The
Keys of
St. Peter’s
We Get Down to Earth Volume 151, Number 8
No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here!
The Corner Office God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. —Genesis, 1:31 When I was a young girl, my parents moved into a brand new house, in a brand new neighborhood being created out of the wheat fields that sat on the oil fields on which our little town had grown up. When we moved in, empty lots, half built houses, and waving wheat fields still shared the space with us and there were also a million other kids; it was paradise. An empty lot across from our house became party central where we built forts and roads and ‘houses’ in the dusty, clay earth of that dirt lot. I remember vividly, digging my hands into the soil, forming it into mounds that were the ‘walls’ of my house, of tossing the worms off to one side when I encountered them or at someone who had offended me. We played outside even when it rained, floating ‘boats’ down the gutters, counting the time between the lightening and the thunder, and making a game of seeing who could catch the most frogs and then letting them all go at once to imagine what a plague would look like. In the winter there were snowmen and sleds, snow forts and snow balls, icicles and ice crystals on the windows. But perhaps night was best. Out under the stars, finding all the constellations and then playing a hide and seek game we had made up, we climbed in and around and under bushes and trees and flowers, becoming intimately aware of the remarkable variety of bugs and spiders in creation and the difficulty of keeping still while they climb about in your clothes. And there were the animals. A cat that rang the doorbell, a nervous, lonely Chihuahua from next door, snakes and lizards and rolli polli bugs, and tadpoles and baby chicks and ducks, all manner of memories and stories of a whole childhood to tell, but the imprint is this; I have learned to love the earth not because someone told me I should, but because I was allowed to wallow in it and hold it in my Continued on Page 2…
| April, 2015
Our Island Home REBECCA: I never told you about that letter Jane Crofut got from her minister when she was sick. He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was like this: It said: “Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; Grover's Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; United States of America..” GEORGE: What's funny about that? REBECCA: But listen, it's not finished: “The United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hemisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God”—that’s what it said on the envelope. GEORGE: What do you know! REBECCA: And the postman brought it just the same. —Thornton Wilder, “Our Town” We’re in the month the Angles and Saxons called Eostremonath, named for Eostre, the dawn goddess. The ancient root word aus- has given us many words related to the sunrise, including east, aurora, and (by way of Eostre) Easter. The theme of the Keys this month—whether you call it Eostremonath or April—is earth, third installment in our series on the four classical elements. Earth seemed like the appropriate element for the month that contains Earth Day. The English word earth has multiple meanings, ranging from one of life’s most common and least valued items—dirt—to one of the most unique and precious—our planet, home of life itself. There must be something in human nature that associates the substance with the place. The Greeks and Romans gave their words for earth (ge and terra, respectively) the same broad range of meaning. This reminds us of the man who turned down a ride in one of the first airplanes. “I like terra firma,” he said. “And the more firma, the less terra.” Continued on Page 2…
Corner Office, continued…
Planet Home, continued…
hands. Allowed to delight and discover and just be in creation and never told it was dirty or nasty, or to “put that thing down!” I was simply taught what was dangerous and why.
Our planet is a marvel. Want the recipe? Take a ball of iron and nickel, about 1600 miles in diameter. Heat to roughly 10,000 degrees. Surround with a viscous mantle of oxides, including silica, magnesia, ferrous oxide, and alumina. Mold into a sphere about 25,000 miles around. Allow a firm crust to form on the outer surface. Sprinkle with water. Position carefully in sunlight so that the water stays liquid. Age for 4.5 billion years. Rotate daily.
