Local News Blog

'Nothing but' misses the point

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by the Rev. Canon Frank S. Logue, the Canon to the Ordinary of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, from Sermons that Work

Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17, (25-27)

The Holy Spirit came to Jesus’ first followers on Pentecost, empowering the frightened pack of disciples to become a brazen bunch of evangelists. The curse of the Tower of Babel was reversed in one amazing outburst. At Babel, people were divided. Former fishermen and other followers of Jesus became interpreters par excellence. In this Babel scene played backward, the devout Jews from Elam, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Pamphylia and the like now hear the Good News of what God has done through Jesus each in their own native language.

The gospel is spoken not in confusing babble but with a crystal clarity that leaves the hearers cut to the quick. Before this amazing day is over, 3,000 devout Jews will be baptized as followers of Jesus, the Christ. The result of Pentecost was to take a diverse group of people and to bring them together into a common understanding of what God’s deeds of power meant to their lives.

To continue reading, please click here.

Summer 2013 at Camp Noel Porter

Nicole Baxley — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Don’t Miss Summer 2013 at Camp Noel Porter!

by Camp Noel Porter

Camp Noel Porter is accepting applications for the 2013 camp season. Visit our website at www.campnoelporter.org for dates and descriptions.

When we asked campers what they like about Camp Noel Porter, two campers from St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Davis replied with a list that says it all!

Top Twelve Reasons Why We Love Camp Noel Porter
by Kevin Briggs and Jonathan Willits of St Martin's, Davis

1.White Water Rafting on Wednesday, where the biggest risk of getting wet is when the other rafts splash you in passing
2. Beanie Weanie Day is even more fun than it sounds
3. Camp Dance for Junior/Senior High or Carnival for the younger campers
4. Massive Capture the Flag game
5. Going to the beach at Lake Tahoe with your friends
6. Nobody believes camp food is good, but at Camp Noel Porter, the spaghetti will give Grandma’s recipe a run for its money
7. Battling it out to earn a spot on the Wall of Fame in the Noel Porter team obstacle course...and knowing future Noel Porter generations will see your name
8. The friendly staff
9. Making new friends who you remember year after year
10. Campfire songs and skits
11. Competing for the best skit rankings from the staff
12. Working with your cabin mates to turn your favorite pop songs into grace before meals

To register, make inquiries or donate to the Camp Noel Porter scholarship fund, please visit www.campnoelporter.org or call 530-583-3014.

Creating and Enhancing Planned Giving

Nicole Baxley — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Endowment Ministries for Your Congregation

by the Episcopal Foundation of Northern California

Please join us Sunday, June 23, 2013, for this special presentation sponsored by the Episcopal Foundation of Northern California, the Capital Deanery, the Episcopal Church Foundation and hosted by Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. We all know that Planned Gifts and Endowed Funds make a huge difference in the life of a congregation, but how do we get there? This presentation for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California is designed to take the mystery out of it and enable every congregation to begin these programs. Our presenter will be Jim Murphy, CFRE, Managing Program Director of Financial Resources for the Episcopal Church Foundation. Please invite the leadership from your congregation; Clergy, Vestry, Stewardship, Finance, Planned Giving and other interested groups.

To learn more, please click here to download a PDF flyer.

Organist Christoph Bull Returns

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by Christ Church, Eureka

Organist Christoph Bull will return to Christ Church in Eureka on Wednesday, May 22 to present a program at 10 a.m. for local schoolchildren, 4th through 8th grade, and a concert for the general public that evening at 7:00 p.m. to benefit the Children’s Music & Arts Ministries at Christ Church. All proceeds from the concert will go toward the 2013 Music & Arts Camp to be held July 30 – August 9 at the church.

When: Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Christ Church, Eureka
625 15th Street,
Eureka, CA 95502
View Map
Suggested Donations: $15 for individuals and $25 for families

The mission of the Children’s Music and Arts Ministries at Christ Church is to share the gifts of music and the arts with children in our community through teaching and experience in a safe, loving environment as we encourage outreach to underserved children to awaken and nurture the creative Spirit we all possess. The Music and Arts Camp is in its fourth year.

Suggested donations at the door of the concert – $15 for individuals and $25 for families – will be gratefully accepted. The May 22 events are made possible by grants from Episcopal Community Services (a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California) and the Special Projects Fund of the San Francisco Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), and by donations from the Christ Church Concert Series and the Sequoia Chapter of the AGO.

Christoph Bull is an extraordinarily gifted keyboard musician who is University Organist at UCLA and a solo artist featured on the premiere recording of the pipe organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. A versatile musician who crosses musical boundaries, he has performed organ music of J. S. Bach at the Catholic Cathedrals of Los Angeles, Salzburg, Saint-Denis (Paris) and Moscow, yet he has also performed at the Whiskey A Go Go and the Viper Room in Southern California. He has been a featured recitalist and workshop presenter at the National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Los Angeles in 2004, and he once opened for Cindy Lauper together with violinist Lili Haydn.

Dr. Bull teaches organ at UCLA, and is Principal Organist at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. He has worked with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Grammy award winning Southwest Chamber Music, and with Bootsy Collins and George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic. He has accompanied silent movies on the organ and has improvised on numerous musical tunes ranging from Medieval dances to Beethoven to Beatles songs. He received an ASCAPlus Award for innovative concert programming in 2006 and 2007. In his own words, he “likes organ music, rock music, and rocking organ music.”

