The Pathfinder: September 11th, 2025
Christian Kinship
I’ve been planning to write this Pathfinder message for weeks, after multiple meetings with Mother Rachel, Erin Horne, and, recently, Paul Mathew, as we excitedly shared our reflections, dreams, and hopes for creating new pathways for kinship at All Soul’s. Together, we imagined opportunities for beloved community to grow, for connections to strengthen, for those who feel on the outside to feel not just welcomed but truly, deeply, warmly at home.
What does it take for a congregation of hundreds to feel like family, in the best and most hopeful sense of that all-too-loaded word? Here’s a tentative idea: family is anyone who knows you on your good days and your bad days and still loves you. Family is whoever keeps showing up.
What does it take to make a family out of a congregation, built on relationships where we not only work, learn, worship, and pray together but also listen, share, laugh, cry, eat, hug, celebrate, grieve, lend each other strength, and in all things give each other grace?
Honestly, this is a tall order for a tight-knit family of four in a single domicile, much less two hundred plus people who mostly only see each other on Sundays.
It takes…I don’t want to say work, because so many people already do so much good work for, with, around, and on behalf of the parish. As Episcopalians, we’ve got the work part covered. Rather, it takes a special kind of intention, the intention to connect as our whole messy and imperfect selves, to exhale and decompress together as often as we show up to work together. This is what Mother Rachel, Erin, Paul, and I have been imagining: more opportunities for intentional non-work to create bonds that will sustain us as individuals and as a community as we continue to do the good work.
Some of this is practical—it’s easier to work through a difficult disagreement on a Wednesday evening when you’ve shared both a joke and a painful life story on a Saturday night. But mostly, this is spiritual: to be the body of Jesus Christ in the world, as we are called to be, means practicing living out his love, not symbolically, not in a performance of gestures that go no further than church walls, but really.
Really, really.
As we practice being in loving relationship with each other, our kinship ties strengthen and expand. When we say the Church is the Body of Christ in the world, we are speaking of our loving relationships with each other because it is our love that transforms, heals, and makes whole what is broken. Our web of loving relationships with each other is a sanctuary in a violent and alienated world. Our sanctuary makes Divine love known on earth. And it has no walls or borders: all are invited, eagerly anticipated as soon-to-be-adopted kin.
This is a radical position in a political economy that feeds on isolation and outrage.
We are going to start small and keep building. One small place we want to start is by bringing back a beloved institution (at least, beloved to me!) with Emily Hansen-Curran’s blessing: the monthly beer garden meetup. There were times, as an exhausted working parent of a small yet energetic child, when all I could manage was occasionally showing up to these meetups for a relaxed conversation with people who seemed genuinely happy to see me. It was a small thing but it was a lifeline during a grueling period of my life.
So here’s the plan: one Thursday a month, come for a drink, a bite, a chat, or to play chess with my ten-year-old son. (My dream is that Milo acquires a dozen aunties and uncles he knows he can go to for help or advice as he gets older). And just in case anyone gets the wrong idea, beer garden does not mean “young adult hangout!” Beer gardens are ideal because they have plenty of family-friendly, outdoor space and are casual enough where anyone can drop by for a spell as they are able. But this is an all-ages, intergenerational event—we would love to see everyone there.
This is the first seed among many opportunities for cultivating kinship we hope to plant. If you have ideas to share, please join the Kinship team!
For this autumn season, Paul Mathew and I will be at the following locations on the following dates, where we will be eagerly anticipating eating, drinking, laughing, crying, listening, and getting to know you better:
Thursdays, 6ish to 8ish pm
September 25: at Fieldwork Brewery, 1160 Sixth St, Berkeley
October 23: Cellar Works, 940 Parker St, Berkeley
November 13: Headlands Brewery, 1280 Gilman St, Berkeley
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions!
– Sarah Bakker Kellogg
In Deep Gratitude
After this time away from you all, I can with confidence say that you all feel like family to me, and I miss you all. Earlier this summer, I was handed a beautiful, handmade wooden box full of notes that you all wrote to me. It’s taken me a little time to actually sit down and take in all the encouragement you have offered me, but I’ve finally done it, and it left me with tears and a full heart.
So I just wanted to write to you all to say thank you. For the gifts you gave me on my way out the door and for the words of encouragement and love you offered. I keep the box of notes in my office (and the other cards you gave me on my last Sunday) and read them often.
I also wanted to say that I used some of the gifts you gave me to frame the print that was given to me by David Ligare. It now hangs in our dining room and is a reminder of the generosity, the bravery, and the gift of you all.
Lastly, I thought I would write to you all to give you an update on St. Lucy’s! There are good things happening over here in downtown Oakland. I’ve set up shop in the undercroft at St. Paul’s in a little office/storage room, but I have a window and the weather is always good :). It reminds me of my years in the undercroft at All Souls in many ways.
