Dear friends,

This past Tuesday, on the long-awaited June 15, I stopped by Pacific Market to pick up a few essentials. On the way in, I had the thought: I could go in without a mask! Then a whole host of other thoughts came in quick succession, mostly having to do with what other people would think of me. As I walked up to the store entrance, mask in hand, I found myself glancing around to size up what other people were doing. Everyone I saw nearby was wearing a mask. Going with the flow, I put mine on too.

For many of us, those mental gymnastics will be part of life for some time. On the one hand, I’m fully vaccinated and feel confident I’m at a very low risk for catching COVID or spreading it to others. I like breathing without fabric in front of my face, and I like seeing other people’s faces. On the other hand, I want to communicate mutual respect and solidarity to others, including those who can’t be vaccinated for various reasons. And since I have a kid who can’t yet be vaccinated and is required to wear a mask, I’ll certainly be keeping my mask on when I’m out with her—it doesn’t feel fair to make a child be the only one who has to mask up.

I did see a couple of maskless shoppers in the store that day, and I’m guessing those numbers will increase over the weeks ahead. Pretty soon, I imagine, I’ll feel ready to venture maskless into a store. All of us will be navigating these decisions for a while, until we settle into a new kind of normal. But what a long way we’ve come since even a month ago!

The new June 15 guidelines also open up new possibilities for us as a church. At our wardens’ meeting this Wednesday, Inese, Judy, and I agreed on some changes we’re ready to make for this Sunday.

Finally, we want to hear your input about all these choices ahead of us, so we’d like to send out a congregational survey that will help us hear from you. Watch for that next week.

I’m excited about seeing one another (for some of us, seeing one another’s faces!) on Sunday. At the 10:00 service we’ll be celebrating the baptism of Bobbi Gagas. Please pray for Bobbi and her family as we get ready to welcome her into the household of Christ.

In Christ’s peace,

Recently parishioner Jan Hicks rebuilt our church sign, and with the rebuild, the Progress Pride Flag was added.

Many of you are familiar with the Traditional Rainbow Flag which has 6 stripes in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. An original 8 stripe version was first used in San Francisco in 1978 at the Gay Freedom Day Parade and in 1979 was reduced to the current 6 stripes, and has been used as a symbol for LGBTQ rights ever since then. It is a widely recognized symbol, and its presence at the entrance of a building or on a sign indicates that LGBTQ people are welcome to the business or church that is displaying it.

The Progress Pride Flag or Trans Pride Flag has the 6 stripe rainbow flag as the base, with the addition of pink and blue stripes representing transgender people and brown and black stripes representing people of color. This was designed in 2018 in Philadelphia to focus on inclusion and progress within the community, and the incorporation of the blue/pink/brown/black chevron was to bring marginalized people to the forefront. The arrow points to the right to show forward movement.

The Incarnation Rainbow Group recommended adding the Progress Pride Flag to our church sign, and the Vestry approved it for inclusion to our sign. If you have any questions regarding the flag, or would like more information on joining the Incarnation Rainbow Group, please contact Allan Bolchazy at allanbengr@gmail.com.

As we resume regular in-person services, our 10:00 liturgy will continue to be livestreamed on both Zoom and Facebook. Those participating on Zoom will be able to be seen and heard by in-person participants, reflecting our unity in Christ even as we are together at a distance.

·    To use Zoom for online services: Visit https://zoom.us/j/997787434.

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

We are also livestreaming 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.

If you aren't able to attend in-person services and would like to receive Communion at home, please email Pastor Stephen at sshaver@incarnationsantarosa.org or call the church office at (707) 579-2604 to make arrangements to pick up a Communion kit or have one brought to you. We will not have kits available for pickup in the parking lot or create a separate Zoom gathering for home Communion as we’ve done for earlier occasions—just call or email and we will make a plan to get Communion to you. If you would like to receive Communion during the 10:00 a.m. livestream on a given Sunday, you may get a Communion kit in advance containing the reserved Sacrament from the previous Sunday's service.

We are now celebrating Morning Prayer in the church every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. (note that this is different from our usual pre-pandemic time of 8:00). All are welcome; masking and distancing are required. This is a first step toward resuming our regular practice of the Daily Office, and we’ll evaluate over time whether we’re ready to add in additional days of the week. If you are interested in learning more about the Daily Office, the Prayer Book’s form of daily prayer, join us, or contact Pastor Stephen at sshaver@incarnationsantarosa.org.

From Episcopal News Service

June 19 marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced to slaves there that they had been freed. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln had taken effect on Jan. 1, 1863, but the order had little effect in the parts of the South still controlled by the Confederacy during the Civil War. And even though the war ended in April 1865, former slaves in Texas didn’t receive news that they were free until two years later.

Juneteenth has been designated as a state holiday in California since 2003. This year it will be celebrated for the first time as a federal holiday. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was passed by Congress earlier this week and signed into law by the President on Thursday.

