To the Traditional Anglican Ping List (and FRiends)

self | 2/20/2007 | sionnsar

[sionnsar]

Folks, I am passing on the baton of the Traditional Anglican Ping List. It's not been an easy decision, but it's necessary. Still, I feel like I owe you an explanation though it's a bit long and involves the journey of how I came to become the list's pinger.

A quarter-century ago, a cradle Episcopalian not long out of college and recently married, I was active in my Episcopal church as Lay Reader, Chalice Bearer, Verger, Vestryman and finally… Delegate to Convention! I remember heading off to my first diocesan convention happy, excited and honored to be representing my parish.

I was completely unprepared for the ugly reality I encountered there. I was shocked at the blatant attempts to use the church to advance various liberal secular issues such as unilateral disarmament – and some of it by people I'd known for years! During one of the many nasty yelling matches, I suddenly had an image of Satan standing in that hall, laughing. My wife says that when I arrived home, shattered, she knew it was only a matter of time until we left ECUSA.

That time came a couple of years later when we moved to an area where the Episcopal churches were all weird, wrong or stone cold dead. By accident we visited a Continuing Anglican church – but we stayed, and joined. It wasn't easy, and not least was the knowledge that we'd left ECUSA and the Anglican Communion, but we were in a solid, welcoming church. Rediscovering the 1928 liturgy was an extra bonus.

After while we quit looking back to ECUSA, we said nothing more about her, we paid no more attention to her. We did hear things from time to time, such as the election of a woman to bishop, apparently only qualified by her race and gender, but these things didn't affect us so we ignored or soon forgot them.

That's pretty much how things remained until sometime in 2002 or 2003 I wandered into the Religion Forum and learned that ahadams2 (Arlin Adams) was running an Anglican ping list. I signed up – and in horror I began to learn what had been transpiring since we left in 1983.

Because I knew HTML, Arlin was soon asking me to touch up postings with difficult formatting. Soon after that he suggested a web page listing Anglican FReepers' churches; that grew into The Traditional Anglican Directory and Resource Page. All this was part of his mission, he said: to show departing Episcopalians where the exits were, and I was happy to help.

Then on September 3rd, 2004, Arlin passed away.

And the news stopped.

Later, Arlin's wife Sharon sent me a copy of his Anglican ping list, I began to identify Anglican news and blog sites, and soon the Traditional Anglican Ping List was up again. This quickly became a lot of work as I was making the rounds of 30 to 50 sites daily (my complete list is now well upwards of 100). Then the postings were cut back to 9 per day so listmembers wouldn't be swamped.

About that time I also realized that retaining a history of postings could be of interest in the future, if only to me, and so the postings archive was born.

Longterm listmembers will remember how matters were declining across the Anglican Communion during this time. Now in matters Anglican one expects things to move glacially slow, which they did. But the constancy of this slow decline began to worry me.

Recently my wife commented on the effects of all this deep immersion in negativity. Over the past weekend it became clearly apparent to me that I do indeed need to "put down the browser and back away." And so I shall.

My decision was affirmed yesterday by the Primates' Communiqué. Although it appears that neither side is happy, TEC and other offenders will not only not be disciplined, they remain in full status in the Anglican Communion. What is worse, I see this document installing control without rectifying the current situation; there is in it no refining of the Communion as it exists -- it seems they are forging a tool that will cause the Communion great harm when the wrong hands gain control of this One Ring binding the Communion. It is still in the realm of possibility for the orthodox to win this war, and it is most assuredly a war, but any victory has been forestalled by many years, possibly decades. For my part, I do not anticipate ever being able to rejoin the Anglican Communion.

I believe Arlin's original mission is probably nearly complete if not already accomplished. If nothing else, I doubt there are any Episcopalians left unaware of the issues in their church, and of the options before them. This helped in my decision.

Nevertheless, Huber did volunteer to take on the list (after I wheedled and cajoled and browbeat and threatened him into it -- and there is little truth in this), so that listmembers can remain informed. I put way too much time and effort into this list and trust he will manage his time better than I, with fewer postings -- and I expect the postings archive (which I think nobody but I ever used) will come to an end.

When I took on the list I had a steep learning curve. I had only a cradle layman's understanding of Anglicanism, and very little knowledge at all of the Anglican polity. My searches for material to post taught me a lot, though it is an erratic knowledge full of gaps. I know Huber is feeling the same trepidation I did when I started (though he is better educated), and I have offered my support.

It's been an interesting time, particularly when I think on the postings that I just can never forget, from the pain in “Episcopal Church, I Weep for Thee” to the lightheartedness of Chant Psalms While You Work!, the simple awfulness of The Winner of the Nasty Chasuble Contest!, the determination of Little Stone Bridges & Why We Fight for Them, the horror of "It Was Horrible, Horrible!" (First-hand account of an abortion clinic -- very graphic!), and the warning in Fly, you fools! [flee ECUSA!] by the Rev. Al Kimel, who soon took his own advice and left. Huber will have an equally interesting time, I hope.

For my part, I will spend my Lent off the ping list, away from the Religion forum, eyes averted and out of earshot of the ongoing War for the Worldwide Anglican Communion. As a FRiend here noted I have my peaceful little "garden church" in which to spend my Lent: to rest, repent, recuperate and recharge, and to look forward to celebrating Easter, here in my quiet little corner of Continuing Anglicanism.