A comfortable affection toward dirt and creatures, and later the bigger landscapes, flowed and eddied into recognition of the ineffable connection between myself and all creation. The dirt I held in my hands as a child fed something deep within me, the paths I walked, the waters I touched, the animals, the landscapes, all shaped me, became part of me, fed me, their presence, sank deep into my soul. “If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand,” Buddha says. People know this deep connection: it’s the essence of why most wars have been fought. Human beings have a passion for their place, their space on the earth and this can be understood as a passion for God. To love God, our primary call as people of God, is to love creation. If we think of the earth as the body of God, as some suggest, our interactions, our love for home, becomes even more compelling. Wars rage, children starve, injustice thrives, nature wreaks destruction, and our pride and greed overwhelm our wisdom. We have believed that what was good for us would be good for the earth—as if we even knew what was good for us— and that Mother Earth would somehow take care of herself. But we have been wrong. Creation is a grace; we must recover our sense of wonder and awe, our sense of place on this earth, develop compassion for even the most uninspiring, slithery bits of the world, and release the need to dominate and to own. This is our way forward. This is our passion for God. Our love was born outside the walls, in the wind, in the night, in the earth, and that's why the clay and the flower, the mud and the roots know your name. —Pablo Neruda We have become, by the power of a glorious evolutionary accident called intelligence, the stewards of life's continuity on earth. We did not ask for this role, but we cannot abjure it. We may not be suited to it, but here we are. —Stephen Jay Gould, The Flamingo’s Smile Susan+ 2
If you follow the directions carefully and have a little luck, life might emerge after the first billion years or so. These days scientists have high hopes of finding life on other planets or moons, and they’re searching up and down the Milky Way, but despite all their efforts, earth is still the one and only place in the whole wide awesome universe where we know for a fact that anything lives. In other words, every being that ever lived has shared the same address. Our planet is not just home to life—life constantly changes and shapes our planet. The air we breathe today was made by blue-green algae billions of years ago. Climb to the top of Mt. Everest and you’ll stand on marine limestone, formed from the shells of sea creatures that lived in eons past. Dig deep into the ground… dive deep into the sea… and everywhere you look you’ll find an abundance of life, changing the planet one cell at a time. You might say that life and the earth are two manifestations of the same thing. Our planet would be very different without life, and life is inextricably tied to our planet. Since moving is more or less out of the question, you’d think taking good care of the home we have would be one of mankind’s highest priorities. But, as with any group of roommates, housekeeping habits vary among the planet’s seven billion human inhabitants. For one obvious example: energy companies seem to have a much higher regard for short-term profits than for the environment. For another, many politicians use science as a wedge to divide the electorate instead of a force to improve life. Lots of people have enough challenges— they don’t want to add climate change to the list. And none of this is news… in fact, it’s so old hat that we probably don’t think about it very often. Well, there’s nothing like trouble to provide a reminder… especially if it’s the kind of trouble that wipes cultures and countries off the map—a process that has already begun.
The Keys of St. Peter
In the latest Harper’s, writer Gretel Ehrlich describes three trips she took to Greenland, the first in 1993 and the most recent last year. On each trip the effects of global warming became more obvious. People in Greenland are rapidly losing not just their livelihoods, but their entire way of life as the arctic ice disappears. It may seem odd to think that retreating glaciers in Greenland are a problem for tropical countries in the Pacific. But water from the melting ice has to go somewhere. Just ask the people of Kirbata, the Maldives, Palau, Micronesia, or Cape Verde, five countries whose combined populations add up to about one million and whose existence is threatened by rising sea levels. If you think about it, it’s extraordinary that the citizens of the earth are so utterly dependent on the planet’s well-being and yet so indifferent (at least at the moment) to its upkeep. The earth and each of its living inhabitants, from viruses to whales, are all part of the same huge cyclical system. All the chickens come home to roost eventually. Do Greenland and the Maldives sound like distant places with unique problems? The mean elevation of Redwood City is 15 feet. The “Blue Marble” photograph of the earth, taken in 1972 by the crew of Apollo 17, gave a boost to the growing environmentalism movement of the ’70s. One person wrote that the picture is a vivid reminder of the earth's “frailty, vulnerability, and isolation amid the vast expanse of space.”
In astronomical terms, Apollo 17 was only a short distance from the earth when the photo was snapped. From the other planets, our world is just a dot in the sky. Imagine what a trivial speck our planet is in the overall scheme of an unimaginably vast universe. The concept of infinite space, containing infinities which contain infinities, is hard to grasp. You can get a little dizzy contemplating that sort of abstraction—it really is like trying to imagine the mind of God. But as unreal as the concept of a boundless universe may be, our dependence on this tiny little blue marble is as real as it gets.