Click here to download a flyer for this event.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Streufert via email at nancy.s.streufert@att.net or via phone at 707-442-1212.

I Care: Providing Spiritual Care

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by The Sacramento Bee

The fragrance of fresh flowers fills the air in the meditation center as nurses arrive to have their hands blessed by [the] Rev. Arthur Lillicropp, an Episcopal priest. As manager of Spiritual Care Services at Kaiser Permanente in South Sacramento, he comforts the sick and dying, counsels grieving families, and reassures staff.

To continue reading, please click here.

Patient Advocates in Rocklin

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by St. Augustine of Canterbury, Rocklin

St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church of Rocklin has three parishioners functioning as a Pastoral Team offering pastoral health-based support grounded in their medical experience. The team members are patient advocates and help people in health crisis to navigate the complicated and confusing aspects of healthcare and insurance coverage.

Help may come in the form of research or assistance in making decisions, going to physician visits to act as listeners, and being present during difficult times as well as supporting family members. Although the members are all health professionals they do not provide medical treatment or act as health care providers.

One of the members of the team is Dr. Rich Wampler, who serves as a medical advocate for anyone in the parish requesting his services. He will help answer questions about disease and treatment in non-medical language. At times he accompanies people to medical appointments. Rich is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine and had extensive experience in cardiac surgery and emergency room settings before branching into his current field of artificial heart pumps.

Mary Kathryn Marum graduated from Wayne State and the University of Michigan. She holds a Master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner and traveled to Maryland to complete the church’s training as a parish nurse. Her background includes all aspects of nursing care from hospital to hospice, rehabilitation, community nursing and public health settings.

Jeanne Rochelle completed 43 years of nursing after graduating from Loma Linda University. Much of it involved neonatal and pediatric health care. Her recent experience as a case manager for Workers’ Compensation has been most helpful in assisting members with coordination of care, hospital visits and a plan for health care intervention.

Parishioners may contact any member of the team, as well as the Rev. Liz Armstrong for pastoral care assistance. The parish feels both blessed and protected at those times when we are ill and at our most vulnerable. This unique team carries out the ministry of the physician Luke in many ways!

What now, God?

Nicole Baxley — Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by Sierra Pacific Synod and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

What now, God?
Exploring Career, Vocation and Self in Mid-Life

When: July 22, 6:00 p.m. to July 23, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Christ the King Retreat Center
6520 Van Maren Ln.
Citrus Heights, CA 95621

Are you in midlife and feel like what you have been doing is no longer satisfying?

Have you found that your mind and spirit are changing, or that you have a vague calling to something new and presently unknown?

Would you like to do some discernment among and with people in a similar situation?

Would you like to petition God about all of this?

Then this retreat is for you!

“What looks like falling can largely be experienced as falling upward and onward, into a broader and deeper world, where the soul has found its fullness, is finally connected to the whole, and lives inside the Big Picture.”
– Father Richard Rohr

Click here to download a pamphlet with more information.

Myths of Mary Magdalene

Nicole Baxley — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Webinar

Join professor of mythology and cultural history Kayleen Asbo for a seven week pay-what-you-will series on this fascinating and pivotal Christian figure in art, music, legend, and literature. From her earliest depictions in the canonical Gospels to the modern portrayals in novels, movies and the opera, you will learn how the woman closest to Jesus continues to inspire creativity, hope and healing. You can enroll in one class or the whole series, and audio recordings are available to listen to after the broadcast.

May 1: FREE introduction: The Many Faces of Mary Magdalene
May 8: The Canonical Magdalene
May 15: The Contemplative Conflation: Mary of Bethany
May 22: Enter the Penitent Prostitute
May 29: Heretics and Troubadours: Legends of the Magdalene in France
June 5: The Gnostic Magdalene
June 12: Anthropos: A Magdalene for Our Times

For more information and to register, go to www.mythsofmarymagdalene.com

Church and the Future of America

Nicole Baxley — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Sr. Simone Campbell, Leader of Nuns on the Bus, Visits Berkeley on May23
Panel on Church and “Moral and Spiritual Future of America” is open to all

On Thursday, May 23 from 2-4 pm, Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) will present "The Church and the Moral and Spiritual Future of America," a panel discussion with its three 2013 honorary doctorate recipients: Sr. Simone Campbell, Bishop Mark Hollingsworth and Bonnie Anderson. CDSP President Mark Richardson will moderate the panel.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the St. Margaret's Courtyard on the CDSP Campus, 2451 Ridge Rd. in Berkeley. It will also be streamed live over the Internet at www.cdsp.edu.

“We encounter our own faith most fully when we are engaged with others who bring to us the gifts of their histories and traditions,” said Richardson. “We are delighted to welcome Sr. Simone Campbell to CDSP and look forward to learning from her extraordinary witness for justice and understanding of the church’s social justice teaching. Together with Bishop Hollingsworth, who is a product of CDSP and a loyal friend of our seminary, and Bonnie Anderson, a champion of lay ministry in the Episcopal Church, I look forward to a lively and fruitful conversation.”

Sr. Simone Campbell is the executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice lobby, an attorney and a poet. Last summer, Campbell led a group of sisters, known as the Nuns on the Bus, on a nine-state trip to call attention to proposed federal financial cuts to programs that serve the poor.

