Being The Church: A 21st Century Creed For The Church

In a world darkened by cruelty and power,
We will walk in compassion, clothed with mercy and kindness.
Where hearts grow cold and violence reigns,
We will be peacemakers, bringing hope in the midst of strife.

In an age obsessed with image and outward appearances,
We will value righteousness and purity of heart.
Where hypocrisy and performance deceive,
We will live with authenticity and grace.

In a culture that rejects with unrighteous judgement,
We will move toward others in the name of Christ.
When others say, “We don’t want you here,”
We say, “Come to God’s table, there is room at the feast for all.”

In a generation that calls evil good and good evil,
We will hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Where injustice is ignored and the weak are crushed,
We will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

When the world chases wealth and self-exaltation,
We will pursue contentment, generosity, and humility.
Where pride builds thrones and hoards treasure,
We will follow the crucified King who gave himself for all.

When people trade love for lust and covenant for convenience,
We will honor one another with boundaries and sacred trust.
Where others use and discard,
We will protect, cherish, and remain faithful.

When others stir up hatred and division,
We will walk by the Spirit with love, peace, and self-control.
In the midst of a crooked and confused generation,
We will shine like stars by following in the footsteps of Jesus.

THE CULTURAL CREED OF THE UNHOMED

If I’m honest, I’m not sure where I fit in anymore.

When I look around to see who is my political neighbor, I realize I’m in a land triangulated between the liberal Left, conservative Right, and those chaotic Libertarians. I didn’t feel like the 2016 presidential candidates from any of those three parties represented my moral universe adequately enough to get my vote. I cringe at CNN and Fox in equal measure. I increasingly feel that it is important for me not to be beholden to a “side” culturally or politically.

I’m just not the kind of guy who can say, “This party or person, do or die.” 

So I increasingly find myself wandering uneasily in the topography of a world that seems intent on filling in all the Valleys full of Gray Uncertainty and leveling all the Hills of Important Nuance.  

Don’t get me wrong - I like the Plains of Certainty and the Fields of Truth. I just want to acknowledge that those mountains and valleys of Uncertainty and Nuance exist. And I don’t want to climb them with cable news talking heads, youtube faux philosophers, conspiratorial bloggers, tweeting politicians or blindly partisan Christian leaders. 

I want fellow explorers who don’t mind the hard work, who know when and how to pick a philosophical fight full of grace and truth, and who will join me at The Brew afterwards at a table full of the laughter and tears of friends because, in the end, we are determined to love each other well in a world that is broken enough already.  

If we can do that with mutual thoughtfulness and respectfulness, that table might just feel a bit like home no matter what land I inhabit.

Here we go, in no particular order: The Cultural Creed Of The Unhomed.

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