In our proto-Home Group (I am helping St. Paul’s develop a Home Group/Cell Group structure) two weeks ago, we were reading through the final sections of Peter’s first epistle. We are to be prepared always to give a defense for why we believe. So, the assignment for this week’s home group is to write a “spiritual autobiography” with the thought in the back of our minds to write in a way that will help us be prepared to give a reason for why we believe.
Here in New York, there is a kind of fascination of those who have faith, but generally for those who can simply live a life of faith without the rancor or antagonism or condemnation that is so prevalent in many Christians of a certain sort who are doing battle in their Culture War. I can’t help but run into people who want to discuss spiritual issues, God, Christianity, and what it all means in and for life. To be able to give a good explanation of or reason for the faith is important.

Fr. Jake Stops the World has made available space for essays, what in Evangelicalism would be called a testimony – of sorts, of faith and of why Anglicanism and The Episcopal Church is now so important to the writers. The first story reminds me in many ways of my own story – my own defense of the faith.
For this week’s home group, I hope to better hone my understanding of my own spiritual journey, why I came into Anglicanism, and why I am now a priest in this Church. This is a different endeavor than the spiritual autobiographies I’ve had to write leading up to ordination. It is important to remind ourselves, those of us who find in easier to talk about the significance of God in our lives, to remind ourselves why we continue on this very challenging and difficult journey of relationship with God.