A Beloved Mother

Today is Mother’s Day. In addition to thanking God for my own mother and my own wife (the mother of my four boys) this day, I pray that our gracious Lord would mercifully grant His love, strength, forgiveness, hope, comfort, peace, and joy to the following:

• the woman who, together with her husband, is bringing up their child(ren) “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4);
• the woman who longs to have a child, but can’t;
• the woman who gave up a child via adoption;
• the woman who adopted a child not her own to love and nurture as her own;
• the woman who is raising a child alone;
• the woman who ended her pregnancy;
• the woman whose unborn child died in utero;
• the woman whose child was born prematurely;
• the woman whose child was born stillborn;
• the woman whose child was born with some sort of disability;
• the woman who has had to bury a child; and
• any and every other woman not fitting the categories above.

Though every earthly mother is flawed to one degree or another, we have a heavenly mother who is the bride of Christ. To the eyes she is deeply flawed, wrinkled, covered with warts. But by God’s grace she is pure, holy, righteous. Saint Paul writes, “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:26). She gave birth to us in Holy Baptism, feeds us the pure milk of the Word, and sets a table before us with the holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you don’t know this mother yet, get to know her. The Father created her from the Second Adam’s side. The Son loves her and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the Church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. The Spirit works through her and her means of grace to create and nurture children of the heavenly Father.

That’s why my prayer this Mother’s Day is this:

Thank You, dear Father in heaven, for our beloved mother—the only, holy, Christian, and apostolic Church. In Christ, she is beautiful, loving, forgiving, and welcoming. In Christ, she is an endless supply of hope, comfort, peace, and joy. We thank You this day for giving her to us that we might know You, the only true God, and therein be partakers of the forgiveness, life, and salvation Your Son graciously bestows on us in Word and Sacrament. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

A Prayer for Thanksgiving

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever. Lord God, heavenly Father, You have created me and endowed me with all that I am or have as a pure gift of Your “fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.” You sustain me from day to day with the gifts of daily bread in the food that I eat, the family that surrounds me, the friend I enjoy, the country where I live, and countless other benefits that I constantly receive from Your open hand. On this Day of Thanksgiving, cause me gratefully to remember the good gifts that You shower upon me. Deepen in me the knowledge of Your goodness, and awaken my heart to praise You for all of Your gifts, especially the forgiveness of sins that You have purchased and won for me and the whole world in the atoning death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Keep me mindful of Your mercies every day, and grant that I may thank, praise, serve, and obey You not only with my lips but also with a life dedicated to the service of my neighbor. To You, O Lord—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—be all honor and glory, praise and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen.

Lutheran Book of Prayer

On Thanksgiving Day, #113, pp. 176-177

His Mercy Endures Forever

It’s that time of the year again. Autumn leaves are falling and farmers are out in the fields gathering in the bounty of their labor. With the harvest naturally comes thanksgiving. President Lincoln first set aside a national day of Thanksgiving here in America in 1863. For most Americans, Thanksgiving brings to mind a scrumptious feast of carved turkey, dressing, mashed or sweet potatoes, gravy, corn, squash, rolls, pie, etc. And there’s a good chance this celebration is followed by a nap or the afternoon football game.

But before you feast this coming Thursday, come into God’s house to hear His Word and thank Him for all His blessings. Those blessings are countless, involving both body and soul:

First Article of the Creed 

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

Second Article of the Creed 

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

Third Article of the Creed 

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

What else can we say to all these blessings but “this is most certainly true.” The Triune God has given us everything necessary for body and soul. Therefore, let us give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His mercy endures forever!

235 Years Ago

Why do we celebrate a National Day of Thanksgiving in America? The answer was first given 235 years ago, in 1777, by the Continental Congress. This is what they wrote: 

“Congress recommends a day of … thanksgiving and praise so that the people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts … and join … their prayers that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, to forgive our sins and … to enlarge His kingdom which consists in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Continental Congress 1777

written by Samuel Adams and Richard Henry Lee

excerpt quoted from “Thanksgiving in America” by David Barton

Thankfulness

I am thankful for God the Father, who created and preserves all things, knit me together in my mother’s womb, provides for me, and defends me, all out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.

I am thankful for God the Son, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; He became sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in Him and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

I am thankful for God the Holy Spirit, who called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; He daily leads me to Christ, reminds me of my baptism into His death and resurrection, and forgives my sin.

I am thankful for Lori, my beautiful bride, the love of my life, my soul mate, my better half, my “rib,” the mother of our children, and the woman I am pleased to grow old with.

I am thankful for Zachary, Caleb, Michael, and Adam, gifts from God whom I am privileged to be raising, caring for, and bringing up in Christ.

I am thankful for my parents, who continue to be godly examples of our heavenly Father’s love, and my siblings, who are wonderful companions on this earthly pilgrimage to our true homeland.

I am thankful for the saints at Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, whom the Lord has given me to serve with His holy Word and blessed Sacraments, and for their support, friendship, faithfulness to the Gospel, and love for one another.

I am thankful for my forefathers in the faith, those who modeled Christ to me in childhood, those who continue to model Christ to me, my synod’s faithfulness to Christ and His Word, my father confessors, my brothers in the ministry, and every sheep of the Good Shepherd.

I am thankful for good friends, their companionship, honesty, integrity, forgiveness, strength, humor, and faith.

I am thankful for this country, its freedoms, those who gave their lives in defense of its freedom, those who serve in the armed forces, those who serve in our communities, and all who are fighting for limited, constitutional government.

I am thankful for every blessing of body and soul, good gifts from the Triune God who loves us all in Christ.

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Centers in Christ

Here is a sampling of what Saint Paul and Saint John say about thanksgiving. Notice that true thanksgiving is always directed to the one true God and centers in Christ!

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 15:57]

“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Ephesians 5:18-20]

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” [Philippians 4:6]

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” [Colossians 3:15-17]

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” [1 Thessalonians 5:18]

“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]

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” [Revelation 7:12]