Monday, January 29, 2007
Hell has frozen over!
I did the unthinkable this weekend. I went to an Episcopal church service! It was amazing…...ly bad. Actually I was interested to see what it is like and it was not much worse than any other church service I have suffered through. I was interested in reading all the things I was suppose to say but I didn’t really believe and could never actually say. The whole experience was bizarre but I think you have to grow up in that type of environment to “get it”. I don’t really understand how people could be so progressive in their views and so tied to tradition even when the traditional words are often in opposition to their progressive views. I couldn’t help but feel bad because this church, like the mainline churches at large, looked to be dying out. The people are wonderful but they are older and I wonder if anyone will listen anymore. Whatever they have said to themselves to allow them to appreciate the tradition just isn’t applicable to most people today. The brief sermon was very good but was lost in the muck of laborious ritual.
Old or not, and even with the tradition, the people were very nice. You may ask why I was there and the answer is that last week I meet some Episcopalians at a conference and had some wonderful conversations. Their theological and political views created a great deal of common ground. I struck up a conversation with an Episcopal Priest and found that we both have enjoyed many of the same books over the last few years. Holy Shit! Did I just say that I talked to a priest? Yes I actually did talk to a priest. I agreed to visit his church so my wife and I actually did that this Sunday.
All kidding aside, I had a great conversation him and his wife and found a whole group of people that I want to spend some time getting to know. It gave me a new level of excitement, mystery, and adventure to my journey. They have a group meeting every Wednesday night to discuss religion and politics and for the first time in my life I found a church group in my own town that is on the right (I mean….left) side of that conversation and welcomes the discussion in church. I don’t think I’ll try the Sunday torture chamber thing again, but I’m looking forward to the conversations. Somewhere in this mix of tradition and progress is a gem that I want to unearth and I think I’m willing to invest a little time in that task. I’ll keep you posted on the pain and progress.
6 comments:
I'd say come visit my little group out in California -- but I'll warn you, first impressions won't grab you, you'll have to stay in the hunt for awhile.
Since you like Borg -- who is an Episcopalian -- think of those statements as metaphor. I think that there's a connection between progressive theology and traditional liturgy that we're probably missing. As we explore theologically, perhaps we need the anchor of tradition. I'd say give it another chance and let the voices of the centuries connect. That would be a very "emergent" thing to do -- I think!!!
Long drive, but I'm sure I'll stop by if I'm ever anywhere near Santa Barbara.
Think metaphorically about the creeds? Hmmm, Sounds like my mom telling me that broccoli is yummy. Ok Pastor Mom.
I seem to do fine seeing the bible as metaphor and I still love the bible but that is because I can make a case the authors may very well have intended it to be imaginative metaphor and poetic remembrence. It is hard to ignore the fact that the creeds were largely created for dogmatic enforcement of their literal doctrines and beliefs. I can't help but think of the people that have been abused over those darn things through the centuries.
Our Creeds have become important to me. Would hope that I didn't always feel that way but moved there guided by grace and faith.
I commend you to Louie Crew's website and reasons to "be Episcopalian". Find it here:
http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/365plus.html
His compilation should strike some responsive chords.
Pax
Well the commute to SB can be long, but worth it!
I do think there's a long tradition within the Anglican/Episcopal Communion to read the creeds with less literalness -- even as we read the Scriptures.
Now the Disciples, my tradition, are a non-creedal group. Our statement of faith-- what we ask people to confess is fairly minimal -- Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God -- Mt. 16 -- and then we throw in my Lord and Savior. Even that leaves room to slide around!
Wow, I've finally met somehow who had the exact same experience that I did! I was fascinated with the progressive Christianity of Episcopalians like Borg, so I went to a church that showed in its newsletter that it was a very progressive church. And I hated the service! It had the recitation of a creed that I didn't believe, and it was full of traditional liturgy and ritual that didn't really connect with the progressive theology that I was looking for.
That being said, there is an interesting Episcopal church in San Francisco, , that somehow got permission from its bishop to develop an entirely new type of worship service, and what they do is really cool. Also, some Episcopal churches have evening services that are intentionally different from the staid old traditional style of worship (for example, this one, which admittedly I have never visited but which appears to be somewhat innovative. Also, some Episcopal churches do Taize services, which can be interesting. But, like you, the regular service just doesn't do it for me.
Thanks to Mystical Seeker for the reminder about St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church. Growing up in the Episcopal Church I know well its worship. For many it is the traditions that move them toward God. For others, it's just the way they've always done it. I do think that the traditions help some progressives find an anchor that lets them purse their theological bent. One of the most interesting things about Mainline Protestantism is the very traditional worship in large numbers of otherwise progressive churches. At the same time, there are lots of conservative churches that are very enculturated. But as they say, if you look hard enough you'll find what you're looking for!
Post a Comment