The Nicene Creed in Aramaic

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:52:47 -0700

Listen to this version of the Nicene Creed in Aramaic, the language Jesus and his disciples spoke.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
From the English Language Liturgical Commission, 1988.
Food for thought:
1. As you listen, think about for our next Theology on Tap discussion. Who is Jesus for you? Who is Jesus in this creed?
2. Read the third paragraph of the Nicene Creed. Is this a complete understanding of who Jesus is? What is missing?
3. What does it mean for Jesus to have been “truly human” and yet “God from God”?

The Nicene Creed: “We Believe in One God”

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 16:00:55 -0700

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen..
From the English Language Liturgical Commission, 1988.
Food for thought:
1. What kind of meaning do creeds have for us today?
2. What is missing in this creed? What would you change?
3. How do you experience God? Does the experience articulated in the Nicene Creed resonate with you? How would you describe your experience?
4. How do you connect with the monotheism of this creed expressed in the first line “We believe in one God” in an age of religious pluralism and interfaith relationships?

Excerpt: Sin and Redemption

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:42:09 -0800

“Other people, and (if you happen to believe in God) God or (if you happen not to) the world, society, nature- whatever you call the greater whole of which you’re part- sin is whatever you do, or fail to do, that pushes them away, that widens the gap between you and them and also the gaps within yourself.

For example, the sin of the Pharisee is not just (a) his holier-than-thou attitude, which pushes other people away, but (b) his secret suspicion than his own holiness is deficient too, which pushes part of himself away, and (c) his possibly not so subconscious feeling that anybody who expects him to be all that holy must be a cosmic SOB, which pushes Guess Who away.

..Religion and unreligion are both sinful to the degree that they widen the gap between you and the people who don’t share your views.” from Beyond Words: The ABCs of Faith by Frederick Buechner

Video: Jesus and the Kingdom

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:00:29 -0700

Brian McLaren, an Evangelical pastor and influential leader in the “emergent church” movement, speaks on Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God and its difficult, yet liberating, implications for us today.

Video: The Way of Christian Faith

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:00:12 -0700

From Fora.tv, this excerpt from a lecture on Christian faith hosted by First Congregational Church of Berkeley, CA and Cody’s Bookstore, brings us a discussion on the nature of Christianity as a spiritual “path” or “way” by renowned Jesus scholar and theologian Marcus Borg.