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Providence Anglican Pages
Friday, 30 October 2009
A sense of accomplishment
Mood:
 bright
So I finished the BCP Psalter this evening on the train ride home. I have been saying the Daily Office from the 1979 BCP, and this is the first complete month in my doing that, since I started late in September. I am really happy with that. Lots of human emotions find an echo in the Psalter, and it is all right to emote before God. From the evidence in Psalms, the ancient Hebrews did it all the time. God is the One we can talk to with complete honesty. The translation of the Psalter in the 1979 BCP is really quite elegant; I had not thought of comparing it with the Hebrew original or with other English versions of Psalms, like the new RSV (which was actually new around 1990). It would be interesting to know just how close the Prayer Book Psalter is to the original, but I am not going to let that concern me very much. A couple of things I might do, to make the Daily Office a little more special, is borrow some antiphons for the Psalms and canticles of feasts from a translation of the Roman Breviary that I have somewhere here at home and use the printer/scanner to copy the English metrical version of the Phos hilaron, for Evensong, so that I can sing it. The Prayer Book office, in its simplicity and biblicism (you get to read a lot of scripture when saying the BCP Office), is another charming part of Anglicanism, and, thanks to the Episcopal Church's leadership in matters liturgical, one can say the Office without archaic language, a big improvement. Tomorrow is the thirty-first of the month, and the BCP Psalter covers thirty days, so I was wondering what Psalms I would read tomorrow. * * * On another matter, I was reading the beginning of Thomas Oden's three-volume theological consideration of God. Oden knowledgeably draws on the major writers of Christian antiquity, the "Fathers," patristic authors. to illuminate what the faith says about the Creator. Then I started reading Hollaway's book-length recantation of Christianity, and, indeed, of the possibility of revelation at all. Hollaway's stance is a lot like that of the Unitarians on the UU theology discussion list, that religion is a purely human undertaking, not open to the possibility that Ultimate Goodness might address us. I guess it's obvious that those are the opposite ends of possibility, theism and, essentially, a-theism, which seems to have a lot a variants. Belief is a gift, through grace, not given to everyone, it appears. It also seems the gift can be lost: Hollaway once preached an impressive sermon drawing on a Graham Greene novel, about a "whiskey priest" in Mexico, who "missed grace by seconds." I wonder if Hollaway ever thinks about that possibility now.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Hollaway on thin ice
Mood:
 cool
Wow! I wish I could write as well as Richard F. Hollaway. My initial impression of the book is that the author went through a (negative) transformative experience at the Lambeth Conference in 1998, when a solid majority bloc of Bishops repudiated gay people; that experience appears to have set Hollaway on his present course, away from creedal Christianity. Now it is obvious is that, to quote Hollaway when he was Rector at the Advent in Boston, "dust is not always up to the mark," and, historically, as Hollaway undoubtedly knows, ecclesiastics and churches have done terrible things, repeatedly; the Crusades and the Inquisition come to mind. It is not clear why this particular experience was the catalyst. The other obvious thing is that Hollaway's present stance — he calls God a human construct and objects that religion drags God into history — is inconsistent with both Judaism and Christianity. Hollaway seems to think that God has *not* acted in history, i.e., no Incarnation, no deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, that house of bondage. So it is not just Christianity, but any revealed religion, indeed, revelation itself, that Hollaway rejects, and that is very serious business. Given Hollaway's stance, he did well to resign from his position as Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. I am reminded of an event I only read about. When the Boston College theologian Mary Daly (is she still with us?) decided she could no longer be a Christian, she preached a sermon to that effect at the Memorial Church (truly a grand setting) in Harvard Yard and then led a procession out of Mem Church. That is what principle looks like. And Hollaway's abrupt resignation from his highly-placed position in Scottish Anglicanism was also a principled act, which should be applauded. (More later: I just needed a break from editing a proposal at work.)
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
My thanks to the Forward Movement
Mood:
 happy
I have set up two sets of links for this Anglican undertaking; they can be viewed on one side of the page. I added a link to the Forward Movement (FM), because one of the first things I saw when I returned to the Episcopal Church was the devotional published by the Church (specifically, by the FM), in Spanish. The title is Dia a Dia, and it is a charming little devotional, in easy Spanish, so that I benefitted both by the thoughts in the daily reading, a kind of commentary on the scriptures appointed for every day, and I also learned some more Spanish. Dia a Dia also served as an inducement to start reading the Daily Office, from the Book of Common Prayer, which I now do on the train, morning and evening (whereas before, for years I used to read the appropriate prayers from the Reform siddur in the morning). I have become as fond of the Daily Office as I was fond of the shakharit (morning) prayers, before. The big difference is that the BCP Daily Office appoints three scripture readings every day, which is also a big benefit for me. Anyway, back to reading Hollaway. More later, as I have new theological discoveries (probably not really new, but certainly different) to report from my study of Richard Hollaway's thought. Concerning that, as it happens, I was a member of a Unitarian on-line theology discussion (mainly because I attended a Unitarian Sunday morning worship service for about a month this past summer, since Unitarianism was the closest thing to Judaism I could find). Big mistake. Anyway, it will be interesting to see if there are substantial differences between Hollaway, the former head of the Scottish Episcopal Church, now afflicted with grave doubts about Christianity, and the Unitarians. Life is just so full these days!
Monday, 26 October 2009
Richard Hollaway recants ... sort of
Mood:
 chillin'
Richard Hollaway, an Anglican divine, of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship, has apparently been having problems, if not a full-blown crisis, in his faith. He published a book, some years back, with the subtitle, "What is left of Christianity," which looks to be a recantation (is that a word?). It seems like a really interesting book, and I am devoting time each evening to reading 30-page chunks of it. I do not know quite how to read the data, but the details of Hollaway's biography on wikipedia seem to suggest that Hollaway walked away from his position as Primus (probably the chief bishop) of the Scottish Episcopal Church, to devote himself to writing and journalism. Anyway, I will know more of where Hollaway stands when I finish his book. When I was at the Advent, I was not exactly a big fan of the Rector, Hollaway, but the employee at the bookshop on Westminster, a block or two away from the church I currently attend, assured me that Hollaway does not get a penny when someone buys his (remaindered) book. Which reminds me, I have to figure out just exactly what I believe now, after ten years, more or less, in Judaism, which I have now abandoned, since it no longer makes me happy. It may be that I am simply incapable of making a decision, even though I am headed, God willing, towards retirement and old age. Anyway, off to read Hollaway's book.
Something to look forward to/Another reason to be happy
Mood:
happy
All Saints is one feast day that has been adorned by Anglican superior taste, to the benefit of all church-goers. We get to look forward to singing "For All The Saints," at the top of our lungs, as well as other much-loved music. At the church I currently attend, people are encouraged to bring pictures of loved ones, which go on the altar, which is a sign cheerful optimism, surely a healthy stance.
Welcome!
Mood:
 a-ok
Welcome to these Anglican Pages. I discovered a wonderful Episcopal Church within walking distance of where I live. It is in a beautiful old Gothic structure, with Tiffany stained-glass windows, and decoration so thick, it reminds me of Trinity Church, Boston, where, when you look up, there is not a single inch unadorned. The other thing about this church is the astonishing quality of the music.The choir is as good as that at the Church of the Advent in Boston, and we get to sing a lot, as well. There is still more: this parish welcomes the homeless, offering coffee and friendship throughout the week. Given the obvious social standing of many communicants, that is something I did not expect. Someone has been preaching real, active, face-to-face compassion to these folks. This is a great place to re-engage with the Episcopal Church, after more than a decade away.
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