Tawa Pano Unity Fellowship Church
What We Believe
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As many of you know, Rev J writes a column for the Empty Closet. Her May
column (you can read it here) challenges anyone who reads her column to write a
one page reflection about what they believe. She has challenged everyone in
the movement to do the same thing. Write one page about your most basic
convictions about your spiritual life and who, or what, is the source of your
strength
Then, as you feel comfortable, email them to her at revdrj@tawapanoufc.org We
will be posting them to our churches website, where we can get to connect with
each other in this virtual space. Rev J said you do not have to share it with the
church family if you do not want, but if not share it with people you know. We
will be posting the what you believe statements here as they arrive, so check
back to read the new submissions.
I Believe-1998-2007 (ever evolving journey of discovery) -- Elder Claude Bowen
I believe that the Infinite Intelligence that created everything there is , was
and will ever be is greater than any definition or concept known to the
universe including my own experiences for even there that which is God can’t be
contained or fully defined.
Therefore no book, doctrine or discipline can govern or capture what God is to
any individual. The limitation of language alone limits the human definition of
God.
I believe that God is all Spirit and the Infinite Intelligence and therefore has
no color, and being without gender can never be Him or Her.
Heaven is a state of blissful God awareness. Hell is the mental state of
negative energy being present in our lives. Neither is a location!
What I believe -- Rev J
Over the course of my life, I have come to develop some fairly simple, but
powerful beliefs that guide my life. What I believe has been influenced by what I
learned while attending Hebrew School, growing up in a Jewish home, my study
of scripture, and my readings. Probably most influential in my life has been the
writings of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi.
I believe that we are born in the image of God, who is love and that we are
called, as stated in Micah 6:8, to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with God. I believe that we are all called to speak the truth in love and
to do justice with a spirit of non-violence. I believe, as stated in our what we
believe statement, that God is greater than any single denomination or school of
thought. I believe God has spoken to people through a diversity of sacred texts
and is present in a diversity of worship communities.
Over the course of my life, I have come to believe some key things about myself
and those with whom I disagree. I believe that I am a child of a loving God. I
believe that God knows me and loves me just as I am. I know that God brought
me here for a specific purpose and that was to love God and to assist in God’s
everlasting struggle to win justice for all of God’s children who suffer injustice.
It is through doing God’s work on earth and through working with God to
continuously transform my life that I will become increasingly aware of all the
gifts buried within me and the work God created me to do. I know that when I
am working with God in doing justice for God’s creations, that I find myself most
renewed, empowered and feel most meaningful. I know that I have an obligation
to refuse to cooperate with evil. This is as important in my life as it is to
cooperate with good.
I believe that we are called to be ministers of reconciliation. To do so, not only
must what we believe about ourselves be changed, but also what we believe
about others. I have to recognize that we are all God’s children and everyone is
a part of my human family, albeit in need of reconciliation. I have to remember
that just as I have been exposed to misinformation at times in my life, so have
those that I might be having an adversarial relationship with . I have to
remember that the task that God has given me is to bring my adversaries truth in
love via non-violent means without ceasing. While I might be prone to want to
understand what other’s motives are, I have to remember that our personal
motives are of no relevance to the discussion. They are as committed to doing
what they believe is God’s work for their life as I am to doing what I believe to
be God’s will for my life. I believe that prayer changes things and know that
even my worst adversary had an amazing potential for transformative change. I
also know that my understandings are not God’s understandings, so I must be
open to insights that might come from those that I might view as my adversary.
Finally, I have to believe that if I continue to bring the truth to others in a loving
and non-violent manner without ceasing that we will come to a new position
that will satisfy us both, if we conduct our search for truth guided by the
principles of love.
