The Keys of St. Peter
No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here!
February 2014
From the Parson Musings by Mother Susan When I hear the word love, I think of weddings—big family weddings with a lot of gloriously diverse people, some lovely and some not so lovely, gathered together to celebrate love and commitment and the creation of a new community. Weddings have all those manifestations of love that Skip, Jim, and Peter speak of elsewhere in this issue. And for me, church is often like a wedding. Sometimes we’re preparing for the wedding and sometimes we’re cleaning up after it, but most often we are at the wedding with one another, feasting and celebrating and dancing and singing and laughing and crying, even in the meetings. And how we love one another, which we do very well, makes a difference. What I’ve discovered is that despite much anecdotal evidence to the contrary, love isn’t something we fall into, because love isn’t primarily a feeling. It’s a conscious act, which is a good thing because feelings are so ephemeral. We can’t trust them. Much of the time, we can feel the love we have for someone but the feeling isn’t love itself—it’s a reflection of love. So, when Jesus says we must love, (God, ourselves and each other ) we aren’t being commanded to make ourselves feel something we don’t feel, we are being called to do something. To love someone means we must make every effort to find and bring out God in that person. When we vow to love someone for better, for worse, richer, poorer etc. we are saying we will continue to look for God in our beloved no matter how appallingly unattractive they become after a few years. This is the same love we are to have for people who make us want to rip our hair out as well as for the people who agree completely with us on how the world should be run. Hardest of all, I have found, is to love myself. To be able love ourselves enough to find and recognize God within and be willing to say ‘I do’ to God requires shutting out some very powerful, maleficent, and treacherous inner voices. This often takes the assistance of trained professionals, who stand 2
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with us as we sort through the muck. The diamond hidden in the muck is love. All this effort makes love seem a lot less thrilling and ... hopelessly unromantic. It may not be what we want love to be, but here’s the good news – this kind of love doesn’t fade away. It can’t be lost or won and it certainly can’t be earned. This kind of love deeply, warmly abides, and when we can ‘do’ this kind of love the miraculous happens and love does become magical and mystical, the stuff of fairy tales. We wait and we search and we dream of true love. For the one who will love us, who we can truly love, for better, for worse and all those other rather rash vows we make at weddings and at baptism. For me, I have found my own true love in the people of the church and God. We celebrate and feast and laugh and dance and create and re-create community. And we love. It’s a marriage made in heaven. Susan+
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Words of Love Let me count the ways… Do Eskimos really have several dozen words for snow? According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the answer’s yes. “The Inuit dialect spoken in Canada’s Nunavik region has at least 53, including ‘matsaaruti,’ for wet snow that can be used to ice a sleigh’s runners, and ‘pukak,’ for the crystalline powder snow that looks like salt.” It’s good to know that the Inuit can discuss a vital topic in such detail. In English we’ve got slush on one hand, sleet on the other, and only one word to stand for everything in between. Yet somehow we get by. There’s another case in English where an astonishing range of meaning is stuffed into one word—love, a subject vital to us all, and on everyone’s mind this month. If there’s a topic that begs for nuance, love is it. But instead of having a million English words for the million different forms that love takes, we have only a single word to carry us all the way from pleasure through attraction to attachment—four little letters to describe everything from how we feel about Raymond to how God feels about us. In his 1960 book The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis had to resort to Greek to categorize what he thought were the main types of love: -Storge, or affection -Philia, or friendship -Eros, or romance, and -Agape, or unconditional love Lewis’s four categories certainly demonstrate the breadth of this one emotion. Storge is exemplified by familial love—the love that parents, children, and siblings share. Philia, brotherly love, differs because we exercise choice in picking friends. Eros, which takes the spotlight at this time of year, doesn’t necessarily grow over time like the other types of love. It often strikes like an arrow from an unseen bow… and it differs in its expression, heaven knows. Agape, or unconditional love, is caring regardless of circumstance—a reflection of the love that God feels for mankind. Lewis wrote with the confidence that a Cambridge professor can bring to this sort of discussion. But he might have been a little hasty in ending his inventory. It seems to us that there are quite a few more types of love that could be added to the list. What about chocolate? What about the Niners? All this brings to mind the last time a generation dedicated a whole season to love: those heady days in 1967, the Summer of Love. My, it seems like just yesterday that we were sitting around in beads and bangles, burning incense and stuff. How innocent it seems in hindsight, if not downright naïve—equal parts dumb, noble, and futile. 4
