EDSD asks your prayers for our sisters and brothers in Christ at St. Philip’s Lemon Grove and Good Shepherd Hemet, both of which have suffered significant damage to their buildings lately.

At Good Shepherd Hemet, a large quantity of water damaged the ground underneath the sanctuary on February 14, rendering the sanctuary unusable for the present, since walls are showing cracks and may be beginning to buckle. Members of the church rescued all movable property from the building but are waiting for a determination on the cause of the water damage, and whether the separate Parish Hall building is safe for occupancy. The congregation is currently worshiping in the building once occupied by St. Stephen’s in Menifee while they await a resolution of safety inspections and insurance claims. We are grateful for the leadership of rector The Rev. Susan Latimer, who has guided the congregation through this difficult time as they discern next steps.

A fire struck a classroom building at St. Philip’s on the morning of April 28. The interior of the building was destroyed, but the overall structure appears to be structurally sound. No one was injured, for which we give thanks to God. A neighbor saw smoke coming from the building and reported it. The fire department responded with seven fire trucks, and firefighters got the fire under control and inspected the roof and interior walls to make sure the whole fire was extinguished. Fr. Carlos Garcia was present to assist the fire department in entering the building, and we are grateful for his leadership there. We are also grateful that the sanctuary and parish hall buildings were not affected by the fire. The classroom building is mostly used by outside groups such as AA, NA, and the Aztec dancers who practice at St. Philip’s.

In both cases, we are very thankful that no one has been injured, and that both congregations have great leadership. We are also thankful for insurance coverage, although we know that there will be deductibles to pay as the claims are resolved.

Bishop Susan Brown Snook said, “While we are deeply concerned about the damage to these two church buildings, we give thanks to God that it was only the buildings that were damaged, not the people, and that no one was injured. Both congregations remain strong, with good leadership, and we have faith that the damage will be repaired, and they will move forward in ministry.”

Compassionate God … Draw near to us in this time of sorrow and anguish, comfort those who mourn, strengthen those who are weary, encourage those in despair, and lead us all to fullness of life. We ask you to bring comfort to your people at Good Shepherd Hemet and St. Philip’s Lemon Grove. We give you thanks that no one was injured in the disasters that struck them, and we ask you to guide them through a process of repair and restoration, giving them all the resources they need for their recovery. All this we pray through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

– adapted from Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (Church Publishing: New York), page 733

If you would like to contribute to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund to help the two congregations offset the costs of these disasters, please click here to donate, or send checks to: Bishop’s Discretionary Fund, 2083 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., San Diego, CA 92106.

At the 2021 Diocesan Convention, Resolution 21-04 Becoming a Beloved Community by combatting anti-Asian/Pacific Islander American violence, bias and racism was adopted. As part of that resolution, the diocese agreed to lift up the stories of Asians, protect Asians from racist persecution, and nurture understanding of Asian peoples and cultures through prayer and liturgy, among other ways.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States.

The EDSD Racial Justice Task Force will honor & celebrate AAPI Heritage Month through facilitated discussion and clip viewing of the 5-part PBS series: Asian Americans. Told through individual lives and personal histories, the series explores the impact of Asian Americans on the US’s past, present and future. Meetings are every Tuesday in May, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. via Zoom. To register go here.

Why is it important?

There has been systemic racism against Asians and Pacific Islanders for centuries. In the 1850s as the number of Chinese laborers increased, so did the strength of anti-Chinese sentiment culminate with The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The only immigration policy excluding immigrants by race.¹ During WWII approximately 127,000 Japanese Americans were held in internment camps. Many of them were American citizens and lost their property and livelihood once released.

The story of how Hawai’i became a state is still a bitter pill for many Hawaiians. When Queen Liliuokalani moved to establish a stronger monarchy, Americans under the leadership of Samuel Dole deposed her in 1893. The administration of President Harrison encouraged the takeover and dispatched sailors from the USS Boston to the islands to surround the royal palace.² Today, even though the poverty rates in Hawai’i are low, native Hawaiians still have the highest rate of poverty than other ethnic groups.

