Understanding the Apostles' Creed as a prayer

[Immanent_Escha]

The Apostles' Creed is one of the Christian forms of prayer or statements of faith that I repeat most commonly, that is most recurrent in my faith life and shows up most in my worship. It is also one of the most common prayers shared by many churches throughout space and time, originating as early as the fifth century and still used today by members of the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, various Orthodox Churches, Lutheran churches, Methodist churches, and many more. Of course, in my own life as an attendee of an Episcopal Church in the United States, my congregation recites it collectively every Sunday in Church during liturgy, but I also pray it at least once a day in my own personal devotions, when I practice the rosary.

I find myself touched so deeply by this ancient prayer. I'm moved by reciting it and seeing it as a foundational statement of the Church, something so many billions of Christians recite with heart, earnestly, something that unites me to such an enormous community, that represents the common thread of our faith going back into ancient times, that faithful worshippers have been proclaiming for so long. It unites me with a great body of believers.

It also speaks to me in the profundity of its boldness and simplicity. It is twelve simple articles, twelve unadorned, straightforward statements, made without reservation, elaboration, hesitation, or qualification. I am astounded to think of the sacrifice and determination that it must have taken, and still takes, for many people to wear their heart on their sleeves and proclaim something that, in its simplicity, could be taken for granted by some comfortable Americans like myself today. It just sums it all up, so much of our faith carried in so few words. It covers it all, and it is almost courageous to think we could speak to the mysteries of the Divine through something that humble.

However, as much as I love the Creed, and as much as I get from it already, sometimes I find myself mystified by it, or still asking questions after reading it. I want to understand it more, understand more about what I am confessing myself to, what I am proclaiming belief in, what I am swearing to. I want to know deeper the statements I am making and what they mean, and what their consequences for the fullness and breadth of my life should be. I want to pray the Creed more deeply, with more understanding. (I should add that although I have been praying and studying Christianity for about two years now, it is only in the last couple months that it has become possible for me to engage in a Christian community, and it is recent that I have been going to Church and finding support and education there).

I've been reading Credo by Father Hans Urs von Balthasar, which is a collection of reflections on the articles of the Creed, as well as The School of Charity by Evelyn Underhill, which is a commentary and explication of the Nicene Creed and thus has insights also applicable to the Apostles' Creed. Do you guys have any other resources for understanding the Creed and deepening my practice with it? What are your own tips, how do you pray it in a way that it becomes meaningful to you? What does it represent to you, and what happens internally when you pray it? Also, if you are part of a denomination that doesn't pray the Creed, I would really love to hear your thoughts as well. Are you opposed to any of the articles? What do you think about it, its history, and how the role it plays for many Christians today?

I often find myself pausing after every single article, repeating it again and again, reflecting on it, how it speaks to my faith and my struggles in that moment, what message it might contain for me, how the words land on me in that moment and on that day. It's such a rich statement of Christianity, I feel like it contains so much.

Would anyone else like to share their experiences praying the Creed, or how it is meaningful to them as a symbol of shared faith?

(P.S. I read the statement of purpose for this board and felt this goes here as it is a question of the spiritual discipline of prayer, and how to enrich and explore one's prayer life. This is, however, my first post on the site outside of my introduction, so I'm nervous about doing something wrong. If this should go somewhere else, please let me know. I just hope to have good conversations about our life as Christians ).

 

[Tigger45]

Right now the congregation I’ve been attending doesn’t recite the Apostles and/or the Nicene creeds but I have previously attended congregations that did. I do appreciate how common they are throughout Christiandom and the uniting element and the catechesis they instill in the congregants who recite them.