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November 2008
Vol. 10 No. 10
Archive of Previous Issues
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The Grapevine is published monthly
(except for a combined July/August issue)
by St. Patrick's Episcopal Church
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Table of Contents for November 2008 [Vol. 10 No. 10]
We know neither the day nor the hour. As Advent approaches our lectionary presents us with apocalyptic readings about the return of the Lord. We are encouraged to discern the signs of the times. The Lord will come "like a thief in the night" (1 Thess 5). In his apocalyptic teaching (Mark 13), Jesus warns his disciples, "Beware that no one leads you astray"; he predicts a time of civil unrest. Formerly the Christian church was treated with benign neglect; now it faces hostility. I observe these signs of the times.
1. In the De Vinci Code, Dan Brown seeks to undermine traditional church teaching about the person of Jesus. Although entertaining fiction, he states as "fact" a number of things that are not historical. Jonathan Riley-Smith, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge and the world expert on the crusades, says that Brown seems to suggest, "Don't trust the experts. They are only trying to deceive you. I know better." According to Riley-Smith, the Grail is "the greatest and most enduring literary invention of all time." Brown did very well; in one 12-month period he made $77M. The signs of the times are that many, many people willfully believe Brown's fiction.
2. Bill Maher "stars" in the documentary Religuous. He travels around the globe interviewing people about God and religion. He claims that he wants to sow honest doubt in the minds of those who have religious belief. But his stance, as the title suggests, is that religion is ridiculous, that those who believe in God are deluded, that religion over the ages has done untold damage and that religion is detrimental to the progress of society. One reviewer expected Religulous to be nominated for an Oscar for best documentary. The signs of the times are that many, many people believe Maher is right.
3. Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist. He is a proponent of evolution and a critic of creationism, like most Anglicans. But he is also a militant atheist and fierce critic of religion. He used to think of religion as harmless nonsense, a crutch for consolation. But after 9/11, he realized that "… revealed faith is not harmless nonsense, it can be lethally dangerous nonsense. Dangerous because it gives people unshakeable confidence in their own righteousness." So he condemns us along with fundamentalist Moslems. In his book, The God Delusion (2006), Dawkins argues that atheists should be proud, not apologetic, because atheism is evidence of a healthy, independent mind. James Watson and other Nobel laureates praise Dawkins' opinions.
4. In UnChristian (2007), David Kinnaman published the results of surveys with those aged 16 to 29. He discovered that a majority of this population think that all churches (including us) are homophobic, judgmental, hypocritical and too involved in politics. They cannot distinguish between one denomination and another. The signs of the times are that many, many people want to find fault with all churches.
Once, the church was regarded as the soul of society (Epistle to Diognetus). We have seen it as our duty to pray for community and nation. We live in an age when the church is under attack, let us follow the injunction of 1 Peter (2:15): "It is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish."
Hugh Stevenson
Summer Time Ends
You will need to wake up some time during the night of November 2 in order to turn your clocks back one hour!
All Saints, Sunday, November 2
- At the 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services, we will read the names of loved ones who have died, who are one with us in the Communion of Saints.
- At the conclusion of the 10:30 a.m. service, we will process across to the Memorial Garden, to pray for members of our families and friends who are interred there.
- The Daughters of the King may meet to update the prayer list. If you would like a person included, see Jane Hall.
Consecration Sunday, November 9
- As part of the Every Member Canvass, on Consecration Sunday we will bless the pledges (and pledgers) at all services. If you did not receive a pledge card, you will find extras on the table at the church entrance.
- We will also honor our veterans. If you have medals, please wear them! We will sing, "Almighty Father strong to save" those in peril on sea land and air (Hymn 579).
- Readers and Chalice bearers. There will be a brief workshop after the 10:30 service.
Diocesan Convention, November 15-16
The Diocesan Convention will be held in Redding. Our delegates are Wendy Wood, Angela Stevenson, Jane Hall, Barbara Hunt, Karen Steelman and Doug Steelman, plus the clergy.
New Member Get Together, November 16
The Rector will return to take Sunday services. There will be a gathering of those new to St Patrick's at 9:45 in the Common Room in order to learn more about St Patrick's.
Thanksgiving for Ministries, November 23
- We celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving. Members of the congregation will present wine from their vineyards and bread from their kitchens. We come to church to offer to God our thanksgivings for all our ministries.
