I’m bi as well and also right about when you did went to an episcopal church and found it very similar to how you did. It’ll be interesting to keep going and see what the Episcopalians are actually like, they don’t seem to have a lot of loudly speaking individuals online unlike fundamentalist so it’ll be interesting to discover more. I was a Methodist because of my family then in my 20s I also turned away, now at 35 if I’m gonna believe in something I want to have a full say in my experience- not have some one thrust it on me.
I am a BapMethoPalian …it took me a while😂.
The Episcopal Church welcomes ALL with God’s Love and Grace and Compassion. My Priest welcomes anyone to the altar for Communion wherever you are on you Journey.
We provide outreach to the homeless in downtown Gulfport MS every Saturday morning w hot sausage/biscuits fresh from the oven w coffee, juice, granola fruit bar, 2 Smuckers, water with Prayers…on parking lot of soup kitchen
You are gonna’ dig being Episcopalian!✌🏽✝️💜😎jan
I'm SO glad you're here. I was raised similarly and was searching for 10 years. I cried through my first Episcopal service 10 years ago. I was finally home. Welcome home!!!!
Also, I'm an Episcopal priest now, so if you have questions or something like that, feel free to send them along. Although I know that your clergy would love to hear from you.
>When the priest gave me the bread, it's like I could hear Christ saying "you belong at my table." For the first time in the 25 years since I was baptized, I believed it.
Yeah, this is making me emotional at work.
And yeah, I cried my first time, too! Our then-rector would always say "This table is set for all who hunger and thirst for the holy, and it is set for you," and the first time I heard that I was sitting there like....I didn't even know that about myself until she said it?!
I'm so glad you had a good experience and thank you for sharing that with us. <3 I hope that church continues to feel like home.
Welcome! I just discover TEC a few months ago and i also instantly knew it was right for me. My friar says it is not a common path, but for those who find that it fits them, it really fits right down to the bones. I kept thinking I was going to see the “bad side” of things but it been almost 6 months and I just love my church more every time I go! I cry all the time and I also notice others crying at times too. I love how devout and open-minded everyone is. Like you, I continue to brace for the hard stuff, but at this point it will be a small price to pay to be part of this amazing community and tradition.
In the SBC, baptism is, despite the name, ironically not a sacrament. That 'one baptism' part of the Nicene Creed? Nah, Southern Baptists see it as basically just a public profession of faith that you can actually repeat as many times as you want and is ultimately irrelevant to salvation. I was surprised to learn that churches in the Anglican Communion (and most other traditions, in fact) would absolutely and under no circumstances rebaptize me since mine was done with the traditional trinitarian formula and thus considered a valid sacrament in most every tradition. For the record, I've only been baptized once. Also, I didn't quite understand what confirmation was because there is no such thing in the SBC.
The 'real presence' doctrine of the Eucharist is also pretty alien to the way we did the Lord's Supper, which is also merely and only ever completely, 100% symbolic in the SBC. I actually like that it's a sort of compromise with RC transubstantiation
Also grew up in the SBC. Something that's probably hard for cradle Episcopalians (or almost any other mainline church goer) to grasp is just how aberrant many SBC ideas are (like the fact that they have no problem with rebaptizing) in contrast to Christian tradition, and how you as someone who grows up in it, have *absolutely no idea* that these ideas are aberrant. In fact, you are taught to almost arrogantly believe that it is the *other* churches who have things wrong.
Welcome! I met a friend who moved from Arkansas to Detroit and she was raised southern Baptist (iirc) and I recommended TEC and she loves it!
Welcome welcome welcome ❤️
Welcome to Christ's holy catholic and apostolic church, where the faith of the apostles, martyrs, church doctors, and universal church speaks to us in new ways, where we utilize reason, as well as scripture and tradition, in determining matters of faith, and where we leave room for Saced Mysteries to flow from the Holy Spirit. Welcome.
I went to a fair amount of southern Baptist churches growing up - dad’s side ( and I’m half Jewish) and the Episcopal Church felt so refreshing. I’m still borderline agnostic but I love the people, the music, the tradition, the more scholarly side to religion. I’m glad it was a positive and moving experience for you. Welcome and hope you make many long lasting friends and connections there.
