What United Methodsts Believe, part 1.

If you've spent much time at all in a United Methodist congregation, you've heard of something called the Book of Discipline. Those who have served on some of our committees or who have contemplated a call to ordained ministry know that that the Discipline is the "how to" guide which governs all the practical day-to-day, year-to-year, and quadrennium-to-quadrennium business of being the church.

But did you know that the Discipline also describes our essential beliefs as United Methodists?

Part II of 2004 edition of the Book of Discipline is entitled "Doctrinal Standards and our Theological Task" and it begins on p. 41. From time to time, this blog will explore various passages from this section of the Discipline.

For now, I thought I'd share a few statements from the opening pages which highlight the similarities we United Methodists share with other Christian groups. For those keeping score, all of the following quotes can be found in bold print on pages 43 and 44 of the Discipline. I invite you to ponder these statements; and by all means, feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section.

We hold in common with all Christians a faith in the mystery of salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

We share the Christian belief that God's redemptive love is realized in human life by the activity of the Holy Spirit, both in personal experience and in the community of believers.

We understand ourselves to be part of Christ's universal church when by adoration, proclamation, and service we become conformed to Christ.

With other Christians, we recognize that the reign of God is both a present a future reality.

We share with many Christian communions a recognition of the authority of Scripture in matters of faith, the confession that our justification as sinners is by grace through faith, and the sober realization that the church is in need of continual reformation and renewal.

I hope this is the beginning of a grand and open conversation on what it means to follow Jesus.

Grace and peace,
John