A Place for the Wanderers to Dwell

The story of our focus area is one of disillusioned Christianity. Many claim to be Christians but few gather to worship Christ in a gathered community. Although 39% of people in our area claim to be Christians, only 28% attend a church. Most people, 58%, believe other Christians don’t live as Jesus would have. There is a great disparity between faith and practice in our Christian South. This is not hard to explain. In the wake of Covid-19, our culture has seen the fragility of the healthcare system and human mortality, growing racial tensions, political polarization, church scandals, and passionate responses from Christians to homosexuality, gender identity, and abortion. While many of these important battles in the culture war wage forward, the plight of the poor and needy grows worse. In a culture that is relatively wealthy, it is increasingly easy for Christians to isolate themselves from the suffering of their neighbors. Many within the Church perceive a darkness and apathy toward the poor and minority groups. Others fear liberal ideologies and despair of the Church’s commitment to a historic and orthodox faith. Many from both groups take to social media and decry the egregious shortcomings of their opposites. Enemies within the Church; a house divided. And that’s just the Christians. What about those on the outside looking in? What do they see?

No wonder almost 60% in our city think Jesus followers have departed from their Savior. We confess that Jesus was God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God. We believe in the incarnate God who ate with sinners and tax collectors, lepers and prostitutes, poor and downcast. If the Church is being faithful to its call to love the least of these, then it seems that our neighbors are not seeing it. Even the 7,800 that say they have a relationship with our Savior. Enter James of Jerusalem, the brother of our Lord. 

St. James is also known as James the Just and it is easy to see why. He is not impressed by claims of faith and knowledge that do not take action to serve the vulnerable, especially widows and orphans (1:27). As the brother of our Lord, James knew what it looked like to love one’s neighbor as himself. He writes about suffering (1:2-3, 12-15, 5:7-12), prayer (1:5-8), humility (1:9-11, 4:13-17), living the Word (1:19-25), bridling the tongue (1:26, 3:1-12), showing partiality (2:1-13), faith in action (2:14-26), wisdom (3:13-18), seeking righteousness (4:1-12), and wealth (5:1-6). These concerns are an antidote to contemporary Christianity in the United States today. Mission Saint James will strive to make James’ concerns our own in our approach to worship, discipleship, community, and ministry.

Our heart and desire is to put our faith into action; to be a witness of the loving compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), but not neglect the most vulnerable among us (Biblical Orthodoxy). We want to put our Anglican Tradition to work by praying for one another as well as our community (Anglican Spirituality). We want to welcome the stranger into our homes, church, and life (relational hospitality). We want to foster a community in which we help one another follow in the footsteps of Christ (communal discipleship). We want to serve the poor and needy through practical, needs-based mercy ministries (missional mercy). We want to take the radical abundance God has given us in all resources (money, gifting, opportunity, education, family, houses, possessions, lands) and give it away in the name of Jesus (generous stewardship). We want to demonstrate the Kingdom of God to those who have lost hope in the Church as well as those who have simply lost hope. And most of all, we want to be a home. 

Everyone in our city, in our focus area, longs for a home. Even those who are well-established and have a house, family, and place in society. This is because we are all longing to be at home in Christ. Mission Saint James desires to provide a spiritual home for those who are wandering, those who are looking for rest, a place to belong, and a place to be known. This is not a permanent home, but a place to prepare for a heavenly home, an eternity with Jesus. A place for the wanderer to dwell.