Cyprian's Weekly News - lessons of the nativity "everyone matters" & "get involved"

"Everyone matters" and "get involved", are two phrases that have been emerging from the stories of the nativity for me this year and messages that are a big part of our life at St. Cyprian's. Nearby shepherds & wise folks from far away came to see the peculiar child born in poverty and danger. Shepherds were dirty, earthy, outcasts, knowledgeable about practical things like how to keep a sheep out of danger. The legends about Magi are that they were intelligent, wealthy, sophisticated, with their eyes in the sky, astrologers, & alchemists. The two groups couldn't be more different from one another, representing a broad scope of the human condition --- poor workers to rich scientists --- yet both drawn to that baby. Everyone matters. And one can't forget the angels, those extraterrestrials representing the universe, perhaps the multiverse breaking through with a message of profoundly good news --- God's getting involved. Intimately, deeply, humbly with human life. Not just sending a from far away via text message or giving instructions over skype. God's incarnating, becoming flesh, showing up, and living a life full of real pain, sorrow, joy, desire, struggle, injustice and violence. God gets involved intimately with humanity. Of course Mary & Joseph too had to say, yes I'm up for an adventure, abandoning what might have been a conventional life & getting involved. Not long after that baby's head is in that animal feeding trough, the holy family become refugees. Far from an easy childhood. Getting involved rarely means things get easier or better immediately. Isn't that why we humans so often say, "I don't want to get involved." Getting involved means taking on responsibility, getting our hands dirty, dealing with complexity, confusion, grief, and pain. Getting involved also means we have to deal with fear of our own gifts and capacity, as Marianne Williamson wrote (and as has been quoted before in these weekly messages),

"We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Our invitation during these 12 days of Christmas is to acknowledge and celebrate the truth that everyone matters & dare to step into each others lives. To get involved. No matter how complicated or messy, difficult or painful. Just as God gets involved with humanity, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wisefolks, angels all get involved in the story of the word becoming flesh. This season is an invitation to get involved in our own messy lives and those of others, giving hope, being present and offering new possibilities.

Merry Christmas & Blessings on your New Year! Thanks for all the ways that you help us acknowledge the truth that everyone matters & for getting involved in our lives at St. Cyprian's.

St. Cyprian's Kira Smith as Mary & Dominic Drummond-Murray as Baby Jesus, St. Cyprian's Neighborhood Pagaent

See you soon at Turk & Lyon!

Peace,

Will

St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church

415-987-3029

turkandlyon@gmail.com

New Years Day
Sunday Service
will be at Noon

instead of our regular 10:10 a.m.

Stick around for the Village Project's Kwanzaa

event at 2 p.m. (more info below)

Deacon Eric Metoyer contemplates

"His arrival"

Read Eric's latest reflections by clicking here.

Help for our Alamo Square Neighbors

A week ago nearly 70 of our neighbors lost their homes in a massive 5-alarm fire at Pierce & Elm. The collection from our Pageant will be given to support efforts to meet the needs of those displaced. You may also give online &/or provide items on the list below. Here's the message from our Alamo Square friends.

Please take a moment to look through this list and see if you can meet any of these needs. If so, please go to the Google Doc below and write your name/initials next to the item so we know someone is taking care of that request:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0At2b8crU-HWodDZHVmNjRjczeGZodlFwUEFZQUZ0S0E

Then, email gus.hernandez@alamosq.org to coordinate a pick-up or drop-off of your donation item.

We will update the list as we get more requests. Thank you!!

Initial List:

Contact Lenses
Individual Garage for car and storage
Bath Towels
Hand Towels
Wash Cloths
Bed Linens & Blankets
Hair Clipper & Beard Trimmer
Pots and Pans
Small Kitchen Appliances
Microwave
Toaster
Blender
Food Processor
Dishes (Plates, Bowls, Cups, Saucers)
Glassware
Utensils (Cooking & Eating)
Mattress Set (Double or Queen)
Couch
Desk & Chair
Dresser
Television
Computer or Laptop
Mac laptop
Women's Clothes Size 10 or Medium
Women's Shoes Size 7 1/2
Towels
Bed Sheets
Pillows

To make a financial gift online click here.

COMING UP...

Kwanzaa with the Village Project

2 p.m. New Years Day at St. Cyprian's

0.851764705882353

Music by St. John Coltrane Church

Begin 2012 with the Village Project, an after school and summer youth program partnering with St. Cyprian's as we learn about Imani/Faith, the 7th Principle of Kwanzaa.

St. Cyprian's Sunday service on New Years Day will be held at noon,

instead of our usual 10:10 a.m.

For more information about the Village Projects events click here.

Feeding the Hungry

On Tuesday, December 27th St. Cyprian's friends & members served over 100 people as part of the Winter Interfaith Shelter program coordinated by Episcopal Community Services & the San Francisco Interfaith Council. Thank you to Adrian Williams & Barbara Cohen who provided nearly half of the spaghetti served, Doe Yates for making sauce and purchasing items at the last minute, Paul Bennett, Michael Tedrick, Linda Milark, Dawn Hocevar and family for all their hard work in the kitchen.

St. Cyprian's Neighborhood Christmas Pageant

Nearly 65 people helped enact the story of Jesus' birth as part of the first Christmas Pageant in years at St. Cyprian's on December 23rd. Many thanks to everyone who turned up and helped out. Thanks to our friends at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church for loaning us beautiful costumes. Seasonal and unusual music provided by Nikola Printz and friends. A few photos below, many more on St. Cyprian's Facebook page. Thanks Matthew Chayt for the photos.

Welcoming Vanderbilt Alternative Winter Break

January 1st through 6th, St. Cyprian's welcomes Vanderbilt University students who are visiting San Francisco as part of their Alternative Winter Break. Thanks to our friends at Transfiguration Episcopal Church in San Mateo for connecting us with this inspiring group.

You can read more about their work below:

Alternative Winter Break is a student-run service organization whose mission is to promote critical thinking, social action, and community involvement. We seek to combine education, reflection, and direct service on the local, regional, national, and international levels. This is accomplished by sending groups of dedicated individuals to various locations across the country and the world to engage in issue-specific community service.

As leaders in the discovery of and fight against AIDS, the cities of California stand on the cutting edge of treatment programs for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, as well as prevention programs to stop the spread of the virus. The San Francisco AIDS Foundations is one organization committed to reducing the number of new infections, particularly among the city's most vulnerable populations. This project will focus on advocacy, education, and direct services for prevention, as well as learning about proper care for the health of affected individuals