In the first month after the 9/11 attacks, the Sikh Coalition documented over 300 cases of violence and discrimination against Sikh Americans. Even today Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are still facing mounting dangerous racism.

Research spearheaded by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum revealed that 74% of AAPI women reported having personally experienced racism or discrimination in the last 12 months, roughly the time since the Atlanta-area spa shootings, in which eight people, most of them Asian women, were murdered, the report pointed out.³

The COVID Pandemic:

According to an article by Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies and Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell:

The Asian American-Pacific Islander Equity Alliance, a nonprofit based in California, has collected reports of 10,370 “hate incidents” from March 2020 through September 2021. The categories of those incidents include verbal harassment, refusal of service at a business, and online abuse, as well as assaults and property damage. After three decades in which there was an average of 8.1 anti-Asian attacks a year in the U.S., 2020 and 2021 saw an average of 81.5 anti-Asian attacks a year. Both attacks on people and attacks on property rose considerably.⁴

Being AAPI in the United States is a balancing act according to Mae Chao, a parishioner at Holy Cross, Carlsbad:

I was speaking with another Chinese woman recently about how we self-identify. I explained that I do not say I am an American, but that I am Chinese American or Asian American. Having lived in China, I know I am not Chinese or even considered an Overseas Chinese since I was born in the USA. Mainstream America does not consider me an American. I am asked if I am Japanese or Chinese, or where I am from (New York is not an acceptable answer).  Rather, I am a blend of Chinese and American cultures which makes me a proud Asian American. This challenge about identifying as an American in a small way enables me to relate to the Japanese Americans who, having done nothing but be of Japanese descent, were dislocated to concentration camps and then required to sign Loyalty Oaths to the U.S.A.

Join our EDSD Racial Justice Task Force as we lift up AAPI stories and nurture a better understanding every Tuesday in May, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. via Zoom. Register here.

Citations:

¹ U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration

² U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Annexation of Hawaii, 1898. U.S. Department of State Archives. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://20012009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/gp/17661.html

³Yam, K. (2022, March 22). 74% of Asian American, Pacific Islander women experienced racism in past year, report says. Asian America. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/74-asian-american-women-experienced-racism-year-new-report-says-rcna18626

⁴ Perliger, A. (2022, February 17). Anti-Asian violence spiked in the US during the pandemic, especially in blue-state cities. theconversation.com. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/anti-asian-violence-spiked-in-the-us-during-the-pandemic-especially-in-blue-state-cities-176501

When asked about Episcopal Community Services (ECS), many San Diego Episcopalians recognize the organization as the service arm of the Episcopal Diocese. Established in 1927, ECS serves those that were often forgotten. In 1954, ECS expanded its support programs to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all San Diegans. Today, over 7,000 people in the South Bay area of San Diego benefit from ECS’s services in four distinct areas: early childhood development, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness. Throughout the four areas, people arrive at ECS’s programs struggling or hoping for answers and support.

Over the past few years, Tanya has been a resident at Uptown Safe Haven (UTSH), dealing with mental health and substance abuse disorders. She has a form of schizophrenia and had been using drugs to self-medicate before getting connected with Uptown. Through her ups and downs, Uptown Safe Haven has been there to help support her recovery efforts. Tanya expressed an appreciation for Uptown Safe Haven, saying, “Everyone is kind, respectful, and fair. I live with people who understand where I’ve been and what I want to do. The staff try to make our days fun and interesting; they are supportive and easy to talk to. I am so grateful for this. I am in a place where I am appreciative of what I have and feel like I’m doing something meaningful for myself.” Tanya has worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the kitchen at Mercy Scripps Hospital and continues to improve daily with the program’s help.

When Hezekiah noticed his kids, Mason and Primrose, exhibiting concerning behaviors typical of children who experienced trauma, he brought them to Para Las Familias. Para Las Familias (PLF) is a program aimed at providing therapy and counseling services for low-income kids and their families. After some time, Mason and Primrose’s behaviors and overall lives changed. Hezekiah describes the change in his relationship with his kids as night and day before and after the program. Now they enjoy a secure attachment relationship. They have the confidence and emotional skills to express their emotions and the ability to organize their thoughts in a healthy manner.

