Table of Contents

Civic Life, Democracy, and Human Destiny, by Bishop Dan Edwards

The #VegasStrong Healing March by Canon Catherine Gregg

Discipleship Programs Around the Diocese, by Steve Sims with Canon Catherine Gregg

Community Ministries in the Diocese of Nevada, by Peter Skewes-Cox

Trinity Cathedral Consecrated, by Lorell Guyton

2017 Accomplishments of the Nevadans for the Common Good

The Evangelist, by Lorell Guyton

10/1/17 Las Vegas Mass Shooting, by Mary Bredlau

Organizing the Service Following the Mass Shooting, by Barry Vaughn

Drafting the Liturgy of the Mass Shooting Vigil, by Anna Howell

A prayer as we seek the 11th Bishop of Nevada: Lord Jesus, good shepherd of our souls, govern and direct your Holy Church and especially this diocese of Nevada as we choose a new bishop to lead and care for your people. Guide the minds of the members of our Standing Committee and Search Committee that we may receive a faithful servant who will support us in our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Una oración mientras buscamos al 11° Obispo de Nevada: Señor Jesús, buen pastor de nuestras almas, gobierna y dirige tu Santa Iglesia y especialmente esta diócesis de Nevada mientras elegimos un nuevo obispo para dirigir y cuidar a tu pueblo. Guíe las mentes de los miembros de nuestro Comité Permanente y del Comité de Búsqueda para que podamos recibir un servidor fiel que nos respalde en nuestros ministerios; través de Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

CIVIC LIFE, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN DESTINY BY BISHOP DAN EDWARDS

Society is torn. There is so much acrimony and division these days over political ideologies, race, gender, religion, and most anything people can imagine to divide up over. I would have thought that was clear, but in a recent social media post by the Southern Poverty Law Center showing a photo of a toddler in a KKK outfit, comments came back defensively denying that we are in significant conflict. We are even in conflict over whether we are in conflict. One clear indicator of our divisions, hate crime, is indisputably and dramatically on the rise.i When the present day is all shouting and spin, it helps to draw wisdom from the past, including the spiritual wisdom of folks like St. Paul. Much that is implicit in Paul’s swirling metaphors and pleas for people to treat each other more kindly is out front and explicit in Aristotle. That’s because Aristotle was a prosaic philosopher while Paul was a poetic mystic. But they agreed on some basics. Aristotle said, Humans are political animals. He didn’t mean we like jockeying for power in partisan contests. He meant we are wired to live in relationship with a community.ii It is not good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2: 18 Aristotle taught that we are all born with a destiny, not to do something or acquire something, but to become someone. We are each on our way toward becoming the person we were made to be – though whether we become that person or not is up to us. It depends on how we live. We are all meant to become fully human. We become fully human through the development of our characters. A character is a deeply engrained pattern of behavior.

Aristotle called a good pattern an arête or virtue. We form and strengthen virtue though life in community. Modern philosophers like Emanuel Levinas, Jurgen Moltmann, and Martha Nussbaum and depth psychologists like Melanie Klein and Donald Winnicott agree that we become ourselves through relationship and conversation. That is why the Bible is consistent in saying we are called to live in covenant with one another. Pause here to notice the difference in how we understand our city, state, nation, and world. They are not a necessary evil, not a regrettable infringement on our individualistic liberty, but the field on which we exercise virtue and become who God made us to be. Aristotle thought the city-state should be organized precisely for the purpose of growing virtue – not maximizing wealth but growing virtue.iii The Pilgrims founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony to be a society where Christian virtue could flourish. Calvin did the same in Geneva.iv The forefathers forged American democracy with the notion that participation in democratic processes – if we do it right – would grow our characters. There are always people who want to withdraw from the fray and take refuge in the private life of self, family, and friends. They deny any responsibility for what happens in the public square and embrace passivity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIxScJ5rlY Similarly, many hope the Church will be a sanctuary where we do not think about real life issues of justice and mercy. But those escapist strategies deny our nature as wired for community and the role of the Church in expressing the moral side of public issues. The 19th Century French sociologist Alexis de Tocqueville did a classic study of American society, Democracy In America. He examined the American character with the question: why does democracy work there when it hasn’t fared well elsewhere?v He found that we were doing democracy quite well but that American culture had a tragic flaw that would likely sooner or later spell the doom of democratic society – individualism. Think I Did It My Way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6gBw-tK82E Or My Life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3JFEfdK_Ls Spiritually, individualism denies our nature as wired for community and rejects the hard task of becoming fully human through relationships. Politically, individualism is the path to the everyman for

himself riot that, according to Thomas Hobbes,vi we establish government to overcome. The Biblical book of Judges recounts one disastrous story after another, explaining each with this recurring one-liner explanation, In those days there was no king in Israel and each man did what was right in his own eyes.vii But de Tocqueville said there was one hope for us. He believed our participation in voluntary associations, especially and above all churches, would allow us to cultivate the civic virtues necessary to live together in peace and govern ourselves wisely. For Alexis de Tocqueville a church is a gymnasium in which we strengthen the virtues without which civilization is impossible. I would agree but say that cultivating those virtues is not just for a political purpose – it how we grow into the likeness of Christ.

And we, who with unveiled faces, contemplate the glory of our Lord, are being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory. 2 Corinthians 3: 18 For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son so that he might become the firstborn of many brethren. Romans 8: 29 Do not merely look after your own interests, but also the interests of others. Have this attitude in you that was in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2: 4-5

The goal of the Christian life is to become fully human as Christ is fully human, to cultivate in ourselves the qualities of character that made Jesus the Christ.viii If de Tocqueville is right that the virtues we learn especially in Church, but also other voluntary associations, are necessary to democratic society, is it any coincidence that the decline in Church attendance and membership in other voluntary associations has occurred at the same time as the current dysfunction of our political life?ix If the departure from the Church produces this political disarray, then political disarray is a symptom of an even more serious spiritual malaise in society. That’s what Parker Palmer says in Healing the

Heart of Democracy.x Palmer argues that we need to form groups to intentionally practice the virtues that are essential to civic life. This brings us back to St. Paul. It is often said that Paul junked the law in favor of a libertine life in which all is forgiven so anything goes. Not so! Paul shifted from the rule-based ethics of the Torah to a virtue-based ethics like that taught by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and other great minds of the Ancient World. Instead of thou shalt do this and thou shalt not do that, Paul wrote, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5: 22-23 Paul rejected rule-following ethics in favor of growing a character with a skeleton of strong virtues. Paul’s virtue ethics became the basis for Christian morality to this very day.xi The foundation of Christian moral life is The Three Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope, & Love)xii and The Four Cardinal Virtues (Prudence, Temperance, Justice, and Fortitude)xiii. We grow more like Jesus through practicing these seven virtues intentionally in our relationships with each other. Church is the best place to work on forming our characters, but we spend most of our time in the secular world, so that is where the virtues must be practiced day in and day out. Any understanding of Christian morality begins with knowing and understanding the Big Seven Virtues. The words don’t always mean exactly what we might expect from how they are used ordinarily. So, we need a bit of vocabulary clarification. Faith is not holding the right theological opinions. It is closer to what psychoanalyst Erik Erikson called basic trust. It is the capacity to trust others enough to be in relationship with them. At the psychological level, it is the first step in psychosocial development. But theologically, it is even more important. It is trust in God which amounts to trusting Reality itself to be meaningful and good. Without trust, we live in fear and loathing. Faith set us free from that misery and makes life possible. Faith in the coherence of the world is the essential foundation for science. Faith in the meaningfulness of words is the foundation of language. Without faith, we are lost.

