An Affirmation

139 An Affirmation

WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST THE LORD,
    Who was promised to the people of Israel,
    Who came in the flesh to dwell among us,
    Who announced the coming of the rule of God,
    Who gathered disciples and taught them,
    Who died on the cross to free us from sin,
    Who rose from the dead to give us life and hope,
    Who reigns in heaven at the right hand of God,
    Who comes to judge and bring justice to victory.

WE BELIEVE IN GOD HIS FATHER,
    Who raised Him from the dead,
    Who created and sustains the universe,
    Who acts to deliver His people in times of need,
    Who desires all men everywhere to be saved.

WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
    Who is the form of God present in the church,
    Who is the guarantee of our deliverance,
    Who leads us to find God’s will in the Word,
    Who guides us in discernment,
    Who impels us to act together.
                         — The Mennonite Hymnal, 1967
                         Hymns for the Family of God

The Nicene Creed

138 The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
And of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man,
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again
according to the scriptures,
and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And he shall come again with glory
to judge both the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son],*
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spake by the prophets.
And I believe one umiversal and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

<idle musing>
* I bracketed out the "filioque" clause since the Orthodox Churches don't accept it. I believe it to be true, but the history of its inclusion is messy. In the interest of Christian unity, I think it should be excluded.
</idle musing>