We the people of Saint Stephen's in-the Field

Seek to know Christ, to share Christ, and to serve Christ,

recognizing his presence in all people, and reaching out in love 

to each other and to the world around us.

From the Rector

Dear Friends,

I feel like I’ve been away for ages!  The clergy wellness conference was helpful and hopeful and Disney World ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth’ was wonderful!  One particular activity was especially memorable.  Penny (now officially 6), her mom, and I went to a sing-a-long of the music from Frozen. I don’t all the songs well enough to sing-a-long, but there’s one that everyone knew well.  It’s called “Let it Go”  It was the very last song. About halfway through, on the words ‘Let it go!’ it started snowing. It was magical moment. Penny’s eyes sparkled with joy. Everyone raised their arms as Elsa sang about the power unleashed in her – the freedom to be who she was meant to be. I could feel the energy in the room grow as the snow came down faster and the volume of the singing increased.

It occurred to me that being free from the negative things I cling to can get in the way of being the person Jesus wants me to be.  When I am criticized behind my back, or when someone hurts me, or when I make a mistake, or am afraid, or anxious, I have the choice to let it go.  We know that Jesus wants us to be free, so letting go is the better choice.  

What do you need to let go of in order to be who God created you to be?

Blessings,

Karen+

Worship This Sunday:

Sunday, May 28th, 10:00am - Holy Eucharist and Baptism at St. Stephen’s

LIVE STREAM WORSHIP SERVICE

BULLETIN

  St. Stephen’s church doors will be open every Sunday for worship. In-person services will continue to alternate with St. John’s but the live-stream from services at St. John’s will be projected at St. Stephen’s. Come to St. Stephen’s every Sunday!

COFFEE HOUR SIGN-UP SHEET

Diocesan Newsletter

Read about what’s going on in the diocese! Click on the link for this week’s

newsletter.

https://us3.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=f789930ce7

In Honor of Memorial Day, let us pray, 

Holy God, in whose hands are the living and the dead: We give you thanks for all those who have died in the service of our country.  Grant them your mercy and the light of your presence; give us a sense of your will and presence, that we may understand the work you have done in them will be perfected through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, in whom all strife is resolved. Amen

(Enriching Our Worship 3, adapted)

Updates and opportunities!

The lease for the church that has been renting our facility on Saturdays and Wednesday evenings has come to a close and they have decided not to renew. Their last Saturday for services is tomorrow, April 28th.   This means that we now have more flexibility to rent our space.  We have received requests to use our space for things like weddings, birthday parties, and other community gatherings but had to turn down because Saturdays were not available. 

There is also another church that is in the beginning stages of discerning whether our facility might serve their worship needs on Sunday afternoons.  

Our church, parish hall, and our beautiful grounds, including the labyrinth are all great venues for a variety of special events.  Please encourage friends to consider St. Stephen’s as a venue for their special event!  

To reserve a space or ask question, contact the office, office@ssitf.org or click on the link on our website https://www.ssitf.org/facility-rentals. 

Spread the word and pray for St. Stephen’s!

Contribute to disaster relief efforts for the devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkey-Syria by donating to:

Episcopal Relief and Development at 

https://support.episcopalrelief.org/syria-turkey-earthquake?_gl=1*1ybrxoe*_ga*MTE0NzA0NjQ1OS4xNjYzNzA5NTM4*_ga_5J3W6B8WL4*MTY3NTk3NjYzMi42LjAuMTY3NTk3NjYzMi4wLjAuMA  

Archbishop’s Earthquake Donation Relief Fund at https://afedj.org/give/give-online/

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

• May 28th – The Day of Pentecost and Alex Dickinson-Holmes’ baptism.

• June 11th - Blessing and naming the St. Stephen’s community garden followed by a Pride Potluck on the Labyrinth on June 11th.

Poem from the Garden

We’re baptizing my

little one this 

Pentecost Sunday,

in a gown of white 

and cream, his initials 

on the hem in red. 

Months ago he and 

I planted rows of 

nasturtium seeds,

pouring water over

and over and over

them. They’re blooming in

in the garden now, 

red and white and cream. 

— Jessica Dickinson Goodman

Garden Blessing and Pride Potluck

June 11th

(following the 10am Service)



St. Stephen’s in-the-Field, we will be formally naming and blessing the expanded community garden at 11am. Immediately following the dedication, from 11:30am - 12:30pm, we will be hosting our first annual Pride Potluck.

Please try to bring an item in the colors of one of the pride flags (but anything edible will be enjoyed!). Note: while beloved by the long-standing communities they represent, most of these flags were designed since 2010, so if you don’t recognize them it’s fine! Here is a quick glossary for unfamiliar terms: 

https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms

Some examples of potential dishes:

- A plate with raspberries, grapes, and blueberries for the bisexual pride flag

- A salad with lettuce, arugula, white radish, and black beans for the aromantic pride flag

- A jello mold with layers in baby blue, baby pink, clear, baby pink, and baby blue for the trans pride flag

- And of course, cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles can never go wrong!

Dishes will go on a long table arranged by flags, labeled please for common allergies (peanut butter, gluten, lactose, etc). The community gardeners will be donating colorful centerpieces that include green carnations and lavender sprigs. 

This should be a creative, joyful chance to celebrate Pride Month as a community and engage in the enriching fellowship that is sharing food and drink with friends old and new. In this moment, it feel more necessary than ever to be clear that queer and trans people are beloved members of and leaders in our community. We hope you can come to the service, the dedication, the potluck, or all three! The address is:  7269 Santa Teresa Blvd, San José, CA 95139. Please reach out to Jessica Dickinson Goodman with any questions (650-804-9044 | Jessica.dickinson.goodman@gmail.com). 

Jessica Katherine Creekmore Dickinson Goodman and Matthew Alexander Holmes would like to invite everyone at St. Stephen's in-the-Field and St. John the Divine to their son Alexander Oakes Creekmore Dickinson-Holmes's christening on Pentecost Sunday (May 28th, 2023) with reception to follow. RSVP here. Alexander was born November 17th, 2022 and will be baptized after he gets his COVID-19 vaccine at 6 months old. His godparents will also be attending: Aer van de Water of St. Thomas Sunnyvale, Grace Lane of All Saints' Palo Alto, Laura Holmes of Christ Community Church Milpitas, Sinéad Toolis Byrd of Mountain View and Christopher Holmes of Washington DC. Please plan to wear masks and red!

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.“

-Albert Einstein

Kudos to :

-Susan for officiating the Morning Prayer service last week. 

-Janet for coordinating the removal of the carpet in the parish hall.

-Jessica for hosting a special reception in honor of Alex’s baptism

-Rob for the continued work he is doing for our facility and campus.

Contact Information for Rev. Karen.

Please use this new number to contact Rev. Karen for calls or texts:

408-781-1826