Belief that Holds Up

November 15, 2015

Every Sunday morning we begin worship reciting the Apostles' Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
Was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he arose from the dead
He ascended into heaven
where he sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
One holy Church,
The communion of the saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.

This recitation of our core beliefs as Christians never ceases to move me. Looking around at the world in which we live, we see death and destruction, evil and perversity. Looking within at the state of my heart, I see sin, my failure to achieve even my basic ideals and values. Looking at my past, I see where I have stumbled. But here in this creed I see a reality that never fails to grab me. This man Jesus who lived in a particular time and place in history, who was subjected to what appeared to be abject failure, sits now in a place of authority, and will someday judge all the world in righteousness.

Even more, when we come to the statement about believing in the forgiveness of sins, I always ask myself whether I really believe this or not. Sometimes I don't feel very forgiven, but either this is true, or it is not. When I choose to believe this, everything changes and I know that no matter what I've done or failed to do, God forgives, and in that forgiveness I stand freed from guilt and shame, with renewed hope for tomorrow. I am thankful to be able to recite this creed every Sunday, and even more to know the power of the truth behind it. Standing and declaring aloud with God's people this which I believe is a powerful thing, and never fails to move me. I do believe in God-this God who is Father Almighty. I believe in Jesus Christ his Son, my Lord. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, who forms and moves within the Church, guaranteeing forgiveness and resurrection. Thanks be to God!