The Deacon’s Beacon The earth is mentioned in the very first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth...” So the Bible implies that the earth was created at the same time as the rest of the universe, leading early religious authorities to conclude that the earth was the center of the universe. We actually know that the earth was formed somewhat later than the big bang, or about 4.5 billion years ago. We also know that for about 600 million years, until about 3.6 billion years ago, the earth was entirely covered with water; there was no dry land. It wasn't until hard granitic rocks began to break the surface that dry land was able to take hold. This provides credence for Genesis 1:9, “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so.” We now know that the earth is a medium-sized planet orbiting around an average star in a galaxy consisting of 300 billion stars and that galaxy is one of 100 billion in the observable universe. Thus we can look at our own insignificance in the universe and almost see the hubris implied in the biblical creation story as laughable. But not so to my mind. A key point of the creation story, as with so many of the stories in the Bible, is that we are not some infinitesimal backwater to God; we are the center of God's creation. We are loved by God as if the earth were the center of the universe and all of it was created for us. The fact that the universe is vast beyond our ability to understand merely shows us the greatness and power of God's majesty. The sad part is that God entrusted the care and preservation of our planet and everything on it to us and we are doing a lousy job of it. We might say, “Oh, well, there are probably plenty of habitable planets in the universe and some day our technology will allow us to move there.” But I don't think that this is what God intends for us. Perhaps we are to travel to other worlds and exploit the resources we find. But that does not mean we are to leave the earth a barren desert. Rather, we are to preserve our resources and learn how to renew our planet so that it will always be a safe haven for humans as they travel throughout the universe. Deacon Skip
We’re taught that humanity was given dominion over the earth. If the planet seems frail, vulnerable, and isolated in a photo, keep in mind that all of its problems are homegrown. What in the world are we doing to the one place in the universe where humans can live? God only knows. April, 2015
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Living Poem When Eve walked among the animals and named them— nightingale, red-shouldered hawk, fiddler crab, fallow deer— I wonder if she ever wanted them to speak back, looked into their wide wonderful eyes and whispered, Name me, name me. —Ada Limon: “A Name” Poet Ada Limon’s image of Eve observing and seeking a connection with her fellow creatures is “…protean and elusive,” according to critic Jane Hirshfield, who said that when we read it “We feel something stir, shiver, swim its way into the world.” Eve’s curiosity and naming of the animals is suggestive of a scientific study of our Eden, our earth. Exploration of our planet offers us the same elusive mysteries and the same desire to understand and connect with one of God’s greatest poems. What has our curiosity and observations found out? We had a very violent beginning. Four and a half billion years ago gravity helped dust and gases coalesce to form the sun, earth, and other planets in our solar system. Earth continued to collide with other bodies and hence was extremely hot and molten. Its surface was wracked by volcanic explosions; outgassing formed our first highly toxic atmosphere. (One big collision is thought to have tilted the earth at an angle and formed the moon). Over time, our planet cooled, the crust formed and water was able to stay on its surface.
