From ranch country on the central coast to the heart of Los Angeles, Christian discipleship was my preoccupation during my weekend around the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. On Saturday, I presided and preached at a celebration of new ministry for the Rev. Dr. Mary Tororeiy, rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Lompoc. St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Studio City and its rector, the Rev. Dr. Dan Justin, were my hosts for a visitation on Sunday, when three were confirmed or received in The Episcopal Church.
One vast diocese, enclosing astonishing geographical, socio-economic, and cultural diversity. Calling it one family, as I’m wont to do, doesn’t necessarily make it so. We all have our local and personal perspectives. The family values of other Christian expressions on display this weekend insist on an explicit connection between religious and national-political identity. But I didn’t visit the Church of Lompoc or the Church of Studio City. Binding Episcopalians and Anglicans are our worship and ethos, saying the familiar prayers over and over and centering the dignity of every human being, whatever nation they occupy, while doing our best to rise to St. Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians to speak the truth in love.
In these times, none of this is easy. It takes great leadership and teaching. In this, both parishes are well blessed.
St. Mary’s called Mary as rector late last year and, on Saturday, seemed to express in every word, smile, and gesture that they are counting their blessings. She grew up in Kenya, attending a parish school, also called St. Mary’s, that her parents helped found. First hearing a call to ordained ministry in high school, she was the first woman ordained and consecrated as a priest in the Diocese of Eldoret. She has a PhD in Hebrew Testament. As a young priest, she identified good theological education as the key to forming the leaders the church needs. As in Kenya, so too in the secularizing United States. While their neighbors are watching Netflix, St. Mary’s members are flocking to Mary’s weekly class on the Council of Nicaea.
Our congregation included the Rt. Rev. Gethin Hughes, former bishop of San Diego, who attends St. Mary’s regularly, as well as its beloved former rector, the Rev. Michael Cunningham, and his spouse, Amy, and two, count ‘em two, deans, the Very Revs. Melissa Campbell Langdell (Mary’s area dean) and Bill Dunn (Michael’s brother-in-law). Tri-tip was invented in these parts, a previously underused cut of beef which the right cooking temperature and seasoning redeemed. There may be a sermon in that. In the meantime, the main course at Saturday’s scrumptious lunch was all prepared by parish volunteers and could not have helped being the best in town.
Called in 2012 as rector in Studio City, Dan got his PhD is in biblical preaching, with a specialty, as he once described it to this layperson, in deepening listeners’ understanding of the sacramental power of our liturgy. Almost every Monday morning, he sends his folks an email about one of the appointed readings that he had chosen not to preach about on Sunday. Like St. Mary’s, St. Michael’s makes community outreach and service a priority. But worship and teaching are the pillars of Dan’s ministry. It’s a powerful example. Mature Christian disciples try to walk a different road than secular selfishness or nationalist idolatry. But it’s not just an aesthetic choice. We do not give up our lives for aesthetics. It comes from the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, understood through well-discerned study of the holy scriptures.
On Sunday, St. Michael’s demonstrated what this looked like in practice, Between the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services, where I presided and preached, I met with the St. Michael’s vestry, including Dan and the Rev. Patti Sells, who graciously served as my chaplain. Members didn’t even mention their needs and concerns. All their questions were about how the rest of the diocese was doing, especially St. Mark’s Altadena and St. Matthew’s Pacific Palisades since the fires. They also asked me what I thought made missions and parishes thrive (first on my five-tool list was good Bible preaching and teaching) and asked for thumbnail sketches of congregations that that were doing especially well. These are Christian disciples who have come to think of themselves as part of larger families, just as our Lord invited us all to do, and it did not happen by accident.
