A letter from LCC’s President upon the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

A letter from Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s President Timothy Teuscher upon the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). 

It was with those words of St. Paul that the Reformer, Martin Luther, began his sermon at the funeral of Elector John of Saxony in 1532. At the end of the sermon he said: 

“We have the sure hope that the merciful God has thus taken our beloved, deceased elector and will raise him up again with Christ. And because we know that he was baptized into Christ, and that he confessed the Gospel and remained steadfast in the Christian confession and died in the same, I have no doubt that when the trumpet of the archangel is sounded he will joyfully rise in an instant from this crypt and, with us and all Christians, go to meet Christ, shining more brightly than the sun and all the stars.”

It is in light of those words that I call upon all pastors, deacons and members of the congregations of our Synod to lift up their hearts and hands in prayer upon the death of her gracious majesty, Elizabeth, our Queen:

Gracious and merciful Father in heaven, Lord of heaven and earth, King of the universe, we give you our thanks and praise for all the blessings You granted Elizabeth, our Queen, during her long earthly life, for her many years of dutiful, sacrificial service to our nation and all the nations of the British Commonwealth, and especially for calling her to faith in Christ and preserving her in the confession of His holy name. Comfort the members of the Royal Family who mourn her death with the hope of the glorious resurrection and a joyful reunion in heaven for all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. And grant that we may one day share with her in the joys of all those who now rest in Your presence; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

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Rev. Dr. Timothy Teuscher is President of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC).

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