something different Sunday

Hello All,
This coming Sunday, 20 May 2012, St Cyprian's returns to a traditional form of worship, Sunday Morning Prayer.  This form of worship follows a different pattern from our usual Sunday Holy Eucharist. Morning Prayer, and it's counterpart Evening Prayer, are traditional forms of corporate, or congregational, prayer read daily in the Episcopal Church. There are psalms said together, scripture read, hymns sung and prayers recited. In the Church our tradition holds that when the offices are prayed we join the host of faithful in the world praying to God, in worship, in giving thanks, in sharing our dreams.
One of the tenets of the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is a member, is the tradition of Common Prayer: we faithful followers of Jesus gather together regularly to worship God and live amongst each other in community. What we believe about God, and what we disagree about that belief, is put aside when we gather to worship. When Elizabeth I of England asked the Church to gather in Common Prayer she was cognizant of the bloody religious wars of her time; by gathering in worship she said she did not to know what was in people's hearts but that they gather together in prayer and worship. It was a call to reconciliation from the violent past to turn to a gathered community, creating the peaceable kingdom.
In seminary Morning and Evening Prayer began and ended our days, beginning in worship together thankful for the new day begun and closing in thanksgiving for the day past and a restful night. For me this ancient pattern of the Morning and Evening Prayer, also known as the offices, the worship based on the hours of the day, offered moments of thanksgiving and of grace which bracketed the joys and challenges of the day. At times when I was stressed and acted without grace to one of my sisters or brothers in seminary I stood next to them during worship and reconciled through the recitation of these prayers of common worship; adding our prayers to the many in worship.
So join us Sunday at 10.10 for worship with Morning Prayer, and join the voices around our world praying to God.
See you at Turk and Lyon.
peace
eric

a homily for Eva

MEMORIAL SERVICE HOMILY for EVA WEBSTER 
Preached May 4, 2012 
The Reverend Will Scott

