If you're Roman Catholic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you former Catholics needs to become Episcopalians.
I’ve been at the same Church for 14 years and I’ve near heard of being counted in attendance as being an issue. I work every other weekend so only go twice a month on Sundays. I’m involved with other outreach but there’s no mandatory attendance.
No confession to a priest either.
My spouse only comes at Christmas and Easter and she is treated with the same respect as everyone else.

How does one become an Episcopalian?

[Anonymous]

Episcopalianism is pretty varied. If you're coming from the Roman church you will find the mainstream Episcopal church now about as nourishing as dishwater. However, there are many exceptions, local parishes may be great. Also don't forget the Anglican Church in North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church.

As far as becoming an Episcopalian, look up the 39 Articles as regards what you might be expected to affirm. As someone once said, it is a church with a Calvinist confession, an Arminian clergy, and a papist liturgy. It is referred to as the via media ("middle way") for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Episcopalianism is pretty varied. If you're coming from the Roman church you will find the mainstream Episcopal church now about as nourishing as dishwater. However, there are many exceptions, local parishes may be great. Also don't forget the Anglican Church in North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church.

As far as becoming an Episcopalian, look up the 39 Articles as regards what you might be expected to affirm. As someone once said, it is a church with a Calvinist confession, an Arminian clergy, and a papist liturgy. It is referred to as the via media ("middle way") for a reason.

Thank you. Non-practicing Roman Catholic here. I'm a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace but I don't think I can do the Roman Catholic thing any longer. Now starting to seek alternatives.

[Anonymous]

How does one become an Episcopalian?

Walk in, sit down.
If you like the service, come to coffee hour. Someone will greet you and ask you about your story. If you'd like to talk to the priest, they'll make that happen.
If you keep coming and want to be confirmed or received (you are "received" if you've already been confirmed in another faith but committing yourself to be an Episcopalian), talk to your priest.

[Anonymous]

If you're coming from the Roman church you will find the mainstream Episcopal church now about as nourishing as dishwater.

My experience is exactly opposite. The Catholic Church did nothing to engage me. They were more worried about my contribution to the Bishop's Lenten Appeal than they were my spiritual life. The priest who married me could barely remember my name a year later, even though we attended Mass weekly.

At my Episcopal Church, I was immediately "seen". I was given opportunities to be part of the church community, to volunteer, to deepen connections with others. The preaching was also far better, because most Episcopal priests have lived experience. I urge anyone who isn't comfortable where they are worshipping to start church shopping. The Episcopal Church is my home but yours might be at a Methodist church, a Lutheran church, a Baptist Church, or back at the Catholic Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you former Catholics needs to become Episcopalians.
I’ve been at the same Church for 14 years and I’ve near heard of being counted in attendance as being an issue. I work every other weekend so only go twice a month on Sundays. I’m involved with other outreach but there’s no mandatory attendance.
No confession to a priest either.
My spouse only comes at Christmas and Easter and she is treated with the same respect as everyone else.

At least from a Catholic standpoint, Episcopals lack valid sacraments. The Sunday obligation is biblical, and quite frankly, minimal and subject to numerous exceptions. As for attendance “counting,” substantial compliance is morally sufficient. Confession is an enormous gift, and the people who object to it might want to reexamine their own shame.

There is attendance/performance based Christianity and substance based Christianity. I prefer the latter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you former Catholics needs to become Episcopalians.
I’ve been at the same Church for 14 years and I’ve near heard of being counted in attendance as being an issue. I work every other weekend so only go twice a month on Sundays. I’m involved with other outreach but there’s no mandatory attendance.
No confession to a priest either.
My spouse only comes at Christmas and Easter and she is treated with the same respect as everyone else.

At least from a Catholic standpoint, Episcopals lack valid sacraments. The Sunday obligation is biblical, and quite frankly, minimal and subject to numerous exceptions. As for attendance “counting,” substantial compliance is morally sufficient. Confession is an enormous gift, and the people who object to it might want to reexamine their own shame.

There is attendance/performance based Christianity and substance based Christianity. I prefer the latter.

What you seem to mean by “substance” necessarily expresses itself in what you seem to consider “performance.” See Jas. 2:17-19 (Faith without works is dead).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you former Catholics needs to become Episcopalians.
I’ve been at the same Church for 14 years and I’ve near heard of being counted in attendance as being an issue. I work every other weekend so only go twice a month on Sundays. I’m involved with other outreach but there’s no mandatory attendance.
No confession to a priest either.
My spouse only comes at Christmas and Easter and she is treated with the same respect as everyone else.

