Please sign the guestbook and view it.

Louie & Ernest Clay-Crew
Married February 2, 1974


12/21/1974
 
8/17/2006

The Episcopal Church is a secret too well kept. Many are starved for what we experience daily and too easily take for granted. Invite others to come to your parish to experience this joy.

In thinking of your 'reasons,' try to focus on what draws you and others to this church. Enjoy the exercise! Tell others about it and encourage them to submit.

Morehouse has published my 101 Reasons to be an Episcopalian ISBN 0-8192-1925-8 (pbk.) -- all items from this site. All profits from the book will go to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD).

1. The Episcopal Church is my 'Amazing Grace' it has transformed me in many ways. 'I will with God's help.' -- Cindy Grenier clgrenier@verizon.net
2. The Archbishop of Canterbury doesn't live under some pretense of 'infallibility.' -- Richard McClellan packtherac@hotmail.com
3. My wife and I, although I am not married yet, will be able to use birth control and not fear the flames of Hell doing what God has given us the brains and body to do in our best interests to Him, ourselves, and those we love. -- Richard McClellan packtherac@hotmail.com
4. You don't feel weird if you don't pray to Mary and/or the Saints -- Richard McClellan packtherac@hotmail.com
5. You aren't made to feel that only confession to a priest is how your sins are forgiven. -- Richard McClellan packtherac@hotmail.com
6. Because the church is a home where your are loved unconditionally, during your greatest joys and most desperate sorrow. -- Tamra Dixon tjd1@uakron.edu
7. If you feed my mind, my heart will follow. The Episcopal Church feeds my mind. -- Jody Strauch jodelld@gmail.com
8. Because the first time I visited the priest said 'Welcome Home' and meant it. -- Colleen Hall 3halls@bellsouth.net
9. Because I can bring anyone I wish to church and feel certain they will be welcomed. -- Colleen Hall 3halls@bellsouth.net
10. I do not count the minutes till the service is over. The Episcopal church has depth that I was missing in other denominations. -- Beth Crumpler jtbcrum@yahoo.com
11. As Episcopalians/Christians, God does not call us to agree. God calls us to Communion. -- The Rev. Kirk A. Woodliff frkirk@hotmail.com
12. The Episcopal Church is the perfect paradox: firmly based in tradition, but never afraid to change; deep and meaningful theology without the headaches; and a strong community of believers who don't all believe exactly the same thing, but love each other anyway. -- Jean Chapman chapmanj@wlu.edu
13. Thinking Tolerant -- Vestry of St. Thomas' in Dallas DoubterTom@aol.com
14. Our theological method is like Baked Alaska which is at once ice and flame, soft and hard. We dare to keep extremes in a creative (and delicious) tension. -- Marilyn Engstrom marengstrom@bresnan.net
15. The perfect church for imperfect people. -- The Rev. Peter Gunning saints@iafrica.com
16. The Episcopal Church focuses on Love, not sin. -- Carol Moggo cmoggo@hotmail.com
17. In the Episcopal service we don't just talk about the bible. We actually read it!! -- Katie Payton
18. Pipe organs, orchestras and SATB choirs, instead of guitars, tambourines and cantors. -- Alan Davis brssplr@gmail.com
19. No bingo! -- Samantha Cutlip, Lay Deputy from Western New York in 2009 spam912@aol.com
20. Where a funeral of a Grande Dame takes place without a casket, yet every row in the chapel of the cathedral has a large box of Kleenex on the aisle which is touched by nobody. They're all too busy singing Beethoven's 'Joy' hymn. -- Paul Goercke, Carillonneur pfg26@webtv.net
21. Instead of bible thumpers, one finds bible thinkers. Thinking being the operative word, I am grateful the Episcopal Church accepts humans who think and say, 'Yeah, but have you ever thought it could be....... ' -- Ann Evans ELucean@aol.com
22. The quest and questioning are the path, I can't accept there is nothing more to think about, as many religious groups preach. -- Ann Evans ELucean@aol.com
23. A safe place for sinners, like the rest of us. --
24. All are welcome here. -- Robin Hodson
25. All Saints' Day, incense and Mozarabic preface to eucharistic prayer canon D. -- The Rev. Lee Alison Crawford LACINVT94@aol.com
26. All the pagentry, half the guilt. -- Bungee Bynum b.bynum@gmail.com
27. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. (2 Cor. 5:18-19) -- The Rev. John B. Wheeler
28. An Ancient Faith in Today's Communities -- Dylan Breuer sdbreuer@earthlink.net
29. An Embracing Church for a Hurting World -- Herb Gunn herbgunn@earthlink.net
30. An Episcopal youth group - with Jewish kids! (from my son, who is impressed that his Jewish friend is welcome and comfy in his EYC group) -- Alice Fulton Alice-fulton@uiowa.edu
31. Ancient Faith Expressed for Today -- Dylan Breuer sdbreuer@earthlink.net
32. Ancient Faith, Today's Expression -- Dylan Breuer sdbreuer@earthlink.net
33. As a lifelong Anglican I have always appreciated that I was free to think on my own. That doesn't mean that you can believe whatever you want, but we respect the gift that God has given us of intelligence. -- Philipside on beliefnet.com
34. As I grew up, I discovered the church was already there to greet me. -- Alice Fulton Alice-fulton@uiowa.edu
35. As the old hymn says: 'All things are ready; come to the feast! -- Sharon Moon Sharonmoon@aol.com
36. Beautiful, dignified and sensitive memorial services a la the one at the Washington National Cathedral following 9/11. -- Dixie Hutchinson hutch2@airmail.net
37. Because God loves you. ALL of you. Period. Class dismissed. -- The Rev. John Arms
38. Because I don't have to say the Prayer of Humble Access or anything else in the 1928 prayer book anymore, but I remember being struck by its poetry as a child. -- Priscilla H. Ballou vze23t8n@verizon.net
39. Because we constantly remind ourselves we are Christians first, Episcopalians second. -- Mary Koch marykoch@northcascades.net
40. Become one with the One we receive. --
41. Being an Episcopalian gives me the freedom to yell 'Theatre!' in a crowded fire. -- The Very Rev. David G. Bollinger
42. Being connected to a 2000 year tradition of spirituality shaped by everyone from the ancient Celts to contemporary Maoris. -- Drhistory@aol.com
43. Being part of a church that preserves tradition but does not mummify it. -- Drhistory@aol.com
44. Being part of a community that has room for a variety of worship forms such as the rosary, the labyrinth, Taize, and the stations of the cross. -- Drhistory@aol.com
45. Being part of a community that strives to be open and inclusive -- Drhistory@aol.com
46. Come and see. -- Robin Hodson
47. Desmond Tutu is one of our bishops. --
48. Discover why 'Holy! Holy! Holy!' is one of our most popular hymns. --
49. During this time I had an ongoing mild attraction to the Episcopal Church, because while knowing little about it, I regarded it as the place where they have to let you in, and thus where I might end up when the evangelicals finally realized I had moved beyond the narrow pale of their orthodoxy. -- Don Wacome wacome@nwciowa.edu
50. Eat the food of angels! --
51. Enthusiastic doubt is better than judgemental certainty. -- Dr. Ford Elms hcc.elmf@hccsj.nf.ca
52. Episcopalians live and proclaim the gospel in community, through the Eucharist, and seek a servanthood ministry. -- Professor Willis H. A. Moore profwillishamoore@gmail.com
53. Every baptized Christian is invited to take communion in an Episcopal Church. Jesus was able to dine with publicans and sinners, so we should be able to kneel beside Baptists, Methodists, Roman and Orthodox Catholics, Presbyterians and so forth. If people who shouldn't take communion do, that's between them and God. -- David Hunter
54. Fill your spirit; lift your heart. -- Robin Hodson
55. Free wine on Sundays. -- Bungee Bynum b.bynum@gmail.com
56. Freedom of mind; peace of heart. -- Robin Hodson
57. God created male and female, and it is our practice to ordain both as priests, deacons and bishops. -- David Hunter
58. God made the funny bone. Let God repair yours here. -- Lutibelle/Louie
59. God never gives us more than we can handle, including babies, but He needs our help on this one. -- Larry Salvadori salvadoril@kendallhq.com
60. Halfway around the world, away from home, I got devastating news - and the church held my hand and was family for me. -- Alice Fulton Alice-fulton@uiowa.edu
61. Historically, the church has always been at its best when it reaches out to people, all sorts of people; when it seeks to embrace rather than cast off; to nurture rather than ignore; to bless rather than curse. In large measure, that is why I am an Episcopalian - because the Episcopal Church is an affirming church rather than a condemning one. -- The Rev. Dr. Gary Nicolosi
62. Honor the forgotten first commandment. Love God with your mind. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
63. I am allowed to have and express doubts. -- Bob Wyatt bwyatt@ang-md.org
64. I am an Anglican, an Episcopalian, because it calls me stand on my own two feet before God, to be courageous about where we can help the Church and our faith and the world. -- Russell Ruffino russell.ruffino@cox.net
65. I am Gay, and the Episcopal church is where I am least likely to be attacked with baseball bats in the name of Jesus. -- Tantris on beliefnet.com
66. I became an Episcopalian because it was a denomination that challenged me to be the best Christian I could be, rather than a saccharine, feel-good place. -- The Rev. Maureen Lewis saintd@itis.com
67. I became an Episcopalian because it was not club meetings with music, like other main-line denominations. -- The Rev. Maureen Lewis saintd@itis.com
68. I believe the Anglican way is unique, not because of what we Anglicans have, but because of the responsibility we have to share with other Christians and with the world what by God's grace we have been given to give. -- Russell Ruffino russell.ruffino@cox.net
69. I can be different and still be welcomed. People in our Church actually delight in diversity. -- Robin Hodson
70. I can bring my experiences of God in my life into discussions within the church. -- Bob Wyatt bwyatt@ang-md.org
71. I can choose to read or not read whichever translation of the Bible I wish. -- Bob Wyatt bwyatt@ang-md.org
72. I continue to be surprised at finding myself a more or less functioning Episcopalian, and for resonating so deeply with all its strange gear and lore. -- Don Wacome wacome@nwciowa.edu
73. I do not believe that the Anglican Communion of Churches comprises the one true Church, and I do not believe the Episcopal Church is the one true Church. I do believe that in this part of Christs Church I find an understanding of our relationship with God and understanding of our faith which for me is closer to the mind and heart of Jesus of Nazareth and closer to the message of the Gospel. -- Russell Ruffino russell.ruffino@cox.net
74. I don't have to be ordained to give a sermon in Church. -- Robin Hodson
75. I fell in love with the liturgy. -- Mary Cox EpiscoRat@aol.com