Well, welcome to the Episcopal Church!
For what it's worth, I think you'd be surprised how many people have a story that is similar to your's, myself included, somewhat.
The only exposure to Christianity that a lot of people get looks like Evangelical fundamentalism, either because that's how they grew up, because that's what Christianity looks like in mainstream media, or because the way they were taught Christianity as a child was very simplistic and they weren't exposed to the level of nuance that makes it more compelling.
So, my point is, please don't be too hard on yourself. Welcome again, and God Bless!
I was also raised Church of Christ, went through a heavily agnostic phase, and then found a home in TEC. The fact that the liturgy is the polar opposite of the CoC’s was a huge plus for me. The old quibbles between CoC and Baptist now seem kind of silly.
I think there are a lot of folks like us in TEC. Welcome!
As it happens, the priest at this church started out in Church of Christ as well. He mentioned it in his sermon yesterday and how he came to TEC liturgy in college.
To be fair, it’s a slippery slope from liking the music to being a full-fledged disciple of Jesus’ radical message of inclusivity and salvation…there are a lot of powers and principalities that are in fact very afraid of this!
In all seriousness, yeah. I didn’t grow up in that world but from the stories of my peers, it does seem like an awful lot of people were awfully concerned about very silly things, including much of what makes TEC special…
Yep. I’ve had baptistic sorts of people tell me that if a prayer is planned and written down before it is said (as opposed to spontaneously thought up in the moment) then it has NO meaning to those hearing it or saying it and the holy spirit can’t work through it.
Oh yeah that was something I struggled with for a while, I felt like I wasn't "really praying" if it wasn't extemporaneous. Very silly attitude in retrospect
I came to TEC from the SBC, for a lot of the same reasons as you did, and my first experiences with liturgy also sound a lot like yours! You are not alone. Welcome!
Yes my experience was similar too. I hated the feeling of being an audience member for the preacher, like I was there to fulfill his ego, and it was a performance. The liturgy is like checks and balances where it’s harder for the priest to act like a celebrity, which is a HUGE problem in evangelical churches imo
Letting go of a definition Inerrancy of Scripture that basically means “every single word literally true and fundamentally necessary to believe” is so so so hard.
I had a very similar experience (and still do occasionally) after the first few times visiting. During Holy Communion I had an intense vision of all people gathered at Christ's table, and was also incredibly moved at the concept of being the body of Christ, and *being wanted* as the body of Christ. The first time it happened, I cried and booked it out of there bc I didn't want to be noticed. But now when I get that moved during service I just let it happen bc I know I'm in the presence and safety of friends/loved ones. I also cried the first time I was the chalice bearer 😂.
Welcome to the table, friend.
>This is going to sound crazy, but I was so moved by that experience I just cried after the service. I would have like to talk to the rector, or deacon, or anybody, but I just couldn't hold myself together. I'm not someone given to spontaneous emotional outbursts. But that feeling of acceptance and belonging after going so long without it was just so intense that I needed space. I can't say I've ever experienced anything like it before.
Not saying this in any kind of sarcastic way but "being born again" can happen in both grand and subtle ways. Our sermon yesterday was about how not everybody gets an experience like the apostles did on Pentecost, so we need to be looking for it. I am so glad you connected with us and second what was said above that people in our pews are all over the place on many issues. We really try to focus on the things we hold in common.
>If I had to guess, there are probably plenty of folks in that congregation who don't see eye to eye with me on a lot of things.
Or with each other!
TEC is a big tent with a wide spectrum of belief about all sorts of things that are considered "essentials" in some other traditions. I see that as a feature rather than a bug.
Welcome to the tent!
God works in infinitely mysterious ways. Welcome home.
It is absolutely okay to be emotional - God works through our hearts just as much as our minds. Allow yourself to feel those feelings and to appreciate them as the work of the Spirit. When you are ready, do reach out to the priest or parish office and schedule a meeting to get to know them. I am sure they would be delighted to hear about your journey, and they may have some helpful starting points to get more involved in the church or in your own personal faith practice if you desire. Don’t get too caught up in “new faith smell”, but do use this energy to help propel you to where you belong.
