The Episcopal Diocese 

of Northern California

Beloved Community

Resource Newsletter

Published by

The Commission for

Intercultural Ministries

August 2023 Special Edition 

Episcopal Church Becoming Beloved Community

In this Special Edition:

• Call for a Ceasefire Now
• Weekday Sacred Ground Circle at Trinity Cathedral
• Church and Politics, Oh My! Supporting Church Leaders Navigating the Public Square
• Make Me an Instrument of Peace - How to Engage in Better Conversations About Tough Topics

“People of faith and goodwill can organize and address our governments to call for humanitarian aid to flow freely to those in desperate need in Gaza; for the release of all hostages; for an end to all targeting of children and other civilians; and for a de-escalation of violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem." - Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

The escalation of violence in the Holy Land continues, with what the BBC described as “total chaos” in Gaza after a night of bombing and a ground invasion. 

In this moment of violence and destruction, we urge you to lift your voices and strongly urge the President and your representatives in Congress call for a humanitarian truce, as voted for by the United Nations General Assembly. Desperately needed humanitarian aid must reach the people of Gaza so that more life is not lost. 

We also urge all of you to pray. We pray for God’s comfort and mercy to reach all those who are afraid, who suffer and are in pain, who grieve, and those who have been cut off from loved ones. 

In his opening remarks to Executive Council this past week, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said, “Prayer matters and makes a difference. We must pray. So, pray for wisdom and moral courage for world leaders so that violence does not beget more violence—because violence doesn’t work, and violence will not bring about a just and sustainable and enduring peace.”

We ask for your prayers. We ask for your action.

Sacred Ground is a program developed by The Episcopal Church exploring in depth the issues of racial justice in the church and in our world. The course is eye-opening and inspirational for how we live out our faith.

Especially designed for those who prefer meeting in the daytime, this Sacred Ground circle will meet weekly (with breaks during the holidays) on Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m., beginning Nov. 8 at Trinity Cathedral or on Zoom, depending on each participant’s preference.

The course will be led by the Rev. Jim Richardson, priest associate; the Rev. Tina Campbell, retired deacon; and Ms. Susan Hotchkiss, retired director of adult formation at Trinity Cathedral.

Each week features videos viewed before each meeting and appropriate readings. Conversation and the sharing of our own stories is encouraged in our group.

This course also fulfills the Diocesan racial healing requirement.

For more information about Sacred Ground, go here: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/invitation/

Contact the Rev. Jim Richardson: jrichardson@trinitycathedral.org with questions or to register.  

Churches serve public roles for their communities from outreach ministries to disaster response, to convening for worship and loving relationship. Churches also play a public role in politics. In a time of heightened partisanship, what does healthy and effective political engagement look like? How can we better serve members of our own congregations and the broader community around us?

In this session with Alan Yarborough of The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, we will explore public engagement from the standpoint of the church’s role in building relationships and working with government officials to tackle critical issues and in building the church’s capacity for holding spaces where conversations on such topics can take place.

This hybrid session will be from 12 noon to 1 pm at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento.

Contact the Rev. Alex Leach, aleach@trinitycathedral.org, for more information and for the Zoom link.

Civil discourse is a critical part of engaging in our civic life together, as it can help us to bridge partisan political divides, learn from one another, and create better solutions to the problems in our communities. But what is civil discourse? Is it different from civility? Based on the online class created by The Episcopal Church and ChurchNext, this evening workshop with Alan Yarborough of the The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations will explore developing an individual and community capacity for civil discourse, applying it to public policy conversations, and assessing how civil discourse fits in with other types of engagement.

This hybrid session will be from 5 to 7 pm at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento. Some light refreshments will be provided.

Contact the Rev. Alex Leach, aleach@trinitycathedral.org, for more information and for the Zoom link.

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California

The Commission for Intercultural Ministries

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