I want to thank everybody who has read and commented on this blog. I could have never imagined that this blog would be closing in on 4,000 views, incredible! I am humbled and thankful for all that have read and shared my blog with others. This blog started out as a project to talk about all things Anglican (and some things Jehovah's Witness) from the prospective of a lay Episcopalian and I have really enjoyed the comments, friends, and conversations that have come about because of this blog.
Truth be told, I'm have some concerns I'd like to share. These last few months, I've been in contact with several friends who finally given up on and left TEC. Most of these friends have gone the Roman route, while another has decided to give Lutheranism a shot (Missouri Synod). The truth is, many of us have very deep reservations when it comes to the direction of TEC and its leaders. Anglicanism is in our heart and soul, however, if something is no longer recognizable as being Anglican and being an Anglican makes you an outsider, then what is to be gained by staying? These are questions that I sometimes ask myself. I belong to a wonderful, welcoming, yet very traditionalist parish. I have no qualms with my parish nor with my bishop.
That being the case, I do have some pretty major qualms with many other bishops and those who serve at the national church level. One of my biggest concerns is the possible passage of Communion Without Baptism at the 2015 General Convention. The Episcopal Church spent the 70s convincing people that baptism is where one enters the Christian Church and is when one can partake in the Eucharist. What does it say about our catholicity if one doesn't even have to be a Christian to share in the Eucharist feast, let along believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist? St. Paul warns us that such an open-table Eucharist policy is dangerous, not for the Church, but for the person who is not yet ready to receive. Baptism before Communion has been the norm for two-thousand years and we might throw this tradition out the window just so some imaginary person may feel more welcome. Not only will a number of Episcopalians leave if this happens, nobody else will join the church because we have lifted the "restriction" of being baptized before taking Communion. People who are interested in joining the church become baptized after all!
My next major qualm with TEC leadership is that there is no accountability when it comes to heretical priests and bishops. I know that "heretic" is a dirty word amongst us Anglicans, however, we have to have some accountability for those who abandon the faith and practices or this church, otherwise we just as well be Unitarian. TEC has spent some 22-24 million dollars litigating those who left TEC and took the church property with them. In some cases, priests and bishops have been pressured or removed or even charged with abandoning the Episcopal Church simply because they are not progressive enough on some issues. Yet, the dean of Washington National Cathedral describes himself as being a "non-theistic" Christian (an atheist Christian), who does not believe in marriage or in God (read here). Not only has this man not been charged with abandoning the faith of this church, he has been promoted to one of the most prestigious Cathedrals in all of America! Thus, some priests are not allowed to have differing views over homosexuality, yet some priests can openly deny belief in God and nothing happens (except that they get promoted!). Sadly, we can do this all day long when it comes to those in leadership positions in the Episcopal Church. The horror stories are all out there for those to read. There are parishes that have Hindu and Buddhist worship hours and there are those parishes that have allowed pagan festival to be conducted in the parishes. We have Bob Dylan Masses, gay disco Masses, and plain disco Masses (gay disco mass). If I were a gay member of this church I would be incredibly offended of such actions and many are. We have the dean of a divinity school call abortion a sacrament and get rewarded for her "prophetic witness." (read in horror) There are those who refuse to refer to God as the Trinity in the liturgy and instead uses deist language like "great being" or "creator." Heck, it is even a mystery whether or not the Presiding Bishop herself even believes in the divinity of Christ! (read here) I'd like to think that this stuff is rare and blown out of proportion, but it is more common than many of us would like to admit I'm afraid.
My next major complaint is that if one is not a staunch supporter of 21st century progressive liberal politics, then they are made to feel like they don't care about social justice. Truth is, I'm not a progressive or a conservative. However, all of the national leadership's solutions when it comes to social justice issues is basically the platform of the progressive liberal wing of the Democratic Party. It is pathetic just how partisan they are and how the only solutions they are interested in are progressive solutions. I would like to inform the progressive liberal social justice "gurus" that progressive liberalism didn't exist in the days Christ walked this earth and that there is nothing in the bible that affirms or doesn't affirm progressivism or any other political "ism." If you don't support gun control, high taxes, government expansion, and assaults on civil liberties, then you are going to feel like an alien in this church at times. Why do we need to constantly take these church dividing stands that are likely to do absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. I just don't think the average politician cares about the political beliefs of a denomination that has an average Sunday attendance that is less than the population of moderately sized U.S. cities.
Sadly, I sometimes feel embarrassed to tell people I'm Episcopalian. I've had people very seriously ask me if Episcopalians were still considered Christians or if they considered themselves to be Christian! These people are not asking this because they think we are Roman Catholics, but because of all the nonsense that they hear about going on in the Episcopal Church. The sad thing is, those who truly adhere to the Creeds, tradition, the Bible, and the BCP are bound to feel uncomfortable and like they don't belong even though they are devoutly Anglican! The Episcopal Church is not the Unitarian church or the universalist church, it is an Anglican Church! Denying the Trinity is not Anglican. Denying the Creeds is not Anglican. Gay disco Masses are offensive and are not Anglican. Calling abortion a "sacrament" is offensive and not Anglican (I feel that it's satanic). Holding traditionalist clergy to differing standards than "progressive" clergy is not Anglican. Christians suing each other for property is not Anglican. Communion without baptism is not Anglican....and the list goes on.
