I wanted to share some of my favorite youtube videos with you all that really captures some of the beauty that is the Anglican Christian tradition. I hope you all enjoy the videos and I hope there is something for everybody here. As always, please feel free to comment!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The Beauty of Anglicanism
First of all, sorry for the delay in posting. I have been working two jobs and it has made it almost impossible to keep up with anything. That said, things are starting to return to normal.
I wanted to share some of my favorite youtube videos with you all that really captures some of the beauty that is the Anglican Christian tradition. I hope you all enjoy the videos and I hope there is something for everybody here. As always, please feel free to comment!
I wanted to share some of my favorite youtube videos with you all that really captures some of the beauty that is the Anglican Christian tradition. I hope you all enjoy the videos and I hope there is something for everybody here. As always, please feel free to comment!
Friday, July 12, 2013
Our Hope Lies With The Youth
Our hope lies with the youth. It's no secret that any church that wants to stay relevant (and in business) needs to have a strong youth demographic. The purpose of this post is not to dwell over the numbers of youth in our Episcopal congregations, but to look at what it is the youth of our church believe.
Common sense would suggest that the youth in our church would be more receptive to praise bands and modern liturgies. Common sense would also suggest that the youth in our church have less use for historic hymns, the Creeds, the prayer book, and other treasures that define what it means to be Anglican. However, in this case, common sense is not reality. In this blog, I've made it not secret that I'm supportive of many directions the Episcopal Church has taken, especially the inclusion of our gay/lesbian brothers and sisters. That said, I'm strongly committed to the historic creeds, the prayer book, and traditional Anglican theology and Christian understanding. I would go as far to say that many, if not most, Episcopalians feel this way. However, it seems that trashing the Creeds (Spong), the liturgy (disco and Bob Dylan masses), and rejecting the deity of Christ (Spong and Jesus Seminar) is something that can be done in the Episcopal Church without any sort of protest by leadership. It seems that some of our leadership seem downright afraid to proclaim Christ as the risen Lord!
This is where the youth come in and why I have hope for the Episcopal Church. Middle-Aged Episcopalians (now the leadership of the Church) and baby boomers seem to be the biggest demographic that is obsessed with changing or tolerating almost anything and everything that takes us away from being Anglican. To be sure, not all feel this way and are actively doing these things, but we cannot ignore what seems to be the truth. Take a recent poll on the possible revisions to the 1982 Hymnal. The poll found that those under 29 were the most hesitant when it comes down to any sort of revision. What group is most willing to accept and even desire revision and changes? Baby-boomers and middle-aged Episcopalians. These findings are quite consistent across the board, the youth place great value on tradition and ancient liturgy, while middle-agers seek to move on from these traditions. Many even go as far to claim that these things are necessary to bring in the youth! http://thesubdeansstall.org/2012/05/15/dont-do-it-for-the-kids-of-hymnal-revision-and-young-adults/
Not only will changes to the liturgy and ancient traditions not bring in any new young members, but it will effectively alienate most of the youth that we actually have! It's amazing to see how much value our youth place on traditional Christian theology and how much they value our Anglican heritage. Being under 29, I'm one of them. Many middle-agers and baby boomers don't seem to understand that you can be committed to traditional Christian theology and be welcoming and inclusive of all God's children. Fortunately our youth understand this issue that seems to be perplexing those in leadership. If you want to bring in new people, you have to stand for something, you can't be all things to all people, that is impossible. Therefore, despite the bleak outlooks for the Episcopal Church, I remain very hopeful and confident that our youth has what it takes to turn this ship around. Thoughts or comments??
Common sense would suggest that the youth in our church would be more receptive to praise bands and modern liturgies. Common sense would also suggest that the youth in our church have less use for historic hymns, the Creeds, the prayer book, and other treasures that define what it means to be Anglican. However, in this case, common sense is not reality. In this blog, I've made it not secret that I'm supportive of many directions the Episcopal Church has taken, especially the inclusion of our gay/lesbian brothers and sisters. That said, I'm strongly committed to the historic creeds, the prayer book, and traditional Anglican theology and Christian understanding. I would go as far to say that many, if not most, Episcopalians feel this way. However, it seems that trashing the Creeds (Spong), the liturgy (disco and Bob Dylan masses), and rejecting the deity of Christ (Spong and Jesus Seminar) is something that can be done in the Episcopal Church without any sort of protest by leadership. It seems that some of our leadership seem downright afraid to proclaim Christ as the risen Lord!
