This Week at St. Patrick's - October 26, 2011

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"Forward from Nebo" - The Rev. Dr. Kurt Gerhard, October 23, 2011

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Matthew 22.34-46 and Deuteronomy 34.1-12

The story of Moses began when he was put in a basket on the River Nile. He was picked up by the Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in her house. As an adult, Moses rebelled against the injustice of Pharaoh and led his people from Egypt back to their homeland in Palestine.  Moses’ story is an epic; it ends in the thirty-fourth chapter of Deuteronomy with Moses peering at the land of promise from the peak of Mount Nebo just before he dies. In this final book of the Torah, Moses recalls his long journey, the ups and downs of his legendary life as he sets in place new leadership and mission for the next generation. 

In preparing for next week’s centennial celebration, I have had the opportunity to hear stories about St. Patrick’s. Some of them are on our website or the timeline (and over the next year I look forward to hearing more of them). These testimonies force me to reflect on what St. Patrick’s is doing to fulfill God’s mission in the world, today. Let’s just say, we have much to live up to. On Friday, we received a letter from St. Patrick’s 4th Rector, the Rev. Tom Bowers, who served St. Patrick’s from 1961-1971.

This Week at St. Patrick's October 19, 2011

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This Week at St. Patrick's - October 12, 2011

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"No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" - The Rev. Dr. Kurt Gerhard, October 9, 2011

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Matthew 22. 1-14

“No shirt, no shoes, no service.” I saw this sign at many of my favorite establishments when I was younger and shorter (they always seemed to be at about three foot eye level). I don’t remember them, more recently, but they may just be out of sight and mind. As a kid, I didn’t get it. I always had shoes on, so that didn’t seem to matter, and I also wore a shirt. The only time I didn’t have shirt or shoes was when I was swimming. But why would someone be turned away if they didn’t.

Thanks to the Civil Rights movement, most public establishments have very few restrictions on who can frequent their businesses (Costco membership cards excepted). What a blessing. Businesses generally want people with adequate funds to feel welcome. As for dress, people venture out in public with barely enough on to meet the “no shirt, no shoes, no service” mantra.  (My dad thinks this is unfortunate as he often commentates on people wearing hats to a sit down restaurant, a phenomenon resulting from a shift in our cultural norms.) No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service? How does this work in Berkeley, California? If you don’t see the requirement as a public decency, isn’t it exclusionary of those who don’t like shoes? If a person were willing to pay the money, why would a business owner throw them out for being shirtless?

This Week at St. Patrick's October 5th, 2011

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