Creed and Confession

I have been bound to imagery and form,

without regard to their source and eternity;

I have taken scripture at its word,

and found God’s essence in chapter and verse; and yet

I have bowed down to devils wearing the rings of kings.

“He sat upon the throne” was all I needed.

I have praised the images in my church,

never thinking of God as the artist;

I have followed the form of the worship service

never considering the contingencies.

I have come to believe that God will send

the devils on their way, but

I have never dared to move beyond

“He sat” to “He has no place.”

I have been bound to the image of a throne

and the form of one who wears a fitting crown;

I have let the scriptures tell me what is true,

as even “he that sat upon the throne revealed...”

I have proudly worn my Christianity

and celebrated God’s descendancy;

I have put this at the center of my creed,

believing that my God will come again, even as

I have known my God’s been with me all along,

every time, forever everywhere, even as

I have looked and still I look for a direction

to bow down to, traditions to cling to, even as

I have needed, always needed, something new,

something certain, something true.