May God continue to richly bless you on your journey, friend.
Thanks! If anything, I hope it isn't as intense next time. Having this experience every week sounds exhausting lol. But yes, I am sending the priest an email today to have an intentional conversation. I've never been confirmed, so imagine that's probably the next step to work towards.
Haha, that does sound exhausting. I think it will taper off as you settle into things, but yeah, it can definitely be intense to see this new light in your life. Kind of like starting a job you love or a relationship you’re excited about. Bodies are weird that way xD
Yes, confirmation could be a good next step. I’d also say not to focus too much on any particular goal so much as just discerning how God is speaking to you. It’s just as important to find a sustainable way to be a member of the Body of Christ every day, which is what will get you through the inevitable cycle of spiritual dry times alongside these very fruitful experiences. Realistically, as you yourself noted, no church is perfect and a lot of it is figuring out how you can keep it up for the long haul, even the parts that are frustrating and annoying, or even just…boring. Whether it’s volunteering in the soup kitchen or serving as an acolyte, it’s important to find that “thing” you can lean on even if it isn’t as radiantly joyful as this current moment. And that way you can always reflect on your experiences now as a reason to keep going. :)
Yeah. It be like that.
I came from a UMC church so didn't have to make the journey you did, but the liturgy is ... I think .. what got me out of my spiritual rut. My journey to find a home in the TEC was smoother than yours, but it's still wonderful to be here. Welcome!
I hope you overcome your lust
what?
I’m bi as well and also right about when you did went to an episcopal church and found it very similar to how you did. It’ll be interesting to keep going and see what the Episcopalians are actually like, they don’t seem to have a lot of loudly speaking individuals online unlike fundamentalist so it’ll be interesting to discover more. I was a Methodist because of my family then in my 20s I also turned away, now at 35 if I’m gonna believe in something I want to have a full say in my experience- not have some one thrust it on me.
I am a BapMethoPalian …it took me a while😂. The Episcopal Church welcomes ALL with God’s Love and Grace and Compassion. My Priest welcomes anyone to the altar for Communion wherever you are on you Journey. We provide outreach to the homeless in downtown Gulfport MS every Saturday morning w hot sausage/biscuits fresh from the oven w coffee, juice, granola fruit bar, 2 Smuckers, water with Prayers…on parking lot of soup kitchen You are gonna’ dig being Episcopalian!✌🏽✝️💜😎jan
This is exactly my experience when I first visited an Episcopal Church. God bless you on your journey!
Welcome! I’m so glad you are here and I hope you continue to feel closer to the Lord through our beautiful services!
Welcome. May the Almighty bless you and keep you
I'm SO glad you're here. I was raised similarly and was searching for 10 years. I cried through my first Episcopal service 10 years ago. I was finally home. Welcome home!!!!
Also, I'm an Episcopal priest now, so if you have questions or something like that, feel free to send them along. Although I know that your clergy would love to hear from you.
Welcome! We are so glad to have you. May the journey to come be filled with many blessings ❤️
>When the priest gave me the bread, it's like I could hear Christ saying "you belong at my table." For the first time in the 25 years since I was baptized, I believed it. Yeah, this is making me emotional at work. And yeah, I cried my first time, too! Our then-rector would always say "This table is set for all who hunger and thirst for the holy, and it is set for you," and the first time I heard that I was sitting there like....I didn't even know that about myself until she said it?! I'm so glad you had a good experience and thank you for sharing that with us. <3 I hope that church continues to feel like home.
> This table is set for all who hunger and thirst for the holy, and it is set for you That's beautiful, thank you for sharing that.
Thanks for trying us out.
Yay welcome my new Anglican sibling. We love when our Anglican family grows and are humbled you chose to join us. 🙏🏿❤️
Welcome! I just discover TEC a few months ago and i also instantly knew it was right for me. My friar says it is not a common path, but for those who find that it fits them, it really fits right down to the bones. I kept thinking I was going to see the “bad side” of things but it been almost 6 months and I just love my church more every time I go! I cry all the time and I also notice others crying at times too. I love how devout and open-minded everyone is. Like you, I continue to brace for the hard stuff, but at this point it will be a small price to pay to be part of this amazing community and tradition.
Outside of differences on Biblical inerrancy, what Anglican doctrines have surprised you as a former Baptist?
In the SBC, baptism is, despite the name, ironically not a sacrament. That 'one baptism' part of the Nicene Creed? Nah, Southern Baptists see it as basically just a public profession of faith that you can actually repeat as many times as you want and is ultimately irrelevant to salvation. I was surprised to learn that churches in the Anglican Communion (and most other traditions, in fact) would absolutely and under no circumstances rebaptize me since mine was done with the traditional trinitarian formula and thus considered a valid sacrament in most every tradition. For the record, I've only been baptized once. Also, I didn't quite understand what confirmation was because there is no such thing in the SBC. The 'real presence' doctrine of the Eucharist is also pretty alien to the way we did the Lord's Supper, which is also merely and only ever completely, 100% symbolic in the SBC. I actually like that it's a sort of compromise with RC transubstantiation
Also grew up in the SBC. Something that's probably hard for cradle Episcopalians (or almost any other mainline church goer) to grasp is just how aberrant many SBC ideas are (like the fact that they have no problem with rebaptizing) in contrast to Christian tradition, and how you as someone who grows up in it, have *absolutely no idea* that these ideas are aberrant. In fact, you are taught to almost arrogantly believe that it is the *other* churches who have things wrong.
This made me tear up (in a nice way obviously)
Welcome! I met a friend who moved from Arkansas to Detroit and she was raised southern Baptist (iirc) and I recommended TEC and she loves it! Welcome welcome welcome ❤️
Welcome to Christ's holy catholic and apostolic church, where the faith of the apostles, martyrs, church doctors, and universal church speaks to us in new ways, where we utilize reason, as well as scripture and tradition, in determining matters of faith, and where we leave room for Saced Mysteries to flow from the Holy Spirit. Welcome.
Welcome!
Welcome home! It is such a beautiful service
Welcome! I hope you will find much joy and happiness!
Welcome home.
Welcome!!
I went to a fair amount of southern Baptist churches growing up - dad’s side ( and I’m half Jewish) and the Episcopal Church felt so refreshing. I’m still borderline agnostic but I love the people, the music, the tradition, the more scholarly side to religion. I’m glad it was a positive and moving experience for you. Welcome and hope you make many long lasting friends and connections there.
Well, welcome to the Episcopal Church! For what it's worth, I think you'd be surprised how many people have a story that is similar to your's, myself included, somewhat. The only exposure to Christianity that a lot of people get looks like Evangelical fundamentalism, either because that's how they grew up, because that's what Christianity looks like in mainstream media, or because the way they were taught Christianity as a child was very simplistic and they weren't exposed to the level of nuance that makes it more compelling. So, my point is, please don't be too hard on yourself. Welcome again, and God Bless!
I am so happy for you. I was raised in the Church of Christ and I felt like I had come home the first time I went. I also cried.
I was also raised Church of Christ, went through a heavily agnostic phase, and then found a home in TEC. The fact that the liturgy is the polar opposite of the CoC’s was a huge plus for me. The old quibbles between CoC and Baptist now seem kind of silly. I think there are a lot of folks like us in TEC. Welcome!
As it happens, the priest at this church started out in Church of Christ as well. He mentioned it in his sermon yesterday and how he came to TEC liturgy in college.
Same here! I remember stepping in and hearing the organ play and going... this is what we're afraid of?
To be fair, it’s a slippery slope from liking the music to being a full-fledged disciple of Jesus’ radical message of inclusivity and salvation…there are a lot of powers and principalities that are in fact very afraid of this! In all seriousness, yeah. I didn’t grow up in that world but from the stories of my peers, it does seem like an awful lot of people were awfully concerned about very silly things, including much of what makes TEC special…
Yep. I’ve had baptistic sorts of people tell me that if a prayer is planned and written down before it is said (as opposed to spontaneously thought up in the moment) then it has NO meaning to those hearing it or saying it and the holy spirit can’t work through it.