Juneteenth is also being celebrated as a feast day in some dioceses of the Episcopal Church. Grace Cathedral in San Francisco will be holding a special Juneteenth service on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The livestream will be on the Diocese of California’s Facebook page.

Pathways is a youth pilgrimage that aims to equip young people to be agents of truth, peace, and reconciliation. Led by the young adults who first started Pathways, participants will spend a week together sharing meals, worshiping, having fun and traveling as pilgrims. Find more information here.

When was the last time you watched for shooting stars, hunted for four leaf clovers, slept in the midst of redwood trees, or even hiked to the ocean? Or maybe you love to make tie-dye shirts, cook (and eat!) s’mores, make friendship bracelets and show off your belly flop. No matter what you enjoy, there is a session for you here at St. Dorothy’s Rest. We are dedicated to being a place of rest for all who enter through the Lych Gate. Come join our community as we strive to experience God through the environment, play, in others and ourselves. A bunk awaits you or your child at one of our wonderful sessions of camp!

No child will be turned away for enrollment at any St. Dot’s camp because of the inability to pay. The welcoming spirit of St. Dorothy’s is felt by all campers and the result is a transformative experience for many.

Select the session you wish to send your camper to this summer:

Teen Adventure Week ages 13-15 (July 5-10) Russian River Adventures I ages 8-12 (July 12-17) Russian River Adventures II ages 8-12 (July 19-24) Russian River Adventures III ages 8-12 (July 26-31) FULL Counselor-in-Training ages 15-18 (July 26-31)

For more information and registration click here

Last Sunday's fabulous balloon decoration!

A big thank you to Noemi Valdivia for making us a balloon garland for last Sunday's service as we continue to celebrate Pride Month. She is a professional, and we are so delighted she volunteered her talent, time, and treasure. Thanks again Noemi for your wonderful gift!

P.S. If you need a balloon decoration for your next party you know who to contact!

Since the beginning of the pandemic, all our various ministry groups, classes, etc., have been meeting online. Now, as pandemic restrictions ease, we are starting to have the possibility for small groups to meet on campus. If you are the leader of a group that would like to request permission to meet in person on Incarnation’s campus, click here to fill out a brief request form. The rector and wardens will review requests at their weekly meetings and will be in touch to let you know how you can move forward.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Healdsburg dedicates its new Bigelow organ with a free concert at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 20, at the church, 209 Matheson St., Healdsburg. The public is invited to attend.

“This concert will feature secular as well as religious pieces, plus an original composition by guest organist David Chamberlin of Bigelow Organs,” said St. Paul’s Director of Music Paul Blanchard, who will be the concert’s principal organist.

Blanchard opens the concert with “Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne” by 17th-century composer Dieterich Buxtehude. David Chamberlin of Bigelow Organs will give a “tonal tour” of the instrument, then play his composition, “Hymn Voluntary on Forest Green,” followed by Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Prelude on Rhosymedre” and J.S. Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor.”

Blanchard returns to the keyboard to play Johann Kuhnau’s “1st Biblical Sonata: David & Goliath,” W.G. Still’s “Reverie,” Buxtehude’s “Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott,” F.B. Price’s “Adoration” and “Toccata in G Major” by Théodorè Dubois.

Blanchard studied music at Duke University in North Carolina, then spent 26 years in the corporate world before turning his attention entirely to music, particularly baroque organ music. He directs the St. Paul’s choir as well as serving as principal organist.

The concert celebrates a year-long restoration of the 120-year-old church. Everything from the foundation to the roof was cleaned, rebuilt, restored or refinished. An ADA-accessible entrance has been added to the church’s north wall.

Those who cannot attend the concert in person can watch the live stream on Facebook, or view the concert later on YouTube. Details on accessing these formats are available at the church website, www.stpauls-healdsburg.org.

...Joe T., Elizabeth, JoAn, Bob, Nate, Peggy, Caroline, Alyce, Marsha F., Kate, Shelby, Demi, Ethan, Drew, Susan, Grizel, Pamela H., Alice, Sonja, Cindy, John C., James & Priscilla, Lila, Mary K., Amy C., Don, Matt, Gene & Elizabeth, Francoise, Hugh & Angela, Robyn, Amanda, and Nancy.

...for those who have died: Gabrielle, Mickey, Shawna, Doug Cannedy, Sally, Shirley, Brenda, Rob McIntyre, Janet, Paul Rosenthal, Lorin Leitner, Bruce Cronan, Marlene Broce, Kay Conner, Mario & Henni P., Geoff Wright, Marilyn Payne.

click here for the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer.

click here for the Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

Monday, June 21

Wednesday, June 23

Thursday, June 24

Could you use a prayer or a listening ear? Do you have ideas you'd like to share? Pastor Stephen is available to talk in person, 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

To sign up for the Diocesan Newsletter click HERE.