Instead of simply reciting the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds, GraceUnlimited offers this credal meditation at its Common Worship service. (Here’s the service leaflet.)
We open ourselves, inquisitively, to the teachings of the ancient creeds:
—that we and all others are beloved offspring of the Beginning, Way and End of all things—God;
—that God engages us especially in the story of Jesus’ beginning, way and end—and new beginning;
—that with this story our own conflicted stories are becoming forever and diversely one in Spirit.
In my own Church reciting the Nicene Creed is considered mandatory for the principal Sunday Eucharist. But GraceUnlimited is an inter-denominational community of faith, and so is its weekly Eucharist.
For me the Nicene Creed is a fascinating theological document that can still speak to us, as you can see if you read my brief commentary (here). And I have also written about what reciting this creed means in my Anglican tradition (here). So we at GraceUnlimited commend opening ourselves to the teachings of the ancient creeds both in study groups and in worshiping communities. But we use this credal meditation in our own service.
As best historians can tell, the use of the Nicene Creed during the Eucharist was not required anywhere until the 500s. And it was not uniformly required until after the year 1000 (more here). If you are a staunch Anglo-Catholic traditionalist, that’s worth keeping in mind.
Fr. Charles