- Food Ingathering. We will gather dried and canned food, which will be distributed through F.I.S.H. Please bring non-perishable items and place them in the wagons or boxes in the church entrance. The food will be brought forward and offered at the altar in thanksgiving for all the blessings that God gives us.
- New Member Welcoming. Those who have come to St Patrick's this past year will be welcomed. Would you like to be a "sponsor" introducing someone to the congregation?
- There will be no mid-week Thanksgiving service on Nov 26.
Advent Begins
- Advent is the New Year of the church calendar. We begin a new cycle of readings, "Year B." Most of the Gospel readings will be from St. Mark.
- November 30 is the first Sunday of Advent. On the four Sundays we look forward to the Incarnation of the Word of God. This is a season of both expectation and penitence; we are exhorted to prepare our hearts to receive our Lord. The liturgical color is purple and we use Eucharistic Prayer B for Rite II.
- At all services, on the first Sunday of Advent, we will bless the Advent Wreath and light the first candle.
- At 10:30, the service of Advent carols and readings will be followed by the Eucharist.
Advent 2, December 7
- At the morning service we will be visited by Santa who will distribute largesse to the young (and the young-at-heart).
- At 5:00 p.m. there will be Abendmusik (or "Evening Music"). In the context of brief Evensong, the choir will present Benjamin Britten's Cantata, "Rejoice in the Lamb, (wild) words by Christopher Smart. Sylvia O'Neill and Alan Rae will play piano duets, and Robert's wife, Jeanette Isenberg (violin), will also play. A potluck supper will follow. There will be a sign-up sheet nearer the time.
OKTOBERFEST. And a wonderful time was had by all!! St. Patrick's Oktoberfest, attended by a multitude of children and adults, was a huge success. The children enjoyed the pony rides, face painting, games, prizes and food. The adults had as much fun watching the children, eating and drinking, taking part in the raffle and buying tea towels, baked goods, jams and jellies.
All of this was made possible by a large number of people. To name just a few: Vicki Ward and Jean Derum aided by Audrey Jaynes spearheaded the event, Shirley Ward oversaw the raffle, Rosie and J.C. Speight spent many hours preparing the delicious food, Jean Meyer oversaw the pantry, Barbara Fry took care of the tea towels and Angela Stevenson very graciously stepped in to paint faces. Our thanks to these people and the many other hard workers who helped make this event a success.
Proceeds will go to St. Patrick's and the Kenwood Elementary School Music and Art Programs. Final figures on the proceeds are not yet available. They will be reported in the next Grapevine.
FORWARD DAY BY DAY. The new Bible study notes for November-January are in the rack in the church entrance. They are the church's gift to members of our congregation. Please help yourself.
LANDSCAPING REPORT. Christine Jenkins, a landscape architect, advised the committee about landscaping around the church. Two new maple trees were purchased to go in the front of church plus a couple of ballerina roses next to parking lot and creeping thyme. They were on sale; 50% off! The money did not come from pledges but from a fund specifically designated for landscaping.
2009 VESTRY. Now is the time when we nominate a slate of candidates to be elected at the Annual Meeting in January 2009. Would you be willing to run for the vestry? Do you have people you would like to nominate? Would you please check with them first? Those retiring from the vestry are: Margaret Merchat, Jill Hunting, Vicki Ward, Cathy Landon and Becky Jenkins. We will need 5 new candidates. The nominating committee is the retiring vestry members. We will finalize the slate at the next vestry meeting, November 18.
VESTRY SIZE. At the Annual Meeting (January 25) we will discuss the vestry size and entertain a motion to reduce it's composition from 12 to 9 members. Sometimes this year we have not had a quorum of 50% attendance. We hope to recruit people who will commit to attending (nearly) all meetings.
CONFIRMATION. Our Bishop, Barry Beisner, will be here September 20, 2009. Confirmation classes for both teenagers and adults will begin in the New Year. We already have one teenager!
A brief explanation of confirmation:
- By the Bishop's laying on of hands, the Spirit confirms (or strengthens) the good work that was begun in you at baptism.
- For teenagers it is a rite of passage in becoming an adult in the church. Those who were baptized, as infants had no choice about what was done for them. In confirmation, we have a choice.
