Christianity & Anglicanism

Christianity

Christianity is unique among world views. It is not a religion – which is human effort exerted to reach the Divine. Rather, it is a relationship – a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ.  All human beings have rebelled against God by placing ourselves at the centre of our existence. In the Bible this is called "sin". Sin is not simply specific actions contrary to God's law, but an attitude of heart and mind which says, "I know better than God". Sin is a mindset that chooses my own way in life, rather than God's. Sin says, “I know better than God what is best for me.” Sin is the broken relationship with God who made us and loves us. Sin is also seen in our broken relationships with our inner selves, other people, and the physical creation.

But God has done something about this state we are in, and we call it the Gospel (good news)! The stunning news is that God has taken it upon Himself to reconcile us to Him. He has done this through His own Son, Jesus the Messiah (Christ). Jesus was rejected by humanity, brutally tortured, and died, taking upon Himself the righteous judgment and punishment our rebellion deserves(death), so that we can stand before God washed of our sin. It's not that sin disappears into thin air, however. Justice demands that sin be "paid for". The sentence must be served in full. Jesus does this for all humanity as our substitute.

How do we respond to what God has done? He tells us that we must repent (change our mind) from trying to create and run our own lives, and believe in His Son (that is, trust in who Jesus is, and what He has done for us). To be a Christian is to live in response to what God has done. And God has designed us to live in community. The Church (a local congregation or gathering of Christians) is God's goal: His people living in His creation under His rule.

More Information

• The Bible - The best and foundational source of all information about Christianity is the Bible. If you’ve never read it before that’s a great place to start. The Bible is divided into 66 smaller books. We’d recommend starting with one of the Gospels which chronicle the life of Jesus—Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.

• Catechism - Another great way to get more information about Christianity is by reading the ACNA catechism “To Be a Christian”. Catechism is just a fancy word meaning a summary of Christian teaching. You can learn more about it here or you can download a copy here:

Connect

If you are pondering life's big spiritual questions, or are interested in learning more about God and faith, or perhaps want to connect with others who are searching for more in life, then we invite you to:

• Contact a church that teaches the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. Perhaps there is a Cascadia church near you!

• Contact Us - We’d love to talk to you

Anglicanism

Anglicans comprise the third largest branch of the global Christian Church, with 70-80 million members globally. Many orthodox Christians from congregational-style churches are looking for the rootedness and beauty which they find in the Anglican way of worshiping God.  Christian publications, such as Christianity Today, have documented the migration, especially among Christian young people, into Anglican churches. 

For those wishing to better understand the Anglicanism way of following Jesus Christ, the following resources may be of help.

If you are interested in learning more about the Anglican way of following Jesus Christ, you are welcome to visit one of our churches.  And you may wish to explore some of these articles:

> What is Anglicanism? – an article by Dr J I Packer, November 2005

> Why Anglican? – a 60-page booklet by the ACNA Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic