I Have Decided...

[Isilwen]

I have decided what church/denomination I want to be a part of after leaving Catholicism. Probably doesn't come as a surprise, but I have chosen the Episcopal church.

When I attended it felt more like coming home than any other church I visited. Also, my girlfriend is Episcopalian and when we get married I want to be able to attend the same church and be on the same page faith wise. Having been married where we weren't, was part of the reason that the marriage failed I believe.

 

[seeking.IAM]

Welcome to the Episcopal Church

 

[tampasteve]

Congratulations, I am happy to hear that you made that decision.

 

[BobRyan]

I have decided what church/denomination I want to be a part of after leaving Catholicism. Probably doesn't come as a surprise, but I have chosen the Episcopal church.

When I attended it felt more like coming home than any other church I visited.

That makes sense.

Why did you leave?

 

[Isilwen]

That makes sense.

Why did you leave?

I started to disagree with the Catholic church on many things and rather than stay and pretend, I chose to leave. I am a cradle Catholic and will be 46 in October.

 

[Paidiske]

It can be a tricky thing to change denominations; do feel you can keep coming back to us with questions or for support.

Are churches open where you are, now? As in, is this something you will be able to resolve fairly quickly, or is the pandemic making this difficult (like everything else)?

 

[Isilwen]

Are churches open where you are, now? As in, is this something you will be able to resolve fairly quickly, or is the pandemic making this difficult (like everything else)?

The church that I will eventually call my home is indeed open, to both online and in-person with registration. My only holdback is that my ex-wife will not allow me to bring my kids to church with me as it isn't the church she wants them to go to. Recently I have been able to attend church because with Covid happening and me being an EMT, she has kept the kids from coming to me on the weekends. This will hopefully be addressed on Wednesday during our child support hearing.

If not, I guess for as long as they are doing online services, I will be able to attend services.

 

[tampasteve]

If not, I guess for as long as they are doing online services, I will be able to attend services.

I think that many churches will continue the online service, even after Covid. I know mine is planning on doing that. It is really a great thing to have, especially for people that just can't make it every week. Of course one cannot receive the Eucharist in that way, but at least you can still be a part of the community.

 

[Arbuthnott]

My suggestion is to find a tradition in a local church and stay with it as much as possible.

 

[Isilwen]

My suggestion is to find a tradition in a local church and stay with it as much as possible.

Can you elaborate more?

 

[Arbuthnott]

Isilwen,
Yes, find a church that feels like home, where you belong. Maybe as people move in and out, your church will change, and not be as comfortable as it once did.

This is where church tradition comes into the picture.

For me, at this time, the Anglican tradition feels the most comfortable.

Hope this helps.

 

[public hermit]

I have decided what church/denomination I want to be a part of after leaving Catholicism. Probably doesn't come as a surprise, but I have chosen the Episcopal church.

When I attended it felt more like coming home than any other church I visited. Also, my girlfriend is Episcopalian and when we get married I want to be able to attend the same church and be on the same page faith wise. Having been married where we weren't, was part of the reason that the marriage failed I believe.

Congratulations! I'm not Episcopalian, but I'm happy to see you find a place that works for you. May the peace of Christ be with you, always.

 

[The Liturgist]

It can be a tricky thing to change denominations; do feel you can keep coming back to us with questions or for support.

Are churches open where you are, now? As in, is this something you will be able to resolve fairly quickly, or is the pandemic making this difficult (like everything else)?

Most churches in the US are open. Some (typically parishes of larger denominations) require reservations and are more strict about enforcing social distancing than others. Here in town, the parishes of a continuing Anglican jurisdiction, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and especially the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, are operating with fairly minimal restrictions, whereas the Episcopalian parish, the ELCA Lutheran parish, and the Orthodox Church in America (also basically a Russian Orthodox community) tend to require reservations and are a bit more locked down.

