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I have been an Episcopalian for 30 years. The first time I visited an Episcopal Church, similar to the one you visited, I didn't 'understand' anything that was going on with the liturgy. But, somehow, on a non-rational level, that liturgy 'spoke' to me. Today I am an altar server and chalice bearer totally involved with that same liturgy. My advice to first time visitors is don't try to understand everything. Just let the spirit of the service move you because it will. Thanks be to God.
I recently started at an Episcopal church, I've always been in a Southern Baptist or non-denominational. It was a lot to take in at first, but I had some amazing people in the church who helped me and explained things to me. She was from a Lutheran church and she had been going for about 8 months. She told me the same thing, just be there and experience it. I have to say this has been the most amazing experience I've had in church, I love it.
@@las-beat7637 Are you asking Episcopalian books of prayer and meditation etc or are you trying to be more specific biblical etc I'm more than happy to help as a cradle Episcopalian but I need more detail as to what you're actually asking for and probably one item at a time. Clarification are you a new Christian in general or are you a new Episcopalian and lost they're not necessarily exclusionary but they can be very different!
Thank you for posting! I went to an Episcopal church for the first time ever in my hometown. Having been raised Baptist, needless to say, it was quite the culture shock. But I greatly admired the reverence they maintain throughout the service. It was a beautiful style of worshiping our Lord
My parents were Baptist, but I never felt comfortable there. I found the Episcopal faith just a few years ago and I am so happy and content with being an Episcopalian. They realize that we are caretakers of this planet and animals and I love that. I actually discovered the church through a Saint Francis Blessing of the Pets function in October of one year.
@@savannahsmiles1797 Yes, that one of the things that led me to my church. I took my dogs to the St Francis blessing and I loved the church!! They don’t do it anymore and I miss it terribly.
@@laurieloudamy1846 Just suggestion from a cradle Episcopalian they're 7,000 plus Episcopalian parishes anyone particular Parish doesn't do something please feel free to look around cuz for instance the blessing of animals I'm almost absolutely certain that the national cathedral will do that until the end of time now whether or not they will do it online or not I have no idea but if you need something like blessing your four-legged children I have two four-legged children so I'm a little bias but my suggestion would be if your individual parish does not have enough bodies etc to do blessings of the animals I would almost be certain that your cathedral that you belong to Will have that service that there is a blessing is of the animals once or twice a year at all cathedrals throughout the country so I mean I know there's at least once for St Francis every year and I have no reason to think that you could not have your four-legged children come with you on All saints Day whenever your parish celebrates all saint these just thoughts of cradle Episcopalian.
One of the things that I really love about an Epicopal Church service is how it engages all 5 senses - the visual spectacle of the clerical vestments, the singing, the incense, the taste of the communion bread, and yes the touch of the sometimes less than comfortable kneeler. I find that all these things turn my mind to God.
This is one of the first videos I watched that ended up bringing me to the Episcopal Church. It’s a lovely tradition, and I’m excited for it to be my formal entrance into the church with my baptism at this years Great Easter Vigil
sounds like you were at what's sometimes called a "Deacon's Mass," i.e., with no priest. So he administered communion from the sacrament that had already been consecrated by a priest at a different service, and which was probably "reserved" in the tabernacle in the altar. That would explain why no wine was administered, i.e., wine will often not be reserved while the wafers would be for services like this. The Episcopal church has definitely fallen on hard times in many--perhaps most--places, so many churches can't pay a priest. I totally agree with you about this wonderful building: it's tragic that it has been prepared and preserved with such loving care, and yet has so few takers.
My daughter began attending an Episcopalian parish in Utah. I attended for the first time two plus years ago when she was baptized as an Episcopalian. I find that I experience a level of comfort, when attending the Episcopal Church, that I do not feel in the church I have been associated with for the past 50+ years. Although I have not become an Episcopalian, I do attend fairly regularly.
I always admire beauty art in these church ⛪️ buildings. Love red door, So beautiful thank you for sharing. Christianity have so many denominations. May God continue to lead us on right Direction.
I am currently in an Episcopal church,playing the piano for worship .I appreciate how God's word is in every service,the group of people there are very loving,as I serve His body ,I love the beauty of the Lord in all of this,we serve a wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.Please continue your journey,He will reveal Himself if you seek Him May God bless you ❤️
The Episcopal Church that I attend the Eucharistic service lasts about an hour and a half. They also have a Christian education class before the Eucharistic service starts. It's amazing there. I will definitely be praying to God for more growth. ➕🍞🍷✨🕯️🕯️🕯️
Well I'm reminded of a statement said in my church on occasion I think it's from right one but there's a statement of to whom only the Almighty knows thou's face basically it's a little more technical than that but as a cradle Episcopalian thing I have learned about being an Episcopalian is there lots and lots of flavors of Episcopalian if you have any doubt whether you belong I looked I tell you to look to two things One are you welcomed under the US Constitution The other thing is does Robin Williams number one reason to be in Episcopalian is because regardless of whatever crazy idea you have you're bound to find another Episcopalian who believes the very same thing you do and accepts you as that person.
Your thoughts resonated with me regarding beautiful churches with aging populations. I attended a Methodist church recently whose architecture was so beautiful. I'm nearly 60 years old and I was probably one of the younger people in attendance. The children that were there seemed to be mostly attending with their grandparents. You could tell that the people who attended had deep connections with the community and there was a beautiful spirit there but I can't see how it will stay open for another generation.
I practised Anglicanism in Shanghai for a year and then my family joined the LDS Church. Love the smells and bells of traditional Christianity, but really feel at home in the LDS faith.
I was raised Lutheran (ELCA) and confirmed in the Episcopal church approximately. 5 years ago. I have never regretted the change. Please feel free to visit St. Paul's Episcopal church in Marfa, TX. I was told the red doors are to represent the blood of Christ.
I enjoy anglican services because they are short - there is a routine and gives you the chance to praise God, hear the bible, say the creed and pray together. I appreciate a short sermon: it allows me to actually remember the message and it doesn't take over the other important aspects of going to a church service.
Thanks again, David for a great video. My paternal side goes back at least 4 generations in that faith. I was married in the local Episcopal church at my Dads request. It too was an ornate structure with magnificent woodwork. Keep up the great work of sharing.
It’s nice to see a more positive video in the genre of Christian denomination videos here on TH-cam. Up until now it’s so divisive I feel like I’m covering politics
@@52churchesin52weeks Ah all the secret languages of all the religions LOL. FYI: because clergy and bishops had to swear allegiance to the crown of England, the Scottish Episcopal Church consecrated the first bishops for the church here in the USA. We use the Apostolic Succession and Scotland does not require swearing allegiance to the crown but IS part of the Anglican Communion, that is, a daughter church of the Church of England. In gratitude, the church in the USA named themselves Episcopal after the Scottish Episcopal Church and used their version of liturgy (Book of Common Prayer).
Oh robin Williams statement number one reason to Episcopalian what ever you believe there bound at least one other Episcopalian who believes the same thing.
Thank you so much for this video. It is so informative. It really bothers me too that 100 years later attendance has declined! Churches like this in England are the same, for a 35 minutes church service! We need revival!
So I was just talking about this with someone. It’s declining because socially it’s more acceptable to not go so the people leaving aren’t really feeling the Christian way anyway.
I would as a cradle Episcopalian disagree about the quote unquote death of the parish I'm sure there are parishes that are in real trouble but I always look to 9/11 etc when there's a real crisis we don't seem to have a lack of takers if anything we seem to have a lack of enough space with enough time but that's only when there's a real crisis of whether or not the almighty exist or not. I'm also reminded of that old saying of soldiers in foxholes they're no atheist in foxholes there may be agnostics but there ain't no atheist in a foxhole why because every time every day every moment you're in a foxhole you're taking a chance that you might meet your maker so even the most devout atheist is willing to go you know I might be wrong it can't hurt to balance my odds. Just for a point of clarity as a cradle episcopalian Even atheist and agnostics are very welcome
Thanks for the video. My church was built in 1115AD. The baptismal font at the entrance is a reminder that entry into Christ’s church is through our baptism.
Reverend Stuart Phillips is an Ordained Episcopalian Minister for over 30 years. Reverend Phillips is 90 years Young! Incidentally, Reverend Phillips is also a Living Legend of the Grand Ole Opry cast 👏 🙌 👌 And Of Canadian and American Country Music 🎶 🎵 I personally Nominate Reverend Phillips for induction into The Country Music 🎶 Association's Hall Of Fame, In Nashville, Tennessee!
That’s a gorgeous sanctuary! It reminds me of some of the Catholic Churches I have seen. The symbolism also reminds me of the Catholic Church too. Thanks for sharing and may God bless you!
That red door connection that came to your mind makes sense, I am sure some of the meaning reasoning has been lost over time as people have come and gone so the original May not be known. The detailing is so majestic, agree can be unappreciated in todays world.
It is so sad to see a dying church. My home episcopal church is lively and vibrant, but when i went to visit family in another city and found a local church to attend service, i found the exact opposite. The church itself was old and beautiful, but my family and i were the youngest out of 20 total congregants. It was so disheartening because i feel the episcopal church had so much to offer.
I’m going to an episcopal church this weekend for the first time after being raised Lutheran by Anglican (British) parents. I haven’t been to church in about 8 years…I’m pretty nervous, so thank you for making this to help give me an idea of what to expect
Thanks very much for a sympathetic and thorough appraisal. I was baptized and confirmed as an Episcopalian, but received a lot of my religious education in a Presbyterian congregation. What a beautiful and well designed cathedral! It's a shame the congregation in so small.....just a handful of oldsters rattling around in that large ornate space. Mainstream protestant denominations have been in decline for my entire adult life, but the "Texas-style" mega-churches simply do not speak to my personal needs. My current (Episcopal) church has a school associated with it which has helped generate a multi-generational vibrant congregation. It seems about 50/50 as to kneelers and standers. I'm a "low-church" stander and feel quite at home doing things my-way. You might want to have a look at Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" which provides an approachable look at the genesis of the Church of England during the Tudor Age. Once again, mucho gracias for sharing your very interesting project. Hope your car is in good health.
It’s probably already been said, but I don’t have time to read through over a hundred comments. I’ve never been to an Episcopal church whose service lasted less than hour. But it’s absolutely true that the vast majority of sermons will be short compared to evangelical churches. (Although 5 minutes is pretty darn short, even for an Episcopal church. ) Great description of all of the symbolism and imagery. Also good explanation about the emphasis of more liturgical and sacramental churches, e.g., Episcopalian/Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, as compared to modern Evangelical churches.
