This is the third in a series about biblical principles for the Anglican Church in North America (AC-NA) as we "cross-over," like Israel, from a place of bondage to a "promised place" of reformation (what we must leave behind), renewal of vision (our promised possession and dominion) and mission in North America. This week, let's focus on the next set of God's principles for a cross-over people, the three verses above from Joshua 1, verses 6, 7 and 9.

Three times God says to Joshua "Be strong and courageous." God never wastes words. If he says it three times in the space of four verses, it is because it is very important and not empty repetition. "Be strong" (chazaq) means literally to lay hold of, seize, and get a grip on something. "Be courageous" ('ammits) means that once you have gotten a grip on that thing, don't let it go; don't go flabby or weak. So let me suggest from the text three things God says a cross over people must lay hold of if they are going to enter the promised land

First, get a grip on God's promises: As God says in 1:6, "You will lead these people to inherit the land I swore [promised] to their forefathers..." We find God's promises in God's word, the Bible. The problem is that we ourselves need to get a grip on the Bible. It can certainly be argued that false teaching spread through the Episcopal Church like a cancer until it was too late because, for the most part, Episcopalians were Biblically illiterate. We cannot afford to repeat that mistake. We risk doing so by resting in the safe harbor of our "Fundamental Declarations" (Art. 1, ACNA Constitution). Instead we must take to heart the exhortation in the Collect for Proper 28 - that every one of us, whatever our age or circumstance, should "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" the Holy Scriptures so that we may embrace and hold fast the high hopes God has for us.

We will get a grip on the Bible by drawing upon the first of three great streams that run through Anglicanism: the Evangelical stream. Through exegetical preaching and teaching, in worship and in small groups, we must create multiple and redundant opportunities for all people to study, memorize and apply the Bible to their lives so that the "this Book of the Law will not depart from [our] mouths" (1:8) - or our hearts. This is a challenge that will require of us at least three commitments: (1) In the development of leaders: We must find ways to support seminaries like Trinity, Nashotah House and others that will train our clergy in how to study the Bible, how to exegete scripture, how to preach and teach it with up-to-the-minute relevance, and how to pass those skills on to others; (2) In the local congregation: Bible study of all kinds (inductive and didactic, topical or by book, introductory and advanced) available to all people, and the parish council or vestry committed to scripture shaping the values that drive the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the local church; and (3) In every family, and every person: A commitment to daily Bible study, scripture memorization, meditation and application.

Next, we need to get a grip on God's patterns: As God says in verse 7, "Don't turn to the right or to the left..." There is a pattern we need to follow - God's patterns for the life he wants us to live in Christ... "that you may prosper wherever you go." You and I need to know how to do the right thing. We need to go beyond believing to actually doing what the Bible says, responding to its patterns and principles with a life that lays hold of Christ himself. In short, we are talking about returning to nothing less than holiness of life.

Holiness of life is an imperative for every member of the AC-NA. The Canons are explicit in this regard. Every member of the church is called to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ, taught in everything He has commanded - including regular worship, Bible study, holiness of life, spiritual formation of their children, giving to the mission of the church, practicing forgiveness, continuing instruction in the faith, and "utilizing the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives them for the effective extension of Christ's Kingdom." (Canon I.10.2) Clergy and lay leaders are held to an even higher standard: they are called to be "exemplary in all spheres of morality as a condition of being appointed or remaining in office" (Canon II.8.1); they must be wholesome examples and patterns to the entire flock of Christ (Canon III.2.1) and the grounds for their discipline are spelled out in excruciating detail (Canon IV.2). These Canons were written to provide for the intentional discipleship of every member of the church. They were designed to preclude the absence of serious Christian discipleship in the 20th century that preceded the rise of theological revisionism, heterodoxy and heresy in the Episcopal Church.

Holiness of life demands that we lay hold of the Great Tradition, the Catholic Stream of Anglicanism: We must get a grip on spiritual disciplines and a robust return to what Martin Thornton calls "Christian Proficiency" - living our lives as Jesus would through a rule of life that includes Holy Eucharist at least once a week and on Holy Days, The Daily Office, Colloquy or Meditation on the scriptures and listening prayer, and accountability through a small group or trusted brother or sister in Christ, and regular Confession. Disciplines, however, are not an end in themselves. They are the means of grace by which we cultivate an inner life in Christ that will eventually express itself as Christ would in every circumstance and relationship that we face.

Next, we need to get a grip on God's presence: As God says to Joshua in verse 9, "...for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." God is saying to Joshua - lay hold of my promises, lay hold of my patterns for living - but most of all, lay hold of Me. We need to be a people who welcome and embrace his presence in our lives so that we can help others find the same healing and wholeness that we have found in Christ through a "power beyond ourselves."

We need to lay hold of this power through the third stream, the Charismatic stream of Anglicanism. Dr. Charles Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena) describes this stream as "Christianity with Power." It is the supernatural dimension of the normal Christian life; it is exemplified by the actions and expectations of the earliest churches in the Acts of the Apostles. In short, it is the recovery and renewal of baptism, life and ministry in the Holy Spirit in the local church.

As a child of the "Charismatic Renewal" of the Episcopal Church in the 1970's and '80's, I am aware of the ways the church quenched the Holy Spirit through opposition, ridicule and fear. Some detoured the renewal into an indulgence in emotionalism and cultish practices. Many did not allow the Holy Spirit to do with them what he did with the first believers in Acts - to empower them and send them forth on mission! Some criticize Charismatic renewal in TEC for attracting new people whose loyalty to the institution was "thin," and by implication weakened the resolve of traditionalists to stay and fight when other Charismatic alternatives became available.

But that is only half the story. In truth, many clergy and lay leaders were converted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible through Episcopal Renewal Ministries (now ACTS 29), Clergy Leadership Institutes, and other gatherings of mainline believers involved in Charismatic renewal. When those leaders stepped back, and when those events faded away, it was a turning point in the hardening of the institutional church.

In truth, today we need more Anglican leaders baptized, living and ministering in the Holy Spirit. We need more people and more churches involved in Charismatic renewal! We need more short-term missions to the Global South where we who go will experience Christianity with power!

The American Anglican Council has a three-year goal to help equip 50% of the churches in the AC-NA (as well as 50% of our member churches in TEC) to lay hold of these three great streams of Anglicanism: the Evangelical, the Catholic and the Charismatic. We want to help resource every local Anglican church to lay hold of the promises, patterns and presence of God. We want to help every local church we serve to establish a clearly articulated and identifiable process by which inquirers can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ - committed to the study and application of the Scriptures, holiness of life through spiritual disciplines and sacraments, life and ministry in the Holy Spirit, the discovery and exercise of spiritual gifts, and missionary partnerships with other Global South Anglicans.

Please pray for us (and give!) as we help each other remain "strong and courageous" crossing over into the Promised Land.

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