What I Believe

I am a child of God, I am a follower of Jesus, I am a Christian, and I am a Presbyterian - in that order.

There is a hopeful, optimistic God at work in the world, and we are called to be at work in the world with that God. The gift of God's grace in my life places a special demand on me. That demand is to follow Jesus.

Jesus is God's radical answer to the unbelievable suffering that exists all over the world. The challenge is to take Jesus seriously; to insist that following Jesus costs something, and that we follow Jesus because of God's good gifts to us.

What's the cost? As followers of Jesus, we are asked to risk everything to love everyone - without reservation - as Jesus did. We are called to be with those who are barely surviving in the world today. It is a constant challenge to be that kind of Christian.

As Christians, we must live the good news of who Jesus is in our lives, and share that good news with others at every opportunity. The trick, of course, is to offer that good news as a gift, not force it on others whether they like it or not. That means building respectful, meaningful relationships with those who think differently, especially those of other faiths.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is my home. Presbyterians believe that we are a community of faith that is reformed, and always being reformed. It is exciting to be a part of a community that is continually seeking to understand who God is calling us to be now, in this time, in this place, and allowing God to remake us as Christians and as Church.