Jan 2, 2024 | #COP, #Stories
Article and photos by Amy Quirk
The historic COP28 Faith Pavilion drew together people of many faiths. Some came for panel discussions. Some came for respite from negotiations. For all, it was an oasis within Dubai. The Friday, December 8, 2023 program, “Faith, Youth and COP28,” drew me.
The moderator was Abdulla Al Shehhi, Acting Executive Director of the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith home for a mosque, a church and a synagogue.
Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque
St. Francis Church
Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue
The panelists represented viewpoints from the perspectives of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
HE Omar Saif Ghobash, Advisor to the United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to the Holy See, spoke about his hopes for continuing Muslim dialogue on care for creation. He also discussed his publication, “Letters to a Young Muslim.”
Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, Apostolic Nuncio to the United Arab Emirates, highlighted the need to address the loss and damage experienced by youth living in particularly vulnerable parts of the world.
Rabbi David Rosen, English-Israeli Special Advisor to the Abrahamic Family House, offered perspective. He sees hope in the increasing interfaith collaborations, as exemplified by the Faith Pavilion at COP28. Rabbi Rosen was honored by Queen Elizabeth ll for his distinguished career in “promoting interfaith understanding and cooperation.”
The opportunity to speak informally with each other before and after the panel presentation enhanced the experience of being in the Faith Pavilion.
Rabbi David Rosen
Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Italian Prelate of the Catholic Church and Apostolic Vicar of the Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia
Dec 19, 2023 | #PressRelease, #Stories
Story by Stephanie Martin Taylor, Canon for Communications, with additional information about the gallery provided by Davey Gerhard, Canon for Stewardship
The portrait is part of a newly restored gallery at the Diocesan House in San Francisco
[San Francisco, December 19, 2023] – The official portrait of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Andrus, the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, is now on permanent display at Diocesan House, the Episcopal Diocese of California’s headquarters at 1055 Taylor Street in San Francisco. The portrait, created by renowned San Francisco-based artist Dan Bayless, is a vibrant and soulful tribute to Andrus, who is retiring in July 2024.
Bayless is a longtime friend of Bishop Marc and Dr. Sheila Andrus, whom he met while serving as a trustee at Grace Cathedral. Over the years, the Andrus’ have collected several of his paintings, including one that currently hangs over the mantel in the bishop’s office. At Bishop Andrus’ request, Bayless was commissioned to paint his official portrait, a longstanding tradition in the diocese.
“The phenomenal artist, Daniel Bayless has done two things for which I’m incredibly grateful: First, he took all the portraits of the Bishops of California who came before me, from Bishop Kip in 1849 until today, reframed them, and rehung them in Diocesan House,” said Bishop Andrus shortly after the painting’s unveiling Thursday, December 14. “Daniel also painted my portrait,” Andrus continued. “While I’m uncomfortable with being the subject of portraiture, I see the creation of this portrait as continuing the lineage of Episcopal leadership in our diocese,” he said.
Planning the new portrait gallery
Rather than hanging the seven previous bishops’ portraits in chronological order, Andrus and Bayless decided to rehang them in a way that put each in its best aesthetic light. “The outcome of the reframing and rehanging is positively transformative – these amazing people, in whose lineage I gratefully and humbly stand, now cast light upon each other and outwards, collectively on us.” Andrus said.
Bayless studied the existing portrait collection before deciding how to approach his rendering of Bishop Andrus. “They’re all lovely, for the time,” Bayless said, “But Marc is a modern fellow, right? I don’t like the word progressive. He’s forward-thinking.” To reflect the dignity of the bishop’s position, Bayless chose to paint Bishop Andrus wearing his clerical collar and sitting in a chair in his office. But, for the most part, Bayless chose to depart from tradition, “So I didn’t want him in his vestments, and I wanted it to be somewhat casual rather than with a bible, or a staff, or the mitre.”
Then there was the question of how to capture Bishop Andrus’ climate justice work – a defining ministry of his episcopate. To do this, Bayless chose to surround the bishop’s figure with vibrant colors that range from deep indigo to grassy green to lemon yellow. “They remind me of what you see when you see a picture of the earth taken from space,” Bayless said, adding that the colors are what come to mind when he envisions a healthy planet.
