Tag Archives: LCMS

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January 27–John Chrysostom, Preacher

This has been a busy week for festivals and commemorations! It doesn’t happen too often that there are four such days in a row, (although there are a few other instances of it throughout the year). Today is the commemoration of the Preacher John Chrysostom. That we could all show the faith he demonstrated in saying his final words on this earth!

From the LCMS website:

Given the added name of Chrysostom, which means “golden-mouthed” in Greek, Saint John was a dominant force in the fourth-century Christian church. Born in Antioch around the year 347, John was instructed in the Christian faith by his pious mother, Anthusa. After serving in a number of Christian offices, including acolyte and lector, John was ordained a presbyter and given preaching responsibilities. His simple but direct messages found an audience well beyond his home town. In 398, John Chrysostom was made Patriarch of Constantinople. His determination to reform the church, court, and city there brought him into conflict with established authorities. Eventually, he was exiled from his adopted city. Although removed from his parishes and people, he continued writing and preaching until the time of his death in 407. It is reported that his final words were: “Glory be to God for all things. Amen.” 

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Quote of the Day

Love, love, love this quote! I may start referring to it when nosy strangers decide that it’s their right to comment (negatively) on the size of our family.

It can be a God-pleasing act to have a large, loving, orthodox Lutheran family, and those who are able should not be diverted from this by any self-imposed “green” limit of 2.1 children per couple. LCMS President Pastor Matthew Harrison in the November 2011 issue of The Lutheran Witness

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Mixed Messages

This is by no means a commentary on my specific church; rather, it’s an observation about the Church at large, from experiences at many different congregations upon the observance of All Saints’ Day.

The Church, (at least the LC-MS), is staunchly pro-life. This is great news! From the pregnancy that is hours old, to the most elderly person, we recognize that only God has the right to decide the length of our days. And so, we realize that it is not our job to act in His stead and force those kinds of decisions, regardless of the circumstances.

The Church also has a history of reassuring parents that have lost children in utero that they can hope to see that child in Heaven someday. Do we know for certain that children, lost before they had the chance to make it to the waters of Holy Baptism, are in Heaven? I suppose not–not any more than we can guarantee that any specific person is in Heaven–only God knows for sure. But we are a people of hope, and that hope is usually shared with parents grieving the loss of a child following a miscarriage or stillbirth.

So then, why the mixed message that is sent on All Saints’ Day? In all of the churches I’ve been to, I’ve never heard mention of children lost before they have drawn their first breath when the year’s faithful departed are named. But if we are to share and believe in that hope of eternal life, even for children miscarried, and if we believe, as we should, that they were people from the moment of their conception, shouldn’t they be numbered with the Saints in Heaven?

I realize that this is a daunting task. Many children lost at such a young gestational age are never given names; many of the losses are never even shared publicly or recognized. And in a large congregation, remembering every such loss, (because according to the statistics, there are a lot of them), could be time-consuming. But even a blanket remembrance of those lost, a mention of those babies miscarried, would be a comfort to grieving parents, a reassurance that they can hope to see their child in Heaven someday, and a way of acknowledging to parents that their children are never forgotten.

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A Prayer for Independence Day

From the LCMS “LetUsPray” Resource:

“O merciful Father in heaven, on this anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, keep this nation under Your care. Protect our land from danger and instability. Abide with our military who courageously keep our country safe. Guide President Obama, our federal and state legislators, our governors, our county and city government officials, and all who serve them. Grant all public servants the understanding that You work through them to keep our country stable and safe.

Eternal God, the country You have given to us is indeed a good land, a land in which freedom reigns. Give us faith, however, to look beyond this land and into the eternal home which You give to us for Jesus’ sake.

God of peace, You know that we live in a world plagued with war and uprising. By Your Word and Sacraments, strengthen our faith so that we can endure this world while remaining confident of Your eventual return, when war will cease and peace will sustain the new creation. Amen.”

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A Mother’s Day Prayer

Our pastor prayed a prayer very similar to this one this morning, only he also included a petition for mothers who have lost children. I wish I had the full text of that prayer, because I found it especially comforting this year, but this is equally beautiful, from the LetUsPray section of the LCMS website:

“Blessed Father, You grant us life through our parents and You set children in families. Be pleased to bless our mothers, especially on this Mothers’ Day. Help them recognize the holy office You have entrusted to them, and strengthen them to serve faithfully and well within it. Grant that their motherly service may not be burdensome, but rather joyful and glad. Bless all women who do not have children and those whose children are estranged from them, that their hope and confidence may ever remain in You in whom true joy is found. Give us loving hearts that freely give thanks for our mothers, that heartily forgive them where they have failed and fallen short, that willingly obey them, and that gladly honor them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.”