- It is the means whereby those who were formerly members of another Christian tradition can opt for the Episcopal tradition.
- Those who have been confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church are not confirmed again but are "received" into the Episcopal Church.
- Confirmation is preceded by a course of classes. For some people it will be the only course of basic Christian education they will ever get!
- It is an opportunity for me to get to know the candidates for confirmation (and vice versa).
- Some people, who have already been confirmed, may decide to make an act of commitment by renewing their baptismal promises.
- Candidates are presented to the Bishop by a sponsor from the parish and by their families who, with the Bishop, lay hands on the person.
- The classes are open for all. We tend to have a discussion rather than lectures.
- People have said that they enjoyed these classes. Please let me know whether you are interested and let me have your questions.
Hugh Stevenson
Ecumenical Taize Service
Jim McFadden (Music director at Faith Lutheran Church of Sonoma, and pianist for the 8:30 a.m. family service at Sonoma United Methodist Church) leads a Taize service on the 3rd Friday of the month, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., preceded by a free simple soup supper at 6:30.
This is a monthly candlelight service of music, prayer and reflection on issues that confront us as Christians in today's world. Taize prayer involves the repetition of simple Christian phrases. The experience of singing these phrases nourishes us on a deep non-verbal level. The service consists of quiet chanting, a psalm, a reading and silence. The prayer provides time for us to speak particular needs of our own and of the world; it gives us an opportunity to come to the cross individually for a moment to pray, to bring our burdens and the burdens of our world committing to Christ Jesus all that is in our hearts.
For more information call Jim at 996-0240 or email him at pianopro@pacbell.net.
JOHN BOGART LIBRARY
We have some interesting new books and audiotapes in the library this month. Thanks to Sylvia and Michael O'Neill for donating, Ireland's Saint, The Essential Biography of St. Patrick, by J. B. Bury. First published in 1905, this revised biography includes sidebar notes from mystics, historians, and storytellers of Ireland.
For history buffs we have Doris Goodwin's, No Ordinary Time, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt - The Home Front in WW II. This book is filled with interesting anecdotes and photographs.
Thanks also to the donor of the audiotapes, "The Book of Psalms," read by Michael York and "The New Testament, King James Version," read by James Earl Jones.
I miss working with Ronnie Leonard who made this job fun, but am trying to keep the library running smoothly. If you leave your name along with donations I will try to credit you.
Thank you,
Karen Babula
YOUTH EVENTS, 2009
Daphne Vernon, Associate for Children and Youth at the Church of the Incarnation,
sends the following information about upcoming events for 2009:
Godly Play Accreditation
I have scheduled an accreditation class April 30-May 2, 2009, mid-day Thursday to Saturday, 18 hours of training. There will be two trainers Carren Sheldon, who was here before and Sally Mancini. We are working on producing a brochure (available later). The cost will be $360.00 per person. This has not been offered this far north before so I expect the class to fill up quickly. The class size will be kept at 24. Who is interested?
Convention
We are taking a group of youth to convention as well, if you (at St Patrick's) have any kids wanting to go they can join us.
Mexico Mission
We (Church of the Incarnation) are going this year! June 20-27. I already have sign- up packets. We hope to have applications in by November 2. This gives us plenty of time for fundraising, passports and payment. This year the cost will be $200.00 per person.
Youth Group Meetings at Incarnation
We have youth group on the third Friday of every month. 7/8th grade meet for pizza and fun, 4-6th grade meets for pizza and fun in another area. I extend the invitation to your youth at St Patrick's. Our kids bring friends and have a good time. We do games, movies, and team-building pranks and sometimes when I feel the need we talk teen issues.
THE GIFTS FOR LIFE CATALOGUE
From Episcopal Relief and Development
The Episcopal Relief & Development's mission is to heal a hurting world. Its worldwide presence is connected to local leaders, ensuring that resources are used wisely and effectively where they are needed most. This year's catalog has over 40 gifts and ideas for reaching out and making a meaningful impact in the world.
- Give struggling farmers a chance to feed their families, and their communities, with a Whole Harvest.
- Give Clean Water & Basic Sanitation to communities lacking this most basic resource.
- Prevent disease and save lives with vital, long-lasting insecticide-treated Mosquito Nets.
- Empower women to support their families with Micro-Credit Loans for Women.
- Give impoverished families the opportunity to survive by providing a Pig.
