Around the House

The reality that we refer to as “church” can be and, over time, has been named theologically in all kinds of ways. One of the earliest and most enduring has been to characterize it as the “body of Christ.” The gathered community of Christians—locally and universally—was referred to this way from very early in its…
Read the full article  

At the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), we offer a course called “Organizing for Public Ministry.” We require all CDSP M.Div. students to take this week-long intensive during the January intersession of their very first year. The course consists of a standard five-day training in community organizing offered by the Industrial Areas Foundation…
Read the full article  

Blessings and strength to you dear friends, dear Deputies. About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. Luke 9:28 As we approach the season of Lent and begin legislative committee hearings on Zoom and thus ramp up in busyness, I…
Read the full article  

If you are feeling anything like the way I am lately, the rate and scale at which everything is changing is so disorienting and destabilizing that it sometimes feels nearly impossible to figure out which end is up. The upheaval can feel like being sucked up into a storm. There is nothing but a roar…
Read the full article  

The people of the United States seem to be markedly ambivalent about institutions. A survey of the history of our nation reveals a perennial tension between a powerful impulse to build and protect public and private institutions and an equal and opposite urge to limit their scope and influence. On the one hand, we respect…
Read the full article  

As leaders in the Episcopal Church, you have all heard a good deal about the so-called “decline of the church.” The number of both church members and dollars contributed to the Episcopal Church, locally and nationally, has been decreasing for decades. This has ignited a good deal of concern in church circles. Many are worried…
Read the full article  

The deputation of the Diocese of California took part in a day-long anti-racism training on October 2 to prepare for the upcoming General Convention. As part of the training, the group, which included deputies and alternate deputies, reviewed the Racial Justice Audit of Episcopal Leadership and discussed manifestations of white supremacy at General Convention. They…
Read the full article  

Greetings to you all, here on the brink of the Feast of All Saints! It has been a real joy to share with you over the past few newsletters some further thoughts on how doing the work of church governance is theological work. I tried to emphasize that this is theological work both because it…
Read the full article  

Stayray ma-shi – “May you not be tired.” —Pushtun Tribesman Greeting, Afghanistan Blessings and strength, dear friends, as I write to you from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in magnificent Laguna Beach, CA.  Blessings and strength, my brothers, sisters and siblings in Christ, as we move together toward the 80th General Convention in Baltimore.  Blessings and…
Read the full article  

In my contribution to the previous House of Deputies newsletter, I emphasized the importance of remembering that the work of church governance that you do as deputies is itself theological work. It is theological work in the sense that it is driven by theological concerns and aims to achieve theological goals. This is because it…
Read the full article  

Greetings from Church Divinity School of the Pacific! All of us here are ramping up for the start of the new academic year. Meanwhile, you, too, are ramping up, picking up the pace of serving as deputies to the 80th General Convention as we head toward June 2022. Legislative committees have been appointed. Trainings will…
Read the full article  

A lot has been going through my mind in the past few weeks as a person of color. The death of George Floyd reveals the fault line of our country’s original sin, and this is a moment of reckoning of our nation’s soul. I hope the outrage we are experiencing can begin to engage this…
Read the full article