Message from the Reverend Lynn Oldham Robinett
June
/ July 2010
We have finally received our summer weather, which arrived
just in the nick of time since the children are out of
school and vacations have been planned. I always look
forward to summer, not just because of the nicer, warmer
weather, but because life slows down a little bit. I don’t
have to rush the kids off to school at 8:00 in the morning,
and I have plenty of time in the afternoons to relax with
them or do something other than run from one place to
another. And yet it is not a time to hibernate, but a time
to refocus on a different area of my life. Instead of
running around trying to make sure I make it to every
appointment and every practice or rehearsal, I focus on
spending more quality time with my children, enjoying their
company and doing things differently than we normally do.
This change of pace speaks to me as well with regard to my
faith and our life here in the church. The summer is a time
of planning and working towards getting new programs in
place for the fall. It is also a time when with the more
mellow pace of life, I find myself looking for and noticing
God more often. During the busyness of the school year and
the busier times of the church calendar, I can get so
worried about getting everything done that I sometimes
forget to remember whose I am and why I am here. And I
don’t think I’m alone. It’s easy to get bogged down in the
necessities of everyday life, and forget that we were not
created to just survive, but were created and placed here
to thrive. And I am not referring to wealth or prestige,
but rather to faithfulness and love.
We have been given all that we need to live a faithful
life, honoring God in all that we do, but at times it’s
easy to forget. The number one thing that reminds us over
and over that we are not alone is our Holy Scripture, the
Bible, where we see example after example of people who
remain faithful in all circumstances of their lives. And
where we see example after example of people who struggle
to remain faithful to God in the midst of the chaos that
can come with life. The challenge to all of us is to remain
those who are faithful even during those difficult times,
and learn from those who have struggled like we do at
times. Those who remain steadfast in their faith are able
to remember that God is always present with them and is a
stronghold to rely on in times of trouble. And that God’s
love will see us through all that may come our way.
If you haven’t picked up your Bible in a while, try reading
a bit in the evening with the extra daylight. Explore some
of the stories that have formed us in our faith, and that
have given strength and encouragement to our ancestors. It
can be so easy to believe that by coming to church on a
regular basis we are doing enough for deepening our faith,
but God requires more. If we are to be the faithful people
that we are, we must read, mark and inwardly digest the
scriptures that guide our faith. We need to take additional
time in our lives aside from Sunday morning to search for
God in our lives. And I find summer can be a very good time
to do just that. So take some of this extra time to
remember that you belong to God, and that now might be the
perfect time to delve deeper into your faith.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
May 2010
The past couple of months, the vestry has been hard at work
working to get some new things off the ground. After our
vestry retreat in March, the members of the vestry split up
into teams to begin exploring and implementing new ideas
for our parish surrounding Evangelism and Outreach, and
beginning a capital campaign to replace the roofs on both
the parish hall and the office building. Many organizations
and churches spend countless hours of time coming up with a
mission statement that best represents them. And while
every church is different, and has its own unique
congregation, our mission as a Christian community is
pretty straightforward. When Jesus was asked what was the
greatest commandment, he replied, "You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.‘ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And a second is like it: ̳You shall love your
neighbor as yourself."
As a community of faith, we seek to follow the commandments
that God has given to us and yet it is often easy to lose
sight of our main mission, which is to love God, and love
one another. Both of which we do when we reach outside of
our church to others. Why do we go to church? What is it
about Holy Innocents that calls to you? Is it the
community? Is it the worship? Is it the roundtable? Is it
something that someone else you know might be searching for
as well? We are called to share the Good News, and we do
that by inviting people to our church. Some of whom we may
already know. Others of whom are yet unknown to us. Our
call is to reach out and see whom God can touch through us.
There are also those in our world, in our nation, in our
community, who struggle to survive, sometimes physically,
sometimes mentally. Jesus spent much of his time showing
and teaching his disciples what it meant to be God‘s
servant in the world through action. He fed the poor. He
healed the sick. And he told his disciples to do likewise.
One of our members, John Surinchak, sent me an online link
to an article about a homeless man named Hugo Alfredo
Tale-Yax, who died on the street in New York after trying
to protect a woman who was being attacked. For over an
hour, Hugo lay dying on the sidewalk, while people walked
by gawking and one even took a picture. It reminded me of
the parable of the Good Samaritan. Nobody thought it was
their business to help someone in need. Maybe because he
was homeless. Maybe because he was Latino. Maybe there‘s
another reason that I can‘t think of. Jesus wouldn't have
thought twice about helping a man bleeding on the sidewalk.
And as Christians it is our call to do likewise. How will
we seek to do that?
This year will be spent getting down to business and acting
from the heart of our faith. With our vestry leading the
way, let us do as Jesus commanded us to do: let us love God
and love one another.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
April 2010
It seems that every month, my best intentions of writing my
Challenge article on time and getting the Challenge out
before the first of the month are challenged, so to speak.
This past month I could have used the excuse of Easter,
since Holy Week hit at exactly the beginning of the month,
but I won’t, since not writing my Challenge article early,
seems to occur more often than not. I’ve known since
college that I am one of those deadline performers, the
type that needs a deadline to actually sit down and write a
paper. Some of you may know exactly what I am talking
about. Others of you may be one of the very well-organized,
prepared types who had your papers done in plenty of time
(Palmer if you’re reading this, I’m thinking of you).
