All Souls’ Episcopal Church
January 2016 Volume 2, Issue 1
The e-Rubric From the Rector by The Rev. Joseph J. Dirbas
New Year’s Resolutions & Our Baptismal Covenant Ahhh… the New Year is upon us. A fresh start. A chance to look back at the past year, recognize the things that maybe didn’t go so well, and resolve that this year things will be different. New Year’s resolu4ons have become quite rou4ne in our culture. Surveys show that approximately 40% of people make resolu4ons for the new year. Perhaps we resolve to lose weight, eat healthier, or maybe go to the gym. (OK, full disclosure, those three are on my list.) What ever our mo4va4on may be, many of us will enter into these self made contracts with ourselves with good inten4ons, with hopes that come this 4me next year we’ll sit back and relish in our accomplishments. And yet, when it comes down to it, only about 8% of those who make resolu4ons can keep them. The trick to making and s4cking to resolu4ons seems to be: keep them simple, keep them a?ainable, keep them 4me bound, and most importantly be persistent while staying posi4ve. The promises we make as Chris4ans in our Bap4smal Covenant are, in much the same way, resolu4ons. But, rather than contracts with ourselves, they are vows we make to God. At every bap4sm, we renew these vows: to con4nue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers; to persevere in resis4ng evil and to repent and return to the Lord when we fall into sin; to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons loving our neighbor as ourselves; and to strive for jus4ce and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. (BCP pg 304305)
Inside this issue From our Pastoral Associate ....... 2 From the Deacon’s Desk ............. 3 Update on Finances .................... 5 Music at All Souls’ ...................... 6 The Role of Senior Warden ......... 7 Looking Ahead at All Souls’ ......... 10
Special points of interest • Outreach Sunday • Home Tour Pictures • Upcoming Forums
Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, Cont. These are wonderful and amazing vows and we can only hope to achieve them with the help of God. It is incredibly important that, as we take on living into these vows we remain persistent and posi4ve, that we take small a?ainable steps, and that we are not too hard on ourselves for not living into them as well as we ought to. Every Chris4an is on a journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ and none of us is perfect. (Remember, one of our vows is to resist evil and repent and return the Lord!) We all have room for improvement. None should celebrate their success and none should beat themselves up for failing to meet some unrealis4c
standard set by others. So, maybe we can take this on together this year to resolve to live into our bap4smal covenant more fully for the sake of God’s kingdom. Maybe we start by making a promise to come to church at least once or twice a month, or to read a chapter of the Gospels each week, or to make sure we pray every night. With God’s help, I hope that 100% of us will resolve to follow these vows and that we will support each other as we strive be the disciples God has called us to be.
From our Pastoral Associate: “Pray for me… I’ll pray for you” by The Very Rev. James E. Carroll “Pray for me…I’ll pray for you” Countlessly we people of faith make this request for one another, and rightly so. St. Paul, in his le?ers, repeatedly makes prayer requests as central to the common life of the People of God. It’s called intercession, which means “standing in between.” The Risen Christ is at the right hand of the Majesty on high (to use the symbolism of the Le?er to the Hebrews) “where he ever liveth to make intercession for us.” When we pray for one another, or for a par4cular thing to happen—peace, jus4ce, healing—we join in Christ’s endless intercession as he is “in between” us and the Father, bringing us to the Father and the Father to us, in the endless ac4on of the Holy Trinity. Does God hear and answer? Of course. Because intercession never stops. We turn to public liturgy and find meaning and strength there—some4mes. But not always. Thomas Merton wrote some poetry during his last years and penned this line about liturgy: “Animated clergy storm conceptual void in theodrama while deity groans.” Oh my! We clergy must lead praying people with seriousness of inten4on and a joyousness of expression. Prayer is rela4onship, public or private. Jesus didn’t know Greek but spoke the Aramaic of his 4me and place. In that language the word for prayer means “to open oneself” and “to listen to the Divine Presence.” So prayer isn’t necessarily saying words, but is close to what we call contempla4on. 2
From the Deacon’s Desk by The Rev. Pam Rieger Before and aOer ordina4on, the ques4on I was most oOen asked was, “Where are you going to be assigned? Will it be at All Souls’?” Happily, recently, the Bishop assigned me to All Souls’ for all of 2016! Now the ques4on has changed to, “What does a deacon do?” When asked about what about becoming a deacon a?racts me, I’ve oOen said, “The deacon has one foot in the church and the other foot in the world-and that is what I am called to.” But, I think the best explana4on comes from the BCP, The Ordina4on of a Deacon: “My sister, every Chris4an is called to follow Jesus Christ, serving God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. God now calls you to a special ministry of servanthood directly under your bishop. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, par4cularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely. As a deacon in the Church, you are to study the Holy Scriptures, to seek nourishment from them, and to model your life upon them. You are to make Christ and his redemp ve love known, by your word and example, to those among whom you live, and work, and worship. You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world. You are to assist the bishop and priests in public worship and in the ministra4on of God’s Word and Sacraments, and you are to carry out other du4es assigned to you from 4me to 4me. At all mes, your life and teaching are to show Christ’s people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself. (italics mine)” The first thing that changes, is: I no longer have a “home parish”...I am directed by the Bishop, to serve in the name of Jesus Christ wherever he assigns me. He is my pastor, and wherever I am assigned, I work alongside the rector to serve God’s people. Next, I am called to a ministry of servanthood, to all people, especially the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely; the most vulnerable in our community, inside the church, as well as in the world around us. This is the “one foot in the church and one in the world” part.
