tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34346296.post3803593704315942980..comments2023-12-25T23:40:17.701-05:00Comments on Confessions of a Carioca: Notes from a Canterbury PilgrimageDaniel Martinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980949721733826978noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34346296.post-57033165324044658092012-02-26T08:22:42.891-05:002012-02-26T08:22:42.891-05:00"Being a mission driven church in a secular s..."Being a mission driven church in a secular society." <br />Not quite like going back to Christ's apostles in ancient Jerusalem and extensions of the Roman empire, because if secular means lack of religion, there was no lack of religion. But the Biblical record does tell us that Christians built up a sense of community among those who worshipped the risen Christ, and witnessed to their beliefs in their daily lives. They didn't get support from the society at large until Constantine made it the official religion of the empire, but that support wasn't maintained by all his successors. And Christians themselves were divided on doctrinal issues. Nevertheless, the model for two millennia has been Christian communities, not always supported by the state, sometimes threatened by the state, and often not working together or even fighting with each other (thinking of Bishop Clavier's pictures of destruction wrought by the Puritans on religious works of art, for one thing). In TEC, our model is the parish. Secular laws protect church property but also cause stress when the property is in dispute. Nevertheless, the parish is still the nucleus of our sense of community, as a part of a diocese where we also build community, and it makes sense to build up the spiritual lives of our parishes and dioceses as we witness to others by what we say and do. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. We just need to hold to the faith, and nourish it not only through our liturgy and worship and music, but also by remembering the value of the small group for many. I'm thinking of centering prayer groups, the Daughters of the King and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Cursillo, adult study groups, and so on--all of which build on the Bible and tradition, are open to the future, build the faith among their members, are open to all and lead to spreading the faith. Let's not forget them.Celinda Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02347754042014692882noreply@blogger.com