Lord’s Day 41: Q&A 108-109: Embodied Temples

This is an interesting Lord’s Day to write about. It’s one of the reasons why we started this initiative in the first place. That’s because our home denomination, the CRCNA, voted to utilize Q&A 108, specifically the definition of ‘unchastity’ to disqualify anyone from holding ecclesial office who is affirming of LGBTQ individuals in the church. This website was not intended to give our hot takes on Synodical decisions, but we will say that we lament the usage of the church’s Confessions as bludgeoning tools when they are supposed to be the Three Forms of Unity. Hence one of the reasons why this initiative exists: We want to bring our historic confessions to the forefront of worship inclusion so that we may be more broadly united as a church universal.

Now, then, the seventh commandment. Once again, we are pulling from the Sermon on the Mount a bit wherein Jesus says that our thoughts implicate us in adultery just as much as our actions. The positive-spin question that this Lord’s Day and this commandment ask of us is this: How do we live godly lives as embodied and sexual people? How do we give honor to each other and to our Creator while living into how we have been created? If our bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit (another term that has been perhaps improperly used from time to time), how do we maintain them?

One of the main ways is to treat each other with true respect; not lusting after one another or disrespecting our fellow image-bearers by committing adultery in thought, word, and deed. Easier said than done, especially because our sex drives can be incredibly hard to reign in.

Lord’s Day 41

Q&A 108-109

GOD’S LAW

As always, this can simply be read responsively.

CONFESSION (Jude 22)

Pure and Holy God,

You created our bodies and you called them good.

We confess that we do not honor the bodies you gave us.

We lust after other bodies and abuse our own bodies.

Our lives are mark by excess and indecency

Rather than chastity and self control.

God, forgive us for our unchaste lives.

Forgives when we turn to lust to fill the holes in our hearts.

Have mercy on us who are wavering. 

Redeem our desires to be grounded in your love, Father.

Remind us that we are Temples of your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

One: People of God, you were bought at a price.

All: Our Savior Jesus has set us free from sin and evil.

One: We are not our own. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

All: Out of gratitude for Christ’s work, we will honor God with our bodies.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER FOR RELATIONSHIPS

Triune God,

In the beginning you created all things good.

You created man in your image,

But knew that he needed another to be in communion with.

So you created woman, and said it was good. 

God of community,

We best reflect your image in community.

In our friendships, families, relationships, and marriage,

We reflect the communal love of you, Triune God. 

We pray your love informs all our relationships.

That we would be open and vulnerable with our friends,

Generous and compassionate with our children,

And selfless with our spouses and partners.

Helps us to see your love in all our relationships,

Loving God.

We see your goodness in these relationships,

But we also see the pain of sin and evil.

In relationships that have been broken.

In hurtful words and neglect,

In unmet needs and forgotten moments,

In unfaithfulness and cheating,

And in the absence of love and physical intimacy.

Sin and evil infect all our relationships. 

Our loved ones sin and hurt us,

And we sin and hurt them in return.

Even while we were selfish,

Our selfless Savoir gave himself for us

In the ultimate display of love.

So we would be set free from the vicious cycle of evil

And know what true love is.

Work in our relationships, Holy Spirit.

Redeem our hearts to turn from disordered love and selfishness.

Keep us from lust and unchastity.

Let our relationships always be inviting,

And our love be an extension of your love, Triune God.

In the name of our loving Savior we pray, Amen.