Eva Ruth Webster was a believer. Like Martha in today’s gospel she had a close relationship with Jesus and an inquiring heart and mind, eager to be in touch with the living God. She was faithful, trusting in the goodness of the Lord even when life handed her challenges and disappointments. Every time I left Eva’s home in the Excelsior after a visit, I walked away with a deeper sense of gratitude and a stronger recognition of what resurrection faith looks like. As a devoted member of her neighborhood church St. Barnabas for 30 years, Eva believed in the importance of nurturing a family and community with spiritual wisdom, making sure her children and others attended Sunday School and participated in worship. The way she and her daughters describe the life of St. Barnabas Church --- there was profound neighborhood connectedness coming out of that gathering place. At St. Barnabas, African Americans, Asians, Latinos, Europeans, and White Americans all worshiped together regularly --- the kind of shared life that scripture tells us that God longs to see flourish, yet too often the outside world and institutional church find threatening. Though St. Barnabas closed in the 1990s, the witness of that diverse church has inspired the life of St. Cyprian’s here at Turk & Lyon, thanks to members like Eva Webster & Era King who joined this distinctive community bringing with them belief in the resurrection, and the wisdom of having been part of such a faithful multicultural neighborhood church. As a new member at St. Cyprian’s, Eva did not shy away from leadership --- she joined the choir, served on the Vestry & Bishop’s Committee, was a lay Eucharistic minister and as one member said the other day “never said no when her time or talents were requested.” Her husband Lepp, is remembered as someone the congregation could rely on when something was going wrong with the building. Oh, how we miss him today! In today’s gospel Martha is frustrated with Jesus. She says to him “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” For Mary & Martha, as single women in 1st century Palestine losing the one close male relative in their life would have been devastating and made them very vulnerable. As someone who has experienced my own frustrations and disappointments with Jesus --- I appreciate Martha’s confrontational attitude with Jesus, her brutal honesty, and rawness of emotion. I think this story reminds us that our journey of faith if we are really attentive to it, does not deny the reality of death, loss, confusion, disappointment or pain but helps give meaning and purpose to our lives and our deaths. This perplexing story tells us that those who were the closest to Jesus, his disciples and friends were often afraid, anxious, and disappointed -- and Jesus responds to their honest, blunt, and angry words with solidarity, compassion and care. Being close to Jesus means we can be real with him. The story of Martha questioning Jesus can help us discover the presence of Jesus, who raises the dead (just a little bit later in the story Martha’s brother Lazarus is raised), in the context of our actual daily lives --- not as an abstract, distant, far off, fancy concept but as a living reality rooted in the here and now, as part of a tangible community that breathes, weeps, cries, flexes its muscles, and rolls away stones together. Jesus’ raising Lazarus is a provocative sign that God’s concern is real life, life with all its joys and sorrows, struggles and confusion. Jesus, the incarnate word made flesh --- that presence at that tomb, those tears, transforms the boundaries between life and death. Christ’s presence in our lives, at our tombs, in our tears, transforms the world not just in abstract and philosophical ways but in concrete, tangible actions of compassion and solidarity. Being a follower of Jesus, means eventually showing up to the pain, oppression, sadness, disappointment, grief, complexity and confusion of our real lives wherever those dark places may be. As the saying goes there can be no Easter without Good Friday, there can be no transformation without pain, no true reconciliation without truth telling, no hope without grief. Being close to Jesus means we can be real with Jesus. Being a faithful community means we can be real with each other. Martha’s honesty, her raw vulnerability creates space for Christ to enter the picture and do holy transforming work in words, tears, and sweat. May we find the same courage to be ourselves, as Eva did throughout her life, to be real with Jesus and with each other. One last story. Two Easters ago --- Eva sat mid way down the aisle of this church --- she surprised me and her daughter’s by wanting to be in church to celebrate the resurrection. She had been homebound for a long time, due to vertigo. But one day things changed and she was ready to step out. Eva’s being with us was a gift, but the way she was with us, with tears streaming down her face, and prayers of thanksgiving coming from her lips --- meant there wasn’t a dry eye in this place. Eva was being real with us, inviting us to be real with one another --- letting the tears flow --- tears of sadness and tears of gratitude --- tears of joy in the resurrection, tears of gratitude for the presence of Christ in our lives and in all our diverse communities.

BarBQ and Bazaar Satuday 5 May 12 - 6

We are having a BarBQ on Saturday 5 May from 12 - 6!  come by to eat great food and taste some seriously great 'q' by our local Cyprian's Chefs!
We also have a Bazaar (rummage sale) on the sidewalk at the same time. See us for some hidden treasures whilst checking out our BBQ. You never know what groovy things you'll find.
Speaking of groovy, we have several music groups playing at our downstairs stage and a fashion show by the Wigg Party at 4 pm.   Seriously, fun for all!

  Lots of nifty things to check out










Parrots

The Parrots visit us on occasion. They dine on Pat's porch.

many (belated) thanks in order

In the Easter Season some clergy spend the week following the Resurrection with their feet up, or taking naps, or otherwise taking a Sabbath after the many days of celebration from Palm Sunday to Easter. In our case, on Easter Monday Will and I attended a meeting about violence in our neighborhood; this was a follow up to the vigil for Lawrence Richardson he attended the previous Wednesday – in fact, Will came up the hill just prior to our Holy Wednesday Service. And the week rolled on from there with more meetings, services, sermons, prayer... and the work of the church goes on

Which is a round about way of saying we goofed – in our post Easter rush we didn't quite acknowledge all the people who helped us with the services of Holy Week through Easter. So, for the record, Will and I send really big huge thank you! to:

Repast: Norma, Gigi, Adrian, LeeDora

Liturgy: Nikola, Steven, Susanna, Hannah, Jack, Doe
Publishing: Eilean (and the copier stopped on Friday afternoon!)

Readers: Bruno, Sandra, Michael, Dale, John

Altar Guild: Sandra, Jennifer, Dustin, Robyn, Matt

Acolytes: Shay, Jonas, Alia, Kira

Flowers: Linda, Karen, Shirley

Singing and participation and love: St Cyprian's Community!!

