For many of us the word “catechism” might not be too familiar. We have perhaps some sense of it having to do with education, with the acquisition of the right information, but not much beyond that.

The word itself is ancient, as is the practice, and comes from the verb meaning “to echo.” The idea of catechism is that the truth of the Gospel, the truth of the Christian faith, comes to echo in our lives. This suggests a more holistic reality than simply assenting to the right ideas. The goal is that the truth of what God has done and is doing in Jesus Christ would resound in our lives, expanding to fill the crevices of our being in the way that sound waves might spread to fill out a physical space.

With this goal of resounding faithfulness to the Gospel as our intent, this coming year at COTC we have another opportunity to engage with the Anglican church’s catechism, To Be a Christian. Touching on the topics of “Believing in Christ” (faith), “Being Christ’s” (spirituality), and “Behaving Christianly” (ethics) this catechism involves the whole of our being.

One of my favorite memories of this past year was walking through this material with a small group from our community (pictured above). This year we have the opportunity to do this again. If you have questions about the Christian faith, would like to learn more about what the Anglican church teaches, or simply want to consider its truth and implications in community, I encourage you to come on out. If you’re interested in participating please email as soon as you can, we’re looking to get started soon!

Grace and peace,

Peter+