Grace Cathedral

How can we heal together if we can’t even see one another’s dis-ease? Like COVID-19, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict knows few borders, and flares across boundaries. In the absence of visionary leadership, the old wounds of division and disparity fester into co-morbidities, burying the hopes and dreams of too many. 

Monday, April 27, Yom Hazikaron, is Israel’s Memorial Day. The wars dating from the 1947 founding of the State of Israel have scarred Israeli society, and the dead must be honored and remembered. The same conflicts have scarred Palestinian society, and those dead must be honored and remembered. Official celebrations have remembered one at the expense of the other. What eludes government is sometimes best accomplished by the people themselves. 

Beginning in 2005, Combatants for Peace gathered Israeli and Palestinian activists, advocates and artists to create the Joint Memorial Ceremony, and occasion to mourn together and bear witness to the pain that knows no borders. Now in its 15th year, the Joint Memorial Ceremony gathers nearly 10,000 people. From personal histories of violence and loss, participants build bridges toward mutual respect and understanding, and ultimately, peace.  

COVID-19 precludes an in-person ceremony this year, but also opens a unique opportunity for Grace Cathedral to co-sponsor a virtual Joint Memorial Ceremony. With compelling personal narratives and musical performances by Israelis and Palestinians of diverse ages, religions and political perspectives, the 2020 Joint Memorial Ceremony promises beauty and hope. And you don’t have to fly to attend! Register here and raise up the hopes and reams of a region, and world, to heal together. 

We journey through Lent, now as we shelter in place in San Francisco and wherever you may be. The Rev. Anna Rossi shares her insight, reminding us of eternal hope and going back to the basics, as we navigate unexpected circumstances together.

This time is being described with a torrent of superlatives. They are not inaccurate. But for every unprecedented event or era, there is also [some] precedent.

The Exodus, the Black Plague and the Spanish Flu. In more recent memory, the AIDS epidemic, and the Ebola epidemics and world health emergencies in West Africa and Congo sickened many and took many lives, in contexts with far fewer resources than we have.

And through all of these, people of all kinds live faithfully. So today, faith in God is our Hope; not only God out there and beyond, but the Incarnate God who is always and everywhere present, working through ordinary people like us. Faith in God is our hope, and faith is also our teacher.

But I have to make room to learn. When things get (really) complicated, I go back to basics. Words of mostly one syllable that I can hold it one hand: Eat. Sleep. Pray. Move. Connect. In this time, I might add: quarantine the phone for at least 30 minutes per day.

Join me in living faithfully with COVID-19.

Love, Anna

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is among the most intractable in modern history. The “peace deal” put forth by the White House offers dim hope for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict. Whatever the shape of a just solution, it must involve dialogue and compromise by all parties, to bring about peace and security for all people in the region.

At Grace this is the year of building bridges — bridges toward justice, reconciliation and mutual understanding. Work with us to strengthen understanding between these two ancient faiths.

Explore the Israeli/Palestinian conflict with Grace

Sunday, February 2 at 9:30 p.m. The Forum with Dr. Rani Jaeger, the head of the Ritual Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute on the current political climate in Israel and Palestine, and how the U.S. plays a part. Dr. Jaeger is a guest preacher at the 11 a.m. Eucharist. Free and open to all.

Wednesday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. Combatants for Peace: An Interfaith Workshop at the World Affairs Council, an evening of honest and thoughtful discussion with Bay Area interfaith clergy leaders, along with two CfP activists — one from Israel, one from Palestine — to participate in a discussion about the impact of the work being done by activists to bring about peace and civil society in Israel and Palestine. Co-sponsored by Combatants for Peace, Grace Cathedral and World Affairs Council. Free but RSVP.

Friday, July 3 to Monday, July 13: 2020 Holy Land Pilgrimage, a transformative pilgrimage to the Holy Land, led by the Rev. Canon Mark Stanger.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting of the Congregation on Sunday, January 27. So much happened in the Year of Truth, and so much is planned for the Year of the Body. Gresham was filled with energy as we gathered to remember and to learn. The 2019 Annual Report can be found here.

