11 was not by accident that the Lutheran I confessors began their confession at Augsburg with these words, "The churches among us teach with complete unanimity that the decree of the Council of Nicea ... is true and is to be believed without any doubt" (AC I, 1). The confessors recognized and rejoiced in a twofold unity-a unity with each other and a unity with the whole church of every time and place. The ecumenical creeds of the church serve a unique purpose in that they have a broad acceptance as a faithful summary of the Word of God.

For over a millennia, the church has confessed the triune faith in the weekly service, primarily by using the Nicene Creed. Within the LCMS that practice was expanded to include the Apostles' Creed on Sundays when the Lord's Supper was not offered. The unique value of these creeds, and of the Athanasian Creed as well, is that they represent something larger than a single individual or even a congregation or church body.

The use in corporate worship of newly written creeds requires careful deliberation. Unlike the ecumenical creeds, whose catholicity has been tested and confirmed over the course of centuries, newly written confessions of faith have not stood the test of time. Asking a congregation to confess these creeds without prior study and examination is inadvisable.

Occasional options to the creeds do exist. One is the singing of a hymnic paraphrase (LW 212, 21 3; TLH 251, 252). Another is the occasional use of Luther's explanation of the creed in the Small Catechism. While this explanation should not regularly supplant the creeds, it is acceptable given its confessional status in our church.