I am a question to myself, an early Christian writer confessed, conveying the perplexity involved in knowing one’s self.  But he and others throughout time have found that true knowledge of ourselves comes is inextricably linked with our knowing God.  As a later writer put it, it is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked upon God’s face.

The God present to us as Jesus Christ comes especially close, because we believe that he lived a fully human, historically-embedded life.  He serves, then, as a model of human life in its truest, freest, most loving and courageous form, as well as being all that we mean when we say “God.”  Looking at this face, this entire life, helps us to know who we really are, and become who we were meant to be.

Our identity is also shaped in relationship to others we encounter—both friend and stranger—and that Christ is the one through whom we relate.  What do you see in another’s face?  We hope that the transformation we’re taking part in is evident in the newness of our lives, even seen in our own faces.

uOttawa Campus Club

The House takes place on the University of Ottawa campus, where it has a club status and holds a number of meetings and events.  Its intent is to provide students with a variety of experiences with faith, or who are skeptical of faith altogether, to encounter the Christian witness to God as shown in the person of Jesus.  We seek to provide numerous points of access for inquirers as well as to facilitate deeper commitments for those who seek them.  Our intent is that the club would provide a supportive environment where core questions about life and faith can be asked and, of course, lived.

St. Alban’s Anglican Church

Several of us are involved in a church very near campus.  We see this as a life-giving connection, as it allows us to learn what it means to be apprentices of Jesus from a diverse community of people.  As such, we are a campus club distinctly able to connect students with young adults in various stages of life and career—which gives us a more diverse crowd as well as continuity over time, as school can be a transient time.  We can also make connections with the wonder of children, the vigor of youth, and the wisdom of older generations, to name just a few of the unique experiences of Christian life that St. Alban’s draws together.

Third Spaces

What happens between the church and home, between public worship and private spirituality?  We take it as part of our Christian calling to interact with the city around us and of which we are a part, seeking renewal.  To that end, we’re always interested in both appreciating and making contributions to our culture—book discussions at the Highlander pub, film screenings at the Bytowne cinema, lectures at the campus Agora, and a space you’ve yet to name…