The

By Pat McCaughan

[The Episcopal News – February 9, 2022] As the Bishop’s Commission on Gospel Justice and Community Care continues to examine policing across Southern California communities, chairperson Sister Patricia Sarah Terry is meeting with clergy and asking Episcopalians to join a letter-writing campaign in support of including mental health first responders in crisis situations. She is also seeking art, articles, poetry, reflections, videos, photos, podcast episodes, and other creative expressions for inclusion in a planned Lenten daily resource guide to be made available online to the diocese.

With this multi-pronged effort she aims to assess and, she hopes, to build upon the character and strength of local church and police relationships, while also addressing community spiritual needs in a time of heightened tensions, said Terry, a former U.S. attorney and a member of the Anamchara Fellowship, a monastic community devoted to prayer and service.

“What we’re trying to do is find out where is our common ground, and where we can be most effective as a diocese,” she told The Episcopal News recently. “There are so many things that can be done, and there’s no one-size-fits-all.”

Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor created the commission in April 2021 in response to local and national unrest after the May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground with his knee for more than nine minutes. Chauvin was convicted April 21, 2021, of three counts of murder and was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison.

Calls to defund police amid rising crime and ongoing police-community tensions make the commission’s work even more crucial, Terry said. “There is no safe place, unless we’re all safe,” she said. What happens in one community affects adjacent communities, “even if we don’t see them as our neighbor.”

Read more here.

By Pat McCaughan

[The Episcopal News - February 9, 2022] For Prism staff and volunteers, the need to be companions and to share communion with those in local jails and detention centers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic has never been more urgent or more rewarding.

“People are daunted by the issue of incarceration, but that’s not what we’re doing,” says Ann Noble, program coordinator of Prism, the restorative justice ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles. Often, she says, “it’s just one human being talking to another human being and sharing a story. So, it’s the biggest deal, and yet it’s not a big deal. It feels like it requires so much and all it requires is the greatest gift you have, which is your presence, and everyone can give that.”

While visiting those confined to Twin Towers, the Men’s Central Jail, and the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood can seem scary, “an encounter can be sitting one-on-one with one person,” she said. “It can also be participating in a small service, a mass, just a small group of people in a circle.

“We don’t preach at them, we share. So it feels much more communal. We don’t get up at a podium and talk at them, we sit with them.” With Eucharist, she said, “there’s an opportunity to share the bread, an opportunity to anoint with oil, an opportunity to sit and chat.”

Continuing Covid restrictions have limited the Sunday gatherings to about 10 people, and “that really cuts our numbers down,” according to Sharon Crandall, Prism director. But as soon as the jails re-opened to visitations, Prism was back, she said, because “it’s about the people we serve.”

Read more here.

A memorial service for the Rev. Barbara Coxe BarnumSt. Michael's Ministry Centerwill be held on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. at St. Michael's Ministry Center, 4070 Jackson Street, Riverside 92503, where she served for four years before her death at age 97. Bishop John Harvey Taylor will celebrate; the Rev. Canon Mary Crist will preach. A reception with light refreshments will be held in the church immediately after the service.

Survivors include Barnum's two children, Barbara Barnum Morrissey and Samuel Barnum (Bunny); her four grandchildren, Sona Morrissey Renker, Mark Morrissey (Hong), Luke Morrissey (Angela Rivas) and Michael Morrissey (Jessica Osterberg); and four great-granddaughters, Sascha Renker, Maya Renker, Luka Renker and Ciara Morrissey. She is also survived by members of the Richardson and Dunlap families (her in-laws) and members of her brothers’ families. Her husband, Ferdinand Barnum, died in 2014 at 93.

An obituary is here.

The Education for Your Faith Journey program at Bloy House (Episcopal Theological School Los Angeles) is designed to meet the education needs of those not currently served by seminaries or other church programs. Each class meets online weekly for four weeks. Class sessions are about 60 to 90 minutes long. The class fee is $50; financial aid is available.

Led by Victor Luna, M.S.W., M.Div., school social worker with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

While grief and loss are universal, they are also complicated and complex processes. In these four sessions, we will review the stages of grief and the array of emotions that we experience when we lose someone or something of value in our lives. We will explore the following:

Finally, participants will reflect on the losses from the pandemic and health crisis and how to turn to the divine for guidance during these difficult times.

Led by the Rev. Carlos Ruvalcaba, program director, Instituto de Liderazgo and associate rector, St. Stephen’s Church, Hollywood, and St. Barnabas Church, Eagle Rock.