 

[Paidiske]

I've just moved across a state border. In the state I left, they're just being allowed small gatherings (5 people) outdoors. In the state I've come to, churches are allowed to open (with the 1 person per four square metres of floor space rule), and function except that congregational singing isn't allowed.

Surreal just doesn't do the situation justice...

 

[The Liturgist]

I have decided what church/denomination I want to be a part of after leaving Catholicism. Probably doesn't come as a surprise, but I have chosen the Episcopal church.

When I attended it felt more like coming home than any other church I visited. Also, my girlfriend is Episcopalian and when we get married I want to be able to attend the same church and be on the same page faith wise. Having been married where we weren't, was part of the reason that the marriage failed I believe.

There are two introductory books on the Episcopal Church you might find useful: Welcome to the Episcopal Church, by Christopher L. Webber, and Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer, by Vicki K. Black. There are a few other books in that series, including Welcome to the Church Year and Welcome to Church Music and the 1982 Hymnal, and I find them an excellent resource. Indeed, Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer is something I enjoy reading even though I am a confirmed enthusiast of the BCP in all its myriad flavors and editions. Speaking of which, you can download the 1979, 1928, 1662, and most other editions of the Book of Common Prayer (aside from the Australian prayerbooks) here: The Book of Common Prayer for the Episcopal Church

The 1979 BCP is, for the time being, the official BCP for the Episcopal Church, although sadly they are planning on replacing it (I myself particularly like it due to the extreme flexibility it offers and some inspired choices in terms of hymnody (for example, the use of the ancient hymn Phos Hilarion at the start of Evening Prayer, which is a nod to Byzantine Rite vespers).

 

[The Liturgist]

I've just moved across a state border. In the state I left, they're just being allowed small gatherings (5 people) outdoors. In the state I've come to, churches are allowed to open (with the 1 person per four square metres of floor space rule), and function except that congregational singing isn't allowed.

Surreal just doesn't do the situation justice...

Out of curiosity, are there agricultural or other inspection stations on the state borders in Australia? California is unique among US states in that it has agricultural inspection stations on the interstate freeways entering California (but not on the secondary roads), but they generally wave most passenger cars through; they are mainly interested in RVs, vans, pickup trucks filled with produce, et cetera, and they can only prevent vehicles from entering the state, not people.

 

[Paidiske]

Out of curiosity, are there agricultural or other inspection stations on the state borders in Australia? California is unique among US states in that it has agricultural inspection stations on the interstate freeways entering California (but not on the secondary roads), but they generally wave most passenger cars through; they are mainly interested in RVs, vans, pickup trucks filled with produce, et cetera, and they can only prevent vehicles from entering the state, not people.

I haven't travelled all over Australia, so I don't know about our more northern or western states. In the south-east land based states, no, there is no such thing.

However, Tasmania (the island state to the south) has been successful in keeping many pests and crop diseases out, and they control the movement of food and produce across the border very tightly. So if, for example, I had a piece of fruit in my handbag, I would expect to have to dump it before entering.

 

[The Liturgist]

I haven't travelled all over Australia, so I don't know about our more northern or western states. In the south-east land based states, no, there is no such thing.

However, Tasmania (the island state to the south) has been successful in keeping many pests and crop diseases out, and they control the movement of food and produce across the border very tightly. So if, for example, I had a piece of fruit in my handbag, I would expect to have to dump it before entering.

Indeed, we have that in Hawaii. There are specially trained dogs at the airports which discretely sniff out contraband agricultural hazards. The weird thing about California however is that the agricultural inspection stations look like international border crossings; in the past, passenger cars would slow down and the inspector would say “good morning” or “good evening” while waving you through, but now, they are either absent, or if present, just stand there motioning drivers to proceed without stopping. And there are numerous smaller roads that one could take to bypass it, which is actually alarming, given the importance of California’s agriculture on a national level. You can probably get wine from California in Australia (conversely, Australian wines are extremely popular in the US).