Our community anchors our lives in the Gospel ("good news") of Jesus. We believe that Jesus's life and teachings provide the blueprint we need to live well with God, the natural world and with others. Here we find true purpose: shown not by power as we usually see it, but by love and sacrifice. If it's true, imagine the power that this "Jesus way" of love and sacrifice over violence and power could hold for social renewal!
The unified way of Jesus has been faithfully recorded and divinely revealed to us through the ancient writings collected into the Bible. Jesus’s life is the key to the whole collection. Jesus tells us that we are created by God and completely loved, even in our darkest moments. When we feel unlovable, we are called back into God’s love with an open door policy, again and again. God gives the freedom to choose which of the world's many options for "the good life” we will follow, but he is clear that the good life offered by Jesus is the one he created us to live from our origin into eternity.
But why do we need an outside set of rules at all? Even when we’re at our best, isn't it the case that we ultimately find we’re still looking out for our own self-interest more than anything else? Isn't it true that we don't live up to our own standards? With our flawed and hypocritical record, Jesus gives us the freedom to admit that we make a poor central authority for ourselves. Jesus lived in complete integrity. He was both fully God and fully human. He lived what he spoke to death, resulting in a resurrected life. We believe this proves the validity of all he is. As Christians, we throw up our hands and admit we can’t come close to the same level of integrity and we make it a daily habit to give up our own sense of what's best to adopt his way. This, we understand, will radically re-orient our life! But, if he is truly King, then his example is the best way of life and it will be for our good.
Jesus’s better way has astounding ramifications for our personal lives and our communal lives. Personally it provides incredible hope and peace. Jesus promises that there is no condemnation that is beyond redemption in this life. In our culture, this feels like particularly hopeful! In regards to the deep injustices of the world, Jesus’s way also provides real justice, since there will (and must) be eternal consequence for those that chose at their core to not live by just and loving regard to others.
The good news of Jesus is available to all, and requires the same total obedience and complete faith and trust from all peoples, no matter their walk of life. God’s word, not humankind is the steering mechanism for all–and we form a beloved community together in this journey, we call this the church.