In his report to the congregation, Bishop Marc Andrus emphasized diocesan efforts in racial justice and the distinct character of that work in the multi-ethnic Bay Area. This theme will be reflected in the 2019 Convention Eucharist, to be led by Native American Episcopalians. Equally important are diocesan efforts toward carbon reduction. As the cathedral, we have a particular responsibility to get involved! Learn more and sign up at http://www.sustainislandhome.org/.

Dean Malcolm Young highlighted the strategic growth that occurred in 2018, including: 50+ youth at the MLK overnight (Mary Carter Greene); forums, marches and interfaith vigils for justice led by Ellen Clark-King; and the integration of the yoga community, as well as groundbreaking Vine services such as the Beyoncé Mass (Jude Harmon) that open our doors to a broader community.

Other cathedral leaders such as Board President David Walker, Congregation Council President Christine Bensen, and Deanery Co-Convener Karma Quick-Panwala enriched the picture of Grace, its people, and its impact on the wider Church, the community, and the world. Together we watched a video about contributions from our Truth Book from congregants and visitors. Watch the video at https://gracecathedral.org/TruthVideo

We honored outstanding and beloved congregants. Helen Borgan and Regan Murphy received the Dean and Chapter Award for their longstanding and generous leadership across many ministries. Marisa Hurtado’s crucial contributions in growing The Vine community were recognized with the Office of the Congregation Award.

We also gave thanks for the tireless service of Cathedral Deacon Nina Pickerrell, and look forward to celebrating her ministry at Pentecost, Sunday, June 9.

We elected representatives to governing and advisory bodies, and welcome our new trustees, councilors, and deanery delegates:

Congregational Trustees: Tricia Weaver Moss, Rosemary Turner, Arthur Yeap

Congregation Council: Torrie Fields, Steph McNally, Marc Priester, David Robinson, and Lisa S. Wong

Deanery Delegation: Niall Battson, Joe Garity, Ron Hermanson, Ron Johnson, Jean Krasilnikoff, Karma Quick-Panwala, Barbra Ruffin-Boston

Join Grace Cathedral in celebrating the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Grace Cathedral is participating in the events below.

Interfaith Service on Sunday, January 20 at 3 p.m. Local faith leaders, guest preacher  Dr. Andrea White, Union Theological Seminary, and the Edwin Hawkins Singers.

The Faith and King Forum on Sunday, January 20 at 4:15 p.m. A panel organized around the MLK2019 theme, moderated by Dr. Clayborne Carson, Founding Director of the MLK Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.

MLK@Grace Youth Overnight on Sunday, January 20 at 5 p.m.  Youth from Northern California gather for an overnight of fellowship and discussion and then join the Monday MLK March.

MLK March and Parade on Monday, January 21  at 9:30 a.m. Join diocesan youth and local faith communities in this annual march honoring MLK that begins at San Francisco Caltrain Station and culminates in an interfaith service at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Join Grace Cathedral in a #WomensWave: rise up for the Women’s March 2019.
Grace Cathedral is participating in the events below.

Rise Up: A Rally for Spiritual Equality on Wednesday, January 16, at 6:30 p.m. The Vine’s intersectional feminist worship service gathers, inspires and prepares you for the march.

Eve of the March concert on Friday, January 18, at 7:30 p.m. Vajra Voices and Grace Cathedral present  Vajra Voices directed by Karen R. Clark an0d Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble with Shira Kammen, multi-instrumentalist and Theresa Wong, composer/cellist/vocalist.

March on Saturday, January 19, at 11 a.m. Meet on the steps of the cathedral and walk together to the Women’s March at Civic center.

This article by Christian Chensvold appeared on page 24 of the January 2019 edition of the Nob Hill Gazette.

UP FRONT: THE ESSAY
THIS YEAR OF GRACE
How Nob Hill’s great cathedral and a tech giant offer keys for transformation in 2019
BY CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD

Grace Cathedral stands atop Nob Hill so as to be that much closer to heaven. You’ve passed it many times, noting the grand Gothic edifice with awe, but you’ve probably never thought of it as a perfect symbol of yourself, from the deepest foundation to the highest sky-pointing spire. Maybe not the self you are now, but the one you could be in your loftiest dreams.

