Newark Congregational Church

Below is my latest Credo article which I expect will be published in the Newark Advertiser this week.

Mark

I imagine, like me, that you often think “The problem with the Credo column is that there’s not enough 3^rd Century theology in it.”

I’m going to put that right today – but don’t stop reading.

The reason is that May this year marked 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea met to agree the wording of a statement of faith, called the Nicene Creed, that is still used in churches around the world today. It is the default Creed, a summary of core Christian beliefs, used in the Anglican Church, for example.

It starts: “We believe in one God, The Father, The Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…” and then in a little over 200 words spells out some points of doctrine about the Trinity and the nature of Jesus. (If you want to read it all it’s easily found online).

Now I have no problem with people who are happy to recite these words every week, but as a statement of my Christian faith it is sadly lacking.

The reason is what it says about Jesus. Or more correctly what it doesn’t say.

You see the Creed goes from explaining some doctrine about the incarnation and Jesus’ birth straight to some thoughts about his crucifixion. It is as if the 33 years between these two events didn’t matter. There’s nothing in it about what Jesus said and did whilst he was alive on earth in those 3 decades. For me that emphasis is totally wrong.

The reason I am a Christian is that I think the things Jesus said and did to explain to us how to live Godly lives are by far the most important things of all: words and deeds that added up to a life that was more influential than any other life ever lived. Words of love that if humanity really lived by them would transform the world into a much fairer, more peaceful and more compassionate world.

Jesus never asked us to believe things about him, he asked us to believe in him; that is to say to listen to and live by the things he taught. To me that is far more important than the theological mysteries of the Trinity, the incarnation and  salvation that are the focus of the Nicene Creed. These are true mysteries, and however much we wrestle with trying to understand and agree them we will always fall short.

Better instead to spend our time thinking about these words of Jesus –  ^‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  and ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’

Much less of a mystery, much more of a challenge.

Mark Taylor – Minister – Newark Congregational Church.