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Mainline Protestant Denominations' Perspectives on Sustainable Economies
Simple Life
Church of the Brethren, 1996
Jesus Christ gathers us as a community blessed
with faith, with love for God and each other,
and with hope in the coming reign of Christ which
reorders our lives now. Simplicity is the Way
of Jesus, God's gift to us. The New Testament
and the Holy Spirit's guidance have led the Brethren
to practice this plain way. We affirm our heritage
that began with people like Anna and Alexander
Mack, who gave their lives and wealth for God's
service until they died in material poverty and
spiritual riches. Simplicity is living not conformed
to the world, but transformed by Christ. Neither
rules nor programs, neither simplistic answers
nor legalism can fully define the simple life.
Jesus's way of simplicity is at the heart of the
gospel. It is central to our faith and practice,
not optional. To make it less than central is
sinful. Simple living is sometimes difficult.
But to those who embark on this humble journey
God provides joy and peace.
The context in which we presently respond to
the simple life is one in which most of the world
lives on far less than we in North America consume.
Since the last conference statement on Christian
lifestyle, the gap between rich and poor in the
world, in the United States, and among Brethren
has widened. Many more people live in poverty.
The number of children in poverty has grown. Lifestyles
dominated by consumerism despoil the earth and
deplete resources that could be shared with the
poor.
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Such lifestyles separate us from the grace and
humility of our lord Jesus Christ, who emptied
himself for our sakes to give us another way of
living.
Read the complete statement in the Environmental Anthology of Denominational Policy.
Alverna Covenant (Report
on Task Force on Christian Lifestyle and Ecology)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1991
THE
ALVERNA COVENANT
Whereas:
God has created the world with finite resources
God has given to us the stewardship of the earth
God has established order through many natural
cycles
Whereas:
We are consuming resources at a rate that cannot
be maintained
We are interrupting many natural cycles
We are irresponsibly modifying the environment
through consumption and pollution
We are populating the earth at a rate that cannot
be maintained
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