Authority

Why Anglicanism? Part VI
Who's in Charge?

Corresponding to this, I became convinced that if Jesus is going to transform our lives, we must be willing to change. If I am to change for him, I must accept his correction. I can’t insist that this only come through Bible reading and private prayer, but also through living in community – remember that bit about living together as the Body of Christ? It means I must join myself to a group of people and not abandon them just because it gets hard or I don’t like how their presence challenges me to grow. The community must have authority in my life. I don’t mean the institution of the local church necessarily, but rather the people who love me, whom I love, whom I pray and study and live and eat with. Love translates to obedience, and if I don’t let them mediate Jesus to me, I serve only the Jesus of my own understanding, which is ultimately to serve myself alone.

Other essays on Authority:
"...and Occasionally Prophecy": Thoughts on Authority
Authority Issues

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