On a very cold and wet evening in November, six local clergy members from the Episcopal Churches of Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties gathered at Emmanuel’s Parish Hall to talk candidly about the future by answering the question: Will the Episcopal Church exist in the 21st Century, and if so, why would it be relevant to believers?
It was not lost on the panelists that a similar discussion, as Rev Osberger points out, took place in 1780 when the rectors of the local parishes gathered at the same spot during a similar time of profound change and challenges. One of the historic results of that meeting, suggested by The Rev’d James Jones Wilmer, Rector of Shrewsbury Parish, was the renaming of the church itself to the Protestant Episcopal Church, which was later adopted by the American branch of the Anglican Church.
Given this unique history, it seemed appropriate for the Spy to honor this important moment by bringing together the current rectors from some of the same parishes. While the issues have changed since 1780, the Church nonetheless faces equally important challenges of keeping important traditions of the past, while also acknowledging the needs of an entirely new generation of men and women seeking spiritual guidance and answers.
Professor J. David Newell, retired chair of the philosophy and religion department at Washington College, moderates a discussion with Rev. Daniel Gross, Rector of Emmanuel Church; Rev. Nanese Hawthorne, Rector of St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Anne’s County; Rev. Tom Hughes, Rector of Shrewsbury in Kennedyville; Rev. Allen LaMontagne of St. Paul’s; Rev. Charles Osberger of Old Wye Church, and Rev. Heather Cook of the Diocese of Easton.
The first part of this program is available by clicking here: Part I
DW
David LaMotte says
As a follow-up I would like to offer some thoughts on a broader question, will THE Church be relevant to spiritual growth in the 21st Century? Or perhaps put another way, will Christianity become less or more relevant to spiritual growth in the 21st Century, and what can the Church do to be relevant in the future? As ludicrous as these questions may initially seem, I think they are worth asking to bring about thought and dialog.
I read recently that there are more than 38,000 Christian denominations around the world. These are churches or groups of churches, like the sizeable Episcopal Church, that differ from each other in some way, be it their worship service or their interpretation of scripture or in some other way. Within each of these denominations there are numerous differences in beliefs that often cause great struggles, such as the dramatic divisions presently taking place in the Episcopal Church. And within each individual parish there are broad ranges of beliefs that are sufficient for constant debate and parishioner change.
What about the rest of the world’s population, the majority of the souls sharing this planet who participate in other organized religions or none? I venture to say there are no two people, be they siblings or strangers, who share all of the same beliefs. And why should we? It seems to me every individual has his or her own treasure chest of experiences. Cultures and educations vary dramatically, and so do individuals’ experiences, no matter how close genetically or environmentally two people may be.
Hopefully, at some point an individual recognizes there is more to life than survival, than seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Each person’s search for meaning is paramount, whether it leads to a concept of or even a relationship with God, with the Universe, and it needs to be respected. Is it really so important that everyone’s beliefs and search be the same as yours and mine? Surely not, but clearly the core of what we believe does matter, it matters for our own growth, for assisting others in their growth and for mankind’s positive evolution.
It is so incredibly simple and so incredibly complicated. It is painfully elusive to mankind but a part of every human’s life, no matter his or her circumstances. In its fullness it is beyond human comprehension yet the opportunity to experience it and gain some understanding of it is available to everyone all the time. It is what so many who die and are resuscitated emphatically stress that It’s all about when they say “what I thought was important in life really isn’t, how did I not know?” It is what we are so easily distracted from in our churches and synagogues and temples as we gravitate toward all the things we disagree about, but it is the core of every Christian denomination and every organized religion. And it is what Christ tried to tell us and what the Church has tried to capture and communicate but so often failed miserably in its countless interpretations.
Will the Church be relevant in the 21st Century? How can the Church stay true to its critical mission? How can it better avoid the distractions that divide us from each other within the Church and divide us from the rest of the planet’s souls? How will the Church evolve as man’s consciousness grows, as man seeks the truth in light of his ever expanding scientific understanding of our universe, albeit quite miniscule, and as he becomes less satisfied with religious dogma and less content to accept the Church’s explanations based upon scripture selected by the early Church, or at least the Church’s interpretation of this limited selection of ancient scripture?
The Church will most certainly be relevant in the 21st Century because like other religious institutions it is built upon Love, love of an all-knowing and all-loving creator or God, love for all persons and love for all of creation, our world and the universe. This is Christ’s overwhelming and overarching message, and it is the fundamental truth on which the world’s other recognized religions are based. It is focusing on this truth, measuring all choices against this truth and avoiding being mislead by all other lesser beliefs, which detract from this simple but infinitely misunderstood truth, that will enable the Church and other institutions, which are vehicles for helping us comprehend and create love, to be vitally relevant forever.
The Church will continue to be relevant with its countless denominations and parishes appealing to the broad spectrum of individuals in their unique, conscious or subconscious, quests for meaning and for support in their relations with God and the Universe. But it will need to be vigilant in focusing on what Christ was trying to help us understand and internalize about Love. It must be careful not to limit its interpretation of Christ’s message of Love and not to portray itself as the exclusive religious source of Love and of relationship with the Creator and the Universe.
Oh leaders of our churches, gone must be the days of dwelling on sin and endless debate of who Jesus was and what the ancient texts were saying or not saying. The Church is carrier of the greatest messages of Love the world has known yet continues to trip all over itself. The world is still starving for Love and is so filled with fear, seemingly unaware that we are eternal and only temporarily here, trying to survive and enjoy this brief life, but mostly here to learn, experience, show and teach Love.
It seems the veil between our dimensions of this life and the next is thinning and man’s awareness of multiple dimensions is growing with the frequency of related experiences and with science’s new theories and discoveries. As Christ’s message of Love becomes more clear, more universal and poignant through these experiences and this knowledge, the Church must evolve with its fundamental yet very dynamic truth. And I would venture to bet Christ is counting on the Church doing just that.
Godspeed Church of the 21st Century!