Friday in the Fourth week of Pentecost
“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10)
After Joshua, God’s people forgot – forgot their baptism into Moses, their baptism into the Promised Land. God’s people always forget.
In the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we pray: “Hallowed by Thy Name.” What does this mean? Among other things, it means that we are to remember who we are, baptized into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Do not forget your Baptism, dear child of God. Do not forget who you are and what God has done for you in Jesus.
Like Israel of old, we are apt to forget. We have help – the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh do not want us to hallow God’s name. All of these lead us into forgetting the Lord and the work He has done to save us.
How, then, is God’s name kept holy among us? By remembering, dear Christian. And how will we remember? By God answering our prayer that His Word be taught in its truth and purity, and that we, as the children of God, lead holy lives according to it. God’s Word teaches that the Lord has done the work of saving us. Our pastors preach that. Our parents teach it to us in the Catechism. We recite it daily in the Creed, sing it in the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of the Church. All of this keeps us mindful that One Dark Day, Our Lord remembered His Promise to save us. The One Whose Name means “He will save His people from their sins” kept that Name Holy and died in our place.
Remember the Lord’s work, dear Christian. It saves you. Hear it preached purely and pray God keep your ears from any preaching that is contrary to it. And if anyone wants you to forget? Make the sign of the cross and call on the Name that saves you. He will!
“’Hallowed be Thy Name.’ ‘What does this mean?’ ‘God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.’ ‘ How is God’s name kept holy?’ ‘God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God’s Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father.’” (Lord’s Prayer, First Petition, SC)
Daily Readings
Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14 Galatians 5:25-6:10 Matthew 16:21-28
Trip update
Yesterday we drove from Missoula in north western Montana down to Billings in the south east part of the state. Along the way we stopped off at a nice wooded spot by a stream off of Warm Springs road and had a short memorial service and scattering of ashes for Jan. Finally they are not sitting in Lora's closet.
We then went on to the Little Big Horn National Monument and toured the site of Custer's big blunder and the final victory of the Indians of the plains, within a couple of years of their victory on the Little Big Horn almost all of them had finally surrendered. The battlefield is scattered with markers showing where the Indian and Cavalry died, it's an interesting and moving spot.
There is a new monument to peace there that is nice. I like the fact that they changed the name from "Custer" to "Little Big Horn" too, that and the recent addition of markers for the Indian dead is good, it is no longer a monument to the white battle against savages but it is a more balanced presentation of both sides.
I took many pictures but have yet to look at them. I will get some up soon.