'Where love may dwell'

I grew up in a small mission congregation in La Mirada, California, in the Diocese of Los Angeles. St. Christopher's was a new church plant when my family joined in about 1960. We did not have a building, so we met in a public school cafeteria on Sunday morning. It was in that plain, secular setting where I was confirmed and came to know the 'beauty of holiness' through the Prayer Book liturgies and through service as an acolyte.

I thought of St. Christopher's (long since closed), the vicars whom I served there and all her people as I processed into Canterbury Cathedral yesterday together with 650 other bishops of the Anglican Communion. As I arrived at my seat in the Quire I looked around with awe and wonder. The beauty of holiness and the amazing grace of our God, indeed.

The liturgy was magnificent. Among the special touches were a splendid and challenging sermon; the wonderful Missa Luba (Congolese) setting of the Mass (sung with great energy by the Cathedral men and boys); and the fascinating and awesome music of the Melanesian Brothers and Sisters who, in native apparel, danced and played the Gospel procession to the crossing, carrying the Gospel book in a carved boat. It was wonderful to behold.

So a Cathedral full of Anglicans heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed and broke bread together in his name, under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the course of the liturgy, we sang the hymn, "Let us build a house where love may dwell." I was not the only one who was struck with the poignancy of the chorus as we sang it yesterday in the absence of our brother Bishop Gene Robinson: "All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place." We sing in the hope that we are, indeed, building a house where all are welcome.

I witnessed that house being built in the afternoon, when Ruth and I were pleased to attend an outdoor Eucharist in St. Stephen's Field in Canterbury. It was a special celebration, sponsored by Changing Attitude UK and Integrity USA to affirm the gifts and ministries of gay and lesbian people in our Church. There was joy and hope as well as pain and frustration. But, we love our Church!

Yesterday afternoon there was a plenary session to present the full program of the Conference. Beginning today we will be meeting in Indaba (a Zulu word meaning sustained conversation in a time of crisis) groups of 40 each day on a different topic. Today we will discuss the role and identity of a bishop in the Anglican Communion. In addition, each evening there will be a keynote speaker on a subject related to the theme of the day. All this, while we continue in our small group Bible study and in the daily round of worship and fellowship.

The days are long, but good. The distances are long, too. But the walking across campus is also a very good thing. Above all, I am mindful of this great privilege. Thank you for your support of Bishop Sylvestre and Eva, of Ruth and me.

I hold you in my heart and in my prayers, with deep gratitude and deepest affection, in Christ,

+George

(See photos of the Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral here.)