A wise doctor once noted that if there’s something wrong with society, then there’s something wrong with the individual. And if there’s something wrong with the individual, then there’s something wrong with me. Nearly everyone seems to be suffering from some mysterious malaise, riled up by the news served via the hemlock-cup of social media, perpetually anxious and unable to ascertain why, downing booze and pills to sleep, then running all day on caffeine and sugar. That this madness is occurring in the most advanced and comfortable civilization the world has ever known is quite perplexing. Then again, the ancients had gods and rituals; we have celebrities and shopping. Perform a Google News search for “spiritual enlightenment” and the silence is quieter than the sound of one hand clapping.

And so in the rosy dawn of a new year and its perennial resolutions for change, let us fret not over the chaos without, and instead build peace within, like a certain grand and Gothic edifice that stands as a sanctuary of the eternal amid the flux that surrounds it. We can start with our homes and wardrobes – since who doesn’t love starting the year off with a good house­cleaning? – and one of San Francisco’s home-grown tech innovators.

Pinterest launched in 2010 and was quickly named one of Time magazine’s 50 best websites. You may have used it as an image library, but its real value is for creating what designers call mood boards. In my decades of study on matters of style, I’ve never come across a tool so capable of clarifying what my subconscious has been trying to manifest all these years. You can survey your home’s decor or peruse your closet and think there’s a method to the madness, but Pinterest allows you to define it clearly on one visually digestible board.

Let’s say you’ve got a closet (or two) overflowing with clothes but always feel you have nothing to wear. Close your eyes and ask yourself what you really love, what you’d take if you had to live the rest of your life from a single suitcase. Then create a Pinterest board and begin entering the search terms. Select simple images – fabrics, colors, style icons – that instantly resonate when they touch your eye. This draws out the true wishes of your unconscious, undistracted by that great temptress known as fashion, or that even more wayward-leading siren, the clearance rack. Search and add images, then assess the board and cut, and repeat until the unified vision emerges. This is what your soul wants to look like, and this understanding – whether innate or learned – is what every legendary style icon had.

Pinterest was the tool I needed at just the right time to stop spinning in style circles and recapture my inner fundamentals. My closet purged to the essentials, missing links filled, walls painted and decor refined, I found myself wondering if Pinterest could provide the same therapy for things like life’s calling and heart’s desire. It was intriguing and terrifying, as most of us avoid specifying what we really want, believing that if we do and don’t get it, the sense of failure will be inconsolable.

Halfway through this article I could avoid it no longer and created a life board. I put myself in a receptive frame of mind, took a meditative breath, and asked myself what the ideal life might look like. The result was a shock.

I thought a “life” board would be full of aspirational things (dream house, vintage sports car), along with situations difficult to attain (head of my own magazine, chorus of singing Von Trapp children at home). Instead, what emerged was more of a psychological blueprint expressed through archetypal mythology. There was the medieval knight I’d chosen to symbolize strength and chivalry; the beauty of nature via dark forests, still waters and the starry skies; an office filled with books of wisdom and a desk at which to work; the challenge of sports and the beauty of art; and a few cinematic depictions of my feminine ideal.

This exercise, enticing and daunting as it was (rather like a knight braving a dark forest in search of the feminine ideal) showed me that I’d learned more than I thought. It confirmed an ageless piece of wisdom: that which you seek is already within you. You just have to wake up to it.

Soaring within Grace Cathedral through the end of this month are 2,000 paper doves, symbols of spirits and peace. The acclaimed creation of artist Michael Pendry, Les Colombes/The Doves provides the perfect opportunity to pay the gothic sanctuary a fresh visit and see it in a new light. That is, as a symbol of your fully developed self. “The inner, unconscious model of the individual is like the plan for a cathedral,” wrote celebrated analyst Robert Johnson. The full grandeur of each person must be built, ever rising, from the unconscious to the conscious, from potential to actualization.