I grew up in the Episcopalian church. We had a lovely congregation and I have very wonderful memories. sadly my childhood church had its last service a few weeks ago. the numbers declined and there was not enough money to keep it going. many are leaving the episcopal church because of the church's hard left political turn over the last several decades.
That's unfortunate to hear. It seems like several traditional churches have been forced with a decision of rebranding or remain. For those who stick with remaining, it's making it harder to stick around.
@@stevenking6129 Oh, then when they openly have drag shows for children and support manipulating your children into "gender confirming" surgeries without your knowledge, you'll fit right in.
out of all the christian denominations i have studied, episcopals have been the nicest out of all of them and have made me feel loved even though i am not a christian.
Are you an American if so you're welcome in an Episcopal Church Christian Faith or not agnostic or not atheist or not last I checked I have not heard of any atheist or agnostic bursting into flames as of yet.
@@joecitizen8988 thank you, i have purchased a book of common prayer and read parts of it. I thank you for being kind and welcoming it is nice to hear kind words.
Hi! First time watching your videos. Love it! I'm an Episcopalian (Episcopal is our denomination, Episcopalian is the people.) I wanted to answer a few of your questions. The red doors and the baptismal font near the door have significant meaning. The red denotes the blood of Christ and you enter into this community through it. The doors help you remember this important truth as well as the baptismal font placement. It's the same. You continue to live into the community through baptism. Such an important part of recognizing your place in the community of believers. Isn't that cool! Our worship spaces are intentional as you mentioned and tell the story of Christ and our rich ancient history. Next you mentioned the liturgy being short and that the deacon preached. I believe you did Morning Prayer with a deacon which means that a priest was not present. If a priest is present you would do the full service including the Eucharist. (continued below)
You are totally right that our church population is ageing. Not all Episcopal churches are thriving with young families ect. BUT, I do believe that it's changing. My particular parish is made of half life long Episcopalians, 25% people leaving Evangelical churches and 25% new and younger converts. We are an interesting denomination who allows for questions, mystery, reason and tradition. In modern churches they have stripped the history and interconnected aspect of being a part of the global and universal body of Christ. This is really important for us. This is why we use the same lectionary (readings both on Sunday and daily) that Catholics, Presbyterians and Methodists do. That means that millions of people are reading and contemplating the same scriptures together.
During communion- It may have been that the first "tier" is for the host and the wine and the second if for people who do not want to receive the common cup. It may be a Covid thing, my church has our qwirk with it all too. But we do believe that if you have the host, you have had communion, both are not necessary. How did the Episcopal church come to be? The brief answer is that we are the North Americal branch of the Anglican church. Yes, that would have been a problem during the revolutionary war and after, but we are still apart of the Anglican Communion which is no worldwide. Thank you for your video!
@@summergreen2412 Point of clarity one can be an Episcopalian and an Anglican at the same time. One can also be an Anglican and not an Episcopalian. And history as intense and crazy as American.
The Episcopal Church has congregations alive and well, and growing. My congregation, and those in several other states in which I lived, have services about an hour and fifteen minutes. The sermon, called a homily, is about 15 minutes, addressing how the Bible lesson is made whole in our current lives. The service has the Word - Biblical readings, homily, prayers for ourselves and others; and the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) - communion service. God calls and we do not differentiate. All are welcome, without exclusion. All races, genders, sexualities, mental and physical abilities. All are made in God’s image. God is Mother and Father and loves each of us whom God has created. To me being Episcopalian brings out the best in the qualities of Catholic - which I am, and Protestant - which I am.
I was raised a Catholic and derived an education from being one, but I am too much a liberal and needed a church that is all inclusive of every person no matter their race, sex, sexual orientation, age, skin color, ethnicity or anything else that makes each person unique. I don’t live close enough to go to church, and I have a great personal relationship with God, but, if I were to pick a church that fits my views on social justice, it would be the Episcopal Church. Being open-minded and all-inclusive of all of humanity is my idea of true Christianity.
I'm 30 years old and a parishioner at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Derry New Hampshire. Sadly I'm the youngest one at service. As for the sitting standing and kneeling, we have an old saying in the Anglican Communion. Sit to listen, kneel to pray, stand to praise. In terms of our history, after the revolution the Protestant Episcopal Church was formed from what remained of the Church of England. We had Priests and Deacons, however we didn't have any Bishops. In order to maintain apostolic succession we needed American Bishops consecrated in that same line of succession. The Church of England refused. So a Connecticut priest named Samuel Seabury went to the Scottish Episcopal Church and was consecrated as the first American Bishop. The following two American bishops also went to Scotland for their consecration. Now we had the necessary number of 3 bishops so we could consecrate our own American Bishops.
That's a cradle Episcopalian thank you for that answer because even as an Episcopalian of a cathedral we're a little short on answer sometimes unless you sit somebody down who's been to seminary in like nail them to the cross then all the sudden magically they can come up with answers. But even my Parrish/ cathedral doesn't know much of that east coast history other than it took the Scottish Church it took the archbishop of Canterbury and then we (average episcopalians) figure out from what I can gather the rest of it
There's also one part of that equation that you're leaving out which is that the English church intentionally decided to pains in the rear end with the intention of trying to destroy the new country it was sort of a well we lost the war we're bitter we're going to see if we can't do your church in while we're leaving not exactly the English churches best moment of ecumenicalness. It was also an intentional act of the government of the UK at the time of separation of the revolution which is also where an it may be Madison who did it I couldn't tell you for certain but I do know that basically we went and tweaked the parts of the prayer book that go you must swear allegiance to the king or queen and went hello we'll just remove that and put you know the almighty in general we don't have to be picky about the king or queen aka as the prayer book if I remember correctly it's very early in the prayer books makes a statement of what's the point if you're an American Episcopalian of having a king or queen cuz the entire point of becoming an American was to tell the English where they could take themselves politely and their king or queen and I want to be very clear here that is simply saying we don't want the king or queen in control we're quite happy with a president that only last 8 years or I guess if we're being really picky here we've got FDR who lasted 12 so yeah now technicality but no president even FDR last for as long as a royal monarch so if we get aggravated at you as a president wing just go you know we pray for you but if you drop dead tomorrow that's not a problem either we'll just get a new president since we have a constitution that allows us to do that but it's in the prayer book very early on that Madison or whoever rewrote it said and now this is from the 1780s I'm making an assumption here because I don't think in the prayer book it gives you an exact date or year but it's very clearly made in the prayer book that whoever was rewriting it did not see the point of a king or queen at the point in time that they were rewriting it but I would say that's also why the Episcopal Church basically has a we rewrite the prayer book as needed committee permanently on standby just in case. And in conclusion about the red doors The red doors do Mark our understanding of our Old testament book when Judaism was protected by painting their doors so that the angel of death would bypass but in the modern age the primary reason for the red doors is to signify to law enforcement etc that inside the doors is a place of absolute and complete sanctuary and there been some very famous cases where law enforcement etc were chasing someone and had to wait a very very very long time before they got their person but the person and the church made arrangements with the authority figures to bring the stalemate to a peaceful conclusion let's satisfied the authority figures and the person seeking sanctuary. Because beyond the red doors it is considered absolute sanctuary and that it would be in the front by any kind of authority outside the almighty to violate the red doors unfortunately that has not necessarily been enough in some cases of genocide where the doors have been violated but in general as a general practice the doors are signatory of absolute sanctuary and protection from the almighty against whatever evil might other side of red doors.
The Episcopal church is just the American Version of the Church of England. I lived in the UK for a few years. It was interesting g to go as a former Lutheran/ Catholic converted to a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the Church of England. We had to make some changes (like not recognizing the King as head of our branch of the Church) for political reasons, but we're still in full communion with Canterbury and our bishops all trace their line of succession to Anglican bishops (and from there to Catholic bishops, and ultimately to the Apostles themselves). Our hierarchy is a continuation of the C of E, not a copy-and-paste.
The Book of Common Prayer used in the US includes prayers for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the local diocesan bishop, the local parish clergy, the President of the United States, the State Governor, and the county executive.
It's good to have a broader understanding of the different denominations. However, differences in the Way older churches handle proceedings vs these modern age churches do things has left such a void. You know there is only one way to worship God, the scripture puts it this way in spirit and in truth. I find it extremely hard to digress from what God says! The lord requires us to be holy...which a lot of us as Christians fail to do. I find your video very refreshed!
Thank you for creating this review. The red door at every Episcopal church is very interesting. It's sad about attendance being down at the church. It kind of looked like a museum with all the art.
The Anglican Communion of north. America is growing its more traditional than Episcopalian the two broke apart one more liberal one more conservative so I guess people can choose which one they like better
@@annb9029 The point of clarification the Anglican Church of North America is not recognized as the Episcopal Church of North America it's recognized as seating its standing to the African Anglican Church and the Arch bishop of Canterbury. But the archbishop of Canterbury has sworn to the primate of the Episcopal American Church that the archbishop will mediate any kind of conflict between the Anglican Church of North America and the Episcopal Church with the understanding that the Episcopal Church of America has priority and always shall as our primate will do its very level best to agree with the archbishop of Canterbury but at the end of the day all 7,000 parishes particularly in the United States 48 states answers to the primate of the Episcopal Church of America not to the archbishop of Canterbury and more than once we have told the archbishop of Canterbury what we thought of someone else in the Anglican Communion and we weren't exactly polite nice or really cared whether or not we upset people now we would of course by the quorum and tradition try to be polite but at the end of the day where our own independent house thank you and we don't terribly care for the Anglican Church of North America trying to tell people that they're the Episcopal Church cuz you ain't and you would never will be and we understand that you all love the North American Anglican Church loves to have people who don't think that people should be gay Don't think people should be women and priest I could go on there are a whole slew of things that the Anglican Church of North America believes they're better than the Episcopal Church of America but I'm here to tell them they ain't the Anglican primary church of North America nor shall they ever be God willing in the creek doesn't rise and we still have a US Constitution in the US government.
