Tag Archives: John

February 20, 2025 · 12:59 pm

Here am I; send me!

For most of my life, I have served as a lector in church. That is, I am one of those who regularly reads the holy scriptures assigned for the day during our weekly worship services. On 9 February 2025 at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, I read the Old Testament passage, Isaiah 6:1-8, which includes a memorable description of angels (“each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew”) and concludes with, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” I love this passage because it is both a fascinating vision and a statement of vocation.

Variants of the phrase “Here am I; send me!” is in many places in the Bible, including, Genesis 22 (3 times), Genesis 27, Genesis 31, Genesis 37, Genesis 46, 1 Samuel 3 (5 times), 1 Samuel 12, 1 Samuel 14, 1 Samuel 22, 2 Samuel 15, Psalm 40, Isaiah 58, Isaiah 65 (twice), Jeremiah 26, Luke 1, Acts 9, 2 Corinthians 12, Tobit 2, Tobit 6, 1 Maccabees 6, and 2 Esdras 14. It is also the refrain of one of my favorite hymns, “Here I Am, Lord,” by Dan Schutte and St. Louis Jesuits (1981),

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I think of Isaiah 6:1-8 whenever I am lucky enough to visit the magnificent Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Under the dome are four large paintings of six winged angels soaring over the immense and ancient worship space. When I was there last in 2024, I bought a scarf featuring an abstract painting of the dome and angels.

Last night in Elmwood jail, John Plocher and I were discussing the concept of vocation with our weekly class – and of course we discussed Isaiah 6:1-8. Some of the inmates felt a vocation for art or music or sports but many of them are still considering what God is calling them to do in their lives. John and I have just finished a four month term using the “Transforming Literature of the Bible” course on the Christian Testament. Next week is movie night and the guys voted to watch “War Horse.” In two weeks, we will start the next Hebrew Bible term and I will be asking them to notice every time someone says, “Here am I; send me!”

Images (c) 2024-2025 by Katy Dickinson. If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).

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December 20, 2024 · 12:43 pm

Almost a Doctor!

Yesterday, I submitted my completed Doctor of Ministry dissertation (142 pages) to the Dean of the Berkeley School of Theology Thanks to my husband, John Plocher, for a final late-night review and edit!

Since 2021, I have been a BST Doctor of Ministry student (as well as a jail chaplain, TechWomen mentor, and Founder of Mentoring Standard). The DMin degree is based on a project that comes out of the student’s regular work. My project was to rewrite The Transforming Literature of the Bible (TLB) class I present weekly in Santa Clara County jail. My successful oral dissertation defense was on 5 December 2024 with my DMin Academic Committee, the Rev. Dr. LeAnn Snow Flesher (BST Vice President of Academics & Dean of the Faculty, Professor of Biblical Interpretation), the Rev. Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins (BST Professor of Public Theology, and Mayor, Collegeville, Pennsylvania), and the Rev. Liz Milner (Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy Executive Director & Facility Chaplain, Correctional Center for Women). The dissertation I just sent in includes the three minor revisions requested by the committee during my oral defense. Next, the Rev. Dr. Sangyil Sam Park (BST Professor of Preaching & Director of Doctor of Ministry Program) will coordinate the process of final review and preparation for submission to the Graduate Theological Union Library.

Here is the Conclusion – Next Steps section of my Doctor of Ministry dissertation:

“The Transforming Literature of the Bible project is going strong after over forty years in use, and I am honored to guide the transformation of the Rev. Canon William Barnwell’s work into the twenty-first century. My vision is to continue tailoring the program materials to meet the diverse needs of inmate populations, publish the TLB materials for general use in jail and prisons, and train additional mentors in their use.

Work yet to be done includes seeking permission to publish TLB literary selections that are still under copyright, continuing to work toward the TLB class materials getting published and distributed as a spiritual education program, and scaling its use within and beyond Santa Clara County. 

Possible future work includes creating a TLB version for much lower-level readers, and another for women prisoners. I have detailed some of the requirements and challenges of these two potential program extensions in the Scope of the Project section. Jail policies require two chaplain / mentors per class, so additional volunteers will be needed to extend the program.

It has been inspiring to update the TLB to support the most marginalized among the jail inmates and I am thankful to God, my family and community, the jail inmates and my work colleagues, and the Berkeley School of Theology for its support during this process.”

BST graduation will be in May 2025.

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December 11, 2023 · 1:12 pm

Christmas Cards to Prisoners

Supporters of the Stepping Stones Gathering got together yesterday to write Christmas Cards for prisoners. Stepping Stones was started in 2018 to support jail and prison inmates, and those in reentry and recovery. Sending written holiday greetings and letters of support to prisoners has been part of this ministry since it started. Prisoners have told us each year how important it is to get cards. Since many inmates are not in communication with outside friends and family, our cards may be the only ones arriving. Some prisoners keep their cards and re-read the encouraging messages for weeks or months.

