Scripture:

Luke 10:38-42

Script:

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, boys and girls! Whew, Pastor! I am tired.

Pastor: Why are you tired, Sammy?

Sammy: I have been doing so many chores around the farm this morning. First, I helped Farmer Luke water the garden. Then I opened the chicken run so the chickens could free-range for a bit outside. After that, I helped Farmer Luke with training the puppies on the farm. They are going to be sheep dogs one day, but right now, they are a handful. And they like to play. A lot.

Pastor: That’s a lot of chores, Sammy. I am sure that Farmer Luke really appreciated your help this morning.

Sammy: You know, Pastor, that’s the thing. Usually Farmer Luke works with me to do all of these chores, but today, he just said, “You know what to do, Sammy,” and he left. I was doing all of the helping, but I was getting no help!

Pastor: I am sorry to hear that, Sammy. What was Farmer Luke doing instead?

Sammy: Well, when I was done with all of my chores, I went to go find him. It was then I realized he left and went to go pray in the meadow before church.

Pastor: What’s wrong with that, Sammy?

Sammy: Are you kidding me, Pastor? I had to do all of these chores—by myself—and I didn’t even get a thank you from Farmer Luke. And he was sitting in the meadow praying. Do you see what is wrong with that picture?

Pastor: I think Farmer Luke chose a great thing to do. We all need to devote more of our time to prayer.

Sammy: But, Pastor, I didn’t get any help. You should call Farmer Luke on your phone and tell him that he needs to help me next time.

Pastor: Farmer Luke chose the best thing.

Sammy: What!

Pastor: Think about it, Sammy. All of the chores you did were not urgent. They could all wait until later. When it’s time to spend time with Jesus, we should focus on him and listening to him.

Sammy: But what about all of the other chores and things I need to do today?

Pastor: We can worry about those things after church. Right now, we need to focus on listening to the Word of God and worshiping Jesus. That’s the most important job we have.

Sammy: I’ll try.

Pastor: That’s the spirit, Sammy. Boys and girls, would you please fold your hands and bow your heads so we can pray? Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us to remember what is most important. Help us to focus our attention on you. Please give us energy for our chores and for all we need to do. Please give us peace knowing you are Lord of all. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture:

Luke 10:25-37

Script:

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, boys and girls!

Pastor: Today I want to teach you all the most important commandment.

Sammy: I know! I know!

Pastor: Yes, Sammy?

Sammy: I know the most important commandment!

Pastor: Go ahead. What do you think the most important commandment is?

Sammy: Love God with all your heart.

Pastor: Great job, Sammy! In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus is quoting the book of Deuteronomy 6:5. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Sammy: What does loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength look like? How can I do that, Pastor?

Pastor: Sammy, that’s a great question. Boys and girls, what do you think? How can we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: I like these answers! One of the things that I still don’t understand is how I can love my neighbor as myself. How can I do that?

Pastor: Let’s let the boys and girls answer this one too, Sammy. Boys and girls, how can we love our neighbor as ourselves?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: All of these ideas make a lot of sense to me. I am going to try to love everyone. I know sometimes others aren’t always kind to us, but Jesus calls us to love them. And sometimes it’s also hard to love someone who is really different from us. But God calls us to love that person, too.

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy. We need to remember to love our God with all that we are. And that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus is asking us to live our lives in love and service to each other. We also have to remember that a lot of times, when we serve and love others, not everyone with thank us. And that’s okay. Remember that God always sees what you do and how you treat others. He knows your heart.

Sammy: That’s comforting to hear, Pastor.

Pastor: Boys and girls, can you all please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Thank you for helping us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

September 7: 13^th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18; Labor Day weekend)

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (Before you God sets life and death, blessing and curse; choose life!)

Psalm 1 (Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly; his delight is in the law

of the Lord)

Philemon, whole thing (Paul’s artful persuasion on behalf of a runaway slave)

Luke 14:25-35 (Consider the cost of discipleship first!)

