Where I am now

Hey, 

 

I *have* thought about Jubilee.  Thank you for the invitation.  It means a lot to me. 

 

My own Church is just too woke for me now. I took my last priest for granted, and she was a large part of the reason I stayed at St. Paul's, a buffer for me. I was looking around for Anglican Churches when I found Benadiction Church in KW.  It looks wild, but very conservative, Anglican, evangelical, and with contemporary music.  So I'm not sure about it.  It seems a juxtaposition.   

 

You and I have not had a really good discussion about faith, Christianity, and Church.  My gut tells me that you don't want to talk (or debate) Church, and I will try not to broach the issue. Two of my childhood friends/clergy kids (Baptist & Lutheran) hated talking Church with me.  Maybe I could talk directly to Trevor? You are a friend, and I wouldn't want it to affect our friendship.  It's amazing that you guys include us in game nights. 

 

Although I prefer the traditional hymns, I don't mind your rock concert.  I really like the people of Jubilee; they're good people, good Christians. The worship is quite different.  I am an extreme (ISTJ) introvert, emotion on the inside.  And, I am quite attached to Anglican liturgy.  Praying by rote—as Dave Adair calls it, is wrong according to him.  I look at it as a personal relationship with God and with the intent of the heart as being what is important in discerning if prayer is vain. 

 

The structure and regimentation of Anglican worship is actually what attracted me to it.  I find beauty in the liturgy and peace in The Office; it holds a reverence in it, and brings me closer to God.  In it, I find joy of my own that is difficult for me to articulate to you. It moves me to tears when I think of what the Lord has done for me, and what I have done to Jesus. 

 

I don't know if I'm Christian enough to belong at Jubilee, an ugly duckling. So, maybe I should tell you what I believe: 

 

• I am a creedal Christian (Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed)  

• I am a Sola fide Christian 

• I am a Sola Scripture Christian 

• I believe in the Gifts of the Spirit, but that they are different for each of us 

• I believe in the 7 sacraments of the Church, especially (at least) baptism and the Eucharist 

➡I am okay with infant baptism 

➡I believe in one baptism  

➡I believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist (not just symbolic) 

• I believe that spiritual warfare is real, and dangerous to the unprepared  

• I believe in apostolic succession, but that it is not necessary for salvation to do so 

• I agree with the 39 Articles of Faith 

• I believe that Abortion is murder (but I tend to keep that to myself) 

• I have unique views on homosexuality—that are better explained in person—that would not be accepted in either of our Churches, I imagine 

• I believe that we should all be free to worship as we see fit in Canada 

• I believe that Church—in as far as it is Christian community—is necessary and is the body of Christ, but not necessary for salvation  

• I think that there are five basic types of prayer (not necessary for salvation to believe so) 

• I am a Trinitarian, and steer clear of the heresies of Modalism, Adoptionism, Arianism, Nestorianism, Pelagianism, & Apollinarianism 

• I don't mind veneration of the Saints (they actually inspire me, Thomas doubting, Peter sinking in the sea, as I myself fall far short), but find prayer to them to be wrong 

• I don't believe in purgatory 

• When confessing your sins to a priest or otherwise, forgiveness comes from God 

• I have not had a mountain top experience, and 

• I have never spoken in tongues or had a vision 

• I believe that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved 

• I believe that if I am not where I am supposed to be, a whale will come get me 

 

I know how I arrived at St. Paul's; I see the hand of God in my being called there.  The conservative Christians who formed the Anglican Essentials movement packed up and left years ago, as the left turn blinker was stuck on.  The Anglican Church of Canada has become a temple of Moloch, Gaia, and Marx (as I witness it in sermons from the pulpit, the 5 Marks of Mission, and as called out by Anglican writers like C.S. Lewis and J.I. Packer).  And, I find myself asking God why I am here in the midst of it.  Am I here as a witness? 

 

Again, to reiterate, I value our friendship a lot, more than any need to talk about any of this; I just felt that you were owed this after your invitation—yet another—to attend Jubilee.  Maybe God will take us there... 

 

Peace, 

 

William