"Hallowed be Thy name" (First Petition).
The First Petition. The word "petition" is itself a small devotion.
Of all the many books written about Luther and the Reformation, my favorite is the one written by his dog. The Luthers had a dog and his name was Tolpel, the German word for "fool." Dogs were used in that day to keep down the rodents. To hear Tolpel tell it, his job was seeing to it that the mice did not destroy Martin's papers.
God used Tolpel to teach Luther a very important lesson. Luther once said: "'Pray without ceasing' (1 Thess. 5:17). My dog taught me the meaning of this Bible verse. He believes that his good lord will give him what he needs, and therefore never stops begging. If we humans only had such faith in our Lord!"
The Lord's Prayer has seven petitions. "Petition" comes from a Latin word meaning "to beg." And one of the prayers in the Communion liturgy even says, in part: "...we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit."
Let us not take such a "holy" view of prayer. The truth is, we would have nothing apart from God. We are utterly dependent on Him. We also love and trust in Him that He will do for, and give to us, all that we need. So we should never stop praying, begging, and scratching at His door. Even as He never gets tired of hearing, answering, and helping us in every need, body and soul.
Take it from Tolpel.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
The Second Article
"And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord..." (Second Article).
By far, the best explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed is contained in the Small Catechism. It is but one sentence long, but what a sentence!
If I had to add something, it would be this. As the Creed is the center of the Catechism, so the Second Article is the center of the Creed. The heart of the Faith. Christ.
And the rest of the Catechism must be seen in the light of Christ. It is Christ through whom we pray, "Our Father" (Lord's Prayer). It is Christ into whom we are baptized (Sacrament of Holy Baptism). It is Christ in whose stead and by whose command the pastor says, "I forgive you all your sins" (Confession). It is Christ whose true body and blood we eat and drink (Sacrament of the Altar). It is Christ who came and kept the law perfectly FOR US (Ten Commandments).
It is Christ whom the Father has given, and Christ in whom the Holy Spirit gives faith.
Christ is the One who has Won me "from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him...."
Serve Him today as a member of your congregation, as a husband or wife, as a father or mother, as a child, as a worker, as a supervisor, as a teenager, as a widow, as a pastor, as a neighbor to the person in need.
As a Christian, on whose heart are written the words of the Creed.
By far, the best explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed is contained in the Small Catechism. It is but one sentence long, but what a sentence!
If I had to add something, it would be this. As the Creed is the center of the Catechism, so the Second Article is the center of the Creed. The heart of the Faith. Christ.
And the rest of the Catechism must be seen in the light of Christ. It is Christ through whom we pray, "Our Father" (Lord's Prayer). It is Christ into whom we are baptized (Sacrament of Holy Baptism). It is Christ in whose stead and by whose command the pastor says, "I forgive you all your sins" (Confession). It is Christ whose true body and blood we eat and drink (Sacrament of the Altar). It is Christ who came and kept the law perfectly FOR US (Ten Commandments).
It is Christ whom the Father has given, and Christ in whom the Holy Spirit gives faith.
Christ is the One who has Won me "from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him...."
Serve Him today as a member of your congregation, as a husband or wife, as a father or mother, as a child, as a worker, as a supervisor, as a teenager, as a widow, as a pastor, as a neighbor to the person in need.
As a Christian, on whose heart are written the words of the Creed.
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