When we look at ourselves 22 months ago, we cannot help but to think in a world that literally had to shut down. The disruption and suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic turmoil, the social upheaval, and violence came to change our lives and livelihood in ways both small and profound. Is all this a tragedy? Yes! Could all this be a gateway to something new and better? Yes!

In this four-week, one-hour course participants will explore these questions: What was normal? What is normal nowadays Where have we been? Where are we headed? How might we attend to the pandemic’s impact on our lives, while also identify our role in fixing the mess of the world and solving the catastrophes that are already upon us?

Optional reading material includes Alexis Pauline Gumbs' Undrowned, Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals, along other reflections that will help us in our discussion time and further activities.

Class sessions may be recorded; if so, the link to the video will be sent to all students.

Information and registration links for both sessions are here.

The Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change – a new forum engaging individuals and congregations in deeper response to urgent environmental issues – is set to begin work in March, taking up priorities underscored by the U.N.’s COP26 conference and in the recent Diocesan Convention lecture given by Mary Nichols, parishioner of St. James’, Los Angeles, and former chair of the California Air Resources Board.

The commission is chaired by the Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy, diocesan canon to the ordinary, who was among Episcopal Church representatives to the COP26 conference in November. Nominations for new commission members are now being received, and names or self-nominations may be emailed to [email protected].

The commission’s work, set to commence with monthly Zoom meetings, is three-fold:

In addition, the commission will bring attention to intersections of food insecurity and racial justice; tracking of federal, statewide, regional and local legislation; and development of an anthology of online resources. The role of youth and young adults, together with local schools and seminaries, also will be key. Updates of the commission’s work will follow in news reports and on the diocesan website.

Registration for summer sessions at Camp Stevens is now open.

"We talk a lot at summer camp about 'adventure': adventure groups, adventure time, adventure arrows, and adventure seeking," according to the camp's Facebook page. "Adventure exists in the space between your comfort zone and your panic zone. It’s where our bodies and brains wake up and join the moment, where we make memories, and where we learn about ourselves and others. You might think of adventure as happening at the ropes course or on the top of a mountain, but it’s also happening in the creek bed, around a campfire, at the lunch table, in a creative project, or even in a first night away from home."

Camp Stevens staff have established Covid mitigation strategies that worked well last year:

The camp works closely with its staff nurses to follow American Camping Association guidance and closely monitor public health information. In 2021, no Covid cases were reported among summer staff, counselors and campers.

Camp sessions are open for campers ages 8 to 15; those 16 and older may apply to attend Counselor Training (June 12 - 21).

A video showing camp activities is here. (Like the photo above, the video was made before the pandemic; activities are currently modified to follow health guidelines.)

Each session begins on Sunday afternoon and ends on Friday for ages 8-15

Cost is on a tiered system, with each family choosing which rate to pay, according to their means. Fees for a week-long camp range from $625 to $795. Some camperships are available.

To learn more and register, visit the camp website here. Under "Programs," select "Summer Camp."

By Susan Russell

“Conversation with others across difference is not just a nice thing to do. It is a spiritual practice of love in action.”

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles invites you to put these words of Presiding Michael Curry into action as we seek to work together to be agents of change in our increasingly polarized and divided world.

On two Thursdays, Feb. 17 & 24, 6 - 8 p.m. members of the One in the Spirit ministry will host virtual conversations (via Zoom) structured around “From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference” – the initiative inviting Episcopalians and our neighbors to engage in one-to-one listening and sharing across the many differences that challenge us. Participants will have a chance to see how this framework can enable them to communicate with others with whom they disagree on contentious issues and transform their relationships in the process.

Join us as we continue to work together to be the change we want to see – living out God’s love in the world one conversation at a time!

For more information or to register, contact Wendy Lords at [email protected].

By Your Side Vigil Companions, a project of Episcopal Communities and Services, trains volunteers to be a compassionate presence in the lives of those nearing the end of life. Training sessions are scheduled in March and April.

"The mission of By Your Side since 2011 has been to be supportive of people in palliative care and to be at their bedside at the end of their lives as needed," says By Your Side director Susan Brown. "The pandemic has brought all of us to an acute awareness of life’s fragility, and of the immense value of being companioned. In adapting to the reality of COVID, we redefined being 'present' to include presence at the bedside and presence without proximity, realizing that what is most important is connection."

Brown invites interested people to enroll for tZoom (or hybrid) training sessions on Mondays, March 7 – April 4, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. There is no obligation to volunteer at the completion of the training.