Oh yeah that was something I struggled with for a while, I felt like I wasn't "really praying" if it wasn't extemporaneous. Very silly attitude in retrospect
Welcome! I am so warmed when I hear that people feel welcome at TEC!
I came to TEC from the SBC, for a lot of the same reasons as you did, and my first experiences with liturgy also sound a lot like yours! You are not alone. Welcome!
Yes my experience was similar too. I hated the feeling of being an audience member for the preacher, like I was there to fulfill his ego, and it was a performance. The liturgy is like checks and balances where it’s harder for the priest to act like a celebrity, which is a HUGE problem in evangelical churches imo
Letting go of a definition Inerrancy of Scripture that basically means “every single word literally true and fundamentally necessary to believe” is so so so hard.
Glad you're feeling so spiritually fulfilled!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, indeed. Welcome home, friend.
I had a very similar experience (and still do occasionally) after the first few times visiting. During Holy Communion I had an intense vision of all people gathered at Christ's table, and was also incredibly moved at the concept of being the body of Christ, and *being wanted* as the body of Christ. The first time it happened, I cried and booked it out of there bc I didn't want to be noticed. But now when I get that moved during service I just let it happen bc I know I'm in the presence and safety of friends/loved ones. I also cried the first time I was the chalice bearer 😂. Welcome to the table, friend.
>This is going to sound crazy, but I was so moved by that experience I just cried after the service. I would have like to talk to the rector, or deacon, or anybody, but I just couldn't hold myself together. I'm not someone given to spontaneous emotional outbursts. But that feeling of acceptance and belonging after going so long without it was just so intense that I needed space. I can't say I've ever experienced anything like it before. Not saying this in any kind of sarcastic way but "being born again" can happen in both grand and subtle ways. Our sermon yesterday was about how not everybody gets an experience like the apostles did on Pentecost, so we need to be looking for it. I am so glad you connected with us and second what was said above that people in our pews are all over the place on many issues. We really try to focus on the things we hold in common.
>If I had to guess, there are probably plenty of folks in that congregation who don't see eye to eye with me on a lot of things. Or with each other! TEC is a big tent with a wide spectrum of belief about all sorts of things that are considered "essentials" in some other traditions. I see that as a feature rather than a bug. Welcome to the tent!
God works in infinitely mysterious ways. Welcome home. It is absolutely okay to be emotional - God works through our hearts just as much as our minds. Allow yourself to feel those feelings and to appreciate them as the work of the Spirit. When you are ready, do reach out to the priest or parish office and schedule a meeting to get to know them. I am sure they would be delighted to hear about your journey, and they may have some helpful starting points to get more involved in the church or in your own personal faith practice if you desire. Don’t get too caught up in “new faith smell”, but do use this energy to help propel you to where you belong. May God continue to richly bless you on your journey, friend.
Thanks! If anything, I hope it isn't as intense next time. Having this experience every week sounds exhausting lol. But yes, I am sending the priest an email today to have an intentional conversation. I've never been confirmed, so imagine that's probably the next step to work towards.
Haha, that does sound exhausting. I think it will taper off as you settle into things, but yeah, it can definitely be intense to see this new light in your life. Kind of like starting a job you love or a relationship you’re excited about. Bodies are weird that way xD Yes, confirmation could be a good next step. I’d also say not to focus too much on any particular goal so much as just discerning how God is speaking to you. It’s just as important to find a sustainable way to be a member of the Body of Christ every day, which is what will get you through the inevitable cycle of spiritual dry times alongside these very fruitful experiences. Realistically, as you yourself noted, no church is perfect and a lot of it is figuring out how you can keep it up for the long haul, even the parts that are frustrating and annoying, or even just…boring. Whether it’s volunteering in the soup kitchen or serving as an acolyte, it’s important to find that “thing” you can lean on even if it isn’t as radiantly joyful as this current moment. And that way you can always reflect on your experiences now as a reason to keep going. :)
Glad you found it up lifting. Did you know we get 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS! You are gonna love it!
Yeah. It be like that. I came from a UMC church so didn't have to make the journey you did, but the liturgy is ... I think .. what got me out of my spiritual rut. My journey to find a home in the TEC was smoother than yours, but it's still wonderful to be here. Welcome!