Unscientific Poll

 

 With the continued disintegration of the mainline churches, those pastors/priests and laity out there–if you could change your denominational affiliation, would you?  Those ‘evangelicals on the Canterbury trail’–do you regret your decision to join the Episcopal Church–or Anglicanism in general?

Do you wish you were kissing Papa’s ring?  Do you wish you could grow a really long beard and chant in Greek?  Do you wish you could leave it all behind and be ’emergent’ or whatever they’re calling it these days?  Do you want to have church in your living room?

Or do you love the innovations?

8 thoughts on “Unscientific Poll

  1. Okay, I’ll be first. I am a lay person. To your first question, Fr. Neo: Yes. To your second question: No, not at all. We wouldn’t be who we are now without the journey we took through the Episcopalian Church. Third question: Never. Fourth question: We considered it, but neither of us felt called to it by the Lord. Fifth question: Based on the Wikipedia definition of ‘emergent church’, I’m not sure. I would have to say yes. I think We are in that style of church now. We are working hard to realize the need to live our lives ‘in mission’ as a daily discipline. Sixth question: No, I do not want church in MY living room. However, we do belong to a small group that meets weekly to study the Word of God, and encourage “one another to love and good deeds.” The core of this small group came out of our last Episcopalian parish. And your final question: I answer first with a question, what innovations? If you mean a freer style of worship – more current Christian worship music, hands in the air, charismatic, gifts of the Spirit – Yes, I love the innovations. If, however, you mean, non-celibate gay clergy – No, I do not love the innovations. The following should explain my answers: I grew up a Missouri Synod Lutheran, fell away and re-found the Lord through the help of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. I then gravitated to Marilyn Hickey’s church. When I met my wife, she was a “sort of” practicing Roman Catholic. After we were married, we did not attend church together. Frankly, I got all the church I needed via the television. My wife attended church on a non-regular basis. It wasn’t until our first son was about to be born that we realized it was important for us to attend church as a family. I refused the RC church because I have major problems with the whole Mary adoration thing. My wife’s only demand was that we did not attend any “jump around” church (no Marilyn Hickey, Happy Church for us!). The Episcopal Church ended up being a good middle way for us. We were received into the Episcopalian Church; both of our children were baptized in an Episcopalian parish. Over the course of 14 years, we attended two conservative, orthodox parishes. One parish was small and the other large. One will soon be gone; closed and deconsecrated on August 30th. The other, the last Episcopalian parish we attended, still fights the good fight (one of the last few in our diocese). We left this parish a little more than a year ago. We (my wife and I) decided to leave Anglicanism altogether. For us, the very souls of our children were at stake. I could not in good conscience remain under the spiritual authority of a bishop who was straying from two millennia of received teaching. After a relatively long search, we ended up at a non-denominational congregationalist type of church. It feels very Baptist. The teaching of the Word of God is strong and true. The odd thing for us is: I miss the liturgy, and my wife, well, not so much. Now I know that I will most likely get into a whole lotta trouble for this next bit, but here goes… I came to realize that while really I missed the liturgy (specifically communion every week) I was not worshipping the liturgy nor the communion, per se, but the One True and Ever Living God. Sorry this was so long, but you asked.

  2. Father, this is my first confession in many years.

    At first, the innovations and novelty felt like life. I enjoyed that freedom, but after a while I began to miss the mystery and reverence in worship. I had begun reading the early Church Fathers, which didn’t help things either. I began to realize that I WAS on a trail. I am currently lodged in an Anglican house, which suits me fine. But there are times when I sneak off, stand in the back, and worship with our Eastern brothers.

    Somehow it is all going to be fine, we’re being reduced to our essentials, and what we are will soon be reveled.

    I really like your blog, BTW. Neo is a hero of mine, too.

    J

  3. Innovation. It’s the nature of creation. Don’t look back. Anticipate healthy change. Be free of Constantinian hierarchy, lay/clergy duality, attractional community, and stage-centered colonial archetypes.

  4. No Rome, no Orthodox, but given a choice NO ECUSA either.
    Anglican for sure, and fairly High Church, with an Evangelical Priest… (is that possible).
    I came out of AoG, dad preached there for 45 years. Fell in love with the liturgy, and the formal service. No, uh’s, a’s, and turn in you hymnal to page 100″. I’m still a church MusicDirector/Organist, and once in a while I sneak one in at the offertory, much to the dismay of my Anglo-Catholic priest, but lucky for me he’s a life-longer, so doesn’t know most of the oldies but goodies.

    He is orthodox, but also a ‘company man”.. I’d flee if there was an ACNA option here, but doubtfuly in this Diocese.
    Yes, i’m still a fan in SC Fr. Neo, glad to see you still here.
    Grandmother.

  5. Healthy change is change that leads to greater obedience. Unhealthy change leads one way from the will of God; it is by its nature, disobedience.

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