Sermonette: August 28, 2023

Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

Wow. The summer is just about over. The kids are back in school, all the way from kindergarten to college. Locally, baseball is done and football and volleyball are the sports of the season. The family summer vacations are just memories now, though I imagine there are still a few weeks left for those who have lake cabins. I'm writing this on Monday to make sure it gets to the Transcript in time to make this edition. The weatherman says the temperature may get into the 90's a few days this week. My guess is there can't be very many of these kinds of days left this year. We will be very soon transitioning into fall. The leaves will be turning to many different colors. Fall indeed is a colorful and beautiful time of year as we make the transition into a new season. This is certainly a time of changes for many people. Wheat and barley are being harvested. Saturdays are Farmers’ Market days here in Sheyenne as well as many other towns. Fresh vegetables as well as a nice variety of baked goods and homemade pickles and jellies can be found.

Another transition that can be found in many homes this time of year is children and young adults starting school. It can be a significant change for some homes. One's first-born child going off to college can be traumatic. Or maybe the youngest of your children is the one going off to college, or perhaps an only child leaving home for the first time, and that can bring a tear or two. Here, as for about everything else this world has in store for us, we can turn to the Bible to help. In Deuteronomy 4, Moses is giving the Israelites a last sermon before Joshua leads them across the Jordan into the “Promised Land.” He tells them to remember the things they have seen and have been taught and to teach them to their children and their grandchildren. Proverbs 22:6 tells us that if we train our children properly, when they are old, they will not stray.

One of the vows we make at our children's baptism, is that we promise to bring them up in a Christian environment. I hope you call your churches and make plans to have your children register for Sunday School or get set up for Confirmation classes, depending on their age. Our promise does not end when they leave home for college or go to school for the first time. I suggest you set apart some time for a family prayer session. In that prayer, ask for guidance, ask God to remind all of us to remember that we carry the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Remind those who are leaving home to take God with them. When packing those boxes and suitcases to move in a dorm or apartment, I hope a Bible is included. Of course, these days I suppose it would be more likely to suggest downloading the Bible onto their cell phones or iPad. Another good idea is asking your church to put your students on the mailing list for the monthly newsletter if your church has one. If you have a young one at home, a short prayer before they leave for school each morning is a great idea. When I taught 1st and 2nd graders at First Lutheran, New Rockford, we started every class session with a short prayer that takes only a few seconds. “Thank you, God, for being with me today. Help the teachers teach me and help me to listen and learn from them. Amen” Or, you can make up your own. Either way, it's a great way for them to start their day. And an important and useful way to get them into the habit of daily prayers.

Blessings to you all.