Rejuvenation at Trinity Church

Sep 1, 2018 by

by Nic Rowan, First Things:

Trinity Wall Street, the Church-of-what’s-happening-now in the DIOCESE OF NEW YORK, home of the Clown Eucharist, has branched out into offering new age neo-Buddhist mindful meditation sessions for Financial District workers on their lunch breaks.  On this particular summer day, Nic Rowan joined a group of middle-aged ladies and describes his experience of being led through mindful breathing exercises focused on me-and-my-innate-ability-to-rid-myself-of-my-fears-and-my-discomfort-as-my-spirit-guides-me-through-my-breathing – Barbara Gauthier:

[…] Every Wednesday in the summer, Trinity hosts midday “Catch Your Breath” services, catering to Financial District workers on their lunch breaks. The signs outside—beneath the Episcopal flag and next to the rejuvenation posters—advertise the services in this way:

Take a break from the workday rush. Participate in a breathing exercise, enjoy some quiet time, and listen to a short teaching before tackling the rest of your day. Bring your lunch for a supportive midday interaction.

For years, the Episcopal Church and its decline into secularism have been the butt of many a joke in the conservative Christian communities through which I’ve drifted. Membership is down—if baptism rates continue their decline, it will never recover—as the church concedes ever more beliefs in order to accommodate the modern world. Already, many of its members practice in a way that is nearly indistinguishable from the spiritual-but-not-religious folks who visit The Met on Sundays in lieu of a liturgy. Soon they may become like those who spend Sundays at MoMA.

It’s easy to be cynical about the state of the Episcopal Church. But everyone hungers for some salvation. When I entered the chapel, I found ten chairs set up in a ring behind the nave. In front of the chairs, ten flower-embroidered cushions formed an inner ring. Six middle-aged women sat in the chairs. A seventh woman wearing a scarf that looked like a tallit stood in the middle of the ring.

She introduced herself as Ellen and said she would be leading today’s meditation. “Now take a nice deep breath,” she said. “We’re centering ourselves for the exercises. Once you’re in your center, take one more deep breath and then exhale. Take one more big inhale, lift your arms up, and then exhale.”

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