            ELW/RCL: Luke 14:25-33 (Eliminates words about unsalty salt)

*******

Opening Hymn:   The Man is Ever Blessed (Simple tune; paraphrase of Ps. 1): LSB #705

OR O, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways: LBW #480, ELW #772, LSB #707

Hymn of the Day: How Clear is Our Vocation, Lord: LSB #853

OR Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us: LBW #424, ELW #707, LSB #851

Communion Hymn #1: O God, My Faithful God: LBW #504, ELW #806, LSB #696

Communion Hymn #2: O Master, Let Me Walk With You: LBW #492, ELW #818

Closing Hymn: Lord of All Hopefulness, Lord of All Joy: LBW #469, ELW #765, LSB #738

*******

Let us pray in the name of Jesus to our heavenly Father for the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence

Gracious Father, teach us what true discipleship is. By your Spirit, give us the faith and steadfastness to bear its cost. Thank you for so clearly setting before us the “way of blessing and curse, of life and death.” Thank you for the grace to choose the life you offer through the death and resurrection of your Son.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church around the world. Make it holy and blameless, wise and loving, fearless and compassionate in equal measure. Make it delight in your Law and proclaim your Gospel. Establish its roots in the living waters flowing from Christ its head and its life.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the people and ministries of this congregation. Help us to meditate on your Word day and night. Give us grace to forgive, faithfulness to serve, and joyfulness to worship. Use us to lead many people to those streams of living water in which is found true life in Christ.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for persecuted Christians, for missionaries, for seminary professors and students, and for all pastors and evangelists. Give them wise and humble hearts. Use them to bring the healing and saving Gospel to those whom the world has despised and rejected.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for our nation and its leaders; and for the people and leaders of every nation on earth. Help all of us to “walk not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners; nor sit in the seat of scoffers;” but instead to delight in your Law; to meditate on your will; and to practice doing it so that we may live before you in peace and righteousness.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Your Son dignified our labor by sharing our toil. Be with your people wherever they work. Make leaders of industries and commerce of this land responsive to your will. Give us pride in what we do. Be the strong refuge of those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of employment. Help all who are able to work to find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for everyone who needs your mercy and loving-kindness – including: {List}. Refresh their hearts; heal whatever is wounded; and restore them to fellowship with all who love them. As we recall Paul’s words to Philemon, we lift before you the plight of all who, even this day, are slaves. Deliver them from bondage, and let us always claim them as kindred for whom Christ has died.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy and loving Father, with gratitude and affection we entrust into your care our beloved dead. Through your Holy Spirit, strengthen us in our vocation as disciples of the Lord Jesus, so that, not counting the cost, we always bear faithful witness to him. For his sake, bring us into your presence, to be numbered with all those who serve, worship, and adore you in glory everlasting.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In the power of the Holy Spirit, we entrust our prayers and petitions into your hands, gracious Father, for the sake of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  AMEN.

August 31: 12^th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17)

Proverbs 25:2-10 (Words about kings; comporting self in King’s presence; keeping confidences)

            ELW/RCL: Proverbs 25:6-7 (Only about comporting self in king’s presence)

Psalm 131 (I do not occupy myself with things too great and marvelous)

            ELW/RCL: Psalm 112 (The righteous and just are blessed by God)

Hebrews 13:1-17 (Words of advice about many things)

            ELW/RCL: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 (Eliminates “Don’t be led away by strange teachings,” Jesus’ death “outside the camp”)

Luke 14:1-14 (Healing on Sabbath; taking the lowest seat at the banquet table)

            ELW/RCL: Luke 14: 1, 7-14 (Eliminates healing on Sabbath)

*******

Opening Hymn:   Day by Day: WOV #746, ELW #790

OR When Morning Gilds the Skies: LBW #546, ELW #853, LSB #807

Hymn of the Day: Praise and Thanksgiving, Father, We Offer: LBW #409, ELW #689, LSB #789

OR Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service: LBW #423, ELW #712, LSB #848

Communion Hymn #1: Come, Let Us Eat: LBW #214, ELW #491, LSB #626

Communion Hymn #2: Bind Us Together: WOV #748

Closing Hymn: Savior, Again to Your Dear Name: LBW #262, ELW #534, LSB #917

Let us pray in the name of Jesus to our heavenly Father for the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence

