The Divine Office
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THE EARLY SUMMER 2018 EpiscopalEpiscopal NewsNews WWW.EPISCOPALNEWS.COM SERVING THE SIX-COUNTY DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES The Divine Office How a Santa Monica parish is taking care of business FROM THE BISHOP Arming ourselves with the power of love and justice By John Harvey Taylor Bishop of Los Angeles or our celebration of Holy Eucharist TAYLOR ARVEY at Messiah, Santa Ana on June 22, the H Fmorning of Orange County Pride, our JOHN liturgist, the Rev. Kay Sylvester, selected the passage up his alley. My solution was to reframe the story as from 1 Samuel about David going to war against the a parable Jesus might have uttered: “The Kingdom Philistines. In Sunday school in bygone days, it was of God is like a soldier who was too small and weak the ultimate battle between good and evil. to wear his king’s armor and went into battle armed So as preacher, I was conscious of a dilemma. I only with five smooth stones and the power of love had just read a column by David Brooks of The New and justice.” York Times in which he argued that in our society, The OC Pride service presented yet another dilem- competitive virtues are overwhelming cooperative ma. Brooks warns us against the dangers of tribal ones. Religion, which transmits values in the am- thinking. But as often happens when I’m among my biguous form of parable, is receding. Mythos — sto- fellow Episcopalians in the Diocese of Los Angeles, ries of existential struggle between light and shadow, we 50 gathered for worship before Saturday’s parade from “Star Wars” and “Black Panther” to video felt exactly like a tribe. By and large our signifiers games — is on the ascendant. and unifiers are the prayer book, our love for God “[Competitive virtues] tend to give short shrift to and one another, and our belief in Jesus’s inclusive, relationships, which depend on the fragile, intimate egalitarian heart. Within Christendom, we’re small bonds of vulnerability, trust, compassion and self- but hearty. less love,” Brooks wrote. “They tend to see life as We don’t agree on everything, of course. Soon we an eternal competition between warring tribes. They your deputies head to Austin for General Conven- tend to see the line between good and evil as running tion. We’ll debate issues ranging from gun violence between groups, not, as in parable, down the middle and immigration to Israel-Palestine and marriage of every human heart.” rite equity. Especially when we’re confident we’re Assessing our deeply polarized society, Brooks is doing what Jesus wants, our temptation will be to of course on to something. My dilemma was preach- give in to us v. them thinking, to look for that “line ing appropriately about the mythos-drenched story between good and evil running between groups.” Above: The tribe of David and Goliath. Jesus would have wept at the May we arm ourselves more or less like David, with wore red at the June big guy’s death. But the paradox of righteous weak- the sword and shield of forbearance, love, and jus- 22 OC Pride parade. ness defeating unjust strength would have been right tice — and five smooth, gracious talking points. ? THE VOLUME 68, NUMBER 4 In this issue: Page 4: Advocacy and action on immigrant families Episcopal News Page 6: Bishops, deputies get ready to follow the issues at General Convention Publication of the Diocese of Los Angeles. Serving readers since 1898. Page 10: St. Augustine’s Church takes care of business at ‘day monastery’ Editor The Episcopal News (ISSN 0195-0681) is Page 12: St. Barnabas’ Church concludes parish ministry in Eagle Rock Canon Janet Kawamoto published bimonthly by the Program Group [email protected] on Communications and Public Affairs of the Page 14: Bishop ‘Sammy’ Azariah shares episcopal duties in the Diocese of L.A. Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, 840 Echo Correspondent Page 16: Troy Elder continues ministry in new role as legal advocate for immigrants Park Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90026. The Rev. Canon Patricia McCaughan Page 18: People: News of the diocesan community [email protected] Subscription price: $15 per year. Art Director Page 20: Good Samaritan Hospital remembers Bobby Kennedy Molly Ruttan-Moffat The Episcopal News Update is published [email protected] by email each Wednesday (every other Wednesday during the summer months). Editorial and Advertising Office To subscribe, send a request to On the cover: Deborah Kaufman Giordano, a healthcare recruiter and one of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul [email protected] 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles 90026 For weekly news and calendar updates co-creators of The Divine Office at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Santa 213.482.2040 online, visit the Episcopal News website at email: [email protected] www.episcopalnews.com Monica, uses hymnals to convert a plastic card table into a desk for now, while