In Three Parts
Erik Edvard Breddin
Part 1 – (The purpose of part 1 of the ordination paper is to provide a way for the candidate to share their present grasp and understanding of the teaching and traditions of the Christian Church down through the ages and to relate this to their own theological perspective.)
Since the founding of the Christian faith, the faithful have sought to put into words the things they believe. At times these beliefs have taken the form of prayers, at times creeds, at other times statements or testimonies of faith. One of the truths of the Christian faith is that it is always growing and adapting to the times and contexts in which we as believers find ourselves. As such, though we look to the historical testimonies of faith as guides, we must always seek to interpret and understand their words in ways that are applicable to who we are and where we are at this time and place.
One of the things I enjoy doing is cooking. I enjoy the process of preparing food, of slicing and dicing, of mixing ingredients together to produce something that will hopefully be delicious in the end. My mother made sure as I was growing up that I could follow a recipe. I could read and follow the list of ingredients, the process of mixing and kneading, the temperatures and times for cooking. I often turn to recipes even now when I make something. But, it is a rare thing that I follow a recipe to the letter, especially if it’s not the first time I’ve made it. I might add more of a specific ingredient, I might substitute one for another, I might change the temperature it bakes at or the length of time. The end result when it comes out of the oven is uniquely mine. It’s still Grandma’s tater-tot casserole, but I’ve put my own unique flavors into it.
When someone declares, “I believe in God” or “I believe in Jesus” they are making a declaration that carries a great deal of meaning. Some of that meaning is directly connected to the histories and traditions of the Christian Church throughout its history. Some of that meaning is far more personal in nature, a reflection of a person’s unique understanding of God and God’s relationship with them. The reality and nature of faith is that each of us in many ways takes the teachings and understanding of the Christian Church; and then examines them within our own experiences. We each formulate our own understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus; just as we look to a recipe and follow it, sometimes very closely and sometimes with less adherence.
When a person says “I believe…” they are sharing their recipe for who God is. Each of us has our own understandings of the ‘recipe’ that has been handed down to us by our ancestors in faith. Though, the recipe we use on a daily basis may be different, it’s important that we know what the original recipe was and is. Thus, we can always return to it if we find that what we have created is leaving a bad taste in one’s mouth, or in the mouths of others.
I will be using the Apostles’ Creed as the “recipe” in presenting what I perceive as the basics of the Christian faith as it has been transmitted through history. I choose to use this creed as it is traditionally understood to be the oldest of the statements of faith created within and by the church, and it is also the shortest in length. I am choosing to use a Creed rather than the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith because the statement of faith is in itself a representation of a specific theological interpretation of the historical teachings of the church. The text of the Apostles’ Creed is as follows:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
thecommunion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.[1]
In these words we have a brief summation of the traditionally held beliefs and understandings regarding God and the work of Jesus. Here, we see the understanding of the triune nature of God (stated here as Father, Son, Holy Spirit). We make the declaration that God is the creator of all that is. Jesus was God’s only Son, born of a human female through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was tried and executed by those in power. Following his death he descended into hell where traditional Christianity states that he paid the price for our sins. After three days, Jesus rose triumphant from the grave. He then ascended into heaven where he sits in a place of honor. On the last day he will come again to judge all humanity. The final few lines point to the belief and hope within the church itself: the church universal (the intended meaning of catholic) is holy (having to do with God, being blessed and chosen by God), that all believers are united with one another in faith, that in Jesus we receive the forgiveness of our sins, the resurrection of our bodies from the dead, and eternal life.
This is in brief the traditional beliefs of the Christian Church; this is the basic recipe that we use when we begin to speak about God. What follows is my recipe:
We believe in God the Parent Almighty,
Creator and Owner of Heaven and Earth.
We believe in Jesus the Messiah, God’s only Son, the Sovereign One,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary,
who lived the life of a servant without limit,
was crucified, died and was buried.
The third day God raised the Son from the dead,
and declared Him Ruler over the universe, death and eternity.
Jesus is still within and among us.
Through Word and Sacrament
we encounter His presence, His message and His mission.
While we wait for Jesus to reappear on the Last Day when he will raise the dead and judge all people, we live to make Him known as Savior and Lord, and to serve Him by serving those around us.
When He reappears, he will greet us in forgiving grace, thank us for having served Him in his unknown presence, and then welcome us into the eternal home where we will be in God’s presence forever.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Christian Church, the community of forgiven saints,
striving to live in unity in Christ-like servanthood.
We believe in the existence of evil,
and the many ways it seeks to turn us from serving God and others to serving ourselves.
We believe in the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Each and every person is called to a personal faith, a personal and intimate relationship with God, but we are not called to a private faith. The concept of a private faith is incompatible with Christianity. Christianity is a faith that is meant to be lived out in community.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus’ teachings stressed the importance of life in community. In teaching the disciples to pray, Jesus did not teach them, “My Father”, but “Our Father”, and “give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” In making our confession of faith we first declare what we believe and do as individuals within a community and second, we express our calling to assist others grow in faith and discipleship.
