Long ago, God made a good and beautiful world. The people he created, however, determined to go their own way. The result was that this good and beautiful world was fractured and distorted. Ever since, our world has suffered under war, disease, poverty, abuse, and a host of other evils.
But God was not finished. He eventually sent his Son, Jesus. Jesus came to teach how to live under God's reign and experience the kind of life that comes from the Creator. Jesus showed how God's kingdom was breaking into our world. Though his message was good and powerful, the evil structures of the time opposed him and eventually executed him.
This too, however, was part of the plan. Through his death on the cross, Jesus faced head on all of the evil of all the ages. He carried away all the destructive sins that had been and ever would be committed. Finally at the point when it seemed that all hope was lost, he rose from the dead! By doing all of this, he flung open the door to God's kingdom and invited everyone in to live the kind of life that he lived! Eventually, Jesus returned to be with God in heaven. However, he promised that he would one day return and make everything right. Until then, he commissioned his followers to continue his work.
Ever since that time, people have followed in the life of Jesus. Together, they have learned how to live like he lived, to love like he loved, and be like him. Energized by the life and presence of God, guided and shaped by the Scriptures, they have carried on the mission of Jesus to connect people to God and to each other. The result of this mission is that people find hope, life, and healing - and our world becomes a better place.
At CrossPointe, we really believe this story. We believe that the cross is the point where God meets us and makes everything new. Through our commitment to him and our baptism, we become part of this story. Every week we celebrate this story together and learn how to live it out. Every day we walk in the light and freedom of this great story, energized by God's Spirit. It's a learning process, but we are all the better for it!