I have written a few times before about creeds in the history of the church. Creeds are expressions of faith, like confessions. They often arise out of periods of conflict or disagreement. For instance, one of the most famous creeds, the Nicene Creed, was developed in response to divisions in the church about who Jesus was. There’s a famous question in the gospels: “Who do you say that I am?” In creeds, or confessions, we stake our claim on who we say God is and who we say we are. Of course, we could write pages and pages on this subject, but creeds are generally supposed to be brief statements of faith. If you are interested in reading more, take a look at the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. They are both recognized by the PCUSA and come from the early Christian tradition. Today, I am sharing my take on the creeds, in slightly more modern language. What would you add? What might you say differently? If you are so inspired, take some time to write your own– who do you say that God is?

This I Believe
 
We believe in one God,
Creator of all that is known and unknown,
Holy mystery beyond our comprehension,
Savior of the World,
The Alpha and the Omega,
The first and the last
Above and beyond time
Yet entering into Creation to be known to us even now.

We believe in the Word of God
Offering the promise of God’s presence
Given to the Israelites in the law
Spoken through the prophets to the people
Taking on flesh to dwell with us
Bringing salvation to all

We believe in the reign of God that Jesus proclaimed on earth two thousand years ago
The rejection of evil’s power
The embrace of the poor, the prisoner, and the brokenhearted
The forgiveness of sins
The reconciliation of all things at the last day

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
Who moved over the waters of creation
Who breathes new life in us today
Who calls us to be the church
Who inspires us to pray

We confess the mystery of faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
In the church, we are knit together as the body of Christ
By the gift of faith
By the waters of baptism
And in the sharing of communion.
In Christ, we are a new creation,
Renewed by the Spirit
And sealed in the promise of eternal life. Amen.