A Grace Filled Parking Ticket

As one addicted to my gasoline motor I routinely face the challenges of bringing my automobile into San Francisco. Driving through the traffic of the streets, my hybrid suffers the ignominy of dents, scratches, and the occasional flat tire, as well as dodging the Dept of Parking and Traffic’s Traffic Control Officers: TCO’s, meter persons, and their ticket writing capabilities. In a residential zone, every two hours I make the dance of moving my auto around the block for a new parking spot and avoiding the sixty-five dollar ticket.

One morning Doe and I worked in the sacristy. An advantage of that spot is the view of Turk Street, helpful when keeping track of the TCO’s. This particular day I lost track of time and suggested we move our cars, because it’s probably been over two hours.

Once outside we saw one car was ticketed and the other car was next in line; TCO parked in front. We approached the officer and talked with her, explained that we were working at the church and we came out as fast as we could to move our cars. The officer asked, ‘What Church?’ and our reply St Cyprian, on the corner here, surprised her. She didn’t know there was a church on Turk and Lyon. When Cyps was pointed out the officer smiled and said ‘I attend Love Chapel, and have a great pastor, and isn’t it great to know there are other believers here.’ I suggested we join in prayer and Doe led us then and there, the TCO and parking scofflaws, offering thanksgiving for blue skies, good health, and fellowship on the street corner. Community made on the streets of the Western Addition.

Such a moment of grace and shared witness happened on Turk and Lyon, I am thankful to witness and participate in that moment. I look toward the day I share witness as openly as the TCO: ‘I attend St Cyprian’s and have a great community. Come visit us.’ We’re not a secret, we have a great comunity, let the word out!

See you about Turk and Lyon

-Eric

St. Cyprian's Seminarian on Occupy

These past few months I have been involved in the current Occupy protests in San Francisco and in Oakland. What started out as a small protest at Wall Street has turned into a global phenomenon with tens of thousands of people protesting in Canada, Chile, England, Indonesia, and countless of other solidarity protests from people in China, Spain, Greece, Taiwan, Korea, etc. What's been happening in the Bay Area, and in New York, is that people have begun to look at the situation around them and they have come to realized that they no longer live in a country that is putting value into cultivating healthy and happy human beings. The society around them is no longer seeing Christ within the other.

One of the main reasons for my participating in Occupy San Francisco is because I fully believe that when Christ told us to love our neighbor as ourselves that he truly meant it. He meant for us to put personal welfare and justice above all else. Above profit, greed, and malice. When Christ spoke of the Kingdom of God, and that the Kingdom of God has come near, he was speaking of a world where we no longer allowed injustice to permeate our lives. Christ spoke of a world in which God demanded justice for the oppressed, the poor, and the marginalized. Christ gave us the example to live by: that God demanded that we seek out justice, but that we need to make God's command for a just world and turn that commandment and transfix it into the flesh by actively participating in our society and try to make it better through our actions.

The Occupy protests in San Francisco and Oakland are a reminder that we need to be vested in our communities and that we need to work together as a community of people in order to make God's Kingdom of justice and mercy a reality. A reality that is greater than corporate greed and a profit driven economy.

by Jack Stephens
jack.m.stephens@gmail.com

Saints and Sermon for All Saints Day

Saints before us, old St Cyprian’s on Sutter and Lyon

Thinking about the Saints, St John, and the Love Commandment

You may recall my expressing how much I relish in the realm of the saints. I had a Roman Catholic school background that included the saints of the church everywhere: pictures in the classrooms, feast day masses during school as well as the coveted days off. My throat was blessed in the name of St Blaise, St Francis’ statue in my room in high school, and a St Christopher medallion in the glove-box of my Volvo 142s. When I became an Episcopalian I was pleased to learn the Saints of the Church followed me across the Thames and their numbers grew; my understanding of who were the saints expanded beyond requirements of miracles performed to include the faithful people who lived into the challenge of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, to be like Jesus.

While praying over the readings for All Saints Day the image which returned to my mind was the saints gathered in glory – the martyrs, workers, evangelists; children, women, men – strengthened in faith to do the hard work of following the way of Jesus. He asks us to live into an upside down word of ending the divisive existence and instead live as part of a community strengthened by mutual love for each other as well as love of God. In our world today we can easily be alone, isolated, in our home, on crowded #5 bus, in hospital or at work; alone in the crowd. To be followers of Jesus is to come together in common worship and mutual support. ‘I am the vine and you are the branches…’ (Jn 15:5) is our model, ‘Love one another as I have loved you (Jn 15:12) our commandment. We are connected to each other. To follow in the way of Jesus, to do live like Christ is the calling of the saints.

Eat Share Pray 16 November

Come join us on Weds Night for a light supper, conversation and prayer. On November 16 we’ll continue our conversation about ‘Radical Jesus’.

