Statement of Faith

I believe in God the creator who, through sovereign power, calls human beings to participate in the formation and reformation of creation, of culture, and of life itself. God’s relationship with humanity is grounded in certain unique truths, which are:

=That we are all equally created out of God’s love and in that shared created-ness, we have equal standing before God and one another. No created being or institution possesses ultimate or transcendent, spiritual or moral authority or wisdom or power;

=That we are charged, as agents of God’s will, to engage each other in ways that acknowledge the equality of our origin in God’s love and to engage creation as stewards of that love;

=That we are blessed with God’s eternal faithfulness, constantly expressed in the new things God does in our lives and in creation and that causes us to challenge fundamental assumptions generated by our individual and collective desires.

I believe in God the Christ who, through redeeming grace imparted in his death on the cross, calls human beings to participate in the revelation of God’s love. Jesus’ relationship with humanity is grounded in certain unique realities, which are:

=That we are called to a mission of reconciliation and care for the human family, to relieve burdens of suffering, of poverty, of sickness, of strife, and of powerlessness in Jesus’ name;

=That we are called to costly Christian discipleship by proclaiming God’s justice for all, and by requiring accountability and confessional honesty in our own lives and in the lives of others even when our words are unpopular;

=That we are called to accept Jesus’ claim upon our lives, marked in baptism, and to make that claim the essential context for our words, thoughts, deeds, and worship.

I believe in God the Holy Spirit who, through sustaining fellowship, calls human beings to participate in communities that express and live their faith in God. This faith reflects unique norms and values, which are:

=That freedom is God’s merciful gift of liberation from the dominating tyranny of self-centeredness, pride, and self-preservation and enables us to serve God and each other before serving ourselves;

=That the Christian church is the Body of Christ, led by Christ- a fellowship of worshipping people in which forgiveness is practiced, in which burdens are borne mutually, and through which the community and the world are engaged with hospitality;

=That holy scripture is the essential witness and testimony of God’s servant peoples in history that we interpret in order to understand God’s love, God’s will, God’s justice, and God’s transcendent sovereignty over all created things;

=That prayer is essential and holy communication in which we praise, confess, give thanks, seek and find God’s presence in our lives;

=That holy sacraments are ritual, corporate engagement with the triune God that bind us together as the Body of Christ and that rededicate our lives to divine service through the Body of Christ.