Upcoming Sunday Morning Forums Our Science and Religion Series was a great success. If you’ve missed some of the sessions, listen in here: h?p:// allsouls.sermon.net. Special thanks to Dr. Mark Mann, Dr. Samuel Powell (PLNU,),Dr. Greg Severn (USD), Dr. John Hood (SDSU), and Dr. Rebecca Flietstra (PLNU). We’ll begin a new Forum Series in Lent. In the mean4me we have some pre?y spectacular offerings: Jan 3 - Big Ques ons of the Bible—This is your chance to bring your ques4ons, your wonderings, the things you’ve always wanted to know. Fact vs. Fic4on? Why two crea4on stories? Was Manasseh really that bad? Talking donkeys? We’ll treat these very lightly on the 3rd and use these to formulate our Lenten Series. Jan 10 - Dr. Mark Mann, will offer a presenta4on on the Wesleys. Jan 17 - Deacon Pam will present on the 16th Cen4ury Reformers: In her words, the “three amigos.” Jan 24 - Annual Mee4ng—No Forum Jan 31 - Outreach Sunday— Come learn about our various outreach ministries. Feb 7 - Preparing for a Holy Lent.
Con4nued on Pg. 4
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From the Deacon’s Desk, Cont. Part of that servanthood is “to make Christ and his redemp4ve love known” ...I interpret this as: through serving, I am bringing Christ’s love and light to those who need it most...in the parish community, or in the darkest corners of the margins in the world around us. Next comes the s4cky part that some4mes deacons aren’t especially popular for: “Interpret to the Church the needs, concerns and hopes of the world”...In an ordained ministry class the Bishop taught at School for Ministry, he would say, “The deacon’s job is to bring a mirror to the Church and have them look into it ...does it match what the world needs? Keep us from becoming too ins4tu4onalized, keep us from being in our comfort zone behind the walls of the building we worship in, keep us aware and ac4ng upon what we are called to do in serving Christ”… Some4mes that mirror can be a hard thing to look at; some4mes an easier thing to ignore. But it’s a deacon’s responsibility to shine it at the Church and work with the laity to meet those needs in their community. Next, “You are to assist the bishop and priests in public worship and in the ministra4on of God’s Word and Sacraments”....Most of you have seen my on Sunday mornings...it’s very specific what deacons do in public worship; proclaim the Gospel, on occasion, preach, call for the confession, 4
“set the table,” distribute the bread, and the dismissal. Unless requested by the rector, a deacon does not take on the role of the laity as lector, intercessor, or chalice. And, last but not least: “... and you are to carry out other du4es assigned to you from 4me to 4me”. Fr. Joe and I will be puPng together a contract that spells out what those “other du4es” will be. I can give you a li?le preview of some of the things we’ve already discussed; a forum presenta4on here and there, pastoral visits, organizing and recrui4ng for our Sunday School roster, teaching when needed, also, helping in evangelism outreach, helping organize Bible studies, etc. Also, where my heart calls me “in the world” is par4cularly in homelessness, human trafficking, and I am also involved in Cursillo- and will be a?ending the April 2016 weekend for the first 4me as clergy! I also have a special spot in my heart for the people at St. Paul’s Senior Homes...having spent some 4me there during seminary as an “intern” to the chaplain. I feel especially blessed to be here, at All Souls’ for my first deployment! You will always be my church family...no ma?er where I am assigned!+ Blessings!
An Update on Our Finances The All Souls’ Finance Commi?ee is pleased to report that as we come to the end of the year, our financial posi4on remains strong with projec4ons indica4ng that we may have some addi4onal funds to a?end to addi4onal property ma?er. The tables below provide a quick look at our actual vs. budgeted income and expenses through November 2015. INCOME
1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter Total Total Total
October 2015
November Year to Date 2015 Total
Income Budget
$ 121,409
$ 124,734
$ 114,571
$ 38,015
$ 37,005
$ 435,734
Income Actual
$131,915
$ 119,869
$ 121,841
$ 42,402
$ 66,326
$ 482,353
Difference
$ 10,506
($ 4,865)
$ 7,270
$ 4,387
$ 29,321
$ 46,619
EXPENSE
1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter Total Total Total
October 2015
November Year to Date 2015 Total
Expense Budget
$ 122,040
$ 129,791
$ 123,207
$ 40,488
$37,842
$ 453,368
Expense Actual
$111,202
$ 123,981
$ 123,822
$ 57,962
$ 55,370
$ 472,336
($ 10,838)
($ 5,810)
$ 615
$ 17,474
$ 17,528
$ 18,968
Difference
Cumulative to Date The Point of our Resources VISION: To be a vibrant and joyfilled congrega4on that serves as the community hub for Christ’s transforma4ve love. MISSION: We invite all to grow in faith with us as we embody and courageously share God’s love in the world.
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Music at All Souls’ THANK YOU ALL SOULS’ CHORISTERS AND PARISH CHOIR Advent & Christmas4de A hearVelt thank you to the musicians of this parish for their support and beau4ful musical offerings during the busy month of December. In the coming days, take a moment and thank members of both choirs for their excellent leadership and commitment to making our worship beau4ful and holy.
AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS RETURNS TO ALL SOULS’ Members of the San Diego chapter of the American Guild of Organists return to All Souls’ Church on Saturday, 16 January to a?end a presenta4on given by Director of the Music, Ruben Valenzuela. The presenta4on is 4tled: “Encountering an historic instrument and its repertoire.” Ruben Valenzuela will demonstrate the Fri?s organ, discuss its characteris4cs, and consider the interpreta4on of diverse repertoire on this instrument. ALL SOULS’ CHOIRS RESUME REHEARSALS All Souls’ Choristers & Parish Choir AOer a well-deserved recess, the All Souls’ choirs begin rehearsals anew on Thursday, 7 January. If you are interested in joining the choirs, or would like to know more about MUSIC AT ALL SOULS’ please speak to Director of the Music, Ruben Valenzuela (rvalenzuela@allsoulspointloma.org).
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What in the World is a Senior Warden? By Rosemary Barnes Senior Warden…hmmmm, what does that term mean? People outside the Episcopal Church oOen ask that ques4on, most likely thinking of a prison warden in a Grade B film. Where did the term “warden” come from? In looking back through a number of ar4cles, I found a reference as to the defini4on of a “warden.” The term dates back from the early 17th Century when the primary responsibility of the Warden was to unlock the church doors for services and other events. Today, carrying keys and unlocking doors is a small part of what a warden does. In the Episcopal Church, both the Senior and the Junior Warden are elected members of the Vestry and officers of the church. The Senior Warden is appointed by the Rector and the Junior Warden, the People’s Warden, is elected by the members of the Vestry. At All Souls’ that elec4on occurs right aOer the Annual Mee4ng. The Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego say very li?le about the role of Senior Warden other than “it is the responsibility of the Senior Warden to ensure worship services are con4nued in the absence or disability of the Rector or other clergy.” Parish by-laws provide for the elec4on of two wardens. Both wardens are members of the vestry. The wardens are generally ranked “senior” and “junior.” The mode of selec4on and du4es of the wardens are determined by state law, diocesan canon, or parish by-laws. The senior warden is usually the primary elected lay leader of the congrega4on. The senior warden typically presides at vestry mee4ngs in the absence of the rector, and the junior warden presides at vestry mee4ngs if both the rector and the senior warden are absent. In case of clerical vacancy, the senior warden may be the ecclesias4cal authority of the parish for certain purposes. And of course, there are those keys to carry. OOen 4mes the Senior Warden is referred to as the Rector or Priests’ warden. How this role is carried out varies depending on tradi4ons, customs, needs