I believe in God, the Holy Trinity: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer;
three persons and one God;
flaunting mutual love and community,
so that we endeavor and learn to live in community as well.
I believe in the Creator – Maker of all that was, is, and will be.
As images of the Creator,
we are called to lives of creating.
The Creator wraps us in divine love and delights in our flourishing.
I believe in Jesus Christ – son of the Creator.
Christ is a mentor; a friend with unreserved love.
Jesus calls us to lives of solidarity and care for all of God’s creation.
Christ advocates for us and weeps with us.
I believe in the Holy Spirit – the one who inspires.
The Holy Spirit moves in the world,
pushing and holding us to join in God’s mission and vision for the world.
The Holy Spirit dances and dreams with us.
Through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ,
we receive salvation
from our brokenness,
and the evils around us.
In response to the good news of grace and redemption for all of creation,
we act justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with God.
I turn to the Bible to learn about
the God of creation, love, and inspiration.
The Bible is filled with narratives and history,
honest and faithful prayer,
prophesies and sermons.
The Bible is the story of God; the story of God’s people.
Holy Scripture is our connection to our family of faith and to holy wisdom.
With the love, companionship, and commissioning of the Divine,
we have been given two sacraments from God: baptism and communion.
In baptism, we are integrated into an expansive community
that is overflowing with love, grace, and hope.
In the Lord’s Supper, we are sustained, strengthened, and nourished
to go live out Christ’s forgiveness, service, and liberation.
The sacraments are tangible gifts that connect us to
Christ’s life, death, and resurrection,
the community of saints that have gone before us,
our own present community,
God’s shalom-filled kin-dom come,
God’s infinite grace.
May it be so.
Informed by my faith…[1]
I believe that Black lives matter. The origins and history of the United States largely involve the murder and exploitation of brown and black bodies and this violence continues today.
I believe that no human is illegal. Every single person is an image-bearer of the Divine. This imago Dei is the primary piece of identification for a human.
I believe that love is love. My god is a god of love. That same love is reflected throughout all, including within our LGBTQ+ siblings.
I believe that women’s rights are human rights. Progress regarding women’s rights and rights of anyone with a uterus is progress for all of humankind.
I believe that science is real. Science is yet another source of wisdom, a gift from God, for us to embrace and utilize.
I believe that water is life. All of creation deserves access to clean water and we are to protect our sources of water.
I believe that we live in a world where none of these truths are fully-realized. Saying these catchy phrases or posting the hashtags on social media is not enough; it is a steady slope into being performative. In my ministry, I hope to serve as an advocate, a voice, and an ally, for liberation and flourishing of all of God’s children.
[1] Adapted from https://www.signsofjustice.com/.
Rev. Natalie Wolf 