I am currently in the process of discerning Holy Orders and seeking ordination. I recently completed a class on the Creeds. What follows is a short reflection I wrote for my supervising priest upon completing the class.
I grew up in a very low-church context which meant the creeds were something in the air but I don’t ever remember actually saying them. It wasn’t until I was studying theology in seminary that I understood the importance and gravity of the creeds. One specific moment in this class brought the weight of the creeds to bear upon my heart and mind in a fresh way.
During one of the lectures, Archbishop Rowan Williams was quoted regarding our confession that God is “almighty”. He stated, “It (God’s almightiness) is His unlimited power to be there…” Not only is this a profoundly true statement about God, but it is for me, also true about the creed itself. The creed is God’s gift to the Church and is always “there” wherever you are; holding your faith in moments of weakness, bringing clarity in times of doubt, and giving confession in those seasons of life that rip the words right from our mouths. I’ve been through one of those seasons and what I found myself doing every day was praying the BCP and confessing the creed.
The creed was precisely how God was almighty to me. It was His gift of language when I was at a loss for words. For months I confessed the Apostles Creed without thinking about it too deeply, but looking back now I see that it acted as an anchor for my heart in turbulent seas.
The act of confessing becomes, as Rowan Williams wrote, like the gentle swell of God’s love always presently working as it surrounds us and washes over us. That tide has a rhythm to it so that those who are aware can know the time and season. Confessing the creeds also acts as that sweeping tide that washes in the presence of God for us every morning. As we declare our allegiance to the God who is and has been revealed in Jesus Christ of Nazareth His nearness, His almighty power “to be there” comes rushing in like the morning tide.
I’ve also come to realize, mostly through the actual practice of daily creedal confession, that it is the physical act of speaking the words out loud that brings all of this to life. These are not magical words to inspire belief when read or mentally assented to. These are words to be said, out loud, and repeated daily. As I’ve done that, even just for a few months now, I’ve found that every morning my ears are brought into contact with the creative power of God as I hear my own voice confess the story of Jesus.
I am not simply confessing a set of theological propositions but a story that has, whether I feel like it at the moment or not, changed my life and the world. This simple act is like throwing my body into the invigorating cool morning waters so that my heart’s forgetfulness and my head’s stubbornness don’t win the day. Instead, I’m bringing myself into the presence of the God who is always “there” and allowing Him to speak His creative words to me.