Painting : Zan Newstrom
A Christian Creed for Our Times
First Advent Sunday, 2023
Fifty years ago at this time of year, I knocked on the door of The Christian Community in San Francisco for the first time. Almost two years previously, I'd sat up in bed in the middle of the night, with a sudden clear question : "What is the Holy Spirit ?".
I'd heard of the Holy Spirit in the course of my Catholic upbringing, but now there arose in me the question : "What in the world is the the Holy Spirit ?". This somehow took root in me, and with the energy of a then 22 year old I simply began to look.
My search took a broad path as I began to read Old and New Testaments, but also more generally in the works of Emerson and Thoreau, in college philosophy courses, the psychology of Roberto Assagioli, and eastern writings such as those of Sri Aurobindo and the Bhagavad Gita. My feet in the meantime led me 3000 miles across the country to California, where if I took, intermittently, to knocking on the door of churches of any denonomiation with my question, or particular sub-questions that came up for me. My search also quietly refined itself into an interest in a community or church - one that would be Christian, esoteric and sacramental. "Esoteric" meant for me that I would be free to ask and explore questions of any kind, and not just be met with doctrines or dogmas.
The Christian Community has very few centers in America, given the size of the country - but again my feet led me to live just a half block from its San Francisco branch. Even so I walked by the sign on its building many times before waking up from a nap one afternoon with a question, putting on my shoes and knocking on the door of the church.
The man who answered it said he might indeed have something to say on the subject - and asked me a question : "Would you like to come up for a cup of tea ?" As it turned out, he was to become a lifelong friend, later a wedding witness to my wife and I, and mentor on the basis of his sheer example of a Christian man, in his treatment of other human beings.
We continued to meet intermittently for three years without my ever attending the church, until Christmas Eve 1976, when I attended its communion service, The Act of Consecration of Man for the tirst time. As much as I can say of this service, is that as many times as I've ever taken part in it, it has been new for me every time ; and that experience tells me that if I should attend it for the rest of my life, it will always continue to be new.
The Chri;stian Community considers itself to be interdenominational, and welcomes persons of any religion, without requirements of doctrine, beyond the wish to as best possible meet and connect oneself with Christ Jesus as He is in truth ; and to do this together in community with others. The Christian Community does have a Creed that describes these understandings and these free relationships. I'd like to share it here.
The Creed of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
An almighty divine being, spiritual-physical, is the ground of existence of the heavens and of the earth who goes before his creatures like a Father.
Christ, through whom human beings attain the re-enlivening of the dying earth existence, is to this divine being as the Son born in eternity.
In Jesus the Christ entered as man into the earthly world.
The birth of Jesus on earth is a working of the holy Spirit who, to heal spiritually the sickness of sin within the bodily nature of mankind, prepared the son of Mary to be the vehicle of the Christ.
The Christ Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate the death on the cross
and was lowered into the grave of the earth.
In death he became the helper of the souls of the dead who had lost their divine nature ; then he overcame death after three days.
Since that time he is the Lord of the heavenly forces on earth and lives as the fulfiller of the fatherly deeds of the ground of the world.
He will in time unite for the advancement of the world with those whom, through their bearing, he may wrest from the death of matter.
Through him can the healing Spirit work.
Communities whose members feel the Christ within themselves may feel united in a church to which all belong who are aware of the health-bringing power of the Christ ;
they may hope for the overcoming of the sickness of sin
for the continuance of man’s being and
for the preservation of their life destined for eternity.
- Creed of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
This Creed is read during the communion service of The Christian Community, the Act of Consecration of Man ; but is also very definitely for use by anyone.
* * * * *
A Christian Creed for Our Times
First Advent Sunday, 2023
Fifty years ago at this time of year, I knocked on the door of The Christian Community in San Francisco for the first time. Almost two years previously, I'd sat up in bed in the middle of the night, with a sudden clear question : "What is the Holy Spirit ?".
I'd heard of the Holy Spirit in the course of my Catholic upbringing, but now there arose in me the question : "What in the world is the the Holy Spirit ?". This somehow took root in me, and with the energy of a then 22 year old I simply began to look.
My search took a broad path as I began to read Old and New Testaments, but also more generally in the works of Emerson and Thoreau, in college philosophy courses, the psychology of Roberto Assagioli, and eastern writings such as those of Sri Aurobindo and the Bhagavad Gita. My feet in the meantime led me 3000 miles across the country to California, where if I took, intermittently, to knocking on the door of churches of any denonomiation with my question, or particular sub-questions that came up for me. My search also quietly refined itself into an interest in a community or church - one that would be Christian, esoteric and sacramental. "Esoteric" meant for me that I would be free to ask and explore questions of any kind, and not just be met with doctrines or dogmas.
The Christian Community has very few centers in America, given the size of the country - but again my feet led me to live just a half block from its San Francisco branch. Even so I walked by the sign on its building many times before waking up from a nap one afternoon with a question, putting on my shoes and knocking on the door of the church.
The man who answered it said he might indeed have something to say on the subject - and asked me a question : "Would you like to come up for a cup of tea ?" As it turned out, he was to become a lifelong friend, later a wedding witness to my wife and I, and mentor on the basis of his sheer example of a Christian man, in his treatment of other human beings.
We continued to meet intermittently for three years without my ever attending the church, until Christmas Eve 1976, when I attended its communion service, The Act of Consecration of Man for the tirst time. As much as I can say of this service, is that as many times as I've ever taken part in it, it has been new for me every time ; and that experience tells me that if I should attend it for the rest of my life, it will always continue to be new.
The Chri;stian Community considers itself to be interdenominational, and welcomes persons of any religion, without requirements of doctrine, beyond the wish to as best possible meet and connect oneself with Christ Jesus as He is in truth ; and to do this together in community with others. The Christian Community does have a Creed that describes these understandings and these free relationships. I'd like to share it here.
The Creed of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
An almighty divine being, spiritual-physical, is the ground of existence of the heavens and of the earth who goes before his creatures like a Father.
Christ, through whom human beings attain the re-enlivening of the dying earth existence, is to this divine being as the Son born in eternity.
In Jesus the Christ entered as man into the earthly world.
The birth of Jesus on earth is a working of the holy Spirit who, to heal spiritually the sickness of sin within the bodily nature of mankind, prepared the son of Mary to be the vehicle of the Christ.
The Christ Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate the death on the cross
and was lowered into the grave of the earth.
In death he became the helper of the souls of the dead who had lost their divine nature ; then he overcame death after three days.
Since that time he is the Lord of the heavenly forces on earth and lives as the fulfiller of the fatherly deeds of the ground of the world.
He will in time unite for the advancement of the world with those whom, through their bearing, he may wrest from the death of matter.
Through him can the healing Spirit work.
Communities whose members feel the Christ within themselves may feel united in a church to which all belong who are aware of the health-bringing power of the Christ ;
they may hope for the overcoming of the sickness of sin
for the continuance of man’s being and
for the preservation of their life destined for eternity.
- Creed of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
This Creed is read during the communion service of The Christian Community, the Act of Consecration of Man ; but is also very definitely for use by anyone.
* * * * *