We are all on a spiritual journey
People at our church are at many different places in their spiritual experience; some are still investigating the Christian faith; others are seeking to grow further in their spirituality. None of us have arrived, and we all have to discern our own paths on the journey, but we are all in pursuit of connecting to God in a more authentic way.
Our Bond of Union
Our church’s Bond of Union is a distinctive statement of our common faith and union in Christian service. It offers a compelling vision of what binds us together as a congregation. The third sentence is the hallmark by which we declare our willingness to respect one another’s understanding of Christian faith.
Our Bond of Union in this church is a common loyalty to Jesus Christ.
We believe that the Lord’s whole requirement is to do justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.
We cherish for each person the fullest liberty in the interpretation of truth, and we gladly grant others the freedom we claim for ourselves.
We promise, as members of this church, to walk together as Christians, seeking to live according to the spirit and teachings of Jesus, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.
In the quest of truth and in the Spirit of Jesus, we unite for the worship of God and the service of humanity.
Positive Approach to Christianity
Since the scriptures affirm that God is love and Jesus said that the great commandments are to love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we pledge ourselves to the way of Love. We work to express our love, as Jesus teaches us, in three ways: by loving God, neighbor, and self.
Christian love of God includes:
- Walking fully in the path of Jesus, without denying the legitimacy of others that God may provide for humanity.
- Listening for God’s Word which comes through daily prayer and meditation, studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world.
- Celebrating the God whose spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s creation, including earth and its ecosystems, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human.
- Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.
Christian love of neighbor includes:
- Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God’s very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class.
- Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others.
- Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state.
- Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies.
Christian love of self includes:
- Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imagination – for eternity.
- Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth.
- Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work.
- Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose; a vocation and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love.
The United Church of Christ (UCC)
We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ, a welcoming, justice-minded community of faith. We are affiliated with 6,300 UCC churches and 1.6 million members across the country who share similar values and beliefs. The United Church of Christ believes God is still speaking and active in transforming lives today. We are ecumenical in spirit and embody a spirituality:
- Where God is all-loving and inclusive
- Where the Church of Jesus Christ welcomes and accepts everyone as they are
- Where your mind is nourished as much as your soul
- Where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary
- Where together we grow a just and peaceful world
Visit www.ucc.org for more information about the United Church of Christ.