This is where the youth come in and why I have hope for the Episcopal Church. Middle-Aged Episcopalians (now the leadership of the Church) and baby boomers seem to be the biggest demographic that is obsessed with changing or tolerating almost anything and everything that takes us away from being Anglican. To be sure, not all feel this way and are actively doing these things, but we cannot ignore what seems to be the truth. Take a recent poll on the possible revisions to the 1982 Hymnal. The poll found that those under 29 were the most hesitant when it comes down to any sort of revision. What group is most willing to accept and even desire revision and changes? Baby-boomers and middle-aged Episcopalians. These findings are quite consistent across the board, the youth place great value on tradition and ancient liturgy, while middle-agers seek to move on from these traditions. Many even go as far to claim that these things are necessary to bring in the youth! http://thesubdeansstall.org/2012/05/15/dont-do-it-for-the-kids-of-hymnal-revision-and-young-adults/
Not only will changes to the liturgy and ancient traditions not bring in any new young members, but it will effectively alienate most of the youth that we actually have! It's amazing to see how much value our youth place on traditional Christian theology and how much they value our Anglican heritage. Being under 29, I'm one of them. Many middle-agers and baby boomers don't seem to understand that you can be committed to traditional Christian theology and be welcoming and inclusive of all God's children. Fortunately our youth understand this issue that seems to be perplexing those in leadership. If you want to bring in new people, you have to stand for something, you can't be all things to all people, that is impossible. Therefore, despite the bleak outlooks for the Episcopal Church, I remain very hopeful and confident that our youth has what it takes to turn this ship around. Thoughts or comments??
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Jehovah's Witnesses and the Act of Shunning
Talking to my fellow Anglicans/Episcopalians in my parish and from around the world, I've noticed that many are either utterly confused by or don't understand what many Jehovah's Witnesses teach and what many who left or are disfellowshipped go through. It is my hope that this blog and this post help those Christians who don't understand many Jehovah's Witness teachings to come to a basic knowledge of what they teach.
First of all, shunning and disfellowshipping happen when a baptized Jehovah's Witness breaks the rules set forth by the governing body. Breaking these rules can be as simple as disagreeing with their doctrine (major or minor) or by breaking "moral codes" such as sex outside of marriage. If the congregations elders (men in charge of each congregation) become aware of this activity by a JW, then they are to meet with the elders to discuss the issues. If the elders find the JW is not repentant or still has disagreement, then they are often times disfellowshipped. This disfellowshipping lasts until the JW is repentant and reinstated back into the fold. During this time of disfelowshipping, no JW is to have any contact with the separated brother, including all family and friends. It is common to find parents that won't have anything to do with their separated sons and daughters and vice versa.
In my family, both my mom and dad are disfellowshipped and they are both shunned by my JW Aunt and Uncle and their own niece. My grandmother is also a JW, but she doesn't pay much attention to these rules and talks to her daughter in secret. At a recent wedding shower, my Aunt and Uncle pretended like my mom and dad did not exist. It is so very difficult for my own mother to have no relationship with her own brother. However, since my sisters and I were never baptized, they do not shun us, that is how wonky JW theology really is! My story is just one of thousands around the world regarding JWs and shunning and mine is far from being the most extreme.
How did Jehovah's Witnesses arrive at such a gross doctrine and perversion of Holy Scripture?
The theology of shunning stands mainly on the use of one piece of scripture alone, found in 1 Corinthians chp. 5:
1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves."
First of all, it should be stated that it is true in some circumstances that limiting the amount of socializing one does with a person who can have a negative impact on their own spiritual health or well-being can be a necessary reality. However, nowhere does it state in scripture that one must totally shun an individual and have absolutely nothing to do with them, especially when it comes to family. In fact, Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians that we should be encouraging to those who have walked away from the faith.
