The Bovina Bloviator links over to the Midwest Conservative Journal’s ponderings on when exactly the Episcopal Church began its current (and, IMHO, fatal) nose-dive.
The average non-combatant might very well believe that it has something to do with the election of V. Gene! Robinson as the outspokenly-gay bishop of New Hampshire, but I agree with BB and the MCJ folks that Gene! is just a natural result and not the cause of TEC’s demise, and that the root cause can be found in TEC’s failure, these many years ago, to drown Bishop Spong or, before him, Bishop Pike in a horse trough for their insistent arguments that – broadly speaking – all that Biblical stuff was only symbolic and that religion must conform to humanism, and not the other way ’round.
I was thinking about this as I printed out schedules for the kick-off of the fall season at Robbo’s Former Episcopal Church. As regular port-swillers know, the rest of the family still attends services at RFEC. This year, the eldest gel is going to start in the acolyte program, while the nine year old begins her third year in the yoot choir and the seven year old begins her first.
Now, do not get me wrong. Despite the fact that the rector of RFEC is a good personal friend of Gene!, the church itself can hardly be said to be a hotbed of “progressivism”. A few of the congregation are orthodox holdouts. Perhaps a few more (conveniently placed in positions of power such as the delegation to the diocesian and national conventions) are of the avant garde ilk. Most of the parishioners (including Mrs. Robbo) take the position of Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen to the Empire with regard to the convulsions wracking TEC at the national level: “It’s all such a long way from here.”
Nonetheless, RFEC is still a part of TEC. The general question is how far the kooties of presiding bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori and her ilk penetrate to the average pew-dweller. And the specific question is how far said kooties penetrate to the Family Robbo and how far Robbo himself is complicit in said penetration.
On the one hand, recognizing that at this point I simply cannot dragoon the family across the Tiber, I reason that it is nonetheless important to see to it that they make worship an important part of their lives. To this end, I even commit myself to double-duty on Sundays, showing up at RFEC and at least singing the hymns with vigor (I do love me that Isaac Watts) before heading off on my own to Mass at my parish. (And believe me, there are fewer things more bittersweet than attending Mass by myself. Trust me on this.)
On the other hand, even though the rector at RFEC very rarely strays into current theological/political topics in his sermons, and even though the liturgy is what one might call very formal low church, by attending and encouraging the family to attend services there, am I not at some remove also encouraging them to accept TEC’s overall theology in all its crippled, heretical, humanist form?
I’ve brought up this concept of aiding and abetting heresy a couple times in confession. And although one cannot catch facial expressions through the screen, I’ve always had the impression that the padres were smiling quietly to themselves. (Serious geek point trivia question: Who else smiled quietly to herself? She’s a good sheila, Bruce, and not at all stuck up.) Their general advice seems to be that so long as I am working on promoting orthodox spirituality in the family, and so long as I am attempting to hold myself out as an example on behalf of Holy Mother Church, then there is no sin involved.
Perhaps. And I may say that the Family Robbo is getting there slowly: No longer is Catholicism a taboo subject. And when the subject of religion in general comes up (as it does on an ever-increasing basis), I am afforded a perfectly fair hearing. In particular, great strides have been made in dispelling the many anti-Catholic caricatures and biases in our little family discussions. Indeed, we have even progressed so far that the plan is for the eldest gel to attend the parochial school attached to Robbo’s parish next year. This evening when she said, “Dad! I’ll have to attend Mass all the time!” and I replied, “Well, after a while perhaps you’ll learn to like it,” Mrs. Robbo did not even blink.
I dunno. Baby steps and all, but it is still agonizing.
The Port Stands At Your Elbow 
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August 21, 2009 at 4:57 am
Kathy
Curious.
Their general advice seems to be that so long as I am working on promoting orthodox spirituality in the family, and so long as I am attempting to hold myself out as an example on behalf of Holy Mother Church, then there is no sin involved.
So, does just my going to mass count in terms of “promoting orthodox spirituality” or am I sinning because, no matter how hard I try, I can’t get the husband to say grace at dinner? Where’s the line? He’ll attend one mass a year—at Christmas. Which is really more about me not driving at one am when midnight mass gets out than his trying to get closer to Christ. And even then I have to listen to him rant and rave about “believing in a myth.” I banned him for a while, because he kept falling asleep during the homily, but then he got his act together, and even if he’s forcibly restraining himself from rolling his eyes, he at least acts respectful. But, still, it’s more about me not being out alone at one am than it is anything remotely spiritual.
