Bishop's annual address to examine relational courage
Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves will lead her 12th diocesan convention in El Camino Real this Friday and Saturday, October 26th and 27th – her final solo appearance in the role. She will share next year's convention with the bishop-elect who will succeed her in January 2020.
In addition to her annual address on Saturday, Bishop Mary will oversee the business of the church. On Friday evening, she will recognize diocesan volunteers at the annual dinner banquet. Friday's activities will also include a 4:30 pm Evening Prayer service with preaching by Kelsey Davis, curator for emerging communities.
“Each year we have grown in knowledge, courage and experience in becoming the church that does not yet exist,” Bishop Mary explains. “This year we launch the theme of Relational Courage. Having spent a year pondering Identity, perhaps becoming more articulate about who we are, and at least recognizing the importance of knowing who we are, it is time to step out a little more boldly with our beautiful Episcopal self.”
Presiding Bishop Curry to release book of sermons, The Power of Love
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has collected five of his most notable sermons, including his royal wedding sermon, in a book that will be released on Oct. 30, available here.
“The Power of Love” takes its title from the theme of Curry’s May 19 sermon for Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s wedding, 13 minutes of preaching that elevated Curry to worldwide renown, though the five sermons span his three years as head of the Episcopal Church. Three of the sermons are from July, when he preached during the church’s 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas, and the fifth is his 2015 installation sermon at Washington National Cathedral.
Please note that the diocesan offices will be closed on Monday, October 29, following convention. Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday.
Anti-racism training for church leaders
On November 3, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas will host a one-day training that will meet the requirements for “anti-racism” training required for all lay licenses and for local parish leaders and vestry. Based on materials from the Kaleidoscope Institute, the training will start promptly at 10 am and end at 4 pm. Attending the full day is required to receive the certificate of completion of this training.
Pre-registration is required by October 28. Please email Joanna Shreve at jrshreve@aol.com with “Diversity Training” in the subject line. Include your full name and your church affiliation in the email. A $20 fee, to be paid on the day of the workshop, will cover the cost of materials and lunch. Anyone from across the diocese may attend this training. Other trainings in the Santa Clara Valley and San Luis Obispo are being planned for the first quarter of 2019.
1,200 volunteers ask to serve on churchwide bodies as leaders herald new energy
More than 1,200 volunteers from around the Episcopal Church applied to serve on one of the church’s dozens of interim bodies, including those created by the 79th General Convention in July, to address various issues and tasks over the next three years. That response is a 60 percent increase over the applications received for the previous triennium. Read the full story here.
Santa Cruz congregation installs pipe organ, plans inaugural recital
Calvary Santa Cruz was pleased to have purchased the Shoenstein Organ, Opus 84 (1981), formerly installed at Star of the Sea R.C. Church in San Francisco. Along with William Visscher of Hupalo & Repasky Organ Builders of San Leandro, Calvary’s parishioner Alex Johnson and parishioners of all ages have participated in the preparations and installation of this new organ. Read the entire restoration story with more photos.
The old Moeller organ was dismantled and discarded in August. In 2019 Calvary expects to host an organ recital and art show as part of the Santa Cruz First Friday events that will feature the organ along with the art works and installations made from the Moeller parts. Over the next few weeks William Visscher will help Calvary complete the installation and will then take on the task of the tuning and tonal revisions that will best accommodate Calvary’s acoustics.
An inaugural recital will be held at Calvary on Sunday, November 18, at 4:00 pm. Calvary is pleased to present Patrick Wedd performing the inaugural recital. Wedd, who recently retired from Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, is the founder/director of the choral ensemble Musica Orbium. Visit www.calvarysantacruz.org for details.
2018 Honored Women’s Day:
Recognition, giving, sharing and learning
On Saturday, October 13, more than 100 people from across the diocese gathered at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Gilroy to celebrate the 2018 Honored Women of the churches of the Diocese of El Camino Real.
Episcopal Church Women President Diane Lovelace led the ECW Annual Meeting, introducing the members of the diocesan board who reported on the Day of Enrichment held in April, the Mary Lou Thompson Retreat in August, and more. Read the entire story here.
The day included the 2018 UTO ingathering, where donations were received from many churches. Lovelace then shared about ECW’s 49th Triennial Meeting held in conjunction with General Convention in July. She recalled enriching speakers such as Bishop Steven Charleston -- who called on the women of the church to listen for what God is whispering for them to take bold action -- plus workshops such as a creative Lectio Divina, and the celebration of ECR’s Distinguished Woman, Graciela Velazquez.
