“Why did you change the Creed?”

This past Sunday, the first Sunday of Lent, you may have noticed a few changes in the 10am liturgy. Some of this you likely anticipated: with the move to expansive language, some of the masculine and patriarchal pronouns were changed to reflect God’s expansive nature. We believe that God is not defined by one gender, but instead is the divine source for all genders.

In addition to these changes, there was one change to the Nicene Creed itself. In fact, in this new, expansive language liturgy we are trying for Lent, the Creed reverts back to a more ancient version. 

The original Nicene Creed was set forth in 325 AD and later amended in 381 AD, and this version became the authoritative statement of the developing Christian faith and tradition. In the late 6th century, some Latin churches (Western Christianity) added the words “and the son” to the creed when describing the Holy Spirit. This was incorporated into the liturgical practice of Rome by 1014. However, the Eastern churches (Orthodox today) did not approve of the change, and held to the original version of the creed. This conflict, which is known as the Filioque Conflict, contributed to the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Christianity in 1054.

In 1978, and again in 2015, the Anglican Communion recommended that churches drop the clause and return to the original version of the creed. And in 1994, the Episcopal Church, at its General Convention, approved it (https://episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution-complete.pl?resolution=1994-A028). While our prayer book dates in 1979, and includes the Filioque clause, subsequent liturgies will not include it. Our new liturgies approved in 2018 invite us to return to a creed that once united Christians worldwide. (And certainly all of us at some point this Lent will stumble over that missing phrase! It’s ok!)

I welcome your feedback on the modified liturgies we are using today; my own sense is that some minor changes were made, but the beauty and structure of our service was maintained.

See you in church!

Jesse+