Feeding Hungry Hearts: Diocesan Convention 2017

I realized yesterday that my first Diocesan Convention was when my now 32 year-old son was 2 ... so this year marks the 30th anniversary of taking my place in the councils of the church here in Dio L.A. Where on earth did the time go?

When we gather for our annual convention, worship and liturgy is always at the center of the work of the church -- and this year Bishop Taylor delegated the planning of our convention liturgies to a committee of folks gathered from across the diocese and charged us with these simple guidelines:

Worship and music that are familiar enough so that folks can worship easily and naturally; and worship and music that express the inclusive ethos of our Diocese.

Here are some things we would like you to know about that work as we prepare to gather tomorrow in Ontario:

We were aware in our planning process that we have a unique opportunity this year as our convention falls literally on Advent Eve. We start on Friday in Ordinary time and as we work and pray our way to Saturday evening on the cusp of Advent: a time of expectation and new beginnings. We have recognized the gift the liturgical calendar has given us as we craft liturgical expressions of this moment -- both in the liturgical life of the wider church and in our collective lives here in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

The theme of Convention is "Feeding Hungry Hearts" and we have kept that in front of us throughout the planning process. We made the considered decision this year to amplify voices from within the Diocese of Los Angeles in our liturgy in general and in our prayers and music in specific.

We are blessed by multicultural diversity in our diocese and we have made liturgical choices to highlight that diversity throughout our time together. Working with our Director of Music for the Convention David Milligan (St. Paul's, Tustin) we have intentionally selected accessible hymnody reflecting the inclusive spirit our diocese as a gathered body and equipping us for robust corporate worship.

We have fielded a Convention Choir of those who will gather under David's direction to lead corporate worship. In collaboration with Stillpoint we will once again be providing prayer stations throughout Convention and a prayer chapel will be available for individual prayers and intercessions.
In addition, during the Friday Eucharist there will be two stations for healing prayers on the Convention floor for those desiring prayers for healing.

You can download a copy of our Convention Booklet here ... and please do keep the work of the Diocese of Los Angeles in your prayers as we begin this new chapter in our life together. We pray that our worship throughout our 122nd Annual Meeting will both feed and heal our hearts in order to equip us all to be agents of God's love, justice and compassion in the world.

Members of the Convention Liturgy Committee: Michelle Baker-Wright; Marge Cooley; Aimee Eyer-Delevett; Norma Guerra; Susan Russell (chair); Kay Sylvester; Fernando Valdes; Mark Weitzel; Rise Worthy-Deamer; Keith Yamamoto. Consulting: Serena Beeks; Elizabeth Rechter