Last night I was able to attend the Rite of Reception for the Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain as the Ninth Bishop and Fifth Archbishop of Seattle. The service began with the Archbishop elect knocking on the great ceremonial bronze doors of St. James Cathedral. These doors are only opened for special occasions and later during the service the retiring Archbishop Burnett mentioned that this is only the ninth time Seattle has welcomed a new bishop. Only other bishops are allowed in the narthex as the incoming Archbishop knocks and makes his entrance. the Rite of Reception and the welcoming him through those great doors is symbolic of his being welcomed by the diocese and by the Cathedral itself, which will be his home church. Once he came into his seat a procession of other faith leaders, bishops from other “ecclesial communities,” and community leaders presenting varied demographics such as the deaf community, the black community, the filipino community, the young adult community and a whole litany of other groups.
The Rite of Reception
The liturgy was rich and the atmosphere vibrant as you could actually feel the excitement in the Cathedral both for the experience of this uncommon event and for the future of the diocese under this new Archbishop. The music of drums and children filled the place before it had even started and then once it began you would have thought the gathered congregation was a mass choir that had rehearsed as everyone sang out each hymn and each response led by four phenomenal psalmists from the Cathedral.
The service took place on the Feast Day of St. Andrew and the celebration mirrored Andrews answer to lay down his nets and follow Jesus just as all are called to do so and Archbishop Sartain reflected on his own calling and journey of servanthood which have brought him to this place. His message was one of his own story and his true desire to be a servant. he said that, “to be for God is vocation…and to live is to be desired and loved by God.” His style was comfortable and relaxed and you felt like he was talking to you not at you as some who attain such high posts often seem to do. When I got to speak to him afterwards and offer greetings from my own bishop he seemed just as genuine and his humility sincere. He laid out his own understanding of his role that, “everything about me is to be for you,” and that he is called to be, “the bearer of the mystery.”
It was a privilege to be included as a guest for this occasion and I was impressed by Archbishop Sartain and am hopeful for his leadership here in Seattle. What everyone says about his is that he is a personable and down-to-earth guy and he has a gift for remembering you once he has met you. He certainly did nothing to dispel this in my own encounter with him.
Tripping the Light Fantastic 