Planting

I made a decision when I became a bishop that I would "give myself away" to clergy in my geographical area of responsibility to be with them during Holy Week, Easter and Christmas. It isn't a formal visitation, so the open plate stays with them. Especially at Easter and Christmas, this is important, as the open plate is usually a bit higher on those days.

Today, Palm Sunday, I wandered over to St. Andrew's in Fullerton. Over one year ago I took the Rector, the Rev. Dr. Beth Kelly out of her office and walked her over to a vast expanse of lawn -- "Do you know how many people you could feed if you planted this with food plants instead of lawn?"

Well, today was the day that the first tree was planted.

Thanks to the generosity of a landscape architect who grew up in this parish, his firm drew up plans for a beautiful fruit tree orchard and garden. Instead of traditional raised beds, because this is St. ANDREW's (and Andrew was a fisherman), they are using boats. Yes, really. I bought one myself. How Biblical, and how wonderful!

And here I am, looking as those I'm jumping on a pogo stick -- but it's really the shovel. I blessed the land (where they removed the sod), and I was given the great privilege of digging the first hole. I've jumped on top of the shovel to try to "dig deep".

After me many of the parishioners took turns digging. A valencia orange tree was planted -- it is the first of many trees that will be planted there. The design is set to have a table for use while working in the garden, with the boats around it. There will be a water feature out there as well -- I'm thinking outdoor baptisms and celebrations of the Eucharist at that table!

I am so impressed by the design and what the people of St. Andrew's are doing! The head of the food bank that will receive much if not all of the produce from St. Andrew's was there as well, thanking the people for what they are doing. "I live three blocks from here," he shared. "Everytime I drove by I thought to myself, "that's a place that could have an amazing garden. And now you are -- and we are so grateful."

I wonder what I'll name the boat I bought. Thoughts, anyone?

Fish and bread -- how Biblical!

This past Sunday I was at St. Paul's in Ventura. The Rev. Susan Bek came down to Los Angeles to have lunch with me before the visitation, and shared with me the Good News of God in Christ that is happening in Ventura.

She told me, before I got there, "Bishop, there is one thing. We have one beautiful little girl that has some challenges, one of them is food. We have worked with her, but she cannot take the host. We asked her Mom what would work, and she told us "goldfish". So you will see on the paten the priest's host, and a goldfish cracker. We will point her out to you as you distribute communion."

Susan did, and I about cried.

Talk about being present for someone who is challenged, but is such a beautiful child of God, and of one member of the clergy who "gets it" and responds with what is necessary to not exclude one of God's children.

Here is Susan's note to me about this, and a picture of the goldfish cracker on the paten with the priest's hosts. This past Sunday, as there often is, there were Gluten free wafers as well -- we need to meet our people where they are to be able to offer them the Body of Christ!

Each Sunday we bless a priest's host, plenty of regular wafers, a few gluten-free wafers and one Pepperidge Farms goldfish. Every time the Deacon sets the table and I come forward to celebrate, we look down at the paten and glance at each other, nearly in tears. We know that it's unusual to bless a goldfish, but the story of why we do it, and who we do it for, means so much to us that the mere sight of it makes us emotional. We have, in our congregation, a little girl who has some special needs. Among her various challenges she has some food rigidity. She is unable to take the wafer; not because she's allergic, because it is not one of the very limited number of things she is able to accept and eat. Not long after I arrived at St. Paul's I had the great pleasure of baptizing this girl's younger sister. Following the baptism, and because it was their family's wishes, the younger girl received Eucharist for the first time. Sadly, the older sister could not receive. We tried many times. We met outside of Sunday service and offered her the opportunity to see, hold, smell and examine wafers in the hope that she might be willing to accept one and eat it. Much as she wanted to, she simply could not accept the body of Christ when presented in this form. I asked their mother whether there was a cracker of some kind that she was able to eat and that's when we found out that she likes goldfish. Now there is a box sitting in our sacristy and every Sunday one little orange goldfish adorns our paten. When I place it in her hand I say, "this is the body of Christ, the bread of heaven for you." She looks up and, ever so quietly, says, "thank you...I mean, Amen!"  She is welcome at this table as all are welcome at this table. And if we have to make some accommodations so that all may join us, so be it. 

Matthew 19:14 (RSV) 

14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

I have been wanting to take a picture of the paten with the priest's host and goldfish. I will do that tomorrow and send it to you. 

When I have the opportunity to return to St. Paul's, I hope to give this beautiful child of God what she needs to be included in the meal so many of us take for granted each Sunday -- but which, for her, because of her condition, she could not partake of before the Rev. Susan Bek became the loving vessel of God that she is. I wonder what I will find the next time I show up at St. Paul's?

