BLOGFORCE Roundup – Why the Episcopal Church?

This week concludes our three-part BLOGFORCE challenge.  The first challenge was, “”  The second was, “”  This week, we asked, “Why the Episcopal Church?”  Thanks to all those who participated!  Below are the abstracts and the links to the original Blog Posts in order recieved.

Steve Pankey blogs, ““:

I’m an Episcopalian because it makes sense to me. Our system of governance, our inculturation into the American way of life, and most importantly our sacramental and apostolic witness to the risen Christ seem to suit me well, and I should think that others might find a home here also, if we could get past all our bickering and partisanship and find a better way to share our story.

Robyn Barnes blogs, “”

But there’s something more. Our love for the Church is greater than the sum of our lists, even all our lists. Our love for the Church has to do with seeing Jesus here, being transformed, and then trying to reason out what and how and why.

Brendan O’Sullivan Hale blogs, “”

These attributes have the possibility of serving the church particularly well during the tough times we’re in today. Because for all the things that maybe have to change in the church, one that doesn’t is the sense that you can be part of something significant just by showing up. In fact this is one thing we might want to double down on, that as numbers or finances or whatever force us to be different that what we’ve been, the participatory nature of the church be both opportunity and expectation for everyone involved.

Linda Mizwicki blogs, “”

Why the Episcopal Church? There are other churches who celebrate Good Friday and teach a message of grace. But, my church is the church that wraps the message of saving, transforming, transcendent grace in beautiful symbols, poetic language, traditional liturgy, and inspirational music. Because of the Episcopal Church, my heart broke open to the transforming grace of God.

David Kendrick blogs, “”

The Episcopal Church taught me that, to paraphrase St. Paul, opinions puff us up but love builds us up

David Simmons blogs,””

The Episcopal Church is necessary because there are some people, like me, that would never hear the Gospel if it were not proclaimed the manner we do it. As Episcopalians, we don’t often refer to ourselves as “evangelists.” It brings up connotations of people knocking on doors with that “are you saved?” question we dread in the South. We think of people handing out tracts in airports, waiting to pounce with well-rehearsed points of doctrine. What we often don’t think of is a pleasant man in a black suit and clerical collar sitting in a small office in a downtown church. But that’s exactly what an evangelist looks like to me. His name was The Rev. Howard Surface.

Tom Lutes blogs, “

Answering the question “Why the Episcopal Church?” turned out to be really hard for me, because I did not want to simply reprise my previous two submissions. But in the end, I think I choose Episcopalianism for the same reason that many people decry TREC; We are the Church and we can revise the ways in which we are responding to God’s call.

Linda Ryan blogs, “”

When someone proposes something that involves a change, particularly to an institution or a belief or even a beloved theory, there are two responses to the idea of change: why and why not? When asked “Why the Episcopal Church?” my immediate response is “Why not?”

Andrew Leigh Amanda LeAnn Bullard blogs, “”

In the midst of doubt, ritual and community provide an anchor to deeper questions and inexplicable answers. The answer to “Why The Episcopal Church” is interwoven with our human frailties and strengths, and a wisdom that we live into even as it defies our comprehension.

Holli Powell blogs, “”

And that’s exactly why the Episcopal Church, at least for this silly, frustrated soul. Because I care enough to keep slogging through this mess with these folks who all care just as much as I do, if not more, rather than separating from everyone and writing my own church creed with a cup of coffee in my hand in my back yard. Because all these arguments and disagreements mean that we are a family, bound together by the blood lines of liturgy and faith and reason, and even if you desperately want to run away from your family sometimes, you don’t get to. Because this institution has survived through hundreds of years in order to be just the thing I needed to remind me that I was a child of God, in order to remind me that everyone else is too. And it will survive hundreds of years more, God willing, in spite of ourselves, to be that for other Grumpy McFussypants just like me.

Respectfully submitted – David Simmons, BLOGFORCE Wing Commander


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