Each year, ECW invites the rector from every church in the diocese to nominate a woman who proclaims her faith through her life and actions. This year's theme was Being the Good News. Each woman was recognized for her contributions to God’s mission with specific details of her ministry with a certificate of honor. This year’s honorees include:
Claudia Ward -- All Saints’, Carmel Sarah Peterson -- Calvary, Santa Cruz Jane Day -- Church of the Good Shepherd, Salinas Rachel Subia -- Good Samaritan, San Jose Nancy Riden -- Holy Family, San Jose Irma Meija -- San Pablo, Salinas Nancy McGuffin -- St. Andrew’s, Saratoga Tricia Ottesen -- St. Barnabas’, Arroyo Grande Joan Dresser -- St. George’s, Salinas Merrilyn Mancini -- St. James’, Monterey Diane Scofield -- St. John’s, Aptos Cheryl Harrison -- St. Mark’s, King City Kathleen Bagby -- St. Stephen’s, Gilroy Dottie Chin -- St. Stephen’s, San Jose Lynn Hollister -- St. Stephen’s, San Luis Obispo Mary Anne Plano -- St. Timothy’s, Mountain View
Following the celebration of the Honored Women, all gathered in the sanctuary for a moving worship program of liturgy, hymns and homily by the Rev. Tracy Wells Miller.
“What a terrific day of celebrating the work of outstanding women in our churches,” said Lovelace, “who demonstrate by their works to share God’s love in the world!”
Photos by Joan Dresser
Jazz Vespers in Saratoga honors saints
Please join us for Jazz Vespers at Saint Andrew's, Saratoga at 5:30pm on November 4. There will be poetry, scripture and jazz to celebrate the saints who have gone before and those among us today. The Rev. Peggy Bryan will offer a message; the Bennett Roth-Newell Quartet will provide the jazz with soloists Scott Kavanagh and Jenna Baker. For more information visit the church website, or contact (408) 867-3493 or bfriesen@st-andrews.org.
We’re looking forward to November 27th – this year’s Giving Tuesday. Stay tuned for our campaign plans and share how you can make a difference this #GivingTuesday! Watch for updates next week on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
Mongolia presentation headlines Good Shepherd luncheon for 55 & up
Dan Presser, owner of FourWinds Travel in Carmel, will speak at the Double Nickels luncheon for those 55 and up on November 14. The luncheon begins at noon at the Church of the Good Shepherd, off Hwy 68 between Monterey and Salinas. Presser will talk about his recent trip to Mongolia, the landlocked East Asian country squeezed between China and the Gobi Desert on its south and Russia and mountains to its north.
Double Nickels, a monthly luncheon of homemade food, is a service of Good Shepherd for the benefit of the 55-and-up community. A suggested donation is $5 but not required. More information is at 831-484-2153 or visit goodshepherdcorral.org.
Take Me Home music program to support homeless organizations
“Take Me Home,” a choral music program centered around home, shelter, and community, will be held October 28 in San Jose 3-4:30 pm. Highlights include two new arrangements written for the choir, the US premiere of Ariel Quintana’s “Furusato,” and heart-stirring folksongs from America, Africa, and Cuba. All donations collected for this concert will benefit two organizations that support the homeless in Santa Clara County: Village House, an interfaith women’s shelter, and the Winter Faith Collaborative, a Santa Clara County movement of faith communities with a common aim to shelter their neighbors who live outdoors. Full details at resoundingachord.org
Integrity Chapter to meet at Convention
Integrity El Camino Real will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, October 27 at Sherwood Hall in Salinas, located at 940 N. Main Street. The meeting will be during the lunch break at our diocesan convention on the second floor of the hall. All are welcome. Contact Dottie Fuller for more information at dotfuller@aol.com.
Trinity "Pipes & Glory" concert fundraiser
Trinity Cathedral in downtown San Jose is hosting a concert series featuring popular Bay Area artists to raise funds for the restoration of the 1894 Hook & Hastings Organ. The "Pipes & Glory"concerts begin at 4 pm at the Cathedral with receptions to follow.For more information visit the event web page or contact Mike Joyce at (408) 250-4988 or musicattrinity81@gmail.com.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Aptos seeks a half-time (19-24 hrs/week) Director of Music Ministries. St. John’s is a singing congregation, with many talented musicians in our midst. Special care was taken to create acoustics in our sanctuary (built in 2009) that enhance the congregation's experience of singing. To apply, send letter of interest and resume to the Rev. Tracy Wells Miller, rector, at rector@st-john-aptos.org or PO Box 188, Aptos, CA. Application deadline is October 20; start date is ASAP for the candidate. Read the full job description.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale is seeking an organist/ pianist to accompany its mixed choir of 16 voices. The repertoire ranges from Palestrina to modern sacred anthems and everything between. Responsibilities include:
Attend and accompany the choir at rehearsal on Thursdays, 7:30-9 pm
Provide suitable music for a prelude and postlude at the above services
Be available for weddings, funerals, and special services throughout the year
Support the work of the choir director
Pay is commensurate with skill and experience. Knowledge of church music and liturgy preferred. Position to be filled as soon as possible. Please send resume and cover letter to the Rev. Salying Wong, rector, at pastorsalying@stthomas-svale.us.
Submitting news to Along the King's Highway
Along the King's Highway is published every Wednesday afternoon. News and event submissions must be received the previous Sunday at 9 pm. Please limit stories to 200 words and include the "who-what-where-when-why" information in the first paragraph. For event news, flyers must be accompanied by a basic summary of the event. All submissions will be edited for style and published as space allows. Questions? Contact editor Elrond Lawrence, diocesan communications, at elrond@realepiscopal.org.