76. I felt right at home because the Episcopal Church is crawling with expatriate Missouri Synod Lutherans who asked too many questions. -- Maria L. Evans crankycricker@yahoo.com
77. I had often noticed its beauty; a fine example of the many charming old stone Episcopal churches nestled in the Hudson Valley. Intrigued by what I had heard in chapel, the following Sunday we went there. Then and ever since that church seemed brightly-alive with God's love, full of human beings made gracious by hearing the good news about God's grace. -- Don Wacome wacome@nwciowa.edu
78. I have found the peace and presence of God in every Episcopal Church I have entered, from Alaska to Florida. -- Robin Hodson
79. I joined the Episcopal church because of its open-minded and pragmatic view of birth control. -- The Rev. Matthew Fox
80. I like being an Anglican because our Church has a glorious, age-old, authoritative Tradition, free from authoritarianism, clerical despotism or brutish fundamentalisms. -- Tantris on beliefnet.com
81. I love the Episcopal church because it ministers to my deepest needs, and I can always count on it to do the same for others. -- Sharon Moon Sharonmoon@aol.com
82. I plan to remain where I am for the rest of my life, however long that may be. And when I die, I hope an Episcopalian priest with a sense of humor presides at my memorial service. -- David Hunter
83. I value dialog, questioning, and possibly ensuing argumentative conversation that leads to learning and thought more than almost everything else. Maybe I'm an overgrown child always asking `why' but TEC allows room for this questioning. I'm not going to be thrown out of class (suspended, expelled) for asking questions. -- Tonib Tonib144@aol.com
84. I was divorced, and then it was forgiven, forgotten, forever. -- Larry Salvadori salvadoril@kendallhq.com
85. Intelligent, loving spirituality. -- William Bartosh and Tony wbartosh@slonet.org
86. It is a Church that lets me grow and learn and change. -- Robin Hodson
87. It's God's table, not our own. If you don't come, we may not be the Church. --
88. Jesus welcomes you. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
89. Knowing that I can go to any Anglican church in the world and be 'home.' -- Drhistory@aol.com
90. Lay people have a voice in the governance of the Church. -- Robin Hodson
91. Let God restore your spirit. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
92. My evangelical friends and relatives take it for granted I am an Episcopalian because I love the liturgy, but I say no, that's not the crucial reason: I go to that sort of church because that's where I hear, see and feel God's grace. I go there because there they talk about what God does for us, rather than telling us what they think we ought to do to make ourselves. -- Don Wacome wacome@nwciowa.edu
93. My late mentor once told me, `I don’t pray anything that isn’t in the Book of Common Prayer.' Before I joined the church, I had no clue what he was talking about. Now that I use the BCP I finally `get it.' I can’t think of a single situation where one couldn’t find an applicable prayer in there! -- Maria L. Evans crankycricker@yahoo.com
94. My parish is the most functional family I have found. -- Sheena Lawrence BrightEagle@mindspring.com
95. No church karaoke. -- Cindy McLeod
96. No grape juice! -- Youth at St. Anne's in Tifton, Georgia
97. No matter who we are or what has happened in our lives, we are all His children and can feel welcome here. -- Nan Milliken NJMilliken@aol.com
98. No minimum age for full benefits. -- Youth at St. Anne's in Tifton, Georgia
99. No PowerPoint presentations during the sermon! -- Maria L. Evans crankycricker@yahoo.com
100. Open doors, open hearts. -- Robin Hodson
101. Our God loves absolutely everyone! -- Mary Jane Herron HERA576@aol.com
102. Our liturgy has 'breathing room,' and we don't have to be in a hurry to get done and get out. -- Lou Poulain
103. Over sixty percent of our members have fled other denominations as adults. --
104. Participate fully in an ever-evolving institution. -- The Rev. Canon Dr. Richard T. Nolan canonn@adelphia.net
105. Peculiar honors to our King! --
106. Protestant and Catholic. No waiting. -- Tony Hitsman tonyhit@globetrotter.net
107. Robert Warren Cromey, Louis Weil, Paul Moore, Carter Heyward, Kelly Brown-Douglas, William Stringfellow, Martha Overall, Kwok Pui-lan, Lizette Larson-Miller, Louie Crew, Ed Bacon, Rosa Lee Harden, Jay Johnson, Bill Countryman, Desmond Tutu, Hannah Glover, Diana Wheeler-Brandon, Glenda McQueen, Walter Smith, Julio Murray, Ana Murray -- oonagh Ryan-King sheela_na_gigs@mac.com
108. Share freely in God's unconditional love for all people. -- Sheena Lawrence BrightEagle@mindspring.com
109. Stand, sit, and kneel in awe of God. --
110. Take time to be whole! --
111. That we can sit around and discuss why we're sitting here. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
112. The Anglican communion - circling the globe with thanks and praise. -- Alice Fulton Alice-fulton@uiowa.edu
113. The Anglican Communion has been my life-long home, but the Episcopal Church opened her doors to me as wife, mother and priest. -- Rachel Endicott
114. The Calendar, filled with heroes of every era, from Saints Peter and Paul to Saint Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Lou Poulain
115. The Episcopal Church is home to those who use their minds as well as their hearts to deepen their understanding of God, themselves, and the best ways to live out Christ's summary of the law. Though the church has (and values) a long and rich liturgical history, it recognizes that there are many paths to spirituality. It asks of its members not that they pass a test of doctrinal purity, but that they bring to life and faith these three things: seriousness of purpose, joyousness in action, love in support of other persons. -- Wesley Jones
116. The food here is really good! -- Grace Gill gracegill@hotmail.com
117. The perfect church for those people who don't attend. -- The Rev. Selwyn Swift
118. The point is not to agree with the individual position and personal behavior of the bishop baptizing me but to accept the baptism in the spirit and tradition in which it comes. I am a lesbian and joined the Episcopal Church last year in St. Ann's in the mainly conservative Diocese of Tennessee. -- Tonib Tonib144@aol.com
119. The text for my inquirer's class said that in the Episcopal Church it is important *that* we worship, not so much what we *believe* about the one we worship. -- Priscilla H. Ballou vze23t8n@verizon.net
120. The three-legged stool of faith, tradition, and reason -- Drhistory@aol.com
121. The warmest of God's frozen chosen. -- Tony Hitsman tonyhit@globetrotter.net
122. There were also the obvious aesthetic attractions and the pull it has on any American Anglophile. Indeed, it was my awareness of these latter motives that kept me from investigating the Episcopal Church; one ought not to choose one's church on aesthetic grounds, I thought. -- Don Wacome wacome@nwciowa.edu
123. Things which had been cast down are being raised up! --
124. This wonderful, crazy Church of ours works for me! Indeed, it is the place where I know that I am called to work out my salvation `with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12) and to take my place in helping to build up the Kingdom of God -- The Rev. David Boyd
125. Today's Expression of an Ancient Faith -- Dylan Breuer sdbreuer@earthlink.net
126. We are a haven for the spiritually wondering and wounded. -- Mary Jane Herron HERA576@aol.com
127. We are welcome participants in worship. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
128. We celebrate God's love at the center of the church and at the heart of our being. -- Lori Allen lorinda.allen@verizon.net
129. We have the best preaching this side of heaven. Guaranteed guilt free. -- Larry Salvadori salvadoril@kendallhq.com
130. We laugh a lot. -- Char Vinik char@allsaintsfl.org
131. We promise not to tell you how to dress, act or feel. -- Dorothy/Anne Crocker
132. We welcome all who seek God. -- Wendy W. Sopkovich WWWS@prodigy.net
133. Welcomed, loved, and accepted as you are! -- Larry Salvadori Larry.Salvadori@TycoHealthcare.com
134. We're comprehensive enough to have Matthew Fox and Ollie North in the same church. --
135. We're not 'either/or' people; we're 'both/and' people -- Patsy Duncan trainman@texhoma.net
136. What brought me into the Episcopal Church was a mission that ministered to people who fell through the cracks: housed the homeless, fed the hungry, clothed the naked and helped find jobs--all while respecting the dignity of each individual. It's not just going to services on Sunday! -- Agnes H. Moore agnes.moore@snet.net
137. Whatever you believe, there is at least one Episcopalian that agrees with you. -- Youth at St. Anne's in Tifton, Georgia
138. When I first began attending the Church of the Holy Cross in NC (because my son got up one day at 15 and said, Mom, I'm going to church). I found what I had been looking for all those years.....a wonderful joy, love and 'lightness' in the midst of beautiful pageantry, plus priests that had a wonderful sense of humor and helped me to understand more about Christ's teachings and God's love than I have ever experienced before. -- Kathy Alyea kalyea3@yahoo.com
139. Where differences are appreciated more and more. One can be joyful in being unique -- The Rev. Teresa T. Bowden alohayouall@hawaii.rr.com
140. Where Diversity is a blessing and celebrated. -- Sheena Lawrence BrightEagle@mindspring.com
141. Where God continues to become flesh and shows up in those deemed the least! --
142. Where God is not a boy's name. --
143. Where God welcomes you, you, .... and me, and .... -- Wendy W. Sopkovich WWWS@prodigy.net
144. Where one can take time to heal and become whole. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
145. Where that which had grown old is being made new! --
146. Where the bible is taken seriously, not literally. --
147. Where the Holy Spirit is alive and well, daring to say something new! --
148. Worship God in the beauty of holiness. --
149. Worship God. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
150. Years ago in an Adult Inquirers' Class, the priest asked me if I had decided to be confirmed. I answered, 'I don't know if I agree with everything.' 'Heck,' he said. 'I don't agree with everything and I'm a priest. You will never agree with everything.' -- The Rev. Nancy Vogele VogeleN@aol.com
151. You will almost always also find good coffee in the fellowship hall of Episcopal churches. It is consumed reverently before and after services and considered almost a sacrament by many Episcopalians. -- David Hunter
152. [W]hen Anglicanism is at its best, its liturgy, its poetry, its music and its life can create a world of wonder in which it is very easy to fall in love with God. -- Urban T. Holmes III
153. A gorgeous filling station to refuel your ministry in the world. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
