The Pastor's Daily Prayer (Part 9 of 13)

The Pastor's Daily Prayer

(paragraph 9 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.


Mercifully bless the education and instruction of the children, that they may grow up in your fear to the praise of your name. I commend to you also the nursery of our church, the Christian day school. Hinder and frustrate all enemies of this institution. May I ever regard and accept it as a precious gift of God! Give our congregation able and apt teachers. Preserve them from every form of indecent and evil speech and behavior. Bless the work of our Sunday school teachers, and help them to lead the little ones into the Savior’s loving arms. 


It may seem unlikely, but the WELS has the 4th largest parochial school system in America.  And like just about all other parochial schools, it is suffering.  It costs a lot of money to make Christian education a high priority.  It costs a lot of money to train future teachers for these schools, and Martin Luther College does a fine job preparing teachers to do their job.  Usually, the teachers are asked to do more than they should.  For the most part, these teachers accept the extra burdens and do these things without extra compensation and without complaint.  The reason?  They love their Savior and they love the children whom they are teaching and to whom they proclaim God's word.

While owning and operating a school comes with great commitment and expense, we accept these responsibilities because we believe that teaching our children on the foundation of Jesus Christ is that important.  Therefore, we pray for our schools and our teachers.  [Note: Good Shepherd does not own or operate a Lutheran elementary school.  We refer people to St. Paul's Lutheran School in Livonia (pre-K through 8th grade), and we try to offset the cost of tuition with assistance from our own congregation.  We are also part of the association which owns and operates Huron Valley Lutheran High School in Westland (9th - 12th grade).]

In addition to the Lutheran schools, Good Shepherd also offers Sunday School (8:45 AM Sunday mornings) to children from age 3 through 6th grade.  These classes teach the children the basic Bible stories so that they will understand how God's love was demonstrated from the creation of the world to their own lives.  It all centers on Jesus who lived, died, and rose to save sinners.

Therefore, the pastor prays for the Sunday School and its teachers so that the children may learn more about God's grace, be strengthened in the Christian faith, and be assured of their place in God's kingdom.  The prayer is not only that students and teachers alike grow in God's word, but also that their lives would serve as an example and encouragement of godly living so that the children recognize that the Christian faith is not merely a theory, but is put into practice every day in our lives.

The Pastor's Daily Prayer (Part 8 of 13)

The Pastor's Daily Prayer

(paragraph 8 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.


Preserve and keep the youth of our Church from falling way and joining the world, and keep them from the many sins of youth. O Lord, you know how difficult it is to lead the young on the right paths and to divide the Word of Truth with respect to them; therefore, I pray, give me particular wisdom and skill to be stern without estranging their hearts, and mild and charitable without strengthening them in frivolity and unruliness. 


I find myself praying this petition in various forms more often and more fervently.  Perhaps it is because my own children are at this age.  But I also think it has something to do with looking at the photos of old confirmation classes on the wall of our church and recognizing just how few of these youth--now young adults--are still going to church. 

High school and college years are prime time for the devil to seduce people away from Christ.  Their world opens up, and the friends they make may be appalled that the young people from church have not given themselves over to sex, binge drinking, drugs, and other forms of wickedness.  I suspect that we have many young people who feel like they have to apologize for having lived a chaste and decent life.  At the very least, they are emboldened to sin, and they are celebrated when they do.  They need prayers.

It is not helpful to overlook sins.  That only encourages people to continue in them.  At the same time, the young people may be living with guilt and shame that is crushing them.  They fear coming to their pastor because they expect him to disown them or to make their guilt worse.  For the pastor, he tries to determine who needs a call to repent and who needs the soothing words of mercy and forgiveness.  What deeds should be addressed, and what deeds can be chalked up to young, ambitious, creative minds who are engaging in harmless fun?  It is not always so easy to tell.  And no pastor wants his words to be the ones which drive people away from the church.

As much as I try, I want to give the young people the benefit of the doubt and encourage them as dear Christians.  When I recognize trends, I will address them accordingly.  And if I have to expose excuses for what they are (e.g., "I can't go to church because I am so busy" -- We are ALL busy), I will for the sake of their spiritual well-being. 

But whether they know it or not, whether they are saying their own prayers or not, I am praying for these young people.  And if they do drift away, I hope they also understand that our doors are always open to them, and that we welcome back people no matter how prodigal they have been.

The Pastor's Daily Prayer (Part 7 of 13)

The Pastor's Daily Prayer

(paragraph 7 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.


And since hypocrites and ungodly people are often found within the visible church organization, I pray, Lord, do not permit Satan to disrupt this congregation through such people or to hinder the efficiency of my office. If there a such people in our midst, let your word be like a hammer upon their hearts of stone. Have patience with them, but if they persist in their unbelief, hypocrisy, and wickedness, reveal them so that they may be put forth from your congregation. Give me a forgiving heart towards all, and help me, especially for their sake, to speak and act cautiously.


In his parable of the weeds and the wheat, Jesus informed us that hypocrites will be intermingled with God's people.  The parable also highlights that the hypocrites and the faithful are pretty much indistinguishable from each other.  In most cases, the Lord himself will sort this out at the final judgment.

