I Believe, therefore I Do

The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Celebrant
  Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and
              renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?
People      I do.
Celebrant  Do you believe in God the Father?
People        I believe in God, the Father almighty,
                   creator of heaven and earth. 
Celebrant  Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
People        I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
                  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
                     and born of the Virgin Mary.
                  He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
                     was crucified, died, and was buried.
                  He descended to the dead.
                  On the third day he rose again.
                  He ascended into heaven,
                     and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
                  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Celebrant  Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
People        I believe in the Holy Spirit,
                   the holy catholic Church,
                   the communion of saints,
                   the forgiveness of sins,
                   the resurrection of the body,
                   and the life everlasting.
Celebrant  Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and
               fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
               prayers?
People        I will, with God's help.
Celebrant  Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
               you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People        I will, with God's help.
Celebrant  Will you proclaim by word and example the Good
              News of God in Christ?
People        I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant  Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
               your neighbor as yourself?
People        I will, with God’s help. 
Celebrant  Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,
               and respect the dignity of every human being?
People        I will, with God's help.
The Celebrant concludes the Renewal of Vows as follows
May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and
bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal
life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
One of the seven Principal Feasts of the Church, All Saints Day ranks with Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. It is the only feast day that the rubrics say may be moved to the following Sunday to make sure we celebrate it. All Saints is also one of four days especially set aside for the sacrament of Holy Baptism; and if there are no baptisms, the Renewal of Baptismal Vows may take the place of the Nicene Creed at the Holy Eucharist. 
The Baptismal Covenant has two commitments: DO you, and WILL you. Do you ... ? Will you ... ? The do you’s are our statement that we believe certain things about God. In the will you’s we promise, with God’s help, to live life in a certain way because of what we believe. Believing and Therefore Doing are what make a person a Christian.
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