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connect ST. JOHN'S
issue 01.12.23
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"Manifestation of Trinity" by Rudy Calderón
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In our most recent confirmation class, our confirmands and their mentors worked together to develop a creed that best reflected the group as a whole. Through thoughtful discussion and insight, this is the creed that they created:
We believe in God,
a single, all-powerful creative force,
which is unseen,
but whose handiwork is all around us.
We believe in Jesus,
who did good deeds and helped improve lives,
an example of how to live and treat others that has been timeless.
A Jewish man, who helped change the fear of death
and revealed a new view of those who were sick or different,
showing that all are loved by God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
a connection between people,
made of belief.
An unseen force born of faith.
An energy amongst believers that steers us in the right direction.
An element of the Holy Trinity, alongside God and Jesus.
We believe in a Church that is focused on community,
united and embracing all people and their differences,
always growing and encouraging love. Amen.
As we stand in the liminal space between this new year and the last, we find ourselves facing new opportunities for growth, refreshed insight, and untapped adventure. And in this time of looking forward while learning from the past, I would like to offer that we all consider ways of writing our own creeds – be it in reflecting on how we encounter the Trinity in our own lives, seeking out new prayers that speak to our hearts, or simply taking a moment to think about what truths guide us on our journeys.
As for new adventures, our youth have the opportunity this summer to journey to New Mexico and into the heart of Navajo Nation, where we will be learning about and from the local Navajo community, hearing about their history and their ties to their land. As guests in their homeland, we hope to connect with this community through story and service and learn how to take action to serve its people and the land as agents of healing and love. It is trips like this that create for our youth – and through the youth, our entire St. John’s community – new space for learning, growth, thoughtfulness, and love.
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Prayer List
Pastoral Note: The funeral for Mary Amonette is at St. John's on Saturday, January 28 at 2pm.
Calendar Note: The church and office are closed this Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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SUNDAY
8am: Worship (inside)
9am: Family Worship (Held on the lawn, weather permitting, or in the Parish Hall.)
10am:
Worship (in-person & live stream)
Sunday School for children
Sunday School for youth
MONDAY
7pm: Bible Study (Zoom)
TUESDAY
7:30am: Christian Meditation (Zoom)
Click here to receive an invite for the online service.
One TUESDAY a Month
6pm: Dinner Church in the Parish Hall (1/17, 2/21, 3/21, 5/16)
Dinner Church Kitchen Crew signup
2nd SATURDAYS of the Month
8am: Men's Group
Click here to request a meeting invite.
Parish Annual Meeting: Sunday, January 29 After the 10am service all are invited to the Parish Hall for the annual meeting. This gathering is an opportunity to hear from the senior warden, reactor and review the financials and budget with the treasurer. A new vestry class is also elected by the congregation. All are invited to attend. Light lunch provided.
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Annual Fund 2023 St. John’s is so grateful for your stewardship this year. This year we are asking for your support of our Annual Fund 2023 – ‘Connect to God through Stewardship.’ Your contribution makes a great impact on the financial stability and security of our parish. Please consider increasing your commitment by 10% to help us pay for higher operational costs caused by inflation as well as support of our vibrant parish programs. You can also go beyond that amount if you are able, increasing your commitment to God through Stewardship. Please give online or make a commitment. Your generous financial contributions will join with the other 295 pledging families making our one million dollar Annual Fund 2023 goal a reality. For assistance, please contact Lee Steward, Director of Stewardship via email or at 415.456.11023, x117.
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Dinner Church: January 17 Join us next Tuesday, 1/17 at 6pm in the Parish Hall to explore a new theme: ”Grief and Finding Meaning”. Our aim is not necessarily to resolve grief, but to address it. Are you grieving the death of a loved one? Grieving after a divorce or unmet expectations? Or grieving perhaps over today’s political divisiveness, the existential threat of climate change, or losses wrought by the pandemic? Or maybe you know someone who’s grieving? Come to share your stories and reflect. $10 suggested donation to cover the cost of groceries. To cook with the volunteer kitchen crew, sign up here. Dinner Church meets 1/17, 2/21, 3/21, and 5/16. There is no gathering in April because of Holy Week. NOTE: you must be vaxxed against COVID to cook for or attend Dinner Church.
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Bishop Search Survey The search committee for the next bishop of our diocese is seeking input from people across the diocese though an online survey. The survey is available here and is open until January 23. Please share your thoughts. Rev. Chris is on the search committee. Please speak with him if you have any questions.
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Winter Book Read: February 26 Our next title is Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned by Brian McLaren. McLaren is a public theologian and author of several books including A Generous Orthodoxy, Everything Must Change, and A New Kind of Christian. More information about McLaren may be found here. We will gather for discussion and reflection on Sunday, February 26th, at 11:30am. For more information, contact Rev. Heather.
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Kairos Prayer Vigil All are invited to pray for the San Quentin State Prison inmates who are participating in Kairos #55. This retreat is a Christian, lay-led, volunteer prison ministry with a mission to bring Christ's love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals and their families. Signup for a 1-hour slot to pray from home during the retreat, February 17-20, 2023. For more information, email St. John's members and program participants, Martin Coyne or John Gulick.
