Why This Substack Is Called "On the Way"
A reflection on what it means to follow Jesus "On the Way"
When I launched this Substack, I borrowed its name from a phrase that’s deeply woven into the life of the church I pastor. At St. Dunstan’s Anglican Church in Largo, Florida, our byline is: A Church on the Way. It’s not just branding. It’s a theological orientation. It’s a way of describing (ideally) who we are, how we live, and what we believe. The phrase “On the Way” is so meaningful to me that I knew it also had to be the name of my Substack.
So, what does that phrase mean? What does it mean to be “On the Way”?
The Way is Jesus
First, to be “On the Way” means to be rooted in Jesus Christ.1 Jesus said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The Christian life is therefore not merely a set of ideas, practices, or values. It is a life anchored in the person of Jesus Christ (John 15:5). He is the model. He has shown us the way to eternal, resurrected life. He is the one who has walked this path before us.2 This Substack, like St. Dunstan’s, exists to follow that Way, i.e., to help people grow as disciples of Jesus by rooting their lives in him.
The Way is the Apostolic Church
Second, before the followers of Jesus were called “Christians,” they were known simply as “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22). Therefore, to be “on the Way” means to be grounded in the apostolic faith—the faith of the New Testament, handed down by those who walked with Jesus, saw him crucified, and encountered him alive again. Their witness—recorded in Scripture, celebrated in sacrament, and proclaimed in every generation—is our foundation, and it shapes everything I preach, teach, and write.
The Way is a New Exodus Journey
Third, being “On the Way” reminds us that we are pilgrims and not finished products. We’ve been set free from sin and death, yes—but we have not yet arrived at the promised land. We walk a path of transformation, growth, and hope. The journey is not always straight. It’s not always fast. But we know where we’re going. I call this path the New Exodus journey.
Along this New Exodus journey, we follow the path of our spiritual ancestors in their Exodus from Egypt:
Thanks to the sacrifice of the new Passover Lamb, we have been set free from sin and death (Rom 6:7; 8:2; 1 Cor 5:7).
Having left the place of our enslavement, we then passed through the waters of baptism (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27).
The Holy Spirit now leads us through the wilderness of this world (Rom 8:14).3
On this New Exodus journey, we are fed and sustained by heavenly food, i.e., the body and blood of Christ (Mark 4:22–24; John 6:51).
Because the Spirit is the one who leads us, we look forward with confidence to the Promised Land of resurrected, eternal life (1 Cor 15:20–26).
Your journey may look different from mine. I’m not a finished product, and neither are you. And that’s okay! Christians aren’t people who have arrived; we’re people who are “On the Way” to the Promised Land.
The Way is the Way of the Cross
Lastly, here’s the paradox at the heart of it all: the path that Jesus walked is the way of glory, but it’s also the way of the cross.
The first words of the first Gospel are this:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’” (Mark 1:1–3, quoting Isa 40:3 and Mal 3:1).
In the Gospel of Mark, the Isaianic “way of the Lord” becomes, unmistakably, the way of suffering and self-sacrifice. Scholars refer to Mark 8:22–10:52 as the “Way section.” It’s in this section that Jesus repeatedly teaches his disciples that the Messiah must suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again. It’s also the section where the disciples least want to hear it.
And yet, Jesus is clear:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).
To be “On the Way” is to walk the way of the cross. We walk this path not because it is easy but because it is the only path that leads to resurrected, eternal life. To put it another way, you don’t get to Easter morning without Good Friday.
This cruciform shape of the Way is not a detour; it’s the path itself. Jesus is the Son of Man to whom all authority belongs “that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (Dan 7:14). But “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). That means the Way is never a triumphalist journey. It’s the road of downward glory, costly love, and deep humility. It’s the path Christ walked, and he calls his disciples to take up their cross and follow after him.
So that’s why I chose this name. This Substack is not a collection of finished thoughts from a destination reached. It’s dispatches from the road. It’s a space to reflect, explore, wrestle, and walk together. Sometimes I’ll share sermons. Sometimes, theological reflections. Sometimes, bits of beauty, suffering, or wonder.
My best hope for this Substack is that it helps you walk more closely with Jesus. Because no matter where you’re starting from, or how long you’ve been walking, we are all—by grace—“On the Way”.
If you’re interested in hearing more from my journey “On the Way,” please subscribe.
In the Diocese of Quincy, our motto is “Rooted, Missional, and Compassionate.”
Hebrews 12:2 refers to Jesus as the ἀρχηγὸν of our faith, which I would translate as “trailblazer.”
The first time Israel is referred to as God’s child is in Exodus 4:22–23,