Consecration of New Bishop

This week, Mason Sawyer and I ventured out to the Church of the Holy Communion Cathedral in Dallas. The occasion for our trip was, of course, the consecration of our diocese's new Bishop Co-Adjutor, the Right Reverand Jason Grote. The trip was a joyous one, having fellowshipped with priests across the Diocese of the Central States, passed All Saints' greetings on to Bishop Manto and his wife Janice, and we witnessed Bishop Grote's consecration. The service was a wonderful example of the worship of God in beauty and holiness, and it served as a reminder of the call upon every bishop. For those who are interested, I will place a copy of the service bulletin in the Narthex for people to peruse. But what I want to talk about this week is not the service per se, but the gifts given to the Bishop as he was vested, and how it highlights our understanding of the task of the office of Bishop.

At the consecration, when the Presiding Bishop and a bench of Bishops ("Bench" being the collective noun for bishops) have placed their hands on the head of the bishop-elect and prayed for him to receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Bishop, the newly consecrated bishop is vested for the task now before him. He is first given a Bible with the words, "Give heed unto reading, exhortation, and doctrine. Think upon the things contained in this Book. Be diligent in them, that the increase coming thereby may be manifest unto all men; for by so doing thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf; feed them, devour them not. Hold up the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring again the outcasts, seek the lost. Be so merciful, that you be not too remiss; so minister discipline, that you forget not mercy; that when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you may receive the never-fading crown of glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."  You might notice that as the Bishop is vested, the words that are read are rooted within this initial exhortation, emphasizing the Bishop as a man under authority, the authority of Jesus Christ as revealed within Scripture, to care for and protect Christ's flock.

Having received the Bible, the new Bishop is given a pectoral cross with the words "Receive and wear this cross remembering that Jesus Christ, whom ye serve, reconciled us to God by his own precious blood." We are all called to carry our cross in service to God, and we are all reconciled to God through the cross of Christ, so why give it to a bishop? While it is popular today for clergy and even laity to wear crosses, historically in the Church, they were reserved for bishops and abbots and often contained a relic. This was a reminder that their work was not in themselves but that they depended upon God in their tasks to bear the cross for the sake of the Church. From a practical point of view, I could also see how it would be necessary for a Bishop to remind himself that Christ died even for that pesky priest in Raleigh, NC. Ultimately, we are all saved by the cross of Christ, and bishops become a picture of that cross to us, both of our hope in Christ and our call to lay down our lives and pick up our crosses.

Next, the Presiding Bishop says, "Receive and wear this Stole and Cope remembering that you bear the Yoke of Jesus Christ as you Celebrate the Holy Communion, and Confirm and Ordain others." Again, the work of the good Bishop is to bear the Yoke of Christ, joined to the work of Christ in the Kingdom of God, making disciples through confirmations, ordinations, etc. Additionally, all Holy Communion services are extensions of the ministry of the Bishop. If a priest does not have a license from the Bishop, he cannot hold Communion services. The priest functions as an extension of the Bishop's ministry in each local parish. This helps to safeguard from bad priests but also is a reminder of the role given by Christ to those in apostolic succession, so "Wherever the bishop appears,” explained St. Ignatius, “there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” 

After the cope, the Bishop is given a crozier and anointed with oil at the words "Take this staff and watch over the flock of Christ", and then, "Receive the anointing of this oil, and remember continually to stir up the grace of God which is given to you; for God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and love, and self-control." I list these together because I think they really must go hand in hand. The Bishop is to protect the flock of Christ, he is to be the shepherd of the Church, and he cannot do this without the grace of God strengthening him to defeat that which threatens the church. As said earlier, "Be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf; feed them, devour them not...that when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you may receive the never-fading crown of glory." So, the Bishop is to protect the Church from false doctrine and those who seek to prey on others.

Then the Bishop is given an episcopal ring: "Take this ring; be faithful to the Bride of Christ." The ring often contains a stone or episcopal seal and represents the office of the Bishop, not just himself. He must function as a husband, not that he is the husband, but that his position stands as the presence of Christ to his Church. He is called to steadfastly and faithfully serve, care for, and protect the Church as a figure of the coming Bridegroom.

Lastly, he is vested with the words, "Receive this mitre, and remember that your authority rests in God's Word and Holy Spirit." The very design of the mitre conveys this truth. They are not just funny-looking hats, they are designed to look like a tongue of fire, like that seen at Pentecost. The two sides represent the Old and New Testaments with the ribbons marking Holy Scripture. The design itself is a reminder that the Bishop's authority rests in the Holy Spirit and God's word, but that he is also under their authority.

Let us give thanks to God for the consecration of the Right Reverend Jason Grote, and let us pray for him in the task for which he has been called. 

God's Peace,

Fr. Aaron