With closed eyes, 12 men and women sat in a circle of mismatched high-backed couches and chairs, listening as the soft musical voice of Mother Julia Anne Fritts led them in meditation.
“Now, actually breathe — something we adults often forget to do,” Fritts, the newly ordained priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church, said just loud enough over the recorded sounds of Gregorian chants.
She pushed her long, straight, silver hair off her shoulders as she looked around the quiet circle.
Pleased by the attendance, the church opened the Tuesday night meetings, called “Got Peace?” to people outside the parish.
“In the midst of an economic crisis, we hope this will catch people’s attention,” said the Rev. Jim Wheeler, rector of the Main Street church.
Just when one thinks it can’t get much worse, it does!
Grandmother in SC
To be fair, there is nothing in this account of meditation to Gregorian chant that runs counter to a strictly orthodox Christianity. If someone has attended St. John’s and heard homilies from this new priest that preach some other Gospel then we have reason to be concerned, but suppose this were an account of a mediation led by one of Church of the Ascension’s female priests here in Pittsburgh? Would we be so critical? If we’re going to fault somebody, let it be for what they profess – there’s enough material out there, as it is.
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Catholic and Reformed[/url]
Jeremy, I think if our own Ann+ (not to be confused with the priest in this article) read this piece and your comment, she would have a good chuckle. That is so not her. Maybe I will have a chance to ask her about it tonight.
Now what does that mean? I put more faith in the expression “refined in the fire†of life’s experiences.
Cole,
From all I know of her, I would agree with you. It’s not me either.
I was merely pointing out that it’s so easy to see an image of a person, know that it’s taking place in the Diocese of Connecticut and leap to conclusions. There are a number of priests round here whom we both know who are not conventional but whom we trust.
Whatever this is, it is not a Buddhist prayer circle.
It’s all too easy for us to criticize TEC the instant we receive any news coming out of it, particularly when we hear that the priest has a background in Tai Chi. On this I have to differ. It sounds very similar to Lecto Divina which is a meditative way of listening to God’s Holy Word. In this crazy world of ours, so long as the focus is on Christ, it sounds like a wonderful Lenten discipline of quiet and solitude.
You know, I think I would like to rewrite the ending of “Elmer Gantry” so when every other church has kicked out Elmer for his various indiscretions, he becomes an Episcopal priest. I think the “Love” sermon that he regularly preached when under stress would play particularly well in TEC. I suppose to modernize the story we could redo it as “Emily Gantry,” but I prefer the original. On a related note, I wonder how much it would cost TEC to license Kellog’s Froot Loops as the official TEC breakfast cereal. I do believe that Toucan Sam’s colors closely match primate Schori’s vestments.
Thanks to Jeremy and others for the comments above. I was curious, as so much about what could be either off-center or just fine about this story has to do with context of the community, so I went to the parish website. Can’t tell everything, of course, but I did read a sermon posted there by the rector, and I thought it was quite good. [url=http://www.stjohns-stamford.org/sermons2/Most Important 1_11_09.pdf] Sermon from St. John’s, Stamford, CT[/url].
Bruce Robison
For some reason the sermon link didn’t work–I guess because it’s too long and breaks over the line. You could cut and paste.
http://www.stjohns-stamford.org/sermons2/Most Important 1_11_09.pdf
BruceR
Try this: http://www.stjohns-stamford.org/sermons2/Most Important 1_11_09.pdf
Or maybe not.
Hello All,
I attended General with Mother Julia and can testify that she is a wonderfully eclectic yet basically orthodox woman. I know some have trouble with women’s ordination, but she really is rather a gift for those who support it as she is pastoral and keenly aware of how to bring others to Christ in various ways. I have seen her diverse past as a search for ways to provide pastoral care in myriad forms. As a rather orthodox believer myself, I really do feel that she would be an asset in a number of parishes, supporting the pastoral work of the parish. Just my two cents as someone who knows her.
[blockquote]Fritts, who said she loves “the monastic tradition,” [/blockquote] It could be worse. At least she’s orthodox! 😉