To enroll or for more information, contact Brown at [email protected] or 818.822.6044. Enrollment is limited to 30 people. A fee of $70 (which includes all materials) is due by the second class. Scholarships are available. CE (12 hours) for nurses is available for an additional $30 under California Board of Registered Nursing Provider Number CEP 16239.

St. John's Cathedral invites the diocesan community to "Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of Luke," offered on Sundays in person and via Zoom through March 13 at 11:30 a.m.

The class will take a deep dive into the Gospel of Luke, the text for most Gospel readings at Eucharist this liturgical year. How does Luke tell the story of Jesus? How is his story distinct, and how similar to the other writers who tell the story of Jesus? Participants will see the whole map, but pay particular attention to key places of interest. "We will combine the study of the text with time to allow ourselves to meet the Jesus who speaks in a unique way through this telling of the Gospel," according to the course announcement. The first session in this course, "Orienting Ourselves in Luke's Gospel," was held on Feb. 6, presented by the Very Rev. Canon Mark Kowalewski, dean of St. John's Cathedral. A video recording is available on demand (see below).

Presenter: Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder

Presenter: Mark Kowalewski

Presenter: Joel B. Green

Presenter: Luke Timothy Johnson

Presenter: Mark Kowalewski

Zoom links and recordings of previous sessions are here.

Mark Kowalewski has been co-dean of St. John’s Cathedral since 2006. He previously served at St. Wilfrid of York Church in Huntington Beach, and on the staff of the Diocese of Los Angeles. He taught at Xavier University, New Orleans, before studying at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1996. He received his doctorate with an emphasis in Religion and Society and Moral Theology from the University of Southern California’s School of Religion. He is the author of Gays, Lesbians and Family Values and All Things to All People: The Catholic Church Confronts the AIDS Crisis.

Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder is professor of New Testament and Culture, and vice president of Academic Affairs and academic dean at Chicago Theological Seminary. She received a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Vanderbilt University. While engaging what she terms “womanist maternal thought,” she explores ways in which the Bible speaks to current-day motherhood through an African American lens. She is a dually-aligned National Baptist and Disciples of Christ minister. Among her other writings are “The Gospel of Luke” in True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary (2007) and Simon of Cyrene: A Case of Roman Conscription (2002).

Joel B. Green is professor of New Testament Interpretation and associate dean for the Center of Advanced Theological Studies at Fuller Seminary. He received a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of Aberdeen and has served on the faculty of several universities both in the U.S. and abroad. He has written or edited some 55 books, including Discovering Luke (2021), Luke as Narrative Theologian (2020), Conversion in Luke-Acts: Divine Initiative, Human Cognition, and the People of God (2015) and "The Gospel of Luke" (1997) in the New International New Testament series, of which he also is the editor.

Luke Timothy Johnson is Robert W. Woodruff professor emeritus of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Emory’s most distinguished endowed chair. A noted scholar and an award-winning teacher, he previously taught at Yale Divinity School, where he also received a Ph.D., and Indiana University. He is the author of some 30 books, including Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church (2011), and wrote The Gospel of Luke commentary in the Sacra Pagina series (1991). He made national headlines with The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels (1996), the first book to systematically challenge the Jesus Seminar’s controversial claims, among them that Jesus said only 18 percent of what the Gospels attribute to him.

The Diocese of Los Angeles' online 2022 Ministry Fair workshops will begin again this month with the theme "Truth and Love: The Work of Ministry."

Workshops will be held twice monthly on Zoom. The first workshop, on Saturday, Feb 12, 9 – 10 a.m., will be “How to Host a Ministry Fair Workshop on Zoom.” Samantha Wylie, the diocese's Ministry Fair and Convention Coordinator, will offer information for anyone who is interested in hosting a workshop but is not sure where to start. The presentation will include how to develop a topic, different styles of workshops, effective use of PowerPoint, and more.

There is no charge. To register, click here.

In response to increasing incidents of anti-Asian aggression locally and nationwide, The Gathering: A Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-L.A. will provide practical training for those who want to know how to respond immediately and safely if they witness such harassment in "Love My Neighbor, Stand Against Hate: Bystander Intervention Training & Workshop," to be held via Zoom on Saturday, Feb. 12, 1 – 3:30 p.m.

In the first hour, AAAJ-LA's trainers will teach the "5 Ds" of how to intervene effectively as a bystander without compromising safety, based on the proven methodology of Hollaback!, a global anti-harassment nonprofit organization. In the second hour, participants will learn to put what they have just learned into action, especially as it relates to faith communities. The Gathering team will facilitate reflective exercises and a Q&A time.

