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 a visit. They talked about the prevailing anxiety about congregation size. Peter told Neil not to count the number of people sitting in the pews every Sunday. Instead, he said, count the number of toilet flushes during the week.
This is an indirect quote. The direct quote is earthier and better. But you get the idea. Worship at the parish is not the purpose of the parish. The parish is a base camp for an insurgency of love in a culture being taught by those in power that righteousness, peace, justice, and love are for suckers. Churches glorify God by offering space for 12-step meetings, yoga classes, book and Bible study, after-school tutoring, adult daycare — whatever ministry they can think of that serves their neighbors.
Peter’s advice formed a Holy Spirit link between my visits this weekend. On Saturday at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Westchester, where Peter’s rectorship is legendary, we celebrated the new ministry of another brilliant rector, Greg Brown, who is in the midst of strategic planning with his lay leaders. On Sunday, I was the guest of Neil and his lay leaders in Monrovia as they celebrated the hundredth anniversary of their beautiful building, designed by architect Carlton M. Winslow, who also designed the Los Angeles Public Library and several other churches around the diocese. On both occasions, I was invited to preside and preach.
Greg arrived at Holy Nativity as an interim priest three years ago. It proved to be a perfect match. Raised in The Episcopal Church, with friends for life he met in youth group, he was trained and worked as a chemist before feeling the call to ordained ministry. Holy Nativity, diverse in almost every conceivable way, has more than its share of professors and teachers. Daniel Tamm, the parish deacon, who worked for former LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, is a passionate advocate for peace and environmental justice. The parish’s famous Community Garden produces 1,000 pounds of food a year for Food Pantry LAX. True to Peter Rood’s advice, Holy Nativity has eight dependency-related meetings on its calendar next week.
No one in church on Saturday would say The Episcopal Church is dying. They might instead say that it is on fire with the spirit of the risen Christ. Thomas Craig Buckley organized folk-style music that, as we sang, clapped, and tapped our feet, raised the roof while making everyone think of the late Steve O’Loughlin, who died two weeks ago after a year-long illness. Artist and musician, he filled the nave with his breathtaking murals and the air after services with tunes. (A celebration of Steve’s life is coming up on June 27 at 10 a.m.) We laid hands on Greg to commence his rectorship in earnest. Then Greg called on everyone to lay hands on me, to denote my approaching retirement. It took about ten minutes to pass the peace. Fellowship and rich conversation continued over a delicious meal alfresco.
St. Luke’s in Monrovia evinces the same energy and diversity. Its outreach ministries also come from noticing and serving the needs of surrounding neighborhoods. The worship was also beautiful, this time classically so. No one executes the exquisite choreography of Episcopal liturgy more expertly than Neil and the St. Luke’s liturgical coordinator, Kathy Eisel. A three-member team bearing the people’s offerings departed the narthex for the altar exactly a minute before the end of the offertory anthem. Jeanett Armstrong, who led the procession as crucifer, told me she couldn’t wait to make her eucharistic visits this afternoon. Music director Kent Jones premiered a beautiful setting he had composed for Canticle 13, dedicating it to long-time St. Luke’s members and my dear friends Gary and Marjie Toops, cofounders of the Festival Singers, Orange County CA. Kelly Lauer, among those preparing for ordination and consecration as deacons on June 13, was in the choir.
After church, we dedicated a new labyrinth and memorial garden, to be offered to the community for its events. Treasurer Lisa Kiriakidis helped organize an elegant sit-down lunch, where Mayor Becky A. Shevlin and community partner Rebekah Estrada of California Interfaith Power & Light lit fires of thanksgiving for St. Luke’s’ centenary and its gifted rector. Meanwhile I learned from senior warden Sonja Shea and her spouse, Jim, about the birth of their twin grandsons. It was a joyful morning and afternoon that was still going strong when I left at two.
All in all, if you hear anything discouraging about the future of our little denomination, just make your way to Westchester and Monrovia. Holy Nativity and St. Luke’s will set you right.
