Dear Friends in the Risen Lord:

Every morning – when I turn on my computer – I wonder, “How much worse is the news going to be today than it was yesterday?”  How many more confirmed corona virus cases will there be?  How many more people will have died?  What kind of greater precautions will we need to take, and what kind of greater restrictions will be placed upon us?  How much more will the stock market plunge?

In the midst of all this, we need encouragement, a source of strength, and hope.  What greater source of encouragement, strength, and hope could we have – and could we be able to share – than the good news that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead?  He is with us in our struggles, and He has defeated our greatest enemies – sin, death, and the power of the devil.

I would like to share with you four sources of strength and hope from the account of the Israelites’ crossing the Jordan River on their way to the Promised Land, as recorded in the early chapters of the book of Joshua. 

First, in Joshua 1: 2 the Lord said to Joshua, “My servant Moses is dead; now proceed to cross the Jordan.”  The Lord did not say, “Moses is dead; you might as well give up.”  Nor did He say, “Moses is dead; so why not go back to Egypt.”  “Moses is dead; it will never be the same again.” Or “Moses is dead; what hope do you have now?”  Rather the Lord said, “Moses is dead; now proceed to cross the Jordan.” 

We have heard it said over and over again.  We are living in unprecedented times.  We were not prepared for this, nor did we see it coming.  We do not know how long it will last or what life will be like after it is over.  We know it will be different, but we do not know how it will be different.  In many ways Moses is dead.  The realities, resources, and support systems that we had been counting on no longer exist.  And they disappeared so quickly.  But just as God said, “Moses is dead; now proceed to cross the Jordan,” so God is saying to us, “Life will be different, but it is not over.”  With God’s presence and power – with the hope of the resurrection – we will be able to get through this.  One year from now we will be able to look back and say, “God is good, and He saw us through.”  Moses may be dead, but we still need to and we still can cross the Jordan. 

Second, three times in the first nine verses of Joshua 1 God says, “Be strong and courageous.”  In verse 6, verse 7, and verse 9.  “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

It would be very easy today to be frightened and dismayed.  We have many, very valid reasons to be frightened and dismayed.  Just like the disciples of Jesus, on the evening of Good Friday, had many, very valid reasons to be frightened and dismayed. 

But the angel told the women who came early on Easter Sunday morning to the tomb, “Do not be afraid.  I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here.  He has been raised.  Come, see the place where He lay.  Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has been raised from the dead.”  (Matthew 28: 5-7)  So we, too, need to see the place where He lay.  We, too, need to see that the tomb is empty.  Then we, too, need to go quickly and tell people that He has been raised from the dead.  This year – during the upcoming Holy Week season – may God give you even more strength of conviction and mountain-moving faith, so that you will be able to believe with power and with boldness, “Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead.”

Third, in Joshua 3: 2-4 we read that the leaders of Israel went through the camp and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord our God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place.  Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.” 

What do we need the most as we go through a national and global crisis unlike any we have experienced before?  We need to know that God is with us and that He goes before us, “for (we) have not passed this way before.”  I remember a poster I had on my wall in my dorm room in college.  It showed a mushroom cloud from an atomic explosion.  It asked the question, “Is there a future?”  It gave an answer from God.  “Yes, I am already there.”

Paul describes Jesus as “the first born from the dead.”  Jesus has already gone through the experience of death ahead of us.  And He has broken the power of death over us.  Therefore, “nothing in all of creation” – and that includes the corona virus – “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8: 39)

Fourth, Joshua 3: 15-16 tell us that “when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still . . . while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off,” so the people were able to cross over on dry ground. 

There was a miraculous crossing of a body of water at the beginning of the time of leadership of Moses (the Red Sea), and there was a miraculous crossing of a body of water at the beginning of the time of leadership of Joshua (the Jordan River).  But there is a significant difference between the two.  In the case of Moses and the Red Sea, God sent a strong east wind that blew all night.  In the morning there was a dry path. The people did not need to step into the sea until they had a dry path.  In the case of Joshua and the Jordan River, somebody had to step into the water first before the flow of the river stopped and a dry path became available.

