All Our Voices

Go easy on yourself: no one is perfect!

2012-01-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I was bringing my daughter to school and waiting in her line with all of her classmates and one of them turned to me and said, "I lost a tooth while I was at the dentist yesterday! It was so loose that it just fell right out while they were cleaning it!"

Wow was my response and of course I asked about a visit from the tooth fairy.

"No," he said, "It happened too late in the day for the tooth fairy to make it."

And I knew just what he was saying, as that has happened at our house too but we thought the tooth fairy must have just had too many stops to fit into one night and so we try again the next night. And as I waved good-bye to the kids that morning I knew that even with all of our bumblings around trying so hard to keep it together and messing up around the edges - it was good enough.

And through it all we are not alone. We are together. We are all doing the best we can and we are all bumbling up here and there. We each have our own unique story but we share this common experience that is life, and with life comes imperfection. And with imperfection comes humanity. And with humanity comes, as God said, good.

So be gentle with yourself. Do your best and then know deep inside of you that you are giving your very best and that it is not supposed to be perfect. It is supposed to be human and full of love. Some bumbles are big and messy and some are small and momentary. But whatever the size, when the next bumble comes up in your life, love yourself, love the others around it, and know you are living out what life looks like. Even with this bumble, you are good.

Christine D'Amico

Welcome to our new Cathedral Canons!

2012-01-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

Dean Scott Richardson tells us about the newest honorary canons of the Cathedral, who were presented with their purple Cathedral cassocks at Sunday's 10.30 Eucharist.

It is an honor every year to make new canons on Cathedral Day, the Sunday nearest the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. We have two to share with you now – the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle and the Rev. Canon David Norgard. This short video will give you a better sense of why we are so pleased to bestow these titles; they are both doing remarkable work to help heal the world. Listen to Albert receive his accolade and watch the congregation extend their love to David, as he couldn’t be here due to recent brain surgery. As I said on Sunday, we stand on the shoulders of – and among – giants.

Saluting The Rev. Canon David Norgard

Saluting The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle

Celtic Spirituality: videos from John Philip Newell

2012-01-18T20:26:00.001-08:00

John Philip Newell blessed many at Saint Paul’s with a weekend visit a few years ago. He is one of the preeminent teachers of Celtic spirituality and a dear friend – I commend the videos presented below with enthusiasm and gratitude. For those who might be inspired to go further into John Philip’s teaching, peruse the website for the Ghost Ranch Retreat Center in Abiquiu, New Mexico – John Philip spends several weeks there every year, offering summer retreats at Casa del Sol.

Scott RichardsonUpdateThere will be another forum on January 29 called Celtic Spirituality, Part 2: Reflections from JohnPhilip Newell.

Dean Scott Richardson will lead a discussion based on four videovignettes and additional writings by Celtic Spirituality Scholar, TheRev. Dr. John Philip Newell. Dr. Newell served as Warden of Iona Abbyand Warden for Spirituality for the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth. Hehas written extensively on Celtic Spirituality as well as ledpilgrimages and workshops throughout the world.

1 "Essential Harmony: Remembering the Oneness from Whom We Have Come" John Philip Newell, Chama River

2 "Broken Harmony: Allowing the Flow of Tears to be Part of Our Healing" John Philip Newell

3 "New Harmony: Rediscovering Our Original Unity" John Philip Newell, Casa del Sol, Ghost Ranch, NM

4"Listening to the Heartbeat of Life" John Philip Newell

Strategies for Handling Stress

2012-01-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Why is it that the vacation calm can go away so fast when you get home and back into the demands of life? I always tell myself on vacation to just stay calm and relaxed like I am on vacation - but within hours of being home and back in the demands of day to day life, can feel that calm vanish and the stress seeping back in! The whole lump of life is at times overwhelming - especially when you see it all at once as a huge boulder of demands crushing you under it's weight. And I hate when I become this stressed out person. I am no fun to be with or be around, not for me or anyone else. I can feel frozen. I am not doing my best work. I get angry very fast, and I know I have lost my connection to God and blocked love from coming in or going out.

But if I see this boulder as just a collection of pebbles and just take out one handful a day, it is all just fine and very do-able. I can stay calm, get rid of the stress and anxiety, and just joyfully do what is in front of me in that one handful. I enjoy it all so much more and can be so much more present to the people around me through each day.

The trick is the mental ability to pulverize that bolder into its corresponding pile of pebbles. When the boulder is upon you it is nearly impossible to break it up. But here are some things I have found that can help crack the power of the boulder, guide me in selecting the right pebbles, shift my perspective and help me to enjoy the moments of my day rather then spend them lost to myself, others and God through stress and anxiety!

Look at my calender and pick just the 1-3 things that need to be done next.
Clean up my desk
Make progress on one thing
Tell my family I am stressed out - just claim it so I can let go of it.
Say a prayer and invite God to help me let go and change my perspective
Breathe
Cry
Write
Make a list of all that needs to be done
Ask for help
Remind myself of what really matters, love, all the rest is just noise
Let go
Accept what is
Look for the places I see lack - usually it is a lack of time, but seeing where the lack is can help
Remind myself I will be okay - it won't all get done - but the most important things will get done and the rest will just wait

What things do you do that help you to shift your mental perspective when you all ramped up and all stressed out? We all have the power to choose our own perspective!

Christine D'Amico

Closing the Circle

2012-01-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

Pat at the Tatoo

Sometimes in life something happens to us in such a miraculous way that it simply has to be shared. And thus it is that I’m writing this article to share with my St. Paul’s Family.

I recently took a trip to Scotland. I was able to check something off my “Bucket List”, which was to attend The Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It was such a magnificent show; bagpipes drum and bugle corps, highland dancing, and all done with the Castle as the backdrop. I hope you all get a chance to watch it when it is shown on PBS.

But the main reason I made this trip was to scatter my Father’s ashes over his beloved Orkney.

Orkney is a group of islands north east of mainland Scotland. Dad was born there and although moved away when he was young he always talked about his memories of summers and holidays spent in Kirkwall, the major city in Orkney. He told me that he wanted to have his ashes scattered over Kirkwall, so in 1990, Dad, my sister Jean, and I took a “Beat the Ashes” trip so he could show us himself the place he called Home. Watching our 80 year of father grow younger before our eyes as he stepped off the plane was such a joy. Everywhere we went he had wonderful stories to share with Jean and me. And it soon became evident why he loved it so much. It is truly a magical place and it was a trip of a lifetime.

Dad died in 2000 and since my sister was unable to fly to Scotland, she wanted to keep the ashes in her home. With her passing in February I knew it was time to take him Home. This time, however, I seemed to have additional anxiety about the trip. I know that several of you were praying about the concerns I had with getting Dad’s ashes through security, as well as the unknown once I was there. The power of prayer was so evident from the moment I arrived at Lindberg Field. It’s as though God sent down His band of angels to accompany me on my journey. There were never any problems, only a great deal of care and compassion shown to me as I traveled with the ashes. Thank you all for your prayers!

St Magnus

Once I got to Kirkwall, I met Rev. Fraser McNaughton, minister of St. Magnus Cathedral where my father was christened one hundred years ago. We had corresponded through email, but I had no idea what to expect. He couldn’t have been more wonderful, definitely another angel sent for this special moment in time.

St. Magnus Cathedral was built in the 12 century and is a magnificent building of rose colored sandstone with magnificent stained glass windows and intricate stone work throughout. It is Church of Scotland, thus Presbyterian, but I certainly didn’t hold that against him. It is a major tourist attraction and thus filled with tourists most of the day. Dad’s ashes were placed on the lovely communion table along side a beautifully carved Viking ship below the Rosetta window. Unfortunately the ashes were in a clear Tupperware container as required by the TSA. A bit out of place, but I’m quite sure dad wouldn’t have minded.

The Rev. Fraser McNaughton

Since the cathedral was filled with tourists, Fraser (he’s a first name kind of guy just like our Scott) announced that we will be blessing the ashes of a man who was born in Orkney, settled in California, and wished that his hashes be scattered here. I heard a sign the crowd hushed, sat down, and became part of the service. A candle was lit, the most perfect words were spoken as if he’d known dad personally, and a perfect poem and lovely prayer finished the service. It was more than I had ever expected or could have orchestrated. Fraser drove us to a spectacular sight, high above the city, overlooking the sea, where he again said the most perfect words and I threw Dad’s ashes into the Orkney wind. At that very moment I could feel his spirit soaring and he was truly free to roam the glens of home!! It was more than I had expected or could have ever orchestrated. This was God’s work; there was no doubt about it. Yes, it was a perfect day and the circle of life was complete.

Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland

I am so glad that Dad shared his heritage with me and appreciate more than ever the need to pass that on to the next generation. I felt as though my roots had grown deeper and stronger, thus enabling me to stand tall against any harsh winds of time. To those of you who have knowledge of your family tree, pass it onto the future generations. This simply shouldn’t be lost.

-Pat Kreder

Meet the Candidates!

2012-01-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

On Sunday after the 10.30 Eucharist, there will be the annual Cathedral meeting (lunch provided, in the Great Hall). This is where we we elect the new candidates for the Chapter, which functions as the Cathedral's Vestry, or Board. The responsibilities of the Chapter of St. Paul’s Cathedral include management of the financial affairs of the Cathedral and overseeing matters relating to buildings and grounds. There are twelve chapter members elected from the Cathedral congregation, each serving a three-year term, with rotating annual elections of four new members. Here are the statements from the four candidates this year.

Candidates were asked the following three questions.

What do you love about St. Paul’s?
Why do you choose to be of service?
What is your professional background?

Vicki Hoppenrath
My husband and I moved to San Diego nearly three years ago. It was near Christmas and we found ourselves looking for a church to attend on Christmas Eve with visiting family members. Our youngest daughter had been in San Diego for two years and suggested we attend her church, St. Paul’s. Arriving at St. Paul’s, we found ourselves sitting at the back of a beautiful Cathedral. The service was magical and I found myself very moved by it. As we were all Catholics, we noticed that the service was nearly the same. However, in the weeks to come, I would find myself noticing the very pronounced differences of this community.

In the following weeks, I tried attending the Catholic churches nearby, but continued to be pulled back to St. Paul’s. My husband and I found ourselves much more relaxed and very attentive to the meaningful sermons. People were talking to us and welcoming us. (No wonder my daughter had found a place here.) My husband is not a baptized Catholic but always attended church with my daughters and me. He enjoyed the fact that he could “fully participate” in the service at St. Paul’s. For these reasons, I decided to become a member of St. Paul’s.

In 2010 I attended the “What is an Episcopalian?” series. Allisyn and Scott and the other speakers encouraged me to deepen myself spiritually. After attending, I knew I had made the right decision in joining St. Paul’s. Today, I am a Cathedral Docent and member of the planning committee for the Women Together at St. Paul’s ministry. My husband and I also volunteer for Uptown Faith Community Services which we heard about at St. Paul’s. When we moved to San Diego we had hoped to somehow be involved with the plight of the children of Mexico. Again, God answered with St. Paul’s and Dorcas House, which we have had the wonderful opportunity to visit.

I love the beautiful building that I enjoy in community on Sundays and in near solitude as a docent. The caring and welcoming parishioners, clergy, the various ministries, and the diversity gives St. Paul’s its wonderful uniqueness.

I am continuing to grow spiritually as I connect with the St. Paul’s community. Never have I found myself this involved in a church community since I was a girl attending Catholic schools. I feel very honored to be a Chapter Nominee after such a short time at St. Paul’s. I am very excited about the Cathedral Master Plan and I hope to be a party to making it happen. My goal is to give back to the Cathedral in some way for all it has given me in just a few years. I am praying that I will be an asset to this ministry.

I have had a varied professional life. Some of this has been by choice and some has been due to various moves my family has made throughout the years. I am currently in a retired status. I have a Bachelor’s in Social Work and have worked mainly with children in this role in northern CA. I worked for many years in Human Resources at Hughes Aircraft Company and as a professional recruiter. I have an MA in HR. My most current employment has been as an elementary school teacher in northern CA and I have done some subbing in San Diego. I was an active member of the American Association of University Women and held office as Treasurer and Membership Chair. I believe my varied background has been a wonderful growth tool as it has been necessary for me to communicate with a variety of people in many different situations. I hope that I can utilize these skills as a Chapter member.

Judy Moore
I came to St. Paul’s Cathedral seven years ago, was baptized and confirmed by the Cathedral. Serenity, peace, happiness and joy came into my life as I’d never known before. The music, the clergy, the liturgy, the congregation of friends from all walks of life, the feeling of quiet contemplation every time I’m in our cathedral – all these are the reasons I love St. Paul’s.

In January 2010, I completed a weekly, seven-year bible study course with Dr. Bill Creasy—from Genesis to Revelation; a fascinating experience that deepened my faith and spirituality.

I was born in New York City, raised in Westchester County, moved to Chicago, Madison (University of Wisconsin music major – piano, organ and flute), Albuquerque, Santa Fe and finally reside in La Jolla. While in Santa Fe I worked for a law firm as a legal secretary, graduated to a paralegal, and suddenly found myself as the head of a six-person accounting department. I had no experience in the latter position but I was a quick study, learned the complexities of the department from our tax accountant, transferred the entire system from manual to computer, and taught myself a myriad of things about money, lawyers, and management. In San Diego, I volunteered in the Emergency Department at UCSD Medical Center, moved on to the Trauma Unit where, in full scrubs, I assisted doctors and nurses in a variety of duties that would probably make the hair curl of The Joint Commission (the accrediting body for hospitals). Subsequently, I became an Executive Assistant to the Associate Director for Professional Services where I learned the value of caring for patients and their families, the importance of cooperating with doctors and the necessity of being a real team player. Today I spend my time volunteering with Orchestra Nova San Diego in their administrative offices. Finally, I serve on the Board of my Home Owners Association as Treasurer as well chairing as the Landscape Committee. I am also a greeter, usher, docent, and a member of the Organ Restoration Committee.

With this background, I have the energy and dedication to be of good service to the Chapter.

Roger Haenke
After moving to San Diego 3½ years ago, Jeff Bates and I were looking for our spiritual home and community of faith. While attending St. Paul’s Cathedral, I was impressed by the sense of welcome and inclusiveness—“no matter where one finds themselves on their journey of faith.” I also appreciate the care and respect for the way the liturgies are celebrated.

We are called through Baptism to a life of service. That life is nourished as we receive Eucharist from the altar each Sunday. In response to this call, I am led to serve. Because the Eucharist is central to my faith, I have chosen to serve as an acolyte. Jeff and I also have a desire to serve those who are less fortunate and in need, so we began “Dining for Dorcas,” a recurring dinner event, which raises money to support Dorcas House. I believe we all have been given gifts and talents which we are to share with one another.

I hold a Masters of Divinity degree and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1991. I served as a parish priest in the Diocese of Fargo, ND. I also have a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration and Nursing. I am currently working as the Director of Neonatal Services at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns.

Susan Hulbert
I love St. Paul’s for its outstanding music, its emphasis on spiritual development, its youth programs that speak to young people in a language they understand, its acceptance of different and varied viewpoints, and for the warm and loving community it provides for all who enter its doors. Only a few months after we joined the Cathedral my husband Doug suffered a nearly catastrophic heart attack, and our Cathedral community, including people we had never met, opened their arms, offered their prayers, comforted our children, and brought gifts of food, enfolding our family in a cocoon of care and love. These acts of grace and love offered a profound and compelling example of Christian community unusual in our experience.

I want to contribute to the Cathedral as a member of Chapter because I want to give back in gratitude for the gifts bestowed on our family by this wonderful place. I hope to use my experience and journey as well as the examples afforded by others at St. Paul’s to build on the terrific programs available already. I have been energized by the plans for Cathedral expansion and would like to be part of the process of discerning the path forward to advance our ministries. Watching our teenage sons flourish as members of the growing and dynamic youth program inspires me to contribute to its development.

I am an environmental, real estate and land use attorney for the federal government. My senior thesis at Yale on the art and architectural history of Balboa Park combined with my professional experience renders me particularly interested in our development project on the park’s border. I’ve volunteered extensively in youth programs supporting our children’s interests, including soccer, Boy Scouts, San Diego Youth Symphony and the Devil Pups youth citizenship program. I would be honored and privileged to serve on our Chapter.

Please be sure to come to the meeting on Sunday for the elections and other discussion of Cathedral business over the coming year.

LEGACY: Resolve to make yours all it can be

2012-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Charles Hudgins asks us to revisit this updated blog, first published last year:

I think everyone wants to be remembered, to leave some mark that says "I was here" – whether as grand as the pyramids or as simple as my father carving his initials in a tree at the edge of newly cleared ground.

How much of graffiti, I sometimes wonder, is pure vandalism and how much the sad autograph of some misdirected (or undirected) youth for whom the availability of an after-school arts program would have made all the difference?

Life presents different opportunities to each of us for making our marks. Most of us will not have as our legacy a great discovery, an acclaimed work of art, architecture, or literature, or heroism above and beyond the call of duty – not Nobel Prizes, or Pulitzers, Oscars, Heisman trophies, or Medals of Honor. The call for us is to find what in our daily lives can be made worth remembering, what among our passions we would wish carried on as a memorial to our having been, what efforts and causes we would want supported for all time.

Some obvious opportunities for rich and enduring legacies are parenting, teaching, mentoring, and ministering to those less fortunate than ourselves. There is a quiz that travels the internet asking, first, that one name the three wealthiest people in the world, the last three Wimbledon champions, the last three Miss Americas, and other such notables, and then, in contrast, the names of three teachers who aided your journey through school, three friends who helped you through a difficult time, three people who have made you feel appreciated – poignantly showing whose legacy is really important to us as individuals.

The legacy within everyone's grasp is a good and thankful life, time well spent, paying back in the measure each can afford, large or small, the blessings he or she has received. To those who love, and are blessed by, the ministries of St. Paul's Cathedral comes the ready opportunity to make provision in our life plans for continuing support after we are gone – whether it be something worthy of a bronze plaque or as simple as helping to keep the lights on.

Those who pledge gifts to the Cathedral by will or other estate plans are enrolled in the Cathedral Legacy Society. The 2012 Prayer Service & Dinner for members of the Society with the Dean will be held Saturday, January 21, at 5:00 PM. Resolve now to be in that number.

What is an Episcopalian? Gabe's story

2012-01-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

I attended the What is an Episcopalian class because I was going to get confirmed, and all youth in the parish take the What is an Episcopalian class while doing home study with their family. I was the only youth to get confirmed and take the class last year. Even though I was the only teenager in the class, I always felt welcomed and I met people in the class who are my friends today. The class created a real community of people within St. Paul’s.

I came to the Episcopal Church after several years of attending a Catholic Church and school. I was interested in the class because I wanted to learn about the Episcopal Church besides wanting to get confirmed in it. It turns out that I learned a lot more in that class than I learned in all the years of Catholic school about religion generally, the Bible and the church. The most important thing I learned is that it is ok to ask questions about God and religion. Sometimes asking questions about doubts you have can lead to the most learning. It was nice to learn about the history of the church and not have the message be how great the church is but rather how the church is a way to find out more about Jesus and to deepen your relationship with God.

The speakers were really great and talked about many different aspects of the church and religion—about the Bible, church history, the Prayer Book, music and stewardship. These are only some of what's presented. The speakers were interesting and willing to answer any questions you have.

The class started every week with great food for only $5—and you could come back for seconds. It was really nice to have dinner with and meet different people each week.

During the class I was inspired to get more involved in the Diocesan Youth program, as well as our own Youth program. I attended the Diocesan convention and I was a staff on a weekend for Middle School students.

What is an Episcopalian is a great class I would recommend for youth and adults alike.

Gabe Hulbert

What is an Episcopalian? begins Jan 11. This fellowship and shared learning experience also serves as preparation for those interested in Baptism, Confirmation, Reception or for those who want to Reaffirm their commitment to ministry in Christ. All are always welcome. Register online, or call the Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas (619) 298-7261 x333 or thomasA@stpaulcathedral.org.

IHS worksheet from The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle's sermon

2012-01-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

You'll find the text on the Cathedral website, but many people asked for this worksheet that Albert mentioned in his sermon today. Click here for a larger view!

What is an Episcopalian? Joselyn's story

2011-12-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

I want to thank Reverend Canon Allisyn Thomas for asking me to write this, and to Melinda for helping say what I really mean.

Before I tell you my experience in the class, I should tell you why we decided to attend this class. Both Melinda and I are extremely interested in history in general (and religious history in particular), so we thought we would attend the classes to increase our knowledge on where the Episcopal church came from, and what the Church had become; besides, there was also the food! We knew how good the food was at St. Paul’s.

At St. Paul’s, both Mel and I found what were initially looking for, and that was a spiritual community. We very quickly found when we got to the class that this community was much deeper and richer than we knew. This was after just a couple of classes, but I digress. You see, the first time we signed up, neither one of us could complete the classes because I had knee surgery, and Melinda was instrumental in my recovery, which lasted over two months. When the classes were offered again we knew we were going to take them.

The second time we took the classes, we experienced all of the same feelings of belonging just like the first time we took the classes. There was acceptance for our scriptural beliefs in class, but the entire class not always in agreement with one another.

The presenters were great - they spoke very clearly about the Church, whether it was positive or negative. And if you did not understand, they were patient to explain. Not only were the presenters respectful, but so were the attendees. What we had learned every week we went home and discussed, increasing our knowledge about the current and past Church. (Matthew 45:25) We found like us, that the people of our Church believed it was important to give to others. I am not going speak for Melinda; anybody who knows us knows that we are connected at the hip, but do not always agree. People also know that anything I write, she edits. What I learned was a deepening of my faith.

I also realized that I was a Christian, and that I could be a Christian.

