On March 11th, 2012 the community of Christ Church Cathedral welcomed Bishop Frank T. Griswold, the 25th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (TEC) as the guest preacher.
In the polity of TEC, the Presiding Bishop is equivalent to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Bishop Griswold was Presiding Bishop of TEC from 1997-2006. He was succeeded by the Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori, the first woman to be a primate in the Anglican Communion. For the 10 years prior to his term as Presiding Bishop he was the Bishop of Chicago.
Bishop Griswold is in Vancouver to lead a Lenten retreat for clergy of the diocese at the Loon Lake Research and Education Centre in Maple Ridge, BC, March 12-14th.
He began his sermon by thanking the Christ Church Cathedral community both ordained and lay for giving him such a warm welcome. He referred to those in attendance at the Lent III celebration of Choral Eucharist as “a wonderfully vibrant expression of Christ’s risen body.”
In his homily he focused on the Old Testament reading, Exodus 20: 1-17 and the Gospel, John 2: 13-22.
Exodus 20: 1-17 is the section of the Old Testament that contains the 10 commandments.
The 10 commandments in various areas of the United States are a political football. They are posted and inscribed on walls of schools and public buildings, carved in stone and installed in parks and then must be removed in order to enforce the US constitutions separation of church and state.
The 10 commandments may certainly appear during the current US political race and for Bishop Griswold this makes sense because they are political, they are a valuable underpinning of a civilized society, they ensure and protect social responsibility. They are also a “divine message” which gives them additional weight. God and not a human agent spoke these words.
He went on to illustrate how the commandments as part of the Torah (translated as law) are concepts to be taught and reflected upon. They are loving gifts from God.
He then examined how the commandments as “religious trappings” of the church become “ends in themselves,” which can develop into the idolatry that is prohibited by the second commandment.
In his examination of the Gospel reading he drew the attention of the congregation to the image of the Cross, what it symbolizes and how it is used. Like the 10 commandments is the Cross also a religious trapping that becomes an end in itself, a fashion accessory to be worn or a symbolic piece to communicate to others something about the wearer?
Bishop Griswold asked that we consider these important symbols of our faith as images that lead us to God’s mystery, the mystery of Faith.
The enduring importance of the 10 commandments is that they are the starting point of a dialogue begun by the Holy One which continues to this day.
In the polity of TEC, the Presiding Bishop is equivalent to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Bishop Griswold was Presiding Bishop of TEC from 1997-2006. He was succeeded by the Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori, the first woman to be a primate in the Anglican Communion. For the 10 years prior to his term as Presiding Bishop he was the Bishop of Chicago.
Bishop Griswold is in Vancouver to lead a Lenten retreat for clergy of the diocese at the Loon Lake Research and Education Centre in Maple Ridge, BC, March 12-14th.
He began his sermon by thanking the Christ Church Cathedral community both ordained and lay for giving him such a warm welcome. He referred to those in attendance at the Lent III celebration of Choral Eucharist as “a wonderfully vibrant expression of Christ’s risen body.”
In his homily he focused on the Old Testament reading, Exodus 20: 1-17 and the Gospel, John 2: 13-22.
Exodus 20: 1-17 is the section of the Old Testament that contains the 10 commandments.
The 10 commandments in various areas of the United States are a political football. They are posted and inscribed on walls of schools and public buildings, carved in stone and installed in parks and then must be removed in order to enforce the US constitutions separation of church and state.
The 10 commandments may certainly appear during the current US political race and for Bishop Griswold this makes sense because they are political, they are a valuable underpinning of a civilized society, they ensure and protect social responsibility. They are also a “divine message” which gives them additional weight. God and not a human agent spoke these words.
He went on to illustrate how the commandments as part of the Torah (translated as law) are concepts to be taught and reflected upon. They are loving gifts from God.
He then examined how the commandments as “religious trappings” of the church become “ends in themselves,” which can develop into the idolatry that is prohibited by the second commandment.
In his examination of the Gospel reading he drew the attention of the congregation to the image of the Cross, what it symbolizes and how it is used. Like the 10 commandments is the Cross also a religious trapping that becomes an end in itself, a fashion accessory to be worn or a symbolic piece to communicate to others something about the wearer?
Bishop Griswold asked that we consider these important symbols of our faith as images that lead us to God’s mystery, the mystery of Faith.
The enduring importance of the 10 commandments is that they are the starting point of a dialogue begun by the Holy One which continues to this day.
The preceding is a brief summary of the homily, please click the link to download an audio version of Bishop Griswold’s address.
Images: top Bishop Griswold greets people after worship.
Below Bishop Griswold and his host, Dean Peter Elliott