What is a Creed?
To determine if the Sparkle Creed is a biblical creed, we must first understand the characteristics of a biblical creed. According to Miriam-Webster, a creed is “a brief authoritative formula of religious belief” (Miriam-Webster). The word creed comes from the Latin credo, which means “I believe.” So, a creed is simply a declaration of what you believe. Are all statements of belief creeds? No, creeds are statements of faith that affirm belief, proclaim truth, and defend doctrine.
A creed must first affirm belief. Creeds are used to teach and affirm belief about God and his ways. Creeds do not contain doctrines that are not affirmed by those who hold to them, nor do they contain doctrines that are considered unnecessary. When believers recite creeds, they are confessing that they do in fact hold to the teachings found in that creed.
A creed must proclaim the truth. Creeds are used to show those who do not believe what the Bible teaches. As such, each part of the creed must hold up to careful inspection through the lens of Scripture. Creeds do not contain the doctrines of men but rather are statements that men use to recognize the truths found in Scripture. By proclaiming truth through the recitation of a creed, man is recognizing that God is the ultimate source of truth.
A creed must also defend doctrine. Believers throughout the ages have written creeds usually as a response to a doctrinal attack. Creeds defend doctrine by promoting the truth of Scripture over the false teachings of men. By reciting a creed, Christians equip themselves to see what is biblical, and what is falsehood.
What is the Sparkle Creed?
Now that we understand what a creed is, what exactly is the Sparkle Creed? The Sparkle Creed is a statement written by female minister Rev. Rachel Small Stokes of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky. As Religion Unplugged notes,
On Facebook, she explained that this creed began with a computer glitch. “I was voice-to-texting ‘the Apostle’s creed’ to a colleague, and it translated as ‘The Sparkle Creed,’“ wrote Small Stokes. “I decided that’s exactly what we need for Pride Month. So here’s my first jab at it. Feel free to share if it moves you” (Religion Unplugged).
This statement was rocketed to viral fame on social media when clips of a Minneapolis Lutheran Church confessing the Sparkle Creed began circulating. Edina Community Lutheran Church posted a (now deleted) video of their “Pride Month service” which apparently included a message to children telling them that Jesus says “‘I love you just the way you are.’ And sometimes we like to celebrate that” (Exposing the ELCA). The beginning of the services also apparently included a recognition that Edina Community Lutheran Church is built on indigenous ancestral lands.
The more widely circulating clip that was taken from this video shows Pastor Anna Helgen asking the congregation to “rise in body or spirit” to “confess our faith today in the words of the Sparkle Creed”(YouTube). Helgen can be seen wearing a multicolored Lutheran stole and rainbow-colored earrings as she leads the congregation–most of whom appear to be baby boomers–in this statement. Immediately following the confession of the Sparkle Creed, Helgen says,
Trusting in God's expansive and inclusive love, let us offer our prayers for a world in need: for the summer solstice and the beginning of a new season, for honeybee populations experiencing extreme loss, for the rain that nourishes the Earth, for climate Justice advocacy efforts, god of love.
Congregation: You hear our prayer.
For the joy of life in community--we pray especially for all who will attend the Twin Cities Pride Festival and other Pride events this month, we give thanks for the extraordinary clergy who lead in this congregation and beyond, especially for Pastor Jeff and for Deacon Lauren and for all LGBTQIA+ leaders who serve as teachers, artists, first responders, business owners, city council members, and more--god of love.
Congregation: You hear our prayer.
For anyone who feels excluded on account of their gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or any other human distinction, draw us together in relationship and make your people one. . . . God of love, for Taylor Swift and her Swifty fans and all music that inspires us, help us "shake it off." When life takes a turn remind us that we can still make the whole place shimmer, and when the time comes, help us confess and say "It's me. Hi. I'm the problem it's me.". . . . .
God of love, into your care we commend all for whom we pray, trusting that you hold and keep us in love. Amen.
The Sparkle Creed and the Bible
So, how does the text of the Sparkle Creed measure up to Scripture? Here is the Sparkle Creed:
“I believe in the non-binary God whose pronouns are plural. I believe in Jesus Christ, their child, who wore a fabulous tunic, and had two dads, and saw everyone as a sibling-child of God. I believe in the Rainbow Spirit, who shatters our image of one white light and refracts it into a rainbow of gorgeous diversity.”
