Shared Conviction # 1 “God is known to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Creator who seeks to restore fallen humanity by calling a people to be faithful in fellowship, worship, service and witness.”
( for this week, i will reflect on the seven core convictions of Mennonite World Conference )
Mennonites love confessions of faith. We do not like the ancient creeds of the church, but since we move around, and are in many different countries, we like to say to each other and the world what we believe. The seven core convictions of Mennonite World Conference came about by consensus in 2006. This means that the over 100 different Mennonite conferences had to agree on all the words. This is an amazing document for Mennonites to agree on. The first conviction talks about God, in the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. It speaks of sin, and God calling us to be restored to a life of faithfulness. Most confessions begin with God. It seems right to do that. Some groups might have had questions around the term ” Father “. Some might say that God is beyond genders, God is God. I did not hear what the discussion was like.
Then there are… ” fellowship. worship, service and witness. ” These are core activities of the church. They might be seen in different forms in Uruguay or Congo, or Indonesia, but they have been part of any Christian community since the beginning of the church. At Poole, are these part of our core activities ?
What would you say first when talking about your faith ?The World Mennonite Assembly will happen in Indonesia in 2022 ( delayed from this summer ).
Prayer We say a lot of words about you and the world, O God. Help us to walk, or stand, or sit in your mystery. Help us to listen without speaking or seeing. Enable us to have more faith, every day, every evening, every morning. AMEN
Fred
Soaring like Vultures lifted up by unseen Hands Trust, silent enters my fears Monica Pieper Landoni 2021