All these stories couldn’t have happened without supporters and donors of ECS like you! Tanya is grateful for donations from donors like games, puzzles, books, and art supplies. This helps residents like Tanya connect with each other and Uptown Safe Haven Staff. Therapy kits provided by donations at Para Las Familias help families like Hezekiah’s find ways to spend time with each other and foster healthy relationships.

Want to hear about the story behind the success of Tanya and Hezekiah? Join us for our annual gala, Moonlight Magic: Under the Flower Moon at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn. We’re excited to reintroduce the entirely in-person event to raise funds for people who need support from ECS’s transformative programs. The night will include live music, delicious food, and extravagant auction items.  

New at the gala this year is our young professionals’ Sunset Social! Join young professionals from around San Diego wanting to make an impact in their community. 

Tickets start at $50 for the Sunset Social and $300 for the main Moonlight Magic Gala.

For more information on the ECS Moonlight Magic: Under the Flower Moon, visit:

Gala — Episcopal Community Services (ecscalifornia.org)

Moonlight Magic: Under the Flower Moon Gala

Sunset Social at the Moonlight Magic: Under the Flower Moon Gala

Saturday May 14th, 2022

Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn

2303 Shelter Island Dr

San Diego, CA 92106

Check in starts at 5:30p for the Main Gala and 6p for the Sunset Social

People from around the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego gathered for EDSD Cleans Up and to celebrate the gift of creation by collecting litter and enjoying the company of new friends.

“The breeze blew off the lake, the air around 70, the chaparral blooms, in a subtle way, reminded me that it’s spring in San Diego, and… I lost my buddy until he announces, ‘Got it’ as he holds aloft another glass bottle from behind a shrub,” said Greg Tuttle, a member of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in San Diego.

St. Dunstan’s and Patrick Henry High School partnered to gather nearly 70 neighbors at Lake Murray to join the 20th Annual Creek to Bay Clean-Up sponsored by I Love a Clean San Diego.  Those Patriots and the Dunstanites quickly become ‘us’ as they dove into patch after patch of foliage.

Tuttle said, “As I traveled deeper and deeper into the shrubs with a friend, passing others in our group, we found each other humming the same song. We laughed about it as we stuck to our task, waving to others, and humming They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love–filling our bags full.”

Christ Church in Coronado brought members together and competed for who could find the most interesting piece of litter. Some unfinished sushi and discarded bottles were celebrated as the winner. With laughter and joy, the people of Christ Church in Coronado took the time to honor creation as followers of Jesus.

Charlette Preslar,  EDSD Youth Missioner said, “After a rich morning at church learning about pollinator gardens and native plants, Christ Church parishioners took to the streets to clean up the neighborhood that surrounds the church. It was joyful and good work to restore the beauty of the community, and we are already planning on continuing this effort in the months ahead!”

One of the highlights of Earth Month was the first Earth Day Festival held at St Mary’s-in-the-Valley, Ramona on Saturday, April 23, where the Rev. Phil Cooke and many church volunteers warmly welcomed hundreds of people to gather and celebrate the Earth. The all-day, family-friendly event was presented by the Ramona Community Garden and Sustainable Ramona–a grassroots organization that raises community environmental awareness.

Parth Domke, Creation Care Liason for St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley Church and vestry member at St. Bartholmew’s in Poway, said, “Walking around the festival was a delight for the heart and a feast for the eyes. I was struck by so many things that made this festival so festive! The sights of women spinning and weaving colorful scarves and vests, and of the greens of the multitude of potted plants; the sounds of the local musicians, and the conversations among folks as they wove their way around the tents, stopping to chat with strangers and have conversations with old friends – it all added up to an atmosphere of the warmth of community. What a wonderful way to honor our Mother Earth, who nurtures all the communities living upon her! I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.”

