Category Archives: Church

Come by and buy books from me tomorrow!

Used Book Sale (All Saints’ Library)

25-26 August 2007 (Saturday and Sunday)

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church presents its annual Used Book Sale
along with a free Lemonade Stand during the weekend of the
Palo Alto Festival of the Arts.

Hardcovers are $1 Paperbacks are 50 cents.
Some collectibles for higher prices. Bag sale after 4 p.m. Sunday.

http://asaints.org/
555 Waverley (between University/Hamilton)
Palo Alto, CA

Hope to see you there!

In 2003, Bishop Richard Shimpfky asked me to become the Convener for the
Department of Intercultural Evangelism and Ministry
(DIEM)
of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real (ECR). Since then, in addition to its day-to-day work, DIEM has been discussing its vision and mission, plus how to improve the structure, policies and procedures, financial and administrative oversight, and support for our diocesan
missions. At ECR’s convention in October 2006, a new diocesan structure was
approved, including a change in DIEM. After the October 2007 convention, DIEM will
be renamed the Department of Missions (DOM) with a new charter. We have been
discussing and composing our charter documents since October 2006.

At DIEM’s meeting last Saturday, we approved the following Vision and Mission
statements along with our proposed new structure for DOM. We are looking forward
to making this vision real with the help of our new Bishop-elect
Mary Gray-Reeves.

Department of Missions: Vision

• That a rich variety of congregations be developed to include diversity in language and culture.
• That congregations will intentionally worship and work across cultural lines, listening to and learning from each other, collaborating and working to fulfill the
  Great Commission.
• That the diocese will encourage and support the spiritual and organizational growth of its new and existing mission congregations while respecting the need for good stewardship of both mission and diocesan resources.
• That mission congregations will be encouraged and supported to grow toward parish status to the greatest extent possible.

Department of Missions: Mission

We seek to serve and equip the people of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real for ministry in our multi-ethnic society, by providing:

• Oversight of missions, including financial and organizational management
• Resources and financial accountability for missions (including distribution of
  budgeted diocesan funding for operations)
• Practical ideas and information for missions, especially for those sharing a campus with another congregation
• Help to plant new congregations and develop existing missions
• Assistance in developing partnerships between congregations of different ethnicities and among individuals and churches ministering to specific groups
• Awareness and proposals for response to demographic patterns and shifts within our diocese (racial, ethnic, language, and other patterns)
• Visibility for missions and promotion of their wider participation in diocesan convention and operations
• Support for verbal and written translation services to communicate with diocesan congregations in their primary language (as needed) and avoid barriers to participation. This is of particular importance for diocesan press releases, Bishop’s monthly messages, pastoral letters, convention summaries, major policy documents, diocesan surveys, and similar official communications.

We wrote the first versions of these vision and mission statements in 2004.
I am delighted to have them done, approved, and published at last on the
DIEM web page. On this day before the

American Independence holiday celebrating the

Declaration of Independence, I feel a small shadow of the satisfaction
Thomas Jefferson
must have felt when everyone signed, 231 years ago tomorrow.

I am delighted that
The Venerable Mary Gray-Reeves won today’s election for 3rd Bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real (ECR)!
Hooray!

If you check out ECR’s

Ballot Results, you will see we almost elected her on the first ballot:
we were just three votes shy of the required majority. There had been so much
discussion back and forth these last two weeks about whom to prefer between
The Venerable Mary and The Reverend David, I was surprised that the first
ballot was so lopsided. The Venerable Mary Gray-Reeves will start her
episcopacy with a strong mandate.

Because the

“Rules of Order in the Convention” were so strict, there was no discussion
during the convention except quietly between people in the rows of chairs.
We opened with a communion service by our
beloved and funny
Bishop Romero (The Rt. Rev. Sylvestre Romero-Palma, who has been
acting as ECR’s Assisting Bishop). As usual, the singing was excellent.
Being in a room of over 300 people who can sing harmony without practice
from printed music is entirely charming.

After instructions on how to complete
the ballots followed by prayer, we used paper forms for the first ballot
(laity light blue, clergy darker blue), when complete these were
deposited in open boxes. We then waited 45 minutes for the results.
Those who were not delegates had to wait in a nearby room but they could
join us outside between ballots.

It felt so odd to have to wait so long for a simple count. I am too
used to computers. However, it was fun to talk and visit with the
rest of the convention delegates. I had briefly glanced at this
morning’s Mercury News
article about the election:
“Episcopalians seeking bishop to help mend fractured diocese”,
By Kim Vo. During the counting time I talked with someone who had been
interviewed for that news story.