To read more about shunning: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php
To read more about the sad reality of shunning: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/shunning-experiences.php
First of all, shunning and disfellowshipping happen when a baptized Jehovah's Witness breaks the rules set forth by the governing body. Breaking these rules can be as simple as disagreeing with their doctrine (major or minor) or by breaking "moral codes" such as sex outside of marriage. If the congregations elders (men in charge of each congregation) become aware of this activity by a JW, then they are to meet with the elders to discuss the issues. If the elders find the JW is not repentant or still has disagreement, then they are often times disfellowshipped. This disfellowshipping lasts until the JW is repentant and reinstated back into the fold. During this time of disfelowshipping, no JW is to have any contact with the separated brother, including all family and friends. It is common to find parents that won't have anything to do with their separated sons and daughters and vice versa.
In my family, both my mom and dad are disfellowshipped and they are both shunned by my JW Aunt and Uncle and their own niece. My grandmother is also a JW, but she doesn't pay much attention to these rules and talks to her daughter in secret. At a recent wedding shower, my Aunt and Uncle pretended like my mom and dad did not exist. It is so very difficult for my own mother to have no relationship with her own brother. However, since my sisters and I were never baptized, they do not shun us, that is how wonky JW theology really is! My story is just one of thousands around the world regarding JWs and shunning and mine is far from being the most extreme.
How did Jehovah's Witnesses arrive at such a gross doctrine and perversion of Holy Scripture?
The theology of shunning stands mainly on the use of one piece of scripture alone, found in 1 Corinthians chp. 5:
1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves."
First of all, it should be stated that it is true in some circumstances that limiting the amount of socializing one does with a person who can have a negative impact on their own spiritual health or well-being can be a necessary reality. However, nowhere does it state in scripture that one must totally shun an individual and have absolutely nothing to do with them, especially when it comes to family. In fact, Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians that we should be encouraging to those who have walked away from the faith.
To read more about shunning: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php
To read more about the sad reality of shunning: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/shunning-experiences.php
Saturday, May 4, 2013
We Need an Anglican Spiritual Revival in the Episcopal Church
With this blog post I'm more or less thinking out loud, so please bear with me a little!
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about church legalism and dogma. Dwelling too much on these things can lead one into a sort of "dryness" when it comes to the spiritual aspect of being a Christian and being an Episcopalian. Now, don't get wrong, I think that a certain amount of legalism and dogma are certainly necessary and, unlike others, I don't necessarily see these things as being reasons why more people don't occupy a pew on Sunday. As a traditionalist, yet welcoming Anglican, I definitely think that Anglicanism, in general, could do more to enforce the historic creeds as the standard of Christian faith. That said, this blog isn't about that, but about how we sometimes can focus too much on legalism and dogma and lose sight of the spiritual aspects of Christianity and, in particular, Anglicanism.
So, what do I mean by an Anglican spiritual revival and how can we accomplish such a task? Well, I'm no expert and I'm no theoligian, but we do have a plethora of resources and possibilites that are at our disposal as Episcopalians.
First of all, as Episcopalians, we can know God through the Sacraments. We can most intimately know God through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. As Episcopalians, do we really examine ourselves and our consciences before we partake in the Blessed Sacrament or has it become routine and something we don't think much about? If we don't take the Eucharist seriously or place much importance on it, how can we expect others to? Do we really reflect on what the Eucharist means and what it is after reception and throughout the week?
The Sacrament of Confession. Do many of our churches even offer private confession anymore or on a somewhat regular basis? Some do, but I would say most do not. I'm not saying that people should be urged to confess their sins to a priest, but many are surprised by the spiritual benefits that come by confessing their sins to a priest.
The Sacrament of Healing. Thankfully, the Sacrament of Healing has seen a revival in the Episcopal Church and is being offered more regularly by more and more parishes. We must never forget that WE ARE a Sacramental church and that it is that that separates us and makes us different than today's run of the mill Christianity.
Secondly, what has happened to Morning and Evening prayer? To me, the Daily Office is one of the best ways to grow our spirituality and come closer to God. How many churches even bother with the Daily Office anymore? To be sure, the Daily Office can be done at home, but there is something about a small group of Christians getting together in the morning or evening for prayer that is really special. How do we revive this lost practice?
The Anglican Rosary, Marian Rosary, and Rosary groups. I have found the centering prayers of both the Anglican and Marian Rosaries to be a tremendous help in growing spiritually. How many Anglicans bother with the Rosary and how many churches have Anglican Rosary groups? If not, why not start one yourself if it interests you and see where it goes?
Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Episcopal Church Women, and the Daughters of the King. Many parishes have active chapters of both Episcopal Church Women and Daughters of the King, but it seems that the Brotherhood of St. Andrew is somewhat rare. The Brotherhood is a group dedicated to prayer, evangelism, and studying the Bible. Maybe starting a Brotherhood chapter in your parish would help to get more men involved in the parish?
As Anglicans, we have a lot of tools at our disposal that have fallen by the way side or are forgotten. Ask yourself, what can you do to bring about an Anglican spiritual revival in your parish? Maybe God is calling you to start a prayer group or to get involved in the Daily Office? If a spiritual revival doesn't happen in the Episcopal Church, we will continue our slide into irrelevance?
Please share your stories of your spiritual journey or any other ideas that might bring about a spiritual revival in the Episcopal Church.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about church legalism and dogma. Dwelling too much on these things can lead one into a sort of "dryness" when it comes to the spiritual aspect of being a Christian and being an Episcopalian. Now, don't get wrong, I think that a certain amount of legalism and dogma are certainly necessary and, unlike others, I don't necessarily see these things as being reasons why more people don't occupy a pew on Sunday. As a traditionalist, yet welcoming Anglican, I definitely think that Anglicanism, in general, could do more to enforce the historic creeds as the standard of Christian faith. That said, this blog isn't about that, but about how we sometimes can focus too much on legalism and dogma and lose sight of the spiritual aspects of Christianity and, in particular, Anglicanism.
So, what do I mean by an Anglican spiritual revival and how can we accomplish such a task? Well, I'm no expert and I'm no theoligian, but we do have a plethora of resources and possibilites that are at our disposal as Episcopalians.
First of all, as Episcopalians, we can know God through the Sacraments. We can most intimately know God through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. As Episcopalians, do we really examine ourselves and our consciences before we partake in the Blessed Sacrament or has it become routine and something we don't think much about? If we don't take the Eucharist seriously or place much importance on it, how can we expect others to? Do we really reflect on what the Eucharist means and what it is after reception and throughout the week?
The Sacrament of Confession. Do many of our churches even offer private confession anymore or on a somewhat regular basis? Some do, but I would say most do not. I'm not saying that people should be urged to confess their sins to a priest, but many are surprised by the spiritual benefits that come by confessing their sins to a priest.
The Sacrament of Healing. Thankfully, the Sacrament of Healing has seen a revival in the Episcopal Church and is being offered more regularly by more and more parishes. We must never forget that WE ARE a Sacramental church and that it is that that separates us and makes us different than today's run of the mill Christianity.
Secondly, what has happened to Morning and Evening prayer? To me, the Daily Office is one of the best ways to grow our spirituality and come closer to God. How many churches even bother with the Daily Office anymore? To be sure, the Daily Office can be done at home, but there is something about a small group of Christians getting together in the morning or evening for prayer that is really special. How do we revive this lost practice?
The Anglican Rosary, Marian Rosary, and Rosary groups. I have found the centering prayers of both the Anglican and Marian Rosaries to be a tremendous help in growing spiritually. How many Anglicans bother with the Rosary and how many churches have Anglican Rosary groups? If not, why not start one yourself if it interests you and see where it goes?
Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Episcopal Church Women, and the Daughters of the King. Many parishes have active chapters of both Episcopal Church Women and Daughters of the King, but it seems that the Brotherhood of St. Andrew is somewhat rare. The Brotherhood is a group dedicated to prayer, evangelism, and studying the Bible. Maybe starting a Brotherhood chapter in your parish would help to get more men involved in the parish?
As Anglicans, we have a lot of tools at our disposal that have fallen by the way side or are forgotten. Ask yourself, what can you do to bring about an Anglican spiritual revival in your parish? Maybe God is calling you to start a prayer group or to get involved in the Daily Office? If a spiritual revival doesn't happen in the Episcopal Church, we will continue our slide into irrelevance?
Please share your stories of your spiritual journey or any other ideas that might bring about a spiritual revival in the Episcopal Church.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
New page tabs added: Anglican/Episcopal Book Shelf, The Anglican Rosary Resource Page
Be sure to check out the new page tabs that have been added at the top of the page!
Anglican/Episcopal Book Shelf--This page was created as a way to educate Anglicans on some of the most important books that all Anglicans should read. New books are added all the time and I plan on posting reviews/reflections in the coming weeks.
