October 2008 Vol. 10 No. 9 Archive of Previous Issues The Grapevine is published monthly (except for a combined July/August issue) by St. Patrick's Episcopal Church E-mail St. Patricks The Rev. Hugh Stevenson, Rector Editor: Mary Banks, 539-7378

Table of Contents for October 2008 [Vol. 10 No. 9]

We're In It Together Turning Points October Events Around St. Patrick's Oktoberfest Pantry

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WE'RE IN IT TOGETHER

Solidarity, or Solidarnosc, was the name of a polish trade union in Poland, led by Lech Walesa. Presumably the name was given because in the 1980s its member co-operated to bring freedom from communism. It goes to show that when people work together they can accomplish more than if they tried to do it by themselves.

Alas we live in a fragmented age. In the USA, our society is splintering into an ever-increasing number of subcultures. People are divided by the traditional things like race, education and class, and also by the music they like, the sports teams they follow, their values, their political affiliation and whether or not they have a religious belief. It means little to say, "I am a citizen of the USA and am in solidarity with all other citizens of this great country." Alas our country is diminished because of the fragmentation of our nation.

And yet sometimes we experience solidarity. Let me give you some examples:

• In 1964, I stayed with distant cousins who owned a hotel in Jerusalem. When I thanked them for having me, they replied by thanking me and saying, "blood is thicker than water!" This applies both in families and also in our church. At St Patrick's, we are united by common blood or DNA.
• There was a recent series of reports about health care in Europe on NPR. I was struck by the report from Germany, where there is universal health care. Every one pays about 8% of their income, rich and poor alike. The rich do not appear to complain about having to support the poor. Germany is a more healthy country than the USA. That's solidarity.
• At national conferences when we meet representatives from other dioceses we claim with pride, "I am from the Diocese of Northern California." Then we will add a feature about our diocese that distinguishes us from other dioceses. When I am introducing myself (especially in Napa!) I say (provocatively), "I am from Kenwood where the best wine comes from!

In his epistles, St Paul uses two terms, "In Adam" and "In Christ" (1Corinthians 15:22). We are all in Adam; we share a common solidarity as members of the human race. We are never separated by more than seven degrees of separation. Paul makes the same point about the church. We are in Christ and are all related, as descendents of Christ.

Solidarity has two immediate consequences.
(1) In November we will celebrate All Saints and All Souls by remembering family and friends who have died. In church language, we are "in communion" with them. There is a God-given solidarity between the living and the departed.

(2) In October we will all be invited to pledge our financial support to St Patrick's for the coming year. We will demonstrate our solidarity with one another in this congregation. We will show that our blood is thicker than water. Every pledge will count. And those with more will support those with less.

Hugh Stevenson

TURNING POINTS

All find a welcome:

Alice Marondray has moved up to Oakmont from Walnut Creek.

Laurie Brown returned to St Patrick's for her 25th wedding anniversary.

Davey Thompson, mother of Betsy Randolph, moved up to Oakmont Gardens.

Sarah Fry attended on 8/31 from Sebastopol.

Peg Steele from Sonoma.

Karen Krestensen & Bill Kelly have moved to Oakmont. Karen moved from Scotts Valley.

Bill Bonnet, son of Louisa who was a member here in the '90s.

Liz Green & children, and Angie Kruljac & children~all from Sonoma.

For this, much thanks:

Bette Leedom has been folding bulletins faithfully every Friday since time immemorial (at least 5 years). The following have volunteered to fold:

To Robert Young & the Eldorado Syncopators for playing the Jazz Mass on Sept 7.

To Judy & Dennis Sweeney, and Heather & Emma for doing the Ice Cream social.

Thanks and apologies. I omitted Norma Creaghe, Pris & Jack Abercrombie, Sandra Hammond & Armand Russell in the list of new member ministers.

Relocation
Marion MacInnis has moved to 156 Hill Road Berkeley. She will continue to be a member of St Patrick's.

We ask God's protection of:
those serving in the military overseas
Sam Jackson, Christopher Leonard and Bobette Watson's great-nephew, Kevin Danaher

We will exalt you, O God, our King:
Nancy and John Young celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, end of August.

Greta & George MacLeod's grandson, Jacob Keller was married to Laura on August 29.