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Except, as Elvis Costello once asked, “What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?” That’s the central paradox: we’re always quick to scoff at the notion that love can change the world for the better, but we know darn well it can. For proof, think how much love means in your own life. For more proof, look at how the absence of love changes the world for the worse. B.B. King sang: “The way I used to love you, That’s the way I hate you now.” It often seems to go that way. When love leaves a relationship the result can look pretty ugly. When the last vestige of “love your neighbor” leaves a country, the result can look like Syria. Lewis said that love turns evil if we steer it in the wrong direction. For example, erotic love can lead to one-sided fixations, or brotherly love can lead to cliques and exclusion. In these cases a pure and positive emotion is undermined by human fallibility. And we humans are unceasingly fallible: we screw love up all the time. Why do we laugh at the hippies? Maybe to keep from crying. Consider the world in 1967’s Summer of Love. Civil rights were a burning issue… the unintended consequences of a misguided war were growing increasingly clear… pollution in our environment and poison in our food was attracting widespread concern… and Americans were becoming more conscious of how social inequality affected women, gay people, and poor people. Maybe the hippies weren’t totally innocent and naïve after all… and maybe we should have laughed less and listened harder, considering how many of those problems are still with us. In the fourth chapter of his gospel, St. John made the point pretty clear. “God is love,” he wrote. “And he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” That means that when we work to be better parents, when we try to be a better friend, when we consider our partner’s pleasure as much as our own, or when we try to be more compassionate to the disadvantaged and forgiving of everyone, we’re moving closer to God. There are indeed millions of different ways to express love, and all of them, whether large or small, are steps on the road to godliness. When the other John said “All you need is love,” he wasn’t talking about storge or philia—he meant that regardless of the question, love is the always the right answer. So there’s a good reason why we use one word to describe all the different types of love—all expressions of love are a reflection of the same thing. Go ahead… embrace your inner hippie. Give St. Valentine his day. Give love the whole year. 5
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Annual Meeting
Maybe we should do this more often! This year’s Annual Meeting on January 26 was festive and sumptuous: the Parish Hall was bedecked with beautiful Valentine’s Day decorations which put attendees into a sweet mood as they tucked into the savory potluck buffet. Parishioners were polishing off the last toothsome morsels when Mother Susan called the meeting to order with prayer and song. Here are some highlights from the minutes… -Treasurer John Lessar presented a financial report, highlighting some important items in the parish’s 2013 performance and a proposed budget for 2014. -We have five new Vestry members for 2014: Megan Goulden, John Nieman, Jim Redman, Becky Schenone, and Trish Reilly Taylor. They will serve with current members Adina Badia, Lori Castellucci, Susan Mitchell (our new Priest’s Warden), Nancy Oliver, and Darryl Race. -In her report to the parish Mother Susan mentioned several ways in which our community continues to grow stronger, including our youth and music programs. -Special thanks were offered to members of the Search Committee, whose work has given the congregation a blueprint for the years ahead. -Outgoing Priest’s Warden, Mary Esther Schnaubelt, said how grateful she was to have served in this capacity, and focussed on our positive transition. -Junior Warden Darryl Race listed many improvements to church facilities in 2013, including office heating, painting, new landscaping, and Sanctuary carpeting. Mother Susan then introduced a long list of parishioners whose service to the church merits special recognition. Among them were J.D. and Donna Davidson and Deacon Skip Bushee for their volunteerism; Erik Chen for scheduling the ushers; Sue Walker for leading the Eucharistic ministers, readers, and acolytes; Su Boocock for Eucharistic (home) visits; and Barbara Naas, who is in charge of the Altar Guild. In closing, Mother Susan honored Jim and Beth Sharpe, who have made music a much bigger part of our Sunday worship. Many thanks are due to everyone who helped make this year’s Annual Meeting such a great occasion.… but especially to Donna and J. D. Davidson and to Sue and Rod Walker for their hard work on the brunch, and to Lori Castellucci for her service as clerk. February 2014
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New Senior Warden
Catching up with Susan Mitchell The other day we ran into new Senior Warden Susan Mitchell while she was strolling around with her sleeves rolled up. We took the opportunity to ask Sue how she was feeling at the beginning of her term, and she told us that she was ready for anything. “I’m excited about working with Mother Susan, and I also know that Skip and Mary Esther as well as the Vestry will be there to counsel me.” Sue said that we’ve built a strong foundation to tackle the jobs ahead of us. “Look at all we’ve already accomplished!” she said. “Heating… carpeting…landscaping… all kinds of renovations. To say nothing of the choir. I’m looking forward to a good year with jobs to be done and fun to be had.” We wanted to know which programs were her personal favorites. “I’m excited about the programs we have for the children: Godly Play, acolytes, the Youth Group, and especially their community service activities.” When we asked what her top priorities are, Sue replied, “Our biggest challenge is to stay on the path we’ve set before ourselves—the path of positive change, parish growth, and finding new ways to do things. We’re a diverse, strong, friendly, loving community that’s ready to move forward. “I think the key word for 2014 is communication: communication among parishioners, the Vestry, and Mother Susan. It’s important to be on the same page, working together to keep St. Peter’s a vibrant, growing, welcoming place for people to come together for worship and community.” If you’ve got a question or comment about the direction of the parish, the buck stops with Sue. We wish her nothing but the best as her busy year begins!