154. A place where a Jewish man, his Episcopalian wife (whose great- and great-great-grandfathers were Episcopalian priests), and their two children can be embraced as valued contributors to the works, worship, and leadership of a vibrant liberation community. -- Dan Goldman, member of Redeemer, Morristown, NJ dangold8@yahoo.com
155. A place where God and I can work things out....and share them with others -- Karl Lusk karllusk@earthlink.net
156. All of the tradition; none of the guilt! -- Louise Stover calcs@sprintmail.com
157. An Ancient Faith in Today's Terms -- Dylan Breuer sdbreuer@earthlink.net
158. Anglicans can imagine the past and remember the future. -- The Rev. Nayan McNeill, PhD vitamac@batnet.com
159. Anglicans do good deeds to increase understanding of God, not out of fear or to earn admission to heaven. -- Robert L. Neal 3rd RobtLNeal3@earthlink.net
160. Anglicans don't burn books. We 'heare them, read, marke, learne and inwardly digeste them. -- Georgianna Henry georgiannahenry@juno.com
161. Another reason to be Episcopalian is that the altar is not fenced. In my days as a Presbyterian 'seeker' I frequently attended both Roman Catholic and Episcopal liturgies: at the former I was explicity refused communion; at the latter I was welcome to receive. As Woody Allen didn't quite say, I wouldn't want to belong to a club that wouldn't take me as a non-member. -- Deborah Smith Douglas
162. Any church that can contain both Bishop Spong and Bishop Stanton has got to be doing something right. -- Drhistory@aol.com
163. Any pulpit thumping is kept to the side; the altar is at the center. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
164. As a Christian, I am very proud to be an Anglican. The Church of Melanesia embraces and encourages the good side of life of the culture of the Melanesian people and builds these into the Anglican Church of Melanesia. These make the people somewhat relaxed and free, yet they are Christians at heart and live a life of faith and hope in Jesus Christ and are much concerned for one another. -- Philip Dovo comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
165. As a lay person my ministry is just as valid and important as that of a bishop, priest or deacon, and in the Catechism I'm listed first! -- Alison Bush kokopelli120@hotmail.com
166. As a young adult in 1967, after years of searching through the haze, I finally found the 'real thing!' I never looked back. The Episcopal Church changed my life forever. -- Gail Steinfield GailSt@aol.com
167. As an Anglican, I can be myself. I can be authentic and feel accepted and respected. -- Glauco Soares de Lima
168. Asking questions about our faith is expected. In the Episcopal church, God doesn't get upset if I wonder why some things are as they are. And God doesn't get upset if I suggest that some things should not continue as they are. -- La Reverenda Martha Sylvia Ovalle Vasquez
169. At my parish, I, a lesbian, am a completely accepted, loved, and voting member. -- Cynthia Mahaffey mahaffc@bgnet.bgsu.edu
170. At our best, Episcopalians can respectfully disagree about a great many things - and still break bread together. -- Barbara Tensen Ross BarbRoss78@hotmail.com
171. Because `struggle' is considered necessary, a path to growth not just something to overcome. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
172. Because a priest in Vermont invited me back. -- Priscilla H. Ballou vze23t8n@verizon.net
173. Because ambiguity is good for you....sometimes. -- Scott Estes sestes@qx.net
174. Because everyone loves a parade. -- Roy Murphy murphy@panix.com
175. Because George Herbert (of Bremerton) was one! -- Joel Watson sbjoelwatson@gmail.com
176. Because I need the structure of a home but don't need everyone to be exactly like me. -- Priscilla H. Ballou vze23t8n@verizon.net
177. Because it's bound up with the richness of English and Western Civilization and man's search for meaning, rather than self-righteousness, bigotry and anti-intellectualism. -- Nicholas Corwin ncorwin@ucdavis.edu
178. Because it's not Baptist. -- Mary Tuel shipoftuels@hotmail.com
179. Because it's one religion where laughing at our own absurdities is a basic spiritual discipline and we're invited to rejoice in how much we have still to learn of God instead of how much we know. -- Bill Countryman rusticus@thegrid.net
180. Because of people like the Right Reverend John Spong - who push the boundaries of what it means to be inclusive in Love -- Kimberly Murphy ms_kimberly_murphy@hotmail.com
181. Because small-minded people can't spell 'Episcopalian'! -- Grace Gill gracegill@hotmail.com
182. Because the Mothers' Union gives women a chance to rule their own affairs, and make an impact on society. -- Veve Edith Willie comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
183. Because they don't freak out or get holier-than-thou if, as a newcomer, I couldn't quite `get it right' each time. -- Nicholas Corwin ncorwin@ucdavis.edu
184. Because they trust your spiritual integrity enough to allow you to drink, dance, gamble, read what you want and visit other churches. -- Nicholas Corwin ncorwin@ucdavis.edu
185. Because we recognize that God doesn't make junk and we are all valuable members of the church. -- Corey Spence allsaintsboy@yahoo.com
186. Being an intelligent, strong woman is not a drawback in the Episcopal Church. -- Cynthia Jo Mahaffey mahaffc@bgnet.bgsu.edu
187. Bell, Book, and Candle. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
188. Birkenstocks. -- Cindy McLeod
189. Calm, orderly, predictable, rational services with intellectually challenging sermons. -- Dixie Hutchinson hutch2@airmail.net
190. Catholic and Evangelical, Orthodox and Reformed. -- The Rev. John Hartnett JGHart@aol.com
191. Catholic lite. Great rite. Less guilt. -- William Barnett-Lewis wlewis@mailbag.com
192. Catholic With Your Mind Turned On. -- as told to James A. Beyer jabeyer@uillinois.edu
193. Catholic, without the pope; and with the women; protestant without the gloom. -- Catherine Gallouet
194. Celebrating unity with God and others mid inspiring symbolic worship. -- The Rev. Gerard Pisani g.pisani@verizon.net
195. Celtic, not Roman. -- Joanna Wragg jwragg@wraggcasas.com
196. Christ has no hands on earth but ours. We need you to help us bless the world. -- Meg Carter
197. Christ wasn't picky, and neither are we. -- Larry Salvadori salvadoril@kendallhq.com
198. Christmas lasts 12 days. -- The Rev. Karen Ann Campbell gardener58@verizon.net
199. Coming to the Episcopal Church is coming home. -- The Rev. Deacon MaryJo Smith smith9@erols.com
200. Day after day rendering enemies blood kin at the Eucharist. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
201. Despite or perhaps even precisely because of our present disagreements in the Episcopal Church, I am reminded that God calls us all together because we aren't whole without each other. -- The Rev. Nancy Vogele VogeleN@aol.com
202. Discover the abundant life. -- Anneke Bertsch wbertsch@palmnet.net
203. Don Williams, a friend of mine, says that attending an Episcopal Church is a lot like worshipping with the members of the cast from 'Northern Exposure.' Everyone is different and nobody seems to notice. -- David Hunter
204. Down-to-earth people will welcome your presence and won't get in your face. They will love you and allow you the space to share your heart with God. -- Edie Marshall jetsetvet@hotmail.com
205. Elbow Room -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
206. Enjoy classical choral music. -- Nigel Renton nrenton@insdra.com
207. Episcopal Church vs Roman Catholic Church: all of the funky vestments; none of the guilt. -- Weiwen NG weiwentg@gmail.com
208. 'Episcopal' is an anagram of 'Pepsi Cola.' Both are the real thing. -- The Rev. Tom Woodward TBWSalinas@aol.com
209. Episcopalians accept others as they are and do not lecture or preach hell fire and damnation to those who may be, or may not be, errant, as certain other denominations do; and we follow the teachings of Jesus in that we do not judge others lest we be first judged, and thus are more forgiving than certain other denominations. -- Bill Rowland dauphin@canada.com
210. Episcopalians believe in moderation in all things, including moderation. -- Sheena A. Lawrence BrightEagle@mindspring.com
211. Episcopalians demonstrate vitality in ancient terminology, such as sexton, thurifer, narthex, sacristy, suffragan, suffragan, canon, nave, narthex and undercroft.” -- Richard Schwermin jschwermin@msn.com
212. Episcopalians don't tend to be demonstrative, no one expects you to shout Amen or hallelujah! On the other hand, it's OK if you do. -- Donna H. Barthle
213. Episcopalians may spend a lot of time arguing with each other about important matters inside and outside the church. And often the arguments are very public. Sometimes they go on for years and seem to reach no definite resolution. But Episcopalians are confident that in and through this kind of engagement with eaqch other, they will become closer to understanding what God is up to and who God wants them, as a church, to be. -- Ellen K. Wondra
214. Episcopalians see reality as existing in the tensions of paradox, ambiguity, and diversity. -- Richard C. Milhon
215. Episcopalians spend less time beating on the Bible and more time actually reading it. -- Andrew Werner drewwerner@bellsouth.net
216. Episcopalians try to love with the heart of Christ, think with the mind of Christ, and act as if we were the body of Christ. -- Professor Willis H. A. Moore profwillishamoore@gmail.com
217. Episcopalians welcome all Christians to the participate fully and express faith through a unique blend of biblical text, the Catholic tradition and one's individual conscience. -- Bernie Jones bdj8q@yahoo.com
218. Expect to see God here: often in the face of a person you'd never choose. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
219. Exploring the wideness of God's mercy. -- Tony Hitsman tonyhit@globetrotter.net
220. First publishers of the King James Version. -- The Rev. John Hartnett JGHart@aol.com
221. For anyone who wants to worship by the book. -- The Rev. John Hartnett JGHart@aol.com
222. For Episcopalians religion is not a set of rules but a life of love. -- Elizabeth Geitz
223. For over four centuries, we agree...to disagree. -- Deborah G. Seles d.seles@attbi.com
224. Free To Be Me. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
225. From Miami to Manchester, from Lima to London, from Brisbane to Birmingham, Singapore to San Francisco, I can go to church and fit right in. -- John Schwaller
226. From Quasi Unitarians to Quasi Baptists, We All Feast at One Table. -- The Rev. Michael Povey jmp@berkshire.net
227. From smells and bells to speaking in tongues-we have it all. -- Sheena Lawrence BrightEagle@mindspring.com
228. From Washington to Mississippi to Alabama to Florida to Nassau to London to Canterbury to Paris you are always at home in an Anglican church. -- Lane Brown w2alb.com"@w2alb.com
229. God loves you, and there is not a thing you can do to change that. -- The Rev. Tom Van Culin kahutom.vanculin@verizon.net
