Five or six years ago I read a lot that was written about the Episcopal
Church. It was all negative. There were stories about disagreements within the
Episcopal Church and with the Anglican Community. There were churches breaking away from the U.S body and joining other jurisdictions in Canada or as far away as Nigeria.
At that time, if anybody would have asked me if I would become an
Episcopalian I would have thought he/she must have been out of his/her mind.
Some of the stories even suggested that God was not in the Episcopal
Church!
Two years ago, I was looking for a church with week-day worship because I was
not able to attend Sunday worship due to my work schedule. I don't remember
exactly how I found out that Christ Church Cathedral had mid-day services on
Wednesdays and Fridays. Most probably I was in one of the organ recitals when I came across The Cathedral Tower.
That first Wednesday, after the worship service, Canon Nancy Jones asked me
if I was visiting. I explained that I only wanted somewhere I could attend
weekday worship. "We are glad you are here", she said.
The following Friday Canon Joanna Leiserson asked if I was visiting. "He was
here on Wednesday", Jim George interjected.
"Well, I wasn't here on Wednesday", Joanna said.
Again we talked for a few seconds. She said, "We are glad you are
here".
Over the next two years, I became part of the Wednesday and Friday afternoon
worshipers. On most occasions, after the Lessons we spent a few minutes in
discussion. To my surprise, not once did I hear mentioned any of the negative
reports I had read so much about not so long ago. It appeared as though nobody
had ever heard of them.
In those two years I attended the Lenten and Advent Lecture
Series. I loved them. Then one day Nancy or Joanna mentioned the Men's
Bible Study on Thursday mornings. I attended it the next Thursday and have
looked forward to it every week since. It just felt like a group tailored for
me!
During these two years, nobody once asked me if I wanted to join the
Episcopal Church. The familiar sentence was: "We are glad you came. Do come
back".
Yet, whatever worship service or activity I participated in at Christ Church
Cathedral, I just felt to be part of it. I felt like I had always been there.
The people around me made me feel like I was always part of the group.
After two years, I said to myself – like the Ethiopian said to Philip -
"Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" (Acts 8:36). But I
had been baptized in the Lutheran Church, so I really said, "Why shouldn't I
join this community?"
I did; during the Great Vigil of Easter on April 7, 2012.
Church. It was all negative. There were stories about disagreements within the
Episcopal Church and with the Anglican Community. There were churches breaking away from the U.S body and joining other jurisdictions in Canada or as far away as Nigeria.
At that time, if anybody would have asked me if I would become an
Episcopalian I would have thought he/she must have been out of his/her mind.
Some of the stories even suggested that God was not in the Episcopal
Church!
Two years ago, I was looking for a church with week-day worship because I was
not able to attend Sunday worship due to my work schedule. I don't remember
exactly how I found out that Christ Church Cathedral had mid-day services on
Wednesdays and Fridays. Most probably I was in one of the organ recitals when I came across The Cathedral Tower.
That first Wednesday, after the worship service, Canon Nancy Jones asked me
if I was visiting. I explained that I only wanted somewhere I could attend
weekday worship. "We are glad you are here", she said.
The following Friday Canon Joanna Leiserson asked if I was visiting. "He was
here on Wednesday", Jim George interjected.
"Well, I wasn't here on Wednesday", Joanna said.
Again we talked for a few seconds. She said, "We are glad you are
here".
Over the next two years, I became part of the Wednesday and Friday afternoon
worshipers. On most occasions, after the Lessons we spent a few minutes in
discussion. To my surprise, not once did I hear mentioned any of the negative
reports I had read so much about not so long ago. It appeared as though nobody
had ever heard of them.
In those two years I attended the Lenten and Advent Lecture
Series. I loved them. Then one day Nancy or Joanna mentioned the Men's
Bible Study on Thursday mornings. I attended it the next Thursday and have
looked forward to it every week since. It just felt like a group tailored for
me!
During these two years, nobody once asked me if I wanted to join the
Episcopal Church. The familiar sentence was: "We are glad you came. Do come
back".
Yet, whatever worship service or activity I participated in at Christ Church
Cathedral, I just felt to be part of it. I felt like I had always been there.
The people around me made me feel like I was always part of the group.
After two years, I said to myself – like the Ethiopian said to Philip -
"Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" (Acts 8:36). But I
had been baptized in the Lutheran Church, so I really said, "Why shouldn't I
join this community?"
I did; during the Great Vigil of Easter on April 7, 2012.
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