If you want to know what is wrong with the Episcopal Church today, you do not have to look far. Central to its problems is the very identity of the church and its expression of the faith. The Episcopal Church has long ventured into the fringes of orthodox Christianity while maintaining the aesthetic of worship. It has produced some of the most avant garde figures in modern religion -- from Bishop James Pike to Bishop John Shelby Spong to Bishop Gene Robinson. These polarizing figures have pushed the boundaries of faith and practice while maintaining their offices -- unlike the Bishop William Love of Albany who has chosen to resign rather than face a trial for not being open enough!
As the days have gone by, the Episcopal Church has grown smaller in size, split off (Anglican Church in North America), spent loads of money suing conservative parishes that want to leave, and claiming the spotlight wherever it can (Bishop Curry at Harry and Meghan's wedding). In the end, it has become a parrot of the times and seems willing to abandon both its heritage and its confession for the sake of being seen as culturally relevant. A good example of this lies in their prestigious Grace Church School, long associated with the Episcopal Church and occupying a privileged place in Manhattan education and culture. It is pricey ($60K per year per student) but promises that along with a liberal liberal arts education, it will enforce the strictest rules of the day with respect to sex, gender, and family.
They put out twelve pages of rules on what is acceptable in everything from language to faith. Their chaplain, it is assured, will never try to dispose the student away from their faith (or lack thereof) but will respect the views of the student. They will continually renew and refresh their rules so that they keep up with the ever changing landscape of sex, gender, and family. They will resist every attempt to normalize any form or format for individual preference and choice or family identity. The special traits of the school are evident in every classroom or activity: pleasure in learning, seriousness of purpose and genuine affection and respect for others. Although they insist that common values are the core of family-school relationships, the primary value seems to be diversity -- not faith nor morals nor a critical view of the culture. You can read some of the gender inclusive rules here.
When it comes to religion, they teach the sacred texts neither as truth, nor as literature. Rather, they are presented as a body of powerful stories that have moved millions over thousands of years and serve as truth to those for whom they are true. Truth for those for whom they are true. That seems to capture the very essence of the school' approach to nearly everything. And they pursue it with a view toward excellence. But is that what the church is or should be in providing education for children? At what point does this become merely the cover for a school that has little real association with orthodox Christianity?
Begun some 127 years ago as a boarding school for Episcopal choir boys at Grace Church, the school today is simply a tony K-12 coed prep school that likes to style itself as an extension of the church but is independent, non-sectarian, and free from any real church control. In that respect it is the consummate Episcopal school and reflects the current fashion and problem of the Episcopal Church. It looks great on the outside and does all things well except reflect a semblance of orthodox Christianity in its confession, faith, and piety. And that is the sad reality that befalls any church body that strives to be culturally relevant more than confessionally faithful. Indeed, some of the communion partners of the Episcopal Church are finding themselves exactly where the Episcopal Church is -- thoroughly in step with the times and thoroughly out of step with their own confession and history.
In these progressive versions of the Christian Church you are free to believe anything you want and whatever truth you hold to be true, is true for you. But you dare not place any boundaries to the faith. Creeds and confessions end up meaning only what you want them to mean in these Humpty Dumpty churches. You might get some good liturgy and music in these churches but the words and music are merely aesthetic and not confession. You might get a great cup of fair trade coffee and a warm welcome but you will not get authentic Christianity. You might get a great progressive education but it is doubtful that you will know much about Christianity from the teaching of these churches. If that is what you want, fine. America is a free country (for now). But they should not be allowed to pass off these things as Christian.
2 comments:
"and free from any real church control" That is what bothers me so much about the Concordia University System. If synod wants to reformulate the Concordias, fine, might need that. To entertain the thought of Portland going independent RSO, or the full scale restructure/abandonment of CUS is colossally stupid in my opinion. Gettysburg resisted in joining up in the 1800's, and seemed happy when they could align with the more liberal denominations when the time came. Valpo wanted so badly do be independent, and now are a de facto training school for ELCA hermenuetics. People painfully stuck in the past (distant past) bemoan that we do not use their deaconesses and such, but it should be obvious why we can't, and require colloquy.
During civil rights era, the separate but equal made it problematic to maintain ourr North Carolina seminary, although now the cultural climate has many wishing we still had it. Painful to lose Selma, with its beautiful history and historic black designation. Bronxville was our onyl site out east. Argue the merits of the Benedict Option, but make no mistake: WE are RETREATING from society, we are teh ones extinguishing our own lights.
The LCMS keeps this up, we will either be training our church workers at Luther Classical College in Wyoming (and our pastors though PLI and ILT) or we will stabilize our 2 seminaries by rolling all undergrad to their campuses. This insular learning will not expose our students to teh secular world and they won't be ready fo rit, and prevents a warm :Llutheran environment to bolster our non-church work students to grow in their faith.
I want us to find better ways to utilize out Concordia. No offense, but stop teaching teachers so much. The Idaho law school satellite was awesome, so send out competent lawyers to combat terrible arguments and judicial decisions. We have nursing programs to offer our grace and compassion. In college I was in engineering, but only Valpo offered that. Developing a few solid STEM degrees would counteract the rampant Darwinism around us.
All of this only happens through God's grace. Abandoning Him leads us to the Golden Calf of any warms body for students and their government money. We are losing it all BECAUSE we have allowed "free from any real church control" to infest our mindset.
It seems pretty clear that there is no grace in Grace Episcopal School. Like the rest of the ECUSA, they have sold out fully to the spirit of the age, and your child can join them for just $60k/year. What a deal!
Fr.D+
Continuing Anglican Priest
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