“I believe in the church of everyday saints as numerous, creative, and resilient as patches on the AIDS quilt, whose feet are grounded in mud and whose eyes gaze at the stars in wonder. I believe in the call to each of us that love is love is love, so beloved, let us love. I believe, glorious God. Help my unbelief.”
The Sparkle Creed seems to address two different aspects of Christianity: God and the Church. Both of these doctrines are essential to Christianity and were both issues that early followers of Christ had to wrestle with. So how does the Sparkle Creed measure up to the Bible’s teaching about God and the Church?
God
Just like the early church, the Sparkle Creed talks about God as the Trinity. The Sparkle Creed claims that God the Father is “non-binary,” and that his pronouns are plural. It claims that Jesus wore a “fabulous tunic,” had two fathers, and saw everyone as “a sibling-child of God.” Finally, the Sparkle Creed portrays the Holy Spirit as “the Rainbow Spirit” who “shatters our image of one white light and refracts it into a rainbow of gorgeous diversity.” Does the Bible support these claims about the nature of God, or are these expressions of the nature of the Trinity contrary to Scripture?
Is God Non-Binary?
First, let’s examine the claim that God is non-binary. This is a fairly recent argument, but a quick Google search will show that many today hold to the belief that God is non-binary. The definition of being non-binary is a complex topic with vastly differing views, so for the sake of clarity, here is how Miriam-Webster defines non-binary: “relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female” (Miriam-Webster).
In this sense, God the Father and God the Spirit cannot be described as non-binary. When showing the woman at the well that God is not tied to a place, Jesus says “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24). God is spirit and transcends gender because God himself created gender (Gen 1:27). If this creed is attempting to claim that Jesus is non-binary, not only is Jesus referred to with male pronouns and called the “Son,” Christ referred to himself as a man, as did the apostles (Jn 8:40, 1 Tim 2:5).
Are God’s pronouns plural? Human language is a God-given tool, but after the Fall, language became corrupted. Therefore, our language can only attempt to describe God. While it is true that Elohim, a word for God in Hebrew is plural, it is not used in the same sense that the Sparkle Creed seems to use it. The Sparkle Creed seems to indicate that God is somehow like people who use plural pronouns like “they/them” to indicate that they hold to a different expression of sexuality. God is three persons yet one being (and in that sense, he is plural), but he is not a sexual being. He created men and women as the two genders in Genesis 1 and instituted marriage as being between one man and one woman forever. In the sense that the Sparkle Creed seems to claim God’s pronouns are not plural, nor is he non-binary.
Who is Jesus?
The Sparkle Creed makes several claims about the nature of Jesus. The first claim that it makes is that Jesus wore a “fabulous tunic.” It is not quite apparent what tunic is being discussed. The first possibility is that this is a reference to Jesus’ seamless tunic (Jn 19:23–24), a common garment worn in the first century. However, while practical, this garment would have been less than “fabulous.” Jesus was not rich (Mat 8:20), and there is no indication that he would have worn anything more extravagant than any other Israelite carpenter of his day. The other possibility is that the author of this creed is confusing Jesus with Joseph in the Old Testament (Gen 37:3), who was given a robe that was either multi-colored or had long sleeves (Got Questions). Either way, Jesus did not wear a “fabulous tunic.”
The second claim made by the Sparkle Creed is that Jesus “had two dads.” Like the claim that God is non-binary, this claim has picked up steam in recent years (Aleteia). Many claim support for gay or lesbian partners having children because Jesus had both Joseph and God as his fathers. This claim is at the very least a deliberate misunderstanding of what Scripture teaches. God is Jesus’ Father in that this relationship portrays Jesus’ standing in the Trinity, but the Bible does not teach that Jesus was born from the Father (although some may claim eternal generation of the Son, this is a different concept entirely). In fact, the Son has eternally existed with the Father (Jn 1:1). Joseph was charged by God with taking care of Jesus and Mary, his earthly mother. Joseph and God were not married, and to suggest that they are somehow akin to a homosexual couple is indeed blasphemous (1 Cor 6:9-10, Rom 1:26-27). No, Jesus did not have two dads.
