1). There is a Presence we can’t see, smell, touch or taste and yet we sense is real and sense is here. That Presence we call God.

2). God is love. God is constantly creating, and we are created in God’s image, ie with enormous potential. We are also created for joy. It is through our God-given potential and through the gift of joy that transformation in our hearts and in our world truly happen.

3). Jesus was the full embodiment of God’s presence - and love - here on earth. Jesus came to show us how God seeks us to live and with one another. This beloved way of living is known as “The Kingdom of God,” and Jesus described it as a great party.

4). God’s Spirit seeks to live in and guide us all. When we mess up, God’s Spirit is always there, giving us second chances. Always.

5). The Bible is a wholly inspired document that teaches us about God, about ourselves, and about life. The Bible invites us to wrestle with its myriad ideas and claims. It’s in the wrestling that we find the message. The Bible is also a comedy! It wants us to laugh; after all, we are created for joy!

6). The Church is the community seeking to follow Jesus. All are invited to be a part, regardless of whatever. It’s a “laboratory,” where we try new ways of loving one another, God, ourselves, life. We need never - nor should ever - stop learning, stop growing.

7). Christianity is a marvelous path to God, to love. It is not the exclusive path. As we engage in beloved community with those of other faiths (and no expressed faith), the mystery of God, of love, only deepens.

8). It’s actually rather fabulous being a purple cow.