Joselyn Harris

What is an Episcopalian? begins Jan 11. This fellowship and shared learning experience also serves as preparation for those interested in Baptism, Confirmation, Reception or for those who want to Reaffirm their commitment to ministry in Christ. All are always welcome. Register online, or call the Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas (619) 298-7261 x333 or thomasA@stpaulcathedral.org.

Lessons for Common Ground in the Irish Peace Process

2011-12-30T09:17:00.000-08:00

From the Irish Church News:

Last month a leading gay Anglican cleric returned to his native Ireland after a two-day conference in Geneva, Switzerland on HIV, theology and human rights which highlighted a standoff between various parties, faiths and governments in the battle to tackle AIDS.

The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle of San Diego, who served in parishes in Connor and Dublin, reflected on the unique contribution Irish Christians could bring to the standoff. He describes it as an “identity conflict” where human needs and values must trump ideologies. After thirty years of violent sectarian conflict (where religious and political identities are both part problem and part solution) there may be an opportunity to present “best practices” not only to Irish discussions about homosexuality but a framework for some difficult conversations and policy changes over sexual identities and the place of sex workers and IV drug users in the AIDS pandemic.

...

“The Geneva Conference was a small example that conservative and liberal Christians could agree on a number of issues in a respectful and attentive way to address a complex international issue such as HIV. Our initial temptation in Geneva was to try to come to a consensus and agree on an overarching approach that would understate differences and our concluding decision was acknowledge there was more than one theological position in the room, more than one church and more than one solution to the questions before us. In identifying and mapping the conflict, we could each commit to work not only on the areas of commonality, but also deeper conversation on areas we differed.

We cited biblical texts of conflicts within the early church from the mother church in Jerusalem to the unorthodox work of Paul among the Gentiles. We invoked the parables of Jesus as common values for shared ministry, i.e. the Good Samaritan, which illustrated both the limitations of organized religion to respond to all human needs (the clergy who pass by on the other side) and the Samaritan who met the needs of the victim, even though the Samaritan would have been considered an unlikely hero from the margins.

The invitation for the faith community to help reduce stigma – a universal outcome of HIV is present in this story and to provide healing and safely for everyone was acknowledged. Referring again to the holy texts, the incident of the baptism of Cornelius in Acts is a foundational story of the gifts of the Holy Spirit clearly manifested in one who is not of the “Household of God,” a non Jew who compelled the Apostles to reconsider religious and cultural boundaries of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus and participate fully in the sacramental life and work of the first community. The diversity of theological opinions and arguments in both the attitude to Paul and Cornelius should be an inspiration to the contemporary engagements in the church, particularly around issues of human sexuality and the relationship of law to grace.”

NY Times article on Spreckels Organ and Dr Carol Williams

2011-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

The New York Times had an article this week about Dr Carol Williams, St Paul's organist in residence, and the civic organist of San Diego. You may recall a vigorous discussion in the city about whether San Diego can afford to pay the organist. Says the NY Times,

SAN DIEGO — On the best days, loyal fans say, it is possible to hear the thundering organ three miles away. Weighing nearly 100,000 pounds with more than 4,500 pipes, the organ is nearly the largest in the world.

Devotees here puff up with pride at the unique features of the organ, which will turn 97 on New Year’s Eve. But perhaps nothing makes them prouder than the fact that their city is the only one left in America still paying for a civic organist. So this year, the birthday celebration comes with a huge sigh of relief.

Facing serious budget deficits, San Diego officials considered eliminating the job, which had been on the city payroll for nearly a century. The city chips in about $30,000 toward the $56,000 salary of the organist, who plays free concerts each Sunday afternoon in Balboa Park, the sprawling space in the center of the city.
...

Of the $250,000 budget to put on the Sunday concerts and a Monday night series in the summer, the Spreckels Organ Society, named for the sugar heir who gave the organ to the city as a gift before the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, collects about $30,000 from members and $42,000 from the city. It raises the rest through grants and other outside donations.

Ross Porter, the administrator of the society, said he had not been surprised to be challenged this year, when “every penny is getting turned over twice.” But he was also not surprised when hundreds of supporters sent letters to the City Council and the local newspapers, saying the money was hardly different from the city’s subsidizing sports venues and development projects. ...

In the end, Ms. Williams’s contract was renewed for 10 years, and the society raised more money than it had in some time.....

Yay! Good news for the Spreckels organ, the park , and the community!

Profile of Scott Richardson in SD-UnionTrib

2011-12-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful profile of Scott!

"Be hopeful, devoted, upright, redeemed, and, most of all, zealous for good deeds.”

A joyful Christmas to all!

2011-12-25T00:30:00.000-08:00

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Luke 2:15-20

Title: Madonna Adoring the Christ Child
By: Antonio Correggio (1489 - 1534)

Uffizi, Florence, Italy

Google Art Project

Art:

Bishop Mathes' Christmas message (video)

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Advent Greetings from The Episcopal Church Center

2011-12-22T09:12:00.001-08:00

This is one of several short videos from the Episcopal Church Center in New York, of different Episcopalians describing their experience of Advent. What does Advent mean to you?

Advent Greetings: Schuyler Halsey from The Episcopal Church on Vimeo.

Embracing Advent

2011-12-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Rev. Marshall Scott is a hospital chaplain in the Diocese of West Missouri. He writes,

After spending the better part of a year moving from the Nativity to the feast of Christ the King, in Advent we seem to reverse that process in four weeks. We return in our lessons to the unsettled time into which John the Baptizer strode, a time when the crowds sought hope in the midst of uncertainty. We focus in our proclamation on preparation, highlighting our own sense of a “learning curve” in being ready for Christ’s kingdom. We step toward the end into perhaps the most mysterious transition of all: the pregnancy of a young woman. Obviously, I’ve never been pregnant; but I’ve been involved in two, and have observed many more. I can’t imagine a time of transition more profound, and yet more uncertain and anxious. The new parents I’ve known – the new parent I’ve been! – have all imagined life with a new baby, rather than the day to day changes that are part and parcel of pregnancy. Is it any surprise that our society, shaped by a Christian history that is denied but not entirely dissolved, should also want to jump over the transition to look at the baby?

Which is all the more reason that we people of faith need to slow down and embrace Advent. If our preparation for the Kingdom, and for the Nativity with which it begins, is to be meaningful, it must include learning and training, and even unease.

The complete essay can be found at the Daily Episcopalian.

Secret Santas at Kmart

2011-12-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

We're living in bad economic times. Many of us are struggling, underemployed or jobless. Our politics and civic discourse are badly polarized. We are set against one another. It's heartwarming, then, to read a story that captures the best of humanity and the season:

The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.

He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.

"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents. (Read more)

What I like about this is that it's immediately helping out in the spirit of the season. Never mind who, never mind whether someone agrees with your politics or your religion, doing the right thing.

Have you seen anything like this so far this year?

God in a Box

2011-12-11T16:42:00.001-08:00

“God made man in his image, and we have been busy returning the favor,” George Bernard Shaw quipped. As usual, he was right on the money. Take a look at scripture itself for all the proof you need. It is what the literalists like to do.

Adam and Eve chat with God as if he’s just dropped into the Garden of Eden for a fresh apple. It’s only when they disappoint God that he gets a bit distant with the progenitors of the human race. But not all that distant. He shows up to talk with the likes of Noah, Abraham, and even has a wrestling match with Jacob. Pretty chummy, our God.

More distance by the time we get to Mount Sinai and God’s encounter with Moses who comes down the mountain with a red face and two tablets of God’s laws, the first of which the Israelites are busy disobeying as Moses shows up, his face getting even redder. He heads back up the mountain to see if God is still hanging around in his box, there to retrieve a second set of laws.

Then we get God directing the conquest of Canaan, a thoroughly bloody campaign against otherwise unsuspecting and innocent people who have to be got rid of in favor of the ‘chosen race’. Right on. Let’s blame our greed and our desire to have other people’s property on God, which is exactly what we did here during the conquest of what is now the United States. Yep, God is just like us, greedy and bloodthirsty, and once more God fits into our human-made box.

But back to the Israelites. God begins to distance himself during the age of the prophets, a band of merry men who know God’s will although they don’t always confer directly with the deity, and who remind everybody else about how they ought to live. By the time the Israelites find themselves in Babylon, God has stopped visiting altogether, and a new and more spiritual vision of God has to be proposed. It was during that time that the Torah was assembled, the stories of the Israelite nation composed, and God’s worship re-established without the benefit of a central temple. When the temple was rebuilt, and the Holy of Holies installed (yet another box), presumably the yearly conference with God resumed, although there is no mention of those talks.

Well, you can see that you can follow this right into the New Testament where it is finally asserted that no one has ever seen God, but those who have seen the Son, have seen the Father. Finally, the ‘immortal, invisible, God only wise.’ But the box in which humankind places God, while getting larger, is still a box.

The church in the Middle Ages saw to that. Everything revolved around the earth, which by the calculations in the 19th century—somewhat removed by actual centuries if not by theology from the Middle Ages—was some 6,000 years old. Period. Created by God in seven days and that was that.

How nice it must have been to be born and live in such a simplistic and unscientific age when such facts were all anyone needed to know from birth to death. All you had to do was peer into the God box, and presto! there he was, just as you expected God to be.

But recently, I’ve been watching a program on NOVA that explores the theory of not one universe, but a mega-verse, many universes co-existing somehow and somewhere in space. Inside each one of these are the myriad galaxies and stars like the ones we see in our own universe, the one universe that the Prayer Book tells us that God is ruler of.

This possibility of a mega-verse may come as a shock to some who want to cling to the belief that God has only our universe to look after. It has been something of a stretch of faith for many to believe that God isn’t sitting just above the nearby clouds that adorn our own planet; now to have to go to the trouble of believing in a God who created more than one universe is, for some people, taking things too far. Haven’t we already expanded the box in which we have put God several times already? This really is too much.

I’ve had this sort of discussion with a relative of mine, a man who is a fundamentalist and a self-appointed preacher in his denomination. He used to entertain me with his theories of how dinosaurs could be explained since they aren’t mentioned in the Bible, which is, as far as he’s concerned, the inerrant Word of God. I can’t recall his crackpot ideas exactly, but their absurdity gave me hours of comical pleasure. He’s a ‘God in the box’ type, content to limit God’s power. Any assertion from me that if his God created this world, that same God could have created unimaginable others.

Advent bids us to prepare ourselves for the annual observance of the coming of Christ and the miracle of God’s love for us. By inference, the season also has us expand our vision, not only of God’s fathomless love, but of our own lives and how God’s grace works within them. I would suggest that if we believe in that love and that grace, that it isn’t a great stretch to believe that that same God created worlds upon worlds, universes upon universes, and that our human understanding, crippled by our limited capacities, is the only thing that keeps us from that belief.

Perhaps one day science will be able to show us even more of God’s majesty and power. But for now, we stand in awe of God’s greatness, ever expanding into universes beyond our ken, or our abilities to perceive even the smallest part of the mind of God. It is enough for us, abiding in God’s grace, to praise God ‘in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes.’

Thus does science display for us even more of God’s handiwork, giving us an ever-increasing sense of wonder as well as heart-felt thanks to the God of love who, despite the work of ongoing creation on a cosmic scale that we cannot begin to fathom, dwells among us and knows us by name.

Robert Heylmun

On Line Advent Calendar

2011-12-09T15:15:00.001-08:00

Do you have sites you like to visit during Advent? Trinity Wall Street once again offers an online advent calendar.

Happy belated Blogiversary!

2011-12-07T07:58:00.001-08:00

The Cathedral Blog celebrated its second year anniversary last month. Here are some blog facts for you:

We've had:

over 22,000 visitors
over 300 posts
over 70 contributors

We average around 15 visitors per day.

Our biggest day is Friday (when the e-bulletin comes out), when we may get 50, even 75 visitors.

Not many people comment on the blog itself for some reason, but a few more comment on it via facebook.

We always, ALWAYS need material so....what are you waiting for? Let's hear YOUR voice! Send submissions to stpaulblog@gmail.com

An unfortunate incident

2011-12-02T06:30:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

This past Sunday we had a small reminder of why the work we are doing together is so important. During our stewardship campaign you heard me mention the fact that we are still in a tough economy and not everyone is in the same place. That is a gentle way of saying that some people are really hurting. We just got a reminder of how true that is--immediately following the 10:30 service someone, presumably thinking the pledge envelopes in the baskets near the altar rail contained money, stole several of the envelopes that had been turned in by those coming forward for communion.

I write today not to alarm you or cause undue concern but to alert those who did turn in a pledge card last Sunday that we hope you will resubmit your pledge. We ask that with our deep apologies. Please email Canon Chris Harris at harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org if you are willing to help out in this way. And let this incident also remind us that, as we prepare to enter in the joy of Christmas, there is deep and desperate need in our very midst. Every Thursday there is a line around the block of people who have waited for hours to receive free groceries through the Jewish Family Services program we host in our Olive Street parking lot. Uptown Faith Community Services, a homeless outreach ministry which St. Paul's helped establish, routinely serves 1,800 people each month at its service center in North Park. This February we will once again host homeless families in the Guild Room through the Interfaith Shelter Program. We are also mindful of all those at St. Paul's who have been touched by the jobs or housing crisis in some way.

Our campaign theme this year has to do with thanksgiving. I give thanks for this faith community and pray that we will always be there for those in need. We cannot do everything but, together, we make a difference every day and sometimes in ways we will never know.

If you feel called to respond in a positive way, here are some ideas:
Make a pledge to support the mission of St. Paul's by clicking here.
Volunteer to help staff the Uptown office during the week by contacting Dale Hoppenrath at dhoppenrath@gmail.com
Help staff the Guild Room during our homeless shelter in January, by contacting Canon Christine Spalding at spaldingc@stpaulcathedral.org
Help distribute food on Thursdays at St. Paul's, contact Canon Chris Harris at harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org
With hope and gratitude,

(The Very Rev.) Scott E. Richardson
Dean

Suitable Persons

2011-11-28T11:10:00.001-08:00

"To find suitable persons for the Episcopal ministry and aid them in acquiring a thorough education" - SIM's founding purpose on October 2, 1857 and our ministry ever since. Our personal visits with our seminarian grant recipients, whether from our home office or by one of our alumni, constantly provide us with a renewed sense of the purpose of our founding mission. We wish donors could come with us to meet "our" seminarians for the suitable persons they are. They inspire hope for the future of The Episcopal Church! Two such persons are a married couple - Sewanee seminarians Laurel and Colin Mathewson from the Diocese of San Diego.

The Mathewsons recently won awards for leadership and merit at the University of the South, School of Theology. Laurel is the 2011 winner of The School of Theology's Freeman Prize for Merit that "honors and rewards a rising Middler student for demonstrated academic performance and promise." Colin is the 2011 winner of the Woods Leadership Award, presented annually to a member of the junior class who has most successfully taken initiative in assuming a leadership role in the class. "The award recognizes and encourages students who make a significant contribution to the quality of life in the University of the South."

Of the Mathewsons, the Very Reverend William S. Stafford, dean of The School of Theology, said, "Laurel and Colin Mathewson are each extraordinary scholars and servant leaders. They are part of a student body grappling with the depths of Christian tradition while exploring what the church is now meant to be. "

The Mathewsons began early in their seminary days to "give back" to SIM in several ways. This past fall SIM received a meaningful contribution in honor of the Mathewsons from a San Diego community where they served last summer. They have written thank you notes to major donors on SIM's behalf. In February they plan to "host" a SIM booth at their home diocesan convention in San Diego. This type of social entrepreneurship is indeed suitable for the future of The Episcopal Church.

Congratulations to "our" future ordained leaders, Laurel and Colin Mathewson!

Faithfully,

Tom MooreExecutive DirectorSIM

Reprinted from The Society for Increase in Ministry Newsletter

Thanksgiving Prayer

2011-11-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

"Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: we humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry,sound learning, and pure manners.

"Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

"Endure with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In times of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness ... and compassion for all infirmities."

The Book of Common Prayer

Making time for Rituals

2011-11-21T08:15:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving, Advent and then Christmas rapidly approaching, this is the time for rituals like no other time in our calander year. As an adult you are often the one responsible for doing all of the leg work to keep a ritual alive in your family. And while it can be hard to juggle, given that all of the regular damands remain or even increase during this holiday season, it is worth the effort. These family rituals will glue you all together forever as your children grow up an away.

Old rituals that were passed along to you are wonderful, they bring our own childhoods back to life. It can be so meaningful to share these same traditions every year with those you love. On the flip side, new rituals are really fun to create. Sometimes you thoughtfully bring them to life and sometimes they just create themselves. I've seen that in our family where things we just did became, for our children, important parts of our family ritual without my husband or I even realizing it!

Some our family rituals at this time are to light our advent wreath, make homemade eggnog, make special holiday cookies, eat cheese fondue on Christmas Eve and play with the creshe set throughout advent and the whole Christmas season. I would love to hear some of your families traditions and I'll save them up and send them out for everyone to see. Maybe you'll find one you want to try out, it is great to get new ideas to try from the lives of others.

Rituals clue as all into the fact that something bigger is going on around us. For our children ritutuals can be a comforting reminder that they belong, life is predictable, and has meaning. Rituals can give us a tangleble way to take action around the importance of our relationship with God or other people who matter to us. Taking time to set up and walk through our rituals can leave us with a feeling of accomplishment, we did it, we celebrated, we honored something that was meaningful. We as parents do most of the work to create ritual for our children but in truth we need it too and it gives back to us as much as it allows us to give to our children and family. Our rituals will connect us to what was in our past and reassures us that a part of us will carry on after we are gone. Our rituals can challenge us to be better in some way. Our rituals can allow us to get closer to others; bring us forgiveness and hope. Finally, our rituals can remind us of God's grace, truth and love.

So throw caution to the wind, bring on the season of ritual, and let us do it with in the spirit of connecting us to all that was before and all that will come after.

Christine D'Amico

Stewardship Witness: A Healing Welcome

2011-11-17T08:17:00.001-08:00

I always wanted to be an altar boy…

Growing up in a Catholic church in Utah in the late 60s, that wasn’t going to happen. That’s not to say I didn’t grow up in a spiritual and involved household—I mean, I thought everyone had priests to dinner regularly. My mother was heavily involved in the parish and we went to church every Sunday and more. She instilled in me a real love of the Sacred, and I wanted to be up on the altar, doing stuff the boys got to do! But in retrospect, even as a kid, I don’t think I was so much standing up FOR something, as defining myself as something DIFFERENT from everyone else. Maybe because of that, it created in me a real cultural identity as A Catholic. When I hit High School, we moved back to Texas and I became quite active in the church youth group, as had my brother before me, guitar in hand.

I did the usual growing-up stuff. I went away to college, and faith (or faithful practice) became something wrapped in lavender to take out later—when I might need it. I checked off the expected milestones: college degree, job, marriage, kids... Time to go to church, again. As ever, the easiest way to get involved was with my guitar. Folk choir was both a means for worship and an excuse to get tied up in “backstage” processes so that I didn’t have to examine my faith or think too hard about things spiritual. By singing, I was “praying twice,” as the saying goes, so I was set.

Or was I? I actively felt something was missing, something didn’t quite fit, I just didn’t know what. Then I fell in love with my best friend. Considering that her name was Susan, life got really complicated. At a time when I needed spiritual guidance the most, I couldn’t talk to ANYone. “How could this happen??? This is not in THE PLAN!” Amidst a tumult of shame, denial, guilt, and fear, I prayed. Alone. And I thought I would be torn in two.

Eventually, with counseling and love, we made it through the divorce, as a family; and thankfully, we remain close.

But this is not a coming-out story. It is a coming home story.

Faith-wise, I remained in an uneasy closet: you could say, “The Church of Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell.” While my liberal friends in choir knew about Susan, clergy didn’t. This situation became increasingly difficult as we planned our wedding in that brief window of time, the summer of 2008, in the shadow of Proposition 8.

Our wedding was scheduled on Sunday afternoon, so I figured I could attend an early service close to our hotel. Familiar rhythms of the Liturgy calmed my pre-wedding-jitters. Until the Homily. Three weeks before the election, and that church, like many, was in full swing, preaching for passage of Prop 8. I had been mostly shielded from this in my somewhat liberal-leaning home parish. Suddenly, on what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life, I was listening to a sermon that left me thunderstruck. The pastor spelled out the intrinsic evils of homosexuality, gay marriage, and the damage both would do to the community. The church was standing-room-only, and when the sermon was over, to my pain, many cheered. I was crushed. I stayed for the Eucharist—that’s what I came for—and then I left, in tears.

But God is good. That afternoon, my children walked me down the aisle, where their father waited as my best man, and I was joined by Susan, my radiant bride. My friends from the choir were there, joining other friends and family to celebrate our most joyful union.

Three weeks later, we were devastated by the passage of Prop 8, and we were fearful that our marriage would be annulled.

Susan learned from the Episcopal Blogosphere that St Paul’s was hosting a post-Prop-8 healing service, and she encouraged me to attend, even though she would be out of town. So, somewhat apprehensively, I went. Little did I know that during the service I’d be asked to stand up with all the other married same-sex couples, be formally recognized and… openly CELEBRATED, in the middle of church! It was enormous.

The following weekend, Susan and I attended our first Mass at St Paul’s together—almost defiantly holding hands as we walked in. Would you believe, no one batted an eye? When Dean Richardson began his sermon, he was looking right at me, intimately, saying, “God loves YOU, just the way you are, and wants YOU to be happy.” Tears of amazed joy filled our eyes. After mass, we were recognized as newbies and enthusiastically welcomed by several people at coffee hour. As we were headed to our car, I remember seeing two older gentlemen we’d met, walking away from the Cathedral, sweetly holding hands. I grabbed Susan and said, “I want to be like them, later. Here.”

