Monday, September 24, 2007

The Presence Of The Lord


Image from Episcopal Life

Bright and early yesterday morning, I was up and out, headed for New Orleans to attend the Sunday service at Christ Church Cathedral, at which Bishop Katharine presided and preached. That was a sacrificial act on my part, because I am no longer an up-and-out person early in the morning.

On the way, I prayed for a safe trip, that I would find a place to park, not too far away from the cathedral - which has no parking facilities - and that I would get a seat in the cathedral. Does anyone else pray about these sorts of things? Anyway, all my prayers were answered - or not. Maybe all that would have happened anyway.

Christ Church Cathedral is a Gothic-style structure with beautiful stained glass, built in the 1880s. You can view the building and the glass in this photo gallery.

Bishop Jenkins, Dean DuPlantier, the choir, the musicians, and everyone who planned and worked with the arrangements for the service did a terrific job. The cathedral looked beautiful. We had a sung Eucharist and smells and bells. For those among you who are uninitiated into the mysteries of Episcopal Church liturgy, the smells are incense, and the hand bells ring to highlight important parts of the liturgy.

Bishop Katharine wore the vestments that were designed for her installation ceremony as presiding bishop. They are lovely, and I was pleased to see them up close. Her sermon is here.

She spoke of Philander Chase, whose feast we celebrated yesterday. He was the founder of Christ Church Parish in New Orleans, and he went on, after many travels, to become presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. She spoke of trumpets, trumpeting the Gospel, traveling light, for folks in Louisiana, traveling lighter than they believed possible, and getting in the line.

When the saints go marching in, it's going to be with every last one of us. This procession is going down to the grave, and it's going to dance away on the other side, but only when we join the traveling throng. None of us is going home until all of us have a place to lay our heads, and music for our grieving hearts, and a feast for the belly and for the soul. When the saints go marching in, it's going to be with every last one of us."

Can you imagine how much I liked these words?

During the Offertory, Irvin Mayfield, Jr. played "Amazing Grace" on the Elysian Trumpet.

The Elysian Trumpet, hand-built by David Monette, the modern master of trumpet design, is dedicated to the memory of Irvin Mayfield, Sr. and all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.


The image of the trumpet and information on the instrument is from Elysian Trumpet. There's much more on the story of the trumpet at the website.

The trumpet produced the sweetest sound I have heard come out of a horn - ever. And I have heard many trumpets. Mayfield played the most magnificent "Amazing Grace" that I have been priveliged to hear. Two such superlatives, one after the other, may be hard to believe, but they are true. I was crying during his performance. What heart! What an instrument!

But it wasn't all about pretty vestments, good music, and heavenly trumpet sounds. The words of this hymn came to mind during a quiet period after communion:

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angels wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place


The Lord was powerfully present, and for that I give thanks.

After the service, we were invited to a reception in the parish hall with very tasty refreshments. Many of the bishops were not at the service Sunday, because they were visiting around at churches in the area. Someone pointed out Bonnie Anderson (president of the House of Deputies) to me, and we talked for a few minutes. She said she had been well received by the groups she met with in Dallas and Fort Worth, except, of course, for Bishop Iker, who was rudely on her case for crossing the Texas state line. She's a lay person. Why does she need his permission to visit Texas? She told me that one parish from either Dallas or Fort Worth had moved from the Network back to the Episcopal Church.

Then I spotted Bishop Katharine. I made my way over to her and spoke with her only briefly, because others were waiting to talk to her. She is warm and easy to talk to. I have not agreed with everything our PB has said and done, and I will likely not in the future, but I do believe that GC03 made the proper choice when she was elected. She is a woman for this season in the Episcopal Church.

Upon reflection, I'm glad that I attended the two religious services rather than the bishops' meetings - not that I could have. Both the services were uplifting. I doubt that the meetings were, but perhaps - and that is my hope - God will turn them to good.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

13 comments:

  1. Lovely picture and post from our New Orleans correspondent.

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  2. Alas, Johnieb, my days of glory as a correspondent appear to be over. The HOB meeting ends tomorrow, but my part ended yesterday. It was a lovely morning, one I won't soon forget.

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  3. yes, thank you for sharing -- even though I'm not Episcopalian. I don't know much about your presiding bishop, but I think it's neat that you have a woman.

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  4. Mimi,
    I'm so glad you got to speak to Bishop Katharine. She is indeed easy to talk to.

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  5. Thanks for the report, Grandmère. You didn't slip up and call the PB "Zeta-Jones", did you? Not that she would mind, I'm sure.

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  6. Oh dear Grandmere- my eyes are all teared up.

    This is so lovely to read.

    Yes, I pray about things like that too- it is both silly and endearing for us I both and any like us!!

    As you know, I have followed the events of your church closely. Your church and mine are so close and yet so far.

    We are all united in The One who heals us all, clutches us all close into him and challenges us to be who He designed us to be.

    Amen, Amen.

    Thanks Mimi!
    (PS - Diane thinks its neat that you have a woman... HAH! As an RC, I am delighted by it.

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  7. KJ, I called her Bishop Katharine, which is what I have heard she prefers.

    Allen, Fran, she is quite a woman.

    Altogether a lovely morning. The "Amazing Grace" was truly an amazing grace.

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  8. Oh Mimi, it sounds lovely and spirit filled. And even though I try not to pray for parking spaces, etc., I catch myself doing it sometimes. Our choir director says the "Hail Mary, Full of Grace, Help me find a parking place."
    When I go to the Cathedral here in San Francisco, I like to bum a ride with someone else and then offer to pay the parking, which in the garages on Nob Hill costs almost $20 most days.

    The choir will be going to the Cathedral on Thursday evening and Saturday morning for rehearsals and practically all day Sunday for our visitation by Bishop Katherine(I did tell you that, didn't I ;-)) I am almost as excited by that as I am my new computer!

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  9. Susan, I'm excited for you, both for your new computer and for the visit from Bishop Katharine. She gets around, doesn't she?

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  10. Oh, yes, Mimi, She gets around. I believe she was here once after she had been elected, before she was consecrated for Bishop Marc's installation. I was so far back in the 150 person Choir, that I couldn't see her, and by the time we got to the reception, she had left the building, just like Elvis used to do. Anyway, she will be there all day this time, and I am hoping to meet her.

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  11. Susan, I hope that you get to meet her, too.

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  12. Great report Mimi. And thanks for the link to photos of the trumpet. I'd love to hear it in person. It looks magnificent! I am glad for your great worship experiences.
    Lindy

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  13. Lindy, the Elysian Trumpet will be traveling throughout the country along with Irvin Mayfield, Jr., as ambassadors. I don't know where they will go, but watch for news of a visit nearby. It's not only beautiful to look at, but the sound is incredible, and Mayfield knows how to play it.

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