Christian love of God includes:

 

1.  Walking fully in the path of Jesus, without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity;

 

2.  Listening for God’s Word which comes through daily prayer and meditation, studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world;

 

3.  Celebrating the God whose Spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s Creation, including the earth and its ecosystems, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human;

 

4.  Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.

 

Christian love of neighbor includes:

 

5.  Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God’s very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class;

 

6.  Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others;

 

7.  Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state;

 

8.  Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies;

 

Christian love of self includes:

 

9.  Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imagination – for eternity;

 

10.  Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth;

 

11.  Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work;

 

12.  Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose; a vocation and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love. For a commentary on the Phoenix Affirmations, click here.