As for the church, we’ve spent the summer taking it slow (just meeting the first and third Sundays of the month) and trying new things in an attempt to figure out how our Sunday liturgy and gatherings will flow. We’re not totally there yet, but we are getting pretty close (but maybe we’ll never quite get there, which is probably the way it should be). We’ve got people showing up who haven’t been to church in a long time (or ever!), and who miraculously want to keep coming back––I feel a deep sense of admiration and honor in their trust and presence in the community. I’ve got an absolutely unbelievable team working with me, who are dedicated, skilled, and kind. Some days are tough and a little lonely, but I feel a deep sense of call and of gratitude to get to build this church. You can listen to the story of how St. Lucy’s began and hear from a bunch of the team members on a new podcast about St. Lucy’s, called The Faithful Resistance!
I’ll share a few photos from the summer over here, but know that you all are welcome to stop by anytime! Starting in September, we’ll be meeting every week, on Sunday evenings at 5 pm in the side chapel at St. Paul’s. You can find more info at stlucyschurch.org.
Again, I am so deeply grateful for all that you gave me and showed me in my years with you. I carry all of it with me.
Yours,
– Emily Hansen Curran
Adult Formation on September 21st
We hope you will join us for the last class titled “Church and State” in our series, “To Have and To Hold: Christian Understandings of Marriage”. Unlike other Christian rites, in the United States, marriage also involves the state.
Couples being married in the church must also obtain a license from their county clerk, and the priest who officiates signs the marriage license. In this third week of this adult formation class, we will consider the roles of both church and state, and the ways these intersect. We’ll give particular attention to changing understandings of divorce and remarriage after divorce, and the marriage of same-sex couples.
Our guest speaker is Christopher Hayes, Chancellor (chief legal counsel) of the Diocese of California. He is a member of Grace Cathedral and served on the Task Force on the Study of Marriage from 2015-2018, among other church-wide leadership roles.
You can listen to the first two classes, Marriage in Scripture and Marriage in the Episcopal Church, led by the Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, on the All Souls website.
– Anne Yardley
August Vestry Recap: Movement, Energy, and Generosity
The All Souls Vestry met last week for our August meeting. While much in the world right now feels uncertain and stressful, the parish feels like it’s on solid footing at the moment, with lots of positive energy and forward movement, thanks to the dedication of many parishioners.
Our organ restoration and expansion is underway, made possible by the generous gifts of many parishioners, “organ donors.” Vestry reviewed the organ contract and was excited to see the sketches and plans of how our organ will be transformed. We are fortunate to have a multi-talented (and Episcopalian) organ-master in charge, who is not only creative and skilled, but assures us that the organ will be usable on all major feast days even as it is being upgraded.
Our Living Waters work inches ever closer to completion now that we have a scheduled date in mid-September for PG&E to activate our 3-phase power system. This is what will allow our kitchen appliances and elevator to run! I continue to feel immensely grateful for the generosity of so many parishioners who contributed to the capital campaign that made this possible.
As Richard Lynch described in last week’s Pathfinder, we have received an extraordinary gift from an anonymous donor funding seismic upgrades to our parish buildings. Two of the four parts of this work are already complete– the work on the parish hall floor (completed as part of Living Waters) and the re-roofing (completed in August). The other two parts, shearwalling in the parish hall and bracketing of the pillars in the sanctuary building, have funding thanks to this generous anonymous gift and are upcoming. This work will make us more earthquake-proof and more attractive to prospective tenants.
The parish has many moving parts and healthy energy supporting many of them. The Vestry received three reports in particular at this meeting that exemplify the vitality of our parish. Our stewardship chair, Richard Lynch, described plans for this year’s annual operating campaign. The Vestry discussed our big-picture priorities, strategy, and needs for funding the parish in the year ahead. Next, Anne Yardley gave an overview of the Adult Formation team’s plans for adult education in the year ahead. This is one area that is easy to take for granted at All Souls, but I was reminded how lucky we are to have so many rich offerings from this program and many people contributing to it. Finally, we heard an update from the Children, Youth, & Families ministry. With the success of our Homecoming Sunday and the start of the Sunday School and Youth Group year, this is another bright spot in our collective life, though we are mindful about continuing to attract and retain leaders to support it.
At the start of our meeting, one of our Vestry chaplains led us in a reflection that reminded me of the tension between recognizing God’s abundant gifts and our very human tendency to defile what we’ve been given. I pray that we continue to discern and trust in God’s guidance as we move full speed ahead this fall.
– Grace Telcs, Junior Warden
Invitation to "Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange"
The Arts at All Souls Committee wants to share about an upcoming event.