230. Growing up in my Episcopal Church, I remember our teenage church youth group went to all the different churches in town and experienced their services, from a full dunking baptism in a Baptist Church, to a service at the local synagogue. We were never discouraged from learning about other religions. Actually probably just the opposite. It made me feel, you can question, you learn, you can decide for yourself. If you choose to stay here after all you've been exposed to, you did it with knowledge. -- Deborah Loeb dc26sharp@yahoo.com
231. Hate is not a family value here. -- Grace Gill gracegill@hotmail.com
232. Hearts and Lives transformed. Brains left intact. -- Shari DeSilva godspagan@yahoo.com
233. Heaven, we're in heaven!--by virtue of our baptism, we live in heaven. 'It's a done deal!' -- The Rev. Karen Ann Campbell gardener58@verizon.net
234. Here laughter and fun are appropriate. -- Winnie Souza Winniesouza@aol.com
235. Here was the kind of intellectual integrity I had despaired of in Christians. I was completely hooked -- Don Wacome wacome@nwciowa.edu
236. History and tradition should be reveled in and enjoyed, not swept in the dustbin as in other denominations. -- Todd J. Wilkinson episcopalscot@yahoo.com
237. Holy smoke! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
238. Hooker's Eucharistic theology in 30 seconds: It's about us becoming the Body of Christ, the presence of Christ in the assembled community. For real. -- Deborah G. Seles d.seles@attbi.com
239. However you like to worship, there are Episcopalians who like doing it that way too. -- Andrew Wetmore andrew@wetmore.com
240. Humor is the best part of the church and of us. -- Rt. Rev. Jack McKelvey BpJackM@aol.com
241. I admit that I enjoy being an Anglican because of its aesthetic appeal and intellectual nuance. We approach belief with an almost Talmudic playfulness, preferring dialectical ambiguity to dogmatic rigidity. -- Very Rev. Allen W. Farabee mdivjd@aol.com
242. I am a monk in the Church of Melanesia, a member of the Melanesian Brotherhood, the largest monastic community in the Anglican Communion. I love the Anglican way of life because we follow the practice of Christ's example by celebrating the Sacrament of his Body and Blood, and hearing His Word every day in the Offices, and this makes our life interesting. We go from Advent, Christmas, and all the seasons of the Year, proclaiming Jesus as Lord instead of proclaiming man-made rules about what to do or eat. -- Brother Kinsey Perry, MBH comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
243. I am an Anglican and an Episcopalian because I love its challenge and its excitement, and because it demands the best of me and all of us. -- Russell Ruffino russell.ruffino@cox.net
244. I am an Anglican because I believe the Anglican way is on the cutting edge of what it means to be Christian and what it means to be human, and I think the Episcopal church of the United States especially shows itself to be on that cutting edge. -- Russell Ruffino russell.ruffino@cox.net
245. I am an Episcopalian because it is the one form of the tradition that enables me to still call myself a Christian. It allows me to think and to feel deeply in a life that is grounded in tradition and yet is always open to change. I sometimes think of Anglicanism as the Zen Buddhism of the West. I love it because schism is a greater sin than heresy. I would much rather be with someone who loved me than with someone who would define love. -- Alan Jones
246. I am an Episcopalian ultimately because I believe that in this Church and Communion the great truth of Christianity is most adequately and fully set forth in balance and proportion and that through its life of worship and witness it makes possible the richest kind of fellowship with God and with fellowmen. -- Rt. Rev. John Krumm in Why I am an Episcopalian
247. I am episcopalian because while in one of the most Catholic Countries in the world, The Philippines, I met a Filipino Episcopal priest who said, `You know, we're catholic too.’ -- Tucker Janoski roshowt@hotmail.com
248. I am so appreciative of the way t he Episcopal Church, with its Benedictine roots, keeps me grounded in real life, real relationships, real encounters. Ours is a very incarnational church -- insisting on the importance of the Spirit's embodiment in the ordinary events of each day, and reminding us over and over that God can be found in the most difficult and improbable places. -- Norvene West
249. I became an Episcopalian because of an invitation in a Sunday bulletin: 'All baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord's Table.' The state of my life, my marriage, my lostness didn't matter. I responded to a community's magnanimity of spirit. Through them I learned of God's abiding love affair with us through the Risen Christ in whom we live and move and have our being. -- The Rev. Jessica A. Hatch
250. I became an Episcopalian because of the Prayer of Humble Access (Book of Common Prayer, p.337). At a time when I, as an ordained Presbyterian Minister, was burdened with particular guilt, this prayer let me admit the seriousness of my failure, but confronted me with the 'property' of God 'always to have mercy.' -- The Rev. Jim Workman jworkman@desertsaints.org
251. I can express my love of God's many female qualities as well as Her male qualities. -- Bob Wyatt bwyatt@ang-md.org
252. I can go almost anywhere in the world, and, just like a ballet class, the liturgy and the services in an Episcopal or Anglican Church will be essentially the same. -- Tonib Tonib144@aol.com
253. I can go to Church in blue jeans. -- Robin Hodson
254. I can pass the Creed with a lie detector, but rejoice that the Episcopal Church does not require one! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
255. I can walk in to church, hand in hand with my boyfriend, and no one thinks twice about it. -- Spencer Musick Ucanttakeitwithu@aol.com
256. I could be assured that there would be tea as well as coffee after church. Imagine my delight when I discovered that in England one might also have the option of a glass of sherry!! -- The Rev. Maureen Lewis saintd@itis.com
257. I don't expect my clergy to have all the answers. Even the gospel authors did not agree on all the answers. 'We believe....' is a position statement about where the church is today. We do the best we can. I am pleased to be in the company of an educated and gifted clergy who take these questions seriously. I don't expect that they have all the answers. I am proud to be an Episcopalian. -- John S. Morgan DrSwiney@AOL.COM
258. I don't get looked down on because I'm childless by choice. Other churches wouldn't be so accepting of me not wanting to 'be fruitful and multiply!' -- Stacey Carmody RoseArtJwlry@aol.com
259. I don't know why anyone would become a member of a crazy church like ours, but I am a Christian of a peculiarly sacramental sort because of something that happened when I was thirteen. My parents sent me off to Christ School near Asheville, North Carolina, and on the first Sunday the boys were lined up and marched into chapel, which was quickly filling with smoke (under the direction of a senior named Terry Holmes). Some of the new boys passed out and had to be dragged out onto the lawn to recover, but I stayed, survived, and loved it. -- Ormonde Plater oplater@cox.net
260. I got tired of Presbyterian Calvinist guilt. -- Mary Cox EpiscoRat@aol.com
261. I joined the Episcopal Church for precisely the reason that I left the Roman Catholic Church in my teens: Because it didn't have the 'right' answers. Only the Episcopalians I encountered said, But 'we'll be with you on your journey as you seek them, no matter what.' -- Nick Cuccia Nick.Cuccia@latimes.com
262. I like being an Episcopalian because every time I wear my 'Have you hugged an Episcopalian Today ?' T-shirt people always ask about it and I know enough about my religion to answer their questions. St. George's is a COOL church! -- Kelly Hanlon
263. I like being an Episcopalian because I can be a mystic without anybody noticing. -- Suzanne Guthrie amaguthrie@cs.com
264. I love Anglicanism because the most stable seat, on rough ground, is a three-legged stool. -- The Revd Selwyn Swift
265. I love Anglicanism for its basic humanity, its sense of decency and order, its freedom of thought, and its insistence on the corpus of faith, 'those things necessary unto salvation.' I love it for its tradition and for the women and men of faith who have been lights of the generations in whose company we worship. I love it for its quirkiness, its untidiness, its comprehensiveness and for its ability to receive, accept, alter, or jettison new things, while being always merely and astoundingly the Church. -- Father Tony Clavier DeanEICS@aol.com
266. I love mysteries. -- Mary Cox EpiscoRat@aol.com
267. I love our church because we don't think unity means conformity. -- Barbara Cawthorne Crafton BCCRAFTON@AOL.Com
268. I love our church because we have poetry in our Prayer Book and in our Hymnal. -- Barbara Cawthorne Crafton BCCRAFTON@AOL.Com
269. I love the Anglican Church of Melanesia because it has order in its worship services, plenty of different expressions of the religious life of monks and nuns, brothers and sisters. We celebrate All the Saints of God, in the context of the Mass. This kind of worship reflects back on our own life in our daily work...Heaven and Earth, the living and the dead, black and white, we are all one in Christ Jesu -- Brother Bright Evison, MBH comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
270. I love the Episcopal Church because I don't believe in organized religion.  I am a Verger and believe me Chaos lurks in the narthex, the nave, the chancel, the sanctuary, the sacristy, the halls, just waiting for a chance to mess things up.  Sometimes Chaos gets through, but no one seems to mind greatly.  We take our liturgy seriously, but not solemnly. -- Lane Brown w2alb.com"@w2alb.com
271. I love the Episcopal Church because it is part of a global Christian community which makes me family in Christ with people from every corner of the world. -- Rt. Rev. Alden Hathaway hathawayvi@worldnet.att.net
272. I love the Episcopal Church because it makes me part of a world class 21st Century global Christian Mission. -- Rt. Rev. Alden Hathaway hathawayvi@worldnet.att.net
273. I love the fact that I can have stimulating conversation in class and disagree with the priest, or even the Bishop, and not get kicked becase it is all right to use your mind and not be a rubber stamp for anyone. Christ died to save us from our sins, not our minds. -- Pat Fortenberry
274. I may not get the answers to all my questions about the Holy Spirit. I get enough answers to ask more questions. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
275. I minister among immigrant Latinos, as such, I also believe that learning about how our church functions also teaches about how to live as a good citizen of the United States. Teaching immigrant Latinos about General Convention is a lesson in how the American political system works. So that being an active Episcopalian teaches about being an effective American citizen. -- The Rev. Sylvia Vasquez Sylvia@TrinityParishDE.com
