The Prophetic Voice and the Three Streams of Anglicanism

In chaplaincy we have a term that we often use, and it's "being the prophetic voice." What we mean by that is that we are the voice in the midst of the darkness, oftentimes going against the general consensus — going against the grain and often offering an opinion that is not popular, but is something that needs to be said and something that needs to be heard. Throughout all of Church history we see men and women of faith rise up to be that very voice — the voice that is inspired by God to be the light in the darkness, saying what the people desperately need to hear.

This past month, Father John and I have taught on the three streams of Anglicanism: the Evangelical Stream, the stream that upholds the uncompromised Word of God and takes it to the nations; the Charismatic Stream, the stream that uses the gifts that God bestowed on His church to effectively minister to the people; and finally the Sacramental Stream, the stream that brings life to the believer. Today my goal is to get you to see that each of these streams is necessary to equip each and every one of us in this room — from the youngest to the oldest — to be that prophetic voice that the Church, and more importantly the world, so desperately needs.

I have spoken several times to you about the assault on Christianity. I have talked about how there is no such thing as a war on Christmas, and that for the most part the world leaves us pretty much alone. However, the point I always make, and the point that I must emphasize again and again, is that the assault on Christianity is coming from within. The assault is happening within our very ranks, and while I can show you how this is happening all across mainline Christianity, today I am going to be focusing specifically on Anglicanism and the assault that is happening from within our Communion.

That's a pretty bold statement to make, Rev. Brent! How can you say that the church is under assault, and how can you say it is happening from within? And what in the world does this have to do with our current sermon series? Those are all good questions, and if you stick with me for the next few moments we will take the journey together to see.

Normally I would censor a bit of what I am about to say — removing the name of my previous denomination and not really mentioning the who's who, letting you fill in the blanks yourself. However, this information is of the utmost importance, and hiding the guilt of the Episcopal Church does no one any favors. We have a duty as Christians to call out the sin of our brother, and I am going to be doing a bit of that today.

As I am writing this sermon, I am watching the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, where according to the Presiding Bishop the goal is to "reclaim Jesus Christ." Reclaim him from whom and to what, Presiding Bishop? What is sad is that it is not so much a reclaiming, but a redefining of who Jesus Christ is — a redefining that makes Jesus this all-loving teacher who holds no one accountable for their actions, a Jesus who is worried more about feelings than He is about the salvation of souls, a Jesus that is completely foreign to the Holy Scriptures and the Church Fathers. Not at all the Messiah, but this made-up figure to suit the latest whims of the progressives in the church.

The line has been drawn in the sand. You are either a follower of this false representation of Jesus, or you are a true follower of Jesus Christ. If you are a true follower, I will invite you to journey with me into understanding how the Three Streams of Anglicanism are exactly what the Church needs to combat this assault on orthodox Christianity.

There is a real battle going on. It is a battle for souls. I thank God that He has equipped us as a church to not only fight this battle, but win it. But how do we win a battle when the opponent is telling the people exactly what they want to hear? We win it by putting into practice the gift that God has given us in the Three Streams: the gift of the Evangelical Stream, or evangelism; the gift of the Charismatic Stream, or the gifts of the Spirit; and the gift of the Sacramental Stream, or the Sacraments.

**The Evangelical Stream**

In the Gospel of Saint Mark we are given the commands of Jesus for after he leaves us. It says: "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.'"

What is the Gospel that we are to preach? What is the message that Jesus wants us to take into all the world? It is a message of hope. It is a message that though we are sinners living in a fallen world, we have a promise in the words of Jesus that when we believe in him and are baptized, we will be saved.

In the Gospel of Saint John we see that Jesus is very clear that he is the only way to the Father. It doesn't matter how good of a person you are; it doesn't matter how much time or money you give to the church. What matters is that you have committed your life to Christ. This is the gift of the Evangelical Stream — the knowledge that we have hope in a Savior who loves us, a Savior who loves us enough to give his life for ours.

We have been given a gift in these Holy Scriptures to prepare us for this task. We know that when we preach from Holy Scripture, it has authority. It has the authority of 2,000 years' worth of tried and tested messages. It has the authority to empower the believer to accomplish the things that God has called him to do. Words have power. At the hospital, whenever I am called in to resolve a conflict, I always read the mission statement. When I am finished reading it, I ask the parties involved how their particular side of the argument holds up to the mission of the hospital. Those words carry power in that situation, and the words of Scripture carry power in this battle for souls.

The Evangelical Stream, however, is only one piece of the equation. Words are all good, but without action words are worth little more than the pieces of paper they are written on. Where the Evangelical Stream is lacking, its sister stream, the Charismatic Stream, picks up. The Charismatic Stream is the Church in action, empowered by the words of Scripture and working under the influence of the Holy Spirit by operating in supernatural gifts that allow us to accomplish things that we never thought possible. In the Gospel of Saint Mark, where Jesus commissioned us as his followers to go out and preach the good news, he gave us an understanding that we will not be doing this alone. He showed us that we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do this.

**The Charismatic Stream**

In Saint Mark's Gospel it says: "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

As believers who are called to go out into the world — or, a better way of describing it, going out into the battlefield — we are equipped with God's Word, which carries with it authority, but we are also equipped with the gifts of the Spirit, or the signs that follow those who believe, as Jesus describes it.

As parents we spend years with our children, equipping them for when they reach adulthood with the tools necessary for them to thrive and survive. We impart knowledge to them, we give them their first car, and sometimes help them fund their wedding or first house. We are providing for them the things that they need to become adult members of society. In a similar way, we as believers are given gifts by the Father to equip us to do the things we need to do as faithful members of the Church.