We believe in... or not

Ah, my disillusionment with the Anglican Communion grows ever deeper. It's articles like this that crop up in the Reader Magazine that make me realise that the Youngfogey is right: the Anglican Communion is made up of four churches that will shortly go their own sweet way. I reproduce the article here.

We believe in...

In the last issue of The Reader we referred briefly to the new book of sermons and addresses Jerusalem or Athens? published by Peter Watkins, our Reviews Editor. We now have the opportunity to print one of the excellent sermons in the book. In view of the theme of this issue of the journal we have chosen a piece entitled, in Peter's book, simply 'Creeds' - for the Creed is one significant point in our worship where we use the word 'we' - expressing our communion with one another.

Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..
Philippians 2. 11

Bishop Hugh Monteflore said in the last book published before his recent death that the Church of England 'was the most credalised in all Christendom.' At Morning and Evening Prayer we recite the Apostles Creed, at the Eucharist
we say the Nicene Creed, when we baptise children or adults we rehearse the faith in a question and answer creed. Common Worship provides no less than seven alternative Affirmations of faith. No other Christian church makes such extensive use of statements of faith in its regular worship.

All of which makes me uneasy. I have two problems with creeds. First, I find them difficult to understand and in places incomprehensible. The three creeds, which appear in the Prayer Book, were drawn up about 1600 years ago and
they are very difficult for anybody to understand in the twenty-first century.

But second the Christian faith is a way of life and not chiefly assent a set of intellectual propositions. Saying a creed is particularly unsuitable when there are many people in church who come only occasionally for example on Christmas Eve or for the Harvest Festival.

The Ecumenical Creeds of the church

Let me say something about each of the 'ecumenical' creeds, as they are called --creeds which are recognised by all Christian churches. There are three all
with misleading names. The Apostles' Creed was not composed by the apostles, the Nicene Creed was not authorised by the Council of Nicea in 325 AD and the
Athanasian Creed was not written by St Athanasius! The earliest reference we have to the Apostles' Creed is in the eighth century though a similar statement of belief was used in a question and answer form at baptisms as early as
the second century.

The Nicene Creed was intended to define the faith against heretics. In the early fourth century a priest from Alexandria named Arius denied that Jesus was really God so - the so-called Nicene Creed was drawn up containing phrases which no follower of Arius could say conscientiously. It describes Jesus as ...'the only begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father.' Well that didn't leave much to chance - and we are still reciting it 1600 years later.

The Athanasian Creed is even odder. It comes from Gaulin the fifth century. The Book of Common Prayer requires us to recite it on 13 specific occasions in the year but I have never heard it used in a church service. The reasons are not far to seek. It includes this remarkable verse: 'The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible: and the HolyGhost incomprehensible'. But even worse it expresses twice at the beginning and the end, this sentiment "Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish ever lastingly." From about the 1860s many church people experienced qualms about its continuing use and it ceased tobe recited in services.

What are creeds for?

How then did the creeds arise in the early church? They served three purposes. First, they provided a summary of belief for anybody being baptised into the Christian faith, and took the form of question and answer. Then second, creeds served, as we have seen, to define the faith against heretics. Third, they were a battle cry, a marching song, a shout of triumph, a signature tune. They were rather like the Red flag, Land of Hope and Glory or We shall overcome. they encouraged the faithful particularly in times of persecution. But all those uses are questionable in the church today. We are no longer so concerned about heresy. We encourage people to think for themselves and to work out their faith over the years rather than accept a package which is unchangeable. It is hymns and worship songs which are more likely to constitute our marching song, or signature tune. The historic creeds are no longer a summary of what we are required to sign up to, a non-negotiable package. But long before the church adopted formal creeds there were simple statements of what Christians believed. There are a number of these in the New Testament.


