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What do we believe?
We are Christians who are part of the Anglican Church of North America. What we believe is summarized in the Nicene Creed. It was written in the early days of the church (325 AD and finalized in 453 AD) and many churches today use it as a summary of their faith. You can read it in the next column over. We also believe that our sin separates us from God. Let me explain. You know when a person says or does something that hurts you? That will often result in your relationship being damaged. You can pretend it didn't happen and go on like before, but the hurt remains. You can also choose to ignore them. Or, you can go to the person and be reconciled. The same is true of our relationship with God. The things we do wrong (sin) offends God and breaks our relationship with Him. And you and I both know that we do lots of things wrong! The only way to be reconciled to God is by accepting this incredible truth which is expressed in these three scriptures: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. So to summarize: we believe in Jesus and confess our sins to God and He forgives us! Obviously, this is only a small portion of what we believe. If you want to know more about what we believe, a good resource is our Anglican catechism (a catechism is a great learning tool). The following link will take you to our national church page where you can order one or download one for free: |
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten 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 from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. 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. |