Every week in our services we stand and speak in unison the ancient Nicene creed.
“I believe in God…” we say, but unfortunately many cultural assumptions about belief rob us of the power of what we are actually doing in this corporate ritual.
We think about “belief about” in a modernist sense as assent to certain ideas or propositions, but this in no way reflects the depth of the meaning of believe. In the Latin belief or credo translates better as “I give my heart to..”
Theologian Tripp Fuller recently spoke about belief as trust, belief as ‘giving oneself’ and even ‘binding oneself to’ and finally, belief as struggle. How much more meaningful is our statement of the creed each week when we think of belief in this way, particularly in the corporate understanding. Together we trust so utterly in God that we give ourselves and our lives to this truth and this way, together creating lives and communities in sacred relationship; a way that will always involve struggle as we discern what it means to live in love and commitment to one another.
This weekend representatives from all of our parishes gather for Synod, where we will discuss, debate and decide on various matters of business. Certainly we will be challenged to discern what it means to live as the loving and beloved community of Christ. In this context, but also in our own parish community, we are called to remember that when we declare our “belief” we are talking about a disposition of our hearts to commit to trusting God and seeking the best for one another through and in it all.
What do you trust in so much that you would bind yourself to it, allowing it to shape and direct your life, remaining committed even in times of struggle?
What have you given your heart to?
Grace and peace,
Sue+