276. I participate, I enjoy, I laugh , I am not damned to hell, I say 'The peace of God be with you' and it is reciprocated. Thanks be to god. -- Annette Driedger driedgera@shaw.ca
277. I received my Confirmation in the Episcopal (TEC) church last September, and needless to say, I still ask too many annoying questions. Actually, that's what I like about TEC besides its beautiful Liturgy. One is expected ask all those irritating questions and to use her brain. -- Michelle Wright smithie82@yahoo.com
278. I remain an Episcopalian because of the acceptance: Episcopalians are not as judgmental as others. God will judge, we need to help others find Jesus. -- Jorge Bardisa alhndndk@bellsouth.net
279. I spent Good Friday with the folks at St. Paul's Chapel. There I talked with a young firefighter who has been volunteering at Ground Zero for several months. In the midst of his sharing, he said: 'If it weren't for this place, I wouldn't be able to smile.' -- Sharon Moon Sharonmoon@aol.com
280. I tend to see Jesus as more a compaqero or brother than Lord, though I also respect traditional christologies. I am post-post-Christian, which means I go to church and pray with my prayer book almost every day. I may be an example of thow the the other side of secularization is the return of religion in different forms. Jacques Derrida and Heidegger and Wittgenstein are the context in which I read the Bible. Language doesn't mean what it seems to mean. -- Gary Paul Gilbert garydasein3@YAHOO.CO.UK
281. I was told that wearing my kilt was not 'appropriate' in the Presbyterian Church -- Most Scottish-Americans seem to be Episcopalian. -- Todd J. Wilkinson episcopalscot@yahoo.com
282. I wasn't influenced to leave behind my cultural affiliations, or customs and become something I wasn't, as I was before encouraged to become Roman.  My ancestors always taught that all of the Earth's creatures were related by creation, as we all were made to breath from one Creator -- the Episcopal Church doesn't leave out respect for the Earth as well as Her inhabitants in the Common Book of Prayer.  I can even participate in pow-wows without it being pagan, and pray in the language of my Relatives without it being econd best to Latin, or old-world English! -- Robby Drain robbyd@prodigy.net
283. I'm 3rd generation, blessed and proud to be part of a loving, open-minded community. -- Pam Chapman Queenpamela50@aol.com
284. I'm an Episcopalian because of the incredibly profound understanding of authority in the Anglican Communion. The three-legged stool - with its stout legs of Scripture, tradition, and reason, supported by (but also firmly joined by) the seat of our experience and prayer - is perhaps Anglicanism's most glorious contribution to theology. -- Paul M. Johns paulj334@yahoo.com
285. I'm comforted by the fact that I am part of a church that allows for differing viewpoints and open debate. While many lable our church as 'wishy-washy' or divided on issues, I think that my faith is stronger for my being an active participant in trying to understand God's will. When I hear or read the spirited opinions of my fellow Episcopalians, I find that I am grateful to them, whether I agree with their viewpoints or not. They are contribuing to the vitality of our church, and keeping us all honest. -- Jennifer Hanshaw Hackett
286. I'm glad to be a member of the Episcopal Church because its evangelical, catholic, pentecostal, and liberal. It is evangelical because it glories in the cross of Jesus Christ as salvation for all people. Its catholic in that it is a church which lives as resurrection people beyond the blight and bondage of death. We're pentecostal because we trust in the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit. And we're liberal because we yearn for the Kingdom of God in the world as it is in heaven and labor in the hope that will make it so. -- Bishop. Alden Hathaway hathawayvi@worldnet.att.net
287. In a global family, like the Anglican Communion, the voice of prayer is never silent. -- Canon James Rosenthal StNicholasMyra@aol.com
288. In the Episcopal Church doubt is so okay that we name some parishes 'St. Thomas.' -- Louie Crew lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
289. In the Episcopal Church not only am I allowed to use the gifts God has given me, I'm encouraged to use them, urged to use them, begged to use them. -- Alison Bush kokopelli120@hotmail.com
290. In the Episcopal Church you will be treated as an adult, and the child in you will be welcomed. -- Alex H. MacDonnell alexmacd@cybercomm.net
291. In the Episcopal Church, I do not have to understand; I only have to believe. -- (Rev. Dr.) Charles L. Wood c.n.wood@juno.com
292. In the Episcopal Church, it’s perfectly okay to kneel at the communion rail and marvel at the ornate beauty and mystery of the Eucharistic table while wearing jeans and cowboy boots. -- Maria L. Evans crankycricker@yahoo.com
293. In the Episcopal Church, it's all right to have questions, doubts, and disagreements about your beliefs and you won't be criticized for not having enough faith, or somehow made to be felt that you don't belong, or that you're less of a Christian because your faith isn't 100% complete. -- Pierre R. Wheaton pierre15208@verizon.net
294. In this Communion my spirit soars, while my(alleged) intellect and will are challenged, and my feet are grounded in terra firma. -- The Rev. Canon Peter D. Haynes stmikescdm@aol.com
295. It is a church in which we are free to entertain the notions that no theological proposition is beyond challenge and that doctrine is theology in cement, yet it is where we can celebrate the eucharist in all its liturgical manifestations to transcend such notions. -- Lewis R. Amis lraarb@att.net
296. It takes three Episcopalians to screw in a light bulb: one to make the martinis, another to screw in the bulb, and a third to talk about how much prettier the old lightbulb was. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
297. It’s one of the few denominations I know where you go out for a beer after Bible study...and actually talk about Bible study while in the bar. -- Maria L. Evans crankycricker@yahoo.com
298. It's a church where you can come in without leaving your brain at the door and then have the opportunity to love all of those who managed to come in with their 'wrong' ideas. -- The Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, D.D. BishopFrade@aol.com
299. It's ok if I don't want to memorize a bunch of Bible verses. -- Bob Wyatt bwyatt@ang-md.org
300. It's okay to cross yourself, your fingers, or your knees. -- Diana Smith dianas@mindspring.com
301. It's one of the few denominations that allow alcoholic beverages to be served on the grounds. -- Wes Quesenberry wesqga@yahoo.com
302. I've found the Episcopal Church to be more real than any other. It's diverse, just like reality. -- Kevin J. Perez KevinPz@aol.com
303. Jack Spong, Marcus Borg, Matt Fox. -- Lou Poulain
304. Jesus said 'Feed my sheep,' but he didn't specify that they be fed a narrow and rigid diet. Our Episcopal/Anglican approach to the sacrament of Penance is a good example: 'All may, some should, none must.' -- Dean. George L. W. Werner, President of the House of Deputies gwerner@episcopalchurch.org
305. Join our Missionary Society. -- Ralph Spence RSPENCE406@aol.com
306. Joy! -- Louie Crew lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
307. Lay Episcopalians cannot be excommunicated. -- Thomas Ferguson tferguson@episcopalchurch.org
308. Let God repair your ticklebox. -- Lutibelle/Louie
309. Lighten your burden. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
310. Like Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Episcopalians are in touch with the ancient voices and aesthetic and spiritual practices of the Christian tradition. We are united by a common liturgy and by the Book of Common Prayer. And so long as we do the liturgy right, we are orthodox, and thus permitted a broad range of theological opinions. With its riches of liturgy, prayer, and music, it is for me a sacrament of the sacred, and it feels like home. -- Marcus J. Borg
311. Makes me want to do right rather than be right. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
312. Many of our priests give birth. All do re-birth. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
313. Many whom we know well are starved for the spiritual food we receive daily. -- Louie Crew lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
314. Ministering in the lesbigay community for 33 years. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
315. My agnostic husband likes going to church. -- Rachel Endicott
316. My father always said that he liked being an Episcopalian because he would have the same funeral as Queen Elizabeth. He said that because of our use of the Book of Common Prayer. Everyone gets the same funeral service. I thought of that as I watched Diana's funeral. Before God everyone is the same. The extra things like Elton John singing are for the audience. -- Nancy Engelrth
317. My father is Catholic, my mother Southern Baptist.  I was raised Catholic but converted.  I was confirmed at the age of 25 into the Episcopal Church, my confirmation day was the first day I was allowed to take communion with both of my parents.  Needless, to say my mother and I cried.  It was beautiful! -- Emily Walters emily@perrysrestaurants.com
318. My favorite reason for being an Episcopalian is the coherence of scripture, tradition and reason/experience as basic tenets of our belief. I appreciate our melding of church and world, sacred and secular, soul and body, sophistication and simplicity, literary and on-verbal, seriousness and nonchalance, holiness and ordinariness, indeed, our being deeply rooted in the Incarnation. -- The Rev. Malcom Boyd
319. My four-year-old son has attended the Episcopal Church since birth. Hesings the Alleluia from the fraction anthem as easily as the theme from 'Blue's Clues.' -- The Rev. Rachel Endicott
320. My Jewish mother and Roman Catholic father found themselves welcomed into the Episcopal Church over fifty years ago as they sought a home for their yung family. I grew up in the Episcopal Church feeling that everyone was welcome. My father, a blue collar worker, served on the vestry with a doctor, corporate executives, public officials, and educators. They shared a common vision of a church that was big enough to make all differences less important. -- The Very Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski cannon@stjohndivine.org
321. My mind is Protestant and my spirit is liturgical. Where other than to the Book of Common Prayer can my worship go and still have both be happy? -- Phyllis Tickle Tickrel@aol.com
322. My parish welcomes everyone regardless of sex, orientation, race, nationality, church affiliation, or seriousness, just as God does.  She's Black, you know. -- Lane Brown w2alb.com"@w2alb.com