between the biota and the physical-chemical environment. This interaction is large enough in scope to serve as an active feedback mechanism for biogeoclimatologic control.” Life forms, such as bacteria, plants, animals and man interact with our land, waters, and air on a large enough scale that we affect our planet’s self- regulatory processes. An example of a biogeoclimatologic process occurs during spring. In the Northern Hemisphere as trees and plants produce new leaves, photosynthesis takes up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and uses it to produce new carbon matter (more leaves, blossoms) and oxygen. This happens at many northern latitudes and reflects a measurable, seasonal decrease in carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that warms our atmosphere, and less carbon dioxide has a cooling effect in the atmosphere, which in turn means less water vapor, another significant greenhouse gas. Numerous climate change feedbacks take place all over the planet and affect weather, ocean temperature and habitats. Earth’s rhythms, organization, patterns and dynamics are both communication and control of planet processes but also, not unlike a wonderful poem. We experience much more than climate change in spring. The green glistening and whisper of a coast live oak, the primordial fire and intoxicating scent of a “Perfect Moment” rose… the sighting of a young fawn, its tawny light melting into a hill’s shadow… and like a good poem, Earth is her own creative force and we are exquisitely evolved to experience her beauties and creatures with renewing wonder and grace. Rebecca Schenone
Photosynthetic life forms appeared two billion years ago, giving us an atmosphere of 78 percent nitrogen and (yes!) 21 percent oxygen. The earth is often described by its structural components: atmosphere (air) lithosphere (solid portion) hydrosphere (water) and biosphere or biota (all life forms). Homo sapiens (people) arrived 200,000 years ago. Currently, we share earth and its oceans with 8.7 million other species, give or take a million. In the early 1970s atmospheric chemist Dr. James Lovelock and biologist Lynn Margulis introduced the Gaia Hypothesis, proposing that the earth itself is a cybernetic system that registers and regulates its atmosphere and surface as a result of “ the interaction 4
The Keys of St. Peter’s
Men’s Retreat
The Halo Award
March Event: Fulfilling and Relaxing If you thought the congregation looked a little lopsided on Palm Sunday, you were right—there was a guy shortage. The church Men’s Group held a retreat that weekend, in Farmer’s Lodge at St. Dorothy’s Rest, up there in the bohemian wilds of Sonoma County. Retreaters ranged in age from the not-quite-teens (Thomas Taylor) to the late eighties (Dick Cowen). We’re told that although the accommodations were rustic, the food was awesome. Activities included discussions, walks in the woods, and no poker. Apparently Father Chip took everyone’s money at the last men’s retreat a few years ago, and the memory still stings. On Saturday afternoon a small group drove over to Fort Ross on the coast. One evening was devoted to storytelling, and the consensus was that Dick had the best stories. Experience counts!
There’s duty… and then there’s duty above and beyond the call. That’s where the halo comes in. There are times when saying “Thanks!” just doesn’t cut the mustard… and nothing but a halo will do. This month’s golden halo goes to Erik Chen. Erik has stepped in to provide music on the Sundays when our interim music director, Faith, can’t join us. And he’s not only generous with his time… he’s good!
Other discussions got into more challenging areas, such as the human tendency to subvert religion in order to take advantage of or suppress others. Many of the attendees were grateful that the Anglican tradition doesn’t offer a “formulaic” approach to salvation but encourages people to think for themselves and develop their own personal relationship with the divine.
Erik’s contributions to the congregation go a long way back—for years he was the usher-in-chief, herding the cats with aplomb. And is there a nicer guy? We think not.
As far as Palm Sunday was concerned, Deacon Skip reports: “We considered waving redwood branches because there were no palm trees, but thought better of it.”
Without Erik’s lyrical accompaniment we’d be singing a capella… so thank him when you see him, and tell him he looks good with a golden aura.
Skip added, “We failed to solve any of our own problems, let alone those of the world at large.” But solutions may be overrated. It sounds like a great weekend—very relaxing and enjoyable.
Congratulations, Erik!
The Men’s Group meets at the church on the third Thursday of every month for fellowship and food. Members are strong supporters of the ministry to day laborers on Fifth Avenue that Dave Goulden began last year. If you’d like to know more or (better yet) get involved, see Deacon Skip!
Word of the Month Earthy (Urth-ee) adj. 1. Direct, uninhibited. 2. Coarse, unrefined. 3. Practical. April. 2015
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Sew What? The Quilt Takes Form We’ve been following the young people’s quilting project with rapt attention. There’s something charming (and exciting!) about seeing how each kid’s contribution becomes part of the whole giant work. It’s also pretty cool to see a team of great artists all pulling together.
We recognize lots of images from Bible stories… although we don’t think we’ve ever seen them illustrated so expressively.
Each square has its own style and character. But there’s a kind of similarity among them, too. It must be the St. Peter’s touch.
