The Phoenix Affirmations E-Book

Eric Elnes

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 207

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

The Phoenix Affirmations, named for the town in which the principles were created and the mythological bird adopted by ancient Christians as a symbol of resurrection, offers disillusioned and spiritually homeless Christians and others a sense of hope and a more tolerant, joyful, and compassionate message than those we often hear from the media and some Christian leaders. These twelve central affirmative principles of Christian faith are built on the three great loves that the Bible reveals: love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. They reflect commitments to environmental stewardship, social justice, and artistic expression as well as openness to other faiths. Transcending theological and culture wars, inclusive and generous in spirit and practice, these principles ask believers and seekers alike to affirm their Christian faith in a fresh way.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

THE AUTHOR

Acknowledgments

Introduction

AFFIRMATION one

AFFIRMATION two

The Rule of Love

Prayer and God’s Activity

AFFIRMATION three

AFFIRMATION four

AFFIRMATION five

AFFIRMATION six

AFFIRMATION seven

AFFIRMATION eight

AFFIRMATION nine

AFFIRMATION ten

AFFIRMATION eleven

AFFIRMATION twelve

NOTES

Copyright © 2006 by Eric Elnes. All rights reserved.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked “The Message” are from The Message by Eugene H.

Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Elnes, Eric.

The phoenix affirmations : a new vision for the future of Christianity /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7879-8578-3 (pbk.)ISBN-10: 0-7879-8578-3 (pbk.)

1. Christianity—Forecasting. I. Title.

BR121.3.E46 2006

269—dc22

2005037205

This book is dedicated to

God

The spiritually homeless of the world who yearn for the face of Christianity to resemble more closely the face of Jesus.

The many who volunteer time and talent to CrossWalk America—an organization tirelessly and joyfully working to create a home for the spiritually homeless.

Melanie, Arianna, and Maren

THE AUTHOR

Eric Elnes is a biblical scholar with a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also senior pastor of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ in Scottsdale, Arizona (www.artinworship.com), known internationally for its innovative, multisensory worship experience called The Studio. Dr. Elnes serves as co-president of CrossWalk America (www.CrossWalkAmerica.org), an organization committed to re-sourcing, strengthening, and celebrating the emerging progressive Christian faith. He also serves on the faculty of the Center for Arts, Religion and Education, in Berkeley, California.

Dr. Elnes authored the original version of the Phoenix Affirmations and served as lead editor of its subsequent revisions. He is also the author of Igniting Worship: The Seven Deadly Sins (Abingdon, 2004) and is the original developer of “The World’s Most Dangerous Bible Study”—an approach to studying Scripture in conversation with popular music and film used around the world and published in numerous issues of Princeton Theological Seminary’s audio journal, Cloud of Witnesses.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is the product not only of scholarly research and pastoral reflection but of many public and private conversations for which I am most grateful. Many of these conversations have been with members and friends of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ in Scottsdale, Arizona—a congregation I have served as senior pastor for ten years. I have especially benefited from conversations with Associate Pastor Rev. Katharine Harts, and with those who have attended Worship Team meetings, Bible study groups, and our Theology on Tap sessions. Over the course of a year, our conversations regarding the Phoenix Affirmations—which frequently lasted for hours—brought us several steps closer to the core of our passion and faith, and closer to each other as well.

Other lively and helpful conversations have been held while planning a walk across America to raise awareness of the Phoenix Affirmations with CrossWalk America (http://www.CrossWalkAmerica.org). CrossWalk America is a unique, non-profit organization at the center of the emerging movement within Christianity. I am especially indebted to conversations with copresident, Rebecca Glenn, as well as board members Ray Steiner, Scott Logan, Brad Wishon, Brenda Stiers, Mac Schafer, Fletch Wideman, and Tom Jelinek.

Still other conversations contributing directly to this book were held with the clergy of No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice, in Phoenix, Arizona, who served as the initial incubator group for the Phoenix Affirmations. Their passion for justice, tolerance, and equality for all people has been an inspiration for many years. Also important have been the clergy and scholars associated with the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey—particularly those with the Western Regional Pastor-Theologian program who helped greatly in bringing the Phoenix Affirmations into their present form.

Finally, conversations with my wife, Melanie, and daughters, Arianna and Maren, as well as my good friend and mentor Bruce Van Blair, have contributed significantly to this work. I love you more than words can say. And with respect to the words I can say, they are all said much better thanks to the extraordinary insights of my editor at Jossey-Bass, Sheryl Fullerton.

It should be obvious that “my” thoughts and insights—at least the good ones—are actually connected to a vast web of relationships. These relationships have been, and still are, united by a single purpose and passion: changing the face of Christianity as we know it to more closely resemble that of Jesus.

—E.E.

INTRODUCTION

“I’m tired of being a Christian butt,” Jenny exclaimed with obvious exasperation.

I thought this was rather unusual language coming from a high school choral director and member of my congregation in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s not her choice of words but the sentiment that surprised me. In the past few years, I have only seen Jenny get more excited about her faith, not less.

When Jenny first cautiously started coming to my church, she had not actively participated in a church for over twenty years. She considered herself “spiritual but not religious.”

“I have a problem with organized religion,” she had told the friend who originally invited her.