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Zion Confessions Reading Group
 | The word CONCORDIA means "with one heart". The idea is that Lutherans can and must confess the same truths about our faith. This is an amazing blessing to work towards this. Once a week a group of laypeople and Pastor Hoffman get together and simply discuss the readings from the Book of Concord for the week. What grabbed you? What didn't? Whatever you want, the discussion is pretty open.. It is a rich and diverse part of who we are. We know it is not just some historical document, but rather a contemporary testimony to the unchanging nature of our faith. ENJOY! Members of the group may log in Here to access the discussion forum. | |
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Quote for the week
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
17TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
LARGE CATECHISM, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
LARGE CATECHISM, TEN COMMANDMENTS
"You shall have no other gods before Me" [Exodus 20:3], in its
simplest meaning states nothing other than this demand: You
shall fear, love, and trust in Me as your only true God. All
Scriptures have everywhere preached and taught the First
Commandment, aiming always at these two things: fear of God and
trust in Him. The prophet David especially does this throughout
the Psalms, as when he says "the Lord takes pleasure in those who
fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love" [Psalm
147:11]. He writes as if the entire commandment were explained
by one verse, as if to say, "The Lord takes pleasure in those
who have no other gods."
So the First Commandment is to shine and give its splendor to
all the others. Therefore, you must let this declaration run
through all the commandments. It is like a hoop in a wreath,
joining the end to the beginning and holding them all together.
Let it be continually repeated and not forgotten, as the Second
Commandment says, so that we fear God and do not take His name
in vain for cursing, lying, deceiving, and other ways of leading
men astray, or trickery. But we make proper and good use of His
name by calling upon Him in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,
derived from love and trust according to the First Commandment.
In the same way such fear, love, and trust is to drive and force
us not to despise His Word, but gladly to learn it, hear it,
value it holy, and honor it. (paragraphs 324-326)
Condensed from CONCORDIA: THE LUTHERAN CONFESSIONS
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