Since the last Vatican Council the Latin Mass was no longer in effect for countries that did not speak Latin. They were allowed to speak the language of their country. In the days of the Latin Mass only the priest spoke Latin and the altar boys responded to the priest in Latin. The sermon was always in English. I was an altar boy during the Latin days and if you wanted to be an altar boy, you were given cards that were in English and Latin. We had to learn all of the Latin that was on those cards. During my third year of being a server, the Church changed. English was used and the priest and servers faced the people. Latin was no longer used. During the Latin days the restrictions for communion were harsh. You had to fast three hours before you could receive the sacrament. I only attended Catholic schools for my education. I left the Church a couple of years ago. They did away with Limbo and I really believe that when the money stops for paying for a soul to get redeemed from purgatory, purgatory will be done away like Limbo was. None of the places like purgatory or Limbo are mentioned in the bible. I doubt that anybody is burning in hell for knowingly eating meat on a Friday. I can't believe that I believed this stuff as a child.@@Dantastic
When I was a kid, in the Catholic Church, you only received the wafer. I was told that Jesus was present in both and only needed to receive one. I think it was a way of saving money.
Regarding the crash course at the end: the Episcopal church is the American branch of the Church of England. The revolutionary war was obviously a source of division, though praying to the king is not necessarily the problem. To this day, the current king is still the head of the church as it exists worldwide, meaning he is still prayed for to this day, even in America. One source of problems is that the church of England becomes "the church of [country name]" wherever it goes. But America, once it became a country independent of England, and founded on religious liberty, cannot have a national church, so we could not have the Church of America. That is why the Episcopal church is one of the only anglican churches that does not have its country of origin in its denominational title. What is important to know is that we are in communion with the church of England, Canada, Australia, and all other Anglican churches. Unfortunately, even though Episcopalians strongly identify as catholic, Roman Catholics are not in communion with Anglicans, and we are not permitted to share the eucharist with them (though they are allowed, if their father doesn't find out, to share with us). As for the protestant thing, well, anglicans are basically the second schism of the eastern catholic church. That is, England was founded as a catholic country before Rome split from the east. Its catholic heritage goes back to the orthodox church. It remained with the western church after they broke off, but then, famously, England broke off from them, leaving it split from both churches. But they did not break off from each other for theological reasons, so they kept their catholic heritage. Over time, the church of England adapted more protestant elements, though it was not part of the reformation proper. Lastly, it is odd to hear of a 35 minute service. It also sounds like they may have had a vacant organist if the congregation was singing a capella. Service at my church is usually at least an hour. Sermons are not normally long though, that is true. At the episcopal church, most of our sermons are explanations of the scriptures. Some people say the church has gotten more "woke" over the years, though not in my experience. I have never heard any current event discussed at a congregation, with the exception of war or otherwise impossible to avoid situations like the pandemic.
You might want to know that 56% of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Anglican/Episcopalian. 51% of the Constitutional Convention were Episcopalians. So was George Washington. The story of the Episcopal Church's origin is much longer, more interesting, and involves the non-juring bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church who consecrated our first American bishop, requiring that we use the more Catholic Church of Scotland's liturgies, rather than the English liturgies. The form of government adopted by the nascent Episcopal Church more closely resembled the American congressional system than it did the Church of England's system (which is not surprising since many of the same people were involved in establishing the American government and the new Protestant Episcopal Church). The format of our worship follows very ancient Church practices, some dating back to the earliest centuries of the Church. I really enjoyed your presentation and will look forward to your experience in other denominations.
Thank you, appreciate that and learning about that is FASCINATING. Guess that doesn't surprise me after thinking about it. One of the most stunning churches I ever worshipped at was the Washington National Cathedral in DC (which is Episcopal). In the back of my head, I always wondered why all the American history and focus on past presidents in there - including George Washington. Your comment sheds new light on why. Interesting.
Prior to the revolution the Episcopal church, then known as the Church of England, was the largest denomination in the thirteen colonies. But then as the westward migration evolved, the majority of Episcopalians got poached by the Methodist church, which is why the United Methodist Church is currently the largest mainline protestant denomination. Methodism was founded by an Anglican priest, Wesley, whose followers split from the Episcopal church since Episcopalians found them too evangelical for their taste. The Episcopal church is a dying religion in the developed world where in most countries it is called the Anglican Church, except in Scotland. The American Episcopalians got their first bishop from the Scottish Episcopal church, an American Tory called Samuel Seabury who George Washington detested for obvious reasons. In my opinion, having been raised Episcopalian, most Protestants instinctively recoil from the Episcopal church owing to [1] it’s incredibly snobbish and effete Anglophile clergy [2] the stuffiness of it’s presentation in which classical music is fetishized and [3] the fact that morning prayer was discontinued in the 1970s in favor of weekly communion and most of their sung communion services take well over an hour. Their faster communion services are the unsung or low mass version typically offered at the 8:00 service, or the early service. And finally, their clergy are unthinkingly and reflexively ultra liberal having a strong Ivy League bias, which most middle class whites find annoying. The entire atmosphere is repellent to most people who are not old money or at least upper middle class. Other peculiarities of this church is that they are the only protestant church which is so ambivalent about the reformation that they actually have both nuns and monks, albeit in modest numbers, or perhaps 2,500 world wide concentrated mostly in the Pacific island countries of Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
Actually I think you would be surprised as the racial, financial, and cultural diversity of today's Episcopal Church. Cradle Episcopalians are now a distinct minority in today's church. People come to us from many former religious traditions (or even no religious tradition). Some have even called us 'the church of the religious refugees'.
I know a great deal of Episcopalian trivia since I tried being an Episcopal monk briefly before moving on and spending a great deal more time living as a Catholic monk. I also tried being Greek Orthodox but turned down an invitation to become an Orthodox monk. But then I lost all belief in the gospels and became a Buddhist. In a way Anglicanism is my favorite Christian church, but that doesn’t really mean much since I have absolutely no belief anymore. Nevertheless, the Anglican clergy are the most urbane of any church today so for the most part they are also the least offensive in many respects. But the fact remains that the vast majority of clergy in all denominations are narcissistic douchebags. Occasionally I run into a cleric who I think is cool but they are few and far between.@@k3grappler
There’s always been a great deal of movement of membership amongst the various mainline protestant denominations. After all, some of them are very closely related such as Methodists and Episcopalians in particular.@@k3grappler
Even though I’m LDS, I’ve always appreciated churches like this. I love the beauty within these everyday chapels. LDS chapels typically are boring but useful, welcoming, but boring. LDS temples are beautiful, but not usually in a gothic fashion like this. I hope these buildings stand the test of time, it would be terrible if declining membership left them in ruins.
Really interesting video. The red door tie in to scripture was insightful. Beautiful building and cool way to walk you through the ministry of Jesus as you get to the front. My grandparents were Episcopalian.
Red doors. Remembering the Passover, YES. A place of sanctuary and protection, YES. Blood of Christ, YES. One of the cool things about religious architecture, art, and symbolism I think is that people can take different meanings and understandings that speak to them. Another interpretation of the red doors: It represents the wounds of Jesus on the cross. Especially in a cruciform "cross-shaped" church or cathedral. When viewed from above, the church looks like a cross and the doors through which you enter represent the crown of thorns, and the wounds on his hands and his feet. We approach and enter in the presence of God as wounded ourselves. We can leave all our troubles and brokenness at the door. By His wounds we are healed.
I am an organist for an Episcopal church. The reason they’re getting so small is that we Episcopalians are allergic to evangelism. I’m trying to grow our church in Philly… we started with 23 Easter 22, and 46 on Easter 23… they need to do the work to grow, but the old folks don’t want to change anything, and there is such a ‘we already tried that’ ‘we never did that.’ If you ever want to pick my brain on the church and the mass, I’m open to it.
Two people offer the sacrament. One offers the chalice of wine while the other offers the body of Christ as a wafer…and back in my day, they would simply wipe the rim before the next person took a sip from the one chalice. Maybe they have a different system post-Covid?
Most of our churches are back to the old system. For awhile, only the priest drank from the chalice. It was not offered to the congregation except symbolically. People could touch the base of the chalice, but not drink from it.
As the comments indicate, "Episcopal" is an adjective, as in the Episcopal Church. The members of the Episcopal Church are called "Episcopalians," the noun form.
When we traveled in ministry years ago it was with an Episcopal priest and a Roman Catholic one. We certainly had many lively conversations. :) Yes, that communion part was odd.
So, just to elaborate a little bit more on the history of the Episcopal church, as you stated, the Episcopal church started after the revolution as essentially the Church of England (the Anglican Church) in America. It was basically the same thing with all the same beliefs, just the head of the church was not the monarch for obvious reasons. Starting in, I believe, the 90s/early 00s, the Episcopal church really started to shift their views. A lot of people will point to Gay Marriage as the point on contention, but it was only one of many, and it essentially came down to the authority of scripture. The leaders of the Episcopal church were basically interpreting scripture however they wanted to and doing whatever they wanted. Due to this, a lot of churches who did not agree with them and still believed in the authority of scripture, decided they needed to break away. My church specially broke away officially the weekend before Christmas 2008 (that sunday before christmas was our first service as an Anglican church and in our new building as they refused to sell our old building to us). This has been an ongoing thing and now you will find just as many Anglican churches as you will Episcopal. The irony is that the King of England is once again the head of our church, but in order to have a church that aligns with the bible that is worth it. The Episcopal diocese tried to keep an Episcopal church open in our old building, but they couldn't get any members and had to close. The few times I have been to an Episcopal church since, I have noticed the same thing as you. Not very many people, and all older. My church did go threw a rough patch with members, but since the pandemic we have actually grown a decent amount, and with mostly young families, so as one of the youth leaders that makes me very excited for our future. I reccomend you check out an Anglican church, literagy will be the same but if they are anything like my church (in Buffalo, NY) you will find the congregation looks more like what you are used to (we dont have many 20s aged people, but that is really our only gap right now). One fun fact of the Anglican church is that we consider ourselves both Catholic and Protestant, Liturgical and Evangelical. We take the best of each and meet them in the middle. Our services veer more Catholic, but our beliefs and how we act at youth events and other things like that we veer more protestant/evangelical. Also, the fact that the sermon was only 5 minutes is crazy, if my pastor goes less than 30 minutes it feels short. Also, you were correct about communion. The only requirement is that you are a baptized bible believing Christian. But if someone goes up to receive you will never be denied. If there are any other questions I am happy to answer to the best of my ability!
My guess is that he didn't attend the main service on Sunday but may have attended a BCP (book of common prayer) serivice which cuts out the singing and focuses on the bible readings and Eucharist. In the Church of England these are about 35-40 minutes or so in length.