Hope is believing in the good no matter how hidden it may be. It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. The things that are essential are invisible to the eye. Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Hope is the heart seeing the invisible beauty of the world, and daring to believe that it will one day flourish. There is in all things visible . . . a hidden wholeness, wrote Thomas Merton. Hope is the antidote to despair. Despair is suicide, mass violence, addiction, and cynicism. Hope is the Man of La Mancha dreaming the impossible dream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsYrpejAYw The practice of all the virtues is rooted in the transcendent hope for our own transformation into the likeness of Christ. We are God’s children now. It does not yet appear what we shall be. But when he appears, we shall be like him. I John 3: 2 Emily Dickinson said: Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all And sweetest in the Gale is heard And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. Love in this sense is not romantic or sentimental. It isn’t the special affection we feel for our lover, friend, or child. It is appreciating and caring for another person just because they are a person. It is loving their humanity. That applies to all people equally. Other kinds of love single out people for preference. They are not wrong, but this kind of love is the greatest love of all and is the foundation for doing all other loves well.xiv This love extends to everyone. It is what we mean by the Baptismal Vow to seek and serve Christ in all persons. Prudence is the “mother of all virtues,” the virtue without which none of the others is possible. in day to day speech prudence means being careful -- but not in moral theology. Prudence is the wisdom to see things as they really are – not as we wish they were, not as we are afraid they might be, but as they really are – not through the lens of any ideology or prejudice. It is daring to look reality in the face. There is a crude but apt illustration in the movie LBJ, when the President

says to his fellow Texan, Senator Ralph Yarborough, Ralph, you’ve got a goooood heart, but s%$* for brains. Faith, hope, and love would all be a fantasy if they were just make believe, and not facing the world as it is, people as they are. Prudence sees thing as they are and acts wisely in the situation, like a gambler knowing when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj4nJ1YEAp4 There are two things we have to know first before any other prudence/knowledge is possible. First, we have to know ourselves because everything else we see, we see through the lens of our own psyches. The Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks inscribed the proverb everywhere know yourself. The Greeks had story after story of people who had been told true prophesies, but rushed headlong into disaster because they did misread the prophesies – misread them through the lens of their own selves. We have to know ourselves to see rightly. The second thing we have to know is how much we do not know. Certainty closes the mind. Curiosity opens it. Wisdom is possible only if we are not too sure of ourselves, only if we dare to turn to wonder. We are usually wiser when we wondering. Temperance in moral theology isn’t just about how much you drink. It’s balance. Parker Palmer says that the big truths of life are usually paradox, two conflicting propositions or attitudes. For example, he talks about the wisdom of chutzpah and the wisdom of humility. They are both essential to a well-lived life. But they pull in opposite directions. It is hard to hold the tension, to live in the tension; so, we tend to drop one half and live in the other. We may be brash fools or timid shrinking violets. A virtuous life has both chutzpah and humility. That is just one example. Life is full of paradox. It can only be lived fully if we are disciplined and strong enough to hold the tension. https://onbeing.org/blog/autumn-a-season-of-paradox/ Political extremism of either right or left, like religious fanaticism, is a flight from paradox and therefore reality. Temperance is wise action, right action the Buddhists call it, in the actual situation. It is knowing what time it is. It is restraint when restraint is needed, boldness when boldness is needed. Think of the Serenity Prayer.

http://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/protestant/addiction/serenity-prayer.aspx That is temperance. Fortitude is strength and courage. It is determination to live bravely. For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power (fortitude) and of love and of a sound mind (prudence). 2 Timothy 1: 7 This is a particular time of anxiety, a time when the spirit of fear seizes so many and they lash out in anger against the people and the forces they perceive as a threat. Fortitude is living boldly out of faith instead of cringing or reacting in fear. Let us not be naïve. Practicing the virtues isn’t easy. It will get us into all manner of trouble. But as Zorba the Greek (Nikos Kazantzakis) said, Trouble? Life is trouble. Only in death is there no trouble. Theologian Paul Tillich called it The Courage To Be. Life takes courage. We grow in courage thorugh daring to take the risk to be virtuous. The imperative sentence Jesus spoke most often to his disciples was do not be afraid. Notice he did not say do not feel afraid. He said do not be afraid. Do not live in fear. Do not act out of fear. Do not let fear block the gate between you and your real life. Scott Bader-Saye has written an excellent short book on how the fearless life of a disciple sets us apart from the fear-based culture of our time, Following Jesus In A Culture Of Fear. https://www.amazon.com/Following-Culture-Christian-Practice-Everyday/dp/1587431920 When I see all the racist, nationalist, nativist, religious and other forms of hatred rampant today, I find that when we scrape the veneer of hatred just a little, we almost always find cringing fear beneath it. Fortitude – strength and courage – are essential to the fully human life. That’s why we pray over our confirmands, Strengthen O Lord your servant . . . ‘ Justice is a tricky word indeed. We generally speak of four kinds of justice: distributive (a fair division of resources); procedural (a level playing field process in which all voices are heard); restorative (putting people back in the position they were in before suffering a wrong), and retributive (punishment that fits the crime).xv Clearly justice is at the core of Biblical morality. Let justice roll down like the waters and righteousness like an overflowing stream. Amos 5: 24; Follow justice and justice alone that you may live in peace . . . Deuteronomy 16:20.

The four kinds of justice listed above make sense in a society but what is justice as a personal characteristic? What is a just person? We cannot hope to make a just society without just people. Three sources help us understand how justice can be part of who we are inside. First, the Bible links justice to right relationship. Think of proper boundaries, such as an employer who does not abuse power in relationship to employees. It involves promise keeping, but in the Bible, it also means care for the needy. Their need constitutes a relationship, makes a claim upon us. Listen to the weeping of my people. Jeremiah 8: 19. Second, our old friend Aristotle sees justice as a kind of balance related to temperance. A just person wants only what is fairly his own – in terms of wealth, fame, attention, etc. The just person wants others to have their fair share. Injustice is overreaching, greed if you will. Third, the theologian who translated Aristotle into Christianity was St. Thomas Aquinas. He said, Justice (is) . . . the habit by which one renders to each his right or due with a constant and perpetual will.xvi But what is their right or due? Here’s the Christian spin: Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. And who is my neighbor? the lawyer asked. Jesus answered with the story of the Good Samaritan – wrong race, wrong religion, wrong nationality – but he showed love across those lines of difference. The neighbor is anyone we have the opportunity to help. Luke 10: 25-37 According to St. Thomas, the habit of offering such help with a constant and perpetual will is the mark of a just person. Conclusion. This is a challenging time. Challenging times are the crucible in which character is formed. I invite you to imagine a society, not a utopia, but a society in which the Big Seven Virtues prevailed more often than not. We would not always agree, but we would manage our disagreements according to the virtues. We would not avert our eyes from facts that do not fit our ideology. We would not let fear override our natural impulses of compassion We would practice loving others as ourselves instead of putting ourselves first. Now imagine practicing for that kind of public life in our congregations. Imagine treating each other according to the

teachings of Christian morality. Church is rightly said to be a hospital for sinners, not a resort for saints. We would be foolish to expect congregations to be populated with people who have mastered the virtues. But we might expect congregations to be populated by people who are working on them. We might expect congregations to make striving for the virtues a norm of church life. If we did that, parish life might become de Tocqueville’s moral gymnasium. Now imagine yourself, growing day by day in each of these virtues. It would not make us richer or more powerful, but it could not fail to make us wiser and happier, kinder and more serene. That is the life to which Christ invites us. May we have the wisdom to hear his invitation and follow his call.

iHatecrimesincreasedin2016,especiallyreligiousbasedhatecrimes,withviolenceagainstJewssignificantlyhigherthanviolenceagainstMuslims.2016’sincreaseof5%wasconsideredsignificant.So,farcitiesofover250,000populationarereportinga20%increaseinhatecrimesfor2017!iiLiterallyhemeantwewerewiredtoliveinapolis,aself‐governingcity‐stateinwhichthepeopledecidedhowthingsshouldbedone.iiiMarcusAureliussaidthatthesevirtueswerethetruegoodsoflife,asopposedtowealthorthingsthatconducetoluxuryorprestige.ivMostofuswouldsaythecoerciveapproachofMassachusettsBayColonyandGenevawerenotagoodwaytohelppeopleinternalizevirtue.Butthepointistheyworkedfromthepremisethatthenameofthegameisshapingthesoul.vTheFrenchRevolutionhadseenademocracymovementcollapseintoareignofterror.AnotherwaveofdemocraticrevolutionswouldsweepEuropein1848butallbebeatendown.DemocracyinEuropewasstilldecadesawayindeTocqueville’sday.So,Americanswereacuriosity.vi17thCenturyEnglishpoliticalphilosopher,authorofLeviathanviiJudges17:6;18:1;19:1;21:25.