money for renovation is being raised. Story on page 10. Photo / Katie Cadigan 2 THE EPISCOPAL NEWS Early Summer 2018 NEWS Housing Justice Task Force launched with O ‘Come Home’ theme T KAWAMO From staff reports T ANE J o address the “moral crisis of unaf- their grandchildren. Remembering that we Bishop Diane Jardine Bruce listens as Bishop John Harvey Taylor addresses the fordable housing” across Southern follow a savior who had nowhere to lay new Housing Justice Task Force of the TCalifornia, Bishop John Harvey Tay- his head, we’ve adopted the United Way’s diocese, meeting June 20 at the Cathedral lor on June 19 convened a 55-participant “housing first” mantra as a gospel proposi- Center of St. Paul. diocesan Task Force for Housing Justice, tion. We don’t diagnose hungry people be- bringing together a diverse representation fore giving them something to eat. Accord- “One can’t get up in the morning with- of developers, bankers, architects, govern- ing to the same principle, people do better out realizing homelessness is an issue,” ment officals, non-profit representatives, battling addiction, mental illness, and job said Canon Karen Uhler, junior warden of and faith leaders united in achieving solu- insecurity if they have a place to live. St. John’s Cathedral and an experienced tions for people without housing. “Using social enterprise tools and part- trustee of Carter House, built to assist Believed to be the first denomination- nering with developers and non-profits, homeless mentally ill residents. “The issue wide effort on this topic of a major faith we can glorify God and sustain our par- also touches students and working fami- group in the Southland, the new task force ishes and missions by providing housing lies who can no longer afford the increas- began its work of consultation and advo- solutions, from winter shelters to afford- ing cost of rent.” cacy with opening comments led by the able senior housing, on our campuses. Other financial aspects were under- bishop. A total of 40 members — some “It’s time to leverage the church’s po- scored by Becks Heyhoe of Orange County representing agencies such as the United litical clout individually and corporately United Way, who noted that government Way and Habitat for Humanity along with with city councils, boards of supervisors, spends on average $42,000 on services leaders from Episcopal Communities and and state legislators, calling on them to use to one homeless person annually while it Services and other developers — attended our tax dollars to serve all our neighbors costs some $9,000 yearly to provide af- the opening meeting held at the Cathe- in need — including by demanding that fordable housing with supportive services. dral Center, which also will host the next government scale back density and height The bishop encourages others to join scheduled meeting on Sept. 18, 10 a.m. to limits that make it hard to build afford- this effort, or to share ideas, by contact- 12 noon with working groups dedicated to able housing and require developers to do ing the task force’s staff liaison, Canon for social enterprise, political advocacy, and more affordable and permanent support- Common Life Bob Williams, bobwilliams@ “incarnational ministry.” ive housing projects.” ladiocese.org. ? Lunch-time keynote speaker was Lisa Payne, director of public engagement in the office of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and ‘Interdependence Day’ walking a former director of the Southern Califor- nia Association of Non-Profit Housing. meditation set for July 1 in Echo Park “I applaud what you are doing here to ith the goal of strengthening interfaith cooperation in assemble expertise to turn this work into Southern California, the fourth annual Interdependence reality,” Payne said. WDay walking meditation around Echo Park Lake is Under the theme “Come Home,” Taylor planned for 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 1, with seven stations of brief emphasized four focus areas, using a newly prayers and meditations offered in the tradition of major world re- produced videotape (available on the dioc- ligions. All are welcome to participate and invited to assemble on esan Facebook page) to highlight the areas the plaza of the Cathedral Center, 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles. Coordinated by of “housing first,” social enterprise, politi- the Interfaith Cooperative of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, this year’s walk cal strategy, and ongoing direct services. will follow the theme of “L.A. as Metaphor,” affirming hopefulness and positive solu- Excerpts of the bishop’s comments fol- tions to current pressing world concerns. Organizers for the event are the diocese’s low here. Taylor said: three interfaith ministers-in-residence, Sable Manson of USC, Tasneem Noor of the “Southern California is experienc- Islamic Center of Southern California, and Tahil Sharma of the Hindu and Sikh tradi- ing a vast social crisis brought on by the tions.