Reaffirming Jesus Christ as Our Lord and Savior and

Reaffirming Our Historic UCC Cross, Crown, & Orb with Motto Symbol

Summary:

This resolution reaffirms (1) that the United Church of Christ continues to claim as our own the ecumenical faith that Jesus Christ is both human and divine, our Lord, Sovereign and Savior, and (2) that the “Historic UCC Cross, Crown, & Orb, with Motto” continues to be the official symbol of our Church.

Background:

The Constitution of the United Church of Christ affirms that we stand in the great tradition of the universal Church, the Body of Christ. The Preamble includes the words that the UCC, “claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It [the UCC] affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.”

Biblical, Theological and Ethical Rationale:

While the United Church of Christ has always been a theologically diverse community, our diversity has a center – Jesus Christ, in whom God became a human being, who lived and died and rose again from the dead, who is both human and divine. This center is not merely a theological opinion or standpoint, but is inherent in the UCC’s identity as a part of the Body of Christ, Holy Scripture, the ancient testimonies of faith, our constitutional texts, our Statement of Faith, our inclusive-language liturgies and hymnals, our ecumenical commitments, and our Christ-centered witness for justice and peace all testify that this faith is still foundational for our Church.

1. The Witness of Holy Scripture

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” Matthew 28:16-18

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I tell you?” Luke 6:46

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1

“Thomas answered Jesus, ’My Lord and my God!’ [These signs] are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:28; 30-31

“Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ Philippians 2:9-11

2. The Witness of the Ecumenical Tradition

“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.” Apostles’ Creed (ca.200-300)

“I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true human, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord…” Martin Luther’s Small Catechism (1529)

“The eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature.” Heidelberg Catechism (1563)

3. The Witness of the United Church of Christ

“The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession.” Preamble to the Constitution of the United Church of Christ (1957)

“A Local Church is composed of persons who, believing in God as heavenly Father, and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and depending on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are organized for Christian worship, for the furtherance of Christian fellowship, and for the ongoing work of Christian witness.” Article V.10, Constitution of the United Church of Christ (1957)

“In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator.” Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ, adapted by Robert V. Moss (1959)

“Praise God from whom all blessing flow; Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low; Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore.” Book of Worship of the United Church of Christ (1986)

Question: “Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?” Answer: “I do.” Orders for Baptism, Confirmation and Reception of Members, Book of Worship of the United Church of Christ (1986)

“The new hymnal of the United Church of Christ enables praise of the One Sovereign, Triune God, who in infinite majesty is always more than doctrine can describe and whose being calls forth awe, worship, love, faith, and service.” Theological Guidelines for The New Century Hymnal (1991)

“O risen Christ, ascended now, to your blessed name all knees shall bow; You are, while endless ages run, in Triune Godhead ever One.” Hymn 259, New Century Hymnal (1995)

4. The Witness of Our Ecumenical Commitments

“The National Council of Churches is a community of Christian communions, which, in response to the gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Savior and Lord.” Statement of Faith of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

“The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Constitution of the World Council of Churches

“The one foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ, the Lord; in whom God’s Word became flesh and to whom the Scriptures bear witness, and the church on earth, though composed of many members, is one Body in the communion of the Holy Spirit, under the leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Constitution of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches

5. The Witness of Our Commitment to Justice and peace

“In Jesus Christ God entered the arena of human history, grappled with the principalities and powers of evil, won a victory over those powers, and made manifest his love and gracious purpose toward all [people].” Call to Christian Action in Society, UCC Council for Christian Social Action, adopted by General Synod II (1959)

Resolution:

WHEREAS the United Church of Christ, in its Constitution, “acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior;” and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the United Church of Christ declares that our Church “claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers;” and

WHEREAS these testimonies of our mothers and fathers in the faith all confess in conformity to Holy Scripture that Jesus Christ is truly human and truly divine; and

WHEREAS our membership in ecumenical councils and our relationships of full communion have renewed our commitment to the ecumenical faith in the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS the Orders for Baptism, Confirmation and Reception of Members published in the Book of Worship and New Century Hymnal invite candidates or their sponsors, in accordance with Article V.10 of the UCC Constitution, to profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord or Sovereign; and

WHEREAS the historic registered trade-mark of the UCC, includes the Cross, Crown & Orb with Motto and

WHEREAS the liturgies and hymnals published by the UCC--including the Book of Worship and the New Century Hymnal – affirm that Jesus Christ is our Sovereign, both human and divine; and

WHEREAS our Church’s witness to justice and peace is grounded in the authority of Jesus Christ who is the Word of God;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Twenty-fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ, meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, celebrates and reaffirms our Church’s faith in Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, whose true humanity and divinity are declared in our Constitution, our liturgies, our hymnals, and our ecumenical commitments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Twenty-Fifth General Synod reaffirms the historic UCC Cross, Crown, Orb and Motto symbol, and strongly commends its continued use in publications, periodicals, letterheads, websites, videos, display advertising and other visual means of communication produced by all settings of the Church; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Twenty-Fifth General Synod commends to the congregations of the United Church of Christ the Orders for Baptism, Confirmation and Reception of Members published in the Book of Worship and New Century Hymnal.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Twenty-fifth General Synod encourages all who proclaim the Sovereignty of Jesus in their words to discern the implications of that proclamation for the way they live their lives.