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,

Trinity Sunday is this coming Sunday. Enjoy this poem from Steven Garnaas-Holmes:

Father God, we say.

As if we know just exactly what we're talking about.

The Ineffable, the Unsearchable, the Infinite—

made into a specific creature, a Thing.

A guy. Definitely male. X Chromosomes.

Old (but not too: 60, maybe, but buff.

Certainly not 120. No wrinkles.)

But white hair. (What color was it before?)

With a face and hands. Not flippers, not wings.

We're pretty sure what The Invisible One looks like.

Silly, huh?

If God is infinite, God is not human. If God is Spirit

there is no such thing as what God “looks like.”

The image of God is love, not physical appearance.

The image of the Holy Trinity undermines all our images,

our cartoons of gender, age, ability and power.

If God is both parent and child, and neither,

then God is both male and female and neither,

both human and non-human and neither,

Supreme and also Crucified and also Newly Alive,

beyond all dualities, categories, distinctions.

Every little insistence is a lie.

The Trinity lets God be Not What You Think,

All Of The Above, and Other. All at once.

God says, “I am not this or that, I AM.”

Question your assumptions

about what God “has to” be like.

Silence. Word. Breath.

Mystery. Presence. Rebirth.

Mother, Son, Holy Spirit.

Infinite. Love. Spirit. Nothing else is absolute.

Blessings,

Karen+

Worship This Sunday:

Sunday, June 4th, 10:00am - Holy Eucharist and Baptism at St. John'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

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

• June 4 - Holy Eucharist at St. John’s

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

• June 18 - Holy Eucharist at St. John’s, Fathers’ Day

• June 24 - Holy Eucharist at St. Stephen’s

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). 

“Experience is the hardest kind of teacher.  It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.”

-Oscar Wilde

Kudos to :

-Jessica and Matthew for a lovely reception after Alex’s baptism.

-Jim for keeping our walkways clear and our grounds tidy. 

-Our lectors who read the lessons on Sundays

Contact Information for Rev. Karen.

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

408-781-1826