Today marks exactly one week since I have had my last asthma attack, the aftershocks if you will from the rather bad one a while ago.  For that, I am most grateful.  Most of the time, I awake coughing and gasping.  But often they have come without warning or, worse, when I am laughing.  I hate that. I absolutely hate how careful I have to be about laughing.  So little joy of late and often a danger.  Thus, I praise God for one week free of the terror of struggling to breath, of coughing so violently that it hurt my back and my head and frightens me further.

Today also marks the beginning of Part II of the Large Catechism in my Book of Concord Readings!  I have finished the Ten Commandments for the one who has been moving along the fastest and turned to the first article:  I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

It is interesting how interrelated the chief six parts of our faith are, how Luther's teaching of the Large Catechism spirals back around itself again and again.  The first article of the Creed covers also the First Commandment and the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer, as they, in turn, are covered by the first article of the Creed.

Three notes I made during this re-teaching of what I have learned:

• Luther comments in the introduction:  Now there properly follows the Creed, which sets forth to us everything that we must expect and receive from God. (LC, Part II, 1)  

I would think that he would have written, which sets forth the sum of our confession.  After all, I see this as a mini-Augsburg Confession.  The creeds came about as so that members of the Church could agree on what it was that they believed, what was pure teaching.  None of this Christ not being divine stuff that was bruited about.  Were Luther alive today, I would think he would have written that it was the cliff notes of our confession.

Instead, he is channeling Kleinig or this is where Kleinig got his receptive spirituality.

Once again, I am struck by the fact that I see Law where there is Gospel.  Gospel gives.  The Creed is about all that God gives to us.

• Luther teaches that the First Article, about God the Father, explains creation. The Second Article, about the Son, explains redemption.  And the Third, about the Holy Spirit, explains sanctification. (LC, Part II, 6)    

So, if the Creed is about what we must expect and receive, then we are to expect life, new life (eternal life), and holiness.

• Different from his teaching for the introduction of the Lord's Prayer, Luther does not focus on God as our Father, as a parent caring for his child.  Instead, he focuses on God as our Creator.  

As Creator, He bears the responsibility of the care for His created:  life, sustenance, protection.  For once, I do not have to struggle through figurative language of parent and child, language that makes no sense to me.  I understand why someone who created something would want to watch over it, care for it, nurture it.  That is imagery which makes sense to me.

Reading it, too, made me think of the teaching on the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer, give us this day our daily bread.  Circles.  Symmetry.  Cohesion.

Or, as El put it, everything fits together most perfectly, most wondrously.

Tonight, I am quite thankful for the opportunity to make these recordings, to teach what I have learned, to remind myself of what is true, to look upon the Gospel and bask in all that He has given me, a beggar.

Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief!