Going Back to the Wellspring

I have written previously about the spiritual regeneration that occurred when I began to attend a local Episcopal church back in January. I continue to love the ritual, theology and social justice outlook of the church. We have just returned from visiting our daughter and son-in-law in England, and it was inevitable that we should attend the Anglican services there. First, we attended the Sunday service at the little church in the village where our son-in-law's family resides. It happened to be the annual service where the church recognized the local civic leaders. The building itself is ancient, going back to the middle ages. The service was not what I expected, as it was very Methodist in many ways, and not the high ritual I had hoped for. Still, it was nice to experience life in a small village church.
The next day we traveled to Durham, home of one of the most ancient cathedrals in Europe. We had been there before, many years ago, so it was not a new experience in that regard. However, the day held a nice surprise for me. It so happened that an afternoon Eucharistic service was offered, and so my wife and daughter and I attended. The service was very similar to the weekly service at our local cathedral church, and that was wonderful. Couple that with the ancient surroundings, in a cathedral that was already centuries old when the Church of England was born, and the service took on special meaning. I kept thinking of the phrase "so great a cloud of witnesses" as I thought about the tens of thousands who had worshiped there before me for almost one thousand years. In addition, having our daughter worship with us, knowing how deeply her faith affects her life in a country where not a great many young adults attend church, was a deeply moving experience. I guess I am writing this to encourage anyone who may read these words to seek out a congregation that nourishes you in a way the meets your own unique needs. For me, it meant choosing a denomination other than the one in which I was ordained, and that has caused me a great deal of soul-searching. I have always loved the beauty of the ritual and majesty of the Anglican tradition, and felt guilty for not being satisfied with the continual diluting of the ritual of my own denomination, which is a direct descendant of the Anglican Communion. While many prefer a simple service with "praise" music and very little ritual, I find the ancient rituals, coupled with the choral music of the masters, to be a spiritual experience like no other. Whatever your tradition, learn its history and seek to understand why the service is conducted the way in which it is, and you will find added enrichment to your own spiritual tradition.