The Keys, July 2015 by St. Peter's, Redwood City, CA

The

Keys of

St. Peter’s

Gone Camping! Volume 151, Number 11

| July, 2015

No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here!

The Corner Office Our family didn’t camp. Neither did the Camp Fire Girls of America, which was my service organization of choice as a kid. There was a “camp,” but it was the kind that had sturdy log cabins sprinkled about a lake with lots of grass and shade. So, my first experience of real camping was a church camp-out and—if memory serves—I was co-chair of the organizing committee. It was a success simply because the people who attended knew how to camp. Camping is scriptural. In the oldest parts of the Bible we read of a people who are moving, wandering, searching. We get to hear their campfire stories all these centuries later: the stories they told to each other to explain, or to remind, or to encourage, or to teach. Whatever their reasons for camping out, they were, in the end, looking for home. Even nomads have an area they call home. Our parishioners will camp out in all sorts of places this summer—Salt Lake City and Crownpoint, New Mexico are my chosen “camping” spots—and maybe some of you will “camp out” at other exotic locations.

I’ve found that camping, when done well, pulls me out of my everyday and into the unknown and the uneasy. It challenges my complacency. I can’t seem to go off without being changed somehow. The people out there have wisdom and stories to tell me. And it’s safe, because I have a home to return to.

The Deacon’s Beacon Well, it’s summer, the kids are out of school, the weather is pleasant, and it’s time to enjoy the outdoors. We tend to take for granted the fact that the Bay Area is blessed with so much beautiful open space to enjoy. Thanks to organizations like POST (Peninsula Open Space Trust), who have been working for decades to turn private lands into public open spaces, we have over 1.2 million acres of preserved wilderness in the Bay Area. I'll bet that not too many of you have ever even heard of the Pfleger Estate. It is a spectacularly beautiful 2,300 acre redwood preserve with wonderful hiking trails, about 15 minutes from St. Peter’s. Our area is full of places like that. Even if you are not an outdoorsy type, I’d recommend that you take some time this summer to enjoy some of the wonderful open spaces nearby. For example, you can visit the Methuselah tree, one of the largest and oldest redwoods in the world, and it is only about a 100-yard walk from Skyline Blvd. Surrounded by God’s works, you get a sense of the magnificence of God’s creation and the peace of mind that comes from being away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Of course the Bible is full of wilderness experiences. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his public ministry and was transfigured on the mountaintop. John the Baptist lived in the wilderness and ate locusts and wild honey. Many of the prophets, such as Elijah, had wilderness experiences. The wilderness is a place where we can quiet our minds and, like Elijah, hear God in the silence.

It’s good to be home from my first camping trip. I kept a diary which you can read inside this issue. I can’t wait for my next camping trip: to New Mexico with the SPYs on their exciting summer mission. I know we’ll have plenty of campfire stories to share when we get back!

As many of you may know, I go for a hike every Friday with a group of older men (“The Rambling Wrinklies”). We have a great time together and enjoy excellent conversations. Often, however, we walk along in silence, lost in out own thoughts and enjoying the beauty that surrounds us. I am always tired but refreshed afterwards. It is a time of spiritual and emotional healing. I recommend it highly.

—Susan +

—Deacon Skip

Close to Nature’s Heart Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. —John Muir Ah… summer! Cool mornings, warm days, sultry twilights, and crickets creating a memorable lullaby each night. Peaceful and soothing… unless you’re a parent whose kids are out of school. Many parents start early in the year to find camp opportunities for young people freed from homework and school year activities. Quicker than you can say “Turn off that television!” or “Get off that computer!” they sign their kids up for summer camps and new activities that will get their kids outside and engaged with new friends. It seems that there are so many more summer camp opportunities these days. In my youth, summer camp usually meant the local Parks and Recreation Department. I did have many memorable camping trips with my family, exploring trails and beaches at Lake Tahoe, and a wonderful odyssey up the Northern California coast, through Oregon and Washington and ending in Vancouver and British Columbia. Seeing northwestern coasts studded with magnificent rocks and waking to the sound of waves are clear in my memory. Swimming in Oregon’s Rogue River and marveling at the misted green spruces, hemlocks, and deer ferns in Washington’s Hoh Rainforest (Olympic National Park) helped develop my love of nature and a strong interest in travel. The stars! Without interference from city lights, stars become the nightscape. Summer camps offer kids a change of scenery, the chance to try new activities and learn new skills. Browsing the web you can find camps for surfing, culinary arts, science, technology, and performance arts. Mountains, lakes, and forests provide a rich backdrop to summer experiences. Just as important, summer camps offer kids the chance to make new friends with similar interests. Independence, self- reliance, and creativity develop in summer fun.