What I have noticed as I have gone through life living in
this type of way, is that I try to leave a fair amount of
space open for fun and rest., which can have its down sides
as I noted above. While I work hard when I am working, I
also truly enjoy my time off and don’t like to do extra
work when I am in what I consider “rest mode.” I am
involved in many of my children’s activities, but I also
play in both a women’s soccer league and a coed league
(with Ryan) while the kids sit on the sidelines and cheer
us on like we do for them. This spring I have also joined
my children (and felt very much out of my league) in the
production of the musical Big, which will be performed by
the Stapleton Theatre Company in May. I also have two
different clergy groups with whom I meet on a regular
basis. I mention all of this as a way of talking about rest
and refreshment. So often I hear from people who never slow
down and are always on the go. They forget to leave time
for themselves. Far too often parents schedule their daily
and weekly lives around the lives of their children, and
forget that making time for themselves is just as
important. Jesus always took time out to rest and to pray.
Do we honor that aspect of Jesus’ life and teachings as
well?
As I sit here basking in the glow of Easter, while trying
to finish the Challenge and also readying myself for a trip
to Hawaii with my family, I am very much aware of the
importance of rest and how important it is to one’s health
and well-being. I hope that those of you who are reading
this, take time out to rest and reflect on the gift that
God has given us and the sacrifice that was made for our
sake. I also hope that within your daily and weekly lives
you will make time to rest and find ways to refresh your
spirit and your life. To be true to who and what God wants
us to be, we need to have the energy to do so.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
March 2010
This month, my Lenten discipline did not seem to include
writing a wonderful article for the Challenge. Every time I
sat down to write it, it didn‟t happen. Call it writer‟s
block. Call it laziness. Call it whatever you want. I
thought I'd call it a blessing in disguise, since as a
result, I am including some excerpts from a book called
Home By Another Way, by Barbara Brown Taylor. This is from
a chapter entitled “Lenten Discipline.”
“Do not bother looking for Lent in your Bible dictionary,
because there was no such thing back then. There is some
evidence that early Christians fasted forty hours between
Good Friday and Easter, but the custom of spending forty
days in prayer and self-denial did not arise until later,
when the initial rush of Christian adrenaline was over and
believers had gotten very ho-hum about their faith.
“When the world did not end as Jesus himself had said it
would, his followers stopped expecting so much from God or
from themselves. They hung a wooden cross on the wall and
settled back into their more or less comfortable routines,
remembering their once passionate devotion to God the way
they remembered the other enthusiasms of their youth. Oh,
to be young again and to believe everything is possible.
“Little by little, Christians became devoted to their
comforts instead: the soft couch, the flannel sheets, the
leg of lamb roasted with rosemary. These things made them
feel safe and cared for — if not by God, then by
them-selves. They decided there was no contradiction
between being comfortable and being Christian, and before
long it was very hard to pick them out from the population
at large. They no longer distinguished themselves by their
bold love for one another. They did not get arrested for
championing the poor. They blended in. They avoided
extremes. They decided to be nice instead of holy and God
moaned out loud.
“Hearing that, someone suggested it was time to call
Christians back to their senses, and the Bible offered some
clues about how to do that. Israel spent forty years in the
wilderness learning how to trust the Lord. Elijah spent
forty days there before hearing the still small voice of
God on the same mountain where Moses spent forty days
listening to God give the law. There was also Gospels‟
story about Jesus‟ own forty days in the wilderness, during
which he was sorely tested by the devil. It was hard. It
was awful. It was necessary, if only for the story. Those
of us who believe it have proof that it is humanly possible
to remain loyal to God.
“So the church announced a season of Lent... Forty days to
cleanse the system and open the eyes to what remains when
all comfort is gone. Forty days to remember what it is like
to live by the grace of God alone and not by what we can
supply for ourselves.
“I think of it as an Outward Bound for the soul. No one has
to sign up for it, but if you do then you give up the
illusion that you are in control of your life. You place
yourself in the hands of strangers who ask you to do
foolhardy things...
“The real test comes when you go „solo.‟ The strangers put
you out all by yourself in the middle of nowhere and wish
you luck for the next twenty-four hours. That is when you
find out who you are. That is when you find out what you
really miss and what you really fear. Some people dream
about their favorite food. Some long for a safe room with a
door to lock and others just wish they had a pillow, but
they all find out what their pacifiers are — the habits,
substances, or surroundings they use to comfort themselves,
to block out the pain and fear that are normal parts of
being human.
“Without those things they are suddenly exposed, like
someone addicted to painkillers whose prescription has just
run out. It is hard. It is awful. It is necessary, to
encounter the world without anesthesia, to find out what
life is like with no comfort but God. I am convinced that
ninety-nine percent of us are addicted to something,
whether it is eating, shopping, blaming, or taking care of
other people. The simplest definition of an addiction is
anything we use to fill the empty place inside of us that
belongs to God alone.
“That hollowness we sometimes feel is not a sign of
something gone wrong. It is the holy of holies inside of
us, the uncluttered throne room of the Lord our God.
