A B.E.C.B.
I had nothing either mundane or exciting in the works for Saturday 15th September, so when my friend The Revd Andi (Andrea) Taylor called and asked me to join her for a B.E.C.B I readily agreed.
Andi and I knew and liked each other when she was at the Church of the Redeemer, Lexington, MA and I was at St. James’s in Cambridge, MA.
She is now the Associate Rector at St. Boniface on Siesta Key in Sarasota, and we traveled to Tampa with retired Priest the Revd. Ralph McGimsey, his wife Kay, and the Revd. Alan Rogers, Deacon at St. B’s.
The journey gave Andi and I chance to share deep and mutual prayer concerns from the Diocese of Massachusetts (gossip!), and for me to meet Ralph, Alan and Kay. As it happened, Kay and I were already acquainted - we each volunteer at Resurrection House in SRQ.
The B.E.C.B? It was “the Recognition and Investiture of the Rt. Revd. Dr. Dabney Tyler Smith as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South West Florida” - and it happened at St. Peter’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg - the Florida one.
B.E.C.B? Ah yes - “Big Episcopal Church Bash”. It was my first such since April 2004 when I’d been in Cleveland, Ohio for the Consecration of my friend Mark Hollingsworth as Bishop of Ohio.
As B.E.C.B’s go, yesterday’s was “not bad”. The Liturgy was “classic 1976/1979 Book of Common Prayer, Rite Two” (Whew - the “new Prayer Book” is now classic!). The hymns were from the Hymnal 1982, each well known and well sung.
The Cathedral Choir is quite excellent. It amused me a bit that their anthem at the entrance procession, and their motets at Communion time were each in Latin (Flor Peeters, William Byrd and Victoria). Bring back Healey Willan I say.
There was a goodly amount of incense, a flurry of Virgers and Deacons, the handing over of a pastoral staff by retiring Bishop Lipsomb to Bishop Smith, and the Cathedral Dean seating the new Bishop in his Cathedra.
Bishop Smith preached - at length. His theme was a good one. “This is not about me, it is not about you, it is about mission”.
And he defined mission as “God is passionate for all people”.
Perhaps his best line was “when you pray for mission, expect yourself to be changed”.
Bishop Dabney Smith is very comfortable in his own skin. I suspect that is a cardinal virtue for any Bishop. He will be a uniter in a Diocese which is theologically diverse. He is a third generation Episcopal Priest, and that deep Anglican heritage will serve him well. (His grandfather was ordained by the great Bishop Brent of the Philippines and later of Western New York).
I have a couple of liturgical whines - would you expect anything less!
Deacons and Priests were asked to dress in Cassock, Surplice and Red Stole.
I suspect that the stoles were meant to make it clear just who were Deacons and who were Priests. Good old Choir Habit would have been more to my preference. (One fellow did wear his academic hood as well as the stole).
The clerics, separated by order, were seated in the south transept. Not bad, as it gave the hoi polloi the best view of the chancel. But I think that the Deacons should have been all around the Altar, and the Priests seated in the back rows. (There’s an ecclesiastical bias for you).
(From my point of view, Mark Hollingsworth got it right at his consecration. All the Bishop, Priests and Deacons processed in with their spouses or partners, and children, and sat wherever they wished.)
And the good parts?
Not having to worry about the Liturgy. Its very familiarity made it prayerful.
The sweet and gentle smile which Bishop Henry Louttit of Georgia bore as he ministered communion. I thanked him for this afterwards.
Connecting and reconnecting. Reconnecting with Martha Vaguener, David Danner and Chris Schuller from Massachusetts. Connecting with the folks from St. David’s, Englewood (my new home parish) and sitting with them at the reception afterwards.
Being silly and giggling with Andi Taylor on the journeys.
And it was enough of a B.E.C.B to keep me going for a while. Like rich desserts, they are great for an occasional treat, but too many, too often would make a person sick!
Andi and I knew and liked each other when she was at the Church of the Redeemer, Lexington, MA and I was at St. James’s in Cambridge, MA.
She is now the Associate Rector at St. Boniface on Siesta Key in Sarasota, and we traveled to Tampa with retired Priest the Revd. Ralph McGimsey, his wife Kay, and the Revd. Alan Rogers, Deacon at St. B’s.
The journey gave Andi and I chance to share deep and mutual prayer concerns from the Diocese of Massachusetts (gossip!), and for me to meet Ralph, Alan and Kay. As it happened, Kay and I were already acquainted - we each volunteer at Resurrection House in SRQ.
The B.E.C.B? It was “the Recognition and Investiture of the Rt. Revd. Dr. Dabney Tyler Smith as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South West Florida” - and it happened at St. Peter’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg - the Florida one.
B.E.C.B? Ah yes - “Big Episcopal Church Bash”. It was my first such since April 2004 when I’d been in Cleveland, Ohio for the Consecration of my friend Mark Hollingsworth as Bishop of Ohio.
As B.E.C.B’s go, yesterday’s was “not bad”. The Liturgy was “classic 1976/1979 Book of Common Prayer, Rite Two” (Whew - the “new Prayer Book” is now classic!). The hymns were from the Hymnal 1982, each well known and well sung.
The Cathedral Choir is quite excellent. It amused me a bit that their anthem at the entrance procession, and their motets at Communion time were each in Latin (Flor Peeters, William Byrd and Victoria). Bring back Healey Willan I say.
There was a goodly amount of incense, a flurry of Virgers and Deacons, the handing over of a pastoral staff by retiring Bishop Lipsomb to Bishop Smith, and the Cathedral Dean seating the new Bishop in his Cathedra.
Bishop Smith preached - at length. His theme was a good one. “This is not about me, it is not about you, it is about mission”.
And he defined mission as “God is passionate for all people”.
Perhaps his best line was “when you pray for mission, expect yourself to be changed”.
Bishop Dabney Smith is very comfortable in his own skin. I suspect that is a cardinal virtue for any Bishop. He will be a uniter in a Diocese which is theologically diverse. He is a third generation Episcopal Priest, and that deep Anglican heritage will serve him well. (His grandfather was ordained by the great Bishop Brent of the Philippines and later of Western New York).
I have a couple of liturgical whines - would you expect anything less!
Deacons and Priests were asked to dress in Cassock, Surplice and Red Stole.
I suspect that the stoles were meant to make it clear just who were Deacons and who were Priests. Good old Choir Habit would have been more to my preference. (One fellow did wear his academic hood as well as the stole).
The clerics, separated by order, were seated in the south transept. Not bad, as it gave the hoi polloi the best view of the chancel. But I think that the Deacons should have been all around the Altar, and the Priests seated in the back rows. (There’s an ecclesiastical bias for you).
(From my point of view, Mark Hollingsworth got it right at his consecration. All the Bishop, Priests and Deacons processed in with their spouses or partners, and children, and sat wherever they wished.)
And the good parts?
Not having to worry about the Liturgy. Its very familiarity made it prayerful.
The sweet and gentle smile which Bishop Henry Louttit of Georgia bore as he ministered communion. I thanked him for this afterwards.
Connecting and reconnecting. Reconnecting with Martha Vaguener, David Danner and Chris Schuller from Massachusetts. Connecting with the folks from St. David’s, Englewood (my new home parish) and sitting with them at the reception afterwards.
Being silly and giggling with Andi Taylor on the journeys.
And it was enough of a B.E.C.B to keep me going for a while. Like rich desserts, they are great for an occasional treat, but too many, too often would make a person sick!
