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THIS I BELIEVE
... (reflections from the Rector)

In listening to National Public Radio most mornings, I have especially appreciated renewed segment called This I Believe, which gives to Americans of all walks of life an opportunity to express the core of their values in life. Jesus asked the same question of his disciples in the text for last Sunday’ Gospel, when he said “Who do you say I am.” What is your answer? What do you believe?

This I believe…

I believe that God is Love and that you and I are created for love. I believe that ALL created things are in God and that God is in ALL things he has created. I believe that God created the awe of the mountains and ocean, the flowers, the deer, the dog and eagle for our pleasure because of love. I believe that the Word of God incarnate in Jesus is Love and that in Jesus we not only see God’s love for us in spite of ourselves, but we learn of God’s intention for us to live in love. I do believe that nothing separates us from God’s love, no matter who we are and what we have done and left undone. And I believe that love is the only thing that will enable us to endure all the challenges and obstacles, all the pain and suffering, all the hurt and fear in our world.

I believe when the time comes that we see clearly all that God wants us to see, we will realize how often we were wrong and the other was right. We will realize that we saw only through a mirror dimly and knew only in part. We will see the divisions we caused, the hurt we sowed, the hate that was fed, not only as individuals, but as a part of a religion, denomination, political party, ethnic group or nation. I believe that it is only in the facing of this that we can really know God’s unconditional grace and love for us. For in spite of the ways we wander and fail, ignore and deny God’s goodness in creation, in one another and in ourselves, God is still love and that love will endure forever. And that because of God’s love for us, God’s dying love in Jesus on the Cross, and undying love for us, in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead… there is nothing that will ever separate any of us from that love and therefore from God.

I believe that God calls us to a life of faith, where we walk and grow in God’s love, casting out fear. I believe God wants us to hope in Him, to know profound gratitude for the life and breath that is in us, to seek God’s forgiveness for our self righteous ways and to forever dance in the gift of God’s infinite grace.

What about you? What do you believe? Please write your own statement of faith for upcoming editions of the Beacon, a few paragraphs of what is at the core of your faith as a Christian to share with others.

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St. John's Episcopal Church
7 Whittlesey Avenue
PO Box 179, New Milford, Connecticut 06776