I stopped by one of the blogs on my blogroll today, the Anglican Centrist. It was my first visit in some time. I had come to appreciate its perspective on things Anglican–theologically insightful with thoughtful commentary on developments in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. I read an entry that referenced someone’s attempt to visit an Episcopal Church on Christmas Eve. The blogger bemoaned that the priest’s response to this person was to discourage them from attending. This provided the jumping-off point for  screed against liberals, Obama (blaming the attacks at Ft. Hood on progressive politics) and much more. I couldn’t finish the article because of the vitriol.

The blogger at Anglican Centrist wanted to use this as an example of how not to evangelize. Now, I’m all for leaving party identity outside the church, where it belongs. But I wonder whether the priest who responded negatively sensed the anger in the person. I will welcome anyone who seeks God, and desires to love God and their neighbor–whoever that neighbor might be. You can follow the exchange here.

I’ve been a big fan of Sojourners bumper sticker: “God is not a Republican… Or a Democrat.”

After reading that, I went over to Madison.com, where there’s an article about a very different expression of religion:

The group, a branch of the Madison Church of Religious Science, is reinventing the idea of church, with “stand you up” live music, meditation, singing, chanting and “an inclusive message of self-empowerment.”

The article is here.

One of the things I’ve appreciated about my move to Madison is that I have escaped the overwhelming presence of the religious right. The author in the article cited by Anglican Centrist was highly critical of progressive Christianity’s embrace of Obama, with nary a mention of the close connection between the Republican party and the religious right and the vilification in many circles of Obama, to the extent of viewing him as the Antichrist, and advocating praying for his death.

But in a town where the guy who came to work on the boiler at Grace last week had to go next to the Freedom from Religion foundation to work, and new religious movements like the one described in the State Journal, negotiating a path as a religious leader can be tricky.