Statement of Faith
The concept of a faith statement seems to be more important to some than to others. But I figured if I expect you to read what I write, at a minimum I owe you the courtesy of explaining where I am coming from.

1. I believe in God in three persons. Some of my friends don't. They tell me that the word trinity isn't in the Bible and wasn't really affirmed until centuries after the death of Jesus. Maybe so, but as I read the story, it just seems to make more sense to me that God revealed himself in this way. The mystery of the godhead is beyond me. And I like it that way… because I love to live in the mystery of a God much bigger than me.
2. I take a “high view” of Jesus. Again, some of my friends don't. Historians who I greatly admire often put a lot of twists or spins on this subject to explain Jesus in ways they feel more appropriately line up with what they understand to be a historical view of things. This doesn't seem to work for me.
   
   I've always been moved by the progression of the opening chapter of the Book of Hebrews where it speaks of Jesus in an intentional progression from “Son” to “firstborn” to “God” (Hebrews 1:1-8). This inspires me. This I accept.
3. Call me naïve, but I've always felt that if God could create the heavens and the earth, he's certainly capable of publishing a book. This means that when I run into passages that don't fit my theology, I try to discard the theology rather than explain away the verse. I've read a lot of books that tell me “Jesus never would have said X so it must not be part of the original text,” but those things make me much more suspicious of the author than of the words of Jesus.
   
   I can't go that route. I am captivated by this book called the Bible. And I want to take it “whole cloth” as they say. There are so many things I don't understand within its pages. But that's why I embrace the saying that “A long lifetime is a short time to come to know the word of God.” I'm always learning and seeing new things. Each stage of my life seems to bring new treasures from the storehouse of ancient revelations.
4. I believe in the Biblical accounts of what we would call “miracles.” You don't have to read too widely to see that a lot of folks wouldn't agree with me on this. Throughout the last century and now into this one there have been ample voices attempting to explain these away - interestingly many of these voices simultaneously embrace the 'gist' of the Biblical story. Again, call me naïve but at some point the historian has to hand off the baton from secular history to sacred history if he/she is going to represent this story at all. Why not just hand it off sooner rather than later? It seems to give God more credit and stirs the imagination of my soul to see things differently than how they might initially appear.
5. I believe that we are only saved by the grace of God. This means a lot of different things to folks. Some define this in ways much differently than I would. The best I can do to nail it down for you is to repeat something I once heard: The only thing I contribute to my salvation is the sin that makes it necessary. I don't believe God “makes up” the difference, I believe he IS the difference.
6. I'm very positive and upbeat about the future. I don't buy into abandonment theology. I'm not really in line with any of the mainstream millennial views that seem to permeate the religious scene in the U.S. today. I think the more positive stories we tell about the future the more likely they are to come to pass. I don't believe God put us here to speculate on the future, but to work for his glory today and let the chips fall where they may.
7. I'm not crazy about “labels.” I feel uncomfortable when someone asks me if I'm an evangelical or conservative or liberal or even what my faith background is. In so many ways I just want to say, “What difference does it make?” To label is to do an injustice for we are all, in some ways, so much less and so much more than the labels we ascribe to. I follow the story of God's covenant with humanity through Jesus as best I understand it - and I'm always aware of just how fallible that understanding can be.
   
   Like Moses, I think the best approach is to humble ourselves, remove our shoes and listen as carefully as we can… for we are all on holy ground.

Summary Conclusion:

What I’ve just said is that I believe in God. I believe, to the degree I can comprehend it, in the mystery of the godhead. I believe that Jesus was God come in the flesh. I believe that the Bible has been handed down to us just as God desired it to be (regardless of all that may entail). I believe in the miracles of the Bible. I believe we have been saved “by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). And I believe that God has wonderful things in mind for this world. I believe he desires that every person on earth come to know him and the power of his love. And I believe I’ll labor till my last breath to do all I can in walking with those of like mind to make that happen.

I also believe I’m glad you have cared enough to read all of this.

Blessings.

Back to the Biography home page.