The Rev. Canon Michael Jackson was made an Honorary Canon of St. Mark’s Cathedral by Bishop Rickel at the Diocesan Convention, October 28, 2017, for his long ministry as producer of the TV Eucharist program. He offers the following reflection on receiving this title.
Thank you, Bishop for this honor. I am both humbled and thrilled to receive this for my work with TV Eucharist.
Yet I see this also as an honoring of all of you here at convention and beyond, laity, clergy, and bishops who have given of your time and ministries over these many years to be part of this unique television ministry. I see this honoring the laity and clergy and bishops of the Northwest Washington Synod of the ELCA, who likewise have taken part. As you may know, TV Eucharist together with the Church of the Apostles (COTA), we were two of the first nationally to programmatically embrace the Episcopal/Lutheran joining “Called to Common Mission”, which established full communion between our two denominations.
No ministry like this could be sustained without the support of both the Synod Office and our own D House. They, and especially the Diocesan Altar Guild, are also the recipients of this honoring.
I see this as an honoring of laity and clergy from many other denominations and walks-in-life, such as Missions to Seamen, Night Walk, and Union Gospel Mission, who took part in this ministry, and perhaps in more easier times, those laity, religious, and clergy from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, who also took part, including their archbishop!
This is also an honoring of that great crew at KING5, a wonderful gang of dedicated professionals working in a medium and an environment that is becoming more precarious as each day goes by, and who constantly worked so very hard to make this production one of outstanding quality. I am also grateful for the privilege to be a pastor there in many instances.
And finally, this is an honoring of the one who, 44 years ago, had the vision to create and launch this unique ministry, the late John Compton Leffler, former dean of St. Mark’s Cathedral.
And for all this, as Dean Steve Thomason is oft to ascribe when closing a sermon,
“And for all this, may God’s holy name be praised.”
Amen.
I used to watch this program for several years when I was unable to go to church because my mother wasn’t well. I really appreciated that was available to me. Thank you. Today I am back to church but I never forgot this wonderful ministry for those who couldn’t go in person.