I was with some amazing people around the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles last week, including the Rev. Rand Reasoner, veteran rector of Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Woodland Hills, who pastored to me, I think, more than I to him over lunch in Glendale … the Rev. Juan Jimenez, longtime rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Anaheim, for a breakfast conversation near Disneyland about politics, affordable housing, and Sunday attendance at St. Michael’s topping 170 and rising each week … members of The Bishop’s Commission on Gospel Justice and Community Care, chaired by Sister Patricia Scott Terry, to talk about our plans to bear witness on behalf of alternatives to LA’s Men’s Central Jail … the Rev. Mark Nam, a Church of England priest studying The Episcopal Church’s ministry to those from East Asia and China … our leaders of Chinese-speaking congregations, for our monthly check-in and strategy session … clergy colleagues from in and around the San Fernando Valley, aka Deanery II, gathered at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Santa Clarita by their dean, the Very Rev. Christopher Montella … fellow members of the Los Angeles County of Religious Leaders, called together by our president, Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, discussing our statement at the end of Ramadan on violence against peaceful worshipers at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem … and my buddy and honorary canon theologian Thomas Bushnell, visiting from New York City, for our usual wide-ranging conversation.
