What I learned in very very High church today

 I attended All Souls Anglican Church today.  J I Packer was speaking there.

 

More on that in another post.  A few observations.  The crowd (maybe 120 or so) was made up of two age groups.  People 60 plus and 35 and Younger. Lots of young people.  This was HIGH CHURCH.  As my Friend Barry calls it, Nosebleed High Church.  But they participated with gusto.  It was a 90 minute service.

 

First question:  Where the heck are the 35-59 year olds?  The classic baby boomers.  Did they fall off the edge of the church?  They aren't there.

 

Come to think of it, of all the churches I am part of at any level in 3 different cities that's the way it is in all three. 

 

Rockford, LaFox, Berwyn.  All missing this group of people.  I have no solid evidence to prove what I say.  Only observation.

 

They may be attending other churches.  They may be, but I don't know for sure.  I don't see them. 

 

Here's my hypothesis.  That group of people grew up becoming teenagers to adults in the 60's and 70's.  Decades of unrest, change, cultural upheavals and the sexual revolution.  Particularly in the 60's.  They ceased to believe.  Those older already believed.  Those younger are looking for how they should then live.

 

I wonder if in fact we haven't lost a whole half generation.  We have a demographic hole in the demographic bulge. I wonder if in fact much of the atheism we see in America isn't due to this culture.

 

I can't prove a thing.  It's only my opinion.

 

It was classic high church.  Long Long liturgy.  Procession carrying the cross in, holding the Bible high, Candle lighters.  The whole deal.

 

And Communion.  That was some operation...

 

I'm not critical.  I got a lot  out of it.  I can go to high church and get a lot.  I think I was the only person who wasn't wearing a robe in the building.