The Bishop's Blog
Presiding at my last Diocesan Council
On Thursday afternoon, I presided at the last of perhaps 80 meetings of our Diocesan Council since I became bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles in 2017. It was one of the few we've had in...
Campbell Hall commencement
My album from Campbell Hall's commencement ceremonies last night at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, my last opportunity to play my accustomed role of offering a benediction and presenting the Bishop's...
The Golden Rule, Mile by Mile
“Preach the gospel” may be the single most common piece of homiletic advice. No matter what's happening in the world or the preacher’s life, the good news is the best bet — the birth, life,...
40 days from the end of my ministry
Today finds me 40 days from the end of my ministry as bishop diocesan in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. It's a sweet spot indeed. I relish these remaining days with the same joy and curiosity...
Pride Month and voting the golden rule this
At the start of Pride Month, as a fellow traveler with my queer siblings, I say it's time to move beyond tolerance and inclusion and adopt a paradigm of ruthlessly punishing golden rule violators at...
Deanery V grad night
Some 20 college and high school graduates from Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles parishes in and around the San Gabriel Valley, also known as Deanery V, got together Sunday evening at St. Edmund's...
Immigration reform with Jesus’ teachings
For many years, I saw this silhouette of a child, mother, and father on a yellow highway sign near the immigration checkpoint on the five, between Oceanside and San Clemente. Each time I saw it, I’d...
Visiting St. Luke’s, Monrovia and Holy Nativity, Westchester
About 12 years ago, after becoming rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Monrovia, Neil Tadken invited the late Peter Rood, a highly respected priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, for...
Episcopal Community Federal Credit Union annual meeting
Life in the church is a pilgrim’s progression of family reunions. At its best, Christian community is an approximation of family at its best, defined by members’ sense of common purpose and, often...
Pentecost Day sermon at St. Andrew’s, Fullerton
Now that we’ve received the Holy Spirit, the question is what we do with it. Whether heaven’s gift is for me or the world. His courage restored by Jesus Christ’s mighty Resurrection and glorious...
A farewell visit as bishop to St. Andrews, Fullerton
I wish I could remember who suggested I try St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Fullerton. It was 1995, and my life was in flux. A lifelong and confirmed Episcopalian, as an adult, I’d dipped my toe in...
Driving with the Golden Rule
The golden rule isn’t just for church. It applies everywhere. And it can be a matter of life and death. I love motorists’ John 3:16 bumper stickers. They should also try Matthew 7:12, in which Jesus...