Believing in God

During Lent we are thinking about the Apostle’s Creed
Traditionally Lent has been a time to prepare for baptism and the renewal of baptismal vows. The Apostles’ Creed contains the basic statements of Christian faith that Christians have traditionally affirmed at their baptism
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth
It is sometimes suggested
that all religions
are just local cultural manifestations
of the human quest for life and meaning
There is a certain truth in that
but by and large it doesn’t stack up
Because while there is a certain sameness about religions
there is also a great deal of difference
This is what Paul talks about in his letter to the Romans
Things have changed.
While for Jews the covenant with God is about keeping the laws
For Christians we are called rather to have faith through Jesus

So there are certain things that we hold to be true
they may not only unite us
they may also separate us.
Our Creed begins with certain statements of belief that are for us irreduceable
We believe in God
This God is personal..so we use the language Father
This God is supreme..so we describe him as ‘almighty’. He has power to act and to do
And he is creator of everything.
In 12 words we make a pretty big statement about where we begin

This language is concise and powerful
maybe this week you can focus 10 minutes quiet reflection on one of these ways of stating our belief. Father, Almighty, Creator.

What does it mean to call God Father?
What is this inviting me to be and do? Does it change the way I see the world?

If God is Almighty? How can I approach
God? What does it mean my relationship with God might be like? How does it make me feel

If God is Creator, then where do I fit into the scheme of things?

THIS WEEK

Take a little time to ask God to show you more about Father, almighty, creator of heaven and earth.