The mood of the convention was much brighter after the first ballot
results were announced. We had been worried that the election might even
take more than one meeting to complete. After instructions on how to complete
the ballots followed by prayer, we used paper forms for the second ballot
(laity yellow, clergy goldenrod). After another long wait outside, we returned to
the convention floor to hear the tally – with guidance from the Holy Spirit,
we had elected a new Bishop! There was an immediate standing ovation. The
convention delegates signed the testamonials and then heard the

acceptance speech in English and Spanish from our very excited Bishop-Elect
by phone. We also heard some gracious and funny words from

The Reverend David Breuer (who also got a standing ovation) and
a closing statement from Bishop Romero (who also got a standing ovation).
It seemed like everyone was smiling; there was much hugging and happy excitement.

Instead of lunch being between ballots, the election was done at just about
noon so the food was distributed in bags after the close of convention and
everyone got to go home early! This has been a delightful and inspiring day.

The election for the 3rd Bishop of the Episcopal
Diocese of El Camino Real (ECR) is tomorrow,
Saturday, 16 June. Email evaluations of the
5 candidates have been passing
between the congregation members and the lay delegates and clergy of my
home parish, All Saints’ (Palo Alto) all week.
I feel blessed to receive so much prayerful and wise advice.

I have been reading
The Book of Common Prayer on the

Ordination of a Bishop. It is the people of the diocese who present the bishop-elect to the Presiding Bishop for
ordination
saying: “…the clergy and
people of the Diocese of name, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
have chosen name to be a bishop and chief pastor. We therefore ask you to
lay your hands upon him and in the power of the Holy Spirit to consecrate him a
bishop in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”

Tomorrow, we choose. There is an

Ballot Results ECR web page to check since electronic communication from
the convention floor is forbidden by the

“Rules of Order in the Convention”.

The final 5 hour long

Bishop Candidate presentation was this afternoon. The election for the 3rd
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino
Real (ECR) is on Saturday, 16 June. I think this week’s discernment process
has been moving and fascinating for all involved. Two of the candidates
mentioned this in their final statements. One said that ours was the 25th meeting
she had this week but that the time had gone so quickly, it was a wonderful
experience, a gift for which she was grateful. Another said that the process had
been a moment of grace in her life, exciting, challenging and a wonderful experience.

At each of the four meetings I have attended (16 hours in all), I learned
something new about the 5 candidates. There was great variety in their level of
inspiration and energy from session to session. The
All Saints’ (Palo Alto) lay delegates and
clergy attended at least one meeting each and most went to several. Eight of us
had dinner tonight after the final presentation to discuss our thoughts and evaluations.

I already wrote some of my impressions in my

9 June blog. What I have heard and seen in addition today:

1. 
   The Reverend Paige Blair “Effervescent Paige”
   
   Ministry themes include reaching the unreached, and listening
   
   
   God doesn’t want us to waste any of our gifts
   
   
   Mind, body, spirit
   
   
   Spoke of holding a
   “U2charist” (communion service with
   U2 music) expecting 400 attendees and getting
   800 instead (raised $4100)
   
   
   MDGs and Matthew 25:
   “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ‘…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”
   
   
   Sees the ECR diocese as ready to live into its potential
   
   
   I am older than I look. I am tougher than I look
   
2. 
   The Reverend David Breuer “Hometown David”
   
   Technological eptitude
   
   
   Being intentional, authentic
   
   
   Church is at the center of life, not its circumference
   
   
   Reciprocal authority of the Bishop comes from the community of the baptized
   
   
   Fixing deferred maintenance
   
   
   Moses as a model for leadership: look ahead to a place of new
   self-definition and knowledge of God’s purpose for us
   
   
   Transparent church walls
   
   
   MDGs,
   SMUM – Make a society where it is easier to be good
   
   
   ECR is in a place of balance, of health as a result of the work of its
   clergy and people
   
3. 
   The Venerable Mary Gray-Reeves “Venerable Mary”
   
   A priest’s sacramental goal is to bless and feed
   
   
   Experiencing God’s grace, loving the unloveable
   
   
   The reconciling presence of Christ is bigger than our conflict, hold on
   to our faith in that, not onto our rightness or wrongness
   
   
   Enters the text of the Bible through the Gospels and through Jesus, her
   savior and saving grace
   
4. 
   The Reverend Gale Davis Morris “Grandma Gale”
   
   No final decision alone, out of community context, reach a decision
   we can all live with
   
   
   Sad that Bishops are becoming only good administrators, not pastors
   
   
   Trust, authenticity, mutual respect in diocescan relationships
   
   
   Come for the food, stay for the company
   
   
   MDGs are a worthy and
   faithful endeavour
   
   
   Believes in the resurrection of the diocese of ECR
   
5. 
   The Reverend John Palarine “Quiet John”
   
   In the diverse center of the church, committed to bringing everyone
   into the conversation
   
