Quote:
Originally posted by Antagony
I had some questions about the Episcopalian denomination in particular.
I'm pretty sure it was an Episcopalian church where I experienced this . . . most of the sermon was talking about "speaking in tongues". At more than one point during the evening, the preacher "spoke in tongues". There was some testimony also. The testimonies from these 2 or 3 different people in the congregation also specifically mentioned "speaking in tongues".
How central or how important is this belief to Episcopalians? Do all of them experience this phenomenon?
I looked up the scriptures talking about "speaking in tongues". I found most references in Acts and one in 1 Corinthians.
So basically all my questions boil down to what you guys think about this whole "speaking in tongues" thing.
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Antigony,
The Episcopal church is unlike some in that it allows individual churches a great deal of freedom in setting their own 'tone' if you will (with limits of church doctrin as defined in periodic Lamdas and codified in the Book Of Prayer.)
Among Episcopalians you will commonly hear references to "High Church"(= a lot of ceremony akin to a Catholic Mass) and "Low Church (= much less pomp and more in line with what you might see a Methodist church, but still usually with a Lord's supper.) Individual churches will also reflect their congregations, which churches ranging from fairly conservative, to liberal, to almost pentacostal.
That being said, it is not my personal experience of seeing "talking in tongues" in the Episcopal church. While I suppose it is possible, the teaching I have heard is that according to the passages in the New Testiment, speaking in tongues should be done with an interpreter, which of course, is not possible today as we know it. Still, I don't believe it is discouraged, it is just not encouraged either.
This differs from Pentacostal sects, such as the Assemblies of God, where such occurances are common place. (I knew a fellow that actually spoke in tongues quite frequently.)
So while it is possible that you heard this in an Episcopal church, I lean towards thinking you probably heard it elsewhere. As to my own feelings on it, I feel much as the official teaching of the Episcopal church, i.e. it is not something I am personally comfortable with (mostly because you don't know what is actually speaking or what is being said, if anything.)