I know that I, for one, would like to have a dry path before I have to step in.  But that is not the way it always goes.  It sure would be good to know how this pandemic will end and how long it will last, but at this point we do not know.  But still we need to step in, take necessary precautions, help those who are most vulnerable, and see this time as an opportune time to show the kind of courage and compassion that Christ can give. 

I remember several years ago a woman who was very close to dying from cancer read the lessons on Easter Sunday.  Never before had those Scriptures passages spoken so strongly to me as they did that day as they were being read by someone who would soon be dying and who believed with all her heart that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

This Easter season may your faith in Jesus be even bolder, your hope in Jesus be even greater, and your love for Jesus be even stronger.

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
[email protected]
909-274-8591

P.S.

Our prayers are with all confessional Lutheran pastors as you find and develop ways to stay connected with your congregations, give your people hope, courage, and strength, and reach out to your communities during these most unusual times.  On our website you can find a list of some congregations that are livestreaming and/or posting recordings of their worship services.  A link to that list can be found here.  Please let me know if you would like to be added to that list.

“MUCH LAND STILL REMAINS TO BE CONQUERED” 

Joshua 13: 1 says, “Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the Lord said to him, ‘You are old and advanced in years.’”  I can imagine Joshua saying, “Thank you, Lord.  I really did not need to be reminded of that.”  Then the Lord added, “Much land still remains to be conquered.”

Joshua, it’s not all over.  There is still much important work for you to do.

I can imagine the Lord saying the same thing to all of us who are retired or who are approaching retirement.  “Much land still remains to be conquered.  It’s not all over.  There is still much important work for you to do.”   

I have heard it referred to as both the second chapter and the third chapter of life – that time in life (usually during retirement) when time is more abundant because the kids are grown and we do not have to work full-time in order to earn a living.

I retired a little over five and a half years ago.  For me a major question since then has been –

What does God want me to do with what He gave me the opportunity to learn and with the skills He gave me the opportunity to develop during my full-time working years now during this next chapter in life?

I think of Moses.  Moses did not begin his major life work until the age of eighty.  I am eight years short of the age of eighty.  Moses spent the first forty years of his life as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter – pampered and spoiled and unable to control his temper.  There was no way that at the age of forty he would have been ready to lead several hundred thousand stiff-necked, stubborn, and complaining people through the wilderness.  It was only after another forty years of herding the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro in the desert that Moses knew how to survive in the desert and that Moses was ready to lead God’s people through the desert.  It was only at the age of eighty that he was ready. 

What has God been getting you ready for?  What does God have in mind for you?  God is the one who sent the plagues, parted the waters, and provided manna in the wilderness.  But Moses was the man whom God had prepared to lead His people.

What has God been preparing you for?  I know that for me the opportunities I have had in retirement to do supply preaching and teach adult Bible studies have been a blessing, and the opportunity to serve as executive director of Lutheran CORE is the perfect thing for me at this time in life. 

I asked three retired persons if they would write about what they are doing now in ministry to use their accumulated insight, wisdom, gifts, knowledge, skills, and experience in their current chapter of life.  They are Robert Benne, professor at the Institute of Lutheran Theology and former professor of religion and director of the Center for Religion and Society at Roanoke College; Carol Peters, retired LCMC pastor in Arizona and one of the CiT (Congregations in Transition) coaches; and Steve Shipman, former executive director of Lutheran CORE, currently serving as an interim pastor of an NALC congregation in Pennsylvania. 

Here is what they wrote:

Dr. Robert Benne wrote –

In 1999 I went to the Roanoke College President’s office to tell him I wanted to relinquish my endowed chair and my tenured position on the faculty.    I was only 62.  I was weary from doing too many things and I wanted a new chapter in my life.  Graciously, he told me to think about it for a week or so since it was a pretty drastic move.  I came back in two weeks to reaffirm my decision, with the proviso that I continue to run the Center for Religion and Society which I had founded in 1982, as well as teach a few electives as an adjunct senior lecturer.

I simply did not want to give up the activities I had done with some skill and satisfaction for nearly 35 years.  I relinquished the directorship of the Center in 2012.  A new online seminary — the Institute of Lutheran Theology — came calling so I returned to teaching Christian ethics at a seminary after having been a college teacher for 30 years.  At the same time I gave up teaching at Roanoke College.

