More than the studies, an actual worship service packed the most emotional wallop these last few days.
Friday night, Grace Episcopal Church, the host campus of IWS, became Grace Church (Anglican) in a two-hour service of disassociation from the Episcopal Church U.S.A. and a realignment with the worldwide Anglican communion under the province of Rwanda.
The tenor of the service was sober and sad, in keeping with the title “Solemn Acts of Disassociation and Realignment”, yet also gracious and full of hope. We opened with “The Church’s One Foundation”—especially poignant in the line “by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed”—and closed with “Alleluia, Sing to Jesus!” in its conviction that the church will be reunited. The “songs of holy Zion [will] thunder like a mighty flood.”
The point at which I gave in to tears was when an ex-serviceman and an Eagle Scout took down the Episcopal flag and folded it in front of the altar, in preparation for this week’s delivery of the flag, church registry, and account book to the Episcopal diocese. I wasn’t a member of the church; I’m not even Episcopalian. But I suppose I identified with these people through the very particular symbol of a flag. When I’m overseas, it does my heart good to see our stars and stripes hung as a courtesy in some government building or included in some decorative scheme. A flag is a symbol of participation and belonging, and of where one’s heart resides. In the silence, seeing the Episcopal flag folded in a tight little triangle and laid like a bundle on the rail was like beholding my own secession from the United States of America.
Then, while we sang Rich Mullin’s “Step by Step,” a light blue banner of the worldwide Anglican communion was carried up the center aisle and placed in front of the lectern. It was embossed with the words, “The Truth Shall Make You Free.”
3 comments:
How sad. I felt a very personal sadness as I read your post. The ElCA, which I have been a part of most of my life is folowing in Episcopal Church U.S.A. foosteps. Even watching the disinigration of the Episcopal Church has not veared them from their destuctive course and I picture myself at a similer service in the not to distant future.
Wow. What might your church do, Nan? Is there another Lutheran community that they could join?
I'm sad for another reason (and I'll admit a little mad). I'm an Episcopalian AND an Anglican. It is Christ that unites us.
The great Anglican idea that the Spirit will work it out in the end (in regards to differences of opinion) is being cast aside by those who either just don't get our Lord's parable of the wheat and the tares or are just too unwilling to have the patience needed for the Holy Spirit to work.
Refusing to be in Communion with someone because they don't believe exactly as you belive right down to the last jot and tittle is just not the Anglican way of doing things. And if certain bishops would spend more time enlarging their flocks by helping the Spirit to convert goats into sheep than they spend worrying about the flocks of other bishops, the Church would be much better off.
I'm an Anglican Episcopalian because God gave me a brain and I like being in a church that expects me to use it.
Peter asked Jesus what would become of another disciple and Christ replied along the line of what's that to you? My faith isn't so weak that who some other diocese picks as Bishop is going to change it one iota. It is faith in Christ that saves us not picking bishops by who they sleep with. It isn't anything we do or don't do, other than placing our trust in the saving work of Christ.
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