23 July 2010

Stand Up!.... Hook Up!...

I've told myself that I will remain an Episcopalian as long as my parish and my Diocese eschewed the trendy innovations of the ruling Left in The Episcopal Chirch (tm), and remained true to Scripture and the Anglo-Catholic tradition. They mostly have. But we elected a "moderate" Bishop this year, and we all know what a "moderate" is in The Episcopal Church (tm) - a bleeding-heart Lefty most anywhere else. And ever so slightly, things are starting to change. Case-in-point: For the first time I can recall, a webcast of Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (tm) is being hawked by the diocese newsletter, using standard-issue TEC newspeak:
"A Conversation with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will allow for closer connections and open conversations on the issues that are on people’s minds.”
Which means what, exactly? Anyone...? Anyone...? Bueller...?

I'll give you a prediction on what the talking points of the "conversation" will be:
America is bad; Obama is good.
Oil is bad; "green" things are good.
Individual liberty is really bad; collectivism is good. (Exception: Abortion. That is a "blessing".)
The Gay Agenda is good; not thinking the Gay Agenda is good is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really,really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, bad.
The shrinking Episcopal Church (tm) is good - every church we like out there is doing it; the homophobic thieves leaving are bad - and there are only three or four of them anyway.
Liberation theology (what Lefty Episcopalians call "doing a new thing") is good; "outdated" notions of Faith are bad.
Pushing ObamaCare and Cap and Tax is doing God's work.
Add some boilerplate about "tables", "diversity", "where we are now", our "Wider Communion" and The Millennium Development Goals (remember those...?), and justify everything with a sprinkling of the words "Christ" "Jesus" and "God", and that should be a wrap.

Even money the words "Jonathan" and "David" will also make an appearance. I'm thinking a drinking game might be in order. I'll let you know.

Do check back on the 29th and see how I did. Oh, and I think my drop zone is coming into view. Equipment check!

1 comment:

Tregonsee said...

Punched out of TEC 4 years ago, after 58 years. Long enough that I was confirmed by Moses. (Bishop William Moses, that is.) The diocese is relatively traditional, though one seventh of the parishes have left and/or split. My final 3 years were at the "Church of Laodicea," also reasonably traditional. However, you never would even guess there were any issues worth discussing, since they were not going to let any of that deflect them from "doing God's work." (Or jeopardize the mortgage or rector's pension.) I had thought it would be a sad day when I left for the last time, but instead, it was as if a great load had been lifted off my shoulders. Knowing you are complicit in your actions does weigh heavily on one. Four years later, I seldom even think of TEC and the antics of ++Kate, except for rare times when I see old friends who are still there, waiting out their time on this earth. Being a member of a slowly growing CANA/ACNA parish which is just breaking ground on the first phase of the new church is more than enough to keep me busy.

My prayers to you to find the path God want you, personally, to follow.

Treg