Mail Archive of the old Santa Clara Valley Lutheran Parish

Subject: Re: July 13 devotion

Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:20:04 -0700 (PDT)

From: David Bonde <dkbonde@gmail.com>

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Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:20:04 -0700 (PDT)
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Subject: Re: July 13 devotion
From: David Bonde <dkbonde@gmail.com>
To: SCVLP <scvlp@googlegroups.com>
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What Luther had in mind with "daily the Holy Spirit abundantly
forgives all sins" is that daily (continually) the forgiveness of sins
is announced and received (technical term: apprehended) with faith
(i.e. the declaration of forgiveness is trusted and depended on).
Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17)

It is also important to recognize that the forgiveness of sins is
announced not just in the confessional or pulpit, but in the mutual
consolation of the brothers and sisters.  We are called and authorized
to declare to one another that our sins are forgiven.  So forgiveness
is declared around coffee tables and water coolers and as you ride to
school with your child.  There the Holy Spirit is present to create
faith, to give ears/hearts that receive the word of forgiveness.

Or, at least, it should be happening in all those places.

David Bonde

On Jul 13, 8:45 pm, Dfd...@aol.com wrote:
> Bea,
>
> This question is actually 2 questions:
>
> part one is a theological question  How theologically does the Holy  Spirit
> forgive sin?
>
> theologians can take this one on, but I'd start by citing Jesus' word to
> "release" in Matthew 18 and John 20
>
> part two is a mechanical or a psycho-theological-quasi-emotional/social
> question  What is the mechanism whereby the Holy Spirit forgives sin?
>
> psychologists are currently very interested in the second question, some
> converging on a process whereby the physiological symptoms of living in
> "unforgiveness" are released -- read Luskin's Forgive For Good, if you want to  get
> some of the latest on this topic.  It is also being studied at  Stanford, UW
> Madison and at Vanderbilt
>
> My take on it is a systems perspective:  forgiveness occurs when an
> individual takes the outside position in a network of interlocking emotional
> triangles and thereby leads the others forward toward differentiation of  self.
>
> In the christian community, which is frankly known more for anxious  judgment
> than for forgiveness, for tense insistence on correctness rather than  for
> acceptance, forgiveness occurs whenever Jesus is recognized by all as the
> emotional nucleus toward which we turn.  the Lordship of Christ.   Christ the Head,
> we the body, permits forgiveness.  Bonhoeffer's concept of  Christ the Center
> develops this theologically in elegant fashion.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave
>
> David Dahl
> 880 Bette  Avenue
> Cupertino, CA 95014
>
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