If I forgot someone, it is my error for not keeping better track. We are grateful to serve at St Cyprian's, it is our blessing to be one with this congregation.

Let us continue to celebrate the risen Christ, letting all to know He walks with us yesterday, today and always.

Hallelujah!

A blessed Eastertide to all!

See you at Lyon and Turk!

eric

A Maundy Thursday Sermon

Peter doesn't get it.

It's been his story all along – he tries, really tries hard, to understand Jesus' mission, he is first off the mark with an answer, or a comment, and yet he's not quite correct.

You may remember the whole walking on water moment; steps out of the boat, walks to Jesus, then, looks around like Wiley Coyote and sinks like a stone.

This is Peter's reaction in the Gospel portion we heard tonight.

Jesus has taken a basin of water, a towel, and started washing the feet of his disciples.

Strange behavior for the great teacher. This is the work of servants, the work of the household slave. In a culture of people walking everywhere in sandals, or barefoot, in dust and mud and muck your feet get very dirty. When you arrive in a home, the slave bends down and washes your feet, so the dust and muck from the outside doesn't get all over the house.

Same then, same as now. Except Jesus, the teacher, has taken on the slave's role to wash the feet of his disciples. Washing the feet – an intimate action, if there ever was one. Washing the feet – reversing the roles

But Peter misses the point – he says – what does his say first – No, you don't wash my feet - but he's corrected by Jesus – I must wash your feet.

Peter's reply; wash my head and hands too! Hey, if it getting closer to the God, don't stop at the feet!

Peter wants to know – he really tries hard to get it. The message the messenger brings is not easy to hear and even harder to understand.

I feel like Peter, I think we all do in some way – we want to be closer to God, and we know following the way of Jesus will get us there. If a foot wash is good, then the whole bath is better, right? We want to do the right thing, the right word, the right action, and we follow in the way of Jesus Christ.

Jesus wants us to follow in the path. He explains what he does – washing the feet – and what it means – I wash your feet, you wash each other. No one, teacher or student, master slave, 'messenger or the one who sent him', is greater than the other. And this simple action is love.

Love this is the message Jesus gives us. Love one another – that is the finally commandment He gives us. Washing the feet is a sign of this love, we do this because of the final commandment – means no one is greater than another, we all are in this place together. We all care for each other as followers of Jesus Christ.

Love one another – Jesus knew it was his time to depart this world; the disciples with him were 'his own who were in this world' and this was the message he wanted them to understand. The parting Gift. As followers of Jesus, it is the message we try to understand this parting gift he has given us.

Love one another – we show the world we are followers in the way of Jesus because of how we act with each other.

Love one another – we recognize we care for each other because we want to to follow Jesus, the Son of Man, the messenger of God, and this is the example He gives us.

And in this house of God, we are sisters and brothers in Christ, following in the way of Jesus.

Peter doesn't get it, but he wants to. I don't get it, but I want to, just like Peter, This love commandment is more than washing feet, more than saying I love you – it is words turned into action. Like our motto – Faith – Action – Community; they are words lived out by how we treat each other is how we love each other.

How we treat each other – working together building community in this house of God on the corner of Turk and Lyon, taking care of each other here and serving ours who are homebound.

How we treat each other – coming together when the Christmastime fire left scores of our neighbors homeless and we hosted a fundraiser, and attended fundraisers for them

How we treat each other – marching with our neighbors protesting the violence in our community that took the life of a young man mere blocks from here

How we treat each other – coming together on a windy thursday night to share bread and wine and our presence

There's a hymn I remember from Newman Center days 'They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.'

The Peter in me doesn't quite get it, but wants to understand. This simple gesture has meaning more than the water in this basin and our own incredibly imperfect feet; it means we live out this Gospel message by how we treat each other, the beloved of Jesus when we go into the imperfect world outside.

Tonight, I invite you to join us in showing the love, sharing the love, by coming forward to participate in the foot washing, and after that – sharing the bread and wine at communion. We need to embrace and release the Peter inside of us, that wants to understand and live out the last gift of Jesus, the love commandment. Come forward, be a servant minister here, and go outside these doors and change the imperfect world we are in.

