God bless President ______________

Today, the 45th President of the United States will take the oath of office.  For some, it is a day of great joy.  For others, it is a day of angst and mourning.

In one of the litanies we use on occasion, we pray for our leaders by name.  For the past eight years, our prayer was for President Obama.  Now our prayer will be for President Trump.  The particular intercession reads:

Pastor:   Preserve our nation in justice and honor, that we may lead peaceable lives of integrity.  Grant health and favor to all who bear office in our land, especially to President Trump, Governor Snyder, and Bob Gatt, the Mayor of Novi, and all those who make, administer, and judge our laws, and help them serve all citizens according to your will:
Cong:    Hear us, good Lord.

Perhaps you are not a fan of President Trump.  Maybe you even fear his policies.  That is fine; it is your opinion.  (Likewise with President Obama.)  But if you refuse to pray for the President, your problem is no longer with the President; it is with the Lord.

No matter what anyone thinks of the out-going President or of the in-coming President, the Church will continue to heed the word of God which states: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

God bless President Obama.  God bless President Trump.

A Pastoral Concern -- The Election of a President

In less than a week, American voters will again elect government officials.  The most notable and important election will be that of our next president.

The sides of the two major parties are polarized more than any other time in my life.  Each side considers the other to be the one who would usher in the end of America as we know it.  Some even fear for the world.  And perhaps more than any other time in American history, people are more inclined to vote against a candidate rather than vote for one, hoping to avoid an evil rather than to promote good.

Let each Christian prayerfully consider whom he or she will vote for.  But if you would like my own pastoral advice regarding this election, here it is:

"Do not put your trust in princes; in mortal men who cannot save" (Psalm 146:3, NIV) -- the same as any election.

If your preferred candidate does not win the election, maybe that is just as well.  Then you can stop putting your faith in who the president is.  Then you can put your focus on Jesus, on his promises, and on his kingdom.  Then you can pray more fervently for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Then you can turn away from political speeches and promises and devote yourself to the promises of a Savior who does not lie and, when he speaks, he does not do it to pander to people.  

In other words, you can start to act like the Church, which is what you have been called to do to begin with.

Post Easter Getaway

After the services during Holy Week and Easter Sunday, we skipped town for a few days.  Here are some photos from our trip.  First, a few days in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, then a trip to eastern Ohio for some site-seeing.  Enjoy!

My brother, Paul, my parents, and me at the Schroeder house in Sheboygan.

Playing a little football at the Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.

Mausoleum of Pres. William and Ida McKinley in

Canton, OH.  The McKinley's also had two daughters

who died in infancy.  They are interred here, too.

 

The white shirt in this photo is believed to have been worn by Pres. McKinley as he was recovering after being shot in Buffalo, NY.  A replica of the pistol used in the assassination is at the right, middle.  Below the pistol, lower right, is a funeral rosette which was on a horse that pulled Pres. McKinley's casket from the church to the cemetery in Canton.  (He was later moved to the mausoleum pictured above.)  The brass plaque just upper left from the pistol was taken from his casket.  All this memorabilia is at the President McKinley Library and Museum in Canton, OH.



My lovely wife stands in the William McKinley Birthplace Memorial in Niles, OH. 

This memorial also has a library on one wing and an auditorium/museum on the other. 

It is a very impressive structure.