Some Thoughts on Questions Raised

Good afternoon dear readers.

I was asked some questions during this process of discussing a possible new Anglican diocese and I thought about these all day while I was at work.

The following are only my opinions and are not reflective of "official Orthodoxy."

First, it was alleged that those of us who are members in good standing of Orthodox parishes that are Western Rite are "Semi-Converts."

Well, if being a "semi-convert" means someone who regularly goes to confession with a canonical Orthodox priest, one who regularly attends the Divine Liturgy, one who tries to keep the times of abstinence and fasting during the Church Year, one who tithes faithfully to his or her parish, one who regularly reads up on Orthodox subjects and who reads Orthodox books, one who wholeheartedly believes in all Orthodox theology and doctrine, one who prays the Jesus Prayer, one who prays for his or her parish Priest, one who has a Spiritual Father and Father Confessor, then may all of us be "semi-converts."

I'll have more to say about this and other subjects in a future posting.

In the meantime a picture paints a thousand words, so I'll link to a church website that illustrates what I mean by creating a better space for Anglicans (and by extension other converts from the western cultural church traditions) to illustrate what I mean:

http://www.walsingham-church.org/photos

If the Roman Catholic Church can allow former Anglicans the kind of freedom it takes to have their own architecture and music, why is it that we can't be granted the same freedoms in the Holy Orthodox Church?

As long as all Orthodox elements are present in a parish community, why is the kind of architecture and music practiced at Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston off limits?

The current Western Rite is good, but it could be better.

It is my personal opinion that the Romanesque architecture mandated by the Western Rite of Antioch is "over-thinking the plumbing."

Some food for thought:  If in our wildest dreams as Orthodox Christians the whole realm of England decided to convert to Holy Orthodoxy in a gigantic move of the Lord in that country, do you really suppose they would leave all their church forms behind?

Rather, they would blend their forms, some of which are ancient, with Orthodox forms and develop their own unique style and culture while becoming completely Orthodox in doctrine and practice.

Those of us who favor a "Western Rite" in Orthodoxy don't intend to take the entire Orthodox Church over, driving out the Eastern Rite and the Eastern forms.

We just want our own forms included in the Church as well.

I wouldn't have a problem with making the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom the core liturgy in the Western Rite as long as Western Forms could be built around it.

Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God.

Columba Siluoan