Friday Reflection 10/10/2008
Dear Friends,
Jane and I finished our time at St. Francis-in-the-Mountains at Fallen Leaf Lake this past Sunday. The summer chapel was closed for the winter and there was a moving celebration of all that transpired there this summer. We are back in Stockton on a full time basis. We love Fallen Leaf Lake and we find that we are renewed by our time in the high Sierras. Our Australian shepherd, Mark, loved his first time at Fallen Leaf Lake.
I came back to a very busy office and diocese. This next week the Diocesan Council meets on Wednesday to review the plans and agenda for the Diocesan Convention which begins on October 24 in Hanford. Friday of next week the Standing Committee meets in Fresno. There will be interviews with candidates for ordination to the priesthood. The Standing Committee will also begin the canonical process of the Abandonment of Communion for those clergy who left the Episcopal Church and have aligned themselves with the Southern Cone or some other body. Clergy so charged will be inhibited, not allowed to function as an Episcopal Priest or be employed in an Episcopal Church. The clergy person has six months to recant and return to the Episcopal Church. At the end of the six months, the person will be removed from the ministry of this church. This action implies no moral judgment of an individual clergy person. It speaks only about the person’s relationship to the Episcopal Church. The person can of course function in another church that may recognize their ordination. Please remember the Standing Committee and the Diocesan Staff in your prayers.
I’ll be busy these next two weeks. Jane and I leave for Boise, Idaho on Friday for the ordination of Brian Thom as the new Bishop of Idaho. We have known Brian for over thirty years, beginning in Oregon when I was the Canon to the Ordinary and Brian was a newly ordained priest. I have the two meetings mentioned above and the pre-convention meeting on October 17, 2008 at Holy Family in Fresno. I will attend the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) meeting the next day which is also at Holy Family. On Sunday, October 19, 2008 I will be in Kernville to celebrate the Eucharist with Fr. Bob Woods and others in that area who wish to remain faithful to the Episcopal Church. Later that day I will travel to Ridgecrest to celebrate with the saints at All Souls.
Finally, I would like to extend another invitation to everyone in the Diocese to gather together in Hanford at the Church of the Saviour at 10:00 am, Sunday, October 26, 2008 for the closing Eucharist of the Diocesan Convention. We have much to be thankful for in this diocese, let us gather to give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow.
In peace,
Jerry
From the Diocesan office…
EPISKOFEST 2008: Pre-registration for Episkofest, the annual convention and conference of the Diocese of San Joaquin has closed. Registration will be available on site, but dinner tickets for Friday and Saturday night will not be available. All attendees must register including clergy and delegates. Registration materials are available at www.diosanjoaquin.org.
Pre-convention Deanery Meetings: Sites have been selected for pre-convention deanery meetings scheduled for mid-October. All clergy and lay delegates should plan to attend. The meetings are open, and everyone who is interested in the work of the diocese is encouraged to attend.
· Kern and Sierra Deaneries will meet at Grace Episcopal Church in Bakersfield, 6:30 p.m., Friday, October 17.
· Fresno and Sequoia Deaneries will meet at Holy Family Church in Fresno, 6:30 p.m., Friday October 17.
· Delta and Yosemite Deaneries will meet at the Church of St. Anne in Stockton, 3 p.m., Sunday, October 19.
There will be an opportunity to review resolutions, nominations, and the proposed 2009 diocesan budget. Elections will be held for Diocesan Council seats.
Deanery Desserts: Mike Handy is planning the menu for Episkofest and sends us this message: Hope you are all having a great weekend. The convention is a month away. During the dinner meal on Saturday the deaneries will be providing the dessert. The theme is apple. Sequoia deanery is doing apple pies, all the other deaneries can choose to provide an apple inspired sweet of their choosing. Ice cream will be provided. Please send the word out to the churches in your deaneries. It looks like we will be having around 200 people at the event and should be very fun. They should be aware that our church in Hanford is very limited on refrigerator space. You have have any questions or need some apple inspired ideas(cobblers, crisps, caramel and chocolate dipped, etc..) just let me know, I have cooked a few apples in my day.
