Why I Love The Episcopal Church

Today, I found yet another reason to love love LOVE my church. Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of 16 countries, came to our very own Sacramento cathedral and spoke this morning.

For once, I was actually early, by ten minutes - to church. Good thing because the pews were packed. The Rev. Dr. Schori is a legend in her own time and all of Sacramento's Episcopal community came out to welcome her.

Keeping stride with the Episcopal faith, Rev. Dr. Schori underscored the importance of CHANGE in our nation. Feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, ensuring that everyone has fair and affordable access to quality health care, and addressing the global warming crisis.

"We need to stop building mega structures - religious, corporate and otherwise - and start noticing suffering," she proclaimed.

Amen to that.

The energy in the congregation was palpable. I found myself, more than once, in utter amazement at being in the presence of such a compassionate and wise spiritual leader. And I know that the people all around me were feeling the same way.

I stumbled - quite literally - into Trinity exactly three years ago, in the midst of a divorce and desperately seeking spiritual comfort and guidance. Oddly enough, the message on that cold November morning was underscored again this morning: "When the temple was about to come down, Jesus assured the disciples that something far more beautiful on the other side." At the time, the temple was my marriage. Right now, it could be a lot of things.

Last night, while perusing the News and Review, the following quote - by medical doctor and theologian, Albert Schweitzer, caught my eye:

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

Rev. Dr. Schori did that for me today - she rekindled my spark, which had temporarily been snuffed out by life. The temple, the flame, the notion of beauty on the other side of destruction - such wonderful ways to re-capture the essence of life.