Bishop Melissa Skelton

This past Saturday I had the privilege of witnessing the Consecration and Installation of Melissa Skelton as the 9th Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster. The ceremony was joyful and at times a bit raucous (well, for a group of Anglicans!). It was heartening to experience Melissa's welcome into her new ecclesial home. If we at St. Paul's have to say goodbye to Melissa, then it is good to know that she will be well loved in her new home.

Bishop Melissa presiding over the fire
during the Easter Vigil

Bishop Melissa has such warmth and depth of vision for the church, I'm hopeful for the possibilities of healing and wholeness for the Anglican Church in B.C., and perhaps in the whole of the communion. Over the past 5 years as one of her flock, I have witnessed her ability to maintain the integrity of the liturgy and the Gospel while encouraging and establishing a welcoming and hospitable space in the church. I think it is rare that an Anglo-Catholic priest can sing and preside over the service so well and then immediately after have children run up for big hugs and conversation. That is Melissa. Formal and welcoming. Poetry and prose. Gospel preaching and progressive. Orthodox and hospitable. Incense and warm pecan pie!
If she is symbolic of the Bishopric to come, then there is truly hope for the unity and the healing of the Anglican communion. A Bishop that truly believes in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us to the be the body of Jesus Christ in the world. She truly believes in the Resurrection and the power of Jesus to redeem and save us. As she quoted in a sermon recently:

Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvelous error!— that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures.

(from “Last Night As I Lay Sleeping” by Antonio Machado)

Melissa is convinced that our broken and crumbling parts can be transformed into beautiful and generative characteristics and abilities, if only we would allow the Spirit to work in our lives. As Melissa begins her new role as Bishop, I pray that healing may come in the unexpected and unwatched for places... Come Holy Spirit...

Getting to know Bishop Melissa:

Here is a blog post that introduces her a bit more: "Cascadia Evokes 'Wildness of God'"

Here is her "New Jersey candidacy" video. Make it to the end of this one, it is beautiful:



Here is an inspiring video interview with Bishop Melissa after her election. I love how she talks about the Sacraments:




Here is the video link from the Vancouver Sun's coverage of the event:

The Ceremony

Videos about the meaning of all the ceremonial elements that Bishop Melissa was given during the ceremony:

The Mitre (That Great Hat!) - A symbol of the tongues of fire that anoint the Bishop

Meaning of the Ring - The "seal" of the Bishop

The Bishop's Staff (Crozier) - A symbol of the Bishop's role as the shepard(ess) of the Diocese

The Pectoral (meaning "near your heart") Cross - A symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Chalice and Paten - Symbols of the Eucharist