Why Sing? | Page 9 of 11

THE APOSTLES CREED
So named not because the apostles came up with it, but because what it stands for is consistent with what the apostles taught to the early church.

I believe in God the Father almighty maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell (Hades); the third day he rose again from the deed, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

IRENAEUS (C. 190)

The Church, though dispersed through the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father "to gather all things in one," and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, "every knee should bow, of things in heaven,, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess" to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send "spiritual wickednesses," and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.

ELIZABETHAN BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

Of suche Ceremonies as be used in the churche, and have hadde their beginning by the institucion of man : Some at the firste were of Godlye entent and purpose devysed, and yet at length, turned to vanitie and supersticion : some entered into the Churche, by undiscrete devocion and suche a zeale as was withoute knowledge: and for because they were winked at in the beginning, they grue daily to more and more abuses, which not only for their unprofitablenes, but also because they have muche blynded the people, and obscured the glorye of God, are woorthy to be cut away, and cleane rejected. Other there be, which although they have been devysed by manne, yet it is thought good, to reserve them still, aswel for a decent ordre in the churche (for the which they wer first devised) as because they pertaine to edificacion : wherunto all thinges doen in the Churche (as the Apostle teacheth) ought to be referred.

We believe: In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

LEADER: You are the only true God, the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. You alone are God, and we your people revere you.
 
CONGREGATION: Our eternal and unchanging heavenly Father,
we worship you, and you alone.

LEADER: Father God, you made every nation of men, that  we should inhabit the whole earth, and you determined thee times set for us and the exact  places where we should live.

CONGREGATION: Our heavenly Father, we acknowledge your sovereignty over our lives.

LEADER: You  did this so that we would seek you and ultimately reach out for you and find you.  You so loved this world so much that you gave your one and only Son Jesus in order that we might be reconciled to you once again.

CONGREGATION: Our loving and reconciling Father, we praise you. We believe: That Jesus is true God and true man, having been conceived of the holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.

LEADER: Jesus, though you are in very nature God, you made yourself nothing, you took on the very nature of a servant, humbling yourself and becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross

CONGREGATION: Great and marvelous are your deeds,  Lord Jesus.
Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.

LEADER: Who will not fear you, Lamb of God?  In the end everyone will bring glory to your name, for you alone are holy.  All nations will come and worship before you.

CONGREGATION: Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen

LEADER: You are before all things, and in you all things hold together. You are the head of the body, the church. You are the beginning, and the firstborn from among the dead,  so that in everything you might have the supremacy.

CONGREGATION: Jesus, Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Wonderful Councellor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father,  Prince of Peace, We praise your name.
 
We believe: That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service.

LEADER: Holy Spirit, restorer, teacher, comforter and guide -

CONGREGATION: Our constant friend, the power we live by, our indwelling source of life, the sustainer of our hope and joy - We worship you

LEADER: Convicter of sin, the one who groans for us when words fail us, who pricks our conscience and leads us into liberty, we welcome you into our lives.

CONGREGATION: Spirit of God, keeper of truth, the one who works in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, we submit ourselves to you.