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

Amen.

a blessed Easter to you! see you at turk and lyon

-eric

some bread, some wine

palms

'Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" Mark 11:8-11

this church will stand

On a stormy Sunday night my wife and I visited St Aidan's San Francisco, where the parish hosted the recent documentary Love Free or Die. Its about the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire. For those who don't know, Bishop Robinson is the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. In very brief, it follows Bishop Robinson from his trip to England as the only American Bishop not invited to the the decennial 2008 Lambeth Conference, to the 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which passed resolutions allowing openly gay clergy as deacons, priests, and bishops and the the blessing of same sex couples where civil marriages and civil partnerships are law. It also includes interviews with Bishops Bob Duncan (Pittsburgh), Tom Shaw (Massachusetts), Barbara Harris (Massachusetts), Jon Bruno (Los Angeles), Otis Charles (Utah) and Ed Little (Northern Indiana), and other clergy and laypersons who share their opinions on Bp Robinson, the issue of gay clergy, same sex blessings, and the Church's response.

There are incredible moments in this film, some stand out in particular. One is Bishop Robinson, preaching in London. The Archbishop of Canterbury inhibited him from preaching in the Church of England, yet one parish offered him a pulpit. Despite a heckler interrupting his sermon, Bishop Robinson asked the gathered faithful to pray for him. There are touching moments where interviewees describe how they met their partners, their blessings and hoped for weddings, and the responses from their parishes – some hopeful, some incredibly cruel. What particularly stands it are the scenes from General Convention 2009. Witnesses spoke at the hearings on whether same sex blessings should be authorized and whether gay clergy can become bishops. The film showed speakers in favor, and, against the question; one person, speaking in tears, explained why she understood how same sex blessings could heal the church yet she could not agree with the motion, and asked for prayers. When the vote was made, on the last day of convention, the motions passed, and the room was silent for several minutes – not a person moved, not a person spoke.

There are many ways to interpret that scene; what did the Holy Spirit, working in our world today, say to the Church gathered as the Body of Christ? I believe what I saw in that moment was the best of Anglicanism was present – our belief that no matter where we are on our theological spectrum, how we understand God working in our lives – we are all welcome to God's table.

We are friends and strangers gathered at the table; we agree, we disagree, we talk through our issues and remain committed that we gather together at the God's table.

All of us – no exceptions.

The Body of Christ is one.

Thank you, the people of St Aidan's, for bringing the film to San Francisco and thanks to Rev Tommy Dillon and Bishop Otis Charles for speaking with us afterward.

At St Cyprian's we talk about our faith everyone is welcome, wherever we are in our spiritual life, to share at God's table. We invite you – and you – and you, to St Cyprian's and experience our open table, know what it means to be where everyone matters.

See you at Turk and Lyon

peace

eric

inside / outside

Over the past couple of weeks I've read a couple of books* on the history of African Americans in the Episcopal Church; I was asked to comment about that history for the St Cyprian's Oral History project. There were two consistent themes which caught my attention – The Church always saw the African American population as a mission field for evangelicalism yet not quite comfortable bringing them into the fold of the Church, and, the African American response of we are all equal in the eyes of God, we will not be kept to the side. These two issues played out not only in the obvious way of separating whites from black in the church, either the same building with whites in pews and blacks in the upstairs galleries or totally separate congregations but also Afro Am congregations did not / have limited voice in the diocesan and national conventions that govern Church life. This behavior created a narrative, a story of who was inside and who was outside as members of the Body of Christ. To the credit of the Church, it was (and remains) an issue debated in conventions from the start, for as many voices believed the Church shouldn't involve in changing society (that's politics) there are the faithful who said the Christian prophetic mission requires challenging society's norms and all are equal and welcome in our congregations, the insider and outsider.

