Meditating on the Apostles’ Creed: Part 1
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.”
This is the first statement in the Apostles’ Creed, one of the ancient and central statements of orthodox Christian faith. It is a profound statement about the nature of reality.
“I believe in God.” The natural world is not all that there is. Beyond, behind, intersecting with our physical reality is supernatural reality. Consider: Where do you get your ideas about right and wrong? How do you know you love, and are loved? Look for the signposts in your lived experience that point to God as God.
“…the Father Almighty…” What is the nature of God? He is Almighty. We recognize, both by intuition and careful reasoning, that God is all-powerful. That points, inevitably, to the fact that God is One. God is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but He is Trinity in Unity.
Note also how the Christian faith identifies this all-powerful God as our Father. What does a perfect Fatherhood mean to you? He is “our Father,” which is to say, the Father of you and me, and also the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider what that means when you hear of “brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“…maker of heaven and earth.” The Creed reminds us that this all-powerful God is a Creator, and in fact is our Maker, as He is the Maker of all that is, seen and unseen. What implications does that have for your worship? Throughout history, humankind has been tempted to worship the creature instead of the Creator: sometimes explicitly, as in nature worship or the worship of other gods, and sometimes implicitly, as in idolizing sex, money, or power. What does it mean to you that God is our Father and that He is also our Maker and the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Knowing this, is there anything you would do differently today?
Related posts:
Dr Holly Ordway came to Christ through reason, in the pursuit of truth. "In your hearts honor Christ as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 15).
She writes about her journey from atheism to orthodox Christian faith in her book "Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith" (Moody Publishers).
