The

 

My beloveds in Christ:

This is the day we remember the eternal light from the manger. This is a day, like all days, when we cherish the gospel promise that darkness will never overcome the light. This is the day we tell the ancient story of the sojourners from afar who embodied a wisdom beyond political and historical affairs, those who came looking for the Prince of Peace.

As we behold the events in Washington today, let us pray together:

I also commend to you the prayers below from The Book of Common Prayer. Let us pray without ceasing during these days of a lawful, peaceful transition of power, the hallmark of the precious democracy we share in one nation, under God, indivisible.

Yours in Christ’s love,

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor

VII Bishop of Los Angeles

3. For the Human Family (p. 815)

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

18. For our Country (p. 820)

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

19. For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority (p. 820)

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President, Vice President, President-Elect, and Vice President-Elect of the United States, the Congress of the United States and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Mis amados/as en Cristo:

Este es el día en el que recordamos la luz eterna desde el pesebre. Este es un día como todos, cuando valoramos la promesa del evangelio de que la obscuridad nunca vencerá a la luz. Este es el día en el que contamos la historia antigua de los peregrinos que venían desde lejos y que personificaban una sabiduría que iba más allá de la política y la historia, aquellos que venían buscando al Príncipe de Paz.  

A medida que observamos lo que acontece el día de hoy en Washington, oremos juntos:

También les recomiendo las siguientes oraciones del Libro de Oración Común. Oremos sin cesar durante estos días para que tengamos una transición de poder legal y pacífica, el sello de la valiosa democracia que compartimos en una nación, bajo Dios, indivisible.

Suyo en el amor de Cristo,

El Rvdmo. Obispo John Harvey Taylor

VII Obispo de Los Ángeles

3. Por la familia humana (p. 705)

Oh Dios, tú nos hiciste a tu propia imagen, y nos redimiste por Jesús tu Hijo: Mira, en tu compasión, a toda la familia humana; quita el odio y la arrogancia que nos corrompen el corazón; derrumba las barreras que nos separan; únenos en vínculos de amor; y actúa a través de nuestra lucha y confusión a fin de cumplir tus propósitos en la tierra, para que a su debido tiempo todas las naciones y razas te sirvan en armonía alrededor de tu trono celestial; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

18. Por la patria (P. 710)

Omnipotente Dios, que nos has dado esta buena tierra por heredad: Humildemente suplicamos tu ayuda para mostrarnos siempre como un pueblo reconocido de tu favor y gozoso de hacer tu voluntad. Bendice nuestro país con labor honorable, conocimiento íntegro y costumbres virtuosas. Guárdanos de toda violencia, discordia y confusión; de orgullo, arrogancia y de todo mal camino. Defiende nuestras libertades, y forja un pueblo unido de las multitudes que han venido aquí de las diversas naciones y lenguas. Inviste con el espíritu de sabiduría a quienes en tu Nombre confiamos la autoridad del gobierno, para que haya justicia y paz en el país y que, por medio de la obediencia a tu ley, manifestemos tu alabanza entre las naciones de la tierra. En tiempo de prosperidad, llena nuestros corazones de gratitud, y en el día de la angustia, no permitas que nuestra confianza en ti desfallezca; todo lo cual te pedimos por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

19. Por el Presidente de la nación y todas las autoridades civiles (P. 710)

Oh Señor, Soberano nuestro, cuya gloria llena la tierra: Encomendamos esta nación a tu bondadoso cuidado, para que, siendo guiada por tu Providencia, vivamos seguros en tu paz. Concede al Presidente, Vicepresidente, Presidente Electo y Vicepresidenta electa de los Estados Unidos, el Congreso de los Estados Unidos y a todas las autoridades, sabiduría y fortaleza para conocer y hacer tu voluntad. Llénalos del amor a la verdad y a la justicia; haz que jamás se olviden de su vocación de servir a este pueblo en tu temor; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor, que vive y reina contigo y el Espíritu Santo, un solo Dios, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

By Pat McCaughan

The Very Rev. Gary Hall’s term as interim dean of Bloy House has been extended through June 2022, the Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles has been gifted with a “world class library” and the Glendale school also has recently welcomed new board members “of underrepresented constituencies or diocesan interest groups and stakeholders.”