The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, a 1981 alumnus of CDSP, is the 11th bishop of Ohio. In California, Kentucky and Massachusetts, Bishop Hollingsworth has served a variety of congregations and church organizations including the Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco. He was founder of Epiphany at Sea, a program taking inner-city middle school students to sea on traditional fishing schooners. He currently serves as trustee of CDSP, the Episcopal Preaching Foundation, the Ocean Classroom Foundation, and Kenyon College.
Bonnie Anderson was the president of the Episcopal Church’s legislative body called the House of Deputies from 2006-2012. She is known in the Episcopal Church as a champion for the ministry of the laity, an advocate for marginalized people, and a skilled community organizer. She has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from the Episcopal Divinity School and Sewanee, the University of the South. She received honorary Doctor of Canon Law degrees from Seabury Western Theological Seminary and General Theological Seminary.

On Friday, the three will be awarded the Doctorate of Divinity honoris causa at Church Divinity School of the Pacific’s 119th commencement ceremony, which is by invitation only and will be streamed live over the Internet at www.cdsp.edu beginning at 10:30 am Pacific.

Church Divinity School of the Pacific, a seminary of the Episcopal Church and a member of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, educates students in an ecumenical and interreligious context to develop leaders who can proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world through traditional and emerging ministries. Learn more at www.cdsp.edu.

2013 Grant Opportunities

Nicole Baxley — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Episcopal Community Services

Deadline for grants is May 24, 2013
Grant Announcements on June 15, 2013

by Episcopal Community Services

Grant proposals are being accepted for the Ministry Development Fund which funds development or expansion of Health & Social Service Outreach Ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.

Grant maximum: $5000.00

In addition, grant proposals are being accepted for the Bishop Jerry & Jane Lamb Grant funding Youth/Young Adults in doing Outreach projects.
Grant maximum: $1000.00

Request for Proposals are available at www.norcalecs.org (click on Ministry grants).
Mail to: Susan Wahlstrom, Program Chair
Episcopal Community Services
P.O. Box 1023
Sacramento, CA 95685
Or Email: wahlstrom@volcano.net

If you have questions, please contact Susan Wahlstrom at 209-296-1139.

Wine Tasting

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by The Belfry, Campus Ministry

The Belfry Campus Ministry is holding its 2nd annual wine tasting fundraiser for the Belfry at Monticello Restaurant (630 G Street, Davis) on Sunday, May 19. During the event, nine wines will be offered, three of three varietals, for comparison. Raffle items will be given out on the half hour and other items will be offered for silent auction throughout the event. An ensemble from the Camellia Orchestra will provide music and the restaurant will serve up small bites.

When: Sunday, May 19, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: Monticello Restaurant
630 G Street
Davis, California 95616
View a Map
Admission: $20
Wine tasting/raffle tickets (sold at the event): $5/taste, $25 for 6, and $35 for 9

The Belfry Campus Ministry is jointly supported by Lutheran and Episcopal congregations in Davis and Woodland, and the A Street buildings in Davis provide housing for the eight Lutheran-Episcopal Volunteer Network (LEVN) volunteers who have been serving community organizations in the greater Sacramento area this year, including Episcopal churches of St. Matthews and St. Martin, Yolo Interfaith Network and the River City Food Bank. Those volunteers will be honored at the event. To purchase admission in advance, go to http://thebelfry.org/.

Lay Ministry Conference

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Are you seeking a lay ministry license? Perhaps you are just interested in a little more information about lay ministry licensing? If you answered yes to either of these questions, please join us for our upcoming Lay Ministry Conference. We hope to see you at our next workshop. The conference will include workshops for the licensed lay ministries. As space permits, continuing education workshops will be offered for returning licensees, as well as workshops that broaden and deepen the experience of all attendees in areas such as prayer and spirituality, outreach ministry, pastoral visiting, technology, and the use of resources.

For further information, please click here.

Please download the registration form and follow all instructions to complete registration.

When: May 18, 2013
Where: St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Arcata
Cost: Conference fee is $20, which covers materials, morning snack and lunch.

          Registration: 9:00 - 9:30 am
          Workshops: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
          *There will also be a closing worship put on by the hosting congregation that will vary from 15-30
            minutes.*

For more information, please contact Mary Boeger at mary_boeger@att.net or Jerry Pare at jpare111452@gmail.com.

Responding to Violence and Destruction

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

with Mercy and Justice

by the Rev. Canon Britt E. Olson, Canon to the Ordinary

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. Habakkuk 1:1-4a

The people of God were experiencing violence and destruction from foreign powers and decay and trouble as a result of inequality and injustice within. The prophet Habakkuk cried out to God in grief and anger over the suffering of the righteous at the hands of evil doers.

Indiscriminate violence at the Boston Marathon brings grief, pain and suffering to the innocent victims of unbelievable cruelty and cowardice. Political expediency, the treacherous nature of wealth (Hab. 2:5), arrogance and fear thwart the desires of the people for a just, legal and responsible response to gun violence. We cry out to the Lord, “How long?”

After the House of Bishops meeting in March, our bishops offered a “word” regarding violence. “Our time together has brought us to a new place of recognition with respect to how violence infects, and affects, our lives. We have considered how the reality of violence in our world, our society, our churches, our homes, and ourselves alienate us from God and each other. And we repent that we have too often neglected to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation.” (March 12, 2013)

In this Easter season of resurrection we, as the people of God, are called to offer a new vision -- God’s vision of a world where violence is not the most powerful force, where faith overcomes fear, and where kindness and compassion trump selfish greed and corruption. We are to proclaim and live out the good news of Christ’s triumph over the very worst that humanity is capable of. We are to be courageous and patient and to trust in God.

