For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, in St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt
OK. I’m tired and my head is beginning to hurt. It’s now week 4 of the Essentials Blue course, and I’ve read more articles on Worship in that 4 weeks than I have in the preceding 38 years of my life (although you might excuse me for my lack of interest for at least the first few of those). Anyway, it’s getting harder to post coherent “reflections” on this stuff, as it’s all becoming one big etiological blur, and to be honest I’d rather just run away to a cabin in the woods for a few weeks and actually think about some of it before having to commit those thoughts to cyberspace…
However, in the spirit of participation, I will share some thoughts about one of the articles I read this week (at least I think it was this week – who knows?) – Brian McLaren’s “The Jesus Creed”. Creeds are funny things. They’re not particularly amusing (although I wonder if anyone has ever tried that), but they are often, as in this case, one person’s very personal and detailed expression of faith created in the expectation that others will take it and use it as their own. It figures that for someone to do this honestly, they need to be able to really get what the writer intended.
The Jesus Creed revolves around the statement that “We have confidence in Jesus”. This struck me unusual at first, not least of all because it’s not a phrase I’ve heard a lot directed at Jesus. Then I started thinking (here we go again) about the contexts in which I have heard this phrase used, and one stood out in particular. I work for myself, and do contracts for other large organizations. One regular customer takes great pride in stating loudly and repeatedly that he has no confidence in any of his contractors, until they prove themselves. What does he mean? Well, the point he is trying to make is that until such times as I prove otherwise, he works on the assumption that I can’t do my job, will let him down and generally not deliver on what I have promised… Nice!
Suddenly the Jesus Creed makes more sense – suddenly I get it. Jesus has already proved himself. He has done what he said he would do up to now, and will continue to deliver. He keeps His promises. I can have confidence in Him because I can trust Him completely – I know He is who He says he is and He’ll see me through. That’s a creed I can buy into, no matter how tired I am 
Have a great week!
MM