You see the wall I’ve been banging my head against for fifteen years? I’ve never really thought of my non-involvement as “aiding and abetting” before. I’ve tried. I’ve cajoled. I’ve wheedled. I’ve pleaded. And I’ve failed. Repeatedly. I don’t honestly see what more I can do. Is this a sin? I don’t know. Again, where’s the line? For you, it’s about different denominations; for me, it’s about the difference between belief and non-belief. I can’t force him to believe in something he patently doesn’t. That would be a sin in my book, and I can’t really see how God would appreciate such a thing either. Is this a sin? Hmmmm.
Curious.
August 21, 2009 at 6:09 am
Boy Named Sous
So is it specifically the heresy rampant in TEC that has you concerned about your sinfulness, or non-RC’ness in general?
August 21, 2009 at 12:14 pm
beth
Ok, so here speaks a protestant, so you’ll have to just bear with me – but isn’t it (shouldn’t it be?) more about promoting orthodox theology rather than one particular church? While I certainly understand not wanting to be associated with the heresy running rampant in TEC, cause heresy it is, if the fam at large isn’t endorsing said heresy or buying into it, then maybe it’s less of an issue than it might otherwise be. Because attending mass while believing the same things being promoted currently in TEC isn’t going to fix the issue. It’s not mass that makes things better, it’s having beliefs that align with Scripture – regardless of whether or not you also happen to think the Pope is the head of the church.
August 21, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Robbo
No, I’m not laying into Protestantism in general here. My beef is particular to TEC.
August 21, 2009 at 2:11 pm
lumps937
“On the other hand, even though the rector at RFEC very rarely strays into current theological/political topics in his sermons, and even though the liturgy is what one might call very formal low church, by attending and encouraging the family to attend services there, am I not at some remove also encouraging them to accept TEC’s overall theology in all its crippled, heretical, humanist form?”
On the whole, I think not. Removed as we are from the days when the patriarch (king, prince, lord, whatever) could change his subject’s religion at a whim, it is incumbent on each of us to seek Christ in our own way. My job as a parent and father is to bring them up in manner which facilitates that quest. You have, as far as I can tell, been doing that, especially when the gels were at an age where theology meant “Jesus Loves Me.”
Your example (and that of your wife, in not being critical in front of the gels about your swimming lessons) is far and away a more active, positive influence on the gels and an example to your entire family than forcing them to take the swim with you would have been. By showing respect for their position while making clear your own convictions, you show them the path to the City of God. They need to find the road in their own way.
As the gels grow, and as your faith deepens, it will be obvious to them (and the missus) what they are missing, and I feel confident they will seek answers themselves. The road to Emmaus is long and we do not see the end of the journey. It should be abundantly clear to them that you do not accept the heretical positions of TEC, and that your attendance is supportive of the family’s spiritual journey, not the path offered by TEC, even as you demonstrate that you have found a different path.
August 21, 2009 at 3:49 pm
mothe
As one who clings still to TEC, may one point out that the worthiness or otherwise of the celebrant does not affect the validity of the Sacrament. Or so I was led to believe in Confirmation Class. As Jung said, “Bidden or not bidden (or I would add, bidden in a wrong-headed sort of way) God is present.” As for the unbelieving spouse, some things are best left to the Holy Ghost after all. A life of Good Example (as appallingly priggish as that sounds) and prayer for the stray sheep are about all anyone can or really ought to do, IMHO. Leave the rest to Heaven. You’d be surprised.
August 22, 2009 at 3:04 am
The Bovina Bloviator
Robbo, although our circumstances are rayther (as you might put it) different, I feel kinship with you not only because you link approvingly to my foolish blog but more important, you and I, both former Episcopalians, were received within minutes of each other into Holy Mother Church; so please allow me to bloviate a tad.
As you surely learned from catechism, Holy Church stresses the signficance of free will, that we may only come to our Lord and be saved by our own volition. Naturally you (and I) want your family to embrace the full faith but it cannot be forced on them, they must do it of their own accord (and judging by what you write of them, there is not a chance in hell you could force them to do anything against their collective will). Prayer and witness is what you have to offer and you do that exceedingly well already. Leave the rest to God and the Holy Ghost. Your family is in good hands.
August 22, 2009 at 3:13 am
The Bovina Bloviator
P.S. I claim the geek points by identifying the one who smiled to herself as Her Majesty the Queen of England, as reported to one of the Bruces by the P.M.
August 23, 2009 at 12:30 am
The Abbot
Patience, and trust in His plans. Your family recognizes that Rome has not made you crazy; it may take time for them to see it as a positive — first for you, then as a general thing, and then perhaps as something that might be positive for them, too.
They are already baptized — consider that in the early church, it sometimes took years for a person to get that far. Full communion with Rome, confirmation, etc. — these things take time. I had the benefits of the sacraments my whole youth and did not understand them, and for twenty years ignored and avoided them. Pray for them, and understand that His time is not our time, and His way is not our way. He does not explain Himself to us, other than what we have already been given. He is patient. He is merciful. But above all, He has a plan.