New Bishop!

Bishop Dietsche became the Bishop of New York today. It was a long and beautiful service filled with the diversity of the Episcopal Church in New York. I have to say I especially liked the steel drums and the Lion dancers (I think these pictures might help illustrate it.). The Bishop gave a really great sermon that I am feeling inspired by tonight. I wanted to share a tiny bit of what I remember of it while it is fresh on my mind.

The readings appointed for today are the readings for the Feast of the Presentation. It is that Gospel passage where Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple and Simieon and Anna both react to Jesus and tell Mary who Jesus is. What Bishop Dietsche pointed out was that when they take Jesus to the temple they bring with them an offering of two birds. Luke doesn't go into it, but this was the offering that those who could not afford the right offering would bring. That is, if you were poor enough, you could ask that an exception be made. The Bishop connected this to the Magnifict and reminded us all of how Mary really understood what she meant by lowliness. Jesus was a poor child, like too many children in America today, and it is a shame. I liked his emphasis (and Luke's) on poverty.

I appreciated the challenge later in the sermon to not be too anxious about the future of the church, but to let the Church be the Church. A sentiment he called us all to define better. What might that mean? What can the Church be?

Anyway, it was a grand affair. It left me feeling excited for Bishop Dietsche!