The Sunday Sermon: Bearing Fruit that will Last

Alleluia, Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia. When my sister made a surprise visit from Scotland last week, we had just one whole day together. When I asked her what she wanted to do, she said, “where can I buy the best almonds to take home with me?” Almonds, of course, are … READ MORE…

1st Quarter Statement Letter

Dear Cathedral family, Alleluia, Christ is risen! As we enter the second quarter of 2018 I give thanks for the dedication and generosity of our cathedral community. As always, our worship throughout Holy Week was both profoundly reflective and gloriously joyful. Many, many people dedicated themselves to preparing the church,  learning the music, creating the … READ MORE…

The Sunday Sermon: Love One Another

In the beginning, there was God. God was love. God’s life of love within God’s very self was expansive and interdependent among the different parts of God. Each part of God was dependent on the love of the other parts, resulting in an even greater love. That greater love was so big that it could … READ MORE…

A letter from the Dean: Budget

Dear people of St. Paul’s, If you heard the sermons the last two Sundays, you’ve heard both Jeff and me talk about the significant gap between income and expenses in our operating budget, to the tune of about $200,000 in 2018. A number of people have said that they don’t understand where this came from: … READ MORE…

The Sunday Sermon: One Flock, One Shepherd

Maybe you´ve already figured out that, as well as being Earth Day, today is Good Shepherd Sunday. It comes around every year on the fourth Sunday of Easter, and the image of the community of faith as a flock of sheep is a well-worn metaphor. If you´d like to know more, I refer you to … READ MORE…

Creating Change

Dear ones, I so appreciated all the feedback from my sermon last Sunday, which you can find on video here and on the blog here. It was great to have so many folks express interest after the service in getting involved, and we even had some new pledges! Thank you. I do want to assure … READ MORE…

The Sunday Sermon: New Life is Here!

Easter 3B, April 15, 2018 St. Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego Luke 24:36b-48 Christ is risen. “He is risen indeed. Alleluia!” We proclaim this bold news each week during the season of Easter. You should know me well enough to know by now that I don’t believe in rote liturgy. I don’t believe in doing things … READ MORE…

Photoessay: Vergers at the Vigil

If you visit Episcopal Cathedrals around the country, you will find that although we are a relatively small Cathedral, we have a mighty Verger Corps (see here for more about the vergers’ roles).  Your vergers are responsible for the smooth running of the service, spending lots of time before, during and after the service, to ensure that … READ MORE…

The Vigil Sermon: Risen to New Life

Alleluia, Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia! Tonight you may have heard more Scripture read than you have ever heard before in a single worship service. Not only the stories, but the Psalms and canticles, and the prayers drawn from Scripture, all together giving us a rich and full sense of the … READ MORE…

The Good Friday Sermon

This is the day we remember the story of Jesus, a man who lived among the vulnerable. He was a man who moved among people who had been forgotten, who had been outcast. He touched the untouchables. He loved the unloveable. We remember his story today as we re-tell how he was arrested after being … READ MORE…