I’d like to say I never looked back, but in reality it took 18 months of soul searching, guilt, doubt, encouragement, and What-is-an-Episcopalian classes for me to fully immerse in my new home. I discovered that this was a community where I didn’t have to check my brain—or anything else—at the door (well… maybe my guitar). I’ve come to embrace the words of the late John Cogley: “I do not look upon this move as a ‘conversion’ since I have not changed any of the beliefs I formerly held. Rather, it is a matter of finding my proper spiritual home.” I was received at Easter 2010 and soon began training as an acolyte. Now, I think I can say I’m a full-fledged Altar Boy!

I love St. Paul’s for the inclusive love you’ve shown us and the home you’ve given us. Earlier this year, our marriage was blessed, right up at that altar. It’s hard to articulate how meaningful that was, to be welcomed as we are—full members of this family. Because you let me be entirely myself for the first time, and I don’t have to keep anyone or anything at arm’s length, I can engage my FAITH more completely… and more critically, thanks to all the program offerings.

Why do we choose to be generous? Because we want everyone who’s ever felt apart, who’s ever felt left out, or felt excluded for whatever reason, to experience this community and the opportunities YOU provide for a deeper relationship with God. I believe when you’ve been given such a wonderful gift (and THAT relationship is the best gift of all), you pay it forward: In kind, in service, in money, in whatever way you can.

So, we give in thanksgiving for all we’ve been given. For the promise that this Cathedral will always be there for the next member of the family who will come through those doors, coming home for the first time.

Thank you.

Lisa Churchill

EDITOR’S NOTE - In order to keep the witnesses as short as possible without loosing their power, these texts are heavily edited by the time they make it to the pulpit (not to mention to keep them under 10 minutes!). But you can imagine how hard it is to see important parts of your life fall to the cutting room floor so to speak. So this year we thought it would be fun to post the original, longer versions of each witness on the blog. The “extended cut” if you will. They tell a more complete story with more personal details. Thank you to all of our witnesses who so courageously share a part of their lives with us so that we might be opened up just a little more to how God is working in our lives and in the life of St. Paul’s.

Do you have a story to tell about why you are thankful to St. Paul’s? Email Chris Harris at harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org – we’d love to share them here!

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude: Spiritual practices for a more thankful life

2011-11-13T18:49:00.001-08:00

The Christian writer G. K. Chesterton had the right idea when he said we need to get in the habit of "taking things with gratitude and not taking things for granted." Rev. Canon Andrew Rank has noted that “thanksgiving” is his baseline in his spiritual life – the point to which he returns to again and again from which all else flows. I like to think of it as the doorway leading us out of the self-centered world of “our economy”, into the abundant life of “God’s economy.”

So why all the fuss over thanksgiving? Gratitude puts everything in a fresh perspective; it enables us to see the many blessings all around us. And the more ways we find to give thanks, the more things we find to be grateful for. Maybe that’s why some consider it the only prayer you ever really need.

Giving thanks takes practice, however. We get better at it over time. Gratitude is one of the key markers of the spiritual life we include in the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy. It is essential if we are to read the sacred significance of our daily lives. Here are some ideas for spiritual practices – or “gratitude practices” to help keep us centered on this fundamental baseline:

Begin each morning with the general thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer, adding any petition or specifics that are on your heart that day.

Once a week, surprise someone by taking time to write a note or email thanking them for their friendship and for just being who they are. Be specific and tell them why they are so special.

Volunteer to serve food at a homeless shelter or similar ministry, where you can give of your time and interact with those who are less fortunate than yourself.

Have a “stewardship party” at home by intentionally taking care of what you own in new of different ways. Wash your car, dust the plants, do some home repairs, whatever you can do that isn’t part of your normal routine. Thank God for all you have been entrusted with and appreciate how these things help you make connections with other people.

Experience a “Day of Thanksgiving” where you take time all day long to thank anyone and everyone you come into contact with. Thank your pets for their company in your daily life, after a TV show, say a prayer of thanks for the writer, director, actors, and actresses, thank the door person at the store for welcoming you, thank the cashier for their hard work, and so on. Anyone and everyone you come into contact that day. At the end of the day, reflect on the impact on others—and yourself.

Chris Harris, Canon for Congregational Development

(Adapted from “26 Ways to Practice Thanks-giving” by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

City Council Approves Redevelopment Plan!

2011-11-11T13:15:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved the Cathedral's redevelopment project. Thanks to all who wrote letters and attended the hearing! Read more here! Or watch the video of the hearing below.

Stewardship Witness: The Miracle

2011-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

What am I thankful for at St. Paul’s and why do I choose to be generous? I answer that question differently now than I did when I first started coming to the Cathedral, thanks to an experience that changed our lives.

After attending St. Paul’s for several months, I could answer the question about what I am thankful for at St. Paul’s in much the same way many of you would. The music is spectacular and the worship space is beautiful, we are blessed with engaging sermons, enriching educational offerings and a welcoming and inclusive environment. The program for youth reaches young people in a language they understand, engaging even the most reluctant of churchgoers and a tough audience under the best of circumstances, our teenaged sons.

I loved all these things about St. Paul’s from the moment I walked in the door, but I was content to enjoy them from a detached distance, sitting in the back of the church and exiting quickly each Sunday, telling myself that my demanding job and the myriad activities of our children precluded me from getting more involved in the life of the Cathedral. That all changed last September, when our family walked a journey with the people of this Cathedral that has altered forever my understanding of the meaning of the terms “thanksgiving” and “generosity.”

In September 2010, my husband Doug was riding his bike up Ulric Street in Mission Valley when he had a heart attack and collapsed on the street. A bystander saw him fall and hailed a police officer who stopped and administered CPR for several minutes before the fire department arrived, shocked Doug’s heart and took him to Mercy Hospital. When I arrived at Mercy Hospital with one of our children I found Doug intubated and non responsive. The doctor informed me Doug’s condition was dire and that I should summon our other children and a priest. We located our daughter with her friends on their way to the movies, and one of her friends went to retrieve our other son from my father’s house. Then we called the Cathedral.

When I dialed St. Paul’s, it was a Saturday night, Labor Day weekend, and I didn’t expect to reach a real person. What church has an actual person answering the phone on weekend nights? Well, St. Paul’s does, and the angel on the other end of the line was Christine Spaulding, who provided comforting words and the promise that she would find a priest. A few minutes later Dean Richardson, whom I had met on only a few occasions before on the patio after church, walked into the Emergency Room. There he found three terrified teenagers, one of whom was still breathing with oxygen given to him when he passed out after seeing his father near death, and their equally frightened mother, who had gone numb and was functioning on autopilot. It was truly surreal.

The Dean prayed with us, and while much of the evening is a blur, I clearly remember his reassuring presence, and the calming effect of his prayers and words of kindness, concern and comfort on this group—we felt God’s presence and love as we faced the night ahead, a night we weren’t sure Doug would survive.

But Doug did survive the night, by the grace of God, and through the love and prayers of many throughout those first 24 hours. But it didn’t end there. Doug was in the ICU in a coma for 9 days, during which time we did not know if he would live, or if he did survive, if his mathematician’s brain would be intact. Every day multiple members of the St. Paul’s community visited us in the hospital. When she wasn’t there, Dorothy Curry was calling me on the phone to make sure we were ok. Chris Harris , Lisa Crosbie and Chris Wells were there the day Doug woke up.

All of us remember that Doug asked first-- as every good Episcopal mathematician would do—for his Combinatorial Optimization book --and the Book of Common Prayer! Sub Dean Thomas celebrated Eucharist with our family in Doug’s hospital room the day after he woke up. St. Paul’s parishioners, particularly Christine D’Amico, the Petrie family, and others in the youth ministry team, reached out to our children. Several families brought us food. Many of the people who helped us were people we didn’t even know, people who stepped forward when they saw a family in need, enfolding us in a cocoon of love and care. At times when I felt despair and hopelessness, God showed me He was there, in Mercy Hospital, with our family, in the person of the priests and parishioners of the Cathedral.

And do you believe in miracles? I do now—defying the odds, Doug walked out of the hospital two weeks after he entered, unprecedented even by the testimony of his doctors, something only 1- 3% of people who have a cardiac arrest on the street will ever do. Today, a year later Doug has resumed his usual activities.

Except nothing can be usual after an experience like this.

Our lives have been forever changed by what happened to Doug, and what happened to us through the example of so many of you. Our thankfulness is no longer limited to the building, or the music or the youth programs. This experience-this miracle- demonstrated to us that we worship here at St. Paul’s in the midst of a profoundly exceptional community, where the words of welcome and the Cathedral motto—Love one Another—are truly lived by its people. I am thankful for the community that loved and prayed my husband back to health, and that showed my family through countless acts of kindness and love that God is in our midst.

And those acts of generosity by St. Paul’s parishioners and clergy inspired and changed me. During Doug’s recovery, I asked myself how I could become a member more fully of this community, how could I be generous as others had been so generous to me? I am still figuring out the answer to that question.

I started slowly, by gradually saying yes when people ask me to help out, starting slowly by helping out with the youth on Sundays. All of our family members are greeters now. Doug is an active member of the choir. The boys have become acolytes. My father even comes to church with us every Sunday, overcoming his hesitation about coming to a church more progressive than those to which he was accustomed. Last year at pledge time, when we were considering how much we could give back, the excuse of “we have a daughter in college, we can’t afford it” seemed meaningless in the face of what had happened to us.

So why do I choose to be generous? Like I said, I’m still figuring that out. But I do know that the people of St. Paul’s have inspired me to be generous in ways I could not have imagined before.

On behalf of myself and my entire family, thank you for being there for us.

Susan Hulbert

EDITOR’S NOTE - In order to keep the witnesses as short as possible without loosing their power, these texts are heavily edited by the time they make it to the pulpit (not to mention to keep them under 10 minutes!). But you can imagine how hard it is to see important parts of your life fall to the cutting room floor so to speak. So this year we thought it would be fun to post the original, longer versions of each witness on the blog. The “extended cut” if you will. They tell a more complete story with more personal details. Thank you to all of our witnesses who so courageously share a part of their lives with us so that we might be opened up just a little more to how God is working in our lives and in the life of St. Paul’s.

Do you have a story to tell about why you are thankful to St. Paul’s? Email Chris Harris at harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org – we’d love to share them here!

The fierce love of a parent

2011-11-06T14:25:00.001-08:00

Hello Parents

The story of the release of [Israeli soldier] Gilad Shalit to his family left me thinking of how much it is a part of being human to want your children safe, happy and nearby. Every parent in the whole world could relate to that feeling, that need, of this young man's parents to get him released. No matter where you live, what you do, or what beliefs you hold, if you are a parent you can feel a part of this instinctual drive to get your child out of danger and back home where he or she is safe.

I was really struck by the measures this family went to meet this need. They hired a PR person to get the nation's support behind their son's cause. They camped out in front of state buildings for 18 months - slept there for 18 months. That is almost hard to imagine. They held marches and rallies and did anything they could think of to pressure the government to aid in the release of their son. This became the focus of their lives. Their whole life became shaped by this need to get their son home, out of danger and out of captivity.

It made me realize how this feeling to save our children at all costs connects all of us parents around the globe. It left me thankful that my children are safe, free to live as they choose and are still close by. It reminded me of the power of persistence and the human drive to make something happen. It made me think about the fact that there are many other prisons that can "steal" our children away such as drug addition, alcoholism or even anger or hurt feelings. We, as parents, need to keep our eyes open for those societal captives that can lock our children away just as powerfully as a prision. What does persistence to save a child look like in these situations?

This story demonstrated to me the drive to keep loved ones safe and close as one so strong it cuts through everything else. Was the release of this young man a smart move for the country? Was the deal they struck too high? Those are questions I cannot answer. But in the eyes of his family those questions don't seem even relevant.

A bit of Gilad's story is listed below. What does all of this mean for you ... and your family ?

Looking pale, thin and emotional, Gilad Shalit was reunited with his family Tuesday after more than five years in captivity. Now he faces what is likely to be a bewildering few days, weeks and months as he readjusts to a life of liberty. While no one yet knows exactly what he went through, other captives' experiences give an insight into his likely state of mind -- and suggest that although he has his freedom, other challenges lie ahead. Only 19 at the time of his capture in June 2006, Shalit was known to few outside his circle of family, friends and fellow soldiers.

Christine D'Amico

Reflections on Bishop Christopher's Tour

2011-11-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle has written two articles in the local press about Bishop Christopher's "Compass to Compassion" tour about LGBT rights in Uganda, which was launched here at St Paul's Cathedral in August. We've quoted just a small part here; click on the links to read the complete articles.

In his first article, Albert writes,

The influence of the 76 million strong Anglican Church remains profoundly powerful. Of the more than 500 African bishops who serve as spiritual leaders who largely support criminalization of LGBT people, why is it that Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, at 80 years old, is the ONLY significant voice of reason right now coming out of Africa?...

What does it actually take to get the leaders of the church and governments to face up to unnecessary discrimination that would deny access to HIV information and services to millions of Africans and other members of the Commonwealth merely because they are LGBT?…

The bishop has a lot of support among clergy and bishops (some of whom he taught) but are afraid of the consequences of aligning themselves with a more inclusive model of the church that might welcome the marginalized. So the bishop’s tour was most of all a clear message to younger bishops and politicians in Africa and in the Commonwealth, that there is support for them and a compassionate message in significant parts of the world.

In the second piece, Albert highlights the "challenge of progressive ambivalence" while discussing a conference on the issues held in New York

Despite the warm welcome and support of individual donors, parishes and a few foundations, we are still waiting for a significant groundswell of support from this country for progressive programs in Africa.

We see this ambivalence equally in the faith community as well as in the human rights/secular community.....The Dean of Trinity Cathedral Portland hit the nail on the head when he spoke to 900 congregants:
"There is a difference between encouragement and support. The bishop is here because he needs our support."…
We invited the heads of all significant liberal denominations and their public policy and communication staff but few actually showed up. Similarly we invited many of the LGBT organizations across the country but these issues are not in the forefront of LGBT domestic issues – yet. Instead, we had a room full of well-connected and highly motivated individuals and organizations who are creating the COMPASS Coalition (Coalition on Minority Protection Against Sexual Stigma ).

The article finishes with a discussion of the future, including a proposed conference on the issues at Harvard, and a new coalition.

Follow the links for more information on the Compass Coalition; and the St Paul's Foundation for International Reconciliation.

You're invited! Top of the Park, Nov 12

2011-10-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this all-cathedral reception as our annual stewardship campaign kicks off in style this year! Enjoy tempting appetizers and beverages as you take in the sunset and stunning views from the rooftop penthouse of this historic hotel. Don't miss this evening of celebration for the entire St. Paul's community as we offer our thanksgivings and share our vision for the year to come. Whether you're a long time member or a brand new visitor interested in learning more about the Cathedral. We look forward to seeing you there!Please RSVP with Judy at macdonaldj@stpaulcathedral.org or RSVP online here

4pm Saturday, November 12

Top of the Park / Park Manor Hotel

525 Spruce Street in Hillcrest

Can't make it that day or prefer a different date? Then please join us at either of these alternative receptions: "Garden Tea Party" at 2pm Saturday, Nov 5 or "Artisan Cheese & Wine Tasting" at 3pm Saturday, Nov 19 (click here for details and locations and to RSVP).

Monday Interfaith Service at Occupy San Diego

2011-10-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Occupy for Jesus!

I've been down to Occupy San Diego four times--most recently to attend the interfaith prayer service on Monday. That morning Occupy had dwindled down to a rag-tag bunch that was chiefly holding the space. It was mostly young people--lots of dreads and piercings as some critics have noted--with an older crowd attending the prayer service. It didn't look like a movement that could remake our economy, so why do I "waste" my time? The answer is simple.

As a Christian, I think the inequality of wealth in this country is profoundly immoral--for the super-rich it is a soul-destroyer; for the rest of us it is oppressive and unfair. I believe the Kingdom of God (sorry about the monarchical/patriachal language but that is a term that still has great power for me) is not about dividing us into rich and poor and all the attendant evils that go with that division. When we recognize that we are all children of God and are loved by the Godhead solely on that basis, we will have no need for such divisions. Our society's emphasis on riches and power is a symptom of a spiritual lack. Get right with God and you don't need or want all that.

That's my theological framework, let me make it more concrete. What if we had an economic system where the spread between the rich and the poor was limited to a factor of 10. A migrant worker might make $25,000 and the vineyard owner might make $250,000. That still a pretty big difference as anybody who has lived on those two incomes could tell you, but we would have a much more unified society than we have now. Furthermore, I think that is closer to what Jesus intended. How do we get there? What if all those who are made more than $250,000 gave the rest of it away to the poor, to the community, to their CHURCH! (no this isn't a stewardship testimony, but it is connected). Frankly this is a bargain for the rich--Jesus asked the rich man to give it allaway! For me, this is just one piece in getting to an economy that is more directly informed by Christian values. I have no illusions that this will be easy or will occur tomorrow, but as a person of faith I also have hope that with God all things are possible. In the meantime I will continue to join and support Occupy whenever I can and I urge you to do the same.

Phil Petrie

Stewardship Witness: Coming Home

2011-10-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I have to confess, that there was a time when speeches like this, in the middle of Mass, would really irritate me. I would mumble under my breath, "Can't they do this on a different day? We have a priest here after all – who the heck is this person?!?”

Oh my have things changed – about a lot of things! But more on that in a moment…

I was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit and come from an Italian Sicilian-Catholic background so church was very important growing up in my family. My mother urged me to always keep God in my life, so when I moved out, I always tried to stay connected to a church no matter what city I was living in. And for the most part I did. After living in LA for a few years, I moved to San Diego about 10 years ago, and got an apartment just across the street at "Le Moderne". I remember looking out the window of the kitchen thinking, "Well Joe, you’ve got no excuse now "! So I came and my first impression of St Paul's was, "What a beautiful building". I noticed right away the diversity of people and the female Clergy--Wow, I thought... what a concept! I had no idea it was an Episcopal Church, I just assumed it was Catholic. You know, “California rules” or something?

So I attended from time to time, but just didn’t get any traction and starting finding myself less and less interested. I simply wasn't ready to fuse Religion with my life and more importantly, my attention was being pulled elsewhere. I guess you could say the “good life” was calling….

I was in a long term relationship at the time and we were both hairstylists. After moving out together from Detroit, we had spent time working in West Hollywood, and by the time we got to La Jolla, the economy was booming and for the first time in our lives, we were really starting to make some serious money. So for the next eight years I did not go to Church – instead well, we went shopping! I was like the Prodigal Son going off into the world to seek my experiences, leaving God behind. We bought our first Condo, but soon upgraded to a beautiful craftsmen home, new furniture, started driving expensive cars, all while enjoying a nice credit line at Neiman Marcus! We had 3 dogs and a cat a great house and all the stuff we needed. I was a success! Or at least what I was always thought was success…

Unfortunately, the foundation of our life was sitting atop of an unstable relationship that in many ways, was getting buried underneath all of this stuff! We weren’t honest with each other, we never talked, we’d act out, doing things we shouldn't have been doing and never being true to ourselves. I was thinking about God less and less, using the Lord's name in vain when I got angry, and hardly ever praying. On the exterior I was this nice, outgoing person who looked like he had it all, but on the inside I was a mess.

We were young and so foolish and made so many mistakes so when the economy crashed so did our lives….and our relationship. I was left with all the bills and all the responsibility. I tried desperately to save the house, but I just couldn’t do it alone. The market crashed and I lost the house in a short-sale. I went through a bankruptcy, which was followed by essentially losing my job. I was so depressed I cried constantly. I even had to give our dogs away which just killed me. It was during this time I reached the lowest, worst part of my life.

Looking back, you’d think that someone with such a lifetime connection to the church would have the sense to call on the Lord for help. That I would have just turned all over to God at some point. But I didn't. I was struggling so hard to keep it all together, to juggle everything and fix all of my problems on my own, that I didn't have the energy to even ask. It just didn’t occur to me. I was so completely drained that somehow, I had totally forgotten about God. Just as I had left God behind when I though it was all going good, I had forgotten him when I needed him the most.

Well, as time went by things slowly got better. I got through my financial nightmare and began slowly rebuilding my life. I met someone new and started to feel like my old self again. I was able to breathe and feel a smile returning to my face. And I started reading - anything I could get my hands on. Eventually I came across, "The Shack". For those of you who aren't familiar, it's a Fictional story of a man that took his family camping in the woods and one of his children are murdered inside this "shack", which devastates him. Years later after emotionally falling apart he gets a letter in the mail from God telling him to return to the Shack so they can talk... I loved it. It was like a catalyst for me since I could relate to it so much. It was as if God was tapping me on the shoulder in the same exact way, saying, "Uh, hello Joe, remember me?" It reminded me of the love that I have always had for God.

Well, little did I know "The Shack" had sparked tons of controversy from Fundamentalists on the internet. It wasn’t long before I found myself in these intense arguments in chat forums with these people, defending this wonderful book that was so important to me. One woman was so crazy that I told her she reminded me of a character out of a Stephen King novel and she ought to go read it – “The Mist”! Well she proceeded to tell me that I ought to go read the bible! The Bible? Well there’s an idea. So I thought about it, with all this reading, why not? So I bought a bible and proceeded to read it cover to cover. Well, my experience was shall we say…mixed. It was incredibly captivating and profound, but maddening at the same time! The pages were so paper thin I felt that I never made a dent. I kept it on my night stand and stayed up late just trying to make some headway. By the time I got through about a third of the Old Testament and I had become completely frustrated, it just went on and on repeating itself, or so it seemed at the time. I finally skipped ahead to the New Testament. That was easier going but I knew I was missing something. I needed a guide. I needed a companion in this.
I needed the church.