We will take Nov 23 off for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Join us again on Nov 30 for Eat Share Pray – the Advent Edition.

see you around and about,

eric

Sermon for 6 November 2011

Feast of All Saints (Transferred)

Revelation 7:9-17

Psalm 34

1 John 3:1:7

Matthew 5:1-12

Happy All Saints Day! On the feast of All Saints, which we celebrate today, we might ask the question What is a saint? Per the Dictionary of the Episcopal Church:

Saint: a holy person, a faithful Christian, one who shares life in Christ.

Shares the life of Christ. What is that? Are we speaking changing water into wine? Cleansing lepers? Healing the blind with a touch? Suffering, on the cross?

Yes, some of that – healing the sick, though not so much the wine. Suffering - yes, and we need help knowing how. We do have a guide on how to share in the life of Jesus Christ.

Here is a hint: a new commandment we received – from the Gospel of John

‘That you love one another, as I have loved you.’ Jn 13:34.

Simple words, seems like a simple commandment. But the followers of Jesus it is more than that, it is a rule of life. To be one with God is to hold each other as close as we hold onto God,

Share in the life of Christ. Love one another as I have loved you.

In the early church the faithful gathered in homes to read scripture, sing hymns, pray together, shared their lives and their work. The deacons went out to share their lives with the homebound, the widows and orphans and ensure the poor given succor. These house churches were centers of following in the way of Jesus. Because the early followers shared their faith in Christ Jesus, worshiping God not the Emperor / God of Rome they became enemies of Rome, it meant many of the faithful suffered terribly, even death, during waves of persecutions in the first four centuries of the Imperial rule.

Staying true to the faith was important to John of our epistle. As the early followers struggled with dissent he encouraged them to hold on as Christ followers. He wrote to in this letter it the community remain faithful:

See what love the father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. (1 Jn 3:1)

Children of God. Faithful to God. Living the New Commandment, following the way of Jesus and we will be pure with him.

Love for one another brings us together, the gift from God which sets us apart. Love for one another brings us the strength to live out the love commandment in the world, who share the life of Christ, live the way of Jesus.

Two stories of the saints called together to live the way of Jesus.

In the 1790’s St George’s Church was build in Philadelphia by black and white hands, hands united in worship of God. But one Sunday during worship, the ushers insisted the black Christians leave the church floor and move to the slave gallery upstairs, segregating the worship space. Abasalom Jones and Richard Allen lead the black worshipers out of St George’s. They formed the Free African Society, lead worship there, and Jones founded African Episcopal Church of St Thomas. It’s the mother church of Black Episcopalians.

In the late 1850’s emancipated Blacks in Washington DC came together to build a parish where they could worship freely. During the Civil War they wanted to raise funds for their church and Sunday school. The saints of St Augustine’s RC parish sent two of their members, Gabriel and Marie Coakley, to approach Marie’s employers Mr and Mrs Lincoln for permission to hold a bake sale on their lawn. The Lincoln’s happily gave permission and the bake sale was held July 4 on the White House Lawn. St Augustine’s is the mother church of Black Roman Catholic’s in Washington DC

Two churches, St Thomas. St Augustine. Two congregations founded where the faithful could worship God and follow the way of Jesus outside of the persecutions of the world, and in their Church. They are not alone: Buen Samaritano, Our Savior, True Sunshine, Christ Church; these, and other churches established by the saints before us to make that community of love, following the Way of Jesus.

My sisters and brothers, when hear the Beatitudes, do not hear them as ‘blessed are poor, blessed are the meek….’ These aren’t words mumbled for the shy, throwaway verbs and sounds without meaning, they are words Jesus gave us for courage to live as followers in his way. Listen to them spoken boldly, like this,

BEHOLD! Blessed are the poor…

BEHOLD! Blessed are they who hunger for justice…

BEHOLD! Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness sake…

BEHOLD!

Let me tell another story. A church is founded in San Francisco where Episcopalians, told to find someplace ‘you’d be more comfortable,’ a place they could worship freely. A church whose founders and their children had a vision, left their original home on Sutter Street and moved up the hill to Turk and Lyon, raising money with bake sales and bbq’s and green stamps and hard work, whose Christian love inspired them to build Saint Cyprian’s. This house of God that turns to the world outside and invites them in – see what we are doing. See the concerts, the Village Project, the 12 step programs, the kitchen that feeds us and the simply sandwiches. These saints before us, their names on the walls around us, who built the community in this church and the saints among us that make St Cyprian’s the church that with us still.

The love God gives us, that makes us one with God which the world does not know. That’s the community of saints we belong to, where love is revealed and continues to build this community of love, on Eddy and Divis, on Turk and Lyon, on the corners of the Western Addition and Panhandle, goes forth in love to Occupy at the Fed, to feed the homeless on Division St and be the sick at General Hospital and across San Francisco…

To the Saints before us, the Saints among us, and the Saints yet to come:

BEHOLD! Today is the feast of ALL SAINTS! Blessed are The Holy People of God, faithful Christians, living their lives, sharing the life of Christ!

When God’s presence is revealed among us, we will know we are followers of Christ Jesus and will sing:

‘The saints of God, are folks like us, that we want to be them too’!

