Wonder / Mystery

We acknowledge that God / The Divine is beyond all that we might say or believe, so we embrace the mystery and wonder of experiencing God/ The Divine and the journey of faith.

God / Jesus / Holy Spirit

God / The Divine is the source of all life, love, and wholeness. God cannot be fully described by human language and cultural constructs. Jesus, being fully God and man, is an example of what life can look like in the kingdom-of-heaven-on-earth. His life revealed God’s love, forgiveness, justice, and radical inclusion. He showed us the costly, life-giving way of peace. Jesus’ death revealed God’s insistent and faithful presence in the midst of suffering, violence, and death. Jesus’ resurrection revealed the good news that life can come from death, that light can come from darkness that hope can come from despair. God is present through, with, and among us in the Holy Spirit, who awakens us to the ever-unfolding reality of the kingdom of God and invites us to actively participate in the restoration of all things with God.

Humanity

People are not inherently sinful or bad but rather are made in the image and likeness of God / The Divine.

Brokenness / Sin

Brokenness is anything that separates us from being in whole relationship with God, others, ourselves, and creation. As individuals we participate in brokenness by inaction and action; humanity as a whole participates in systems of violence (physical, emotional, economic, and

ecologic) and oppression. We see the brokenness of the world as something to be grieved and healed, not ignored or shamed.

Revelation / The Story of God

The Jewish and Christian Scriptures are one of the ancient paths that lead us into the universal love of God / The Divine. The writers expressed their experience of God / The Divine through story, poetry, law, parable, and visions that were rooted in particular times, places, and cultural perspectives. For this reason, we believe the Bible is inspired but not infallible. We take it seriously, but not always literally. We believe that God’s / The Divine's story is still being written and that we continue the work of revelation with our lives. Because we believe God / The Divine is love, goodness, truth, beauty, and life - anything that is good, loving, alive, true, or beautiful can reveal something of God / The Divine to us.

Salvation / Atonement

Salvation means becoming whole: thus we are being saved every time we choose something that brings more goodness, love, peace, life, and beauty into our own lives, the lives of others, or the life of creation. Atonement means at-one-ment, that we would be at one with ourselves, our community, creation, and God / The Divine. Jesus’ death was not the blood-sacrifice requirement of an angry and vengeful deity, but the inevitable result of a life of revolutionary, counter-cultural, inclusive love. His suffering and death reminds us that God / The Divine is with us even in the darkest depths of human heartbreak. Jesus’ resurrection is our hope for peace, reconciliation, life from death, and light from darkness. God / The Divine is now reconciling us to each other, ourselves, and creation. Heaven and hell are present realities, and we are invited to either create more heaven on earth or to make each other’s lives a living hell. The time is coming when everything will be restored. There will be no more death, fear, shame, or tears. We will experience shalom in our relationships - wholeness and connection with God, others, ourselves, and creation. All will flourish as God / The Divine intends. We are giving ourselves to this future reality now, participating with God / The Divine in the restoration of all things.