First, a small disclaimer. I am ordained in a non-credal denomination. That means that though we adhere to both the Apostle’s and the Nicene Creed, we do not use either one as a centerpiece of our self-description as a church of Jesus Christ. So I have a bit of a personal aversion to ‘statements of faith,’ and signing on the dotted line in order to be declared an acceptable disciple. However, I am increasingly blessed by others in blogland who have written their own personal statements of faith. And in that spirit, I submit this brief summary statement of what it means to me to be a person who is a Christian. It is not meant to be a declaration of All That Is Orthodox and may need nuancing in days to come.
I believe . . .
in God the Father Almighty,
God who is bigger than anything I can think or imagine;
God who is small enough to become a human embryo;
God who lives forever in community as three Persons,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I believe . . .
that all truth is God’s truth;
that nothing science can discover makes God any less than who God is;
that human creatures were designed to reflect the
glory,
intelligence,
compassion,
creativity,
beauty,
tenderness,
and strength
of this Great God
and
that we are invited to partner with God
in the life-giving,
freedom-granting,
sin-forgiving,
brokenness-healing
good, good work
that is the Kingdom call of the church.
I believe . . .
that the grace of God is grander than anything we know,
broader than any idea we can conceive,
wider than any ocean ever seen,
and fully beyond our ability to comprehend.
This means that anyone and everyone is welcome,
that anyone and everyone is loved,
that anyone and everyone is offered abundant, forever LIFE.
I believe . . .
in the Lord Jesus Christ —
Jesus of Nazareth,
Christ, the Anointed One,
Lord of the Cosmos,
and Lord of my Life.
I believe . . .
that this mysterious intertwining of human and divine
called the Incarnation is what makes
life worth living,
what gives matter intrinsic value,
what calls us to fully inhabit this world in which we have been placed.
I believe that Jesus is God in human skin,
skin that was grown in a virgin’s womb,
that grew up like any other human child,
and at the appointed time,
skin that embraced the call of God to live out
the only fully human and fully obedient life
this planet has ever seen.
I believe . . .
that through the self-giving love of Jesus,
shown in his willing death
and powerful resurrection from the dead,
we are made whole,
we are forgiven,
we are healed,
we are blessed to be come salt and light
in a world that is too often unsavory and dark.
I believe . . .
in the Comforter,
the Spirit of God,
both Father and Son,
who inhabits all who call upon God
with sincere hearts.
I believe in the church universal,
flawed and broken though she is,
as the primary means through which the
work of God
will be
accomplished in the world.
I believe in the communion of saints,
the invisible connection,
across time and geography,
of all who follow the Rabbi from Nazareth.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins,
but I also believe that our sin is not the most important thing about us —
our intrinsic value as human persons is.
I believe that “the glory of God is a human person, fully alive.”*
I believe that the sacraments of baptism and holy communion
are powerful and living symbols, reflecting the heart of our faith
And I believe that eternal life begins here and now,
that the heavenly realms are closer to us than our skin.
I believe that, “My Redeemer liveth and that on the last day,
he shall stand upon the earth.”
And I believe that we will be surprised and exhilarated
by the wonders yet to come,
by the beautiful ways in which our suffering will be redeemed,
and by who will be sitting next to us
when we feast together around the throne of God.
*Words of Iranaeus, a 2nd century leader in the church.
