July 12, 2006
That's My Church!
Charlotte Allen writing in the LA Times on the implosion of the Episcopal Church as well as the rapid decline of other mainline Protestant faiths:
So this is the liberal Christianity that was supposed to be the Christianity of the future: disarray, schism, rapidly falling numbers of adherents, a collapse of Christology and national meetings that rival those of the Modern Language Assn. for their potential for cheap laughs. And they keep telling the Catholic Church that it had better get with the liberal program — ordain women, bless gay unions and so forth — or die. Sure.
Read the whole thing. She also refers to the "deck chairs on the Titanic" mentality of those Liberal Palies who still believe they're doing the right thing.
So far, the conflict hasn't engulfed my parish yet. We're still in the never-mind-all-the-national-politics-stuff-we've-got-to-organize-the-Homecoming-Committee mindframe. But sooner or later, we're going to have to face up to it.
As it happens, we switched over to our summer schedule of worship two weeks ago. For demographic reasons too tedious to explain, this meant that, for the first time in a while, I attended full-blown Rite I Eucharist with all the fixins'. (The "family service" we attend during most of the year is almost invariably Rite II.) Pure bliss. And I couldn't help wondering to myself why on earth anybody had ever wanted to let this service go?
Well, of course, the answer is that Rite I especially emphasizes penitence, admitting Man's fallen state and our absolute dependence on Christ as our advocate in Heaven. All of that is, shall we say, muted in the words of Rite II. The language of Rite I is also far more archaic and formal, two words absolutely anathema to progressives who feel that the point of worship is to make people feel comfortable with themselves in the sight of their buddy Jesus.
Well, I don't want Jesus to be my buddy, dammit. I want him to be my savior.
Still, nothing's happened yet, although I mentioned my plight to a friend the other day who attends an ass-kicking Catholic church just up the street from ours and he immediately started spouting schedules for RCIA classes.
Posted by Robert at July 12, 2006 04:41 PM | TrackBack
I feel your pain, Robert. Positive waves coming your way for wherever your path takes you through the chaos.
The Lutheran (ELCA) church I attend uses the "green book" - i.e., the more formal service - at 11:00 with Holy Communion on second and fourth Sundays and all feast Sundays. I love it, love it, love it. I love to chant the Psalm, I love all the trappings - robes, etc. - and inevitably I feel closer to God through this service - beginning with the Confession and Absolution - all the way through the end. I realize not all people are touched this way through the formality and ritual, but it speaks to me.
I'll be looking forward to more of your postings on what's happening with you.
Posted by: keysunset at July 12, 2006 04:51 PMChesterton and Waugh did it...
Posted by: Basil Seal at July 12, 2006 05:13 PMIn my case, replace "Homecoming-Committee" with "keep-paying-on-the-mortgage-for-the-expansion-we-are-about-to-dedicate." And the frustrating part is that it is a faithful parish, growing rapidly because of it. But woe unto someone who even hints that national matters should ever be addressed from the pulpit and by letter from the vestry.
Posted by: Alan at July 12, 2006 05:17 PMThere are a lot of these posts around today... don't know if they are all related to the LA Times article.
American liberal congregations aren't alone. I read an article earlier today about how Catholicism is dying out in Ireland of all places. Church attendance is down to about 25% and instead of exporting priests to the rest of the world (as they did for over a century) they are now importing priests from Africa. (Irish Catholicism was never known to be liberal...)
Still somebody must be doing something right, there are HUGE Mega churches - roughly the same size as a Super Wal-Mart - going up around here.
I particularly liked the following sentence from that LA Times article.
When your religion says "whatever" on doctrinal matters, regards Jesus as just another wise teacher, refuses on principle to evangelize and lets you do pretty much what you want, it's a short step to deciding that one of the things you don't want to do is get up on Sunday morning and go to church.Who was it that said, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." This would seem to be particularly important in matters of faith and morality. Especially if you ever have to face the tough questions....
There was a great sequence recently on "This American Life" about creating a new religion for all the religiously disaffected in America. It was hysterical. Act 3 is the portion of the program.... (the introduction is worth it too...)
Posted by: Zendo Deb at July 12, 2006 05:48 PMRome beckons.
Posted by: LMC at July 12, 2006 05:48 PMThe 1928 Book of Common Prayer was used for my wedding (my wife is Episcopalian).
Posted by: KMR at July 12, 2006 09:14 PM"Well, I don't want Jesus to be my buddy, dammit. I want him to be my savior."
Hear, Hear! And while you’re at it, put the frackin tambourine and drums back in the Mystery Machine, Fred.
I'd kill for a decent organ at my parish.
Well, I don't want Jesus to be my buddy, dammit. I want him to be my savior.
I want Jesus to build my hot rod, ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long.
Posted by: LB Buddy at July 13, 2006 09:21 AM
I'm thinking it might be time to break out the Cardinal Newman.
http://www.newmanreader.org/
Posted by: The Colossus at July 14, 2006 09:09 AM
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