The EDSD Creation Care team staffed one of many interactive information tables at this zero-waste gathering. Passers-by shared their hope for creation on a world map: from world peace to planting trees, solving hunger to saving wildlife. This uplifting event highlighted the gift that a generous church can offer the community: inviting people to come together for music, food, fun, and discovering more ways to care for God’s creation.

Bishop Susan Brown Snook is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Archdeacon for our diocese: The Rev. Deacon Cindy Campos. In her role as Archdeacon, she will provide leadership, communications, community-building, and pastoral support for our deacon community, in collaboration with the Bishop. Deacon Cindy is particularly interested in using this role to support the growth of the vocational diaconate in our diocese, and providing fellowship and support among the deacons.

Archdeacon Cindy was ordained a vocational deacon on September 12, 2020, at the Episcopal Church Center in San Diego. She is currently serving at St Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in San Diego, leading ministries including a ministry of pastoral care, and will continue her ministry there while serving as Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. She has also served as deacon at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Poway, and St Andrew’s by the Lake in Lake Elsinore. Cindy is active in the diocese as a member of the Commission on Ministry and the Public Health Task Force. She lives in Rancho Bernardo with her husband, Ed, and their harlequin rabbit, Geoffrey.

We are delighted to welcome Archdeacon Cindy to her new role in our diocese, and Bishop Susan looks forward to ministering alongside her and our community of deacons.

The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it,

the world and all who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

Easter Blessings! God’s mighty act in resurrecting Jesus from the dead emphasizes what we believe: that God is the author of abundant life for all. This year, Friday, April 22 is Earth Day, and for Episcopalians, Sunday, April 24 is Creation Care Sunday. It’s a time for Christians to celebrate God’s love, which embraces not only humanity but all of creation. The accounts of God’s creation in Genesis 1 and 2 depict the outpouring of God’s love, which resulted in a wondrous creation that God called “very good,” teeming with diverse and interdependent life. The first human was placed in the garden “to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Yet we humans have overused the riches of creation, jeopardizing the future of humanity and the Earth itself. I urge Episcopalians in our diocese to take action for the restoration of God’s beloved creation. At the end of this letter, you can find a list of resources for this work.

In 2011, the Episcopal House of Bishops issued a Pastoral Teaching on Care for Creation that called us to action. Quoting from that teaching:

This is the appointed time for all God’s children to work for the common goal of renewing the earth as a hospitable abode for the flourishing of all life. We are called to speak and act on behalf of God’s good creation.

Looking back to the creation accounts in Genesis, we see God’s creation was “very good,” providing all that humans would need for abundant, peaceful life. In creating the world God’s loving concern extended to the whole of it, not just to humans. And the scope of God’s redemptive love in Christ is equally broad: the Word became incarnate in Christ not just for our sake, but for the salvation of the whole world. In the Book of Revelation, we read that God will restore the goodness and completeness of creation in the “new Jerusalem.” Within this new city, God renews and redeems the natural world rather than obliterating it. We now live in that time between God’s creation of this good world and its final redemption: “The whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for . . . the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-3).

Affirming the biblical witness to God’s abiding and all-encompassing love for creation, we recognize that we cannot separate ourselves as humans from the rest of the created order.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to continue his ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). On Earth Day, we remember that our call to reconciliation includes the beautiful creation that surrounds us and supports our life.

This year within the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego we have suffered fires, drought, and flooding. Our communities with low income and communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the serious health and economic hardships that have affected everyone. The proceedings of the February 2022 Sixth Assessment Report from the International Panel on Climate Change observed that “human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks….Even temporarily exceeding this warming level will result in additional severe impacts, some of which will be irreversible.”  IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee said, “We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a livable future.”

