Psalm 8 O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. ² Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger. ³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; ⁴ what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? ⁵ Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. ⁶ You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, ⁷ all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, ⁸ the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. ⁹ O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

During the church seasons of Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Lent, we say the Nicene Creed during our worship service. We also say this creed on festival Sundays. On other Sundays, we say the Apostle’s Creed. Since we are going to soon be in the time after Pentecost, when we profess the Apostle’s Creed, I think it is appropriate that we revisit this creed. We will look at it in three parts, as Martin Luther did in his small catechism. The information below is the first article of the creed, with Martin Luther’s explanation following. The first article is about God the Father, the second about Jesus Christ, and the third about the Holy Spirit. For the next two weeks we will revisit the other two articles as well, reminding ourselves just what it is that we profess on Sunday mornings.

I. The First Article: On Creation

I believe in God the Almighty Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Q. What does this mean?

A. I believe that God created me, along with all creatures. He 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. He gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and land, wife and children, fields, animals and all I own. Every day He abundantly provides everything I need to nourish this body and life. He protects me against all danger, shields and defends me from all evil. He does all this because of His pure, fatherly and divine goodness and His mercy, not because I've earned it or deserved it. For all of this, I must thank Him, praise Him, serve Him and obey Him. Yes, this is most certainly true!

In our prayers this week: Alma, Linwood, Gail, Gail’s mother, Francis Cassam, Deborah Steed, Michael, and Brenten.

God's Peace,

 Pastor Judson