Choosing Churches

[DG3]

This coming from the religious guy who delights in posting about the most recent girl he has nailed at the Crossfit gym.

I love the way you hate me.

 

[DG3]

Every girl I know that does CF has self esteem issues so probably a target rich environment.

The Church of CrossFit welcomes all.

 

[bym051d]

You traitor!
That's mostly right- the few exceptions are churches that are actually older than the Episcopal Church/USA. I actually serve one of those right now (founded in 1753), and though we call ourselves an Episcopal Church, I've seen some that have kept the more "traditional" Anglican nomenclature.

Tough to argue when Bach was a Lutheran.

Some of the English hymns we sing are just horrible. I mean they musically make no sense. It's almost like the head music writer for the Anglican Church is Phillip Glass.

I'm sure some of it has to do with our Rector's dislike of Christmas music and having to dig through the collection to find other stuff. But, there's no bad Lutheran music.

 

[RevDeac06]

Tough to argue when Bach was a Lutheran.

Some of the English hymns we sing are just horrible. I mean they musically make no sense. It's almost like the head music writer for the Anglican Church is Phillip Glass.

I'm sure some of it has to do with our Rector's dislike of Christmas music and having to dig through the collection to find other stuff. But, there's no bad Lutheran music.

There's a reason why the only country that really has touring choirs (at least worth listening to) is England. No one comes close to touching King's College Cambridge. Plus there's Anglican chant. And, we have tons of Bach stuff in the Hymnal 1982 anyway. When you consider the overall tradition (Lessons and Carols, Evensong, chants, hymnody, and choral anthems) there's just no comparison. But this is a thread about church selection, not church music (though, I know many people who select their church based on music).

ETA- I know your Rector, you can blame it on him.

 

[VaDeac]

While it's not bad advice, it reflects a very consumeristic approach to faith. It's a place where American society has crept into American Christendom and, in my opinion, infected it. Worship isn't about us, it's about God- so I wouldn't suggest looking for a place that you like, but rather a place that allows you to worship most fully. And I think that takes a blend of comfort and being challenged. A church that is all comfortable won't lead to growth, and a church that is all challenging won't lead to being nurtured in faith, you need both. I tend to think the Episcopal Church does that well- but it really depends on the priest and ethos of the particular congregation.

That's a much better way of saying what I was trying to.
Although I wouldn't classify my attitude toward it as consumeristic, though it may have come across that way. To truly worship you need to feel a certain comfort or fit, but not so much that it leads to complacency.