I have been going through the archives again here, reading pieces by Jess, Chalcedon, and Geoffrey (who is missed). As I looked at the pieces and noted the dates of publication, I thought about the debates and arguments this place has seen. I thought about the changes in our personal lives. Then I thought about how I stumbled upon this place and became a contributor.

I believe my first post ever on this site was about how wonderful it is to be part of a local congregation. If one scrolls far back enough in the archives, one can find it here.

That seems an eternity ago now and jarring in the age of church by Zoom and YouTube. Indeed, I personally struggle with the idea of “virtual church” and have not taken to it as others have. I suppose there are various reasons, which I shall not delve into here.

But looking at the old posts which so frequently raised denominational differences, I was struck by the fundamental question of who we are as Christians. Having been involved in the Christian Union and reading a fair amount of apologetics material, as well as having to defend my faith when I was a teacher, I oftentimes think of the differences between Christianity and Judaism and Islam.

Of course, as the regulars here know, it all comes down to the person of Jesus. In Him we find our identity. He is the image of the invisible God, one of my favourite passages if Scripture.

Here we talk about Jesus, but in our prayer closets we talk to Jesus. For me the question of who Jesus is was a driving force in my journey of faith. And as we talk to Jesus, sometimes we ask Him who we are, lost in the waves of our busy lives.

God renamed people in the Bible. Abram became Abraham, Jacob Israel, Simon Peter. Looking at the community here and asking who we are as a community and as individuals, I should like to say that I am grateful to have you in my life and hope that God has used and will use this place, among His various ways, to change us all for the better and make us confident in who we are in Christ.