- A pursuit of the kingdom and a clear understanding of scripture (
- Active faith in the power of Holy Spirit
- Close, committed community
So our foundation sits on a triangle of three things: the word, the spirit, and each other.
To really pursue this though means something radically different from what church usually looks like.
• A true pursuit of the kingdom life must come at the expense of the spirit of religion (which substitutes dogma and hierarchy, for living relationship with God).
• A true pursuit of community and each other means when we meet together it must be around dialogue and participation (rather than one person is the boss and everyone else spectators) - we must challenge each other to actively steward our own lives and faith. And we must develop harmony together - which comes not from all thinking the same and agreeing but by confronting and acknowledging difference and putting love around it. It also means having the courage to speak into each other's lives - don't let what we perceive go unspoken.
Lastly, a real pursuit of the Holy Spirit is deeply challenging - he brings us face to face with our fears, insecurities, and unhelpful attachments (all so he can help us let them go). It's a gentle discipline. We must steward our relationship with him - which means exercising our gifts actively outside our own safe faith community and also challenging any opposing spirits that seek to manifest their influence.