lent - facebook = nicene creed
i gave up facebook for lent (except for sundays, since sundays technically aren’t part of lent, and since i do client work through my FB profile, i needed some leeway!). the idea of giving something up is so that when you would be spending time doing that thing, you’re channeling that time and energy in to a more “holy” pursuit. (crazy catholics and their pursuit of perfection :-). so i decided i would memorize the nicene creed.
for some reason, the memorization of this particular religious manifesto fell through the cracks during nearly 16 years of faith-based education. (fwiw, the pledge to the bible and the pledge to the christian flag are still rattling around in my memory. they’ve been SUPER useful …) although i attend catholic church from time to time, i wasn’t raised catholic and was never confirmed in the church, so i feel conspicuously silent when, at the end of mass, the entire congregation launches into this creed and i do not.
in addition to wanting to rectify this, the nicene creed is, i feel, a foundational piece of religious history and doctrine. considering what it’s declaring, it’s pretty succinct, yet covers a lot of bases. it’s definitely something i want to be able to carry with me in the back of my head. this is as far as i’ve gotten:
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.
my sister, who’s getting confirmed in the episcopal church next month, should be learning this creed right about now, too. maybe we should make it a friendly competition and see who can complete memorization first. not sure that’s in the spirit of the creed. or lent. or easter. (or passover, which we also celebrate, but that’s another story for another time … :-)
March 06 2009 11:00 pm | catholicism and religion
March 8th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I know this thing by heart, which would make my catechism teachers proud, even if I’m no longer very religious. What’s weird is that they never ever brought up the reason for it- it’s not really a prayer, it’s more like a declaration of “correct” beliefs. The story of the Council of Nicea, Constantine, the battling bishops and their various views on Christ’s nature is very interesting stuff.
March 8th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
that is impressive that you still know it! as someone who grew up in christian school virtually their whole life, i definitely know some of the history surrounding the nicene creed, but i never learned the creed itself. i like that it’s a declaration, and i like that catholic kids have to memorize it (more people should!). considering that it’s basically explaining the crucial points of an entire belief system, it’s very concise - and handy!
March 11th, 2009 at 10:04 am
ahahahahaha the pledge of allegiance to the Christian flag and the Bible!! i was JUST thinking about those a couple days ago and it dawned on me how creepy they are! I mean come on, really? “I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag…” it sounds like a cult! and yes, i probably should be memorizing the creed in preparation for my confirmation, which i’m getting pretty excited about! so excited i may buy a special Easter outfit for it… hahaha. does that seem counterintuitive? whatever.
ps- in addition to Lent, Easter, Passover, etc., happy Purim- it was yesterday.