I now teach one course in Christian ethics per term at the ILT.  Another great teaching opportunity came up as we moved in 2015 to a large and thriving NALC congregation, St. John Lutheran.  There I offer courses that draw from 30-60 adults.  Right now I am teaching a course on Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship to 50.

Meanwhile, I am busily doing another activity I love—writing.  Since 2010 I have written three books: Good and Bad Ways to Think about Religion and Politics; Keeping the Soul in Christian Higher Education: a History of Roanoke College, and my memoirs, Thanks be to God: Memoirs of a Practical Theologian.   I have also written a number of chapters in other books.

I recount all this to illustrate what I think is true for most people who have taken up a vocation that brings deep satisfaction and usefulness to church and society.  In my case, I have been a Christian teacher and writer for 55 years.  Those activities have brought intrinsic meaning and joy over the years, and I hope they have been useful to the church.  But the point is that we should not stop doing those sorts of vocational pursuits if we continue to find satisfaction in them and others (church and seminary in my case) find them valuable.

When I advise friends who are wondering what they should do in their retirement I recommend that they continue to exercise their talents and training in something continuous with what they did in their full-time employment.  For example, I advised an exhausted emergency room doctor to exercise his talents on a charity hospital ship — something he had always wanted to do — rather than devote his time to other sorts of voluntary activities.  I advised a retiring pastor to find some diminished role in another church so he could continue preaching, teaching, and offering pastoral care.  Perhaps this sounds like semi-retirement, but if so, I commend it.  One lives a more manageable life with more leisure, freedom, and ample naps.  And one continues one’s calling in a more customized way.

I am willing to admit that some folks need to stop what they are doing and do something very different, or do nothing at all for a time, but that would not work for me.  On the worrisome side, what will happen when I cannot teach or write?  At 82 that may come sooner than later. Then I will be tested whether I have been tempted to justify myself by my works.  I dearly hope that I will then discover the depth of the meaning of being justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

* * * * * * *

Pastor Carol Peters wrote –

After being retired for two years, I discovered what was for me a liberating testimony by J. Vernon McGee, a pastor in Los Angeles many years ago as well as a radio preacher.  I had been feeling guilty for not missing full-time ministry more than I did.  In his commentary on the Psalms, Pastor McGee wrote: “…the happiest time of my ministry began when I retired from the pastorate; the most spiritually profitable time of my life began at that moment…. Do you know why?  I have whittled my life down to the one thing I want to do—teach the Bible.”

Indeed, the now four years I have been retired have been very “spiritually profitable.”  I now have time to spend in sessions of intercessory prayer for individuals, for the spread of the Gospel, for nations, for persecuted believers, for the health of the Church, etc.  I prayed, of course, while I was a pastor, but I never had a lot of time to devote to the ministry of intercession.  There is also much more time each week to spend alone with Jesus.  And like Pastor McGee, I am enjoying teaching the Bible in various settings.  I have always loved teaching, only now I have more time to spend digging into the Scripture and developing various courses than my schedule allowed when I was overseeing numerous programs at the large church I served as associate pastor.

My situation as a retired pastor is rather unique in that I am still a worshipping member of the church I served as a pastor as is the now-retired senior pastor with whom I worked.  Our congregation left the ELCA some years ago, and with the new senior pastor’s approval – and I should mention that he served as an associate pastor with us for about ten years before becoming the senior pastor – we made the decision that after retiring, we would stay away for six months or so, allowing a “new normal” to develop, and then we would return.  We do keep an intentionally low profile but are pleased to assist in any way when requested by the current senior pastor.

And that has worked out beautifully in our situation!  I have maintained my friendships made over the years.  I have taught in our adult education program.  I was asked to continue writing devotional studies for the congregation for Lent which I had done for many years while a pastor.  Now I have much more time to research and develop those studies!  And then, of course, there is occasional preaching and presiding at memorial services – not frequent, but occasional.

Those activities, as well as occasional opportunities to serve other congregations by supply preaching or teaching a short-term class, have made for a happy time of ministry!  No longer the demanding schedule of the pastorate yet the continued service to the Lord and His Church.

