The Pathfinder: August 6th, 2026
At the Edge of the Ocean
Recently, I spent time at Cannon Beach, on the northern coast of Oregon. I’ve gone there almost every summer since I was a small child. It’s the place where I first fell in love with the ocean, and where my passion for marine biology began.
The Oregon coast is often wet and gray, with windswept sand and foaming waves. This time, though, the sun shone abundantly and the breeze was mild—the perfect weather for tidepooling. I spent hours exploring the clear, shallow pools, identifying familiar creatures. Gooseneck barnacles, scaly and sharp. Anemones, green and squishy, with tentacles like flower petals. Tiny tidepool sculpins, camouflaged perfectly against the sandy bottom. Sea stars (Pisaster ochraceous) with delicate tube feet and tough, leathery skin.
One morning, I went out early to my favorite secluded place. About two miles south of town, there’s a huge rock near the water’s edge. Over time, the ocean has worn a hole through the middle, forming an arched, cavernous tunnel. At mid and high tides, the tunnel fills with water. But some days—at very low tide—the waves recede enough that you can walk all the way through.
This was one of those days. I stood beneath the dome of rock, gazing upward. The walls were damp, gleaming with ink-black mussels. Sea stars clung like bright orange jewels. Here, where the sun never shines, the anemones are a pale whitish-pink, ghostlike rather than green. It was quiet, protected from wind and rain. Water dripped and trickled from the ceiling, echoing in the stillness. I could hear my own breath.
As I stood there, I thought: I'm in the presence of something very sacred. It reminded me of entering an empty church after hours. The same hushed, solemn reverence. The same sense of being only a fleeting visitor, stepping into a place that has a life and holiness of its own.
Rachel Carson, one of the great writers about the intertidal zone, writes, "When we go to the low-tide line, we enter a world that is as old as the earth itself—the primeval meeting place of the elements of earth and water, a place of compromise and conflict and eternal change."
That is how the tunnel felt to me: elemental, primeval. Like a threshold into a world far older and more enduring than the one we usually inhabit. A world where species and lineages come and go, where waves shape rock, where tides rise and fall without hurry. Our human lives move so quickly that we often forget this deeper rhythm. Caught in the vicissitudes of our thoughts and emotions, we lose touch with the ancient, ceaseless source of life that holds us—that holds all.
Yet the tidepools endure, whether we visit them or not. There is a steadiness there. A beauty. A communion that does not depend upon us. I find that deeply comforting.
My experience in the tidepool made me think about the Season of Creation– what the coming months of worship together might offer.
This past Sunday, you may have noticed some changes in our liturgy. They anticipate the Season of Creation, which we celebrate from now until St. Francis Day. During these weeks, Christians around the world join in prayer, worship, and action that deepen our commitment to climate justice and our relationship with the more-than-human world.
You'll notice that the response after each reading is now, "Hear what the Spirit is saying to all God's creation," rather than only "to God's people." You'll hear a different form of Confession that acknowledges our overuse of the earth's gifts and our failure to recognize our kinship with other creatures. The post-Communion prayer sends us out to participate in God's renewing work throughout creation. And in the Eucharistic Prayer we proclaim that, "In the mystery of Christ's incarnation, you have gathered into one all things earthly and heavenly, calling your people to be ministers of reconciliation and to proclaim the Good News to all creation."
The prayers and liturgies we are using come from many parts of the Anglican Communion. Together, they invite us to recover a vision of creation not simply as the backdrop for human salvation, but as a community of life beloved by God.
In these words of worship, I hear an invitation into the same kind of awareness I encountered at the edge of the ocean. I hear the recognition that our species comes from a continuous evolutionary lineage, connected to all that is and will be, and there is a truth we can learn from in the more-than-human world.
And so this season, I invite you to make connections between our worship in church, and the habitats around you. I invite you to inhabit a kind of two-way conversation between the words we pray together, and the observations you make in the forests, streams, oceans, and species of the outside world. Let worship become a whole way of seeing and being, and let your seeing and being make the words of our prayers come alive.
