I hope all of you had an enjoyable and memorable holiday season, rejoicing in the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

A couple of month’s ago, I promised that I would give you an update on participation in the Annual Diocesan Convention in November. I was sidetracked by the holidays and now I will share a bit of our experience with you. The convention was held at the Riverside Convention Center, last November 15 and 16. Our official delegation included Kathy Adams, Doug Overstreet, and me. Barbara Khan and Stan Jamieson attended as alternate lay delegates. Ellen Mykkanen was also in attendance and shared responsibility for Convention Altar Guild duties in addition to participating in the Convention Choir. Fr. Bill Garrison and Rev. Carole Horton-Howe were present as our clergy delegates.

The theme of the convention was “The Lifelong Way of Love”. The program focused on three components to this theme. Presence - Quieting the Self to Hear the Other; Kindness – Being the Peace of Christ in Anxious Times; Wisdom – Forming Well Educated Christians. Bishop Taylor opened the two-day program with a nod to St. Stephen’s parish in Santa Clarita which only the day before found itself in the midst of a community tragedy that claimed the lives of three Saugus High School students. During his opening address he proclaimed his “reckless optimism” about our church and its future.

Bishop Taylor was followed by equally inspiring presentations from Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce and Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy. Bishop Bruce cited the Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Way of Love practices – turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, rest – to factor into every aspect of our common life. Canon McCarthy shared her goal to visit as many churches as she can, because knowing our congregations makes her a more effective administrator.

There were speakers from a number of ministries within the Diocese. Dolores Huerta, our biannual Margaret Parker Memorial lecturer, gave a rousing presentation, and we closed Saturday afternoon with a beautiful Eucharist including over 800 participants.

I can’t find words to give the convention the credit it deserves. It serves as an opportunity to learn so much about other Episcopal congregations, the workings of our Church at large, and it opens the doors to so many ways in which we can become personally involved with those efforts. The convention is open to everyone. I hope you will consider attending next year. It will be held November 13-14, 2020, again, at the Riverside Convention Center.

If you are interested in attending the next diocesan convention, see Fr. Bill Garrison (bill@stmatthiaswhittier.org) or Mary Jean Christian.