viiiThecommonnotionthatChristianityisallaboutgoingtoHeavenandavoidingHellisunfortunate.BiblicalChristianity,whichisalsotraditionalorthodoxChristianity,isareligionfocusedonwhowebecomeforthesakeofourrelationshipwithGod,andthatrelationshiphappensatleastfornowprimarilyinourrelationshipwitheachother.ixhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Alonexhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/healing‐the‐heart‐of‐democracy/id905669093?mt=11xiInthe18thCentury,philosopherslikeKantattemptedtoreconstructarule‐basedethicsbasedonreason.Thatwasnotatotalfailurebutitwasmostlyafailure.Philosophytodayhasreturnedtovirtueethics.TheleadingexampleisAlasdairMacintyre,AfterVirtue.xii1Corinthians3:13xiiiWisdomofSolomon8:7;Plato,TheRepublic;Aristotle,TheRhetoric;Cicero,DeOfficiis;MarcusAurelius,Meditations.xivhttps://www.amazon.com/Four‐Loves‐C‐S‐Lewis/dp/0062565397/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514758883&sr=8‐1&keywords=cs+lewis+the+four+lovesxvhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/trust/four_justice.htmxviTomasAquinas,TreatiseOnJustice,Question58

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DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAMS AROUND THE DIOCESE BY CANON CATHERINE GREGG

Meditative walks? Lively dinner groups? Discussing God over drinks at a local watering hole The journey of Christian discipleship follows many paths, as evidenced by a recent gathering of educators and formation leaders at the diocesan convention in Reno. In addition to traditional educational forums and study groups on Sunday mornings, parishes throughout the Diocese are trying new ways of engaging community members to deepen their walk with Christ. Participants shared successful programs, including these:

Grace in the Desert in Las Vegas, for example, has maintained its “Holy Doubt” group for 20- and 30-somethings since 2014; members meet monthly for dinner and build close relationships that overflow into the broader parish community.

Grace has also instituted a series of labyrinth walks in their backyard, a slow and prayerful practice that taps into a centuries-old Christian tradition.

St. Patrick’s in Incline Village hosts a Conversation Café that brings parishioners into dinner conversation with local English language learners. New and potential programs were discussed as well.

St. Paul’s in Sparks is planning a Theology on Tap ministry, which sets up informal conversations about faith in a local brewpub for long-time parishioners and spiritual seekers alike.

A group in Southern Nevada, “Going Deeper”, is bringing people together the third Saturday of each month for a morning “mini-retreat” to explore contemplative prayer practices in an ecumenical setting with other Christian denominations.

The unifying theme among the diverse programs discussed at Convention is simple: the Church can and should be creative in the ways it forms disciples and extends the gospel out into the community. The liturgy will always be the heart of our life together, but the means by which we grow in faith are as diverse as the communities in which we live.

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What is your parish doing or dreaming up? For more information and resources, please contact Canon Catherine Gregg at cgregg@episcopalnevada.org or visit http://www.episcopalnevada.org/Governance/formation-resources.html.

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#VEGASSTRONG HEALING MARCH … FEATURING CANON CATHERINE GREGG! By Steve Sims (with assistance from Canon Catherine)

The shooting that occurred this past October 1 on the southern part of the Las Vegas Strip were a shock, a terrible tragedy to so many in our community and throughout our parish. Elsewhere in this issue, you will find articles from Anna Howell on preparing the liturgy; from The Rev. Barry Vaughn on preparing the vigil; and from The Rev. Mary Bredlau on working with the first responders, and the role she played as a chaplain in the Clark County Coroner’s office. On November 9th, 2017, Culinary Workers’ Union Local 226 led a march was down the Las Vegas Strip. It was a healing march in each sense of the word. Canon Catherine participated in the parade as part of an interfaith assembly of clergy leading from the front!

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The Las Vegas Sun article on the march, which drew in the thousands, can be read here.

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COMMUNITY MINISTRIES IN THE DIOCESE OF NEVADA: REPORTS FROM DIOCESAN CONVENTION By Peter Skewes-Cox

Breakout room Mandalay 3 at Circus Circus Reno was set up with 15 chairs in a circle to discuss community ministries. The discussion started one minute early with 13 people in the room. At 1:30pm, additional folks started streaming into the room, so we grabbed some more chairs. And more chairs. By 1:40pm, we had over 50 people crammed into the room, representing: Boulder City, St. Christopher’s Carson City, St Peters Elko, St Pauls Fallon, Holy Trinity Glenbrook, St Johns Henderson, St Timothy’s Incline Village, St Patricks Las Vegas, All Saints Las Vegas, Christ Episcopal

Las Vegas, Grace in the Desert Las Vegas, St Matthews Las Vegas, St Thomas Minden, Coventry Cross, Reno, St Catherine of Siena Reno, Trinity Cathedral Silver Springs, St Hugh of Lincoln Sparks, St Pauls

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It took us past 2:20 pm to get around the room once: an incredible list of active community ministries, especially notable because of the deep insights into local needs, and all the partnering: partnering with other Episcopal parishes, partnering with other faith communities and partnering with local community nonprofit and governmental organizations. Ministries included multiple feeding, food bank and crockpot cooking programs, clothing programs and thrift shops, baby bundles for newborns, senior bundles for nursing homes, prayers shawls and quilts, local school and neighborhood partnerships, community drop-in and counseling centers, caregiver support groups, chronic disease and severe illness support groups, grief and loss support groups, 12 Step programs, Circles of Support for families living in poverty working towards self-sufficiency, Veteran’s Guest House for veterans travelling to the VA Hospital, Eddy House for homeless youth, Our Center supporting the LGBTQ community, English language classes, refugee resettlement, Galilee camperships, temporary and transitional housing. We also heard about state and national advocacy ministries, including Faith in Action and Creation Justice, along with the continuing work of Nevadans for the Common Good. There was interest and enthusiasm for Nevadans for the Common Good, which includes all of our Las Vegas and Boulder City parishes, to expand from Southern Nevada to the rest of the state. The people of the Diocese of Nevada are living out our call from the Baptismal Covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.

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OUTREACH MINISTRIES BY PARISH Boulder City: St Christopher’s

Animal Control: Provide needed supplies on the 1st Sunday Friends in the Desert: provide casseroles and help feed on the 3rd Saturday Jump Start Kitchen: Provide crockpots, instruction and recipes twice a month for

people interested in cooking with the ingredients available from Emergency Aid Regular Stipend to Boulder City Emergency Aid & drives during the year for

specifics, i.e., canned goods, papergoods, hygiene products etc. Something Else – A committee committed to helping with financial support for all

kinds of situations. Working with State Programs (Darlene Dufault) to provide: Back-to-School

Clothing for Children in the Fall and another like project for Easter, Angel Program during the Winter to provide blankets for children (not specifically a Christmas program as many programs will remember Children at Christmas but they can be forgotten at other times of the year.)

Collection of materials in conjunction with the Boulder City United Methodist Church to provide plastic shopping bags that are woven into mats as cushion and water barriers for homeless people to sleep on.

Clergy Specific – Providing Pro Bono services in the form of Funerals for the Homeless, Vet’s, and those living at or below the poverty level in conjunction with Boulder City and the Greater Las Vegas Area Funeral Homes

Bullhead City: Holy Spirit

School supplies for the classrooms of the students who attend Holy Spirit. The children are very proud of this outreach and invite their classmates to church.