Nothing on earth can fill it, but that does not stop us
from trying. Whenever we start feeling too empty inside, we
stick our pacifiers into our mouths and suck for all we are
worth. They do not nourish us, but at least they plug the
hole.
“To enter the wilderness is to leave them behind, and
nothing is too small to give up. Even a chocolate bar will
do. For forty days, simply pay attention to how often your
mind travels in that direction. Ask yourself why it happens
when it happens. What is going on when you start craving a
Mars bar? Are you hungry? Well, what is wrong with being
hungry? Are you lonely? What is so bad about being alone?
Try sitting with the feeling instead of fixing it and see
what you find out.”
I find this an amusing yet enriching approach to living our
Christian faith in the season of Lent. I hope you do too.
Peace,
Rev. Lynn
February 2010
This first Sunday in February will mark a new shift for
Holy Innocents as we worship together as one community at
9:00. For the foreseeable future, on the first Sunday of
the month, we will celebrate our life in Christ together,
followed by a shared meal in the parish hall (with the
exception being Easter Sunday where we will have two
distinct services.) As I have mentioned in the past, we are
a small yet vibrant congregation, but when we gather in
three separate services on a Sunday morning, what is most
noticeable is our smallness. On the other hand, when we
gather as one body on a Sunday morning, what is most
noticeable is our vibrancy. While we never lack for energy
and joy, I think it is healthy for us to realize on a
regular basis how alive we truly are.
That being said, I know that combining three distinct
services on a regular basis will take some adjustments for
everyone. All of us — from the youngest child to the oldest
adult — will need to open our hearts to worship in a
different way than we are used to. For the children and
their parents, it will mean a little longer service, with
more formal music, more words and more time to be
reflective (a.k.a. quite to the best of one’s ability). For
those of you who regularly attend the 7:45 or 10:30
service, it will mean a little less formal worship, a more
interactive service, and practicing more patience (a.k.a.
no dirty looks to parents whose kids are a little noisier
than you’re used to). I realize that aspects of it may not
be exactly what all of us would like, but I truly believe
the rewards of combining our worship once a month outweighs
all possible complaints. (Although who knows, I may hear
otherwise...) Please feel free to talk with me or email me
about any of this because I do want to hear your thoughts
and feedback.
In addition to beginning the new year with a new format for
the first Sundays of the month, we will also have our
annual meeting in which we elect new vestry members and
talk about the past year and the new one just beginning. As
we do so, three members of our vestry will also step down
as their terms expire: Carroll Smith, John Stolte, and
Julie Torney. I will say more about them on Sunday, but I
wanted to acknowledge their commitment to, and love for
Holy Innocents. Both John and Julie volunteered to serve on
the vestry not only with a brand new, first—time rector,
but both served also as senior warden during their three
year tenure. I relied on them heavily in very different
ways and both brought their insight and knowledge to every
discussion. Carroll, as an octogenarian, volunteered to
serve the remaining year of someone else’s term when that
person could no longer serve. His calm, thoughtful
observations were always a welcome addition to our
meetings. All three of them demonstrated over and over
their love of God and their service in Christ's name as
vestry members and I am very grateful for their guidance
and care.
In the year we have now entered, there are already numerous
blessings and challenges on the horizon. I hope and pray
that you will consider any new ways that you can get
involved. We are a wonderful community and I look forward
to our meeting on Sunday as we share the many aspects of
our life together in Christ.
Peace,
Rev. Lynn
January 2010
These past few months have not been ones with rest and
relaxation for me nor I would venture, for you. The holiday
season that begins with Thanksgiving and ends with the
celebration of the new year, are filled with too many
things to do and too many places to be. It is one of those
times of year where I need my calendar to make sure I don’t
forget to be somewhere or do something that I am expected
to do. This year’s holiday season was even fuller with the
death of both Erna and my grandmother. So now that the
official holidays are over, I find myself with a little
more time to rest and reflect on all that has transpired,
not only in my life, but in the greater picture that God
has laid out before us by sending his Son to come among us.
I was thinking of a phrase that I have heard uttered on
numerous occasions (usually in a movie or a T.V. show) when
someone is trying to describe how wonderful someone was and
how tragic their passing is. The phrase that I am referring
to is, ―He (or she) was too good for this world.‖ While I
understand the sentiment behind the phrase, I also don’t
believe it. If God chose to come down to this earth and
live among us, then we should also know that God believes
we are worthy of God’s love. Christmas is a reminder of how
much God loves us — a reminder of a world that God declared
good and one that God came down to save. Our role as
Christians is not just to marvel at that fact, but to take
it to heart — to embody that love and share it with others.
Jesus came to us as the Light of the World, and as the
author of the Gospel of John said so beautifully, ―...and
the life was the light of all people.‖ As we enter the
season of the Epiphany, I am reminded that Epiphany is all
about the light of Christ shining in the darkness. Christ’s
light shone on this earth, through him, but for a short
period of time in the grand scheme of things. But his light
continues to have power and the potential to shine through
us. The light of Christ has been passed on to us, Jesus’
followers, so that others may know the love of God that
surrounds them. I am convinced that our world needs the
light of Christ today just as much as it did when a baby
was born in a manger. And the work of spreading that light
must come from us. How we can, as individuals and as a
community, share the love that we know God has for us is
our challenge at hand. Just as it has been the challenge
that has been placed before every Christian community in
the history of the Church.
