10/25/2004: "Episcopal neopaganism"

There are those who doubt that paganism has penetrated the Episcopal Church. If you're among them, check out this "Women's Eucharist," the text for which comes from the Worship Resources section of the ECUSA Women's Ministries Web site:

A Women�s Eucharist: A Celebration of the Divine Feminine

We gather around a low table, covered with a woven cloth or shawl. A candle, a bowl or vase of flowers, a large shallow bowl filled with salted water, a chalice of sweet red wine, a cup of milk mixed with honey, and a plate of raisin cakes are placed on the table.

When all are seated on the floor and comfortable, one of the women lights the candles saying,

"Mother God, Giver of light, let this flame illumine our hearts and minds. May its warmth remind us of the love in which you embrace us all. We thank you, Mother, for light."

Placing both hands on the fabric covering the table, one of the women says,

"We thank you, Mother, for the hands that wove this cloth. May her life be rich and full. We thank you for the colors, the textures, and the patterns that cover our sacred time and places. We thank you for the wisdom of the weaver�s art, the glory of the interplay of thread and cord. May we be woven together with cords of love and trust as we weave the vision of our lives."

Gathering the flowers to her face, another woman says,

"Blessed are you, Mother God, for the fertility of this world. We thank you for the sight and scent of flowers, for the way their shape evokes in us the unfolding of our own sexuality, and for their power to remind us of the glory and the impermanence of physical beauty. May our days of blossoming and of fading be days spent in your presence."

Dipping her fingers into the bowl of salt water, one of the women says,

"Sisters, this is the water of life. From the womb of the sea, Mother Earth brought forth life. From the womb waters of our own bodies our children are born. In the womb shaped fonts of our churches, we are baptized into community. This is the water of life." Touching the water again, she continues. "This, too, is the water of our tears. Our power to weep is an expression of God�s love in and through us. We weep in sorrow for that which we have lost. We weep in anger for the pain of others. We weep in hope of healing and wholeness, and we weep in joy when our hearts are too full to contain our feelings."

Dipping her fingers in the water, each traces a tear on the cheek of the woman beside her saying,

"Remember, sister, tears are the water of life."

The chalice of sweet red wine is raised and a woman says,

"Blessed are you, Mother God, for you have given us the fruit of the earth. Red as blood, warm as life itself, sweet and intoxicating as love. We thank you for wine. We bless you for the power of this drink to remind us of our own power. We praise you for the strength and beauty of our bodies, and for the menstrual blood of womanhood. We embrace the mystery of life which you have entrusted to us, and we pray for the day when human blood is no longer shed and when woman�s blood is honored as holy and in your image."

The cup is passed hand to hand and all drink from it.

The cup of milk and honey is raised and a woman says,

"Thank you, Mother, for the abundance of life. Thank you for the rich, full, pleasing, and life giving milk of our bodies. Thank you for the children who drink from our breasts for they bring sweetness to our lives. We drink this cup as your daughters, fed from your own bosom. May we be proud of our nurturing and sustaining selves. May we honor our breasts as symbols of your abundance. Thank you for the milk and honey of your presence with us."

The cup is passed and shared by all.

The plate of raisin cakes is raised and a woman says,

"Mother God, our ancient sisters called you Queen of Heaven and baked these cakes in your honor in defiance of their brothers and husbands who would not see your feminine face. We offer you these cakes, made with our own hands; filled with the grain of life -- scattered and gathered into one loaf, then broken and shared among many. We offer these cakes and enjoy them too. They are rich with the sweetness of fruit, fertile with the ripeness of grain, sweetened with the power of love. May we also be signs of your love and abundance."

The plate is passed and each woman takes and eats a cake.

When all have eaten, they say together:

"We thank you, Mother, for revealing yourself to us in the mystery of our womanhood. We thank you for the water of life in which we swam in the womb and which gives us the power to weep. We thank you for the blood of life which flows in and from our bodies and which makes us creators in your image as we give birth to new life. We thank you for the milk and honey of life which we receive from our mothers and which we give to our own children. And we thank you for the rich, sweet, and savory taste of life found in the grain of the earth and the fruit of the vine -- the gifts of your body shared with us. May we cherish it and ourselves always, and may we live in your peace."