However, people may prove their hypocrisy and wickedness as actions eventually betray hearts that are persisting in sin.  Of course, it is never the particular sin that is the chief problem--for, we are all sinners.  If we disciplined people for sinning, who would be left in church?!  Rather, it is the persistence of one's sin which reveals their impenitence and unbelieving hearts.  And while the unbeliever may insist he believes in Jesus, he cannot be holding to the truth if he persists in a life that continually and unapologetically defies God's word.  That makes a confession: "I do not believe God's word on that point; in fact, I reject it as a lie.  And will live in a way that proves it." 

While no pastor delights in expelling such people from the church, he must do it for the following reasons.
     1)  In order to faithfully uphold the word of God as true and faithful.
     2)  In order to call the sinner to repent.  By excommunicating him--if it must come to that due to the stubborn heart of the member, we hope it will cause him to realize the severity of his sin.  In this way, God's Law acts as a hammer on their stubborn hearts.  The goal is not to get revenge or to humiliate, but to bring to repentance so that they might be forgiven and joyfully reconciled.
     3)  In order to demonstrate to the congregation that God's word is to be taken seriously.  We do not deny God's word for the sake of friendship or convenience.  This would only embolden others to engage in sinful living themselves.

Nevertheless, the pastor is aware that his judgment may be flawed.  He does his best to be faithful to God's word in his assessments, and he is obligated to defend his actions based on that word.  If he is guilty of acting in a loveless or vengeful way to someone whom he either does not get along with or who has wronged him personally, may God grant him the humility to repent, apologize, and rectify as much as he can.  Therefore, the pastor prays that he would always be willing and ready to forgive people.  And in that vein, he prays to be careful that his judgments are not rash or reactionary, but always done in love for God's truth and for the people who bear Christ's name.

Wills Awareness Seminar at Good Shepherd, Sunday, April 29

What happens when a person dies? The Bible tells us what happens to our body and soul; it does not tell us what happens to our estate.

Good Shepherd will be offering estate planning and advice for preparing your will so that your estate will be executed the way you want it to. Rev. John Kenyon will be here this Sunday (April 29) from the WELS office to walk through these things. Church is at 10:00 AM. The Wills Awareness Seminar takes place at about 11:20 AM. A continental breakfast will be served.

For more info, see this link: https://wels.net/reviewing-estate-plan/

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.

The Pastor's Daily Prayer (Part 5 of 13)

The Pastor's Daily Prayer

(paragraph 5 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.


Graciously take into your fatherly care the sick and the needy, all widows and orphans, and all who are in any trouble, temptation, anguish of labor, peril of death, or any other adversity. Comfort them, O God, with your Holy Spirit, that they may patiently endure their afflictions and acknowledge them as a manifestation of your fatherly will. Preserve their soul from faintheartedness and despondency, and help that they may seek you, the great Physician of their souls. And if any pass through the valley of the shadow of death, sustain them so that, in the last hour, no pain or fear of death would cause them to fall away from you, but let your everlasting arms be underneath them, and grant them a peaceful departure and a happy entrance into your eternal kingdom. 


This intercession covers all who are enduring any physical afflictions.  It remembers people whose afflictions are happening because they have lost the support that the Lord usually provides through a family.  The widow does not have the support and headship of her husband whom God gave her for her benefit.  Because of the harsh reality of death, this grieving wife now bears the full responsibility of the household and the children in it.  Even more dire is the circumstance of the orphan who has lost his/her parents.  Besides concerns over the source of their meals, clothing, and shelter, these children have lost the love, care, and discipline of the parents to whom they were given.  The children were a gift to their parents, and the parents were a gift to their children.  For whatever reason, that blessed relationship was severed too early.  Such children need our prayers, our compassion, our attention, and our physical aid.

While widows and orphans bear their own particular crosses, much more common is the sickness that afflicts people.  Hospitals are often too full.  And while sickness and disease are common, that does not mean they are easy to endure--whether we are enduring it personally or we are watching a loved one who is afflicted.  

God never tells us why we have to endure a particular illness or a disease.  Often, the reason is this: The world is broken and bad things happen in it.  But even when they do happen, God's people have the comfort of knowing that the Lord remains our good and merciful Father in heaven.  He has also extended this promise:  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)  We may never know how things work for our good; but we can remain confident that they do because God does not lie to us.

Finally, not all who get sick get well.  Many die.  We know that death will come for us at some point.  But when you are bedridden and have too much time to do nothing but think, the devil will taunt you and try to bring you to despair.  To do this, he simply reminds you of your sins.  And he does not have to make anything up.  He simply reports, and your conscience convicts you.  The above prayer is for such people, that the devil's lies will not cause fear or despair to rob someone of comfort, or worse, to cause them to fall into disbelief.

The devil is a liar.  Even when he reminds us of sins that we know full well we are guilty of, the devil is a liar.  For this is what the Lord says: "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)  That overrules all sin and guilt.  This enables us to have a peaceful departure from this world, whenever that day should come.  For, since we have been marked by the blood of Christ, we already have our verdict--forgiven and, therefore, heirs of eternal life.

Today's Earworm

An earworm is a tune that you can't get out of your head.  It bores itself into your ear.

Today's earworm is "Do It Or Die" by the Atlanta Rhythm Section.  Hopefully posting this will help me to move on, but to be fair, it is a catchy earworm.

Enjoy.