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The Apostles' Creed |
| Article I |
Article II |
Article III |
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son our Lord,
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
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I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
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What does this mean?
[Robert E. Smith translation, 1994]
I believe that God created me, along with all creatures. God gave to me: body and soul, eyes, ears and all the other parts of my body, my mind and all my senses and preserves them as well. God gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and land, spouse and children, fields, animals, and all I own. Every day God abundantly provides everything I need to nourish this body and life. God protects me against all danger, shields and defends me from all evil. God does all this because of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, not because I've earned it or deserved it. For all of this, I must thank, praise, serve, and obey God. Yes, this is true!
Prayer
Loving Father, you know our every need. Help us trust your care and be content with what we have. And for the sake of Jesus, help us care more about others, so that we more directly help you love the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Commentary by Pastor David G. Mullen
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But is this really true? “Yes, it is true”, contrary to the evidence of the much of the world. Yes, bad things happened to people, even to good people. Yes, people get hurt, starve, and suffer greatly at the hands of evil people. For many people on the planet, life is a matter of scarcities, not of abundance. Let us grant that.
Still, is the problem with God—really? How about with the brokenness of the world, of a world of rebellious humanity in which greed takes over where there should be justice? And for us, doesn’t it help to be reminded that in fact, we have more than enough of everything?
Luther, then, encourages us to believe, as Jesus taught, “be not anxious about food, clothing, or anything else that you need.” God takes care of you. Of all. Trust that. And share what you have! Pray to be a part of the solution, not of the problem.