St. Peter's Preschool

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of being with the clergy and laity of St. Peter's in San Pedro. As it was the day before St. Patrick's Day we used a Celtic Liturgy to mark the occasion. It was the day they were kicking off their stewardship focus for the year based on The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) theme of Walking the Way. I had worked with the vestry earlier this year and introduced them to the TENS theme. As with a few other churches in the diocese, they picked up on the theme and ran with it!

At the time of the announcements passports were handed out to everyone. You see, they looked at The Way as in the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compestela in Spain during which the pilgrim receives a passport that is stamped along the route. St. Peter's parishioners are going to use the passports during the year, receiving stamps in them as they attend various events at the church. The FIRST stamps were received on Sunday by those who chose to make a "pilgrimage" up to the preschool run by the YWCA on St. Peter's Campus. I was also given a passport, and as I made the short trek to the preschool, I received my first stamp!

The director of the program took us on a tour of the facilities -- how beautiful! The school has the ability to care for up to 60 children, and their current enrollment is about 43. If you or a friend or family member live or work in the San Pedro area and you have infants and/or preschoolers, you may want to consider the program at St. Peter's! I leave you will pictures of the preschool.

I wonder what kind of stamp I'll receive at St. Peter's the next time I make a pilgrimage there?

New Community Conference.

This conference opened with the celebration of the Eucharist in many languages and with much emotion. The preacher was delayed due to problems with flights out of Chicago, so another stepped in a that last minute-- delivering a most powerful sermon. The Presiding Bishop celebrated, flanked at the altar by our own Jamesetta Hammons, Peter Wu from Hawaii, David Bailey from Navajoland and me. Don't ask me why I gave Jamie that much room at the altar -- I don't know why.




For the last few days we have heard various people speak on the theme:
Together, Advancing the Sacred Dream. Every offering was geared to the Five Marks of Mission. This is the "unofficial" photo of us all as we were being organized for a group picture. Over 200 Episcopalians are here -- and we are sharing our stories.

The various plenary sessions were as follows:
1. Building the World We Dream About -- Addressing White Privilege, Internalized Oppression, Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Capacity Building.

2. Panel Discussion with The Ethnic Missioners on What's Happening Now.

3. To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom: New Church Development in Partnership with Ethnic Communities.

4. Presentation, Listening and Discussion by the Task Force to Reimagine the Episcopal Church (TREC).

5. Praxis and Advocacy -- The Intersectionality of Race and Poverty.

6. To Respond to Human Need by Loving Service -- Children, Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Ethnic Community.

Tomorrow we look forward to the last Plenary:
7. Environmental Racism: Activating Environmental Mission with the People of the Land.

There were workshops after many of the plenary sessions under various themes:
1. To Teach, Baptize, and Nurture New Believers: Helping the Church Succeed in Ethnic Ministry and Church Planing and Revitalization.

2. To Transform Unjust Structures of Society: Poverty in Ethnic Communities in the U.S.

3. To Respond to Human Need by Loving Service: Children, Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Ethnic Community.

And tomorrow we look forward to the final one:
4. To Safeguard the Integrity of Creation and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth: Engaging Environmental Mission at the Local Level.

It has been wonderful to catch up with people I met two years ago at the New Community Conference in San Diego. More, it is humbling to hear the stories of the struggle our brothers and sisters in Christ still go through simply because they are people of color. The stories of discrimination, of lack of voice, of being invisible made me cry on more than one occasion during these few days.




I am proud of the group that came from the Diocese of Los Angeles. I am also proud and humbled to be the bishop involved in this ministry for our diocese, one of the most diverse in all the church. While we did not have any of our Hispanic/Latino brothers or sisters with us (there is a conference here in August -- Nuevo Amanecer -- that they are planning on coming to), we were well represented!

I look forward to continue to move beyond conversation about New Community to building the New Community in the Diocese and throughout the Church!




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Location:Kanuga Chapel Dr,Hendersonville,United States

Walking the Way

My March article for the Clergy of the Diocese of Los Angeles.


This year The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) is once again offering stewardship resources -- everything a congregation could need -- with the theme Walking the Way.

When I first learned of this theme I was excited by the possibilities it held not only for a focus for stewardship for this fall, but for year-round educational, liturgical and fellowship opportunities. The Diocese of Los Angeles has an annual membership with TENS which enables congregations within the Diocese to have access to these materials without charge. Anyone can join TENS -- www.tens.org. While the TENS materials will be available near the end of this Spring and will be free to you all because of our membership in TENS (and they are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean), the theme offers us the opportunity to jump on the Camino and begin Walking the Way before this fall.



