In life and in death we belong to God.
     Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
          the love of God,
               and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
     we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,
          whom alone we worship and serve.

We trust in Jesus Christ,
          fully human, fully God.
     Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
          preaching good news to the poor
               and release to the captives,
          teaching by word and deed
               and blessing the children,
          healing the sick
               and binding up the brokenhearted,
          eating with outcasts,
          forgiving sinners,
          and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
     Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
     Jesus was crucified,
          suffering the depths of human pain
          and giving his life for the sins of the world.
     God raised this Jesus from the dead,
          vindicating his sinless life,
          breaking the power of sin and evil,
          delivering us from death to life eternal.

We trust in God,
          whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
     In sovereign 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.
     But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
          Ignoring God’s commandments.
          we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,
          accept lies as truth,
          exploit neighbor and nature,
          and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
          We deserve God’s condemnation.
     Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.