Finally, to imbue the painting with even deeper meaning, Bayless painted lines of text, in Koine Greek, above and behind Andrus’ figure. “I asked him, in his darkest times. when he’s experiencing the most despair at the unfolding climate catastrophe, what sustains him?” The answer, Bayless said, was a Bible passage emphasizing the value of each individual (Matthew 10:29-31):
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Bayless said Andrus gave him “free rein” to paint the portrait however he wanted, and he kept it under wraps until the official unveiling, Thursday, December 14. After seeing the portrait for the first time, Andrus said he felt deeply honored to have sat as a subject for Bayless and to help bring the artist’s “brilliant and heartfelt” work to a wider audience, although “he’s quite famous as is,” Andrus said.
“So much thought, so much feeling went into this portrait,” Andrus continued. “Every detail of this beautiful work of art has meaning, and all of it coheres into a whole that is far more than the sum of its parts.”
Bayless’ work on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of California, including his reframing and rehanging of the seven previous bishops’ portraits, was funded by a group of generous donors. “I am so grateful that these faithful people, dear friends of ours, were able to support a great living artist,” Andrus said.
Further additions to the gallery
Throughout its history, the Episcopal Church in the Bay Area has been blessed by a diversity of voices and leaders as we preach and teach the Good News across our part of the world. To recognize this leadership, the gallery will be expanded in the coming weeks to include the portraits of four prophetic women:
- Nancy Grandfield, a parishioner at Epiphany, San Carlos whose lifetime of service and work with Episcopal Church Women (ECW) has brought strength and gifts to the diocese and to the whole Episcopal Church
- The Ven. Carolyn Bolton, Archdeacon and leader of African American women in the deaconate
- The Rev. Fran Toy, the first Asian-American woman priest ordained in the Diocese of California who has faithfully served many of the diocese’s communities of faith.
- The Rev. Madre Anna Lange Soto, who has ministered to monolingual and bilingual communities throughout the church, empowering Latinx voices of faith and spirit.
Framed in the same style as the bishops’ portraits, the portraits will showcase an inclusive, cohesive story of leadership and Gospel values in the Bay Area.
About Daniel Bayless
“The art of San Francisco artist Daniel Bayless captures the drama of the light, those fleeting moments when the delicate hand of nature caresses a bouquet, or gently twirls a body of water, creating a sparkling sea . . . His collectors include such luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor and the late Leonard Bernstein. His corporate collectors include The Disney Corporation, Omni Hotels, The Breakers, and MCrowd Dallas.” Click here to learn more.
About Bishop Marc Andrus
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Handley Andrus is the Eighth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, the Episcopal Church in the Bay Area. A renowned climate advocate, he leads the annual Episcopal Church delegation to the UN Climate Conference (COP). After serving as Bishop of California since 2006, Andrus is scheduled to retire in July 2024
Dec 12, 2023 | #Stories
Shared by The Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinner
Canon Debbie was invited by the Rector, The Rev. Aaron Klinefelter of St. Jude’s in Cupertino (home of Apple Computer) to preach and preside at the 8am and 10:30am Holy Eucharists. It was also the first time his Associate, The Rev. Dcn. Annalise Deal, was serving after her ordination on Dec. 8th.
In my homily, I discussed how hard it must have been for people to hear and accept the proclamations of John the Baptist because of his sharp rebukes to sinners and his strange, off-putting appearance. I linked this with how hard it is nowadays for us in American society to truly see and hear and try to understand one another, and make relational connections past our divisions.
I quoted much from David Brooks, in his recent appearance last month at the Commonwealth Club to promote his new book “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.” (https://youtu.be/JKXo5RReky4) He quoted some pretty sobering statistics regarding depression, loneliness, suicide, and lack of friends. He said, “We are living in some sort of vast emotional, relational, and spiritual crisis. It is as if people across society have lost the ability to see and understand one another, thus producing a culture that can be brutalizing and isolating.” In this epidemic of blindness, in which people feel they are not being truly seen, they can get angry and act out by being mean and/or, worse case, committing hate crimes and gun violence.
I reminded us that Jesus (in the 22 healing stories in the Synoptic Gospels) was all about encountering people one-on-one, seeing them with “generous eyes”, truly listening to them, being curious about who they really are, asking open-ended questions, and bringing them healing and a sense of being a whole, fully-seen, beloved human being.
I also reminded us that, in the baptismal and confirmation vows we took, we promised to seek and see the Christ in one another and love our neighbor as ourselves. As David Brooks promotes, we can intentionally try to see and know one another better (both friend and strangers alike) and make this society/world less isolated and a kinder, better interconnected, and Beloved Community. The Advent of Christ can be that close at hand, if we did what Jesus did in his relationships with all whom he encountered.