croissants and fresh squeezed orange juice like those kids at their rival, Camp Mohawk, where the counselors look like professional athletes and every kid sports expensive tennis shoes. In Meatballs, Tripper befriends Rudy, a lonely kid who does not want to be at camp. Tripper rounds Rudy up at the local café where he is waiting to catch a bus home. Tripper plays card games at night with Rudy and lets Rudy join him on morning jogs. These jogs become an important part of their connection. It is quiet in the early morning, except for birds chirping and the sound of soft footfalls on the forest floor. You can imagine Tripper and Rudy experiencing what positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called flow, a state of complete immersion in an activity, a focus on breath, contact with your running surface, and the power of your muscles. Time and fatigue are much less noticeable. But flow is not confined to running or physical activities. Summer camp experiences allow kids to achieve a degree of mastery and flow in any activity—sports, arts, or innovative endeavors. John Muir said, “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” We recognize this truth as soon as we are enveloped in trees and stars. Muir advised us to note the “waving and singing” of trees, some of which predate Christianity. Learning and playing in a wilderness imprints us with knowing, not just knowledge. Meatballs ends with an inter-camp Olympics, Camp North Star versus Camp Mohawk. Camp Mohawk has taken the lead by various shenanigans, which hamper the North Star Olympians. It’s down to the last event, a foot race… and it’s up to Rudy who says, “I can’t do it.” Tripper convinces Rudy that he can beat the Camp Mohawk runner if he remembers that in the forest, he can take the lead, because he knows the forest and is in his element running through the trees. Rudy wins the race, securing an Olympic victory for Camp North Star and cementing his camaraderie with his fellow campers. A sense of belonging is perhaps the most important element of summer camp and summer activities. You’re part of a team… and you’re part of the wilderness. —Rebecca Schenone

Since my experiences did not include sleep-away camp, my knowledge comes mostly from the quintessential summer camp movie, Meatballs. In this classic film Bill Murray plays Tripper, the head camp counselor at Camp North Star, waking his campers each morning with reminders that they will not be served

The Keys of St. Peter’s

Field Trips To a Roman, it was a campus before they put the college on it—in Latin a campus is an open field. The French turned campus into champs, and prendre la cle des champs is to take to the fields, to run away. The famous Champs Elysses is named for the paradise of dead heroes, the Elysian Fields. The Italians turned campus into campo, hence campana—a region of fields. In English the campagnol is a kind of field mouse and camp meeting revivals are held in fields.

Camping done in the old-fashioned tent-and-knapsack style requires a certain amount of craft and self-reliance, and organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts make camping a big part of their programs for that very reason. It may not be coincidence that the origins of Scouting, recreational camping, and the national wilderness conservation movement all date back to the early 1900s… around the same time that Frederick Jackson Turner declared the end of the American frontier.

When it was on the march the Roman army looked for a campus to pitch its tents on, and quite a few derivations of the word also relate to the military. A moving army is on a campaign. Winners on the field of combat are champions. All of this wordplay brings us to the theme of this month’s Keys: camping—sleeping in the fields, so to speak, an activity that lots of people undertake in July. Camping has some interesting nuances. For one thing, it’s voluntary. If you have to sleep outside you may be a castaway, a refugee, or homeless, but you’re not really a camper. For another thing, camping as recreation— purposely sleeping outdoors for the sheer pleasure of it—is a fairly recent invention, a development of the early 20th century. It’s a little ironic to think that humans slept outdoors for hundreds of millennia before discovering the comforts of civilization, and no sooner did the Industrial Age deliver indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and electricity than we began to enjoy getting away from them. Camping is sometimes associated with one or another form of transportation. There’s canoe camping and bicycle camping. Backpacking employs the most basic form of transportation, and on the other end of the spectrum there’s camping in trailers and RVs, which can be so luxurious as to subvert the point. Lots of campers are indulging their wanderlust, the love of roaming. Some people roam to escape the drudgery of the nine-to-five or the predictability of everyday life. Some people roam to see new vistas or experience different cultures. Wanderlust often sets in during adolescence, when young people begin to think that life at home is boring and the wide world is alluring. People all over the world love to roam, but Americans seem drawn to it by something in our national DNA.