As we now have entered a very holy time of year in our
church calendar, and we are also laying out our plans for
this new year, I ask that we remain aware of why we are
here. We are here because God wants us to be, and because
God has called us to do God’s work in the world. How we
best embody Christ in this world is to do God’s work, and
share the Good News. Invite someone to church, share a meal
with someone who’s sick, feed the poor. Do whatever you
feel called to do, and do it in Christ’s name.
Peace,
Rev. Lynn
December 2009
The past few weeks for me have been ones filled with a
mixture of thanksgiving and sadness. Nearly two weeks ago,
as all of you I hope know by now, Erna Torney passed away.
Erna was a member here for over 50 years, and was deeply
loved by all who knew her. She was very warm and welcoming
to all who walked through the doors of Holy Innocents and
was a part of almost every aspect of parish life. This past
week my maternal grandmother also passed away at the age of
95. She was the matriarch of our family and I‘m sure that
many of you met her on one of the many occasions she
worshipped with us at Holy Innocents. She too was deeply
loved by many people.
Having both of these amazing ladies pass away so close to
the holidays reminded me of how hard this time of year can
be for people. Loneliness hits many people very hard at
times of celebration if a loved one has died, if family
lives far away, or if there are strained relations between
family members. This is a time of year when we are blessed
with the two most family related holidays of the year,
which makes it all the more difficult for those whose
family is not around. If you are one of those who struggles
during this holiday season, know that you are not alone.
Know also that we strive to be not only a community of
faith, but a loving and supportive place where people can
turn in difficult times.
I mention all this not to sound depressing about the
holidays, but to acknowledge the sadness that can often
accompany them. And yet I also rest assured that both Erna
and my grandma are resting in the loving embrace of their
Creator, accompanied by those who have gone before them.
After all, that is the reason we celebrate Christmas.
"For God so loved the world that he sent his only
begotten Son, that all who believe in Him shall not perish
but have everlasting life.” The crux of our faith is
that nothing can separate us from the love of our Creator.
May you have a peaceful Advent and a blessed Christmas and
know that you are never alone.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
November 2009
As we get ready to enter one of the busiest times of the
church year, I want to recognize someone who, in addition
to Palmer, helps make Sunday mornings flow smoothly. Diane
Gore is one of the many, many people that make things
happen around the parish on Sundays, yet her role is a
little different than most others. When I arrived at Holy
Innocents for the very first time, Palmer and Diane were
the ones who filled me in on the little details that I
needed to know as I tried to figure out the specific
customs of this unique parish. Palmer’s role in worship
and at Holy Innocents is pretty much defined by his
vocation as a Deacon within the Episcopal Church. There is
a sort-of job description for all ordained ministers in the
church, (I say sort-of because what exactly a priest or
deacon does during the week does not fit any general
description), but none really for someone like Diane.
Diane is a layperson, and yet she has the same Masters of
Divinity from the same seminary from which I graduated. The
only difference is that she was not ordained a priest or
deacon. Diane came to Holy Innocents from St. Francis in
Novato to gain experience in worship and parish life much
different than what she was used to, and she never left.
Because Diane has graduated from seminary and has had a
theological education and training, you will sometimes see
her preaching and assisting in ways other lay ministers
usually don’t. In our printed materials, she is often
listed as Assisting Minister or Lay Pastoral Assistant,
which are two ways to try and describe her role around Holy
Innocents. But I’m not sure they are sufficient since
people still ask me what they mean and what her role is.
The most apt description of her role is that of a
sub-deacon, which is a term that was pretty much abolished
as an ordained position with the Reformation in the Church
of England. Still today though, certain churches and
communities in the Anglican Community assign a layperson to
serve as sub-deacon in the celebration of the liturgy of
the mass or Holy Eucharist (especially Solemn High Mass);
however, this is considered a liturgical function one
fills, not an order to which one is ordained. In practice,
an Anglican sub-deacon often acts as crucifer (carrying the
cross), reads the Epistle, holds the Gospel as the Deacon
is proclaiming it, and assists the deacon in setting the
altar. At our 7:45 and 10:30 services, Diane does all these
things. She also works with Palmer and me in creating the
Prayers of the People that are used throughout the year,
and planning special liturgies such as those at Christmas,
Easter and Holy Week. Like Palmer, she does not receive a
stipend, but is here from 7:30-11:30 almost every Sunday of
the year.
I mention all of this not only to fill in those of you who
were unsure why Diane is singled out in our bulletins or in
the Challenge, but also to recognize the many hours she
spends each week serving in our weekly services. Diane’s
is but one role in our church that is filled by a
volunteer, but it is a unique one because of her seminary
training. I still don’t know what the best title for
Diane’s role should be, but whatever it is, it couldn't
say enough.
Peace,
Rev. Lynn
October 2009
This past year has not been an easy one for many of you.