Today (April 23) is the feast of Gregory of Armenia (Holy Men, Holy Women, p. 284-5). His father was a Prince who assassinated the King and was put to death. Gregory escaped and was raised as a Christian. When he returned to share the good news of Christ with the new King whose father had been murdered by Gregory’s father, he was imprisoned for 12 years. As is so often the case, violence and vengeance are passed down through generations.

But Gregory remained faithful in spite of enormous suffering. When he was finally brought to King Tiridates, his witness resulted in the conversion of the King and subsequently of many Armenians. He became a bishop in 300 CE and established the cathedral that is still at the heart of Armenian Christianity.

Gregory is also known as “the Illuminator.” Like him we are called to illuminate, to shine the light of Christ into the dark places of destruction and despair. We do that by acts of mercy and justice and by our proclamation of good news. This weekend’s Bishop’s Conference will gather many of you together at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral to further develop, encourage and strengthen our Christian response in situations of incredible suffering. I look forward to seeing you there.

Story of Courage and Compassion

Nicole Baxley — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by St. Paul's, Benicia

Who: Marty Brounstein, San Francisco Bay area speaker and author of Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust.

When: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.
(between the morning worship services)

Where: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
120 East J Street
Parish Hall
Benicia, CA 94510
707.745.0307

Come hear the remarkable true story about a Christian couple in the Netherlands who, despite great risk and danger, help save the lives of over two dozen Jews from certain death during World War II. The story also has a meaningful personal connection to the author, which Marty explains in his engaging talk.

Books will be available for purchase and signing after the talk.

We welcome you to attend this inspiring presentation!

Free Concerts

Nicole Baxley — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In residence at St. Andrew's, Antelope, Renaissance Choir Sacramento will perform Palestrina's Missa Iste Confessor and other works in a series of free concerts. All are welcome!

Concert Information:

- Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., at St. Andrew's, Antelope (preview)

- Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 7:00 p.m., at Christ the King Retreat Center, Citrus Heights

- Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 3:30 p.m., at St. Luke's, Woodland

- Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m., at St. Paul's, Sacramento

For more information contact: Dr. Lee Lovallo, llovallo@nu.edu, 916.320.8423
Presented with support from the Center for Cultural and Ethnic Studies of National University.

Sierra Service Project Trip

Nicole Baxley — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Sierra Service Project Sends Youth and Young Adults to Central America

by The Sierra Service Project

The Sierra Service Project, SSP, has sent teams of young people to serve and learn in Central America since 2003. These are challenging, life-changing and extremely rewarding experiences for mature young people eager to grow in faith and understanding. These projects focus on social justice; participants immerse themselves in the culture of Nicaragua and Guatemala, two of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, working alongside community members in both rural and urban settings.

Study-and-Serve Program in Nicaragua

Registration is now open for a unique service opportunities with SSP in Central America. The team will spend time in Nicaragua living and working in one small, rural community. The team will be about 12 participants along with an experienced SSP leader.

Please encourage any young people that you know who are serious about putting their faith into action to consider taking part in this team this summer. The cost of the program is $1,175 plus airfare from Los Angeles. Limited scholarship assistance is available.

Please click here to download an informational packet.

For more information about this experience, please visit the Sierra Service Project website or call the office at 916.488.6441.

Camp Noel Porter Summer 2013

Nicole Baxley — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by the Rev. Dr. Jenni Liem, Executive Director for Program at Camp Noel Porter

Summer is quickly approaching and Camp Noel Porter is getting ready for exciting and formational time with the youth of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California and beyond. This summer’s programming will be inspiring, enlightening and strengthening for children and youth who are searching for meaning and context for their faith in God’s world.

We will explore our story of salvation using the theme Wilderness Journeys: Wild Faith for a Wild World. As each of you know, youth struggle with the language of faith and God, and Camp Noel Porter has worked for 60 years to be a place where youth can explore with their spiritual identity. We will spend the summer working to see God in the wild places and figuring out how to take the Good News of Jesus Christ back into a wild world.
Camp Noel Porter has five age specific sessions for the children and youth of your church to register for, each session guided and programmed by your fellow clergy of the diocese. While exploring this summer’s key Bible verse,“…What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger!” (Luke 7: 24-26), campers will have the opportunity to look in the wild places, not only in the world, but also inside their own hearts to find God and God’s call for their lives.

We are excited at Camp Noel Porter to tell of some great additions to our story this year, including:

· Staff and counselors trained using American Camping Association standards and practices.
· Renovated retreat rooms in Shaheen Hall.
· Renewed emphasis on facilities improvements, including new plumbing in our camper bathrooms and kitchen.
· Improved safety standards throughout our camping and retreat programming.
· Fuller conversations and clearer communications with our donors, alumni and supporters.
· A renewed call to mission and ministry to and for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.

