Introduction: Peace
One of our young men training to be an Army Ranger remarked it’s a real dilemma trying to reconcile Jesus telling him to love his enemies and the Army teaching him to kill them.
Pastor Fritz Foltz
Pastor Foltz is Pastor Emeritus of Saint James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, PA and author of the the Frontline Study content.
Hopes and Fears
We gather to celebrate another Christmas, to proclaim the wondrous gift, to acknowledge the hopes and also the fears that are met in this birth. In the silent darkness of this night, let us consider the hopes and fears of this world. In the stillness of this night, let us imagine that we are in […]
Angels
We have come once more to hear the story of Jesus’ birth. We have come to remember the turning point, when God came to rule his world, to make right what has gone wrong. We gather in darkness, listening for promise, the slightest whisper of hope. The story begins with Mary’s Song, “God scatters the […]
Here I Come!
All Advent, we have been praying, “Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Stir up your power, O God, and come.” Now on Christmas Eve, we hear God’s reply, “Okay. Here I come.” We jump back. We are afraid. Will we be able to control God if he really does stir up his power? […]
Lesson 11: The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting
The creed ends with the affirmation that we shall share Jesus’ resurrection. Although there is some concern about when this will take place, there is agreement that Jesus’ resurrection appearances, as recorded in the Bible, indicate what ours shall be like. The gospels begin by anticipating our following Jesus in the near future. In fact, […]
Lesson 10: The Forgiveness of Sin
At first, it might seem strange that belief in the forgiveness of sins appears so prominently in the Creed. Sin is not a popular topic in the modern world. To acknowledge a mistake is a sign of weakness. A failure is simply a learning experience on the way to success. We should be emphasizing the […]
Lesson 9: Alive In The Spirit
Christians believe the Risen Christ is still among us. The Creed lists several ways this takes place in its third article that describes the work of the Holy Spirit. Whereas the Old Testament claims that Spirit filled certain leaders, the New Testament proclaims Pentecost made Christ available to all believers. Significantly, the article first mentions […]
Lesson 8: Resurrection is Hope
Most of us can’t help ourselves when we speak the last part of the Second Article, “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.” Conditioned by simplistic popular ideas, we think […]
Lesson 7: Descended into Hell
A close examination of this phrase can help us gain some perspective on what is involved in using a 2000 year-old creed. When I was young, I thought it meant I had to believe in hell. That made me uncomfortable in high school when I heard evangelists like Billy Graham base their ministry on the […]
Lesson 6: Jesus Suffered
The next portion of the second article also emphasizes Jesus was a human with all of our limitations. “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried”. There is nothing make believe here. Jesus dies. And before he dies, he suffers, alone. Two of the gospels picture him dying while believing he has […]
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