-sermon by Eric Metoyer

We are who shows up

Today, at St. Cyprian's before we handed out our 2012 Pledge Cards, our Junior Warden, Jarie Bolander spoke about why he generously supports the work of St. Cyprian's. In the weeks that follow different members of the congregation and wider community will share their passion about why they pledge. If you would like a pledge card digitally, send an email to: turkandlyon@gmail.com

Community is important to me. It’s through community that society strengthens, grows and thrives. Without strong communities, our society will spiral into chaos.

All of us belong to many communities. These communities form a tapestry of who we are and who we want to be. One of my communities is St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church.

I must admit that faith makes me a little uncomfortable. My rational, engineering mind wants equations, proofs and some sort of logic to the world. It’s a daily struggle to rationalize these thoughts and feelings. That’s why it’s important for me to seek out people who share in my struggle.

Showing Up Counts
My first interaction with St. Cyprian’s came about via a block party where Pastor Will and Pastor Susanna presided over a “blessing of the bikes.” In San Francisco, it’s rare for clergy to show up to a community event even though there is a church on every corner (well, at least it feels like that).

Will and Susanna showing up made a big impression on me and the community. So much of community work is showing up. By showing up, you show you care.

Showing up is what builds bonds between people that are so vital when conflicts or opportunities arise. Now, St. Cyprian’s members show up to almost all of NOPNA’s events. By showing up, they maintain and strengthen the ties to the neighborhood they have called home for over 50 years.

Faith, Action and Community
A groups manta should represent what it stands for, what it wants to achieve and how it operates. St. Cyprian’s mantra of Faith, Action and Community does just that.

By having a grounding in faith, St. Cyprian’s shows that it stands for Peace, Love and Justice.
By taking action, St. Cyprian’s demonstrates that being involved is how great things are achieved.

By building community, St. Cyprian’s becomes part of the community. All of these ideas resonate with me because doing is far better than talking, engagement trumps isolation and faith builds hope.

A Simple Yet Powerful Offer
The bike blessing was my first impression of St. Cyprian’s but my journey to the St. Cyprian’s started with a simple offer – if you ever need a priest, just give me a call. This simple offer of help, support, fellowship and friendship made a profound impact on my life.
Life is complex. You never know when events in your life will build up to a point where all seems lost, despair sets in and greater meaning is hard to find. Just such an event happened to me and my family.

Being There
Lung cancer is a horrible disease that has the stigma of being a smokers only cancer. That’s not the case at all. Over 15% of lung cancer patients are non-smokers and that number rises every year.

Lung cancer is hard to catch and even harder to treat. By the time you know you have it, it’s almost too late. That’s what happened to my mother-in-law, Margit.

Margit’s sudden diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer shocked our family. How can someone in good health all of a sudden get cancer? Worst than that, how come it went undetected? Why is this happening to us?

In times of great stress and uncertainty, seeking out comfort becomes a priority. We struggle to make sense of events that seem like someone else’s problem. That’s why it’s important to show up and be there for people before, during and after life changing events. Building those relationships enhances our lives and makes it much easier to connect and stay connected.
Margit surcummed to cancer 9 months after her diagnosis. The months that followed were a time of great sorrow, reflection and anger. St. Cyprian’s was there to ease our grief, offer comfort and help us remember the joy of Margit’s life.

Who Do You Show Up For?
We all live busy lives. From kids, work, social commitments to digital distractions, it seems that life just keeps on accelerating. Even though we are becoming more “connected”, we seem to lose connection.

Real connections with our friends, our community and our families seems less and less even as the digital divide shortens. That’s why it’s more important than ever to show up and be there for people. That’s why I show up for St. Cyprian’s and our community.

So, give it a try. Show up. Be present in your community. Share in the joys, struggles, sadness and debate that our lives throw at us. Rejoice in the fact that people care, want to get to know you and will be there when needed. It does not matter if you are an Atheist, Christian, Muslim, Buddist, Jewish or Hindu, all are welcome at the table of fellowship to build a community that thrives.

We Can’t Do it Without You
We would appreciate your support in our objectives to strive for Peace, Love and Justice, be there for those in need and strengthen our community bonds. We have already done a tremendous amount (a short list is presented below) and have plans to do more :

• Attracted the Noe Valley Music Series
• Supported the Village Project two years in a row
• Green-scaped the corner of Turk and Lyon
• Provided support for those that mourned loss in our community
• Hosted several community meetings and events
• Fixed our Tower, which will strengthen our foundation at Turk and Lyon.

St. Cyprian’s is rooted in faith but built on community. We don’t want to provide for the community – we want to partner with it. If you share our vision of a better world, one community at a time, then help us by sharing your talents, your time or your treasure. Every little bit helps and every little bit makes us all stronger. Or better yet, show up. We would love to see you.

About the Author:
Jarie has lived in NOPNA with his Wife Margaret and dog Harold for over 6 years. He is the President of NOPNA and the Jr. Warden at St. Cyprian's. When not volunteering, he works on DNA sequencing machines in the Biotech Industry.