The Bishop's Blog
Mother’s day inspirations in journalism
My mother, Jean Sharley Taylor, loved journalism and her English parents’ Anglicanism so much that, without even trying, she bequeathed to me both my vocations. My friend and colleague Canon for...
All-diocese confirmation at St. John’s Cathedral
On Saturday at St. John's Cathedral in Los Angeles, 21 apostles promised to do their best to obey Jesus Christ’s 21-word sermon. Candidates for confirmation and reception in The Episcopal Church,...
Remarks to clergy conference
My portion of our program tonight is called a fireside chat, for which there are at least two antecedents. About 30 times during his presidency, usually beginning with the words “my friends,” FDR...
Confirmations and Receptions at All Saints, Pasadena
A part of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena will forever be my mother, Jean. She and my stepfather, Dick Lescoe, rest in the second floor columbarium, which she helped launch as a vestry...
A season of Goodwill and givaways
Advancing years and shrinking spaces can lend clarity to decisions about what we really need. This summer, Kathy and I will move from the spacious episcopal residence to a lovely 1,400-square-foot...
Lunch with the deans of the Diocese
A friend mourning their spouse told me the story this week. They'd had to call streaming services to cancel their beloved’s premium sports subscriptions. The usual offers of discounts ensued until...
Visiting St. Joseph’s, Buena Park
When I visited St. Joseph's Episcopal Church in Buena Park in 2018, I took a picture of Jordyn as she handed me a piece of cake. The Rev. Canon Mary P. Trainor looked on. We re-created the scene...
Visiting St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Hacienda Heights
In its bulletin, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hacienda Heights notes that it offers pastoral care in Cantonese, English, Mandarin, and Tagalog. One doesn't often see such an announcement. Long a...
Amazing People
You meet the most amazing people around the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, especially Canon David Eisen, my friend since college and the diocese’s outside legal counsel, who has been battling...
Assassination attempt conspiracy theories
Gazing at the Rorschach test of Saturday’s apparent assassination attempt, some understandably imagine conspiracies or ridicule members of our ruling regime. A few might even admit to the hidden,...
Sermon at the annual deacons’ retreat
Last weekend, from Fresno to downtown Los Angeles, I experienced an immersion in the Sacred Order of Deacons that reinforced something I’ve long believed. Deacons can be at risk of being held back...
Eastertide visits
Travels around the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles on Thursday offered me the opportunity for Eastertide thanksgiving for the work of colleagues who are changing lives all over our region and even...