A Sunday visit to the Right Reverend Ray

My Sunday morning was quite interesting. I visited the Church of the Holy Communion down in Dallas. It’s a Reformed Episcopal church whose rector is a key bishop, the Right Reverend Ray R. Sutton. (Yes, I couldn’t resist having fun with his name.)

It’s in the middle of the wealthy quasi-suburban neighborhood of Bent Tree, yet has services in an historic meeting house dating from the mid-19th century. The interior walls and ceiling are entirely wood paneling of an Old Western style, and you do feel like you’ve stepped back in history when you enter the place.

The service was simple by Anglican standards, but very nice. It began and ended with a single ring of a bell. It being the first Sunday that their school and Christian Education departments kick off, it was education Sunday, and the bishop gave an appropriate sermon for that.

Oh, the communion wine was white wine. I’ve never seen that before. Has anyone else?

I saw clerical garb all over the place even though it’s not an especially large congregation. (But it did fill the meeting house. They are outgrowing it. So they are planning to build a larger sanctuary.) +Sutton has a deserved reputation as a teacher, so I suspect he trains a lot of clergy. That’s just a guess on my part, though.

As I left the service I noticed the organ was an interesting style. It was shaped like a big cube. And, though freshly painted, it obviously was not new. I talked with the organist about its history. It was first built in London 140 years ago! It has since been rebuilt.

The fellowship hall teaching time after the service was even more interesting. The Bishop began by commenting on recent developments in the Anglican Communion. It’s not every day you get to hear a bishop in person comment to his congregation about such things. He didn’t go into great detail, but what he said was both encouraging and interesting. I’ll confine myself to saying that he confirmed that I was correct some time back in urging you to watch the Reformed Episcopal Church for a possible role it may have in Anglican realignment.

Also he found it most interesting that the ++ABC has invited a priest under Ugandan authority to minister within the Church of England. +Sutton clearly feels that may be an important tip-off to impending changes in the Anglican Communion.

Then he began a series on church architecture, appropriate since they are about to build, as I mentioned above.

I went to Morning Prayer afterward. It was a bit duplicative, however. Same hymns, same sermon. And there was a prayer facing the flag. Those who find some displays of patriotism during services uncomfortable (like me) may have found that uncomfortable. The early main service of Holy Communion was better I think, and I expect I’ll be coming back to that one.

Oh, it just so happened they are having a book sale this evening to raise money for an altar Bible. So, being the kindly author that I am, I donated a couple of my books, which were graciously accepted.

I’ll be returning to Church of the Holy Communion I’m sure. The main service has both a very comfortable yet reverent and historic atmosphere. And Bishop Sutton is quite the teacher.

Oh, it just so happens +Sutton will be the bishop confirming me later this month, God willing. There’s another hint for you.