The Rt. Rev. Sean W. Rowe became Bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania on September 8. That day and the previous day, were banner days in the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. On Friday, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, visited our diocese. She met with and later lunched with the clergy of the diocese.

It was the first time I had seen and heard Bishop Jefferts Schori. I have read her book, A Wing and a Prayer, read reviews of her book, read articles about her in The Living Church and elsewhere. But, as is usually the case, nothing prepared me for actually being in the same room with her. She is tall, so her “presence” is unmistakable. Yet, her posture, the gentle flow of her long limbs, her attentive focus when she talks with you one on one, her animated, affirming response when someone in the group discussion said something, was especially capsular.

The humility that she showed over the course of our time together seemed totally characteristic of Bishop Jefferts Schori. She did not lecture to us, but rather invited us to have a conversation together. And we did. Openly and amicably we discussed what it means to be God’s beloved, and later, with the same equal give and take, we conversed about the diocesan clergy’s apparently unanimous belief that Bishop Rowe is without question the best match for this diocese at this time.

The consecration itself, held in the impressively large chapel at Grove City College (Grove City, Pa.), included everything those of us accustomed to liturgical excellence would expect. The pre-planning was flawless. The music was beyond superb, with three organists and a combined choir from across the diocese. Bishop Schori was present as the chief consecrator, but she allowed others the limelight. Bishop Rowe himself, normally effervescent in energy and enthusiasm, was visibly quieted by the moment and solemnity of the occasion. Bishop Mark Dyer, who presented the sermon, was eloquently low key, commending Bishop Rowe for his selection of lections, as he traced, highlighted and illuminated the unifying theme of the day — “anointed by the Holy Spirit.”

The day was a refreshing mixture of appropriate pageantry, the kind of personal familiarity one normally finds at a wedding rehearsal dinner, and a hopeful grasping of closeness among all present that seemed to be conveying the message, “We want to be a diocesan family.” And we do!

Those two days in September felt like being present at a birth, a long-awaited and much-needed new beginning. In reflecting on the significance of these days, I became conscious of five things that reminded me why I chose to become an Episcopalian 41 years ago:

1. The beauty of our way of worship is unequalled anywhere else in Christendom. The setting, the vestments, the words of liturgy, the emotional grip of the music, and growing cloud of incense all converge to say “You are on holy ground,” and to invite those present to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” The way we worship is a gift to all of Christendom as well as to the unchurched, and we would be short-sighted to underestimate its power as a tool for church growth.

2. I am part of something much larger than myself. The presence of the Presiding Bishop, numerous other bishops, representatives from our Lutheran and Methodist neighbors, splashed a visual awareness that our identity goes beyond our individual souls, beyond our congregations and their communities, beyond our diocesan and even our denominational borders. The additional references in song and liturgy to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church and to the communion of saints extend our perceptual boundaries even further. To embrace and be embraced by such a cloud of witnesses is both humbling and exhilarating.

3. I was reminded again that our Episcopal tradition has deep roots. Our tradition extends back more than 200 years; our Anglican roots more than 450 years; and both our spiritual and liturgical roots, even beyond the onset of the Reformation. Our apostolic succession unites us with Christians of every generation. There is both hope and security, as well as an incredible sense of strength for mission, in the realization that I am a part of a tradition so deeply rooted.

4. Our church is anointed by the Holy Spirit. Bishop Dyer, in his sermon, emphasized the significance of Jesus’ choice of Isaiah 61:1-8 to launch his public ministry. The implication of Bishop Rowe’s selection of this passage for his consecration seems to suggest his desire for his episcopacy to symbolize a renewal of spiritual anointing for the churches of Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is a welcome vision for this diocese because most Episcopalians realize that what we have been doing is not working. Bishop Rowe’s election represents both a cautious expectancy regarding diocesan leadership and an equally cautious willingness on the part of communicants to follow in a new direction, so that the church here may be built up in every place.

5. I am reminded of The Episcopal Church I came into in 1967. While the human spirit may not have wanted to, the Spirit that dwelt in the members of my sponsoring congregation led them to embrace diversity of opinion as an essential ingredient in The Episcopal Church as they had come to understand it. They had become willing, for the sake of Christ, to “agree to disagree” over some issues and opinions about which they had very strong beliefs. They believed continuing to love one another, worshiping together, and accepting someone as a brother in Christ with whom they had serious differences of opinion were over-riding requirements for being Episcopal Christians.

I was reminded of The Episcopal Church at its best. I was reminded of the church that has something important and unique to offer the rest of Christendom and our communities. And I have had renewed in myself an awareness that I am again proud to be an Episcopalian, glad to be a priest in Northwestern Pennsylvania, and feeling very blessed as a result of two days in September. ❏

The Rev. John Wesley is senior pastor of a cluster of five congregations in the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

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