A New Creed - its history

In 1968 the 23rd General Council of the United Church of Canada adopted the original version of what is now called "A New Creed". In 1968 it appears to have been known as "A Contemporary Expression of Christian Faith" - try saying that 3 times fast.

Anyway, lately I've had opportunity to peruse through some of the original service books and hymn books of the United Church of Canada and have been amazed by the amount of change that has happened in the denomination since its inception in 1925 - the denomination has been in existence 84 years on June 10 of this year.

Much of the change in the denomination we can probably guess comes from the fact that we live in a very different context today than did even those who composed the original authorized version of what is now "A New Creed" - times have changed since 1968 - our context has changed, our United Church of Canada has changed, the landscape of Canada has changed. Things have simply, CHANGED!!!

So all I want to do now is to share 1968's version of "A New Creed" and our current version. I have updated the Wikipedia article on A New Creed so that people are aware of the history involved and the adaptation of this statement of faith and its revision with inclusive language by the General Council Executive in November 1980. Lastly, 1994 saw the addition of the line "to live with respect in Creation".

"A Contemporary Expression of Christian Faith" - 1968

Minister
Let us repeat together a contemporary expression of Christian faith.

Man is not alone, he lives in God’s world.

Minister and People
We believe in God
Who has created and is creating
Who has come in the true Man, Jesus
To reconcile and make new
Who works in us and others by the Spirit
We trust him.

He calls us to be his church:
To celebrate his presence,
To love and serve others,
To seek justice and resist evil,
To proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen
Our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,

God is with us.

We are not alone.

Thanks be to God.

"A New Creed" - 2009

We are not alone,
we live in God's world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.

We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God's presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus,
crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.

In life, in death,
in life beyond death,

God is with us.

We are not alone.

Thanks be to God.