One of the objections some have against using the creeds in evangelical worship is their association with ritualism in general or one's own ritualistic upbringing. Mere mention of the creeds brings back haunting memories of compulsory confirmation classes or the stale, scripted congregational response: "we-will-rejoice-and-be-glad-in-it." And of course in the Evangelical mindset this is patently false worship. But is this connection fair?
I think we have to be careful of this word ritual.
Continue reading "The Case For Creeds - the Kindling of Spiritual Passion!" »
At our decidedly Baptist Church I've been leading several of our adult classes through a study of the Apostles' Creed - a wonderfully enriching study, if I may say so myself. But, perhaps not unsurprisingly, I've had to begin each time by offering an apology - not saying "I'm sorry" - but apology in the classic sense of the word: providing a defense of why we should do such a study.
You see, unlike other branches of the Church, Evangelicals in general and Baptists in particular do not give much if any attention to the creeds of the Church. This was not always the case, but certainly since the days of Charles Finney's revivalism large branches of evangelicalism have pulled away from, if not discarded altogether, use of the creeds in worship and discipleship.
Continue reading "The Case For Creeds - The Bible Is Not Enough!" »