July, 2015

Summer camps are a special kind of camping: rustic, but not too rough. The skills that summer campers learn can last a lifetime… just like their friendships and shared pleasures. If you know anyone who spent every childhood summer at the same camp, you’ve probably heard all about it! There are about 7,000 “sleep-away” camps in the U.S., and about 5,000 “day camps.” Day camps cater to every passion under the sun: you can pick from space camps, music camps, acting camps, sports camps, and dozens of others. All these camps are attended by more than 11 million campers and employ about 1.5 million workers. If we’ve done the math right, that means the average camp attracts roughly 900 campers and hires 125 employees, a ratio of campers to workers of around 7 : 1. Family camping is even more popular than organized camps. According to research sponsored by the Coleman company, about 38 million Americans went camping in 2012. Eighty percent of them slept in tents, and most of the remainder slept in RVs. American campers have plenty of choice when they plan their trips. More than 400 private campgrounds are part of the KOA franchise system alone. One enterprising blogger has compiled a database of 13,000 public and private campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada, including campgrounds at national parks and forests; campgrounds in state and provincial parks; regional, county, and city camps; and Continued on page 4…

From the Vestry

Field Trips, Continued… campgrounds run by government agencies like the BLM and TVA. Some people like camping because it’s an economical way to take a vacation. Nights spent under the stars and meals cooked at a campfire save the cost of hotels and restaurants. But we’re willing to bet that for most campers the real allure of camping has nothing to do with money. There’s something very compelling about getting out into nature for a few nights, living by your wits and using only what you carry, without doors, roofs, neighbors, TVs, phones, and computers coming between you and God’s creation. There’s a lot to be said for being part of the world and not staying walled off from it. Maybe there’s a human instinct that urges us into the wild—a sort of counterbalance to our innate desire for creature comforts. Martha Stewart on one shoulder, Smoky the Bear on the other! It’s worth noting that some people devote their lives to wandering through the world, traveling light and sleeping rough, in order to be closer to God. Mendicant friars are an example from Christianity. Most major faiths have similar traditions, such as the dervishes of Islam, Hindu sadhus, or Buddhist bhikkus. Jack Kerouac, a man who more or less forged his career on wanderlust, wrote about the “dharma bums.” John the Baptist, out there in the wilderness with his skins, locusts, and honey, was clearly not preoccupied with material pursuits. The editor remembers swimming at the waterfall in Halifax, Vermont—“The Gorge”—on sparkling July afternoons many long decades ago—wet, laughing, and as carefree as Adam, pre-apple. It was well worth a trek through the pines and the ferns… better because of the trek, actually. Where do you go when you roll up the sleeping bag or hitch up the trailer? Maybe to the swimming hole… maybe to some spectacular national park… maybe just down the trail for the sake of the hike. We suspect that in some corners of their souls all campers are heading in the same direction: back to the Garden. 

The most recent Vestry meeting was on Tuesday, June 9, and under consideration was a wide range of subjects, many related to the parish young people. Since spending the night at God’s house is always fun, the SPYs held a well attended Lock-In on Sunday, June 7. Eleven sleep-deprived kids and one weary rector emerged on the 8th. In financial news, the parish was in the black and well ahead of budget as of June 1. Actual

Budget

Variance

Income Expense

$ 102,156 98,621

$ 95,667 104,074

$ 6,490 5,453

Net Income

$ -8,408

$ 11,943

3,636

The Vestry did some brainstorming on the idea of hosting a “Soul Work” program for parents—an opportunity for professional educators, counselors, life coaches, etc. to lead parenting workshops for families both in and outside the parish. Scheduling might be a problem, and the consensus was that six sessions between September and Christmas would be a reasonable goal. How to promote the “Soul Work” program led to a broader discussion of building parish membership, and although no conclusions were reached the discussion will continue at future Vestry meetings.

