The Small Catechism – part 246
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Colossians 1:15–17
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Click for audio of today's lesson.
From the Confessions: The Small Catechism, Daily Prayers
Returning Thanks
After the meal, they should reverently and with folded hands pray:
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. He gives food to all flesh; He gives food to the beast and to the young ravens that cry. He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.
Then pray the Lord’s Prayer and the following:
We thank Thee, Lord God, our Father, for all Thy benefits, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Pulling It Together: Once again this morning, I looked for Coronavirus news in the local paper. Specifically, I was looking for news about social isolation and stay-at-home orders. I read that police departments in my county arrested people for violating our Governor’s executive order to stay at home during the pandemic. From another perspective, I was kept from a local hardware store twice over the weekend because there were so many people there. I had never seen the parking lot so full of cars. Topping off the news is the warning that starvation is coming next because the food chain is breaking down. Nonetheless, there is so much chicken and beef available, that you may buy it off trucks in various advertised locations. It all makes me scratch my head; I am almost bewildered. Who do I believe?
There is a supreme ruler who has always published good news during dark times. He urges me to obey the governing authorities (Romans 13:1–5), so long as it does not damage Christian conscience. So, whether at home or the hardware store, I place my trust in the Lord. He is good, and his mercy endures even during pandemics. Now, there is some glad news that revives my hope.
Governments, the CDC, the World Health Organization, and a host of other experts and authorities are not really in charge. In the end, though they issue a stream of often confusing, but nevertheless, authoritative press releases, they are not the ones who will make it all work out. All things in creation consist, or hold together, in Christ. My hope is in him — not in how much food I have, how sound my health is, or who is in office. Therefore, I give God thanks for all his benefits, including food and other necessities, as well as for health, shelter, family, friends, and the divinely instituted — though sometimes confusing — governing authorities.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for holding it all together. Amen.
Click here for resources to learn the Ten Commandments.
Share this post
Author
Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
Click Here For Content Archives