With the economic downturn in our nation, all of our lives
have been affected in some way. Some of you lost your jobs
and had trouble finding work that would allow you to earn
enough for your family. Some of you had to go back to work
as you watched your retirement funds slide away. Some of
you remained employed, but with a growing concern for
future business possibilities. Very few of you remained
unaffected by the turmoil of the year. But what I continued
to notice throughout the year is that most of you continued
to give graciously of your time, talent and treasure to
Holy Innocents. Three new Eucharistic Ministers received
the Diocesan training to serve at the altar on Sunday
mornings — Phoebe Brown, Ted Johnson, and Amy Hatch. Our
monthly pledge income continued to be as consistent as in
years past. And more and more, new people have stepped
forward to share their gifts with Holy Innocents in fresh
ways. I continue to be amazed at the generous spirit that
is at the heart of our faith-filled community and know how
much this community means to all of us.
I mention all this as it is once again time for us to look
at what we can do to support the mission and ministry of
Holy Innocents. Every year I ask myself and you to consider
how we can give of our time, talent and treasure to make
sure that God’s presence is felt and shared not only in
our church community, but in the larger community
surrounding us as well. Through our words and our actions,
we are seeking to reach out to those around us who may be
searching for a Christian home through which they can
deepen their faith, as well as nurture those who are
already here.
Throughout the year many opportunities for ministry will
present themselves, but right now is the time of year that
I invite you to make a financial commitment to Holy
Innocents. For all of us, I hope, Holy Innocents is a place
of spiritual respite, where we feel the presence of God and
the Holy Spirit moving through us. It is up to us to
support the work of the Spirit, and offering a pledge to
support the work of the church is one important way to do
so. In a few weeks you will receive an invitation to
prayerfully consider how you can financially support Holy
Innocents. I am very aware that we live in financially
uncertain times, but I also know that God continues to
provide for us when we need it. In the past year, Holy
Innocents was able to help some of our parishioners who
needed temporary financial help, as well as have parish
events and programs, and continue the important task of
being good stewards of our aging church buildings. While I
hope that this next year will be a better one for those who
struggled a bit this year, it is important that we are just
as prepared to be God’s servants to those among us.
When you receive your stewardship packet, please consider
how you can support God’s work at Holy Innocents through
your time, talent, and treasure.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
September 2009
I hope that you enjoyed your summer and had time to relax
and rest. With school having already started for most
children, many of you, like me, are trying to plan your
schedule for the fall and for the year. It seems like
summer just started, but here we are getting ready to kick
off the year once again. The vestry has already had a full
plate of things to discuss, none the least of which is the
state of the roofs over the parish hall and office
buildings. It was only two years ago that we put a new roof
on the church sanctuary, and now we are looking at having
to redo the remaining roofs on our campus. Before it became
known to us that the roofs were in such a state, we were
looking into redoing the floor in the church. As you all
know, our parish floor consists of very aged, black and
white linoleum tiles that are coming up in places. The
original vision behind the tile came from Father Tod Ewald
when he visited some of the grand, elaborate cathedrals and
churches in Italy. He was struck by the beauty of the black
and white marble flooring in one of the churches and since
he truly thought of Holy Innocents as a cathedral, black
and white linoleum was installed. That was at least 40-50
years ago and the vestry has been looking into replacing
the floor, but our first priority is to make sure the roofs
don’t leak in the upcoming winter, which is highly likely
if we don’t replace the one on the parish hall. As a
result, we will need to raise a substantial sum of money to
redo the roofs and replace the floors. A letter will be
going out within the next month, outlining the steps we are
taking to take care of our facilities and how you who love
Holy Innocents, can help us do that.
One of the wonderful traditions at Holy Innocents is to
start the school year/church year off with a parish picnic.
On Sunday, September 13th, we will have only one service at
10 a.m., followed by our annual parish picnic/BBQ in the
Corte Madera Town Park. After a summer of vacations and
sporadic attendance by many, we will kick off our new year
with a party “Holy Innocents style.” All are welcome to
join in on the fun and festivities, so mark your calendar
and bring a dish to share. This is one of the few times
during the year that the entire congregation gathers as one
and worships together. It is always a spirit-filled day and
I hope you will join us.
During Lent last year, I offered a Lenten Book Study, which
was well-attended and enjoyed by all who came. Because only
women attended, we talked about continuing as a women’s
book group that would meet on a monthly basis to study a
book and share a meal together. The book group never
transpired in the spring, but this fall we are going to try
it out. The women’s book group will meet on the 2nd Tuesday
of the month, with the first meeting on October 13th. The
first book for the group to read will be, “The Life of Pi.”
We will have the first group meeting at Holy Innocents, and
decide on future locations at the first meeting. All women
are invited to join the group so please let me know if you
are interested so I can order the book for you. In the
future, we will choose a book in advance and everyone will
be responsible for purchasing their own copy.
I hope to see you soon,
Rev. Lynn
July/August 2009
One of the highlights of the summer for me so far has to be
the 4th of July parade. It was a beautiful sunny, yet
breezy day that offered us the opportunity to get out in
the community and remind people that we are here. The youth
helped make two banners that we can use again in future
years in a festive red, white and blue that say Holy
Innocents Episcopal Church. Our truck was a festive purple
with a Holy Innocents banner and red, white and blue
streamers flying from every corner. Phoebe also drew the
symbol that is at the top of this page on a large piece of
white cardboard for all to see. It was a beautiful day. We
were one of three churches in the parade, yet definitely
the most festive and fun. Now that we've done it once, we
can better envision what will make it easier and more
comfortable next year - water and food.
