Words about congregants, to be pondered when reciting the Apostles Creed:

"In a world that celebrates individuality, they are actually doing something together. In an age that avoids commitment, they pledge themselves to a set of convictions and thereby to each other. In a culture that rewards novelty and creativity, they use words written by others long ago. In a society where accepted wisdom changes by the minute, they claim that some truths are so critical that they must be repeated over and over again. In a throwaway, consumerist world, they accept, preserve, and continue tradition. Reciting the creed at worship is thus a countercultural act."

-- from The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why It Matters By Luke Timothy Johnson -- reviewed, most interestingly, by Edward T. Oakes in the Washington Post.