I believe in a benevolent and infinite power that orders reality that is called God. God is beyond essence and existence and certainly beyond our complete comprehension. God created and continues to be the creative reality of the universe.
I believe that the nature of God is completely expressed and embodied in the life, teachings, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus Christ is the agency by which we are able to understand and recover our inherent holiness that is lost in the selfishness of human existence. I believe that it is possible for the saving reality of Jesus Christ to work for the salvation of all in ways that are not immediately apparent or identifiable as the person of Jesus, i.e. that the road to Emmaus experience suggests that Jesus saves all people in many guises.
I believe in the accessibility of divine realities in the experience of the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is the main resource for the church and I trust in this power and process of the Holy Spirit to eventually mitigate the normal shortsightedness, hubris, and general foolishness of humans in the works of, and through the agency of, the church.
I believe in the signs, symbols, and sacraments of the church as invaluable vessels for the good news of Jesus Christ. I believe the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper to be unique and indispensable markers of God's grace in our experience. I believe that worship is a vital discipline that models and practices the dimensions of our life with God and each other.
I believe the Bible is the unique and authoritative witness to the works of God and specifically the life of Jesus Christ. I believe it to be able to speak miraculously to a multitude of conditions simultaneously and therefore I shy from any particular, eternal interpretation of any particular passage.
I believe in the call of the church to be co-conspirators with God in the reconciliation of the world. This reconciliation demands rigorous humility of the church as well as vigorous prosecution of the demands of justice and kindness and the inclusion of all people of all conditions. I believe that the church almost constantly errs in its concerns for its own power and existence over the call of the gospel to radical peace, unity, and justice.
I believe in the revelation of God in the ordinary ecstasies of nature and mourn our exploitation of creation for short-sighted greed. I have an incomplete understanding of my own brokenness and the limitations of my perspective, and am unworthy to tell anyone anything about anything. Somehow, Jesus Christ makes it possible for me to hope for holiness and gives me the courage to risk speaking holy things.