The Episcopal Church is not a lost art. It is very much alive. The megachurches with their rock bands are for religious entertainment. Not for worship or the Eucarist
Former Episcopalian here. I grew up in the church and then left in college as my theological views changed to Christian Reformed and Presbyterian. I am now non-denominational. I am sad to see the Episcopal church be in such decline because the Gospel (the "good news") is still beautifully written within the liturgy and the service is quite beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. I attend services occasionally for this reason and it gives me a break from the cacophony of a loud band on Sunday. But at the same time, the Episcopal culture can be confusing to outsiders particularly the body movements of the congregation during the service (bowing to the priest during the processional, genuflecting in front of the altar, crossing forehead, mouth, heart, kneeling etc) particularly if you don't know what it all means (I do). One of the reasons I left the church was because I found that these "outward signs" took on a life of their own and found it distracted from the central message of the gospel which can be found through a more comprehensive and studied understanding of the different stories and messages found in the Bible. I left the Episcopal Church because it gave me the impression of a hollow, works-oriented faith i.e., go to church, get baptized, get confirmed, take the sacraments, make the sign of the cross, kneel, and your sins are covered. But now that I am older, I think this is a broad generalization which may not be altogether true and misses some of the nuances and beauty that the Episcopal Church provides. I don't want to judge anymore a person's faith or their heart when it may in fact be a real faith and a real love of Jesus and of God. One only has to look to Africa to see just how vibrant and real the Anglican tradition is with all the explosive growth occurring that is over there. They are now sending missionaries to the US to seek redemption of our sinful culture. God works through His church and in different denominations and in different seasons that is often mysterious to us because we are mortal and we are not God and cannot see through His eyes.. Where a church may be dying in one place, it is flourishing somewhere else. I will likely not return to Episcopalianism but there is a part of me that sees its value and place in the world and I can now respect it.
Speaking as a lifelong Episcopalian, a couple of points: 1. a) The Church of England first split from Rome and tha authority of the Pope during the reign of Henry the VIII b)'Went back to Rome and the Pope under Mary Tudor c)Permanently separated from Rome under Elizabeth I. She desired that the church be as inclusive as possible, a "big tent," which helps to explain some apparent gaps in official church doctrine. d) The Church of England has many offshoots such as the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Church of Nigeria, etc. Most of these are members of the Anglican Communion. e) The Church of England is the established church in England and Wales and the sovereign is the "Supreme Governor." The monarch is still prayed for, just as the American Episcopal 1928 Book of Common Prayer remembers the President of the United States and "all those in civil authority." although there's no established church in this country. f) After the American Revolution, the real problem was that the bishops had all returned to England. The new Episcopal Church sent a candidate to England, but the English church refused to ordain him as a bishop, so he went to Scotland where bishops of the Episcopal Church of Scotland did the honors. (The established Church of Scotland is Presbyterian.) 2. Anglican is the noun and adjective pertaining to churches belonging to the Anglican Communion, members of such churches, etc. 3. Anglican theology (yes, there is such thing!) is often likened to a 3 legged stool. The 3 legs are: Scripture Tradition Reason 4. Last but not least, I have always heard that the red door proclaimed that Hallelujah! The mortgage was paid! Now, your theories may explain why the color red was chosen, but I was told and do believe that the red door denotes the paid off mortgage.
My grandpa was Episcopalian so thanks for sharing that great info! I've watched all of your videos (except for the Pope Booty one, I've only seen about a third of that one...sorry). But I really like how you go into visiting these churches with such a kind and open-hearted attitude towards the people and the things you experience. I do also like the aspects of your own personal spiritual journey so I hope we can still see some of that. As a Latter-day Saint, I of course loved your experiences with that faith. I know the point of the channel is to visit different churches, but it would still be cool to hear more about your own personal discoveries. Like are you still meeting with the Sister missionaries and/or reading the Book of Mormon? Are you still seeing cardinals everywhere?? Anyway, best of luck with your continued exploration of all these churches!
Beautiful church. I've been an Episcopalian for over 30 years and this is the first time I've seen an actual crucifix (cross and corpus) hanging in an Episcopal Church. That's interesting. Unfortunately the Episcopal Church has pretty much become all show and no substance - beautiful buildings and services but not standing for anything. Members can basically believe whatever they want. As a result, they've been hemorrhaging membership. They're down to around 1.7 million now. When I joined in the early 90's they were around 2.5 million and were already in decline.
I think you oversimplify. Episcopalians do not believe anything they want. There is core doctrine--belief in the divinity of Jesus, belief in the Creeds of the Church, belief in the holy and undivided Trinity. In other areas we have questions and do not claim to have all of the answers. We never want the law to kill the spirit. The truth be told, church attendance is down even in places like the Southern Baptist Convention and in the Roman Catholic Church. Our culture has changed, and we are becoming secular, but in my opinion the church is needed now more than ever.
The Nicene Creed is a part of both (Rite 1 & Rite 2) liturgies and provides a very thorough but quick overview of what all Episcopalians and other Anglicans believe. It is the core of the faith.
Hi, I have been Episcopalian since I was 13. The Red doors symbolize a few things. They could represent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, since the liturgical color for feasts and Pentecost is red. They also represent the blood of Jesus shed for us. They could also represent the blood of the martyrs. But it depends on who you ask… also the mortgage being paid could actually be an answer tbh. I’ve been studying for the priesthood and have been finding that these little quirks makes the Episcopal church feel like home.
Also with the Eucharist, we have a “real presence” view. Although it is uncommon it’s not necessary to have both the bread and wine. The fullness of Christ is in both elements, so it’s okay to just receive the bread and not the wine. The Roman Catholics had a similar practice in the past. Also if the service was only 35 minutes there was probably no singing. Services can range from 30-1hr1/2 depending on if there is music.
The red doors are an ancient tradition, revived in the 70's during the sactuary movement. It dates from the early days of Christianity in England, when some pagan kings sought to kill the priests and converts. Churches became sanctuaries and the doors were painted red to declare ithat they were sacred spaces. The pagan warriors would not violate holy ground, even of their enemies.
As a life long Episcopalian its sad to see churches with so few attendants and such a short service. The Episcopal Churches I have regularly attended all had 1+ hour services and communion that includes bread and wine. Its interesting that you mention "topical preaching" as an idea contrasting to Episcopal churches, I've usually found the preacher tries to touch on some sort of topic ideas even in the short time they have during the sermon.
@@anjanettelanham2914 ultimately there is something to be said that seeing one Episcopal church can only show you so much about other churches. Both in the contrast of David's experience and mine of the structure of the service, as well as the difference between your and my upbringing. Im sure I would not have a positive view of the church if I grew up in a church like yours.
If it speaks to you, go ahead and do it. I am Episcopalian, my friend is Catholic. She wanted to find a new church after moving to the town I grew up in. Since she's gay, she's felt kind of uncomfortable for a while in the Catholic church, so I brought her to the Episcopal church I grew up attending and she LOVED it. She goes back every Sunday now!
The Catholic Church is the Church founded by Jesus Himself. He doesn't want you to leave His Church. I would recommend studying the Church's history and teachings. God bless 🙏
@@Taco0718 then why did He bother starting a Church and giving the leader of the Church the keys to the Kingdom and the authority to bind and loose? Why did He bother having Church leaders that would spread the Gospel after His death and resurrection? Why would He change Simon's name to Cephas (Peter), which means 'rock', and then say the following? "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”" Matthew 16:18-19 RSV If you truly care about Jesus and love Him, you should want to know what the truth is. It would a good idea to research what His Church teaches and why it claims to be the True Church. If you don't believe in the Catholic Church and what it teaches, then you cannot receive Communion until you repent and submit to God's Church. God bless 🙏
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoyed this exploration of an Episcopal church.
LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to stay tuned for future visits. You can also check-out the first "52 Churches in 52 Weeks" on Amazon at 📚 amzn.to/3DKry4q
You are welcome! Already staying tuned!
I'm enjoying the series!
I have been an Episcopalian for 30 years. The first time I visited an Episcopal Church, similar to the one you visited, I didn't 'understand' anything that was going on with the liturgy. But, somehow, on a non-rational level, that liturgy 'spoke' to me. Today I am an altar server and chalice bearer totally involved with that same liturgy. My advice to first time visitors is don't try to understand everything. Just let the spirit of the service move you because it will. Thanks be to God.
I recently started at an Episcopal church, I've always been in a Southern Baptist or non-denominational. It was a lot to take in at first, but I had some amazing people in the church who helped me and explained things to me. She was from a Lutheran church and she had been going for about 8 months. She told me the same thing, just be there and experience it. I have to say this has been the most amazing experience I've had in church, I love it.
Please can anyone help me with prayer books and bible please am a new convert who really wants to know more about God please help
@@las-beat7637
Are you asking Episcopalian books of prayer and meditation etc or are you trying to be more specific biblical etc I'm more than happy to help as a cradle Episcopalian but I need more detail as to what you're actually asking for and probably one item at a time. Clarification are you a new Christian in general or are you a new Episcopalian and lost they're not necessarily exclusionary but they can be very different!
@joecitizen8988 yes sir I need a Bible, also a prayer & meditation book 📖 that I can be reading 📚 to draw me closer to God. Please help me
@joecitizen8988 Yes, am asking for Episcopalian books of prayer & meditation
Am a new convert who wants to know more about God
Thank you for posting!
I went to an Episcopal church for the first time ever in my hometown. Having been raised Baptist, needless to say, it was quite the culture shock.
But I greatly admired the reverence they maintain throughout the service. It was a beautiful style of worshiping our Lord
My parents were Baptist, but I never felt comfortable there. I found the Episcopal faith just a few years ago and I am so happy and content with being an Episcopalian. They realize that we are caretakers of this planet and animals and I love that. I actually discovered the church through a Saint Francis Blessing of the Pets function in October of one year.
I remember LONG ago the blessing of the pets services...
@@savannahsmiles1797 Yes, that one of the things that led me to my church. I took my dogs to the St Francis blessing and I loved the church!! They don’t do it anymore and I miss it terribly.