May they know God's healing power:

Lolita Seguin	Linda Belding
Gordon Gary	James Landon
Susan MacDonald	Dolores De Vito
Walter	Peg Poole
Mark Jenkins' grandmother, Barbara	Connie van Loben Sels' son, Fred

Blessings on:
Margaret Mahoney, daughter of Cameron and Michael who were married here in 2005, was baptized August 31.

Cursillo: Wes Cazel & John Landon are on the Men's Team and Kathy Scherer & Hugh Stevenson on the Women's Team.

Deepest sympathy:

To Karen Siela on the sudden death of her mother Kathleen Poer (8/22).

Cindy & Mark Tucker of Kenwood whose son, Dustin died after he had returned from military service in Iraq.

May they rest in peace:

Ronnie Leonard died 8/25 after a long illness. She was an 8 o'clocker and had been a member of St Patrick's for nearly 20 years. She sewed needlepoint kneelers and was the librarian of the John Bogart Library. She was the altar guild at the Wednesday service with Norma Creaghe. Deepest sympathy to her family.

Kay Merkt died 8/22. She came to St Patrick's in 1976 with her first husband Roland Wilson. But after Roland died, she married Art Merkt. She would have been 101 in October. Deepest sympathy to her family.

Michael Rado died in August. He was harpist with the SR Symphony and had played at St Patrick's.

OCTOBER EVENTS

FALL SCHEDULE
We have reverted to three services. Holy Eucharist at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Sunday school during the 10:30 service. Adult Ed at 9:45 p.m. in the Common Room

OKTOBERFEST, Saturday, October 4
from l p.m. to 5 p.m. This is a family oriented affair with fun and food for children and adults. There will be games, pony rides, a light show, a clown, tattooing (temporary) and face painting. Games include Football Throw, Sponge Ball Tic-Tac-Toe, Carnival Games for all ages, an hourly Cake Walk with delicious home-baked cupcakes, and for toddlers and up Go Fish and a Duck Pond.

German food will be served--hot dog, chips and apple cake for children will be $3.00; sausages, sauerkraut, potato salad and apple cake for adults will be $7.00. Soft drinks, beer and wine will also be sold. Tickets will be on sale after each Sunday service. The raffle will include fabulous wines, holiday décor and epicurean delights. Tickets, 3 for $5.00 or 15 for $20.00, will be available every Sunday after each service. Saint Patrick's ladies' attractive and useful tea towels will be for sale as well as delicious baked goods, jams and jellies.

October 5

• Men's cursillo at the Angela Center
• Daughters of the King meet at 11:30 am
• Blessing of the beasts at St Francis' Winery, on Pythian Road, 3:30 p.m. in honor of St Francis. Msgr. Thomas Keyes f Star of the Valley Roman Catholic Church will perform the blessing. All are welcome.
• Piano Recital. Sylvia O'Neill and Alan Rae will play Brahms at 3:00 p.m. No charge but donations for our music program are gratefully accepted.

October 12, 19 & 26

• Vestry greeters will be on hand in the parish hall to answer questions about the church finances in order to provide information for your pledging. Watch for the latest news about the canvass each week in the bulletin and on a chart in the church entrance.

October 19

• Sunday. On the Sunday closest to St. Luke's Day, at all services, we offer the laying on of hands and anointing with oil for those who come to the altar rail. We do not ask why you seek healing. For many, it is a comfort to receive the laying on of hands with the prayers of the gathered congregation.

October 26

• Pledge Ingathering. In mid-October, you will receive through the mail a pledge card for 2009 Will you please complete your card and send it back by mail, or bring it on this day. The cards and the givers will be blest at the services on November 4.
• Women's cursillo at the Angela Center.
• Bishop George Hunt will be the celebrant and preacher.

November 1

• The 17th Annual Gala Auction benefiting Camp Noel Porter 5 pm at Trinity Cathedral, 2620 Capital Avenue, Sacramento. Silent and live auctions, along with tapa-style munchies, wine, beer and soft drinks. Call 530-583-3014 to donate items for the silent and live auctions.

