Home
About CTL
Staff
News & Events
Worship
Children's.Ministry
Youth Ministry
Adult Ministry
Music Ministry
Fellowship
Outreach
Pastor's Corner
Directions
Member Business
Directory
Links
Answers to "Ask the Pastors"
Why during the Apostle's Creed, do we say " I believe in the Holy Catholic Church", when we are Lutheran?
The response:
This is one of my most commonly asked questions in my What Lutherans Believe class! You might notice that in the creed, the "c" is not capitalized. With a lower case "c", the word "catholic" means universal, intended for all. When an upper case "C" is used, it is referring to the Roman Catholic church.
So, in the creed, we are professing our belief in the holy catholic, universal, intended for all people, church: a gospel message that reaches out to everyone. And that's VERY Lutheran!
How do you witness to someone when they say it is hard to believe in something that they cannot feel, see or touch?
The response:
Sharing your faith is an important, yet sometimes intimidating thing to do. Especially when it is likely that the message will not be warmly received. I think of spiritual belief as something like the wind: we do not see, touch, or directly feel the wind, but we do see its effect on things. Sometimes, that effect is soft and gentle; sometimes it is vast and powerful.
Likewise, the effect of our faith in Jesus Christ can be seen – in the peace and strength of believers, in voices united in praise, through acts of mercy toward a stranger, in the face of a dying person who trusts in their heavenly home. The best way to share your faith is to share your own experiences of God; how you see, touch and feel God’s presence around you. Speak from your heart, hold fast to your faith, and let God inspire faith in the hearer. Also, don’t forget the power of time and consistency. As people see your faith mature and deepen, they will be inspired to embrace it as well.
One of the most amazing stories from the Bible is Paul's participation in the persecution of the Christians and God's intervention and Paul's complete reversal of attitude to the Christians. My question is at what time in a person’s life does good or evil become dominant? Is it preordained for some people to create evil all their life? My reasoning is “Thank you God for all your grace, mercy and love.”
A.
Thank you for writing. You have asked a very sophisticated question and your
last sentence gives the best answer: “Thank you God for your grace, mercy and
love.” Paul discovered this same answer – that his ancestry and laws did not
earn God’s favor. As it says in Romans 9:16: “It depends not on human will or
exertion, but on God who shows mercy.”
Just like Paul, we are called to proclaim that life-changing love which we are given through Christ.
Speaking to your questions about evil, as Lutheran we do not believe that some people are “pre-ordained” good or evil. Instead, Luther spoke of all Christians as being “simultaneously saint and sinner.” We are “saint” because we believe our salvation comes through Jesus Christ. We are “sinner” because we still fail to be the people that God created us to be. In this tension, seeking spiritual maturity in the midst of our failure, constantly trusting in God’s love and forgiveness, we find the core of the Christian life.
Why does God allow for evil in the world? Looking back in Scripture, we offer several thoughts. First, when God made creation, including men and women, it was good. However, Adam and Eve chose to ignore God and do what they wanted to do. They wanted to be like God. God did not make them do this evil, but allowed them to act in evil ways. Their punishment, being banished from the garden, brought their longing for and need of God, ultimately bringing them back to God.
There are numerous examples in the Old and New Testament where God does not preordain evil, but allows evil to exist for His own purpose, or for the greater good. For example, Babylon was evil. But God allowed Babylon to destroy Israel so that Israel would rend their hearts and turn back to God. God welcomed them home and restored them to their right place in relationship with him.
Likewise, Romans states that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (8:28) This does not mean that all things are good, but that God can work “good” out of all things.
In summary: Evil was not created by God or desired by God, but evil does exist. We should seek to please God and avoid evil at all costs.
As saints and sinners, when we do or say evil things, we should seek and trust in God's forgiveness. Where evil exists in the world, such as hunger, injustice, and violence, we should do our best to hinder its existence as fellow children of God.
Pastor Bob and Pastor Terri