of the parish, and leadership style of the Rector or Priest in Charge. The Senior Warden may be a confidant, a partner in brainstorming and oOen is a sounding board, a par4cipant in planning, a parish historian, may carry out projects and oversee specific aspects of the parish, develops the Vestry agenda and leads Vestry mee4ngs in collabora4on with the Rector. Senior Wardens and Rectors must have an open and honest trus4ng rela4onship. That doesn’t mean they necessarily agree on everything, but the ability to listen and either compromise or agree to disagree on a subject is part of their parish leadership. According to the Episcopal Church Founda4on publica4on, Senior Wardens are oOen the “glue” between the vestry and the congrega4on during 4mes of transi4on and the Wardens and Vestry provides con4nuity in leadership. It’s an honor to serve as Senior Warden, and an important posi4on, one where the skills of each Senior Warden are important to the growth and development of ministry and the business of the parish. Other 7
Senior Warden, Cont. a?ributes and responsibili4es include support for the Rector, ensuring the hours worked by the Rector are balanced with 4me off; prayer for the Rector and parish; being ac4ve in and knowledgeable about the congrega4on, its programs and governance; be known as someone who is fair, interacts well with people and is respected by members of the congrega4on; has respect for the Rector, has an ability to “check one’s ego at the door,” to be a servant of the people, and have an enthusiasm and vitality for the voca4on. Chocolates and coffee don’t hurt either.
But, the most important job is assis4ng the Rector in parish development and growth. Over the past 16 months, I’ve been fortunate to work with Fr. Joe and Junior Warden Neil Malmquist, two very hard working and talented men. We’ve had challenges but we have also seen the energy level of the parish increase as well as church a?endance and overall stewardship. Fr. Joe is off to a great start, the parish is in a good place and whoever is the next Senior Warden will bring their giOs and skills while building on the exis4ng infrastructure.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Ain’t that the truth! Our 2016 Christmas Pageant was FANTASTIC. All Souls’ Youth did a wonderful job portraying Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the sheep, and the wisemen. And the All Souls’ Choristers with others from our community did a fantas4c job as the angels. Special thank you to Terry Dirbas, Linda Cobb, David McColl, Leslie Hudak, Barbara Gausewitz, Judy Kebler, and the countless others that contributed to this stunning effort. A new tradi4on is born! Looking forward to our 216 Christmas Pageant already.
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Outreach News: The Joy of Service
On January 31 the Outreach Commi?ee will be hos4ng a service fair to give All Souls’ parishioners the opportunity to explore the many ac4vi4es in our community and beyond supported by All Souls’ through the Outreach Commi?ee. Serving others is a joy and a privilege, and we don’t want to keep the joy all to ourselves! We hope that the explora4on will inspire others to join us at our monthly mee4ngs, and to par4cipate in one or more of the ac4vi4es that so many of us find rewarding. Come and see!
I Took a Dump! By Jayne Ricker As many of you may know, I took a dump! I tripped on an uneven sidewalk and fell extremely hard and flat on my face. I have been describing it as ‘flying through the air.’ As I was ‘flying,’ I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop myself and down I went. I ended up with a very badly bruised forehead and a cut on my lip. As a few days went by, my face and eyes were extremely swollen. In this ‘trial’ of mine, I was reminded in the Book of James where James asks God for wisdom (James 1:5). If we do so in faith, He will surely give it. As I was res4ng in bed, I asked myself, “What was I to learn? What personal growth was I to achieve?” Even Christ learned by the things he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Therefore, I guess I had to undergo periodic pruning to s4mulate that growth (John 15:2).
chipped tooth.” I said, “No, sir…I have already had that chip!” When others share their own ‘dumping’ stories, I see that my fall could have been tragic but it wasn’t. I think of the Foot Print poem [in part] where The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never, never leave you during your 4mes of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” I truly believe that God and his angels were ‘flying’ with me and protected me from further bodily damage.
