ECUSA - the Light that Failed

Mead is a progressive, not someone in lockstep opposition to what TEC declares.  For him to post this sober analysis is devastating to TEC spin.

The TEC club dismissed the WSJ piece for its factual errors, simply ignored the NYT’s more thoughtful piece, and of course ignore bloggy types as “haters.”  But the facts speak for themselves. 

We in TEC are declining, dying.  Good leaders could look at that honestly and see what God might be saying.  Instead we get useless denial and propaganda about how “all is well.”

Boy, Fr. Tim (#1), I read Mead’s posts pretty often and, for a progressive, he’s as hard as nails on the Blue Model.  If he wants a progressive future, it’s not going to look anything like what progressives have in mind right now.

“Now, basically, no one outside the dwindling flock in the pews really cares what The Episcopal Church says about anything at all. General Convention can pass a million resolutions, and nothing anywhere will change. No one is even really angry anymore at anything the Episcopal hierarchy does; at most, there is a sigh and a quiet rolling of the eyes. Soon, there will not even be that.”

Sooner or later the media had to pick up on this.  TEC will mount a counter-offensive and turn the tide, but only a little, and only for a time.  Then the media will hone in again, like wolves.

And why shouldn’t they? Objectively, TEC is a failure and a scandal.

Schori and others have shown great bravado with “We are doing the right thing so numbers and income don’t matter”, but this will hurt and galvanise them.

I loved this comment on Mead’s article:

A few years ago, I read a review of a play about Jesus. The reviewer, summing in up for a friend, said the play depicted Jesus as a promiscuous gay drunk who thought everyone should have lots of casual sex, and sing ‘Kumbaya.’

The friend’s reaction was, ‘Oh, he’s an Episcopalian!’ That does about sum up what the Episcopal Church has become.

So apt.

“How did you go bankrupt?
Two ways.  Gradually and then suddenly.”
—Hemingway The Sun Also Rises

commenter 43 at the link said:

That guy 2,000 years ago is treated like Voldemort. His name must not be said out loud in any Episcopal sermon. It is sadly amusing to see the contortions that the presiding “bishop”, Katherine Jeffert Shori goes through so as not to mention the name of the religion’s founder.

He nailed that one.

TEo has trouble saying “the S words” as well ...  sin & salvation.  the first requires the second, and the second requires “he that shall not be named”

Do you think perhaps one day, when the denomination formerly known as The Church of the Founding Fathers has completely run itself to ground, broken financially and spiritually, morally bankrupty, leaderless, rudderless, and without life nor meaning finally hits rock bottom that they will turn to the Truth?

I’d like to think so.  I can only hope that there will be a cadre of us out there, standing at the bridge, smiling like Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy in Trading Places, while everything around them is crashing and burning, and at long last they look in and offer
“Buy ‘em” and things finally start to turn around.

I hope I live to see that day, not to say I told you so, but to hold the hands, and the hearts, of all those who are now rushing headlong towards perdition when they realize the cliff is right there, and we can help to pull them back from the precipice.

God willing, we may all live to see that day.

mrb

#8 Mike wrote:

I hope I live to see that day, not to say I told you so, but to hold the hands, and the hearts, of all those who are now rushing headlong towards perdition when they realize the cliff is right there, and we can help to pull them back from the precipice.

God willing, we may all live to see that day.

Yep,  my thoughts as well.

This is indeed a scathing pronouncement from one of their own. Too bad that some of the true die hards still won’t/don’t get it. The True Church will survive and -dare I say- even thrive.

It’s terribly sad…TEC is what happens when man trys to form the church in his image. 

However, we can take comfort in knowing that God is still in charge!  He is still the creator of the universe and of each one of us.  His church will endure this and much more.  I even suspect we will look back in 20-30 years and see that the demise of TEC may well be preparing us for what is to come.

It would be interesting to get a collection of the letters to the flock from so-called “moderate” bishops after this GC.  I would love to read them.

I notice that Bishop Gray of Miss. has not written his yet.  Can’t wait to read it.

I’m suspecting more of the same “yes, this is very controversial, but it really doesn’t impact us that much” blather.  They are truly counting on the pew potatoes continuing to close their eyes and ears, or at least stay frozen in their seats, scared to comment, or just not caring enough to comment.

All the while, the church slowly sinks.  A couple of Sundays ago, I passed the Cathedral in downtown Jackson during the Church School hour.  It is summer, and people are moving about, but the lack of cars parked in front of the church was surprising. 

I believe that the spin of decline is picking up speed.

Men without chests, indeed.

#8.Mike Bertaut,
What about the possibility that most have been given over to depraved minds?

Fr. Dale,

Certainly we have to consider that possibility.  One wonders if the Angel from Sodom & Gamorrah found his way to 815, would he find enough just souls to stop the destruction?

But I prefer to hold my position for the same reason the Roman Church opposes the Death Penalty:  That no soul is beyond redemption, no human beyond salvation, that given time and the room to work, God will change the depraved into His chosen once again.

Having fallen away from Him with malice and purpose in my youth, and again in middle age, I can say with all honesty that the trip(s) back were immensely painful and wrenching.  I can imagine for the leadership at 815, and the Bishops in collusion with them, should they choose to make the trip back to the LIght, that it will be just as painful and wrenching for them.  And it will leave scars and memories one would rather not have ever again.

On that day, when dawn breaks, and “What have I done?!!” rings upon their lips, they may not survive their own awakening.

So that’s why I think we may have an obligation, upon their metanoia, to be there to receive them back into the fold of the Lord.  To ease their suffering and pain and insure they make it back without destroying themselves.

Oh, that today they would harken to His mighty Word!

mrb