The Pastor's Daily Prayer (Part 6 of 13)

The Pastor's Daily Prayer

(paragraph 6 of 13)

The following paragraph comes from the Pastor's Daily Prayer from The Lutheran Agenda (c) 1941.  It has been slightly edited (thee's and thou's to you and yours) to make it sound a bit less archaic; nonetheless, some archaic terms have been retained for the sake of endearment of the original version.

Furthermore, I pray that you would at all times fill the offices of this congregation and its various groups with upright, honest, and sincere men and women, who have the welfare of their congregation at heart and are able to help me in my office with their counsel and their deeds. Unite their hearts with me in love for the truth; give them the spirit of prayer for me and for their congregation, so that we may in unity and harmony build your kingdom in this place. 

The church is not about the pastor.  The church is the people of God who have been called out ("called out" is the meaning of the Greek word for church, ekklesia) of sin and darkness to receive Jesus' righteousness, new life, and salvation.  Since the pastor and the people have all been called out and set apart to honor the Lord and to serve each other, it is right for the pastor to pray for the members who are willing to give their time, talents, and treasures for serving in this congregation.

Every congregation has members who are willing and eager to serve.  The pastor prays that they will all continue to grow in God's grace through word and sacrament so that they will be united in their devotion to the Lord, in their service to one another, and in the mission to bring in the lost, the struggling, and the straying.  The goal is not merely to add to our numbers--as if the glory of God's kingdom is measured by its population.  Rather, our goal is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is cherished by our own members and proclaimed to as many as possible so that, by God's grace, some will be saved.