The Nicene Creed: Our Common Faith
Another component of the Liturgy of the Word is the chanting of the
Nicene
Creed by all the people [18-19]. The Creed is the official declaration
of the principal doctrines of the Church. It was composed by all the
churches at .the ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 AD. We solemnly
chant the Nicene Creed at every Divine Liturgy as a formal declaration that
those participating in the Badarak are unified by the same understanding
of who God is, and who we are relative to Him. In the articles of
the Nicene Creed there is no room for diversity of opinion.
And yet each time we thoughtfully recite the Nicene Creed, the same declaration
of faith that has united Christians throughout the world for 1700 years,
we can sense our inclusion in the great, universal Church that extends beyond
time and space. We begin to realize that our own faith is not strictly
a personal affair. It is rooted and nourished by the "one, catholic
and apostolic holy Church" [19] with Jesus Christ as its head [Colossians
1:18].
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