323. My wife and I started coming to St. Andrew's in January of 2001. And we will join the Episcopal Church during this year's Easter Vigil. We have not seen God since we started going to this church. We have not heard his voiceor witnessed a miracle. But just from getting to know the people of St. Andrew's better and getting more involved in the church we have become closer to God. And we are constantly reassured of his presence in our lives. -- Ben Philpott standrews@wwisp.com
324. My wife and I were sitting in the second-from-the-front pew (yes, we are Episcopalians anyway!) at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields in London, the parish church of the Royal Family and the Admiralty.  In the row behind us there was a man who looked and smelled as though his last bath was at infant Baptism.  He made loud unintelligible comments to the serman by a recently-ordained woman priest.  After he received Communion he turned in the nave and gave the finger to the priests (probably had not gotten enough wine).  No one seemed to notice.  At the end of the service his hand was shaken like everyone else's. Those are my kind of people! -- Lane Brown w2alb.com"@w2alb.com
325. Mystery and clarity co-exist here. -- Alex H. MacDonnell alexmacd@cybercomm.net
326. News Genuinely Good for Absolutely Everybody! -- Louie Crew lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
327. No dress code. -- Char Vinik char@allsaintsfl.org
328. No matter where in the world I attend an Episcopal/Anglican church, I am always home. -- Joan Carr carr@islandnet.com
329. Not so much organized religion - more spontaneous joy. -- Alice Fulton Alice-fulton@uiowa.edu
330. One of Anglicanism's core tenets is that God transcends all creeds and sects (including it). Therefore, by not being Episcopal, God is Episcopal. Seroiusly, God is love. If you find a more loving faith, join it. If not, join this. -- Craig Oehme craigoehme@hotmail.co
331. One of many blessings of being an Episcopalian is joining with a rich and global diversity to celebrate God's blessings in our worship and mission throughout the world. -- Corrinne Stover calcs@sprintmail.com
332. One of the perks of membership in our parish is the exercise. My heart rate elevates with all the standing, kneeling, processing, bowing, passing the peace, reciting, crossing on'es self and singing. Fortunately there is some time for the pulse check during the sermon and the readings. -- Lu Sweeney
333. One thing I've learned about Episcopalians this weekend: You folks may fight like hell with each other from 9am to 5pm but at the end of the day you put your arms around each other and say, 'Oh nuts. Let's go have a drink.' -- A Mormon sociologist speaking to a diocesan convention in the 1960s, via Rt. Rev. Sandy Hampton bishop838@fidalgo.net
334. Only in the Epsicopal Church would an 18-year-old be encouraged to run for deputy to convention, and truly feel that her words and ideas are being taken seriously. The growing number of older teens and young adults on vestries and in the House of Deputies is very exciting. It's strengthening to feel that though we are young, we are still full-fledged members of the church. -- Allie Graham agraham@ycp.edu
335. Only two commandments to remember! -- Carter Whitson cwhitson@stlmhb.com
336. Other churches saw the sinner; Episcopalians saw another child of God. -- Keith Husmann keithhusmann@yahoo.com
337. Others are often denominations of 'Don't'; the Episcopal Church is a denomination of 'Do.' -- B. Lance Moody
338. Otherwise, I'd be unchurched. -- John A. Merullo rockhopper@ev1.net
339. Our bishops are made of flesh and blood, and so are we. Of such was Jesus begotten! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
340. Our church service is called a 'Celebration,' and most of the time we do. -- Linda Strohmier
341. Our doors may be locked, but we try to keep our hearts open. -- Ana Hernandez ahernandez@episcopalchurch.org
342. Our eighth Sacrament: Fellowship and Good Food. -- Amanda Demers
343. Our Eucharistic table is not made less special if all are invited, which is contrary to the understanding that I grew up with. Adjusting to the idea that everyone is invited to this most holy meal took me some time, but it has become one of the things I love most about the Church. Understanding that the true presence in the body of Christ is strong enough to survive inside someone who might seem less worthy requires more, not less, faith in its power. I am saddened that I cannot share in communion at my parents' church, and that they will not receive in mine, but I would rather be in that position than the other way around. -- Sean P. Hackett
344. Our major heresy is plastic bread. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
345. Our roots in the past bear fruit in the present. -- Alice Fulton Alice-fulton@uiowa.edu
346. Our theology is an art form, not a law book. -- The Rev. Paul Gibson
347. Ours is not just a checkbook ministry. Episcopalians roll up their sleeves and help. -- Agnes H. Moore agnes.moore@snet.net
348. Ours is the perfect church for people who aren't perfect. -- John Schwaller
349. Out of habit Episcopalians don't change anything easily, so they cna form ironclad habits. They never stop to compare what others believe or do, but settle comfortably into the habit of being Episcopalian. The thing is that such a habit, followed year after year, immerses us in the biblical language of the Book of Common Prayer and the story of Jesus -- to say nothing of making a life-giving habit of the weekly Eucharist. Such habits make life pretty special. -- Loren B. Mead lorenmead@aol.com
350. Please join us for song, bread, wine and The Good Book. -- John K. Webster jwebster4@juno.com
351. Pope Gregory was right: Not Angles; angels. As a recent convert, I find an angelic spirit in Anglicanism lacking elsewhere. -- Craig Oehme craigoehme@hotmail.co
352. Prayer that is time-tested. -- Cindy McLeod
353. Preaching is a small part of an Episcopal worship service. This alone is a big draw for people from denominations where the sermon is the central event and the preacher tries to make it last as long as possible. -- David Hunter
354. Pregnant priests! Celebrating! -- Deborah G. Seles d.seles@attbi.com
355. Prophets Welcome Here! -- Joanna Dupue depuej@optonline.net
356. Q: How many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb?  A: Change?  What do you mean, change?  My Mother gave that light bulb to the Church. -- Lane Brown w2alb.com"@w2alb.com
357. Q: How many taps are there on an Episcopalian bath? A: Three -- hot, cold, and strangely warm. -- Sudie Blanchard sudieb@maine.rr.com
358. Religion on tap.  Where discussing theology with your priest over a beer doesn't warrant a second thought. -- Emily Walters emily@perrysrestaurants.com
359. Resisting fundamentalism since 1785! -- Julie Wortman
360. Saved by faith, grace, and good taste! -- Amanda Demers
361. See God's face. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
362. Sermons more about Grace than Guilt. -- Char Vinik char@allsaintsfl.org
363. Share the mystery. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
364. The best reason to become an Episcopalian is that taking a date to an inquirer's class is really memorable. I became an Episcopalian one summer when I was baptized, confirmed and married in the span of a couple of months. -- Allan Stover calcs@sprintmail.com
365. The Bible says we should make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Laughter is as joyful a noise as you'll ever hear and there's a lot of it in an Episcopal church. -- David Hunter
366. The Book of Common Prayer allows a degree of uniformity in prayer while leaving room for the diversity of cultures, languages and liturgical styles. -- The Very Rev. David G. Bollinger
367. The Book of Common Prayer gives me the words I need when I'm all mixed up. -- Barbara Klugh litlrivr@chartermi.net
368. The Book of Common Prayer reminds me that my `sins of omission' are equally as serious and require as much attention as my `sins of commission.' -- Rosalind L. Forrest rosalindf@earthlink.net
369. The calling of an Anglican is not to fill the church, but to fill heaven. -- The Rev. Selwyn Swift
370. The Church and Science comfortably co-exist. -- Ron Sheperd
371. The Church of Melanesia as trained me not become an English Christian, but a Melanesian Christian. -- Mama Charles Bani comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
372. The clergy are not only smart, gifted, and spiritual -- they are fun! -- Lee Davis cleedavis@earthlink.net
373. The comfort of the tradition. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
374. The 'Dark Night of the Soul' is understood and one is respected at such a time. -- Cynthia Mahaffey mahaffc@bgnet.bgsu.edu
375. The democratic polity of ECUSA is extremely important to me. We, prayerfully, elect our bishops, delegates to conventions, rectors, vestry. We the people all have a say. -- The Rev. Nancy Vogele VogeleN@aol.com
376. The doors are always open. -- Val Hymes Valhymes@aol.com
377. The Episcopal Church develops healthy eccentrics. -- Charles Hoffacker choffacker@advnet.net
378. The Episcopal Church does not emphasize solely the sermon, as did the church of my childhood. The totality of the liturgy helps us get to communion, in all senses of that word!). -- The Rev. Nancy Vogele VogeleN@aol.com
379. The Episcopal Church doesn't foster the common religious version of co-dependence that says the way to holiness is to change somebody else. -- Michael Sarro MichaelS@cloud9.net
380. The Episcopal Church enables me to worship God with my mind. It doesn't install an idol like the Bible or the Pope as the source of ultimate authority. It has lived in the tension between ancient truth and living history and has evolved into something fragile but beautiful, something that is worthy of being defended as it becomes a sign of the inclusive Kingdom of God. -- Rt. Rev. John S. Spong JOHNSSPONG@aol.com
381. The Episcopal church invites the impatient to learn 'patience' and the sticks in the mud to learn 'drainage.' -- Mary L. Lyons MaryLyonsNow@aol.com
382. The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church in tune with a contemporary world -- Betsy Porter
383. The Episcopal Church is a place where bishops are people too, and some of them know it. Many even have spouses to remind them. -- Linda M. Maloney lmmaloney@csbsju.edu
384. The Episcopal Church is a place where I continue to learn in scripture and experience in sacrament that God loves me unconditionally; that I will never deserve one drop of His bloody grace, and yet He drowns me entire in His endless red sea. -- Dietrik Vanderhill dvanderh@nwciowa.edu
385. The Episcopal Church is one of the few places where you can be a mystic and a realist at the same time. -- Maria L. Evans crankycricker@yahoo.com
386. The Episcopal Church is the place where I learned to 'Seek the Truth, Come What May' -- Robert B Cannon Jr progressive_episcopalian@hotmail.com