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THE DEACON’S BEACON By Dn. Skip Bushee Many of you know that I play a lot of tennis and I carry a towel in my bag that says, “Tennis players know a lot about love.” This of course refers to the tennis scoring system where instead of saying “zero,” we say “love.” Thus, for example, a game score of two points to zero is called “30 – love.” I looked up on the old Internet to find the origins of the usage of the word love in tennis and though no one seems to know for sure my towel comes close to the mark. The idea is that people who play for nothing play only for love. I guess the idea is that people (like myself) who don’t score a lot of points must really love the game. This seems to be an important attribute of love – love is all about giving of oneself freely and expecting nothing in return. Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” Throughout the gospels Jesus calls us to love those who cannot repay for that is love in its purest form. A reading I frequently use at memorial services is called the peace prayer and I think it embodies what love is all about: When I die, if you need to weep, Cry for someone walking in the street beside you. And when you need me, put your arms around others And give them what you need to give me. You can love me most by letting hands touch hands and souls touch souls. You can love me most by sharing your gifts. You can love me most by letting me live in your deeds And not on your mind.
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And when you say prayers for me, remember what our wise ones teach: Love doesn’t die, people do. So when all that is left of me is love, give me away.
Dn. Skip EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COFFEE HOUR • It’s easy. • Marco sets up the coffee, gets out the sugar etc., and sets up the tables and chairs. • Marco cleans up the coffee, the sugar etc., and takes down the tables and chairs. • You don’t have to sweep up. It’s nice if you clean up big chunks on the tables, but not necessary. • You bring a few treats to share and set them out. Remembering to bring something for the kids is kind. That’s it. If you want to bring a big spread you can, but really, a few treats will do nicely. We just like hanging out together and chatting and nibbling on something.
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January 2014 S M T W T F 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31
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Choir Rehearsal 9:00 a.m.
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Presidents’ Day (office closed)
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Choir Rehearsal 9:00 a.m. SPY: St. Peter’s Youth 6:00-7:30 p.m.
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Staff Meeting 1-2 p.m. The Keys, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Vestry M 7p
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March 2014 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
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Crafty Ladies 10:30-1:00
Crafty Ladies 10:30-1:00
Crafty Ladies 10:30-1:00
Friday
Saturday
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St. Valentine’s Day
Meeting p.m.
Meeting p.m.
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Crafty Ladies 10:30-1:00
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Crafty Ladies 10:30-1:00 February 2014
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News from the Second Floor A great flock needs good shepherds…
Cari Pang Chen tells us that the Godly Play program is thriving, but that a lot of future activities are dependent on having adult leaders to serve as storytellers or project leaders. Are you a born storyteller? There are lots of wonderful Bible stories to share with the children as part of Godly Play. Parents, grandparents, and interested adults are all welcome. Among the community service projects being considered are Valentine’s cards for Hopkins Manor and more Hope Bags for the homeless in February. If you’d like to help keep the parish kids involved with these worthy causes, let Cari know… caripangchen@gmail.com or 650-274-8643.
Up All Night Well, almost!