The final claim that the Sparkle Creed makes about Jesus is that he “saw everyone as a sibling-child of God.” Multiple passages in the New Testament show that he did not believe that everyone was accepted by God. In Matthew 23, Jesus preaches woe against the religious leaders of his day because, although they appeared righteous they were full of wickedness and sin. In Luke 5:29-32, Jesus says that he has come to call sinners to repentance. In John 12, Jesus condemns those who will not accept his message because of the hardness of their hearts. Jesus clearly preached that only through belief and repentance could men become right with God (Mk 1:14-15; Luke 13:5; Mark 6).
The Rainbow Spirit?
The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is not mentioned in the Sparkle Creed, but is instead replaced with the “Rainbow Spirit.” It is unclear why the writer of this creed decided to rename the Holy Spirit, and the description that she gives is even less clear: “I believe in the Rainbow Spirit, who shatters our image of one white light and refracts it into a rainbow of gorgeous diversity.” It seems that the author is attempting to compare the Spirit to a prism that separates the colors of white light. There are several implied meanings behind this phrase, including possible commentary on race and sexuality, but this phrase tells us nothing of the true purpose of the Spirit.
In John 16, Jesus has just told his disciples that he will be handed over to the religious leaders and the Romans, die, and then ascend to heaven. Although his disciples do not yet understand what Christ is telling them, they are filled with sadness at his declaration that they will be without their Lord. However, Jesus says that he will send the Helper (the Holy Spirit), who will not only convict the world of their sin and need for a Savior but will also guide them in the Truth. This is, in its simplest form, the purpose of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not here to bring diversity or to change the status quo of society, he is here to convict people of their sin, to convince them of their need for salvation in Christ, and to guide believers until Jesus returns.
The Church
The second half of the Sparkle Creed focuses on the Church. The first phrase of this section deems that the Church is made up of “everyday saints” who are as “numerous, creative and resilient as patches on the AIDS quilt. The Sparkle Creed goes on to describe these saints as those whose “feet are grounded in mud and whose eyes gaze at the stars in wonder.” The section ends by saying that the confessor believes that “love is love is love.”
How does the Sparkle Creed’s view of the Church match up with what the Bible says about the body of Christ? While there are whole series that could be written about what the Church is, here are a few things that Scripture tells us about the Church. The Bible does say that the Church will be made up of every nation, tribe, and tongue because Christ’s power reigns supreme (Rev 7:9). The Bible also does say that nature declares the glory of God (Psa 19). However, the purpose of the Church is primarily to bring the Gospel to every nation (Matt 16:18–19).
The Sparkle Creed also implies that the Church itself supports the Pride movement. The LGBTQIA+ community has used the phrase “love is love is love” to argue your sexual expression does not matter. As previously noted, Scripture clearly teaches that God created marriage for one man and one woman until death parts them (Gen 2:23-25, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Rom 1:26-27). The Sparkle Creed does not present a biblical view of the Church.
Is the Sparkle Creed Biblical?
Does the Sparkle Creed meet the qualifications for a creed? The Sparkle Creed does not affirm belief, proclaim truth, or defend doctrine. One of the saddest parts of the Sparkle Creed is the end: “I believe, glorious God. Help my unbelief.” Although the Sparkle Creed does attempt to affirm what some believe, this Creed does not portray an accurate picture of God and his ways. Although the Sparkle Creed attempts to spread its message, it contains the doctrines of man rather than the Truth of Scripture. Although those who confess the Sparkle Creed perceive themselves to be under attack, this creed attacks Christianity instead of defending its doctrines. Therefore, the Sparkle Creed is not biblical.
As Christians, we must constantly examine doctrines and creeds through the lens of Scripture. We must hold fast to sound doctrine. We must be prepared to defend the Truth of Scripture. We must stand behind Creeds that are faithful to God’s Word.
-J.C.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
For another perspective on why we should not use non-binary pronouns for God, see this Christianity Today article.