Be watching for the catalogue (additional copies can be ordered by calling 1-800-903-5544). By working together with Episcopal Relief & Development, you can reach out to the world in witness of God's love.
I'm thankful for…
Air and autumn and animals.
Babies and breath and beauty.
Children and compassion and creativity.
Daylight and dew and daffodils.
Emotions and energy and enthusiasm.
Faith and family and friends.
God and grandparents and grandchildren.
Hands and health and hope.
Ice cream and intelligence and intuition.
Jesus and joy and journeys.
Kindness and kisses and kittens.
Love and laughter and leaves.
Mothers and music and memories.
Night and nature and neighbors.
Order and oranges and oceans.
Prayer and peace and patience.
Quiet and quality and questions.
Rain and rest and romance.
Sunshine and smiles and stars.
Time and teachers and trees.
Unity and understanding and uniqueness.
Vision and values and vacations.
Winter and water and wisdom.
eXcitement and eXpression and eXperience
Youth and yearning and yesterday.
Zest and zip and zeal.
A THANKSGIVING MESSAGE
from St. John's, Lunenberg, Nova Scotia
The POPULAR WISDOM of Clarence Darrow
US defense lawyer (1857 - 1938)
- The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children.
- History repeats itself; that's one of the things that's wrong with history.
- When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now I'm beginning to believe it.
- Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?
- Calvin Coolidge was the greatest man who ever came out of Plymouth Corner, Vermont.
- Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.
- I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with a lot of pleasure.
- Chase after the truth like all hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its coat-tails.
- As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.
- Physical deformity, calls forth our charity. But the infinite misfortune of moral deformity calls forth nothing but hatred and vengeance.
- There is no such thing as justice--in or out of court.
- I am a friend of the working man, and I would rather be his friend, than be one.
- At twenty a man is full of fight and hope. He wants to reform the world. When he is seventy he still wants to reform the world, but he knows he can't.
All find a welcome:
Chuck & Myrle MacLaughlin have moved to Oakmont from Carmel Valley to be closer to their daughter Susan, who lives in Sonoma.
For this, much thanks: all those who took part in the Oktoberfest. Among them: Audrey Jaynes (president), Barbara Fry & Bette Leedom (coordinators), Vicki Ward (games), Rosie Speight (kitchen), Shirley Ward & Jean Derum (raffle), Norma Creaghe (publicity), Josie Ross (head cashier & tickets) and via her daughter, Barbara McChesney (photography), Greg Goodwin (clown), Angela Stevenson (face painting), and Jean Meyer (pantry). It was a most successful event and created great fellowship and community spirit.
The St. Patrick's Vestry would like to acknowledge the generous bequest of $10,000 from the estate of Kay Merkt. Our sincere thanks to Kay and her family.
Thanks to Jeanne Anderson for the gift of a new refrigerator for the kitchen. Jeanne whispered in George's ear that he should buy the it for the church in memory of her niece Kathleen Poer.
Farewell to: Dolores DeVito is accompanying a friend to Kenwood Community Church.
Relocation
Barbara and George Hunt are at 1401 Fountain Grove Parkway # 107 Santa Rosa, CA 95403-5758 (707-843-4972).
John & Sarah Leech are at 21628 98th Ave W., Edmonds, WA 98020-3923.
We ask God's protection of:
those serving in the military overseas
Sam Jackson and Kevin Danaher.
We will exalt you, O God, our King:
At the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Becky and Clarence Jenkins received a Silver medal for their Cab Sav and a Gold medal for their Pinot Gris.
Blessings on:
Gigi Roddy & Ron Paolini, married on Oct 11.
Louise Clark celebrated her 90th birthday on October 14.
May they rest in peace:
Whitney Gilman of Sonoma, friend of some in our congregation died in early October.
Deepest sympathy: to Jack & Eva, Matt and Mike Atkins on the death of Jack's mother, Peg.
May they know God's healing power:
| Lolita Seguin | Linda Belding |
| Dennis Harris | Pierre, Walter, John |
| Arnold Andreotti | Marge Ward |
| Gennaro | Milo Stevenson |
| Roger White | Gordon Gary |
| Mark Kirkland | Peg Poole |
| Kathy Scherer's mother, Mary Beere | |
| Terry Spragens | Harry Fry |
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