Creed (Week 7): St Patrick and One Holy (catholic) Church
Hebrews 13:7 NIV: Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
“One holy Church” is actually written: “the holy catholic Church.”
“Big C” Catholic is very different from “little c” catholic. The first is the name of the Church that became the official state religion of Rome in 380 AD, while the second describes what all believers hold as a “standard, universal, or general” in faith and beliefs.
I Corinthians 1:10 NKJV: 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
To be “catholic” (little “c”) means to be a part of the universality and unity of the Christian faith, encompassing all believers and adherents worldwide.
We spend much of our time divided, pondering who are the “best” or “real” Christians. The creeds show us the better way. The Church is God’s idea, and it is too important for us choose to be divided from a world of other believers.
I Corinthians 1:10 NIV: I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
The creeds answer our questions. If you are protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Reformed, liturgical, or monastic, if you ascribe to the creeds, we agree on what matters most. We are one holy Church together.
2 Peter 1:3 ESV: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
How can I be united with people of like core beliefs who practice differently?
1: Change my mindset to notice what unifies us, not what makes us different.
2: Pray for believers around the world, especially the those who suffer.
3: Be open to diversifying my practices, learning from other traditions.
If we are “One holy Church” or “the holy catholic (little c) Church,” how are we to walk with those who don’t know Jesus if we can’t even walk with those who know him in different traditions than us?
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. –St. Patrick, c.433 AD