And so I returned to St. Paul’s. And slowly, something started happening inside of me. I felt the presence of reverence, if you will. I was praying again, I would steal away time and go into the other room and say the rosary. When I went about my day I started getting outside of myself and my worries. I began to look up and notice the world around me, I began to talk to strangers more, even the homeless and look them in the eye. I started staying home Saturday nights so that I would be here on Sunday ready to take it all in. I found myself leaning forward in my seat during sermons so I could capture every word. I started hanging out at coffee hour to meet new friends who felt the same way. I stopped using the Lord's name in vain. In time I took it a step further and decided that I wanted to volunteer somehow so I started acolyting. I felt I was going through some big changes, I was "cleaning house" so-to-speak. It was almost as if Christ was mutating in my body, fusing himself with me once and for all so that I could never walk away again. One thing leading to another and I found God growing in my heart and entering my life in more and more areas.

I even found myself starting to give money to the Church! Now that was something I rarely did in the past and even then, it was only out of guilt or obligation. After all, “the church is huge. Do they really need my money as much as me?” But somehow these changes in my life had changed my attitude about money. When I made a pledge for the first time a couple of years ago, it had nothing to do with guilt or obligation, but everything to do with thanksgiving. I was so thankful that God was coming back into so many areas of my life, why NOT my money too? After all, wasn’t the pursuit of money and such part of the reason I had stepped away to begin with? (And look at how that turned out!) Perhaps my money was one more place in my life where I needed to let God in.

So why do I love St Paul's and why do I choose to be generous? It’s so many things I could go on and on. But an important one is that the Cathedral was here when I was ready. Like the father in the prodigal son, you welcomed me back with open arms. Above all of the volunteering, the committee meetings, the Potlucks, and all of the protocol of Church, what I enjoy most is just being a parishioner. Simply being here with you all, sharing the love God has to offer through each other. Sometimes coming to this Church feels like a visit to the Chiropractor. When my week seems out of whack or not in alignment, I come to the Cathedral for an adjustment. It is my sacred space where I can truly pause and reflect on my life, and with the help of my friends give thanks to Christ for all that he has done and continues to do in my life.

I realize now, my story--our stories-- are very important, just as important as anything else that goes on in this Cathedral. We need each other. We need our stories. And we need God in every part of our lives along the way. I will close with this. Dean Richardson said something in one of his sermons once that I will remember above everything else, "We are all in this together"...I think this speaks VOLUMES. Thank you so much for listening.

--Joe Bruglio

EDITOR’S NOTE - In order to keep the witnesses as short as possible without loosing their power, these texts are heavily edited by the time they make it to the pulpit (not to mention to keep them under 10 minutes!). But you can imagine how hard it is to see important parts of your life fall to the cutting room floor so to speak. So this year we thought it would be fun to post the original, longer versions of each witness on the blog. The “extended cut” if you will. They tell a more complete story with more personal details. Thank you to all of our witnesses who so courageously share a part of their lives with us so that we might be opened up just a little more to how God is working in our lives and in the life of St. Paul’s.

Do you have a story to tell about why you are thankful to St. Paul’s? Email Chris Harris at harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org – we’d love to share them here!

Home-made cheese

2011-10-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can make your own soft cheeses and yogurt at home? Cassie Lewis recently led the Simpler Living group in a workshop to learn how to do it. The recipes are posted here; they will also be permanently accessible in the Recipes tab at the top of the blog.

Ricotta

1 quart whole or 2% milk
¼ cup vinegar
Salt

Pour the milk into a large pot, and heat it to 190-195 degrees F (just under boiling, or until steam and small bubbles form along edges of pot). Add the vinegar and stir. The curds will separate. Ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander, and set aside to drain over a catch bowl. When the curds have cooled a few minutes, tie the corners of the cloth into a ball, wrap the ends around a wooden spoon, and rest the spoon over the catch bowl or the edges of your sink, allowing the curds to drain.After a few hours the cheese should stop draining, at which time you can salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Ricotta keeps for 5 days in the fridge.

Cream Cheese

4 cups NON-ultra pasteurized half & half
1 cup NON-ultra pasteurized heavy cream
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp salt

Heat the creams to 90 degrees F (or until hot), then stir in the buttermilk and pour the mixture into a sanitized mixing bowl (use glass or a non-reactive metal). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Wrap a few kitchen towels snugly around the bowl. Place the bowl in a warm area, and let it sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours the cream mixture should have the consistency of yogurt and should not move when the bowl is leaned on its side. If it still has some movement, the cultures need more time to develop, so let it sit for 6-12 hours more. Once you have a firm mixture, pour it into your cheesecloth-lined colander with a catch bowl underneath. Allow it to drain for 15 minutes, then fold the cheese cloth over the cheese to continue straining. Cover it with plastic, and place in the fridge for as long as 12-14 hours. Stir in salt.

Fromage Blanc (aka Farmer’s Cheese!)

1 quart of whole or 2% milk
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp of vinegar (any type) or lemon juice
¾ tsp salt

Follow the same instructions for Ricotta.

Yogurt

1 quart of whole, 2%, or soy milk
2 tbsp of yogurt that’s already made, or some “yogurt starter” according to package instructions

Pour the milk into a large pot, and heat it to 190-195 degrees F (just under boiling, or until steam and small bubbles form along edges of pot). Add the starter yogurt and stir. Pour into sanitized jars and place (without lids) in yogurt maker, OR cover with cheese cloth or thin kitchen towel or napkin and place in a warm spot with a towel around them for 6-12 hours (longer time makes thicker yogurt). Place lids on jars and refrigerate.

Variations:Can use coconut milk, or nut milk (made by blending equal parts water and nuts). Can use the coconut milk in place of the water when making nut milk. Harder nuts require pre-soaking for several hours.

Labneh (Middle Eastern Yogurt Cheese)
Follow instructions for yogurt above. After yogurt has developed for 6-12 hours, pour into a cheesecloth-lined colander over a catch bowl. Tie the corners of the cloth into a ball, wrap the ends around a wooden spoon, and rest the spoon over the catch bowl or the edges of your sink, allowing it to drain for 8-12 hours. When finished, use as a sweet or savory spread, adding salt and herbs or use with honey, cinnamon, and dried fruit.

Journaling from the heart: a look at the Progoff Intensive Journal Workshop

2011-10-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

I attended last weekend's Progoff Intensive Journal Workshop at St. Paul's Cathedral and was pleasantly surprised by my exhaustion at the end. Sign of time well spent. We worked it in the Guild Room!

Cathedral staff had set up the room so each journaler had her own clean, well-lighted place to work complete with an individual table and a small vase with a few flowers. We looked out on Balboa Park as we wrote. A beautiful setting.

The Rev. Mike Russell led the workshop, which was a delight, as Father Russell always is.

We worked through our own personal "nows," our current moments in our life histories. We looked at life patterns and crossroads, and the interesting, maybe stalled, relationships with others. Finally, we exerted ourselves writing about where we are headed. Making use of intuition, or reason speeded up, we allowed twilight images to come to us and show us their truth and wisdom. All of our process was valued and validated as important because, as Father Russell reminded us more than once, "it is what is!"

Some chose to share what they'd written; most did not. Both were perfectly acceptable.

Probably the most effective tool I learned in the workshop was that of dialoguing. This is simply writing a dialogue with another person, your life work, or your deep inner wisdom. It's really amazing what can come from a dialogue. Progoff advises specific methods to get your head in the right place to write a productive dialogue, including activating your empathy - pretty important!

I highly recommend attending this workshop. Yes, it's a time commitment, but gaining tools that allow you to see your life from a healthy, nonjudgmental perspective is well worth the effort.

Thanks to the Cathedral for sponsoring this event, to Father Russell for leading it in his open, fun way, and to the other attendees for sharing in the journaling experience.

Hannah Wilder

The Ira Progoff Intensive Journal® Process, Part 2: Oct 29/30 This series is conducted by The Rev. Michael Russell on Oct 29 (9am-6pm) to Oct 30 (1-6 pm). Price $145. Join us even if you haven't taken Part 1. More info:The Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas, 619.298.7261

Living the Questions

2011-10-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

If you have not already signed-up, it's not too late to registerfor "Living the Questions", our new fall adult education series.

This 7-week course begins next Wednesday evening, October 19th from 6pm-8pm in the Guild Room.

"Living the Questions" is a great chance to learn more about what it means to be a "progressive" Christian from some of the most respected (and sometimes controversial) theologians of our time, including Marcus Borg, Helen Prejean, John Dominic Crossan, James Forbes, Mathew Fox, Walter Brueggemann, John Shelby Spong, and many more!

We'll meet for a shared meal at 6pm ($5 suggested donation), view a short video introducing the topic of the evening and then break into small groups to discuss further. Click here for the class schedule and to view a short video introduction

There are already 35 people signed up so space is filling up fast. The class is FREE but space is limited. Click here for more information and to sign-up online.

Hope to see you there!

The Rev Canon Allisyn Thomas

Episcopalians and the Religious Life

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

470 years ago, give or take a bit, Henry VIII dissolved the vast majority the monasteries, friaries, priories, and convents in England which, seemingly, brought an end to vowed Religious Life in England. One might assume, then, that the Church of England and its daughters such as the Episcopal Church would be missing monks, nuns, friars, and the like. One would be wrong.

Almost exactly 300 years after the disappearance of Religious Life in Anglican Christianity, during a period when the Catholic heritage of Anglicanism was being re-embraced, the first new religious orders for women were established in England (1841 – 1855) and for men and women in America (1842 - 1845). Anglican religious orders for men reappeared in England a few years later (1866).

Although some communities have disappeared over time and some houses within communities have appeared or disappeared, many of the original Anglican communities still exist. In fact, we seem to be in a period of revival for Anglican religious communities with the founding of new orders beginning in the late 1960s. The trend seems to be accelerating with the emergence of several new communities just in that last year or two and a growing movement of experimental communities, some recognized by the church and some not, some in the Anglican tradition and some not, which are being referred to collectively as a New Monasticism. Members of religious communities may be ordained or lay.

Some of us feel a call to a deeper relationship with God in Christ but don’t feel called particularly to ordination. For (some) people like us, Religious Life represents the fulfillment of that call. And, wonderfully, that’s available within The Episcopal Church.

Harold L. SlatoreIs a postulant in the Brotherhood of St. Gregory, a Christian Community of The Episcopal Church.

St Paul's Business Tips Group

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

An early time manager, Ben Franklin famously said –“Does thou love life?Then do not squander time for that’s the stuff life is made of.”

All business and professional people know the value of time and how success is dependent on its good management. And as time management is the servant of other business success criteria such as the well planned strategy and the disciplined focus, we are reminded of the life and values of Steve Jobs. We discover anew his intense practice of sorting the need to do from the nice to do and we marvel at the success it produces.

And yet as Christians we also know that Jesus, driving time managers crazy ever since, constantly stopped for the interruption. Can’t you see how a movie director would play it - Jesus purposely moving along a dusty road on his way to some appointment – the healing of a sick child, throngs of people in his wake, when he feels the touch of a weakened hand on the hem of his rob. He stops and spends time with the bleeding woman, rendering him, among other things, ritually unclean and in need of time consuming purification. The camera zeros in on one of the disciples nervously checking Jesus’ schedule for the day and then moves to the parents of the sick child, anxious about the delay.

We share their concerns, but we also sense that Jesus is getting it right. So as busy people with well planned and ordered businesses and with livelihoods dependent on turning a profit from the unforgiving hours of the day, how are we to possibly manage if Jesus calls us to stop what we’re doing and respond to the needs of our customers, clients, patients, etc? And how can we prosper if we must pause to ensure good faith, disclosure, options and fiduciary responsibilities?

As with so many things in our spiritual lives, we’re informed and encouraged in community. It’s our brothers and sisters in the faith that call us back to remembering what we know. The Tips Group we envision will be a kind of community – business and professional folks gathering regularly to share business referrals (the traditional purpose of a Tips Group), but also listening to each other’s testimony on work place discipleship opportunities realized and missed.

When I was a young man in a strange land (NYC) I had the good fortune to be taken under wing by an older, comfortable, childless couple. Mary taught me how to navigate the social world of the big city and Eddie t
aught me, the definition of success – it’s what Marley told Ebenezer. “The business of mankind is our business.”

Our Tips Group while providing tangle mutual assistance and referrals will remind of us what we know – of what Jesus and Marley and Eddie taught us.

Jim Greer

Come and grow your business whilegrowing your faith! Meeting days and times are being organized. Ifinterested, contact Jim Greer via jim@jimgreer.com or619-985-1628.

Thinking different

2011-10-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

I've never used a Windows PC more than occasionally. I wrote my PhD thesis on a DOS machine, where each chapter took up 5 1/4 floppy and everything ran from a command line. Fortunately, the lab down the hall,which had just purchased a new-fangled Macintosh, helped me do my graphics. It's hard to explain to my students today what a change it was to go from laboriously hand-drawing figures to making clean, crisp computer-generated line drawings, and ultimately digital images.

When I was a postdoc, we shared a bunch of angular early Macintoshes, and accessed my email through a dumb terminal to the Oxford University VAX. For the average person outside of academe, the world wide web did not yet exist. We hung out on internet bulletin boards and learned the minimal amount of UNIX required to navigate the mainframe. And the Macintoshes continued to get better. Soon, we didn't need the dumb terminal. The Mac was online.

I'm a molecular biologist, and my field has always been very Mac heavy, in part because of our heavy use of graphics and imaging. Additionally, most molecular biologists are not computer geeks; they want things that are fast to learn, and intuitive to use. And I think scientists have a natural resistance to conforming.

I remember my first very-own Mac, when I got my first faculty position (a Centris 650, in 1993). I remember the first web browsers when there wasn't really a web yet. Because I do have a streak of geek, I started writing HTML code by hand, and put up my first web page in 1995 -- still running, though redesigned a few times! I hung on to Macs when things looked bad in the 90s, and felt relief when Steve came back to Apple. I spent time correcting people who erroneously reported that Microsoft Word didn't run on Macs (it always has). When I go to meetings, Macs make up at least half of the machines in use, and often more.

Macs last a long time, and are easy to maintain, which justifies their expense. In my lab, until recently a first-generation gumdrop iMac sat next to our sleek Apple multi-terabyte RAID array enterprise grade server.

I think I still have my first generation iPod, a clunky little hard drive. These days, I use an iPhone, a slim little MacBook Air when I travel, and a fast MacBook Pro which I plug into a big monitor on my desk. My old computers have been cycled down to the kids or my lab.

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe!"
Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs made these tools democratic, quirky, and available. He also made them simple, elegant, and a pleasure to use. Whether you use a PC or not, you've been touched by his vision. The interface on your computer, the internet, the music market, the smartphone, even movies would not be the same without his contributions. And he "got it": a technical visionary who understood from a hippy youth that life is what you make of it. How sad he died so young.

But what a wonderful legacy he left us, this child of unmarried parents, college drop out, Buddhist, non-conformist....

Here's a quote from a commencement address Steve Jobs gave at Stanford in 2005 . This was a reflective address from a man who was facing mortality and imparting his own spiritual wisdom. (You can see the whole address here on Youtube, or read the text)

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

He accomplished what he did not because he followed the rules, but because he followed his heart. As a famous Apple campaign put it,

Think different.

Susan Forsburg, SPC blogmaster

Bishop John Chane and the release of the American hikers held prisoner in Iran

2011-10-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Episcopal News Service tells us about the role Bishop John Chane of Washington DC (former Dean of St Paul's) played in the release of the American hikers held prisoner in Iran.

The Sept. 21 release of U.S. hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal from an Iranian prison "affirms the importance of the role of religious dialogue and its end product in this case, public diplomacy, as we seek ways to define common ground between our two countries," said Diocese of Washington Bishop John Chane, who returned from a weeklong visit to Iran on Sept. 19.

Chane and a delegation of Christian and Muslim leaders had traveled to Iran at the invitation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; one objective was to seek the release of the hikers on humanitarian grounds.

The delegation included Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, former leader of the Archdiocese of Washington, and Nihad Awad and Larry Shaw, national executive director and board chairman respectively of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Chane said in a Sept. 21 statement e-mailed to ENS that the hikers' release "reaffirms the promises made during our conversations with the president of Iran and representatives of the Iranian foreign ministry ... I look forward to good conversations with representatives of our government with the hope that it finds a way to address the Iranians' concern for their citizens who are currently in detention in the United States."

Blessing of the animals

2011-10-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

The Cathedral was filled with friends of the furry, finny, or feathered variety. The various photographers are putting their pictures on line at the Cathedral's Flickr site which you can access here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stpaulscathedral/sets/72157627804827640/

Meanwhile, here are some photos to get you started!

Building Bridges

2011-09-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am sitting on a plane, again writing a blog post for St. Paul's(note to self - must write at other times as well). I have anannouncement to make. I need to come out of the closet. Are youready? OK here goes - I am a democrat. There I said it, you arethe first people I've ever told publicly. But there is more, andthis one is even more shocking - I'm reading Sarah Palin's biography'Going Rogue'.

Please don't hate me! For the Republican's out there it's not that Ithink you are bad but if you force me to choose a single party thensorry but I bat for the other team. Democrats, please don't make funof me because I paid good money to buy Sarah's book and am helping tofund her political career. I had my reasons......

I wanted to understand her. I may not agree with her but I wanted aninsight into what makes her tick. How can I honestly say Idisagree with her if I know so little about her? St. Paul's issuch a loving community but in many ways it is so easy to love. And here lies myproblem. When we make it so easy to love, we run the risk of ignoringhate. It is sometimes to ignore hate than confront it. I don't believe that Christ called me to a life of ignorance. I don't believe that Christ does not want me to walk alongside thosewho hold different beliefs to myself.

I have heard people ask if it was right for us to pray for the soul ofBin Laden, to invite an Imran into our midst on the anniversary of9/11. Personally I say yes it was totally right. I personallybelieve that Christ would not only be a greeter at the door of Hischurch for both of those occasions, but that he would have beenemailing Dean Scott and Cannon Allisyn asking to lead a forum todiscuss the issues.

My prayer tonight is that we don't get too comfortable in love that weignore what we disagree with. My prayer is that we actively go outand learn about those that we do not understand or those who holddifferent beliefs to ourselves. I'm sure that when we do, we willfind out that there are many more things that we share in common thandivide us.To love is easy, to understand takes work, to build bridges is a full time job.I'd write more but I want to get back to my book.

Richard Lee

Reflections on the 10th anniversary of Sept 11

2011-09-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday, September 9th I was grumbling a bit to our weekly breakfast group about what might be coming along in the way of observing the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Then, after attending church on September 11th, I sent those friends, and a few others, the following email about my impressions. To my surprise, several of our friends not only wrote thanking me for that email, one calling it "a light in the great darkness,” but also said they were forwarding it to other friends and family.

Here is the email I sent:

<><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><>
Dear All,

As several of you know, at breakfast on Friday I was grumbling about the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary hoopla. Well . . . on Saturday we finally received our issue of Time magazine, and I defy anyone to read that without being wrung out. I commend
Time for the dignity of the issue.

And then today, church was – well, I am groping for one adequate adjective – awesome. It succeeded largely because of things it was not. It was not maudlin, it was not pessimistic or anxious or defeatist, and, especially, it was not jingoistic.

You knew we were off on the right foot when you saw, processing in with all the Christian priests (including our Lutheran canon Jack Lindquist), our Rabbi-in-Residence Laurie Coskey, and the head of San Diego’s Islamic Center, Imam Taha Hassane, a fairly frequent visitor to St. Paul’s.

The Collect of the Day was a specially written prayer for this special day:

God the compassionate one, whose loving care extends to all the world, we remember this day the children of many nations and many faiths whose lives were cut short by the fierce flames of anger and hatred. Console those who continue to suffer and grieve, and give them comfort and hope as they look to the future. Out of what we have endured, give us the grace to examine our relationships with those who perceive us as the enemy, and show our leaders the way to use our power to serve the good of all for the healing of the nations.

Rabbi Laurie read the first lesson, from Genesis. Before she began, she explained that she would be chanting a prayer in Hebrew that the word be well received. Near the end of that prayer, with a grin she chanted in English, “And for full credit, the people say ‘Amen,’” and we all joined in. When she chanted again at the end of the reading, we all came in on cue. There was a line in that first lesson that read, “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good.”

All three lessons dwelt on the theme of forgiveness, which the dean picked up on in his sermon, especially how good can come out of evil. There was also a very interesting announcement in his sermon about the opening of Claremont Lincoln University, an apparently unique seminary where Christians, Jews and Muslims can prepare for ministry. (http://www.claremontlincoln.org/about)

The Prayers of the People, in addition to prayers for our leaders, for those who mourn, and those who live in fear and anxiety, included, “For our enemies, the ones for whom we would rather not pray, and for ourselves: lead us from prejudice to truth, deliver us from hatred and revenge; give us courage to overcome our fears and build bridges, that we may stand before you reconciled.”

During the clergy greetings, Imam Taha first chanted a prayer in Arabic, and then recalled the warm welcome extended to him by St. Paul’s when he first arrived in San Diego about seven years ago. Rabbie Laurie recalled being in the sanctuary the night of September 11, 2001, and realizing at that time that St. Paul’s is her spiritual home. She said there is no other house of worship in this country where she feels so much at home. She is not currently associated with any synagogue, but is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice.

Sorry if this long message comes across as a commercial for St. Paul’s. . .[D]ays like today make us acknowledge there is something special and soul-enriching there.

Peace and love to all,

Ann Gary

Journaling Myself: the Progoff Process

2011-09-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some thoughts about my experience with the Progoff Intensive Journal process…

First of all; the Progoff Intensive Journal Program, developed by psychologist Dr. Ira Progoff, is an integrated method of self-developing writing exercises. It’s a two-part series using psychological principles.

I attended the workshop last fall and while learning and working with the suggested techniques to document myself, I discovered that this self-dialogue mostly appealed to me by its creative approaches to record conversations, recollections and images. It’s not just record-keeping, it’s dynamic.

While I haven’t yet found my dimension of ‘ultimate meaning,’ that thick loose-leaf binder is always available like an insightful friend who motivates one to intriguing ways of drawing life with experiences from memories. I recommend the journey!