The 2013 summer camp schedule at a glance:

- Counselor-In-Training Camp	June 16 - 22	Grades 10 - 12 (minimum age 15)
- Beginner Camp	June 24 - 27	Ages 6, 7, 8 years old
- Middle Camp	June 30 - July 6	Grades 5 - 8
- Junior High Camp	July 7 - 13	Grades 7 - 9
- Youth Choir Camp NEW!	July 14 - 20	Grades 3 - 9
- Junior Camp	July 21 - 26	Grades 4 - 6
- Senior High Camp	July 28 - August 3	Grades 10 - 12

Note that grades listed above indicate the grade the camper will be entering the fall of 2013. Additionally, families registering before April 30th will receive a $50.00 discount when paid in full. Limited scholarships are available.

This year Camp Noel Porter is excited to announce the Youth Choir Camp, a new program opportunity. We are happy to have Janie Knudsen of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Davis as our camp Director for the week. Janie has been working with children’s choirs for over 20 years and brings energy, knowledge and talent to this new week of camp. Using the Royal School of Church Music curriculum, Voice for Life, campers will be given a base of musical and voice knowledge, individual coaching and will perform a concert for families on the Saturday of pick-up.

There are some great ways you can support Camp Noel Porter camping this summer. (1) Please continue to keep us in your personal prayers and the Prayers of the People at your congregation; (2) promote Camp Noel Porter on your congregation’s website, newsletters and Sunday bulletins; (3) send your congregation’s children and youth to a summer session; and (4) support the Camp Noel Porter scholarship fund. More information and online resources can be found on our website at www.campnoelporter.org.

Camp Noel Porter has been and will continue to be a place for fellowship, fun and faith for the children and youth of our diocese. We are privileged to be fellow ministers with you in the work and word of Jesus Christ. May God continue to bless all of our good work here at Camp Noel Porter and throughout the Diocese!

If you have questions, or if we can be of assistance in promoting Camp Noel Porter in your congregation, please contact us at 530-583-3014 or info@campnoelporter.org.

Summer 2013 Fun!

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Summer 2013 at Our Own Camp Noel Porter!

by Camp Noel Porter Board of Directors

Under the theme Wilderness Journeys: Wild Faith for a Wild World, the youth of our diocese and their friends are invited to grow in their faith and have a lot of fun at Camp Noel Porter this summer!

Children and youth age six through twelfth grade are encouraged to register early for one of five summer camp sessions designed especially for their age group. While exploring this summer’s key Bible verse, “…What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger!” (Luke 7: 24-26), campers will:

· Participate in daily worship and program activities led by clergy from the across the diocese
· Swim in beautiful Lake Tahoe
· Share in home-cooked, healthy meals and snacks
· Laugh and play during camp games and activities such as capture-the-flag
· Hike at Squaw Valley or Eagle Rock
· Sing and share skits by the campfire
· Sleep in tents under the stars on recently rebuilt tent platforms
· Connect with friends, new and old
· Enjoy fellowship with camp staff and counselors who are trained under ACA accreditation standards and who are each American Red Cross CPR and First Aid certified.

Additionally, Camp Noel Porter is thrilled to offer a NEW summer camp experience with a special Youth Choir Camp for campers entering grades 3rd through 9th. Using the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) program Voice for Life, this choir camp will introduce young voices to the practice and methods of vocal music and ensemble singing. Each camper will have the opportunity for individual vocal coaching with highly trained professionals as well as enjoy traditional camp activities such as hiking and swimming! Directed by Janie Knudsen, children’s choir director from St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Davis who has over 20 years experience working with youth choirs, this is certain to be a fun and engaging camp session!

The 2013 summer camp schedule at a glance:

- Counselor-In-Training Camp	June 16 - 22	Grades 10 - 12 (minimum age 15)
- Beginner Camp	June 24 - 27	Ages 6, 7, 8 years old
- Middle Camp	June 30 - July 6	Grades 5 - 8
- Junior High Camp	July 7 - 13	Grades 7 - 9
- Youth Choir Camp NEW!	July 14 - 20	Grades 3 - 9
- Junior Camp	July 21 - 26	Grades 4 - 6
- Senior High Camp	July 28 - August 3	Grades 10 - 12

Please prayerfully consider sending your own children or providing a camp scholarship for a child today!

For full camp session descriptions, to register, make inquiries or donate to the Camp Noel Porter scholarship fund, please visit www.campnoelporter.org or call 530-583-3014.

Justice

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by the Rev. Bob Olsen

What is Justice? Between working on the Bishop’s Conference planning group with its theme of Mercy and Justice and preparing a sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, where the Gospel was Luke’s telling of the parable of the Prodigal Son (15:1-3, 11b-32), it dawned on me that God’s sense of justice might be a bit different than that of most of us.

When reading Luke’s story of the Prodigal Son, if I hadn’t been working on the Bishop’s Conference I’m not sure I’d have thought too much about the last portion of the Gospel where the elder son doesn’t share in his father’s joy over the return of his brother. I remember a conversation with my dad many years ago about this passage and he thought that the older son had a justifiable gripe. I should mention that my dad was socially liberal, and having lived through the depression was more than willing to help out someone in need. But he wasn’t sympathetic if it was a result of their own bad decisions. At the time I didn’t have a good answer, probably because I hadn’t really given that portion of the gospel much thought. But this time while working on my sermon I decided to dig a bit more into that portion of the Gospel. My study Bible suggested that like the older brother, even today we are suspicious of “notorious sinners” coming back into our lives or churches, concluding that we should be like the angels in heaven and rejoice over their repentance. Matthew Henry’s commentary offers a similar understanding, but noting Jesus was pointing this at the scribes and Pharisees because of their discontent at the repentance and conversion of the publicans and sinners.

