We believe in the one True God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; three different persons, who are completely and eternally inseparable bound together in love.  It is God the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, who made everything that exists, and continues acts of creation until the end of time.  Jesus suffering and death on the cross was God’s saving act, and his resurrection from the dead abolished the power of sin and death, creating the new reality in which we live; a reality of reconciliation, of hope, and of peace.  It is by the power of the Spirit that we are all made holy we are being transformed  continually being recreated into the people God intended us to be.

God the Father created all humankind in the image of God, to be in deep, nourishing relationship with God, with each other, and with all of creation, rooted in God’s love.  However, because of our sinfulness, our tendency to seek out life in created things, rather than in our creator, we are not able to fully enter into any of these relationships. It is our shame, the belief that our very being is fundamentally flawed, and the fear it generates, that cause us to go into hiding; avoiding relationship altogether by hiding in our work, hobbies, technology, and so on, or never showing our true selves by wearing masks in our relationships.

God’s love for all people will not be denied, and so, God became incarnate, in Immanuel, God with us, and through Jesus ministry, God’s love is on full display.  The sick are healed, sins are forgiven, demons are cast out, and the marginalized are reintegrated into community. Then, on the cross, God in Christ says, My love for you is so powerful your life is so valuable to me that I will suffer pain, humiliation, and death, so that, you are able to live freely without fear of failure without fear of rejection.  In this moment, and forevermore, there will be no more doubt about your worth, and your worthiness to be loved.  And, this is completely independent of anything you do. It is simply because you are my very good creation, whom I love unconditionally, and whom I long to be in intimate relationship with.

This is God’s story, the story of God’s love. It is the Holy Spirit that continually reminds us of God’s love for us.  It is by the power of the Spirit that we are able to trust in the promise of God’s love, and it is by the power of the Spirit that we are able to live into this love; to be open and vulnerable in our relationship with God, and with people.  It is then that we are able to participate in the life-giving relationships for which we were created.