Our Faith and Our Covenant
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Pierre Teihard de Chardin
“If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, or self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God’s name, it was bad theology.”
Karen Armstrong, The Spiral Staircase
For generations, the prayer Jesus once taught his disciples has shaped Christian faith and practice. This prayer is dear to us as well, and we find it meaningful in a couple of different versions. Check them out.
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST:
A STATEMENT OF FAITH
IN THE FORM OF A DOXOLOGY
NOTE: In our faith tradition, we understand statements like this one as “testimonies” not “tests.” The idea is that we live in a living tradition, a vital and evolving tradition: and this tradition invites learning, struggle, praise and discipleship. The point isn’t to “know” it, but to “live” it. So this Statement of Faith–which goes back to the founding of our UCC in 1957–is a testimony to the rich and exciting faith of our churches and members. It’s not a test: it bears witness to who we are and where we’re going.
We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit, God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God, and to your deeds we testify:
You call the worlds into being, create persons in your own image, and set before each one the ways of life and death.
You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior, you have come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself.
You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races.
You call us into your church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be your servants in the service of others, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.
You promise to all who trust you forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, your presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in your realm which has no end.
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you.
Amen.
COMMUNITY CHURCH OF DURHAM:
A COVENANT BY WHICH WE LIVE TOGETHER
We covenant with one another to seek and respond to the Word and the will of God. It is our purpose to walk together in the ways of the Lord, made known and to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of this Church to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world, while worshipping God, and striving for truth, justice and peace.
As did our forebears, we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead and empower us. We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the triumph of righteousness and eternal life.