Fundraising continues for the SPYs’ August service mission to New Mexico and several ideas were discussed. Our opening for a part-time youth minister has been posted at a number of locations and the Vestry welcomes any and all suggestions as to where else it could be posted. Finally, Godly Play will take a break until school starts up again. If you have questions or concerns, the Vestry would love to hear from you. The next Vestry meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14. 

The Keys of St. Peter’s

Kid Stuff

The Halo Awards

The big news of the summer is, of course, the SPY service mission to the Navajo Nation in Crownpoint, New Mexico. Nine kids are signed up, along with the rector and three adult chaperones. The group will spend a week between August 2 and August 9 working on construction and renovation projects. The SPYs came up with the idea of a service mission on their own, motivated by a desire to help out in a community where there are lots of opportunities to help. The trip provides a chance to see new places, make new friends, and learn new skills… and most importantly, contribute in a tangible way to making one little corner of the world a better place. Crownpoint is in the Navajo Nation in the Four Corners region overlapping Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The Navajo (or Dine) people have lived in the area for centuries, alongside the Pueblo (or Ansazi). The community of Crownpoint itself has about 2,600 people; median household income is about $30,000. More than a quarter of the families in Crownpoint live below the poverty level.

Two halos this month! The first award goes to a person whose efforts on behalf of the church’s young people seem limitless. She’s wrangled parents and kids, buttonholed teachers and helpers, found stories and teaching aids, and managed a demanding schedule—all with poise and aplomb. We think this halo recipient is one of a kind. After all, there’s no one more dedicated to the spiritual upbringing of our parish children. Congratulations, Cari Chen! Your well-deserved solid gold halo looks mighty fine to us. Wear it in the classroom and see if the kids agree!

To get to Crownpoint, the SPYs will fly to Albuquerque, rent a van, and drive northeast for a couple of hours. In Crownpoint they’ll be staying in a church and sleeping on the floor. It takes money to fund a mission trip like this one, and St. Peter’s parishioners have contributed generously. If you’d like to help support the mission trip, just click on over to GoFundMe.com/StPetersTrip . It’s quick and easy.

Our second recipient earned her gold halo for being one of the most gracious, cheerful, and pleasant people in the parish, and she recently had a significant birthday, too. The halo is just icing on the cake… as it were. Congratulations, Lois Cook! Here’s a new halo to go with our best wishes for joy and many happy returns. 

Word of the Month As for the younger set, Godly Play is on hiatus for the summer, but will start up again in September. If you’re interested in being a story-teller, a helper, or a supporter, don’t be shy…speak up! 

July, 2015

Campanulate (Cam pan yoo lit) n. Any bell-shaped flower. From Italian campanula, a small bell. The traditional bell shape is said to have originated in the Campana region of Italy.

A Convention Diary

the floor, and says how glad he is to see me—since he’d decided to make me his assistant. I now have two jobs.

Editor’s Note: This year’s General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City was full of excitement, and St. Peter’s very own rector was right there in the thick of it, keeping a running tally of the highlights, helping Paul Burrows, chairman of the Legislative Aides Committee, and working with the Committee for the Confirmation of the Presiding Bishop. See the parish website for an expanded version in living color.

Monday June 22 Snuggled into a plane with people who go to Las Vegas in June, the scent of jet fuel fills the air, as various monsters—engines, children, hissing air vents—roar around me. No guzzling of refreshing, alcoholic beverages, laughing and chatting with the folks. I’m the one with coffee, hunched over her iPad, reading Buechner. What feels like a long time later, after a connecting flight and dinner, I walk over to the Salt Palace Convention Center, my new home away from home for the next week or so. The homeless problem here rivals San Francisco. Every block I am hit up for money. “I’m so hungry and no one will help me,” one young man pleads. SLC is dealing with the problem by setting up what look to be red parking meters, encouraging people to put money into the meters— which goes towards helping the homeless—and not give it to the mendicants.

Paul introduces me to everyone as his assistant, and people begin to think I know stuff… which is madness. I’m completely adrift in this massive convention center and have now discovered that the Marriott across the street is also filled with meeting rooms. The main doors to their lobby have the Episcopal shield on them, as if we had bought the place. But by afternoon it’s clear that I have the best of all worlds here: I get to be one of the first people to know who has been elected presiding bishop on Saturday and I just run around helping people who are doing the serious, tedious work of considering resolutions, organizing hearings, etc. In a rare bit of spare time I wander the huge hall, full of exhibitor booths set up by organizations like the Forward Movement people, who publish Day by Day, or groups working for peace between Palestine and Israel (both of whom also have booths), as well as missionaries, missions, all sorts of worthy organizations. Among the exhibitors are my Bethlehem family, whose roots in that area date from the 16th century. They sell carved olive wood figures, silken wraps, and icons made by the people of the Holy Land to support Christians in Bethlehem (less then two percent of the population now), raising awareness of their struggle to survive.

