Holy Cross Day

The President of our sister synod, The Lutheran Church-Canada, shares some words of wisdom:

I remember the days of my youth when I felt so strongly opposed to a crucifix on that familiar ground that it was somehow “Roman Catholic”. One day a wise, gentle old Estonian pastor talked with me about it on the way home from our circuit meeting. “Don’t ever forget,” he observed, “it’s not the cross that saved you, but rather the One Who hung on the cross.” Things became clearer to me in that moment. Ever since then, I’ve had a crucifix on the wall … at home, in my office, and in the rooms where I taught . . . to try to remind myself and others of my Saviour Jesus.

Robert Bugbee, President
Lutheran Church-Canada

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

What does this mean?
God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.

Pray like this:
Three temptations or trials confront us: the flesh, the world, and the devil, hence we pray: Dear Father, grant us grace to overcome the fleshly lusts. Help that we may withstand excesses in eating, drinking, sleeping too much, idleness, and laziness. help us to make constructive use of fasting, to be moderate in food, dress, and sleep, keeping alert in our doing and working. Help us, with Christ, to crucify and put to death the evil desire and inclination of the flesh [Rom. 6:6] so as not to yield to any temptations of the flesh or to follow them. Help that when we look at a beautiful person or picture or any other creature, that this may not bring us into temptation but rather be an occasion for cherishing chastity and praising you in your creatures. Help that when we hear or feel something pleasant and pleasurable that we do not seek to indulge our lust in this but rather to seek to praise and glorify you for it.

Protect us from the great vice of avarice and covetousness with regard to the riches of this world. Protect us from seeking honor and power in this world, or from even being inclined in this direction. Protect us that the deceit, delusion, and enticement of this world may not stir us to seek after them. Keep us that we be not drawn into impatience, vindictiveness, anger, or other vices by the world’s evil and unpleasantness.
Help us renounce and forsake the world’s deceit and delusion, allurements and fickleness—all its good or evil, as we vowed to do in Baptism. Help that we may remain steadfast and grow in [the promise of our Baptism] from day to day.

Protect us from the devil’s whisperings so that we do not give in to pride, and our own pleasure, and a contempt for others to gain wealth, high rank, power, skill, beauty, or any other blessing of yours. Preserve us from falling into hatred or envy for any reason whatsoever. Protect us against being governed by religious doubt and despair, now and at our last hour.

Heavenly Father, may all who work and struggle against these great and manifold temptations be committed to your care. Strengthen those who are unbowed, raise the fallen and the defeated. And in the wretched insecurities of this life, grant us all your grace that we, being surrounded by so many foes, may do battle with a firm and valiant faith, and may obtain an eternal crown.