Note: The first hour of the workshop will not be recorded or made available after the live event due to AAAJ-LA's licensing agreements.

There is no charge for the program. To register, click here. For more information, email [email protected].

To celebrate the Feast of Absalom Jones (Feb. 13), the H. Belfield Hannibal Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians invites the diocesan community to contribute offerings of creative expression to the glory of God in commemoration of Jones' life and legacy. To submit artwork, poetry, essays, photography, drawings, and other forms of creative expression, click here. Submissions will close on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Absalom Jones (1746 – 1818) was the first African American to be ordained in The Episcopal Church. Born into slavery, Jones eventually obtained his freedom and helped to found St. Thomas's Church of Philadelphia, the first Black Episcopal congregation in the United States. He was ordained a deacon in 1795 and a priest in 1802. According to a short biography of Jones by Arthur K. Sudler, archivist of St. Thomas' Church: "Jones was an earnest preacher. He denounced slavery, and warned the oppressors to 'clean their hands of slaves.' ... But it was his constant visiting and mild manner that made him beloved by his congregation and by the community. St. Thomas Church grew to over 500 members during its first year. The congregants formed a day school and were active in moral uplift, self-empowerment, and anti-slavery activities."

For information, email [email protected].

The Chinese congregations of the Diocese of Los Angeles invite the entire diocesan community to a virtual celebration for the Lunar New Year ("Year of the Tiger") on Saturday, Feb. 12, 4 p.m. The online celebration, hosted by St. Thomas' Church, Hacienda Heights, will take place on Zoom here. A flyer is here.

[The Episcopal Church – February 7, 2022] Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will deliver the sermon at a Feb. 13 memorial service for the late Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York. The Sunday service will be livestreamed from 4 to 6 p.m. ET (1 - 3 p.m. PT).

“People often forget that Archbishop Tutu was not only an activist but also a theologian, not only a champion against apartheid in his own country, but also a leader in the worldwide Anglican Communion, with a heart for justice born out of his deep faith in Jesus Christ and his firm conviction that we are all God’s beloved children," said the Rev. C. K. Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for Ministry Beyond The Episcopal Church.

Read more (in English and Spanish) here.

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service – February 4, 2022] The pandemic prompted dramatic changes in how The Episcopal Church will conduct its 80th General Convention – starting with its schedule. After a one-year delay, bishops and deputies will meet in person July 7-14 in Baltimore, Maryland, but there’s no need to wait until July in Baltimore to offer input on resolutions. Committees are holding some of their hearings online for the first time, beginning Feb. 17.

Some committees already have met on Zoom to organize themselves and to begin reviewing any resolutions already submitted. Episcopalians and other interested members of the public can sign up to observe those online meetings, and registration is now open to testify at online hearings, through a process set up by the General Convention Office.

“I believe the good work we are seeing now, and the extra hours our deputies and bishops are spending before we gather in Baltimore, will greatly enhance our ability to discuss issues important to the church’s mission and ministry,” the Rev. Michael Barlowe, the General Convention secretary, told Episcopal News Service by email.

Holding hearings months in advance of General Convention is possible this year because the pandemic’s forced postponement of 80th General Convention from 2021 to 2022 meant reports and proposed resolutions were ready for review much earlier in the process than normal. “It is also an example of our church’s ability to adapt to the needs of the Gospel – something The Episcopal Church has been doing since 1785,” Barlowe said.

Read more here.

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service – February 9, 2022] Eight Episcopal bishops, including the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the former presiding bishop, are in Alabama this week on a racial justice pilgrimage to civil rights landmarks, museums and memorials in Montgomery and Selma.

The bishops began developing the pilgrimage after participating in a Sacred Ground discussion circle that met on Zoom and concluded in mid-2021. Sacred Ground is The Episcopal Church’s 10-part, video-based discussion series that confronts the historical roots of systemic racism and examines how that history still shapes American institutions and social interactions today.

Bishop Andrew Waldo, the recently retired bishop of Upper South Carolina, grew up in Montgomery and helped sketch the pilgrimage’s itinerary. Other participants include Virginia Assistant Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, Delaware Bishop Kevin Brown, Alabama Bishop Glenda Curry, Central New York Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe, Southern Virginia Bishop Susan Haynes and Northern Indiana Bishop Douglas Sparks.

Read more here.

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service – February 9, 2022] After the Athens, Tennessee-based McMinn County Board of Education removed Maus, the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its middle-school curriculum—an act that drew international media attention—some local Episcopalians decided to host an online talk about the book.

