We are passionately Trinitarian in our faith.

The Hebrew Scriptures insist on the “Oneness” of God. However, following the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the “Oneness” of God was redefined. The Early Church spoke of God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in a way that described the Unity of God within a Community. We believe that God has always existed in a relationship of self-giving love, which the Church has described as “Perichoresis,” or holy dance. We believe God desires to include all of creation in this relationship of self-giving love.

We confess that this is God’s world, but we don’t concern ourselves with when or how God created.

We believe that God created “ex amore,” or out of love. We believe that it is God’s nature to give and that gave us life, this world and the Sabbath in the stories of creation. We recognize the two stories of creation in Genesis as a poetic description of our origins. God created a Temple and placed Images of Himself in that Temple. In keeping with ancient theology, God will one day come to live in that Temple with His creation.

We believe that all human beings are created in God’s image and likeness (Identity) and are charged with stewardship of all that God made (Mission).

We believe that human beings are the apex of God’s creation. As a result, God has charged us with caring for all that God created. Every life, from the most auspicious pedigree to the least, reflects the fingerprints of its creator. As a result, every human being is of immeasurable worth and value, and is to be cherished. This cherishing is meant to be extended to every species of animal, to the Earth that God created, and to the entire cosmos.

We confess that humanity does miss the mark in its IDENTITY and MISSION, but we celebrate God’s STEADFAST love and FAITHFULNESS.

The word “sin” comes from the field of archery and means “to miss the mark.” We believe that “Sin” is a relational term that describes humanity’s proclivity to deny its Identity and Mission. We recognize that people make mistakes, but people are not failures. People miss the mark, but do not diminish their value to God. We celebrate who God made us to be, not what we’ve often become. We understand that phrases like “total depravity,” “the fall,” and “original sin,” do not appear in the Bible’s creation story. We understand the biblical phrase “East of Eden,” as a relational reference, and we trust in God’s STEADFAST LOVE and FAITHFULNESS to lead us back to our true selves.

We see God consistently entering into COVENANT with people to be His partners.

God chose Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and the nation of Israel as people who would receive His blessings, in order to share those blessing with the world. We believe the Church exists to be one of those partners. We believe in distributive justice, meaning that God is concerned that all people have what they need. We believe that God’s STEADFAST LOVE calls and empowers us to be agents of God’s love, justice, and compassion, in our world.

We embrace the mystery of the Eternal Christ who, at a moment in time, forever emptied Himself of the “power” of God and entered the world as Jesus of Nazareth.

The Apostle Paul included an ancient “hymn,” or creedal statement to describe Jesus as the Eternal Christ who “emptied Himself” (Greek, “Kenosis”) and became a human being. Decades later John’s telling of the Jesus-Story described the “Word of God” (Greek “Logos”) becoming flesh and dwelling among creation.

We recognize Jesus’ call to FOLLOW HIM in the WAY of DISCIPLESHIP.

The New Testament reveals that Jesus never spoke of “Christians,” or “Christianity.” Jesus never invited people to “Accept him as a personal savior,” to “Trust him for salvation” or any type of transactional belief system. Jesus called disciples, loved them, trained them, and then sent them out to carry on his work. A disciple spends extensive time with Jesus in prayer and meditation. A disciple’s goal is to learn from Jesus, so that she or he will begin to value what Jesus values, in order that we may do what Jesus did. This is God’s chosen path to change the world.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the Father and God the Son, and is the empowering wind/breath/air that enables meaningful life and service.

We embrace the teaching of the Nicene and Constantinople Creeds, which say: “And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets.” The Holy Spirit empowers us to continue the works of Jesus, and do “even greater things,” as Jesus foretold (John 14).

We believe that the Church is the extension and continuation of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Jesus and his disciples lived in a close-knit community, and the Early Church followed this example. We believe the Way of Jesus is found, nurtured, and continued in community. We believe in the synergistic energy of people seeking to know and follow Jesus.

We believe that history is moving toward a glorious culmination, when this current “evil age” will be replaced by the fullness of the “age to come.”

We believe that Apocalyptic literature must be read in its historical context, and interpreted accordingly. As a result, we do not concern ourselves with time-lines, or the flights of fancy of modern “eschatological” literature. Instead, we look with expectation to Jesus’ “Royal Presence” (“Parousia”), and do our best to live in eager anticipation as we continue the work of our Lord.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Fourth Sunday of Advent