Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

Episcopal Church

  • time to ditch the old church language

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    2 min read

    One need not pray in another person’s language  The language of the King James Bible and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is not ours, it is theirs. It doesn’t define church for me; it defines 17th Century English church. And it is alien to the 21st Century North American church. I have a devoted Rite…

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  • A Pastor’s Response to General Convention #77

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    5 min read

      We aren’t the Rotary. We aren’t a country club. We aren’t civil society. We aren’t a local government. We aren’t a Lodge or an Order or anything like that. We are the church and the church is different. We forget that sometimes. And in many ways. When we get together to set up the…

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  • Best Response to Doubters Yet

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    1 min read

    Tom Ehrich has written the best response yet to the anti-mainline and doom-and-gloom forecasts. Conservative commentators like Rupert Murdoch’s stable and Ross Douthat of The New York Times are feasting on what they perceive as the “death” of “liberal Christianity.” They add two and two and get eight. They see decisions they don’t like — such…

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  • CNN Asks Real Episcopalian to Debate Outsider

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    2 min read

    No sooner had I written my little rant about the media then did I stumble upon the Rev. Susan Russell’s conversation Sunday morning on CNN. She was invited to talk about The Episcopal Church’s decision at General Convention to confirm for trial use the liturgy produced for the blessing of same-gendered unions. Speaking opposite her…

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  • Bad Coverage of Good News

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    7 min read

    After a week of incredible, humbling work, the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church closed last week with a flurry of activity. A week of prayer, worship, discernment, and decision found the church wrestling with serious and substantive questions. More importantly, it appears, finding its voice. A new group of people I deeply respect…

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  • Create Video Contest Submission | Episcopal Church

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    1 min read

    Create Video Contest Submission | Episcopal Church. I’d love to see some submissions from the Diocese of Eastern Michigan! What can we put together?

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