Then, in the words of our Dismissal:
"Go forth now to care for God's world.
Use resources wisely. Share your knowledge.
Sacrifice where necessary.
Live in harmony with all creatures.
Go out into all the world as prophets of a new way of living
and preach the Good News to all."
Peace,
-Emily+
July Vestry Reflection
The Vestry gathered for a warm evening of fellowship and discernment at Cathy Goshorn's home, opening with a reading of "After Psalm 42" and closing a couple hours later, with a prayer led by Sarah Bakker Kellogg.
In between, there was a lot of good, faithful work to report!
Caring for Our Core
John Gearen shared an update on the ongoing effort to support the wellbeing of our staff and lay leadership. The team is checking in first with staff and then with lay leaders, using a consistent set of questions to understand how their workloads are feeling these days. A couple of Vestry members are sitting in on these conversations to offer a second set of ears, and the group is even using AI tools to help organize notes and spot common themes. With annual budgeting season approaching, the Vestry hopes to move quickly so this good momentum — building on conversations from last year — can inform decisions ahead.
A New Chapter for Our Preschool
Richard Lynch brought an update from the Preschool Taskforce, which has spent months advertising the opening of our spaces and talking with prospective nonprofits. Two candidates emerged, and the taskforce is recommending Mustard Seed as our next preschool partner. Mustard Seed hopes to sign a lease soon, prepare the space over the coming months, and begin operating on campus in August 2027 — starting with an afternoon aftercare program and growing from there. They bring financial stability, and All Souls would simply serve as landlord rather than co-managing a new startup. After discussing scholarship access, drop-off logistics, and parking, the Vestry voted unanimously to move forward with negotiations.
Giving Taskforce Update
Sarah Bakker Kellogg and Erin Horne shared progress from the Giving Taskforce, which is preparing a set of guiding questions for future Vestries to use when considering requests for external gifts. Conversations with Jenny Kern, Lewis Maldonado, and Christine Trost gave essential background to our recent practices. The task force also raised a helpful question for the Vestry to consider: where should the line be drawn between gifts the full Vestry must approve and those that could be delegated within a set dollar range or percentage of budget. A formal vote regarding the adoption of the report and guidelines is planned for an upcoming meeting.
From the Rector
Phil+ offered several updates. Seismic work on the building is finished, with a punch-list walk-through ahead and some hoped-for savings. Outside, landscaping is taking shape: parking spots are leveled, railing posts are up, and stones are ready to be built into a lovely stone "stream" feature. A generous gift will cover materials and labor — volunteers may be needed, so reach out to Kaki Logan if you'd like to help! The organ project has about six weeks remaining, with excitement building about inviting organists to experience the revitalized instrument. Phil+ also celebrated a joy-filled Juneteenth celebration (see Ronnie's article in a previous Pathfinder), a beautiful Sunday wedding for Loni and Tyree with cakes from our own cake team, and Michael Drell's ordination in Washington, D.C., where Phil+ served as a presenter.
Other Good News
The All Souls campout was a joyful, multigenerational gathering with campers ranging from age 1 to 80! And don't forget to check the narthex for sign-up sheets for various ministry teams — there's a place for everyone to get involved.
Mark Mattek
Bearing Witness: Our Journey to Israel-Palestine
We began 2026 on an airplane. After a grueling thirteen-hour flight, our group of eight women arrived in Tel Aviv on January 3rd. Each of us had responded to the call of the Holy Land, not just as pilgrims visiting sacred sites, but as women peacemakers.
Believing that peace begins when we truly listen to one another, our objective was to meet with women – Israeli and Palestinian; Jewish, Muslim, and Christian—to hear their stories and bring them back to the United States.
Our leader was Dr. Gina Hens-Piazza, a renowned professor of Biblical Studies at the Graduate Theological Union. The perfect guide, she had taken student groups to Jerusalem for fifteen years and had many personal connections there. She arranged for us to meet with women from a range of religious and ethnic backgrounds to learn about their lives.
