Belief – Creed – 7 April 2008

What do you believe? I mean what do you REALLY believe, in your heart? I think the answer to that question is quite difficult, as we have accepted a mixture of lies and truths that people have told us, things we think we ought to believe and conclusions we have drawn from our own experience which may or may not be true. This can leave us uncertain over many things, heading down wrong paths, seeking out pain relief to cover the results of bad beliefs. What we believe is crucial to life, as it determines what we do and how we live.

We say the creed in church, the word creed coming from the Latin “credo” which means “I believe”. I grew up in a traditional CofE, and the creed became a monotonous reciting of words that meant nothing to me. Doctrine is helpful in getting conformity within belief, but I think the creed is more than that. I once heard a speaker, Michael Griffiths, say “Does the creed make your toes tingle?” By saying the creed, we remind ourselves of the glorious truths of our Faith. Saying these words now reminds me of my core belief and sets me right again where the lies of Satan and the world may have dragged me away. If you can say these words and believe them, REALLY believe them, then I reckon your toes will be tingling!

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 men 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 worshipped 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.