A federal judge in Wisconsin recently ruled that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.  Listen to the reasoning of this judge.  In her ruling Judge Crabb writes, “it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray.”  My initial response to this ruling was disappointment and dismay.  I was saddened that a leader of our judicial system would consider a day of prayer to be unconstitutional. 

But then I had to chuckle when I read one of her reasons for ruling against prayer.  Judge Crabb says prayer, and I quote, “can have such a powerful effect on a community.”  I agree with her.  And that is exactly why the people of First Immanuel Lutheran Church need to pray for this community.

This is why we, the people of First Immanuel Lutheran, declare that Thursday, May 6, 2010, will be a “Day of Prayer” for our Ozaukee Community.

I returned home from the annual Men’s Retreat on Sunday afternoon.  The lead story on the local evening news announced a quadruple murder in Milwaukee.  It began with the brutal murder of a 24 year old mother and two of her three young children.  The report indicated that the fathers of these children have been absent and provided no support financially, emotionally or spiritually.  The report went on to say that the 24 year old mother, some 18 years earlier, witnessed the murder of her mother and grandmother at the hand of her mother’s live-in boyfriend.

We shake our head and ask, “When did men give up their responsibility of providing a stable home?”

I’ve got good news…

This past week our family celebrated my parent’s 60^th wedding anniversary.  We have a good amount of people in our congregation who have been married for 50 or more years.  Unfortunately, as I look at our culture and its casual approach to marriage there seems to be a coming irony.  Even with all the medical advances offered to prolong our days on earth the number of couples who celebrate 50 and 60 years of marriage will actually decrease.  There is a reason…