I have been told, there is not a nuance I do not like and that is very true. I like to have precision and clarity in the things I write, how good I am at it is often debated, but none the less I wholly conceit to the fact that I am a fan of the prepositional phrase. My love of nuance is why I love statements of faith. A well written statement can cut through all the confusion and lift a factual statement to the place all minds can see it clearly. When we construct a faith statement we are setting out in propositional form spiritual reality. This is the personal dimension of a statement of faith as seen through the soul of the individual. The flip side is a Statement as a set of beliefs held by a group. Some time they are seen to be a way to “prophetically” witness to the culture. For me that is a well thought out load of crap, more so it presents itself as a political finger pointing sound bit on the 10 o’clock news. If a group wants to deal with culture on that level then they should open a dialogue with opposing views. Hold public forums, have fashion shows of truth for the naked public square. Be unafraid to confront postmodern false prophets and make the church a place to talk truth and light in a dark world.
While a statement of faith makes a comparison to the surrounding darkness, the light is not the statement but the people themselves. Jesus states, “you are a light that can not be hidden.” Lived faith statement is prophetic light. Ok rant over…. Back to may topic..
A statement of faith is a list of propositions that outline the beliefs of a group. It is the definition of a group’s commonly held conviction. They encompass ethical and theological principles of life and faith and make up the foundational teachings of Christianity as the group understands them. Culturally speaking, the importance of such a codex of beliefs is the way it defines and identifies a people. The individual can gain a worldview in the statements. Teaching them life vision and purpose for living.
The functions of a Statement of Faith
It is the gravity of a community
A statement of faith is what gives the community of faith theological weight. It keeps ones feet on the ground so we may run the race and not just be caught spinning your wheals.
It is the glue of the community
Paul states that a congregation’s unity is found in holding to a common body of biblical truth and living by those truths. The commonly held believes are the unifying elements of a group. They are the truths that a group rallies around and in this the group finds a corporate since of identity.
It is the beauty of the community
They are the beauty of a community of faith in two ways. One, the nature of truth, Truth is beautiful. Truth has order harmony, even transcendences. Truth makes life beautiful, and truths about redemption are most beautiful. The statements inform our worship. They are the facts God by His Spirit lights on fire.
It is the core of the community
A statement of faith is a core. Augustine wrote “unity in the essentials, diversity on the non-essentials and in everything love.” This principle should guild the intellectual life of a church. A group’s statement is the essentials of a group. They are the core truths. In every group there are two spheres, I, YOU. Yet as the picture shows in the overlap of your beliefs and my beliefs we see a new sphere “what we believe.”
The “I” is the individual. The “YOU” is the other individual. The “We” is the group. It sounds like this “I believe this” “you believe that” but “we believe this together.” There is room for some tolerance (biblically defined) of “what you believe”. Both “I” and “you” are needed. The “You” spear teaches us control free love because loving others you disagree with is part of Christian discipleship. The “I” is important because each “I” may have personal conviction and ethical truths that burn deeper than others. This helps the body fit well together. But the “we” dimension is central for it alone functions as a worldview: A way of seeing in the world. Group vision comes from the center not the sides. The person that drives a car using his peripheral vision will soon crash. What we believe centers our vision of the world and our place in it. Note how the picture also looks like an eye.
Defining a Core by clarifying the themes
Thinking in hypothetically, four words sum up what I see as core themes of a statement of faith. reformational, evangelical, spiritual, and apostolic.
Reformational
This is the Fundamental teachings of the Protestant Reformation. These are the ideas that form a person’s vision of life. These point make up a Theocentric worldview.
"Sola Scriptura" - “Scripture Alone”
"Sola Christo" - “Christ Alone”
"Sola Gratia" -“Grace Alone”
"Sola Fide" -“Faith Alone”
"Soli Deo Gloria" -“Glory to God Alone”
The same worldview could be expressed in a metanarrative outline in scripture…
God - Creation - Fall - Redemption - God
in this a larger context-we find the believer within the gospel/redemption plot-line …
Redemption
as
Faith in Christ
as
Faith in Christ
{ Incarnation-Life-Death-Resurrection-ascension-believer’s life-Second coming}
Evangelical
By “evangelical”, I would mean a the doctrinal conviction that the proclamation of the Good news in the means of grace for salvation. This is contrasted with a sacramental view of salvation through church membership or baptism.
Spiritual
By “Spiritual” one could say, “charismatic” but by this I mean committed to “thy kingdom come.” That is a commitment to the present day demonstration of the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. A belief that gifts work, prayer works, faith works but we do not work the gifts, faith, or prayer. This is not a tolerating of these things but actively encouraging that would be a posture of action and ministry.
Apostolic
By “apostolic” I mean centering the mission plain of a church as reproduction by division. I desire to plaint local churches and network church in corporate ministry. This is contrasted with a top down structure of authority.
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