Gracious Father, thank you for making us like Jesus! Joined to him, who humbled himself for our sake, we too can be humble, yet not doormats. Transformed by his Spirit, we can live in faith toward you and in fervent love for others. Thank you! Make us more and more the living image of your Son.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Fill your Church with obedient, humble faith in Christ alone. Give it pastors, bishops, theologians and lay leaders who speak your truth in love. By your Holy Spirit, inspire compassionate deeds and holy lives among all who name Jesus Christ as Lord.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Bless the people of this congregation. Help us to remember that we always speak, act, and live in the presence of Christ our King. Let the way we treat everyone reflect his strong saving love.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Calm the fears and give comfort and strength to your persecuted servants throughout the world. By their humble witness, cause their enemies to repent and to turn to you, their only King, Lord and God.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Bless this land with justice, prosperity, concord, and integrity. Guide our leaders, and all who take counsel for the nations, so that they may always remember that they must give an account of their deliberations and deeds to you, the King of the Nations.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We are often fascinated by power, prestige, and popularity. Give us the grace to notice, and cherish, the humble and lowly who do your will. More than that, make us like Jesus, who is gentle and lowly of heart.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Those burdened with pain, sorrow, and adversity need the strength and healing that only you can give. We pray on their behalf, especially for: {List}. Quiet their fears, heal their bodies, minds, and hearts, and renew their hope. Bless all who care for them. Give them refreshment and resources to continue their ministry of loving service.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you for receiving all who have died trusting in you. Quiet the souls of all who mourn. Teach us to live trustfully as your dear children. Lead us into your house, where with all whom you have redeemed, we will rest in your arms, delight in your goodness, and adore you forever.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In the power of the Holy Spirit, we entrust our prayers and petitions into your hands, gracious Father, for the sake of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  AMEN.

August 24, 2013: 11^th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16)

Or St. Bartholomew, Apostle

11 Pentecost Lessons and Hymns

Isaiah 66:18-23 (All nations shall worship the Lord and be his priests)

            ELW/RCL: Isaiah 58:9-14 (Do justice, and God will bless you)

Psalm 50:1-15 (Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, the Lord shines forth; he desires the sacrifice of thanksgiving, not of beasts)

            ELW/RCL: Psalm 103:1-8 (Bless the Lord, O my soul, for God’s mercy and justice)

Hebrews 12: 4-29 (Your suffering is how God disciplines beloved children. Pursue peace and holiness. You’ve come to Christ, whose blood speaks better word than Abel; don’t refuse him!)

            ELW/RCL: Hebrews 12:18-29 (Eliminates exhortation to faithfulness, holy living, God’s discipline of those he loves)

Luke 13:22-30 (Jesus says: strive to enter by the narrow gate, or you will see Abraham and the prophets enter the Kingdom, but you will be locked outside)

            ELW/RCL: Luke 13:10-17 (Jesus heals the woman bent over)

*******

Opening Hymn:  Glories of Your Name/Of You are Spoken:  LBW #358, ELW #647, LSB #648 (DANGER!! ELW changed the tune to a fairly obscure though singable Welsh tune. It’s probably because some nitwit said the usual tune, “Austria,” is the same as the German Nazi anthem, “Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles.” However, “Austria” is used in ELW for hymn #823, so…. Just be alert. PLEEEEZE use the “Usual tune!!!”)

OR Rise, O Sun of Righteousness: ELW #657

Hymn of the Day: A Multitude Comes From the East and the West: LBW #313, LSB #510

OR I’m So Glad He Lifted Me (If using ELW/RCL Gospel): WOV #673, ELW #860

Communion Hymn #1: You Are the Way: LBW #464, ELW #758, LSB #526

Communion Hymn #2: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms: WOV #780, ELW #774

Closing Hymn: The Son of God Goes Forth to War: LBW #183, LSB #661

OR I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light: WOV #649, ELW #815, LSB #411

*******

St. Bartholomew Lessons and Hymns

Exodus 19: 1-6 (Remember how God delivered you from Egyptians as on eagles’ wings)

Psalm 12

1 Corinthians 12: 27-31a

John 1:43-51

*******

Opening Hymn: On Eagles’ Wings: WOV #779, ELW #787, LSB #727

OR Praise to the Lord, the Almighty:  LBW #534, ELW #858 (#859 is the gender-free translation. You’re welcome.) LSB #790

Hymn of the Day: For All Your Saints, O Lord: LBW #176, ELW #427

OR By All Your Saints in Warfare: LBW #178, v. 1, 17, 3; ELW #421, v. 1, 19, 2, last;

LSB #518, v. 1, 23, 3

Communion Hymn #1: You Are the Way: LBW #464, ELW #758, LSB #526

Communion Hymn #2: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms: WOV #780, ELW #774

Closing Hymn: The Son of God Goes Forth to War: LBW #183, LSB #661

OR I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light: WOV #649, ELW #815, LSB #411

*******

Let us pray for the Church, the world, and for one another.