-Canon Brooks Mason

Interested in more? Finding your life’s path of joy, wholeness, and creativity with the Ira Progoff Intensive Journal® Process will be conducted by The Rev. Michael Russell as a two-part series on Oct 8-9 and Oct 29-30. Price $145, Info: The Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas, 619.298.7261

Simpler living: Moving San Diego Rally on 24 Sept

2011-09-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

The folks of the Simpler Living ministry are part of a coalition, San Diego 350, working for clean energy to address climate change. A number of events are planned for Sept 24th including a rally in the Park and interfaith panel. Look for some familiar faces in the video below!

Public Manners

2011-09-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am, from time to time, mocked, excoriated, and called a curmudgeon once I have expressed an opinion that seems not to match up with what some of my contemporaries have come to accept as normal, current modes of behavior in public. There is a list of things that we have to put up with in public places that will set me off. Mostly they have to do with the total abandonment of public manners, consideration of others in public places, and a complete sense of license on the part of perpetrators who feel that they have no responsibility to behave themselves when out among the rest of us.

Want a good example? The first one that comes to mind occurs at the increasingly loud tables of people who gather in restaurants. One voice grows louder and shriller as it attempts to out talk everyone else at the table. Then another voice takes up the challenge, and we, sitting nearby, are bombarded with even more screeching noise until their whole table raises the decibel level to somewhere above agony. Oh, it’s not only women, I hasten to say; men do it too, often urged on by the restaurant’s ‘background’ music which is too loud to begin with, providing a sports arena effect where people feel they have to compete with the ambient noise to make whatever point they are determined to drive home.

The result is chaos and cacophony for everyone and anyone close by, immediately eliminating the possibility of conversation at normal voice levels. Now, if you complain about this to your tablemates, you’re likely to be labeled a curmudgeon. So be warned.

This phenomenon in restaurants has become epidemic. One time in Florence, four American girls got so loud in a small restaurant there, that one patron went over to their table to ask them to tone down. They didn’t, of course, believing that it was their right to be loud, rude, and inconsiderate. That’s when I went over to their table. I reminded them that they were guests in a foreign country, that everyone in the place knew where they were from, and that they were giving the Italians a bad impression of American manners. That more or less did it.

I should never have had to speak to them about their behavior. I should have been able to rely on their upbringing and their sense of manners, but clearly they had not had much quality of either one.

These days, people mistake rights for license. It is everyone’s right to talk, to speak to others across a dining table. That right ends when the volume of those voices reaches the point where it extends past the table and annoys anyone nearby. The continuance of the noise is not a right; it is taking advantage of other people’s tolerance. That is license, attempting to get away with being an inconsiderate jerk.

Last week, my friend Ken and I were enjoying a lovely meal at Charisma, one of my favorite Italian restaurants. Ken had never been there, and had brought a splendid bottle of Montepulciano di Abruzzo for us to share. Fortunately, we were fairly well finished with our pleasant evening when in came two men and a woman who sat at the table to my right. She immediately set up a high shriek that she apparently thought of as laughter, more of a whinny, or neighing, reminiscent of the sound a horse would make. They were shortly joined by another woman who competed with the first one to produce as much racket as possible.

When I looked over, one of the men in their company told me that they were just having a good time, and that if we didn’t like it, we might go to another restaurant. Not an option. They were the interlopers, and prior to their appearance, the restaurant had been the scene of other couples quietly having dinner together.

It seems to me, and my memory isn’t all that faulty, that once not too many decades ago, we did observe manners in public. People who didn’t were thought to be making a scene, a shameful and disgraceful thing to do. People had some sense of decorum, and definitely a sense of avoiding being a pest or causing other people to have an unpleasant time. Babies used to be shushed when they babbled or wailed loudly, in restaurants or in church or anywhere else where they became a nuisance. Now we dare not do such a thing; we might permanently damage their egos and their sense of self expression if we insist that children be quiet and not bother other people.

The situation in contemporary society will only get worse, of that I’m sure. Since people have no manners of their own, they are ill-equipped to teach manners to their children. It’s the same phenomenon we often see in today’s classrooms, by and large. Teachers cannot teach what they do not know. Nor can parents.

I wish I had a remedy, but I don’t. Not long ago on the outside bar at Martinis, there congregated a loud—and getting louder—party of about ten people (men and women), fueled by ten-ounce martinis of various colors and potency. Four of us were sitting at the next table until I suggested that we go inside where things were quieter, and where we could at least talk to each other. We did that, but there was the palpable feeling that once again, I was being the old fuddy-duddy. So be it. I don’t care. I refuse to have my evening ruined by the inconsiderate noise from other tables. I don’t see why I should.

So call me what you will.

Your thoughts?

Robert Heylmun

The Next Right Thing (or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Organ Campaign…)

2011-09-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

When I was asked to join the committee steering the Campaign to Restore the Memorial Organ I thought I had a pretty good idea what I was in for. I mean, I’ve been involved with such campaigns in the past and pretty much assumed I would be attending meetings, helping out at receptions, staffing a recital or two, maybe even a phone-a-thon. But I had no idea my involvement would evolve into becoming the committee’s unofficial “historian.” In fact, I’m not quite sure how it happened. But somehow amidst the various events, the organ “salons” and the committee meetings, I found my self digging deeper and deeper into the Cathedral’s archives in search of interesting facts and historical anecdotes that might spark interest in potential donors.

So while the motivation was to help the campaign, I have to say, I had a lot of fun doing it! Digging into the archives of St. Paul’s to discover the heritage of the organ is like doing your own genealogy. There is the thrill of personal discovery of the dates and facts, and then there are the stories which bring ancestors to life with tales of the day and hardships that humble. While this is not a history of the organ or of St. Paul’s, I have gleaned tales of real people from reading vestry minutes over the decades, archived primary documents, public records, and news clippings.

Here’s some fun excerpts from what I uncovered…

The original St Pauls, 1887 (from PeriodPaper)

The newly formed St. Paul’s Parish, 54 communicants, moved into their newly built and furnished church on property they owned at 8th and C streets in 1887. Reading through the vestry minutes and Rector Henry Bond Restarick’s brief hand-written history of the parish, there was a palpable excitement of buying land, designing a church, and ordering the new organ.

In 1883 the parish organized a “Fair”, probably a day of festivities, which included the raffle of a Crazy Quilt. The quilt sold for $225! The entire Fair netted over $1,500 to help with the Rectory Fund. Mention was made in Restarick’s short history of additional parish Fairs that were staged in subsequent years.

Besides a focused vestry that had at least one judge and an attorney, Holy Trinity parish (St. Paul’s parish’ prior name) also had attracted a volunteer organist in early 1883. Waldo Farrington Chase as volunteer organist and May Restarick, the rector’s wife, grew a small choral music program for the parish. In 1885, Chase and Mrs. Restarick announced the formation of the Organ Fund to buy a pipe organ for the new church. Chase performed benefit concerts to grow the fund for the $2,200 organ.

Henry Bond Restarick eventually
become Bp of Honolulu

In early 1887 Rector Restarick ordered the organ from Hook and Hastings in Boston. A flurry of mail followed which revealed the proper signatures had not been sent to the manufacturer and the manufacturer was stopping work on the instrument. The matter was immediately taken over by one of the attorneys on the vestry. All abnormalities were straightened out in time for it to be shipped and received in the spring of 1887.

Waldo Farrington Chase wasted no time in sending a complimentary letter to the vestry on the sound and performance of the new organ, and proposing himself as the first organist at a salary of $200 per year. Not many months passed before the salary was raised to $300 per year. The music program grew with organ and choral performances.

By 1890, St. Paul’s parish with its new building and organ had grown to 325 communicants from only 54 in 1885.

Waldo Farrington Chase, from
Men of the Pacific....1902-1903

Chase stayed with St. Paul’s, as its paid organist, for about 10 years. During that time he pursued the diaconate, being sponsored by St. Paul’s parish. In 1891 he was ordained and stayed with the parish until about 1897. Census and marriage records show him marrying the daughter of a clergyman in Los Angeles in the late 1890’s. He then served out his life in the Los Angeles area and was ordained a priest at age 91! His obituary from 1966 shows him to be a long-lived man dying at age 104, after retiring at the age of 103 from his church in Whittier.

And that’s just a few of them…

I’m not entirely sure why the history of our Memorial Organ is so appealing to me. I suppose in part it’s because I appreciate learning how past congregations sacrificed and stretched themselves to build the church we now call our spiritual home. Somehow these stories make me feel more connected to St. Paul’s and to those that came before, most of whom probably had no idea of the legacy they were leaving. I mean, do you suppose those folks back in 1887 ever thought that their Hook & Hastings would still be playing 125 years later? Or that their little church would eventually grow to become a Cathedral for the City? Probably not. My guess is, they were all just doing what they thought was the next right thing. But then, maybe that’s how legacies are built. Not trying to do something big or grand or particularly special. But by just trying to do the next right thing.

So here’s to the campaign to restore that magnificent organ that those good folks back in 1887 struggled so mightily to bring to San Diego. Here’s to the next right thing!

- Paula Peeling

Remember Sunday 18th Sept is our celebration of the conclusion of the organ campaign! There's still time to make a contribution.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

If you have been attending to the media this week then you know that our country is working hard to make sense of 9/11. We are remembering, reflecting, and once again sharing our feelings about that horrific crime as well as the decisions and events of the decade that followed. This Sunday at Saint Paul's we will be doing something just a bit different, i.e., praying our way through that trauma and wondering together what it is that God is doing in our midst even now. What others intended for evil God intends for good - that is a line from the first lesson this Sunday and a central tenet for all baptized believers. We are resurrection people who trust that God can take the worst situation (betrayal, torture, and crucifixion, for instance) and turn it in a way that is life giving.

At the core of our proclamation is the call to forgiveness - you will hear that call strongly enunciated in all of the readings appointed this week. The morning liturgy will honor the departed, pray for all affected, and call us to a deeper commitment to being agents of reconciliation in the world. The forum will be given over to a more detailed parsing of our shared concerns. Evensong will feature a homily by Bishop Mathes and Faure's entire requiem. The yin/yang rhythm of grief and hope will influence all of these offerings. I sincerely hope that you will be able to join us for some or all of this as we present ourselves again to God as prisoners of hope.

Peace be with you,

(The Very Rev.) Scott E. Richardson

(Image of St Paul's Chapel on 9/11/01, from Trinity Wall Street).

Cathedral Characters: A Cathedral True to its Roots

2011-09-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Brooke McGillis is a therapist and the director of the San Diego Pastoral Counseling Center. The center is a quiet therapy office located on campus. As Brooke says, “there’s a direct connection between one’s faith and their happiness,” so it’s appropriate for the center to be located in the heart of the cathedral. All are welcome. If you’re interested, call 619-295-5871 and leave a confidential voicemail for Brooke.

Brooke is a deeply thoughtful, philosophical person with eyes that see beneath the surface. She’s calm, soft-spoken, gentle and creates a safe space for talking. She has a smile and a laugh that put you at ease and reveal her own inner light.

1. Tell me about a meaningful community experience you have had in the Cathedral.
It’s been really cool. I’ve never been a part of a parish before but I’m here often because I work in the Pastoral Counseling center. It’s nice getting to know the people who work here and the longer I’m here, the more human connections I’ve made and those enrich me deeply. I am fortunate to be connected and to feel the warmth.

2. What kinds of things do you do that help you draw near to God or God's people?
I pray and I do yoga. I love yoga. In terms of discipline, I try to be mindful of the opportunities to help. I try to be creative about what I can give, because it’s not always money. For example, I was driving home after buying groceries the other day and I saw a man with a sign asking for money. I didn’t have cash so I gave him my mac and cheese. The dean says to give until it’s a stretch and I try to do that. I give by working at a deep discount for some clients at the counseling center. Giving like that brings me closer to people and if I’m in community, I figure I’m about as close to God as I’m gonna get.

3. What is a book/film/song you think everyone should read/see/hear and why?
There’s a lot of books, man. Paul Tillich’s Love, Power and Justice or his book, The Courage to Be, which is a book that lets us off the hook for a lot of things we put ourselves on the hook for. We put ourselves on the hook and insert this into our day-to-day frameworks. We then reify those frameworks based on being on the hook. But we have an internal freedom that allows us to think and experience something different. The book is about that. And it’s easy to read.

4. At this particular moment in history, what is the most important work the church can do?
Am I gonna get in trouble? Some of the work the cathedral is doing with the LGBT community has been healing. A lot of healing needs to happen between the religious world and the LGBT community. My mom is gay and I was raised in the gay community here in San Diego. I marched in the first Pride parade here when I was 12. What’s interesting is to see this reconciliation happening. It’s not just lip service. It’s really happening. What I find rewarding in my position is that psychology has also been a sticky wicket for LGBT people. Here at the San Diego Pastoral Counseling Center, I’m able to move forward on two fronts in relation to the LGBT community -- religion and psychology. That couldn’t happen very many places. It’s very meaningful that this church marches in the Pride parade and supports the work of Bishop Senyoyo in Uganda. It’s a big deal. Another thing that’s not lip service is what the dean says, “whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith, you are welcome here.” That’s real.

Being a cathedral with medieval roots, a place where people would come together, with everybody being on a different level and having different ideas, but still, everyone shows up. So St. Paul’s Cathedral is true to its roots.

5. Anything else you would like to add about your life at St. Paul’s Cathedral?
That the Cathedral is one of the largest supporters in the religious community of LGBT people is potent. It’s powerful. Because the Cathedral is a symbol of old, dominant institutions and it’s been around for a long time. This movement is both breaking the rules and maintaining the institution. We have to break the rules that keep us static to become more dynamic.

I remember being a kid and coming here to listen to the organ music before my grandma would let us go play at the park. I have a long history here with this Cathedral so it’s extra special with the LGBT work. We used to look at this place from the park and say, “Ew, yuck, the church.” To have the kind of transformation we’ve had in the past 30 years is pretty cool. So the importance of being flexible but maintaining the institution nonetheless.

Hannah Wilder writes Cathedral Characters, an occasional series about people in the Cathedral community. If there's someone you'd like to hear about, drop a note for Hannah in the comments!

Amazement and Wonder in Missouri: A Report on the Progress of the Organ Restoration

2011-09-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Mike Quimby and Robert Wilkins

It was with some trepidation that I boarded the plane for Kansas City in mid-July en route to Warrensburg, Missouri, the home of the Quimby Pipe Organ Company. My purpose for this journey was to accomplish several tasks: 1) deliver the second payment to Mike Quimby for the work accomplished to date, 2) observe firsthand the Quimby shop, the employees, and the progress to date, and 3) satisfy my personal desire to see for myself this wonderful restoration work in process. My anxiety was the result of two things – 1) not wanting to embarrass myself, or SPC, for my lack of a full of understanding of all aspects of the organ building process, and 2) the fact that it was 101 degrees in the Kansas City area.

Mike Quimby’s business representative drove me the 65 miles from Kansas City to Warrensburg in the blistering heat. We had a delightful conversation about the current state of the organ building business in the US and the music business in general which helped ease my anxieties. Once we arrived, I met Mike Quimby and his staff, and completed the formal process of delivering the check.

Now it was time to explore.

The Quimby shop has four buildings located throughout the Warrensburg area. The buildings include the pipe shop, the wood working plant, the assembly building, and the warehouse for vintage pipework.

While I knew intellectually that pipe organs are 100% hand-built, it was thrilling to watch members of the Quimby team assembling each piece of the instrument by hand. Whether it was voicing every single pipe in the organ (some 5,000 for the SPC organ) or making the pneumatics that open the valves under each pipe (an older gentleman with a pot of hot glue and a tiny paint brush attaching leather to small pieces of wood to make each pneumatic….of which there are thousands in the organ) - or watching the assembly of the top boards for the wind chests (a group of the Quimby staff members gluing perfectly-sized boards together that must cure for six months before further work can be performed on them) – or even visiting the pipe warehouse where thousands of pipes of quality from distinguished older organs are stored to be reused in new instruments (the SPC instrument will have some pipework from the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in NYC) – everything was a source of amazement and wonder.

Watching and visiting with these craftsmen who took enormous pride in their highly specialized work was truly uplifting. We live at a time when so much of what we deal with each day is cranked out mindlessly, so watching them pursue their labor of love gave me tremendous pleasure. I can assure you that this experience will color my perception of the glorious instrument that will speak in SPC anew for Advent 2012.

By Robert Wilkins

Father Matthew Presents: The Four Gospels (video)

2011-08-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Thurifer Today: the magazine

2011-08-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

We're told the next issue is on its way.

Global Equality –how do we get there? Forum, Aug 21st

2011-08-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

A forum with Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, Brent Sammon and Rev. Canon Albert Ogle, Sunday August 21st at 9am.

Recently returned from Uganda, where he helped Bishop Christopher establish an HIV outreach program to “criminalized” LGBT people (through a $145,000 grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation) Albert Ogle will talk about why it is important to decriminalize homosexuality globally. One immediate context makes this goal very clear-HIV. He will also be joined by Brent Sammons who just returned from the Middle East.

“One of the things I feared most about the work that was not done at the United Nations in June, when the family of nations agreed on a five year global AIDS plan, was what happened two weeks ago in West Ghana. A government minister called for the immediate arrest of homosexuals when a simple United States Agency for International Development workshop revealed preliminary findings there may be up to 8,000 people - Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in the region. All hell broke loose as a local ecumenical council also called for their arrest”, reported Ogle.

Homosexuality is illegal in Ghana as in 75 other countries. Ghana is part of the British Commonwealth as does 45 of these former British colonies which are heavily influenced by Anglicanism. Lesbianism was never outlawed, allegedly because Queen Victoria could not believe women could be so sexually deviant. So colonial laws, used to oppress the natives are now being revamped in places like Malawi, where lesbianism was recently criminalized and Uganda is another more public example of recent institutionalized homophobia.

The High Level Meeting on global HIV the UN failed to come clean on the issue of criminalizing homosexual relationships and so one of the most important “At Risk” communities –millions of people mainly in Africa (35 countries where homosexuality is illegal) are deemed criminals. So how do you provide services to “criminals” who sign up for HIV programs while their names and addresses could be seized by politicians seeking reflection?

Bishop and Mrs. Mary Senyonjo will be in San Diego August 19th-27th 2011

Bishop Christopher has just started a new program that could potentially land him and his staff in jail. Until homosexuality is decriminalized, it is going to be very difficult to provide universal HIV prevention and there will be a huge hole in the world AIDS plan through which the virus will get to more of us.

What is the role of the Anglican Communion in a call for Global Equality? What can Americans do to end this appalling international situation?The bishop will preach at the 8 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. services.

A party at Albert Ogle’s home is scheduled for 12 noon, so please RSVP to aogle@cox.net

More information at the St Paul's Foundation website.

The Rev Canon Albert Ogle

There's no blog without you.

2011-08-03T04:04:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that there's not much activity on the blog this week? That's because we haven't heard from YOU!

In 2009, when Chris Harris and I started working on the blog project, we named it All Our Voices because we wanted it to represent everyone at St Paul's. I think we've been very successful, overall.

But we know that a lot of you are "lurking" which in internet jargon means reading quietly without saying anything. And we also know that everyone has a story to tell.

So, as your blogmaster, I want to encourage everyone to think about submitting something.

If you look at the range of things we have posted, you can see a broad spectrum: spiritual reflections and personal history, introductions and vignettes of everyday life. There are sermons, descriptions of community events, book reviews. We have humor, quick notes, travel stories, favorite links, even recipes. All this and videos and pictures too!

Your piece doesn't have to be long. It just has to be your voice, about something you want to share with our SPC community. And if you aspire to a regular writing outlet, frequent submissions are welcome!

To submit, just send me an email at stpaulblog@gmail.com. I am always willing to provide feedback and editing advice.

Remember, there's no blog without you.

Susan Forsburg, blogmaster

The Master Plan

2011-07-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

A bit like CalTrans and the freeway system, cathedral buildings are never really finished. Did you know that St Paul's was originally supposed to have a tall spire and a crypt? The plans for the building have changed considerably over the years.

Now, it's time for another change. You've heard some discussion or received a flyer about the Cathedral Master Plan, which would develop two adjacent lots with condos and townhomes, leading to

20,000 sq. ft. in much-needed program and office space
A redeveloped, expanded campus
An endowment for mission and ministry
85 underground parking spaces
Residential and retail space including 11 units of affordable housing
"Green" development and neighborhood beautification

Check out the Master Plan web page for more information.

Father Matthew Presents: Anglican Prayer (video)

2011-07-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

It Gets Better: let's make a video!

2011-07-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with the "It Gets Better" campaign? It is a grass-roots video campaign that was developed after the horrible spate of LGBT teen suicides this past year, to encourage LGBT youth to hang in there, because life DOES get better.

This campaign has now taken off, not only featuring videos from people around the country, but straight allies (President Obama), prominent gay individuals (Bishop Gene Robinson), and lots of organizations (Google, Apple…) .

Now it's our turn. The St Paul's community not only has a lot of LGBT people who can personally testify that it DOES get better, but we also have phenomenal straight allies. We can all witness to a faith community that welcomes everyone, and offers a sanctuary from the negative signals LGBT youth often receive on the "outside".

The message we want to send to these kids is simple: you are loved, you are wanted, and there is hope.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Whether you are straight or LGBT; lay or clergy, we need you!

1) Participate! We need people who are willing to be filmed (singly or as a couple) and give a short message of hope. The key is to be very brief (a few sentences at most) so we can include as many people as possible. Here are a few prompts for examples.

What was your high school experience ("I never fit in...")
When did it start to get better ("I was really happy in college...")
Where are you now ("I'm happily married….")
Spirituality ("I have a faith home that welcomes me…")
Words of encouragement ("Hang in there, you have so much to offer...")
Finishing words: "It gets better!"

