Tonkawa,
I’ll use this space for the next 2 weeks to dive into something that, whether you’re familiar with it or not, shapes your life in a profound way. That something is the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, he descended to the dead. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (the church for all times in all places)* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The first word in the creed is what? I. Who is that I? Whose voice is that? Is it just yours? Is just Christians in Tonkawa? Nope.
That I is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, past, present, and future, to which we belong; a community stretched out across history, terrible as an army with banners.
When we say “I believe” we are not just expressing our own views and priorities. We are joining our “I” to a great communal voice that calls out across the centuries from every tribe, tongue and nation.
We need the creed to know our place in history, to tie us to our past, and ready us for our future. The second reason we need the creed the creed is to declare where our allegiance and affection lies. When you say the pledge of allegiance as an American, nobody is asking what country you love, you’ve just confessed it. So it is with the creed.
In professing, “I believe in” followed by the Father, Son, and Spirit, in the creed, guess what else we are doing?
We are saying, “I don’t believe in _______.” Its saying I don’t believe in the cultural narrative that tells me if I get enough stuff I’ll be satisfied. It’s saying I don’t believe in the cultural narrative that tells me if I have enough sex I’ll be satisfied. It’s saying I don’t believe in the cultural narrative that tells me if my party has pull in Washington ...