Cards are donated and must meet jail and prison requirements: no foil or glitter, regular postal size, no scents or images on envelopes. (Also, no “Home for the Holidays” messages – because most of the prisoners will not be home.) St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church hosted the card writing (we met in one of the rooms of St. Andrew’s School), provided coffee and tea, and is buying the stamps. Stepping Stones volunteers donated sweets or sandwiches to the party.

I put together a list of 122 inmates and people in reentry with whom Stepping Stones has been in contact, verifying prisoner addresses against Santa Clara County and California location websites. We regretfully do not have addresses 32 of those who have been released or sent to another carceral facility but we hope to locate them for next year.

Yesterday, diligent Stepping Stones card writers completed 263 cards. Each of the 90 men and women for whom we have an address will be sent at least one card, and many will get more than one. I am mailing 65 at a time so as not to overwhelm the jail mail distribution system. Cards with glitter or gold foil or decorated envelopes have been donated to a San Jose program that supports people in reentry and recovery.

Stepping Stones meets online Sundays at 8 am Pacific time to worship and support each other. Please consider joining us: weekly information is on the Stepping Stones Facebook page. Some of the Stepping Stones members are also chaplains for the Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy of Santa Clara County, regularly visiting prisoners in jail.

Images Copyright (c) 2023. Thanks to Thierry Doyen for the group photo! If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).

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September 25, 2023 · 3:46 pm

Kitchen Remodeled

Our kitchen remodel today reached the “done enough” stage. I like our updated kitchen and want to start using it. I am glad to see the newly-uncovered oak floors go well with the fresh paint and granite counter and backspash. Lots of little stuff still to do (fixing many paint errors-and-omissions, installing under-cabinet lights, replacing shelves, replacing a sliced window screen, replacing the cabinet muntins…). All the little blue bits of tape in the pictures are where the paint is messed up. However, at this point, we would rather finish that work ourselves. We ran all of the plumbing and appliances last night and found two leaks, but those were fixed today. Some of the work was very well done, especially the cabinet upgrades, and the stone work. I love how the granite pattern behind the stove looks like sand dunes, and how the book matched granite patterns flow into each other. I also like having shelves under the windows. Still, I am happy to have the contractors out of the house. I am also happy to be able to use my new super-fancy laundry folding counter. I figure I spend so much time standing there, I should enjoy how it looks. Our house is almost 100 years old and I expect this kitchen to serve it well into its next century.

Images Copyright (c) 2023 Katy Dickinson. If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).

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September 16, 2023 · 12:02 pm

Singing in Jail

Song books, Sep 2023
Song books, Sep 2023

Part of my Doctor of Ministry dissertation project at the Berkeley School of Theology is to find better ways to engage jail inmates in our studies together. I have been leading theology and Bible study classes in Santa Clara County jail since 2015, working with the Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy (CIC). The version of the class I developed with Canon William Barnwell in 2018 is called Transforming Literature of the Bible (TLB). My DMin project is the first major revision of TLB since 2018.

For the weekly opening worship in our class, My Co-Mentor (and husband) John Plocher and I have been using the worship bulletins from our home parish, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. However, that music has proven challenging. Many inmates love and long for music and as a CIC Chaplain, I am privileged to bring in my smart phone and a speaker. But, while the lyrics and music are in St. Andrew’s worship bulletin, few inmates read music and finding recorded music that matches has been a challenge.

Last Wednesday, John had an idea so we tried something new. I wrote the repetitive lyrics for a traditional hymn on the white board and played the music so the inmates could sing along. They loved it and asked to sing all five verses through a second time before class ended! Most of the students are Christian but the seminar also includes a man who identifies as a Messianic Jew. About two thirds of the inmates in this class are Latino and speak Spanish (most also speak English). All are welcome.

Here is the start of the lyrics we sang, from Hymnary:

As I went down to the river to pray,
studyin’ about that good old way,
and who shall wear the starry crown,
good Lord, show me the way.

Oh, sisters, let’s go down, 
let’s go down, come on down.
Oh, sisters, let’s go down,
down to the river to pray. [Refrain]

In class, we listened to the lovely recording by Alison Krauss, from the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” album. Our daughter Jessica Dickinson Goodman not only has a lovely big voice but also a Minor in Vocal Music from Carnegie Mellon University. On Thursday, she and I talked about the challenge of bringing singable music into jail. Last night, Jessica brought over a selection of her song books so now I have more resources.

