The Flame

Each week we send out an e-newsletter, the Flame. It includes a reflection by Cameron, brief articles by parish leaders, community announcements, and the parish prayer list. On Saturdays we also send out "The Spark" with links to the Sunday Worship booklets and brief announcements. Past issues of both the Flame and Spark can be found here. If you would like to add someone to the prayer list for the Flame and the Sunday bulletins, please reach out to our parish administrator. To ask for prayers from the Prayer Chain, please reach out to Jim Oerther here.

Gratitude

The Flame for Friday, October 9, 2026

What a gift last weekend, and especially last Sunday, was. We observed the High Holy Day of the Feasts of Saints Francis and Clare in true St. Aidan’s style.

Deacon Margaret Dyer-Chamberlain preached a wonderful sermon, including excerpts from colleagues who responded to a question she sent them in advance. Mark Kuga Henderson, Gary Ost, and Elaina LeGault were among the respondents, and it was wonderful to hear from them in Margaret’s voice. Elaina referenced the blessing of Saint Clare that closed our worship.

Meanwhile, at the 8 and 10 AM we blessed animals (as well as animal stand-ins: photos and stuffies) both in person and via Zoom. 8 AM featured Susan Spencer’s new puppie Florence as well as a venerable neighborhood dog named Duck. The 10 AM featured several more dogs, both in person and via Zoom.

But my favorite moment in the morning chaos was the annual blessing of Jim, companion animal of Margaret Tait. I have never seen Jim other than in front of a Zoom camera, wrapped in a pink blanket. I vividly remember the first time I saw her. It was 2021 and I was sitting at our dining room table – from where I led worship during the early days of the pandemic. We were doing animal blessings that day, and for once we had as many cats as dogs. But then there was this creature wrapped in that blanket. As I tried to figure out what I was seeing, Maragret said “This is Jim. Jim…. is a green iguana.” Since we’ve continued with hybrid worship, Jim has been able to receive a blessing every year, and I always look forward to it.

Each year we try to rotate the blessings of the animals through the various worship leaders that day. Sunday it was Don Fox’s turn when Margaret and Jim appeared on the screen. After Don finished his blessing and handed the microphone to Margaret Dyer-Chamberlain, Deacon Margaret asked, “Margaret, I’ve been meaning to ask: how old is Jim?” Margaret replied that she and Olivia think Jim must be at least thirty. While we all wowed, Mary Pruyn piped up from Zoom, “– doesn’t look a day over twenty-nine.”

Suffice it to say, we all dissolved. I have been intermittently laughing all week.

After worship and a few minutes at Welcome Café, Margaret, Mark and Kazu Kuga-Henderdson and I made our way to Upper Douglas Dog Park. I wonder if we’ve ever had so many dogs and their people come to us for blessings. Some of the dogs even had cute little outfits. It was a warm day – it would have been hot but for some merciful cloud cover. As usual, Margaret had prepared baggies with dog treats, St. Aidan’s bookmarks, and a people-treat. We gave them all away. We heard moving stories of both human and animal lives and struggles. We learned of illness and loss. We witnessed so much love.

Then we headed back up to St. Aidan’s where Betty Carmack and others were preparing for the Companion Animal Memorial. I only realized this in the midst of writing this piece and searching out this video from 2024: Sunday afternoon’s service was the twentieth Animal Companion Memorial at St. Aidan’s. Wow. Twenty years. What an incredible gift you have given this community, Betty Carmack, and all who have supported this ministry.

As someone who had recently lost their beloved canine friend wrote to our community in a card this week, “Between the tears, the laughter, the words of pain, and the words of joy I left the service with renewed faith that I could go forward remembering the best days with [their companion animal] and diminishing my grief. Our sincere thank you to all who made the Companion Animal Memorial Service possible.”

The blessings and gratitude continued this week with Diamond Diners. Neighbor Suzie Bausch brought cookies, Jackie Lewey surprised us with fruit salad, and Naomi added chicken wings, while Tim Fabatz returned as the cook, making a wonderful black bean soup and delicious salad. What a bountiful blessing. Thank you, Tim and all!

