You meet the most amazing people around the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, including members of the Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change, convened by the Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy; they’re working on a plan for preparing missions and parishes to help their neighbors in the event of climate change-magnified natural disasters (it’s pretty exciting to look across the table and see commission members and Episco-Pals Mary Nichols, legendary environmental regulator, and Lucy Jones, legendary seismologist) … members of the diocesan Standing Committee, meeting in person and on Zoom at St. Paul’s Commons, Echo Park over a BYO lunch and offering peerless advice and counsel to the bishop’s office, including the Rev. Dan Justin and Dr. Iván Gutiérrez Acosta, who successfully defended his doctoral dissertation this week … the Rev. Otto Vasquez, for a riveting conversation about the ministry future at All Saints Episcopal Church / Iglesia Episcopal de Todos los Santos in Highland Park (and about his first grandchild Emery) … and my fellow members of The Guibord Center – Religion Inside Out advisory council, convened Thursday morning by president and CEO Dr. Lo Sprague on the breathtaking grounds of 佛光山西來寺 Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights.