I couldn't help but think of my own, short (only 3 mile) walk on the Camino de Compestela (otherwise known as the Camino) last fall - the beauty of those last three miles along the route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compestela in Spain. The traditional pilgrimage routes leading to this final walk have drawn hundreds of thousands of pilgrims for centuries. (There are five main Camino pilgrimage routes in Spain: the Camino Frances, the Via de la Plata, the Northern Routes, the English Road, and the Portuguese Road. There are many more than this in Spain, but these are currently the most traveled.) This year our own Kelli Grace Kurtz, Joanna Satorius and Mary Trainor are Walking the Way. Are any of you also planning on walking this year or in the future? Have you walked the route in the past? Let me know if you have or are planning to Walk the Way.


The way is marked by shells along the path - either piled in areas or, in the case when you're close, embedded in the ground you are walking on, as in the picture here. Throughout the Camino shells guide the peregrino (pilgrim).





I love the image of the shell as a landmark, a signpost along the journey. More often than not a vessel either in the form of a shell or a shell itself is used to wash the waters of baptism over us as we are brought into the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior and raised to the new life of grace. Walking the Way offers us an opportunity to preach and teach again about what baptism is and what following Christ means.


I pray you avail yourselves of this free stewardship offering from TENS. When these resources are ready for you to use, we will alert you via the Angelus and weekly Episcopal News Update. More, I pray that you will call upon our sisters and brothers who have Walked the Way as potential speakers for your adult education forums. Why not host a movie night and screen the movie The Way with a discussion afterwards? Why not design a prayer walk for your congregation -- possibly between you and a neighboring congregation that could include a joint liturgy together at the end? Why not invite peregrinos/pilgrims to journey with you and your congregation this year.


There are lots of ways to Walk the Way this year! I invite you to join me on this journey!


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What are you supposed to be?

This morning I had the privilege of installing the Rev. Philip Hart DeVaul as Rector of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Costa Mesa. My chaplain Holly Graham, a member of St. Gregory's in Long Beach was with me, taking care of my gear and helping to get me ready for the service.




Once I was dressed, I turned to the young acolyte next to me and asked her,
"How high am I on the cuteness scale today?" She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. Okay, I wasn't particularly feeling the love at that particular moment! There I was, standing there in my alb, chasuble, cope and miter, holding my crozier. Then she looked at me and asked, "What are you supposed to be?"

"The Bishop!" was my reply.

What are you supposed to be -- that was such a profound question.

My robes, hat and stick did not trigger who I was for this young lady. It made me start to think -- the outward and visible signs of who we say we are during a church service is not sufficient to truly convey what (or who) we are supposed to be.

Wearing a clerical collar can draw people to us or cause them to run from us. The out trappings of our work can be a help or a hinderance for us. When people meet me and I'm in my "civies" and they find out what I do -- I am sometimes shunned or have to hear why they don't believe in God and why they hate the church. Others can't wait to ask me questions. Maybe you've had that experience as well.

What are we supposed to be? We are supposed to be loving followers of Jesus Christ, drawing the world to him. We are supposed to go out into the world, proclaiming the gospel by what we do and how we live our lives -- and occasionally by personal witness.

What are we supposed to be? Hmmm. I wonder what this young lady will say the next time I see her -- and more, I wonder if I will have a better answer to her question -- What are you supposed to be?




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Location:St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Costa Mesa, CA

Yes, I know that it is.

My chaplains Bill and Pam and I were welcomed warmly today at St. Theodore of  St. Theodore of Canterbury's church, meeting in Club House Number 3 in Leisure World, Seal Beach. People were busy setting up -- how the club house is transformed into a warm, intimate sanctuary is amazing to behold! Others within another room setting up for a luncheon afterwards.

As is my custom, I stood at the front door and greeted people. Some I knew from St. Gregory's. Others I remember from when I came and spoke with a group at St. Theodore's a few years ago. Sisters, oblates and associates of the Sisters of the Transfiguration were also gathering here this morning. What a blessing!

The service of the Word started: hymns were sung, readings were heard, prayers were said, the peace was exchanged.. The service of the Table was said, and communion was distributed. That's when it happened. Now, I have been ordained for almost 16 years, and this was a first for me. As I gave a person there for his first time the bread of communion, I said to him, "The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven." His response? "Yes, I know that it is."

Not amen, not alleluia, not thank you or thanks you very much. I have heard all of those before. Rather, "Yes, I know that it is." He said it in such a way that made me know, deep down inside, that he truly did understand exactly what he was receiving. I sensed such a deep, abiding faith in him. It was as if he was saying: "Ma'am, I understand that God is truly in this -- God is truly among us."

May this eve of the Epiphany, when God in Man is made Manifest, fill your heart with truly knowing so that you can say every day in your heart, "Yes, I know God is in this".

What a wonderful, Spirit-filled visitation today at St. Theodore's! I wonder what great pearls of wisdom I'll hear the next time I'm there!