On Wednesday evening we had another great turnout for our Christian formation series on Palestinian Liberation Theology. Huge thanks to Brendan Fong for leading us! You can jump in for the third Zoom session this coming Wednesday even if you haven’t been able to attend earlier ones. Plus, after our combined 9 AM worship next Sunday, we'll have a final, in-person session. The learning, reflection, and conversation throughout this series have been excellent.

As this weekend begins, I look forward to tomorrow’s San Francisco Deanery Pilgrimage, starting at the San Damiano Friary (573 Dolores Street) at 9 AM. We’ll then walk to St. John the Evangelist, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Church of the Advent of Christ the King, and wrap up at All Saints in the Haight for a total of 5.9 miles, wrapping up at about 1 PM. Here is a map of the route.

Much continues to be afoot in this beloved community. Indeed, our Stewardship season, Plenty Good Room, begins this Sunday, as the below letter (and snail mail that went out this week) shares.

In the midst of all of this abundant life: gratitude.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reminder: Next Sunday, October 18 - combined 9 AM Worship Followed by our Quarterly Parish Meeting!

San Francisco Deanery Pilgrimage - Beginning Tomorrow, October 10th, 9 AM - 1 PM, Join a walk in our San Francisco Deanery!

Solvitur ambulando – It is solved by walking. Saint Augustine of Hippo’s words attest to the revelatory experience of being in motion. SF Deanery Pilgrimages offer opportunities to reengage this ancient wisdom in community. Join walkers beginning this fall on a faithful pathway through San Francisco’s Episcopal churches and live into Saint Augustine’s maxim.

At a time of social instability and separation, the ancient practice of pilgrimage can bring us together with opportunities for personal reflection and group discernment toward the healing we seek and the thriving God desires for us.

Four quarterly walks over the year are planned. Join one, part, or all of them. On each pilgrimage, a morning’s walk brings walkers to one of four parish regions around the city. By the fourth walk, pilgrims will have had the opportunity to visit all the Episcopal congregations of San Francisco and will be welcomed and blessed at our diocesan cathedral.

The four Saturday walks (9 am to approximately 1 pm) are:

October 10, 2026: Central Parishes [Episcopal Friary of St. Francis, St. John's in the Mission, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Church of the Advent of Christ the King, and All Saints]
December 12, 2026: Northwestern Parishes
February 13, 2027: Southwestern Parishes
April 17, 2027: Northeastern Parishes

"Celebrating Audacity" with former Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori Sunday, October 18

Join us at Grace Cathedral next Sunday, October 18th for a panel at 2:30 PM with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, followed by Evensong at 4 PM at which Bishop Katharine will be preaching! A reception will take place after the service, catered by the CHEFS program of Episcopal Community Services. Bishop Katharine is coming to DioCal to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of her election as Presiding Bishop and the 50th anniversary of the first women ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.

Palestinian Liberation Theology – a Fall Formation Series
Join us this Wednesday for a Formation series on Palestinian Liberation Theology. We’re using a curriculum created by Brendan Fong and co-led by him, Patti Fong, and other members of our Christian Formation team. This series is building on our previous formation sessions on liberation theologies as well as critiques of Christian Nationalism and settler colonialism. The series is taking place over three Wednesdays on Zoom and one in-person summary session on Sunday morning after our 9 AM combined service:

Wednesday September 30, October 7, and October 14 from 7-8 PM following 6:30 PM Evening Prayer
Sunday, October 18 at 10:30 AM following 9 AM combined worship

Join us this Wednesday at the Evening Prayer Zoom link, and please reach out to office@staidansf.org if you need it!

Diocesan Convention, October 23 & 24: The annual convention of the diocese will take place at Grace Cathedral on October 23 & 24. The convention will hear reports from the Assessment Task Force and Strategic Vision Plan implementation, adopt a budget for 2027, elect members to the Standing Committee and Executive Council, and consider three resolutions: #1, Task Force on Artificial Intelligence; #2, Stand Up Against Hate; and #3, Shareholder Strategy to Address Data Centers.

Resolution #3 would be forwarded to the General Convention of the whole Episcopal Church to be held next summer. It would call on the Episcopal Church to identify companies in the church investment portfolio that are building, managing, and operating data centers and initiate appropriate shareholder strategy to mitigate these companies’ impact on water, energy, and industrial emissions in order to protect the well-being of our communities, especially the marginalized. More information can be found on the convention website, www.diocalconvention,org.