387. The Episcopal Church offers a gracious and roomy expression of catholic Christianity which points to an even more gracious God. -- Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting, ECUSA's Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations cepting@episcopalchurch.org
388. The Episcopal Church stretches me delightfully in ways that I never imagined. -- Ben Porter bporter@porter-inc.com
389. The Episcopal Church taught me that Jesus came to challenge, not just comfort; to overturn, not maintain; to love, not judge; to include, not cast aside. -- The Rev. Canon Elizabeth R. Geitz
390. The Episcopal Church welcomes YOU just as you are, with all your glorious and less than glorious moments, giving you a place to grow through God's unconditional love into the person God created you to be. There's room at the table for everyone, no matter what. -- Elizabeth Geitz
391. The Episcopal liturgy, in the name of Jesus, gently clothes my Baptist suspicions. -- Michael Kugler kugler@nwciowa.edu
392. The 'fashion police' don't come to our church; the Holy Spirit does. -- Vivian E. Norton Vivenorton@aol.com
393. The frustration with modern society and the sense of spiritual decay were also reflected in Willa Cather’s personal life, when she, parallel to entering her new line of writing, in 1922 joined the Episcopal Church. -- Norton Anthology of American Literature
394. The hymn: 'One was a doctor and one was a queen and one was a shepherdess on the green and one was a soldier and one was a priest and one was slain by a fierce wild beast.' -- The Very Rev. Marilyn J. Engstrom Stmattsdean@aol.com
395. The name rings a bell -- Herb Gunn herbgunn@earthlink.net
396. The only church besides the MCC that can direct God to the antique store with a sapphire throne! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
397. The only institution that has lower entrance requirements than those for getting on a bus. -- The Rev. Selwyn Swift
398. The options: Rite One or Rite Two; back-to-congregation or facing congregation; traditional or contemporary music; all are allowed and welcome! -- John A. Merullo rockhopper@ev1.net
399. The Prayer Book bids us to come to God's table for strength and renewal, not for solace and pardon only. -- Agnes H. Moore agnes.moore@snet.net
400. The sadness and the joy are celebrated together in the Eucharist -- Keith Joseph :kjoseph@solomon.com.sb
401. The seasons are color-coded. -- Bungee Bynum b.bynum@gmail.com
402. The sermon lasted only five minutes, and the dean questioned the ongoing Vietnam War. I had never been to an Episcopal Church before, but I was hooked. -- Christina Hembree
403. The signs that say, 'The Episcopal Church Welcomes You' mean it. -- Nick Humez
404. The world is beautiful, so we worship the God who created beauty. -- Larry Graham GraLawLe@aol.com
405. There are only 40 Episcopalians, and I know 28 of them. -- Martha Elizabeth Stough
406. There is no Church in Vanuatu that offers the same kind of pastoral counseling as the Church of Melanesia. We try to help people with their problems, and are not afraid to come face to face with peoples demons, and drive them out and fill them with the love of the loving God for them. When people come to me and the other members of the Melanesian Brotherhood for prayer, we must welcome them as Christ, and give them a cup of water in Christ's name. We never try to convert people, or tell them they must come to us to be saved. But with the welcome they receive, the love they feel, the counseling they need, the people go out smiling and happy that someone was there to listen, and share with them the power of God. . -- Brother Malcolm Mwele, MBH comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
407. There will be no outcasts in this church! -- Edmond Browning, Presiding Bishop 1985-1997 formerpb@aol.com
408. There's no such thing as a politically incorrect Episcopalian. There are conservative Episcopalians and liberal Episcopalians. There are straight Episcopalians and LGBT Episcopalians. There are Catholics and Protestants. There are African, English, Asian and Alaskan Episcopalians. And none of the above. The Episcopal Church doesn't offer you set dogma, or pat answers, or a list of do's and don'ts. There's room for all kinds of people and all kinds of theologies. What the Episcopal Church does offer you is a way of prayer, a way of thinking and asking questions, a way of life in this often confusing, conflicting and complicated world, a way that may lead you closer to God. -- Jacqueline Schmitt nuchap94@yahoo.com
409. Think, question, think again, question again, These are the use of God's gifts: not sins in the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion. -- Robert L. Neal 3rd RobtLNeal3@earthlink.net
410. This church affirms that God loves me and others like me because it allows me, a woman and a lesbian to be ordained; and it even celebrates who I am. -- The Rev. Rose Hassan rosehassan@mindspring.com
411. This is a church which tries to open its arms to all the diversity of God's creation; and although it fails miserably at times, it never stops trying. -- The Rev. Rose Hassan rosehassan@mindspring.com
412. This is the only church that's as lovingly loony as your family. -- Mary L. Lyons MaryLyonsNow@aol.com
413. Though you pray without ceasing, you won't be called devout. -- The Rev. Canon Bill Lewellis blewellis@diobeth.org
414. Tired of hell fire and brimstone? Try incense. -- Louie Crew lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
415. To this recovering Roman Catholic, the Episcopal Church is a breath of fresh air and a ray of sunshine. Christianity never tasted so good! -- Richard F. Bautsch agit8r2@juno.com
416. Try us. You'll like us and we'll love you. -- Carol Marsh cmmarsh@zianet.com
417. Two millennia of faith; four centuries of liturgy; comrades worldwide traveling in love the journey to God we each tread alone. -- Peter Berry PBerry7053@aol.com
418. We affirm paradoxy. -- Diana Smith dianas@mindspring.com
419. We are a fun loving bunch. I am not sure if you ever noticed, but wine is rarely missing from any of our celebrations together. So it is no wonder that the story of the Wedding feast at Cana of Galilee is one of our all time favorite Gospel stories. -- Stephen D. Becker >sbecker@stpauls-lakeview.org
420. We are connected to the ages by stepping through the icon of the liturgy. -- Vashon Washington chsvashon@foxinternet.net
421. We are supported not judged. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
422. We believe that love without justice is cheap sentimentality. -- Carter Heyward
423. We believe that when God made the world and flesh, God said, 'It is good!' -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
424. We belong before we believe. -- Joanna Wragg jwragg@wraggcasas.com
425. We celebrate a Christmas Season and not just a Christmas day. -- Rt. Rev. Jack McKelvey BpJackM@aol.com
426. We change and transform lives in Christ without the Turn-or-Burn. -- Amanda Demers
427. We do liturgy with all our hearts and souls. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
428. We do not give simple answers to complex questions. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
429. We do not give simple answers to complex questions. Instead, we offer tools that help people develop a sustaining faith. -- B. Lance Moody
430. We do pomp almost as well as the Orthodox, but we're not so dour about it. -- Dr. Ford Elms hcc.elmf@hccsj.nf.ca
431. We don't claim an exclusive franchise on God. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
432. We don't deliver our theology in sound bites. -- Jane Dobosh jpdwrite@webspan.net
433. We don't get rid of our enemies; we love them as our friends. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
434. We don't have all the answers, and we welcome others who love the questions. -- The Rev. Wilifred Allen-Faiella Revwaf@aol.com
435. We don't quiz you on your beliefs before worshipping with you. -- James Handsfield jhandsfield@mindspring.com
436. We don't say 'we're right, and others are wrong.' We say, 'Peace be with you.' -- Dan Catchpole catchpole@gmail.com
437. We don't use clichés or undebatable dictums to mask the struggles we experience in this earthly journey -- The Rev. William V. Livingston >rector_bill@bellsouth.net
438. We eat, drink, and are merry, for we live in the Kingdom of our Lord Christ. -- Ken Guthrie EngTeecher@aol.com
439. We find our unity in shared worship, not in enforced agreement. -- Lou Poulain
440. We get to sing all the verses of the hymns -- The Rev. Karen Ann Campbell gardener58@verizon.net
441. We go boldly where no church has gone before! -- Patsy Duncan trainman@texhoma.net
442. We have a faith not afraid to reason and reason not ashamed to adore. (Late Rt. Rev. Daniel Sylvester Tuttle) -- The Late Rt. Rev. Daniel Sylvester Tuttle, First Bishop of Utah and 13th Presiding Bishop, via The Rev. W. Lee Shaw WinstonLS@aol.com
443. We have an open door, an open font, and open rail. We'll meet you 100% of the way. -- Larry Salvadori salvadoril@kendallhq.com
444. We have full-bodied worship: Bow, kneel, sit, stand, kneel, hug, walk, and sometimes even raise your hands, cry, laugh, sing, shout, whisper, smell, taste, feel, touch, hold, see, and behold.. -- The Very Rev. Marilyn J. Engstrom Stmattsdean@aol.com
445. We have morning and evening service everyday 365 days every year and even though I miss some of the services it makes you feel good that our members worship every morning and afternoon especially in the Church of Melanesia. -- Henry Nin comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
446. We have the liturgical beauty of the Catholics combined with the local authority of the Southern Baptists. -- Cindy McLeod
447. We honor tradition but do not fossilize it. -- Lee Canipe Leecanipe@aol.com
448. We leave neither our minds, nor our hearts, nor our bodies at the church door. -- Larry Graham GraLawLe@aol.com
449. We may not have all the answers, but we have all the questions. -- Roy Murphy murphy@panix.com
450. We Nourish Spirits -- Ralph Spence RSPENCE406@aol.com
451. We partake of the wine too, not just the host. All one body we. -- Ernest Clay Ernest_Clay@hotmail.com
452. We promise not to throw the book at you. -- Leilani Nelson Leilani.Nelson@ecunet.org
453. We promise to welcome you in Christ's name. We will honor the gifts you bring. We will invite you into our community, or wish you well if you choose another path. -- Dorothy/Anne Crocker
454. We proudly wear ribbons of so many different colors. -- Mary Jane Herron HERA576@aol.com
455. We tackle issues that other denominations have neither the courage to face nor the theology to deal with. -- Patsy Duncan trainman@texhoma.net
456. We use cool words like 'verger', 'thurifer', 'amice', 'warden', 'aumbry' and 'columbarium' -- John A. Merullo rockhopper@ev1.net
457. We view the bible as a 'Why To' not a How To' manual. -- Duke DuTeil duteil@austin.rr.com
458. We welcome the faithful, the seeker, and the doubter. -- Diana Smith dianas@mindspring.com
