The Ascension Change Team Blog asked the folloiwng question.
Is Ascension called to be:
1) A church that serves primarily Episcopalians looking for a church home and connection to religion
OR
2) A missional church that is both grounded in truth, image, symbol, liturgy and inviting to the culture of today?"
My answer is:
I believe that we must acknowledge our roots in Anglicanism, giving people a safe place to be the Body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the Head, as we pray and worship, proclaim the Gospel, and promote justice, peace, and love.
We must also honor God by fulfilling the mission of the Church which is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ through the ministry of all its members.
The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship and governance of the Church. (Paraphrased and quoted from the Catechism found in The Book of Common Prayer pages 854 and 855.)
Many of us at Church of the Ascension and other Episcopal parishes, who like the Anglican identity, wish to highlight our differentiation from the social action based agenda of The Episcopal Church and therefore put more emphasis on our bible centered, orthodox, transformational Christian faith.
To answer the question in two sentences;
We must first be “missional” Biblical Christians focused on introducing people outside the (our) church to Christ and second, we must be missional by being grounded and confident in our transformational Christian faith which has an “Anglican” distinctiveness.
We must be inviting to the culture of today, but we are not to be shaped or formed by the culture of today, we must be shaped and formed into the Kingdom of God by using the standards expressed in Holy Scripture.
James Brzezinski - 21 September 2008
Did Jesus Claim to Be God
3 days ago
2 comments:
"We must be inviting to the culture of today, but we are not to be shaped or formed by the culture of today, we must be shaped and formed into the Kingdom of God by using the standards expressed in Holy Scripture."
I found this to be the best description of what it means to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lisa - Thank you for your affirming comment, "I found this to be the best description of what it means to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ." I hope you will put this response on the Ascension Change Team Blog as well.
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