A Little About Our Beliefs and Approach to Religious Life
We believe some things are more important than others. “For what I [Paul] received, I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Co 15:3, NIV).
We also believe religious life is shaped by three arenas of faith — all of which are important in their own distinctive ways. From top to bottom, the first arena is the arena of “common faith” — the faith that binds all Christians together across time and space.
And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Beheld by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory. (1 Ti 3:16, NASB)
After that comes the arena of “corporate faith” — the faith of individual communities of believers — the arena of faith where competing understandings and responses to congregational circumstances are raised up in collective prayer and then carried out with a unity of mind in faith toward God. “… [you all] work out your [all’s] salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12, NIV).
Last comes the arena of “private faith” of individual Christians– an arena where faith follows the same pattern as corporate faith but on a personal level. The private arena differs from other arenas in dealing with personal (vice common or group) circumstances.
In the private arena, individuals raise up their personal circumstances in prayer toward God and then act on those circumstances with a good conscience in faith toward God. “So whatever you believe about these [private] things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Ro 14:22, NIV).
In the private arena, individuals raise up their personal circumstances in prayer toward God and then act on those circumstances with a good conscience in faith toward God. “So whatever you believe about these [private] things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Ro 14:22, NIV).
What to do? Every age has its weaknesses and strengths. The most pressing problem in the 21st century is the loss of corporate faith. Christian faith is manifested in intentional communities while the secular world increasingly resorts to forced communities to deal with societal disintegration. The corporate faith has thus become the most problematic of the three arenas. It is where Christian life is manifested in concrete ways–where private is held accountable and perfected, but it’s also the least understood and the most neglected arena of faith. Corporate faith is where moral struggles are won or lost and where most spiritual failures and successes occur.
Corporate faith suffers these days because it is the arena of secondary traditions– secondary traditions that have often become irrelevant or counterproductive through denial or neglect. Secondary traditions may of course be rooted in scripture, but they are also products of wisdom– of prior traditions, of reason, and of experience. They therefore should occasionally be pulled out and reevaluated to see if they are still appropriate to changed circumstances.
We are a community of believers that has and is going about that reexamination. We are also part of a larger movement with the same reputation and ideals. We invite you to join us.