[Magdalen] Fwd: Re: St Paul's-on-the-Hill, St Paul, MN

[Marion Thompson]

I must disagree.  As one who has spent much of her church life driving 
great distances to various places I think it is wrong to condemn people 
for seeking a place where they are fed (for me that is the 
much-rarer-up-here a-c style).  I have been church in several places 
(always at a distance because of where I lived in the country and for 
many years at a time) and I have driven countless miles attending 
meetings and being a warden and on Advisory Board and heading Outreach 
and serving at the altar, preaching, and writing the Prayers and doing 
all those tasks that need doing, baking, cooking meals, visiting, 
comforting, and counselling those who need it, manning the Food Bank and 
arguably being church by any standard, including sacrificing a mate to 
the cause, and I have been loyal to the core.  But now why indeed should 
I continue to drive 100 km for every appearance that is now a knife to 
the heart theologically and liturgically because of the priest-in-charge 
who has been inflicted on us and who is determined to stamp out all that 
'fanciness' if I can now attend a church within walking distance in my 
new town?  It may be St. Swithins, but I know that from the start.

You throw in so many threads to counter that it's like arguing with Tar 
Baby.  No doubt you will count against me that I am continuing with Food 
Bank on Tuesday nights.  If not me, then who, eh?

Marion, a pilgrim

On 2/1/2016 9:48 PM, Jim Guthrie wrote:
> The article that was referenced indicated that the church was, shall 
> we say, a museum of its past. Scott may think that one can;t infer 
> anything from the article as written, but i think we can.
>
> David writes:
>
> >IMO, the parish failed because it abandoned its "museum" Liturgy (the 
> usual Anglocatholic flagship style) and this destroyed its unique 
> qualities.
> >A large percentage of members drove long distances to experience this 
> enriched liturgical style. When the clergy of Saint Paul's-on-the-Hill 
> >pulled the altar out, and jettisoned Solemn High Masses, these people 
> no longer were willing to drive the distance and membership tanked. 
> >Why drive 50 miles for the same liturgy as their local Saint 
> Swithins-in-the-Swamp right across the street?
>
> Driving a long distance to go to church because of its "unique 
> liturgy" indicates that the congregation is not interested in **being 
> church**I think, but rather enjoying the music and the showmanship on 
> Sunday mornings. I doubt that's a crowd interested in driving 3-4 
> times a week for meetings and mission-related and fellowship 
> activities that make a church what it needs to be, let alone vestry 
> and vestry committee meetings.
>
> Some may think that a church can run on auto-pilot, but even if there 
> are local people willing to do the work -- they will burn out or die 
> out (or both) and there's no one left. And in the case of some 
> churches, those driving a long distance may think they deserve a huge 
> say in the way things are run, because they drive that distance, 
> resulting in conflict with those in the parish **doing the work**, And 
> such conflict will drive people away too -- especially those left 
> working while the complainers are driving home for another week.
>
> If those driving the 50 miles were really interested, they'd join 
> their local Saint Swithins-in-the-Swamp and become a trusted leader 
> who will help lead the parish to a level of churchmanship they find 
> more comfortable. In short, I;m not sure driving 50 miles for the 
> Sunday Morning Liturgy is doing the wrk we have been given to do.
>
> YMMV.
>
> I have friends who take the train in from Long Island on Sundays to go 
> to Holy Apostles or Transfiguration on Sundays -- but they can (and 
> do) get to NY for parish activities as well. .
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
>
> PS And we know those driving 50 miles and back for church on Sunday 
> when St Swithins-by-the-Swamp is down the street aren;t caring much 
> about global climate change and other global stewardship issues, but 
> that's another thread <g>.
>
>
>
>