“We are going through an extended process of trying to develop new programs that more align Bloy House with the educational needs of the diocese,” said Hall, the former dean of Washington National Cathedral and Seabury Western Theological Seminary, who in August 2022 became interim dean.

Hall said that process includes creating a 5- to 10-year vision for theological education focused on unique Southland ministries; clergy continuing education; seminarian training; and broadening educational opportunities for the laity.

“In a secularizing, polarized time, the world needs better-educated Christians in general and Anglicans in particular,” agreed Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor, who also serves as Bloy House board chair.

“I look forward to a time when Bloy House can be an evangelist for teaching everyone about the richness of the history, traditions, and transformational power in Christ that we all share. One example is the Rev. Jana Milhon-Martin’s innovative program offering Clinical Pastoral Education for Laity, now established at Bloy House, right where it belongs.”

In addition to CPE for Laity, slated to begin sessions in March 2021, Hall also cited diocesan Asian American ministries, and the Social Enterprise Academy led by the Rev. Canon Jaime Edwards-Acton, rector of St. Stephen’s, Hollywood. “It is clear that the biggest asset we have is Los Angeles and the number of innovative ministries that … are done here that aren’t being done anywhere else, that we can develop courses around,” he said.

Read more here.

The Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart — Episcopal priest, former police officer and author of 2020's Preaching Black Lives (Matter) — will keynote the Diocese of Los Angeles' annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance, to be held online at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021.

"Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community" is the event theme, drawn from the title of King's last book, published in 1969.

The event will be streamed on the diocese's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Read more here.

The diocese's new series of online ministry workshops, titled "Servants of the Spirit: Gifts for Ministry," will continue throughout 2021.

Two workshops will be held each month; one on a ministry topic (usually the first Wednesday of each month, in the evening) and one on a financial topic (second Saturday mornings.) No workshops will be held in July or August.

Presenters: Marisol Barrios Perez and Rose Hayden-Smith of the diocesan Program Group on Communications. Register here.

A discussion about senior wardens and their relationships with and responsibilities to their congregations, communities, and the diocese. Led by Steve Yeazell, with contributions from the Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam. Register here.

TIC is understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma. A trauma-informed approach aims to help us create an environment that is sensitive to the needs of those effected by trauma. Presenter: Stacey Roth, LCSW. Register here.

If you haven’t started working on your 2021 budget, utilizing one or both of these methods of budgeting might help. If you are done with 2021 budgeting, and you’d like to think fresh for 2022 and get a jump on planning for that, this workshop is for you. Led by the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce. Register here.

Presenter: Davey Gerhard, Executive Director of the Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). Register here.

Learn valuable tools and best practices and procedures to help you serve as treasurer for your congregation. Register here.

Additional information about the workshop series is here. All workshops are livestreamed and recorded, and will be made available for on-demand viewing here.

By Pat McCaughan

As the newly elected editor of Anglican and Episcopal History, the Rev. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook aims both to preserve and to make more accessible the rich traditions of the quarterly journal and the church she loves.

Kujawa-Holbrook, ordained a priest in 1985, describes herself as a “priest, scholar, theological educator and practical theologian.” The prolific author, Bloy House Anglican Studies and Religious Education professor, Claremont School of Theology vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty seeks to shepherd “new voices … the next generation of church scholars, practitioners and interested readers.”

While serving as the AEH book review editor for the past decade, she recognized the need “to create new ways to support people so we have another generation of people prepared to research and teach and read about this wonderful tradition.” The AEH journal, a publication of the Historical Society of The Episcopal Church since 1932, typically offers a range of international, regional and local scholarly articles, and church and book reviews.

Read more here.

Bishop John Harvey Taylor will ordain five to the priesthood at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9 at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel, in a service that will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Ordinands are the Rev. Elizabeth Ann Piraino, the Rev. Greta Ronningen, the Rev. Steven Phillip Swartzell, the Rev. Courtney Ann Urquhart Tan and the Rev. Walter Joseph Thorne.