You may have read about the Cyprian's Lenten Book Series on Radical Welcome (S Spellers). Spellers directly addresses the issue of inside / outside in the congregation of which we are part; as people we gather the like minded together, however, the outsider is not given the same welcome. The point is we are called to welcome everyone to our fold, our congregation; and not just strangers but the strangers who make us uncomfortable. What struck me is that uncomfortable stranger may be the homeless or addicted but also outside of our own culture norms – and how we react to their presence speaks volumes on our commitment to bringing the outsider inside, into the Body of Christ which we belong.

I ask we think about how the stranger is treated when they appear at the door. Are they welcomed inside, and yet kept outside our conversations, from the peace in the pews to the conversation at fellowship following service? Let us bring the outsider into the fold, into our conversations and our congregational life so they to will feel the joy of being one with the Body of Christ.

Come visit Turk and Lyon, we'll welcome in from the outside.

peace

eric

*Yet With a Steady Beat, Harold Lewis

Episcopalians and Race, Gardiner Shattuck Jr

letter from atlanta, 2

Bishop Barbara Harris and Marcus Halley, of the Absalom Jones Center, Atlanta University singing at the opening plenary of the Episcopal Urban Caucus

Nell Braxton Gibson, coordinator of the Episcopal Urban Caucus, receives the President of the House of Deputies Medallion for Exemplary Service from Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies.


Emmaus House, a social service agency of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, in Peopletown, Atlanta.


Pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta.
Here Rev Dr Martin Luther King preached.

The Episcopal Urban Caucus (http://episcopalurbancaucus.org/purpose.html) connect workers in social justice ministries from around the church, meeting annually for shared fellowship, education, service and ministry working on behalf of the unseen and voiceless of our church.

The incredible thing of the Urban Caucus meeting is the sharing of stories amongst church workers involved in social justice work, especially whilst they work on their own in parishes, dioceses, local community networks. The social justice work is a broad term for the many ways we build the kin-dom of God on earth: human rights, civil rights, economic rights, immigration, workers, education, and on and on. The work takes place in parish buildings, schools, storefronts, and is part of our call to serve God and her Church. I'm particularly remembering viewing a social services office, Emmaus House: they don’t provide social services directly but provide services they need – computer lessons, job training, prayer, birth certificates and state ID's. They were open for drop in services without bars or steel doors or thermopane glass windows keeping people out. 'You're always open' a client remarked: 'yes, we are' was the reply. That's ministry at it's best, that we are available to help one another.

Union of Black Episcopalians Western Region Conference, March 23 - 25, 2012 in Berkeley, CA.
This year's theme is Preparing Leaders for the 21st Century Church, and will take place at Easton Hall, Church Divinity School of the Pacific.
The Union of Black Episcopalians are laypeople and clergy working hard to uplift all peoples to justice in the Church and the World http://www.ube.org/. Contact UBE Chapter President Brenda Paulin (ashpau AT aol.com) for registration information and details, registration forms are in the narthex of St Cyprians)

ashes part 2

our witness to the world

Let me be very very clear, I am not risking our 501c3 status on this election cycle supporting a party. Let me be also clear that the example of Jesus remains the same over two thousand years: the Son of Man who dined with tax collectors, social outcasts, healed the sick, and preached that the love of God was available to everyone, every - one of us, has a message valid then and equally valid now.

With a son's great pride I link this blog piece:

http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/liking-what-she-never-thought-shed-see

The writer tells the story of my mother' Marie's work for their campaign as a continuation of her work in human rights. It doesn't mention her service to the state of New Hampshire nor her receipt of the Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights award (note my mother is a truly humble woman and you'd not hear her mention these accolades).

What strikes me most about this photo is the cross on her forehead – faint, but visible. A good churchwoman, I know she attended Mass early that morning for the imposition of ashes and she wore those ashes throughout the day. Those ashes formed in the cross that is the symbol of belief in Jesus born, crucified and risen; those ashes that are the reminder of our own life and death is in the service of God, the cross of ashes the external sign of our inner grace received from God.