@@laurieloudamy1846
Just suggestion from a cradle Episcopalian they're 7,000 plus Episcopalian parishes anyone particular Parish doesn't do something please feel free to look around cuz for instance the blessing of animals I'm almost absolutely certain that the national cathedral will do that until the end of time now whether or not they will do it online or not I have no idea but if you need something like blessing your four-legged children I have two four-legged children so I'm a little bias but my suggestion would be if your individual parish does not have enough bodies etc to do blessings of the animals I would almost be certain that your cathedral that you belong to Will have that service that there is a blessing is of the animals once or twice a year at all cathedrals throughout the country so I mean I know there's at least once for St Francis every year and I have no reason to think that you could not have your four-legged children come with you on All saints Day whenever your parish celebrates all saint these just thoughts of cradle Episcopalian.
One of the things that I really love about an Epicopal Church service is how it engages all 5 senses - the visual spectacle of the clerical vestments, the singing, the incense, the taste of the communion bread, and yes the touch of the sometimes less than comfortable kneeler. I find that all these things turn my mind to God.
This is one of the first videos I watched that ended up bringing me to the Episcopal Church. It’s a lovely tradition, and I’m excited for it to be my formal entrance into the church with my baptism at this years Great Easter Vigil
I recently joined the Episcopal Church. This video helped lead me to the Episcopal Church. Thank you.
I'm in canada,and I'm a new anglican. High anglican. I love my church and everyone there. The liturgy and music is absorbing
It's beautiful when all different denominations come together in unity with the mission of bringing people to Christ.
I really enjoy seeing how others worship. I remember taking comparative religions in college. But, this is alive! 🕊
sounds like you were at what's sometimes called a "Deacon's Mass," i.e., with no priest. So he administered communion from the sacrament that had already been consecrated by a priest at a different service, and which was probably "reserved" in the tabernacle in the altar. That would explain why no wine was administered, i.e., wine will often not be reserved while the wafers would be for services like this. The Episcopal church has definitely fallen on hard times in many--perhaps most--places, so many churches can't pay a priest. I totally agree with you about this wonderful building: it's tragic that it has been prepared and preserved with such loving care, and yet has so few takers.
My daughter began attending an Episcopalian parish in Utah. I attended for the first time two plus years ago when she was baptized as an Episcopalian. I find that I experience a level of comfort, when attending the Episcopal Church, that I do not feel in the church I have been associated with for the past 50+ years. Although I have not become an Episcopalian, I do attend fairly regularly.
Absolutely love the Anglican Church here in Canada. I’m a very devoted member.
I always admire beauty art in these church ⛪️ buildings. Love red door, So beautiful thank you for sharing.
Christianity have so many denominations. May God continue to lead us on right Direction.
I am currently in an Episcopal church,playing the piano for worship .I appreciate how God's word is in every service,the group of people there are very loving,as I serve His body ,I love the beauty of the Lord in all of this,we serve a wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.Please continue your journey,He will reveal Himself if you seek Him May God bless you ❤️
The Episcopal Church that I attend the Eucharistic service lasts about an hour and a half. They also have a Christian education class before the Eucharistic service starts. It's amazing there. I will definitely be praying to God for more growth. ➕🍞🍷✨🕯️🕯️🕯️
After learning about the denomination I felt a weird sense of relief, like I had been lost and found. Ive been going for a few weeks and I love it.
Well I'm reminded of a statement said in my church on occasion I think it's from right one but there's a statement of to whom only the Almighty knows thou's face basically it's a little more technical than that but as a cradle Episcopalian thing I have learned about being an Episcopalian is there lots and lots of flavors of Episcopalian if you have any doubt whether you belong I looked I tell you to look to two things One are you welcomed under the US Constitution The other thing is does Robin Williams number one reason to be in Episcopalian is because regardless of whatever crazy idea you have you're bound to find another Episcopalian who believes the very same thing you do and accepts you as that person.
Your thoughts resonated with me regarding beautiful churches with aging populations. I attended a Methodist church recently whose architecture was so beautiful. I'm nearly 60 years old and I was probably one of the younger people in attendance. The children that were there seemed to be mostly attending with their grandparents. You could tell that the people who attended had deep connections with the community and there was a beautiful spirit there but I can't see how it will stay open for another generation.
What a beautiful sanctuary! I learned a lot about the episcopal church from watching this video. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
I practised Anglicanism in Shanghai for a year and then my family joined the LDS Church. Love the smells and bells of traditional Christianity, but really feel at home in the LDS faith.
I was raised Lutheran (ELCA) and confirmed in the Episcopal church approximately. 5 years ago. I have never regretted the change. Please feel free to visit St. Paul's Episcopal church in Marfa, TX. I was told the red doors are to represent the blood of Christ.
I enjoy anglican services because they are short - there is a routine and gives you the chance to praise God, hear the bible, say the creed and pray together. I appreciate a short sermon: it allows me to actually remember the message and it doesn't take over the other important aspects of going to a church service.
Thanks again, David for a great video. My paternal side goes back at least 4 generations in that faith.
I was married in the local Episcopal church at my Dads request. It too was an ornate structure with magnificent woodwork.
Keep up the great work of sharing.
It’s nice to see a more positive video in the genre of Christian denomination videos here on TH-cam. Up until now it’s so divisive I feel like I’m covering politics
I have been going to St Anthony of the Pines in Wyoming for about 8 months. This Church has reignited my faith and has given me so much. Great video!
Corrections: members are Episcopalian. The church is Episcopal. I attend an Episcopal church, I am Episcopalian.
That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.
@@52churchesin52weeks Ah all the secret languages of all the religions LOL. FYI: because clergy and bishops had to swear allegiance to the crown of England, the Scottish Episcopal Church consecrated the first bishops for the church here in the USA. We use the Apostolic Succession and Scotland does not require swearing allegiance to the crown but IS part of the Anglican Communion, that is, a daughter church of the Church of England. In gratitude, the church in the USA named themselves Episcopal after the Scottish Episcopal Church and used their version of liturgy (Book of Common Prayer).
Spoken like a true Episcopal.
Well except for leaving out the fact that you could be an Episcopalian and an Anglican at the same time for better or worse.
Oh robin Williams statement number one reason to Episcopalian what ever you believe there bound at least one other Episcopalian who believes the same thing.
Thank you so much for this video. It is so informative. It really bothers me too that 100 years later attendance has declined! Churches like this in England are the same, for a 35 minutes church service! We need revival!
I’ve been drawn to this church so just know there will be 4 more parishioners soon 🙏🏻
So I was just talking about this with someone. It’s declining because socially it’s more acceptable to not go so the people leaving aren’t really feeling the Christian way anyway.
I would as a cradle Episcopalian disagree about the quote unquote death of the parish I'm sure there are parishes that are in real trouble but I always look to 9/11 etc when there's a real crisis we don't seem to have a lack of takers if anything we seem to have a lack of enough space with enough time but that's only when there's a real crisis of whether or not the almighty exist or not. I'm also reminded of that old saying of soldiers in foxholes they're no atheist in foxholes there may be agnostics but there ain't no atheist in a foxhole why because every time every day every moment you're in a foxhole you're taking a chance that you might meet your maker so even the most devout atheist is willing to go you know I might be wrong it can't hurt to balance my odds. Just for a point of clarity as a cradle episcopalian Even atheist and agnostics are very welcome
The Saint Michael's Episcopal Church that I attend in Independence Missouri their services have been about an hour and a half each time I've went.
Thanks for the video. My church was built in 1115AD. The baptismal font at the entrance is a reminder that entry into Christ’s church is through our baptism.
Reverend Stuart Phillips is an Ordained Episcopalian Minister for over 30 years. Reverend Phillips is 90 years Young! Incidentally, Reverend Phillips is also a Living Legend of the Grand Ole Opry cast 👏 🙌 👌 And Of Canadian and American Country Music 🎶 🎵 I personally Nominate Reverend Phillips for induction into The Country Music 🎶 Association's Hall Of Fame, In Nashville, Tennessee!
That’s a gorgeous sanctuary! It reminds me of some of the Catholic Churches I have seen. The symbolism also reminds me of the Catholic Church too. Thanks for sharing and may God bless you!
The church has been a blessing in my life
The church is big. It is also beautiful
That red door connection that came to your mind makes sense, I am sure some of the meaning reasoning has been lost over time as people have come and gone so the original May not be known. The detailing is so majestic, agree can be unappreciated in todays world.
Thank you for sharing more about this church.
It is so sad to see a dying church. My home episcopal church is lively and vibrant, but when i went to visit family in another city and found a local church to attend service, i found the exact opposite. The church itself was old and beautiful, but my family and i were the youngest out of 20 total congregants. It was so disheartening because i feel the episcopal church had so much to offer.
In God there are no coincidences but purposes.
This is a beautiful video of a beautiful church building.
There is one God, one church and one Christ.
I’m going to an episcopal church this weekend for the first time after being raised Lutheran by Anglican (British) parents. I haven’t been to church in about 8 years…I’m pretty nervous, so thank you for making this to help give me an idea of what to expect
Thanks very much for a sympathetic and thorough appraisal. I was baptized and confirmed as an Episcopalian, but received a lot of my religious education in a Presbyterian congregation. What a beautiful and well designed cathedral! It's a shame the congregation in so small.....just a handful of oldsters rattling around in that large ornate space. Mainstream protestant denominations have been in decline for my entire adult life, but the "Texas-style" mega-churches simply do not speak to my personal needs.
My current (Episcopal) church has a school associated with it which has helped generate a multi-generational vibrant congregation. It seems about 50/50 as to kneelers and standers. I'm a "low-church" stander and feel quite at home doing things my-way.
You might want to have a look at Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" which provides an approachable look at the genesis of the Church of England during the Tudor Age. Once again, mucho gracias for sharing your very interesting project.
Hope your car is in good health.
It’s probably already been said, but I don’t have time to read through over a hundred comments. I’ve never been to an Episcopal church whose service lasted less than hour. But it’s absolutely true that the vast majority of sermons will be short compared to evangelical churches. (Although 5 minutes is pretty darn short, even for an Episcopal church. )
Great description of all of the symbolism and imagery. Also good explanation about the emphasis of more liturgical and sacramental churches, e.g., Episcopalian/Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, as compared to modern Evangelical churches.
I grew up in the Episcopalian church. We had a lovely congregation and I have very wonderful memories. sadly my childhood church had its last service a few weeks ago. the numbers declined and there was not enough money to keep it going. many are leaving the episcopal church because of the church's hard left political turn over the last several decades.
That's unfortunate to hear. It seems like several traditional churches have been forced with a decision of rebranding or remain. For those who stick with remaining, it's making it harder to stick around.