It took 36 years to build Grace Cathedral. Personal growth doesn’t happen all at once, any more than the erecting of a temple or growth of a tree. An oak may have begun as a mere acorn, but the divine plan was within it all along, and only when a cathedral is complete is the architect’s vision fully realized.

So refine your designs, strengthen the foundation, and reach for the sky, that twilight realm of your highest ideals, the space where the dove-spirits fly free. There’s nothing better you can do in 2019.

As we close the Year of Truth, the Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young leads a book study on Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism.  DiAngelo writes to help whites in particular take stock of our racial identities and work toward reconciliation and just social systems.

DiAngelo introduces part of the dilemma: “… [I]ndividualism holds that we are each unique and stand apart from others, even those within our social groups. Objectivity tells us that it is possible to be free of all bias. These ideologies make it very difficult for white people to explore the collective aspects of the white experience” (9).

As Christians in this community, we strive to be curious about the truth of who we are, who God is, and how to serve the spirit of Grace that binds us together. Race, while having no basis in biology, is nevertheless one of the strongest forces shaping our society and experience.  Join Dean Malcolm Young in exploring DiAngelo’s ideas, and expanding our capacity to perceive the truth about ourselves and others.

Job 38:1-7; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

Our culture suffers from its fantasies about beginnings and endings. Think apocalyptic fiction or the race to patent and store seeds. Let’s call it a shared affliction: we fantasize about the places that are most unlike our actual lives. Like Job, we weren’t there in the beginning when the foundations were laid, and like the disciples, we can’t reserve seats for the grand finale. Rather, we come to God and another, in this messy, mysterious middle.

To cast God to the extremes and reduce our in-between to its tempests and trials is to miss the point. We can experience theophany — God’s self-disclosure — in a new and richer way. The scriptures are clear: God’s self-disclosure is not an anesthetic. Job is still in the whirlwind; Jesus’ baptism and cup is still the cross and tomb. But God is there calling her followers out and through times of betrayal, trial and doubt, into the beloved community we were created to be.

Living into our belovedness summons our best efforts. But it’s not striving. To strive is to “know” that God has left us to the whirlwind, or that we can secure spiritual prizes. Rather, we are summoned to serve. To serve is to trust God working in-between, among our fellow travelers, and even our detractors and trials. To serve is to hear the call: “Will you be baptized with my baptism?” and in humility, respond: “I will, with God’s help.”

Anna E. Rossi has served in multiple roles on the Grace Cathedral staff, most recently as Succentor. A seminary graduate, Anna is sponsored by this cathedral congregation in a process to be ordained a priest in The Episcopal Church.

Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 1; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37

Today’s first reading, “The Poem on the Capable Woman,” bids us cringe. Originally observations (not revelation!) from father to son, it contains few jewels for the 21st-century wisdom-seeker — until its end. “Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.” Wisdom knows credit is not always given where credit is due. Who also deserves accolades for the progress you —or we— seem to have achieved? Don’t hold back: the heart of healthy relationships is acclaiming all the good that our partners are and accomplish.

The Epistle and the Gospel also coach us toward more honest relationships. Even beautiful, counter-cultural self-promotion — see #Iamremarkable or #followme — is still attention-seeking. God calls us beyond these “cravings” and jockeying for position. God is not friending our competitions, but our compassion for the vulnerable. So what is good for the children? Or their children?

Two weeks ago, Grace Cathedral hosted an array of Global Climate Action Summit events. We know that the most vulnerable dimensions of life today are ecological, and those most affected by climate change are the most vulnerable. For their sake, God invites our “willingness to yield” to a more plant-based diet, to fewer consumer goods and cars, to smaller, greener spaces. What arguments can we set aside on the way? As faithful, capable humans, God invites us to hold the children in our arms and their future in our hands.

Anna E. Rossi has served in multiple roles on the Grace Cathedral staff, most recently as Succentor. A seminary graduate, Anna is sponsored by this cathedral congregation in a process to be ordained a priest in The Episcopal Church.