I am week-by-week revising the assigned TLB chapters, include new material and illustrations, and providing a Spanish translation. I plan to use Hymnary and the books Jessica provided to also create a supplementary TLB section of lyrics that are aligned with the themes of each chapter. So far, the inmates have been very engaged with the new materials. I just had two more students who had completed a prior TLB seminar ask if they can rejoin. So far, so good!

Images Copyright (c) 2023 Katy Dickinson. If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).

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September 8, 2023 · 12:17 pm

Kitchen Update

Temporary Kitchenette in John Plocher’s Office, 8 September 2023

After 26 years in our home, we are updating our kitchen. Our Spanish Mission style house was built around 1931 in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood (Silicon Valley, California). We think the kitchen was last remodeled after the big Loma Prieta 1989 earthquake. The kitchen is large but the layout is fixed by four doors (to John’s office, the laundry room, the basement, and the dining room).

We are keeping the original cabinets because they are solid oak and, while after so many years the finish is trashed, they are good quality, fit well, and are in the right places. We are replacing the pulls, hinges, and drawer slides, so that means rebuilding the drawer boxes. We are also changing two under-cabinet doors to be drawers. The update is limited to those cabinet changes, granite counters to replace the nasty cheap tile, a new sink and faucet, cabinet and wall paint, electrical plug upgrades, and three new appliances: induction range / stove, microwave, and sink disposal. The induction stove meant we also had to buy all new pans. There has been much discussion over microwave placement. John (the fancy cook) says he prefers it over the stove, so we bought a new microwave unit with a built-in hood.

It feels like camping out in our own home. John is patient with the temporary kitchenette we created in his office. (This is overseen by the Moltres Pokemon mural my mother Eleanor Dickinson and son Paul painted when that was his bedroom.) We are doing dishes in the bathroom. My birds are confused by their extended field trip to the dining room, where their cage is surrounded by boxes of china and kitchen stuff. The contractor came by this morning to say that the countertops will be installed tomorrow, and the cabinets and paint will be finished next week. Here’s hoping for that to happen as scheduled!

Nov 2022 John Plocher in old kitchen
Nov 2022 John Plocher in old kitchen
new kitchen stove
new kitchen stove, 31 July 2023
kitchen backsplash granite slab, 17 Aug 2023
kitchen backsplash granite slab, 17 Aug 2023
kitchen granite shopping, 17 Aug 2023
kitchen granite shopping, 17 Aug 2023
old kitchen 20 August 2023
old kitchen 20 August 2023
kitchen demolition 21 Aug 2023
kitchen demolition 21 Aug 2023
kitchen after counter removal, 21 Aug 2023
kitchen after counter removal, 21 Aug 2023
kitchen electrical work, 22 Aug 2023
kitchen electrical work, 22 Aug 2023
kitchen with new backer boards, 24 Aug 2023
kitchen with new backer boards, 24 Aug 2023
John Plocher and dogs, kitchen 29 Aug 2023
John Plocher and curious dogs in kitchen 29 Aug 2023
bathroom dishes 8 Sep 2023
bathroom dishes 8 Sep 2023

Images Copyright (c) 2023 Katy Dickinson. If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).

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September 7, 2023 · 11:52 am

Interreligious Panel – Chaplains for Prisoners

I was honored to present and moderate “The Same and Different: Supporting Muslim and Jewish Inmates,” an interreligious panel, on, 3 September 2023, hosted by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Saratoga, California – San Francisco Bay Area). This was an in-person event that was also live-streamed and recorded. Here is the link for the recording, https://vimeo.com/event/3655244 (2 hours), plus the one page handout about the panel. This event was generously supported by a grant from the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, through the GTU Madrasa-Midrasha Program. Here is the GTU announcement.

I was touched and thankful for the positive feedback about this event, notably this comment by the Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy‘s Chaplain Ra Amen, “The absolute best interreligious training on the topic. The synergism between the panelists and moderator was seamless. The questions and answers allow for a broad range of insights and experiences to be covered. Whether a novice or as one with years of experience, there was much to be gained from the discussion that will serve me well in future interreligious situation in jail or the general society. It was a model that could be use national in jail and prison ministry. I commend everyone involved in putting on this training.” Another comment from volunteer Chaplain Barbara Harriman was heartwarming, “The seminar today was amazing! Your panel was filled with compassionate scholars, including you! It was very impressive and informative. Thank you so much. I’m so glad you made the video accessible. I will share it with others.” I am grateful for the support.

Grateful thanks to the inspiring and excellent panel speakers:

Thank you as well to the friends, family, and colleagues who helped me put on this event. Especially Karen LeBlanc, Jessica Dickinson Goodman, and John Plocher.

Images Copyright (c) 2023 Katy Dickinson. Thanks to photographers, Karen LeBlanc, Joel Martinez, John Plocher, and Barbara Merrill. If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).

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