The Holy Spirit was lively indeed on Saturday in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles as we bade farewell to a legendary, Spirit-driven priest and then surrounded an ailing colleague in the legendary Episcopal Chorale with prayer and song.
At Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Fullerton, they worship in the round so everyone is close to the altar, with upbeat folk music and charismatic flourishes redolent of the Holy Spirit revival in the sixties and seventies. The Rev. Canon Paul Edwards, who died in March at 93, raised the funds for the beautiful church and served as its first vicar. A strong proponent of social justice and an opponent of the Vietnam war, he believed everyone has the capacity to use what he called spiritual intelligence to tap life-giving wellsprings of peace and love in our hearts.
The Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves, retired bishop of El Camino Real and former vice president of the House of Bishops, whom Paul sponsored for her diaconal and priestly ordinations, celebrated Holy Eucharist. I was along to preach. Matching their famously energetic father in eloquence and charisma were his sons and eulogists George (also Canon Paul’s caregiver in his latter years), John Paul, and the Rev. Canon Rob Edwards. Longtime rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in San Juan Capistrano, Rob shared some of his father’s leadership axioms, including: “If you have to eat four frogs, eat the biggest one first.”
The musical ensemble included former Emmanuel rector the Rev. Canon Rob Bethancourt (renowned composer of the Emmanuel folk mass) and former associate rector the Rev. Lyn Cunninghame Crow along with the Rev. Karen Stang Maurer, who was formed for the priesthood at Emmanuel, on guitar. Priest in charge the Rev. Hart Roussel saw to every detail.
In the afternoon, I headed to Ladera Heights in Los Angeles, where members of the chorale, founded by Canon Chas Cheatham, were giving thanks for longtime member Luanna Lawrence, who is facing considerable health challenges. She told me she has known Chas since they were both under ten years old, singing in a church choir in Los Angeles. I imagine she was among the first he called when he founded the chorale in 1983. Now preparing for another international tour, the chorale claims most of its members from our diocesan missions and parishes. If you haven’t heard them perform yet, I pray you will. The roof of every building they sing in ends up in orbit with the international space station.
I presented a proclamation to Luanna and thanked Chas and the choir for many years of boundary-shattering ministry as well as their kindness to me since they first came to St John Chrysostom Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, where I served as vicar, to sing in the Pentecost many years ago.
Luanna said she still attends rehearsals and joins in while waiting for test results and guidance from doctors. By and large, it was a musical afternoon in Ladera Heights. Dorothy and Berry, our hosts, display autographed posters of every recent local jazz festival. Longtime member Canon Patti Jo Ramsey, our judge of elections at annual convention and a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles, reintroduced me to her friend Glenn, a jazz drummer. Canon Chas conducted from the piano as the chorale sent praise for our Easter savior up to the balcony, where Luanna sat and listened. May God’s always-healing, ever-singing angels attend her in the days and months ahead.