On the way back to the hotel, a gentleman and I fall into conversation at a street corner. He’s at the convention too, representing Bethlehem. As in the birthplace of Jesus.

Tomorrow’s first meeting is at 6:45 am. I walked seven miles today—in a four block area!

After dinner I spot a gelato place and think perhaps just a small cup. As I step in, there is “Bethlehem” and his inlaws, and they buy me dessert. They are lovely and handsome with Middle-Eastern manners and it occurs to me as I make my way back to my hotel that I’ve met someone just like Jesus and his family in the flesh.

Heat bounces off the walls, the pavement, the cars. When you step inside, the blast of cold air feels good for a minute or two… until it doesn’t. Indoors it gets chilly. So people are walking around in this remarkable heat with sweaters or long sleeves.

Tuesday, June 23 Paul Burrows flings his arms around me and lifts me off

Wednesday, June 24

Also, these aren’t ordinary city blocks. It takes me 15 to 20 minutes to walk to the convention center from my hotel, which is only two blocks to the south and two blocks to the east… and it’s another 10 minutes from one end of the

The Keys of St. Peter’s

convention center to the other. If I need to be at the far end of the convention center by 7:00 I have to leave the hotel at 6:35… and catch the lights. I’m assigned to the Committee for the Confirmation of the Presiding Bishop, and all this committee must do is make sure the election goes well. It occurs to me that it could do its work in about half the time. It’s an important committee, but until Saturday, when the new Presiding Bishop is elected, it’s just a lot of talking.

I’m sent to assist the Marriage Committee at their hearing in the evening. It’s a mixed crowd. Most are in favor of marriage equality but two or three speak against, one of whom managed to speak against though insisting he was for it. People are polite, almost apologetic, as they make their statements. Salt Lake City is thrilled to have us here because of the booze sales. The city government is now about 50 percent nonMormon, and this changes things drastically. Episcopal signs are everywhere. Even on the Rite Aide two blocks away and on the hotels’ signs!

Thursday, June 25 The convention finally starts—officially—though people have been here for days, and our committee has met several times. Breakfast in the lobby of the hotel looks like coffee hour at an Episcopal church. St. Marriott in the Desert! All the orders mix together. No one seems to notice who’s a bishop, priest, deacon, or lay. We’re all together, and we’re all over the place—a thousand of us in about a half mile radius and we’ve pretty much taken over the hotels and restaurants, and of course the convention center. We make instant friends with each other in lines with only the barest thread of connection. By necessity all the meetings are held in massive rooms with 30 foot ceilings, no windows, and breezy air conditioning. If the lights are lowered the rooms have all the ambience of a cave. If I had to work here, I would bring in Becky Schenone. She and I would have the ceilings draped in fabric before you could say “Hang it up!”

Friday, June 26 I keep reminding myself of the people who are unhappy about the Supreme Court rulings, especially when it occurs to me that this week might be one of those weeks where we all look back and think that this may have been a moment when this country moved closer to the kingdom of God. But I am praying for the people who feel frightened and angry and left behind by what is happening. It’s so much, so fast, so big, so different! Saturday, June 27 A big day. At the end of a big week. At the election of a new Presiding Bishop secrecy is a big deal, and once someone is elected there will be picture-taking and celebrating for close to an hour before the results are announced. How to keep a roomful of bishops from sending a quick text or email to a wife or friends? It’s a new problem. We are all waiting for the bishops to choose a new PB and send word over word to the committee I work for. My committee then confirms (hopefully!) the election and sends the name to the House of Deputies where they ratify the choice. For the committee, this is our big moment. At our meeting room a lovely, suspicious security person named Nikki checks my credentials carefully before allowing me in. And then together we crawl around under the skirted

July, 2015

tables and behind the curtains looking for people and then under everything for electronic bugs. Apparently, some people really want to know who the PB is before everyone else. Is there a betting pool I don’t know about?

