Why guideposts?
As we were thinking through how to share our story through a website we came across this verse from Jeremiah 31:21 (NLT):
“Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
by which you came.
Come back again, my virgin Israel;
return to your towns here.”
There was something about these words that rang true with many of our stories. The Ancient Hebrews walked away from their life with God, and had to find their way back following a period of exile.
In a Post-Christian culture many have been exposed to the Christian stories and claims about Jesus. Further, the history and practices of the church have been deconstructed. The culture and momentum around us have concluded that Christianity should be a relic of time. The Western world is entering, or has been in, a period of exile from life with God.
However, in spite of the cultural familiarity and deconstruction, people continue to hear God’s prompting and are beginning to follow his call “back” to him. Through re-discoverying the real, divine, historical, middle-eastern, and biblical Jesus we are recovering the spiritual and ancient knowledge of true life with God.
So it seemed good to us to place markers and guideposts for others to consider following as we walk that path with Jesus. Other churches might have doctrinal, mission, vision or value statements and those are helpful. In a Post-Christian context, we thought it also helpful to not “fence in” the path and let people join us where they resonate with these markers along the way.
We affirm the Apostle’s Creed as the basis for unity and fellowship, and wish to be patient with one another in all other matters.