And so, beloved, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and the concern also expressed by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, I believe that this climate emergency calls us to a committed response. At our 2021 diocesan convention, EDSD passed Resolution 21-06 (scroll down to the sixth resolution), Putting into Practice Locally the Episcopal Covenant to Care for Creation. In accordance with our promises in that resolution, I urge individuals, ministries, and churches within the Diocese to commit to practical actions for the healing of our common home. Through the Diocese’s Advocacy Committee, the Creation Care Task Force is available to provide resources necessary for the formation of Creation Care teams within churches. These teams can commit to the Episcopal Church Covenant and engage their congregations to better advocate for God’s Creation in the crucial days ahead.

Actions for Individuals, Ministries, and Churches to Care for Creation

The Episcopal Church’s (TEC) Covenant for the Care of Creation is a commitment to practice loving formation, liberating advocacy, and life-giving conservation as individuals, congregations, ministries, and dioceses. You can explore the Covenant here.

1. For Earth Day, Sunday, April 24, consider using one of the three forms of the Prayers of the People Honoring God in Creation, created by the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. These prayers conform to the rubrics for the Prayers of the People in the Book of Common Prayer. The same resource contains a number of other liturgical resources for Creation Care.
2. Explore converting your church and home to solar power. You can find resources for our diocesan solar power program here.
3. Pray daily for our common home and all its inhabitants. Prayers from Home for our Common Home: A Selection.
4. Take the Episcopal Creation Care* Pledge here.
5. Complete TEC Carbon Tracker* here.
6. Green your home here.
7. Engage children and youth in creation care here.
8. Study creation care through books and films Creation Care Books and Films.
9. Spend time in nature: walking guide for all ages; and family resource.
10. Participate in civic engagement here.
11. Stand with vulnerable communities experiencing climate disruption here.
12. Learn about environmental racism*, eco-justice* and environmental justice* here.
13. Consider your transportation choices here; and carbon offsets here.
14. Divestment resources from fossil fuels here.

For more information or support, contact the EDSD Creation Care Task Force.

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”

The hymn we often sing on Good Friday recognizes that we were there as Jesus died – because the life-and-death story of that astounding week in Jerusalem is the central story of our lives as children of God. All of us were there with Jesus, we believe because he gave his life for the sheer love of us.

And it’s not so far-fetched to feel that we were there on Good Friday with Jesus. The pain of our world is immense. We have lived through two years of a pandemic that has upended our lives. We are confronting problems of climate change, racial injustice, and deep division in our society. We watch in horror as a brutal war unleashes terrible violence in Ukraine, adding to the violence humans inflict on each other in so many other places.

But something unprecedented happened on Easter morning, something so far beyond the boundaries of what we know and expect, that the very questions we ask are transformed. That same hymn’s last verse asks:

“Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?”

Well, we can’t exactly say that we were there – because no one but the angels, and God, saw the Resurrection at the moment it happened. We only see what happened later: the next morning, the women come to the tomb, their hearts bursting with grief. There they find that God has done something absolutely inexplicable, that the stone that was blocking their way is gone, and that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

Gospel accounts of that first Easter tell us that the women responded to that astounding discovery with fear. We, too, know fear, and it’s tempting for us humans sometimes to forget that the resurrection of Jesus Christ has anything to say about those things that fill us with fear. Sometimes we share the terror of the women who discovered God’s mighty act of resurrection.

But as they learned, the Resurrection shatters everything we’ve ever believed about the impermanence of life and the finality of death. Resurrection means we have to re-orient our fears and re-think our lives. All our resignation to the evil of this world, our worries over the challenges we face, our stresses about how to roll away the stones that stand in our way are not enough to fend off death – but God is enough.

God has raised Jesus from the dead. And that means that we live in a world in which the ultimate triumph belongs not to familiar, fearsome, inevitable death, but to thrilling, astonishing resurrection life. We live in a world where God loves us so much that God will never let us go. We live in a world where our call is to share that life, and that love, with others, and to work to transform this world with Jesus’s love.

Yes, we were there with Jesus, because Jesus loves us. God’s love triumphs over death itself, so we will shout with joy this Easter season: Alleluia! Christ is risen!