Tuesday, and we must see each other again before they go.

Most people seem to think the new presiding bishop will be elected on the first ballot, which means a short wait. And mercifully it isn’t too long before Nikki smiles, presses the headphones to her ear just a little harder, and then says, we have a new PB. Nikki and I are two of the first people to know. Michael Curry… yes!

Monday, June 29

And the riot erupts—excitement and jubilation. People are overjoyed. It’s as if we are greeting a returning hero. Alexander would not have been disappointed when returning from war with the greeting Michael Curry receives on his arrival. It had been a 14-hour day for me when I heard the chair say she was closing the hearing to outsiders, including legislative aides. It’s still light at 9:00 pm as I walk back to the hotel. And 89 degrees.

Searing. I cannot think of a better way to describe the heat. It truly sears into one’s skin.

What a day it is! At 7:30 am I am at a blindingly boring meeting where they are wordcrafting a resolution. They are going back and forth over two sentences. Now they are wondering how it will be if they take out the word by. Eventually they have tortured the words enough and call it quits just at the same moment a friend comes to drag me out to breakfast. And then back to sitting in more meetings, and greeting more people. Tuesday, June 30 I make it to the big hall just in time to say farewell to the Bethlehem family before they leave for the Middle East. We have our picture taken together, they give me a small bracelet off their table as a gift, and then they’re gone, back to their dangerous home. I’ll have to think about visiting. I have already been to one meeting where I was to assist with large group, then planted in a meeting space where they need help, and then dragged out to a large meeting where they need a calming presence. I exude calm for the rest of the morning. It helps to have email and Facebook.

Sunday, June 28 I have lunch with an ordained women’s group called “Breaking the Glass Ceiling.” Formed by our diocese’s canon of the ordinary, Stefani Schatz, it’s meant to support women who wish to become bishops in the Episcopal Church, an order where women are underrepresented. Though I have no call to be a bishop, I do want to support my sisters, and it is a rich experience. The “California Evening” is fun and the food is fab. Even Paul and Michael Barlowe show up. As I’m walking back to the hotel later, it is still in the 90s at 9:00 pm. I come across “Bethlehem” and his family outside the gelato place, with cups of luscious creamy gelato in their hands. We catch up on our various adventures. I notice for the first time that when I speak, the father speaks under his voice, oh so softly, to his wife, who looks at me sweetly but remains expressionless. It occurs to me—finally—that he is translating the whole conversation. Their energy is so sweet. They are leaving

I can also practice quiet coughing. At first, I thought this cough was dehydration, but other people blame the air quality outside. It is funky out there. When I can get to a place where there’s an unobstructed view of the mountains—not easy from downtown—the mountains float in a purplish brown haze. It’s that “inverse bowl” thing that keeps the pollution from blowing to somewhere else. Wednesday, July 1 Paul and I take coffee to Michael Barlowe—the big cheese. We are admitted to the presence and we talk of how remarkable it is to have the convention move from being completely dependent on paper in 2012 to being paperless in 2015, going from one century to the next in just three years. And it will all be different at the 2018 convention in Austin. Thursday, July 2. Dawn. The sky is filled with cotton ball clouds tinged with purple and pink and it’s not too hot just yet. It’s a good way to leave. I am so ready to go home! 

The Keys of St. Peter’s

The Tees of St. Peter’s It’s T time at St. Peter’s! This summer’s sportswear rage is the St. Peter’s T-shirt—new, colorful, and guaranteed to fit you to a T. Available in a wide range of sizes, this fine T-shirt isn’t just a fashion statement—it’s a fashion statement that helps your parish. When your friends see your new St. Peter’s T-shirt they’re sure to want one too. Tell ’em where to shop… and tell ’em where to worship! For a limited time, a new St. Peter’s T-shirt can be yours for a mere $15. Buy one for everybody in the family!

Noted in Brief Sunday Discussions To paraphrase Al Gore: “There’s the Old Testament and there’s the New Testament, and then there’s that littleknown third category.” In this case the third category is the Apocrypha, a collection of sacred books that are inside the canon for some denominations, outside the canon for others, and fascinating in their own right. Join Mother Susan and your fellow parishioners in an ongoing discussion about this often-over looked section of the Bible. Most recently the group looked at the third of the additions to Daniel, known as “The Prayer of Azariah.” Meetings are on Sunday mornings at 9:10 in the Library, and we’re holding a seat for you!

