Hi all, Do any of you have any experience with the Independent Sacramental Movement? I wonder if the Continuing Churches fall into this category?
I had not heard of this until you posted. I think the reputable Continuing churches would dispute being categorized in this manner. One of the checkmarks for being categorized as ISM is dubious claims to legitimacy of one's Holy Orders. Our orders are recognized and accepted across broad swathes of Anglicanism. There are groups on the fringe (ahem, Anglican Church of the Americas, Emmanuel Communion, anyone that's associated by choice with Rutherford Johnson -okay, I'll stop) that fit into the ISM category. I guess Virginia is a hotbed of this stuff: we've got high-ranking representatives of the Eparchy of the Old Dominion (an independent eastern orthodox group), the Ecumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide (an independent eastern orthodox group who's Metropolitan also happens to be the archbishop of the Old Catholic Orthodox Church), Archbishop Francis Theophilus (who lives across town from me), and other assorted characters. So, I guess I do have experience with these clowns. They can be categorized by dioceses with lots of priests and few parishes. Most of the parishes they do have meet in someone's garage or sun room. Somehow, they acquire only the finest of lavish vestments. On the side, they run restaurants, do counseling, or maybe pimp. Average time from ordination to the diaconate to becoming a bishop: 7 months.
Mass and Tatt is where it's at. The greek root of the word liturgy is two greek words laos and ergon in a construct, suggesting that the root meaning of the word liturgy is 'the people's work'. The glorious vestments are not the main event, and the thing of beauty is the prayer of the people.