worship

God has created man and woman, earth and sky mountain and sea, beast and butterfly. All of these exist for the pleasure of the Creator. Endowed with the image of God, humanity has a unique role in reflecting God’s pleasure on earth. We are made for worship. Our worship is seen in how we steward the resources with hope God has given us and how we relate to others with love.

In Christ Jesus the possibility for worship is restored. A life of worship is filled with joy as well as the inward groan of hopeful expectation. In Christ Jesus we seek and find our deepest satisfaction in Him alone. In Christ, we know God to be powerfully and abundantly near.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak,
Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
He makes the clouds His chariot;
He walks upon the wings of the wind;
He makes the winds His messengers,
Flaming fire His ministers." (Psalm 104:1-4)

stewardship

Having found our satisfaction in God alone, our lives are marked by cultivating and sharing instead of consumption and hoarding. Stewardship is seeing every resource as a gift from God to be used for God’s pleasure and purposes. Time, money, creativity, talents, intellect, and influence are all valuable resources in God’s Kingdom coming to earth. Having found our satisfaction in God through Christ Jesus, our hope is built on God’s abundance.

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light." (Psalm 36:7-9)

relationship

“It is not good that man should be alone.” God in eternal relationship as Father, Son, and Spirit has his image within every person, drawing them into relationship. Reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, genuine human connection is redeemed. Instead of radical independence, in Christ there is interdependence. Looking to God for our soul’s satisfaction, we are set free to share the love of God with others.

"O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all." (Psalm 139:1-4)