“Lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth.” The St. John’s Cathedral choir sang these words from an ancient Christian liturgy last night to begin a service of Advent lessons and carols.
Our cathedral in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles began a hundred years ago as a parish church, so it’s centenary time, with a major expansion about to get underway. While we had a lot to celebrate last night (including exquisite new seasonal vestments for cathedral ministers), Advent remains a somber, expectant, even penitent time as we await our sovereign — the babe in Bethlehem, of course, but also Christ’s return in great glory to judge the nations (and all the nations had better be quaking in their boots right about now) and throw a cloak of justice and love over all creation.
Acknowledging the awesome mystery of this dual arrival, royal majesty as well as the rose blooming in the garden from Jesse’s stem, is what Advent lessons and carols does. It was exquisite at St. John’s, with the choir under the direction of Christopher Graves, with Zack Neufeld at the organ. Our interim dean, the Very Rev. Anne Sawyer, welcomed us graciously. The Rev. Margaret Hudley McCauley, parish deacon, sent us forth into the world reinvigorated and restored.
Darkness, but not our spirits, had fallen as we gathered for a reception after church. Bishop Franklin and Sue Brookhart were there, along with Charlotte Borst of St. John’s and the Corporation of the Diocese. I learned that the cathedral’s brilliant senior warden, Canon Lurelean Gaines, served as a U.S. Army nurse during the Vietnam war. She introduced me to her lifelong friend Kathleen Lutz, also a former nurse and nursing teacher. From now on, it’s Col. Canon Gaines!
During the service, I said some of the prayers and was one of five lectors. I couldn’t quite identify the others from my spot. Dean Anne and our expert minister of ceremonies, Canon John Charles Thies, again settled me in the bishop’s cathedra, up next to the high altar. It was only my second or third time in the historic, exquisitely carved chair, so I was still a little giddy. I remember thinking I had room in there for my granddaughters. While it bears the names of all seven LA bishops diocesan so far, I’m the only one to have occupied it at St. John’s. We only moved it to the cathedral six or seven years ago.
It was also my honor to present St. John’s with a centenary gift, the magnificent calligraphy of Vincent Mazzucchelli, rendering the words of 1 John 4:16: “God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” It is hard to imagine really needing much more scripture than that to guide us through the flickering shadows of our days toward the love that awaits. A blessed Advent to you and yours — and nations, you had better watch out.