If you have opinions about any of the matters that will come before the convention, you can contact our convention delegates: Dave Frangquist, frangquist@acm.org, or David Mealy, david.mealy@gmail.com, or alternates: Barbara Stevenson, barbara.f.stevenson@gmail.com, or Elena Wong, elena.f.wong@gmail.com. You can also talk to any of our clergy, who are also voting members of the convention.

Save the Date: 1 November 2026, Shortly after the end of the 10 am Service:

A Closer Look at Medical Aid-In-Dying in California

Guest Speakers
Reina Gaines
& Day of Death Volunteer
End of Life Choices, California

On Sunday, 1 November the St. Aidan’s End of Life Ministry (ELM) will be sponsoring another conversation in our series on Life Care Planning

Over the last several years, the ELM team has sponsored several sessions about how one can influence the health care that they would like to receive as life is nearing an end. We’ve talked about advance directives, the types of life support and life sustaining options; their uses, key questions to ask, and disadvantages and advantages of use. Most recently we discussed Hospice and Palliative care as well as the End-of-Life Option that allows one, meeting certain criteria, to end their life – know in California as Medical Aid in Dying.

This session will be a more intimate discussion not only about the End of Life Option, the law but about the experience of someone who has accompanied those who have chosen this option.

As with our other programs, we’ll be providing information so people can exercise their agency to make an informed decision. We’ll provide a light lunch. Please attend, in person or on ZOOM, to be curious and to learn.

Good News Gardening - upcoming dates
Our next date is Saturday, October 17. Otherwise, we are continuing with the second Saturday of the month at our usual 12:30-2 pm time. Our next dates will be November 14, December 12, etc. Please reach out to Margaret at mdyerc@stanford.edu with any questions.

Wrestling with the Scriptures meets every fourth Tuesday at 10:30 am (via Zoom). The next meeting will be Tuesday, October 27. Please feel free to reach out to the office for the Zoom access information: office@staidansf.org.

New Jim Crow Anti-Racist Book Group, Sunday, October 25, 4:30 pm, via Zoom, (note the later start by 30 minutes). We’re reading Devil in the Groveby Gilbert King. Please feel free to reach out to Deacon Margaret with any questions at mdyerc@stanford.edu.

Opportunities for Immigrant Solidarity

Several local organizations offer opportunities to stand with immigrants facing Trump administration attacks.
Faith in Action(www.faithinactionba.org): Local branch of a national community-organizing group anchored in faith communities around the country. In the Bay Area they focus on housing and immigration. Opportunities include:

Immigration Court. Accompany immigrants to their court hearings. You’ll need at least conversational Spanish, and you’ll be trained before you get started. For more information and the sign-up link: www.faithinactionba.org/accompaniment.
Rapid Response Network (203) 666-4472: Faith in Action operates the San Mateo County Rapid Response phone network, providing information for immigrants and their supporters in the whole Bay Area, not just San Mateo. Call the number:
- If you or a loved one has been detained by ICE
- If you learn that someone has been detained by immigration enforcement
- If you see ICE activity in the community
- If you need accompaniment at an ICE Check-In or court appearance
- If you need support filling out your asylum paperwork within the first year of entering the country
- If you think immigration enforcement is contacting you by phone call or text message

Immigration court demonstrations and vigils: Several groups maintain a presence outside the immigration court at 100 Montgomery in downtown SF. Here are a couple:

Interfaith Court Vigil (www.im4humanintegrity.org/category/events/): Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday every week. Sponsored by the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. Click here to sign up: bit.ly/CourtVigilVolunteer.
Tuesday and Friday demonstrations: Loosely organized, pretty confrontative demonstrations, called by Democratic Socialists of America and others.

Immigration Court Observers: The National Lawyers Guild trains non-lawyers to participate in observing and documenting what happens in immigration courts in S.F. Click here for more information: nlgsf.org/programs-committees/nlg-sfba-programs/immigration-justice-program/

Comprehensive action calendar: (www.actiontogetherwest.org/bayarea) A project that grew out of the 2016 Pantsuits Nation group, this is a very well-maintained and up-to-date calendar of resistance activities in the Bay Area.

