What is meant by Christian?
Christos is a Greek term meaning “Annointed One” or “Messiah.” Throughout the past 2,000 years many have passed on the writings that document the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus’ teachings and the Jewish narrative surrounding his claim as The Messiah are expressed by/for many purposes throughout that time. Consequently, the experiences of all people who encounter those who adopt, honor, and/or teach that narrative are quite different. Whether for good or ill the legacy of Jesus has taken many directions and so often people will ask as a result, “What do you mean that you are a Christian?”
I will not enter the labyrinthian and in sometimes literally Byzantine plethora of teachings, doctrines, theologies and agendas of the fractal application of that term here. I’m sorry for these obnoxiously large words. Let me just say this, “What I believe is more like a blade of grass than a statement of its color and so even if my green isn’t green enough and my blade isn’t sharp enough, nonetheless I’m one blade of grass in a field, called Christian, who was planted by Jesus.”
Throughout modern history men smarter than I and closer to Jesus than I have created creeds – statements of belief. Since I am more likely to be the one who is still learning which shoe goes on which foot than whether I brought the right pair of sandals to the fish fry, let’s just agree when it comes to Creeds, we keep it simple and use this one for now, eh?
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.