Lord’s Day 39: Q&A 104: Honoring Authority

I forget when exactly it was, but there was a time in my youth where my father would occasionally chide me (in a joking tone) for being sassy by saying ‘Hey now, honor your father and mother’ or ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord.’ I learned to respond with ‘Fathers, do not exasperate your children.’

Despite the joke, that exchange gets at the duality of the fifth commandment and how to truly follow it. That is, children are to honor and obey their parents, but parents are to live their lives in ways that are worthy of honor and obedience. Similarly, the Catechism broadens this out to honoring all who are in authority over us, citing Romans 13. Similar to the command to honor parents having the flipside of parents not exasperating or provoking their children, Romans 13 calls us to honor and obey civil authority, but also calls those civil authorities to remember that God has put them there and to follow God.

As we do our best to honor those in authority, we need to be reminded that, as people in authority (for all of us have some form of it) that we need to honor God with that and make it easy for those under us to honor us and therefore God.

Lord’s Day 39

Q&A 104

GOD’S LAW

Once again, this Q&A can be read responsively for this portion of the service.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Sovereign God,

You are in control over all creation.

In your grace and love,

You created structures to govern your world,

But we rebel against those structures.

We disregard those in authority over us.

Our civic leaders, our family, and our church.

We see the brokenness in these structures and leaders,

And we use that to justify our rebellion.

Our rebellion dishonors you, Sovereign God.

All authority comes from you.

Forgive us God.

Helps us to love those in authority over us

And be reminded that you, Sovereign God,

Appointed them for our good. 

We pray this in our Savior Jesus’ name, Amen.

PRAYER FOR LEADERS

Sovereign God,

You love us by giving us governing authorities.

Civic leaders, family, and church leaders

to keep us safe,

Correct us when we are wrong,

And encourage us to grow.

Lord, we sometimes push back on leaders,

And our leaders will always fall short,

But help us to honor and respect

The leaders you have placed in our lives.

Work through our civic leaders, God.

That they would have wisdom and ethics

To care for the poor and the marginalized in our community.

That you would work through these leaders

To make our community a place of flourishing for all people.

Work through our families, God.

Whether we are a child, an adult, or a parents,

Give our family leaders patience and kindness

As the raise young children

And parent older children.

Help them navigate all stages of life.

Bring a community of people around them,

To help them raise these children.

Work through our church and its leaders, God.

That they would grow deeper in relationship to you.

Through your love, may you lead us, 

the body of Christ, your church.

Strengthen them for the work.

Show them opportunities for rest.

Work in our hearts to receive their authority with love 

and as an extension of your authority God.

We pray all this in Jesus' name, Amen.