Apparently scenes from Noah and the Ark resonated with several of the young people. We like the two monkeys, one of whom looks vaguely dubious to be leaving the ark. You can hardly blame him!
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The Keys of St. Peter’s
And it’s wonderful to see the different pieces come together to make a great illustration.
Another thing we think is pretty cool is the way the artists use the patterns on cloth to help their illustrations.
Now that the squares are taking shape, a big stitching-up is right around the corner.
Aren’t those the wettest pools of water you laid eyes on? Isn’t that the hottest sun? It’s wonderful how each young person has envisioned the chosen story!
Want to pitch in? Call the Workshop of Rebecca Schenone at 650 888-2921… or just buttonhole Becky at church.
April, 2015
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Jazzed for New Mexico
Women’s Retreat
SPY Is on the Job
Make Your Reservation Now!
We’ve been hearing about how much fun the young people have when they get together—especially lately, as they put together their big summer plans—so we decided to stop by last Sunday and spend a few minutes with the SPYs. That’s a lively group, that one! We learned a lot about their upcoming mission trip to the Navajo reservation at Crownpoint, New Mexico, August 2 through 8. Vocational training is provided at no extra cost: when they get there the kids will hang drywall, paint, and generally make a big difference in people’s lives.
Now’s the time to sign up for the annual Women’s Retreat, scheduled for May 16 and 17 at Bishop’s Ranch. And from what we’ve heard, this one’s likely to be a humdinger. First of all, the theme of the weekend, Chocolate, is enticing. And the program sounds downright scrumptious. We asked Mother Susan to provide some details, and here’s what she told us. “We meet at the ranch on Friday at dinner time for a potluck, introduce ourselves and watch the movie Chocolat.
So far a dozen young people have signed up, along with Mother Susan and two chaperones. Each participant is responsible for travel expenses and for supplies, which brings costs to about $1,000 per person. You’re thinking, “How can I help?” and, fortunately, nothing could be easier. Just go to WWW.GOFUNDME.COM/STPETERSNAVAJOTRIP
and follow the instructions from there. It’s so simple and convenient that even an adult can manage. Checks are accepted at the church office… but really, that’s so oldfashioned. The SPY kids have other ideas for raising money, too: we heard that there may be a book sale.
“Saturday, after breakfast in the refectory, I’ll lead a discussion on the spirituality of the movie. The rest of the day is free but we’ll have organized art projects that feed into the theme— pun intended. “Saturday night we’ll have a storyteller or dancing. And Sunday we are forced to come home.” If a great weekend in a glorious setting sounds good to you, let Mother Susan know. See you there!
We asked the kids what their favorite SPY activity is, and the church lock-ins still top the list. Tossing pumpkins off the roof is a close second. Both activities will be on the SPY calendar in the months ahead. Hang around the kids for a few minutes and one thing quickly becomes clear—this is an outstanding crew of young people who deserve all the support they can get!
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The Keys of St. Peter’s
Easter Recap Wasn’t that just the finest Easter ever? More than 125 people in church… a joyful service… a fantastic brunch… an egg hunt with something for everyone… and even a few drops of welcome rain. Our thanks to everyone who participated, and a special blessing on everyone who contributed to the brunch!
Noted in Brief Atherton Court April 24 is coming up quickly. Don’t forget that we’ll be serving dinner again to the residents of Atherton Court that evening. It’s a great way to contribute to the lives of those less fortunate than us. For more info contact Billy Park at addawg@icloud.com. Get Your Copy Today
Confirmations Confirmation classes are starting soon. If you have a child or grandchild who’s old enough to be confirmed, mark your calendar for Sundays at 9:30 am. Weekly classes will be held in the Vestry Room, and Mother Susan will provide the doughnuts.
Available to all parishioners in the office or in the back of the sanctuary: DVDs of the documentary produced for St. Peter’s150th anniversary, and copies of the new parish directory. Every parish home needs one of each! Come Clean! We typically have some laundry in the kitchen that needs to be done on a weekly basis—usually just a few simple tablecloths and a handful of dishtowels. Go ahead—volunteer to wash a load! It’s next to godliness.