I believe God created me to be one who tears down the walls that separates
people from one another. I believe that my being born biracial is an example of
how God can reconcile two groups in one body. Biracial individuals, such as
myself, are literal reflections of the two becoming one that the Bible talks
about. I believe that the cross on which Jesus was crucified is a constant
reminder that we are all children of God, those on the horizontal and vertical
beams of life.
column (you can read it here) challenges anyone who reads her column to write a
one page reflection about what they believe. She has challenged everyone in
the movement to do the same thing. Write one page about your most basic
convictions about your spiritual life and who, or what, is the source of your
strength
Then, as you feel comfortable, email them to her at revdrj@tawapanoufc.org We
will be posting them to our churches website, where we can get to connect with
each other in this virtual space. Rev J said you do not have to share it with the
church family if you do not want, but if not share it with people you know. We
will be posting the what you believe statements here as they arrive, so check
back to read the new submissions.
I Believe-1998-2007 (ever evolving journey of discovery) -- Elder Claude Bowen
I believe that the Infinite Intelligence that created everything there is , was
and will ever be is greater than any definition or concept known to the
universe including my own experiences for even there that which is God can’t be
contained or fully defined.
Therefore no book, doctrine or discipline can govern or capture what God is to
any individual. The limitation of language alone limits the human definition of
God.
I believe that God is all Spirit and the Infinite Intelligence and therefore has
no color, and being without gender can never be Him or Her.
Heaven is a state of blissful God awareness. Hell is the mental state of
negative energy being present in our lives. Neither is a location!
What I believe -- Rev J
Over the course of my life, I have come to develop some fairly simple, but
powerful beliefs that guide my life. What I believe has been influenced by what I
learned while attending Hebrew School, growing up in a Jewish home, my study
of scripture, and my readings. Probably most influential in my life has been the
writings of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi.
I believe that we are born in the image of God, who is love and that we are
called, as stated in Micah 6:8, to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with God. I believe that we are all called to speak the truth in love and
to do justice with a spirit of non-violence. I believe, as stated in our what we
believe statement, that God is greater than any single denomination or school of
thought. I believe God has spoken to people through a diversity of sacred texts
and is present in a diversity of worship communities.
Over the course of my life, I have come to believe some key things about myself
and those with whom I disagree. I believe that I am a child of a loving God. I
believe that God knows me and loves me just as I am. I know that God brought
me here for a specific purpose and that was to love God and to assist in God’s
everlasting struggle to win justice for all of God’s children who suffer injustice.
It is through doing God’s work on earth and through working with God to
continuously transform my life that I will become increasingly aware of all the
gifts buried within me and the work God created me to do. I know that when I
am working with God in doing justice for God’s creations, that I find myself most
renewed, empowered and feel most meaningful. I know that I have an obligation
to refuse to cooperate with evil. This is as important in my life as it is to
cooperate with good.
I believe that we are called to be ministers of reconciliation. To do so, not only
must what we believe about ourselves be changed, but also what we believe
about others. I have to recognize that we are all God’s children and everyone is
a part of my human family, albeit in need of reconciliation. I have to remember
that just as I have been exposed to misinformation at times in my life, so have
those that I might be having an adversarial relationship with . I have to
remember that the task that God has given me is to bring my adversaries truth in
love via non-violent means without ceasing. While I might be prone to want to
understand what other’s motives are, I have to remember that our personal
motives are of no relevance to the discussion. They are as committed to doing
what they believe is God’s work for their life as I am to doing what I believe to
be God’s will for my life. I believe that prayer changes things and know that
even my worst adversary had an amazing potential for transformative change. I
also know that my understandings are not God’s understandings, so I must be
open to insights that might come from those that I might view as my adversary.
Finally, I have to believe that if I continue to bring the truth to others in a loving
and non-violent manner without ceasing that we will come to a new position
that will satisfy us both, if we conduct our search for truth guided by the
principles of love.
I believe God created me to be one who tears down the walls that separates
people from one another. I believe that my being born biracial is an example of
how God can reconcile two groups in one body. Biracial individuals, such as
myself, are literal reflections of the two becoming one that the Bible talks
about. I believe that the cross on which Jesus was crucified is a constant
reminder that we are all children of God, those on the horizontal and vertical
beams of life.