Rev Peter Doble challenged the congregation at Central with his ‘mission statement’ during this morning’s service. I though I’d share it here as I think it sums up our faith pretty well:

When they ask ‘Who are you?’

Say –

We are a People gathered around, attentive to, and shaped by Jesus’ story,

– committed to following him in his way of selfless love,

– knowing that ‘following’ entails ‘taking up a cross’;

– being nourished by his means of grace: especially by praying his prayer and gathering at his table;

– drawing from the wells of our tradition while

– contributing to that tradition through our own responses to what God has done and continues to do through Jesus;

– seeking to embody his mission in our living, both corporate and personal.

We are vigorously seeking to become a fellowship who own disciplined values are those of God’s Kingdom.

– revealed through Jesus’ life, death and vindication;

– now expressed through local Christian social, economic, and political commitment;

– probably the only basis for a global, prophetic message of God’s peace [shalom; salaam],

– particularly in Mammon’s current crisis!

In God’s kingdom,

– orthopraxy (living right) outweighs orthodoxy (creeds);

– ‘walking’ is better than ‘talking’;

– choosing God entails refusing Mammon (idolatry!).

 

Rev Peter Doble (used by permission)