The Tennessee school board’s action is part of a recent rise in attempts to censor what is taught in public schools across the United States. Such book bans extend well beyond “Maus.” For instance, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a frequent target, according to American Library Association.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Athens, a small community southwest of Knoxville, decided to offer the community a chance to discuss the book’s narrative. Ninety-five people joined the conversation that the Rev. Claire Brown, St. Paul’s rector, described as “warm and curious and generous.” That feeling was exactly what the parish hoped for, she added.

Two days before the Feb. 3 discussion, after getting inquiries from all over the country, she and others decided to limit participation. “We really wanted to protect the space to be focused in on our local county” to assure participants “that they had a safe space to share and learn together,” Brown told Episcopal News Service on Feb. 4.

Read more here.

By Clay Risen

[The New York Times – February 6, 2022] Charles Vert Willie, a sociologist whose work reshaped our understanding of school integration and Black family life, and whose stand against sexism in the Episcopal Church paved the way for the ordination of women priests, died on Jan. 11 at his home in Brighton, Mass. He was 94.

His daughter, Sarah Willie-LeBreton, confirmed the death.

Dr. Willie, who taught at Syracuse University and later at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, referred to himself as an applied sociologist — someone who not only studied social problems but also offered ways to solve them.

He arrived at Harvard in 1974, and soon after began advising the city of Boston in its efforts to integrate its public schools. Dr. Willie was an advocate of busing students into different school districts to achieve racial balance, but he recognized that the process generated an intense backlash from many white parents that threatened to undermine its goals.

Read more here.

By Alejandra Molina

[Religion News Service – February 7, 2022] The Rev. Richard Smith, an Episcopal priest, has been working to improve the lot of workers in California long enough to have protested for farm workers alongside Cesar Chavez in the 1970s during the lettuce strike, when Smith was a Jesuit seminarian.

He’s still passionate enough about workers’ rights that last Holy Week he ritually washed the feet of janitors on strike at a picket line.

Now retired from St. John the Evangelist, a congregation in San Francisco’s north Mission district, he is one of a small number of clergy serving as intermediaries between labor unions and employers whose workers, particularly those in food service, are considering unionizing.

In a process known as the “card check” or “majority sign-up,” employers forego an anti-union campaign and instead choose to recognize a union endorsed by a majority of their employees. In the card check process — so called because workers sign a union authorization card — the employer and the union engage a trusted third party to accurately count and verify signatures on the cards.

This is where clergy like Smith have stepped in.

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to help the cause as best I can, especially during the pandemic. This sort of fit,” said Smith.

Read more here.

More reporting from Episcopal News Service is here.

Mutual Ministries of Christ Church, Redondo Beach, and St. Andrew's Church, Torrance

Via Zoom (here)

Experience a Taizé service from the comfort of your own home. Create a meditative space, dim your lights, light a candle and enjoy sacred music, prayer, and meditation.

St. Thomas' Church, Hacienda Heights

Online (Zoom) here

The Chinese congregations of the Diocese of Los Angeles invite the entire diocesan community to a virtual celebration for the Lunar New Year ("Year of the Tiger"). A flyer is here.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

Choir of Saint James offers the uniquely Anglican service of Evensong in the style of the great English cathedrals on the second Sunday of the month. Freewill offering. Ticket required to attend.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

The organist Christopher Houlihan has established an international reputation as an “intelligently virtuoso musician” (Gramophone), hailed for his “glowing, miraculously life-affirming performances” (Los Angeles Times). Read more about this artist here. There is no charge, but a ticket is required to attend.

The Guibord Center

Online

Register here

Information: Lisa Patriquin, [email protected]

Presented by The Guibord Center and IslamiCity. Survivors of racism in the United States have been telling their stories for centuries. However, they have often not been widely heard or acknowledged outside of their communities. Yet hearing these truths is essential in order to enable healing and change to take place. In this event, people who have been wounded by racism will share about how their spirituality has helped them find healing. Join us as we hear from compelling storytellers whose personal reflections open a space for deeper exploration and transformative engagement. Storytellers for this event will be announced soon. There is no charge, but both sponsoring organizations gratefully accept donations.