A brief silence

Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us what you would have us do, even when it is hard. Give us strength and grace to worship you in the beauty of holiness, and to share your love, justice, and mercy with others. Thank you for establishing for us a kingdom that can never be shaken.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lead the Church you love in the narrow way of peace, holiness, and truth. Make it a trustworthy, open gate to Christ. Lead all who are wounded in soul and body to the salvation he offers them.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Touch the hearts of the people gathered here with your beauty and goodness. Make our words gracious and our deeds lovely. Make of us a kingdom of priests, holy in your sight; and a family of servants, faithfully doing your will.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Join the sufferings of your persecuted Church to those of Christ. Give it a gracious word of testimony, truth, and forgiveness, so that its tormentors may repent and be saved.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Bring to fruition Isaiah’s vision that all nations shall serve and worship you. Give leaders the strength and desire to work for peace, righteousness, and justice for all people – especially the poor and those devastated by human malice or natural disaster. Help all of us to be true neighbors to one another.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The school year fast approaches, to mingled dread and anticipation. Give students joy in learning and diligence in study. Help their teachers and aides to convey true love of their subject matter. Make them gentle disciplinarians, inspiring mentors, and worthy examples to their students.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Grant healing, hope and strength to everyone who suffers, especially: {List}. Assure them of your loving presence, and let them enter into your gates with thanksgiving and into your courts with praise.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Most holy Father, receive into your Kingdom our beloved dead. Keep us faithful and true, holy and steadfast, as we walk the narrow Way established by Jesus. Give us hope and joy along that way. Help us encourage one another. Bring us into that Kingdom which you have promised to all whom you redeem by the sufferings of Christ. There let us know the unspeakable joy of abiding in your love forever.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Hear our prayers, gracious Father, offered through the power of the Spirit; and for the sake of your dear Son, grant us all that is in accordance with your merciful will, to your glory and for the good of your people. AMEN.

As the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) considers sweeping constitutional amendments in 2025, it is crucial to revisit the foundational principles of the Lutheran Reformation—the Five Solas—and assess the implications of these changes for our confessional identity and mission. The Five Solas—Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the glory)—are not merely historical slogans but enduring guideposts for Lutheran faith and practice. Recent proposals within the ELCA threaten to compromise these pillars at a time when clarity and fidelity are most needed.

Sola Scriptura and the Authority of God’s Word

The move toward gender-neutral and nonbinary language in ELCA governing documents, as proposed in the November 2024 Church Council actions, raises significant concerns about Sola Scriptura. While inclusivity is a worthy goal, altering biblical terms such as “brothers and sisters” risks detaching the church from the clear witness of Scripture, which affirms humanity as “male and female” (Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4). The authority of Scripture, upheld by the Lutheran Confessions, must remain the foundation for doctrine and practice. When church language is shaped more by cultural trends than by God’s revealed Word, we risk undermining the very principle that sparked the Reformation: that “God’s Word shall establish articles of faith” (Luther).

Solus Christus and the Marks of the Church

Another critical issue is the proposed expansion of voting rights to synod assemblies for non-congregational ministries—such as camps and nonprofits—that do not regularly offer Word and Sacrament ministry. The Augsburg Confession defines the Church as the assembly where the Gospel is purely taught, and the sacraments rightly administered. To broaden the definition of “church” to include organizations whose primary mission is not the proclamation of the Gospel or the administration of the sacraments risks severing the church from its Christological center. Solus Christus reminds us that Christ alone is the head of the Church, and it is His presence in Word and Sacrament that constitutes the true church—not organizational structure or social activism.

Soli Deo Gloria and Church Governance

The Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC) has proposed streamlining the constitutional amendment process by eliminating the second Assembly vote, thereby centralizing authority and reducing congregational input. Such a move contradicts both the spirit of the Augsburg Confession and the principle of Soli Deo Gloria, which insists that all church governance must ultimately glorify God, not merely serve institutional efficiency. Furthermore, the lack of proactive communication about these amendments undermines transparency and trust, violating the church’s commitment to open dialogue and discernment.

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, and the Marginalization of Confessional Voices

Perhaps most troubling is the increasing marginalization of confessional and conservative voices within the ELCA. Sola Fide and Sola Gratia teach that all are justified by faith and saved by grace alone—not by ideological conformity or prevailing cultural opinions. When traditional perspectives are dismissed or excluded from meaningful dialogue, the church risks replacing genuine unity with superficial consensus, undermining the mutual respect and forbearance to which we are called (Romans 14:1, Ephesians 4:3). True inclusion, rooted in the grace of Christ, embraces the full spectrum of faithful Lutheran convictions.