We stayed at Ecce Homo, an active working convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion built over the site where Jesus was held by Pilate on the night before his crucifixion. It’s located in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem, so we were awakened each morning at 5 am to the sound of the call to prayer broadcast over loudspeakers. After breakfast, we met in our classroom for Gina’s lectures on women in the Bible as well as information on the cultural, religious, and historical background of Jerusalem. After class, we left Ecce Homo for the sacred sites themselves, walking the very streets that Jesus walked. We traced the Stations of the Cross, we climbed the Mt. of Olives and saw the Garden of Gethsemane, and we visited the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus cured the paralytic. In the West Bank, we visited Jericho; Bethlehem; Nazareth and Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene; Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee.
But the most powerful encounters were our conversations with women who came to tell us their stories. Our first meeting was with two Palestinian women, Hannah and Amany, who talked about their lives living in fear under occupation with no hope of change, followed by a conversation with Talia, an Orthodox Jewish woman and mother of five who formerly lived in a community with both Jews and Arabs, but after Oct. 7th could only see Palestinians as the enemy, as Hamas. In the West Bank, we met with Palestinian women in Jericho and Bethlehem who shared their heart-wrenching stories of trying to raise their families and make a living in gated cities behind barbed wire. We heard stories of losing loved ones to violence. We spoke with Ahlam, a 63 year old Muslim woman who was imprisoned and tortured at age 16 for two years nearly fifty years ago for participating in protests.
But we also met with brave and resilient people working for peace. We visited Neve Shalom Wahat al Salam, an intentional community of Arab and Jewish families living together, dedicated to justice, peace, and equality. In Bethlehem, we visited the Wi’am Center, run by a Palestinian Christian, that offers programs which foster non-violence, peace, and mediation. We met with two young women in Jerusalem, Carolina (Jewish) and Abier (Muslim), who direct the Interfaith Encounter Association, a bridge-building organization dedicated to fostering dialogue between Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
Everyone we spoke to was grateful (and sometimes surprised) that this group of American women had come across the ocean to hear their stories. Always they asked us to bring them back to America so that the world will know what is happening. These are the stories that the three of us, Monique, Nancy, and I, look forward to sharing with you. We’re grateful for your interest and your open hearts.
-Laurie Porter
2026 Pledge Campaign Update
We're grateful for how our 2026 pledge campaign is unfolding this year. Our total pledges came in at just over $802,000. As of June 30th, All Souls had received just under $440,000 — a little ahead of pace, at just over 50% received through the first half of the year.
Thank you to everyone who has been faithfully fulfilling their pledge. As part of our ongoing effort to keep everyone informed and to make this process as easy as possible, we recently continued our practice of sending quarterly pledge statements to each pledging household. We hope these statements offer a helpful way to track your giving throughout the year, so nothing comes as a surprise later on.
Here's where things stood as of June 30th: Thank you to everyone who has been faithfully fulfilling their pledge.
If you have any questions about your pledge statement or your giving, please don't hesitate to reach out — we're always happy to help.
With gratitude,
-Maggie Cooke
The Ivy Tower-Vanquished
For years, the ivy climbing the tree on our southwest property line has been a losing battle. We'd trim it back, and it would come roaring back—eventually reaching an astonishing 30 feet in the air.
It was damaging our fence, crowding the walkway, creating a fire risk, and as we prepare to welcome a new preschool, the area by our back door needed a real fix, not another trim. (There had even been talk at one point of just handing the youth group some chainsaws and letting them at it.)
This time, a real plan came together: work out an arrangement with our neighbor to split the cost of removing the ivy and the tree, and build a new fence and replace some of the neighbor's landscaping. Then the tree removal crew showed up to get started.
The result? There was no tree there at all. The ivy had massed itself into a trunk of its own—two and a half feet in diameter—dense and sturdy enough to stand entirely on its own, with no tree ever inside it.