While forgiving and rejoicing sounds good, is it fair or just that the father is now lavishing on the younger son from what essentially would be the older son’s inheritance. Without going into a long discussion of inheritance customs, once the younger son took his portion, that meant everything else was the older son’s. This issue of fairness and justice seems similar to that of the story of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew’s Gospel (20:1-16). The laborers who worked all day seeing those who only worked one hour receive a full day's wages expected that when it came their turn they would receive more – it would only be fair. But as we learn they got the same pay and then gripe that the owner has made them all equal, regardless of how long they worked. The owner responds something along the lines of, “I paid you what we agreed upon, what’s it to you if I chose to give to the others the same”.

I think for most of us, we have come to believe that fairness or justice means if you work harder whether at school or work or as a volunteer than you should get a better grade, earn more or get more recognition than someone who did less. The phrase “just rewards” seems to fit with our idea of what is fair. In our prodigal son story I’m thinking the older son would agree with the younger son’s initial idea - when returning to his father he would become a hired hand – it would only be fair and just. That was clearly the thinking of the laborers when they thought it would only be fair and just if they got more pay than those who worked less than them.

As a preacher I find it easier to focus on the first part of the prodigal son story, as well as the two parables in Luke that preceded it, the story of the shepherd going after the lost sheep and the lost coin. Those stories ending with Jesus saying something like there being more joy in heaven over the repentance of a sinner than for the ninety-nine just or righteous individuals who need no repentance. I’ve never really thought about the 99, shouldn’t we be rejoicing just as much for those righteous individuals as the repentance of sinners? From this parable it seems like Jesus is a “virtue is its own reward” kind of guy, but that discussion is for another time.

I remember liking a Hoyt Axton song from years ago called “Rusty Old Halo”, the first verse and refrain go:

I know a man as rich as a king
Still he just won’t give his neighbors a thing
His day will come, I’ll make a bet
He’ll get to heaven and here’s what he’ll get
A rusty old halo skinny white cloud second hand wings full of patches
A rust old halo skinny white cloud robe that’s so wooly [and] it scratches.

I’m thinking for most of us this speaks to our understanding of fairness and justice. But if we do then we fall into the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Are we any different when we live our lives weighing our good works against others, believing how much better we are than others who don’t live up to our standard? If we do then we forget about grace and that our likelihood of being among the just or righteous that need no repentance is probably pretty slim, well at least I know that is the case for me. I sort of see notorious sinner and righteous to be the ends of a continuum. I keep trying to live out my Baptismal vows so I may stay closer to the righteous end of that continuum, but even on a good day know I’ve got a ways to go. Especially if I’m thinking there are rusty old halo’s waiting for the folks I come into contact with, but know mine will be all shiny and new.

What I believe Jesus was trying to tell those listening and us some 2000 years later in these stories is a bit about God’s grace and justice. In heaven there is no First, Business and Economy class -- no rusty old halo’s. It is good that God doesn’t use our notion of justice and fairness, for none of us deserves eternal life on our own merits. I think we hear the words of James (James 2:17) “even so faith, if it has no works, is dead…”, but lose sight of what Paul tells us of “works” and “faith” and that we are justified by faith, “… not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:9).

The older brother and the laborers understood justice in terms of works; we are to understand justice in terms of faith. Faith in the words of Jesus found in Luke 12:32: “Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

Amen.

Spring Retreat

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

May 10 - 12, 2013 at the Mercy Retreat Center in Auburn, California

Hearts Set on the Pilgrim’s Way
Bishop Christopher Epting

In his retreat "Hearts Set on the Pilgrim's Way," Bishop Christopher will share reflections of his life and forty years in the ordained ministry...and what he has learned about God on the journey. After
thirteen years as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa and nine years as the Presiding Bishop's Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, he now serves in retirement as Assisting Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and Episcopal Visitor for the Community of the Transfiguration.

For further information please contact the Sisters of the Transfiguration, 1633 D Street, Eureka, CA 95501, (707) 442-3304 alicereid325@gmail.com, srdianact@gmail.com.

Sierra Service Project Trip

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Sierra Service Project Sends Youth and Young Adults to Central America
Register by May 3, 2013

Study-and-Serve Program in Nicaragua

Please click here to download a flyer (PDF).

For more information about this experience, please visit the Sierra Service Project website or call the office at 916.488.6441.

Mary Magdalene as an Opera Diva?

Nicole Baxley — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Seven years ago, New York composer Mark Adamo was struck reading Joan Acocela’s article in The New Yorker on Mary Magdalene in which the tensions of the early church and the diversity of perspectives on this pivotal New Testament figure were sketched. Adamo was captivated by the Mary Magdalene he discerned within the article, a disciple who might have best understood Jesus’ message, and a woman whose passions were part of her path towards spirituality, not away from it. The project consumed his life, and he spent five years researching both Canonical and Gnostic Gospels, as well as a plethora of historical sources, to create "The Gospel of Mary Magdalene", his deeply personal version of the Gospel story. The result promises to be dramatic indeed, with fiery and dramatic portraits of Jesus, his mother, Mary Magdalene and the disciple Peter. Some scenes, precisely because they're drawn from both Gnostic and traditional sources, will surely inspire debate and controversy. While lines from the synoptic and Nag Hammadi gospels weave their way throughout the arias, ultimately, it is the Gospel of John and Gospel of Mary that form the heart and soul of Adamo’s emotionally moving vision. In preparation for the world premiere at the San Francisco Opera on June 19, a wide variety of educational and ancillary events are being hosted throughout the Bay Area, including a six week webinar series on "The Myths of Mary Magdalene" by cultural historian and mythologist Kayleen Asbo.