2) Help organize! Jim Langston has kindly volunteered to record and edit, but we need to sort out content and organize the recording sessions and participants.

3) Spread the word! the more members of the community who participate, the better.

Interested? Send me an email at stpaulblog@gmail.com and we'll get started.

This message is also copied on a dedicated blog page at http://stpaulcathedral.blogspot.com/p/it-gets-better.html.

Susan Forsburg, blogmaster

Pride 2011: It DOES get better!

2011-07-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Comfortably over 100 members of St Paul's participated in this year's Gay Pride Parade, from the marchers to the picnic organizers back at the Cathedral. It was, as always, a lot of fun for the walkers (and fortunately, not too hot this year). We are always popular and it's always wonderful to hear the cheers and see the folks running over to thank the clergy or ask parishioners where the Cathedral is. And of course, the ever popular Cathedral chapstick that we hand out is always sought after.

An article in the New York Times last weekend explained how pro-equality clergy in NY played an important role in New York's equality vote. The witness of inclusive faith groups cannot be overstated, not only for the effect on the politics, but for countering the voices of hate and fear, and offering hope to LGBT people.

To continue the strong witness of the St Paul's Cathedral community, we're planning a video contribution to the It Gets Better Project, which collects online videos addressed to LGBT youth, particularly those who feel hopeless or suicidal. You'll be hearing more about how you can be part of this, under separate cover. Meanwhile, check out this info page.

And again thanks to all who participated in making Pride a success!

Check out the slideshow with more photos here!

Susan Forsburg, blogmaster, and occasional photographer

My name is Betty, and I'm .... an Episcopalian!

2011-07-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with Betty Ford was in 1978 when I assisted at her daughter's first wedding which was at old St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California where a young Fr. Bob Burton was Rector. The first three rows of the congregation were filed with more famous names and faces in the entertainment and political world than I had ever seen in my life in one place. Fr. Barnabas in the late 1980s was occasionally invited to the Ford and Leonard Firestone homes (they lived next door to each other) to fill in a place at the table at one of their dinner parties they jointly hosted.

The late Brad Hall, the rector who built the present St. Margaret's building, who also filled in as a dinner guest on occasion, once told Barnabas, using Navy jargon, "I'm the duty priest, you're the duty monk." On one evening when the guests of honor were the King and Queen of Romania who were visiting the Coachella Valley, Barnabas brought home a van load filled with crates of fruits and vegetables presented to the Royals who that day had toured the local Sun World Fruit Company. Mrs. Firestone also gave Barnabas a large cake with a dessert lamb (It was just after Easter) on top from Mrs.' Ford's kitchen left over from the dinner. That weekend our brothers and retreat center guests ate well.

Following the funeral for Mrs. Elizabeth B. Ford
at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in
Palm Desert, CA, her body will be laid to rest
beside that of her husband, President Gerald Ford,
in Grand Rapids, MI

Betty Ford was a woman who not only talked the talk but always walked the walk to use a well known phrase from Alcoholics Anonymous. It was a great honor and joy for Fr. Barnabas and me to know her slightly and work as volunteer clergy at the Betty Ford Center from 1984 to 1992. Of course we also saw Mrs. Ford and her family at St. Margaret’s where they were members from the time they moved to Rancho Mirage California until her death July 8, 2011.

I had the blessing of being the Sunday Pastor at the Betty Ford Center during the years mentioned above and Barnabas gave lectures on Spirituality in the outpatient department there at that time. We both, along with many trained clergy in the area heard hundreds of Fifth Steps (life confessions) of patients at the Center.

Mrs. Ford was not only Chairman of the Board of the institution that bears her name but was a hands on participant in its program. She regularly shared with the patients about her recovery experience in scheduled lectures and answered their questions with the same candor that gained her national respect on other issues. In the early days of the Betty Ford Center her small office was off the reception area and you knew when she was present. Betty always had time to stop and have a word with one of the 27,000 people who have been there since she opened the facility in 1982.

Once, as I wrote about in an article in 2007 for our quarterly magazine the Society of St. Paul Order published, on a particular Thanksgiving morning when we were having a service in the non denominational “meditation room” a lovely contemporary chapel, she came in with her brother in law whom she was taking on a tour, no knowing a service was in progress. She was embarrassed and apologized, but we were all delighted by the surprise visitors. Our topic for Thanksgiving was “An Attitude of Gratitude” and Mrs. Ford responded with a bit of her own gratitude before wishing all a happy Thanksgiving.

In 1985, I got the idea for a Betty Ford Day at the General Convention of the Episcopal scheduled that summer at Anaheim, California. I talked it over with Dr. Joe Cruse, the Medical Director of the Center and he said he would bring it to Mrs. Ford. At the time I was President of the Conference of Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas and worked with the then presiding bishop, The Rt. Rev. John Allin. I contacted him and he was positive about scheduling such a day. By the Grace of God, complex schedules were connected and Mrs. Ford addressed the House of Bishops as well as the House of Deputies and spoke at a special luncheon hosted by what today is called “Recovery Ministries” a national group in the church dedicated to educating clergy and church members about alcohol and drug addiction as a disease. She began each of her talks with the line, “Hi, my name is Betty and I am …..An Episcopalian!” much to the delight of her listeners. An Episcopalian she was. She and her husband, the late President were faithful members at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert and often brought their grand children and friends with them to the late service.

Fathers Andrew Rank and Barnabas Hunt have a word with Betty Ford at the 1985 General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Anaheim, California where she received a special citation for publicly acknowledging her own addiction and her work establishing the Betty Ford Center for treating alcoholism. The citation was presented to her by the presiding bishop, the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin.

As with breast cancer, Betty Ford more than any other person, brought alcoholism out of the closet of guilt shame and fear and into the living room of our homes. By her own courage and rigorous honesty we learned addiction is a treatable disease. She did this not once, but every day of her life from the first time she stood before the cameras to talk about her addiction. She not only talked about it, she did something, not only for herself but everyone else by starting the treatment center that bears her name, still one of the most reasonably price institutions of its kind in the United States.

But what I remember most about Betty Ford is something I also shared in the 2007 magazine article. Del and Meri-Bell Scharbutt. He was the famous radio announcer who wrote the Campbell Soup's "mmmm good" commercial. They were the king and queen of AA in the Coachella Valley and our long time friends. Meri-Bell was dying of cancer and Barnabas and I wanted to visit and say prayers with her. It was nearly five o’clock and I called the Scharbutt home to see if it was ok to come by. A woman answered. She said, “Andrew, this is Betty. I’ve been here all day taking care of Meri-Bell and was just about to leave, but I will stay until you arrive.” It was Betty Ford. Meri-Bell was one of her closest friends. She met us at the door, gave us a brief update on her condition and left.

Betty Ford was one of those Christians who spent her life doing good deeds grounded in love. Most of them we will never know about. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Canon Andrew Rank, SSP

Connecting at the Misa

2011-07-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

During my recent recovery from a minor illness, I decided the Sunday 1:00 p.m. Misa in Español at St. Paul's might be less strenuous than the 8:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. services---and I headed north a few blocks.

And almost a week later, I still savor the sweet cadence of the mass presided by The Reverend Canon (La Revda. Canonigo) Mary Moreno Richardson and her assistant; the eventual peace I carried away still lingers---possibly helped by a lovely guitar soloist's song.

For many of us,the rapid-fire urban Spanish we hear on buses, on the street and in markets has taken on an existential blandness and I for one no longer listen consciously.

But during the One o'Clock I simply let go and was amazed at first to immediately understand "El senor sea con estedes," "Y con tu espirito" with the help of the program, of course. "El credo Niceno---(Esperamos la resurreccion de los muertos y la vida del mundo futuro") and "Cristo ha muerto, Cristo ha resuccidado y Cristo volvera" needed no translation. Ditto for "La Paz ("La Paz del Senor sea siempre ustedes....Y con espiritu...." while greeting my new neighbors and later praying Padre nuestro together.

The scripture readings and the sermon were not as easy but I simply meditated until the lovely Santa Communion

Maybe the most memorable part of the One o'Clock was watching the extraordinary grace of Canigo Mary's hands, ministering, soothing, greeting, gesturing, throughout the mass.

At just about two o'clock, I smiled at my new neighbors, as we walked out to the street again. How many times this week--filled with stress, untoward (even nasty) thoughts as fatigue-filled days can be---have I gone back to the One O'Clock, with the guitar music "y con espirito" and my splendid neighbors?

Ellen Shaw Tufts

Join us this Saturday for Pride 2011

2011-07-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, July 16th, is San Diego's Gay Pride parade!

Traditionally, St Paul's fields one of the biggest contingents marching in the parade, an impressive Purple Wave. We have a great message of support and love for the LGBT community, and we are always very popular with the crowds lining the route! Whether you are gay, straight, young, or old; a member of the Cathedral, a neighbor, or a friend, you too can join in and march with us in the parade. (Or, you can help out back at the Cathedral, where we will start at 10 and finish after the event with a BBQ.)

So, put on your sunscreen, grab your hat, and join us on Saturday. To sign up to walk, to help out, or to order your very own purple Cathedral t-shirt, click here. More info: Chris Harris at 619.298.7261 x 334 or harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org.

Here's a video from last year:

Support the Uptown Faith Community: Medieval Nights

2011-07-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Charles Hudgins writes,

The Uptown Faith Community Service Center - or UPTOWN - is the Cathedral's primary outreach to the homeless in San Diego. The mission of UFCSC is to help the poor, needy, transitional members of our community. UPTOWN provides services to more than 2,000 very-low income and homeless persons per month.

"Medieval Nights" is an annual fundraiser - banquet and silent auction - held in the Great Hall, which the "Weddings" section of the Cathedral website notes is "designed like a medieval banqueting hall." This year's event is Friday, July 22, beginning at 6:30 pm. See www.uptowncenter.eventsbot.com/ for details and tickets ($25 of price is a tax-deductible donation).

Here are some of the items to be auctioned (click for a closer view!)

Organ Update

2011-07-07T17:25:00.001-07:00

Thank you!

The Campaign Committee wishes to express its profound gratitude to all who have a made a pledge to the campaign thus far. We received a flurry of new pledges last week in response to the Dean's request to turn pledges in by the end of June. In addition to the well over 200 pledges received, we have also received more than fifty special gifts to the campaign. And beyond all that good news, we are delighted to report that many people have made significant increases to their initial pledges made earlier in the campaign. (If you would like to increase your pledge, simply email Canon Chris Harris at harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org)

Where We Stand

All this good news brings us to a new milestone in the campaign. We have just edged past the 90% mark. Adding all the generosity together, we have now received $1,126,093 toward our goal of $1,250,000.

Where We Go from Here

Having concluded Leadership and Membership phases, we move into the latter two phases of the campaign. For the remainder of this month and much of the next, we will focus on seeking support from friends of congregation members, supporters of music from around the City of San Diego, and friends and colleagues within tMake a gift of stock herehe Diocese of San Diego. If you know of anyone who would be willing to consider a request for support of this effort, please let Chris Harris, Canon for Congregational Development, know as soon as possible. He may be reached at 619-298-7261 x334 or harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org Once the Community Phase is complete, Perfecting Our Praises will conclude with a Wrap-up Phase aimed at closing whatever gap remains and a celebration that honors the generosity of all our donors, announces all the special intentions made (memorials, tributes, and thanksgivings), and commends the efforts of the campaign volunteers.

A big welcome to Good Sam's BLog

2011-07-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in University City has a snazzy new website and a new blog. Drop by and say "hi". We're glad to have them in the neighborhood!

An open letter to the Powers-that-Be

2011-07-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

With presidential politics starting to heat up, Ronn Garton chimes in with his list of to-do’s for this or the next president. How about your list? Add your ideas to the comments. Of course, all opinions and points of view are welcome, whether you agree or disagree, though please be sure to keep your comments courteous. (Consider Romans 12:17-21, Ephesans 4:29, and Matthew 5:22 before commenting!)

An open letter to my Government and all those who order our American corporate life and well-being. Please give attention to the following needs:

1. Too many Americans are seeking employment. Do something to put them to work.

2. Two wars have gone on too long. Bring the troops home. All troops that stay will be on a voluntary basis and paid for by the host country and not by American tax-payers.

3. Close one-third of our Foreign Military basis. Begin in Japan and Germany.

4. Medicare must continue, but it must have greater supervision of its misuse. None of us can understand our bills. Doctors and hospitals are overwhelmed with the paperwork.

5. Reform the Tax Code; Surely we can do a progressive tax that causes everyone to pay something every year. Start out with a stair step. Begin with a symbolic payment of $1 for the poor....all households who earn less than the living wage. Then 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30% and the highest bracket of 40%. Eliminate mortgage interest deductions on loans over $200,000. Corporate taxes should be a set percentage of earnings and all corporations should pay yearly, even if the tax is a low 10%. We could all do the math and every corporation would feel it was paying its fair share.

6. Find the remaining three states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

7. Recognize Cuba as a North American neighbor state and allow us to trade and travel there. If we can tolerate and trade with China, we can survive a Cuban influence.

8. Get on with doing away with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

9. Retire appointed judges at 65 years of age.

10. Do away with voting registration. Let everyone who wants to vote bring one of three items to the polls on voting day as a means of identification: a copy of last year's IRS filing, your driver's license with a photo, student body card with photo, or a note from your mother. After you vote, you dip your middle finger in an ink-well. It takes about a week to get the ink off, so no one will vote twice. Make voting simple and easy for all of us; keep it from being an elitist activity.

11. Put a war surplus tax on all guns and ammunition until our troops are brought home.

12. We need Immigration Reform now. Strip the current statutes and expand the Immigration Lottery in the interim. Congress would set a yearly quota for newcomers. Homeland Security would vet all lottery winners, and every new immigrant would be required to have a Sponsor for five years. This Sponsor would be responsible for the whereabouts, actions, language facility, and expenses of this provisional citizen. Those who are already here could enter the Lottery every year. Deportations would take place when an "illegal" has a brush with the law. It now costs about $150 to play the U.S. Immigration Lottery each year, and Mexicans cannot enter. Let's stop discriminating against Mexicans.

13. Marriage should be a decision between two adults of age. Government should not try to play Cupid or Big Brother. Two people who are in love should have the right to make a marriage covenant. Churches, Synagogues or Temples can decide whether or not they want to give their sectarian blessings to the unions. The State merely records the unions and honors them in our courts, hospitals and common life. We might want to tax unmarried adults who co-habitate and challenge the majority view on Family Values.

14. We have come to a time when money sometimes buys elections. It is time to limit campaign spending and the length of campaigns. Six weeks sounds about right. Public television and radio stations could be donated to the cause between 6:00 pm and 8:00pm each evening during the six weeks. Let's hear it for Public Broadcasting.

15. It is time for us to leave the Palestinian/Israeli Mediation talks. We have become part of the problem. Our continual siding with Israel against the Palestinians renders us ineffectual as peacemakers. Jerusalem should be designated a World City by the UN, and Tel Aviv and Ramallah can serve their respective constituencies. Candidates to succeed us are: South Africa, South Korea, Andorra, or former Zulu Warriors.

16. Corporations that out-source jobs should pay some tax for the devastation done to American job opportunities. Perhaps these Corporations should have to have their Management teams and families also live in the new country. Perhaps we should simply tax the Corporate earnings made abroad.

17. Cut Congressional pay in half whenever there is a national deficit running. Reduce congressional vacations to one month a year and limit each elected official to one political junket a year at tax-payer's expense.

18. Increase the time period before a member of Congress can go from elected official to Lobbyist. And reduce all lobbyist's activity to one day a week: Thursdays. The rest of the American people would have access to Congress, Monday through Wednesday, and Foreigners can talk to Congress on Fridays, when they only work a half a day. All Congressfolk would have week-ends off.

19. It is time to return to a volunteer military service. What we have now is a Professional Military. It is too expensive, and they get edgy when there is no war.
Reduce the Military Budget, put the Pentagon on a diet, and begin to integrate the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force, and National Guard.

20. It's time for Puerto Rico's Statehood.

21. It's time that we should not have to apologize for our Native American, Deist, and Judeo-Christian religious heritage. This doesn't mean that we don't welcome Mormons, Muslims, Christian Scientists, Jehovah Witnesses, Bahai, Buddhist, Shintoist, Unity, and Golfers to the American mix; we just want to make it plain that we were here much earlier than the rest of these late-comers.

22. And then there is the Death Penalty that goes against the sanctity of life.

Thanks for reading this far.....the list goes on too long... I promise to write a gain in 2012. You have a very difficult job, but we are hear to help and critique, and occasionally to contribute!

Citizen Garton

WT @ SPC: Our Spiritual Journey

2011-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

On June 4th, there were 46 Women enjoying the evening Together at St. Paul’s Cathedral. And by amazing coincidence it was a meeting of WT@SPC. What a perfect name for this newly formed ministry at St. Paul’s! On this particular evening the women enjoyed another wonderful meal and a presentation by Reverend Canon Suzy Holding who spoke on the topic “Our Spiritual Journey; Finding our Gifts Along the Way. Canon Holding began by explaining to us, “How a Marketing Exec ends up with a collar around her neck,” which was a brief autobiography that gave us a very personal connection to her. Many women in the room related so well to her story about trying to find a Christmas Eve Service that fit into her baby’s nap schedule, which just happened to be an Episcopal Church. At the service she heard the words, “God’s love is like that of a parent for their child.” Enjoying the service she later contacted the Priest wanting to meet with him to discuss her need to find “structure for my soul.” Much to her surprise, the priest asked, “What are you doing for lunch?” Thus began the path towards a career change and a COLLAR!

She then talked about the power of getting a sense of our own spiritual biography. She explained the need we all have for community. Thus the terms The Book of Common Prayer and Communion. As she said, “God created humankind to be in relationship with one another, as well as with Him.

After a brief scriptural review of the spiritual gifts in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, we were each given a Spiritual Gifts Assessment Form. The form stated, “Like other presents, it is impossible to fully appreciate and make use of our spiritual gifts until they have been opened.” This self-assessment was a tool to help us open our spiritual gifts. It was amazing how quiet a room of 46 women became as they were answering the 60 questions and then determining the gifts as a result of the answers. As the questions began, it was clear that we could have easily gone on for another hour, but alas, we ran out of time.

What an amazing way to end our first season of WT@SPC. There were eight evenings with more than 370 ladies attending in all, thus averaging over 45 women per evening. After each evening the ladies were given an evaluation form. It is clear this is a welcome addition to St. Paul’s by what the women wrote; “THANK YOU for this awesome fellowship,” "As it is my first time, I am looking forward to getting to know the wonderful women I see around this room,” "Nancy (Tarbell), thanks for revising and reinstating the women’s group at St. Paul’s. It is simply wonderful!”

Indeed, we all owe Nancy Tarbell a huge thanks for getting the Women Together at St. Paul’s Cathedral started. She has created an amazing committee of women who have taken this group as their ministry and the amazing results are proof of their commitment and dedication. WT@SPC will begin again in October. Many exciting speakers are already lined up. So mark your calendar for the first Thursday in October!

Pat Kreder for WT@SPC

"Let all God's Glory Through"

2011-06-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

You may think that I’m going to tell you about why I think it is important to give to Perfecting our Praises in the context of the need to support our music program. And maybe, peripherally, I am. But I really want to talk about three virtues that I perceive in our common life at St. Paul’s Cathedral and their relationship to the campaign: outreach, evangelism, and glorifying God through legacy building.

So let me first get the obligatory self-disclosures out of the way. I am a music lover. I absolutely adore the Anglican choral tradition, and can’t conceive of life in San Diego without the fine musical offerings of this cathedral, a place whose outreach first ministered to me years ago.

It was 1967 when I first walked through the doors of St. Paul’s Church. It wasn’t to come to a worship service. I came to hear a concert. I think it was Haydn’s Mass in Time of War. Supporting the whole edifice of choir, soloists and orchestra was the organ – played at the time by Howard Don Small – and largely the same instrument we hear today. I was hooked.

So this little story of coming to a concert is my personal testimony to the experience of successful outreach as practiced at St. Paul’s. Successful outreach can be the meeting of kindred souls, a shared experience, or an event, such as a concert, that is directly and honestly offered on the one hand, and embraced on the other. Through extending the hand of outreach, we live into the summary of the law, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We practice many forms of outreach here; hospitality, education, social justice ministries, for some just our abiding openness and presence; and of course, our outreach through music. I want that outreach to continue, and I hope that you do, too.

The experts at the Episcopal Church Foundation say that the organ campaign may be a hard sell: while one third of us can’t imagine worship without a pipe organ, another third of us are generally indifferent to it, and the final third of us think the money should be used elsewhere. Perhaps some of the last group would prefer that we use our financial resources toward the gospel imperative of evangelism. I believe that evangelism and support for the organ campaign dovetail.

I can’t begin to count how many times when I’ve heard parishioners here tell their stories that they mention hearing God’s voice through music. The essence of evangelism is to quicken personal response to God’s graciousness. Now, evangelism in the Anglican tradition is more a process rather than a crisis as we are called toward progressive realization of our nature and destiny in Christ. The music of our Memorial Organ has moved many to experience this transcendence, this pull, this call, and is literally an “instrument of evangelism.” For me, a gift toward the restoration of our pipe organ may be one of the most important evangelism efforts I can make at St. Paul’s.

Finally, St. Paul’s has always looked toward the future; towards loving those neighbors that are proximate in time as well as in space. From the parish founders in downtown San Diego ordering a pipe organ to be shipped around South America, through the building of the Great Hall, and then the cathedral itself, and in current plans for future expansion, we have a long tradition of leaving a legacy that enriches the life of future generations. It is our turn now. I have pledged to Perfecting Our Praises with an eye to the future and to St. Paul’s continuing witness in the community in succeeding generations. Sacrificial giving, in proportion to our means, can be a powerful spiritual discipline. I invite you to join me in this work.