Is all hope lost? I don't think so. The influence of such theologians as Marcus Borg, Dominic Crossan, and, especially, John Spong has been wavering considerably (and never really caught on with the laity to begin with). The youth that are coming out of seminary have a strong interest in traditionalism and Anglicanism. The question remains, will these new seminarians be too little too late? That is the million dollar question.
In conclusion, I currently have no plans to leave TEC. That said, it is something that is constantly on my mind. How much longer will this Anglican be allowed to be Anglican in an Anglican Church? Sounds silly, but it is a legitimate concern. If Communion without baptism passes, are we still Anglican? The truth is, I believe in Anglican Christianity and I believe that a church can be inclusive without selling the whole of Christianity down the river, while avoiding church dividing secular political issues. I recently saw a poster on another site say that when he decided to leave TEC, his Episcopalian friends told him you are just looking for a "perfect church" and a perfect church does not exist. The poster agreed with this sentiment, however, he asked that he only wanted to find a parish that was still Christian and not a steaming pile. Sadly, he couldn't find a parish that was Anglican in any sense of the word. How common is this? We are heading in a direction where the Episcopal Church is inclusive of all things, except Anglicanism.
Thoughts?
Round of applause, sir. I am part of a church in the Diocese of South Carolina - ie. an ex-TEC diocese - and the thing that many of us can't stand is that we are routinely labelled reactionary and anti-gay, when in reality we are just regular Anglicans - regular old BCP, scripture-tradition-reason, credal, Trinitarian Christians.
ReplyDeleteIt is, very sadly, the plain truth that many in TEC are not.
Hi Sean. I think we've corresponded enough between our blogs that you pretty well know where I stand. We seem to be of a similar mind on most of these things. I share your concerns and have felt much of the same: the frustration -- even embarrassment -- at much of the leadership and trends. Sadly, the "horror stories" are indeed not hard to find, though I would still say that they are often blown out of proportion; it's the shocking, controversial stuff that gets attention, even if it's only one parish out of a thousand that has a "gay disco mass" (I also think it's significant that much of the rightful criticism of such travesties comes from other Episcopalians).
ReplyDeleteI also share your sentiment that all hope is not lost. I remain hopeful, in spite of it all. In fact, I've staked my own future on it, since I'm in the process to be ordained in TEC. I don't mean to imply that I feel like this is some great gamble on my part, because I do believe God has set me on this path. And I don't think such hope is merely wishful thinking. I'm encouraged by what seems to be a real and fairly widespread interest among the younger generation in embracing the traditional, essential affirmations of the catholic faith, as you note. Too little, too late? I hope not! And really, if we are not mistaken about this trend among us younger folk, I don't see how it can fail to have a positive impact that only grows in influence in years to come. Incidentally, I don't see CWOB being passed next year or any time in the near future, because it would not just disaffect "a few stubborn old-timers" but much, perhaps most, of those in TEC today, including the clergy (I was encouraged by how strongly the bishops opposed CWOB in 2012, a too-rare example of them truly acting as the defenders of the faith they are ordained to be). In response to your last question, I think there are still a good many parishes in TEC that are unambiguously Christian and authentically Anglican. I have worshipped in and been a member of such, and it sounds like you have as well.
I could go on (probably have for too long already), but I'll just say that I hope most of all that you receive the direction you need, and find peace wherever the Holy Spirit leads you. But I would not be honest if I did not also say that I hope, for myself and the future of TEC, that you remain with us. I don't speak out of bitterness or disregard for those who have left TEC (my parents did in 2003). It's simply that I think we're a bit poorer when anyone leaves, no matter who they are. But I think we especially need folks like you now as much as ever.
Peace of Christ, my brother.
Thank you both for your comments!
ReplyDeleteRob, I agree with much of what you said. I, too, was heartened at the stand the bishops opposed CWOB and I hope they will stand up to it again when/if it comes back in 2015. The extemists in this church and the extremists who push for things like CWOB don't give up easily. I hope that another resounding defeat of such a meaure would put that issue to bed for good.
Also, I really have no idea how common the "horror" stories are in the Episcopal Church. Is it just a parish here and there or is the rot deeper than that? It's hard to tell considering that there are those out there that benefit from exaggerating such stories.
I also agree with you on the tragedy of losing people who really care about the Episcopal Church and losing those who only want to stay faithful to the faith of our church. It always hits me hard when good people leave, especially when I know them. I have absolutely no plans to leave, but many of our leaders don't give me much comfort. That being the case, I really enjoy your blog and I am always happy to see faithful Anglicans like you in the ordination process. God Bless you.