Grace, Peace, and Mercy be to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Doxology: Any of several short hymns or verses in praise of God.

(Holt School Dictionary of American English)

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."

The words from the "Common Doxology" get sung on many occasions with reverence and honor. When we sing these words, when we hear these words, when we read these words, do we consider how they apply to our whole life? Are they simply words, sung at the end of the service or meeting and then forgotten?

"O God our Lord of Heaven and Earth,

Thy living finger never wrote that life would be an aimless mote.

A deathward drift from futile birth. Thy Word meant life triumphant hurled

In splendor through the broken world. Since light awoke and life began,

Thou hast desired Thy life for man."

These are the words of the first verse of Martin Frunzmann’s hymn, "O God, Our Lord of Heaven and Earth". God’s intention for His people is not some endless flowing of water in a mote going nowhere; our lives, because of sin, at times, do seem to be an aimless mote – a deathward drift. Yet Christ meant life triumphant hurled in splendor through a broken world. By Christ’s death and resurrection life began. By faith our lives are changed, not just a part of our lives. We are wholly changed.

"Our modern world tends to separate our lives into independent sectors. Education is education, politics is politics, economic life is economic life and each is understood and governed by independent ways of knowing and acting. Even private life is often understood according to the principles of psychology and sociology.

Western history has been the long story of each sector of life declaring its independence from the control and presence of religion… Our lives are no longer whole. We are often forced to become partial Christians." (Robert Benne, Reasonable Ethics)

What kind of Doxology is our life if God is only a part of the whole? There are some here at Concordia who believe we have a stewardship problem as they look at our finances. I would agree we have a stewardship problem, but they are looking in the wrong place. The finances are only a symptom. We have compartmentalized our lives and God is not the focus or placed in highest importance. When we get the stewardship of our faith life correct, the stewardship of our finances will not be a problem. Our lives need a Reformation. God continually and daily forgives, renews and strengthens us. We have all that we need and more. Unfortunately, God is not the priority in our lives. When we realize that God is Lord over all our life, our motives, actions, and giving will reflect His grace. Read carefully verse four of Martin Frunzmann’s hymn:

"O Spirit, who didst once restore

Thy Church that it might be again the bringer of good news to men,

Breathe on Thy cloven Church once more, That in these gray and latter days

There may be those whose life is praise,

Each life a high Doxology to Father, Son, and unto Thee."

Prayerfully consider your life a high Doxology.