Episcopalian/Anglicans

Hi Chaplain .. I just lean left ... does that count?

love you,

Bren

Oh, scary, liberals!

Grew up and married Episcopal.

Occasionally, still go.

Cherryl .. I have a box of bears to send you for the children at the hospital.

hugs,

Bren

hola! que tal?

fallen anglican here, just stopping by to say hi!

glad you have your own thread or forum or whathave you.......

Grew up amongst anglicans and ishy-washy C-of-E, moved up to Scotland for a while to discover that C-of-S is totally different, was advised to go seek out the Pesky Aliens....  I still thkink that was a totally unfair introduction.

left! left! left! left! left!

still hiding in the bushes.  I was raised episcopalian by a divorced catholic-raised mother who thought children should be raised with "something."  Only got baptised when I was in 3d grade much to relief of more religous non-episcopalian little friends.  Confirmed episcopalian as well and promptly determined I was really an agnostic at heart. 

So for 20 years, I vanished from church (general issues with Christianity as a whole, not the church in particular).  Then I was named as a godmother and thought maybe I needed to at least have a church-ish connection in case godchild posed any questions.  Found LOVELY LOVELY LOVELY Anglican church near my house.  Attended there.  Got married there. Had monsters 1 & 2 baptized there. But as things progressed, I found I had more and more of a disconnect between purely religous beliefs and social beliefs.  I was a perfect fit with my church on the social issues (regularly participated in making/seving breakfast for the homeless, various protests, etc) but very out of sorts with the religous beliefs aspect.  We moved states away from that church right as things were heating up in the episcopal anglican community over gays in the clergy and gay marriage.  I got to my new location and realized that I didn't want to hunt for a new church that fit my social views.  I knew where I stood on "stuff" and I knew that I probably wasn't qualified as a Christian anymore AND (more importantly) that it was alright with me.  I also realized that I couldn't comfortably raise my children in a belief system that wasn't me.  What was fitting was my buddhist practice.  So off we went to find a sangha.

Still if I was forced to be a Christain, this is still the one I would pick!

I have found the Liturgy very helpful and comforting since my move to Seattle, and especially when I was going through treatment.  Major Thanksgiving too, as I emerged healthy and fit, with a life to look forward to.

Interesting going to an Anglo-Catholic parish after having been raised very Low Church.  I still don't like the new services which for me are "dumbed down" as opposed to updated.  As for the Authorized Version, they had the process right, testing out the language in front of a crowd of soused pub-goers as opposed to review by academic-clerical committees.

You get much more compelling language that way.  The updated versions of the Bible lack the power of language even if a better match for the initial Greek.

Fortunately, it's preserved in the music of Handel.

My big debate on Sunday is whether to attend 10:30 mass as love the music, or the earlier one so I can get out the door and do my cycling/skiing.  The earlier one usually wins.

I find that I need the time to pray/contemplate, and mass provides the structure for this.  So even if I crab about the language, I find the experience important.

And I love the mental stimulation that a diverse congregation brings. - Claire

Count me in.....



Jana