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Dear friends, neighbors, and members of St. Cyprian's,
This year's long season after Epiphany will soon come to an end and next week people throughout the world will begin Lent on Ash Wednesday. We will gather in our sanctuary at 7 p.m. and together do the strange thing of putting ashes on our foreheads. A few years ago I preached on Ash Wednesday at the cathedral and here's some of what I said, you can read the whole sermon here.
Ash Wednesday wouldn't be Ash Wednesday with out heat. The ashes soon to be rubbed on our foreheads come from the burning of last year's Palm Sunday palm fronds. Perhaps this human compulsion towards heat, to places where we are exposed, naked, vulnerable, hot and sweaty --- is similar to what brings so many of us to this church in the middle of the week in the winter, a yearning to connect with the ground of our being --- with the truth, the earthy, the rawness of the human condition. Ash Wednesday --- the entire season of Lent really is an invitation to connect with our humanity and surrender to God's warm em bracing love. Welcome to God's spa, God's sa una --- God's health club. Welcome to Lent.
I'll preach a different sermon this coming week, but I still think that Lent can be a great workout!
See you soon at Turk & Lyon.
Peace,
Will
St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church
415-987-3029
turkandlyon@gmail.com
P.S. In addition to this weekly email newsletter, through the hard work and dedication of congregation volunteer Jennifer Wolfe, we also have a bi-monthly print newsletter, printed by our friends at the cathedral. This is particularly helpful our older members who do not use the internet regularly. You can check out our March-April edition fresh off the press, here.
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Welcoming Sojourners to St. Cyprian's
This coming week St. Cyprian's will provide hospitality to 12 students and two adults from Gonzaga University as they pursue a week of compassionate service and spiritual reflection. They will stay at our church from March 5th-12th, during the day they will work on service projects around the city and in the evening reflect on their experiences over communal meals. Some of the students will also worship with us on Sunday and participate in our Ash Wednesday service. Many thanks to our neighbors at USF for allowing our guests to use the facilities at their gym just a few blocks away during their stay at St. Cyprian's
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Coming soon to the Cyprian's Gallery
The photographs of the Reverend Ida Louise Johnson, a long time friend and connection of St. Cyprian's Church, will go up tomorrow in the new Cyprian's gallery. Many thanks to our neighbor Patricia Preble for sharing her work with us.
Here's her Artist Statement,
"On a journey to find me and rediscover my soul, I found God in everything around me through the lens of my camera. In my creativity, I have discovered ways to show others the spirituality that we pass everyday in our rush to do rather than be."
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Music at Cyprian's
You can stay connected to all the great music that is happening at
St. Cyprian's online at http://liveatcyprians.blogspot.com
Our next concert will be this Saturday, March 5th with
George Cole Quintet & Glass House
Tickets available here and at the door. Discounts for students and seniors available at the door. St. Cyprian's member Gigi Smith and her team will once again be providing concessions through Bodacious Eats & Sweets. If you missed the story about SF Live Arts move to St. Cyprian's in the Chronicle a few weeks ago, click here.
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Ash Wednesday Service
This Wednesday, March 9th 7 p.m
Come together to begin the holy season of Lent, where we acknowledge together our dependence on God and commit to embracing more fully Jesus' movement of love.
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Lenten Book Study
This Lent members of the St. Cyprian's community are invited to read together,
Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith By Diana Butler Bass
We will spend time following Sunday services discussing a different chapter from this acclaimed book, the result of a three year study on thriving mainline churches.
About the author: Diana Butler Bass is the author of seven books, including Christianity for the Rest of Us and The Practicing Congregation. She earned her Ph.D. in church history from Duke University and has taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Rhodes College, and Virginia Theological Seminary. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Cyprian's at Night - Dinner & Conversation
During the ancient season of Lent, St. Cyprian's will welcome a variety of groups from our eclectic neighborhood as we learn more about what is happening around us. We'll share good food, great talk and stories. Following the program we'll gather upstairs in the sanctuary for meditation and reflection on our Lenten journey.
Weekly - Wednesday, March 16 through Wednesday, April 20
6:30 p.m.- 7 p.m. Simple dinner
7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Stories & comments
Confirmed presenters - NOPA Plus, Biking for Community (NOPA VELO & BIKE NOPA), Panhandle Park Stewards & WalkSF
7:30 - 8 p.m. Lenten Meditation in Sanctuary
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Next Tuesday. . .
Village Project Celebrates Mardi Gras
Tuesday, March 8
In February, we welcomed Adrian Williams, director of the Village Project, into her own office, set up in a corner of our community room. The rest of the week, she can be found providing tutoring and cultural enrichment to the children she serves at several locations in the Western Addition.
Adrian is currently planning a massive, four-day Mardi Gras celebration with several parties, family events, food, food, food, and finally a procession and masquerade ball the night of Tuesday, March 8. It is going to be something else! This year's event is co-sponsored by Fillmore Community Business District, Supervisor Ross Mirkirami, and the Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development.
Tickets to the culminating masquerade ball are $45 in advance, $55 at the door, and are available at the Marcus Bookstore at 1712 Fillmore, at the Jazz Heritage Center at 1330 Fillmore, and online at www.brownpapertickets.com. |
 Bi-Monthly Newsletter Available Online
Stay connected to all that is happening at St. Cyprian's by reading our bi-monthly print newsletters online. |
| Saint Cyprian's Episcopal Church has been a member of the San Francisco community for over 87 years. We are a passionate group of seekers, thinkers, dreamers, doubters and believers from many walks of life. We hope you can come join us on Sundays and throughout the week as we together seek to be a people of faith, action & community. |
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