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Holiday Giving Tree: Thank you! Through the abundant generosity of the people of St. John's, we provided Christmas gifts to over 90 residents of Pine Ridge Care Center and dozens of gift cards to the residents of Gilead House. Both organizations are deeply grateful for the ways in which we offer support.
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Sunday School @ 10AM Sunday School is open to kids from preschool to 5th grade. This Sunday our class will be combined in the Fireside Room. Our lesson for this Sunday is the Life of Martin Luther King who "inspires us all to strive for justice, and kindness for every human being." The kids will join the parents in the church for communion after the class. If you have any questions, please email Sandra Pathik, Director of Stewardship.
Children's Worship Bulletin Download the Children’s Worship Bulletin for 3+ years old and 7+years old. Free online game included. Secret code to unlock the game: JGPF23. This Worship Bulletin is updated every week.
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Click here for our Spring 2023 Youth Calendar
Sunday Morning Youth Group We meet at the 10 am service – 6th-12th grade in the Youth Room. Join us for doughnuts and good chats.
Sunday Evening Youth Group We meet from 5:00-6:30 pm on Sunday evenings. Join us for games, chatting, crafts, service projects, and more! Dinner is provided.
Evening Youth Group Dinner Volunteers We need volunteers to provide dinner for Evening Youth Group as we enter Spring 2023 of our program year. Sign up here
Your help is always appreciated!
St. Vincent de Paul Bagged Lunch Prep Evening Our next SVDP Bagged Lunch Prep Evening will be this Sunday, January 15th. We will be arranging these bagged lunches at our usual Youth Group time (5:00-6:30 pm), and dinner will still be provided for youth! This valuable time spent can be counted towards service hours.
Navajo Nation High School Youth Trip 2023 Join us for our next incredible High School Trip as we journey into the heart of Navajo Nation from June 11th to 17th. This trip is open to rising high school freshmen through 2023 high school graduates and costs around $1500 per person.* For more information, please contact Maggie Doyle, Youth Minister or Sign Up here
*Scholarships available
Youth Group on Instagram Follow Youth Group St. John's at _y_g_s_j_
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This Sunday's Music Our music this week honors the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Our opening and closing hymns, as well as our Offertory and Communion songs, all trace their roots to the African-American tradition.
We are pleased to have Wilford Kelly guest soloist this week. The Florida-native bass-baritone is a multi-talented singer based in San Francisco, California under the tutelage of César Ulloa. Currently, he is a full-time member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. He most recently graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with his Master of Music Degree in Voice. During his time at the Conservatory, Wilford performed many roles in the SFCM mainstage opera productions including Bartolo in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Gus O'Neill in John Musto's Later the Same Evening, Leone in Händel's Tamerlano, and Lackei in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. He also performed in multiple mainstage productions of the Musical Theater program, portraying the roles of Mr. Peachum in Weill's The Threepenny Opera and Bellomy in Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones's The Fantasticks. Wilford has also garnered attention outside of the SFCM performance community, performing in recent engagements with the Jacksonville Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and as a Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera where he performed two principal roles and covered four more in their 2019 season. He has also achieved success on the competition circuit, having been named a recipient of the Encouragement Award at the San Francisco District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the fall of 2019. He firmly believes in the power of music and seeks to inspire unity and change in the face of the many injustices that run rampant in today's society. He believes that any performance in which someone is touched by his art is one he considers successful, and seeks to continue to inspire as many people as possible with his work.
James Weldon Johnson was a native of Jacksonville, FL. While attending college in Atlanta he spent about three months in the Georgian backwoods to get a sense of the culture, which would influence his work as a poet and novelist. His varied career included work as a high school teacher and principal, publisher, lawyer, and influential Civil Rights activist. During his tenure as principal at Stanton School in Jacksonville, he wrote "Lift every voice and sing" as a celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln and in honor of Booker T. Washington, who visited the school and was treated to a performance of the anthem by the students. The tune was written by John Rosamund Johnson (1873-1954), James' younger brother, a musician and composer.
Moses George Hogan was best known for his settings of spirituals. Hogan was a pianist, conductor, and arranger of international renown. His works are celebrated and performed by high school, college, church, community, and professional choirs today.
The St. John’s Choir sings weekly at the 10 AM Sunday service, as well as special services for the Christmas and Easter seasons. This warm and welcoming group sings repertoire from all periods and many different styles, from plainchant to polyphony, from Handel to Hairston. While there is no audition required to join, it is hoped that members are able to read music well enough to find their way around a musical score. Rehearsals take place Thursday evenings from 7:15 PM until 9 PM.
The St. John’s Choristers welcome all children ages 6 through 12 into the program. No prior musical experience is necessary and there is no audition to join. Currently, the Choristers rehearse on Sundays at 11:15 AM (or just after the 10 AM service) for about a half-hour to forty-five minutes. We learn the basics of reading music, as well as develop a Sunday morning repertoire through rote learning, which includes hymns, chants, and rounds.
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