By Bishop Lucinda Ashby “A Storied Pilgrimage with Race” is the unique anti-racism training for the clergy and people of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real. The title of this training was chosen with care, as this 12-part series is based on stories of people interviewed and an understanding that working out our own…

By Myra Garnes As the school and ministry year begins, parents and adults of all generations face the challenge of preparing children for more than just academic success. In a world where political tensions, racism, xenophobia, a climate crisis, sexism, homophobia, and classism are prominent, teaching kindness and fostering a sense of beloved community is…

(Celebrating Hispanic Heritage through Our Spirituality) By Ema Rosero-Nordalm The richness of our historical and cultural heritage is so extensive and fascinating that it would take pages to describe it in all its fullness. I would invite the Latino communities I love to celebrate our spirituality as a common denominator that allows us in this…

By Melanie Mullen As we commemorate the season of Epiphany, we are reminded of the indelible life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His words and actions continue to inspire us to seek justice and reconciliation in our world. Dr. King spoke profoundly about the interconnectedness of all creation, stating, “Before…

by The Rev. Canon Dr. Winfred (Fred) Vergara Gloria Fanchiang wrote the pop song “God who sees us,” in the aftermath of the massacre of six Asian American girls working in a spa in Atlanta. It begins with these words:   “We have been forgotten and abandoned, cast aside, erased and counted out. Centuries of hatred and exclusion,…

By Shaneequa Brokenleg As many of you know, November is Native American Heritage Month. As an Indigenous person and an enrolled citizen in my tribe, the fact that Native American Heritage Month happens in the same month as Thanksgiving is not lost on me. It’s a time when many people like to harken back to…

By Willis Foster Sr. and Edna Johnston Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when U.S. General Gordon Granger read General Orders No. 3 to the people of Galveston, Texas. He announced: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” With this…

By Mary Crist This is the time for us to hear the voices of Indigenous Episcopalians in order to heal the Mother Earth and her people. Indigenous peoples and Episcopalians have a long history together. Our sacred ways are related.  The relationship between The Episcopal Church and Indigenous people in North America began over 400…

by Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Shackan First Nation  “What have you done?” asked my mother in weighty staccato, stressing each word individually. The sharp glare from her eyes pinned me like a bug to the place where I stood. The tone in her voice conveyed a gravitas as though I had robbed a bank, assassinated someone, or kicked her…

“‘Anamnesis’ is the Greek word ‘to remember.’ It is the word Jesus used in the institution narrative in the Eucharist: ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’ Its spiritual meaning is that in the sacrament, what is being remembered becomes a present reality.” – the Rev. Ken Swanson from “The Way Forward,” in the Absalom Jones Episcopal…