I write this epistle from day one of the annual meeting of the Episcopal Urban Caucus, the gathering of the reconciliation, social justice and peace ministry workers of the Church. We are in Atlanta, where 1960's Episcopalians picketed the Episcopal Cathedral and School because of their segregationist practices, a city where the Episcopal Diocese today supports incredibly active social justice ministries in undeserved and poor neighborhoods and fights for the voiceless to have a seat at the table of redevelopment. We visited Emmaus House in Peopletown, where anyone can walk off the street, without appointment, and get help connecting with social services, and Holy Comforter which for decades has been a haven for the mentally ill.

This morning a panel of civil rights workers from the 1960's and reconciliation justice workers of this decade discussed their experiences of what it meant to fight for civil rights / human rights then and now. I heard brothers and sisters describe being arrested trying to register voters in the early 60's and others the challenges of working in prisons and continuing human rights work in the inner cities Two quotes I heard:

I am demonstrating for justice now so my country's ways won't change me later.

and

Ignorance is the best indicator of original sin.

The prophet Isiah warns Israel to 'cease to do evil; learn to do well, seek justice, relieve the oppressed'. In Mark's Gospel Jesus tells his disciples: If you want to be my followers let them deny themselves, , take up the Cross and follow me'

I think of these faithful Christians in Atlanta sharing their stories fighting for justice in the name of God. I think of the ashes on mother's forehead in this photograph, symbol of her faithful witness whilst working to change the world. God's love is for all of us, and oppression is not tolerated. I think of the ashes on our foreheads last week, long faded now, which remind us to take up the Cross and work for justice, building the Kingdom of God in our world.

If you have ideas about outreach to change the world, talk to me, I want to hear them: and then, let's get to work. Here, at Turk and Lyon - and beyond.

See you at the corner --- from Atlanta --- peace, eric

ashes, ashes

Blessed Absalom pray for us!

Absalom Jones Founder of the African Episcopal Church

Set us Free, Heavenly Father, from every bond of prejudice and fear: Collect for Absalom Jones, priest

Reverend Absalom Jones (1746-1818) is remembered in the Episcopal Church Kalendar as first African American Priest of the Church. Jones was born a slave in Delaware and sold to Mr Wynkoop, a Phildelphia merchant. Jones married Mary King, a slave to Wynkoop's neighbor Mr King, and very quickly raised funds to purchase his wife's freedom. He correctly reasoned their children, born of a freedwoman, would not be considered slaves. Jones eventually bought a house for his family, and subsequently purchased his freedom from Wynkoop.

Absalom Jones and Richard Allen were organizers of the Free African Society and became licesend preachers of St George's Church. Jones and Allen's efforts grew the membership of St George's and they, along with white members built a larger church. When Jones, Allen and other members of the Free African Society came to worship in the sanctuary of St George's, the ushers removed them from the sanctuary floor and showed them to the slave gallery upstairs. Jones and Allen led the members of the society to walk out St George's.

Absalom Jones organized the Free African Church with Allen and members of the Free African Society. Allen left the Free African Church to found the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Jones led the African Church to join the Episcopal Church, and was ordained the first African American priest in 1804. Jones spent his life working for abolition, the protection of freedmen and freedwomen from slave catchers, and education for the betterment of the people.

In 'Causes and Motives for Establishing St. Thomas's African Church of Philadelphia, Jones wrote: “to arise out of the dust and shake ourselves, and throw off that servile fear, that the habit of oppression and bondage trained us up in."

We remember the pioneering work of Reverend Absalom Jones on February 13, and this feast day is celebrated in many Episcopal churches nationwide. Join the Union of Black Episcopalians and the Afro Anglican Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of California at our annual celebration of the life and work of the blessed Reverend Absalom Jones, priest. We begin at 18 February, 11am, at St Augustine's Episcopal Church, 29^th and Telegraph in Oakland.

