Chips Ahoy drove me to Anglicanism

<strike>Wannabe</strike> Newbie Anglican ^ | 5/16/2005 | Mark Marshall

[sionnsar]

Well, not me actually. That’s the interesting testimony an Anglican friend told me the other Sunday.

He played in the worship band at a large evangelical church (one which hasn’t been mentioned on this blog). One Sunday, they were having communion when they ran out of crackers. So the servers grabbed some Chips Ahoy cookies and used those.

As he received his Chips Ahoy, he was provoked, knowing that just wasn’t right. He told me he knew then and there that he needed to move to a more reverent, more sacramental church. And he eventually found an Anglican one.

A commenter on this blog had a similar experience:

I am not a theological hairsplitter by nature and won't ever be. I'm not sure what you would call my understanding of the Real Presence. Maybe I am just one of those "is means is" types. What I do know for sure is that the breaking point with [a previous] church was the day when they distributed communion as an afterthought, like a snack, at the doors after a night service. No prayers, no preparation. I just knew then that it was just too important a thing to pay lip service to. If you think its important then you should treat it as such. I knew that I had to find a church with reverence for Body & Blood of Jesus no matter how they understood it.

And she’s now a happy member of an Anglo-Catholic parish.

I find it interesting that the treatment of communion played such a pivotal role in driving both to Anglican churches.

Communion has always been handled reverently at my previous churches. (Well, I can think of one exception at Big Dallas Bible, two churches ago. But there’s no need to revisit that.) So that wasn’t a factor in my move.

What was a factor was my growing dissatisfaction with worship consisting almost exclusively of singing a number of songs in a row, then listening to a sermon. The sermons were great, but the singing got tiresome. I thought, isn't there more to worship than singing? And my throat often can’t handle a lot of non-stop singing well. Then when my previous church persistently had us standing for more and more of the singing time –- often more than 15 minutes (My legs have never handled that well.) and when the lead vocalist’s voice was always overamped, hurting my ears and drowning out a usually excellent band (in spite of my twice telling the music leader afterwards there was a problem), I really got tired of it. It became a hindrance to worship. For a while there, I even made a point to show up to church late so I wouldn’t have to endure too much of the worship time.

Yeah, I know. Probably not the best way to handle things. But that’s how unhappy I was with the worship.

Now in other respects, I was quite happy with my church, and it is excellent. So I wasn’t at all seeking another church until I knew I would be moving. Then when I visited Christ Church Plano, I was overwhelmed with how excellent the worship was. And, although I wasn’t at all unhappy with how communion was done at my church, I did appreciate how reverently and prayerfully it was handled at Christ Church. And you know the rest of the story – from Bible Churcher to Wannabe Anglican to Newbie Anglican.

I think most evangelical churches would do well to note the small but significant evangelical exodus to Anglicanism and rethink how they worship. I’m not saying every church needs to have the liturgy, ceremony, and traditional music I’ve come to love. But God and his people deserve better than overamped singing marathons every Sunday and Chips Ahoy.

[bonfire]

Christ Church isn't too far from one of those BiG Bible Churches. My Trad church had a number of families leave for Christ Church because they were more touchy-feely, program oriented.

The growing trend in conservative Episcopal churches is contemporary service with Praise, Baby, Praise. The odd thing is that the liberal churches are sticking with the Traditional Mass. (I'm speaking of the Dallas Diocese)

[starfish923]

At the point of getting s "Chip Ahoy," instead of asking for affirmation of "Body of Christ," the priest would HAVE to say: "Got milk?"

[servantboy777]

My thought exactly. When my stepmother was on her death bed, one of the relatives invited their pastor to come give her communion. Not sure what denomination the pastor was. He arrived and I helped him removed the unconsecrated elements from his vehicle on a communion tray with all the lil cups. I noticed he also had a small can of welch's grape juice and a box of saltines.

After we went into her room, he said a brief prayer and then handed the pieces of saltines and lil cups of juice. Ok, then it was kinda just over. As we left the room he took the remainder of what was left of the juice and crackers with him. As he passed into the kitchen I watched in horror as he opened the trash can and launched the crackers into the garbage. ((((((((((((getting faint))))))))).

After he left I promptly removed what trash there was in the bag and buried the remainder of the crackers (unconsecrated I might add) This was the only way I could come to terms with what had just happened.

Same as the little cups at some churches. After communion, people just walk along and pitch them in a garbage can with residual element present. (Again I noticed their was no sacramental consecration of the elements).

I am not trying to disparage other denominations, they are just as Christian as I am, however I am shocked at the lack of reverence for the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

In the Orthodox Episcopal Church, the Body and the Blood of our Lord is treated with great respect and reverence.

[AnAmericanMother]

I will say in defense of a lot of the middle of the road Protestant denominations, they just do not believe that the consecrated elements are the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord.

Of course, since the elements are (1) not proper matter; (2) not properly consecrated; (3) by a priest in the valid Apostolic Succession . . . they're right! < g >

Seriously, I think the majority of Protestants (and even some Episcopalians of the lower church persuasion) believe at most that Communion is "symbolic", and at the least that it's merely a communal fellowship meal. So I can't get too upset when they don't treat saltines and Welch's with respect . . . because that's all they are.

[WriteOn]

Forgive an ignorant Catholic.... (Oh My God, prepackaged Jesus.)

I'm assuming you don't believe that it's the Body and Blood of Jesus? Is that true? -- (not proselytizing just curious.)

[sionnsar]

Welcome back...hope you had a good vacation...

Thanks, but it was business and not vacation. Though if KLM had failed in fact to fly me out of Stuttgart on Friday, I would have had a day or two of vacation because all seats on all airlines were full for the weekend (holiday).

[Corin Stormhands]

I'm assuming you don't believe that it's the Body and Blood of Jesus?

Most (if not all) Protestants believe the elements are representative of the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Thus, it is the commemoration, rather than the actual substances that are significant.

[xzins]

I believe that we in the Spirit participate with the Lord when we observe communion.

I believe that Spiritual things are real and that Jesus' words to us were "spirit and life."

Communion is a commemoration, but it is not "symbolic"...rather, it is spiritual.

[servantboy777]

I agree, point well taken.

[AnAmericanMother]

It still gives me the jim-jams, though. Can't help it.

[WriteOn]

Thank you for answering my question.

[xzins]

I tried in a short time and short space to give a real answer to you.

I stand between the hardcore low church position (It's just symbolic) and the Catholic position (transubstantiation....as I understand it.)

I probably fall closer to the Catholic side because regarding communion I do believe that spirit is real, and that there is a spiritual presence of the Lord and a participation with the Lord. (1 Co 10 & 11)

Communion is full of real power to the extent that the Apostle Paul said that those who receive unworthily can bring sickness and even death upon themselves.