Romans 1:8-15
Prayer of Thanksgiving
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, 10 asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish 15 —hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
St. Paul hoped to visit his brothers and sisters in Rome, but was unable to make the journey. Does that sound familiar? How many journeys and visits and plans have been canceled over the past four (going on five) months in your life?
First and foremost, let us remember Paul’s words of thanksgiving. He commends the church for their faith that is proclaimed throughout the world. He is also eager to proclaim the gospel to them in person. It sounds like he would prefer an in-person gathering rather than a remote method of sharing the message.
I am going to go off on a tangent for a few paragraphs – stay with me…
Anticipation for being back together. This time of year is the time kids and parents and teachers are making plans to get back to school. Do you remember those days? Do you remember going shopping for new school supplies and clothes?Last week in my weekly Bible Study (You all are invited to join us each week at 11 a.m. on Wednesday for a Zoom Bible Study, during which we discuss the Gospel lesson for the upcoming week. All are welcome!), I asked the participants to share a memory of buying items for school – what is the one item they remember as the most memorable or cherished?
One participant mentioned getting a new lunch box. That brought back a memory for me that I had forgotten about until then. In third grade, I bought a new lunchbox for school. I usually walked home from school for lunch (three blocks), but for this one year, overcrowded classrooms meant we took a bus to a neighboring school, so I had to pack a lunch.
The new lunch box was a Brady Bunch box. Here is a picture of the one I had.
It was pretty cool for a third grader in 1970!
What memories do you have of school supplies and getting ready for the new school year?
This year is a tough one. The desire for the kids and parents and teachers to have the kids back in school is strong, as well as the concern for the health and well-being of everyone involved. There are many questions, and schools are offering many different answers. I am thankful that I am not responsible for making these decisions!
I would ask that you join me in lifting up everyone in the education process in prayer as this new year begins. God bless the teachers who instill knowledge to their students and care for their well-being. God bless the parents who have tough decisions to make as to how and where their children will be best served. God bless the administrators who have many decisions to make and many questions to answer. And God bless the students, who will need to follow new guidelines and structures this fall.
We all look forward with hope and anticipation of when we can be back together again. We don’t know when that will be. In the meantime, may we strive to live out the gospel message of love and forgiveness. May we reflect the hope and love given to us through Jesus Christ in how we speak of one another and treat one another and care for one another.
Let us pray:
Thank you, God, for the gift of knowledge and those who pass it on. Bless this new school year with your presence and grace! We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.