Current events
So far, throughout this pandemic and civil unrest, I have not heard our churches or synod call for its members to appeal for God's mercy to take this virus away by: petitioning God through daily prayer and repentance, and even fasting. There have been no special services on-line or in person to address this current horrendous situation. I am sure many Christians are doing this on their own at home, but where is the leadership? We have sermons and services on-line, but very few prayers re: Covid-19. This is very troublesome to me. Because I do not usually go to the WELS website, I may have missed something.
If you do not usually visit the WELS website, then you have missed devotions and prayers that have addressed contemporary issues. Let me provide a few examples.
Already back on March 16, 2020, the WELS Together newsletter listed spiritual resources that individuals could use in their personal lives.
The website offers numerous devotions for individuals and families. This devotion from April 20, 2020 addressed the fears that can accompany a pandemic.
You will find prayers on the website that cover a wide variety of circumstances in life. The prayer titled “In Time of Need” speaks to today’s concerns.
Your concern for emphasizing repentance is definitely appropriate. Jesus spoke of the importance of repentance (Luke 13:1-5). Repentance is not to be a seasonal or occasional activity. It is ongoing. Martin Luther recognized that when he wrote in the first of his 95 Theses: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”
Finally, I do not know if you are aware of WELS’ presence on Facebook. This is a prayer that was posted on May 25, 2020: “Almighty Father, strong to save, we pray that you would look upon America in mercy. We confess our shortcomings as a nation and our failures as a people.
The fault lies not only with some who have no regard for you. We, your very own people, share the blame for thoughts and actions that violate your code of conduct. And yet, you have not abandoned us. Your Word still echoes across our land. We still have the freedom to worship you in spirit and in truth. We pray that you continue to allow us to bask in the splendor of your Word. You have visited our nation and our world with a virus that causes alarm and death.
We add this to the list of reasons why we need to remember that apart from you is neither hope nor life. This is a day on which we remember loss. This is a day when we remember you as the one who restores blessings that have been lost. As we consider the long list of people who have lost their lives in defense of our country, we thank you that they have not died in vain.
You have blessed their efforts to keep us as a free nation. Now bless us with your continued presence as we strive to serve you in this freedom. For the sake of your Son, bless all those who serve you by serving our country. Amen.”