Who Am I?

--Jeff Hunter, Junior Warden

Amidst the turmoil in the National Church, I find myself looking inward to discover what the present circumstances mean to me and my faith. I find that what it really boils down to is what my faith is truly based upon. Does the present conflict really matter? What will happen to me if the Episcopal Church is no longer in communion with the Anglican Communion? What does it really mean to be Anglican, Episcopal, or whatever? All of the questions can make one worry more about the state of affairs than is really necessary, but it does make me take a closer look at the basis of my faith. This has become a quest for who I am as a Christian.

It seems to be that some of our brothers and sisters in the Church have lost sight of the fact that our faith is based on the Word of God. That is, the inspired written accounts passed down through the Old Testament patriarchs, through the New Testament revelation of God as man, to the teachings of the Apostles, witnesses to the Christ, through the long line of saints, bishops, clergy, and lay persons, all the way to my existence in the Church today. This is the fundamental structure of our faith. Whether you style yourself as “conservative” or “liberal” in the present debate, Scripture, the living Word of God, is the basis of faith – not any of the myriad topics currently being debated.

Some will add to Scripture the Traditions of the Church (note the capital “T”) or the understood interpretation of the Scripture over the centuries. I agree that this body of knowledge is important; however, it all relates back to the Word of God for its basic foundation. The test of things applied as Doctrine is their consistency with the Scriptures. Therefore, all of our understood Tradition should point to the Bible for its authority, not the popular concepts of the World.

Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, Archbishop of the Diocese of Uganda, puts it simply that the foundations of the Church refer back to the Word of God, “the ground on which it was built: the faith of the martyrs was maintained by the Word of God, [revival brings] the people the Word of God, and the historic ordering of ministry was designed to advance the Word of God. Using this viewpoint one must base faith centrally on the Word of God. This firm foundation will serve to provide an unwavering compass in a world of constant pressure to change. Without the firmness of Scripture, we build our house on a weak foundation to be washed away when the rains come. Thus, only through the Word, and with that Word, communion with God, can the Church survive in whatever form that may be.

Therefore, I ask myself again the question: Who am I? With all of my study, I come to only one conclusion. I am a Christian – a follower of Christ crucified as revealed in the Word of God. I am guided in my “walk” with God through the historical common interpretation of Holy Scripture by the Church Father, but I am irresistibly drawn back to the Scriptures, standing alone, to hear the Voice of God speaking to my heart. Through this history I am connected to a long line of followers who proclaimed the Christ unto death throughout the ages. Now it’s my turn. Whether I call myself Episcopal, Anglican, or whatever, my call is to proclaim the Word of God – not the 39 Articles of Faith, not the political structure of the Anglican Communion, but the Word of God!. This is the foundation upon which I will build my faith.

I am a Christian – that’s who I am.

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