Sunday, June 1, 2025 – At the gracious invitation of the church leaders in Galilee and through joint coordination among various councils and initiatives in the city of Nazareth, the town hosted a special ecumenical concert titled "I Believe in One God" to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, held in the year 325 AD.
This historic council, which brought together bishops of the Church from both East and West, is considered one of the most pivotal moments in the journey of the Christian faith. It confronted heresies and divisions that threatened the unity of the Church and produced the Nicene Creed, which remains a central profession of faith recited to this day in our churches as a doctrinal foundation.
The concert sought to embody the deep meanings of that council and bring them from the pages of history into the present moment. Through a spiritual musical message rooted in the depth of faith, five local church choirs participated, each presenting a selected repertoire of hymns inspired by the Holy Scriptures. The musical styles varied, yet the spiritual and theological content was united.
At the end of the evening, all attendees recited the Nicene Creed together, in one voice, beginning with the timeless words: "I believe in one God, the Father Almighty..." This powerful scene symbolized the unity of the Church amidst its diversity of rites and the authenticity of the one faith that binds the faithful together.
This ecumenical event expressed the spirit of partnership among the local churches and their commitment to serving both their congregations and the wider community through cooperation and joint efforts. It aimed to preserve the authentic Christian presence in the Holy Land and to plant seeds of hope in the hearts of future generations, marked by awareness, steadfastness, and resilience in the face of challenges. The concert stood as a living testimony that the Christian faith, formulated in Nicaea 1700 years ago, is still alive today, manifested in the unity of the Church, the solidarity of the faithful, and the authenticity of their witness in the world.
