When Allisyn asked staff to write letters while she was away, I thought I had this. I picked this date because it coincided with my 8-year work anniversary. I had grand ideas about what I would write. I wrote it. It took me a while and ended up being twice as long as most of … READ MORE…
Being grateful and feeling honored to be included in St Paul’s Cathedral community has been a theme in these recent letters and I’ll continue that thread. Many of us have encountered “other duties as assigned” in our employment history or Letter of Agreement. When I first joined the cathedral staff as Canon Verger, I inherited … READ MORE…
Sacred Ground In Action Initiative On our Cathedral website and in our Sunday prayer guides, St Paul’s Land Acknowledgment calls on our faith community to “commit to the vital work of educating ourselves, increasing community awareness, and promoting reconciliation with our Indigenous neighbors.” Reconciliation with our neighbors begins with educating ourselves followed by a desire … READ MORE…
Greetings, St. Paul’s! I am very honored to be joining you during this interim period, following Martin’s outstanding and renowned decades-long tenure. Having played many an Evensong for you over the past few years, I know first-hand how much I look forward to playing your pipe organ. But I’m also very excited to work with … READ MORE…
As some of you know, I am leaving on Friday for a long planned trip to Iceland. You may well be thinking given I just started as Interim Dean, it is a little soon to be taking a vacation, but this trip has been in the works for over a year and our Senior Warden, … READ MORE…
When I was ordained in 2000, the rhythm of church life felt different. Summers were generally slower with less activity and often fewer people as folks went away on vacation, took advantage of sunny days to go to the beach (this is southern California after all) or other daytime activities, and generally relaxed more. However, … READ MORE…
Sacred Ground In Action Initiative After a recent protest outside the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center by about 100 clergy members, Bishop Mariann Budde was interviewed on MSNow30. True to her charism she emphasized the importance of speaking truth to power, reflecting on the importance of clergy to not only use words but also act … READ MORE…
Simpler Living Creation Care Ministry With the recent ruling that redefines “harm” by removing the phrase “including harm to the environment in which endangered species live,” from the Endangered Species Act, the “Environmental Protection” Agency continues to bleed by a thousand cuts the environmental protections that have a proven impact on saving those species. You … READ MORE…
In her book Radical Welcome, Embracing God, The Other, and the Spirit of Transformation,15th Edition, the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers defines “radical welcome,” in part as follows: Radical welcome is first and foremost a spiritual practice. It combines the Christian ministry of welcome and hospitality with a faithful commitment to doing the … READ MORE…
Simpler Living Creation Care Ministry The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations policy advisor, Susie Faria, recently participated in an American Lands Project trip for faith leaders to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She observed, “The connection between God, land, wildlife, and people [here] is palpable. Seeing wildlife and meeting the people who call this place … READ MORE…