Believing in God, being a part of the community of the faithful is more than just knowing a few Bible verses or truths about God. What begins in our heads must move through our hearts to our lips, hands and feet.
The relationship between every parent and child is unique. When we declare God as parent we simultaneously declare ourselves to be the children of God. God loves us immensely and knows our vulnerability, our helplessness, our childishness, our foolishness, and is patient with us because we have been named and claimed as children.
There is perhaps no greater love in this world than that of a parent for a child. The agape[2] love of God is far greater than the storge[3] love between a parent and a child, but it’s something most of us can understand. We are God’s children; that we are God’s makes all the difference in the world. When a child is your own, you love them deeply. You love them in spite of their faults, in spite of their irritations, in spite of their problems. You love them. And so it is with God our heavenly parent. We are God’s little children. We belong to God. Our being named and claimed as children reveals the patient and intense love God has for us.
Though we as human parents are limited in terms of what we can do for our children, there is no limit to what God can do with us and for us as God’s own.
The uniqueness of our creation is not an accident of chance, of atoms randomly coming together. In, with, and under, it is the Almighty God revealed in Scripture who, “In the beginning” spoke all things into existence.
The first chapters of Genesis speak of God’s creation of the universe and humanity, but they do not speak of God handing over ownership of that creation to us or to anyone else. Dominion (Genesis 1:26,28) does not imply ownership, but management. God remains creator and owner of all things, and calls us to manage responsibly what continues to be owned by God (Psalm 24:1; 89:11). That ownership includes all of creation including ourselves as humans. We do not “own” our bodies.
In the parable of the “rich fool” in Luke 12:13-21, God reminds the man that he does not even own the life he is using. God has merely loaned it to him. God lends us body, food, money, family, home and whatever else we might like to call “ours.” We are caretakers not only of ourselves, but also of each other and every other thing on Earth. In response to the graciousness of God, we are called to live lives of thanks and praise, of servanthood and obedience.
The name Jesus is the Latin form of the Greek translation of the Hebrew name(s) Joshua or Jehoshua, and it means, “He whose salvation is YHWH.”
The church has become complacent in naming Jesus as Jesus Christ, rather than Jesus the Christ. Christ is not a name but a title; it is the Greek translation of the Hebrew term “Messiah”. The New Testament presents Jesus as the Messiah, the one who brings into being the Messianic Age[4].
The hope within the nation of Israel was for a line of kings that would last for all eternity. In the Babylonian exile, the last of those kings was lost (2 Kings 24:10-12; 25:6.7). It was the hope that the line of kings would one day be restored. Many ideas existed as to the nature of the Messiah, the “anointed one” who would bring about that restoration. Our understandings of Jesus and of the Messiah follow.
In Jesus, God became incarnate, clothed in flesh. That which was fully God was united with that which was fully human. Jesus was not God masquerading as human, Jesus was fully human. Jesus was also not just a man with a close relationship and understanding of God, he was God incarnate.
In speaking of Jesus as God’s Son, we recognize the words of Jesus himself in speaking of his relationship with God. The focus of the word should not be on the male gender that is presented, but on the relationship between parent and child. We also recognize that in the words and actions of Jesus we encounter God. By becoming familiar with who the Son is, we also gain insight into the Parent (John 14:9).
Traditionally the title of “Lord” has been used. In using that title it was intended to transmit the all-powerful aspect of God. It was also the term used to refer to all individuals who had power over almost anything, from implementing laws to making decisions over property and assets. It was a term that was used for Kings as well as other people in authority. Over the years, it came to be used to refer to almost anyone who seen, or felt themselves to be in power. Thus, you could speak of someone being ‘lord of the house’. The term itself, separate from cultural influences, is a wonderful descriptor of God’s rule and power.
However, many often think of the “Lord” in a negative way, associating it with past negative experiences of father figures or other men, or with an oppressive use of power (i.e., ‘lording’ it over someone); thus the language here has been changed. When we speak of the Sovereign One, we speak specifically of the one to whom we look for sustenance and direction in life. Jesus, as God incarnate and Sovereign, provides for our needs and guides us in all we believe and do.
In Jesus we do not encounter God in a human shell, we encounter someone fully human. From his very beginning he was the full union of both human and God. Jesus was the result of God acting powerfully in the life of a young woman. Jesus was not the unclaimed child of another man, but the very Son of God.
The traditional Apostles’ Creed moves from crib to cross without making reference to the life and ministry of Jesus, which is unfortunate as Jesus’ life is the example of the kind of life we are called to live. Throughout his ministry Jesus often refers to his own life in terms of servanthood, and to the life of servanthood to which he called his disciples (Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 8:34-38; 9:35-37; 10:42-45). Jesus, though he was God incarnate, did not use that reality to rule over others, but lowered himself and took the role of servant again and again. His life was one lived not for himself, but for others (Philippians 2:4-11).