Why Episcopal? Part V – Ash Wednesday Edition

The first Ash Wednesday service I attended was actually in an Evangelical Church a few years ago.  To this day I can still remember the feeling of the ash cross on my forehead and the words of the pastor that came with it: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  As I drove away from the service that night with the weight of the cross bearing upon my skin I was forced into introspection about my life, my mortality, and how it is in my humanity that I know God.  Out of all the worship services that I participated in at that church for a year and half, the Ash Wednesday service stands out to me most clearly.  

I remember it because the worship service engaged not just my intellect, but my senses.  The sanctuary was darkened, the mood was solemn, and then by going forward and feeling the touch of the pastor on my forehead, the harshness of the ash, and then continuing to feel the weight of the cross: all of me was caught up in an experience of God, worship, and contemplation.  

I participate in a liturgical church because my whole self is engaged in worship.  And tonight as my priest marks my head with the sign of the cross I hope that once again I am brought to a place of experience of God, worship and contemplation.

Why Episcopal? Part IV – Word and Sacrament

In an Episcopal worship service the Word and the Sacrament are of equal importance.  This is acted out liturgically in numerous ways depending upon the parish.  At St. Paul’s the service of the Word ends with the Gospel text being processed to the middle of the sanctuary and held high for everyone to see, while it processes we all chant “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”  The text is then announced by the reader of the gospel (either an ordained deacon or priest): “The Holy Gospel according to…”  As this is announced we in the congregation cross our forehead, our lips, and our hearts, so that we receive the words of Christ in our minds and in our hearts and we respond with our wills (mouth).  The congregation then responds in unison “Glory to you Lord Christ.”  The gospel text is then read by the ordained clergy with hands lifted high in blessing.  Following the reading, the deacon or priest says the “The Gospel of our Lord.”  The congregation responds with “Praise to you Lord Christ.”  Following the reading of the Gospel a homily is offered; typically lasting about 12 minutes.  

Why Episcopal? Part II: Worship as Divine Drama

 

I had the privilege of studying under the late Robert Webber at Northern Baptist Seminary.  From his tutelage I learned much about his idea of Ancient-Future worship.  This was the beginning of my journey down the Canterbury Trail.  Bob taught me that worship should proclaim and perform the story of God.  This is because Christianity is a religion based in story, and to be formed as a Christian is to be subsumed into that story.  From Bob’s perspective Christian worship expressed in its varying liturgical forms is a clear expression of this narrative.  This is accomplished in the four act drama of a liturgical service.  (Disclaimer: The liturgical church does not have the monopoly on this four act drama.  Many other church forms perform it in one way or another.)

Why Episcopal?

As many of you know Kate and I have been attending an Episcopal Church since we arrived in Seattle. Many people have asked me “What drew you there?” This is a normal question considering I grew up in the Evangelical church, spending time in its many different streams: holiness, methodist, pentecostal, and independent. The easy answer to the question is, the church was right up the street and our friends were going there. But as I have reflected upon my time at the church and as I have looked back on where I have come from, in many ways it makes sense to me why I, at this moment in time, find myself in an Episcopal Church.I plan to share a few of these reasons with you in a series of blog posts beginning with this one. Keep in mind that due to the nature of a blog these descriptions are brief, often poorly nuanced, and do not do justice to the complexity of the story I am sharing. One other disclaimer, I am not speaking of my brief experience in the Episcopal Church in order to say that I have finally arrived and here is where I will stay. But rather to simply reflect on where I find myself now. Furthermore, I not an expert on anything Episcopalian, so my interpretation of things Episcopal, may be simply that.

1. Encounter with the Holy. The ecclesial settings that I have found myself in have been places where I have encountered God. Due to particularities of my own story and aspects of the Evangelical tradition that gave form to my spiritual makeup, early on in my journey I sought intense intimate union with God. This happened through scripture reading, prayer (private and corporate) and worship experiences, at times these were highly emotional and charismatic in nature. I believed that God was near to me and able to guide every aspect of my life. However, this nearness was conditioned by my diligence to maintain it. This required an incredible amount of expended energy on scripture reading, prayer and worship. The payoff was the presence of God in my life who filled the deep holes of my wounded heart.