Pool party on the last Sunday of July: Lease the park and invite the community to hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages and potluck.

Carson City: St. Peter’s

Hosting the Capital City CIRCLES Initiative every Wednesday evening, creating a support net empowering families to extract themselves from poverty, building assets through across-class-lines friendships & higher education

Hosting the Gratitude Garden on church property for CIRCLES families & neighbors in need of fresh vegetables, with parishioners offering instruction on the art of cooking with fresh ingredients & good nutrition

Spearheading an Ecumenical Prayer Shawl ministry to support people worldwide oppressed by disease or displacement, with accompanying prayers of the people in the parish

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Organizing Thanksgiving & Christmas food baskets for individuals & families in need through the food pantry at FISH (Friends In Service Helping)

Donating food items & funds to Food For Thought, feeding homeless children through Carson City schools

Staffing & hosting the Interfaith Cold Weather Homeless Shelter initiative November through March in Carson City

Hosting the monthly Wine Walk in partnership with the Carson City Downtown Business Association

Participating in the Carson City Interfaith Refugee Resettlement initiative, currently working with a family from Afghanistan, tutoring the children, providing transportation, hosting baby showers for the newborn

Caregivers Support Group convened by Dr Deb Cash which meets on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays each month to assist caregivers, provide resources & support.

Elko: St. Paul’s

Fundraisers for Friends for Life, a nonprofit that assists families with special needs, especially medical needs. The most recent event was a spaghetti dinner to raise funds for a handicapped accessible van for a woman who has trouble finding transportation to the doctor.

Ely: St. Bartholomew’s

CACH, Committee Against Childhood Hunger, provides daypacks to supply needy children at six area schools with food for the weekend. St. Bart’s partners with Catholic Charities and County Social Services.

Provide space for 4H for weekly sewing classes and once a month for a quilters’ guild

Provide guitar lessons for at risk teens whenever local district judges refer someone for adult mentoring.

Fallon: Holy Trinity

Let's Talk Grief Financial support to Saint Hugh's/St. John's - Silver Stage area Worship Leader/Clergy support to Saint Hugh of Lincoln in Silver Springs Distribute candy at Fallon's downtown Halloween celebration Participate in 4th of July/Labor Day parades (we have a replica of our church that

rides on a float while members distribute water to the crowd) Discipleship classes, Bible study, Book club Community prayer every Wednesday at noon

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Providing over 60 bags of necessities for the homeless Organizing several Thanksgiving/Christmas food baskets for those in need Filling the gift needs of children and seniors by way of the "Angel Trees" in local

stores Collecting food for Thanksgiving distribution Recycling plastics, cans, and cardboard Participating in the Fallon Ministerial Alliance through meetings and outreach

with other denominations Donating money and hands-on work to both of the animal welfare/protection

groups in Churchill County (Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Fire Department, FAWG, to name a few)

Donating to E.R.D. Helping support the local Youth Club Helping support a local food pantry and free dinners for those in need Handing out free water during the July 4th parade, plus also ride a church float

and throw candy to the kids At the Fallon Christmas Tree Lighting in December we give out free hot chocolate

and cookies Henderson: St. Timothy’s

Partner with Friends In the Desert - 6 days a week hot meals served to those in need of a meal. This program also has monthly blood pressure checks and medical screening conducted by Turo University nursing students, monthly free haircuts, and help in recovering IDs. Clothing, blankets, and hygiene supplies are also provided

Sack Lunch ministry prepares lunches for Friends in the Desert on a monthly basis.

Marge Kean Hat ministry is a program named for one of the founders of Friends In the Desert that provides knitted hats, gloves, and scarves for the guests of FID.

Weekly Nursing home ministry that has members visiting the Lake Mead Nursing Home (and the Veterans' Home) to pray and sing with the residents

International outreach by supporting Kenya KEEP and The Gift of Sight non-profit organizations through donations and unused glasses. The donations are for different programs conducted by Kenya KEEP in Kenya. The unused glasses are distributed to residents of Kenya, Haiti, Vietnam, and the Philippines through The Gift of Sight during their yearly eye missions to these countries.

Provides weekly meeting space to Alcoholics and Gamblers Anonymous Las Vegas: All Saints’

Epicenter on Maryland Food Bank:

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o A Team of three volunteers distribute food every Friday at Christ Church Episcopal’s Epicenter Food Bank.

o The parish collects food and water weekly, along with bread which are delivered weekly to Epicenter.

o Depending on the week of the month, we serve between 30 and 80+ households weekly.

Gibson Middle School Support: CONTACT JOAN McCLENAHAN or WHOMEVER is doing this now.

o Provide Backpacks at the beginning of the year to students o Provide winter jackets and sweatshirts each year o Provide Christmas Baskets of Food o Provide Easter Baskets of Food

Provide Camperships for youth at Camp Galilee Support Recovery Programs

o AA Meetings o NA Meetings o GA Meetings

Las Vegas: Christ Church

Amazing Grace, works with the Presbyterians to serve dinner to the homeless on Wednesdays.

Helps to support Family Promise to provide meals and short-term shelter to the homeless

The Epicenter Food Pantry is available Tuesday through Friday, 10:00-12:00 Treasure House, thrift store and boutique, provides funds for outreach.

Las Vegas: Epiphany

Supports the mission of Community in the Schools by providing school supplies. Provides non-perishable food such as snack crackers, canned fruit, peanut butter

and jelly and soup for the Epicenter Food Pantry. Gabriel’s Gift provides travel-sized toiletries, bottled water, sunscreen, lip balm,

and non-perishable snacks for homeless The Just One Project creates projects to support at risk and low-income families

by putting sponsors and volunteers face to face with the people they are serving. Las Vegas: Grace in the Desert

In addition to supporting Family Promise, the parish provides Thanksgiving baskets for the needy.

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Las Vegas: St. Luke’s Undertakes a canned goods drive for the homeless. Each Christmas, the parish collects donations of money for a needy family.

Las Vegas: St. Matthew’s

Harley Harmon Elementary o school supplies o deodorant for 5th-grade health o holiday family support o pending service project still under wraps

Holiday scarves for the homeless/low income at Christ Church Peanut butter night at Super Summer Theater (recipients) for our food cupboard

and community sharing Labyrinth project developing in the neighborhood (under construction) Small active food cupboard

Lovelock: Grace-St. Francis

Administers the Pershing County Food Bank Distributes food to clients

Pahrump: St. Martin in the Desert

Nye County Coalition Shoe Box Ministry Camp Galilee Nye County Coalition Teachers recognition Episcopal community Senior Center

Reno: Trinity Cathedral Mission 1 and 2

Proclaiming the Gospel Bible and Books Youth Group Education Wednesdays

o Adult o Children

Mission 3 Respond to human need by loving service Angel Tree: Fills Christmas Wishes for children in Title 1 Schools Baby Bundles Provides layettes for new-born babies

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Design and Sew Diapers: Cut from Tee shirts, destination Haiti (dormant) Naomi and Ruth: Responds to those suffering a loss due to a transition in their

life. Prayer Shawls: Gives Comfort Sleeping Mats: Provides ground cover for the homeless (dormant)

Mission 4 Seek to transform unjust structures of society Refugee Resettlement-A consortium of 4 Episcopal Churches in Northern Nevada Sack Lunch Program for the Homeless Mon-Wed-Fri Nevadans for the Common Good (in the wings for a group in Northern Nevada)

Silver Springs: St. Hugh of Lincoln

Operates outreach center distributing clothing and other items to clients Offers free breakfast monthly to everyone

Sparks: St. Paul’s

Winter Overflow Homeless Shelter Prayers and Squares Quilts The Community Food Pantry LGBTQ Support-Northern Nevada PRIDE Youth Blessing Bags to the Homeless Environmental Advocacy Ashes to Go outside the public library Angel Tree Support of the Anglican Church in Jerusalem United Blood Services Parish Blood Drives Back to School Supplies and Backpacks Neighborhood Blessing of the Animals International Development Missions Medical Clinic in Kenya Episcopal Relief and Development Feed Homeless Youth at Eddy House Shriner’s Hospital Can Tab Drive Refugee Relocation Sponsors Summer Camp Sponsorship Neighborhood Trunk or Treat Elementary Reading Mentors Crop Walk for the Hungry Host 12 Step Support Groups, English and Spanish United Thank Offering Kairos Prison Ministry CDSP 1% income to Seminary Support

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St. Paul’s Seminarian support Seminary of the Southwest Prayer Team Host BACA (Bikers against Child Abuse) Clergy Discretionary Fund Safe Embrace Women’s Shelter Awaken: A local faith-based non-profit fighting human trafficking/sexual

exploitation and provides housing and restoration for victims Every parish in Southern Nevada belongs to Nevadans for the Common Good.

