I believe

Still contemplating "We believe" - - this morning while sipping a second mug of hot & black and munching another breakfast favorite, sandwich of two slices liverwurst, smear of mayonnaise (trying a new mayo on Bud's word that Blue Plate is the best and Hellmann's is second) on two slices of Dave's Seed Bread.

But "We believe" - - what am I willing to accept as irreducible minimum in my personal package that includes self-trained amateur astronomer, professionally educated Christian clergyman, and byline "Seek The Truth, Come Whence It May, Cost What It Will". Acknowledging to self that the cost has been, is, and yet may be great, greater, greatest in life, including relationships and associations with others.

Always something comes to mind as a point of reference. Right now, what comes to mind is that day in New Testament class in seminary, we were discussing the miracles and signs of Jesus in the canonical gospels, and a class member asked the professor for his own opinion, whether he actually believed that Jesus performed these acts, and whether he really believed all the Christian doctrines. Restore a dead person to life, calm a stormy sea, give sight to a blind person, feed five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, ... virgin birth, &c.

The professor responded by describing himself as The Ultimate Skeptic, and said that he had finally decided to believe that this one Time only, God had stepped into human history and raised this one person, Jesus of Nazareth, from death; and that he would not worry about all or any of the rest of it.

That astonished me at the Time; not only that a Christian seminary professor would be so forthcoming as to make such an honest confession, and to us students; but especially the notion of a thinking, rational person deciding, making a deliberate, conscious decision, to accept something so basically unlikely, and believe it, "let it be one's Truth" and adopt and accept it as one's single, basic element of faith.

In chapel, did that professor say the Nicene Creed with the rest of us? I'm quite sure that he did. So do I. The Nicene Creed is our faith community's symbol, like a flag to pledge allegiance to even though you see your country going bonkers; and the Nicene Creed says "We BELIEVE," it does NOT say "We know" or "We are sure and certain ..." or "I know."

So, wandering far from my contemplation of an irreducible minimum, what's mine?

Well, first, I find a creed worthless unless it has "a therefore" - - a statement of what this belief expects of me, obliges me to do, how to live, because I what I claim to believe. The Nicene Creed has no such - - except that in its beginnings, one knew that failing to say it and claim to believe it could endanger one's life and wellbeing. The Nicene Creed has no such, so I'm basically with my NT professor there - - I won't worry myself about it.

Instead, even though I've looked into the heavens at night, and Hubble and JWST have looked infinitely farther and are revealing to me a universe vast beyond all imagining, I will accept the Baptismal Covenant, which embodies the Apostles Creed and five promises as to how I will live my life because of what I have decided to believe. So I let this be my foundation:

The Baptismal Covenant

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 the 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.

+++++++

I believe that whatever I claim to believe as religious faith is absurd, worthless, meaningless, nonsensical rubbish unless it includes implications for what I commit to do, for how I am to live my life, because of what I believe. If we are to have a pledge of allegiance in worship every Sunday, it should be the Baptismal Covenant.

This I believe.

RSF&PTL