Another highlight is the Garden of Hope. There are a number
of pictures in this edition of the Challenge that show how
fabulous our garden looks. The pumpkins are ripening, the
corn is growing tall, and the sunflowers are getting ready
to burst forth. We have harvested zucchinis and herbs, and
are just waiting for the green beans and tomatoes to ripen.
(The tomatoes had a minor setback because of a few wayward
deer ...) The watermelon plants are trying to produce, but
only time will tell if they are able. On Sunday we even had
some of the flowers from the garden (zinnias and black-eyed
Susans) in the church. Much of the success of the garden is
a result of all the hard work that Nancy Martling is
putting into it. She spends numerous hours during the week
working on ridding the space of those ever-present
blackberries and making sure every part of it is
sufficiently watered. My husband Ryan also has spent many
Sundays after worship digging out blackberry roots and
still finding more glass. To see that area transform from a
great weed pit to a beautiful productive space has been a
joy to behold when I know that many different hands have
been involved in that process. If you haven't had the
opportunity to see it, I invite you to do so, since the
pictures just don't do it justice.
The week of July 26 - August 1, my family and I will be
attending Generations Camp at the Bishop's Ranch in
Healdsburg. This will be our third year attending the camp
and after only the first year, my children decided that
Generations Camp had to be a part of every summer. Aside
from a weekend camping trip that we are taking the weekend
of August 14 - 16, it is the only vacation we are taking
this summer. It means that much to our family. It is a time
to spend a week as a family of faith with many other
families, worshiping God, playing games, doing family
crafts, swimming, hiking, going to the beach, etc. The week
is all planned out for everyone, with time to be with peers
added right in. If this sounds appealing to you, think
about attending next year. We are so fortunate to have the
Bishop's Ranch to visit and enjoy.
I hope you are having a wonderful summer and are enjoying
this beautiful God-given weather that we are so blessed to
have.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
June 2009
As a parent I have noticed that as the school year winds
down, the level of busyness in my life increases. Every
production has to be produced, every group has to have its
end of the year party in whichever way it does that, and
sports teams wind up their seasons. It is a time when
everything winds up in order to come to a grand finale. In
the church we have a similar celebration in the form of
Pentecost, but Pentecost is not about something coming to
an end, it is about a new beginning. The feast day of
Pentecost is a day when we celebrate the coming of the Holy
Spirit upon a ragtag bunch of disciples who knew they were
to share the Gospel in the world, but needed a little nudge
in order to do so. All of a sudden they felt empowered to
go out into the world with new understandings of the gifts
God had given them to share the Good News.
The vestry has decided to focus on a few things to share
our faith with others through both traditional and
non-traditional means. Michael Kopf has been extremely
active in the community C.E.R.T. Program and Holy Innocents
has been designated a secondary disaster relief shelter. We
are secondary only because we do not have showers on the
premises. As a part of that, we now have a generator that
is stored in the undercroft ready to use in the event of an
emergency. (On a side note, we definitely could have used
it for the reception at my sister's wedding in Canada in
May when the electricity went out for two and a half
hours.) We are also in the process of receiving disaster
relief supplies to be stored in case of need. Michael has
spent many, many hours organizing all of this and we are
all very grateful.
We are also applying for a permit to have a float in the
4th of July parade, and if you would like to participate in
any way, please let me know. The theme this year is
"Magical Moments," which can be interpreted in whatever way
we believe will represent us on the 4th of July. If you
have any ideas, don't hesitate to share them with anyone on
the vestry.
Although things do slow down in the summer, we can't forget
whose we are and why we are here. The Good News of Christ
has touched all of us in some way and I hope that others
will see that in us as we work within our community. Let us
be a vital presence in our community this summer as we live
and breathe and have our being in the One who created us,
the One who came down to save us, and the One who empowers
us.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
May 2009
Spring has officially arrived, now that we've had some very
cold and windy days followed by a few days of 90 degree
weather and then back to the cold and windy days. Spring in
the Bay Area brings with it a variety of weather which is
not always as consistent as I might like. I have to admit
that when it comes to many things, especially weather, I
value consistency (preferably warm). I like to be able to
dress appropriately just by looking out the window and
knowing that it's been cold or warm. I hate going out and
freezing all day or being too hot. And I believe most
people would express a similar opinion. We don't want to
get caught off guard. And I do know that one of the last
places we are hesitant to get caught off guard is in our
church life. I believe that when we go to a church that
stirs our soul or speaks to us in some unknown way, we want
it to continue to do so. And if consistency is lost or if a
lot of changes are introduced too quickly or without
conversation, it can be quite jarring to our senses.
I mention this because there have been a number of changes
at Holy Innocents in the last six months, some of them
well-talked about and some of them not talked about at all.
The biggest change of all was the change in service times
which we discussed and for which we prepared for many
months. In Lent we changed the service music at our 10:30
service to a setting that is old and familiar to many, yet
no longer flows from our lips so easily. For the Easter
season, again we have changed the service music to a
setting that is not nearly so familiar and yet fills the
church with the vibrant joy of Christ's resurrection. The
words to the Sanctus are more contemporary even though the
service itself remains Rite I. I know at times I stumble
over the words being different, as I'm sure you do, because
I am so used to the traditional wording. We will continue
using this setting of the Sanctus for the remainder of
Easter, and possibly longer because the musical
accompaniment fills the church with energy and life that
truly represents our Christian community. I would
appreciate hearing from those of you who attend worship at
10:30, to see how these changes feel and sound.