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TRINITY EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL IS CONSECRATED IN A HISTORIC CEREMONY BY LORELL C. GUYDON - CHRIST CHURCH, LAS VEGAS

Trinity Church, Reno was designated as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Nevada in late 2016. On October 6, 2017 – during the 47th Annual Diocesan Convention – the Consecration of the Cathedral was combined with the Convention Eucharist in a grand and glorious event, making Trinity Cathedral the first-ever cathedral in the history of the Diocese of Nevada. The service began outside the church: The Rt. Reverend Dan Edwards, Bishop, stood at the top of the steps just in front of the closed doors leading into Trinity Church. Immediately behind him were members of the clergy followed by the choir. There was an air of mystery and spiritual excitement as the

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bishop and clergy, in their ornate vestments and the robed choir stood in hushed silence in the brilliant afternoon sun. Suddenly, the Bishop’s clear and steady voice peeled out:

“Through the ages, Almighty God has moved people to build houses of worship in our communities. Since the early days of our faith, God has appointed bishops to call these different communities into Communion with one another as the Body of Christ. A particular house of worship is the Bishop’s seat and serves as the focal point of unity, in which all of the communities share a sense of togetherness and belonging. With gratitude to God for our Communion as the Diocese of Nevada, we are now gathered to dedicate and consecrate this house of worship as our Cathedral.”

The Bishop then turned, and with his staff raised high, gave a symbolic rap on the big double doors, saying, “Let the doors be opened.” Voices from inside asked, “Who seeks admission to this house?” The Bishop responds, “Dan, 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Nevada.” With that, the doors swung open, the Dean and Vestry admit him and say, “We recognize and welcome you as our Bishop, we invite you to take your seat in your cathedra.” Pastoral staff in hand, the Bishop marks the threshold with the sign of the cross, saying, “Peace to this house and to all who enter here, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”* Then the Bishop, the Dean, the Vestry, clergy, and choir made their way to the sanctuary and choir stalls. Organ music filled to the rafters with gladsome words of the processional hymn, ‘We are all one in mission’. The majestic nave was filled to capacity with parishioners, family/friends, guests, and convention delegates. The Consecration Service included: Welcome with notes on the history of Trinity by The Very Rev. Dr. William Stomski, Dean of the Cathedral and Rector of Trinity; Sermon by The Rev. Susan Springer, Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Boulder, Colorado; Music and Choir Direction by Dr. Matthew Estes, Director of Music at Trinity; The Baptismal Covenant; Renewal of Ordination Vows; and Commissioning of the Standing Committee, conducted by The Right Rev. Dan Edwards, Bishop of the Diocese of Nevada.

Welcome and History The Dean began with a hearty welcome to all… “for being a part of this historic event. So how did we get to this day in becoming the Cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada? … a process going on prior to the 1920’s?”, he asked.

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“Historically, despite being a part of the Territory of Utah, as a church in the northern area of Nevada, we were born separately. It was the Rt. Rev. Ozzie Whittaker, the founding father of Episcopal Christianity in Nevada, who conducted the first Reno church service on October 16, 1870 in the ‘School House’ which gave birth to Trinity Church.” With this opening, the Dean went on to chronicle the progression of Trinity’s quest to become a cathedral from 1924 to the Trinity Church building today which was, “completed and consecrated by Bishop Lewis on 25th of September 1949.” Though the progress was linear, there were some twists, pauses and setbacks (e.g., The Great Depression, WW II) and delays. The Dean’s historical account gives the names of bishops, rectors, architects, and others involved, over time, - and the various stages of fundraising - in the plans to erect a cathedral church for the Diocese of Nevada. But that goal was never quite achieved until, according to Dean Stomski, “Christmas 2016, The Right Rev. Dan T. Edwards, 10th Bishop of Nevada writes in his December blog, ‘I believe that we are a real Diocese and that the time has come to claim our status. States have capitals and Dioceses have cathedrals. If we are going to be a Diocese, let’s act like one. Forty years is a long enough wait.’” And later in the blog the Bishop writes, according to the Dean,” For the sake of [our] mission, it is with affection we give the Diocese of Nevada a Cathedral for Christmas for 2016.” In his closing remarks, the Dean proudly announced, “So, we gather this day to mark this historic occasion, a Cathedral consecrated to the glory of our triune God, a gift to the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada. May God continue to bless us all.” ** Sermon Rev. Susan Springer preached a riveting sermon which fell subtly into two segments, woven together by steady reminders of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. At one point, she likened the Holy Spirit to … “a GPS, guiding us toward this, steering us away from that, and patiently declaring ‘recalculating’ as often as warranted”. She opened with a bold and arresting statement, “It’s been a helluva week in Nevada” (referencing the “horrific” shooting on October 1st in which a gunman took the lives of 28 people among a crowd attending an outdoor concert). “On Monday your Episcopal friends in Colorado were reeling in shock with you. On Tuesday my parish tolled the bell in solidarity with your parishes.” More comforting words and she moved on with the central theme, “How does the Holy Spirit expose the sinfulness of the world? By shining a light into the dark places, illumn(ing) the dark and expos(ing) what is lurking there. It is as if the Spirit is a beacon

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that shines everywhere and at every time.” Then she cited a line from Trinity’s website which says, ‘We serve Christ as a spiritual beacon’. “Beacons also attract attention and provide information. So, each time the Spirit lights up the darkness and exposes the sinfulness, that same Spirit is providing the information that God is, that God is good, and that God is here in time and place…” At this point, there was a shift in her remarks as she reflected on, “a man with an arsenal of automatic weapons opening fire on a crowd … and that changed what needs to be said today.” She continued, “… preachers have been criticized ... for being too political [or] for not being political enough. The balance beam we preachers walk has become as thin as a piece of thread. So, I apologize ... if what the Spirit is leading me to say rubs your political fur the wrong way, I can’t help it. There is a powerful beacon sweeping our nation right now and we can crouch in the shadows or we can stand upright in the light and say something.” And “say something” she did. Her focus was on the on-going, bitter debate about guns and gun ownership. She told of her 21 years of living in Alaska when she owned a hunting rifle and shot big game to help feed her family. “I am neither pro-gun nor anti-gun, I am both. I am pro-Second Amendment and I am also anti-automatic weapon and high capacity magazines.” The problems she methodically points out in these excerpts: “too many of us are aligning with one side or another… too few are pestering our legislators to take ... action … too many of us have bought into the narrative that violence is the price of freedom… too many of us have thrown up our hands in despair… too many of us are privately thinking as long as my family and I are o.k., to hell with the crazy world.” Her question, “Where do we go from here?” was answered as follows: “We stay in the light, bright and uncomfortable as it may be … pray that the same Spirit that equipped the profits to speak truth to power… the same Spirit that exposes in us all that is selfish or small minded or weary or polarizing might fill us with that holy light... the same Spirit who took David…and made a Temple architect out of him… the same Spirit, who from 70 elders, made a council of leaders for Moses… the same Spirit that animated Jesus of Nazareth, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist… we pray that that very same Spirit who is alive and well right here and now who filled each of us with overflowing at our baptisms, we pray that that very same Spirit will equip us now to partner with God in the healing and reconciling and spiritual formation of the world around us.”

