Bishop's Visit

The Right Rev. John Palmer Croneberger, our Bishop, visited St. Mark's on the Second Sunday of Advent, December 4. The visit coincided with the first snowfall of the season - so the day was even more special.

By 7:45 Julian Vicente of Cutting Edge Landscaping had done our snow removal. Julian is solid gold and serves St. Mark's well.

The 8 am service was the quiet morning opportunity for comtemplation and rich silence it always is - time to gather our prayers for the busier part of the morning.

By 8:45 the Bishop arrived.

Two years ago, The Rev. Dennie Bennett, our Associate Rector, was ordained on St. Nicholas Day (December 6). There was a huge blizzard. I joked with the Bishop about an equation I was observing: Bishop+Dennie=Snow.

Our magnificent St. Mark's Choristers (new children's choir) were singing at the 9 am service so the morning was soon attended by fluttering of bolts of red and white cloth in the vestments of these young ministers of music.

Ministry Intern Alexei Khamin made it through the snowy roads from Parsippany by 8:55, ready to serve as the Bishop's Chaplain through the morning.

I wondered if anyone would come to church, or if all the preparations would be for a very select few. While attendance was a little lighter than we might have hoped, the snow didn't deter most people. The coat racks were filled to overflowing.

Cleve chose two sets of hymns for 9 am and 11 am - so the Bishop had a full array of Advent Hymns through the morning - from "People Look East" to "What is the crying at Jordan?" to "Comfort, comfort ye my people."

Pam Malone is a riveting storyteller and was engrossing in relating the story of Zechariah, the Angel Gabriel and the Visitation - Elizabeth and Mary meet and John the Baptist and Jesus leap in expectant wombs. We have a children's story every Sunday at the 9 am service.

The Bishop led the 10 am Adult forum - focusing the conversation on St. Mark's vitality and what underlies the strength we experience. As he sought to hear reasons for our health and vibrance, people ventured: openness to change, our leadership, our small groups, our heritage of active involvement, and our openness and inclusion (especially racial diversity). It was a lively conversation and the bishop told some stories from his travels around the Diocese. He mentioned one congregation in the Diocese that has an Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) of nine.

The Bishop preached a moving and reflective sermon on Advent words - and called us to move more deeply into this time of waiting and expectation. At the 11 am service he completed his sermon with a surprise for the Rector: an examination and recommitment to ordination vows on the occasion of Randall's 20th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood. So the Bishop's visit allowed a powerful moment of looking afresh 0n the work of priestly ministry in the faith community and in the world.

Cleve and the Choir outdid themselves - 17 singers and an excellent array of music from chant to folk song.

The Bishop's presence knits us together with over a hundred other local expressions of the work of the Episcopal Church in northern New Jersey. In his visit today we have been encouraged to move ever more boldly into the life-changing mission of being Christ's presence for others - especially those in great need.

Today's visit from our Bishop has strengthened us in the time of Advent expectation to watch for Christ in all people, all places, and in ourselves as Christ's living Body active in the world.