Surprising Merrily

Anglicans comprise the third largest Christian group globally.  Although the newly formed Anglican Church in North America (Est. 2009) is in communion with the vast majority of other Anglicans worldwide, very few lay people here in North America can explain Anglicanism effectively.  How to get people up-to-speed about Anglicanism in reasonably short order?  Even inspire one to dig deeper into it.  Books?  Teachings?  Well, of course.  But how about a little technology?  A DVD perhaps.  But not the infomercial sort of thing.  What if  an entertainment answered the question What is Anglicanism?  Helped people to tell others Why I'm an Anglican?  What if there were, well, a one-act stage play?  One that wasn't churchy at all, though accurate and entertaining.   Maybe add a little Gershwin music for good measure.  And a prickly media lady - we'll call her Merrily Inclement - to confront historical Anglicans C.S. Lewis, Thomas Cranmer and Richard Hooker.  What if Hollywood got involved - filmed a great performance by professional actors, producer, director, cinematographers, film editors, sound people . . . the Hollywood cinematic works?  Well, it's happened!  Surprising Merrily is now a 45 minute DVD that can be enjoyed by a Church congregation or by anyone at home or with friends. Thomas Cranmer renovated the English Church during the Great Reformation, producing the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549.  Richard Hooker (1554-1600) refined Cranmer's legacy.  C.S. Lewis came to faith some 400 years later.  He wonderfully expounded the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith in our time.   Though Merrily Inclement and her Surprising Merrily television show are fictional, the four characters meet in a literary form called the supposal where - as they explore Anglicanism - we are reminded that a personal encounter with the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints has a way of producing its own surprises. This is an enduring movie for all Christians as well as seekers.