The Anglican Rosary Resource Page--This page was created to educate Anglicans about the Anglican Rosary. Included on this page are links to the history of prayer beads, tutorials, blogs, and resources on where to find Anglican prayer beads. A link has also been added on the Marian Rosary. Anglicans are a people of prayer and of a prayer book, it is my hope that the Anglican and Marian Rosaries continue to take root in Anglican/Episcopal parishes around the world and, especially, in the United States.
God Bless!
Anglican/Episcopal Book Shelf--This page was created as a way to educate Anglicans on some of the most important books that all Anglicans should read. New books are added all the time and I plan on posting reviews/reflections in the coming weeks.
The Anglican Rosary Resource Page--This page was created to educate Anglicans about the Anglican Rosary. Included on this page are links to the history of prayer beads, tutorials, blogs, and resources on where to find Anglican prayer beads. A link has also been added on the Marian Rosary. Anglicans are a people of prayer and of a prayer book, it is my hope that the Anglican and Marian Rosaries continue to take root in Anglican/Episcopal parishes around the world and, especially, in the United States.
God Bless!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
A message to Jehovah's Witnesses from Anti-Watchtower Activists
Amazing new organization dedicated to exposing the lies of the Watchtower Society and helping to inform Jehovah's Witnesses of the dangers of being a part of the Watchtower Society. God Bless these people and this organization.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmCGtjMrZ7A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmCGtjMrZ7A
Monday, March 25, 2013
Why Constant Involvement In Secular Politics Damages the Body of Christ
Secular politics is not the reason I created this blog and it is not something I look to talk about very much within this blog. However, I've noticed a disturbing trend not only within the leadership of the Episcopal Church, but also within the greater body of Christianity.
Firstly, it should be said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Christians being involved in secular politics and holding various opinions when it comes to the political issues of the day. There is also nothing wrong with Christian leaders holding a wide-array of opinions when it comes to secular politics.
All of this being said, the problem is when the leaders of Christian churches state their political opinions as being the opinion of the whole church. There is not one Christian denomination that exists where all members hold the exact same opinions on politics and the issues of the day. Heck, there is not even a single parish where you can find people who hold the exact same opinions on politics. People that are required to hold the exact same opinions on all issues can often be found in religious cults, like the Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, when the leadership of a church makes these claims that "we think this way" on a certain issue, it becomes a source of strain between those who share those opinions and those who do not share those opinions. It becomes even more problematic when the leadership of the church calls on all of their flock to lobby politicians in support of a controversial political cause.
In the Episcopal Church, in particular, there is now a push that calls on all Episcopalians to support stricter gun control. The issue of gun control is extremely emotional and controversial for many Americans. It is an issue that needs to be discussed and rational debate and discussion should be at the forefront of all discussion. That said, it seems that the Episcopal Church leadership has already decided that they support gun control and there hasn't been any discussion about the issue between those that agree with gun control and those who do not agree with more gun control. What about those who disagree with stronger gun control? Are their opinions of no value to the church? What is to be gained by taking such divisive stances? I have no problem with bishops and church leaders making their opinions known on gun control, whether they are for or against, but we should not be in the business of calling on all the flock to support or not support these controversial issues. It should be noted that those who do not support stronger gun control do not face punishment of any kind by those in leadership positions, but there are sure to feel alienated that the church doesn't seem to value their opinion on the issue. Therefore, I think that it is quite easy to see how taking such controversial stands harms the church faithful. Why can't the leadership and bishops stand against gun violence, but allow that there are many opinions and views on how we reduce gun violence and crime and that they encourage the faithful to follow their own consciences on such matters. After all, we are not a cult.
Also, such lobbying is sure to expose the hypocrisy of those in leadership positions. There seems to be much concern about innocent American children being gunned down by lunatics with guns, yet there has been no statements of about innocent Muslim children being killed by US drone strikes in the Middle-East. These kind of things exposes the partisanship of the leaders of the church and makes the entire denomination look bad.
Further, since the 1960s, mainline Christianity has suffered massive decline in membership and church attendance, the Episcopal Church has seen massive losses since the 1960s. You would think that there would be more concern about how we get people in the pews than taking controversial stands on the "flavor of the month" political issue of the day.
