This is about an object of faith so great that it does not fit into a single divine service. Good thing October has five Sundays. There will be plenty of opportunity to contemplate God’s creation, and from five different angles to boot.
In praise of the creation
Sure, a tree doesn’t have a voice that humans can understand. But its very existence testifies to the power of its Creator and praises Him. And the fact that everything blends so wonderfully into a harmonious whole, that the tree, for example, nourishes animals with its fruits, glorifies God, who created everything this way. This is the kind of praise we will look at on the first Sunday in October. The service will be based on a Bible text from Psalm 19: 1–3.
The spiritual creation declares the glory of God even more. The church praises the Creator when it proclaims the gospel, dispenses the sacraments, and shows people the way to repentance, and when its members serve one another in love. These members are the Christians. They praise their Creator with actions and deeds that correspond with the gospel.
Our daily bread
On the second Sunday in October, the sermon will focus on the plea from the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6: 11). This plea is not limited to the material, but extends to the spiritual. After all, the word of God is indispensable for our soul and for eternal life. Our prayers for our redemption should therefore be at least as intensive as our prayers for our earthly lives. The sermon will urge us to ask God for strength so that we can do His will. For we can only obtain eternal life if we do the will of God.
The sermon will also make a point of addressing the bread of life: Holy Communion. We need to partake of it regularly so that we may grow in Christ.
God protects His creation
God will preserve His creation until the end. This is made clear in the service on the third Sunday in October, which will be based on a Bible text from Revelation. Why does God want to preserve it? Because the earth is the only place where His gospel can be proclaimed. Even when Jesus Christ takes His bridal congregation to Himself, the creation will continue to exist because the kingdom of peace will be established on earth.
Every Christian therefore also has a responsibility. We have to do our part in preserving and protecting the environment!
The entire creation is in need of redemption
The Bible text on the fourth Sunday in October is about the earnest expectation of the creation, about futility, but also about hope (Romans 8: 19–21). Although God created the world and everything was good in every respect, it was damaged by man’s fall into sin and therefore lost its perfection. Human beings and the rest of the creation are eagerly waiting for God’s salvation. God not only loves human beings, but all of His creation. Should a believer who is aware of this not be mindful and act in a way that respects and preserves everything that was created by God?
The visible and invisible creation
The last Sunday service in October is in preparation for the divine service for the departed. The sermon will look at that part of the creation that people do not see. Many people only perceive the visible and material. They want money and success in life and often forget their Creator. Yet He is the Lord—both over the living and the dead. Jesus won the victory over death and sin. Not only the living can share in this victory, but also the dead. The divine service urges the believers to pray for the redemption of all—also the dead whom no one thinks of.
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