Dec 12, 2023 | #Stories
Story by Cn. Debbie Low-Skinner, photos by Peter G. Marcus of Marcus Photography
Bishop Marc Andrus presided and preached. He ordained two new priests: Lisa Virginia da Silva and Whitney Kay Wilson, and ordained nine new deacons: Annalise Brittany Deal, Benjamin Simon Dinglasan Jr., Rebekah Anne Hays Estera, Brendan Francis Nee, Jeremy Robert O’Neill, Calvin Payne-Taylor, David Thomas Poynor IV, Larisa Yeranig Shaterian. (Erin Wiens St. John, who was ill, will be ordained at a later date.)
Also in attendance, supporting the ordination of Tom Poyner, was the Bishop of Alabama, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry.
In his wonderful homily, Bishop Marc said to the ordinands that, “Spiritual practice is what you do outwardly for yourself inwardly. The Good Shepherd is a model as a path for spiritual practice. Your flock will see you as a leader and protector. Move with the Shepherd in the rhythms of life. Seek the lost, even leaving behind the 99 to bring that which was lost, disregarded, outside to be brought into the fold to make the flock one in heart, unity of love and charity, if not of the same mind or consensus.”
In this work, there is the call for the inner work of the Shepherd, to tend to that which has been alienated within yourself. The work of nurturing is yours (as well as the need for spiritual self-care) and the work to nurture the people of God whom you serve, who may be suffering, hungry, sinful. We are called to defend the Diocese, too, as well as defend the flock.
Thich Nhat Hanh said that we should guard and protect our inner selves. Watch what you let into your heart and disturb your peace. It may cost your life/ego, as Jesus Christ laid down his life as a testament of faithfulness. Sacrifice is what the shepherds did to care for their flock. And yet, when they were away from others in the pastures, they were able to see the stars and hear the angels. It was then God that became the shepherd to the shepherds. Remember to practice the inner life of the Good Shepherd.
Photos of the Diocesan December 8th Ordination Service by Peter G. Marcus.
View the full album
Nov 28, 2023 | #DidYouKnow, #Stories
Story and photos by the Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinne
[Monday, November 21] Hundreds of faith and civic leaders packed the large ballroom of the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco’s Japantown last week for the first in-person Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast since 2019. Hosted by the San Francisco Interfaith Council (SFIC), this year’s breakfast recognized the thirty-fifth year of the Interfaith Winter Shelter Program, which is jointly operated by the SFIC, Episcopal Community Services (ECS), and the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.
Special guests included House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Mayor London Breed, and SFIC founder Rita Semel, who is still going strong at 102 years old. Attendees also included State Senator Scott Wiener, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, City Attorney David Chiu, and many members of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors.
As in the past, the Diocese of California sponsored a table to support the SFIC’s Winter Shelter Program. Our representatives included Bishop Marc Andrus, Canon Stephanie Martin Taylor, and the Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinner. Other Episcopal sponsors included Episcopal Community Services (ECS) and Grace Cathedral. The Very. Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, the Rev. Canon Anna Rossi, the Very Rev. Eric Metoyer, and the Rev. Nancy Pennekamp were among the other Episcopal clergy in attendance.
Bishop Marc and other clergy who support and host the Winter Shelter were recognized with certificates. At the conclusion of the breakfast, Bishop Marc and Rabbis Jonathan and Beth Singer of Congregation Emanu-El, who are all retiring next year, were presented with silver SFIC pins. SFIC Executive Director Michael G. Pappas commended them on their many years of leadership in their faith communities, their support of the SFIC, and their service to the greater San Francisco community.
In Bishop Marc’s acceptance speech, he gave heartfelt thanks to his wife, Dr. Sheila Moore Andrus, for being his loving partner in life and in his environmental justice work throughout their 44 years of marriage. He encouraged the crowd to drop the idea that San Francisco is in a “bubble” and out of touch. He said we should think instead that we are all in an egg being mutually nurtured and prepared to give birth to new and wondrous things for the benefit of all in SF and beyond.
More about the Interfaith Winter Shelter Program
The Winter Shelter Program is held at the following host sites: the ECS Canon Kip Senior Center, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, the First Unitarian Universalist Church of SF, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. Volunteers from various churches serve to staff the shelter, where beds and meals are provided for the night. The shelter runs from November through March. Congregations interested in volunteering or providing meals can contact Paige Hosking at [email protected].
Nov 17, 2023 | #DidYouKnow, #FunFacts
Did you know? DioCal supports two university chaplaincies: one at UC Berkeley and one at Stanford. The university chaplains work with students, faculty, and staff to create spaces of welcome and belonging in the Episcopal tradition. Learn more about Cal Canterbury and Stanford Canterbury.