This comes to the ECUSA courtesy of the Rev. Glyn Ruppe-Melnyk of St. Francis in the Fields, Malvern, PA. Now, compare it to this item, found on Tuathe de Brighid, which refers to itself as "a Clan of modern Druids":

A Celebration of the Divine Feminine in A Eucharist to our Mother Goddess by Glispa

We gather around a low table, covered with a woven cloth or shawl. On the table are a candle, a bowl or vase of flowers, a large shallow bowl filled with salted water, a chalice of sweet red wine, a cup of milk mixed with honey, and a plate of raisin cakes.

When all are seated on the floor and comfortable, one of the women lights the candles saying,

"Mother God, Giver of light, let this flame illumine our hearts and minds. May its warmth remind us of the love in which you embrace us all. We thank you, Mother God, for light."

Placing both hands on the fabric covering the table, one of the women says,

"We thank you, Mother God, for the hands that wove this cloth. May her life be rich and full. We thank you for the colors, the textures, and the patterns that cover our sacred time and places. We thank you for the wisdom of the weaver�s art, the glory of the interplay of thread and cord. May we be woven together with cords of love and trust as we weave the vision of our lives."

Gathering the flowers to her face, another woman says,

"Blessed are you, Mother God, for the fertility of this world. We thank you for the sight and scent of flowers, for the way their shape evokes in us the unfolding of our own sexuality, and for their power to remind us of the glory and the impermanence of physical beauty. May our days of blossoming and of fading be days spent in your presence."

Dipping her fingers into the bowl of salt water, one of the women says,

"Sisters, this is the water of life. From the womb of the sea, our Mother Earth brought forth life. From the womb waters of our own bodies our children are born. In the womb shaped fonts of our churches, we are baptized into community. This is the water of life."

Touching the water again, she continues.

"This, too, is the water of our tears. Our power to weep is an expression of Mother God�s love in and through us. We weep in sorrow for that which we have lost. We weep in anger for the pain of others. We weep in hope of healing and wholeness, and we weep in joy when our hearts are too full to contain our feelings."

Dipping her fingers in the water, each traces a tear on the cheek of the woman beside her saying,

"Remember, sister, tears are the water of life."

The chalice of sweet red wine is raised and a woman says,

"Blessed are you, Mother God, for you have given us the fruit of the earth. Red as blood, warm as life itself, sweet and intoxicating as love. We thank you for wine. We bless you for the power of this drink to remind us of our own power. We praise you for the strength and beauty of our bodies, and for the menstrual blood of womanhood. We embrace the mystery of life which you have entrusted to us, and we pray for the day when human blood is no longer shed and when woman�s blood is honored as holy and in your image."

The cup is passed hand to hand and all drink from it.

The cup of milk and honey is raised and a woman says,

"Thank you Mother God for the abundance of life. Thank you for the rich, full, pleasing, and life giving milk of our bodies. Thank you for the children who drink from our breasts for they bring sweetness to our lives. We drink this cup as your daughters, fed from your own bosom. May we be proud of our nurturing and sustaining selves. May we honor our breasts as symbols of your abundance. Thank you for the milk and honey of your presence with us."

The cup is passed and shared by all.

The plate of raisin cakes is raised and a woman says,

"Mother God, our ancient sisters called you Queen of Heaven and baked these cakes in your honor in defiance of their brothers and husbands who would not see your feminine face. We offer you these cakes, made with our own hands. Filled with the grain of life�scattered and gathered into one loaf, then broken and shared among many. We offer these cakes and enjoy them too. They are rich with the sweetness of fruit, fertile with the ripeness of grain, sweetened with the power of love. May we also be signs of your love and abundance."

The plate is passed and each woman takes and eats a cake.

When all have eaten, they say together:

"We thank you, Mother God, for revealing yourself to us in the mystery of our womanhood. We thank you for the water of life in which we swam in the womb and which gives us the power to weep. We thank you for the blood of life which flows in and from our bodies and which makes us creators in your image as we give birth to new life. We thank you for the milk and honey of life which we receive from our mothers and which we give to our own children. And we thank you for the rich, sweet, and savory taste of life found in the grain of the earth and the fruit of the vine�the gifts of your body shared with us. May we cherish it and ourselves always, and may we live in your peace."

No, this is not a double posting. You read correctly: this neopagan liturgy is currently being offered essentially unchanged on the official Web site of the ECUSA for use by Episcopal churches. If you'd like to contact someone to express your opinion about the, ah, appropriateness of this liturgy on an allegedly Christian Web site, write to the director of Women's Ministries, the Rev. Margaret Rose, at mrose@episcopalchurch.org. I'm sure she'd love to hear from lots of fans of Rev. Ruppe-Melnyk's handiwork.

