This is a post I started to write a week ago, and then set aside. It is incomplete and I hope to come back to it at a later date.

“We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church”

I thought of these words as I read about recommendations from the Anglican Primates.

“We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church”

I thought of these words as I read discussions of the coming General Conference of the United Methodist Church.

“We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church”

I thought of these words as I read about a Pan-Orthodox council meeting.

“We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church”

I thought about these words as I read about the Pope changing the Holy Thursday decree to include all people of God.

Last weekend, I participated in the Trinity Institute Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice.

What does it mean to be one holy catholic and apostolic church? Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and so many others? What does it mean to be one holy catholic and apostolic church? Male, female, cisgendered, transgendered, straight, gay? Black, white, and all the wonderful hues in between?

What does it mean to be one holy catholic and apostolic church? Oppressor and oppressed?

What does it mean to be one holy catholic and apostolic church? Militant, penitent, and triumphant?

Perhaps some of the answer comes in the first line of the creed which starts the same way, “We believe in one …”

“We believe in One God.” Perhaps the mystery of the Trinity, One God in Three persons, can tell us a little bit about the mystery of the church.

Perhaps some of the answer comes in the theology about Christ being fully human and fully divine.