All Saints’ Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.01, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org

An evening of spectacular choral music. The Golden Bridge ensemble, led by Suzi Digby, OBE, features the finest professional singers in California. Their seventh annual concert focuses around a commission from Ola Gjeilo, whose choral music is celebrated worldwide. Suzi Digby has also commissioned Moira Smiley, Saunder Choi, and Ian Krouse for this concert, which features Golden Bridge Patron Morten Lauridsen with a movement of his "Madrigali." Each of these contemporary choral works will be paired with an English Renaissance gem, bringing music of California's acclaimed composers together with England's divine heritage of choral music. A reception will follow the service.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

Featuring Ambroise Aubrun, violin; Virginie d'Avezac, viola; Armen Ksajikian, cello; and Judith Farmer, bassoon. Performing Duo No. 2 in B-flat major for Violin and Viola, K. 424 by W.A. Mozart; Common Ground for Bassoon and Violoncello by Gernot Wolfgang; and Quartet in C major for Bassoon and String Trio, Opus 73, No. 1 by François Devienne. A ticket is required to attend.

WBT@Home (Wilshire Boulevard Temple), Los Angeles

Via Zoom: register here

A conversation in the spirit of tolerance, unity and acceptance. What core beliefs define a Christian, Muslim or Jew? What if you don’t believe everything? How do we each understand God? What about agnostics and atheists? What are our holy texts and how much authority do they have? Can we question or disagree? What is the role and power of prayer? Does it change anything? Panelists include the Rev. Neil Tadken, rector of St. Luke the Physician Episcopal Church, Monrovia; Imam Jihad Turk, president of Bayan Claremont, a graduate school designed to educate Muslim scholars and religious leaders; and Rabbi Susan Nanus, associate rabbi and director of Adult Programs at Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

1031 Bienvenda Avenue, Pacific Palisades

Tickets and information here MusicGuildOnline.org or 310.573.7422

Called “the Rolls-Royce of British vocal ensembles” (Artdesk), VOCES8 will perform a varied program spanning 400 years as part of the St. Matthew’s Music Guild’s thirty-eighth season of concerts. The program will feature selections from Monteverdi’s Madrigals, Book VI, Benjamin Britten’s “Hymn to St. Cecilia,” and masterpieces by Gibbons, Victoria, Rachmaninoff and others. Masks are required for all audience members. All audience members must show proof of having been fully vaccinated before February 11, 2022. Proof of vaccine booster is not required at this time.

Episcopal Church of the Messiah

614 N. Bush Street, Santa Ana 92701

Information here

Livestreamed here

On demand here

Keynote speaker: Assembly Member Chris Holden. Recognizing the need for education and a better understanding of African American history and culture, the Messiah Black History Program was developed by Allen Doby, a late parishioner. The first Black History Program was held on Feb. 24, 2002. The program is held annually during Black History Month (February). The objective is to raise awareness of the contributions of people of African descent to society, revealing their past and present, in an effort to inspire a better world. The program offers perspectives on civil rights, social justice trends and the need to embrace the diversity and inclusion of all people. Each year, a distinguished keynote speaker is invited to share her or his journey, as a person of African descent in America. After the service, the speaker joins parishioners for a soul food luncheon and informal discussions. The first keynote speaker, in 2002, was Jewel Plummer Cobb, cancer researcher, professor and the first Black woman to hold the position of president at California State University, Fullerton.

The Guibord Center

Online: register here

An extraordinary presentation and special discussion with John Philip Newell, the much-acclaimed teacher and author of Celtic spirituality. In his most recent book, Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World, Newell shares the Celtic view that the earth and every living being is sacred. He offers Celtic spirituality as key to overcoming our conflicts and healing the earth, through helping us reconnect with the divinity of God, each other, and the world around us. Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of the earth and every human being. He teaches regularly in the United States and Canada, as well as leading international pilgrimages on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. Read more here.

All Saints’ Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.01, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org

Sung by All Saints’ Choir: Communion Service in G by Craig Phillips; "Miserere mei, Deus" by William Byrd.

Trinity Episcopal Church

419 S. Fourth Street, Redlands

Since 1920, the 69-voice Concordia Choir of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, has built a reputation as one of America's finest a cappella choirs. Over the years it has performed in nearly every major hall, including Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center, as well as many international venues. Directed by Michael Culloton, the choir is on its annual 16-day concert tour. Proof of vaccination and masks are required for admission. A cookie reception will follow the concert.

All Saints’ Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.01, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org

Sung by All Saints’ Choir: "Pilgrim’s Hymn" by Stephen Paulus; Preces & Responses by Kenneth Leighton; Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in E by Herbert Murrill; "O Lord, support us" by David Briggs. A reception will follow the service.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

The Colburn Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Maxim Eshkenazy, perform L'Arlésienne Suites 1 & 2 by Georges Bizet and Realm by Maxim Eshkenazy. Ticket required to attend.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

Choir of Saint James offers the uniquely Anglican service of Evensong in the style of the great English Cathedrals on the second Sunday of the month. Freewill offering. Ticket required to attend.