To order, send an e-mail to office@stpetersrwc.org or call the church office at 650 367-0777. Be sure to tell us quantities and sizes. Adults: S, M, L, XL. Children: S, M, L. Send no money now! Payment is due on delivery. But act quickly—we’ll place the order soon. 

Parish Retreat Believe it or not, the annual Parish Labor Day Retreat at Bishop’s Ranch is right around the corner. There isn’t a more pleasant or refreshing way to say farewell to summer. The accommodations are great, the countryside is glorious, the company is outstanding, and having you there will make all the difference. Mark your calendar! For more information, contact the church office.

New Online Have you checked out the latest “scrapbooks” on the parish website? There are some great-looking people in the pictures. There’s always something new at StPetersRWC.org… stop by often!

July, 2015

Grinding It Out Many thanks to Deacon Skip and John Nieman for their help getting our newest tenant, a coffee roaster, up and running in the kitchen. Fresh coffee is part of the rent agreement… so we look forward to an extra zing in the brew at Coffee Hour.

Mark the Date!

Rites of Passage

A few items for your calendar…

July Birthdays

-Thursday, July 16: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am

Teri Chin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 2

-Thursday, July 23: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am

Elizabeth Schnaubelt . . . . . . . . . . .

July 2

-Thursday, July 30: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am

Robin Cunha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 4

-Sunday, August 2: SPYs leave for New Mexico

Sandy Buck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 4

-Thursday, August 6: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am

Lois Cook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 11

-Sunday, August 9: SPYs return from New Mexico

Eli Goulden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July12

-Thursday, August 13: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am

Dottie Moody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 19

-Thursday, August 20: Crafty Ladies at 11:00 am

Marco Duke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 23

-Labor Day weekend, September 5-7: Parish Retreat

Diane Palomarez . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 23

Shireen Woo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 23

Yoga for All

Ben Redlawsk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 25

If you haven’t been to yoga at St. Peter’s yet, now’s the perfect time to start. If you have been, you know how relaxing and beneficial it is… so tell your friends.

Skip Bushee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 25

Katherine Rivera . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 25

Classes are led by Lorraine Desser Schulze in the Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 9:00 to 10:15 am and on Fridays from 10:00 to 11:15 am.

John Lessar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 26

JD Davidson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 27

Yvonne Brien Miller. . . . . . . . . . . .

July 29

Elizabeth Moody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 29

To Our Subscribers

July Anniversaries

Every now and again we hear that someone isn’t receiving the Keys. If your name isn’t on our mailing list, or if you know somebody who should be on it, name names and send them to the office.

Shannon and Tom Yonker. . . . . .

July 2

Dianne Brien and Dean Miller. . .

July 7

Are you an out-of-town reader? We want to know what’s going on in your life. Send us an update!

Kathleen Palmer & Danny Shapiro

July 7

Hannah and Ryan Essenburg. . . . .

July 23

Miguel and Katherine Rivera. . . . .

July 25

Cari and Erik Chen. . . . . . . . . . . . .

July 27

Kristen and Doug Higgins

July 31

If you enjoy the Keys, keep in mind that your support of St. Peter’s makes our efforts (and a whole lot more) possible. Customer Service: office@StPetersRWC.org

The Keys of St. Peter’s

Get Involved! Parish governance. Priest’s 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

The

Keys

St. Peter’s July, 2015

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 178 Clinton Street Redwood City, CA 94062 WWW.STPETERSRWC.ORG

650 367-0777

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 Atherton Court Ministry. Billy Park. addawg@mac.com

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. Jina Han, Music Director Ms. Siobhan Taylor, Parish Administrator Officers of St. Peter’s Ms. Rebecca Schenone, Priest’s 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 Read us online at StPetersRWC.org/Keys-of-St-Peters

July issue deadline: August 1

June, 2015

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

Non-Profit U.S. Postage

178 Clinton Street Redwood City, CA 94062

PAID

Redwood City, CA Permit no. 29

www.StPetersRWC.org

Current resident or

The

Keys of St.

Peter’s July, 2015

In this issue… • We Go Camping! • SPYs in New Mexico! • Mother Susan in Salt Lake City!

• Parish Retreat… and more!