A Combination Creed

For some time we've liked the idea of occasionally using a creed in our worship gatherings. One struggle has been that the historic creeds are very limited in what they express. They were written at a time the church was defending against particular heresies related to the nature of God and the person of Jesus. They say GREAT things, but they say little about the way of seeing and living that Jesus worked so hard to impart to us. So I decided to try incorporating some of Brian McLaren's Jesus Creed into some of the form and language of the historic creeds. I just thought you guys might like to see it. I think we'll try using it at LifeSpring-- the timing seems right as many of us in the church try to recover the Way of Jesus along with the historic orthodoxy we still hold to.

A Creed for those on the Way
We believe in God, the Father,
Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God—
God from God, light from light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in essence with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was born of the Virgin Mary and became truly human.

We have confidence in this Jesus
…who healed the sick and even raised the dead;

…who cast out evil powers and confronted corrupt leaders;

…who cleansed the temple, favored the poor,
turned water into wine, and calmed the seas;

We have confidence in this Jesus
…who taught with words and signs meant to awaken us,
on hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes, at parties,
along the road, on beaches, by day and by night;

…who taught us the way of love for God, for neighbor,
for stranger and for enemy, for outcast and for foreigner;

…who called disciples, led them, washed their feet,
gave them new names and new purpose,
called them his friends, taught them to pray,
and sent them out to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom.

We have confidence in this Jesus
…who loved, rejoiced, wept, sang, and feasted.

And so we seek to let our hearts be awakened,
to abide in him as a branch in a vine, and to follow him and live by his example.
We have not seen him, but we love him, and to know him is to know the true and living God.

For our sake he was crucified, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again as the Scriptures had foretold.
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, who makes known the Father’s presence to us,
and who works to bring forth the new creation within us.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

We believe in one holy community of Jesus, his body,
marked by baptism and forgiven of our sins.
We are his hands and feet in the world.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and for the day when all fears will flee,
all pain will fade away, and all tears will be wiped from our eyes
as we rise into the goodness and wholeness and life which will never end.
Amen.