Dear friends,

There's a song by Gillian Welch that always comes to my mind on the Second Sunday of Easter, when we read the gospel story of the risen Jesus appearing to Thomas:

Thomas says he won't believe it is really Jesus unless he sees his scars. When you think about it, that's a profound intuition on Thomas' part. We might imagine a resurrected Jesus bearing no signs of his suffering, all his wounds vanished out of existence. Instead, the risen Jesus carries all the marks of his earthly life with him. His wounds are healed, not erased. They've been transformed into marks of glory.

All of us bear our own scars--literal or metaphorical. We don't get through this life without losses, griefs, regrets. For better or for worse, our sorrows are part of our story. They shape who we are. We may be proud of some of them, looking back. Others we may desperately wish had never happened. But we can't unwrite our stories.

The scars of the risen Jesus tell us that we don't have to. We don't have to be some sort of idealized, flawless beings to fit into God's realm. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead has a future for us too. This story of Jesus and Thomas tells us that God sees and knows all our own sorrows. And that in God's eternity, our own scars will be redeemed, healed, and transformed.

In Christ's love,

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.

The Incarnation Book Group continues to meet on the Third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm via Zoom. Please join us in reading Dusk, Night, Dawn, by Anne Lamott

"In Dusk Night Dawn, Anne Lamott explores the tough questions that many of us grapple with. How can we recapture the confidence we once had as we stumble through the dark times that seem increasingly bleak? As bad newspiles up--from climate crises to daily assaults on civility--how can we cope? Where, she asks, "do we start to our world and joy and hope and our faith in life itself back . . . with our sore feet, hearing loss, stiff fingers, poor digestion, stunned minds, broken hearts?"

Full of the honesty, humor, and humanity that have made Lamott beloved by millions of readers, Dusk Night Dawn is classic Anne Lamott--thoughtful and comic, warm and wise--and further proof that Lamott truly speaks to the better angels in all of us." — Goodreads

See you Tuesday, April 20, at 6:30 pm PST

Contact Linda Sevier to order your copy through Incarnation’s Bookstore [email protected]

For more information please contact Paul Mallatt at 707-312-3870 / [email protected]

Dusk, Night, Dawn is available on both  Kindle and Audible.

(Please Note: Financial assistance to purchase your copy is always available through Incarnation’s Bookstore)

From the Vestry Development Team: We’re excited to announce the launch of the Incarnation Goes Green fundraising campaign for our new roof and solar project on Sunday, April 11.

Learn how together we can be faithful stewards of God’s creation here at Incarnation. Get all the details at www.IncarnationGoesGreen.org

and at our virtual town hall meeting after coffee hour on Sunday April 18. Print materials will be sent to all parish households next week. 

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 [email protected]."

Even though our front sign has good bones, the outside wood covering has suffered deterioration over the years and the time has come to replace the wood. The other day, a great team led by Jan Hicks, showed up to get the sign up and off its anchor. Thank you to him, Allan Bolchazy, Jim Furness, Steve Layton, David Jasper and Diane Schoenrock (photographer)! A special thanks to Jan who will be doing the reconstruction.

Hallelujah, Anyhow! A Memoir by Barbara C. Harris  

Harris, who is now retired but was the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion, unveils the life under the robe in this brief account of her childhood, career, and ordination. In a series of interviews conducted by Episcopal priest Douglas and essays, Harris describes the tapestry of experiences that came to define her as a bishop. She marched on Selma with Martin Luther King Jr. and fought for equality and justice during her time within the Anglican Communion. Please email Linda Sevier if you would like a copy: [email protected]

Sacred Ground is a 10-part discussion about race, grounded in faith. Participants are invited to view selected videos and read books and articles about Indigenous, Black, Latino and Asian/Pacific American histories and how they intersect with European-American accounts. 

There will be two separate Sacred Ground Circles hosted online:

Sacred Ground Circles are part of the larger Episcopal Church’s work in Becoming Beloved Community.  This is a vision for a community where we grow in our love of God, our neighbors and creation. In our Baptismal vows, we make promises that guide us to follow these two commandments. These Baptismal vows provide a roadmap for a journey that helps us to see how we can love God more, love our neighbors more, and love creation more. Please join us in this valuable exploration.

If you are an Episcopal woman who is interested in prayer, service and evangelism as a way of life and would like to join us please connect with me, Joan Hans-Stafford at [email protected] and I will send you the link.

The online vigil service in memory of Lorin Leitner, originally scheduled for March 25, has been postponed. The online vigil will take place on Sunday, May 2 at noon.

...Alice, Sonja, Elena, Diana & Fred, Jeff, The Matthias Family, Denise, Cindy, Matthew, John C., Doug, Raffi, Ed, James & Priscilla, Sharon, Lila, Amy C., Mary K., Betty, Matt, Don, Gene & Elizabeth, Francoise, Marsha, Mary W., Hugh & Angela, Robyn, Amanda, and Nancy.

...for those who have died: Brenda, Rob McIntyre, Janet, Paul Rosenfedldt, 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.

Wednesday, April 14

Thursday, April 15

Friday, April 16

Sunday, April 18

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]