The Author. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Affirmation 1. Walking fully in the path of Jesus, without denying the legitimacy of other paths God may provide humanity. Affirmation 2. Listening for God's Word, which comes through daily prayer and meditation, through studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and through attending to God's present activity in the world. 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. Affirmation 4. Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural. 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. 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. Affirmation 7. Preserving religious freedom and the Church's ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of Church and State. 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. 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. Affirmation 10. Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth. 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. Affirmation 12. Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose; a vocation and ministry that serves to strengthen and extend God's realm of love. Notes. CrossWalk America. The Phoenix Affirmations.
