Communion and our Creeds

                Communion is a lovely thing. Communion is something not to be taken lightly or carelessly. It is something that demands us to become humble, repentant, and honest.

Our Creeds are a lovely thing, also. Every Sunday young children to old grandparents sing and declare their Creeds, which state what we believe in and in whom our hope is in and  proclaiming we will not be ashamed.

In my mind communion and our Creeds are the most beautiful picture ever painted, and right now I would like to paint the picture of communion for you. This is what I see every Sunday morning:

Every Sunday we begin our services with the reading of the Bible and the singing of the Psalms. We go on to sing  our Creeds. It’s our declaration of faith. We sing the Nicene Creed or we sing the Apostles Creed. We are proclaiming what we believe.

I, along with many other children in our church, still have a hard time grasping and understanding  all the terms and words. If you asked us to explain our Creeds to you, we might have hard time explaining, because we don’t fully understand it, but yet we embrace it. It’s our Creed because it's Mom and Dad's creed, because it's our church's creed.  It’s my family's creed.  As a child, it is my goal to learn of and live up to our creeds, but when I am no longer under the ________  household then I have to decide if, I will continue in the faith that I was brought up in, or stray.

As for my parents and those in our church, they know why God gave them children. It is so that they may teach as many children as possible the Creeds and their children’s children the Creeds.

We will have our Sermon and more singing of the Psalms and Hymns. During the sermon and hymns, it seems as if every baby is crying or laughing, reminding us that they are there. They are there to learn the Creeds and to partake in communion.

Before communion in our church, we verbally repent of our sins that we have committed in the past week. Then everybody gets ready to go up to the alter. All of the children and babies seem still and quiet now. Suddenly we become sober and thoughtful. It’s as if during the rest of the service they were saying “Hurry up. I can’t wait for communion.”

The piano player starts to play and the church begins to sing. The front row slowly walks up to the alter. Father, Mother and all the children bow at the altar. I said earlier that the church had already repented of their sins and so now they can bow humbly and with good conscience. They partake of the bread and then of the wine. They arise slowly and return to their seats, feeling renewed and rejuvenated and ready to go on through another week.

It is the time for one family to stand up to go to the altar. This family, a few years ago, lost their moma in a tragic car wreck.  This left  the seven children motherless. But now, they go to communion with their new mother and they still declare their creeds.

Another family goes up to communion and they too lost their mother in a tragic car accident.  Nine children  were left without a mother. They also go to communion willingly and joyfully.

Here is another family arising to partake in communion. One of the sons push his older brother in a wheelchair. This boy had a bad wreck but still doesn’t ask “why”.

Other families go to communion. Some are in wheelchairs, some can’t walk, some are blind, and some have diseases and illnesses, but they go to communion.  They declare their creeds and while never asking “why”.

Many of the families have adopted children.  They believe it is their purpose to teach these children the creeds and lead them to communion.  Some of these families have children who have disabilities or illnesses. The parents are dedicated to them for the rest of their life.

Then on the very last row, a husband, with his six children, pushes his wife in her wheelchair knowing that this could be the last time she would ever join her family at the Lord's Table on earth. I don’t believe there was dry eye in the whole church. Everybody was mourning and crying, but never really asked “why”.

To read what I have just wrote, one would think that the church is  full of sadness and gloom. But picture this… the preacher praying over all the expecting mothers that come up to communion. The preacher praying over every newborn child that he will hold to this creed. The preacher praying over every betrothed couple, praying that they will have children to teach the creeds to.

When communion comes to an end, it is as if you can feel a sense of energy. It is as if everybody is rejuvenated and refreshed. Everybody knows that they are fulfilling one of their purposes in life and they can’t wait to do it next week.

I bet that you are wondering what our creeds are and why are we able to go through these hardships and not ask “why”. And here is why:

“…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 again to judge the living and the dead…”

We have communion every week to remind us of what Jesus did and who we believe in.  We sing our Creeds and recite the Heidelburg catechism to assure and remind us of what we believe in , why we are here, and what our purpose is.

The Apostles' Creed

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 to the 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 again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN

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 the 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 sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic 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.

Heidelberg

Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; (c) who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, (d) and delivered me from all the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. (j

Written by: Grace