faith statement
We are a Christian church.
As such, we have an understanding of our world which is based on and shaped by the Bible. We accept that the Bible as written by God through men and women. The Bible is accurate and true in describing God, ourselves and our relationship with Him.
The Bible defines God as the sole, eternal being. He is the source of all things. God deserves total respect and obedience. God although He is One, is also communal, sharing three "persons" Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, within Himself. In this Triune nature is rooted God's commitment to love and unity. All of His will and commands and promises center on unity and love. Everything He is opposed to violates those values.
We, individually, violate those values. When we do that by our actions or by our in-actions, by our thoughts, or by our words, we wound others and we disregard God. This has consequences which impact our relationships around us. (We don't need the Bible to perceive that.) And it has the consequence of breaking our relationship with God.
This situation is unpleasant for us, but also for God. He makes the first move to fix things. (He always makes the first move.) He chooses to become human and enter our world as Jesus. Jesus teaches us many things about God and models a right and healthy way of living in obedience to the Father. But His primary role is to bear the just punishment we deserve for despising God and wounding others. When Jesus dies on the cross, He fully accounts for the consequences for all of our failures - those in the past, those of today, and those yet to be lived in our future.
This is an amazing opportunity to have all of that failure and guilt removed and to receive those gifts. But it is even more amazing because it is free. There is no cost in money or obedience or promises or time demanded. Jesus simply invites you to trust in what He has done for you. It is the good work of God's Spirit to enable us to believe and trust.
When you trust this gift of Jesus, then the relationship with God is no longer broken. God has forgiven all of the guilt and failure. God then begins to bring real life inside of you. He lives within you through His Holy Spirit. And we begin to live out our relationship with God as we live together as a church or a family connected because we all have a relationship with God through Jesus.
We understand that currently we don't have a full face-to-face relationship with God. But He intends to complete that promise for all who are trusting Jesus. For some of us, this happens when we die. But God also intends to close up shop on earth and humanity at some point too. Whether our end is personal or corporate, if we have trust in Jesus then we will get a full and permanent (eternal) relationship with the God of power and authority and love and unity. If we reject Jesus, then we have no relationship with God.
As such, we have an understanding of our world which is based on and shaped by the Bible. We accept that the Bible as written by God through men and women. The Bible is accurate and true in describing God, ourselves and our relationship with Him.
The Bible defines God as the sole, eternal being. He is the source of all things. God deserves total respect and obedience. God although He is One, is also communal, sharing three "persons" Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, within Himself. In this Triune nature is rooted God's commitment to love and unity. All of His will and commands and promises center on unity and love. Everything He is opposed to violates those values.
We, individually, violate those values. When we do that by our actions or by our in-actions, by our thoughts, or by our words, we wound others and we disregard God. This has consequences which impact our relationships around us. (We don't need the Bible to perceive that.) And it has the consequence of breaking our relationship with God.
This situation is unpleasant for us, but also for God. He makes the first move to fix things. (He always makes the first move.) He chooses to become human and enter our world as Jesus. Jesus teaches us many things about God and models a right and healthy way of living in obedience to the Father. But His primary role is to bear the just punishment we deserve for despising God and wounding others. When Jesus dies on the cross, He fully accounts for the consequences for all of our failures - those in the past, those of today, and those yet to be lived in our future.
This is an amazing opportunity to have all of that failure and guilt removed and to receive those gifts. But it is even more amazing because it is free. There is no cost in money or obedience or promises or time demanded. Jesus simply invites you to trust in what He has done for you. It is the good work of God's Spirit to enable us to believe and trust.
When you trust this gift of Jesus, then the relationship with God is no longer broken. God has forgiven all of the guilt and failure. God then begins to bring real life inside of you. He lives within you through His Holy Spirit. And we begin to live out our relationship with God as we live together as a church or a family connected because we all have a relationship with God through Jesus.
We understand that currently we don't have a full face-to-face relationship with God. But He intends to complete that promise for all who are trusting Jesus. For some of us, this happens when we die. But God also intends to close up shop on earth and humanity at some point too. Whether our end is personal or corporate, if we have trust in Jesus then we will get a full and permanent (eternal) relationship with the God of power and authority and love and unity. If we reject Jesus, then we have no relationship with God.
Within the Christian faith there are numerous variations, versions, and interpretations. We are a Lutheran congregation. There are many people who use the Lutheran name and ascribe to it a lot of different values. We are a part of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. For us, this identity is summed up in three simple priorities.
1. The priority of the Bible as the sole source of truth about God.
For us, this means that even if our reason argues against the Bible (as it does with God being One but of three persons, and it does with Jesus being fully present in the bread and wine of communion) then the Bible trumps our reason. Or if our culture has a new interpretation or understanding, the Bible remains the same. It is not a flexible document which adapts with us. It is good and true document which invites us to adapt to it.
2. The priority of grace in our relationship with God and others.
Grace simply means something unearned. We affirm that your connection to God is completely unearned and is a gracious gift given by Jesus. This gift means that the most wicked and sinful person can be connected to God without anything good to show for themselves. They get the same gift a very good person does. It makes you wonder then why we should bother doing anything good. We believe that God doesn't motivate us through fear or guilt or shame. Jesus came to remove those things. We obey and do good because we are loved, not because we are afraid or because we hope to earn love. Grace comes first and then good things begin to blossom in us. That describes our approach for others as well. We offer grace everywhere and patiently wait for good things to grow in that soil.
3. The priority of faith as the only way to access this gift.
We receive this gift only, simply, and fully by trusting (or having faith in) Jesus' promises and His death and resurrection. This is in no way an act or power or credit to ourselves, but it is only possible through God's Spirit in us. So God alone gets the credit and honor.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
1. The priority of the Bible as the sole source of truth about God.
For us, this means that even if our reason argues against the Bible (as it does with God being One but of three persons, and it does with Jesus being fully present in the bread and wine of communion) then the Bible trumps our reason. Or if our culture has a new interpretation or understanding, the Bible remains the same. It is not a flexible document which adapts with us. It is good and true document which invites us to adapt to it.
2. The priority of grace in our relationship with God and others.
Grace simply means something unearned. We affirm that your connection to God is completely unearned and is a gracious gift given by Jesus. This gift means that the most wicked and sinful person can be connected to God without anything good to show for themselves. They get the same gift a very good person does. It makes you wonder then why we should bother doing anything good. We believe that God doesn't motivate us through fear or guilt or shame. Jesus came to remove those things. We obey and do good because we are loved, not because we are afraid or because we hope to earn love. Grace comes first and then good things begin to blossom in us. That describes our approach for others as well. We offer grace everywhere and patiently wait for good things to grow in that soil.
3. The priority of faith as the only way to access this gift.
We receive this gift only, simply, and fully by trusting (or having faith in) Jesus' promises and His death and resurrection. This is in no way an act or power or credit to ourselves, but it is only possible through God's Spirit in us. So God alone gets the credit and honor.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9