Its left turn attracts me.
@@stevenking6129 for some it works. I just took my mom to Maundy Thursday service at an Episcopal church. lovely service as always ❤️
@@stevenking6129 Oh, then when they openly have drag shows for children and support manipulating your children into "gender confirming" surgeries without your knowledge, you'll fit right in.
Anglicanism has always been a broad-church, it isn’t the same without Conservative people and many remain. 😊
Amazing and beautiful church wow.
As a cradle Episcopalian, I am grateful for our tradition.
The view is so so beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing.
As you said, the central event in liturgical worship is the Eucharist, love those short homilies!
Wow this video is very interesting. Such a beautiful building and history.
out of all the christian denominations i have studied, episcopals have been the nicest out of all of them and have made me feel loved even though i am not a christian.
Are you an American if so you're welcome in an Episcopal Church Christian Faith or not agnostic or not atheist or not last I checked I have not heard of any atheist or agnostic bursting into flames as of yet.
@@joecitizen8988 thank you, i have purchased a book of common prayer and read parts of it. I thank you for being kind and welcoming it is nice to hear kind words.
Yes. You will see on the sign out front - at least on every Episcopal church I have seen - "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You."
This is a cool way to give a first hand experience with these churches. I def agree with you in reference to the hidden treasures.
This is a new lesson for me: Episcopal Church, thanks for sharing this wonderful piece.
It is beautiful sanctuary, learned again about it.
Hi! First time watching your videos. Love it! I'm an Episcopalian (Episcopal is our denomination, Episcopalian is the people.) I wanted to answer a few of your questions. The red doors and the baptismal font near the door have significant meaning. The red denotes the blood of Christ and you enter into this community through it. The doors help you remember this important truth as well as the baptismal font placement. It's the same. You continue to live into the community through baptism. Such an important part of recognizing your place in the community of believers. Isn't that cool! Our worship spaces are intentional as you mentioned and tell the story of Christ and our rich ancient history. Next you mentioned the liturgy being short and that the deacon preached. I believe you did Morning Prayer with a deacon which means that a priest was not present. If a priest is present you would do the full service including the Eucharist. (continued below)
You are totally right that our church population is ageing. Not all Episcopal churches are thriving with young families ect. BUT, I do believe that it's changing. My particular parish is made of half life long Episcopalians, 25% people leaving Evangelical churches and 25% new and younger converts. We are an interesting denomination who allows for questions, mystery, reason and tradition. In modern churches they have stripped the history and interconnected aspect of being a part of the global and universal body of Christ. This is really important for us. This is why we use the same lectionary (readings both on Sunday and daily) that Catholics, Presbyterians and Methodists do. That means that millions of people are reading and contemplating the same scriptures together.
During communion- It may have been that the first "tier" is for the host and the wine and the second if for people who do not want to receive the common cup. It may be a Covid thing, my church has our qwirk with it all too. But we do believe that if you have the host, you have had communion, both are not necessary. How did the Episcopal church come to be? The brief answer is that we are the North Americal branch of the Anglican church. Yes, that would have been a problem during the revolutionary war and after, but we are still apart of the Anglican Communion which is no worldwide. Thank you for your video!
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Point of clarity one can be an Episcopalian and an Anglican at the same time.
One can also be an Anglican and not an Episcopalian.
And history as intense and crazy as American.
The Episcopal Church has congregations alive and well, and growing. My congregation, and those in several other states in which I lived, have services about an hour and fifteen minutes. The sermon, called a homily, is about 15 minutes, addressing how the Bible lesson is made whole in our current lives. The service has the Word - Biblical readings, homily, prayers for ourselves and others; and the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) - communion service. God calls and we do not differentiate. All are welcome, without exclusion. All races, genders, sexualities, mental and physical abilities. All are made in God’s image. God is Mother and Father and loves each of us whom God has created. To me being Episcopalian brings out the best in the qualities of Catholic - which I am, and Protestant - which I am.
I was raised a Catholic and derived an education from being one, but I am too much a liberal and needed a church that is all inclusive of every person no matter their race, sex, sexual orientation, age, skin color, ethnicity or anything else that makes each person unique. I don’t live close enough to go to church, and I have a great personal relationship with God, but, if I were to pick a church that fits my views on social justice, it would be the Episcopal Church. Being open-minded and all-inclusive of all of humanity is my idea of true Christianity.
I love that the answer to the question, "Is the Episcopal church Catholic or Protestant?" is "YES!" (or both)
I'm 30 years old and a parishioner at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Derry New Hampshire. Sadly I'm the youngest one at service. As for the sitting standing and kneeling, we have an old saying in the Anglican Communion. Sit to listen, kneel to pray, stand to praise. In terms of our history, after the revolution the Protestant Episcopal Church was formed from what remained of the Church of England. We had Priests and Deacons, however we didn't have any Bishops. In order to maintain apostolic succession we needed American Bishops consecrated in that same line of succession. The Church of England refused. So a Connecticut priest named Samuel Seabury went to the Scottish Episcopal Church and was consecrated as the first American Bishop. The following two American bishops also went to Scotland for their consecration. Now we had the necessary number of 3 bishops so we could consecrate our own American Bishops.
That's a cradle Episcopalian thank you for that answer because even as an Episcopalian of a cathedral we're a little short on answer sometimes unless you sit somebody down who's been to seminary in like nail them to the cross then all the sudden magically they can come up with answers.
But even my Parrish/ cathedral doesn't know much of that east coast history other than it took the Scottish Church it took the archbishop of Canterbury and then we (average episcopalians) figure out from what I can gather the rest of it
There's also one part of that equation that you're leaving out which is that the English church intentionally decided to pains in the rear end with the intention of trying to destroy the new country it was sort of a well we lost the war we're bitter we're going to see if we can't do your church in while we're leaving not exactly the English churches best moment of ecumenicalness. It was also an intentional act of the government of the UK at the time of separation of the revolution which is also where an it may be Madison who did it I couldn't tell you for certain but I do know that basically we went and tweaked the parts of the prayer book that go you must swear allegiance to the king or queen and went hello we'll just remove that and put you know the almighty in general we don't have to be picky about the king or queen aka as the prayer book if I remember correctly it's very early in the prayer books makes a statement of what's the point if you're an American Episcopalian of having a king or queen cuz the entire point of becoming an American was to tell the English where they could take themselves politely and their king or queen and I want to be very clear here that is simply saying we don't want the king or queen in control we're quite happy with a president that only last 8 years or I guess if we're being really picky here we've got FDR who lasted 12 so yeah now technicality but no president even FDR last for as long as a royal monarch so if we get aggravated at you as a president wing just go you know we pray for you but if you drop dead tomorrow that's not a problem either we'll just get a new president since we have a constitution that allows us to do that but it's in the prayer book very early on that Madison or whoever rewrote it said and now this is from the 1780s I'm making an assumption here because I don't think in the prayer book it gives you an exact date or year but it's very clearly made in the prayer book that whoever was rewriting it did not see the point of a king or queen at the point in time that they were rewriting it but I would say that's also why the Episcopal Church basically has a we rewrite the prayer book as needed committee permanently on standby just in case.
And in conclusion about the red doors The red doors do Mark our understanding of our Old testament book when Judaism was protected by painting their doors so that the angel of death would bypass but in the modern age the primary reason for the red doors is to signify to law enforcement etc that inside the doors is a place of absolute and complete sanctuary and there been some very famous cases where law enforcement etc were chasing someone and had to wait a very very very long time before they got their person but the person and the church made arrangements with the authority figures to bring the stalemate to a peaceful conclusion let's satisfied the authority figures and the person seeking sanctuary. Because beyond the red doors it is considered absolute sanctuary and that it would be in the front by any kind of authority outside the almighty to violate the red doors unfortunately that has not necessarily been enough in some cases of genocide where the doors have been violated but in general as a general practice the doors are signatory of absolute sanctuary and protection from the almighty against whatever evil might other side of red doors.
Very interesting to watch your video,
You gave me the information.
This was interesting to watched. Looking forward to seeing more. god bless
The Episcopal church is just the American Version of the Church of England. I lived in the UK for a few years. It was interesting g to go as a former Lutheran/ Catholic converted to a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The church is so beautiful. Thank you for this informative video that brings great insight. God bless:)
The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the Church of England. We had to make some changes (like not recognizing the King as head of our branch of the Church) for political reasons, but we're still in full communion with Canterbury and our bishops all trace their line of succession to Anglican bishops (and from there to Catholic bishops, and ultimately to the Apostles themselves). Our hierarchy is a continuation of the C of E, not a copy-and-paste.
The Book of Common Prayer used in the US includes prayers for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the local diocesan bishop, the local parish clergy, the President of the United States, the State Governor, and the county executive.
It's good to have a broader understanding of the different denominations. However, differences in the Way older churches handle proceedings vs these modern age churches do things has left such a void. You know there is only one way to worship God, the scripture puts it this way in spirit and in truth. I find it extremely hard to digress from what God says! The lord requires us to be holy...which a lot of us as Christians fail to do. I find your video very refreshed!
This is my first time earing about episcopal church.
I love n see more churches which gives us the Christianity origins which we all Christian are not aware we need to be united as Christians.
Thank you for creating this review. The red door at every Episcopal church is very interesting. It's sad about attendance being down at the church. It kind of looked like a museum with all the art.
So beautiful inside and so much detail in the murals.
Thanks for watching! Truly becoming a lost art.
The Anglican Communion of north. America is growing its more traditional than Episcopalian the two broke apart one more liberal one more conservative so I guess people can choose which one they like better
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The point of clarification the Anglican Church of North America is not recognized as the Episcopal Church of North America it's recognized as seating its standing to the African Anglican Church and the Arch bishop of Canterbury.
But the archbishop of Canterbury has sworn to the primate of the Episcopal American Church that the archbishop will mediate any kind of conflict between the Anglican Church of North America and the Episcopal Church with the understanding that the Episcopal Church of America has priority and always shall as our primate will do its very level best to agree with the archbishop of Canterbury but at the end of the day all 7,000 parishes particularly in the United States 48 states answers to the primate of the Episcopal Church of America not to the archbishop of Canterbury and more than once we have told the archbishop of Canterbury what we thought of someone else in the Anglican Communion and we weren't exactly polite nice or really cared whether or not we upset people now we would of course by the quorum and tradition try to be polite but at the end of the day where our own independent house thank you and we don't terribly care for the Anglican Church of North America trying to tell people that they're the Episcopal Church cuz you ain't and you would never will be and we understand that you all love the North American Anglican Church loves to have people who don't think that people should be gay Don't think people should be women and priest I could go on there are a whole slew of things that the Anglican Church of North America believes they're better than the Episcopal Church of America but I'm here to tell them they ain't the Anglican primary church of North America nor shall they ever be God willing in the creek doesn't rise and we still have a US Constitution in the US government.
