One reponse is our confession of faith, in which we recite together one of the three universal (or ``ecumenical'') Christian creeds: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and sometimes the Athanasian Creed. These were crafted in the early centuries of the New Testament to summarize briefly the chief parts of what we believe. This is an important part of our service. It brings us together in the unity of our common faith, and it expresses that faith in such a way that we can carry it into our daily lives. Romans 10:10 gives us another important reason for our confessions of faith: ``For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'' The creeds were based on the formula for Baptism that our Lord gave us in Matthew 28:19. Reciting the Creed is an excellent way of reminding ourselves of just what our Baptism means, and the forgiveness and eternal life it gives.
We also include several prayers in the service. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are told to pray without ceasing. Who is up for such a task? Yet, we are also told in Romans 8:26 that the Holy Spirit, in the Christian's own heart, accomplishes this task in a way so wonderful we cannot understand it. The prayers in our service are another special response to God's grace. We thank Him for His gifts, and even ask Him to continue His blessings. There are usually two short prayers called ``collects'' that address specific needs in that church service. One summarizes the main topic of the day, giving thanks and praise, while including a simple petition from the congregation as a whole. The other is usually the closing collect, thanking God for his divine service and asking for the continued presence of His word in our hearts. Another prayer commonly follows the sermon, and comes before the offering. It's called the ``General Prayer'' or the ``Prayer of the Church.'' In this prayer, the Church unites in asking God for things such as peace in the land, good weather, and good government. We also pray for orphans, widows, those who are sick or in trouble, and those with special needs. In particular, we join to ask for unity in the Christian Church based on the pure word of God.