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Hallo again to all.
We learned this week of a delightful invitation: the request of Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Ms Rachel Meghan Markle to the Presiding Bishop of the United States-based Episcopal Church to preach at their wedding on 19 May in six days' time. St George's Chapel, Windsor is an ocean and a pond away from the heavily-air conditioned convention centre where Bishop Curry was elected in 2015, and it is uncommon for American bishops to preach beneath the Queen's Ten Beasts. We couldn't be happier for the couple—not because we have ever paid very much attention to orders of succession or the hatching, matching, and dispatching of Windsors or Saxe-Coburg-Gothas—but because we know the sermon will convert its audience to the new life. The choice of a wedding preacher is a significant one for any couple. Most wedding sermons we have heard have been composed more dreadfully than railway graffiti. They riff on the stupid ideas that 'one plus one equals one' in marriage, or call on embarrassing jokes related to the betrothed—to the amusement of nobody. Most sermons are bad; almost all wedding sermons are worse. This week's sermon will be different, though of course we haven't heard or read it yet. The American primate preaches one sermon, and it is Jesus, over and over and over: Jesus in the stranger, Jesus as the foreigner, Jesus as the refugee, Jesus as your difficult colleague, Jesus as our teacher and friend and guide and Lord and God, Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus as the scriptures' fulfillment and expositor, Jesus who puts away our sin and sorrow, Jesus as the knower of our most intimate needs and hopes and fears, and Jesus as the one who shows the power of God to conquer death through love stronger than death. We are happy and thankful for Harry and Meghan because they have chosen personally to hear the truth of the Gospel preached by Michael Bruce Curry, knowing full well that he will call them and all present to a deeper love, a deeper life, a better walk, and a happy Christian foundation for their marriage. It is interesting that Bishop Curry is the first American presiding bishop of African descent. It is interesting that an American will be preaching at the wedding of a person in the line of succession to the British throne. It is interesting that Ms Markle is an American and a new Anglican. It is interesting that the Special Relationship first noted by the half-American Winston Churchill in 1946 has a happy fruition this year in a marriage whose joy will be multiplied by the millions among its spectators. But the most interesting thing is Jesus, and his name will be heard as his words are taught in between the bells. May God bless the newly-wedded, and the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace. See you again next week.
Richard Mammana and |
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