The 7:45 service has experience little change, in fact none
that I can think of. I have continued leading worship in
the same manner in which it was conducted before I arrived.
That being said, I would like to introduce a minor change
in the season after Pentecost. The bulk of the service is
Rite I, with the exception of the Prayers of the People.
For the season after Pentecost, I would like to reintroduce
the Prayers that are in the Book of Common Prayer for Rite
I. While they are less interactive and engaging (I hope not
to see anyone nodding off during our prayers), they are
more consistent with the worship of that service.
Of all the services, Kid's Church experienced the most
change and some without conversation. The music at Kid's
Church changed from a solo guitar to a piano and often a
cello. When we hired Jeanette to be our organist, we also
asked her to lead music at Kid's Church. The music
selections have changed somewhat, with a little more
complexity, which depending on the age of the person I talk
to, is either a good thing or a bad thing.
We changed how we do the prayers, and I started letting the
acolytes help distribute communion, the latter a change
that was not talked about or discussed. And I appreciate
the forthrightness of some members of Kid's Church who have
talked with me about their discomfort surrounding the
children helping with communion. I began having children
help because I initially did not have a trained Eucharistic
Minister at Kid's Church after we changed service times,
and since the kid's were acolyting I just had them help.
Since I realize now that it is uncomfortable for some to
have the kids serving communion, we will pause that
practice for the time being. We have one trained, licensed
Eucharistic Minister, Chris Torney, who is a regular
attendee at Kid's Church and I will have him help me with
communion. When he is not available, we have others who can
assist.
When change happens, I believe it should happen slowly and
with plenty of conversation and discernment leading up to
it. And sometimes I forget to do just that. So as we
continue to celebrate our new life in the resurrected
Christ, know that I am trying to remain consistent in how I
serve Holy Innocents and in the choices I make in doing so.
Worship is but one area of our life together, but it is the
one most visible. I always welcome input, both positive and
negative on how you experience being a part of this
wonderful community. Please don't hesitate to talk with me
at any point, or with other members of the staff or vestry.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
April 2009
In a few short days we will enter into the most holy time
of year for us as Christians. We will begin on Palm Sunday
as we rejoice at Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
with crowds of people shouting "Hosanna!" Shortly
thereafter we will hear the same crowds shouting "Crucify
him! Crucify him!" And thus begins Holy Week, where we will
experience in our own way, the journey that Christ took in
his last few days. If you have ever attended Holy Week
services, you know how much more powerful and poignant
Easter morning and the resurrection is after going through
Good Friday. I encourage you to come to as many of the Holy
Week services as possible so that you can fully experience
the joy of the resurrection.
During Lent, seven of us met for four weeks for a book
study of Frederic Buechner's book Telling The Truth: The
Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale. Not only did we
share great conversation and good food, we also had a
wonderful time just getting together and sharing our lives
with one another. As a result, we are going to start a
monthly women's group that gets together once a month in
the evening, to have a little bit of study, a little bit of
food, and share what's going on in our lives. Our first
meeting will be in May, and is open to all the women in the
parish, and we would love to have you join us. Please let
me know if you are interested.
With the arrival of Easter, also comes the arrival of
spring and the rejuvenation of the Garden of Hope. Last
month, the parish gathered before, during and after
services on a Sunday to start preparing the garden for
planting. About 30 people gathered at various points to
clear weeds, clean up the patio, fill up the back of my
purple truck with debris, and share a BBQ potluck. It was
one of the most enjoyable and successful work parties I
have ever been a part of, and I know we will do another one
sometime soon as there is more work to do to prepare the
garden. Nancy Martling has joyfully volunteered to be in
charge of the Garden of Hope and one can feel her energy
and enthusiasm as she speaks of the project. We will keep
you posted on the next steps and how you can continue to be
involved.
I wish you a profound Holy Week and a blessed Easter. I
hope that you will join me in prayer and worship in the
upcoming week.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
March 2009
I am utterly amazed by how much happened last month. We
started with the Bishop's visit and confirmation on the
first of the month. The following Sunday we had a wonderful
annual meeting, talking about last year and looking ahead
at the one we've just entered. In the middle, the vestry
and former vestry members participated in a mutual ministry
review facilitated by two members of the Diocese to look at
how we do ministry, and how we can improve ministry. We
ended the month with a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper with a
little Mardi Gras and Beignets thrown in for variety. Then
crawled into the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. It was
a very full and busy month.
And yet throughout, while I did feel like I had a lot on my
plate, I also knew that there were people filling in and
helping every step of the way. Phoebe Brown was in the
office a lot folding and stapling all the different service
bulletins and organizing the food for the bishop's visit
and annual meeting; John Stolte was organizing the Mutual
Ministry Review; Bob & Liz Burd were getting all the
financials from last year and this, ready for everyone to
look at. There are many more names I could add to the list
of people who helped make everything happen this past
month, but these are just examples in my recent experience
of how people at Holy Innocents fill in the gaps. It makes
my job much easier.