Ain't nobody gonna turn me around

It's me, It's me oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer

On Wednesday night we viewed 'Soundtrack for a Revolution', a documentary about the songs sung during the Civil Rights Movement. It is part of our 'Screening the Revolution' Film series. 'Soundtrack' followed the history of the Rev Dr King and the Civil rights movement from the Montgomery bus boycott to his murder in Memphis, with movement participants sharing their stories and singing songs they sung; in addition were modern performers singing the same music. In some ways it was part documentary, part music video, but the strength of the film was the honest portrayl of a particulary brutal period of our common history. A period where non-violent protestors faced the full armed force of Jim Crow Law. As one survivor descbied it: 'they could do what they want with you, and if you turned to the law for protection, well, you found out it was the law that beat you up!'

I've seen several documentaries about this period, one of the best is 'Eyes on the Prize' – one of the great documentary films ever (watch it, it is worth the eight hours running time). The strength of 'Soundtrack' is the focus on how the music of the movement kept the protestors going. It begins with a quote of Harry Belafonte 'You can cage the singer but not the song' followed by images of men and women singing, in rallies, whilst marching, in jail. Remarkable, inspiring. In seminary we learn the importance of music in worship, the faithful gathered in song; 'Give thanks to the Lord, Sing to Him a new song...' (Ps 33). Our worship of God includes song and our theology is learned in the songs we sing: Martin Luther's 'A mighty fortress is my God (Ein feste burg ist meine Gott)' is the battle hymn of the Protestant Reformation, or 'Amazing Grace' for William Wilberforce and the English Abolitionists.

Watching 'Soundtrack' I understood how the gospel songs became the battle hymns of this revolution, the hymns that kept the faithful going. 'Ain't nobody (gonna turn me around)', 'Wade in the water', 'We shall overcome' and other songs were taught to movement workers in their training sessions; they sang in full voice which gave power to the seemingly powerless, the everyday person.

'

They took away everything but songs, which meant we kept our souls,' said one Freedom Rider; 'Ordinary people did extraordinary things' said the Hon. Julian Bond. Singing 'Wade in the water, God's gonna trouble the water' or 'Precious Lord, lead me on (lead me on)' feels so different now, so filled with that righteous Holy Spirit guiding us toward doing the Right Thing.

As I reflect on what we saw Wednesday in 'Soundtrack for a Revolution' I understand that when we sing our hymns in church we need to sing loudly, proudly; remembering we can do extraordinary things, and when it seems everything is lost, we still have our souls and we can still sing.

Join me now, sisters and brothers:

'Ain't nobody gonna turn me around, gonna keep on a walkin'

Keep on a talkin', marchin' on to freedom land.'

see you about Turk and Lyon for our next film: 'Black Power Mixtape', Weds 8 Feb 7pm, the church hall.

-eric

New Beginnings

Gabriel from the outside

This photo is the exterior wall of the stained glass window of Cyprian's. It's the same window of the angel on our Cyprian’s Live website, an incredibly chilled out angel blowing a very long horn, it's our own St Dizzy on the trumpet blowing out Lyon Street Blues.

I noticed this promptly when I parked across the street today – the grey facade has a patch of yellow, lovely, pale sunflower yellow. That touch of bright amidst the drab means the painters began work on the Turk Street facade of the church this week.

New Beginnings

It's a little late in the season to talk about New Year resolutions and such – by the fourth week of the new year some of those resolutions lose a little steam – daily to the gym, walking past the cupcake shop and not stopping in, watching less TiVo. Even if we slip and grab a cupcake whilst missing our spin class, the intent remains to make a change for the better. And we can, because tomorrow is another day with promise of New Beginnings.

At St Cyprian's our annual meeting is Sunday; it is our time for the year in review. Last year was a great year, one of concerts, repair the leaks in the tower and west wall, of painting the parish hall, tower and stairwells. The Bishop visited, Fr Will made Vicar, a dozen people baptized, confirmed and received into the church. The NoPNA / Cyprian's Holiday Party was a blast, the community kitchen planning dinner incredible and the Xmas Pageant of great fun. I know there were more events I forgot, I beg forgiveness; we were busy. Sunday's meeting we will learn of this and more as we asses where we are and where we are going.