Creeds in the New Testament
The hymn At the name of Jesus, is based on what many people believe was the earliest creed, and it appears in the well-known passage in the letter to the Philippians, simply Jesus Christ is Lord'. (Philippians 2.11) The same words are found in the First Letter to the Corinthians: 'No one can say Jesus is Lord except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.' (12.2) and in the Letter to the Romans too: 'If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved'. (10.9)
Some commentators say that even the Gospels may have early creeds embedded in them. In answer to Jesus' question at Caesarea Philippi, 'Who do you say that I am?' Peter replies,'You are the Messiah' which those who heard it would have recognised as a familiar affirmation of faith.

In the Acts of the Apostles there is the story of the meeting between Philip and the Ethiopian court official on the Wilderness Road between Jerusalem and Gaza. Philip preaches the gospel to him and he asks if he can be baptised. Philip replies 'If you believe with all your heart, you may [be baptised]', and he replies 'I believe that Jesus is the Son of God'. (8.37)
Some creeds found in the New Testament are longer and more developed. This one for example from the First Letter to the Corinthians: 'There is one God and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist'. (8.6) And another one in one of the last books of the New Testament to be written, the First Letter to Timothy -- 'He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory'. (3.16)

What does it mean to say Jesus is lord?
If the earliest.Christian creed was 'Jesus is Lord' what would it mean for us to make a similar affirmation? Let me give you two illustrations. Towards the end of his very long life the veteran socialist Fenner Brockway reminisced in a BBC documentary about his experiences as a journalist in the early years of the twentieth century. He was once sent to interview Keir Hardie, one of the very first working class MPs, elected for West Ham South in 1892. Fenner Brockway was profoundly impressed by Keir Hardie. 'I cannot convey the depth of his ringing Scottish accents as he declared his faith. I went to hear him a young Liberal, I left him a young socialist'. Those baptismal converts in the
early church had a similar experience. They expressed their new found faith in the words 'Jesus is Lord'. They were captivated by him, his words, his personality, his risen presence. That perhaps catches something of the appeal
and fascination of what we may feel for Jesus.

Colin Morris is a Methodist minister who made his name in Zambia, was later President of the Methodist Conference and later still Head of Religious Broadcasting. He is an outstanding preacher, writer and broadcaster with
a remarkable knack of presenting religious truth powerfully and memorably. His faith has been expressed mostly through social and political action. He has probably never preached a devotional sermon in his life and the last word
you could apply to him is pious. He was once interviewed by a religious affairs correspondent who asked him, 'Has Christianity done anything for you as a person inside? Does it affect you as a man?' Colin Morris replied, 'I know that within me are forces which are strong enough to destroy me and I believe that Jesus Christ has prevented that self-destruction. I believe I would have destroyed myself had it not been for him'. He could have added, 'So he is my Lord and saviour'. That too perhaps expresses something of what Christian commitment can mean to us.
'Jesus is Lord'- a statement which many of us would be reticent about making or even embarrassed to speak out loud. But it is the heart of the creed. It is a description ofthe key place Jesus plays in the life of any Christian. It ishe who saves us from ourselves, who helps us to make senseof life, determines our values and influences our relationships.

The belief of the church
The first creeds were then very simple. They arose from experience and described the new life which converts wereliving ass a result of their encounter with Jesus. Only later were the historic creeds of the church introduced. I believethat we should start where the first Christians did. I'm glad that the Nicene Creed, unlike the Apostles' Creed, begins not 'l believe', but 'We believe'. Creeds summarise what the church believes or if you prefer, what there is to be believed, what's on offer, what I can explore in the course of a lifetime. We do not have to sign up to each item ofthe creeds. Some beliefs are more important than others; some are expressed in language which is out of date, some I have mental reservations about. A creed should not be a strait jacket constraining me to affirm what 1 do notbelieve. It is much more like a marching song, a shout of triumph, a signature tune.

Peter Watkins is now retired, but was formerly a headmaster and senior educational consultant. He is a Reader in Portsmouth Diocese. Jerusalem or Athens: Sermons and Addresses is available from Swanmore Books, 7 Crofton Way, Swanmore, S032 2RF, priced at £10.00 + £2.50 p&p.


My comments are here.