The Writing on the Wall

The latest kerfuffle among traditional Episcopalians results from a free-spirit 'sixties-style priest, a Fr. Kerbel, who posted on his blog last week twenty proposed "reforms" of the Anglican Mass to make it more "welcoming;" expunging vast chunks of it and transforming it into a "rap session," "encounter group" or whatever the addled, brain-dead hippies called them back then. I'll copy just one of his suggestions to give you a taste.

9. Cut the fat. Here are some suggestions - THE GLORIA - The COLLECT FOR PURITY - Doxology and Prayers at the presentation - the concluding collect at the end of the prayers of the people. Cut down the number of PSALM verses used. Psalms are incredibly deep, a little bit goes along way. Use 6 verse max at a time. Let me sit and contemplate.

The reaction, not surprisingly, has been intense but the fact is this nonsense has been going on for years, decades even; it is nothing new. If Fr. Kerbel were transported back to the mid-seventies and stepped into, say, Emmanuel Church in Boston he would feel right at home. When I was a parishioner at the nearby Church of the Advent those days, mention of wacko establishments like Emmanuel simply elicited head shaking and comments like, "Oh, pay them no mind, they're just a bunch of eccentrics" (check out Emmanuel's website: the wackiness continues).

Well, we paid them no mind and that proved to be a fatal error. The lunatics are in charge of the asylum now and it's churches like Advent that are now regarded as the eccentrics. You can be damn sure those in charge will pay them plenty of mind as they continue the purge of non-PC heresies in their Episcopal Church.

Outrage over matters like Fr. Kerbel's reforms is a waste of time, other than to vent one's spleen. Kerbel is a country parson and he can hardly be faulted for holding and parroting the beliefs of virtually every man and woman in an executive position in the Episcopal Church. The sad truth is, over the past thirty years we have had plenty of warning of what was to come. For me the shot across the bow was the General Convention vote in 1976 that purported women could be ordained. I actually remember a sinking feeling at the time, thinking that decision could lead to the break up of the Church. But other than that I, like the majority of Episcopalians, did nothing. Après cela, le déluge.

I had a friend at that time who was a nun (sadly, we lost touch) with whom I sung in the university chapel choir. We often engaged in good-natured debate over the merits of the Anglican vs. the the Catholic faiths. Occasionally I scored points against her (I realize now that she let me, good soul that she was) but when when I did, she would always respond: "Oh, someday we're gonna get you, we're gonna get you." Dear Sister, how right you were!