All Saints’ Church

504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Information: 310.275.01, ext.112 or www.allsaintsbh.org

Performers: Patricia Cloud, flute; Roger Wilkie, violin; William Wood, bassoon; Edith Orloff, piano; Craig Phillips, organ. Music selections include Three Pastoral Scenes, Poem for Violin and Piano and Scenes from a Gallery by Craig Phillips; Canzone for flute and piano op. 38a by Samuel Barber; Trio for Flute, Bassoon and Piano by Chick Corea; Three Preludes for violin and piano by George Gershwin, arranged by Jascha Heifitz; Air for bassoon and piano by Alec Wilder. Tickets: $20 adults / $10 students & seniors. Admission free with Music Guild donor season pass.

St. James' in-the-City Episcopal Church

3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010

Information here

Tickets here

British organist Clive Driskill-Smith has taken the classical music world by storm, enthralling audiences from Beijing to Boston to Budapest with his extraordinary playing and fearless programming. Critics have praised his “blazing technique and unbelievable virtuosity” (Chiff Chat, American Guild of Organists) and described his performances as “intensely moving and truly breathtaking” (Organo Pleno, Australia). His solo recitals and duo performances with Grammy Award–winning percussionist Joseph Gramley bring audiences to their feet across the world. Read more about this artist here. Ticket required to attend.

Additional events are listed on the diocesan calendar here.

Donors may save up to 15 minutes by completing pre-donation reading and answering health history questions here, rather than filling out forms on the day of donation.

Reservations through the Red Cross are required. All donors and staff will be screened before entering the facilities.

St. John's Episcopal Church, Cardinal Gym

30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita 92688

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: St. John (note no "s")

Additional dates at this location are Sundays, June 26 and Oct. 23.

St. John's Episcopal Church

Vicenti Hall

4745 Wheeler Avenue, La Verne 91750

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: STJOHNS

Additional dates at this location are: Sunday, May 29; and Sunday, July 24.

Will your church host blood drives in coming months? Send the information to [email protected] for inclusion in the calendar. Please include the date, times, location and sponsor code.

Listings may be sent to [email protected]. There is no charge.

COVINA: Organist/Choirmaster, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Part time (6-12 hours per week). Holy Trinity Church in Covina seeks an organist/director of Music responsible for providing music in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition (music ancient, classical, contemporary, and multicultural). Send resume to the parish administrator via email at [email protected]. For a full job description, click here.

FILLMORE/VENTURA: Community Engagement and Development Coordinator, The Abundant Table, a non-profit, organic certified farm and BIPOC- and women-led worker collective in Ventura County, California that seeks to transform our food system towards justice, liberation, and increased health for all people, while caring for the land and all who tend the land. Community Engagement and Development Coordinator will be responsible to oversee and coordinate the TAT community engagement and development processes, including management; fundraising; community engagement, coordination and development. 30 hours/week; salary and benefits $32,864.Full job description here.

GLENDORA: Organist. Grace Episcopal Church is seeking a professionally trained church organist to be a part of our strong and vital music ministry. The organist will be expected to play for one Sunday service and one choir rehearsal per week, feast days, and for festive concerts. We offer a traditional Rite II service at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The preferred style of music is classical sacred music, ranging from Palestrina to Rutter. The pipe organ is by Manuel Rosales, built in 1977, with a new console in 1980, and substantial reconditioning work in 2016. The organ has two manuals and 26 ranks. The organist will work directly under our choirmaster/director of music in a collaborative manner. Salary: Starting at $12,000 per year, negotiable with demonstrated ability and experience. Weddings and funerals will provide additional compensation. Send resumé to the Rev. Susan Scranton via email at [email protected] or by postal mail at 555 E. Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741.

LONG BEACH: Music Director and Organist. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church seeks a music director and organist to lead worship, work with the choir, and set a vision for the parish music program. Worship music includes traditional Episcopal/Anglican church music and sacred music from a variety of cultural and contemporary traditions, including Latino music at the Misa en Español, and monthly Taizé worship. 18 hours per week; salary $33,000-$38,000 commensurate with experience. Full job description is here.

