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

[Lynn Ronkainen]

It is easy to write judgement, another to  realize that each experience may be but often is not a cookie-cutter experience. 
Lynn 

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 1, 2016, at 8:48 PM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com> 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>.