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We are a people committed to God, reflecting His character and mission, engaging our community and our world.

This statement is taken from the gospel of Mark, chapter 12, vs. 28-31. It goes like this . . .

"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him (Jesus), "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."    

“Which commandment is the most important?”

In times of crisis we make important decisions. We find out where our priorities really lie, what really matters to us. The question put forth by the scribe to Jesus is similar to that. When asked about all the teachings in Judaism, the question gets to which commandment really matters. In a crisis, what is the most important thing to hold on to? 

Jesus responds . . . love God. It is the one and only God that Jesus pointedly directs the scribe to love. If it’s true that we’re made in God’s image, we’ll find our fullest meaning and purpose the more we know, love and worship the one we’re designed to reflect. This is what Jesus is getting at.

As a Church, this is what we mean by “A people committed to God.” Scripture has been uniquely inspired and revealed so we may know God the Father. In the Old Testament we read of God making himself known through self-revelation and the prophets. The New Testament continues this story when God made himself known by coming to us as one of us, a person, in human form. Jesus said of himself, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). The way we know the Father is by knowing the Son. Scripture reveals to us God's story, a story of a patient and merciful God who has revealed himself to us. The Holy Spirit helps us as the people of God to respond in love and faithful commitment to God and one another.

A people committed to God . . . It's all about knowing and loving the Father, through the Son, transformed by the Spirit.

God walked and lived among us . . . hard to imagine. But this was God’s intention. It was his intention to reconnect with us. He didn't leave it up to us to gaze from a mountain top and to consider who the God of the universe is or who he may be. Rather, he walked among us so that we may know him. In the person of Jesus, God's mercy, grace and patience are reflected not as abstract theory but through real relationship. How so?

God's mercy is told in the story of his coming to us, miserable as we may be. You may say, "Come on, this world is constantly improving." Yet I think ultimately we'd agree that the condition of humanity's heart hasn't changed much. God's mercy is found in the fact that he has heard our cries, felt our tears, and in our misery he's come to us. God's grace is told in the story of his purpose. As a perfect man, the Son took what we deserve upon himself, that is, God's judgement.  This is God's grace in relationship to us. We deserve less, yet his favor comes to us who don't deserve it. God's patience is seen in the story of our lives . . . lives which try the patience of God yet he remains merciful to us.  

Mercy, grace, and patience . . . all traits of the Father, revealed in the Son and which should be likewise reflected in the lives of those who believe in the Son.  

The love of God is revealed and understood in knowing and understanding the purpose of God through the story of the Old Testament climaxed in the life of Jesus. The apostle Paul said that Jesus didn't look to his own interests, but to the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-11). The story of Jesus' life points not only back to God's historical presence on earth and his physical resurrection from death but also to its significance for those who follow Jesus today. This is why Jesus says that the second greatest command, after knowing and loving the Father, is to love one's neighbor. Loving our neighbor the way God loves us reflects authentic love for God.

As a church we're committed to loving God and genuinely loving our neighbor. We look to the spiritual growth, needs, and well-being of one another. Likewise, we look outward toward our neighbors in Salem, Essex County, and the world. We encourage MeetingHouse leaders and congregants to actively seek areas in which they can engage the people of Salem. Making a difference in one person's life can change neighborhoods, communities, and cities.