– First Article of the Apostles’ Creed
The people who taught my generation of students believed in the effectiveness of learning by memorization, so my classmates and I diligently drilled one another on Luther’s Small Catechism, including his explanations of the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. I wish I could say I can repeat those words flawlessly, but there are only a few phrases left in my memory bank. However, we also discussed, debated and questioned many of these explanations and statements, and the spirit of our learning experience has lasted. I’ll always appreciate our pastor’s patience, understanding and guidance of a lively, chatty class of 8th and 9th graders.
Many of Luther’s explanations emphasize personal responsibility, holding us accountable for our actions. He also, however, reminds us in many ways of the amazing gifts God showers on us every day. How we respond to the gift of a beautiful creation, of God’s only Son coming into this creation to teach, love, and redeem us, and of God’s Spirit continuing to guide and care for us is an individual reaction. We do, however, have lessons all around us to lead us toward an understanding of how to show our gratitude to God. The Ten Commandments teach us how to live with respect and harmony for both God and all humans. The Lord’s Prayer is the beautiful, poetic, and remarkably complete prayer for every day of our lives. The Creed states the basics of our Christian faith clearly and concisely.
The Bible provides us with in an endless variety of stories, songs, poems, parables, prophecies and prayers that tell us how God loves us, calls us to be his children and is with us throughout our lives. We are well prepared and have the tools with which to live our everyday lives, but we do need to be aware and intentional in using these tools for the good of all creation and to the glory of God.
These exceptionally beautiful June days have been a reminder of how blessed we are to live in this world, to experience the beauty of God’s creation, and to be good stewards of this creation.
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
– Genesis 1:31
Your Friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers