Canon Andrew Gerns and his 20 religious resolutions

Canon Gerns, a good friend of mine from my time in the Diocese of Bethlehem and a fellow member of the newsteam at Episcopal Cafe is also the chair of the Evangelism Commission of that diocese. (NB: I was a member of the commission too when I was part of the diocese.)

They continue to find and share incredibly useful resources for folks committed to parish-based and personal evangelism. And the New Year brings yet another example of this generosity. Andy has written up his twenty resolutions for his own faith life in the coming year and posted them.

I've cleaned up the formatting a bit, and posted them all below:

1. I will allow my religion to change me
2. I will resist telling other people how to change.
3. I will seek to make my religion a channel for gratitude and appreciation.
4. I will avoid using my religion as a channel for my anger.
5. I will expect my faith to challenge me to live ethically.
6. I will give up needing to be certain about everything.
7. I will allow my religion to both care for and challenge my insecurities.
8. I will pay attention when my culture and my faith are in conflict.
9. I will be wary of leaders who use religion to sow hatred, fear or division
10. I will allow my religion to temper my passion with humility.
11. I will work to be for something good even when it easier to be against something bad.
12. I will not allow my religion to become a fad or a trend.
13. I will allow my religion to keep pace with my maturity.
14. I will remember that my religion is for the benefit of the people and world around me.
15. I will avoid holding on too tightly to my religion as a personal possession.
16. I will give up punishment and shame as tool for religious persuasion.
17. When I fail, I will expect my religion to challenge me to be responsible.
18. I will not let the fact that I am an imperfect practitioner of my religion deter me from living my faith.
19. I will not let the imperfection of other people’s faith deter me from having faith.
20. I will accept beauty, fun, spontaneity and companionship as signs of God at work.

Find them here.

And let us all say "Amen"!

Comments

[Canon Timothy Dombek]

OK, Amen!

[Nicholas Knisely]

Thanks Timothy! (grin)

[Don Smith]

I'll add a second "Amen!"