"This I Believe" by Hillsong

There is this well-known Latin phrase used in the theology of our Catholic brothers and sisters, and it is this: Lex orandi, lex credendi. My preferred translation is, "As we worship, so we believe." It points to the intrinsic tie between our songs and prayers and faith. Discussions about this idea argue whether worship or belief comes first, a valid discussion that we can encounter later, but for now I wish to appreciate the close relationship between worship and belief. Worship gives us a voice by which we may articulate our understanding of God, our wonder at His glory, our gratitude for what we believe He has done for us. In worship, we strengthen our faith.

One song that I have been hearing more of lately is "This I Believe (or The Creed)" by Hillsong. I heard it last weekend at a young adult church I attended, and the worship team led the song with sincere excitement. Doesn't it feel good to shout out to the world, "This is what I believe and I am not ashamed of my faith!"?

The song itself is based off of the Apostles Creed, the ancient Christian liturgical words stating basic Christian doctrine. These ideas, the character of God, the Resurrection, salvation, are all themes we find over and over again in many of our songs, whether contemporary or hymns. Music has long been used as a way to teach doctrine to the faithful; this song is very straightforward about that. We sing, we believe, we sing what we believe. But it does not end there.

Lex orandi, lex credendi. As we worship, so we believe. Theologians note that a third part to the formula is often added: lex vivendi. As we worship, so we believe, so we live. Ultimately we are transformed as we grow in our faith. When we sing what we believe, we see how we are to live out our belief in the real world. "I believe in God our Father." So what? If we believe in God our Father, we believe in His unconditional all encompassing love for all mankind. "I believe in Christ the Son." So what? We believe that Jesus brings salvation, renewing us and creation. "I believe in the resurrection..I believe you rose again." So what? Now we must commit our selves to living in light of the resurrection. Our actions must be rooted in hope and eternity.

When we say we believe in these things, we also say we don't believe in darkness, in hatred, in selfishness. We don't believe in the evil men of this world, nor the pleasures of wealth. We believe that our God is worth more than all these things because He created them, He gives us value, and we lives our lives in His love. As we worship, so we believe, so we live. At Worship Circle, we pray that you will find life and hope in Jesus as we worship Him.