Every local church is called to be orthodox in faith and also truly “catholic” in the sense of being capable of embracing everyone who seeks Christ. The challenge to St. Nicholas parish in San Anselmo is to be faithful to the Tradition handed down to us, as well as being visible and open to the community around us. In addition to a relatively full liturgical life and educational program, a few att
empts are being made to reach out beyond the walls of the temple. For many years we have opened our facilities to Twelve Step meetings. The “rent” received goes directly to support local food kitchens and homeless shelters. There is an ongoing food basket collection. These and many other charitable activities are guided by the Good Works and Community Outreach Ministry branch of the parish council. On the Feast of Theophany (January 6), the entire parish processes from the temple throughout the downtown area to San Anselmo Creek for the Great Blessing of Water. Leaflets explaining the service as well as a brief introduction to the Orthodox faith are distributed along the way. Every year, on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration, the community, with Cross, banners, and icons, climbs to one of the summits of the nearby coastal range overlooking West Marin, Ross Valley, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco. The Festal hymns, Gospel, and the renowned sacred poem “Glory to God for All Things” are proclaimed throughout the hills of the North Bay. Both these events are expressions of our experience of the new and transfigured creation wrought by the Incarnation, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Indeed, every parish gathering should make us mindful of our commission to be the local Body of Christ. This is a call to evangelism, ministry, charity, and to finding ways to baptize the good in this culture and to touch the lives of all those in our community.
