As I mentioned not too long ago on this blog I've returned to the Anglican Church after a long time away during which time I drifted through Lutheranism, Catholicism and atheism. This return was made possible by the emergence in recent years, without me noticing until now, of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) as an alternative to the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) which is no longer really a Christian denomination as far as I can tell, except in certain pockets of stubborn congregations here and there.
Truly, I would never have left the Anglican Church if i had known this group was being formed. I had called myself an "Anglo-Catholic" for a number of years. I loved the idea of the Anglicans being the "middle-way" between Catholicism and Protestantism. While confessional Lutheranism is sort of in the same place, a middle place, they generally don't have bishops, and are lacking in apostolic succession in the way Anglicans have it, by actual bishops who were ordained by previous bishops all the way back to the apostles. I think this is a good thing, a continuity with the early church in an unbroken line. Of course the Roman Catholic Church no longer recognizes the bishops of the Anglican Communion, but that's just them being all bossy. If you don't obey the Bishop of Rome you can't play in our sandbox. Bleh.
It seems to me that a traditional Anglo-Catholic church is by far the best place to be. If only I had known they still existed for the last dozen years or so life would have been so much simpler. Well, it's good to be back.
I'm reading a book called "The Anglican Way: A Guidebook" and there is a section there that describes the Via Media: "...this Latin term means "the middle way." The Anglican Way lives at the center rather than the extremes. We have learned that it's impossible to be radical about more than one thing. We don't desire to be radical about politics, traditions, ideas, or even religion. We just want to be radical about the only thing worth being radical about: the amazing love of God in Christ."
I'm sure those who know me are snickering about the statement that "it's impossible to be radical about more than one thing" coming from me. I am known to be extreme and radical about most everything. But hey, things could change, right? (Ha Ha!)
Here is where we are living out the middle way:
Truly, I would never have left the Anglican Church if i had known this group was being formed. I had called myself an "Anglo-Catholic" for a number of years. I loved the idea of the Anglicans being the "middle-way" between Catholicism and Protestantism. While confessional Lutheranism is sort of in the same place, a middle place, they generally don't have bishops, and are lacking in apostolic succession in the way Anglicans have it, by actual bishops who were ordained by previous bishops all the way back to the apostles. I think this is a good thing, a continuity with the early church in an unbroken line. Of course the Roman Catholic Church no longer recognizes the bishops of the Anglican Communion, but that's just them being all bossy. If you don't obey the Bishop of Rome you can't play in our sandbox. Bleh.
It seems to me that a traditional Anglo-Catholic church is by far the best place to be. If only I had known they still existed for the last dozen years or so life would have been so much simpler. Well, it's good to be back.
I'm reading a book called "The Anglican Way: A Guidebook" and there is a section there that describes the Via Media: "...this Latin term means "the middle way." The Anglican Way lives at the center rather than the extremes. We have learned that it's impossible to be radical about more than one thing. We don't desire to be radical about politics, traditions, ideas, or even religion. We just want to be radical about the only thing worth being radical about: the amazing love of God in Christ."
I'm sure those who know me are snickering about the statement that "it's impossible to be radical about more than one thing" coming from me. I am known to be extreme and radical about most everything. But hey, things could change, right? (Ha Ha!)
Here is where we are living out the middle way:
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| Anglican Church of the Resurrection, Tracy CA |
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