Growing up in my Lutheran church, we recited either the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed every Sunday in worship. If you aren’t familiar with creeds, they are expressions of faith formulated by churches to remember what we hold in common. What are the central things? When we disagree on how to interpret the Bible or how to pray or how to love our neighbor, we return to our spiritual center. It reminds us who we are and who we say God is. Over the centuries, creeds have been challenged and reshaped but we believe the mystery of faith that the One Eternal God we worship remains the same.

If someone asked you to describe your faith, what truths would you deem essential? How would you express our relationship to and with God? Who do you understand Jesus to be? How is the Holy Spirit moving in the world today? These are a few of the questions creeds are informed by.

In a conversation with Maurine Huang, I learned of a creed from the UCC church. The 1981 version of this confession of faith is expressed beautifully as a prayer. Read the words slowly and deliberately and reflect on how this confession expresses the central things of our shared faith:

We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit,
God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God,
     and to your deeds we testify:

You call the worlds into being,
     create persons in your own image,
     and set before each one the ways of life and death.

You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.

You judge people and nations by your righteous will
     declared through prophets and apostles.

In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior,
     you have come to us
     and shared our common lot,
     conquering sin and death
     and reconciling the world to yourself.

You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit,
     creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ,
     binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.

You call us into your church
     to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
     to be your servants in the service of others,
     to proclaim the gospel to all the world
     and resist the powers of evil,
     to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table,
     to join him in his passion and victory.

You promise to all who trust you
     forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
     courage in the struggle for justice and peace,
     your presence in trial and rejoicing,
     and eternal life in your realm which has no end.

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you.

Amen.