Eight happy kids and one weary rector woke up in the church on Candlemas morning after spending the night in the Sanctuary. What a hoot! We understand that Saturday evening’s games included hide-and-seek, foot races, a dance-off, and “Granny Grunt.” Pizza and soda were served for dinner (and breakfast). When we asked Mother Susan how she managed to survive, she reminded us that her vacation was only two days off. When we asked the kids how much fun they had… well, they couldn’t say enough. They partied hearty and slept like logs, and when they came outside on the morning of Sunday the 2nd, it was cloudy and raining. No shadows in sight. Spring’s around the corner!
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Baton Notes –James Sharpe
The Least of These … This month, as we consider the nature of love, many thoughts and pictures from our everyday life come to mind: two people considering marriage, a mother looking for the first time at her child, or a husband anxiously waiting for his wife to return from surgery. There are also many familiar Biblical images such as the shepherd searching for a lost sheep, the Samaritan helping a victim of roadside violence, or the incredible theological statement “God so loved the world.” A very interesting and noble discourse about love comes from the Sermon on the Mount, found in the Matthew 5:3-12. Here, for the first time, Jesus teaches his disciples and the community in a series of statements beginning with “Blessed are …” Called the Beatitudes, these eight statements present a new set of Christian ideals that focus on love and humility which is different in their outcome from social conventions which were in existence at that time. As one writer has said, they echo the highest ideals of the teachings of Jesus on mercy, spirituality, and compassion. The “least of these” are being heard and seen for the first time. What isn’t said is who is to hear, see, and bless the “least of these.” A close friend of mine wrote that she had seen from the “other side” what it is to be one of the “least of these”. A person close to her had truly messed up, and is, and will be, suffering the consequences for many years. By association, she is now living a completely different life, and personally experiencing the life of the people who were referenced by Jesus. Our work might be more different than we think, the scope of our caring might be even broader than we imagined possible, and the depth of our love for the “least of these …” even deeper than we ever envisioned when we follow the model Jesus gave us. This Sunday, February 9th, as we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount beginning at Matthew 5:13, the text for the anthem is Fairest Lord Jesus. Let’s see, and sing, what this has to offer. See you at choir practice: 9:00 am on the second and fourth Sundays. Grace and peace, JAS 14
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Noted in Brief Rector’s Discretionary Fund As many of you know, a Rector’s Discretionary fund is a special fund set up for the priest to use in special circumstances. Most often it is used to assist parishioners who are in financial need, or to provide scholarships to youths and adults for camps and education. The money in this fund comes entirely from the generosity of the parishioners who state on their checks that they wish the money to go into the discretionary fund. It does not have any additional funding sources and the funds cannot be used for the Rector’s personal use. If your finances allow, please consider an offering to this fund. Mother Susan
Peet’s for St. Pete’s Our monthly coffee sponsorship program is running full steam ahead! Many thanks to Charlene Wieser for her sponsorship of Peet’s Coffee for February; lift your cup to Charlene at coffee hour! If you would like to sponsor a month, please write denise@stpetersrwc.org 15
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Rites of Passage February Birthdays
February Anniversaries
Bruce Rollin ��������������������������������������������� 2/3 Bill Heinrich ��������������������������������������������� 2/5 Claire Jensenrose ����������������������������������� 2/9 Krista Miloslavich ����������������������������������� 2/9 Sue Walker ���������������������������������������������2/10 Will McDermott ����������������������������������2/11 Donna Davidson �����������������������������������2/13 Jim Runyeon ������������������������������������������2/17 Karen Zack ��������������������������������������������2/20 Laura Graham ���������������������������������������2/20 Gabriel O’Hare Hardie ����������������������2/24 Madison Redlawsk ��������������������������������2/24 Gertrude Lacina �����������������������������������2/24 Bernice O’Leary �����������������������������������2/25 Deanna May �������������������������������������������2/27
Molly McDermott ���������������������������������� 2/14 Rod & Sue Walker ���������������������������������� 2/18 Adina & James Badia ������������������������������ 2/23 Tom Terrill ������������������������������������������������ 2/26
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” — Dr. Seuss
“It takes a long time to become young.” — Pablo Picasso
Please contact the church office to make sure we have YOUR birthday or anniversary date to celebrate. 16
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Finding Your Way Are you looking for a new way to get connected or help out at St. Peter’s? Wondering what your ministry might be within our community? There may be more going on than you realize and more chances to get involved than you know. Think about one of these ministries and if something interests you, get in touch with the contact person listed below. • Choir—contact James Sharpe at JSharpe@stpetersrwc.org • Parish Governance (Vestry, Deanery, Finance or Buildings & Grounds)— Sr. Warden Susan Mitchell at fjmsfm@sbcglobal.net • Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Acolytes and Lay Readers—contact Sue Walker at davtronr@aol.com • Godly Play (Sunday School)—contact Cari Chen at caripangchen@gmail.com • Altar Guild—contact Barbara Naas at gladbarb@comcast.net • S.P.Y. (Youth Group)—contact Susan at susandparsons@aol.com • Hopkins Manor Nursing Home Ministry—contact Deacon Skip Bushee at gsbushee@gmail.com • Maple Street Shelter Ministry—contact Pat McCarty at pat_mccarty@sbcglobal.net • ECW (Episcopal Church Women)—Su Boocock (650) 591-9395 • W.O.W. (Women of Wisdom)—Lori Castellucci at loriange1551@sbcglobal.net • Crafty Ladies (ECW)—contact Midge Bobel at (650) 364-0195 • Brotherhood (Men’s Group)—contact JD Davidson at jdconstruction_2000@yahoo.com Of course, if you have an interest in starting a fellowship group or ministry at St. Peter’s, don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Vestry so we can assist and support you in that effort. February 2014
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From the Mailbox Our readers write back.
