tuesday, March 6, at 9:00 a.m. We are
happy to say that almost all the ladies who made it such a success last year will be doing it again! All
suggestions and help are welcome so please contact the following committee Chairmen if you can help in any way:
|
Workshop:
|
Barbara Fry, Phyllis Cressy
|
|
Cashiers:
|
Margaret Bock, Marjorie Friedrich
|
|
Gourmet Pantry:
|
Jean Meyer, Marge Ward
|
|
Hostesses:
|
Eva Atkin
|
|
Invitations:
|
Marion Hawley
|
|
Plants/Outdoors:
|
Connie van Lobel Sels and Shirley Flournoy
|
|
Publicity/Grapevine:
|
Robin Goerl
|
|
Raffle:
|
Anne Peters, Cindy Locke
|
|
Set-Up:
|
Mary Field, Nancy Percival
|
|
Clean-up:
|
Nina Pohl
|
|
Silent Auction:
|
Marilyn Schlangen
|
|
Tea Table:
|
Naomi Holm
|
|
Parking:
|
Wayne Wright
|
|
Kitchen:
|
|
|
Unique Boutique Co-Chairmen:
|
Bette Leedom and Nancy Dill
|
|
NEEDLEPOINT GUILD
Those of you who may be new to St. Patrick's probably have seen notices in the bulletins announcing a
meeting of the Needlepoint Guild and wondered what that was all about! Simply this is a group of about fifteen women who meet once a month to work on the needlepoint ornaments that are sold in the
fall at the yearly Unique Boutique. Last year the work the women did on the ornaments and other needlepoint items brought in approximately $1,000.00. We always welcome new members to the
Guild whether you already know how to needlepoint or if you would just like to learn. Our members are more than happy to help newcomers get started. It is a marvelous way to get to know some of the
churchwomen better, to develop your own creative skills, and to be of truly positive service to St. Patrick's Church. If you would like more information or have any questions, please call Naomi Holm at
833-4430.
HEIFER PROJECT
We have received a letter of Thank You from The Heifer Project for the kindness and support shown
by the congregation. The generosity and prayers of St. Patrick's is always amazing, but this was indeed
so - a total of $1,560.00 was donated to the Heifer Project last year! Many thanks from Heifer Project International President and CEO Jo Luck.
--Jean Henderson
ECW LUNCHEON WILL FEATURE TRAVEL TALK:
BY EVA ATKINS
Most of us feel a little harried and frazzled by the travel scene these days. Crowded airports, delayed
flights, dangers overseas, confusion about the best way to get discounts or avoid lines are but a few of
the problems that contribute to anxiety when we plan trips. In our midst at St. Patrick's we have a superb Travel Agent, (I know because we have her as our agent), Eva Atkins. Eva has been in the
travel business a number of years and now works out of Kenwood Travel. She will be the speaker at the next ECW luncheon on Tuesday, April 10, 2001. She has promised to share with us all kinds of
information to help dispel fears and provide us with secrets and tips of the "insider."
For those of you who may be new, we particularly invite you to join us for this great get-together. It is
a fine opportunity to get to know others. Our salad/dessert luncheon following the speaker is always wonderful. Guest are welcome so if you have a friend you would like to bring please do.
A sign-up sheet will be in the Parish Hall.
--Elayne Roland
Program Chair
GRANDMA
What's Prettier than Freckles?
An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright freckles, spent the day
at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.
"You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!" a girl in the line said to the little fella.
Embarrassed the little boy dropped his head. His grandmother knelt down next to him "I love your
freckles. When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," she said, while tracing her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are beautiful."
The boy looked up, "Really?"
"Of course," said the grandmother. "Why just name me one thing that's prettier than freckles."
The little boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his grandma's face, and softly whispered, "Wrinkles."
WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT
On March 25, 2001, please visit us in the Parish Hall at both coffee hours and we will be happy to tell
you about our Women's History Project, and share our stories with you. We are collecting and preserving the stories of the women in our parish who have played a significant role in its develop-ment:
Organizational, Spiritual, Supportive or in Leadership. Would you like to join us? The biographies are short and our handbook will walk you through the process. If you would like more information please
call: Claire Morelli (539-2692)
And, here is a story for March 17th:
The Irish have a story of an Irishman who appeared before St. Peter expecting admission, and when
his ledger showed pages and pages of heavy debit entries, said that the books had been badly kept, for he knew he had once given twopence to a beggar. St. Peter, after much flipping over of the pages,
found it so indeed; but was twopence sufficient to outweigh all these? Then the Irishman said he had a
friend called Patrick. If they would have the common politeness to call him he would make it all right. St. Patrick was summoned, looked at the ledger, and he and St. Peter exchanged doubtful glances.
"What are we to do with this countryman of yours?" asked St. Peter. "You see how it is."
"Yes," said St. Patrick, "I see how it is. Give him back is twopence!"
Anon
|
