The First Word

We used a slightly different creed this morning in worship. It was one where the priest asked a question:

Do you believe in God, the Father?

and the congregation responded:

We believe in God the Father.

As I recited the words my mind grabbed on to the first word of our response:

We.

Each of the following sections began the same way:

We believe...

As I continued to confess my faith with this creedal formulation, it took on a different meaning than it usually does. I was no longer just stating what "I" as a lone congregant believed; I was no longer standing there with some individualistic stance. I was part of a group- or better, a community. I was not alone. We were holding each other up in the various levels of belief that may have been present this morning. It also meant that I didn't have to have a full certainty of belief myself. The community was there, and continues to be there, even when I am struggling. There is no such thing, some used to say, as a "lone Christian."

My mind then multi-tasked to a question that most in Alcoholics Anonymous would be familiar with:

What's the first word of the First Step?

The answer, obviously, is:

We.

Again, it is not something the individual alcoholic, active or recovering, can do alone.  

We are in this together.