September 3, 13th Sunday after Pentecost

Episcopal Relief and Development:  Aid for Houston

Episcopal Relief and Development is an agency of the Episcopal Church in the United States whose mission is to assist people in need around the world.  It works through local  social service groups throughout the Anglican Communion, as well as other service agencies like Church World Service.

Episcopal Relief and Development also has division that is dedicated to disaster relief and recovery.  Fr. Michael Bamberger, Rector of a nearby parish, Ascension Sierra Madre, and a good friend of Fr. Bob, is one of the disaster relief coordinators for Episcopal Relief and Development and on behalf of ERD travels to disaster areas in the United States to assist Episcopal congregation in their recovery process.

Episcopal Relief and Development is asking for donations to assist the recovery of the City of Houston devastated by the recent floods.  The Diocese of Los Angeles is asking parishioners to make donations that their parish can forward to the Diocese and then on to ERD.

There will be special envelopes on the table in the Narthex this Sunday for those who would like to contribute.  Make your check to Church of the Angels.  We will put it in the Outreach Fund and forward it to the Diocese.

Good News:  Adrian and Jacqueline Beltran have their baby.

Adrian and Jacqueline Beltran welcome their first born, a boy, Adrian, born on August 14.  We offer prayers and congratulations as they begin the journey to parenthood.

Doing one’s Civic Duty:  Fr. Bob on Jury Duty

Fr. Bob begins Jury Duty this week.  So far it is the call in process and he’s been assigned to the County Courthouse in Alhambra.  Fr. Bob has previously served on two juries for criminal cases and was the foreman on one of them.  You’d think that his having been a volunteer police chaplain for 12 years with the Pasadena Police Department, and known affectionately as The Law West of the Arroyo, he would be instantly disqualified.  But no, and the two juries acquitted because the prosecution could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.  Getting on a case is where all the things we learned in school about the Constitution and equal justice under law becomes flesh and blood real. 

The Big Dig:  What’s happening at Hillsides

For the whole summer the both the landscape and the inaction over at Hillsides could remind one of trench warfare on the Western Front, or the Phony War of 1939-1940.  Hillsides was stalled due to an error in the soils report required to plan the shoring of the excavation for the new building.  All of it had to be redesigned and pass several inspections.  By now, the foundation of the building should have been laid, but due to the heavy rains, and the design problems, everything has been delayed.  They now tell us that the excavation will begin Tuesday after Labor Day.  It will take about a month to both dig and carry away the dirt.  Also at some point the driveway between the Church Street entrance and the Parish Hall will be dug up to lay in utility pipes.  This was also supposed to have been done over the summer before school started.   We’ll keep you posted on their progress and how it will affect our life and work.  We are grateful to Victoria Wilson who is acting as liaison between the Parish and Hillsides Construction Representative and keeping the lines of communication open. 

Church of the Angels:  Patron of the Arts

Following in the footsteps of Lorenzo Medici, “The Magnificent,” COA is giving support to the Arts Community by giving rehearsal space to Jouyssance Early Music Enemble, and another group known as C3LA.  Jouyssance sings at COA three times a year.  Jouyssance practices in the Parish Hall on Sunday afternoons.  C3LA will be using both the Parish Hall and the Church proper during September and October. 

Summer Sunday School:  Last Sunday:  September 3

Sunday September 3 will be the last day for Summer Sunday School.  We are grateful to Gillian Cox who led the Sunday School class for children in Church over the summer.  .

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd will resume on Sunday September 10.

Level 4

Life after Catechesis of  the Good Shepherd, Fr. Bob’s discussion with High School Students between the services also resumes on Sunday September 10

Coffee Hour

The Sign-up sheet for Coffee Hour for September and October will be on the table outside Church this Sunday.  Please sign up and help us create a nice atmosphere of fellowship after the Sunday Liturgies.

Emmaus Road:  Monday September 10, 7:00 p.m.

Emmaus Road resumes its reading group on Monday September 10.  There is no meeting on Labor Day.

We will begin the book The Road to Character by David Brooks.  Here is a description.

