Beginning June 1, I will preach a series of six sermons on what's known as the Disciples Affirmation or the Preamble.
We use this text in worship as an affirmation of faith, and I have wanted to spend a little more time with it for quite a while: I love how it breaks open the often misunderstood "I believe" into a colorful, multi-facetted "we confess, proclaim, accept, rejoice, celebrate, receive..." Every time I read it, I hear an invitation to join a conversation and a particular way of life.
This is not a statement of beliefs that declares, "This is how things are, and here is where you sign." It sounds a lot more like, "Allow us to introduce ourselves."
When we think about who we are, or talk about who we are to be, we find ourselves returning again and again to the practices and conversations outlined in these 171 words. This is how we strive to live in relationship with God, with other people, and with the world.