Credo

 Fourth Friday after the Epiphany

Thanks to Jennifer for her comment. Actually my next High Church--Low Church blog is entitled, "Whatever Shall I Wear (outside the Sanctuary)."

Your new word for the day is Credo. No, it is not the name of my neighbor's dog (though I think it would be a good name for my neighbor's dog). It is a Latin word meaning "I believe," the first word of the Apostles' Creed. The first person plural is Credemus, "We believe," the first words of the Nicene Creed. 

I grew up knowing the Apostles' Creed. I did not know anything about the Nicene Creed until Church History 13 in my first year of Divinity School. We learned about the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. It settled the Arian Controversy, whether Christ was equal to God or subordinate to God. The vote was a landslide for the former. The Nicene Creed was the statement of faith that came out of the Council of Nicea. The Apostles' Creed came half a century later. In some ways the Apostles' Creed is the Nicene Creed "light." When I went to an Episcopal Church with Marianne (at that time an Episopalian), I noticed that many of the congregation could say the Nicene Creed by heart.

When I arrived as Pastor of First UMC, North Wilkesboro, I found that they customarily said the Apostles' Creed, but on Communion Sundays, they said the Nicene Creed. Most people in the congregation could say the Apostles' Creed. We all read the Nicene Creed.

There were two young sisters I met soon after I arrived there, the Glaze girls, Kristen and Lauren. Kristen sang in the choir. A couple of years into my ministry there, Lauren became one of the crucifers. After the processional, she remained seated in the choir loft, as crucifers do. One Communion Sunday, as we faced the altar cross to read the Nicene Creed together, I noticed that neither Kristen nor Lauren was reading the Nicene Creed. They were saying it. These teenage Glaze girls knew it by heart. I didn't. I resolved then and there to learn it by heart. That was in 2007. 

 

I was very busy. 

 

In 2008 I taught the United Methodist course entitled Christian Believer. We began each class by reading the Nicene Creed, which is one of the things we study in the course. I told the class that I was going to know it by heart by the end of the course. 

 

I was very busy.

 

It's now 2021. 

 

For years now on most days I read/pray The Daily Office. One part of the Daily Office Morning Prayer service is the Canticle of Zechariah. The words come from Luke 1:68-79. Over the years I've gotten tired of the Canticle of Zechariah every day. Most of the time I skip it. But skipping it kind of messes up the service. It means that I go directly from the Lectionary texts for the day to the Spiritual Reading for the day (My current spiritual reading is Julian of Norwich's Showings. I read one Showing a day). There needs to be something, other than the Canticle of Zechariah, in between. A few weeks ago it dawned on me (thanks Holy Spirit). I would read the Nicene Creed in place of the Canticle of Zechariah. I've been reading it ever since. I'll check in with you again when I've finally got it down by heart.

 

I did a series on the Apostles' Creed a few months ago. The Nicene Creed is richer and fuller (and longer). I'll do a series on it, if we ever get finished with High Church--Low Church. 

 

Faithfully,

Christian