I first learned that my fall could have been so much worse. No concussion? No broken bones? No broken teeth? No scratches? In fact, the EMT looked at me and said, “Ma’am, you have sustained a
Lastly, I con4nue to learn that there are marvelous souls at All Souls’. Many thanks to the wonderful parishioners for your prayers, cards, thoughts and encouraging words during my down 4me.
Second, I was obviously, ‘stopped in my tracks.’ Did I need to slow down that evening while I was walking along? Probably so. Do I need to slow down in life? Most likely. Christ reminded His disciples in Luke 12:6–7 that God, who even takes detailed notes of the sparrows, is much more deeply interested in the affairs of His own children. Jesus is aware of everything about me down to the smallest detail. Even the hairs on my head are numbered and known to God. Did God simply want me to slow down in life? Perhaps.
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Looking Ahead at All Souls’ January 6, 7:00pm: Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany Join us for a solemn celebra4on with “Smells and Bells” and then for a potluck supper following in Gooden Hall.
January 10: Sunday School Resumes January 13, 2:30pm: Tea with the Rector The Pastoral Care Commi?ee is sponsoring Teas with the Rector as an informal way for Fr. Joe to stay in touch with members of our community. Look for your invita4on.
January 14, 11:00am: Peninsula Shepherd Center—January Lunch Bunch Enjoy a healthy lunch and a presenta4on on Advanced Care Planning. Reserve your space by Jan 12.
January 24, 9:00am: PARISH ANNUAL MEETING We will have a combined service of Holy Eucharist at 9:00am followed by a brunch and Annual Mee4ng. Join us as we recap the wonderful year that has past and look forward to the years to come. We’ll also elect new vestry members!
January 24, 5;00pm: Evensong Join us for the first evensong of the new year!
Other Upcoming Worship at All Souls’ WEDNESDAY EUCHARIST: January 13, 20, 27 at 7:00am A wonderful way to begin your day, spiritually grounded and ready to go. Join us, Wednesday mornings at 7:00am in the chapel for Eucharist. Stop by on your way to work or before that first cup of morning coffee and worship with us!
THURSDAY EUCHARIST: January 7, 14, 21, 28 at 9:30am Join us in the chapel for a quiet service of Holy Eucharist.
CANDLELIGHT COMPLINE: Thursday, January 14 at 9:00pm PLEASE NOTE: Our compline service has moved from, Sunday night to Thursday night, following choir rehearsal. Come join us in this unique service steeped in tradi4onal spirituality while completely updated with modern language and imagery. Live piano music, candlelight and group medita4on creates a healing, peaceful environment. Approximately 30 minutes. 9:00pm the 2nd Thursday of each month.
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Home Tour 2015!
Thank You! Special Thanks to the Home Tour Chair and Commi?ee and for the support of all All Souls’ Parishioners. This is truly our oering to the community! 11
All Souls’ Episcopal Church All Souls’ is a vibrant Episcopal congrega4on in the heart of Point Loma. All ages are welcome; infants and children enliven our worship. To learn more about membership, please contact the church office or visit us on-line. Visit our website at www.allsoulspointloma.org Listen to our sermons on-line at allsouls.sermon.net Reach us by e-mail at office@allsoulspointloma.org Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/allsoulspointloma Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allsoulspointloma
All Souls’ Episcopal Church
Sunday Services
1475 Catalina Blvd. San Diego, CA 92107 619-223-6394
Holy Eucharist: 8:00 am and 10:15 am Nursery Care from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm (infants - 3 years old) Sunday School (all ages): 9:10 am Small Souls Worship: 10:15 am except 4th Sunday of each month Family Eucharist – 4th Sunday @ 10:15 am Choral Evensong – 4th Sunday @ 5:00 pm
In the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes, Bishop
Staff The Rev. Joseph J. Dirbas, Rector The Very Rev. James E. Carroll, Associate The Rev. Pamela Rieger, Deacon Ruben Valenzuela, Director of the Music Jayne Ricker, Facili4es and Office Manager Be?y Nork, Nursery Assistant Vanessa Hiday, Nursery Assistant
Weekday Services: Wednesday Holy Eucharist: 7:00 am Thursday Holy Eucharist: 9:30 am Saturday Cel4c Eucharist: 5:00 pm Compline Service – 2nd Thursday @ 9:00 pm