Classes lead up to the next combined service of Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation at Grace Cathedral, scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 11:00 am. Anyone old enough to understand the lessons is welcome at the classes. Parishioners who would like to be received or reaffirmed are welcome at the June service. Interested? See Mother Susan. Speaking of Water… This ministry is coming along swimmingly. There’s a nice stack of swimsuits rising in the back of the sanctuary… but the more the merrier. Have you contributed? The suits will be given to kids from families in need in the YMCA’s summer program. We’re told that one-piece suits for girls, in larger sizes, would be especially appreciated.
April, 2015
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Mark the Date!
Rites of Passage
A few items for your calendar…
April Birthdays
-Thursday, April 23: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am
Kimberly Fonner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 1
-Friday, April 24: Dinner with Atherton Court
Cindy Sholes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 1
-Thursday, April 30: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am
Molly McDermott . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 7
-Saturday, May 2: LEM training at St. Matthew’s
Bob Bendz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 9
-Thursday, May 7: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am
Andrew Hutchinson. . . . . . . . . . . .
April 10
-Thursday, May 14: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am
Shannon Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 17
-Friday, May 15 through May 17: Women’s Retreat
Harper Goulden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 17
-Thursday, May 21: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am
Bill McDermott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 17
-Thursday, May 28: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am
Diane Heinrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 19
Garciela Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 20
Justin Redman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 24
Phil Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 28
Eileen Lindeman. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
April 30
Erratum Due to the utter and complete chaos that attends our efforts here at the Keys, Laura Ild was inadvertently omitted from last month’s birthday list. Laura’s birthday is March 21, and we regret the error.
The Weekly Grind Did you ever feel that something was missing from Coffee Hour? What’s lacking is you! Whether your idea of Sunday brunch is a huge groaning board or a tiny petit four—the congregation’s happy either way. Please… sign up! We’re starving out here!
April Anniversaries
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J. D. and Donna Davidson . . . . .
April 1
Angelo and Lori Castellucci . . . . .
April 10
The Keys of St. Peter’s
Get Involved! Parish governance. Senior Warden Rebecca Schenone. rschenone@sbcglobal.net LEMs, acolytes, and lectors. Contact the church office. Godly Play (Sunday School). Cari Pang Chen. caripangchen@gmail.com Altar Guild. Barbara Naas. gladbarb@comcast.net SPY (youth group). Mother Susan. susandparsons@aol.com Men’s Group. Deacon Skip Bushee. gsbushee@gmail.com Hopkins Manor ministry. Deacon Skip Bushee. gsbushee@gmail.com Maple Street Shelter ministry. Pat McCarty. Pat_mccarty@sbcglobal.net Ushers. Erik Chen. runforyourlives@gmail.com Crafty Ladies. Midge Bobel. 650 364-0195
The
Keys
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St. Peter’s April, 2015
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 178 Clinton Street Redwood City, CA 94062 www.stpetersrwc.org 650 367-0777 The Right Reverend Marc Andrus The Diocese of California Clergy and Lay Staff The Reverend Susan D. Parsons, Rector The Reverend Skip Bushee, Deacon Ms. Faith McCoy Scriven, Interim Music Director Ms. Siobhan Taylor, Parish Administrator Officers of St. Peter’s Ms. Rebecca Schenone, Senior Warden Ms. Megan Goulden, Junior Warden Mr. John Lessar, Treasurer Mr. Peter Hutchinson, Clerk of the Vestry Vestry Ms. Megan Goulden Mr. Peter Hutchinson Ms. Susan Mitchell Mr. John Nieman Mr. Jim Redman Ms. Trish Reilly Taylor Ms. Rebecca Schenone
Published monthly for the friends of St. Peter’s Church
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April, 2015
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The
Keys of St.
Peter’s April, 2015
In this issue… • We Get Down to Earth • Hanging out with SPYs • Retreats… Coming and Going
• Quilting… and more!