Last week, I discussed the Rite I version of the Nicene Creed with "I believe" and how it originated through private mass before Thomas Cranmer used it for his Communion service in the first Book of Common Prayer.
The "We believe" version of the Nicene Creed has a much older tradition. It is, in fact, a faithful translation of the original greek version of the Creed.
When the first councils of Nicaea and Constantinople gathered to create the creed, they were trying to formulate what all Christians believed. It was not about what each of us individually believe, such as with Baptismal Creeds, but it was about what we all profess in our faith.
Even today, there is a sense that the Creed is about what we all profess together. That means when I struggle with something in the Creed, you, my sibling in Christ, support me in my faith and vice versa. It is a sign that our faith is not just individual, but communal as well.
There is a great beauty in the "We believe" version of the Nicene Creed. It not only tells us what our faith is, but it tells how our faith works as a communion.