And in an even bigger twist, it turned out the ivy wasn't even rooted in our neighbor's yard. It was creeping in from a completely different property, over a roof and onto our fence.
Vive la différence!
Next time you walk the path between Jordan Court and the church, look up. You can see the sky. Wow. Check out these before and after photos.
-Kaki Logan
Announcements & Events
Thursday (TONIGHT)
5:30 pm, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room.
Sunday
7 am, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
8 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
9:15 am, Adult Formation in the Common Room.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Children’s Choir Downstairs.
12 noon, Coffee Hour in the Courtyard.
5 pm, Being With group in the Common Room.
Wednesday
9 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
Gather With Us
JOIN US FOR HOMECOMING SUNDAY - August 23rd
In just a few short weeks—on Sunday, August 23—we will celebrate Homecoming Sunday with popcorn, treats, a bounce house, a backpack blessing, and delicious tacos! What exactly are we celebrating, you may ask?
How You Can Get Involved
Invite a Friend: Set an intention this month to reach out to a friend, neighbor, or colleague and invite them to join the celebrations on August 23rd (or any time that works for them).
Ministry Teams: If you lead or serve on a ministry team and would like a table in the courtyard to share your work and invite folks to serve, please contact me so I can reserve your space.
Homecoming Volunteers: We need several hands to make the day special! If you can help serve snow cones or popcorn, pour wine, set up tables, take photos, or clean up, please let me know at rachel@allsoulsparish.org
ALL SOULS PARISH RETREAT - September 18th–20th
It’s time for our annual Parish Retreat! Join us Friday, September 18th through Sunday, September 20th for a weekend getaway up at the beautiful Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg. This year’s theme is "Teach Us to Pray," featuring sessions led in part by members of our own community.
The Bishop’s Ranch offers something for everyone. You can join the traditional group bike ride, relax by the pool, hang out on the lawn, or get creative in the well-stocked art casita. Whatever your pace, you are sure to find renewal in this beautiful space.
On Saturday, we’ll gather for an intergenerational session on prayer practices before breaking into focused workshops, with special programming tailored just for children and youth. Beyond our program, the weekend includes plenty of free time for reflection, rest, adventuring, and play.
It’s always a sweet time of connection and spiritual growth in a lovely setting, and we’d love for you to join us! Reach out to a fellow All Soulsian, make plans to room together, and reserve your spot:
Registration is officially open! 👉 Click Here to Register
Registration & Pricing Notes:
Costs are listed per person. Please select whichever occupancy type suits each family member best, and we’ll work out the remaining details!
Financial Support: We want everyone to be able to attend. If cost is prohibitive for you or your family, please let us know or indicate it on the registration form—scholarship and sliding-scale options are readily available, and we are more than happy to help.
Questions? Feel free to reach out to me directly at rachel@allsoulsparish.org.
BEING WITH GROUPS
Being With is for anyone who’s curious about faith or wondering if Christianity has something meaningful to offer them. In this 10-week small group, we seek out the sacred simply by paying attention to our lives — and the lives of those around us.
What happens during Being With?
Every 90-minute group, we listen to a brief teaching and move on to a group conversation. Participants are encouraged to listen to and openly receive what each person shares. Together, we’ll come to see how our stories are interconnected.
Our pilot Being With group began on May 17th, 2026. Groups are kept to 12 people. The class meets at 5 pm in the Common Room. Questions? Click here to email Mother Rachel.
Learn With Us
SPECIAL ADULT FORMATION OFFERING: This Sunday, August 9, in the Common Room at 9:15 am
Bearing Witness: Our Journey to Israel-Palestine
In January 2026, Monique Baylocq, Nancy Midlin, and Laurie Porter were part of a woman-to-woman peace mission to Jerusalem and the West Bank. Believing that peace begins when we truly listen to one another, their goal was to meet with women --Israeli and Palestinian; Jewish, Muslim, and Christian--in order to hear their stories and bring them back to the United States. In this presentation, they will share some of those stories and talk about what they learned. Join us in the Common Room at 9:15 am.