For more information, go to www.kayleenasbo.com or http://sfopera.com/Season-Tickets/2012-2013-Season/The-Gospel-of-Mary-Magdalene.aspx.

Spring Family Festival

Nicole Baxley — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Celebrating Community Near and Far

by Faith Episcopal Church, Cameron Park

It’s a first! Spread the word and invite your friends and family to Faith Episcopal Church’s upcoming Spring Family Festival on Sunday, May 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The fun outdoor venue on Faith’s beautiful grounds will showcase our church, provide opportunities for giving back, and help us raise money for worthwhile endeavors in the community here and abroad.

Get ready for live music, bounce houses, as well as games for the kids including old-fashioned favorites such as three-legged races and odd ones such as M&M spitting contests. Kids of all ages should be ready to jump into volleyball matches. We are organizing a silent auction as well.

When: Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Faith Episcopal Church, Cameron Park
2200 Country Club Drive
Cameron Park, CA 95682
Click here to view a map
(From Hwy 50, take the Bass Lake Rd exit. 1st right onto Country Club Drive, and go 3/4 of a mile to our driveway.)

We hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact Faith Episcopal Church, Cameron Park at 530.676.5348.

Annual Rhododendron Festival Concert

Nicole Baxley — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

30th Anniversary

by Christ Church, Eureka

The 30th annual Rhododendron Festival Concert will be held Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church (15th and H Streets) in Eureka. This popular community concert has been a part of the annual Rhododendron Festival since 1984, and is sponsored by the Christ Church Concert Series. The suggested donation for the concert is $10 per person.

This year’s concert features a joyful and exuberant choral work ─ "Magnificat" (1990) by English choral composer John Rutter.

For more information, please contact Christ Church, Eureka at 707.442.1797.

Monthly Bible Challenge Lectures

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Sacramento

The Very Rev. Brian Baker, Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is offering a monthly lecture on the Old Testament readings in The Bible Challenge. These lectures are held at the Cathedral at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. However, if you are unable to be physically present at the Cathedral for the lecture, you can still participate and view each session online at http://blogs.deanbaker.org/?p=3305.

We hope you enjoy this great resource and find it helpful in your personal journey with The Bible Challenge!

For more information, please contact Trinity Episcopal Cathedral directly at 916.446.2513.

Cursillo #108

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Event: May 2 - 5, 2013
Application Due: April 26, 2013

by the Rev. Mike Kerrick, Rector at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Carmichael

Cursillo #108 is scheduled for May 2 - 5, 2013 at St. Sava’s Camp in Jackson, California. Our Rector for #108 will be Ane Diester from Faith Episcopal Church in Cameron Park. The spiritual directors for #108 will be:

- the Rev. Mike Kerrick, Rector at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Carmichael
- the Rev. Cliff Haggenjos, Rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roseville
- the Ven. Beatryce "Cookie" Clark, Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California and Deacon at Epiphany Episcopal Church in Vacaville

It is time for all of you Cursullistas (those you have attended Cursillo in the past) to look throughout your parishes and seek out those people who are leaders or potential leaders who have not attended Cursillo and sponsor them for Cursillo #108.

Applications are available for download from the Cursillo web site http://cursilloncal.org . Applications must be in by April 26, 2013. Let’s make this the best Cursillo ever!

Free Walk-in Shrine Screening Clinic

Nicole Baxley — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Upcoming Dates:

When: Saturday, April 13, 2013, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Oroville Sports Club, 2600 Oro Dam Blvd. E, Oroville, CA 95966
More information: Please contact Jeff Ford, Oroville Shrine Screening Clinic Chairman at 530.693.1866.

The local Shrine Clubs will be conducting a free walk-in screening clinic to identify children, through the age of 17, who can benefit from expert orthopedic, spinal cord and burn care provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children. No appointment necessary.

Although the emphasis is on orthopedic, spinal cord and burn care, the hospital also offers other services, including plastic surgery for non-burn related scarring, birthmarks, abnormal skin growths, congenital ear deformities, and cleft lip and palate repair.

All care at Shriners Hospitals for Children is provided without regard to a patient or family’s ability to pay.

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If parents would like more information about Shriners Hospitals please visit the following web site: www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

For info regarding the Shriners Hospital in Sacramento, click on "Locations" in the left column and click on "Northern California" in the listing of hospitals.

A Call to Risk

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by the Very Rev. Clifford Haggenjos, Rector of St. John's, Roseville and Dean of the Central Deanery

I will admit that these past few weeks I have been somewhat enthralled by the recent shift in leadership in both the Roman Catholic Church as well as our own Anglican Communion. Both Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby have called the church to a life of prayer, as well as a renewed understanding that God desires us to be protectors of each other, especially the poor and vulnerable in our midst. To act in such a way requires courage, and a willingness to be led by God to the place where the self-sacrificial love of Jesus Christ leads us to embody the church that God desires us to be.

