Confessing Our Faith: The Creeds

Sharing the stories of how MPLC folks practice their faith

By Pastor Nathan Pratt

As we flow through the rhythms of the liturgical year, you may notice our voices shifting with the seasons. Just as we flow through the various colors of the different seasons, we also flow through our use of the creeds in worship. During the reflective season of Lent, we turn to the Apostles’ Creed, the ancient baptismal confession of Christ’s followers. It is fitting for a season of baptismal renewal and preparation, with straightforward statements of belief. You’ll notice that it is first-person language, drawing each of us to consider their personal relationship with God as a disciple of Jesus.

When Easter arrives, we turn to the Nicene Creed, the great ecumenical confession of the Church. Easter is the highest festival of the liturgical year, and we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and sin and all the powers of evil. The Nicene Creed is fitting for such a season of celebration, with grand and poetic statements of belief. You’ll notice that it is third-person language, drawing all of us to consider our collective relationship with God as members of the body of Christ together.

If you participate in Wednesday vespers, you’ll also notice a shift in our dialect of worship. On Sundays, we prioritize the traditional language that many of us know by heart. Phrases like “thy will be done” and “conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit” are deeply rooted in our heritage, although such language is almost never used in modern English anymore. Using this language on the Lord’s Day honors the continuity of the worship of the Church through the ages.

For our services of Evening Prayer in Lent, we prioritize the contemporary language that is now commended for use in worship by the ELCA. Using updated language doesn’t mean that we are changing the theology. Instead, we are ensuring it speaks clearly in the common language in use today. This practice challenges us to listen more closely to the words we might otherwise say on autopilot, and it is more approachable for those who are new to the faith or just exploring what it means to be a Christian.

The third creed is the Athanasian Creed, rarely used in worship because it is quite lengthy. At over 650 words, it’s three times longer than the Nicene Creed. But maybe one of these days I can convince Pastor Beth Ann that on the Festival of the Holy Trinity, which is the First Sunday after Pentecost, we could include it in worship—just once a year?

Regardless of which creed we confess in worship, it is always a confession of faith in the Triune God: the Holy Spirit gathering us, the Word speaking to us, the Son feeding us, and the Father blessing us and sending us into the world. May you confess the creed of your baptism and the creed of our faith with confidence in the One who names us as beloved children and saves us by grace through this gift of faith.

—Pastor Nathan