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Her powerful message was ended with this plea to the Holy Spirit…” set our souls ablaze with light and let us neither rest nor retreat until violence shall no longer be heard in our land. Amen. ***

Music Dr. Matthew Estes, Director of Music at Trinity Cathedral played the organ and conducted a 32-voice choir in the singing of splendid hymns and sacred music by famous composers. The Trinity Choir was combined with the Convention Choir (an ad-hoc group- each year- of conveners who like to sing). Dr. Estes held several rehearsals, had selected an array of great music, and the choir, under his direction excelled in the leadership of the hymns and the rendition of anthems, (e.g., How lovely is thy dwelling place). The Convention Choir was made up of a cross- section of parishioners from the parishes in the Diocese and among them, Bishop Dan’s wife, Atty. Linda Edwards and wife of Dr. Estes, Mrs. Jean Estes. Singing is exhilarating. Singing sacred music is exhilarating. Singing sacred music at the consecration of a Cathedral is indescribable! THE CATHEDRAL, INSIDE AND OUT Either by suggestion or actual appearance, Trinity has the look of a cathedral. Perched on a beautifully landscaped knoll overlooking the Truckee River in downtown Reno, Nevada, the building is of “Gothic Revival style”, and was designed by John N. Tilton. **** The steeple and bell tower can be seen from a distance as it graces a corner of Island Avenue. Inside is breath-taking -the vaulted ceiling, the brilliant, deep colors of the 61 stained-glass windows, the side isles and pillars, the 2,177- pipe Casavant Freres organ is “one of the largest instruments in Nevada”. ***** Of great interest and fascination to visitors are the plump, beautifully designed kneeler cushions at the altar rail the covers of which feature eight different historical places in Northern Nevada (e.g., the State Capital building in Carson City, the Opera House in Virginia City). In 1973, seven women started this needle point/ cushion making project that was completed in 1985. ****** These cushions add to the beauty and comfort of the Cathedral. Justice in words cannot be given to the experience of witnessing the Consecration of a Cathedral which involves emotions, spiritualty, pageantry, sense of history, fellowship and much more. A visit to this stately, freshly minted Cathedral may elicit, for you, some of the feelings and attributes just mentioned. GO SEE IT! Thanks to “CoCo” at Trinity; “Bea” at St. John’s; Rev. Springer at St. John’s; and Janice Williams, Senior Warden at Trinity.

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* From Worship Booklet, Trinity Cathedral (2017) ** From Written Copy of Speech by Dean Stomski *** From Written Copy of Sermon by Rev. Springer **** From an Internet site ***** From an Internet site ****** By telephone with Margaret Williams

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2017: A VERY GOOD YEAR FOR NEVADANS FOR THE COMMON GOOD! (ADAPTED FROM THE NCG YEAR‐END NEWSLETTER)  

  

In this increasingly polarized political climate, Nevadans for the Common Good has continued to work tirelessly to bring diverse people together to engage in public life. 2017 has been a busy and productive year- the following are some of our highlights!

Legislative Accomplishments:

NCG secured an additional $3.4 million in funding for the Meals on Wheels Program! Due to NCG’s organizing efforts, we were able to address the waiting list of over 1,000 homebound seniors.

Continued advances for Medicaid recipients and providers! These include increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for home and community-based providers, with a 5% increase for Adult Day Care, and AB 108 which will provide for regular review of these rates.

Passage of SB 178 which allocates an additional $72 million to provide educational support for the most at-risk students, including English-language learners and students living in poverty, in schools throughout Clark County. This is a positive step towards funding the weighted funding formula.

Building Relational Power:

NCG raised $37,000 in hard money through the Friends of NCG donor campaign launched this year. Thank you to all who have shown their continued support and investment in Nevadans for the Common Good!

Organizing Immigration Civic Academies with over 300 participants to develop relationships and understanding around this complex issue.

NCG held a 3-day training in Spanish to train 180+ leaders on the principles of organizing and its connections to faith. These leaders are now working on

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building relationships within their parishes to work together for the common good!

As part of our Alliance School Strategy, NCG worked with diverse members of the Fremont Middle School community to save the school! NCG leaders secured a new plan to rebuild Fremont and open a Global High School in the neighborhood.

NCG hired a new Lead Organizer, Paul Turner, and added a 3rd organizer to our team, Lital Slobodsky!

What’s Happening Now:

Halfway through our House Meeting Listening Campaign, we’ve heard from over 800 people about the pressures they and their families are facing around issues such as education, healthcare, transportation, immigration, and much more! We have commitments to do at least 100 more of these conversations by the end of January, and we hope you will join us!

We are looking forward to what 2018 brings, and we are not planning to slow down now. Thank you for all your hard work this year. We wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Nevadans for the Common Good http://nevadansforthecommongood.nationbuilder.com/

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THE EVANGELIST BY LORELL C. GUYDON (CHRIST CHURCH LAS VEGAS)

The modern day notion of an evangelist may bring to mind radio and television personalities such as Billy Sunday, baseball player turned preacher/evangelist; or Carrie Nation, jailhouse councilor turned evangelist; or Billy Graham, young preacher turned “televangelist” known the world over for his fiery sermons urging all to follow Christ and to “join a church in your community.” Yes, that image in some ways, defines for us what an evangelist is. And there is the image of the street corner preacher in a severe black suit, stark white shirt and black tie with Bible in one hand and a bull horn in the other whose two or three women supporters stand by to mop his brow, keep him hydrated and to say “AMEN” as he admonishes by-standers to repent and follow Jesus. These examples prevail.

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But is evangelism the purview of a few brave people who get the “call” and go on to preach and evangelize? Is evangelism the job of clergy, church leaders, and missionaries? Are there Biblical examples of and/or directives for evangelism? Are all Christians expected to be evangelists? How is evangelism defined anyway? These questions might be of interest to explore.

Evangelist as defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary is: “l) any of the four writers of the Gospels, 2) a preacher of the Gospel especially a travelling revivalist.” Do you see yourself in this rather terse definition? A much more elaborate definition is put forth by General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, USA: “Joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God, and calling people to repentance, to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to active membership in the church, and to obedient service in the world” (https://www.evangelismcoach.org). Now, the lay person may be able to see him/herself in this 40-word, all- inclusive definition and may have regularly “joyfully shared the good news” and ...”calling people to … personal faith in Jesus Christ”.

What do the scriptures say about evangelism/evangelists? Plenty. The scriptures abound with messages about spreading the good news and about who should do it. Following are a few examples 2 Timothy 5: 16 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work

of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Matthew 5: 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so they may see

your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven Mark 28: 19-20 And he said to them, “Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to

the whole creation. Isaiah 6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Who shall I send and who will

go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am, send me.”

Definitions given and scriptures cited, can you divine a place for you as an evangelist? Can one become an evangelist by using verbal persuasion and/or by the way one lives his/her life? The following anecdote seems to be an example of the latter: A church member lived next door to a family (Grandmother, daughter, granddaughter). One day, the daughter knocked on the neighbor’s door, saying “We would like to go to church with you Sunday.” “Sure!” the neighbor responded. Time and place was set. On the way to church, the neighbor began to tell them about her church. “It’s a big church with a beautiful courtyard and many rooms for meetings and Sunday School… there is a large room that we go into where we greet people and have refreshments. Then we go inside the church where there is singing of hymns, reading of scriptures and hearing a fine sermon. The neighbor ended with an enthusiastic, “I can’t wait to get to church every Sunday!” On the way home, the 9-year old leaned forward from the back seat and said,”

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Miss Neighbor, Now I know why you CAN’T WAIT to get to church every Sunday!” No other words were added, she got a high five from the neighbor. Is being enthusiastic about your church a part of evangelism? Could evangelism be as subtle as living a spiritual life that others observe and want to mimic?