Such a message is particularly important for us to hear as we once again embark upon our annual remembrance of the transforming love of Jesus Christ during this very Holy Week. As we travel with our Lord, greeting his arrival in Jerusalem with shouts of celebration, we are soon confronted with the fact that the kingdom he proclaims is, in reality, a kingdom unlike the one we experience in our daily lives. As such, we are drawn toward Calvary, and the realization that Christ beckons us to die to those things that prevent us from living into the ministry of reconciliation to which we have been called by God.

In his inaugural sermon Archbishop Welby reminds us that “the church transforms society when it takes the risks of renewal when in prayer, of reconciliation and of confident declaration of the good news of Jesus Christ.” Such is the call of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to us. Through his death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection Christ beckons us to take risks of renewal, to see the world, not through our own eyes, but rather, through the eyes of the one who, as he hung on the cross was able to pray, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

The transforming love of Jesus Christ, evidenced by his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection, provokes us to see our world anew, to have the courage to take the risk to live our lives differently than the world desires. We are called by Christ to care for one another, to sacrifice for one another, to love one another, and in the process we find our own lives wonderfully and beautifully transformed.

This Holy Week my prayer is that all of us will heed this renewed call to risk our lives for the sake of the gospel. My hope is that working together we will begin to provoke the world into the outrageous act of reconciliation. We are being called by God to act. We are called by God to witness. We are called by God to proclaim. May we have the ears to hear, the eyes to see and the hearts to love. May each of us experience a renewed sense of our Lord’s transforming love, and may each of us share that love with each other and with the world.

Bullying

Nicole Baxley — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by the Rev. Dave Ferrell, Deacon at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Nevada City

Last spring, I learned about an anti-bullying program from the Project Director, Peter Yarrow. Yes, he is the Peter of Peter, Paul & Mary fame. He is also the author of, “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

The program is part of Operation Respect and is entitled, “Don’t laugh at me.” It is a program being used by schools and camps around the country as well as the world. As one example, it is being used with Israeli and Palestinian children very successfully. The program provides guide books and CDs for Camps and Teacher Guides for grades 2-5 and 6-8.

Last June, during the week I worked at Camp Noel Porter, I used a portion of the Teacher’s Guide. In addition to the curriculum, each day includes listening to the song, “Don’t Laugh at Me.” Then discussing its connection with the day's program. The use of this song and others was helpful in providing a more open dialog within the group. I was somewhat surprised at the level of involvement of the young people. They all got involved on one level or another.

I used the guide for grades 6-8. It is easy to use and very relevant. Over the years, I have worked with bullying problems fairly extensively. I am a retired probation officer and I have a master’s degree in counseling. Both of these factors have led to my involvement with both those who have been bullied and those who bully. I would recommend this program to everyone.

You can go to www.operationrespect.org to obtain more information on the program.

If you have questions, please contact me.

Holy Week

Nicole Baxley — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

by The Episcopal Church

Holy Week is the week before Easter Day, beginning with the Sunday of the Passion / Palm Sunday. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are known as the "Triduum," and the liturgies on these days commemorate the events leading up to Jesus' resurrection. Holy Week ends with the Easter Vigil, usually celebrated at sundown the night before Easter.

Experience the Episcopal Church's wide variety of music and liturgy for Holy Week here.

The Office of Communication will present worship offerings every day of Holy Week. The offerings will be available on a special page of the Episcopal Church website here.

To find a congregation near you, please click here.

Local News Blog

'Nothing but' misses the point

Summer 2013 at Camp Noel Porter

Don’t Miss Summer 2013 at Camp Noel Porter!

Creating and Enhancing Planned Giving

Endowment Ministries for Your Congregation

Organist Christoph Bull Returns

I Care: Providing Spiritual Care

Patient Advocates in Rocklin

What now, God?

What now, God? Exploring Career, Vocation and Self in Mid-Life

Myths of Mary Magdalene

Webinar

Church and the Future of America

2013 Grant Opportunities

Episcopal Community Services

Wine Tasting

Lay Ministry Conference

Responding to Violence and Destruction

with Mercy and Justice

Story of Courage and Compassion

Free Concerts

Concert Information:

Sierra Service Project Trip

Sierra Service Project Sends Youth and Young Adults to Central America

Study-and-Serve Program in Nicaragua

Camp Noel Porter Summer 2013

The 2013 summer camp schedule at a glance:

Summer 2013 Fun!

Summer 2013 at Our Own Camp Noel Porter!

The 2013 summer camp schedule at a glance:

Justice

Spring Retreat

May 10 - 12, 2013 at the Mercy Retreat Center in Auburn, California

Sierra Service Project Trip

Sierra Service Project Sends Youth and Young Adults to Central America Register by May 3, 2013

Study-and-Serve Program in Nicaragua

Mary Magdalene as an Opera Diva?

Spring Family Festival

Celebrating Community Near and Far

Annual Rhododendron Festival Concert

30th Anniversary

Monthly Bible Challenge Lectures

Cursillo #108

Event: May 2 - 5, 2013 Application Due: April 26, 2013

Free Walk-in Shrine Screening Clinic

Upcoming Dates:

A Call to Risk

Bullying

Holy Week

What now, God?
Exploring Career, Vocation and Self in Mid-Life

Sierra Service Project Sends Youth and Young Adults to Central America
Register by May 3, 2013

Event: May 2 - 5, 2013
Application Due: April 26, 2013