An Inkling
How do we describe ourselves? At St. Giles we describe ourselves via website, mission statement, E-News, and signs. Each has its purpose.
Now we also have a slogan. A slogan has to be short and catchy – short enough to fit on a sign or a website banner, and hopefully catchy enough to be memorable without being trivial. We wanted something that captured our essence as a church.
The Session has been seeking a slogan for months, and now we believe we have it: Christ for All – All for Christ. That’s not a play on the Three Musketeers’ slogan. It’s who we are in brief. Here’s what we mean:
Christ…
· The One God sent for the salvation of the world is Jesus Christ. He is the beginning and end of what God is doing in the world, and in our lives.
· Not Christ reduced to convenient size, but Christ in all his fullness and scandal, Christ in his radical claim to be God’s unique provision for salvation, and in his equally radical outreach to all, Christ the Lord of each life and all creation.
… for All…
· We respect all people and religions, but we humbly take up Christ’s own radical claim to be uniquely the Savior and Lord of the world.
· We seek to love as Christ loved, reaching across all divides, be they personal, global, or something in between.
… All…
· Through his love Jesus Christ has captured us: heart, soul, mind, and strength!
· We intend to live under his lordship, and to practice the spiritual disciplines that foster this intention.
· Those disciplines include worship, study, prayer, solitude, silence, service, fasting, simplicity, and fellowship. Through such disciplines God advances his reign in our lives.
… for Christ.
· Finally a purpose big enough to live for! All we have, are, and do is for Jesus Christ – not Christ as we imagine him, but as he is portrayed in the scripture, and described in our creeds.
· Thus we decide how to use our time, energy, and money by no lesser standard than this: is it ultimately for Christ and his Kingdom?
How’s that for bold? We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way – with Jesus! What a privilege!
Blessings,
Keith