On the same day, Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Diocese of Indianapolis will ordain the Rev. Andrea Thornton Arsene to the priesthood on Taylor's behalf in a service at St. John's Church in Lafayette, Indiana, where Arsene is a curate. Baskerville-Burrows also will ordain Rebekah Sims to the diaconate during the service, which will be livestreamed at 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST) on the "IndyDio Virtual Abbey" Facebook page.

Due to the pandemic, only those directly involved in the rite of ordination (all of whom have been contacted individually) will be permitted to attend the service at Church of Our Saviour. The diocesan community is invited to witness the service on Facebook or YouTube, either live or later on demand.

The Rev. Canon Dr. George F. Regas – whose bold leadership advanced civil rights, women’s ordination, LGBTQ marriage equality, and reversing the arms race – died Jan. 3 in Pasadena, Calif., where he was rector of All Saints Episcopal Church from 1967 to 1995. He was 90.

Mary, his wife of nearly 44 years, and her son, Lowry Smith, were at Regas’s side when he succumbed peacefully this morning at their Pasadena home. He was receiving hospice care after a brief hospitalization due to an infection that was not coronavirus amid the pandemic’s current surge. Regas is also survived by his daughter Susan Regas, his sons Tim and Tyler, by Mary’s son Burke Smith, and their families. Regas’s daughter Michelle Regas Worrel died in 2002.

Current plans are to offer a celebration of life in Regas’s memory after pandemic restrictions are lifted.

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, bishop of the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, said of Regas: “One of George’s longtime colleagues put it best when she told me that on Sunday morning, he’d be in the pulpit at All Saints, raising the roof for peace in Vietnam and Iraq and equity for women and LGBTQ+ people. Then on Sunday afternoon, you’d see him at Huntington Hospital, reading psalms at the bedside of a seemingly unconscious patient in the ICU.

“As prophet and pastor, he was the complete priest. His exuberance and joy made his faith contagious, building up the church and making it better. We’ll miss our colleague terribly and grieve for Mary and their family. And yet we’ll always have him with us.”

A full obituary is here.

Alice Bucquet McCully, artist, needleworker and former longtime member and directress of the diocesan Altar Guild, died Nov. 19 from pneumonia. She was 99, and was living in Seattle, where she moved in 2011 to be closer to family.

Survivors include her daughter Anne McCully Murphy (Jim Murphy), her son Duncan McCully (Molly Cadmus), three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her husband, Grant, and daughter Janet predeceased her.

Services will be held at a later time at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Pacific Palisades, where Alice was a longtime member.

An obituary is here.

By Mya Jaradat

Rabbi Oren Steinitz didn’t set out to get the nickname Rabbi Vax. It happened about a year ago, amid a measles outbreak, after he expressed his pro-vaccination stance on a local radio show. Asked if he would ban unvaccinated people from entering synagogues, the rabbi replied, that if it were up to him, absolutely.

“Anti-vaxxers” from across the country sent the leader of Kol Ami synagogue in Elmira, New York, a slew of hate mail, claiming that vaccines are made from pigs and fetuses and that he was a “fake rabbi” who didn’t really know Judaism. He also received congratulatory emails from fellow religious leaders, telling him it was courageous to take such a firm pro-vaccination stance.

A few months later, he went to a conference and someone said, “Hey, it’s Rabbi Vax!”

Still baffled by the episode, the Israeli-born rabbi asks, “Since when did it become controversial to support science?”

The story is a lighthearted example that points to the critical influence religious leaders have in public’s attitudes on public health. Houses of worship have played key roles in helping communities get tested for COVID-19, and public health officials are counting on them to encourage their congregations to get vaccinated, as well.

“Pastors and other religious leaders are very powerful influencers in their communities,” says Kathryn Pitkin Derose, a senior policy researcher at Rand who specializes in the role that faith-based organizations play in public health. Derose calls clergy “natural partners” for the medical establishment.

Read more here. Kathryn Pitkin Derose, who is quoted above, is a deacon of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

The Guibord Center invites the diocesan community to an online event, "Resilience and Freedom: How Enduring Lessons from the WWII Japanese American Buddhist Experience Can Heal Us Today" on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 44 - 5 p.m.