ADULT FORMATION: Sunday, August 16th at 9:15 am in the Common Room
Borders and Belonging: The Book of Ruth: A Story for our Times by Glenn Jordan and Pádraig Ó Tuama
The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers will lead a discussion of this book by a poet and theologian as they “reflect on the Old Testament story of Ruth, a tale that resonates deeply in today's world with its themes of migration, the stranger, mixed cultures and religions, law and leadership, women in public life, kindness, generosity and fear.” This final discussion will take place on August 16th in the Common Room and will cover chapters 5-8 and the afterword.
Any questions, please contact Anne Yardley at ayardley@drew.edu.
WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY GROUPS
All Souls hosts two weekly Bible Study Classes each week. In addition to our Sunday morning group (meets from 7-8 am), we are now offering another group on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30 pm. Both groups meet in our Common Room and use the Reading Between the Lines curriculum. Join us! Drop-ins are always welcome, too!
Worship With Us
CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES
Looking Ahead at the Program Year
The start of the All Souls program year is coming soon! In the next few weeks, you’ll hear much more from Emily B+ about our Sunday School and Youth program offerings.
For now, we want to share a few key dates.
Children’s Choir: Kids of all ages are invited to join us as we sing “We’re Coming Home!” on August 23rd during the 10:30 service. Rehearsals are during the service on all of the Sundays in August. Even if you can’t make all of them, please jump in anyway!
August 23rd - Homecoming Sunday! Bring your backpacks to church and join us for an outdoor festival, featuring tacos, snow cones, a bouncy castle, and more. Invite a friend to church!
August 30th - Sunday School begins and is offered weekly during the 10:30 service. Kids start in the nave with their parents, then process downstairs (following the wooden cross) shortly into the service.
September 13th - First Youth Group of the year! All grades (middle and high school) are invited to join us in the courtyard for a kick-off event, 7:00-8:30 pm.
Sept. 18th-20th - Parish Retreat at The Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg. This is a great family-friendly event. Youth are also welcome to attend on their own (there are special youth cabins and programming). Read more and register here.
If you want to join the Children and Family or Youth mailing lists, please email Emily B+ (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
TAIZE TUESDAYS
These services will be on hiatus during the summer months. Check back in the Fall for information on a potential new series of services.
WEDNESDAY MORNING EUCHARIST
Join us every Wednesday at 9 am in the Chapel for a small, discussion-based service. All are welcome!
Serve With Us
There are lots of ways to share your talents and time! Check out the bulletin board in the Narthex to sign up for one of All Souls’ many ministries.
Coffee hour isn’t just about coffee and cookies—it’s about community. After worship, we gather not only to enjoy a bite to eat but also to welcome newcomers, catch up with friends, and strengthen the bonds that make our parish family so special. To keep this ministry thriving, we invite everyone to take part, as they are able.
Each week, we ask a few parishioners to bring refreshments—homemade treats, fruit, or simple snacks—to share. Your contributions help make our hospitality warm and abundant. Please click the Coffee Hour Sign-Up link to support this ministry. We ask for someone to lend a hand (literally) as “host” in support of Scott, and folks to provide some treats (enough to feed 10-15).
Your help will make coffee hour a joyful expression of Christian community and welcome!
Open Door Dinner makes a warm jambalaya meal on the second Sunday of every month for anyone who is hungry. Teams of All Soulsians and friends take turns cooking and delivering. Email Jennifer A. (akiyama.jennifer@gmail.com) if you’d like to help!
Food Bank collection is active for the Good Shepherd Food Pantry. 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.
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:
Waterproof tarps
Bottled water, or water filtration devices
Clothing, particularly large shoes, socks, and jackets/sweaters
Hygiene supplies and toiletries, particularly wet wipes, toothbrushes, soap
Menstrual pads and diapers
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.
