Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So....it was too....much fun?

Eh, I don't know. I'm Catholic and I really don't like the arm-waving, praise music kind of thing. It feels so disingenuous and forced to me. Not saying that it is those things, but that's how it feels to me and it makes me uncomfortable. I like the ritual of mass, and depending on the parish and the priest, the homily and music choices can bring levity or a celebratory feel without feeling too touchy feely for my taste.

This from a person practicing a religion where people prostrate themselves before relics such as St. Catherine's preserved HEAD (yes, ma'am, ever been to Sienna?), self-flagellate, crawl up steps on their knees (google Scala Sanctum), not to mention practice EXORCISMS.

So I suppose Catholics should know some "disingenuous and forced" when they see it then?

Oh yes, American Catholics are engaged in all of these practices.

If you think it makes you sound intelligent to pick out the fringe practices of a religion to insult the whole, it doesn't. Just FYI.

OP, many Episcopal churches have several services, each with a slightly different feel. My church has an early morning service without music and traditional liturgy, a mid morning service with a band and contemporary music, and a late morning service with a traditional liturgy and choir. You may want to check the church website to see if they have services at other times.

I definitely prefer the more formal services.

Anonymous wrote:That doesn't sound like any Episcopal service I've ever been too.

Me. Either.

Anonymous wrote:Cradle Episcopalian here. That sounds absolutely nothing like any service I have ever attended.

Me, too. Not surprised that it's in the south, though, where Episcopal churches need to compete with all the popular traditionally hand-holding, arm-waving, snake-handling denominations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So....it was too....much fun?

Eh, I don't know. I'm Catholic and I really don't like the arm-waving, praise music kind of thing. It feels so disingenuous and forced to me. Not saying that it is those things, but that's how it feels to me and it makes me uncomfortable. I like the ritual of mass, and depending on the parish and the priest, the homily and music choices can bring levity or a celebratory feel without feeling too touchy feely for my taste.

This from a person practicing a religion where people prostrate themselves before relics such as St. Catherine's preserved HEAD (yes, ma'am, ever been to Sienna?), self-flagellate, crawl up steps on their knees (google Scala Sanctum), not to mention practice EXORCISMS.

So I suppose Catholics should know some "disingenuous and forced" when they see it then?

Anonymous wrote:OP- I am dying to know what episcopal church you went to- and in what city.
Some of the larger churches will have different services at different times- some are more 'high church' and some are more 'low church.' Most of my friends who are Catholics who joined the episcopal church I previously attended preferred the more formal service.

I'd rather not say, other than to mention that it's deep in the south. I don't think my friends are aware of DCUM, but am constantly amazed at the non-DC area people who post here so I don't want to out myself.

Anonymous wrote:Not typical, but some Episcopal churches are moving in a more relaxed, egalitarian sort of direction. In general, though, Episcopal churches are the closest thing to a Catholic mass.

While I agree that the sights and sounds of many Episcopal services are similar to those of a Catholic mass, the beliefs behind the two traditions are very very different.

I was an acolyte in the Episcopal church throughout middle and high school, and I can remember asking the priest in my parish why we did certain things. Why, for example, did we genuflect when the consecrated host was on the altar, and bow our heads otherwise. I was told that many religious traditions used patterns and rituals to establish the mindset of prayer. He told me that, in his view, genuflecting was one way to remind ourselves of our purpose, and help us center ourselves so we could concentrate on prayer. That it wasn't really any different than reciting a familiar verse in Hebrew, or finding the direction that faced Mecca, walking a labyrinth, that all of these were rituals to help us concentrate our thoughts so we could benefit from the service. Besides, he said, it looked better when everyone in the procession did the same thing.

My understanding is that a Catholic priest would answer that question differently. That they would genuflect to the host because they believe it to be the actual body of Christ, and that genuflecting was the correct way to honor it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah that makes it ok.

You know, this tired debate gets really old, especially when people resort to these silly, stale, junior high schoolyard retorts. My entire family is Catholic and no one is homophobic. We have gay family members and friends. The church is the people; we are not going to abandon our faith because the powers that be have it wrong.

No, the church is a massive, multinational institution that influences public policy around the world.

And I bet you'd have a bigger issue with your church if they said the same thing about black people or disabled people that they say about gays.

Let me spell it out for you - I am able to differentiate between the institution and the faith. Google nuns on the bus if you really want to learn something about the spirit of Catholics. I'm not going to waste time explaining it to you b/c my guess is you simply want to be insulting and combative.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah that makes it ok.

You know, this tired debate gets really old, especially when people resort to these silly, stale, junior high schoolyard retorts. My entire family is Catholic and no one is homophobic. We have gay family members and friends. The church is the people; we are not going to abandon our faith because the powers that be have it wrong.

No, the church is a massive, multinational institution that influences public policy around the world.

And I bet you'd have a bigger issue with your church if they said the same thing about black people or disabled people that they say about gays.

Anonymous wrote:I really don't get why people like the formality of the Catholic or Episcopal church service. I feel closer to God worshipping in a more informal way. But to each his own. I think it's nice that there are some many different styles of relgious worship. Whatever works for you.

Precisely, to each their own. We'd all do well to keep that in mind more often.

I really don't get why people like the formality of the Catholic or Episcopal church service. I feel closer to God worshipping in a more informal way. But to each his own. I think it's nice that there are some many different styles of relgious worship. Whatever works for you.

OP- I am dying to know what episcopal church you went to- and in what city.
Some of the larger churches will have different services at different times- some are more 'high church' and some are more 'low church.' Most of my friends who are Catholics who joined the episcopal church I previously attended preferred the more formal service.

Cradle Episcopalian here. That sounds absolutely nothing like any service I have ever attended.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah that makes it ok.

You know, this tired debate gets really old, especially when people resort to these silly, stale, junior high schoolyard retorts. My entire family is Catholic and no one is homophobic. We have gay family members and friends. The church is the people; we are not going to abandon our faith because the powers that be have it wrong.

Yeah that makes it ok.