______________________________ PRAYING THE GOSPEL What is Faith? What is Gospel? What is Prayer? Advent | Christmas | Epiphany Adult Study SAINT PETER’S CHURCH is an evangelical catholic communion of diverse people and communities publicly nourished by God and creatively shaping life in the city.

FAITH: WHAT IS IT? SHEMA ISRAEL, Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel! God even tells us what to hear: PREAMBLE TO DECALOGUE, Exodus 20:2 I am the Lord, your God. LARGE CATHECISM (II: Creed, 9-11) Decalogue (the ten commandments) precedes the Creed Faith is nothing other than a response and confession of the Christian, given in response to the first commandment Faith is addressed to us with God’s promise in the address

FAITH: ADDRESS WITH PROMISE MARTIN LUTHER, Lectures on Galatians 1535 This is the reason why our theology is certain (or trustworhty): it snatches us away from ourselves and places us outside ourselves, so that we do not depend on our own strength, conscience, experience, person, or works, but depend on that which is outside ourselves (extra nos), that is, on the promise and truth of God, which cannot deceive. The pope does not know this. - 4:6, LW 26:387

FAITH: ADDRESS WITH PROMISE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO US Expression of God. Expression of God for us. Expression of God for us always. Expression of God for us always and in all things. WHAT IF THIS WERE REVERSED? What if we were addressed based on our faith –in what we did/do for God? –as an expression of our own (distorted) selves? What would faith based in our own realities look like? What would prayer wrapped into ourselves look like, sound like?

GOSPEL: WHAT IS IT? Not Law (Law as theological distinction from Gospel) Not the Gospel according to Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke or John Not absent from Paul and other New Testament writers Not the whole “New Testament” Not absent from Torah (the Law) of Moses Not absent from the “Old Testament” (better, Hebrew Scriptures)

GOSPEL: WHAT DOES IT DO? NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION, Romans 3:21-26 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in/of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. LUTHER BIBLE, Romans 2:25 SVNDE VERGJBT (FORGIVE SINS)

GOSPEL: FORGIVES SINS LUTHER BIBLE: SVNDE VERGJBT GOSPEL MEANS (GOD) FORGIVE(S) SINS Only passage written entirely in capital letters Includes this margin note: the foremost passage, the central passage in this epistle and in the entire scripture.

CHRISTIAN FAITH: FAITH IN THE GOSPEL A CHRISTIAN Is one who hears and receives the address and promise from God of unmerited forgiveness of sins made to be ours by the free grace of God in Christ. Must always come back to this, to a reception of God’s address and God’s promise.

CHRISTIAN FAITH: FAITH IN THE GOSPEL MARTIN LUTHER, Lectures on Genesis 1544 I have been baptized. I have been absolved. In this faith I die. No matter what trials and cares confront me from now on, I will certainly not be shaken; for He (sic) who said: “He (sic) who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16) and “Whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19) and “This is my body. This is my blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins,” (cf. Matthew 26:26, 28) -- He (sic) cannot deceive or lie. This is certainly true. - 48:21, LW 8:

CHRISTIAN FAITH: FAITH IN THE GOSPEL A CHRISTIAN Is one who hears and receives the address and promise from God of unmerited forgiveness of sins made to be ours by the free grace of God in Christ. Must always come back to this, to a reception of God’s address and God’s promise. Therefore we do not speak of or about God, but to God in prayer.

LIVING THE GOSPEL IN FAITH: GOD FORGIVES SINS OF SINNERS How do we (evangelical catholics) take this statement of God’s promise literally in our lives of faith: –in our vocations (our acting out of faith)? –in our doings with others, our “neighbors?” –in our prayer?

PRAYER: WHAT IS IT? A doration wonder of God for being God by making and keeping promises C onfession admission of not receiving or living God’s promises T hanksgiving praise of God for God’s work S upplication petitioning God to help us remember that God always keeps God’s promises

______________________________ PRAYING THE GOSPEL What is Faith? What is Gospel? What is Prayer? Advent | Christmas | Epiphany Adult Study SAINT PETER’S CHURCH is an evangelical catholic communion of diverse people and communities publicly nourished by God and creatively shaping life in the city.