Parakalein

Religion is the formation of rules and roles to sustain and to promote the purity of faith and the practice of faith.  Most religions grew out of a person having a depth personal and spiritual experience that was life transforming.  The followers codified, categorized quantified and qualified the way to have a similar experience of spirituality.  The problem is that replicating a spiritual experience is not done by rules and roles but by respectful and restful openness.

Spirituality is about being quiet, calm, contemplative, compassionate, and courageous which results in the creative experience and expression of the deep resource within everyone of spiritual presence.  It is practicing the presence of peace and love within where the Kingdom of God dwells which transforms us form the inside out.

I sat today with a client today who was confused as she was not able to speak the truth of her heart to a fellow believer in the church because she would not listen so why even try to speak.  Speaking the truth in love that is the direction to the church to be the church is not nurtured while ecclesiastical beliefs that are about rules and roles for the church and intentionally to purify promote and practice faith does not s nurture spiritual presence.  I began to think following this session what it would be like if instead of statement of faiths that define core beliefs about God, the church adopted "Statements of Belief that were about being the church"

We believe that there are many ways to believe and all those ways are about loving God and loving God's creation, people and everything God made.

We believe that no one has a corner on truth but all are called to speak their honest truth without devaluing or denigrating any other truth for all truth comes from God.

We believe that we should treat one another out of the character of a peaceful spirit, a compassionate heart, a courageous soul, and a creative mind.  We always make room for all in an ever widening circle of love and kindness.

We believe the the most important two r's to community are the responsibleness to be mature non threatening and unthreatened  toward anyone and respectfulness in mutually affirming ways regardless of anything.

We believe that if we treat others as better than ourselves and everyone does the same the world will be a better place.

We believe that what we belief about God should never get in the way of living out the character of God.  God is love, God is peace, God is Spirit, and God is truth.

We believe that we are all created in the image of God and when we live in that image we live in peace and love and their is justice for all.

We believe that what we believe is out personal choice and distinct faith but we believe that we must respect all other ways to believe that are different in the celebration of diversity and deference.

Ok I have to think and look at this and see what I think as

 I have just mused freely.  Imagine what would happen if we adopted these Statements of Belief???
More later