Let’s face it.
We all worship something. We bow before strange altars all the time. Call it the religion of Americanism. Popularity. Entertainment. Cars. Relationships. Stuff. This is what we work for—live for—fight for—sometimes die for. That’s worship.
But it’s really only natural. Do you ever notice that we’re never fully satisfied with what we have, with how things feel inside of our hearts? It’s not just you. It’s universal. Every person from every nation from every time in history feels it. No scientific theory has ever been able to explain it. Even if we don’t know what it could be, we feel as if there just should be something more. And if we feel this, there must be an explanation.
There is.
You see, the only reason that we could feel the need for something more than this world is because there really is something more than this world out there. Somewhere in our genes, in our soul, we were programmed to want something bigger than ourselves. We were made for worship. Few can resist the pull. It burns in our bones, in our thoughts. The question keeps droning, what will make me whole?
So either consciously or subconsciously, we pine for the Answer. We get expensive new toys. We’ll do anything for that perfect relationship. We dabble in religion. Sometimes we sacrifice a lot on those altars in hopes of finding the Answer.
And it all gives us nothing.
Everything comes up short. Things, people, religion—nothing quite make us complete or makes our devotion worthwhile. The reason is because there is only one Answer, one equation to the formula of our purpose.
We believe the Answer is found in Jesus Christ, God in the flesh who turned the world upside down. He came here to experience our hopes, fears, and sufferings. He came here to show us real truth and real love as the alternative to the false “isms” and cold religion. He came here as the ultimate sacrifice for bringing us back to the God who so desperately wanted to make us whole, that He would let us brutally kill His Son to have that chance. And just to make sure there was no question about it, God raised Jesus from the dead so we could—unlike every other religion—know that who we worshipped was still alive and had power even over death.
We believe this God, through an unfathomable love, will forgive us for all the hurt we have ever created. We believe this God will no longer see us in all our faults, but in the same perfection as His Son. We believe this God will heal our worst hurts and mend our broken hearts. We believe this God will take us when we die into His presence, where we will enter into a love unmatched by a thousand poets and join into a beauty that eclipses a thousand sunsets.
But He won’t make you accept Him. He won’t make you love Him.
He’s calling you to Him, to the relationship you were meant for, but you have been given free will to take His gift or refuse it. He offers you forgiveness, healing, hope, truth, purpose, meaning—Heaven. The world offers you rejection, bitterness, despair, lies, manipulation, emptiness—Hell.
At first glance, that may be hard to swallow. Yet, we believe that after we cut through all the static on the TV and the myths we’ve been raised to believe, it really is that simple. God’s grace is simultaneously the most complicated and plainly elegant thing in existence. So just think, talk to God, and listen. See what comes to you. See if you begin to hear the soft whisper of the Spirit in the back of your mind.
A new life, a new journey with the Creator is waiting for you. Won’t you walk it together with us?
The Apostles’ Creed
At Second Presbyterian Church and The Journey, we value the traditions of those who came before us. By honoring tradition we participate in the democracy of the dead. That is why, among other things, we recite as church community the 1700 year-old Apostles Creed every Sunday morning.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
This is basically our “We Believe” in cliff notes form. If you have any questions about it, we encourage you to ask them.