O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord...The Collect for Epiphany

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany.  Now begins the season in our liturgy when the Scriptures will tell us of Christ's manifestation to the peoples of the earth. The Scriptures and prayers will also emphasize our own call, as followers of Jesus Christ, to manifest his light and love to the world.  

How can we show Christ's Spirit of love and compassion to our brothers and sisters -- Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Moslem, and those whose faith is known to God alone -- who have suffered so much from the recent tsunami and its aftermath?  Bishop Romero suggests that we make donations through Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD).  Because ERD has very little overhead, almost all the money donated will go to the people in need.  If you (or your congregation) have not yet given to the relief effort, please consider sending your donation(s) to the Diocese of El Camino Real (P.O. Box 1903, Monterey, CA 93942), marked for Tsunami Relief.  All donations received by the Diocese will be sent to ERD.

Preparing for Convention

For everyone in the diocese: two reminders!  (1) All members of the diocese (not just delegates) are invited to the Convention Eucharist (12:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Seaside) and banquet (7:00 p.m. at the Embassy Suites).  (2) If you would like to attend the banquet but have not yet made your reservation, you will find a reservation form on the ECR website.  Mail the form (with check) to Susan Altig (P.O. Box 1903, Monterey, CA 93942) and send an email confirmation to saltig@redshift.com.

For Convention Delegates: three reminders! (1) Registration: please register before the Eucharist; registration begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel.  (2) Nominations: if you would like to nominate someone whose name is not already in the Convention packet, remember that you may make a nomination from the floor of Convention.  (3) Resolutions: remember that there is an additional resolution not found in your Convention packet:  The Standing Committee, in consultation with the Joint Process Committee, is recommending that the Waiting Period in the timeline for the Transition Process be continued until the Diocesan Convention in January, 2006 - at which time the Convention will decide to extend the Waiting Period or end it.  The purpose of extending the Waiting Period is to complete the preparatory work necessary to begin the search process. 

Continuing the Transition Process:

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 26, when Bishop Ed Leidel of the Diocese of Eastern Michigan (a small diocese similar to our own) will lead a special conference for all laity and clergy - "Thinking Outside the Box: Understanding Our Connections."  Bishop Leidel, the author of "Grass Roots Spirituality," will speak about "grass roots ministry" in his own diocese, and he will also help us begin to formulate a new vision for ministry in the Diocese of El Camino Real.