We may not reach the awesome levels of evangelism as Jesus, Himself who advocated for God, the Father; as the twelve apostles and devoted women who literally and spiritually followed and evangelized for Jesus when he walked this earth; as St. Paul who was relentless in his evangelizing, preaching and teaching the masses about how to follow Christ; and as the writers of the four Gospel. What we CAN do is to be mindful of sharing our faith with others, make an effort to speak freely about your spirituality, revisit the scriptures to find simple ways that you can use in your own life to evangelize. Remember, Gospel means “good news”- good news about Christ’s resurrection, good news that He represented unconditional love, good news that He is our advocate with the Heavenly Father, good news that He offers us everlasting life for believing in Him and for doing His work among men.

DO YOU HAVE A STORY/ANECDOTE ABOUT HOW YOU, A FAMILY MEMBER, OR A NEIGHBOR HAS BEEN AN EVANGELIST FOR CHRIST? Would you share it with us for the next issue? Please email it to steven@epsicopalnevada.org.

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10/1/17 LAS VEGAS MASS SHOOTING BY REV. MARY BREDLAU, MA, CT

On October 2, 2017, the Coroner’s assistant called me to the Family Assistance Center of the Convention Center. I joined Trauma Intervention specialists, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, a few trauma chaplains, and the Red Cross. Victims’ families came by buses to this central place to provide personal identification information about their missing family and friends to the Coroner’s Office staff. During the long hours of waiting, many trauma specialists were available in that place of shock, tears, and eerie silence. Volunteers from across the valley came in droves to this place, so much so that they had to be turned away and asked to return another day. Some then went to blood banks and stood in lines for 7 to 10 hours to donate blood, and after a while they, too, were told to come back another day. The most impactful, to me personally, was the immense outpouring of volunteers of all ages who just kept coming: individuals and businesses, who brought food and comfort blankets, therapy dogs specially-trained for mass-casualty events, civilian pick-up trucks loaded with bottled water and protein bars, all under the watchful eyes of police, fire and paramedics. I was stunned by the tragedy and enormity of it all. From that day onward I have been making the rounds among both the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue 1st Responders and the Clark County Coroner's office Investigators and Autopsy MD/Medical Examiners, where I have been the chaplain for 14 years and 2 years,

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respectively. It is overwhelming to walk among these stellar, professional and kind-hearted people in many supportive roles. Debriefers from 9-1-1 and the Oklahoma Bombing traumas continue to hold debriefing sessions at our local fire and police departments, coroner's office, and ambulance companies. I gave a 30 minute reflection in our parish hall between the two Sunday services Oct 29. The parish hall was stunned in silence as I finished. The first question was: "What did you do when you went home after that first day of being with the victims' families." “I cried when I got back into my car, and when I arrived home, I hugged my border collie.” She didn't ask any questions. She just looked at me with those big eyes and tried licking away all the pain that she sensed in me. That hug was worth more than words. The pall of somber quiet still lingers at the Coroner's Office, but those who worked that nightmare in long shifts, have been talking it out among themselves, with me, with Debriefers. They attend yoga and meditation sessions together. The mood there is tireless dedication, attention to every detail of their jobs in this local horror, and they are being supported by powerful leaders and supervisors. I value them, as well as the fire department personnel and paramedics, in a setting I never imagined I would find myself in. Only someone who has worked the backdrop of mass murder news coverage truly understands these words I have written, and had I not been part of this in the unspoken hallways, I wouldn’t either. Our fire chief and our coroner are persons of strength and are of God. One of the things which personally helped me was the many hugs I got from both of them, and from those heroes I walk among.

Almighty God, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered: Make us, we pray, deeply aware of the shortness and uncertainty of human life; comfort the injured and all whose lives have been forever changed by the tragic shooting in Las Vegas. Grant to those who lost their lives eternal rest with you and may all who mourn

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know the consolation of your love. We also pray for an end to gun violence in our land that our homes, schools and neighborhoods may become places of safety for all. All this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. - Washington National Cathedral, October 2, 2017 (original here) - Thanks to Barbara Schafer for submitting this.

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ORGANIZING THE SERVICE FOLLOWING THE MASS SHOOTING BY THE REV. J. BARRY VAUGHN, RECTOR, CHRIST CHURCH LAS VEGAS

Around 10 pm on Sunday, October 1, I was on the phone talking to my goddaughter, Meghan, who lives near Atlanta. Shortly after we hung up, she texted me saying, “There’s been a shooting in Las Vegas.” It had been a long day, and I was ready to go to bed, so I did not think much about it. The next morning I woke up to the news of the horrific mass shooting at the Route 91 country music festival near the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Monday is my day off, but I decided that I should be in my office in the event that people wanted to talk about the violent events. I wrote a quick note for the church Facebook page telling folks that I would be available in my office on Monday. I also had vivid memories of 9/11 and the way that churches held hastily organized services to pray for the victims and seek healing, so I began to plan a service for that evening. I called my friend Rabbi Sandy Akselrad at Congregation Ner Tamid in Henderson, and he agreed to participate. At some point that Monday, Bishop Dan called and asked if Christ Church could host a service he was organizing for Tuesday evening, October 3. Although that meant changing my plans, I was happy to accommodate Bishop Dan. I mentioned that I had

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invited Rabbi Akselrad, and he said that he would be happy to have Sandy participate in the Tuesday evening service. Immediately after my conversation with Bishop Dan, the Christ Church staff and I got busy preparing for the service, and we focused on that exclusively until the service began at 7 pm the next evening. Bishop Dan sent me an outline of the service, including hymns. I also consulted textweek.com to see if that site had any useful resources for the service, and I found this hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. She wrote it following the Orlando shooting, but the words were uncannily appropriate for our service: To a place of celebration filled with laughter, dancing, joy, Came such violent devastation — one man's efforts to destroy. God, we grieve for loved ones taken; we lament, "What can we do?" Now, we're feeling lost and shaken; heal our nation! Make us new! While preparing for the service, the Las Vegas Review-Journal called and asked if they could do an article about the service. They also came the following Sunday and filmed part of my sermon for their website. Rabbi Akselrad read the first reading from Isaiah and offered a prayer from the Jewish tradition. Bishop Dan preached a powerful sermon. We administered communion to about two hundred people. Our minister of music, Dr. David Deffner, prepared a prelude, postlude, and accompaniments to several hymns. And our soprano soloist, Jade Hornbaker, sang the early American hymn, “How can I keep from singing?” as an anthem during communion. In just over twenty-four hours my team at Christ Church organized a service just about as complex as a Christmas Eve midnight mass. I cannot tell you how proud I am of their hard work, and I believe that we offered a powerful, healing response to the violence of October 1.

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DRAFTING THE LITURGY OF THE VIGIL BY ANNA HOWELL

Three days before my twenty-sixth birthday, I awoke to news of an extremely deadly shooting in Las Vegas. One of my dearest friends, Dan Edwards, not only lives in Vegas but is the Bishop of the Diocese of Nevada. Even though I knew it was three hours earlier in Nevada than it is here, I sent him a message immediately to make sure he was safe. A few hours later, I heard back from him. He was physically fine, but heartbroken by the events that had occurred that morning. As the bishop of a diocese now reeling from a tragedy of mammoth proportions, it rested upon him to be the leader his people needed. Having known Dan as long and as well as I have, I knew they couldn’t ask for a better one. We chatted throughout the day as he processed his own feelings about the shooting. Sensing how overwhelmed he was feeling, I asked whether there was anything I could do. He thought about it for a moment, and said yes. He wanted to hold a diocesan vigil in Las Vegas, and he asked me to put together—from scratch—the entirety of the liturgy for that vigil.

