In the ancient year 325, the Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, a meeting of the primary Christian leaders (bishops). At that meeting, the Nicene Creed was formulated. Constantine wanted unity in his empire, including unity in his favored religion, Christianity. The price for this unity was squashing any competing views and beliefs.
For centuries, the Nicene Creed has been a sort of litmus test to determine whether someone was teaching and following the "true faith." Those how believed something different were soon labeled heretics.
The world has changed a tremendous amount since the year 325. The advances in knowledge are breathtaking. Imagine what Emperor Constantine would have thought about automobiles and planes, not to mention open heart surgery, televisions, computers and smartphones. It's mind blowing compared to what folks understood and had back in the year 325.
But when it comes to advances in our understanding of Christianity, we often seem to be stuck in the year 325. While the Nicene Creed is to be honored and respected, is it time to expand our knowledge of our Christian religion? Is it outdated and hence the reason many younger generations are no longer interested?
How can our Christian religion be relevant to the year 2019? These are some of the questions we address at Community Church.