Here is part of one answer from musician Matt Redmon:
During the first few days we spent in the United States [after returning from being overseas in England on 9/11], it seemed that, in all the shock and vulnerability, many people were heading to church for comfort and clarity. I was so impressed by the preachers: every place we visited, we heard messages of hope and reminders of God's sovereignty.Read them all.
But it left me wondering: What could we sing to God at a time like this? It was as if our worship songs were missing some important vocabulary—the language of tragedy and struggle, of the valley at the bottom of the mountain—which I found surprising, as the Psalms are full of lament.
Soon after the tragedy, my wife and I wrote "Blessed Be Your Name." It's a simple worship offering about choosing to worship and trust God no matter what the season.
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Posted September 8, 2011 at 6:00 am
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2. Sarah wrote:
RE: “Many of these people, conferences, etc are no longer tightly associated with Anglicanism at all . . . “ To me, that’s a bug, not a feature. RE: “There does not seem to be any equivalent activity in US Anglicism . . . “ Well, I’m not sure what that means. Obviously the ones that become “more evangelical than Anglican” are . . . less Anglican and fewer Anglicans will attend. The ones that hold on to their Anglicanism are less overtly plain-vanilla evangelical. RE: “Which further leads me to wonder if the emphasis in the US Anglican church was became that of Evangelism instead of “Rite I at 8 am, Rite II at 10 am, and save the Praise & Worship stuff for Alpha or 5 pm Sunday in the Undercroft” we might see similar excitement in US Anglicism.” Well, I guess there would be similar excitement amongst non-Anglicans! But how does that affect the Anglicans? I’m an Anglican, not a plain-vanilla evangelical. The reason why I don’t go to non-Anglican evangelical churches is because . . . I’m an Anglican. If an Anglican church decides to de-emphasize its Anglicanism, that’s fine—but it’s also a church I won’t be attending. I know there’s a market for plain-vanilla evangelicalism. I’m just not in that market. And there’s a market for Anglicanism too—smaller, of course. But I’m in the latter market. I consider myself an Anglican Christian, with certain strong evangelical values. But definitely, first, an Anglican Christian. September 8, 8:13 am | [comment link] |
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3. evan miller wrote:
Thanks, Sarah. As ever, the voice of reason. Personally, I’m an Anglican Christian with certain strong Catholic values. But definitely, first, an Anglican Christian. September 8, 9:25 am | [comment link] |
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4. BlueOntario wrote:
Redman’s reply bothers me. To be fair it’s a short answer to a complex question, but it seems to describe post-modern worship as caught up in itself. Early (and later) evangelicals did not seem to have such personal disconnect between God’s reign in a world of chaos and calamity, but then they were intimate with disasters small and large. Perhaps it is a naievete of a somewhat protected generation coming out in Redman’s piece. September 8, 10:55 am | [comment link] |
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5. Frances S Scott wrote:
I do not consider myself a leader…neither do I consider myself a follower. I am a Christian. On the ground, I teach Bible studies to a small group of mostly unchurched adults from various denominational backgrounds. My goal is to help them understand that the Bible is one book, that they are not free to pick and choose the passages that support a particular viewpoint, but that they must consider the full context and realize that the God who loves and has redeemed them has His own agenda and that it does not necessarily mesh with theirs. My second goal is to enable them to be “teachers” as God gives them opportunity. |
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Not trying to draw any great inference out of this, but Matt Redman, the Soul Survivor, New Wine, Bishop David Pytches, etc all are exemplars of what has flourished from Anglican Evangelicalism in England. Many of these people, conferences, etc are no longer tightly associated with Anglicanism at all (Matt Redman though is back at a church plant in Brighton and obviously Bishop Pytches is).
There does not seem to be any equivalent activity in US Anglicism which makes me wonder if the key portion of the phrase Anglican Evangelicalism is Evangelicalism not Anglican. Which further leads me to wonder if the emphasis in the US Anglican church was became that of Evangelism instead of “Rite I at 8 am, Rite II at 10 am, and save the Praise & Worship stuff for Alpha or 5 pm Sunday in the Undercroft” we might see similar excitement in US Anglicism. Just wondering (Kendall - realize that this might be slightly off-topic from your original post - so you can handle accordingly).
September 8, 7:48 am | [comment link]Pax et Bonum!
Steve