a visit

My family visited St. John Orthodox church in Memphis today. It was a challenging experience.

First, it was challenging because we are technically Anglicans. We have for a short time belonged to a small REC parish not too far from St. John's. Our priest is a good man, a loving priest, something we've rejoiced in since we started attending the REC parish about a year ago. My daughter was baptized at St. James (the Reformed Episcopal parish we've been attending). We have learned more about the Church than at any time in our lives while we have attended St. James. We continue to grow. But in that growth, we've come to many realizations that first made us say "Maybe we shouldn't be confirmed." and now things have come to a head and we've asked ourselves if we believe in the Anglican faith.

The answer to that question is that we don't. We don't affirm the change to the Nicene Creed. We don't agree at all with female or homosexual priesthood, but for us that's not the root of the matter. We don't want to be a part of a faith that is shattering at it's core, and that many people are only members of because the more Protestant and Evangelical churches they used to attend ordain women and homosexuals. Where is the communion in that? We don't understand why confession isn't done, or why the Eucharist is treated casually. We see no point in continuing to commune within this group.

I've even began to question what the Anglican church did when it broke away from Rome. I am not interested in any revolution, however neat and hip it may be, that is moving further and further away from the Church that came to us through Christ and the Apostles.

There is a loveliness within the Anglican faith that I find appealing. I will not miss it, but I am glad I experienced it.

At St. John's this morning, I couldn't exactly follow the liturgy. I didn't know the right words or actions, but there was a feeling of easiness about everything. I have a brother-in-law that has fussed at me for saying that we are begining to feel like the Orthodox way is what we're after, but yes, I felt that we should visit again, and again. And again. Not because the icons were beautiful (they were) or because the parishioners were welcoming and kind (they were) or because we liked the "service".

It was the utterly beautiful and complete worship of Christ.

My children even behaved.