Community within the Nicene Creed

This blog is born out of an impression I received while reciting the Nicene Creed at this morning's Eucharist on the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2010. How this impression and blogging are related remains to be seen, but for someone who gave up contributing to the web when we stopped writing HTML by hand somehow they do.

After a suitably heart softening sermon on the plight of the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son (and not just warming but actually gently massaging old resistances), we recited the Nicene Creed as is customary. Though it is far less of a stumbling block for me than for many called to Jesus but less sure about institutional Christianity, I still have viewed it as the result of an interesting theological struggle in the early church resulting in poetic propositions concerning the nature of the Trinity. I viewed it as primarily propositional rather than relational and more about Jesus than of Jesus.

Today something shifted just enough to let me see another aspect. In addition to the Christian community that produced the creed and the community over time that has recited the creed, there is a biblical community within the creed itself. The two lines:

"By the power of the Holy Spirit
He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary"

reminded me of the actual interactive seen of the Annunciation and Mary's participation in Jesus ministry from conception to cross and beyond.

All of the people and confusion of the night he was arrested is captured by the line about being crucified by Pilate. The contention with authorities and all the activities of holy week are hung from that cross.

The burial recalls Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemos, Jesus two followers among the Pharisees themselves.

The resurrection on the third day brings to mind all the activity in the garden, Mary Magdalen and even the footrace between Peter and the Beloved Disciple.

The Ascencion which Luke loved so well he used it to finish his Gospel and to start Acts even though 40 days separated the two versions of the event ties together dozens and perhaps hundreds of disciples and future followers of The Way.

Add to this the "creator of heaven and earth" recalling the Genesis stories leading into the blessing of Abraham and his family to bless the nations and the Holy Spirit "the Lord, the giver of life" whose inspirations shown through the prophets and connected the voice of God to communities over thousands of years now, and we really begin to have something.

Far from being just a cold list of theological propositions, the Nicene Creed is a litany of places where God and humanity have encountered one another, especially in Jesus which this council declared was fully human and fully divine. Remembering that during this same council St. Athanasius wrote that he became like us so that we might become like him and we have quite a cloud of witnesses indeed.

Blessings on this day set aside for a lightening of the Lenten journey.