With the wisdom, humor, curiosity, and sharp insights that have brought millions of readers to his New York Times column and his previous bestsellers, David Brooks has consistently illuminated our daily lives in surprising and original ways. In The Social Animal, he explored the neuroscience of human connection and how we can flourish together. Now, in The Road to Character, he focuses on the deeper values that should inform our lives. Responding to what he calls the culture of the Big Me, which emphasizes external success, Brooks challenges us, and himself, to rebalance the scales between our “résumé virtues”—achieving wealth, fame, and status—and our “eulogy virtues,” those that exist at the core of our being: kindness, bravery, honesty, or faithfulness, focusing on what kind of relationships we have formed.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST • “I wrote this book not sure I could follow the road to character, but I wanted at least to know what the road looks like and how other people have trodden it.”—David Brooks

The book is widely available.  We invite anyone interested, whether you’ve been to Emmaus Road or not, to join us in reading and discussing a very timely book.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:  New Level 1 Course

Having had a good time with a group reading The Religious Potential of the Child over the summer, we are pushing on, going deeper in an actual course on CGS Level 1 which is atrium for children ages 3-6.  Georgie McAdams, Tracy Gaestel, and Fr. Bob are teaming up to do an in-house course which will meet 1 Saturday a month beginning on September 16.  We have four people who’ve signed up and we’d love to have more.  Speak to Georgie, Tracy, or Fr. Bob for more information. 

What are we doing on Sunday Morning:  Exploring the Liturgy

Last Sunday at Tales of Anglicanism, Fr. Bob commented on how the Sunday Liturgy is so densely packed and goes by so fast, that we might, in fact we do, miss all the richness that presents itself.  Fr. Bob would like to offer a class to enable us to slow down and explore the Liturgy at a relaxed pace so to understand it more deeply and to enrich our experience of participating in it.  Depending on people’s interest and availability the class will be either Tuesday or Wednesday evenings in the Parish Hall Living Room and we’ll keep it to an hour.

The Sign Up Sheet will be on the table outside Church. 

Parents and Children’s BBQ:  Sunday, September 10, 4:30 p.m.

We were sorry not to do our traditional beginning of summer barbecue for all of you last June due to Tracy's surgery.  We missed doing it, and Tracy told me you missed having it.  Tracy is recovering well and is back to work.  So we will do the Parent and Children BBQ on Sunday September 10  4:30 p.m. at the Rectory.   We'll do our standard fare and have all of you help by bringing things to fill out the meal.   I'll give more info as we get closer.

Santa Maria Barbecue :

Saturday ! September 30 4:30 p.m.

Parish Hall Lawn.

Coming up Saturday, September 30 is our annual Santa Maria BBQ, for over a decade now one of our most popular and best-attended parish events.   On the Parish Hall lawn we grill tri-tip and chicken over red oak fires using a time-honored Santa Maria recipe, and add a simple salad, barbecue beans and grilled French bread.  You bring drinks and desserts and your family and friends and it all adds up to an all-you-can-eat feast of great food and great fellowship. 

Still Looking For Help:

People to Bring Drinks, Appetizers, and Desserts!

None of this happens without the many helping hands each year who do everything from purchasing to grilling, setup to cleanup.  No experience necessary!  If you'd like to be part of this year's happy crew, say so on the sign-up sheet after church, or contact coordinator Chris Askew directly at

626 200-5209  or,  christopher.askew@gmail.com.

What we need

Sign ups

Beer Wine: 

Dessert  

Set Up

Prepare Food                  Really Need  help!

Clean Up                         Really, Really, Really need help!

Annual Parish Retreat:  Friday, Saturday, Sunday morning, October 13, 14, & 15.  Camp 1000 Pines in Crestline.

Mark the date on your calendar.  We've got a good set of speakers,  Rick Fraser and Charity Perry, both who attend the Emmaus Road Group.  Rick is a Ph.d psychologist and Charity is a Ph.d sociologist at Cal State LA.  Both have extensive experience in family matters.  We haven't settled on a topic yet, but it will be good I assure you. 

So put it on your calendar now.  Don't worry, there is no eclipse that weekend, so there should be no scheduling conflict.