I am writing from the
International Catholic Congress of Anglicans meeting in Ft. Worth, Texas. But nobody tell the Low Churchman.
It all began last night
with Solemn Choral Evensong, and you
know what the Low Churchman thinks about Solemn things. Well, this one was more solemn than
thou, especially in tat and hats.
I’ve never seen so many mitres and birettas in one place.
In fact, Bishop Keith Ackerman
even wore a red biretta whilst entering the car to take him to St. Andrews. This makes the car more visible,
increasing safety, and therefore became a liturgical innovation of 20th
Century ritualists. For wearing
birettas whilst on airplanes, blue is the proper liturgical color.
Bishop Ackerman was the
preacher and he gave a good sermon in which he said the Congress would not be
about the proper use of vestments.
At least I think he said that as I was distracted by the large mitre he
wore in the pulpit. Yes, he took
multiple liturgical hats to the Solemn Evensong. I’m sorry to report I lost track of how many. There were so many hats, and I was so
intoxicated by incense . . . well, it was all too much for me. They even censed the altar during the
Magnificat, a disturbing practice I have never before witnessed.
On a happier note, during
a more sensible said service of Morning Prayer today, Bishop Nazir-Ali taught
well from Colossians 1:15-20. It
helped that he did not wear any distracting hats.
Anglican TV is here and
said to be live-streaming the conference.
I do not know if trigger warnings for low churchmen have been posted.
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