November 2

• Daylight Savings time ends. The clocks fall back one hour.
• Commemoration of the Departed. We will remember by name those who have died during this past year and other loved ones. Will you add their names to the list in the Parish Hall? After the 10:30 a.m. service, we proceed to the Memorial Garden, to pray for those who are interred there.
• Please return your financial pledge for 2009 by this Sunday.

November 9

• Consecration Sunday. The climax of our stewardship program. We will thank God for all the pledges and those who have made them.
• Veterans Sunday. Please wear your medals! We will recognize those who have served in the military and those currently overseas.

AROUND ST PATRICK'S

STEWARDSHIP 2009.
In October we will be invited to make a financial pledge to St Patrick's for 2009. We will need to pledge an increase of $25,000 (10%) just to maintain our existing programs. Pledged income has remained flat over the past 6 years at about $250,000 per year. Our expenses have increased with inflation. We have survived because we had some reserves and we received undesignated bequests. These sources have now been depleted. The good news is that in past years new pledgers made up for the pledges we lost when people moved away or died. In these volatile economic times, please prayerfully consider these factors when you make your pledge to St Patrick's.

QUARTERLY STATEMENTS
Statements will be going out during October to those who have made pledges in 2008. Please check them against your own records. They will also answer the question that some people ask at pledge time, "How much did I pledge in 2008?"

ECLIPSING EMPIRE
At one of my seminaries, Rochester NY, was a superb scholar, Beverly Gaventa. She lectured on St. Paul. Students said about her: "You begin by loving Beverly and hating Paul, but you end up hating Beverly and loving Paul!" I have a DVD series about Paul, by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. They followed Paul's footsteps across Turkey and Greece to Rome with a tourist group. They make Paul look attractive. Each section lasts about 20 minutes. I propose to show the first half on Sunday mornings at 9:45, beginning October 5 and the second half in Lent next year. There will be a little time for an introduction and for questions and comments.

DIOCESAN COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY
From the Diocese: "Please take a few moments to complete the survey found on the home page of our website at dncweb.org. Your responses will help us to carry out the strategic priority of improving communications and connectivity across the Diocese."

REFRIGERATOR
The 'fridge in the church kitchen is going 'kaput.' It cools things but the freezer does not freeze. The cost of repairing it is very expensive. Do you have a refrigerator that works and is looking for a new home? Please call the parish office.

DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Convention will again be at Redding CA. It will take place November 15-16. Our delegates will be: Wendy Wood, Jane Hall, Barbara Hunt, Karen Steelman, Angela Stevenson and Doug Steelman and George Hunt and Hugh Stevenson. There was a suggestion that future conventions will be on Friday/Saturday. And our presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, will be the keynoter at the 2009 convention. We will probably have a number of nominations and will elect our delegates at the 2009 Annual Meeting.

There will be a pre-Convention meeting at the Church of the Incarnation, Santa Rosa, on October 25 at 10:00 a.m.

F.I.S.H.
Thanks to all of you who brought pasta for the fish basket FISH basket. It will feed many. Other suggestions: spaghetti sauce, tuna, soup and more pasta.
Margaret Bock

LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE
The Landscape Committee is working with a landscape designer, our very own Christine Jenkins to develop pleasant, colorful, low maintenance gardens around the church. This is a tall order, and the plans are going well. They are being developed for the overall areas around the church, and the implementation of several areas will be sequential. That is the front courtyard; the front of the church; the refurbishing and replanting in front of the Memorial Garden, and cleaning the walls of the Memorial Garden, etc. The idea is to plant at the right time of year for the trees, shrubs and plants to thrive, and stay within the framework of the budget. You will see small changes very soon. The larger areas will take more time.

OKTOBERFEST PANTRY

The Oktoberfest will be held on October 4th from 1 - 5 p.m. One of the areas offered is the Pantry that has been a tradition of St. Patrick's for nearly 30 years. In the past St. Patrick's members have been generous with donations for the pantry. We are requesting cookies, pies, cakes, homemade bread, jams, jellies, canned or fresh fruit and vegetables. Thank you for your help. Any donations may be delivered to the church on Thursday and Friday all day, and Saturday morning until 10:00a.m. If you have any questions please contact Jean Meyer @ 833-5575. Thank you.

2008 OktoberFest
at St. Patrick's