Studying "Our Words of Faith"
Between January and May 2012, each pastoral charge and presbytery will be asked in a remit whether to include each of three statements in the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union.
The premise of the Basis of Union of the United Church of Canada is that the scriptures are the primary source of faith and doctrine. The Basis of Union was written and adopted in 1925 with the belief that it reflected and was—to use the language of another era—subordinate to the scriptures. This remit process does not alter this premise.
This remit process asks whether other statements of faith and creeds can be added to our understanding of faith, not as alternatives to scripture and doctrine but as more contemporary expressions of members of the United Church living as activists, people of faith, and one small branch of a larger faith community rooted in scripture.
Presbyteries and sessions (or equivalents) will be invited to vote separately on each of three expressions of faith that are widely separated by time, style, and content:
• Statement of Faith (1940)
• A New Creed (1968; rev. 1980, 1994)
• A Song of Faith (2006)
Questions for Reflection:Is this a cherished, honoured, or living statement of our faith?
Is it helpful to you on your own faith journey?
Does it reflect the dynamic of faith in our congregation?
Does it seem to encompass the faith of other United Church congregations?
The Subject of the RemitShould this statement be included in the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union?The text of the 3 expressions of faith we are asked to study and make decisions about inclusion in the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union can be found online at: http://www.united-church.ca/beliefs/statements
Our study group has met on Thursday evenings for the past 2 weeks, looking first at the 1940 Statement of Faith and then this week at:
Between January and May 2012, each pastoral charge and presbytery will be asked in a remit whether to include each of three statements in the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union.
The premise of the Basis of Union of the United Church of Canada is that the scriptures are the primary source of faith and doctrine. The Basis of Union was written and adopted in 1925 with the belief that it reflected and was—to use the language of another era—subordinate to the scriptures. This remit process does not alter this premise.
This remit process asks whether other statements of faith and creeds can be added to our understanding of faith, not as alternatives to scripture and doctrine but as more contemporary expressions of members of the United Church living as activists, people of faith, and one small branch of a larger faith community rooted in scripture.
Presbyteries and sessions (or equivalents) will be invited to vote separately on each of three expressions of faith that are widely separated by time, style, and content:
• Statement of Faith (1940)
• A New Creed (1968; rev. 1980, 1994)
• A Song of Faith (2006)
Questions for Reflection:Is this a cherished, honoured, or living statement of our faith?
Is it helpful to you on your own faith journey?
Does it reflect the dynamic of faith in our congregation?
Does it seem to encompass the faith of other United Church congregations?
The Subject of the RemitShould this statement be included in the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union?The text of the 3 expressions of faith we are asked to study and make decisions about inclusion in the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union can be found online at: http://www.united-church.ca/beliefs/statements
Our study group has met on Thursday evenings for the past 2 weeks, looking first at the 1940 Statement of Faith and then this week at:
A New Creed
We are not alone, we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
We are not alone, we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