I am attending an episcopal church now. Very fun!
In interesting peak into the Episcopal church. I’ve always wondered how they started etc…
Wow that kyrie eleison was so beautiful
I grew up Episcopalian and my grandma used to joke “we’re just Catholics that failed Latin!” lol
I like to call it divorced catholic
The sad thing is that most of us Catholics don't even know much Latin these days. Haha
I'm an Episcopalian and my neighbor always tells me that I belong to the Catholic Lite Church.
Since the last Vatican Council the Latin Mass was no longer in effect for countries that did not speak Latin. They were allowed to speak the language of their country. In the days of the Latin Mass only the priest spoke Latin and the altar boys responded to the priest in Latin. The sermon was always in English. I was an altar boy during the Latin days and if you wanted to be an altar boy, you were given cards that were in English and Latin. We had to learn all of the Latin that was on those cards. During my third year of being a server, the Church changed. English was used and the priest and servers faced the people. Latin was no longer used. During the Latin days the restrictions for communion were harsh. You had to fast three hours before you could receive the sacrament. I only attended Catholic schools for my education. I left the Church a couple of years ago. They did away with Limbo and I really believe that when the money stops for paying for a soul to get redeemed from purgatory, purgatory will be done away like Limbo was. None of the places like purgatory or Limbo are mentioned in the bible. I doubt that anybody is burning in hell for knowingly eating meat on a Friday. I can't believe that I believed this stuff as a child.@@Dantastic
Wow. Only 35 minutes for the service. I would think more people would go for how short the service is.
Church of the Good Shepherd in Allegan, Michigan has red doors. It symbolizes the Pascal blood.
When I was a kid, in the Catholic Church, you only received the wafer. I was told that Jesus was present in both and only needed to receive one. I think it was a way of saving money.
Regarding the crash course at the end: the Episcopal church is the American branch of the Church of England. The revolutionary war was obviously a source of division, though praying to the king is not necessarily the problem. To this day, the current king is still the head of the church as it exists worldwide, meaning he is still prayed for to this day, even in America.
One source of problems is that the church of England becomes "the church of [country name]" wherever it goes. But America, once it became a country independent of England, and founded on religious liberty, cannot have a national church, so we could not have the Church of America. That is why the Episcopal church is one of the only anglican churches that does not have its country of origin in its denominational title.
What is important to know is that we are in communion with the church of England, Canada, Australia, and all other Anglican churches. Unfortunately, even though Episcopalians strongly identify as catholic, Roman Catholics are not in communion with Anglicans, and we are not permitted to share the eucharist with them (though they are allowed, if their father doesn't find out, to share with us).
As for the protestant thing, well, anglicans are basically the second schism of the eastern catholic church. That is, England was founded as a catholic country before Rome split from the east. Its catholic heritage goes back to the orthodox church. It remained with the western church after they broke off, but then, famously, England broke off from them, leaving it split from both churches. But they did not break off from each other for theological reasons, so they kept their catholic heritage. Over time, the church of England adapted more protestant elements, though it was not part of the reformation proper.
Lastly, it is odd to hear of a 35 minute service. It also sounds like they may have had a vacant organist if the congregation was singing a capella. Service at my church is usually at least an hour. Sermons are not normally long though, that is true. At the episcopal church, most of our sermons are explanations of the scriptures. Some people say the church has gotten more "woke" over the years, though not in my experience. I have never heard any current event discussed at a congregation, with the exception of war or otherwise impossible to avoid situations like the pandemic.
You might want to know that 56% of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Anglican/Episcopalian. 51% of the Constitutional Convention were Episcopalians. So was George Washington. The story of the Episcopal Church's origin is much longer, more interesting, and involves the non-juring bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church who consecrated our first American bishop, requiring that we use the more Catholic Church of Scotland's liturgies, rather than the English liturgies. The form of government adopted by the nascent Episcopal Church more closely resembled the American congressional system than it did the Church of England's system (which is not surprising since many of the same people were involved in establishing the American government and the new Protestant Episcopal Church). The format of our worship follows very ancient Church practices, some dating back to the earliest centuries of the Church.
I really enjoyed your presentation and will look forward to your experience in other denominations.
Thank you, appreciate that and learning about that is FASCINATING. Guess that doesn't surprise me after thinking about it. One of the most stunning churches I ever worshipped at was the Washington National Cathedral in DC (which is Episcopal). In the back of my head, I always wondered why all the American history and focus on past presidents in there - including George Washington. Your comment sheds new light on why. Interesting.
Thank you for this.
Prior to the revolution the Episcopal church, then known as the Church of England, was the largest denomination in the thirteen colonies. But then as the westward migration evolved, the majority of Episcopalians got poached by the Methodist church, which is why the United Methodist Church is currently the largest mainline protestant denomination. Methodism was founded by an Anglican priest, Wesley, whose followers split from the Episcopal church since Episcopalians found them too evangelical for their taste. The Episcopal church is a dying religion in the developed world where in most countries it is called the Anglican Church, except in Scotland. The American Episcopalians got their first bishop from the Scottish Episcopal church, an American Tory called Samuel Seabury who George Washington detested for obvious reasons. In my opinion, having been raised Episcopalian, most Protestants instinctively recoil from the Episcopal church owing to [1] it’s incredibly snobbish and effete Anglophile clergy [2] the stuffiness of it’s presentation in which classical music is fetishized and [3] the fact that morning prayer was discontinued in the 1970s in favor of weekly communion and most of their sung communion services take well over an hour. Their faster communion services are the unsung or low mass version typically offered at the 8:00 service, or the early service. And finally, their clergy are unthinkingly and reflexively ultra liberal having a strong Ivy League bias, which most middle class whites find annoying. The entire atmosphere is repellent to most people who are not old money or at least upper middle class. Other peculiarities of this church is that they are the only protestant church which is so ambivalent about the reformation that they actually have both nuns and monks, albeit in modest numbers, or perhaps 2,500 world wide concentrated mostly in the Pacific island countries of Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
Actually I think you would be surprised as the racial, financial, and cultural diversity of today's Episcopal Church. Cradle Episcopalians are now a distinct minority in today's church. People come to us from many former religious traditions (or even no religious tradition). Some have even called us 'the church of the religious refugees'.
I know a great deal of Episcopalian trivia since I tried being an Episcopal monk briefly before moving on and spending a great deal more time living as a Catholic monk. I also tried being Greek Orthodox but turned down an invitation to become an Orthodox monk. But then I lost all belief in the gospels and became a Buddhist. In a way Anglicanism is my favorite Christian church, but that doesn’t really mean much since I have absolutely no belief anymore. Nevertheless, the Anglican clergy are the most urbane of any church today so for the most part they are also the least offensive in many respects. But the fact remains that the vast majority of clergy in all denominations are narcissistic douchebags. Occasionally I run into a cleric who I think is cool but they are few and far between.@@k3grappler
There’s always been a great deal of movement of membership amongst the various mainline protestant denominations. After all, some of them are very closely related such as Methodists and Episcopalians in particular.@@k3grappler
Even though I’m LDS, I’ve always appreciated churches like this. I love the beauty within these everyday chapels. LDS chapels typically are boring but useful, welcoming, but boring. LDS temples are beautiful, but not usually in a gothic fashion like this. I hope these buildings stand the test of time, it would be terrible if declining membership left them in ruins.
Really interesting video. The red door tie in to scripture was insightful. Beautiful building and cool way to walk you through the ministry of Jesus as you get to the front. My grandparents were Episcopalian.
Red doors. Remembering the Passover, YES. A place of sanctuary and protection, YES. Blood of Christ, YES. One of the cool things about religious architecture, art, and symbolism I think is that people can take different meanings and understandings that speak to them.
Another interpretation of the red doors: It represents the wounds of Jesus on the cross. Especially in a cruciform "cross-shaped" church or cathedral. When viewed from above, the church looks like a cross and the doors through which you enter represent the crown of thorns, and the wounds on his hands and his feet. We approach and enter in the presence of God as wounded ourselves. We can leave all our troubles and brokenness at the door. By His wounds we are healed.
I am an organist for an Episcopal church. The reason they’re getting so small is that we Episcopalians are allergic to evangelism. I’m trying to grow our church in Philly… we started with 23 Easter 22, and 46 on Easter 23… they need to do the work to grow, but the old folks don’t want to change anything, and there is such a ‘we already tried that’ ‘we never did that.’
If you ever want to pick my brain on the church and the mass, I’m open to it.
Yo I've been there! Awesome cathedral!
Two people offer the sacrament. One offers the chalice of wine while the other offers the body of Christ as a wafer…and back in my day, they would simply wipe the rim before the next person took a sip from the one chalice. Maybe they have a different system post-Covid?
Most of our churches are back to the old system. For awhile, only the priest drank from the chalice. It was not offered to the congregation except symbolically. People could touch the base of the chalice, but not drink from it.
As the comments indicate, "Episcopal" is an adjective, as in the Episcopal Church. The members of the Episcopal Church are called "Episcopalians," the noun form.
When we traveled in ministry years ago it was with an Episcopal priest and a Roman Catholic one. We certainly had many lively conversations. :) Yes, that communion part was odd.
Could been covid safety concern as bread is enough complete communion.
So, just to elaborate a little bit more on the history of the Episcopal church, as you stated, the Episcopal church started after the revolution as essentially the Church of England (the Anglican Church) in America. It was basically the same thing with all the same beliefs, just the head of the church was not the monarch for obvious reasons.
Starting in, I believe, the 90s/early 00s, the Episcopal church really started to shift their views. A lot of people will point to Gay Marriage as the point on contention, but it was only one of many, and it essentially came down to the authority of scripture. The leaders of the Episcopal church were basically interpreting scripture however they wanted to and doing whatever they wanted.
