Friday Focus

It was great to see so many families at school for Student Conferences on Wednesday and Thursday. If you haven't met with your child's teacher yet, please make an appointment for a conference next week.

DVD of SF Central Church Service

A DVD of the church service from April 8 at the SF Central Church is now available. If you are interested in a copy please contact Peter in our office (415-585-5550, ext. 23).

Or send email to Peter...

Chaplain Barry Black

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 22, Dr. Barry Black, Chaplain for the US Senate, will be speaking at the Philadelphian Church. He is requesting as many students as possible to be there with their families.

Our school will be also be having an information booth there that evening. Please stop by and talk to other interested parents at our booth. Students in Jr. High may be able to receive some extra credit for attending.

View PDF flyer...

Survey

Attached is a short survey regarding your intentions for next year. Please take a moment to fill it out and return it to school by Monday morning. All students who return this form on Monday may have a free dress day.

Send survey online...

SF Japanese Church

Students in grades 4-8 will be presenting the worship service at the SF Japanese Church on Saturday morning, May 6. All students in grades 4-8 should plan on being there that day.

Map and directions...

Voice of Hope Church

On Saturday morning, June 3, the Jr. High will be providing the worship service at the Voice of Hope Church that meets here on campus.

More About Voice of Hope...

Spring Fling and Annual Art Exhibit

Our Spring Fling and Annual Art Exhibit will take place on Sunday, May 7, from 12:00–4:00 PM. Plan to attend this event as a family. There will be several things to do around campus that day. Watch for more information in the weeks to come.

Last year's Art Show...

Please Tell Me It Isn't So

Barbara Ehrenreich has written an engaging but disturbing book about the plight of people trying to get by at the low end of America's economy. Nickel and Dimed narrates some of her experiences in the minimum-wage workforce.

Ehrenreich found out that even the most "unskilled" job does indeed require both mental and physical effort that leaves one exhausted. Yet she also learned that only one job at that earnings level is insufficient for getting by at a standard of adequacy that most human beings need. She also found out that people working at the lower end of the economic scale take a disproportionate amount of abuse.

In describing her experience as a waitress--making $2.13 an hour in direct wages and depending on tips to boost her to a livable income--she points out that certain groups are harder to deal with than others. Predictably, fraternity guys with a few beers in them make her "List of the Unpleasant and Dreaded." But I was shocked to find out who was at the very top of her list.

The worst, for some reason, are the Visible Christians--like the ten-person table, all jolly and sanctified after Sunday night service, who run me mercilessly and then leave me $1 on a $92 bill. Or the guy with the crucifixion T-shirt (someone to look up to) who complains that his baked potato is too hard and his iced tea too icy (I cheerfully fix both) and leaves no tip at all. As a general rule, people wearing crosses or WWJD? ("What Would Jesus Do?") buttons look at us disapprovingly no matter what we do, as if they were confusing waitressing with Mary Magdalene's original profession.

Straight from church to stiffing a waitress? Wearing a cross and being so utterly insensitive? Treating people so differently from him while wearing the question "What Would Jesus Do?" on my person? Please tell me it isn't so!

But I've occasionally left extra on the table after noticing that people in my after-church or lunch-during-church-conference group paid a tab, picked up their change, and left nothing for our server. I'm not more righteous. I've just had a son who worked as a waiter in college and told me his own horror stories.

If you're going to be rude and insensitive to anyone today, whether at work, at home, or in a public place, at least be thoughtful enough to remove any "Visible Christian" paraphernalia that could wind up reflecting on Jesus.

--Rubel Shelly