Posted on 02/02/2014 7:26:36 PM PST by marshmallow
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Congress authorized the creation of Washington National Cathedral in 1893, it envisioned a national spiritual home. Decades later, it became a setting for presidential funerals, sermons by the likes of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and worship services for epic national tragedies such as Newtown and Sept. 11.
But would it have thought of tai chi and yoga mats?
Seeking to transform the historic institution's mission and heighten its public profile, the cathedral's leaders recently removed the thousands of chairs usually in its 10-story Gothic worship area for a week of unconventional events in a suddenly changed empty but dramatic space.
On the night of Jan. 13, the nave was filled with dozens of people in socks after a lesson by a tai chi master with a silver sword. On Jan. 15, a chorus was to perform an unusual 40-part song while walking across the marble floor (cathedral officials call this "extreme polyphony"). On Jan. 17, the soaring space was to be open for an all-night vigil and be stocked with yoga mats and meditation cushions.
As mellow as it all sounds, the weeklong public program — "Seeing Deeper" — was part of a highly orchestrated drive by the nation's second-largest cathedral to remake itself and survive in an era when religious institutions are struggling. And what's more institutional than a huge cathedral?
Washington National Cathedral, one of the Episcopal Church's three major U.S. cathedrals, was already forced to halve its $27 million budget in the mid-2000s because of falling revenue before an earthquake in 2011 caused damage tallying an additional $26 million. Although it is now in the black, it must raise its roughly $13 million annual operating budget as well as the remaining $19 million for earthquake repairs.
(Excerpt) Read more at 10tv.com ...
Anytime you hear something extreme, liberal, whacky...always look for “Episcopal”.
Come on now, my grandfather was an Episcopalian minister who was on the committee that built the cathedral. I don’t consider him wacky.
He was not, as for his successors...
**Washington National Cathedral, one of the Episcopal Church’s three major U.S. cathedrals, was already forced to halve its $27 million budget in the mid-2000s because of falling revenue before an earthquake in 2011 caused damage tallying an additional $26 million. Although it is now in the black, it must raise its roughly $13 million annual operating budget as well as the remaining $19 million for earthquake repairs.**
Episcopal says it all.
I think its possible things may have changed in 107 years.
It is a beautiful church, on beautiful grounds, located on the best part of the District. Many years ago, for a brief time, I lived a few streets away from the Cathedral. I would go to the Cathedral for Friday Evensong. Simply beautiful. You have much to be proud of in what your Grandfather accomplished
Sadly though, the stuff about Yoga and gay weddings is all true. I imagine your Grandfather wouldn't be able to comprehend what happened to his church.
The current dean literally wrote the book on gay marriage. Considered a leader in promoting it in the church. Primary reason he got the position.
The homosexual weddings and pagan exercises were supposed to be so popular. What happened?
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