Awesome Worship, from Donald Vinson

AWESOME SUNDAY EUCHARIST

I’d be very disappointed if worship at General Convention were NOT superb. And I’d be disappointed if we did NOT have a fabulous processional, since that seems to be what we do naturally. But what we had here in Anaheim would have knocked my socks off, had I worn any. It was awesome.

The convention choir starts singing 10 or 15 minutes prior to the Eucharist, so the mood is building as the people enter. Today, the tables were gone and the seats were in rows, accommodating more thousands. The procession was punctuated in segments by streamer-bearers holding very long, flexible poles topped with long, colorful ribbon streamers. There was a troupe of dancers waving shimmering, translucent flags in tropical blue and green, which they whirled in sync. At the end of the first processional hymn, there was an outburst of drumming and cymbals from a Chinese drum ensemble. These young people led the next section of the procession, followed by a second processional hymn with all the bishops of the church in rochet and chimere—quite a spectacle. Then more streamers and the United Thank Offering women in procession. Finally, the Presiders, Katherine Jefferts-Schori with the two previous presiding bishops, Frank Griswold (whom Linda and I had just reminisced over Mike’s ordination with on the elevator) and Edmund Browning. The flag troupe was dancing on the dais as they arrived in their midst.
People who know me might think I would be retching in the aisle—but no, not at all. I was mesmerized. In such a large space, with so many people gathered, everything has to be over-the-top in order to work at all.

We’ve had wonderful preaching all along. Ray Suarez of PBS McNeil Lehrer Report yesterday, Katherine today. (Our own Frank Brookhart was co-presider yesterday). Today, there was more music in total, and more of it was of a traditional nature. Traditionalists take heart: the choral offertory anthem was Mozart, in Latin no less, beautifully sung (Ave Verum Corpus). But there was excellent Black Gospel, too, and the service music was from Lift Every Voice and Sing and Wonder, Love, and Praise—and I liked all of it! the Psalm has been done a bit differently each time, but all are easy to catch onto, and very effective. Some use cantors (excellent) and some are sung by the whole congregation. The choir includes some superb soloists, too. Elizabeth von Trapp sang today, and will offer a free concert tonight, which we plan to attend.

In this setting, people applaud. I know, church ladies and gentlemen, it is appalling, in church. But you just have to. Somehow it seems right for the occasion.

In the communion line, I met my old friend Ron DelBene, whom I haven’t seen for 2 decades. He hasn’t changed a bit, and it was great having a hug right there at the table of the Lord.

Recessing out was similar, in reverse, with applause for the 3 PB’s as they passed. I don’t know if folks back home realize this, but Katherine Jefferts-Schori is virtually venerated here at General Convention, and that probably means around the church as well. I’ve never seen the like of it. What her position means to women in the church, and many men as well, can scarcely be exaggerated.

Speaking of veneration, at Integrity Mass, I witnessed a custom apparently common in some places, but new to me: the Gospel Book, carried in this case by a woman bishop, I believe, is held aloft, but “showed” to the people on either side of the aisle. Sometimes, those who can reach out to touch it briefly as it passes, to indicate their reverence for the Word. What might be kind of schmaltzy in some settings is moving and meaningful in these large gatherings of the faithful.

In sum, Sunday Eucharist was explosive stuff. Souls were saved. Lives were committed to Christ. The devil was beaten back. All with no altar call.