   
   Reconciler
   
   
   People feel heard, values are not compromised
   
   
   Deal with difficult issues with clergy, not just “Kumbaya” and cupcakes
   
   
   Build churches through spirituality, sharing each other’s journeys
   
   
   3 phases for a youth program: create vision, raise up adult leaders,
   youth-lead youth ministry
   

Last night, All Saints’ Episcopal Church
held its first Saturday evening Worship Gathering. I was in the group
that designed the event (see my

5 June 2007 blog for more). I think it went very well. 20 people came
to read the Bible, discuss, sing, and pray together. Susan lead the service.
My daughter Jessica lead the singing. Laura and John prepared a simple
meal of two soups (fresh pea, and tomato), french bread, salad, and brownies.
Laura sold the brownies to raise money for this month’s Youth Mission Trip. She
wanted fifty cents each for them and hoped for $8 total but we had a little
auction instead and raised $46.

Over dinner, we discussed the

Bishop Candidates since three of us had already been to several of the
walkabout meetings this week. The last Bishop candidate presentation is
tonight and many of those present at the Worship Gathering plan to attend.
The Bishop election is on 16 June.
Our next Worship Gathering will be on 30 June and I am the leader for it.
I hope it goes as well as the first did.

This week, my husband and I have joined hundreds of other lay and clergy
members of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino
Real (ECR) attending presentations and coffee hours with the five candidates
for ECR’s 3rd Bishop. I
started writing about this in my
6 June 2007
blog.

I have so far been to a coffee hour and two 5-hour presentations with the
candidates. All of them are very impressive priests and, as the

Search Committee told us, all are capable of being a good Bishop. Our
task is to understand through listening, discussion, and prayer which of the
five is the Bishop called by the Holy Spirit to lead our diocese. The
diocesan convention to elect our Bishop is a week from today, on 16 June.

It is not my intention to influence other convention delegates in their
considerations or decisions. Each of us needs to reach our own decision on
how to vote. Nor do I need to reproduce the excellent material about the candidates
already available on ECR’s
Episcopal Search and Transition web pages. However, the experience of
listening to five extraordinary and different spiritual leaders answering very
hard questions at length is unique to my experience. This blog entry is to
share some of my thoughts and understanding so far in this process.

Some of the questions which have been asked are personal (whether the
candidate tithes, what their spouse thinks about being married to a Bishop),
others are church-political (gay marriage and clergy, giving communion to the unbaptized), and others are exploratory (what is your passion? how would
you and the diocese have to change? why is Bishop the best job for you and
why are you the best person to be Bishop?).

Some of what I have heard and seen so far:

1. The Reverend Paige Blair
   
   quick big grin of joy, 3 ear rings, sits but rarely holds still
   
   
   Passionate about sharing the Good News
   
   
   What is essential and where can we play?
   
   
   All are welcome at God’s table
   
   
   Begin by listening and learning
   
   
   World mission – living into the truth of our Baptism
   
2. The Reverend David Breuer
   
   paces, figits, gleeful grin, never sits
   
   
   Templates and lists, administration and finance
   
   
   Evangelical moment
   
   
   Living in ambiguity, living as an Episcopalian, generous orthodoxy
   
   
   Collaborative, mutually accountable servant-ministry
   
   
   Pursuit of excellence, revitalization
   
   
   Ministry of money
   
3. The Venerable Mary Gray-Reeves
   
   sideways smile of sharing, elegant, rarely sits
   
   
   Passionate about great leadership
   
   
   Sharing power
   
   
   The Gospel commands the spiritual discipline to love people we don’t like
   
   
   Transformation: affirmation and correction
   
   
   Speaks Spanish well and fluently
   
   
   The stewardship of compassion
   
4. The Reverend Gale Davis Morris
   
   looks into each person’s eyes, artistic clothes, centered
   
   
   Passionate about the Episcopal Church
   
   
   Always includes babysitting and food
   
   
   The altar is God’s table, not an Episcopal table, all are welcome there
   
   
   We learn best from stories
   
   
   The stewardship of creation
   
   
   God created everyone and said “It is good”. God loves us and each of
   us is worth loving.
5. The Reverend John Palarine
   
   small shy smile, sits quietly
   
   
   Never base your self esteem on the whim of a 14 year old
   
   
   “And I give thanks to God for that” ends most statements
   
   
   Celtic hospitality, hospitality of the heart
   
   
   Youth-lead youth ministry
   
   
   Unity does not mean agreement