I’m writing to say how grateful I am to our former Senior Warden, Mary Esther Schnaubelt. I know how hard the past two years have been for Mary Esther. She worked long hours, faced any number of emotional congregants, managed the Vestry, and steered the parish through several important and complicated challenges. Sometimes in life it’s easy to take our blessings for granted. I know that everyone in the parish benefited from Mary Esther’s hard work, dedication, and vision. I’m sure many people have thanked her individually, but I thought I’d drop a note to the Keys as a public acknowledgment of our gratitude to her. Many thanks, Mary Esther! An appreciative parishioner
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The Next Page A cheerful reminder to every member of the St. Peter’s family—this is your newsletter. Do with it as you will! We welcome your thoughts, your gripes, your prayers, and your dreams… whatever crosses your mind. We’re always looking for contributions in any form or flavor. We accept controversy and convention. Go nuts or stay sane—but let us hear from you, whichever you choose. Please note that any member of the parish family can be Celebrity Guest Editor for one issue of the Keys. Imagine…such privilege, such power! If there’s something happening that you think the parish should know about, you’ve got a theme you’d like to visit, or a vision you’d like to share, drop us a note (hutchinp@comcast.net) or give Denise a call at (650) 367-0777.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 178 Clinton Street 178 Clinton Street Redwood City, 94062 Redwood City, CACA 94062 www.stpetersrwc.org www.stpetersrwc.org
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St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Worship Schedule:
Holy Eucharist: Sundays 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays 12 Noon in the Chapel
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Worship Schedule: Holy Eucharist: Sundays 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.
The Rev. Marc Andrus Bishop of the Diocese of California The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus Bishop of the Diocese of California The Vestry: Mr. Steven Azar
Clergy & Lay Staff: The Rev. Susan D. Parsons, Priest in ChargeMs. Adina Badia
The Vestry:
Ms. Adina Badia Mr. Ted Hardie The Rev. Skip Bushee, Deacon Ms. Lori Castellucci Mr. James A. Sharpe, Music Director and Organist Mr. Dave Householder Ms. Megan Goulden Ms. Denise Delaney, Parish Administrator Mr. John Nieman Mr. Peter Hutchinson Mr. Marco Picon, Sexton & Facilities Manager Ms. Susan Mitchell Mr. Arthur Lloyd Ms. Nancy Oliver Ms. Nancy Oliver Officers of St. Peter’s: Ms. Mary Esther Schnaubelt Mr. Darryl Race Ms. Susan Mitchell, Senior Warden Mr. Jim Redman Mr. Darryl Race, Junior Warden Mr. Scott Turner Ms. Becky Schenone Mr. John Lessar, Treasurer Ms. Trish Reilly Taylor Ms. Lori Castellucci, Clerk of the Vestry
The Keys is published monthly for members and friends of St. Peter’s Episcopal The Keys is published monthly members and be friends of St. Episcopal Church. News items Church.for News items may emailed toPeter’s denise@stpetersrwc.org. Next deadline: th Keys online at February 28; pictures welcome! You can find The may be emailed to office@stpetersrwc.org. Next deadline: November 5 – pictures welcome! www.stpetersrwc.org and www.issuu.com/st_peters_episcopal_church