Wednesday
Aug 23, New Light had the privilege of hosting the
CrossWalk America team for dinner, worship and
fellowship. To be honest, you just had to be
there to really experience what these people
brought. A sense of being involved in
something big, something that they hope will change
the common face of Christianity as it is currently
perceived.
They
told us stories of their trek across America to
bring a message of an all-inclusive Christianity.
How
they found welcome and acceptance in the most
unlikely and unexpected places. How each and
every one of them came to decide that this was
something they just had to do.
Following
a set of principles set out in the "Phoenix
Affirmations" the group talked of a need to no
longer stay silent about their beliefs.
Too
often, the loudest voices heard are those that seek
to demonizes other's beliefs and seek to claim a
relationship with Christ as the rite of only those
they see as worthy. The truth is, it's OK to
be a Christian and love everyone. In fact
that is what being a Christian is all about.
Christian love of God includes:
1.
Walking fully in the path of Jesus, without
denying the legitimacy of other paths God
may provide humanity;
2. Listening for God’s Word which comes through daily prayer and meditation, studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world;
3. Celebrating the God whose Spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s Creation, including the earth and its ecosystems, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human;
4. Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.
Christian love of neighbor includes:
5.
Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did,
treating all as creations made in God’s very
image, regardless of race, gender, sexual
orientation, age, physical or mental
ability, nationality, or economic class;
6. Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others;
7. Preserving religious freedom and the Church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of Church and State;
8. Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies;
Christian love of self includes:
9.
Basing our lives on the faith that, in
Christ, all things are made new, and that
we, and all people, are loved beyond our
wildest imagination – for eternity;
10. Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth;
11. Caring for our bodies, and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship and recreation in addition to work;
12. Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose; a vocation and ministry that serves to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love.
And so the journey continues. The group will arrive in DC on Sept 3. A contingency from New Light will be going to walk that last mile with the group and partake in the celebration to follow. We hope you can join us. Contact NewLightMCC@hotmail.com for more information.