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I know our God to be a God who qualifies the called rather than calling the qualified. I was certainly not qualified—I have a twelfth-grade education and no formal training in either writing or religion—but I had been called upon, so I rolled up my proverbial sleeves and got to work, praying God would give me the words I needed. In my mind, I set the scene: a big church, not unlike the one I grew up in, packed with broken souls, huddled together, still in shock. The church would be dimly lit; the air would be thick with the unspoken groans of many heavy hearts. There would be silence—long stretches of it—so that the Holy Spirit could intercede with the words neither I nor Dan nor anyone in Las Vegas could find to say. There would be little candles displayed up front somewhere—one for each life lost in the shooting. I began with the words of comfort which Jesus had spoken to His disciples: “Peace I leave with you; My own peace I give to you…” and then composed the opening collect, in which I asked for hope in a world that seems hopeless. The litany is the focal point of the service. I began with an invocation of the Trinity, much like how the Great Litany begins, and then divided the rest into three sections. The first was intercessory, asking God to care for those affected by the tragedy. The second was more prophetic, beseeching Him to bring His Kingdom to pass, so that we might one day live in peace. The third section of the litany, and hardest to write, was penitential. The response to each of the penitential petitions was “Lord, have mercy upon us.” The final petition was simply, “Lord, have mercy upon us,” to which the people would respond, “And help us to show mercy to one another.” The courage, mercy, and faith of the people of Las Vegas shone brighter that night than even the brightest lights of the Vegas Strip as they gathered at Christ Church for the vigil. Untold numbers of others around the country and the world-- including my own tiny parish here in Spartanburg, South Carolina-- came together to hold their own vigils using the same liturgy. God's people came together in prayer that night, and in the nights that followed, seeking Jesus in the midst of their sorrow. I am humbled and honored to have been even a small part of that. EDITOR’S NOTE: Anna’s liturgy went viral and was used by congregations all over the US to pray for us here.

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A Vigil in Response to an Act of Mass Violence This order is suitable for use by a community of faith in the aftermath of a mass shooting, bombing, terrorist attack, or similar incident, whether locally or elsewhere in the nation or the world. The liturgist strongly discourages both the inclusion of music and the celebration of a Mass in this service. However, at the discretion of the officiant, either or both may be added. The Mass should follow the form of either Eucharistic Prayer A or B. If hymns are to be sung, they ought to be situationally appropriate, familiar to the congregation, and not prohibitively difficult for the average person to sing. If there is no Mass to be celebrated, this service may be led by a deacon or layperson, substituting “us” and “our” for “you” and “your” in the Benediction. Any offerings collected should be donated to help those affected by the tragedy being commemorated. It is appropriate, if possible, for tea lights or other small candles, preferably equal in number to the number of persons who have been killed, to be used. Candles should be lit prior to the service, and remain burning in a conspicuous part of the worship space during the service. They may be extinguished afterwards by an acolyte or other appointed person. The service may be held either indoors or outdoors, weather permitting. In either case, care should be taken to ensure that any open flames are used safely and extinguished fully.

The Invocation All stand as they are able. Facing the people, the officiant begins: Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My own peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Amen. The Lord be with you.

And also with you. Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, whose only Son came to preach peace to the nations: Hear us, we beseech You, and comfort us with Your steady Hand, as we come before You this [day/night] in the wake of unspeakable violence. In a world that seems hopeless, help us to remember that our hope rests always in You, and in the resurrection of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. The Readings At the discretion of the officiant, the following readings may be substituted for those suggested: Old Testament: Job 19:25-27a; Wisdom 3:1-5,9. Psalm: Psalm 23; Psalm 27.

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It is strongly recommended that either the Revised Standard Version or the New Revised Standard Version be used for all readings, with the exception of Psalm 23, which may be read from the King James Version. Please be seated for the first lesson.

The people are seated. A Reading from the Book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 41:9-10, 13 But you, whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are My servant, I have chosen you, and will not cast you off”; do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. The people may stand for the Psalm or remain seated, depending on the custom of the parish. It is suggested that the Psalm be spoken rather than chanted. although either is acceptable. Psalm 130 can be found in the service bulletin, or on page 784 in the Book of Common Prayer. We will read the Psalm responsively by half-verse.

Psalm 130 Out of the depths have I called to You, O LORD;

LORD, hear my voice; *

let Your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. If You, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *

O LORD, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with You; *

therefore You shall be feared. I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for Him; *

In His word is my hope. My soul waits for the LORD,

more than watchmen for the morning, *

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more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, wait for the LORD, *

for with the LORD there is mercy; With Him there is plenteous redemption, *

and He shall redeem Israel from all their sins. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever; world without end. Amen. Please be seated for the second lesson.

The people are seated. A Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

II Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. All stand for the proclamation of the Gospel. The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew.

Glory to You, Lord Christ. Matthew 5:1-9

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to You, Lord Christ. At this time, brief and appropriate remarks may be offered by the officiant or other appointed person if desired. This is optional. If remarks are to be offered, the people may be seated for their duration, and then asked to stand again before “The Lord be with You”. If no remarks are offered, the people remain standing, and the officiant continues with the litany. The Litany The Lord be with you.

And also with you. Let us pray:

All kneel as they are able. Silence is kept for a moment before the litany. When ready, the deacon or appointed lay intercessor begins: God the Father, You gave the Law that Your people might live in peace,

Have mercy upon us. God the Son, You suffered violence for the sake of the world,

Have mercy upon us. God the Holy Spirit, You bind us together in a community of love,

Have mercy upon us. Holy Trinity, One God, You model for us the perfect and holy relationship in which You intend for all people to live:

Have mercy upon us. [Silence.] For all victims of violence, and particularly for those affected by the [shooting] in [Las Vegas, Nevada], we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. For those who have been injured, that they might be restored to health, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

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For those who are afraid, that they may know Your perfect love which casts out fear, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. For those who mourn, that they may be comforted in their distress, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. For all who have died, that they may be received into Your compassionate embrace, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. [Silence.] For the first responders, firefighters, chaplains, nurses, and all others who work to restore order, heal the wounded, and care for the needs of the community, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. For all volunteers who give of their time and resources to meet the needs of those affected by this tragedy, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. For leaders, both in the Church and in the government, who strive for greater peace, compassion, and understanding in the world, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. [Silence.] That the world may one day be free of violence, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. That war and bloodshed may one day be no more, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. That we may no longer desire revenge when we are wronged, but Your justice, which is mercy and grace, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. That each of us might be empowered and equipped to work toward a just and peaceful society, we pray to You, O Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer. That all people might be united to seek the cause of Your Kingdom, we pray to You, O Lord:

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Lord, hear our prayer. [Silence.] We ask Your forgiveness for the ways in which we ourselves are complicit in the problem of violence in the world.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for any harm we have done to one another.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for any unkind words we have spoken against one another.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for any prejudice, bitterness, or hate we harbor in our hearts.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for any ill we have wished upon one another.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for the times when we have repaid evil for evil.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for the times when we have been slow to forgive.

Lord, have mercy upon us. We ask Your forgiveness for all we do, think, and say which falls short of Your command to us to love one another.

Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us,

And help us to show mercy to one another. Silence is kept for a moment. Kneeling, all pray together: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by Your name: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen. The officiant may add the following as a concluding collect: O God, You made us in Your own image and redeemed us through Jesus Your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and

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confusion to accomplish Your purposes on earth; that, in Your good time, all nations and races may serve You in harmony around Your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Peace All stand. The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you. The people greet one another with a sign of God’s peace. The Collects The following collects are read by the officiant, deacon, or other appointed person, and the people respond to each with, “Amen.” In Times of Conflict: O God, You have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Our Enemies: O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in Your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Guidance: Heavenly Father, in You we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray You so to guide and govern us by Your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget You, but may remember that we are ever walking in Your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. If the service is held in the evening, it is appropriate that the compline prayer attributed to St. Augustine be said by all: Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give Your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for Your love’s sake. Amen. Following the collects, silence is kept for several minutes. The Dismissal When ready, the officiant continues: Please stand.

All stand for the dismissal.

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Life is short, and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind, and go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen. The altar party processes out of the worship space in silence. The people are dismissed.