'Old things pass away, and all things become new,' and this New Year has promise; at the fundraiser 'Beyond the Blaze' the community came out to support the victims of the Pierce St fire. Generous donations of cash, food, art aided the rockin' music in our packed church, it demonstrated the impact of community building here, showed clearly how well we are connecting with each other.

It was crowded that night, there were as many people socializing downstairs as listening to the bands upstairs. Connexion was made that night, I ask 'can we out live our baptismal promise to see the face of Christ this year?' I think so, I feel the new resolutions happening around me; the music playing whilst relocated residents and friends listened to their neighbors on stage at the benefit, the bright splash of yellow of our new painting project shows the New Beginnings are happening this year. Angel, blow that horn!

Come by and see us in February – worship , music and film await at www.saintcypriansf.org

See you at Turk and Lyon

-eric

Saint Dizzy, blow that horn!

Lord, you knew me when

This is one of my favourite psalms. It is in the readings of Sunday , 15 January.

Lord, you have searched me out and known me; *

you know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You trace my journeys and my resting-places *

and are acquainted with all my ways.

For you created my inmost parts;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *

your works are wonderful, and I know it well.

(psalm 139 1-2, 12-13)

This speaks so deeply to our identity of who we are and where we find our joy. Once in the midst of a difficult job search I was told to 'follow my bliss' and the right job would come. I thought I was following my bliss, and nothing turned up.

I hadn't realized what I needed was to let go first, then follow my bliss. I needed to let go. Let go of what I held tightly and let God come in. Make room for grace / bliss in my life.

Release, reflect, renew our lives and open up to God's love.

God knew us from before we were born and knows us now. I offer my New Year's resolution: consider making time this year to let go of what we hold on tight, and open our heart to let God's ever present grace guide us to joy.

Taking a walk for justice

Monday is the Martin Luther King, Jr, holiday. It's a ski weekend, a sale weekend, a three day weekend holiday and lots of other things like all Federal holidays. It's a serious holiday for me: I used to live in New Hampshire which did not recognize the holiday until 1991 as 'Civil Rights Day' and 1999 as 'Martin Luther King, Jr' day; I once worked for a company that never recognized it as a Federal holiday well into the 2000's when I left. My parents, who lived in New Hampshire, worked hard to get their State Assembly to recognize MLK, Jr Day. When I moved to San Francisco in the early 90's I walked in the NorCal MLK march, right on Market Street, pushing our son in his carriage, then carrying him on my shoulders, then coaxing him on foot when he was too big to carry. It was important to remember the holiday but also Why we have this day. This day to remember the service of an ordinary man called to extraordinary acts, a man who accepted his call as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16-17)

“Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

I will, with God's help.” (Baptismal Covnenant, Book of Common Prayer, p 305)

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” MLK Jr

Join St Cyprian's and the Union of Black Episcopalians on 11 am Monday, at CalTrain San Francisco. We'll march with our sisters and brothers from across the Bay Area celebrating the life and work of the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Our route travels up 3^rd Street past AT&T Park to Yerba Buena Center Gardens. It's a couple of hours out of our holiday, but two hours worth remembering and celebrating the people who did the right thing, the unpopular thing and continue the cause of peace and justice in our world.

For more information about Monday's MLK Jr day events check out the web: norcalmlk.com or contact eric_metoyer AT mac.com.

see you on the corner of turk and lyon - eric

Wise Men Come

Now when Jesus wasborn in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matt 2:1-2)

I met these fellows in the neighborhood; they kindly shared their photos with us.

Following the path of the Star. They travelled day and night.

A long way from home:

A neighbor kindly points the way.

'We come seeking the Child.'

'Right this way, through the doors, up the stairs and to the left.'

They seek Emmanuel, God with Us.

Come to St Cyprian's on Friday 6 January 6pm and join our screening of 'Amahl and the Night Visitors', the classic operetta about three wise men, a boy, and a journey of a lifetime. Snacks will be served.

Come join us for the video on Friday and worship with us on Sunday. You'll enjoy meeting my three friends.

peace and joy

-eric