From the Pulpit - Part II: ‘Confessions of a contemporary Lutheran’
I love the Apostles’ Creed but sometimes I think we say it without thinking about what we are saying. Many churches across all kinds of traditions recite the creed during worship and it is an amazing piece of worship that unites us all together in profession of our faith. It is also a bold statement and robust explanation of faith. The three articles cover all we understand about God who is revealed to us in scripture. God the Creator, God the Savior and God the Holy Spirit. It is also an encapsulation of our faith that can help us in our evangelism to unbelievers. My confession as a contemporary Lutheran is that sometimes I wish it was worded in a more modern way or in more colloquial language.
When we talk about our belief that God is the Creator of all, how do we explain that to unbelievers without falling into an argument about science versus faith? Science continues to be the proof that God is the creator. Our world is amazing and highly intricate. I had a high school science teacher, who didn’t believe in God, but was well versed in physics. She said the second law of thermodynamics directly contradicts the theory that the world was created by chance. The second law says that disorder of a system doesn’t decrease over time; it always increases or remains constant. The more we learn about God’s creation, the more we see that it is highly complicated. There is no way that it advanced to this level of complexity by itself without the power of God.
When we talk about Jesus our Savior, how can we talk about what He has done for us without talking about how the world beats us down? Believing in Jesus gives us the strength to endure difficult times. When you are feeling like the entire world is against you, which is often, knowing you have God on your side so much so that He sent His Son to die for you on the cross, gives you the fortitude to see there are better things to come. He endured persecution and death for us. He was rejected by all those He thought were His friends and followers. He died at the hands of those He had come to save. Then He rose from the dead defeating the evil powers of the world.
When we talk about the Holy Spirit, how can we NOT talk about hindsight being 20/20? We can’t see the future, as much as we would like to predict it, we have no idea. But when you look back you can see clearly the path that has led to this moment. Everything comes together, even the difficult times, to shape us into the people we have become. Everything and everyone who comes into our life, even if it is just for a moment, the Holy Spirit uses to inspire and motivate us. He is with us always to guide and encourage.
The Apostles’ Creed is a significant declaration in a world that discourages definitive statements because it opens us to rebuke and argument. But if you aren’t a confident witness to your faith, it is a great tool for understanding who and what we have faith in. We believe in God who loves the world He created so much that He sent His only Son to save us and the Holy Spirit to stay with us. Amen.
