My Faith

A recent conversation has inspired me to spend a little time writing about my faith. I am a Christian; I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross as punishment for my sins and through His resurrection, I have received the gift of faith and the promise of Heaven. As a Lutheran, my beliefs can be summarized as follows (in quotes from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod website):

"Grace alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly. "

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9


"Faith alone
By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him."

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – Ephesians 2:8

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Proverbs 3:5

"Scripture alone
The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine."

It greatly saddens me when the sins of humankind drive others away from faith, and this happens all too often. We must not forget that churches are run by humans, and all humans are imperfect. Only God is perfect. The problem is that this imperfection sometimes leads people away from God.

The conversation I mentioned earlier happened a few days ago, when best bud Chris told me that her church started to offer care for special needs children while their parents attend the service. Apparently this came about after her church received several calls from parents asking if it would be OK to bring their special needs children with them; they had been asked by other congregations not to return because their children were too disruptive. Unbelievable. Chris' church had the right response.

Unfortunately, this is not the only shameful story I have heard:

-In high school, a friend of mine had an uncle who was excommunicated from his Catholic parish for failing to tithe.

Money/greediness of the church is probably the biggest reason that I hear for people not wanting to attend church or have a relationship with God. Here's the thing - you don't have to go to church to have faith, but it is easier if you regularly meet with a group of fellow believers. I think of it like re-charging my battery. All week long, I am drained by the worldliness around me and by my own sins. On Sunday, I attend service to refresh my spirit and renew my faith.

Churches, like your own homes, need money to operate. I have previously served on the budget committee of my congregation and had the opportunity to see where each and every penny was spent. If you have questions or concerns about how your church is spending money - ask! If you don't like the answer, seek change or seek a congregation that spends in line with your beliefs of what is right. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Thou shalt spend $10,000 on decorations for your church each year," or anything like that. Those decisions are made by humans.

And then, of course, there is the too-often too judgmental/self-righteous attitude of many Christians.

-A retired pastor once complained to me that his high-school age grandson had bleached his hair blonde. WHO CARES?
-This same retired pastor made the assumption that my father was Catholic because of his last name and proceeded to lecture him in a very insulting fashion.
-How often do we encounter people criticizing or even espousing hatred of others for being homosexual, pro-choice, liberal, whatever?

Some Christians sure do like to get up on their high horses! And while it's disappointing, I beg of you to remember that this is not the example that Jesus set for us. He spent time not with the well-respected and wealthy; he ate with tax collectors and prostitutes!

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. - Matthew 7:1

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. - John 3:17

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? - Luke 6:41

The truth is, we are all sinners. The Bible provides guidelines for living our lives because God knows the pain we will feel if we don't follow them. They are not for us to use to judge and condemn other people. That's God's job.

This has been a very long post, and I thank you if you've stuck with me to the end. If you have any questions or would like to talk with me further about Christian faith, give me a shout.

God bless,
Cindi