Skip to main content

"I know who you are"


“So, what do you do for a living?” she said to me. Not in my usual clerical garb, I needed to answer, “I am an Episcopal priest.”  “Oh right, you guys are like Catholic priests but can get married,” she exclaimed.  Not wanting to get into too elaborate a discussion, I acknowledged the capability and then shared a brief sentence or two describing the Episcopal church as not really Protestant and not Roman Catholic, but holding a “middle way” respecting Holy Scripture, Tradition and Reason. I then told her about some upcoming events at Caroline church and invited her to come. 

As an Episcopal priest here in the Three Villages for many years, and Rector of the historic Caroline Church of Brookhaven, I am no longer surprised how many people have a rather narrow understanding of just what the Episcopal Church is all about.  Yes, as with all Christian denominations, Jesus Christ is the head of our church: that Church being one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.  The Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament are the rules and ultimate standard of our faith, that is Trinitarian in nature.  Our communal nature is a reflection of this relationship of God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we are Baptized and spiritually nourished at the Table of our Lord, we realize that we are called to follow the direction and teachings of Jesus Christ.   

From Medieval times there have been three separate general church divisions: Greek, Anglican, and Roman. Although the Reformation in the 16th Century became a time of Protest of the status quo, the Church in England, retained Catholic doctrine and practice, with Bishops and priests administering the sacraments, while eventually freeing itself from direct papal control. Many are familiar with Henry VIII’s reign and independent streak, although interestingly enough he died a Roman Catholic.   
The Episcopal Church in the United States which began after 1783 when the colonists won their independence is part of the Anglican Communion. Anglicans number about 80 million members worldwide in 38 different church organizations, including the Episcopal Church in America. Each Anglican Church is autonomous, interrelated and interdependent. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the recognized spiritual head of our branch of Christ’s church, though each church organization is self-governing under its own Presiding Bishop. 

In my rather brief response to the woman who asked me what I did for a living, I tried to sum up the essence of the Episcopal Church. I think what has given the Episcopal Church a unique flavor, is our understanding that life is often messy.  As an Anglian church, we have taken the middle way in policies and procedures. Meeting human needs and improving the human condition is a fundamental aspect of who we are as a church.  Centered in worship, with our Book of Common Prayer as our liturgical focus, we as a redeemed people live with and take seriously mystery, beauty, joy, love, suffering, goodness, sin, holiness, and all other human values and experiences.

I have been personally spiritually nourished over the years within this branch of the Christian faith as I have come to respect the diversity of all God’s people.
Cn. Richard Visconti

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Make even these days count

One of the most popular features on a local newscast of a small TV station is something rather surprising. It is a feature called- “The Day of the Week”.  Today is…….. Monday!  The station put forth this as a kind of joke at first, but it was so popular that it became a regular daily addition to the morning newscast.  Apparently, so many of us have lost track of what day it is that we need a reminder. During this stay-at-home time, every day seems to blend into the next.  It is truly difficult to remember how many days we have all been quarantined at home, what the date is and what day of the week it is.  Many of us have a few markers that help- jobs that pause for the weekend, celebrations of Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays- special days of worship.  But even with these, the days seem to bleed into each other like a striped shirt washed in hot water. The period that we are in right now in the Jewish calendar is ironically, a time of counting. A time w...
Post a Comment
Read more
Compassion On the radio a few days ago there was a piece about refugees arriving by boat to the shores of a country that in the past had been welcoming, but this time people were yelling angrily and running into the water to block the boats from landing.   The boats were full and there were children on board. The turmoil and anger in the crowd was audible. I don’t speak their language, but the reporter said that people blocking the boats were shouting “Go back home. We don’t care about the babies.” I was repulsed. I could not stop thinking about it. “We don’t care about the babies.” What would it take for me to say that? For my friends to say that? My neighbors? Horrible thought, that people I know might be moved to yell at desperate people “We don’t care about the babies.” I started to ask myself how that could happen, what it would feel like to push away needy people and shout “I don’t care about the babies.” Please don’t stop reading when I tell you that suddenly my...
Post a Comment
Read more
I did not want to write about this virus-time. I did not think I could.  Another piece was in my mind this week, not quite yet taking shape. But when I sat to write, the virus took my attention and I could not wrest it back.   There are useful and funny memes online, and stories of good will and good works, and words of inspiration and comfort. And terrible stories, too.  Mostly at a distance, we have been sharing dance and art and music, facts and opinions, cautionary tales and fairy tales. We miss hugs and doing projects and working and learning together in person. Sometimes we are in a bubble for a while that lets us just be, free of anxiety or fear.  Sometimes we cannot get out of bed.  Sometimes we cannot sleep.  Sometimes we eat all the chocolate and sometimes we eat nothing.  We who are privileged live like this.  We are grateful to the people who work at the jobs we need to have done even in t...
Post a Comment
Read more