Due to this, a lot of churches who did not agree with them and still believed in the authority of scripture, decided they needed to break away. My church specially broke away officially the weekend before Christmas 2008 (that sunday before christmas was our first service as an Anglican church and in our new building as they refused to sell our old building to us). This has been an ongoing thing and now you will find just as many Anglican churches as you will Episcopal. The irony is that the King of England is once again the head of our church, but in order to have a church that aligns with the bible that is worth it.
The Episcopal diocese tried to keep an Episcopal church open in our old building, but they couldn't get any members and had to close.
The few times I have been to an Episcopal church since, I have noticed the same thing as you. Not very many people, and all older. My church did go threw a rough patch with members, but since the pandemic we have actually grown a decent amount, and with mostly young families, so as one of the youth leaders that makes me very excited for our future. I reccomend you check out an Anglican church, literagy will be the same but if they are anything like my church (in Buffalo, NY) you will find the congregation looks more like what you are used to (we dont have many 20s aged people, but that is really our only gap right now).
One fun fact of the Anglican church is that we consider ourselves both Catholic and Protestant, Liturgical and Evangelical. We take the best of each and meet them in the middle. Our services veer more Catholic, but our beliefs and how we act at youth events and other things like that we veer more protestant/evangelical.
Also, the fact that the sermon was only 5 minutes is crazy, if my pastor goes less than 30 minutes it feels short. Also, you were correct about communion. The only requirement is that you are a baptized bible believing Christian. But if someone goes up to receive you will never be denied.
If there are any other questions I am happy to answer to the best of my ability!
Thank you for this comment.
The “service being 35 minutes and the sermon being only 5 minutes…” there might lie the problem
My guess is that he didn't attend the main service on Sunday but may have attended a BCP (book of common prayer) serivice which cuts out the singing and focuses on the bible readings and Eucharist. In the Church of England these are about 35-40 minutes or so in length.
The Episcopal Church is not a lost art. It is very much alive. The megachurches with their rock bands are for religious entertainment. Not for worship or the Eucarist
Former Episcopalian here. I grew up in the church and then left in college as my theological views changed to Christian Reformed and Presbyterian. I am now non-denominational. I am sad to see the Episcopal church be in such decline because the Gospel (the "good news") is still beautifully written within the liturgy and the service is quite beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. I attend services occasionally for this reason and it gives me a break from the cacophony of a loud band on Sunday.
But at the same time, the Episcopal culture can be confusing to outsiders particularly the body movements of the congregation during the service (bowing to the priest during the processional, genuflecting in front of the altar, crossing forehead, mouth, heart, kneeling etc) particularly if you don't know what it all means (I do). One of the reasons I left the church was because I found that these "outward signs" took on a life of their own and found it distracted from the central message of the gospel which can be found through a more comprehensive and studied understanding of the different stories and messages found in the Bible. I left the Episcopal Church because it gave me the impression of a hollow, works-oriented faith i.e., go to church, get baptized, get confirmed, take the sacraments, make the sign of the cross, kneel, and your sins are covered.
But now that I am older, I think this is a broad generalization which may not be altogether true and misses some of the nuances and beauty that the Episcopal Church provides. I don't want to judge anymore a person's faith or their heart when it may in fact be a real faith and a real love of Jesus and of God. One only has to look to Africa to see just how vibrant and real the Anglican tradition is with all the explosive growth occurring that is over there. They are now sending missionaries to the US to seek redemption of our sinful culture.
God works through His church and in different denominations and in different seasons that is often mysterious to us because we are mortal and we are not God and cannot see through His eyes.. Where a church may be dying in one place, it is flourishing somewhere else. I will likely not return to Episcopalianism but there is a part of me that sees its value and place in the world and I can now respect it.
I am Episcopalian. An Episcopalian is someone who attends The Episcopal Church. Noun/Adjective.
Isn't God so gracious to gift people with skills in art, stained glass, sculpture.
This short Sunday morning service is typical of the early service, 8 or 9 am, while the principal service is at 10 or 11.
Speaking as a lifelong Episcopalian, a couple of points:
1. a) The Church of England first split from Rome and tha authority of the Pope during the reign of Henry the VIII
b)'Went back to Rome and the Pope under Mary Tudor
c)Permanently separated from Rome under Elizabeth I. She desired that the church be as inclusive as possible, a "big tent," which helps to explain some apparent gaps in official church doctrine.
d) The Church of England has many offshoots such as the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Church of Nigeria, etc. Most of these are members of the Anglican Communion.
e) The Church of England is the established church in England and Wales and the sovereign is the "Supreme Governor." The monarch is still prayed for, just as the American Episcopal 1928 Book of Common Prayer remembers the President of the United States and "all those in civil authority." although there's no established church in this country.
f) After the American Revolution, the real problem was that the bishops had all returned to England. The new Episcopal Church sent a candidate to England, but the English church refused to ordain him as a bishop, so he went to Scotland where bishops of the Episcopal Church of Scotland did the honors. (The established Church of Scotland is Presbyterian.)
2. Anglican is the noun and adjective pertaining to churches belonging to the Anglican Communion, members of such churches, etc.
3. Anglican theology (yes, there is such thing!) is often likened to a 3 legged stool. The 3 legs are:
Scripture
Tradition
Reason
4. Last but not least, I have always heard that the red door proclaimed that Hallelujah! The mortgage was paid!
Now, your theories may explain why the color red was chosen, but I was told and do believe that the red door denotes the paid off mortgage.
I'm LCMS so I appreciate the historic liturgy. Very comfortable in the ACNA. However, the Episcopal church has veered left theologically.
My grandpa was Episcopalian so thanks for sharing that great info! I've watched all of your videos (except for the Pope Booty one, I've only seen about a third of that one...sorry). But I really like how you go into visiting these churches with such a kind and open-hearted attitude towards the people and the things you experience.
I do also like the aspects of your own personal spiritual journey so I hope we can still see some of that. As a Latter-day Saint, I of course loved your experiences with that faith. I know the point of the channel is to visit different churches, but it would still be cool to hear more about your own personal discoveries. Like are you still meeting with the Sister missionaries and/or reading the Book of Mormon? Are you still seeing cardinals everywhere??
Anyway, best of luck with your continued exploration of all these churches!
The service you attended was not presided over by an ordained Episcopal priest. For whatever reason, none may have been available for that occasion.
Beautiful church. I've been an Episcopalian for over 30 years and this is the first time I've seen an actual crucifix (cross and corpus) hanging in an Episcopal Church. That's interesting. Unfortunately the Episcopal Church has pretty much become all show and no substance - beautiful buildings and services but not standing for anything. Members can basically believe whatever they want. As a result, they've been hemorrhaging membership. They're down to around 1.7 million now. When I joined in the early 90's they were around 2.5 million and were already in decline.
I think you oversimplify. Episcopalians do not believe anything they want. There is core doctrine--belief in the divinity of Jesus, belief in the Creeds of the Church, belief in the holy and undivided Trinity. In other areas we have questions and do not claim to have all of the answers. We never want the law to kill the spirit. The truth be told, church attendance is down even in places like the Southern Baptist Convention and in the Roman Catholic Church. Our culture has changed, and we are becoming secular, but in my opinion the church is needed now more than ever.
The Nicene Creed is a part of both (Rite 1 & Rite 2) liturgies and provides a very thorough but quick overview of what all Episcopalians and other Anglicans believe. It is the core of the faith.
Hi, I have been Episcopalian since I was 13. The Red doors symbolize a few things. They could represent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, since the liturgical color for feasts and Pentecost is red. They also represent the blood of Jesus shed for us. They could also represent the blood of the martyrs.
But it depends on who you ask… also the mortgage being paid could actually be an answer tbh. I’ve been studying for the priesthood and have been finding that these little quirks makes the Episcopal church feel like home.
Also with the Eucharist, we have a “real presence” view. Although it is uncommon it’s not necessary to have both the bread and wine. The fullness of Christ is in both elements, so it’s okay to just receive the bread and not the wine. The Roman Catholics had a similar practice in the past. Also if the service was only 35 minutes there was probably no singing. Services can range from 30-1hr1/2 depending on if there is music.
The red doors are an ancient tradition, revived in the 70's during the sactuary movement. It dates from the early days of Christianity in England, when some pagan kings sought to kill the priests and converts. Churches became sanctuaries and the doors were painted red to declare ithat they were sacred spaces. The pagan warriors would not violate holy ground, even of their enemies.
As a life long Episcopalian its sad to see churches with so few attendants and such a short service. The Episcopal Churches I have regularly attended all had 1+ hour services and communion that includes bread and wine.
Its interesting that you mention "topical preaching" as an idea contrasting to Episcopal churches, I've usually found the preacher tries to touch on some sort of topic ideas even in the short time they have during the sermon.
As a child, I suffered great abuse in the Episcopal Church.
@@anjanettelanham2914 ultimately there is something to be said that seeing one Episcopal church can only show you so much about other churches. Both in the contrast of David's experience and mine of the structure of the service, as well as the difference between your and my upbringing. Im sure I would not have a positive view of the church if I grew up in a church like yours.
Born and raised Catholic but seriously considering converting to the Episcopalian Church.
If it speaks to you, go ahead and do it. I am Episcopalian, my friend is Catholic. She wanted to find a new church after moving to the town I grew up in. Since she's gay, she's felt kind of uncomfortable for a while in the Catholic church, so I brought her to the Episcopal church I grew up attending and she LOVED it. She goes back every Sunday now!
The Catholic Church is the Church founded by Jesus Himself. He doesn't want you to leave His Church. I would recommend studying the Church's history and teachings. God bless 🙏
@@Zenkai251 I don't think Jesus cares lol
@@Taco0718 then why did He bother starting a Church and giving the leader of the Church the keys to the Kingdom and the authority to bind and loose? Why did He bother having Church leaders that would spread the Gospel after His death and resurrection? Why would He change Simon's name to Cephas (Peter), which means 'rock', and then say the following?
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”"
Matthew 16:18-19 RSV
If you truly care about Jesus and love Him, you should want to know what the truth is. It would a good idea to research what His Church teaches and why it claims to be the True Church.
If you don't believe in the Catholic Church and what it teaches, then you cannot receive Communion until you repent and submit to God's Church.
God bless 🙏
@Classical Saxophonist alright Knights Templar calm yourself, we don't need another crusade and Inquisition lol.
i remember reading in catholic answers that every body has blood. therefore it is still valid to skip the chalice if you so wish.
It’s an Episcopal Cathedral that you attended; and members of the Episcopal Church are called, Episcopalians.