One of my favorite poets, Gerard Manley Hopkins, wrote of the “one work” that Mary had to do “to let all God’s glory through.” I believe that in our own small way, we emulate the devotion and transparency of Mary and create a legacy for future generations as we support the campaign for restoration of this magnificent pipe organ that for so many, yesterday, today, and hopefully tomorrow, “lets all God’s glory through.”

Mark Lester

The language of Heaven

2011-06-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

As a part of our organ campaign, I am glad to be here to speak for a couple of minutes about the power of this organ and music in general. Music has surrounded me my whole life but it wasn’t until the terminal cancer of my step father that I realized its power and importance.
After two years of fighting this illness, it was clear to all of us that he was dying. I was far away in San Diego and he and my mom were in Minnesota. I began thinking about all of the things he was leaving behind, favorite foods, warm time with family, the beauty of a day, and music. Oh my, music. I could not even fathom the idea of leaving music behind. It was more than I could bear. I began picking out all of my favorite pieces to play for him one last time before he was gone. During this time I heard, really heard Samuel Barber’sAdagio for Strings for the first time. It was Steve rising and entering the sizzling light of heaven with us left behind to pick up the pieces. I could see it so completely. I had to play this one for him as well. As I packed for this monumental trip home I probably had more CD’s than clothes in my suit case.

I spoke with my dad about music after Steve’s death, “how can we leave music,” I cried. “I don’t thing we do leave music” was his response. I think the music comes with us. My father was a singer and he told me that sometimes, some special and rare times, when he sang during a performance, he felt the power of thousands of voices and he know that there were many many more there singing along with him. He knew that he was a part of something of God.

Not even a year later it was my father that was struck with cancer. My boys, his grandsons, sing in the boy’s choir here and so I would send him clips of their singing and our organ. On one of my many trips to Minnesota I brought along with me the online St. Georges Service. We had a date, my father and I, in his hospital room, sat together on his bed and he marveled at the beauty and power of that service, tears streaming down his face. That day our organ way out here in San Diego moved a very sick man in Minnesota who loved music and knew its power.

My dad always said he’d be there for his funeral. He’d planned every detail including all of the fantastic music. I watched for him the whole time. My children played the piano, that was a special moment, the choir sang, that was a special moment, but in none of that did I feel dad. It was only after the service that I found my dad’s presence. His wife asked me to mover her car, the sky was stormy just the kind of sky my dad would have loved, and as I turned the key on her car the radio blared one line from a Beatles song “All you need is love”. I knew it was my dad. That was his gift to me from heaven. In that one phrase of music, “All you need it love,” my dad had sent me the meaning of life. We can find God in all kinds of music from our grand organ and it’s heaven like sounds to rock and roll coming in through a simple car radio.

Throughout these hard times, the music of our organ, my boys singing, my CD collection, and even the pop radio; music was there to hold me that much higher when I felt strong and cradle me in its comfort when it was all just too much. Here on earth, music is a big part of my connection to God and my connection to heaven.

I am generously supporting our Organ Restoration because it opens us up to the divine. My dad knew this true gift of music and he has passed that gift onto me. And I, in turn, will pass the same gift onto my own children. The music of our organ supports us and provides us with a small piece of heaven here on earth.

Christine D'Amico

Report from the UN AIDS meeting

2011-06-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is an extract from a longer article by the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle on the recent UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDSs. Albert writes,

“Whenever AIDS is part of the equation, the United Nations is working to be part of the solution,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his remarks to the meeting. “Now we understand that UN troops and police are part of prevention, treatment and care.”

...Reaction to the Political Declaration on AIDS and three days of deliberations remains mixed. For many who attended the 2001 and 2006 UNAIDS Summits, this one lacked the urgency and optimism of the previous two.

The Global Fund for AIDS and significant measurable targets through the Millennium Development Goals were all created at these previous gatherings. The goal of providing “universal access” was inspirationally created by al 174 member states. By the time diplomats gathered in New York to reflect on what had been learned and data of the previous years analyzed, it was clear many of the issues that needed to be addressed at this years summit were seen as highly controversial i.e. dealing with care and prevention efforts for men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers and IV drug users. Global South delegates felt this was a Global North (activist) agenda.

...Religious extremists also attempted to derail important civil society dialogue with the diplomats and politicians by submitting their own annotated forms of the draft Declaration.

In one case, the Arizona-based Family Watch International held a weekend retreat earlier this year for 30 delegations where all references to LGBT people and MSM were replaced by an their explicit emphasis on “behaviors” that needed healing. This is consistent with so called “ex-gay” therapy where the case is made for non recognition of LGBT issues that are only seen as manifestations of sexual illness. Fortunately, FWI’s recommendations were not incorporated into the final document.

...On the more positive side, the Declaration did set clear targets for reducing HIV by 50% by 2015 and the elimination of vertical transmission from mother to child.

The document also called for closing the gap between funds and needed resources, estimated to be $6 billion a year and greater Global “North South” cooperation as well as a distinctly new emphasis on “South -South” co-operation.

Leaders called on the need to strongly overcome stigma and discrimination, but did not go far enough to acknowledge the damage and insurmountable challenges that existing legislation and societal attitudes towards populations presently excluded from prevention education and health care delivery.....

The Declaration is a simply a photograph of who and where we are in 2011 and our reaction to it will determine the success or failure of our common struggle with AIDS. I am hopeful, as was the case 30 years ago, the Declaration will create millions of global activists, new civil society organizations to meet unmet needs and new partnerships with the religious community to “heal without judgment.”

Read the entire piece here.

The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle

Why is Music a Religious Experience?

2011-06-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

This fascinating article from the Huffington Post by a neuroscientist discusses how music affects us in the same way as religion does. The author describes his own experience as a reverent non-believer.

Many people, myself included, experience a religious-type awe when listening to certain pieces of music. What exactly is the relationship between music and religion and where in the brain does that commonality emerge?

As I've written before in books and blogs, I am an atheist and yet I have an empathy for religion. Intellectually, I do not think there is a literal God. Emotionally, I am not anti-religious. One of the reasons why I feel an emotional empathy for religion is that it reminds me of my attitude toward music.

Many of the moral generalizations that have been applied to religion apply just as well to music. Music is a cultural phenomenon. It intensifies emotions. It helps cement communities. It can range from the terroristic to the sublime....

Yet something else harder to put into words, something that goes beyond cultural impact, unites music and religion. When I am listening to certain pieces of music I feel a reverence creeping over me, an awe that has a spiritual quality...

My brain is treating the music like a universe of complexity and investing that universe with its own deity, for whom I feel some measure of awe and reverence. My relationship to the music is, in the most fundamental sense, the same as a religious relationship to the real world.

How does this compare to your experience of music?

Susan Forsburg

Green Living Workshop and Sharing in Community

2011-06-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Grace van Thillo shares a conversation from the recent Simpler Living workshop

Thank you, Cassie Lewis, for inspiring us toward healthier, non-toxic home cleaning and toiletry products that are safer for creation. Cassie encouraged us all to share cleaning items we use; and from one another we learned about the wonders of lemons, castile soap, white vinegar and baking soda, to name a few. Our comfortable conversation offered many useful suggestions. Here’s a website with many of the products we discussed: Recipes for Safer Cleaners . We invite you to keep the discussion going with questions or ideas for safer cleaning that you use in your home.

Also, the Simpler Living group actively bounces ideas via e-mail about many practical creation care topics. Please join in! Here’s a recent discussion about ways to avoid plastic bag use when shopping for produce.

Donna began by emphasizing the creation care covenant she made, and asked the following question, “I was serious about my commitment to not use plastic bags for shopping, and that has really made a difference in my habits. But I have a question: How do you keep your produce together till it gets weighed at the checkout? I have a friend who just puts everything loose in her cart and annoys the checkers. Any thoughts? Bring your own paper bags? Or are there re-usable bags made for that purpose? – Donna Turner

“My solution is to use plastic bags for fruit and veggies (which then go into my canvas bags) and then reuse as much as possible for wastebasket liners, etc. but I know that is far from perfect. Any other ideas out there?” – Phil Petrie

“My neighbor sewed small cloth bags for the loose fruits/veggies, similar to the ones on ‘small cloth produce bag’ sites; or to make . . .alas that's not my forté! BUT together, we could have a bag making party, perhaps!! I also place fruits/veggies in the small baskets till check out, or lay them atop my cloth shopping bags, and sometimes use small plastic ones to re-use.” – Grace van Thillo

“I just put my produce loose in the basket many times, while smiling sweetly at the checkout ;) I also save and wash and reuse bags from previous trips. And there are nice crocheted bags for produce that you can get at People's. My CSA often packages things in brown paper bags (lunch-size bags). But boy, those organic veggies do not keep as well w/o the plastic! One thing that can help is the little plastic (still plastic!! :) egg-shaped thing that releases some gas (it's the same gas released by some fruits--totally natural!) that prevents fresh foods from aging so quickly. I bought one at Whole Foods (not sure yet how much of a difference it's made). You can replace the little packet inside the egg every few months.” – Cassie Lewis

“This is a good question and I gave up trying to be creative about it a long time ago, but am glad you've brought it up again. I don't bag anything that's bunched - bananas, celery, broccoli, etc. I reuse store plastic bags till they fall apart! I never wanted to use anything heavy to add weight, though that's really a small concern, I guess. I was thinking that some very lightweight net material could be used to make small bags, and it might be fun to have a party to make some. I have a net bag but it is so big and I only buy large amounts of things like apples, so would love something for the smaller items.” - Carolyn Lief

“Thank you, all. I like the idea of making cloth bags. I could do that! Maybe after we're in our new house we can have a bag making party there. Net would be good - you don't want it to weigh very much” ;) – Donna Turner

A Sliver of the Divine

2011-06-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

Standing here is quite transition for me - I'm much more accustomed to sitting in the transept or the choir stalls. When I was younger, but not much shorter - those of you who see me process Sunday mornings will notice that I am aspiring to the 5ft mark, thank you Brooks for the use of the box - I sang with the St. Cecilia's girls choir. I had always been involved with choirs and music but nothing quite so challenging.

I had never had a chance to work with an instrument like the organ we have in St. Paul's. I was and in still am in awe of it. The pipes, the pedals, the endless knobs, the stops - I've been asked to turn pages for the organist several times now and every time it leaves me on the verge of a panic attack. In my defense I've actually heard that the three hardest things to do in the world are brain surgery, piloting a jet and playing the organ. I've checked in with both a brain surgeon and a jet pilot - they agreed that the prospect of trying to play this organ terrifies them.

During my time in St. Cecelia's I learned a lot about music, and about musicianship and about God particularly my last year in the choir. High school ushered in many challenges, amongst them an episode of deep, excruciating and unshakable depression. I was in pain, I was angry, isolated, inconsolable. Getting out of bed in the morning prompted anxiety attacks that made eating breakfast impossible. Homework was a Herculean task. The only thing I looked forward to was music and not just any music. Music in this place with this organ.

Music is often described as the language of heaven, and in that vein I firmly believe it has the power to articulate our feelings in a way that words cannot. In some of my darkest moments I sat here and while listening and practicing and singing I had the opportunity to connect with God in way that I had never understood before. Singing De Profundis Clamavi or "out of the depths I cry to you Lord" wasn't an exercise in reciting words off the page, it was an act that allowed me to express an almost unrelenting feeling of pain. A triple pianissimo or barely audible line allowed me to speak and then listen for whatever God might say, and a triumphant ending inspired a sense of joy. And while I was in the midst of all this music I couldn't help but feel that the space between the Divine and myself was really quite small. When I sang and when I listened God heard me and I could hear God.

With incredible experiences and friends I graduated and left St. Cecelia's - it was time to head off to college to become a "grown up", an "adult." Surprisingly after school my professional life brought me back to San Diego and like a homing pigeon back to St. Paul's. Now I sing with the allegedly adult choir though I often think we're nearly, if not more, rambunctious than our younger counterparts. While the group is different, the experience is quite similar.

The music here still draws people in and whether they are singing or listening, it can help bind us when we feel shattered, comfort us in moments of sorrow, and help us celebrate in moments of joy. Music gives us a shimmery sliver of the Divine.

A significant part of what makes the music program here at St. Paul's so incredible is the organ. Excellent care and maintenance have allowed it to push past the normal problems and pitfalls an instrument of this size and construction face. But, the time has come when for all its care and upkeep a significant effort to restore the organ must be made. I am generously supporting the restoration of the organ because I want and hope that others will experience a sliver of the Divine in music, which has been unspeakably meaningful to me. To do this - we need your help. We need your help to ensure that listening to this organ is an experience we can share with all who come here for years to come. I hope you'll consider supporting joining our campaign Perfecting our Praises to restore the organ.

Thank you.

Margret Hernandez

Pentecost

2011-06-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’
Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost, Pierre Reymond, c. 1550

Evensong Invasion

2011-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

I hadn’t fully recalled that Evensong now twenty-eight years ago until the other night when I attended a ‘salon’ for the restoration of the organ. But that said, that Evensong lives very close to my consciousness and rises in my memory with very little effort.

Probably the first time I ever heard the organ at St. Paul’s (then) Church would have been in 1970 when I was taking a music appreciation course at Palomar College. All students were required to attend live concerts and then write essays about what they heard. That night, an organist from Europe played the Toccata and Fugue in F Major by J. S. Bach among several other pieces which I cannot remember. Some years later, I happened to attend a Christmas Lessons and Carols service, so I was to that small extent familiar with St. Paul’s and its organ and choir.

In 1982 while living in Orange County, I happened to be in San Diego over Sunday night, and either by chance or divine design, I parked near St. Paul’s. It was just about 5:00PM, the doors were open, and I decided to go in to see if there might be an organ concert. I sat down in the quiet and dimly lit nave.

No concert, but the boys choir solemnly processed in to soft music from the organ. The officiant took his place and read the opening sentence, and then intoned the introit, answered by the choir. Then came the evening hymn which I still remember and now know as Bromley by Haydn (Hymn 29 in the 1982 hymnal). I sang along although the tune and words were new to me.

Then the suffrages, the anthem during the offering, and the prayers. Simple, and just as we celebrate Evensong these days. But this one had got into me somehow. I didn’t feel a ‘whammy’ from the organ; we usually don’t get the organ’s full power displayed at Evensong anyway. What I experienced was more of an invasion, and I was aware that something mystical had happened to me, something that I am still unable to describe fully. It was nevertheless a palpable movement toward rendering me into another person, one who had come into the church completely indifferent to anything but the possibility of hearing a free concert, to one who fell to his knees in awe and admiration for the power that I knew had transformed me so suddenly.

All of the elements of that service combined to do the work I feel that God intended: the organ, the choir, the officiant, the prayers, but particularly the organ which was vehicular in bringing to my deepest consciousness that I had come home, I had returned from over twenty years of prodigal living, that a loving father was welcoming me back into the warm embrace of love.

Nearly thirty years later, I am still here, still in that embrace, and one of the great honors and joys I am given at St. Paul’s Cathedral is to be an officiant at Evensong. Now the music that helped find me and bring me home, works with me as I intone the introit, chant the suffrages, and sing the collects.

As I remember those first soft organ tones that led the choir into Evensong those years ago, I wonder how many other people have been moved by the beauty of the organ to come back to God, to find themselves surrounded and overwhelmed by the Almighty effort to bring all of us home.

And now, the organ needs our help. How could I not do everything I possibly can to help in the campaign to restore an instrument that is so integral to the spiritual life at St. Paul’s? To be without it, to let it disintegrate is unthinkable. To renovate the cathedral organ is to give it a fuller measure of God’s voice, to lend it the sounds from of indescribable beauty that are a foretaste of eternity for all who enter through our doors.

Robert Heylmun

As Long As I Have Any Being, I Will Sing Praises Unto My God

2011-06-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

In late 1996 I left my home in Georgia for Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. Several weeks later I started Basic Hospital Corps School here, in San Diego. My first order of personal business was to seek out the Chaplains at Naval Medical Center and see if there were any Episcopalians afoot. There was one. I was able to meet with her, and I asked her if there were any Episcopal churches in the area that she recommended. She gave me a list or parishes which included St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Cathedral was the first one on that list; mainly because it was in easy walking distance.

I decided, since it was so close to the Medical Center, I would try the Cathedral first. The next evening, which was a Saturday, I went off looking for this place so I could get service times and know where I was headed on Sunday morning. I found it – and the doors were open! In those days, there was a Folk Mass here. It was held in the Chancel area. Immediately, and as was usual for me in a church setting, I started helping those already present set up chairs and music stands. After some introductions, I decided to stay for the service, even though folk masses were not really my thing. Well, I’m glad I did. Not only did I receive a nice welcome before the service, but David and Alice Easley treated me to a dinner afterward at Boll Weevel’s. What an introduction to San Diego! The next morning would be my first Sunday of searching for a new Church home. It would also be my last Sunday of searching.

I can tell you that the welcome I received was certainly a factor in deciding to come back to St. Paul’s, but it was not the thing that made up my mind to stay. With the great welcome I received, I decided to keep this place on my list of possibilities – the “short list”, if you will. And then, it happened. The prelude started. I don’t remember what it was that was played that morning, or who played it – I’m sure it was Edgar Billups. It was soft and soothing, and it was so great to finally hear a pipe organ again (I hadn’t heard a real pipe organ throughout all of boot camp). Then, the opening hymn began. The organist did not hold back on the introduction to the hymn and a rush of awe came over me. Before the introduction was even complete, I had thrown away that list – there was no longer any “short-list”; there was only St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Now, I have to tell you, in the past, I would have paid to hear music like I heard that first Sunday; the anthems, the prelude and postlude; and I remember saying to myself, I don’t have to pay for this, it’s right here, every week. Then, that afternoon I went to Evensong. I had never heard the service of Evensong before that night. Sung Evening Prayer, yes – well, at least an attempt at sung Evening Prayer. I don’t remember if it was the Choristers or the St. Cecilia choir that sang, but I remember a clearly spiritual response to the music throughout the service. “Moving” does not even describe the feeling that coursed through me.

There is one thing at this place that, even after 15 years, always makes me feel a new sense of awe each time it occurs; and that is hearing this organ. Laurie Gunn said, in one of the campaign videos about the organ, “…the walls between us and the Almighty become a little thinner.” I truly believe that to be the case. With this organ, in conjunction with the liturgy, we take ourselves out of this world, even if only for a little while, and we get a little closer to the seraphim, who continually cry, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Sabaoth.” We join with the angels, and archangels, and all the company of heaven and we make our songs of praise and worship to the glory of the Holy Trinity. Music as a part of worship is mentioned throughout Scripture. In fact this is all over the Psalter. The last five psalms all mention music as a way to praise God.

Only a few years ago, we were without our organ for a while, and it was painfully obvious how empty our services can be without the organ. I cannot imagine what would become of the Cathedral without the organ – and I don’t want to find out. You see, it’s not only the worship that this organ sustains; no – it is much, much more. Young people get to learn on this instrument. This organ has, and will continue to accompany chamber ensembles, outside choirs, and orchestras. The organ is a sustaining force for not only our family, but for the city as well; indeed, even national organizations hold events here due to this instrument.

Without our help, each and every one of us, this marvelous organ will, eventually, fail. That is inevitable if we do not take action. Now, no one is asking us to give more than we are able; but we, as a community – as a family, must do all that we can to take care of our spiritual home. Right now, today, there is a need for care. It is a big need. You and I; we are the ones who will make it happen. As I discussed my personal situation with my friend, Shawn, he helped me see that we can make a difference, and be part of a legacy. And, years from now, those of us who participated in this campaign will be able to look up at the organ as it plays and say, “I had a part in this.”

“As long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.”

Don Mitchell

Beautiful Music, Discordant Politics

2011-06-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Cathedral Choir Member Susan McClure wrote this letter to the San Diego Union Trib, published today.

Let me sound a note or two in defense of the Spreckels organist, Carol Williams, and the maintenance of the organ.

As a taxpayer in District 8, I have helped pay for Petco Park and the revamping and upkeep of Qualcomm Stadium, yet I have never attended a baseball game and went to just one football game in the 1960s. But a municipal stadium was for the common good even though the professional players received enormous salaries, in part because of the subsidies the city has given to the respective sports facilities.

I have never depended on any members of the City Council or their staff for any special consideration, yet as a taxpayer I help pay for all their salaries and perks. In many of my jobs, I have traveled throughout San Diego and have seen the poor upkeep and maintenance in some areas and excellent upkeep in others. One example is once-a-week street cleaning versus once-a-month with no advisory signs to move cars. Obviously, the City Council panders to those who have more influence and not to the common good of the total city. By ticketing the cars that are not moved, the city can bring in revenue and could bring in more by posting warning signs in areas that lack them. Just 15 cars a week would pay the $500 it costs for the municipal organist’s pay.

When my four children were young, and I stayed home to raise them while my husband worked and money was extremely tight, the accessibility of Balboa Park for the free organ concerts and the accessibility of the museums on Tuesdays enabled the children to grow up with a love of music and the arts.

So now some are using Williams’ small salary as a tool to cut the budget, given that she only plays one hour a week. This woman, with a doctorate in musical arts, comes to San Diego with a resume that exceeds those of the sports players and I am sure most of the City Council. Her magnificent skills are a drawing power for people to visit the park and the Organ Pavilion. Surely the many visitors also bring in money that is then spent in other park venues and businesses in San Diego.

Initial news accounts failed to mention that her salary appeared high because she prepares and rehearses on her own time. Also left out was that the Organ Society does cover some of the expenses.

When John D. and Adolph Spreckels donated the organ and the pavilion in 1914, I am sure they had altruistic motives for the betterment of the people of San Diego. I wish I could feel that council members had the same instead of pandering to their own interests and to others over the years that has led the city into budgetary problems.

