In the Mennonite confession of faith, there is no discussion about classical philosophy (you
won't find words like "immutable or omni-[insert characteristic here]" in the confession of faith),
but about a person. We believe that God
is Holy Trinity: Parent, Son and Holy Spirit, creator of all things, caller of
human beings, offering redemption to all of humanity through Jesus Christ, Son
of God/Man, sustainer of the church. We
believe God surpasses all human understanding, but has revealed God's self to
us. God is love; in awesome glory, in
enduring compassion, sovereign power, unending mercy, abounding grace, wrath
against sin, God is love.
The way we view God matters for today - as A.W. Tozer writes
in Knowledge of the Holy, "What comes into our minds when we think
about God is the most important thing about us" (pp 1). In many ways, we
model our actions after who we think God is.
If we think, "God bless America," then we support the USA in
whatever wars it undertakes in order for her to maintain her power. When we see "In God we trust" on
the back of US money, we may think that since we trust in "God" that
God supports America in all her endeavors.
Into this mindset, we see the Mennonites proclaiming
"God is love and shows it perfectly in all characteristics." I wonder...what if the first thing we thought
of when we thought of God was perfect love?
What would we look like if we modeled ourselves after this love?
Next: Article 2 - Jesus Christ
Want to learn more?
Here is Article 1 of the Mennonite Confession of faith: http://www.mennoniteusa.org/about/confession-of-faith-in-a-mennonite-perspective-1995/confession-of-faith-in-a-mennonite-perspective-%E2%80%94-article-1-god/
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