* * * * * * *

Pastor Steve Shipman wrote –

Recently a person trying to do some work around my house who wanted me there when he did it, was trying to coordinate schedules with me.  Finally in frustration he turned to his wife and said, “That guy flunked retirement.”  I confess that I cannot argue with that claim.

Since I work half a day each week in a program designed to keep people who qualify for institutional care out of nursing homes, I realize how undeservedly blessed I am.  I used to tell people I “take care of a bunch of old people,” then one day I looked at the computer and discovered a third of the folks were younger than I was.  Several years have passed, and it may be closer to half.  Yet they are all dealing with serious health issues, mostly through no fault of their own, and need assistance with the activities of daily living.

This year I am both serving as District Governor for the Lions club in my three-county area and also as half-time interim pastor of an NALC congregation as it searches for a full-time pastor. That in addition to my chaplaincy.  I didn’t plan it that way, but I was committed to the Lions and was the most logical person to do the interim.  Yes, it has been a crazy year and I am looking forward to re-retiring when the congregation issues its call.  But I’m not aware my ordination had a termination date.  God didn’t call Moses until he was 80, and God retired him (in much better health than I am today according to Deuteronomy) at 120.  So who am I to complain?

We all know people who retired in good health and within a brief period became seriously ill. I’m not ready to sit in a lounge chair watching those dumb Hallmark movies with my wife.  She and I would like to do more traveling and I’d like to get back into biking on the many local rail trails. But in the end, I am being selfish if God gives me opportunities to serve people and I refuse His call.

Science has proven that being active and using one’s brain power can put off many of the medical issues associated with aging.  And since we old people are especially subject to depression, it is good to get involved in meaningful activities where we can see other people being blessed instead of whining about the inevitable changes in our own bodies or in the world around us.

And I have found that supply preaching and interim work carry a different dynamic than a long-term pastorate, as does my part-time chaplaincy.  I have never felt so appreciated in my life, and I have to admit that my ego enjoys the compliments I receive.  But I also know my track record, and there is a long list of people from parishes I served who would disagree, usually with valid reasons.  I would urge retiring pastors and church workers that, after a period of time sitting in the pews to unwind, you be open to any opportunities God gives you to use your gifts to help congregations in transition or in a chaplaincy setting.

I’m having more fun than I have had for years, and I also feel that I am in many ways doing more good than I may have done in my called ministries. Some of that is having learned from my mistakes, but most is due to the different context.  I’m hoping that the Almighty lets me slow down a bit, and I don’t want to keep at this as long as Moses, but I trust that God’s purpose is more important than what I think my desires might be.

* * * * * * *

If you were to write about what God is calling you to do at this point or time in your life, what would you say?

Blessings in Christ,
Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
[email protected]
909-274-8591

Joseph
must have been a wonderful man.  I would
like to have known Joseph and to have had him as a friend.  Matthew 1: 18-25 – the Gospel reading for
December 22, the fourth Sunday in Advent this year – has this to say about
Joseph.  “Joseph, being a righteous man
and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her
quietly.” (verse 19)

But
then, after the angel appeared to him, it says, “When Joseph awoke from sleep,
he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” (verse 24)

If
Joseph were with us today to tell his story, I could imagine his saying
something like this –

“I
am a righteous man.  I try to live
according to the Holy Scriptures.  I had
a reputation to maintain in our community. 
As soon as people found out that Mary was pregnant, they would assume
that I was the father.  My reputation
would be ruined.  I was furious.  I was going to make it public.  I was going to go before the elders at the
town gate and sever this relationship, after explaining to them that I was not responsible.

“But
as I thought about it I realized that I could not do that, because I loved
Mary.  Even though she had broken my
heart and had shattered my trust, and I knew I could not marry her, still I did
not want to expose her to public shame. 
So I decided that I would just call the whole thing off quietly and make
up some sort of a story.”

After
the angel appeared to him, I can imagine his saying something like this –

“I
was elated.  I had received a message
from heaven.  I knew for sure that Mary
had told me the truth.  I was filled with
joy.  I apologized to Mary for doubting
her.”

