Many congregational websites feature a “What We Believe” page. At Broadway, while a number of beliefs connect us, we find that it is the way we believe that matters most. 

In any Christian church there are a variety of opinions and beliefs about who God is, and about who we are called to be. Some people emphasize one doctrine, and some emphasize another. Some folks feel certain about many facets of their faith – and some folks are willing to admit that they don’t always know what they believe.

At BPC, we make room for folks anywhere along this spectrum, and we do so for two key reasons:

1. because it is honest about who we are as human beings, and

2. because it leaves room for God to be God. 

Recognizing that God alone is God may sound a bit obvious, but it is a key component of the so-called ‘Reformed Tradition,’ of which Presbyterians are a part. During the Protestant Reformation, teachers like John Calvin wrote of the mysteries of God’s Sovereignty, and called the Church to take special care not to set up idols to our own ideas, lest we begin to worship our conceptions of God rather than worship God alone. 

This doesn’t mean that we set aside believing all together. Instead, it means that our beliefs are ever growing, changing and deepening. We let the Spirit guide our faith as it speaks through the Bible, and speaks to our hearts. We listen for the ancient stories of God’s followers, how they were released from bondage and captivity and called into new life. We are challenged by the words of the prophets, who called out for justice for all God’s people. We study the words of Jesus, and struggle to learn from the lesson of his life, death, and resurrection. We find ourselves confronted again and again with his call to love our neighbors, our enemies, and ourselves. And, as we listen and learn through these ancient stories, we find our eyes newly opened to the world around us, and to the ways God is calling us to live in this world, in this time. 

You may also notice that we’ve been using the word “we” quite a bit in this section. “We” is an awfully important word in our way of believing. This is because the journey of faith takes all of us. We are a community of followers, and we struggle and celebrate our faith together. Jesus called together a group of disciples, and in doing so he initiated a grand conversation that has never stopped in more than 2000 years. At one point he asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The conversation still isn’t over. 

Of course, it isn’t just about the conversation. Whatever the words we find, our faith is lived – not just in words but in actions. What good is it to believe that God created this beautiful, delicate world, if we aren’t caring for it like the gift that it is? What good is it to believe that God loves and cares for the poor, if we aren’t doing something about it? What good is it to believe in the Resurrection, if we aren’t rising up with hope, love, and life for all those who suffer? 

Be welcome to join us in the conversation, as we seek to live what we believe.