Thanks, Mike mbhandy@sbcglobal.net
A message from Tom VanderWal, Diocesan Treasurer: As of this time there is only one person that has signed up for the legacy workshop on Friday night at the coming Diocesan Convention. I believe that this is a very important element for both the diocese and the parish. In the past there has been neither instruction nor interest in this kind of stewardship. With an aging population and the amount of wealth that is being transferred, the church needs to have multiple opportunities for people to participate. The presenter is Carl Knirk who is the Canon for Planned Giving and Stewardship in the Diocese of Olympia. His attendance at our convention is a gift from the Diocese of Olympia.
Bloggers Welcome: The GRAPEVINE is a blog posted by Episcopalians in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Although it is not an official post of the Diocese of San Joaquin, it is a place for sharing thoughts and ideas with others online. The following message is from the Grapevine bloggers.
Calling all San Joaquin Bloggers! Let’s talk. We are interested in your ideas, concerns, problems, jokes, insights, attitudes, and whatever else you may have to say that would be of interest to other Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin. We are a diverse group with many voices, and with important common values, while we are spread apart by the geographic distance of this diocese. episcopalgrapevine.blogspot.com is our opportunity to transcend the geographic distance that separates us. Join us. Tell us what you are thinking. Present information that you think is important. Let us all know when you disagree. Come and grow with us as we get to know others in this community of voices in our Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
Diocesan Episcopal Church Women Meeting: A meeting has been called to elect an executive council and deputies and alternates to Triennial Convention. Each congregation is invited to send at least two church women to Holy Family, Fresno on October 18 to reorganize ECW at the diocesan level. The meeting is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Additional information about this meeting has been sent to each congregation. See the attached flyer.
ECW San Joaquin Diocese Retreat: Spend a quiet weekend, after Convention and before Advert, in the Sequoias November 7-9. A short, but much needed diocesan Episcopal Church Women (ECW) meeting will be held on Saturday. The rest of the retreat will center around making and learning about the Anglican/Episcopal rosary and chaplet, with an opportunity to worship and learn together. See the attachment for the tentative schedule, additional information, and the registration form.
News and Note’s from Congregations: This is a section of the Friday Reflection to post information about special events at your church, especially if the event will be of interest to others in the diocese. Send the information to Juanita at jweber@diosanjoaquin.org.
There is an opportunity to bring pets for blessing at Christ the King in Riverbank on Saturday, October 11 at 10:00 a.m.
Reverend Doctor Dennis Maynard comes to Lodi. Dr. Maynard will be conducting a 30-minute presentation on Saturday, October 11, entitled “Three Mixed Blessings in the Episcopal Church” at 7:00 pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church and concluding with book sales and signing. Dr. Maynard will also preach at both services on Sunday, October 12 followed by book sales and signing. Free Admission
St. John’s, Lodi Golf Tournament: On October 18, 2008 St. John’s is holding a golf tournament at Lockeford Springs Golf Club in Lockeford, California. Tickets are $125 per person or $500 for a foursome. The entry fee includes lunch, dinner, prizes, putting contest and more. Check in starts at 11am. Call the office 369-3381, to get your registration card!
October 11th is at 5 pm is a Mama Mia Dinner at Saint Matthew's Church in San Andreas, celebrating Columbus Day. Join us for a spaghetti dinner and raffle of one of "Sarah's Home Made Quilts." Everyone is welcome!
A fall boutique and luncheon will be held at Holy Family in Fresno on November 1 from 10:00am-2:00pm. The Episcopal Church Women are sponsoring the boutique with handcrafted items, baked goods, jam and jellies, and holiday decorations. The lunch is $10.00. For Reservations for the lunch, please contact 439-3295
Grace Episcopal Church in Bakersfield will host Jazz Evensong on Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. An internationally renowned trio from New Jersey will bring a new type of service for us all to enjoy. It will be held in the Chapel on Stockdale and Real Road in Bakersfield. Please see the attached flyer.
