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1. At NRCC, we believe in paradox and humility.
That’s a strange way to begin a statement of belief, but on the spiritual path, we just can’t get away from it. Consider these well-rehearsed Christian paradoxes…
God is one: God is three.- God is good: God allows evil.
- God is all-powerful: Humans have free choice.
- God is merciful and forgiving: God is just.
- Jesus is fully human: Jesus is fully divine.
- The scriptures are inspired by God: They are the words of humans.
This paradoxical nature of our central spiritual truths demands of us spiritual humility. We do well not to become rigid in our religious beliefs, but to posture ourselves with hearts constantly open to ever deeper dimensions of the transcendent realm; the heart of God.
2. At NRCC, we believe in Jesus.
- We believe Jesus uniquely and purely expressed Divine Life.
- We believe that in his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus alerted us to a new way to experience our own union with God.
- We believe Jesus’ life and message re-integrates us with the loving heart of God.
- We hear in Jesus the singular command to love…
to love God with all our hearts, and to love all of humanity as well.
3. At NRCC, we believe in Spirit.
- We believe God has given the Holy Spirit to indwell us.
- We believe God’s indwelling Spirit awakens ordinary people to live Divine Lives in tangible and perceptible ways.
- There are often no simple answers to life’s complex issues, but by listening carefully to the Inner Voice of God, we thread our way forward with a growing sense of wisdom, insight, redemption, and wholeness.
4. AT NRCC, we believe in the ancient spiritual paths.
Through the centuries, Christian people have discerned certain practices that aid the spiritual journey. Accessing this rich history, at NRCC we intentionally pursue…
Spiritual Community:
Our souls prosper in the environment of loving and supportive spiritual friendships.
Tolerance:
Our souls prosper when we exercise Jesus-like love and acceptance toward all people, all races, and all religions. We strive not to create a culture of judgment, but instead to foster a family of support, grace, and spiritual growth. When we get things wrong ourselves, we are forgiven by God. We can do nothing less for one another and for the world around us.
Listening and Obeying:
Our souls prosper when we listen carefully for the Inner Voice of God’s Spirit, and respond with fervent obedience.
The Classical Spiritual Disciplines:
Our souls prosper when we engage in varied forms of prayer, fasting, spiritual reading, study, solitude, community, simplicity, service, and confession.
Meditation:
In our busy and noisy world, our souls especially prosper when we quiet ourselves in the presence of God’s Spirit.
Liberty:
Our souls prosper when our spiritual journey is less about following religious rules and more about the liberty of conscience afforded us as we listen to God’s Spirit and obey. Thus, at NRCC we have no list of approved behaviors to which one must conform to be “spiritual.”
Serving the Earth:
Our souls prosper when we look beyond our own needs and concerns, and work to make the earth a better place. Jesus taught us to pray that things on earth would be “as they are in heaven.” Can we do anything less with our energies, our time, and our resources? We don’t think so. Consequently, we believe in serving our church family, our neighbors, our city, our world.
5. At NRCC, we believe in doubt and wonder.
At NRCC we accept people into our community who have doubts and questions about even core doctrines of Christian faith. We see a hunger for God as the central qualification for belonging in our community, and we see doubt and wonder as healthy ways of growing on our spiritual journeys.
6. At NRCC, we believe that sin is not that big of a deal.
That’s sounds like a scandalous statement when said out loud – and to be honest, we say it to grab attention to an issue. “Sin’s just not that big a deal.”
Of course sin will deeply damage our lives, our families, our relationships, and our futures. But we make the statement in this context; held next to the mountain of grace and forgiveness that God extends to us, sin is just not that big a deal.
Consequently, at NRCC, we’re not too focused on one another’s sins. We believe it is not our job to straighten each other out, but to encourage one another to listen to the Holy Spirit and let God convict us when it is time. Our job is encourage one another to fervently follow Divine conviction and Divine whispers when they come.
So we don’t define the spiritual journey as a battle with sin.
We all sin; sometimes very badly! However, if we believe that God has already forgiven us… if we believe that Jesus’ life and message of atonement has sin covered… then it’s not a good use of our energy to focus on human weakness and failure.
A better use of our spiritual energy is to help one another strengthen our connection to the Holy Spirit, allowing the Inner Voice to deal with our shortcomings and sins at divinely-appointed times. Occasionally, God may employ us to help one another deal with some dimension of sin in our lives, but often not. In either case, it is up to us to listen for God’s Spirit, and to obey what we hear.
At NRCC you need not worry about being judged by your church, but instead be strengthened and supported by your spiritual friends and church family.
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