Is God responsible for evil?

MONDAY 24th June  (Proper 7)

A Daily Podcast brought to you by Anglican Futures designed to help you pray.

Just confession, catechism, creed and collects.

Short and simple.

If you want to discover more about what else Anglican Futures offers – blogs, events and practical support - please visit our website www.anglicanfutures.org

 

TRANSCRIPT

Hello and Welcome to “In All Our Doings”

- A confession, catechism, creed and collect brought to you daily by Anglican Futures. 

You join us as we take time to ponder on the Lord’s Prayer – but first

We begin with Confession

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Grant to your faithful people, merciful Lord, pardon and peace; that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Today’s question from the Anglican Catechism – To be a Christian – is

Is God responsible for evil?

To which the answer is given:

No. The sinful choices of his creatures do not implicate God in evil in any way.

(Deuteronomy 30:15–19; Romans 7:7–25; James 1:13–15)

Therefore, today’s Bible reading comes from Deuteronomy Chapter 30, beginning at verse 15

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God[a] that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,[b] then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

This is the word of the Lord

 

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Let us pray

Our Father in Heaven

Hallowed be your name

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven

Give us today our daily bread

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from the evil one

For the kingdom the power and the glory are yours now and forever Amen

 

Today’s Collect

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favour, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Final Words

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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Bible readings are taken from the English Standard Version and the Catechism from To be a Christian – both with permission from Crossway.  The liturgy comes from the ACNA Book of Common Prayer 2019.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Catechism questions are taken from To be a Christian by Packer etc, Copyright © 2020 Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org