Dear friends,

Two events have been weighing on my mind this fourth week of Lent.

One is the terrible series of murders committed at massage parlors in Atlanta, a city where I’ve lived and have family. The apparent perpetrator was active in a church and said he was trying to rid himself of sexual temptation. Six of the eight people killed were of Asian descent. While details are still emerging, it brings to mind a wider pattern of increased anti-Asian hate crimes in this country over the past year.

That pattern is probably related to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflammatory rhetoric about the virus’s origin in China. But prejudice against people of Asian origin goes deep into our history in this country—and it’s especially relevant for us in California. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is one example. Another is the history of violence and vandalism against Chinese immigrants. Here in Santa Rosa, Chinatown used to be located on Second Street, where the pedestrian alley between the Third Street Cinema and the D Street Garage is today. The language in these excerpts from newspaper articles describing a 1912 police raid gives a taste of the kind of casual racism that was taken for granted then. That language may not be socially acceptable today, but the attitudes behind it—stereotypes of Asian people as exotic, mysterious, devious, sexually submissive, and so on—are still here today bearing violent fruit.

The other event on my mind has been the Vatican’s statement that the Roman Catholic Church will never bless same-sex marriages. On the one hand, this isn’t a real surprise—that church’s position on sexuality is well known. But it comes as just one more in a never-ending series of rebukes from Christian leaders to God’s LGBTQ+ children, who have been told over and over that there is something wrong with them, that their relationships are wrong and sinful, that God disapproves of them.

I’m grateful to be part of a church that joyfully blesses, marries, and ordains people regardless of gender or sexual orientation. But as Episcopalians we can’t afford to be triumphalistic about that. It hasn’t been very long, for one thing, and there is still plenty of anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice in our church and in the wider Anglican Communion. What’s clear is that God’s beloveds are still hurting, suffering, and even dying all over the world each day because of their race, gender, and/or sexual orientation. And as both these events this week show in their own ways, the church is often complicit in that.

As Christians we believe every human being is created in God’s image—“fearfully and wonderfully made,” as the Psalmist puts it (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:14). We also believe that in Jesus God is bringing about a new humanity where all our divisions are swept away—that “there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

This is Lent: a time to acknowledge the world’s brokenness and our own. A time to turn away from evil and toward God. Please pray with me for those killed in Atlanta and for all who mourn for them. Pray for those who have been targeted for violence or hatred based on their race, gender, or orientation. And pray for the bursting out of God’s love throughout the whole world. That love will not be defeated.

In Christ's love,

Our service schedule for Holy Week and Easter Sunday is now available!

To help us make plans for in-person services, it's important to know how many people to expect. You can help right now by making your reservations for the services you plan to attend.

All outdoor services will be held in the central quadrangle, with additional adjoining seating available in Farlander Hall. Congregational singing is now permitted for outdoor services only, so our outdoor services will feature hymns and choral music, while indoor services will be spoken liturgies.

For full descriptions of each event, see the schedule on our web page.

Palm Sunday, March 28: 9:30 a.m. (outdoors)

Maundy Thursday, April 1: 7:00 p.m. (outdoors)

Good Friday, April 2: 7:00 p.m. (outdoors)

Easter Sunday, April 4: 8:00 a.m. (indoors; no singing)

Easter Sunday, April 4: 9:30 a.m. (outdoors)

Each day's services will also be livestreamed on Zoom and Facebook. Communion kits will also be available after the Palm Sunday liturgy for home Communion on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. Unlike last fall, no reservations will be required to pick up a Communion kit.

Here's more on how to use Zoom.

·    To use Zoom for Sunday and other services: Visit https://zoom.us/j/997787434.

·    To dial in: Call (669) 900-9128. Enter meeting ID code: 997 787 434 #.

We are also live streaming each Zoom service on our Facebook page, so you can also watch the service on Facebook, and it will be archived there for viewing later in case you're not able to join in live. You don't need to be a Facebook member to see the live stream on the Facebook page by clicking the link above.

This coming Wednesday will be celebrating Evening Prayer on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome; use the regular Zoom or Facebook links for services (see “Online Services” above).

We continue our journey to get ready to enter the Mystery of Easter. Through the Faces of Easter stories we prepare for the king who is coming, going, and coming again. We remember this king who grew to become a boy. This boy entered a Temple where he "listened" and was "listened to". You can find this story in The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 4. 

We also have a free Lent at Home guide for to help families get ready.

I wonder if you or someone you know ever came close to God?

It’s time to decorate our beautiful church for Easter both inside and out! Our tradition is folks can donate for flowers in memory or thanksgiving for friends or family, and your name and who you donated for will be in the bulletin. If you wish to donate, please click Here to fill out the form. You may pay with VISA or mail in a check.  Please put “Easter Flowers” on the memo line of your check.

Your request much reach the office no later than Friday, March 26, in order to be included in the bulletin.

It’s holiday meal time again for those of you who can’t be with family and friends, can’t get out for one reason or the other, or just struggle in the kitchen! This time we're providing a ham dinner with sides and a special Easter dessert. If you would like just the sides and the dessert, that’s fine to.

