Dave Bodine started it: He   posted the "Things I  No Longer Believes In" on the nRn weblog which made me think about what I do believe         in. I believe in these things:

I Believe in Relationship. I once knew God as “Creator,” “Jehovah,” “Lord,” “God;” I now know Him as my  Best Friend, my Counselor, my Constant Companion, my True Helper, my Loving Father. And I Believe in Relationship with people; not “membership” in an “institution” or “denomination” or “church.” A thought: It takes        a “fellow” to have “fellowship,” not a society or a club or an association. "Societyship?" "Clubship?" "Associationship?"

I Believe in Showing the Good News as opposed to Shouting the Good News. I suppose that ranting and screaming and shrieking have their place – perhaps among the Deaf. I’m not that hard of hearing that I can’t     perceive the sound of a spoken word. And I’m not that dull that I can’t recognize Good News when I see it –     acted out, demonstrated, lived more than lectured.

I Believe in Grace over Judgment. Come to think of it, I also believe in Mercy over Religion, Goodness over “Holy Talk” and Love over Law.

I Believe in Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers because the Bible says “And He      Himself gave some to be . . . .”

I Believe in the Church – not the Masquerade or the “Corporation of the Church” or the "Institutional Church."       I Believe in the Body of Christ, unified, not “unionized,” in harmony if not in lock-step agreement. I Believe in the Bride of Christ, readying herself for her Wedding Day.

I Believe in Being the Church more than “Doing Church” or “Attending Church” or “Going to Church.”

I Believe that Words Mean Things and that when our words don’t match our hearts or our actions, we’re in     Big Trouble with ourselves, let alone with heaven.

In His Grace,

Greg