I go to Church a lot. I'm an Episcopalian (formerly a catholicish Methodist, turned MCCer) . I'm also an aspiring Priest and Anthropologist( of the socio-cultural variety). Also, I'm a gay with a wonderful Boyfriend. This blog will likely be a combination of churchy things, anthropology, and things I find amusing. Please forgive my grammar and style, because most of my writing on here is stream of consciousness. I don't argue.
Happy Anna Howard Shaw Day! A holiday Celebrating the life of Suffragette, Physician, and First ordained female Methodist Minister.
This Holiday is celebrated by the United Methodist Church, some Feminists, and fans of the sitcom 30 Rock.
Employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree.
—John Wesley (via blessedmomofmany)
Protestant moment at a Catholic church
I just attended a service a roman catholic church around the corner from my BF’s house. While there I had a super Protestant moment. The church was very nice and so was the service, but I was having an issue with the abundance of Mary and the lack of representations of Christ.
Above/behind the altar was a huge painting of Sts Anne and Mary, while all the windows were scenes from Mary’s life.
I am not my mother who is a Methodist through and through and scoffs at Mary whenever given the chance. I like Mary and the communion of saints, but I get weirded out when it seems like more of a temple devoted to a saint than to Jesus.
Protestant rant over.
Note: I am not intending to disparage Catholicism, or infer that this or any RC church is more devoted to Mary than Christ, just saying there was an uncomfortable Mary to Jesus ratio at this church.
YAY!
My mother just said she might try to regularly go to the wednesday morning service at the Episcopal church. She said it would be a nice mid-week refresher! Huzzah for the Episcopal church!
This icon of St. Francis of Assisi was hanging on the wall of the St. Francis chapel at Emmanuel Episcopal. It was a lovely little chapel. There were white tree cut-outs all around the room set out against kelly green painted walls. There was a simple circular stained glass window on one of the walls. In the front of the chapel was a simple wood crucifix, and a white communion table.
Aesthetics aside, it was a very nice service. My parents tagged along and the three of us almost doubled the size of the group that I gather normally meets there. Fr. Chuck Taylor (formally: the Rt. Rev. Charles Taylor) preached a good down to earth sermon making the case for the celebration of the feast of the holy innocents as a remembrance of those children who have suffered from child abuse, infanticide and so forth.
These are the two churches that I attended while at home for Christmas. I did two services at each. I did an early evening Christmas eve mass at the Episcopal church (bottom one) and a spoken eucharist this morning in their marvelous St. Francis chapel. I also attended midnight Christmas eve and Christmas morning services with my family at the Methodist church (on the top).
I also had the opportunity to add one of the local RC churches, as my parents went to see my godmother/”uber-aunt” sing in the folk choir at the family christmas eve mass. I chose not to.
