LCMS President sends Epiphany blessings Video message released

ST. LOUIS, January 16, 2012—The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison sends Epiphany blessings to the church in a video message.

Epiphany, Jan. 6, is the day the church celebrates the revelation of Christ to all nations as represented by the magi who come to worship Jesus. The season of Epiphany on the church calendar extends from Jan. 6 until the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday, which is Feb. 13 this year.

In Harrison’s video, he encourages the church to focus on loving and supporting its pastors and their families. Be kind. Pray for him. Take him to dinner.

“This Epiphany, how about bending over backwards to love your pastor?” Harrison says. “That’s right. Love him. Love his family. Speak well of him. Oh yeah, he’s got his mistakes and faults and failings and sins. Love him. Jesus loves you and you’ve got all that and a whole lot worse.

“It’s not easy preaching the Gospel in this wretched world,” Harrison says.

Harrison also encourages the church to study Baptism in advance of this summer’s 65th Regular Convention, whose theme is “Baptized For This Moment” from Acts 2:38-39.

“Blessed Epiphany. You’re baptized,” Harrison says in the video. “The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who grabbed you by the neck and made you His own, will bless and keep you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”
Find the video at http://video.lcms.org/archives/1790.

LCMS congregations and schools are encouraged to watch and share the video.

About The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
The 2.3 million-member Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is a mission-oriented, Bible-based, confessional Christian denomination headquartered in St. Louis. Through acts of witness and mercy, the church carries out its mission worldwide to make known the love of Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.lcms.org.

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