LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 82

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82

CONVENTION BIBLE STUDIES

Christians attempting to live out their vocations can and
do fail to live as God’s children, especially in the heat of the
moment . When we do, God gives us the method for working
through these times: confession and forgiveness .
In the next scene, we’ll watch as the father approaches his
son a second time . You should have received a copy of the
pamphlet Announcing God’s Grace .4 I encourage you to keep
this handy, so that you can see how it can be used within the
family .
[Video: Father & Son 25]
Take a few minutes to discuss the next three questions in
your small group .
1 . How did the father model reconciliation, and what
impact did it have on his son?
2 . The father used the pamphlet, Announcing God’s Grace .
Such forms are neither required nor forbidden by
Scripture . How can using this pamphlet be beneficial?
How might such a form become a disadvantage?
3 . Why is it important to proclaim God’s forgiveness in
addition to offering personal forgiveness?

“God Forgives You, and So Do I”
I mentioned earlier today that I did not learn to proclaim
God’s forgiveness to my son until he was a teenager .6 Much
like the scenes we just watched, I lost my temper and my son
and I ended up yelling at each other . It was awful . When we
were too tired to argue, we sat down and I quietly thought,
“Now, as a Christian father, how should I have handled this?”
In my mind, I tried to justify my actions, but in my gut, I knew
that I was wrong . I needed help for what needed to happen
next .
Using our hymnals, we did something we had never done in
our home before . We adapted the order of Private Absolution
for our home, something similar to the form you have in front
of you . Since not one of us is a pastor, we had to change some
of the language . Yet it guided us in our confessions, keeping
us from denial and blame–shifting . Moreover, it helped us
share God’s forgiveness and personal forgiveness with one
another .
The next year there was another incident in our home .
Sometimes when you’re raising a teenager, these things just
happen . But no one lost their temper this time, and when I
asked my son how he wanted to handle the situation, he said,
“Dad, can we go through that order of confession and forgiveness?” My eyes filled with tears as I realized just how much
my son wanted to hear those words, “God forgives you for
Jesus’ sake, and so do I .”
Once again, we recognize that God involves Himself in
our lives through his Word of Absolution . God calls us to
serve as messengers of His grace when we confess our sins to
one another and forgive one another, especially in vocations
within our own family .
2010 Convention Proceedings

What a privilege we have! Not just to offer words of personal forgiveness, but to share the love of Christ with those
we love the most!

Reconciliation Is Urgent Business!
A reconciliation pastor visited a congregation to discuss
how he might help them work through their conflicts .7 He was
only with them two hours, but he took time to share God’s
forgiveness with them . He reminded them how important it
is to share this gift with others, especially within our families . The church ended up not using his services . But some
months later, he learned that one of the women who attended
that meeting was moved to call her sister . They had been bitter enemies for more than 50 years .
It began when they were girls and shared a bed . They began
to kick each other and it got out of control . They both were
badly bruised and hurt, but their relationship was damaged
the most . This woman called her sister and they reconciled
through confession and forgiveness after a half century of
bitterness . The next week, this woman went to the hospital
for surgery and died . The sister came to the funeral and, with
tears, thanked the pastor for the teaching in his church that
prompted their reconciliation . The pastor didn’t even know
that his member had a sister, let alone that they had reconciled .
Is there someone in your family with whom you are not reconciled? Sharing God’s forgiveness is urgent business . None
of us knows how much time we have to give the gift we have
been given . We are not responsible for how others respond
to us, but we are called to do what Paul writes in Romans
12:18: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all .”
Fellow beggars, have you at times failed to forgive someone in your family? God knows each time . But He chooses
not to remember as He forgives . To you and me, He says, “For
I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more” (Jeremiah 31:34b) . He comes today to declare specifically, personally, and directly, “You are forgiven .”
We pray .
O dearest Jesus, You are so ready to forgive and shower us
with Your love . We are beggars and have nothing to bring, but
we cling to Your cross and ask for Your strength to forgive
those who hurt us, especially in our own families . Forgive us
for failing to forgive as You have forgiven us . Compel us by
Your love to reach out and reconcile with family and friends .
Help us recognize the opportunities to share Your forgiveness specifically, directly, and personally, as You do for us .
We pray this in Your holy name . Amen .