If you've read much of my blog thus far, it's probably quite apparent that I write from a Christian perspective. But as most people are probably unavoidably aware, the "Christian perspective" is anything but homogeneous. My views and beliefs are complex and nuanced, as well as constantly somewhat in flux as I continue to grow, experience life, and (try to) follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, so of course they are not captured in their entirety here. Please bear this in mind as you explore the following.
I believe in a God who does funky math; one God equals three - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is three in one, and one in three. How this can be is a divine mystery and paradox, but I believe it to be true.
God created the universe, and created humanity to live in free, loving relationships with God, each other, and the rest of creation. When sin entered the world and humanity rejected God, God did not reject humanity.
God became human, incarnated in human flesh (by the virgin Mary) as a Jewish man named Jesus. He was 100% God and 100% human, another divine paradox. Through the incarnation, life, atoning death and resurrection of Jesus, God re-created the relationship between humanity and God and taught us how to live. God alone accomplished this, purely by grace, and we respond in faith.
The Holy Spirit, like the Father and Son, has a unique and distinctive agency in the personality and work of God. It is the most mysterious to me. The Holy Spirit enables the ears of our souls to hear the message of God and brings the Church and her individual congregations together, orchestrating the community so is is comprised of the people with the necessary gifts to fulfill the mission given to it. It also brings life to our worship and joins us with God in the Sacraments.
The Bible contains the Word of God as the Holy Spirit illumines its meaning and truth. It is the record of God's dealings with humanity, and in it we see who God is, who we are, and what's up with the world around us. Scripture is the unique and authoritative means by which we know God and how we are to live, both individually and as a community.
God created humanity with a purpose, and being re-created by Christ, we are now free to complete this task: bearing witness, expressing who God is, as we have seen God in Christ. We are not alone in this; God gave us a community, the Church, which is local, global, and historical. We are all affected by sin, but we correct each other and accept correction, guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
The Church is one; however, it has many parts - its individual members, the many congregations, and the wide array of denominations. While these are distinct, they are unified because Christ is the head of the Church. Our diversity reflects God's abundant creativity, though our divisions also mar and hinder our witness to God's love. Together we celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, which are unique ways we receive God's grace and participate in the life and community of God.
While a new reality has been established in Christ, sin still exists. As Christians we live in the tension between the "now" and the "not yet." As we participate in the work of Christ with the Holy Spirit toward the final establishment of God's Kingdom, we acknowledge that its full reality will not be experienced until the end, when God brings all things to completion. Until then, we live in confident hope and expectation, knowing that God is faithful.
Thank you for reading. I hope this has helped you understand me a bit better. I would love to sit down and talk with you in person about all this, to hear your perspectives and thoughts and to dialogue and discuss. Seriously. If it's possible to do so, let me know if you're interested. If not, I still welcome your comments, and we can work out a virtual dialogue.
Blessings to you!
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