Credo
Given by James Covington on May 22nd, 2005
(Statement to our young people who have completed “Coming of Age.”)
In this Fellowship we are teaching a principle. We are saying, “We know each child is a precious gift of life, and we will do our best that all might have what they need.” They will receive the love, support and positive boundaries they will need as they work to define themselves in the world. From this they will hone a self, a core self that has been shaped by the values they have learned and observed in the lives of all the adults in their community. We will do our best to set our state and our country right. But we will also do our best as adults whether we are parents or not, to offer the best instruction, the best insights and the best guidance for our youth who live in such a diverse, pluralistic, materialistic world where so many options are available. And in that striving our children will come to have values they can believe in; even in the hardest of life‘s trials, they will feel hope, for they will be the children of honorable parents and a caring adult community. My belief and hope is that you are those kind of people. I know it, and in this world of daily news that rattles and disturbs, I am so thankful for you, for your lives and for your witness. May it continue to be so.
Today, we honor 11 of our own who have completed the Coming of Age program. Coming of Age ceremonies which mark the transition from childhood to young adult, are as old as history. They have included ritual abductions, vision quests, and bar and bat mitzvahs, all to help youth learn about themselves and prepare for adulthood.
So now, we welcome our own into the challenging world of adulthood. Needless to say they all have a long way to go and a lot more work to do. Their starting point is the credo which they have written. In a sermon a few weeks ago, I defined credo from The Latin word credo which was derived from two other Latin words, cor, meaning heart, and do, from the verb meaning to give. In its original meaning, cor-do meant "I give my heart." To believe in something is to give your heart to it.
In my view, a credo statement is not primarily about whether you believe the Bible is true or God is spirit or the earth is round. It’s about what you aspire to give your heart to. A credo is an ideal we set for ourselves, a goal by which we measure our conduct and our accomplishments. Because it emerges from the depths of our hearts, it defines who we are–not by describing our circumstances or specifying our beliefs, but by revealing the choices we have made about how we intend to live.
What I believe is that a credo is about setting our sights along the soaring line of all that we might become and giving our hearts to following that course. It’s about making choices and committing ourselves to following through. It’s also about taking risks and having doubts. In this community of faith, we talk with each other about what we aspire to give our hearts to. In so doing, we set ideals for ourselves and set standards by which we measure our conduct and our accomplishments. These choices about how we intend to live define, at least in part, who we are as people of faith.
What we are here to celebrate today is that these young people we have heard and listened to have made a laudable start along the soaring line of all that they might become. I say to all of them: I am proud of the courage you have shown and the choices you have made. You have each presented us today with a thoughtful statement of your convictions concerning a certain aspect of the life of faith. In so doing, you have demonstrated your commitment to the aspirations that we share as a congregation–to live with open minds and open hearts, to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.
Joe Riedel, Marco Sammon, Kyla Oliver, Sarah Blauner, Kyla Dayer, Brianna Dayer, Emily Turner, Ariel Islam, Dan Schwartz, Nick Pearl, Elija Lewis, Ryan Logiudici, JJ Kullburg: In recognition of your presence among us and your contribution to our worship this morning, I hereby recognize your coming of age as people of faith. Congratulations!
My challenge to you this morning is to continue to set your sights along the line of all that you can become. Take risks in life. Set high standards for yourself and those around you. Continue to challenge us and make us proud. When you struggle or have doubts, share those too. We’ll do the same. This is how we will make the journey through life: we make it together. This I believe; to this I give my heart.
MEDITATION: As we leave this place, may we remain aware of the needs of our children—the children who did not ask to come into this world, but must make their way in it. May we give as we are able to give, and may we be forgiven when we fail those little ones who depend on us. In our busy lives, may we still find a way to use our energies to love those close at hand and to create a world that is safe and secure for all. So be it.