A Call to Faithful Reformation

The proposed constitutional changes present a pivotal moment for the ELCA. To remain faithful to our Reformation heritage, the church must:

• Ensure all amendments are publicized directly to congregations, upholding Sola Scriptura.
• Reject fast-tracking governance changes that bypass congregational discernment, preserving Soli Deo Gloria.
• Host open forums to discuss amendments through the lens of the Five Solas, especially Solus Christus.
• Appoint confessional leaders committed to upholding Reformation theology.

The ELCA cannot credibly champion inclusion while sidelining conservative voices and obscuring governance changes. Only by realigning with the Five Solas can the church preserve its confessional integrity and witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sola slide with list of solas and German church, courtesy of Paul Fleming.

The events that put me at the front line of leading our church out of the ELCA began with an unexpected phone call from our founding pastor. Unbeknownst to him, I was frustrated with our congregation’s direction and the ELCA’s unbiblical stance on various issues.  Pastor wanted to know if I would be interested in being the Council President. Here I was ready to leave the church, and God provided a path to church leadership and fixing the problems that I saw. I agreed to his request, but it wasn’t with the fervor of ‘Here I Am Lord, Send Me!’

I had numerous discussions with the Pastor about leaving the ELCA, how to do that, and its impact.  He was led to believe that he would lose his pension if we left the ELCA. We now know this to be untrue, but it kept us in the ELCA for another decade.

Pastor retired during this period.  By this time, I was all-in on getting the right pastor to lead our church and made that known within the council and general congregational membership.  This led to my interest in serving on our church’s Call Committee. Now I was enthusiastically responding to ‘Here I Am Lord, Send Me!’  I knew that to save our church from the ELCA and lead us on a biblical path, we needed the right pastor.

I was asked to serve on the Call Committee the day after my father passed away. It was a blessing in a time of grief. I was relieved and grateful that I was part of that committee. We went right to work and started developing a questionnaire to ask our congregation what it wanted in a new pastor.

During this process I had an opportunity to attend the Synod Assembly. I left home expecting to be filled with the Holy Spirit while there. I could not have been more wrong. I was fed lectures on white privilege, listened to poems from young black activists about why my whiteness was a problem and why I should ask for forgiveness, The list goes on. Nothing about Christ, nothing about Christianity, nothing except a church manifesting itself as a  political organization and promoting LGBTQ agenda with no regard to sin.

I came back early from the Synod Assembly, reached out to the entire call committee and asked for a special meeting.  “Houston, we have a problem!” echoed in my mind. I put together a synopsis of my trip and all members of the call committee were speechless.  One member said, “Well, I thought I was a liberal but apparently I’m a conservative and didn’t know it.” We contemplated our next steps. Since our congregation asked us to find a pastor, should we go back to them and suggest looking outside of the ELCA?

We felt this was a good course of action but eventually realized that we could not take that path…yet. We focused our search and questions on a path that would lead us to the right pastor…then we prayed…a lot! With God’s help and our listening, we finally found our pastor. But that was the beginning, not the end of our journey. I immediately approached our new pastor (before he was selected) to make sure he was willing to support our plan to leave the ELCA. He said the road would be tough, but we could do it if we wanted. 

When the ELCA announced that it would be a Sanctuary Church, there was a significant amount of publicity that went along with its decision. This worked in our favor because many more members became aware of what the ELCA was doing. Now I didn’t have to find people to talk to and convince them the ELCA was not aligned with our congregation’s beliefs. They started looking for me and saying we need to leave the ELCA.

 I started gathering signatures on a petition. It called for the formation of a Discernment Committee where we could prayerfully determine our church’s path forward. Over 25% of the active congregation members signed it; the council could not refuse our request.

We formed the committee with a mix of members who wanted to stay or leave the ELCA. This was harder than it needed to be because we wanted to hear all voices and concerns.  Pastor led four classes for the congregation which discussed issues within the ELCA and how it had strayed from Luther’s foundational beliefs. These meetings focused on:

These classes informed our congregation that the ELCA had changed. Our patience and plan worked out. Our first vote was 88% and the second was 89% in affirmation to leave the ELCA and become part of the NALC.

At Confirmation Camp the girl had scrawled across her forearm four pagan runes. Most folks would look past these symbols as mere doodling. But the images are pagan prayers every bit as a worn cross or scripture tattoo is a prayer to Christ.

