The Woke Christian Creed

A statement of belief for those of us who love Jesus, but who are not always sure about the Church

Photo by Neal E. Johnson on Unsplash

Back when I was working toward ordination as an elder in the United Methodist Church (that’s a story for another day), I had to write several statements about my belief in and adherence to Christian doctrine. I always struggled with those statements. Having been shaped by a seminary that prided itself on its adherence to orthodoxy, I could easily regurgitate the Nicene Creed even though I knew that it did not capture the core of my beliefs about the nature of God, Jesus, or the Church universal. It took some time in denominational exile for me to break free of the mental chains that bound my imagination and to begin to articulate what I believe. This week, having heard or read some debate about woke Christianity, I was inspired to write a creed. I’ll probably revise this (again) at some point, but here’s where it will start.

The Woke Christian Creed

I believe in God the Almighty,
       Creator and Redeemer of the world,
       whose power is constrained only by Their mercy. 
In crafting the original blueprint for creation,
       God was not content to form one kind of any creature,
       but countless varieties,
       each with their own beauty and vulnerabilities. 
Themselves genderless, faceless, and formless,
       God created a rainbow of humanity,
       diverse in gender, hue, language, bodily form, and ability,
       yet uniform in our need for love, belonging, respect, and care. 
God imbued us with free will and the capacity to be co-creators,
       knowing it meant that we would have the ability to turn away from Them
       and to cause great destruction to ourselves, one another, and the earth. 
Throughout human history, God has issued the call, again and again,
       for us to live as beings created in God’s own likeness and image,
       for us to love justice, do mercy, and walk humbly with Them.  
I believe in Jesus Christ, Love Incarnate,
      the embodiment of the Divine on earth,
       who, having watched us mistreat each other for so long,
      decided to take up human form,
       not as the politically powerful, economically elite, or religious ruler,
       but as the most vulnerable of all –
       a baby conceived by a Jewish unwed teenage girl
       living under Roman occupation,
       betrothed to a carpenter who had no social standing. 
Jesus, our Rabbi, lived, suffered, and experienced joy among us,
      teaching us what it meant to offer love, belonging, respect, and care
      to the hungry, the sick, the outcast, the lonely. 
He cautioned us to stay awake to the forces of evil and oppression in this world,
       and to align ourselves with the needs of the marginalized. 
He demonstrated that righteousness is determined not solely by belief in Him,
       but by our feeding and clothing the destitute,
       caring for the sick and the imprisoned,
       welcoming the immigrant,
      and befriending the lonely and outcast. 
His love for us could not be contained by death,
       not even by execution at the hands of an unjust government,
       fomented by a bloodthirsty crowd. He forgave our ignorance
      even in his anguish. In His resurrection, he showed us
       that suffering and death do not have the last word,
       that power and new life are found in the most unexpected places, and
       that He would be with us to the very end.  
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Great Exhalation of God,
      breathed into humanity at our collective creation,
       moving within and among us
       not for our individual benefit
      but for the collective good of all creation. 
She affirms our diversity
      allowing each of us to receive the Gospel
      in our own tongue and culture. 
She affirms our unity
      gifting some of us with the capacity
      to speak in the universal tongue
      one understood by the spark of Her
      that is within each of us. 
She hears our groaning,
      the prayers too sorrowful for words,
       and she communicates them to the Almighty,
      interceding on our behalf. 
She sees our suffering and brings the balm of heaven,
      comforting, guiding, inspiring, and empowering us
      to embody the imago Dei within. 
Through her prophets, she continues to speak Truth
      to political, economic, and religious power,
      to advocate for the marginalized, and
      to challenge the church to fulfill its role
      as the body of Christ.  
I pray for the Church,
      which exists not inside walls of brick or wood,
      but in relationships where two or more gather
      to do the will of Christ –
      to comfort the brokenhearted,
      to make free the captive,
      to feed, clothe, house, and befriend
       the poor, the immigrant, and the lonely,
      to care for the earth and all of humanity
      across the boundaries of gender, race, nationality,
      citizenship, ability, or social status. 
I pray for the Church to live up to its mission as
      Christ’s agent of love and mercy in the world,
      to be a voice for the powerless and
      a beacon of hope for the hopeless. 

COMING SOON: Sacred Self-Care Group Study Guide

We are rapidly approaching Lent. Last year, I led a group through Sacred Self-Care. This year, I am resourcing you to lead your own group study. So gather a group of friends, family, church members, coworkers who are interested in deepening their practices of care in community with other people over the seven weeks of Lent (Ash Wednesday is March 5). Within the next two weeks, I’ll be sending out a sign-up form and groups who register by Monday, February 24, will receive the free group study guide, with a detailed outline of seven weekly sessions that include centering practices and discussion prompts. Each group will also receive an invitation to a Sacred Self-Care book club discussion with me, to be held via Zoom on Easter Saturday (April 19) at noon eastern. Stay posted for more details!