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Parent conversations: You might be a Lutheran parent if . . .

Does anyone else feel the weight of all the serious issues we have been dealing with as a society over the past couple years? I mean, yes, COVID, but so many other issues too. That’s why I thought we could all do with a pause this month in “Parent conversations.” Let’s take a moment to sit back and appreciate all that it means to be a Lutheran parent.

— Nicole Balza


We all know what it means to be a parent: to have a child. But what does it mean to be a Lutheran parent?

You might be a Lutheran parent if . . .

. . . you try to convince your kids to dress up as a monk with a hammer every Halloween.kid monk

. . . your children can sing the Doxology in four-part harmony.

. . . you tell your child to sit in time-out, and he responds, “No. Here I stand.”

. . . your Wi-Fi password is “10-31-1517.”

. . . you practice memory work on the drive to school every morning.

. . . you play “Name That Psalm” with your kids by humming a refrain from the hymnal.

. . . your house is a mess because you’re “saved by grace,” not by works.

. . . the words “Come, Lord Jesus” induce a Pavlovian response in your kids’ saliva glands.

. . . your child gives you 95 reasons you should buy him a new bike and tapes it to the front door.95 reasons

. . . you have a Luther seal made of macaroni noodles hanging in your house.

. . . you taught your children “Luther, Luther, Tetzel” in place of “Duck, Duck, Goose.”

. . . your children know the first verse of “Silent Night” in German.


But on a more serious note, you might also be a Lutheran parent if . . .

. . . you rely on the forgiveness Jesus gives for the times you fail as a parent.mom praying on knees

. . . you teach your kids to rely on Jesus’ grace and forgiveness too.

. . . you teach your kids the Word of God and how to distinguish between law and gospel.

. . . you rejoice that you and your kids are heaven-bound for Jesus’ sake.

. . . you pray for your children every day, not that God makes life easy for them but that they remain faithful.

. . . you remember that the Lord is always going to work things for good for your (his) believing children.

Thanks to all you parents out there for doing the tough, messy, rewarding job of raising kids to know the truth of God’s Word, to know their Savior and the forgiveness he gives, and to know how to live lives to his glory in thanks for all he’s done for us. Keep it up! By God’s grace, our children will have all of eternity to thank us for it! God bless you in your work!

Special thanks to Mike Thom, Robb Robbert, Carrie Schaefer, Julia Hatzung, Lynae Kinner, Ann Jahns, and Lois Festerling Tackebury for letting me include your ideas. Thanks to everyone who contributed! 

Author: Rob Guenther
Volume 108, Number 10
Issue: October 2021

This entry is part 22 of 74 in the series parent conversations