A parishioner from the All Souls community, Tess Taylor, is celebrating the release of her play based on the book Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.
This play grapples with themes like climate change, migrancy, internment, and economic crises– issues of high relevance for our present time. You’re invited to read Tess’s story below and to join All Soulsians at an upcoming performance.
From Tess:
“Fourteen years ago, when I’d just returned to El Cerrito from Brooklyn and was bouncing baby Bennett on my chest, I did what new parents do. I circled the block, at odd hours, seeing my reclaimed hometown and the Bay Area newly. The climate felt hotter. The conditions of shelterlessness that have long been part of Bay Area life felt increasingly acute. I happened upon some photos Berkeley photographer Dorothea Lange had made of Colusa Circle in 1942. I remember thinking: What would Dorothea Lange make of the California we inherit now?
Lange, who lived in Berkeley from 1934 to her death in 1965, is remembered for the iconic photo Migrant Mother and is famous for photographing migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Her work documents important interlinked backstories of the California we inherit—housing crises, migrancy, climate change, internment—all issues we feel intensely today. As well as photographing, Lange made herself present as folks told her about the daily struggle to get by—the price of beans, the price of gas, how much it cost to get to work, how much it cost to eat. She met people where they are- where we all are- looking for dignity.
Lange’s work has been with me since. Finding Lange’s road journals in Oakland Museum archive, I followed her paths through California, and wrote her letters from the present. These travels became a book—LAST WEST: ROADSONGS FOR DOROTHEA LANGE. This year, that book becomes a play, opening at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Five actors move in front of an immersive projected background of Lange’s iconic and rarely seen images. We ask how looking through Lange’s lens might help us understand thorny interlocked problems we face even now, and how remembering our linked struggles might remind us of common cause.
Many All Soulsians uplifted this journey and leant me strength and wisdom! Father Phil walked and talked with me as the book was taking shape, and in the days before COVID when we sat and were present with Robin Silver and the folks at the Here/ Now encampment. Betsy Dixon, Michelle Barger, Matt McGinley and Beth Christiansen appeared to offer support at key moments. In a moment when so many kinds of dignity (and our wider arts infrastructure) is under assault, Lange’s work has given me fortitude and faith that we can yet pitch a big tent and work towards repair.
I’m delighted to come full circle with this journey and invite All Soulsians to see the play. Some All Soulsians are planning to attend the matinee on Saturday, December 6. You can go up early or stay after and see the wider exhibit! Tickets for the whole run are already half sold out, but SVMA is reserving a block of 20 tickets until September 30 — Please reserve your tickets soon! You can do so at this link and then email Ann Trinca (atrinca@svma.org) that you’re part of the All Souls group. Or just grab a ticket!
Thanks,
– Art at All Souls Committee
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
SUNDAY
7 AM, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
8 AM, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please access the Chapel through the copper doors on Cedar St.
10:30 AM, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here.
Coffee hour following the service.
MONDAY
7:00 PM, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
TUESDAY
8:00 PM, Taize Service in the Chapel.
WEDNESDAY
9:00 AM, Eucharist in the Chapel
Learn with Us
COMING UP IN ADULT FORMATION
September 21st - The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers & Christopher Hayes: To Have and to Hold: Christian Understandings of Marriage
Although marriages are celebrated in the church, marriage is not a uniquely Christian practice, and unlike other Christian rites, in the United States, marriage also involves the state. In this course, we’ll explore the meaning and significance of marriage, especially in the Episcopal Church. Week one will focus on marriage in scripture, and week two will consider teaching and practices in the Episcopal Church today. In the final week, Diocesan Chancellor Christopher Hayes will join us for a discussion of the involvement of the state and legal foundations for marriage. Class meets in the Parish Hall on the following Sundays: August 31, Sept. 7, Sept. 21
Date TBD - Kaki Logan: “Immigration with Dignity” - An Episcopal Resolution
Join us for this two-week series intended to increase awareness of the realities facing immigrants today. The first session offers an overview of the Episcopal conference “Leaving Home, Migration Through the Eyes of Children” and introduces the Welcoming Quilt Project. The second session gives the upshot of the Episcopal Pilgrimage to 5 detention centers in New Mexico and Texas in early June. Both sessions will offer ideas about why immigration has increased and changed in recent years, and suggest how we might support immigrants in this present and rapidly changing environment. Class meets at 9:15 am in the Common Room on the following Sundays: August 31, and a later date soon to be named.
2025-26 Adult Formation Calendar
Click here to see the calendar for the entire year.
Gather with Us
ALL PARISH RETREAT - September 12-14th
We are looking forward to seeing many All Soulsians at our annual all-parish retreat up in Healdsburg at The Bishop’s Ranch. It is a beautiful intergenerational weekend set in a spectacular setting.
