Sixth Wednesday of Easter
Thanks to Chris and to April for their comments. If you didn't know, you probably figured out that April is my daughter. No, April, I do not want a gong for Father's Day. I also need to explain one thing April mentioned, the crypt and the dead Dukes. If you go to Duke Chapel, there is a small chapel just off the left transept. In this chapel there are three sarcophagus (I'm not sure of the plural, sarcophagi, sarcophaguses). Each contain the coffin of one of the Dukes who founded Duke University. It's a little spooky when you first go there, but you get used to it. There is a fine organ there, and regularly small services are done there. I once did a wedding there.
Now to the subject at hand. As far as I know I'm the person who initiated the objection to the standard use of the Canadian Creed at University UMC. Every Methodist Church that I have ever been involved in has used the historic Apostles' Creed in its services. At First, North Wilkesboro, we said the Apostle's Creed except on first Sundays, which were communion Sundays. On those Sundays we said the equally historic Nicene Creed (both were written in the fourth century). I did not originate that custom. First, NW had been doing it for years before I came.
When I got to University UMC, I found that we customarily said the creed of the United Church of Canada, what I call the Canadian Creed. Occasionally we say the Apostles' Creed. The Canadian Creed was written in 1968 by a denomination that has no connection with Methodism. It is, however, in the United Methodist Hymnal (#883). I have tried unsuccessfully to determine when and why we started using it. If any of you know, let me know.
My problem with the Canadian Creed is its lack of specificity. There is nothing in it that I don't believe and don't practice. There's just not much in it. It's a lowest common denominator creed. It specifically avoids mention of some basic Christian doctrines, which are in the historic creeds. To be specific, it avoids the Virgin Birth, the Ascension, the Coming Again of Christ, the Last Judgment, the Communion of Saints, and the Resurrection of the Body.
These are hard doctrines for many of our more rationalistic, modernist, and post-modernist folks to accept. There is nothing nearly so hard to believe in the Canadian Creed. Indeed, many church folk find the resurrection of Jesus, or anything else beyond the currently accepted laws of nature, hard to accept, although I should note that the resurrection of Jesus is in the Canadian Creed.
In these post-enlightenment, rationalistic times of ours, I'm grateful for anybody believing anything Christian. We United Methodists welcome everyone. If we say the Apostles' Creed and a persons lack of belief in certain things in it is an impediment to their saying it, they should just not say it. In the 1964 Methodist Hymnal, the Apostles' Creed was preceded by a statement by the liturgist, "Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith." If you don't believe everything in it, but can affirm it as a statement of the historic faith, then by all means say it. But yes we should say it! Yes we should say it at University United Methodist Church!
On future Wednesdays I'll write about some of those difficult doctrines in the creed. Next week it will be the Virgin Birth.
Faithfully,
Christian
My problem with the Canadian Creed is its lack of specificity. There is nothing in it that I don't believe and don't practice. There's just not much in it. It's a lowest common denominator creed. It specifically avoids mention of some basic Christian doctrines, which are in the historic creeds. To be specific, it avoids the Virgin Birth, the Ascension, the Coming Again of Christ, the Last Judgment, the Communion of Saints, and the Resurrection of the Body.
These are hard doctrines for many of our more rationalistic, modernist, and post-modernist folks to accept. There is nothing nearly so hard to believe in the Canadian Creed. Indeed, many church folk find the resurrection of Jesus, or anything else beyond the currently accepted laws of nature, hard to accept, although I should note that the resurrection of Jesus is in the Canadian Creed.
In these post-enlightenment, rationalistic times of ours, I'm grateful for anybody believing anything Christian. We United Methodists welcome everyone. If we say the Apostles' Creed and a persons lack of belief in certain things in it is an impediment to their saying it, they should just not say it. In the 1964 Methodist Hymnal, the Apostles' Creed was preceded by a statement by the liturgist, "Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith." If you don't believe everything in it, but can affirm it as a statement of the historic faith, then by all means say it. But yes we should say it! Yes we should say it at University United Methodist Church!
On future Wednesdays I'll write about some of those difficult doctrines in the creed. Next week it will be the Virgin Birth.
Faithfully,
Christian
5 comments:
Several Methodists that I know, one, the son of a Bishop in the Church of the United Brethren, are having difficulties in dealing with the Apostle's Creed. The Bishop's son states that adherence to several of the doctrines mentioned in this blog has made it increasingly difficult to retain and bring new membership to the Methodist Church and difficult for him to continue in sacraments such as Holy Communion. He sees that adherence as an unnecessary threat to the Church.
Christian's quote of the statement by the liturgist, "Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith" would seem to resolve these sincere concerns as well as several that I myself have. I was only able to join UUMC after resolving my own related questions with Justin Coleman 1.0, some time ago. Christian, if you have more to say on this specific topic, I'm all eyes. Thanks for your informative and fascinating blog that welcomes questions and comments; each and every commentary is valuable to me (and I am appalled at how little I know about our faith).
I was part of a group conversation at UUMC lead by clergy. The clergy expressed an interest in using the Apostles' Creed more often in worship. At least one person in this group all of whom were beyond me in spiritual growth expressed a contrary opinion. I will try and go back and remember the point and share. I tend to be traditionalist but respect as I am sure we all do there are different points of view in our church and beyond. Thanks to Christian for this wonderful blog.
Test following changes
Too late Dad, I already bought your gong. It's on its way from Amazon now! Thanks for reminding me to text Marianne that it's on its way.
I agree re: the Canadian Creed, but I think we both know the real reason why: it's short. No one wants to say a long creed. Pretty soon someone's going to come up with a 140 character creed that can be tweeted. Maybe I'll try.
All: I inherited my father's insomnia, and even as a tiny child, I would not sleep. I was happy, just not sleepy. My mother, who is also an ordained minister, tried to bore me to sleep by teaching me the Apostles' Creed. It didn't work. I stayed awake and could always recite the Apostles' Creed!
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