Creeds in services?

[Mendalla]

This might have been discussed before but given the thread about creeds in R&F, I thought I would put this one out there.

Does the church you lead/attend recite a creed in services on any kind of regular basis?

What creed (Apostle's, Nicene, UCCan New Creed, etc.)?

Why and how does the congregation understand the use of the creed?

What do you think about the role of creeds in a church in 2026?

 

[jimkenney12]

I use the UCCan creed occassionnally as pulpit supply. When serving a congregation, I tried to use it a few times a year. In some congregations I used it almost every Sunday. B and I memorized it. Thank you for this thread. I have been neglecting it.

 

[GordW]

Very occassionally. Certainly in a service with Baptism or Confirmation we have a communal expression of faith, always the United CHurch Creed (aka New Creed). I have one COmmunion liturgy that includes it. In Lent 2026 I did a series on the UCCan points of Deep SPirituality, Bold Discipleship, and Daring Justice and used selections from A Song of Faith (our most recent denominational statement of faith) in those services.

However when I attend the local Anglican church on a Sunday I am not leading worship they have a Creed every week.

 

[Mendalla]

The funny thing with UUs is the lack of a creed. The fourth principle, "free and responsible search for truth and meaning" kind of makes it impossible since that allows any UU to believe pretty much anything that does not itself violate the principles. You could kind of glean a creed of sorts from the wording of the principles if you squint a bit, e.g. the "web of all existence of which we are a part" is a theological statement of sorts. But nothing like a traditional Christian creed that sets out a list of metaphysical beliefs.

 

[Luce NDs]

The funny thing with UUs is the lack of a creed. The fourth principle, "free and responsible search for truth and meaning" kind of makes it impossible since that allows any UU to believe pretty much anything that does not itself violate the principles. You could kind of glean a creed of sorts from the wording of the principles if you squint a bit, e.g. the "web of all existence of which we are a part" is a theological statement of sorts. But nothing like a traditional Christian creed that sets out a list of metaphysical beliefs.

I like the word "responsible" a thing greatly avoided by those that are overcome by emotions and passions of all kind that diminish mind and thoughtfulness ...

 

[Mendalla]

I like the word "responsible" a thing greatly avoided by those that are overcome by emotions and passions of all kind that diminish mind and thoughtfulness ...

Yeah, I like that, too. It puts a bound on the freedom in that it makes us think about the impact our beliefs have and maybe makes us put some guardrails around some of them.

 

[Luce NDs]

Yeah, I like that, too. It puts a bound on the freedom in that it makes us think about the impact our beliefs have and maybe makes us put some guardrails around some of them.

Imagine putting reins on the emotional powers ... would that be like Moon River ... and that wet cat? How to weave a myth about intangible things like mood ...!

 

[newfyxing]

Yes, an Affirmation of Faith Every week.
Either A New Creed, Apostles’, Nicene, a selection from A Song of Faith, or other statements from our global ministry partners.

 

[Mendalla]

So in my UCCan days, I don't think we did a creed weekly. Perhaps under the last minister we had before I moved out. I think we used the New Creed normally but reverted to one of the others, Apostle's IIRC, for communion. And the minister before him I think only did creeds for Communions and other special services. But I stopped attending that church regularly when I moved to another city for my first career job in 1989 and entirely after about 1994, so my memories of details like that are getting hazy.