"In this time of Covid-19 lockdowns, our loss of freedom has been one of the most difficult aspects to bear," says the event announcement. "The inability to see loved ones and go where we want, when we want, has been painful, overwhelming — and increasingly, profoundly depressing. How will we cope with what looks like months more of this pandemic-imposed imprisonment? Perhaps we can learn from the experience of law-abiding people who underwent actual imprisonment and found a way to thrive with the help of their unfolding Buddhist faith."

Professor Duncan Ryūken Williams, Ph.D., author of the new book American Sutra, will lead the program. An ordained Soto Zen Buddhist priest, Williams is professor of Religion and East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Southern California. He also serves as director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture.

To register for the program, click here.

The Center for Spirituality in Ontario will present "Paul: Mystical Jew & Reluctant Revolutionary," a six-session class based on the letter of St. Paul to first-century Christians in Rome, on Thursdays, Jan. 14 - Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. The course will be led by James Dunkly and the Rev. Gianluigi Gugliermetto. Cost is $200 per person.

The class will study Romans as a window onto the spiritual reality of an early Christian community, explore Paul as a historical figure, and look at the history and interpretation of the letter's main theological themes.

Dunkly is a professor at Bloy House who studied theology at Oxford University (UK) and Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University before completing a PhD at Vanderbilt University (1982). He taught New Testament for many years at Nashotah House and Episcopal Divinity School.

Gugliermetto has studied music, philosophy, and theology both in his native country of Italy and in the United States. He was granted his PhD in philosophy of religion and theology in 2008 (Claremont Graduate University). He is an Episcopal priest, rector of Christ Church, Ontario, and director of the Center for Spirituality.

Deadline for enrollment is Jan. 21. For information, click here. To enroll, email [email protected].

Girls Friendly Society - Los Angeles will hold its annual meeting for 2021 via Zoom on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 9:30 a.m. More information will be posted soon: for now, please save the date. GFS is an international Episcopal/Anglican organization for girls ages 5 and up. For more information, click here.

Blood supplies are critically low in California, and congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles have stepped up to help replenish them by hosting blood drives. Currently scheduled events are listed below.

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.

All donors and staff will be screened before entering the facilities.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

100 N. Third Avenue, Covina 91723

Information: 626.967.3939

Red Cross reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: HTEC

Holy Trinity will offer a blood drive each month. Upcoming dates are: Thursday, Feb. 18; Thursday, March 18; Thursday, April 15; Thursday, May 6. Reservations through the Red Cross are required.

Grace Episcopal Church

555 East Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741

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

Sponsor code: GECG

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church

12692 Fifth Street, Yucaipa 92399

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

Sponsor code: ST ALBANS

St. Alban's will host a blood drive on fourth Tuesdays through August 2021. Upcoming dates are: Feb. 23, March 23, April 27, May 25, June 22.

Christ Episcopal Church

1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario 91762

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

Sponsor code: CCPOntario

By appointment only. Donors must be healthy and be able to show identification. Upcoming dates are Monday, March 15; Thursday, April 8; Monday, May 10; Thursday, June 17.

Will your church host blood drives in 2021? Send the information to The Episcopal News ([email protected]) for inclusion in the calendar.

By Egan Millard and David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry strongly denounced the riotous assault on the United States Capitol on Jan. 6 by President Donald Trump’s supporters, referring to it as an “attempted coup.” At least one person was shot inside the Capitol when Trump supporters stormed past police into the building, entering the Senate chamber and leading police to deploy tear gas.

“The events at our Capitol today are deeply disturbing. We believe the actions of armed protesters represent a coup attempt,” Curry said on Facebook Live shortly after 3:15 p.m. (EST). “Today’s protesters pushed through police barricades and forced their way into congressional chambers and … [are] threatening the safety of lawmakers, their staff and others who work in the Capitol complex. This threatens the integrity of our democracy, the national security of our nation, the continuity of government and the lives and safety of our legislators, their staffs, law enforcement and all who work in the Capitol.

“We are a democracy with longstanding institutional norms that must be honored,” Curry said in his brief address, “foremost among them following the processes laid out in the Constitution and federal statute to facilitate the peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”

Curry then asked viewers to join him as he prayed for the nation, using the prayers that accompany Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, including the Prayer for Peace, which is addressed to “Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love.”

