Wednesday, June 29, 2005

catholic podcasting

Inspired by the release of the new iTunes, and in keeping with my policy of always being on the vanguard of all things new and forward-looking, here is a directory that advertises itself as a fairly comprehensive collection of catholic podcasts.
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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am curious, what keeps you in Canterbury and not swimming the Tiber?

2:59 AM
gwb said...

Within the context of this post, its just that I couldn't find any Anglican podcasts, and even if I could have found some, I would suspect them of dubiousness.

But more generally, its complicated. First, I was baptized and raised an Episcopalian. I therefore consider myself to have been placed within the Episcopal Church by God and am therefore loth to abandon it.

Also, I feel called by God (1) to the priesthood, and (2) to be a husband and father. If it is true that I am actually called by God to both of those roles (and I don't just FEEL called), then its only possible for me to obey God's call within Anglicanism. At least for the moment. I could become Eastern Orthodox, but that would be artificial. I'm a Western Christian.

Also, there are some things about ECUSA / Anglicanism that I really love and could not easily forsake. One is the liturgy. I think the most beautiful liturgies in the world are Anglican. And I love the restrained, high-WASP elegance that is a mark of (traditional) Episcopal culture. And I love the Cranmerian idiom, and Jeremy Taylor and Lancelot Andrewes and King Charles the Martyr and EB Pusey. And I love Leonidas Polk and Sewanee and sherry after mass and the hymns of the Wesley Brothers and choral Evensong. And I love the Book of Common Prayer and the Prayer of Humble Access. And I love wearing seersucker with clericals, and I love rood screens and Henry Vaughn and Country Gothic. I love Thomas Tallis and John Rudder and William Byrd (though a papist) and King's College Choir.

All that being the case, though, I imagine that I will eventually become a Roman Catholic. Given the direction of the Episcopal Church for the past thirty years, if I were a betting man, I would bet that it will eventually be impossible to continue to minister in the Episcopal Church -- either because I will be asked to do something that I can't, in conscience, do; or I will do something that offends the sensibilities of someone in authority over me and will be asked to leave. Or the discernible catholicity of ECUSA will disappear. This last is happening already, and fairly quickly. Its very difficult to be a Catholic Christian in ECUSA now, and I it probably won't be possible at all eventually. Consider the fact that the Episcopal 'Bishop' of Utah has never received Christian Baptism. The attitude that permits such things is very much ascendent in ECUSA, and I honestly don't think my ministry will survive its definitive enthronement. How long can I continue to say that such a permissive attitude is not definitively enthroned with all that's going on now? With Bp. Griswold as the American primate?

Its an ongoing interior dialogue.

2:11 PM
Andrew said...

Personally, I am greatful for your staying. I think your prediction of the ECUSA leaving orthodoxy is accurate, but if I were a betting man, I'd say that sometime in or around 2008 (hmmmf, Lambeth, hmmmf) that the writing will be on the wall one way or the other.

I am guessing that if ECUSA doesn't turn NOW (which I bet it doesn't, considering the "Our Hope" piece of heresy), then whatever church that forms the new presence of Anglicanism here in America will be orthodox and Anglo-Catholics will be welcomed along with PECUSA'ers (any that are left).

To you I ask that you stay and fight the good fight and contend for the faith that was delivered to us. Hopefully in 08, the scattered Anglican brethren can return.

Soli Deo Gloria

5:47 PM

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