(Hat tip: Erik.)

UPDATE: If you'd like to get in on the paganization of the ECUSA, you can respond to this invitation:

A Call for Resources

Many aspects of women�s lives and bodies have historically been left unrecognized in the rites, rituals, and ceremonies of the church. However, for women to move from representation to true inclusion in the church and beyond, the church must embrace pastorally, ritually, and liturgically the many passages and experiences of a woman�s life.

We believe in the narrative aspect of liturgy�the ability to tell the story of a woman�s life through ritual, prayer, and ceremony. The following section provides worship resources that respond to the lives of women. We anticipate this will be a place where women can share with one another liturgies they have created or found that respond to the various passages and experiences of their lives. It is our hope that such resources may be incorporated within the context of a Sunday morning service or any other appropriate milieu. These can include but are not limited to:

* conception/pregnancy/miscarriage/childbirth
* menstruation
* menopause
* abortion
* any form of leave taking
* women saints� days

Yessir, I can't wait to incorporate that menstruation liturgy from the local Wiccan coven into my All Saints' Sunday worship. Because, you see, it's all about us. That God character can get His/Her/Its own worshippers.

UPDATE: Check out the comments by Ted Olsen of Christianity Today's excellent Weblog here.

Replies: 26 Comments

on Monday, October 25th, Uncle Dino said

Wasn't this "Women's Ministry" one of the supporters of this year's pro-abortion march in Washington, DC?

BTW: Malvern, PA is in the Diocese of Pennsylvania - Bennison country - not exactly the seat of orthodox Christianity

on Tuesday, October 26th, Oengus Moonbones said

Oh, wow! I didn't know that the ECUSA worshipped the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth.

on Tuesday, October 26th, kenk said

Make sure that somebody sends this to the AOC sees this along with some of the Bishops in Africa. :angry:

on Tuesday, October 26th, Hal Duston said

"Mother God, our ancient sisters called you Queen of Heaven and baked these cakes in your honor in defiance of their brothers and husbands who would not see your feminine face. We offer you these cakes, made with our own hands."

See Jeremiah 7:17-19 and Jeremiah 44:16-26 for more about the ancient sisters with whom allegiance is claimed.

Found in the comments at MCJ.

on Tuesday, October 26th, Sean said

So ... is the problem that this rite mirrors an admittedly pagan rite, or that it claims there is a feminine side of God? I thought that God was neither male nor female.

Not trying to be jerk here, really trying to understand.

on Tuesday, October 26th, Katherine said

Just what ECUSA needs, a rite for abortion. Actually, there already is one -- it's called "Reconciliation of a Penitent."

on Tuesday, October 26th, Christopher Culver said

"So ... is the problem that this rite mirrors an admittedly pagan rite, or that it claims there is a feminine side of God? I thought that God was neither male nor female."

The problem is its pagan nature and its total lack of prayers to the Son. I've written elsewhere (Bill Cork's blog) about how the worst thing about these feminine ceremonies is their unitarian imagination of God.

Sure, some might have problems with praying to God with feminine terminology, but that wouldn't be the first thing to strike them about this.

on Tuesday, October 26th, Sean said

The lack of prayers to the Son is problematical because it is the Son who sacrificed Himself for our sins. Therefore, it is impossible to have a Eucharistic prayer that does not mention the Son. Is that right so far?

I understand the Trinity, but since there is only one God who is neither Male nor Female, how can this prayer be faulty for failing to mention the Son? We aver that the Father and Son are One God, so mention of One is mention of the Other and worship of One is worship of the Other, right?

In my mind it comes down to the fact that we believe in One God, Who is neither Male nor Female. In that case, worshipping a Mother aspect is the same as worshipping the Father, isn't it? As far as the pagan aspects of the ritual, the objects used are not worshipped from what I can tell, they are merely tools used in the worship of God.

I'm trying my best to argue the other side here so that I come to a better understanding - and can then argue with non-Christians better. Thanks for your patience and assistance.

on Tuesday, October 26th, Athanasius said

Sean, you ask legitimate questions. So here's an attempt at answers.

It is true that God is neither male nor female, and that He has characteristics that we would associate with one or the other without ascribing gender to Him (nurturing, protecting, etc.). Worshipping God in His feminine aspects is perfectly legitimate.