459. We worship God with class, art and joy. -- Alison Dingley dingleya001@hawaii.rr.com
460. We'll never tell you you have to believe in God the way we do to be a good person, but we can tell you how our belief in God makes the goodness in us. -- P. J. Howe howe@globe.com
461. 'Well, I thought you must be an Episcopalian, because you swear just like Governor Seward, who is a church warder.' -- Abraham Lincoln to General Reynolds, a Methodist
462. We're forgiven sinners and given Jesus' power to forgive. -- The Rev. Tom Rightmyer trightmy@juno.com
463. We're here for you. You can be truly you. You have space, and permission, to grow. -- The Rev. Roger Stokes roger.stokes2@ntnworld.com
464. We're high, low, broad, and sometimes wide. -- Tony Hitsman tonyhit@globetrotter.net
465. We've never had enough people to agree about any issue to prepare 'confessional' statements. Here again we are catholic, and not a denomination. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
466. We've set a place for you. -- Matthew G. Livingood mgl@livingood.net
467. What I like about the episcopal church is that they encourage us to develop our own ideas. I thik that that's cool, how they treat us like people with valid opinions instead of idiots that can only believe what others tell them. -- Anonymous 14-year-old
468. What other church will let a priest like me walk around in a dog collar and short trousers and flip flop, carrying a shiny black New Testament in my shirt pocket (Protestant evangelical), a Rosary in my trouser pocket Catholic traditional), and a CND Peace Cross around my neck (1960's till today, concern for political and social matters). I celebrate the Eucharist wearing maniples and facing East, and fiddle back chasubles, but with hand clapping and guitars, the singing every word of the service in 6 or 7 languages. I can be ministering to rapists as 4:30, and at 6:00, be shaking hands with the President of the Republic. What other church is richer spiritually and socially? -- Father Thomas Rowland, Church of Melanesia comdov@vanuatu.com.vu
469. What you will find inside the church is even better than any web site! -- Christopher Hart chart@voicenet.com
470. When asked if he was saved, Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple replied, 'I have been saved, I am being saved, I hope to be saved.' That understanding of faith, hope, and humility reinforces me as an Episcopalian/Anglican. -- Dean. George L. W. Werner, President of the House of Deputies gwerner@episcopalchurch.org
471. When I close my mind from worries, the liturgy carries me straight to Christ. -- Wendy W. Sopkovich WWWS@prodigy.net
472. When you count acolytes, Chalice bearers, ushers, greeters, nursery people, altar guild, choir, and so on, there are more people involved in an Episcopal service than in any other. And there are more opportunities to be involved. -- Donna H. Barthle
473. Whenever four Episcopalians gather, there is always a fifth. -- Bob Wyatt bwyatt@ang-md.org
474. Where a woman's place is in the House of Bishops. (No attribution) --
475. Where all may, some should, and none must. -- Lori Allen lorinda.allen@verizon.net
476. Where doubts are welcome and wounds are embraced -- Karl Lusk karllusk@earthlink.net
477. Where else but the Episcopal Church will I have the assurance that the significant events of my life will be magnified by such beauty and dignity? -- Michael P. Stephenson mikestep@att.net
478. Where else can I hear stupid jokes from tipsy priests other than a Diocesan convention? Then lead the youth delegation the following morning, breaking into convention singing with 50 other youth, followed by taking the bishop by the arm and dancing with him, leading to the entire confrence getting up and moving. Woohoo, I'll be an Episcopalian, cradle to grave. -- Maggie Thompson phishechicke@yahoo.com
479. Where else can you be considered a 'young person' until you are 50 years old? -- Lesley M. Adams ladams@hws.edu
480. Where else can you find news articles every day about your church struggling to live into God's commands? -- Bob Crystal Crys24634@aol.com
481. Where evolution is not only taught, it also happens! -- Rex Fliess rex@fliess.org
482. Where faith is caught, not taught. -- Tony Hitsman tonyhit@globetrotter.net
483. Where faith is God's gift to us, not our gift to God. -- Louie Crew lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
484. Where flesh is not something dirty, but what God became! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
485. Where God forgives you as you forgive others. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
486. Where God is celebrated, not damned. -- June Maffin june@maffin.net
487. Where God is the only judge. -- Mike Harbin MHARBIN@OhioHealth.com
488. Where God is with you, not against you. -- Lori Allen lorinda.allen@verizon.net
489. Where God lets me be who She created me to be -- not who other people think I should be! -- The Rev. Teresa T. Bowden alohayouall@hawaii.rr.com
490. Where God loves you before you decide whether you love Her. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
491. Where God uses your face for Her own. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
492. Where God's unconditional love for all of us is celebrated every day. -- Sen. Marge Kilkelly
493. Where I can be myself. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
494. Where I've met the most interesting and courageous people, and they have introduced me to God. -- Barbara Cheney btc@SNET.Net
495. Where Jesus is ever present; underlying all the missunderstandings that go on amongst any congregation, Jesus is there. His presence is made known. The best thing about the Episcopal process is that the Church is a place of worship; only for the worship of God; all else, all worldly concerns other than prayer are laid aside. Our church is for Jesus. Thanks be to God! -- Gayle Szeredy silverstone@txcyber.com
496. Where Manna is baked fresh daily, never freeze dried! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
497. Where mucking about is an art form and where those who wish to clean it up are viewed as indelicate. -- Bill Easter paques@mindspring.com
498. Where our mind, soul, and body unite with the God who made them.... -- Karl Lusk karllusk@earthlink.net
499. Where our priest can dress up in fancy outfits. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
500. Where the only requirement at Communion is that you be hungry! -- The Rev. Phillip Wilson phillipwilson@mindspring.com
501. Where the priesthood of all believers has a good chance of including everyone, including people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and abilities. -- Barbara Cheney btc@SNET.Net
502. Where the road to Easter is never a shortcut, but you always get there. -- Barbara Cheney btc@SNET.Net
503. Where the word of God is a person, not a book. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
504. Where there is freedom to think, to have doubts, and to be a full human being. -- The Rev. Robert Cromey twocromeys@earthlink.net
505. Where two or three are gathered, there will be fine wine and lively conversation. -- Ascension Cafe, Twin Falls Idaho bthom@idahodiocese.org
506. Where wholeness and holiness are 2 sides of the same coin. -- Barbara Cheney btc@SNET.Net
507. Where you don't have to hang up your brain up at the door. -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
508. Whether Queen or Beggar, Bishop or Editor, CEO or unemployed, we share the same meal at the altar where heaven and earth join in Sanctus, and kneel (or stand) side by side whether in Canterbury Cathedral or the hut chapel of St Philip, Khartoum, Sudan, as equal sinners saved by loving grace, with absolutely no distinctions, aided by Mary, Francis, John the Beloved, Mary Magdalen, Nicholas, Lucy, Martin, Sebastian, Stephen, Jonathan Daniels, Janani Luwuum, and those who have spread light for 2000 years that at the unique name of JESUS every knee should bow. -- Canon James Rosenthal StNicholasMyra@aol.com
509. Whole families (be they traditional or non-traditional) attend. -- The Rev. Karen Ann Campbell gardener58@verizon.net
510. With Yogi Berra, Anglicanism says, 'If you come to a fork in the road, take it' -- Craig Oehme craigoehme@hotmail.com
511. Women are born in God's image. -- Sally Bucklee s.bucklee@worldnet.att.net
512. Women can be pastors and ministers, but only in the Episcopal church can they be priests. -- Donna H. Barthle
513. Worship in our lovely catacomb! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
514. Yes, the Anglican Communon is quite messay, but it's just so loveable. -- ++Desmond Tutu
515. You are accepted as family immedately and always have someone to turn to -- Edward L. Tatro, Jr. WhiteBirch05@aol.com
516. You don't have to be right, just honest. -- Rt. Rev. Jack McKelvey BpJackM@aol.com
517. You don't have to harbor and dwell on all your sins. That's why we have an altar in Episcopal churches. Take them there and leave them! -- Lutibelle/Louie lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
518. You don't have to pass a 'litmus test.' -- Nigel Renton nrenton@insdra.com
519. You don't have to swim to get baptized. -- Char Vinik char@allsaintsfl.org
520. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer: What an incredible blessing it is! -- Greg Lynch jgljack@apci.net
521. It is always tea-time somewhere in the Anglican Communion -- John Leech johnrleech@yahoo.com
522. Episcopalians believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked o pray out loud. -- Garrison Keillor
523. Episcopalians, who love to sing in four-part harmony are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you are dying, they will comfort you. If you are lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you are hungry, they'll give you tuna salad! -- Garrison Keillor
524. Episcopalians usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins. -- Garrison Keillor
525. Episcopalians drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament. -- Garrison Keillor
526. Episcopalians believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate. -- Garrison Keillor
527. Episcopalians are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at church. -- Garrison Keillor
528. Episcopalians still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and Episcopalians believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously. -- Garrison Keillor
529. You know you are an Episcopalian if you hear something really funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can. -- Garrison Keillor
530. You know you are an Episcopalian if donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee. -- Garrison Keillor
531. You know you are an Episcopalian when you watch a Star Wars movie and they say, 'May then Force be with you,' and you respond, 'and also with you.' -- Garrison Keillor
532. You know you are an Episcopalian when it's 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service. -- Garrison Keillor

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