Recently I eavesdropped a conversation as a number of people stated what attracted them to the Anglican Church. The responses included:
– Interesting people, beautiful, meaningful worship
– The generous theology, the poetry of common worship, the companionship of people with differing ideas on what is still our common journey
– Its rootedness ( apostolic succession); its balanced decision-making ( episcopally led, but synodically governed); its ongoing attempts to provide inspiring worship ” in the language of the people” in ways that brings past, present and future together day by day; and great gatherings of folks who love experiencing and exploring the mysteries of God and faith.
– I like it for its rootedness also and that it takes people seriously. I like it’s theology (but by no means all of it) or should I say it’s approach to theology.
– First, its diversity, tolerance and the most important : freedom of thought. Second, having TS Eliott and CS Lewis but also John Shelby Spong, Paul van Buren and Don Cupitt.
– What drew me in (formerly Baptist) was the Eucharist, the willingness to have questions heard and explored, the aesthetics of liturgical worship, and its traceable history from the earliest Christians.
And of course, current problems surfaced and one said – Sadly, what attracts me most in the Anglican Church are all the things we would lose if we were to adopt the Anglican Covenant: Hooker’s three-legged stool of scripture, reason and tradition; and the acceptance that Anglicanism will be interpreted in different ways by different cultures and at different times as set out in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral. Simply put, appreciation of the multiple hues of the worshipping congregation.
I would love to hear more on this from others. Anonymity assured!
Please feel free to e-mail me at
Churchnewsireland@gmail.com
Houston McKelvey