Sources for Factual News from the Rev. Gary Ost:

At our Quarterly Parish Meeting on May 4, Cameron asked me to submit some suggested ways to stay grounded in reality in the midst of deliberate attempts currently to normalize the untrue and the unholy. I recommend this list for fact-based sources of information to help “fight against all such injustice in the name of Christ,” as we promise to do in our Baptismal Covenant:

For reporting on the work of The Episcopal Church in this matter:

The Episcopal Public Policy Network; news, resources and how to sign up to listen to their weekly policy network calls on Thursdays, 10-10:30 am. PDT: EPPN sign up

For news:

The Guardian for international perspective: <info@email.theguardian.com>

The New York Times: na.nytimes.com

For sound journalistic reporting, try reading or listening via these links:

The Contrarian: contrarian+jen-rubins-morning-columns@substack.com>

Joyce Vance: Civil Discourse <joycevance@substack.com>

Heather Cox Richardson: heathercoxrichardson@substack.com

Dan Rather, <steady@substack.com>

To put things in bigger scientific, historical and theological contexts, try reading:

Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart, by Brian McLaren (Successer at Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation), St. Martin’s Essentials, 2024 St. Martin’s Publishing Group, New York

The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith and Refounding Democracy, by Jim Wallis (Founder of Sojourners magazine), St. Martin’s Essentials, 2024 St. Martin’s Publishing Group, New York

Origins: How Earth’s History Shaped Human History, by Lewis Dartnell, Basic Books, New York, 2019

Cosmogenesis: An Unveiling of the Expanding Universe, by Brian Swimme, Counterpoint, Berkeley, CA, 2023

The Once and Future Church: Reinventing the Congregation for a New Mission Frontier, by Loren Mead, the Alban Institute, Inc., c/o Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC; 1991

And remember, we renew our faith in Jesus as our Only Lord by remembering how he first loved us—all of us!
By faith in Jesus Christ, Gary Ost

Resources for Engaging in Anti-Racism, from Elena Wong
Thank you to Elena Wong for sharing this list of resources that were in turn shared with her through her membership in the Western Association for College Counseling:

READ
Resources on talking to young kids about race and racism
The 1619 Project (all the articles) | The New York Times Magazine
“Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Atlantic (May 12, 2020)

LISTEN (Podcasts to subscribe to)
1619 (New York Times)
Code Switch (NPR)
Seeing White Series on Scene On Radio

WATCH
13th Film (2 hours)
When They See Us (Four episodes)

DONATE
Color of Change
Southern Poverty Law Center

FOLLOW
Groups and people doing anti-racist work, such as @colorofchange @weinspirejustice @showingupforracialjustice

Contemplative Prayer: Tuesday & Thursday from 9-10 AM via Zoom
We offer Contemplative prayer via Zoom. Contemplative Prayer is silent with the beginning and ending marked by a bell. You can practice meditation, silent prayer, journal, or otherwise enjoy the collective quiet. Thank you to Susan Spencer for anchoring this practice. Please feel free to reach out to the office for the Zoom access information: office@staidansf.org.

Morning Prayer: Mon, Wed, Fri at 7:30 AM - M/W Hybrid, Fri via Zoom
We offer Morning Prayer in hybrid mode (at church and via Zoom) on Mondays and Wednesday, and on Fridays via Zoom only. Please feel free to reach out to the office for the Zoom access information: office@staidansf.org.

Evening Prayer: Wednesdays at 6:30 PM via Zoom

We offer Evening Prayer via Zoom. Readings for the day are from the Episcopal Church's daily lectionary or calendar of saints, and the service includes a brief reflection time on the readings. Please feel free to reach out to the office for the Zoom access information: office@staidansf.org

Hybrid In-Person/Zoom Sunday Worship

Sunday worship is hybrid at the 10 AM (not the 8 AM), with both in person and Zoom platforms available. We encourage you to connect with worship in whatever way is most accessible for you.

Mask Policy: We respect the preference of anyone who feels safer by masking. We continue to monitor public health advisories and may modify our mask policy, as appropriate. Please pray for the health and safety of all our members and friends as we continue to navigate this challenging time.

To add an announcement to the weekly bulletin of the Flame, please send your edited text no later than 11:00 am Wednesday to office@staidansf.org