Our views
God. God is pure and infinite love, which is the force behind the creation of the physical universe as well as the spiritual universe that Christians call heaven. As we observe in nature, that creation comes in many forms and relies on diversity to be functional and complete. Similarly, many interpretations of God exist in different cultures and based on different levels of exposure to theology. It is possible to find truth and common ground in all religions that honor a loving image of God.
The True Essence of God.
A Swedenborg & Life Short Clip
Humanity. Human beings are created in the image of God, that is, in the image of love. Our loves continually change, growing, deepening, and evolving as we are exposed to new factors throughout our lives; and our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional state changes with them. The process of change that we observe in nature and science parallels the process that occurs in our spirit. The New Church calls our spiritual progress “regeneration.”
What is Spiritual Rebirth?
A Swedenborg & Life Short Clip
Jesus Christ. There is only one God. The New Church teaches that the humanity of God became evident when He was born on earth, and His body was called “the Son” by Christians. His everlasting soul is called “the ” and His operation on people, “the Holy Spirit.” Just as we have a soul, a body, and an effect on people, so the Lord has three attributes that are called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ, to put it simply, is “God with skin on,” giving us a model of how to live fully in this life.
Did God Send Jesus to Die for Our Sins?
A Swedenborg & Life Short Clip
The Bible. The Old and New Testaments provide guidance for our spiritual growth in the form of commandments and parables. The spiritual meaning of these teachings is unlocked in the new revelation given to The New Church through the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. These Writings together serve as a complete and meaningful authority for The New Church and any individual who wants to more fully understand the Lord’s Word.
Church. Church is transformational, not transactional. It is supportive, not punitive. We gather on Sundays to connect, to find inspiration, and to find a spiritual home as it were.
Church is a place where we are both comforted and challenged!
The New Church does not hold that we are the only church in the world with answers. We believe and embrace the core concept that God speaks through many faiths throughout the world – a blessed variety worthy of celebration.
What it Means to Be a Church.
Swedenborg & Life Live
Service. We become happy by focusing outside ourselves on our role as part of serving a larger human community. Service is where church comes alive.
Church for its own sake, turned in on itself, misses the point. Churches, however, that seek to see outward, to see the marginalized and their needs, will find the spiritual experience as a lived experience. It is an experience where we receive far more than we ever give.
This life. We are to live fully, joyously and completely in the blessings and breakings of this life, attentive to the needs of others, offering our best intentions on God’s behalf.
Life after death. After we die our spirit lives on, so the essential person continues within the context of patterns we have established during our natural life. Those who live a good and loving life here will be happy in the next life (we call this heaven), and those who reject good and truth place themselves in communities of like minded people.
In other words, we determine our role in the universal human community by how and what we love during our lives.
Judgment. There is no type of personality or experience that stands alone, and we are asked not to judge the path that others determine for their spiritual life.
What Are Heaven and Hell?
Swedenborg Minute.
Salvation. All are welcomed into heaven if they have lived according to what they sincerely believe to be God’s will. So salvation is our choice. Those who use their freedom to reject God’s love, deciding instead to dedicate their lives to selfishness and materialism, will choose eternal life in hell. Hell is not a punishment but a choice.
Relationships. Relationships among people who love each other remain after death. Creating lasting relationships requires purpose and commitment.
Your Spiritual Network.
A Swedenborg & Life Short Clip.
Family and marriage. Though not everyone gets married or has children, these are great places to learn about how to wisely love others. The relationships we have with others should always reflect love and concern.
WIll Earthly Spouses Still be Married After Death?
A Swedenborg & Life Short Clip.
Inclusion. All people—and all belief systems that are honest, faithful, and loving–share the same path toward contentment in life, and eternal happiness after the death of their natural body.
The Second Coming. Some churches are waiting for an end time, when the world will cease, and the second coming of Christ will take place. New Church holds the second coming is primarily a spiritual event. We needn’t be looking for dramatic changes of government or climate, because the Lord’s kingdom is not a civil authority or a geographical location. His kingdom is concerned with the government of the human mind – with a life according to divine laws. The signs that He has come again should be the changes in our own hearts.