The Episcopal Experience

Before yesterday, I thought Episcopal and Presbyterian were similar denominations. Boy, was I ever wrong!
We went to an Episcopal church to just check it out, see what it was like. One nice thing about moving has been the church-searching. I get to visit places I wouldn't have thought of visiting. We've gone to four different churches, with plans to visit at least that many more in the coming weeks. I'm excited to see how different people worship and what the pastors say. But I digress... back to my story:

We went to St. John's Cathedral, a huge stone cathedral on South Hill. We parked the car and approached the huge, castle-like building in the cold rain. A couple of people greeted us at the entrance and we found seats in the middle of the building. We were early and so had plenty of time to look around. The inside was stone also, enormous inside and reminded me of Orthodox churches I've visited in Ukraine (minus the incense and huge portraits of saints). There were huge stained glass windows and priests talking to one another. People sat in their seats and didn't really talk before the service began. A few unfolded the kneelers and prayed. The service itself was quite different. The communion was interesting. We had to walk up to the front and kneel, and the priest brought over the little communion crackers and wine. Yep, real wine. He wasn't leaving until I took a sip, so I stuck my cracker into it.

There was a lot of standing up and sitting down, kneeling and singing and chanting things we couldn't understand. It felt like some kind of club we had entered where everyone else knew what to do. The nine of us that went were definitely on the outside. "Is this church?" I thought. The churches I've visited and am used to have happy people, upbeat music, and sermons that are applicable. I don't mean to offend the people at the cathedral but it just seemed very lifeless. That's not what church is supposed to be like, is it? I thought we embraced life in Christ and freedom in Him. This place seemed so ritualistic, almost so much that it was lost in that.

When people think of church, I hope they don't think of this kind of service. I hope they don't think of somber hymns and candles and kneeling and command. I don't believe that's what the church is supposed to be like. It's not a ritual, it's a place to come together to worship Christ together. While I liked that the Episcopal church showed a lot of reverence, they seemed too familiar with it. The Christian life isn't just about showing reverence, it's about living. If we are alive in Christ as God's word says, then we're always alive, not just on Sunday mornings! I prefer services where I can close my eyes, raise my hands, kneel, or do whatever I want to worship God the best. I don't have to do those things but sometimes I have in chapel or in the other churches I've visited. I didn't feel like I could truly worship my God in that church on Sunday. Jesus wasn't still on the cross as He would have been on the wall of an Orthodox church but it didn't seem like He was supposed to be alive in our hearts and making us alive and giving us joy.

If for some reason this has been your only experience of church, know that it's not that way. It is possible to feel like you're a part of the worship and that you're welcome and that God is real, not just talked about or someone whose picture is on the wall. Christianity may be a religion but it's not just that. For me, it's not the religion at all but embracing the free gift of God and living in honor of Him. I fail all the time, but I have freedom in Christ to worship, to mess up, to encourage others... there's more than it seems like there is on the service. I hope you know that.