Bishop Alan’s Blog: Liturgical Terrorism or the future?

Bishop Alan’s Blog: Liturgical Terrorism or the future?: "Fifty years ago, most denominations had some degree of closed communion — people were generally nice about it, but the denomination was the gatekeeper. Since the 1950’s this rather Brethren way of doing Church has largely broken down in the West.

People who are not personally excommunicated are admitted on the basis of baptism, and the whole Church, not the denomination is the medium of the Sacrament. The institutional denomination is only trustee for the Lord, to whom the Sacrament belongs."

Why Orthodox Christianity Is Outside the Culture Wars by Frederica Mathewes-Green - Beliefnet.com

Why Orthodox Christianity Is Outside the Culture Wars by Frederica Mathewes-Green - Beliefnet.com: "And there didn't even seem to be an Orthodox catechism, for goodness' sake. It seemed like the faith was supposed to be learned almost by osmosis, by living it. How could that work?%20If%20a%20church%20with%20an%20infallible%20pope%20and%20a%20magisterium%20could%20have%20as%20much%20rioting%20in%20the%20pews%20as%20the%20Catholics%20did%2C%20what%20hope%20did%20the%20Orthodox%20have%3F%20So%20I%20figured%20it%20was%20just%20a%20matter%20of%20time.%20Trying%20to%20maintain%20the%20classic%20faith%20without%20a%20powerful%20hierarchy%20didn't%20look%20like%20doing%20a%20high-wire%20act%20without%20the%20net;%20it%20looked%20like%20doing%20it%20without%20the%20wire.%20"