For reservations, please call Julie at 707-755-3515 (you may leave a message but speak loudly!) or email the office, alison@incarnationsantarosa.org. The cut off date is Wednesday March 31. Your meal will be available for pick up on Saturday, April 3, at the church's back parking lot from 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm.

Come join us on Saturday, March 20 between 9:00 am and noon for a spruce up the ground’s day. Bring your favorite gardening tools or use ours. Please RSVP to Alison at alison@incarnationsantarosa.org. But if you decide to come at the last minute, that’s fine too!

The Incarnation Rainbow Group is a group supporting LGBTQ+ issues within the virtual walls of Incarnation - it is part social, part advocacy, part informational. This group, which formed last summer, brought to you the National Coming Out Day worship and discussion events this year. We are looking ahead to celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride events in June, 2021. Join us in planning the celebration.

We meet the third Thursday of each month at 5 pm via Zoom. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Allan Bolchazy at allanbengr@gmail.com."

My name is Ellen Wondra (said WON-dray), and I am grateful and pleased to be a relatively new member at the Church of the Incarnation. And I'm honored to have been licensed and authorized as an assisting priest. I moved to Rohnert Park in June 2019, from the Chicago area where I studied, lived, and taught for many years. I was ordained as a deacon in 1976, and a priest in 1977, both in the Diocese of California. (I'm a third generation native.) Over the past forty years I've lived and worked in the Upper Midwest and Western New York.

My primary ministry has been teaching theology and ethics at the seminary level, working for church unity in the ecumenical movement, and being on the editorial team of Anglican Theological Review. I am retired now from teaching and from ATR. I still work in ecumenism, currently serving on the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, where I am part of the working group on the nature and mission of the church.

I love living in California again, where I enjoy the weather, walking, swimming, cooking, gardening, and being with my cat Posey. I am looking forward to volunteering in the community, and to being able to travel a bit again.

Thank you for welcoming me to Incarnation. And I look forward to getting to know you better as conditions allow. May God richly bless all of us and our communities.

As we head towards Easter and a season of renewal in many ways, Sunday Open Table continues as an important mission of this parish. We are deeply grateful for the many parishioners who volunteer and also to those of you who have made Open Table a regular part of your planned giving. We always appreciate your continued prayers for this ministry.

As vaccines become more available, we are looking towards the future and being able to provide a hot meal for those we serve. As part of the planning process, we have distributed a volunteer questionnaire to see how people are feeling about contributing in this way. There are many tasks that need doing, some with contact with our guests and others that are more involved with preparation. If you are at all interested, pleased fill out this survey https://incarnationsantarosa.breezechms.com/form/34e6d4.

We are hoping to have a robust group of helpers so that people will only be asked to participate one or two times per month. If you have friends that are non-parish members who are interested in helping, please let them know they are invited. Again, if you want to know more about what volunteering entails, you can talk directly to Mark Neumann at markscomputer@gmail.com or 707-292-6710 or Allan Bolchazy at allanbengr@gmail.com 707-312-3778.

We are continuing to provide toiletries and some clothing items once per month. We have limited storage space, but we can always use sweatshirts and jackets that are clean and in good condition. Recently, we have had a request for belts, so if you have a few extras in you closet, please drop them off. New socks are appreciated year round, so if you are shopping (that will soon be a thing again), and see a good deal, please keep our guests in mind.

The online vigil service in memory of Lorin Leitner, originally scheduled for this Sunday, has been postponed. the online vigil will take place on Sunday, April 25 at noon.

...Denise, Cindy, Matthew, John C., Doug, Raffi, Ed, Carolyn D., Annie & Haru, Andy, James & Priscilla, Janet, Sharon, Fran, Lila, Olivia, Amy, Mary K., Richard M., Betty, Cory, Matt C., Don B., Amy C., Gene & Elizabeth, Francoise, Marsha, Rob M., Mary W., Hugh & Angela, Robyn, Amanda, and Nancy H.

...for those who have died: Paul Rand, Lorin Leitner, Bruce Cronan, Marlene Broce, Kay Conner, Mario & Henni P., Harry Dingwall, Athy, Bill Whidden, Marjorie Thoreson, Maureen Green, Alberta Jacobson, Ellen Meuse, Geoff Wright, Marilyn Payne.

click here for the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer.

click here for the Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

Sunday, March 21

Tuesday, March 23

Wednesday, March 24

Thursday, March 25

Friday, March 26

Saturday, March 27

Sunday, March 28 - Palm Sunday

To sign up for the Diocesan Newsletter click HERE.

Could you use a prayer or a listening ear? Do you have ideas you'd like to share? Although our offices are closed, Pastor Stephen is available to talk by phone or via Zoom. If you'd like to find a time to talk with Stephen, you can call Alison at 707-579-2604 or email Stephen directly at sshaver@incarnationsantarosa.org.

If you know of anyone, including yourself, who could use a communion visit or a prayer, please call the church office (707-579-2604) or email alison@incarnationsantarosa.org