What We Believe ·
Our beliefs about God
We believe that there is one God, whose demands on us are absolute and whose help for us is sufficient. In love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female of every race and people, to live as one community. God’s power in the world can look like weakness, because it is the kind of love that gives itself up for us. God’s love can look like vulnerability, because God is affected by the tragedies of life. We are comforted by the assurance that in mysterious and marvelous ways, God’s purpose of peace, justice, freedom will prevail.
Our beliefs about Jesus
We believe that Jesus was both fully human and fully God. In his life on earth he preached good news to the poor and release to the captives. He taught by word and deed; healed the sick and comforted the sorrowing. He stood up against all powers that degraded and dominated human life. Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised him from the dead, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal. Jesus lives!
Our beliefs about the Spirit
By the presence of the Spirit, God is active in the world today, making community where there is division and bringing healing for that which is broken. The Spirit inspires faith in men, women and children and leads us into ministries of witness and compassion. The Spirit works in mysterious and marvelous ways to renew all life. The Spirit gives God’s people courage to pray and to face each day with hope.
Our beliefs about the Bible
The people of God set down what God has said and done in their midst and how the people responded. These writings emerged out of the community’s life in the course of its story with God. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ and God’s Word to us. Relying on the Spirit, we affirm our responsibility and joy in interpreting Scripture. Therefore we use the best available methods to understand them in their historical and cultural setting and the literary forms in which they are cast. We believe that Scripture reveals fresh insights because the living Lord speaks through them.
Our beliefs about salvation
Salvation is the restoration of a broken relationship between God’s people and God. This happens in many and diverse ways both in the midst of human life and after death. Through the sacraments, this grace of Christ is particularly potent. The evidence of salvation can be seen in lives of devotion, compassion, justice and truth. Ultimate union with God and all creation is the providence granted by God alone.
Our beliefs about other faiths
The church has often lived and worked among those who do not share the Christian faith. It has been influenced by other religions and by secular faiths and ideologies. In turn it has affected them for good or ill. We do not fully comprehend God’s way with other faiths, but we should reject nothing in them that is true. We need to listen with openness and respect to their words to us, testing them always by God’s Word in Scripture. We should be loving and unafraid in our dealing with them. We know God calls us to share the gift of Christ will all who will receive it. We are confident God judges all faiths, including our own.
Our beliefs about sin
Men and women broke community with God, refusing to trust and obey. Their community with each other was broken by shame and alienation, hatred and murder, lust and pride. We confess that in all generations human beings have rejected God again and again. At times we seek in pride to become gods: we deny the good limits that define our humanity. At other times we draw back in apathy: we refuse to fulfill our human responsibilities. The antagonisms between races, nations, and neighbors, the barriers separating men and women, children and parents, the estrangement of human beings from the natural order, are results of our sin against God.
Our beliefs about disagreement and dialogue
Faithful Christians disagree. We interpret Scripture differently and we live our lives of faith differently. We worship differently and pray differently. We encourage people to question traditions and to explore their own beliefs. Yet, there is one God, one faith, one baptism, one God who is Lord of all. We acknowledge that our visible unity is a gift of Christ, and that the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in our world is the removable of all distinctions between persons.
Our beliefs about the church
We acknowledge the true church of Jesus Christ wherever the work of the Spirit is evident: in preaching and sacraments, in the new life and continuous growth of believers, in the sharing of spiritual gifts and material things, in mission and service to the world. The boundaries of the church are not clearly known to us, but God knows those who are his.
Encouraging Word ·
Are you experiencing a hard time in your life right now? Do you feel like you are suffering alone? Does it seems like no one else understands what you are going through, even if you could find words to explain it? Today’s trouble or sickness or addiction or depression might feel like it’s too much too bear any longer.
Does God Care?
God knows what you are feeling right now and shares your pain. God longs for your healing and wholeness and is ready to bear the burden you carry. All you have to do is ask. Hear God’s promise from Isaiah 43:14:
"…you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; …
you are precious and honored in my sight,
… I love you …
If you can do nothing else today, ask God to see you through the day and into tomorrow. Take to heart the words from Isaiah.
Will God Accept Me?
Do not worry how you appear to God. No matter what you have done, God loves you…now…just as you are. The Bible teaches that God sent Jesus into the world "while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8). If sin is making you discouraged, ask God to forgive you and to help you change. Even now, God is sending Jesus into this world again today, for you. You’ve taken the first step forward. Know that Jesus will walk with you the rest of the way. You are not alone, and you are treasured.
Power of Prayer ·
What is Prayer?
Prayers are our intentional process of communicating with God: both talking and listening. Prayer does not consist of relentless petitions to heaven for personal gain or desire. Instead, we pray so that we can carry out God’s purpose. Through prayer, we open our hearts and mind to hear God’s call. We might express our frustrations or our enthusiasm. Communication is essential to the development of this relationship. The church uses many different types of prayers: thanksgiving, confession, petitions (personal requests), and intercession (prayers for others). Sometimes we pray with words given to us by the church -- words that have been prayed in the same way for centuries. The Lord’s Prayer is an example. Other times, our prayer might be as simple as, "God, please help me." Our words do make a difference, but the importance of prayer is not how eloquent we sound. Prayers have power when we have the desire and intention to draw closer to God. If you would like to go to the part of our site that has some prayers you can read and use, please click here.
Does Prayer Work?
Absolutely. In Matthew 21:22, Jesus teaches, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." But, sometimes, it takes us awhile to recognize the answers to our prayers. We operate on a vastly different time scale than God, and we can’t see our situation from God’s vantage point. The answer to your direct request might come at an unexpected time or in a surprising way. Often it is only with hindsight that we understand God’s faithfulness and generous response to our pleas. We also might see that our initial prayer was dangerously or foolishly short-sighted. God invites you to pray with confidence, but humility, and you will be richly blessed.
How Do I Begin to Pray?
Through Jesus, we experience a personal relationship with God. Our personal prayers are part of that relationship. If you haven’t prayed before, here’s a simple way to start. Find a quiet time and a place where you can be thoughtful without interruption. Some people pray while seated or kneeling. People often close their eyes to avoid distractions, but you might like to look at an image that reminds you of God’s presence. Consider speaking or saying to yourself the following words: "God, I want to pray to you about something. Here is what is troubling me: _______. Thank you for listening. In your own time and in your own way, please help me. Amen." Other prayers can be found on our Sermon/Prayers page. As you practice daily prayer, consider keeping a prayer journal. In a notebook, say and write down your daily prayer requests for thirty days. Leave a place to give thanks when your prayers are granted. Alleluiah!
Will Calvary Pray for Me?
The Bible teaches us that God responds when two or more people gather together to pray. (Matthew 18:20). At Calvary, we keep a time during Sunday worship to hear the prayer requests of the congregation; then we pray together. You are invited to share your joys or concerns with us during this part of the worship service. During the week, a "prayer chain" holds in prayer those requests, together with any others made known to the prayer chain. If you would like us to pray for you, please let us know. [LINK TO EMAIL]
Sermons and Prayers ·
Under Construction
Daily Readings ·
For a selections of daily readings, you can follow these links:
Presbyterian Church, Daily Devotions
Sacred Space, Daily Prayer