I read this twice... some parts 3 times.
It makes no sense to me at all. Could some kind soul synopsize this mental wander in the woods?
And take away the author's keyboard...
The author is saying that he grew up in a church that had the outward signs of orthodoxy, but which was pastored by men who no longer, in most cases, held orthodox views. The author is thankful for his exposure to such great odes to faith as the Apostle's Creed and hymns written by men and women for whom God was vibrant and real. He wishes the pastors and all the people in the church had been as passionate about God as the hymn writers, etc, but he nevertheless acknowledges that his faith got his start in what, for all intents and purposes, was a dead liberal church.
Amen. Why would anyone be thankful for a dead liberal church? I wouldn’t.