WEAVE A SILENCE INTO MY HEART

Weave a silence, O Lord, on to our lips; weave a silence into our minds; weave a silence within our hearts.

Close our ears to distractions; close our eyes to attractions; close our heart to temptations. Amen.

Celtic Prayer (Traditional)

BEAUTY, SO ANCIENT AND SO NEW

O Beauty, so ancient and so new! Late have we loved you, though you were always with us. You call to our heart. You burst on our deafness. You scatter our blindness. We draw breath at your fragrance. Our heart pants for you. Our soul hungers for you. You touch us and we are consumed at the thought of your peace. Amen.

Prayer of St Augustine

THE ANABAPTIST NETWORK’S STATEMENT OF CORE CONVICTIONS

I ran across this list of “Core Convictions” on www.anabaptistnetwork.com.  It is a stunning statement, representing a Kingdom based, Jesus-centric worldview:

1. Jesus is our example, teacher, friend, redeemer and Lord. He is the source of our life, the central reference point for our faith and lifestyle, for our understanding of church and our engagement with society. We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshipping him.

2. Jesus is the focal point of God’s revelation. We are committed to a Jesus-centered approach to the Bible, and to the community of faith as the primary context in which we read the Bible and discern and apply its implications for discipleship.

3. Western culture is slowly emerging from the Christendom era when church and state jointly presided over a society in which almost all were assumed to be Christian. Whatever its positive contributions on values and institutions, Christendom seriously distorted the gospel, marginalized Jesus, and has left the churches ill-equipped for mission in a post-Christendom culture. As we reflect on this, we are committed to learning from the experience and perspectives of movements such as Anabaptism that rejected standard Christendom assumptions and pursued alternative ways of thinking and behaving.

4. The frequent association of the church with status, wealth and force is inappropriate for followers of Jesus and damages our witness. We are committed to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless and persecuted, aware that such discipleship may attract opposition, resulting in suffering and sometimes ultimately martyrdom.

5. Churches are called to be committed communities of discipleship and mission, places of friendship, mutual accountability and multi-voiced worship. As we eat together, sharing bread and wine, we sustain hope as we seek God’s kingdom together. We are committed to nurturing and developing such churches, in which young and old are valued, leadership is consultative, roles are related to gifts rather than gender and baptism is for believers.

6. Spirituality and economics are inter-connected. In an individualist and consumerist culture and in a world where economic injustice is rife, we are committed to finding ways of living simply, sharing generously, caring for creation, and working for justice.

7. Peace is at the heart of the gospel. As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding non-violent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society, and between nations.