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Based on Philippians 1:3-6
This is Thanksgiving weekend, and I wanted to take some time to express thanksgiving for all the things God has blessed me with and the ways I’ve seen him bless you in your lives and your vocations.
To do that, I’d like to look at the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In chapter one, in the first few verses, he says this: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6).
The things that the apostle Paul shares with this congregation in Philippi are the things that I want to share with you—that every time I think of you, as Paul says, I thank my God for you. For the partnership that we enjoy in the gospel, the fact that we are united by one Baptism in one Lord Jesus Christ, in that one true faith, united by that one hope of eternal life in heaven and having the sure certainty of that resurrection from the dead.
And the unity that we enjoy, that partnership in the gospel that we have as believers in Christ, is shown in the way that we worship together, the way that we pray together and pray for each other, the way that we encourage one another, the way that we study God’s Word together, and the ways that we love each other.
I’ve written out a list of things that I’m thankful for from this past year, and I want to share those things with you. First of all, I’m thankful for the number of people that God has put into my life this past year through personal visits, phone calls, e-mails, and video chats. I started to count, and I lost track.
I’m thankful to God for the number of active duty, reserve, and National Guard troops; veterans and civilians; and lay people who have been trained as distinctive religious group leaders and religious lay leaders. I’m thankful that you have the strong desire to make sure that God’s Word is provided in places that I can’t go and that our WELS pastors can’t go. You’re making that happen.
I’m thankful for the number of parents who have filled out referrals for their children through our website, because that says to me that you desire Word and sacrament to be provided for your child as they begin their vocation as a warfighter in our nation’s military. And I’m thankful for the number of high school seniors that have filled out that referral for themselves because that says to me that you want to stay connected to Christ as you go through basic training, through your individual training afterwards, and wherever God leads you through the military.
I’m thankful for the number of warfighters who update their contact info when they PCS, when they deploy. Because, again, it shows me that you are concerned about the spiritual care that you receive. By updating your information through our website, that helps us keep you connected to our WELS pastors or to other WELS members to stay connected to Christ. I’m thankful for that.
I’m thankful for the number of veterans who have reached out who are thankful for these devotions. I didn’t know this, but there’s a group of veterans who meet regularly for coffee in a restaurant, and they either watch the devotions or print them off and they discuss them as part of their group encouragement to one another. I’m thankful that these devotions are being used that way.
I’m thankful for you, the warfighters and spouses who have trusted me enough to share your story with me and have shared your weaknesses and your failures and your joys and your victories. And I’m thankful for the number of families who have let me in and have made me part of your family.
I’m thankful for the number of single warfighters who have brought me in as part of their life and have entrusted their story to me, so that we might enjoy mutual encouragement through the Word of God.
I’m thankful for the number of spouses who have sacrificed their careers to support their spouse during their military career and have found joy in the honorable and often overlooked and underappreciated vocation of homemaker. My prayer for you is that you continue to find strength and joy in that honorable vocation.
I’m thankful for the number of veterans and warfighters who have been so patient with me, taking me by the hand and patiently instructing me so I can better understand the military mindset, so I can better serve you and equip our pastors and our congregations to better serve you with Word and sacrament.
I’m thankful for the number of doors that have been opened for me, for our pastors, and for our congregations to reach military members and their families on post, on base, and in our communities.
I’m thankful for the number of military chaplains who have opened doors for me and our WELS pastors and our congregations, so that again, our people can be better served by Word and sacrament.
I’m thankful for the number of gifts that have been given by thankful hearts, not only to our ministry but even to me personally—like the Rangers coffee mug that I recently received as a gift. Every time I use it or other gifts that I’ve received, it gives me the opportunity to pause and pray for this person and the people that support this person. So thank you for those gifts.
And thank you also for the number of prayers that have been spoken on behalf of this ministry, that have been spoken on behalf of me and my family, that have been spoken for our pastors and for our congregations.
I’m thankful for the number of letters and e-mails and texts. They are so encouraging, and I thank you for them.
I’m thankful for the number of experiences that God has allowed me to have this past year. There are too many to list, so I’m going to pick just one. It’s jumping from 12,500 feet with the U.S. Army Golden Knights in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I thank Larissa and her pastor, Pastor Glende, for making that happen.
I’m thankful for the number of people that you have introduced to me—people whom you’ve identified as people who need to hear about Jesus. And I’m thankful for the number of people that you have led to Jesus—the number of spouses and battle buddies and children and parents and friends that you have brought to hear about Jesus. I pray that you continue to scatter that seed of the gospel so that many more souls might be touched by the gospel, and I pray that God would make those seeds grow.
And finally, I’m thankful for our Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ, who continues to lead us in spiritual battle, who continues to lead us through spiritual battle, who will continue to lead us until we reach those peaceful shores of heaven.
I want to close this devotion today with the words of the apostle Paul.
Prayer:
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).
Lord Jesus, this weekend we also celebrate the birthday of our nation’s Civil Air Patrol. From before their official creation in 1948 and continuing through today, members of the Civil Air Patrol have carried out emergency services and disaster relief missions around our nation. Keep these citizen volunteers faithful and safe as they search for and find the lost. Provide comfort in times of disaster and work to keep our homeland safe. In your name I pray. Amen.
Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California.
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