The vestry will soon be meeting to work on an operational
strategy to build on what we discerned at the Mutual
Ministry Review, and see how we can continue to grow and
strengthen our ministries. As I said at the Annual Meeting,
I feel the Spirit moving here at Holy Innocents, and when
the Spirit moves, good things happen. We are seeking and
following the path that God has put in front of us, and we
may not know exactly where we're going, but we know the
path to take. I trust that God will continue to lead us,
and that we will find increasing ways to be faithful
messengers of Christ in this world. And through doing so,
Holy Innocents will be known as a loving place of God for
all.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
February 2009
This month's newsletter is filled with images of Epiphany,
yet it almost seems so long ago. Here we are getting ready
for the Bishop's visit among us which marks the beginning
of February, not to mention the Super Bowl. Later this
month we will make a major shift in our parish life. The
past two months have been full of celebration and joy,
which continue on in the beginning of this month, but all
that changes on February 25th. Our lives don't necessarily
change, and we will continue to celebrate birthdays and
anniversaries and many more occasions, but as a church we
turn our attention away from the exuberance of Christmas
and Epiphany and into the solemnity of Lent. February is a
transition month. It is a time to move from one way of
living to another. In Epiphany we celebrate the light of
Christ that has come into the world. In Lent we turn our
attention to the fullness of Jesus' presence and mission.
And it can be deeply powerful when we do so.
Believe it or not, I always appreciate Lent. For one who
likes to celebrate both the big and small moments in life,
Lent gives me time to pause. "Let's take a break from
celebrating for a while so that we can remember the One who
has given us reason to celebrate." Lent reminds me of why
I'm here, of why I go to church, of why I am a priest. Lent
is a time for reflection. It is a time to take a step back
from everyday life and see where we are, and where we are
headed.
But not yet. For now, we are still in Epiphany. We still
have a few more celebrations to go. On Sunday, February
1st, we welcome the Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus to our church and
he will confirm five of our youth: Kathleen Hatch, Logan
Palmer, Claire Parkinson, Sonja Plasil, and Nicole Torney.
After the service, we will have a lavish reception,
graciously organized by Phoebe Brown. The following Sunday,
February 8th, we will have our Annual Parish Meeting after
the 10:00 service. It will be a potluck brunch, where we
will talk about both the past year and the present one.
Both occasions give us good reason to celebrate, so I hope
you will join us in doing so.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn
January 2009
This month we begin the season of Epiphany. We begin with
the arrival of the three magi who came following a star to
find Christ. It is the feast we celebrate on January 6th
every year. The magi were the first to see the bright
light, the star that led them exactly to where he was. And
we celebrate that moment with a pageant so that the
children may tell us the story in their own unique way.
During the season of Epiphany, we hear lessons in our
Sunday worship that focus on occasions through which Jesus
Christ is revealed to the world.
An epiphany is an event that reveals something about who
God is and who we are in relation to God. Encounters such
as those are moments of transformation and profound grace
initiated by God. They are those moments when it is as if a
light bulb has gone off over our heads and we understand
something in a new way and with new eyes. They give us a
new understanding not always in our minds, but always in
our hearts.
I was once given a book co-authored by Luci Shaw, a member
of the church I was interning at, titled Winter Song. The
book contains a number of readings and poems all about the
winter months tied into the events that unfold in the
church during the winter. Her description of epiphany is
one that I often re-read to remind me that God is always
present, whether or not I recognize God. I thought I'd
share with you one of the pieces that she wrote.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest where as she says, the
rain falls steadily for days (or weeks) and the clouds hug
the earth and shroud the landscape in a gentle gloom. Just
a few miles in from the coast rise the Cascade Mountains,
with the spectacular Mt. Baker among them. She writes:
For weeks I've driven my highway, north in the morning
then south again at the end of the day. The mountains are
clearly marked on the map, but they might as well not
exist, lost as they are in clouds, obscured by drizzle,
fog, haze. Then, some morning, unexpectedly, a strong air
from the sea will lick away the fog and allow the sun to
shine cleanly. And Mt. Baker, towering magnificently
beyond the foothills, unbelievably high above the other
mountains, is seen to be what it has been all along -
immense, serene, unmovable, its dazzling, snow-draped
profile cut clear against a sky of jewel blue.
Today it happened. The mountain "came out"! I kept
turning my eyes from the highway to look once more at its
splendor, wanting to be overwhelmed again and again. It
is heart-stopping. I can't get enough of it. And I can
never take it for granted - I may not see it again for
weeks.
It's God, showing me a metaphor of himself. I mean - he's
there, whether I see him or not. It's almost as if he's
lying in wait to surprise me. And the wind is like the
Spirit, sweeping away my foggy doubt, opening my eyes,
revealing the reality of God. Annie Dillard's words say
it for me: "It was less like seeing than being for the
first time seen, knocked breathless by a powerful
glance..."
Her words speak loudly to me as we enter into Epiphany; as
we hear the stories of Jesus being revealed to the world;
as we ponder the surprising presence of God in our lives.
Let us marvel at the mystery, and may we be pleasantly
surprised as God continues to appear when we least expect
it.
Peace to you,
Rev. Lynn