Day Two Blog Addendum

+Marc Andrus

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There was some waiting for the buses to get the pilgrims to the opening Eucharist, so we were ushered lovingly to some covered seating behind the main church building. There were excellent screens and speakers, so, as at my installation at Grace Cathedral, the ones outside were in a privileged position. Soon, though, Odwa came and beckoned for me to come with him, bringing one of our group, to be seated with the other bishops from around the Communion attending.

We wedged in in the last two chairs behind the sanctuary, next to the amazing band from Cape Town, and the keyboard musician who accompanied the choir. It was a great place of spiritual energy, full of such emotion and love for God in the singing and playing, and dancing. What lifted my heart even more was when we were invited to pray the Lord’s Prayer, each in our own languages. I’ve been blessed to have been part of that experience before, but never with languages like Xhosa, with the vocal range of clicking enriching the aural world. It was hearing the kindom of God become more realized.

When we got back to the hotel, elated and exhausted, we were met first by some of the Rhode Island pilgrims. A group of 20 Rhode Island pilgrims, from Grace Church, Providence, led by the Rev. Bob Brooks, were part of the original Pilgrimage for Peace in Alabama. This time sixteen youth and young adults have made this extraordinary journey, the second step in the global pilgrimage. Two of the Rhode Island pilgrims are in the Day 3 Blog team, so you’ll hear from them tomorrow.

I was deeply delighted last evening when four young men from Mozambique joined our Pilgrimage for Peace. Their names are: Hilario Rdul, Cesar Francisco, Arthur Matsinne, Mercio Langa. One of them is on the Day 3 Blog team too.

Lots of great people from around the Communion have been coming up to say hello; it has already been a great reunion for me. Really, though, they are most interested to meet our group of pilgrims. Though the TEAM Conference is a great, bold, heart-felt accomplishment on the part of Archbishop Ndungane, the Province of Southern Africa, and Hope Africa, yet it is so obvious that as so often in the Church, youth and young adults are noticeably underrepresented. Our group brilliantly stands forth, both being such a large presence, and also one so engaged and involved.

Thus far, the President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church; the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion; the Primates Burma and Japan; former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold; the Bishop of Colorado; the Director of the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations; and the Environmental Officer for the Episcopal Church are a few of those who have come across crowded rooms to meet the pilgrims. Archbishop Ndungane welcomed and acknowledged these remarkable pilgrims in his opening keynote address at the start of Day 3.