Ascension Thursday

2011-06-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Jesus said to his disciples, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Luke 24:44-53

Painting: Rembrandt, The Ascension of Christ, 1636

When the organ sings

2011-05-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

I want to start by saying “thank you!” Thank you to Martin Green for being both a teacher and a mentor, and thank you to all of you, for providing this place, this church is much more than a mere building, it is a community, and I'd like to thank you all for having given me so much support. And for the choristers, and this magnificent organ and the organ scholar program. In fact, I don't believe I
should ever have turned to music had it not been for St. Paul’s.

I had been taken to hear the symphony by my grandmother, when I was young, and to church, but I never had any real desire to be a musician myself. That began to change when I started singing with the boys choir here. I had been studying piano for about a year at the time, and was certainly no virtuoso! So, when I came to choir, I assumed, naturally, that I would be tested in some way or another, and logically, this would be piano. So, I prepared the glorious American folk tune, Yankee Doodle! Of course nothing like that happened and I was welcomed into the choristers and had a lot of fun that first year, and made some great friends. I soon inquired about chances to play the organ, and Martin was very encouraging, saying he would be happy to teach me should I take piano for a few more years, which I did. And on the organ, I found myself learning a lot quicker than on piano.

As the years went by, I started noticing two things. The first was beyond piano lessons, I really had a passion for music, and secondly, that through music, my life and my faith were opening up in ways I could have never dreamed. I found a new level of spirituality in music; no longer was it just the joy of singing, but also the baptism by it.

Martin was a big part of that. He is a guide to all of us, boys and girls choirs, even the adults sometimes... We spend most rehearsals correcting notes and rhythms, but, occasionally, Martin will take the time to discuss the music, and point out a little trick of the composer. Like when we sing the word death and the music becomes very hushed, or when we sing about love and all sorts of syrupy harmonies start emerging. It is in this subtle way that Martin really taught me to listen to music. And now I find myself picking up more and more on these little tricks. And how often composers use them. It is with awakened ears that I have really begun to realize how infinitely varied music is.

Another part of that was the message. I have loved this church. There is something wonderful about its message. This is the only church I have ever been to which so greatly focuses on God's love, and on his forgiveness, and the forgiveness we must feel for others. I've discovered this not just through the sermons, but through the psalms, the anthems, and the hymns. Music came to be a kind of intercessor, helping to open my mind and heart to the Gospel and the humanity around me in new and unexpected ways. Lately I find I challenge myself to be more forgiving instead of judgmental. I find myself less caught up in the hustle bustle of scheduling and deadlines, and finding space to notice the small, quiet moments of grace and beauty in life. I know my parents can appreciate that as I don’t argue with them as much as I used to!

I often practice here on weekday afternoons, when the doors are kept open for guests. I do not know why people come in. Assuredly some are members, but, more often than not, these people are unfamiliar faces. And they enter from the harsh, crowded world outside into this solemn, sacred space, where the organ is singing. Some come in to pray, others, it seems, are here for comfort. And as they take in the serenity of this place, they do seem strangely consoled by the effect of the church.

Sometimes before they leave, they will walk over to the console and nod at me for a moment, before disappearing into the city, but many will walk up to the rail and nod at the organ, not me. And that is how is should be it seems. I’ve come to realize there is a reason the organist is obscured from view. This organ is intended to become its own being. Both a physical and spiritual presence. And the organ represents something more than mere human music. There is an enormity to the power of the organ which lends it a mystical nature all of its own. When even the loudest choirs sing, it is in praise to God.

But when the organ sings, it is as though God is allowing the briefest glimpse of his heaven and his might. Much as music has been an intercessor in my life, as the organist I feel honored to occasionally play the role of facilitator, helping to bridge, through music, this world and the divine.

That is the power of the organ, to transcend our mortality. It is not a matter of who plays it, or what is playing. It is its own unique being in this house. And that is why it is such an important part of this cathedral and this city. So on behalf of myself, and those who have come before, and who will come after, thank you.

Nicholas Halbert, age 16, is an organ scholar at St Paul's Cathedral. He offered this witness at Sunday's 10.30 service, to the enthusiastic applause of the congregation.

Why I support the campaign to Restore Our Organ

2011-05-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have heard organ music since before I was born. How can that be you ask? My mother was a church organist. I have often said that I was on an organ bench before being in a highchair! Mom used to take me around Long Beach in my stroller on the bus to her various musical jobs, from Miss Valerie's Ballet Studio to Belmont Shore Wedding Chapel to Hunter's Funeral Home. I have probably been to more weddings and funerals than most clergy! Mom (aka Clintine Edelweiss Clark) had an unusual name and an unusual talent. I have the program and newspaper article about her first recital in Los Angeles at age 12. As a kid, I would sit in the congregation with my grandparents since Dad was in the choir and look up and see Mom on the organ bench and think - "That's my Mom making that beautiful music!"

In 2001 I was looking for a new church home and a friend recommended the website Progressive Christianity. I liked the message so I made a list of member congregations in San Diego. St. Paul's was first on the list. I never made it to the second church. When I came to my first service, the organ hooked me. It was as if Mom was telling me, "THIS IS THE PLACE!" I later came to realize that St. Paul's relates to all of the senses with the incense, stained glass, beautiful architecture, the choir, and the organ of course...oh, and the preaching isn't bad either!

Doug Clark

The Tornado in Joplin MO

2011-05-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

By now you have heard about the catastrophic, massive tornado that leveled parts of Joplin MO. Over 100 people are known dead, and as many as 1000 missing, including children who may be been literally swept away.

The Episcopal Cafe points us to this message from Bishop Martin S Field of the Diocese of Western Missouri:

As needs are defined, we, the Diocese of West Missouri, will respond with all speed and will muster all available resources. Financial contributions to assist with immediate and long-term needs may be sent to the diocesan office, checks made payable to Diocese of West Missouri, with note, “Joplin Tornado Relief Fund.”

In addition, my office and I have already made contact with Episcopal Relief and Development, and we know an immediate response grant will very quickly be available. Your gifts are coming back to our aid!

More information from Episcopal Relief and Development here.

Hold them in your prayers.

Monasteries of the Heart: community of Benedictine spirituality

2011-05-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Loving God,
Give us hearts
where all may enter in,
ears to hear your call,
hands to do your will,
voices to sing your praise
and soul enough
to recognize You
in everything we do

From the Prayer of those who dwell in a Monastery of the Heart

Monasteries of the Heart is a movement of seekers interested in becoming part of a community of seekers, either online or with others of their own choosing …

Monasteries of the Heart is especially mindful of celebrating beauty, honoring the sacred and poetic word, and promoting nonviolence as a way of life and method of social change.

Monasteries of the Heart is a response to requests to develop a new form of Benedictine spirituality for a new face of society.

Hannah Wilder encourages you to explore the MoH website, and let us know what you find.

The Poll Results

2011-05-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the results of the Cathedral Blog Poll, which had 19 responses between May 4 and May 17. During this time, the counter shows we had 196 visitors. Importantly,a substantial fraction of these are people who come to the blog via a Google search and are just passing through; many others are "returning visitors" who get counted each day they visit. Even so our response rate was pretty low. Still, here are the numbers for your interest.

First, the majority of people who took the poll were St Paul's parishioners, with a few from other San Diego parishes, oner person who is thinking about joining, and a couple of non members. Of the 19 respondents, 9 have contributed something to the blog.

As for how often people read the blog, most people chose "Occasionally". Some people read it whenever there are new posts; others make it a weekly habit. Two were first time visitors.

There are a variety of ways of accessing the blog. Few people come directly to the blog page; most click through from the e-bulletin or the Cathedral web site. A few read it on Facebook and a few subscribe to a blog-reader/RSS feed; that means about 1/3 of the readers do not visit the blog page, and therefore are not counted in our "hit" meter.

When asked what they liked best on the blog, it was very evenly distributed between the four options given: spiritual and personal reflections; cathedral and community news; the Cathedral Characters series; or getting to know people via lighter commentary, humor, etc.

Specific comments about what people like or want:
I tend to look at every post - which must say something positive about the blog.

Notice of updates by email, more obvious ways to follow blog. I finally found it way down at the bottom right side. I love this blog
There's now an email-subscription field on the sidebar of the blog.

more dialog
We'd like to see that too. The blog gets posted to the Cathedral Facebook page, and people there tend to comment more.

Thanks for the inviting site and opportunity!

enjoy the variety and timeliness of content plus surprise essays

More top notch photography
Since I generally post my own pictures, I'll take that as a compliment!

If you have additional comments, you know where to make 'em!

Susan Forsburg, blogmaster

Father Matthew Presents: The Collect (video)

2011-05-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Another video from Fr Matthew tells us about the history and use of the collect.

Cathedral Characters: From Hair to Here

2011-05-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you’ve attended the Cathedral on Sunday morning, you’ve seen Joe Bruglio. He’s a tall, full-blooded Italian with a personality so warm and sparkling, it shines even through a white acolyte's alb. A hair stylist who runs his own small business, Joe has a no-nonsense air about him, but he’s also earnestly seeking and growing in his spirituality, which reveals a more sensitive, introspective side. Spend an hour in his salon chair and you’ll understand how he’s managed to befriend the almost the entire Cathedral in less than two years. Quick with a smile, easy to talk to, and generous with his warm laughter, Joe’s most attractive quality is his heart. Here’s his take on life at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Tell me about a meaningful community experience you have had in the Cathedral.
When I decided to fully commit and return to Church, one of the things I wanted to do was meet people. Little did I know, the people I have come to know have turned out to be wonderful friends, that feel like family. With some of the people at St Paul's, it feels like I've known them my whole life. Further developing relationships with them--and many more--is my goal.

What kinds of things do you do that help you draw near to God or God's people?
Volunteering. I find joy in being an acolyte and becoming a part of the service in a way that is different from before, yet I don't feel it has anything to do with me--it’s for others. I've been slowly becoming more involved with Dorcas House and I truly enjoy helping in any way I can. Through these two volunteer opportunities, I feel closer to God and his people.

What is a book/film/song you think everyone should read/see/hear and why?
Without a doubt, The Lord of the Rings. This book changed my life. It awoke a passion in me; it helped me develop a strong love for reading, and it also reminded me of the real-life struggle between good and evil. Tolkien was a Christian and his work consists of such wonderful Biblical parallels. I highly recommend it.

At this particular moment in history, what in your mind is the most important work the church can be doing?
To fight religious abuse, meaning that we should be putting an end to hate from those who profess to walk and talk in the name of God.

Anything else you would like to add about your life at St. Paul ’s Cathedral?
St. Paul's Cathedral has changed my life in ways that I could go on about for days. My life has been turned around on so many levels. What's even better about this journey is that I know it's only the beginning of things to change in my life. I am so happy and blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community of people. I thank God every day for each moment of it.

Hannah Wilder writes Cathedral Characters, an occasional series about people in the Cathedral community. If there's someone you'd like to hear about, drop a note for Hannah in the comments!

Eating Local

2011-05-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Cassie Lewis offered the first in a series of Green Living Workshops from Simpler Living. Expressing the sacramental gift of food and eating as our central gathering point, Cassie conveyed how we can “do justice”
with our food choices; participating in tasteful activism with small changes in a grand ethical movement.

Kris and I are sharing a CSA vegetable and fruit basket with family and friends, and buying many organic products. We’ll seek more local items and forego some treats that have travelled ‘round the world . . . . .

Please continue our workshop’s lively conversation about opportunities and challenges we encounter as Locavores – buying and eating foods grown within the region or state; and seeking organic and fair trade products. Thank you.

Grace van Thillo

Blog Poll: your response needed!

2011-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Help us make the blog better by telling us who you are and what you think! You may need to click through to the blog home page to answer these questions. It will only take a minute. Thanks!

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St George's Day

2011-05-01T20:13:00.001-07:00

Visit the Cathedral Flickr site for more photos from today's grand event!

Soup's on! New recipe page.

2011-04-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

After Maundy Thursday, there was a simple yet sumptuous meal of home-made soup in the Great Hall. The wide variety was impressive, and very tasty! People at the tables were comparing favorites and asking for recipes and it was suggested that we collect and share those recipes.

Thus is born the blog Soup Recipe Page! If you made a soup for Maundy Thursday, or if you have one you WOULD make if you had a chance, please send it to the blog at stpaulblog@gmail.com along with a picture of yourself. We'll add it to the soup page, which will be accessed via a tab at the top of the blog.

There is something so communal and comforting in a hot bowl of soup, don't you think?

The New Blog Look

2011-04-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Time to revise and renew! If you read this on facebook, please click over and check out the new design. We've also set up a mobile version for those who look at the blog on their smartphones.

We'll be asking your opinions about the blog content shortly. Meanwhile, let us know what you think of the new look and logo! (And if you notice any problems, e.g. if something doesn't look right or work right, please let us know: stpaulblog@gmail.com).

St Paul's Blog: 11,000 served .... and counting.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:45-48

Luca della Robbia, The Resurrection, from the Cathedral of Florence

Easter Vigil

2011-04-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

O God, through your Son you have bestowed upon your people the brightness of your light: Sanctify this new fire, and grant that in this Paschal feast we may so burn with heavenly desires, that with pure minds we may attain to the festival of everlasting light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Good Friday

2011-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
John 19 16-18

Maundy Thursday

2011-04-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Lord Jesus, after he had supped with his disciples and had washed their feet, said to them, "Do you know what I, your Lord and Master, have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done."

Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.

I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.

Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.

By this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another.

Book of Common Prayer

Lenten Devotions

2011-04-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say – Father, save me from this hour? (John 12.27)

“Look! Do you like it? I’m very proud of my painting. Do you think La Virgen likes it?” Eight year-old Elie, a participant in the Guadalupe Art Program, stood by her creation. “Oh yes, it’s wonderful,” I replied. “I painted the Mexican flag in my hand because I am very proud of where I came from and who I am. But why do they hate us so much? Don’t they know we all want the same things? I want to be a doctor and help my mother. She works so hard. I pray to La Virgen every night and ask her to fill their hearts with love. I sure hope she’s listening.” Elie now lives in Mexico – her mother could no longer endure living in the shadows.

The Reverend Canon Mary Moreno Richardson was recently honored by Episcopal Relief and Development for her work with young people in dire situations (Central Juvenile Hall in East LA, a detention center for undocumented youth, and victims of human trafficking ). She was asked to write vignettes of her pastoral experiences and one of them (April 6) appears in their Lenten devotional, which was distributed nationally. The others will be used by ERD in future publications; we'll be providing them to you here, so that they can be part of your Lenten journey.

Ashes, Easter and Remembering

2011-04-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

I recently had the joy of meeting with an elderly member of St Paul’s who can’t come to church due to her inability to drive. She lives alone, surrounded by pictures of SPC and former clergy of the cathedral on her walls that date back at least 50 years. Her love and caring for our church home jumped out at me immediately upon entering her living room. These photos help her remember how she was and still is connected to the cathedral over many, many years of history and changes.

This lady was instrumental in establishing the Columbarium many years ago and told me she has reserved a spot for her ashes there when she dies. When I spoke with her earlier this week, she told me she wants her ashes to reside high above the other spots where no one will be able to see her plot or inscription. The reason for this, she told me, is that she has no family or close friends left anymore who would want to visit her or remember her when entering or exiting the cathedral. She went on to tell me that from this high point in the columbarium, she will be able to gaze down on everyone in her beloved cathedral, giving her much joy and pleasure for as long as the building stands.

Upon hearing this, my eyes teared up, I couldn’t talk, and the lady asked me if I was still there on the phone. After a minute or so, I replied that she had just told me something very dear and meaningful that I would never forget about selflessness and love.

Forgetting is something I am painfully aware of this week. You see, I just experienced a rather serious incident while landing my plane over in Borrego Springs on Palm Sunday. I had attended services at St Paul’s that morning and received a call from my mother that I needed to get down to the desert earlier than I thought for my aunt’s birthday party. Because I was in a rush to get there on time from San Diego, I jumped in the plane at Montgomery field and took off right after church on Palm Sunday. During my approach to the little Borrego airport, I forgot to extend my landing gear and heard the awful grinding scrape of metal on asphalt runway as the plane touched down. In my haste, I had forgotten to use my checklist for landing and failed to pull the switch to extend the landing gear. This is the first incident I have experienced like this in over 40 years of aviation and flying. It was, to say the least, extremely embarrassing and humiliating since I had to spend about 5 hours dealing with the FAA and NTSB that same day.

Today I am dealing with feelings about both literal and figurative ashes. My contact with a dear member of our cathedral has taught me a lesson about memory and remembering, which contrasts so starkly with my own forgetfulness while flying. This woman is a blessing and gift which have caused me to pause, slow down and catch my breath. Ashes remind us not only of our own mortality, but also of our humanity, stupidity and carelessness while we are still alive in this world of ours.

I find myself today still in Ash Wednesday, hearing the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return”. No one can dispute this fact – whether believer, atheist or agnostic. Ashes are not a tenet of faith, but rather a sad, sober, and sometimes depressing fact of our lives which we forget so much of the time.

It is difficult to approach Easter Sunday for me this week. The idea of the resurrection seems so far away and difficult to believe in. It is hard for me to understand what people mean when they say to me, George - “I believe in the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus”. All I can do is re-read the Gospel account and ponder it in my heart – hoping that one day, I will fully understand what it’s all about.

In the final analysis, I have only two guides to help me understand and grapple with the meaning of Easter Sunday: my new friend’s firm belief and faith that she will be looking down on all of us from her elevated plot in the Columbarium after her death, and the Gospel story itself of Easter morning which relates God’s promise to us of His assurance of eternal Life.

My goal this week and for the rest of my life is not to forget again. To remember to use checklists, and to recall (after forgetting again) the promise of new life through Jesus’ death and resurrection. I think I realize this week how critically important both of these are to me now.

George Kuhrts

Palm Sunday

2011-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?"

The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

Matthew 21:8-11

Photos from Palm Sunday 2011 on the Cathedral flicker Site

The MIlitary Acceptance Project

2011-04-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

This Easter, I am officially joining the Episcopal Church and becoming a member of St. Paul's Cathedral. One of the things I enjoy most about St. Paul's is its broad inclusivity and its commitment to social justice.

As some of you know, I am currently getting my Master's in Social Work from the University of Southern California. I attend classes at their San Diego Academic Center in Rancho Bernardo, which is also the home of their unique Military Social Work concentration. It's the only center of its kind in the United States. I grew up in a military family, my father served for 21 years as an officer in the US Air Force.It wasn't until I began my studies at USC that I realized that the military is a community and culture of it's own, and that it shaped who I am in meaningful ways.

I was also raised in a very conservative Christian home. As you can imagine, being gay within these two combined cultures was not easy. In fact, it was often very difficult.

Over the past couple of months, I worked with a team of my colleagues from school on a project. Our goal was to identify and advocate on behalf of person(s) who were marginalized or needed assistance. With the recent decision to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), we chose lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) service members. Initially we thought we'd find a few local gay and lesbian service members and see how we might help. That would've satisfied the requirements of the project. We were excited to get started.

We began networking with LGB service members we knew, as well as a few key contacts in leadership in various branches of the armed services. We quickly learned that the people most affected by the repeal of DADT have no voice be because they can't safely self-identify until after all of the repeal efforts are over. This also means that leadership in the armed services had no way to communicate with them and understand their needs and concerns. We also discovered that most service members - LGB and non-LGB - had no idea what was really going on with the repeal efforts. We held a focus group with 15 local LGB service members and asked them how we could help. It was decided that a website might be the best way to reach people because it was anonymous and easy to access from anywhere. We needed to incorporate as much information, by service branch, as possible to make sure people could stay up to date. We wanted to include frequently asked questions and answers, a blog, opportunities to share your stories and a formal research poll to learn more from all service members about DADT and related topics.

Clearly this was no longer a school project, it was the beginning of a new organization.

Thus the Military Acceptance Project (MAP) was born. Our mission is to pave the way to a broader acceptance of all former, current and future service members - especially those marginalized for any reason. Currently our focus in on LGB service members and the repeal of DADT. We do this on our website by providing information, support and communications related to the repeal of DADT. We also serve as a safe conduit for communication between LGB service members and the branches of the service. As an organization, we have no partisan or political affiliations or agendas. We are not affiliated with the Department of Defense or any branch of the military. Because of this, service members can feel free to ask questions, as well as share their concerns and criticisms safely and anonymously.

We launched our new site, www.militaryacceptanceproject.org, on Friday, April 1, 2011 and the result has been truly astounding. In just over one week, we reached nearly 3000 people.

Over 115 service members have taken the anonymous poll and we have begun to receive personal stories from service members who have served under DADT. The need for a resource like this is clearly there, and I am truly grateful to be part of the work we are doing. Ultimately, we want to serve the needs of anyone marginalized while serving their country beyond LGB service members. For example, we may find that muslim service members are discriminated against and work to support them.

I invite you to check out the website for yourself and encourage you to share it with your friends and loved ones - especially if they are service connected in any way.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to learn more, get involved or donate to our work.

Jasper Kump

Lenten Devotions

2011-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thus says the Lord of hosts: See, disaster is spreading from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirring. (Jeremiah 25.32)

“Please, I need your help - they can’t send me back. Everyone in my barrio depends on me. They worked so hard to save money to send me north. Don’t let them send me back. I’m so ashamed. They trusted me and I can’t I let them down. Hurricane Mitch destroyed our neighborhood. I was sent to work so I can send back money. We are so poor. God has already brought me this far.” These are the words of a young man from Honduras, 90 pounds and five feet tall, who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. One night he slipped out of the detention center, determined to find work to support his family and friends.

The Reverend Canon Mary Moreno Richardson was recently honored by Episcopal Relief and Development for her work with young people in dire situations (Central Juvenile Hall in East LA, a detention center for undocumented youth, and victims of human trafficking ). She was asked to write vignettes of her pastoral experiences and one of them (April 6) appears in their Lenten devotional, which was distributed nationally. The others will be used by ERD in future publications; we'll be providing them to you here, so that they can be part of your Lenten journey.