St. Gregory of Nyssa Wow!

Two weeks ago Sheryl promised that next up on the blog would be St. Gregory's and finally here is that post. A couple of reasons for the delay. One, is that I do have school and just a little bit of reading to do. But the bigger obstacle to writing this blog is what can one say about St. Gregory's? It is an amazing and fascinating place and I was/am more than a little bit daunted by trying to give a sense of the place in one blog post. But here goes. We have been there twice for Sunday liturgy and I have been there once to volunteer at the Friday Food Pantry.

The first thing you notice when you enter St. Gregory's is the beautiful Dancing Saints painting in the Rotunda.

This picture does not do it justice. The painting done by Iconographer, Mark Dukes, covers 3,000 square feet and has ninety saints (modern & traditional), a number of animals and a 12 foot high dancing Jesus. All of the saints are dancing! The Eucharistic table is in the center of the rotunda and when it comes time to celebrate The Great Thanksgiving, everyone dances as a group to gather around the table.




The liturgy of the word is celebrated in an oblong space with the presider's chair at one end and a very unique ambo on the other end. The preacher, lay or ordained, preaches from the colorful presider's chair. The liturgy is a mix of Anglican and Catholic with a heavy dose of Byzantine. It is complete with lot's of silence, a shared homily, Tibetan singing bowls of all sizes and pitches.

Check out these links to learn more about St. Gregory's.

The Food Pantry at St. Gregory's
and
Dancing with God

Peace,
Phil