Grace
We're told in Ephesians (2:8): "For it is by grace
you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..." Without grace none of us
would experience the miracle of God's love, have the gift of faith and the assurance of eternal life. Without grace
we would not be able to survive as a community of faith. So, then, we claim that grace, live in faith and cling to Christ.
We are living as forgiven children of God.
Given the fact
of grace in our lives, how are we to live as grace-filled children and a grace-filled church? How can we communicate
grace and God's love so that others may experience grace in the community and the world. These are core questions
that we seek to address as a community of faith.
Great Commandment
Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment of the law. He replied: "Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and
greatest commandment. . And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and
the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-39).
The Great Commandment
sums up not just the ten Commandments, but all of the law and the prophets. In our everyday lives we are reminded
by his commandment that our love for God is fundamentally connected to our love for one another. Jesus also tells
us that our love is a beacon of hope for the world: "By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one
another."