Questioning Creeds

The Questioning Christian blog is one where its Episcopalian author wears his liberalism clearly, which I prefer. Reading his entry of October 11, 2008, after an agnostic emailed him, he reminds readers of an entry right back in November 25, 2004, when he did a blog entry of shortening the Nicene Creed. I thought I'd try the same exercise and then put down my own creed.

The first one is of the Church. It is written to be more corporate. Although it cuts out some doubtful theological/ historical matters and other details, it is in some ways more affirming, and doctrinal around its essentials:

The Church professes that:

There is one God, The Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, Of all that is, seen and unseen.

The Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son,
Who by the power of the Holy Spirit became incarnate.
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, Suffered death and was buried.
And rose again.

God the Holy Spirit is the Lord, the giver of life, who has spoken through the Prophets.

In this one holy catholic and apostolic Church
There is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
Time leads towards the final resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

This is then a corporate creed based on the Nicene Creed with its "We believe". Now the Apostles Creed is less demanding than the Nicene Creed, but is given with "I believe". Do I?

What I believe (now) is more like this:

I believe that:

God is of love, the holy and holistic,
The kernel of that which is high, deep and significant,
Concerning all life that is evolved;
Pictured through Jesus of Nazareth,
The Jewish Rabbi and Christ of tradition,
The one who served to the point of giving his life,
Recognised and raised so that a new community was born,
And God visioned in a renewed light;
And seen through numerous holy prophets and faith traditions;
The Holy Spirit is the energy of this coherence:
Truth demanding, life giving and creature affirming.

The Church is broad, diverse, and welcoming:
By simple baptism it welcomes;
By the sharing ceremony of the Upper Room it affirms;
By all its proper practices it intends the moment when fulfilment comes to all:
The life of the world to come.

The last part is more corporate, but is still part of the I believe. This is where I am at present, and the reader will notice that I follow here a human-creative language and symbolic view where such affirmations are cultural. What is missing is debatable rather than rejected.