At least from a Catholic standpoint, Episcopals lack valid sacraments. The Sunday obligation is biblical, and quite frankly, minimal and subject to numerous exceptions. As for attendance “counting,” substantial compliance is morally sufficient. Confession is an enormous gift, and the people who object to it might want to reexamine their own shame.

There is attendance/performance based Christianity and substance based Christianity. I prefer the latter.

What you seem to mean by “substance” necessarily expresses itself in what you seem to consider “performance.” See Jas. 2:17-19 (Faith without works is dead).

I consider the works to be the substance. Showing your face every Sunday morning is performance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you former Catholics needs to become Episcopalians.
I’ve been at the same Church for 14 years and I’ve near heard of being counted in attendance as being an issue. I work every other weekend so only go twice a month on Sundays. I’m involved with other outreach but there’s no mandatory attendance.
No confession to a priest either.
My spouse only comes at Christmas and Easter and she is treated with the same respect as everyone else.

At least from a Catholic standpoint, Episcopals lack valid sacraments. The Sunday obligation is biblical, and quite frankly, minimal and subject to numerous exceptions. As for attendance “counting,” substantial compliance is morally sufficient. Confession is an enormous gift, and the people who object to it might want to reexamine their own shame.

There is attendance/performance based Christianity and substance based Christianity. I prefer the latter.

What you seem to mean by “substance” necessarily expresses itself in what you seem to consider “performance.” See Jas. 2:17-19 (Faith without works is dead).

I consider the works to be the substance. Showing your face every Sunday morning is performance.

I think that’s something individual. If someone is a hypocrite interested only in external observances for the sake of being seen, gaining some sort of social reward, etc., then merely showing up on Sunday wouldn’t seem to have much behind it. But it would still perhaps be better than not showing up at all, because by coming on Sunday one is joined to the community, at least surrounded by if not personally invested in worship, and in the line of fire, so to speak, for a movement of grace that might lead to a more complete turning toward God.

On the other hand, “showing up” on Sunday is, in itself, an act of worship, and an expression of love toward the Creator. So it is rarely if ever completely meaningless, and can have a great deal of meaning depending on the person and their motives.

There’s a strong argument to be made (again, see St. James) that the living out of the Christian life, particularly from a Catholic standpoint, has its genesis at the Mass, the Eucharist being the source and summit of the Christian life. Certainly there are people who live lives of exemplary fidelity to the Gospel while deprived of Sunday worship. Shut ins, soldiers, sailors, people in extremely isolated areas, people in places where Christianity is persecuted — all of these still receive the grace they need. But their absence ordinarily is not by choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you're coming from the Roman church you will find the mainstream Episcopal church now about as nourishing as dishwater.

My experience is exactly opposite. The Catholic Church did nothing to engage me. They were more worried about my contribution to the Bishop's Lenten Appeal than they were my spiritual life. The priest who married me could barely remember my name a year later, even though we attended Mass weekly.

At my Episcopal Church, I was immediately "seen". I was given opportunities to be part of the church community, to volunteer, to deepen connections with others. The preaching was also far better, because most Episcopal priests have lived experience. I urge anyone who isn't comfortable where they are worshipping to start church shopping. The Episcopal Church is my home but yours might be at a Methodist church, a Lutheran church, a Baptist Church, or back at the Catholic Church.

That sounds more like a parish-level problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you former Catholics needs to become Episcopalians.
I’ve been at the same Church for 14 years and I’ve near heard of being counted in attendance as being an issue. I work every other weekend so only go twice a month on Sundays. I’m involved with other outreach but there’s no mandatory attendance.
No confession to a priest either.
My spouse only comes at Christmas and Easter and she is treated with the same respect as everyone else.

At least from a Catholic standpoint, Episcopals lack valid sacraments. The Sunday obligation is biblical, and quite frankly, minimal and subject to numerous exceptions. As for attendance “counting,” substantial compliance is morally sufficient. Confession is an enormous gift, and the people who object to it might want to reexamine their own shame.

There is attendance/performance based Christianity and substance based Christianity. I prefer the latter.

What you seem to mean by “substance” necessarily expresses itself in what you seem to consider “performance.” See Jas. 2:17-19 (Faith without works is dead).

I consider the works to be the substance. Showing your face every Sunday morning is performance.

Not for everyone.

Making such negative (and inaccurate in many, many cases) generalizations is not very Christian of you.