What this liturgy does, however, is ascribe gender to God in a way that Scripture rejects. While in theory it is no more objectionable to call God Mother than Father, in Scripture this is never done (God is described as "like a mother," not as Mother) because female gods were associated with the fertility cults of Canaan. This liturgy demonstrates just the kind of obsession with fertility and bodily functions that is described as idolatrous in Scripture. In fact, one could make the case that the object of worship in this liturgy isn't God at all, but the female body . That would be in line with the Wiccan belief that everything is divine, rather than recognizing an absolute difference in being between the Creator and the created.

You are right that it is impossible to have a Eucharistic prayer that doesn't mention Christ. This liturgy, however, is referred to as a "Women's Eucharist," which explicitly associates it with the sacrament of Holy Communion. Yet this liturgy obviously bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Christian Eucharist, which is based in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In that regard, it actually bears more rsemblance to the Black Mass (which is an inversion of the Christian sacrament) than to anything we would call "Eucharist." As for the objects, they don't seem to be worshipped, true; but the use to which most of them is put again seems to refer back mostly to the human makes of them. As such, they are meant as gifts of ours to God, rather than being gifts of God to us as in Communion. Again, this bears much more resemblance to pagan rites than Christian ones.

on Wednesday, October 27th, Marshall said

I am an ELCA Lutheran pastor and I have been watching with much sadness the disintegration of the Episcopal Church USA, with whom we have had a full communion relationship since 1999. I had a hard time believing this liturgy could really be included in any official ECUSA material, so I checked it out. And sure enough, there it is, on their webpage. I sent a copy of it to our synod bishop, asking why we would want to have anything to do with such blasphemy.

on Wednesday, October 27th, C. Wingate said

As a comparison of the CT story and rite itself make clear, the worst offense here is that the original authors appear to have deliberately gone back and sought out pagan practices from the OT as a rebellion against the Patriarchy(tm). Christianity *is* part of that patriarchy. A Christian denomination's promulgation of such a text is the rankest kind of apostacy.

on Wednesday, October 27th, All in X said

Checked out the official ECUSA website just a bit ago and the list of worship resources was completely gone. Then double checking it a short time later the list was returned but without the offending ones. I saw someone predict last night that they would be removed today. Too late! The cat is out of the bag.

on Wednesday, October 27th, Sean said

Athanasius, thank you, that helps.

Thinking on it further, it seems that another major reason this rite is all wrong is that it deviates so completely from the rite as instituted by Christ Himself. It seems as though the perpetrators of this rite have little to no understanding what the Eucharist really is. There are obviously no participants that can consecrate the host, they fail to follow the proper Eucharistic prayers, and they include extraneous material that has no place in a real celebration of the Eucharist.

While the priest abuse scandal made national headlines, I believe practices such as this rite are the true scandals that should be sounding alarm bells throughout Christianity. Obviously there is something rotten at work when the teachings of Christ are subverted like this.

on Thursday, October 28th, Bob Koch said

Notice you really have people commenting on this who don't understand what all the fuss is about. That itself speaks *volumes*. The best reason I can think of for not recognizing female priests in the Episcopal Church is the same one to not recognize their male ones. Or their laymen as laymen. They have no authentic source of teaching, no authentic Tradition as a starting point for any of their practices. The whole organization is kind of pre-catechumen, and should be understood that way. They need pretty basic direction before letting them in on the *idea* of the Eucharist. You can see why the Orthodox liturgy still has the call for catechumens to leave (they don't actually do it) before the beginning of the Eucharistic rite.
Some people weren't (and AREN'T) competent to even see it without careful preparation.

on Thursday, October 28th, Jasper said

True enough. But don't waste your time thinking the Episcopal/Anglican church is even pre-catechumen. None of the protestant churches are. Authentic tradition was lost by them day one. I am dumbfounded that anyone defends these churches, or continues to practice in them. Those who do and know better should search their souls.

on Friday, October 29th, John Wilkins said

This is a minor event. A small thing made large by some obsessive people hunting for witches. Easy to see how McCarthy got so many supporters.

on Friday, October 29th, bubbles said

John,
"a minor event" reflective of a larger apostasy, and entirely characteristic of the boomer generation's grotesque self-absorption. Only this time, instead of shoving their heads up their ass, they've picked a different orifice.

Oh, and McCarthy got so many supporters because he was right.