Rev. Neil Dunnavant,
executive pastor
Many still find the familiar and ancient words of the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed comforting and powerful. Even if after all these years we are not sure about the holy catholic church or the descent into hell. Or why is it necessary that we affirm that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate? And what is the difference really between the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting? And Very God of Very God? What? Some church members have asked me over the years why we continue to use these ancient creeds that don’t speak to them and don’t represent what they believe.
Yes, there are newer creeds in our Book of Confessions, but some of them seem to me to be too much about social justice issues and not enough about more personal beliefs that motivate and enliven our daily hourly conduct. Perhaps it is time for us to write some new public creeds or write something more personal as a private creed to clarify our beliefs and think about what motivates our faith.
Here are a few lines that work for me and might work for a congregation.
We believe that God created the world good and that humans are responsible for taking good care of the earth.
We believe that all God’s creatures and living things are important and deserve our respect and reverence.
We believe that life is wonderful, mysterious, and complex. We have so much more to learn and don’t have all the answers.
We believe that human sin is real and powerful. We are powerfully prone to arrogance, blind spots, errors of judgment, and fear.
We believe that Jesus is God in human form and his teachings are the clearest revelation of the will of God.
We believe the Holy Spirit is God’s presence in us and the world today and that this presence gives us the ability to grow, improve, correct our errors, and live in harmony with our fellow humans around the world.
I encourage you to write your own lines and send them to me. Perhaps we can create our own FPC Greensboro Creed.
