about the Cedardale Church of the Nazarene ...
who we are ...
Naza - What? Nazarene!
Our name is taken from a term that was used in the first century to describe Jesus and his followers. And it wasn't a compliment! The town of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, would probably be called "Hicksville" today. It wasn't impressive. So the term "Nazarene" was used to describe people who were pretty ordinary. They weren't the powerful, the elite, or the glamorous. When the rulers talked about those "Nazarenes," they said it with sneers on their faces. Or, as one New Testament figure put it, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" (John 1:46).
So when we call him "the Nazarene," we're reminding ourselves that Jesus isn't for a select group of people. He's for everyone who seeks him! Whether rich or poor - educated or uneducated - healthy or sick - powerful or the powerless. That's why we try to be the Church of the Nazarene, because "the Nazarene" came for people like you - people like us - people who seek.
We love seekers because we are seekers!
Do you know that you're a seeker, too?
A seeker is someone on a spiritual journey - someone looking for truth. Seekers may be checking out the claims of Christianity or exploring the community of faith. They may be trying to discover if the faith they've been taught can stand up to scrutiny. They may be looking for answers to a variety of questions.
We are all at different points on our spiritual journeys. We are all seekers. And wherever you are on your journey, we want you to feel "at home" here. Perhaps you're just trying to figure out if you believe in God. Perhaps you've been walking with a strong sense of God's presence for a long time. Perhaps you're somewhere in between those two points. The important thing to remember is that we need to take this journey together.
We want you to know . . .
- It's okay to be friends with people here without believing the same things
- It's okay to have doubts and ask questions
- It's okay to sit back, observe and analyze - to not participate
- It's okay not to agree with everything said here
In other words, it's okay to be yourself while seeking. We never stop being seekers, so let's enjoy the journey together! Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10)
