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| Dear Friends, Neighbors, and Members of St. Cyprian's,
In the very first part of John's Gospel, the peculiar character Jesus is approached by two strangers whom he asks "What are you seeking (or what do you want)?" and they respond with "where are you staying?" Jesus responds, "Come and see." Whatever Jesus showed them, these guys were fast learners and they decided to stick around with this teacher for a while. An odd way to begin, perhaps, but those words "Come and see" are deeply powerful and a reminder of how important the physical, tactile, visible and material are to our sacred stories.
St. Francis of Assisi, our city's namesake whom we celebrate on Sunday (we're having our regular Sunday service & throwing a picnic in the Panhandle Park, blessing bikes & pets) was famous for his deep solidarity with creation. He even invented Christmas pageants by dressing up his hometown like the holy family. Francis recognized that for us to get the significance of the incarnation we long to somehow see, touch, and feel the divine presence. We can't just be told God abides with us--we have to be shown. St. Francis told his followers: Preach the gospel at all times. If you have to use words.
Whether it was his rebuilding of an abandoned church, standing naked before the questioning crowds, or wandering through a battlefield to meet face to face with the supposed enemy of his people, Francis privileged the embodied word over the spoken. My Nana always had a sculpture of St. Francis in her garden, but that image of him passively standing with birds sitting on his shoulders in some ways tames this radical saint a bit too much for me. A great article by John Dear, from a few years ago, portrays a much more complex and passionate figure.
If you catch the Francis bug, you might want to check one of the films made about him. There's even one with music by Donovan and directed by Franco Zeffirelli. My high school youth group viewed "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" many years ago. It is certainly sentimental, and definitely strongly under the influence of the Flower Power generation, but tells the story quite movingly nonetheless.
Here's St. Francis' Canticle of the Sun, from which you can see why he's the patron saint for Ecology.
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord,
Praise, glory and honor and benediction all are thine.
To thee alone do they belong, most High, and there is no man fit to mention thee.
Praise be to thee, my Lord, with all thy creatures,
Especially to my worshipful brother sun,
The which lights up the day, and through him dost thou brightness give;
And beautiful is he and radiant with splendor great;
Of thee, most High, signification gives.
Praised be my Lord, for sister moon and for the stars,
In heaven thou hast formed them clear and precious and fair.
Praised be my Lord for brother wind
And for the air and clouds and fair and every kind of weather,
By the which thou givest to thy creatures nourishment.
Praised be my Lord for sister water,
The which is greatly helpful and humble and precious and pure.
Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
By the which thou lightest up the dark.
And fair is he and gay and mighty and strong.
Praised be my Lord for our sister, mother earth,
The which sustains and keeps us
And brings forth diverse fruits with grass and flowers bright.
Praised be my Lord for those who for thy love forgive
And weakness bear and tribulation.
Blessed those who shall in peace endure,
For by thee, most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be my Lord for our sister, the bodily death,
From the which no living man can flee.
Woe to them who die in mortal sin;
Blessed those who shall find themselves in thy most holy will,
For the second death shall do them no ill.
Praise ye and bless ye my Lord, and give him thanks,
And be subject unto him with great humility.
See you soon at Turk & Lyon, & this Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Panhandle Park (we'll set up our tables near the basketball courts).
Peace,
Will
St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church
415-987-3029
turkandlyon@gmail.com
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SEE YOU IN THE PARK
This Sunday's Service will be in the
Panhandle Park @ 11 a.m. 
In Celebration of St. Francis Day,
St. Cyprian's Church & Friends will meet in the Panhandle (near the basketball courts) for a simple service, blessings of bikes & pets, and a picnic. The Reverend Dr. Susanna Singer will preach, Will will preside & we'll all have a good time.
For more information email turkandlyon@gmail.com or call 415-987-3029
Image above by John August Swanson
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The San Francisco Deanery meets at St. Cyprian's this Saturday
Episcopal lay and ordained leaders from throughout San Francisco will gather on Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Many thanks to everyone who has helped us prepare for this event, especially to Gigi Smith for arranging for breakfast and lunch for the crowd.
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Eric Metoyer reflects onmetanoia & doing the right thing. Read notes from Eric's Sunday sermon here.
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Meet St. Cyprian's Seminarian,
Jack Stephens
Jack Stephens was born and raised in the southern neighborhoods of San Francisco where he has lived all of his life. He felt a calling towards serving God and the people around him while he was in his last year in high school. While receiving his B.A. in Journalism at San Francisco State University he got involved in community organizing in the neighborhoods he grew up in and also began organizing as a union representative for his union, Teamsters Local 2785.
As of today he is in his last year at seminary at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific where he is working on completing his Masters in Divinity. He is still a union representative for his union and works the graveyard shift as a truck loader for UPS (where he has been for the last five years). He also is on the Board of Directors for the South of Market Community Action Network where he focuses on staff development as well as being on the staff for the Northern California Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and is the educational development director for the San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines.
Jack looks forward to his time at the wonderful community at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church and is anticipating learning many valuable lessons from the parishioners of the church. |
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Meet our PSIP Intern from USF, Lu Han
My name is Lu Han and I am the new intern with the University of San Francisco Public Service Internship Program. I am sophomore and majoring in Finance at USF. I am excited to work with the kitchen committee of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church in this semester. I was born in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China and have been in Beijing for more than two years. As an international student, I totally love San Francisco and try to learn everything and look every chance to build my experiences. I will help the kitchen plans go successfully through launching projects, negotiating with neighbors and fund-raising. I will provide help with my business skills and design background. I look forward to working with you all. |
Service Learning Students from USF
help us go Green 
Sean Culligan
Donald Tung
Nick Huntington
Alex Michel
This autumn, USF Business Professor Monika Hudson has sent St. Cyprian's four students to research ways we can become more ecologically responsible. From something as large as putting solar panels on our roof to something as simple as using biodegradable cleaning products. This week, they even helped take out our trash, recycling and compost.
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An invitation shared by St. Cyprian's member Shirley Matthews,
SAN FRANCISCO VOTER
EDUCATION FORUM
COME & MEET the candidates running for:
MAYOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY SHERIFF
BE AN INFORMED VOTER!
Local Measures Presented by League of Women Voters
Ranked Choice Voting Presented by Dept. of Elections
Get involved...show your power!!!!
OCTOBER 3, 2011
6:00 - 9:30PM
Westbay Conference Center
1290 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(Paid Parking Available Fillmore Center Garage at 1475 Fillmore Street)
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
For more information email:
dstsfsac@aol.com
Sponsored by:
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - San Francisco Alumnae Chapter,
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - San Francisco Peninsula Chapter,
SF-NAACP, SF-BWOPA, Jones Memorial UMC Outreach, Charles Houston Bar Association |
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From the Cyprian's Kitchen...
Back in the early 1980s St. Cyprian's put together a cookbook of recipes from our church community. Each week we will share a recipe from the cookbook in this e-newsletter. The book of recipes was dedicated to Miller Johnson, a member of St. Cyprian's who was a Master Chef.
Our next recipe was shared by Hazel Wall.
Applesauce and Raisin Bread
2 cups flour
1 Tb baking powder
1 teas. salt
1. teas. cinnamon
1/2 cup teas. clove (ground)
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Combine applesauce, eggs, sugar, and oil; stir in raisins and nuts. Add all at once to flour, stirring only until flour is moistened. Pour into greased 8 1/2 X
4 1/2 pan. Bake in a 350 degrees oven 50-55 minutes or until done. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing.
Makes 1 loaf
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SAVE THE DATE -
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DINNER
Saturday, November 12
5-7 p.m. @ Cyprian's
Come together with local foodies, grandmas, students, chefs, gardeners, and culinary entrepeaners for a conversation about creating a community kitchen for the neighborhood.
This event is being organized by the St. Cyprian's Kitchen Team & our neighborhood allies, including neighbors and friends at USF, NOPA Restaurant & Slideranch.
For more information on Cyprian's Community Kitchen please visit:
http://cyprianscommunitykitchen.org/
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EAT, SHARE, PRAY
Every Wednesdays
@ 6:30 p.m. Each week, friends, neighbors and members of St. Cyprian's gather over a simple meal, share a conversation about topics that matter and close the evening with meditation & Night Prayer. All are welcome. If you are interested in helping with this series, email turkandlyon@gmail.com
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St. Cyprian's Oral History Project:
The story of a community and a neighborhood
We all have stories to tell. Your stories and the stories of the people around you are unique and valuable treasures for your family, and for your community. These stories, these oral histories, open up new views of the past, by turning history inside out: history is not only to be found in dates and key events, but also in the memories of people who witnessed or lived through them.
The history of St. Cyprian's is a fascinating collection of stories of community and neighborhood: from its origins in the early 1870s, when a group of Black Episcopalians gathered together to form a new church; to the completion of the Panama Canal, when West Indian laborers from that project, born and raised in the Church of England, began migrating to California; to the completion of the building on the corner of Turk and Lyon Streets, marked by its first service in 1960; though the enormous changes of the 60's and 70s, and the decades that followed.
We'd like to know who you are, how you came to join St. Cyprian's, and what changes you have experienced and seen in the church, the neighborhood, and in San Francisco. How long have you been part of St. Cyprian? How many family generations are connected with St. Cyprian's? How many family members have attended St. Cyprian's (former and current)?
Through St. Cyprian's Oral History Project, our goal is to discover and preserve unwritten histories, large and small; to engage with the past through specific and personal experience, and by doing so, understand in a deeper and more resonant way, who we are.
On scheduled Sundays throughout the coming year, we invite you to share your stories with us, directly following the service. We will also reach out to elders in the community, through visits to their homes. We welcome your ideas, advice, support, and help.
Rebecca Nestle (rebeccanestle@gmail.com)
& Doe Yates (doedeartoo@sbcglobal.net)
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Have you taken our survey?
In an effort to gather valuable information for our developing faith programs at St. Cyprian's, Junior Warden Jarie Bolander created a survey. Please take a few minutes and fill this out for us. Begin by clicking here.
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Volunteers Wanted Music-loving, stay-up-late types who will help strike the set and lock up the building after performances at Cyprian's. Get two free tickets to any concert you cover. Hours: 10:30 to midnight, sometimes earlier. Contact: michael.helquist@gmail.com.
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Weekly E-Mail Archives
In January St. Cyprian's began sending weekly e-newsletters. You can find an archive of all these messages here. Forward messages and invite friends, neighbors, and distant congregants to join our list. |
| Saint Cyprian's Episcopal Church has been a member of the San Francisco community for over 88 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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