Savior’s Vision

Journeying Together:
Loving God, Loving Others, Loving Life

Our vision is based on what Jesus proclaimed as the two greatest commandments: (1) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” and (2) “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:29-31). These two commitments lead us to also embrace “Loving Life”—to promote and protect fullness of life for others, as we do for ourselves.

Loving God

We long for a deeper experience of God's transforming love. We walk in the light of Scripture, God’s written Word, as our highest authority and only certain guide on our journey into his love (Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 4:12). And we worship in the liturgical tradition of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

Loving Others

We are called to a common life of “humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-6). We desire to welcome, include, and learn from people who may feel on the margins: widows, singles, persons with disabilities, and others. We commit ourselves to recognize and respond to those who are suffering and in need through giving, serving, praying, and promoting social justice (Micah 6:8). We have long-term relationships with Outreach, People’s Resource Center, and World Relief Chicagoland; and we support the Multi-Ethnic Church Development Fund.

Loving Life

We receive every good gift that comes down to us from God (James 1:17). The weekly Sabbath is an important part of our tasting the abundance of life that Jesus offers. (Exodus 20:8; Mark 2:27).  Some related sermons: Resist Hurry / Remember the Sabbath / Honor Someone / Appreciate and Create Culture / Delight in God's Creation

Savior’s Values

No list can capture the heart of our church, but here are a few things we value (in roughly alphabetical order):

All Ages: As Pastor Mary says, “When we don’t find ways to integrate all ages into the life of the church, the church misses out.”

Always Welcoming: St. Benedict wrote, “Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ, because He will say: ‘I was a stranger and you took Me in’” (Mt 25:35). 

Collaboration in Ministry: We welcome leadership and teaching from both men and women. We try to be low on competition and high on collaboration.

Community: We are not meant to be alone. Christian community becomes real in small steps, relationship by relationship, small group by small group. 

Eating Together: It's true! We really do enjoy that.

Goodness of Godly Authority: We affirm that “Holy Scripture is the supreme authority in the Church, that it is the Word of God written, and contains all things necessary to Salvation” (from the Thirty-Nine Articles, a historical document important to Anglicans). We also embrace the historic pattern of leadership in which churches are led by bishops, priests, and deacons (see our bishops and the Anglican Church in North America).

Grace: The grace we receive from Christ is a free gift. It is not something we can earn. We hope that a vivid sense of God’s grace will infuse all our interactions with others.

Inward Journey & Outward Journey: We believe in inner transformation through prayer, Sabbath, silence, honesty with others, and other Christian practices. This “inward journey” works with the “outward journey” of loving others, like the 2 sides of 1 lung. We care for and learn from those in need.

Radically Resisting Busyness and Hurry: We try to resist busyness and over-programming, for as Eugene Peterson taught, “Busyness is an illness of spirit.” 

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.