Chaitanya Jyothi Museum Opening, 2000
RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.
Countrymen,
ORBIS NON SUFFICIT
SOLUS DEUS SUFFICIT
Spong’s solution has not worked. It could not work.
Personally, I think the conservative churches are not more Christian than the mainline ones, which all are now collectivist/socialist/secular. And conservative churches certainly are legalistic, which is defiance of Christianity.
However, congregants at conservative churches do not have to sit through Scripture readings followed by sermons blatantly going opposite to Scriptures just heard.
Sermons in conservative churches do not follow Scripture readings either, but at least they are not blatantly opposite and contrary thereto. Just subtlety so. This makes them, in my mind, more dangerous to the Faith long-term — for offering the false harbor of legalism — than mainline sermons, which are merely hilariously a-Biblical, a-Traditional and a-Rational.
Pike and Spong killed ECUSA as a church, made her into a feeble social club for a very, very narrow band of humanity. No ineffable greatness, no soaring upward and forward aspiration, no inclusion of everyone for their own sake rather than for the hierarchy’s sake. Politics (separation) and social engineering (oppression) rather than religion (freedom). Neither Grace in San Francisco nor St. John in New York is a completed project. This is monitory.
When was the last time an ECUSA congregation built a St. Thomas, New York or a St. Bartholomew, New York, both completed projects standing now on a lick and a prayer? No inspiration to. And who are the inspirers?
I think the solution/course is back to the monastery. Renunciation, quiet, spiritual practice, deep and wide learning (nothing excepted), detachment, cultivation of foods and skill in trades, promulgation of the Gospel, repetition of the sacraments (all seven), keeping the Holy Office (recitation, chant and hymnody), avoidance of legalism or, what is the same thing, inclusion. Less, not more; grander, not bigger; stronger, not richer.
That may come from clergy and/or laity, but it sure-as-sunrise will not come from the hierarchy. Pike and Spong failed their duties wretchedly. Their successors are prattling delinquents.
Let the winds blow and be thankful for them. They are the Holy Spirit in Person. That is what I think, anyhow. 🙂
Update 1: But the churches are NOT ethical authorities: Of Money And Morals
Update 2: Ron Dreher: Trump Can’t Save American Christianity
Update 3: The Reformation is over. Protestants won. So why are we still here?
Update 4: How Churches Die
Update 5: Back to Canossa, only now it is the Pope standing bare-headed in the snow begging forgiveness from the ChiComs.
Update 6: Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo: ‘China is the best implementer of Catholic social doctrine,’
Update 7: This British Vicar has figured it out: Christian Life In Exile
Update 8: After ISIS Destroys, The Christians Return
Update 9: Relevant stats
Update 10: How Far Should Churches Go to Appeal to Men?
Most successful way to appeal to both men and women: Male only church leadership.
Men love to belong to male dominated organizations. On the other hand, women love to belong to male dominated organizations. Don’t believe me? Have you ever thought it was odd that women always want to belong to men’s business organizations, men’s career fields, men’s social clubs, men’s athletic clubs, etc., but men avoid women’s organizations.
I once attended a large and rapidly growing conservative Lutheran congregation which had a male-only leadership. I was astounded by two things. First, board and congregational meetings were more calm, to the point and productive than any church meetings I have ever been to. In three years, I never heard someone said, “Well, I feel . . .” Second, it had the strongest bunch of women I have ever known in any church I’ve ever attended. Having men in visible, public leadership roles and the women in deeply influential, behind the scenes roles worked very well for that congregation.
I suspect the church’s acquiescence to feminism in the sixties and seventies badly damaged it. As men fled the church, the church did not become larger. It did not even get more women members because as the men left, the women follow them out the door. The more women want to be in charge, the more men leave. The more men leave, the more the women leave because an organization is only valuable to them if there are lots of men in it. It’s deeply ironic, isn’t it?
Update 11: Bishop nixes Nicene Creed at Epiphany Mass to avoid offending unbelievers
Update 12: The Babylon Bee: Episcopalians Confused By Strange Book Trump Brought To Church
Update 13: Prominent Georgia Church Breaks with Increasingly Progressive UMC Denomination
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA
