Opus dei and missio dei: cathedral and parish.

Some years ago I was worshipping in a cathedral.  My parents had moved to be closer to family, and had specifically chosen to live in a cathedral city where they felt they could get good Anglican liturgy and music.

One day, I was witness to a fascinating conversation between the Dean and the Precentor.  They were debating the role of the cathedral as it should be versus the role the cathedral was actually filling.

In the Anglican understanding, the cathedral is the seat (cathedra) of the Bishop of the Diocese.  The diocesan bishop is the only person who has authority vested directly in them; everyone else’s authority, and their ministry, is on behalf of the diocesan bishop.

It is a simple enough idea; the bishop can’t be everywhere, and he/she needs help.  So, the bishop shares his or her ministry out to other clergy who are based in parishes, schools, prisons etc etc.

The Dean, who runs a cathedral, is usually considered the senior priest of the diocese.  This reflects the particularly important role of representing the bishop in the cathedral, which is the bishop’s church!

A cathedral, in Anglican understanding, has often been seen as the centre of the opus dei of the church.  Opus dei literally means “work of God.”  First and foremost, we see this as worship; we come together to perform the work of God.   Cathedrals are traditionally known for their high-quality Anglican liturgy and music.  They are also places that follow a daily pattern of prayer which often consists of morning and evening services as well as (more recently) a eucharist.  Cathedrals usually employ more clergy and musicians than other churches in the diocese to facilitate this pattern’s continuance.

Mission dei (meaning the mission of God) is often seen as the work that takes place in parishes, schools, hospitals, prisons and other locations.   There may be fewer services, with a greater emphasis on engaging people with mission work and personal spirituality. 

Of course, both cathedrals and parish churches are called to do both forms of work, but there is often a subtle difference.  A cathedral is usually central to the area, parishes are dispersed amongst the people of the diocese.  A cathedral is usually large, a parish church smaller.  It is the original hub and spoke model of leadership!

In reality, lines are blurred.  We see this most often in the people who attend cathedrals.  To my parents, who attended a cathedral for 20 years, the cathedral was their parish.  Whilst this may be factually incorrect, it was a reality of cathedral life for the many who worshipped there.

Cathedrals have had to adapt and change.  On the one hand they have to continue to serve a functional role as the seat of the bishop, the liturgical and ceremonial heart of the diocese and the gathering place for clergy and people for large diocesan events.  But they have also had to increasingly be a parish to the people who worship there.  When my parents were at the end of their lives, their cathedral clergy provided superb pastoral, individualized care to them, just as a good parish priest would.

Cathedrals are expensive to run; buildings alone are particularly demanding, and the wages and running costs are significant.  They need to be lead by experienced people who understand the Bishop’s vision and can live it out whilst modelling the opus dei of God.

Whenever I visit a new city, I always look up the cathedral.  I hope to see evidence of a distinctly Anglican heritage and life, one that I can fit into and understand, one that has been around for centuries. 

I hope that the opus dei is offered well, that clergy and musicians are working together to produce liturgy that is to the glory of God.  I hope to see a daily eucharist being offered, and the offices of morning and evening prayer been said publicly.  I look at these things first, and then I look to the mission dei that the cathedral is engaged with.

When I look at parishes, it is often the other way around.  I am more interested in how they are working through the Holy Spirit to serve and meet the needs of the place they are located.  I look to see how they are engaging with people before looking at how they engage with liturgy.

I think the thing all clergy need to understand, is that we can’t be all things to all people, and we need to do what we feel called to do well, and with integrity to God and our bishop.   If we get this right, good things seem to happen.  I think that is because good clergy take time to work with their people to understand where the spirit is moving and how to get alongside it.

On the other hand, clergy who have their own immovable sense of what they must do and must achieve are likely, in my opinion, to suffer.  Everything we do is on behalf of our bishop, and we should always take that trust and privilege seriously.