While movies like “Harry Potter” or “The Craft” or the show “Charmed” make witchcraft seem innocuous and glamourous, Wicca is a real religious movement, especially resurging among young women and teenage girls. Pagans do not worship the God of the Bible, but rather rely on a pantheon of gods and goddesses. They see the divine living in everything including people. So everything is a “god”. They don’t believe in gods of judgment, but do call on gods to punish their enemies. These gods are capricious, impersonal and ahistorical. The sexuality and fertility of the gods is emphasized, in particular the amorphic, can-mean-what-you-want goddess. Pagans are clear: their gods are not compatible with the LORD Almighty.

Even though some have a fallacy of “Christian Witches”, actual Wiccans would say you can’t be Christian and wiccan. Note that “Christian”- being a Christ follower –is modifying the noun to be a witch. Whenever an adjective at odds with the Word of God is used to modify the noun of being a Christian that perspective is pagan.

We see many examples of Pagan Christianity around us today. While some Christians rant about alleged pagan influence from Halloween, Christmas, to Easter, the influence of paganism is much more invasive. An ELCA church in San Francisco even has a resident witch on staff.¹  Paganism is all around us and is the everyday air we breathe of our culture. We are tempted to give ourselves over to the elemental forces of mundane life (Gal 4:3, Gol 2:8).

When people dabble with these pagan gods or goddesses, they are not just doing religion ala carte. To be clear these pagan false gods are demonic. When people mess around with the occult they are opening the door to dark and demonic. These spiritual forces are real and harmful.

The Bible speaks clearly against witchcraft, sorcery and the occult. “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.” (Deut 18:10–11, cf. Jer 27:9, Isa 47:9-13, Mal 3:5)  In the book of Acts sorcerers recognized the futility of their occult worship, burning their spell books and giving themselves to Christ. (Acts 8:9-24, Acts 13:7-12, Acts 19:19)

When Christians dabble with the gods of other religions they are engaging in blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned Christians against defying the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:31). Requiring some other deity to modify or contribute to Jesus Christ means denying the full revelation of God in Christ that has come to us through the Holy Spirit. Christ is the fullness of God (Eph 1:22-23, Col 1:1-20). He has done everything for us in the cross and continues to bless us. We do not have to burn sage or have crystals to appease or bargain with Him, he has already paid the price of appeasement through his blood.  

We either are worshipping Christ alone or we are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit worshipping other false gods. As Paul says, the sacrifices and worship given to false gods is offered to demons, not to God. “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” (1 Cor 10:21)

So we are encouraged to walk away from paganism and the occult. “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded / Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8) When we repent from the death-dealing worship of the occult and turn towards God, he will come near to us and empower us for daily life.

To you who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, May the grace and peace of God our Father and Christ our Lord be with you. (1 Co 1:2-3)

^#1 https://www.christianpost.com/news/elca-herchurch-promotes-goddess-worship-resident-witch.html, https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/15/san-francisco-herchurch-purple-twin-peaks-divine-feminine/

Many thanks to Stephen Heath for providing a video summary of his new book, “A Christian Worldview Primer for Twenty-first Century Americans.”  A link to Stephen’s video can be found HERE.   A link to our You Tube channel, which contains fifty-nine video reviews of books and discussions of topics of interest and importance, can be found HERE.

Stephen describes himself as “a Christian layman who was raised in the faith and has strived to convey to his children and grandchildren what has been entrusted to him.”   His professional life has taken him through a career as an Air Force legal officer specializing in Government contract law.  After serving in the military, he continued to use his legal expertise in the private sector.

This primer begins by introducing the basic concepts of worldview.  It then outlines Christianity’s answers to the worldview questions of origins, purpose, and destiny.  Stephen writes –

“Christianity’s understanding of the universe and life and law within it is unique, comprehensive, and coherent.  In every age, the Christian worldview confronts a competing worldview which wrests authority from God and claims autonomy for humanity itself.  At this time and place, the world on its own opposes the Christian worldview in many ways. These ways include matters of authority, truth, ‘rights,’ sex, ‘social justice,’ the relationship between religion and politics, and society’s dependence on three basic independent institutions: the family, a religious institution, and a civic one.  This primer seeks to make the believer aware of these relationships and the differences between Christianity’s understandings of them and those of ‘the world.’  It ends on a note of hope, remembering the words of our Lord, ‘Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.’”