Read more here.

[January 6, 2021] On this day of the Feast of the Epiphany, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invites Episcopalians and people of faith to turn and pray on behalf of our nation.

The video is here. A transcript of the presiding bishop's remarks is here.

[Office of Government Relations] The Episcopal Church’s Washington-based Office of Government Relations issued the following message Jan. 5 on the church’s policy priorities for the new Congress and incoming Biden administration.

"On Sunday, members of the 117th Congress were sworn in. This new Congress is the most diverse in U.S history in terms of race and ethnicity, including having a record number of Black and Indigenous women in Congress. There are more women in Congress than at any other time in history, as well as record numbers of the LGBTQ community.

White House

"Members of Congress have their work cut out for them in the coming months. While Congress passed the appropriations and stimulus bill at the end of the year (which the President thankfully signed), many of the benefits in the stimulus bill expire in March. Congress will need to address a dizzying array of domestic concerns and international crises. And members across the political spectrum will want to take action on the promises they campaigned on, ranging from addressing racial injustice and enacting police reform to ending corruption and bringing back jobs.

"A new Congress and new Administration presents The Episcopal Church with the opportunity to highlight our values and to speak up for the way we think our country should be governed. The first 100 days of the presidency do matter, and the new administration has an ambitious agenda. We are hopeful that our government will be able to rise to the challenge and enact meaningful legislation that helps all Americans. We will continue to engage on areas where the Church has spoken, including creation care, racial reconciliation, ending poverty, immigration and refugees, and human rights and peacebuilding."

Read more here.

St. James in-the-City Church, Los Angeles

Live-streamed and on demand here

Center for Spirituality in Ontario

Information here

Enrollment: Ashanti Smalls, [email protected]

A series of interactive online meetings using Matthew Fox’s book Original Blessing as the springboard for exploration and reflection. The series, which began Oct. 12, is for persons of any age or walk of life, who share an interest in processing their inner journeys. Participants may join at any point, though regular participation is presumed. Sessions are led by the Rev. Gianluigi Gugliermetto, director of the Center for Spirituality. Suggested donation is $7 per session. "Becoming More Human" will resume Jan. 11.

September 2022

Join Bishop Guy Erwin of the ELCA and Canon Jim Newman of the Episcopal Church for a 13-day journey across central Europe to Oberammergau, Germany. The day-long Oberammergau Passion Play is produced every decade and is a four-century “thank you” to God for saving the people of this picturesque Bavarian Alpine village. Experience this spiritual event and look at the culture and religion of Poland (Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz and Czestochowa), Hungary (Budapest), Czech Republic (Bratislava), Austria (Vienna & the Salzkammergut) and Germany (Oberammergau & Munich). Cost is $4,899 from Los Angeles including $450 taxes/airline surcharges.) Information: Jim Newman, 3590 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066; 310.391.5522 or 888.802.6722; [email protected]. A full itinerary is here. (Please note the date change. The Passion Play was postponed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

HOLLYWOOD-LOS ANGELES: Seeds of Hope Food Distribution Associate. Bilingual (English-Spanish). This position will be an essential part of the Seeds of Hope team getting healthy, nutritious food to more families in need in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Job duties include picking up, sorting, organizing and delivering produce; providing great customer service; documenting quantities and submitting data for reports. Work hours are full time, but variable. Valid Class C driver's license, experience with driving 16-ft or larger truck required. Full job description is here.

CLAREMONT: Spirituality center executive director. The Center for Spirituality & Practice (CS&P), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for those seeking wisdom and spiritual practices for their daily lives, seeks a committed spiritual practitioner and high-capacity nonprofit leader to be its first executive director. A respected name in the spiritual enrichment landscape, the Center runs the multifaith/interspiritual website SpiritualityandPractice.com which offers a vast array of resources for the spiritually hungry. The new executive director will collaborate with founders Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat to advance their legacy and develop the organization into its next phase. A detailed position profile can be found here.

Additional job listings are here. Listings are free: send information to [email protected]. Applications for jobs must be sent to the contact included in the listing.