As children of modernity, we often treat names very casually. Names for children are chosen for many different, and sometimes inconsequential reasons. However, in the Scriptures names are more significant; chosen to reflect the character of the person, or changed for the same reason. Jacob, the "grasper" or supplanter, was thus named, because as he was born he was grasping the heel of his older brother Esau. Later, after wrestling with God, God changed his name to Israel. He was no longer a supplanter. Jesus gave Simon, the Apostle, the name Peter, (rock) and announced that upon this "rock," he would build his Church. To this day it is not uncommon for men to change their names upon their ordination to the priesthood, or episcopacy. Names are important. They are more than just handles used to get ones attention. They identify and communicate something about a person.
The same could be said of churches. When we founded Christ Community Church, we chose that name because it communicated who we were as an independent autonomous community of faith, and our vision to be a church for our community. However in our journey toward Christ's one holy catholic and apostolic church, we are still a church for our community, but we have given up our independence. We have submitted ourselves to Apostolic authority, through our Bishop, We have conformed our doctrine and practice to the Tradition of the Church. For many years now, Christ Community Church has been an inaccurate and ambiguous description of who we are. Sunday, January 17,2010, in our annual Parish meeting, we decided to change that. We adopted the name Christ the King Anglican Church. Our loyalty to Christ is unchanged. Our government is no longer pure democracy, (community governed) but that of Christ our King, and his established authority, through the Apostles to the Bishops of his Church. "Anglican" expresses our adherence to the tradition of English Catholicism, as expressed in the 1549 Book of Common prayer, and the unity we seek in Christ's one Church. We recognize that this journey toward unity will not be complete until Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and faithful Anglicans share full communion with one another. Never the less, as a parish, we are much closer to that unity, than when we first began. Thanks be to God.
If you are in the area, please come and worship God in the ancient tradition that speaks the truth in every generation.
