Lord’s Day 34: Q&A 92-95: No other gods

When I (Matt) was growing up, our church would often incorporate a reading of the Ten Commandments into church services. Because of this, I can fairly easily recite the NIV (1984) passage from Exodus of the Ten Commandments. This was part of the oft-neglected (at least in the churches that I have gone to and worked at, which makes it partially my fault if it’s neglected) reading of God’s Law, which either precedes the Confession and Assurance or follows it. This is either so that we can be convicted of our sins and failures to follow God’s Law or that, as forgiven people, we can then hear God’s Will for Our Lives.

We’re going to be spending the next eleven weeks in the Ten Commandments as we traverse the Gratitude/Service section of the Catechism. I’m a fan of this section, as often the Ten Commandments are relegated to being ‘just the Old Testament Law’ or ‘too negative’ since many of them start with “You shall not. . .” By reframing them into positive statements of God’s will for us and bringing them into the life of a Christian, they can take on new life and not seem so rigid but rather like encouragements from God as to how he wishes us to live for him. This week we get a recitation of all ten as well as the first commandment:

Lord’s Day 34

Q&A 92

GOD’S LAW

As we will see with many of these in the coming weeks, this Q&A can be read verbatim as a pronouncement of God’s Law.

Q&A 93

SENDING (Matthew 22:37-39)

One: People of God, go forth into God’s world empowered by the Holy Spirit to follow God’s law. To love God with our whole lives and to love your neighbor as yourself. 

CALL TO GODLY LIVING (Matthew 22:37-39)

One: The first four commandments teach us how to live in relationship with God.

All: We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.

One: The second six commandments teach us what we owe to our neighbor.

All: We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Q&A 94

CONFESSION OF SIN

One True God,

We confess we look for good things apart from you.

We turn to idols, superstition, and other creatures

Rather than trusting in you alone God.

Father, help us to rightly know you.

We cling to our sinful ways

Out of fear and arrogance

Rather than trusting in your promises, Living God.

Turn our hearts to look only to you, loving Father.

Give us the strength to give up anything 

that goes against your will, God, in any way.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Psalm 104:27-28, James 1:17)

One: When you, Oh God, give it to them,

they gather it up;

when you open your hand,

they are satisfied with good things.

All: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Q&A 95

CONFESSION OF SIN (Galatians 4:8, Ephesians 5:5, Philippians 3:19)

One True God,

We confess we trust in things other than you.

We create other gods and idols in our life.

Out of our anxiety and insecurity,

Or out of shame and greed,

We confess our minds are set on earthly things.

Set us free from this slavery, Father.

Remind us of our inheritance in you.