ALE SOULS BREW EVENT - September 21st
On September 21st at 1:00 pm, we will be meeting as an Ale Souls group to brew a fall Beer. Food will be provided. All are welcome, including kids, non-beer drinkers, etc. Click here to RSVP to David Gutfield. New members encouraged if you haven’t come to an Ale Souls Event yet.
WELCOME LUNCH - September 21st
We are so glad you found us and would love to welcome you. Join us for lunch on Sunday, 9/21, at 12:00 pm in the Common Room to meet our clergy, enjoy a meal, and learn more about getting connected at All Souls. Please RSVP by signing up in the narthex or online via Realm.
Worship with Us
TAIZE TUESDAY
Join us on Tuesday evenings this Fall for a community-led Taize service. These weekly services will be held from 8 pm-8:30 pm until November 18th. All are welcome to join us in the Chapel for a simple program of silent meditation and Taize chants.
WEDNESDAY EUCHARIST
The 9 am Eucharist will remain in the Chapel of the Nativity. Come join us for a reflection on the Saint of the day and sustenance for the rest of the week.
CHILDREN & FAMILY
Sunday School is Back!
Sunday School happens every week during the 10:30 service. Kids pre-K through 5th grade are welcome. Children begin the service in the nave with their families. About five minutes into the service, they process down to the classroom together - look for the leader with a wooden cross! We follow the Godly Play curriculum: a mixture of storytelling, wondering, and creative work time. Children return to church at the “Peace.”
To join our Children and Family mailing list, email Emily+.
Please note: There won’t be Sunday School this week, Sept. 14th, because of the Parish Retreat. Kids are encouraged to use the books and toys in the soft spaces at the back of the church and in the side chapel. Sunday School returns on Sept. 21st.
Save the Date! Kids & Youth Pajama + Pizza + Movie Night, October 5th.
Join us on Sunday, Oct. 5th, for a screening of King of Kings (2025), a new animated movie about the life of Jesus. Families with kids of all ages are welcome.
6:00 Pizza dinner
6:30 Movie
This will be a joint event with our older youth, too. Pajamas encouraged! To sign up for our Children and Family newsletter, please email Emily+.
YOUTH PROGRAM
Youth Group Is Back!
Youth Group happens on Sundays from 7 pm-8:30pm during the school year. We alternate between a high school small group and an all-grades (6-12th) youth group.
Please note: There won’t be Youth Group this week, Sept. 14th, because of the Parish Retreat. Youth Group returns on Sept. 21st with the first meeting of our high school small group, grades 9-12. Join us from 7:00-8:30 pm in the youth room downstairs.
Coming Up:
Sept. 28th - all-grades Youth Group, 7:00-8:30
Oct. 5th - all-grades pizza and movie night, 6:00 pm (note earlier start time)
Download our full Fall Youth Program 2025 calendar here.
Serve with Us
Food Bank collection is active. Please bring non-perishable food on Sundays and use the baskets in the Narthex. We also need drivers to deliver food. If you want to help, click here to e-mail Cathy G.
Meal Train delivers food to others. If you are in need of meals, or if you’d like to join this team to deliver to others, click here to email Sarah O.
Open Door Dinner (ODD) makes a warm jambalaya meal for anyone who is hungry every second Sunday of the month. If you are interested in joining the ODD team, click here to email Jennifer A.
Please note: Our next Open Door Dinner is Sunday, September 14th. Since many folks will be away this weekend at our Parish Retreat, we could use some extra hands. If you plan to stay in town – or if you just join the retreat for the day on Saturday – please consider helping out! If you’re able to help cook/serve, click here to email Terry Nicol.
Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach (USMO) is a Cal student group that organizes outreach events every Saturday to bring food and resources to homeless encampments in Berkeley. They are especially seeking donations of the following items:
General hygiene products (toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, soap, etc.)
Clothing
Bottled water
Please bring these donations to the red bin in the Narthex. Click here to email Beth Christensen for donation and other direct volunteer opportunities with USMO.
Looking for ways to be politically engaged from a faith perspective?
Learn more on the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations site. You can find out about timely action alerts, service opportunities, and ways to be involved on local and national levels.
In particular, consider joining their weekly network call via Zoom, which the Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers mentioned in her recent sermon. Register here.
You can also receive action alerts from the Episcopal Public Policy network here.
Ways to respond to the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Education: Learn and educate yourself on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dating back to the late 19th Century.
Partnership: Consider partnering with these organizations: Episcopal Relief and Development (episcopalreleif.org), Episcopal Peace Fellowship (episcopalpeacefellowship.net), and the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (www.im4humanintegrity.org).
Advocacy: Our baptismal covenant calls us to "...strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being."
