Posted on by larrypaulbrown

my creed, your creed, whose creed?

Recently, friends, those who know of my Christian tradition, question how we Christians can justify our faith considering the rhetoric and actions of a minority of evangelical leaders who glaringly contradict everything the Scriptures teach according to the words attributed to the one whom they claim as Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.  Fr. Richard Rohr CAC.ORG addresses this issue with the following post from his daily meditation blog.

Quaker pastor Philip Gulley superbly summarizes how we must rebuild spirituality from the bottom up in his book, If the Church Were Christian. [3] Here I take the liberty of using my own words to restate his message, which offers a rather excellent description of what is emerging in Christianity today:

  1. Jesus is a model for living more than an object of worship.
  2. Affirming people’s potential is more important than reminding them of their brokenness.
  3. The work of reconciliation should be valued over making judgments.
  4. Gracious behavior is more important than right belief.
  5. Inviting questions is more valuable than supplying answers.
  6. Encouraging the personal search is more important than group uniformity.
  7. Meeting actual needs is more important than maintaining institutions.
  8. Peacemaking is more important than power.
  9. We should care more about love and less about sex.
  10. Life in this world is more important than the afterlife (Eternity is God’s work anyway).

If this makes sense to you, you are already participating in evolving Christianity. Do read it several times. It only makes more and more sense.

Fr. Richard Rohr @ CAC.org

I thank Richard Rohr and Philip Gulley for simplifying in 10 salient points our creed and how it should manifest in Christianity.  Our tradition has within it the power to create righteous leaders walking aside other faiths of the world advocating social justice and peace rather than bullying and fear-mongering.

LOVE

rainbow-solidarity

10 Replies to “my creed, your creed, whose creed?”

  1. I like this a lot. Not least because I was raised Quaker with these precepts in mind. I wish I could say that I have followed them more consciencely, though. Still, it’s something to strive for. Thank you for reminding me, Larry!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Well, I put a “like” on your reply, although actually I don’t like the fact that you’ve been in a slump lately. 😦 I’ve been in one, too. Here’s praying that both of us are feeling better now, and that the improvement lasts! ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Personally, I don’t feel that I’m responsible for the words of others who also call themselves Christian any more than I am responsible for the words of all women, all Americans, all whites, etc. That’s also why I avoid making blanket judgements about any group of people, because all groups are made of up individuals who have their own personalities, faults, and strengths. That being said I do love the points you listed, and think it is a terrific way to reconcile the diversity that is Christianity. Love comes first, always!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment