March 2012 Edition
STINA’S MESSAGE
Anointing
This Easter, we will baptize two children. One of the parts of the service is the anointing. It is a very short part, and so it seems not very important. However, it is very important, one that we should notice. Anointing is a sign of blessing. Kings are anointed as part of their assuming kingship. We anoint people as part of the healing service. And we anoint people as part of the baptismal service. What that means is that if you were baptized in the Episcopal or Catholic or Orthodox traditions, you would have been anointed.
When we think about oil, our thoughts generally run to the stuff that keeps the car running or that we use in cooking. But in the Bible, “oil” means “olive oil,” and it has many other important uses. Oil was used in lamps. These were small lights, like candles, and there were no streetlights. When the sun went down, it was dark, so an oil lamp was understood as a light in the darkness. Oil was used to wash wounds, along with wine, as both a cleansing and healing agent. Oil was an important part of the diet (it still is!). And oil was used ceremonially, like perfumed oil put on the hair of a guest to show honor, or the pouring of oil to show the anointing of a new king.
When someone is sick, the Christian tradition is to ask for laying on of hands for healing and for anointing with oil. We have special oil for this. Typically, it is put on the forehead in the same sign of the cross that is done at baptism.
The baptismal words of anointing actually start with words you do not hear. These words are spoken by the bishop during the consecrating of the oils during Holy Week that the clergy carry back to their churches. One oil is for anointing the sick, the other for anointing at baptism. Here is what the bishop says: “…we pray you to consecrate this oil, that those who are sealed with it may share in the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ…” Then, during the baptism, I use the oil, make the sign of the cross on the person’s forehead, and say, “you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own for ever.”
In our baptism, we understand that we have joined the royal priesthood, we have been anointed for service as God’s agents in the world. As you see this action, remember that you too have been anointed. Remember God’s call to you.
Stina
BC UPDATE
Connie and Stina attended the EAM/New Community meeting in San Diego and learned a lot of great stuff. Connie will be offering Sunday School on 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays this year (see below) ; a committee has been formed to come up with proposals for dealing with the return of the Nihonmachi Terrace investment and will have an initial meeting after church on 3/18; we had our Ash Wednesday service – please mark Good Friday, noon, on your calendar (that’s 4/6). Stina and Carl have agreed on a banner pole, he will order it. Easter will be our usual potluck and Easter egg hunt; cake will be provided by the Akuhara family and Miya requested help with preparing the eggs, since Myrna will be out of town. Josh and Tamako volunteered to take over the Messenger preparation after this month.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Cooking Class – March 25 – Keiko Gishifu will teach us how to make Chirashi zushi
Special Service on March 18 After our meeting about the NT money, we are invited to join CUPC at 2:00 for a special service. Rev. Akira Sato, pastor of Fukushima 1st Bible Church (3 miles from the power plant) will talk about his experiences in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Holy Week
- Palm Sunday – April 1
- Maundy Thursday – April 5, we will join CUPC for dinner and service, can you help cook?
- Good Friday – April 6, noon at SKK, CUPC has been invited.
Easter
April 8 – extra special this year, we will be baptizing the Akuhara twins during the service. Easter is one of the traditional great dates for baptism. In the very early years of the Christian church, baptism only happened on Easter. Then there were the four traditional times of Easter (spring), Pentecost (50 days after Easter – and part of the Easter celebration), All Saints (November 1) and the Naming of Jesus (January 1). In keeping with our traditions, we will also have the Easter egg hunt for the children.
SAVE THE DATE PLEASE!!!
SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL – (Formerly the Summer Frolic) Sun, July 29, 2012, 2:00 PM at Grace Cathedral. All Sei Ko Kai members and friends will be needed to help!
SCHEDULE
10:00 Eucharist, please remember that parking is atrocious and give extra time.
NORMAL AFTER CHURCH ACTIVITIES
1st Sunday – Episcopal 101
2nd Sunday – Bishop’s Committee
3rd Sunday – Personal Growth
4th Sunday – Cooking Class
FLOWERS
Thanks to the many people who have signed up to donate flowers each Sunday.
The “Flower Chart” for 2012 is posted in the Church hallway on the bulletin board by the Sacristy. Please sign up or email the Vicar to donate flowers on a given Sunday.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“God’s grace is not an object but an energy. It is not a thing once given, as if it were a reward, but a force of transformation that alters the fabric of the finite. It moves. It bends and shapes and flows. Like liquid love it wraps around obstacles firmly set and renews them with the chemistry of change. Faith is how we draw grace toward us. Hope is how we focus its power. Love is how we release it into life. When these three are in motion, the energy becomes tangible. Prayer is the catalyst. Mission the action of grace: God’s gift at work in the world.” Bp Steven Charleston
SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE
From our Priest Associate, The Rev. Connie Lam
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to announce that I will be teaching Sunday school, beginning in March 2012. I will start teaching on the third, fourth and fifth Sundays of the month. The class will begin at 10:00, the same time as the Eucharist service. I will lead the children back to join the Holy Communion at the Peace, and they can join their families at that time.
I am very excited about this new ministry at SKK-CC, for I have seen at least nine children at church. They are the hope and future of the church. I love to tell them the story of Jesus and all of the wonderful stories in the Bible about the love of God. Please bring your children and their friends. Let them make friends with Jesus and be embraced with the love of God
If you need more information, please feel free to contact me via my cell: 510.520.3755 or email me at revconnie730@gmail.com.
I look forward to seeing you and your children soon!
With love and blessings,
Connie+
MANY THANKS
To Carl Gishifu for getting and installing the new monitor for the church computer. It is very nice not to have a blue flicker on the screen!
THE LAST WORD
The prayer of thanksgiving frees us from the bondage of our own too-small worlds. It lifts us beyond ourselves and our petty preoccupations. And it does not come naturally to any of us. Rather, paradoxically, like all prayer, thanksgiving is a gift, from God, for us, waiting to be received.
-Br. Kevin Hackett
Society of Saint John the Evangelist
DON NAKAHATA – REST IN PEACE
Don left us Thursday evening, peacefully at home in the company of his family. The service will be at CUPC, 1700 Sutter St., at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. Viewing will be Friday, 4-7, at McAvoy, 4545 Geary Blvd, SF, (415) 668-0077. Don’s request was in lieu of flowers or koden, that donations be made to SKK.
MESSENGER’S NOTES
The Messenger will strive to provide:
- Information regarding events of significance to the whole congregation.
- Information regarding the customs and practices of the Protestant Episcopal Church, USA and of our Nikkei community. 9
- Information regarding efforts made to advance the program goals established by the Vicar, Bishop’s Committee as the goals themselves are made known.
- Information regarding events relevant to the mission of the church.
The Messenger will not list individual monetary gifts or donations as it has no direct access to such information. However, donors will be acknowledged as their names are provided. Institutional grants for project goals of the Mission will be acknowledged as a part of information regarding the programs themselves.
Deadline for next issue is April 10th
Sei Ko Kai
2140 Pierce St
San Francisco, CA 94115