MARIANN BUDDE CONSECRATED 9TH BISHOP OF DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON DC

From the Episcopal Diocese of Washington:

The bells of Washington National Cathedral, silent since the Aug. 23 earthquake, rang out joyfully following the Nov. 12 consecration of the Diocese of Washington’s ninth bishop, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde.
And though black netting draped across the cathedral ceiling was testament to ongoing repair work, colored light from the stained glass windows filtered through, one of the many expressions of joy that greeted Budde as she took her place as Washington’s first female diocesan bishop.
....

Budde’s husband, Paul, read Coleman’s Bed, a poem by David Whyte. In a sometimes blunt-spoken sermon, the Rev. Linda M. Kaufman also quoted a portion of the poem:

“… Feel the way the cliff at your back
Gives shelter to your outward view
And then bring in from those horizons
All discordant elements that seek a home…”

Asking Budde to stand, Kaufman said: “Mariann, you must find places where you can lean back. … Trust the cliff because its strength goes back. Its strength is the awesome power of God. … I know in the strength of the cliff and the silence you find there you will find the strength of God wrapping his arms around you.”

Blessings and congratulations, Bishop Mariann!

From Peter Carey at Santos Woodcarving Popcicles:

"What I appreciate most about the tradition that is mine is the person of Jesus, the example of his life, the power of his teaching and the mystical presence of the risen Christ that is the spiritual foundation of Christianity. It's a great gift, to have a sense of the presence and the love of a personal God in your life."
~ Bishop Budde of the Diocese of Washington

And they all said, "Amen!"

UPDATE: The Washington Post has a wonderful slideshow of the ceremony.

THE REV MARIANN BUDDE BISHOP-ELECT IN DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON DC

From Ann Fontaine at The Lead:

The Rev. Dr. Mariann Edgar Budde has been elected bishop for the Diocese of Washington DC on the second ballot pending consents from the Bishops and Standing Committees of the Episcopal Church. Budde was selected by the clergy on the first ballot.

Bishop-elect Budde's biography is here.

Mariann has learned that anything worth doing takes time. Leading a parish well, raising a family well, being faithful in any realm of life and ministry takes time, perseverance and faith. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is the spiritual foundation upon which she depends daily. While drawn to prophetic voices that inspire change, she nonetheless feels her call is one of leadership rather than prophecy. Her vocation is grounded in the work of aligning the church to the vision of God, taking small, steady steps to transform our lives, congregations, and structures to better serve God’s mission in the world.

At The Lead is a video of her interview as a candidate for the position.

Blessings and congratulations to Bishop-elect Budde and to the people of the Diocese of Washington DC.

FROM LESLEY TO JIM

Please read Lesley's post titled Moratorium Schmoratorium. The post is short, so I won't give you a quote, but the title should be enough to intrigue you.

And then, read Jim Naughton's post at the Daily Episcopalian on the process of choosing a bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC as compared with....

Last week, while the Church of England was dealing with embarrassing revelations about how badly the Archbishops of Canterbury and York had behaved while selecting the current Bishop of Southwark, I was observing the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D. C. as it prepared to choose the successor of Bishop John Bryson Chane, who retires in November.

The process that I witnessed was so different than the one described by the late Dean Colin Slee in his now-famous memo, that it seems almost unfair to draw comparisons. In filling the vacancy in Southwark, the English method of appointing bishops was clearly at its worst. Or so one hopes. A story of subterfuge leavened with a dash of Python-like absurdity, it featured a media leak meant to scuttle two candidacies, clumsy attempts to blame the leak on an innocent party, an investigation into the leak whose findings have been kept secret, and a delicious moment in which the Archbishop of York lobbied for votes while leading a group outing to the toilet. Little wonder that members of the Crown Nominating Committee were reduced to tears during the proceedings.

There's more.

The process in DC sounds similar to ours in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, when Morris Thompson was elected bishop about a year ago.