What is the Apostles' Creed?

The other day I was peeling the “Chiquita” sticker off my banana, and thought to myself: Is there any other banana distributor other than Chiquita? Do I know anything about this company? I wonder if I should do some digging around to make sure they’re not corrupt…

Most people probably don’t think about the journey of how their banana came to them—they just peel off the sticker and eat it. Likewise, most Christians probably don’t think about the journey of how the Jesus of Christianity came to them—they just accept what they’re told. I don’t have any problems with the historical Jesus. My bone to pick is with those who formed the Christian religion around him and whose speculations about his life and death became fixed doctrines—explanations that are so conditioned in the minds of Christians that divergent thinkers are made to feel like outsiders. I respect those who carry Christian beliefs, especially if how they believe doesn’t cause themselves or their neighbors any harm.

Believing differently as I do, however, is a tricky place to be as a pastor. I have to be very creative, not to mention careful, in how I lead within this institution because the last thing I want to do is cause someone spiritual harm by teaching them something they’re not ready for. How does a skeptical pastor and spirit wise seeker go about this? By preaching and teaching the historical context, asking questions, and inviting people to articulate not only what they believe, but how and why they’ve arrived at those beliefs.

From creation to the cross and beyond, I believe that the primary root of my discontent with Christianity is its reliance on classical theism—that God is a Being separate from humankind—as well as Christianity’s theological teaching about Jesus’ death and resurrection. It seems more obvious to me every day how so few in the church let these types of questions keep them up at night as much as they do for me. Ask people in our congregations what matters most to them about their involvement in the church today and I guarantee people won’t say it is because of Christianity’s centuries old dogma. The people who are sticking it out in their congregational settings are likely still there because of how high they value Christian community and being part of something positive, loving, and inspiring, a shared mission of making this world better than it is. I love this about the Church and at least in my own context right now, I am affirmed by how much these people truly care for me and for one another. It dawned on me the other night at a council meeting how beautiful ministry truly is and how grateful I am to be such a vital partner in peoples’ lives of faith.

How frustrating it is to be judged on how well I teach the Christian tradition rather than how I am at loving people in my congregation. If only being a pastor of Christ’s Church were about vowing to love people and to teach them how to interpret the Gospel for themselves rather than to simply accept what the ancient creeds and confessions say. Some stand and say these words with pride and others kind of look on them quizzically. Those with me on this search for authentic faith often confide that the Apostles’ Creed is one of their least favorite things about Sunday morning gatherings. I admit that I’ve intentionally left the Apostles’ Creed out as often as possible so as to not put myself in position to recite these words I've grown to doubt and question so much.

Seriously, have any of you ever wondered what the Apostles’ Creed is or where it came from? In short, the creed is a Christian “symbol” of faith which most likely originated in the 4th century. The creed has been utilized in liturgical worship and branches of Western Christianity since roughly the 8th century. It gets its name from the belief that the twelve apostles of Jesus wrote it and is therefore what other Christians ought to claim for themselves as the identifying marks of a Christian. While the authentic authorship of the Apostles’ Creed has been debated and challenged, in general, it was believed to be a faithful summary of the original apostles’ faith.

It’s no secret over the last few years that I have my doubts about what the scriptures say about Jesus, especially pertaining to the manner of his conception, birth, and resurrection and that I am skeptical of the authority of Christian doctrine. Whereas institutional Christianity would prefer I believe that Jesus’ conception was spiritual and his death physical, I guess I crossed my wires and believe it to be the other way around.