1.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from
God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word as we
celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week is taken from Psalm 16 (Read the
Text), it’s entitled,
“Real Joy in Jesus’ Presence,” dear
brothers and sisters in Christ.
2.
National Lutheran Schools Week is a
joyful celebration. As
a dual parish within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, we celebrate the
joyful heritage that has been essential to the mission and ministry of our
church body since its beginning. Our church body has the joy of impacting children and
families in our country and around the world. Nearly 2,000 Lutheran early childhood
centers, elementary schools and high schools educate more than 200,000
children. What a joy!
3.
In each Lutheran school setting,
there are unique and special joys.
Joys are measured in years of history, numbers of students and faithful
service by ministry professionals and volunteers. Joys are measured in the accomplishments
of students in academics, arts and athletics.
What a joy!
4.
This year’s theme for Lutheran
school ministry and National Lutheran Schools Week is “Real. Present.
God.” The theme takes students, staff
and families in Lutheran schools to the Book of Psalms. With the psalmists,
we celebrate the only true God who is real in the person and work of Christ and
who, through the Means of Grace, is present with His people. Psalm
16, a psalm of David, celebrates that there is real joy when God is present.
5.
The joy of God’s presence was
experienced by God’s servants in the Old Testament. The joy of the encounter with
the almighty present God outweighed the burden of the calling for Moses (Ex.
15), Isaiah (Is. 6), Jeremiah (Jer. 1) and others. David knew the agony of
separation from God. In Psalm 51, David confesses his sins (Ps. 51:3–5) but
then begs, “Let me hear joy and
gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice” (Ps. 51:8). In the Messiah promised to and through the
family of David, there is forgiveness and joy. David petitions, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and
uphold me with a willing spirit” (Ps. 51:12), and God does so in Jesus. In
Psalm 16, David’s praising joy is poetically
shared: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also
dwells secure” (Ps. 16:9).
6.
Lutheran school students, staff,
families and partners come from the real world. Real life is broken and messy.
The paths of daily life include disease, death, broken hearts, broken
homes and every other malady of sinful hearts and sinful society. Lutheran school settings are not always
joy-filled places.
School ministry takes place in the
real world. Pastors, principals, board members, staff and parents deal with dynamics
that remind us that we are sinners in a sinful world. The challenges are
real and humbling.
7.
The good news is that “in your presence there is fullness of joy”
(Ps. 16:11). In
the presence of the real God who came in the person of Jesus, there is real joy.
There is the joy of salvation. Jesus was present in the real world.
Jesus brought joy to Mary, Joseph and shepherds at His birth. Jesus brought the
joy of His miracles as He healed the sick, fed the hungry, calmed the storms
and raised the dead. Jesus brought the joy of His message as He spoke the truth
from His Father. Hebrews 12:2
summarizes this mission of joy: “who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
8.
Jesus’ joy was in our salvation. He
was willing to endure the agony of death on the cross to bring us to the joy of
His presence. The
resurrection of Jesus brought joy to the visitors to His tomb and to all blessed
to see His empty tomb through faith.
Lutheran schools are joyful places because Jesus is there. The promise
of the psalm speaks to Lutheran school ministry: “in your presence there is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). Lutheran
schools offer much more than the joy of the presence of children, the joy of
academic excellence or professional staff and the joy of modern facilities and
technology. The joy begins and ends with the presence of Jesus.
9.
Jesus is present as the baptismal
promises are renewed and reviewed “in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” — the invocation that begins the
staff devotion, the classroom day or the chapel worship service. Jesus is
present as the Word is taught in the psalm reading as the classroom convenes,
as the Bible story is explored through the faith-nurturing religion curriculum
and as the chapel message is preached.
Jesus is present as school families gather for worship and as the Lord’s
Supper is shared with those who confess and receive His real presence.
10.
Because Jesus is present, there is
the joy of His forgiveness as staff or students tell each other, “I forgive you in Jesus’ name.” There is the joy of God’s peace
and presence when the daily prayers include petitions for a child who is ill or
a family that is grieving. There is the joy of seeing all students’
abilities and gifts as gifts from God for which we are blessed and joyful
stewards. There is the joy of team
victories and of those blessed to work together to give God glory. In
Jesus’ presence in the Lutheran school, there is fullness of joy. There is the
joy of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
11.
Joys in Lutheran schools are not
magical. Satan
always seeks to rob us of the joy of Jesus. Joys are always tempered by the
trials of the world. Joys are disrupted by those who do not know about or
reject the joys of Jesus. Earthly
joys in the context of the family, school or any other arenas are always
temporal. Psalm 16 celebrates, “at your
right hand are pleasures forevermore” (v. 11).
12.
Lutheran schools proclaim that our
ultimate joy is in the eternal presence of Jesus. King David is blessed to have
His Lord at His right hand: “Because
he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Ps. 16:8). The Lord, who in
His grace and mercy stands beside David and holds his right hand like a loving,
protective father, brings His servant to His own victorious right hand. The
promises of eternity are real. David will be present at the throne of His Savior.
13.
Lutheran schools educate for
eternity. It is
our mission to provide joyful educational and extracurricular experiences; to
provide safe and joyful encounters with friends, staff and other families; and
to send students from our schools with joyful memories and life skills.
14.
However, if that is our only
mission, we have failed.
Lutheran schools exist as an extension of the ministry of our congregations
and as a spiritual support for Christian families so that every child knows and
receives the “fullness of joy at your
right hand,” where there are “pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11). Seeking
that joy for every child, we welcome them joyfully to our schools. Real joy
with the real God is really present in the Lutheran school. May God grant
that for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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