THE ENCYCLICAL OF ST. PETER S PARISH, OAKLAND, CA March, 2013 The Rev. Michael Mautner, Rector Coming Up At St. Peter s March 3 10:00 service and refreshments will be Birthday Celebration for March-born parishioners; the next will be on Low Sunday, April 7 March 10 Pledge Cards due for Parish Annual Meeting following week March 17 Parish Annual Meeting after 10:00 service and refreshments March 24-31 Holy Week and Easter, see page three below April 14 Quarterly parish touch up party in afternoon April 17-20 Diocese of the Western States Synod here and in Lafayette And Mark Your Calendars, Please: o Saturday June 29: St. Peter s Day & our 100 th Anniversary o Sunday September 29: Episcopal Visit by Bishop Provence & Rite of Confirmation From the Rector We ve sure got a lot going on at St. Peter s and, because Easter comes early this year, it seems our calendar is quite filled. Not to worry, though, for part of our job as Christians is to be athletes of faith. As athletes we need our exercise, speaking of which: A few years back, one of my hometown newspapers asked a minister about a church he was opening. He said something like: "We won't have any of that boring old ritual. We want people to feel good about themselves in our services." I wrote to the paper that I had, respectfully, to dissent. Whether feeling "good about ourselves" is 1) itself a worthy goal, 2) an end to which God calls us, or 3) one churches ought to pursue anyway, is a big question. For now, let's dismiss it with a C. S. Lewis paraphrase: Seeking only things that make us "feel good" would be like trying to subsist on nothing but cotton candy. We would soon get very sick. The Encyclical March, 2013 Page 1
Parents know that their children would like to try such a diet, but responsibly say "No" and insist that they eat their vegetables. Spiritual fathers should do likewise for their flocks... and, as with our children, diligently teach them (Deut.6:7). Vegetables may be an acquired taste, but they are good for our bodies. Liturgy, which that anonymous minister derided as "ritual," is good for our souls. The English word comes from two in Greek that mean "the people (at) work." Like any sort of work, formal worship will seem dull if you refuse to engage it. To one who sits on the sidelines of a football game and has never played, or who watches without bothering to learn the rules, even a hometown playoff will seem pointless. You've got to get in the game! How do you do that? First you go, and you go with an open mind. You look, listen, and judge not. And you get a guide, someone to explain it to you. One failure of the clergy in the last century (one of many) was a failure to educate. They took the liturgy for granted, and anything taken for granted, even the most meaningful of relationships, can wither and die. Liturgy is the relationship of God and Man acted out, made public and collective even as it remains uniquely individual. All the people in the pews, not just those leading the service, participate in the liturgy by their acts of intention, by joining their prayers to those fixed by tradition. And tradition, while certainly old (ancient, in fact) is no more boring than exercise is to us when we're doing our own workout! When we care about our bodies we refuse to let them atrophy. We listen to those who know how to care for our physical health. We talk to our doctors, nutritionists, maybe even get ourselves a personal trainer, all of whom know what they know in large part because they have learned from those who have gone before them in their subjects. The same goes for our souls. Our clergymen can be, if we want them to be, and they are serious about us and their jobs, our spiritual trainers. Make us do so! Make us tell you why. Traditions explained can come alive and refresh us like a good swim on a hot day. There are plenty of places to go to get good feelings. There's nowhere but church to go to get right with God. As I've told my pre-teen: Boredom is in the lazy eye of the beholder. Don't let yours blind you. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will refresh you," Jesus says (Matt.11:28). We have an Olympiad of Liturgy coming up in Holy Week and Easter. It s the perfect time to tell your friends to try the traditional, liturgical church. Tell them to come with you and eating your worship vegetables and get some spiritual exercise. Tell them to Come and See. The Encyclical March, 2013 Page 2
Holy Week 2013 Come worship with us! Worship the Triune God who is Love Worship Him is Ancient Prayer, Soaring Song, in the Timeless Eucharistic Mystery! We are St. Peter's Parish of the Anglican Province of Christ the King A vibrant community of faith and a part of His Body Come and worship Him with us, in the beauty of holiness Come and see! Palm Sunday, March 24 Blessing & Distribution of Palms, Holy Communion, 8:00 a.m. Holy Monday, March 25 Holy Tuesday, March 26 Holy Wednesday, March 27 Maundy Thursday, March 28 Good Friday, March 29 Holy Saturday March 30 Distribution of Palms, Procession, Sung Mass, Sermon, Church School, 10:00 a.m. Mass, St. Mark Passion I, 6:30 p.m. Mass, St. Mark Passion II, 6:30 p.m. Mass, St. Luke Passion, 12:00 Noon Mass of the Lord's Supper, 7:00 p.m. Followed by the Watch before the Blessed Sacrament, Altar of Repose Stations of the Cross, Liturgy, Sermon, St. John Passion, 12:15 p.m. Paschal Liturgy, First Mass of Easter, 9:00 p.m., Reception following. Easter Day (NOTE: There will be no 8:00 a.m. Mass) March 31, 10:00 a.m. High Mass & Sermon, Church School, Children's Flowering of the Cross The Encyclical March, 2013 Page 3
2013 Synod: The 22nd Synod of the Diocese of the Western States will be held on April 17-20. All Synod/ACW Conference meetings will be held at the Lafayette Park Hotel, and the Synodical Solemn Mass and Brunch on Saturday will be at St. Peter s Pro-Cathedral. All are invited, if not as delegates, as observers. Early-bird discounts are available for those who register before March 18. Please See Debbie Stanford for more information or check the narthex bulletin board. And Now, a Brief Flashback to Our New Rector s 2/10 Institution The Encyclical March, 2013 Page 4
Sunday: Wednesday: Thursday Regular Weekly Services 8:00 a.m., Holy Communion 10:00 a.m. Sung Eucharist, Sermon & Church School 11:30 a.m., Stations of the Cross 12:15 p.m., Holy Communion 6:30-7:00 p.m., Evening Prayer 7:00-8:00 p.m., Scripture Class Friday 7:00, Stations of the Cross (through March 29 th ) Contact Us St. Peter s Parish (Office M-W-F 9a.m.-Noon ) 510-597-1400 E-mail: st.peters.oakland@gmail.com Website: www.saintpetersoakland.com Rector: The Rev. Michael Mautner: 707-363-2887 E-mail: michael.mautner@yahoo.com Assisting: The Rev. Paul Hauge: 650-525-9753 E-mail: pl.hauge@gmail.com Deacon: The Rev. Mr. Peter Towle: 510-888-1301 E-mail: petertowle@sbcglobal.net Junior Warden: Franz Longsworth: 925-914-1374 E-mail: gagwell@att.net ACW President: Jennifer Longsworth: 925-726-6683 E-mail: 4jlorn@att.net Senior Warden: To be Announced Junior Warden: Franz Longsworth Clerk: Debbie Stanford Vestry Treasurer: Nancy Gan Christopher Buckley Gilbert Collins Eliza Kirkpatrick Richard Morrissey Arthur Ronat Conrad Sweeting WELCOME: We welcome single people as well as families and children to Saint Peter's. Nursery is provided for babies through age two. Church School instruction is provided for age three through twelve. Teens are welcome to help out as volunteers in the Nursery or in the Sunday School. For more information, please pick up a brochure in the narthex or contact the Church School Superintendent, Eliza Kirkpatrick at elizakirkpatrick@gmail.com The Encyclical may be viewed online at the St. Peter s web site: http://www.saintpetersoakland.com/ The Encyclical March, 2013 Page 5