You're welcome to stop by anytime, in person or online:
  http://st-bartholomews.org
  http://anglicanparishpriest.blogspot.com
  http://continuinghome.blogspot.com

sionnsar

[Kolokotronis]

AXIOS! :)

[sionnsar]

Best of luck to you. I'm sorry that things are going so wrong in your Church that you feel the need for a break. May your time off be a cool drink of water for your soul.

Thank you. Actually it is the church I grew up in, not the one I am in now. Even so it is sad to watch it go down, and worse to begin to take those with it who were too slow to declare themselves out of communion.

[sionnsar]

ROFLOL!!!!!

[altura]

Thank you, sionnsar. I've been amazed at the amount of work you've put into the Episcopal pings.

We were discussing something similar at Bible Class this morning. Our teacher, pretty liberal, was cautioning the conservatives among the class members to hang in with the church and try to make changes from within.

I do plan to hang into my own Parish, but it is too late to try to change the National Church in my opinion.

And I'm tired of thinking about it and worrying about it. It is depressing! I get cranky when I think about the Presiding Bishop. She's Hillary with a collar.

So, I'm giving up sweets and Episcopal problems for Lent and, I hope, forever. (not sweets, are you nuts?)

Thanks for your service. We'll miss you, but you made a smart decision.

[kalee]

Dear Sionnsar,
Thank you for all your hard work. I also plan to take a Lenten break from all the negativity.
Blessed Lent,
Kalee

[PAR35]

Thanks for all your hard work. I am also glad to see your take on what just happened. Enjoy your rest. I'll leave you alone until after lent.

I'm going to keep tagging files dealing with church property disputes - that's one of the things that got me into these postings.

[ken5050]

Thanks for all the work you've put in over the past years. I've enjoyed our private Freepmail discussions as well. Though a very difficult choice, I left my very liberal parish last year, partly due to the confidence and conviction I found in the many postings and comments on this forum, with the support and encouragement of friends here.

Prayers for you, and Mrs. sionnsar. Glad she's feeling better. Prayers also for our good friend Arlin. Have you spoken lately to his wife? How's the family doing?

Best wishes...see you on the threads..

[PAR35]

One last thought, a positive one, for you to take from here:

As I have commented before, this is the one place on the religion board where one can see such a mix of folks come together and discuss faith in such a friendly fashion. Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Calvinist, and even Anglicans of various stripes and nary a spat. Occasionally a liberal Episcopal would show up, your guidance kept us regulars in line.

So take away thoughts not of the unpleasant things you had to report, but concentrate on the fact that you ran the most ecumenical list on FR.

[livius]

Thanks for all your work. I'm Catholic, but some members of my family are Piskeys (the bad kind, unfortunately - or should I say, the well meaning but terminally silly kind) so I look in on the threads now and then just to see what might be happening in their world.

And of course, I do remember famous Anglican converts such as Cardinal Newman, who brought so much good to the Church, refined through his reflections and experiences as an Anglican. So I think there are definitely good things that all of us can share in, and I hope the bad Piskeys - or the silly ones - don't manage to stamp them out. Best wishes.

[AnalogReigns]

Thank you so much for your service!

May you garner rich Heavenly rewards....

[Nihil Obstat]

>>>the fact that you ran the most ecumenical list on FR.<<<

Agreed! Great post. God bless S.


When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no tears in a gloom-filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?

[Martin Tell]

Thank you so much for all you've done.

You filled Arlen's large shoes most ably, especially in putting up with the ill tempered amongst us - I being the chief of all offenders.

Yours is the most graceful bowing out I can recall. Why it does not even qualify as an opus!

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Thank you for your service. This Catholic appreciated your updates and tracking things in your denomination. The ECUSA is an image of what would happen to The Church if the modernists ever took charge. I am sorry it happened to you. God Bless

[Salvation]

May God bless you in your decision.

[walden]

Well, thank you so much for all of your hard work-- it has helped me a lot. Enjoy your rest.

[Maeve]

I love Fr. Jolly.

sionnsar, you have done Arlin proud. Thank you for all that you have done in keeping all of us apprised of the goings-on in the Anglican world.

I pray your Lent is blessed in a thousand million ways. God bless you.

[Huber]

As you know, the Epistle reading this Sunday was the passage from 1 Corinthians 13 on Charity:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Through your efforts in the Traditional Anglican ping list, and notwithstanding the occasional imbecilic or venomous post, or the need to speak with candor and clarity, you always managed to be charitable. Through your example, many of us learned the lesson of Ephesians 4:15. Your work was consistent, timely, impeccably edited, comprehensive and humble, but above all these things, it was your constant charity that made this ping list so successful, and so well loved.

As you see from the replies to this thread, you have earned the gratitude of many. As you go in peace to love and serve the Lord,

Thanks be to God.

[sionnsar]

especially in putting up with the ill tempered amongst us - I being the chief of all offenders.

Martin Tell, I have no association or recollection of ill-temper tied to your name. (What was it again? *\;-)

But seriously, the one I do recall as being the most, well, no, second-most, ill-tempered here I'm now pleased to call a friend.

[Ray'sBeth]

I can not tell you how much I have appreciated the work you have done, and the encouragement you have been to me personally. Thank you.

[rabscuttle385]

Thank you!