LOS ANGELES: Coordinator for Capacity Building, Outreach and Volunteers, Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service. IRIS is a program of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the Southern California based affiliate office of Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM). IRIS offers refugee resettlement assistance, intensive case management and immigration legal services to the low-income refugee and immigrant community of the greater Los Angeles region. The Coordinator for Capacity Building, Outreach and Volunteers will work across IRIS’ departments to build comprehensive community capacity and engagement to support IRIS’ efforts to support refugee and immigrant integration throughout the greater Los Angeles region. This position is responsible for: recruiting, training and supervising volunteers and co-sponsors; tracking and maintaining data; working with IRIS staff, donors and partners to coordinate donations of household goods; coordinating IRIS community engagement efforts including education and outreach to program partners, faith groups, educational institutions, and other community partners; and develop and distribute materials to engage local stakeholders around resettlement service activities that positively impact refugee and immigrant communities in the region. Full job description here.

LOS ANGELES: Executive Director, Commission on Schools. The Diocese of Los Angeles and the Commission on Schools are seeking a lay or ordained person with school, preschool, and/or parish leadership experience to be a part of the diocesan staff beginning Summer 2022. Being an Episcopalian is not required but is preferable, and a non-Episcopalian must be willing to fully understand, articulate, and support the ministries of Episcopal schools and preschools. The position is 1000 hours per year, benefits eligible, with the work schedule to be determined by the needs of the position with respect to the school year and diocesan considerations. Please send a cover letter, resume, and a reference list to Canon Anilin Collado via email at [email protected] or by postal mail at 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026 no later than March 1. A job description is here.

LOS ANGELES: Seminary Dean and President, Bloy House. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is recruiting an individual to serve as dean and president of Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School of Los Angeles. Over its 50-year history, Bloy House has trained generations of lay leaders, priests, and deacons, moving flexibly with the needs of the diocese and the changing realities of academic seminaries. Our vision is that Bloy House will now put greater emphasis on lay formation and will provide an integrating hub for the many excellent existing, but disparate, formation programs in the diocese, as well as visioning new initiatives and expanded constituencies. A full job description is here.

LOS ANGELES: Preschool Director, St. James' Episcopal School. The preschool director oversees the Grammercy Place Preschool and is the supervisor for the St. Andrew’s Place preschool site director. The preschool director is responsible for curriculum, evaluation, professional development and parent and family engagement and communications for both preschool campuses. Website is here. Full job description here.

PASADENA: Administrative Assistant for Music & Children, Youth and Family Program, All Saints Church. Full-time with benefits. Administrative assistant performs routine administrative functions for the children, youth, and family program such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files. Also performs routine administrative functions for the directors of music (adult, children and youth), and associate organist-choirmaster. Full job description is here.

PASADENA: Administrative Assistant for Pastoral Care, Health & Healing and Giving Office, All Saints Church. Full time with benefits. Performs routine administrative functions for Pastoral Care, such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files; write reports of prayer requests and pastoral care needs; handle phone and email, provide information, coordinate meetings and more. A complete job description is here.

SANTA CLARITA: Youth Ministry Coordinator, St. Stephen's Church. Part-time. The role of the youth ministry coordinator will be to develop, coordinate and lead all St. Stephen’s Church youth activities. The major goal is to guide young people in their faith journey by creating a welcoming environment, providing faith direction and encouraging discussion, education and programming. 10-15 hours per week. A full job description is here.

SIERRA MADRE: Director of Music (organist/choir director), Episcopal Church of the Ascension. Ascension is a medium-sized historic parish located in Sierra Madre, California. Our worship is rich with an emphasis on traditional Anglican liturgy and music. We have a modest 10 set, 13 rank, 1983 Harris pipe organ, a beautiful Kawai grand piano, and a 7-member volunteer choir. Our congregation is a lively mix of people with a median age of 50. This position is part-time (Sunday mornings and a week -night choir practice.) A full job description is here.

OAKLAND: Director of Children and Youth Ministries, St. John’s Episcopal Church. The founding congregation of Confirm not Conform, St. John's prides itself on being welcoming, innovative and action focused. Its vision is to manifest God’s love through invitation, inclusion, faith and action and it is seeking ways to extend its relevance to the unchurched now and in the future. St. John's is seeking a Director of Children and Youth Ministries to lead its efforts in actively revolutionizing ministry for and with young people within the church and the larger community. St. John’s seeks a person who is passionate about social and environmental justice and equity, and who is excited to empower children, youth, and families to take action locally and beyond. The DCYM oversees the creation and delivery of a holistic formation program from birth through high school graduation and beyond, including intentional spiritual nourishment of the caring adults who walk alongside children and youth during these times. Full job description is here. Interested and qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Martha Whitesides, [email protected].

Additional job listings are here. Listings are free: send information to [email protected].