<> Ask the Pastor Fr. Walter Snyder Q: I have been upset recently because of several events in my life, and even though I have been telling God all my affairs, telling God that I want Him to be in my life and that I pray for His deliverance in the matters I am affected by, I still do not seem to be able to be delivered away from my sadness. I know that this sadness is in part due to some factors that are beyond my control, but at the same time, I know that God is in control of everything and I just could not see why I am still feeling tired and weary despite the fact that I have not done a lot of strenuous activities for the past few days. In fact, I just feel like sleeping nowadays even though my physical being is fine and healthy. I would just like to ask why is God seemingly slow in answering my prayers, and why despite my events being solved, that I am still feeling sad within. Am I being convicted or is it because there is still something within me that I have not given up to God? A: Dear friend, you may have some unresolved problem or a bit of nagging guilt at an old sin that you have not yet recognized. While God's forgiveness is complete, we often return to wallow in guilt, dirtying consciences already cleansed by Jesus' blood. However, there may also be another reason for the problem. It could be some form of depression, which could be diagnosed and treated by a doctor. If this is the case, there is no condemnation from God for availing yourself of medical treatment. Sometimes also, certain diseases bring about lethargy before other symptoms appear. Make sure that what ails you is not an illness of the body or a problem of the mind before delving too deeply for lurking sins or a too-casual relationship with Christ. To avidly search for sins where there are none evident may invite them back into your life, while the building of a better relationship with God is done by his Holy Spirit, through Gospel, absolution, and the sacraments. Q: I am researching the Jubilee year and how it applies to us today, I cannot find a whole lot of information on it, can you help? A: The Year of Jubilee was part of God's plan for Israel, wherein slaves were freed, land returned to the person or family which originally owned it, and agriculture was halted. Leviticus 25 introduces the Jubilee to Israel. Every seventh year was to be a "sabbath" year, wherein the fields were to lie fallow (unplanted). After a "sabbath of sabbaths" seven times seven years a Jubilee occurred. Christians are not bound by this ceremony of Israel, although we are free to observe it in some form if we so choose. Examining the rituals of the Jubilee can lead us to also examine our stewardship of the earth, our relationships with each other, and our trust in the Lord. Q: I found the foundation of my faith nearly torn out at the roots by a comment from a young student of the ministry. She informed a Bible study group that there are two kinds of Christians: Those that believe that Christ "is" God and those that don't. To say she upset me off would be an understatement. I'd like to hear from authority within the Lutheran Church. Is Christ God? Grey don't count; he is or he isn't. Got an answer? A: As your chosen "authority," I tell you, point blank, "He is!" He tells us that himself in John 8:58 59, wherein he appropriates the Covenant Name (see Exodus 3:14), saying, "'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.' So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple." Here we see that his audience understood what he was claiming, and wanted to kill him for blasphemy. Paul writes in Colossians 2:9, "In [Christ] the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily." Lutherans confess with most of Christendom these words of the Athanasian Creed, "The catholic [universal, Christian] Faith is this, that we worship one God in Three Persons and Three Persons in one God, neither confusing the Persons nor dividing the substance. For there is One Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all One: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal." If this youngster is denying the deity of Christ Jesus, she stands condemned by Scripture as well as the Church, which dealt firmly with such heresies in its first few centuries. In plain English, to deny "the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" is heresy, and the one who espouses such belief is a heretic. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.