It has been three years since the youth of our diocese have gone on a service trip. Three years since they have served and worshiped side-by-side in a space well out of their comfort zones. Not only has it been that long since they went on a trip together, but they have also spent the last two years processing an increasing number of canceled plans. Resilient doesn’t seem to fully encompass what it means to be a young person living through the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was with that in mind that this past fall I looked with hope towards Summer 2022 and the opportunity for the youth of our diocese to serve and grow together again. I booked a service trip with Sierra Service Project and then almost immediately the Omicron variant began to close things down again. As we considered the implications for the trip, we decided to let hope lead the way. And so we paused, and we prayed. 

I am thrilled to say that we are now in a place where we can announce this year’s trip and open registration. We are ready to walk out of this season of separation and walk with the youth of our diocese as they connect and serve together this Summer. Truly, connection is one of the most important pieces of a service trip, and it is also something that Sierra Service Project does so well. 

Please share the information below with the youth in your congregation.

EDSD High School Youth Service Trip Summer 2022

San Diego South Bay

July 17-23, 2022

From July 17-23, 2022, high school youth concerned about poverty, immigration, and the environment are invited to serve with SSP in San Diego’s South Bay to explore these issues which are very real in the communities adjacent to the US / Mexico border. Youth will visit Friendship Park. The group will decide together if we will take a day trip to Tijuana, or stay in the US for a day of learning and serving. 

This is a service trip, and so in addition to learning about the communities in the South Bay of San Diego, we will also work on service project for that community. Sierra Service Project works both with homeowners and community-based organizations, including The Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center, Wildcoast, The City of Imperial Beach, El Faro: The Border Church and The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. The service projects may include painting, rebuilding fences, and other general home repairs. No construction experience is needed!

Our group will be camping at Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground located just south of The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and managed by the County of San Diego. It has on-site bathrooms and showers. Our meals will be hosted at The Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center. 

Registration for the trip is now open and is first-come, first-served. There are 15 spots for this year’s trip. The cost of the trip is $450 and will be made in two payments: $225 at the time of registration and $225 by May 15, 2022. Scholarship assistance is available for those for whom the cost would be an obstacle. 

Vaccination for Covid-19 (including a booster) and a valid U.S. Passport are required for this trip.

Register Here

Please contact Charlette Preslar, youth missioner, with any questions: cpreslar@edsd.org

Cathedral’s Simpler Living Garden Retreat Kicks Off Earth Month Activities Across the Diocese

In a prequel to Earth Month and leading up to Creation Care Sunday, our Simpler Living Ministry held a Garden Retreat on Saturday morning, March 26 at the home of Cindy Schurict and Britt Palmer.  The annual retreat provides an opportunity to “be present” in God’s creation: the very Nature that we strive to protect.  Participants  – members of the Cathedral, St. Mark’s, and Mission Hills UCC – found that you cannot walk Cindy Schuricht’s lovely garden labyrinth without becoming a tree hugger, as one particular tree insinuates itself into the seeker’s path, requiring its support for balance.

Our host, Cindy Schuricht commented, “Saturday’s garden retreat was a reminder of God’s abundance. It was an abundance of work to get the yard as ready as possible by tending to what we’ve planted. But Spring is when God gets carried away with an abundance of what I call free-range and feral flowers who go wherever they choose and make some paths impassable. From the opening morning prayer to the end, we also experienced an abundance of fellowship, conversations with nature—flora and human fauna, and faith flowed back and swirled all around  . . . and scones appeared on the kitchen counter.”  Another guest observed, “We were graced with the experience of nature in her full spring glory, and reminded that the time we make to be present in God’s peaceful creation can ignite within us renewed energy to act on climate change.” 

The Garden Retreat was one of several events celebrating Earth Month throughout the diocese.  Others include an Earth Day Festival, Electronics Recycling and Composting events, Creation Care Sunday (4/24) services and activities, Youth v. Gov, a film screening with discussion, and A Day in Nature on 4/30 inviting you or your church to schedule a walk or hike in a nearby natural landscape.  To find an offering near you, go to EDSD Earth Month 2022 events