From the The Middletown Press:
With all the pageantry the Episcopal Church can muster, the Rev. Ian T. Douglas was consecrated Saturday the 15th bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut.
And the Episcopal Church can muster pageantry when it has a mind to.
Before numerous bishops laid their hands on Douglas, signifying the unbroken line of bishops stretching back to Jesus’ apostles, the candidate made the promise required of all bishops:
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I, Ian Theodore Douglas, chosen Bishop of the Church in Connecticut, solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church.”
....
In his sermon, [Archbishop Desmund] Tutu spoke of how God requires Christians to love everyone, no matter who they are:
“All the poor, rich, white, black, Hispanics, all, all. Clever, not so clever, beautiful, not so beautiful … tea party, Democrat, Republican. This is radical, man. This is radical.
“Bin Laden, George Bush, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, gay, lesbian, so-called straight, all, all …”
He charged Douglas, “Please tell the children of God, each one of them is precious. … Each one of them is a member of God’s family in which there are no outsiders.”
There are no outsiders - love all, all. Beautiful words. The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
H/T to MadPriest for the link, since "...there is nothing new under the sun".
I love the so-called straight pronouncement, ...that encompasses 75% of the ACNA and rogue bishops.
ReplyDeleteDavid G., I did a double take and had to go back to read the words again.
ReplyDeleteBeloved Desmond speaks pure Gospel. Would that we had more of him. I thank God for this saint.
ReplyDeleteTo watch him preach is something (I managed to be in the fourth row)... he stands on tippy-toe, he leans forward grasping the lectern, he spreads his arms out wide, he holds himself tightly in an embrace (when he spoke of God's unbreakable embrace), he shakes his finger at the crowd, he laughs, pauses... just sweet. I think of him as God's holy imp as well as an amazing prophet.
ReplyDeleteOh, Caminante, I am envious. To hear dear Archbishop Tutu speak or preach is on my list of "Things I want to do before I die". I'd better get moving, hadn't I?
ReplyDeleteIt was a great day in Connecticut! While climbing down from the topmost bleacher row with some of my fellow choir singers, we remarked that it hadn't really seemed like 2 houts and 45 minutes.
ReplyDeleteBishop Tutu seemed quite taken with the steel drum band, but so were we all (even the Anglo-Catholics from my own parish who were not exactly on board with the broad diversity of music in the service).