The Episcopal Church and mainline Christianity is not alone, the evangelical Southern Baptist Convention has recently been seeing decline over the last several years. The statements of justified wars in Iraq and the Middle-East and the strong lobbying against gay marriage has not been something that has been of help to evangelicals as of late. People are searching for God and have a strong thirst for the Gospel message, but many are turned off by the constant political lobbying and involvement in secular politics. Young people are so turned off by this kind of politicking, that they call themselves "spiritual" but not "religious" and seem to have no interest in involving themselves in organized religion.
If we are truly a welcoming and accepting church, then we as Episcopalians need to find ways to make ALL feel welcome at our parishes and in the Anglican faith. Differences of opinion should be valued and respected and the leadership should be wary of involving the church in issues that are sure to be divisive, especially when very little is to be gained by such lobbying and involvement. Anything else, in my opinion, runs dangerously close to being exclusive and even cult-like in mentality.
Please feel free to comment!!
Firstly, it should be said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Christians being involved in secular politics and holding various opinions when it comes to the political issues of the day. There is also nothing wrong with Christian leaders holding a wide-array of opinions when it comes to secular politics.
All of this being said, the problem is when the leaders of Christian churches state their political opinions as being the opinion of the whole church. There is not one Christian denomination that exists where all members hold the exact same opinions on politics and the issues of the day. Heck, there is not even a single parish where you can find people who hold the exact same opinions on politics. People that are required to hold the exact same opinions on all issues can often be found in religious cults, like the Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, when the leadership of a church makes these claims that "we think this way" on a certain issue, it becomes a source of strain between those who share those opinions and those who do not share those opinions. It becomes even more problematic when the leadership of the church calls on all of their flock to lobby politicians in support of a controversial political cause.
In the Episcopal Church, in particular, there is now a push that calls on all Episcopalians to support stricter gun control. The issue of gun control is extremely emotional and controversial for many Americans. It is an issue that needs to be discussed and rational debate and discussion should be at the forefront of all discussion. That said, it seems that the Episcopal Church leadership has already decided that they support gun control and there hasn't been any discussion about the issue between those that agree with gun control and those who do not agree with more gun control. What about those who disagree with stronger gun control? Are their opinions of no value to the church? What is to be gained by taking such divisive stances? I have no problem with bishops and church leaders making their opinions known on gun control, whether they are for or against, but we should not be in the business of calling on all the flock to support or not support these controversial issues. It should be noted that those who do not support stronger gun control do not face punishment of any kind by those in leadership positions, but there are sure to feel alienated that the church doesn't seem to value their opinion on the issue. Therefore, I think that it is quite easy to see how taking such controversial stands harms the church faithful. Why can't the leadership and bishops stand against gun violence, but allow that there are many opinions and views on how we reduce gun violence and crime and that they encourage the faithful to follow their own consciences on such matters. After all, we are not a cult.
Also, such lobbying is sure to expose the hypocrisy of those in leadership positions. There seems to be much concern about innocent American children being gunned down by lunatics with guns, yet there has been no statements of about innocent Muslim children being killed by US drone strikes in the Middle-East. These kind of things exposes the partisanship of the leaders of the church and makes the entire denomination look bad.
Further, since the 1960s, mainline Christianity has suffered massive decline in membership and church attendance, the Episcopal Church has seen massive losses since the 1960s. You would think that there would be more concern about how we get people in the pews than taking controversial stands on the "flavor of the month" political issue of the day.
The Episcopal Church and mainline Christianity is not alone, the evangelical Southern Baptist Convention has recently been seeing decline over the last several years. The statements of justified wars in Iraq and the Middle-East and the strong lobbying against gay marriage has not been something that has been of help to evangelicals as of late. People are searching for God and have a strong thirst for the Gospel message, but many are turned off by the constant political lobbying and involvement in secular politics. Young people are so turned off by this kind of politicking, that they call themselves "spiritual" but not "religious" and seem to have no interest in involving themselves in organized religion.
If we are truly a welcoming and accepting church, then we as Episcopalians need to find ways to make ALL feel welcome at our parishes and in the Anglican faith. Differences of opinion should be valued and respected and the leadership should be wary of involving the church in issues that are sure to be divisive, especially when very little is to be gained by such lobbying and involvement. Anything else, in my opinion, runs dangerously close to being exclusive and even cult-like in mentality.
Please feel free to comment!!
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