(Reflections on a parish meeting and survey. Religion )
I'm a card-carrying partisan of the Episcopal Church. When our parish survey asked, "Why do you come to St. James Church?" I realized that I attend first, because it's Episcopalian. That it's a small, welcoming church is secondary. I wonder if we take for granted that everyone who attends fully appreciates our distinctive qualities?
Here's a draft of something that might answer some FAQs, fitting on a laminated card peeking out from behind the prayer books and hymnals. It's intended to highlight some of the Church's wonders, to explain parts that might seem alien. I welcome comments -- click on "comments" below to amend my draft, or to explain why this is a bad idea.
Are you comfortable?
While we hope that the Episcopal Church feels right to you, we realize that our church doesn't fit well with secular culture.
We are comfortable with silence.
Our music's more than fast or slow, happy or sad. Some of the music has been heard in churches for over 1000 years, and some is new. Our music sometimes expresses awe, yearning, anguish, or peace. Our lyrics are sometimes in the original languages of ancestors; other words are thought-provoking poetry.
Our service involves everyone. It's not a show or a class. While clergy lead the service, we all read, we move, we pray together, pray in silence, we sing, we eat and drink. The sermon is one part, not the core, of our worship. The focus is always on how God reaches to us.
We're traditional and modern. We are comfortable with the latest technology, and we're engaged in world events; yet we share prayers and practices with worshippers across the centuries.
We are comfortable with tension. We can agree to disagree, united in worship.
We think of faith as an action, not just a belief. It's what you do, trusting in God. We're comfortable with the fact that faith can change with maturity and understanding.
We believe that God still speaks. Our lectionary takes us through God's word every three years; we study the Bible and our prayers come from Scripture. We also believe that God continues to speak to us through reason and experience.
5 comments:
Scott,
I like this a lot! Looks like one typo or other omission: third section, next-to-last line: "The focus is always on how God reach to us." You need to add something, don't you?
George Lamplugh
Just like old times, correcting my papers, eh, Dr. Lamplugh? Thanks for the support and the editing.
One reader wondered about "secular culture" in the first sentence. "Isn't every church a kind of refuge from popular culture?"
That's a great question, and some clarification is needed. I meant that our church, keeping up traditions of elevated language, vestments, silence and also ancient music, and episcopal governance is in many ways alien to America's informality, busy-ness, appetite for entertainment and speed.
Another element of our culture that 's missing from Episcopalianism is what's represented by talk radio and talk tv, lots of magazines, and our emphasis on the right people v. the wrong people (wrong in their beliefs, their party affiliation, their team preference, their shopping habits, their music style. . .).
Am I onto something?
This is from Melanie. She asked me to post it on her behalf:
Scott - Thanks for preparing this. I like it and think it is nicely
written - easy to read and is thought provoking. I wonder if for the first para under "Am I comfortable?" perhaps something like..."If you are new to
the Episcopal church and things we do here seem different - even odd, we offer the following:"
I think your thoughts here are worth considering. I have a very strong opinion on your following section:
Are you comfortable?
While we hope that the Episcopal Church feels right to you, we realize that our church doesn't fit well with secular culture.
I believe our church does fit well with secular culture and if I am wrong, it should. This section, “Are you comfortable?” is contradicted in later sections that do reflect our applying our church going practices and beliefs in our secular lives. “Are you comfortable?” may need to be more about what you may not know about this church and less about, and I mean a lot less about our not fitting well with secular culture. I think we do fit secular culture if we practice our beliefs and take action during the week with them. I quess that’s the rub, eh?
“I wonder if we take for granted that everyone who attends fully appreciates our distinctive qualities?” I’d be careful with this question. Our distinctive qualities are an aggregate of all our qualities in each of us at Saint James. I like you because you are quiet. You do like singing. You teach. I knew your sister. You knew me. You’re are Scott Smoot. Nobody like him. Don’t worry, I know of other qualities you have. I am trying to keep this to a few paragraphs and not an index of your qualities that would go on for 4 or 5 pages in your book of qualities.
Your qualities and the other different qualities in our members is what I love. And there are so many different qualities to be exposed to and for Christina and I right now, it is a great our son Landon is exposed to that. And it is really good for Christina and me.
By the by, I like longer sermons especially if the rector keeps my attention. But I especially hate short sermons when the rector does not keep my attention. It is easy to point fingers and triangulate issues, but I really like the extra character a good, well delivered sermon can bring to a service, along with good music, reading, communion, the peace, and members’ opportunity to participate. You are right though, it is all important. Hope I am making sense here.
Thanks for letting me comment and I applaud you for what you are attempting. This and other things are needed to help folks come and stay and worship. But as a former Presbyterian whose mother was Baptist(and a Presbyterian DCE), father Presbyterian, mother-in-law Anglican from Manchester/Wales, father-in-law Baptist, and wife cradle Episcopalian, and with all the variety of Episcopal Churches in the south(try St John’s in Savannah and the small parish on Tybee Island), we are who we are. We are what the individual’s and family’s see us to be. I think we are unique of course, and I think we are also thought of in many different ways that is unique to that individual and family. I think that makes us diverse and I think we have a place for all. That is essentially what you have said throughout the rest of your card’s sections and I like that.
Danny
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