The Sunday Sermon: Now you are the body of Christ

For about a decade my sons spent time each summer at an Episcopal camp in the Shenandoah Valley. It was an old-fashioned rural camp with rustic cabins each sleeping 10 kids plus a counselor, separate bathroom huts, lots of outdoor activities, and daily worship. The closing worship was always the same. We parents gathered on … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Music Endowment Launch

Dear St. Paul’s family, We have wonderful news to share with you. Thanks to the generosity of two current parishioners (who prefer not to be publicly acknowledged) and one deceased parishioner, Mary McBride, we are announcing the launch of the St. Paul’s Cathedral Music Endowment. This fund will be invested with our other funds through … READ MORE…

The Sunday Sermon: Racism, hospitality, and joy

This week I came across an article about the psychological causes of racism, which lead me down many rabbit trails as I avoided writing this sermon. I found many studies on the relationship between human psychology and the effort to determine the relationship between our anthropology, our psychology, and our choices in making racist and … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Budget Gap

Dear St. Paul’s family, As we approach our annual meeting and 2019 gets underway, I want to share with you one of the perennial dilemmas that the Chapter faces in our efforts to find the funding for our ministries. As you have probably heard or read, we are celebrating a successful pledge campaign, having reached … READ MORE…

The Sunday Sermon: WATER, SPIRIT, POWER: 3 WORDS IN BAPTISM

A visiting preacher was was testing the acoustics of the cathedral. He fidgeted on the microphone, tapped it a little bit murmured, “There’s something wrong with this microphone.” And the people replied, “And also with you.” Today is the 1st Sunday of the Epiphany and we are celebrating the Baptism of Jesus. There are three … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Sesquicentennial Update

Dear St. Paul’s Family, As you know, on December 18, 2019 this congregation will complete 150 years of ministry in San Diego. Our sesquicentennial year started last month on Dec 16th with a sumptuous reception in the Great Hall entitled “A Victorian San Diego 1869 Christmas”, following a special organ concert and Evensong. The event attracted … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Maya and Our Youth Program

Dear St. Paul’s Family, From the Dean: One of our beloved staff members here is Maya Little-Saña. Maya first came to the cathedral when she was in high school and quickly blossomed into a theologian with wisdom beyond her years. Now in her second year at college, Maya serves as our extremely part-time (10 hours … READ MORE…

The Christmas Sermon: the seed of joy

A very Merry Christmas to you all! What does that mean to you? Merry isn’t just a full belly, a bottomless glass, and a few ‘ho, ho, hos.’ Merry comes from Germanic roots that mean ‘short,’ and in Old English it meant pleasant or sweet. Merry is how time flies when you’re having fun – … READ MORE…

The Christmas Eve Sermon: Light, Love, Life

Alleluia. Unto us a child is born. Come let us adore him. Alleluia. Tonight the glory of the Lord shines brightly. We gather with the angels and the shepherds to kneel before the manger, worshipping the child who is God incarnate, love personified, Emmanuel. The light blazes out from the stable, defying the darkness, warming … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: New things for a new year

Dear St. Paul’s family,   We stand on the brink of a new year, and there are some wonderful new things starting to bubble up in our corporate life. I see two main categories of new initiatives: small-group based ministries and the digital mission field. In the small group area, here’s what’s happening:   A … READ MORE…