The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity

The Author ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Affirmation 1 Walking fully in the Path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity 1

Affirmation 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 13

Affirmation 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 29

Affirmation 4 Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural 39

Affirmation 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 51

Affirmation 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 65

Affirmation 7 Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state 79

Affirmation 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 89

Affirmation 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 99

Affirmation 10 Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth 111

Affirmation 11 Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work 125

Affirmation 12 Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose, a vocation and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love 135

Notes 145

CrossWalk America 151

The Phoenix Affirmations 152