Regarding
the circumstances of the birth of Jesus, I can imagine his saying something
like this –

“I
lit a fire to keep us warm.  When the
baby came, I did the best I could to be a midwife.  But remember, I am a carpenter.  I severed the cord, cleaned the child as best
I could, and then wrapped him in strips of cloth.  I laid him in a manger, because that was the
only place where I could put him where he would be off of the filth of the
floor.

“I
had all kinds of questions, like: If Mary is supposed to be highly favored of
God (as the angel had told her), and if this is something that God had been
planning on doing for a long time, then how do you explain the cave?  How do you explain the dirt and the
cattle?  How do you explain the
loneliness?  For no one came to celebrate
the birth of our son except some lowly shepherds.  They came smelling like sheep.  They said they had heard an angel choir.  They came looking for our baby boy.  Except for them, we were totally alone.” 

Looking
back on the whole Christmas experience, I can imagine Joseph saying something
like this –

“When
I was young, I figured that if even once in my life I were to see an angel, I
would never doubt.  I would always
believe.  Well, I saw an angel.  But still there have been times when I have
doubted.

“Maybe
you have a strong faith like Mary’s.  If you
do, then you are a special person, chosen by God.  But maybe you are more like me – a more
practical person.  You like things you
can touch, feel, and measure.  You find
it hard to believe.

“After
I met the angel, there were times I thought I would never doubt again.  But there were also times when the whole
thing did not make sense to me.  It all
seemed like such a strange way to save the world. 

“Well,
God used me.  I, Joseph, put my thumbprint
on Jesus.  I taught him how to be a
carpenter.  And he was such a good
carpenter.  He could make oxen yoke that
were so easy.  They would fit just
perfectly.  In fact, the folks in our
village called him ‘the carpenter.’  I
felt so proud whenever I heard him being called that, because I was the one who
had taught him how to be a carpenter.  I
put my thumbprint on him.

“But
then he also put his thumbprint on me, for he is the Savior of the world.  It was not easy.  But still – every time whenever I thought
that I knew what God wanted me to do – I would do it.  I had faith enough to do it.

“When
God sent his Son to earth, he put him in my care.  A carpenter, who sometimes believed his
doubts and sometimes doubted his beliefs. 
But who tried with all his heart to remain faithful throughout.”

Joseph
is not the main character of the story. 
But the Gospel reading for December 22, the fourth Sunday in Advent this
year, is primarily about Joseph.  As we once
again celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us also remember Joseph.  When God wanted someone to take care of his
Son, he chose Joseph.  May we strive to
be like Joseph, who was both righteous and compassionate.  Who believed, obeyed, and did the best that
he could.  

Wishing you a blessed Advent and a joyous Christmas,

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
[email protected]

The past couple months I have had the privilege of representing Lutheran CORE at four most inspiring events – the NALC theology conference, missions festival, and convocation (August 6-9 in Indianapolis); Lutheran CORE’s annual Encuentro bi-lingual ministries festival (September 14 at an ELCA congregation in Chicago); the STS (Society of the Holy Trinity) general retreat (September 24-26 at a Roman Catholic retreat center north of Chicago); and the LCMC gathering (September 29-October 2 in Omaha).

Space
does not allow for a thorough report on all of them, so what I would like to do
is to share one or two highlights from each of them.

INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR CHRISTIANITY

On
behalf of Lutheran CORE I would like to extend our congratulations to Pastor
Dan Selbo on his election as the next bishop of the North American Lutheran
Church.  Our prayers and best wishes are
with him as he steps into this position of leadership, care, and
oversight.  The answers that he gave to
such questions as “What Should Be the NALC’S Most Important Ministry
Priorities?” and “What Challenges Do You See Facing the NALC?” make me
confident that he is going to give wise, powerful, and effective leadership for
the church.  I believe that the Holy
Spirit was present and guiding the process for the election of a new
bishop. 

The
address from Gemechis Buba, Assistant to the Bishop for Missions, at the close
of the missions festival was most inspiring. 
He based his presentation on the account in John 20 of what took place
on that first Easter Sunday evening. 
John tells us that as “the doors of the house where the disciples had
met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
‘Peace be with you. . . . As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’”  Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive
the Holy Spirit” (verses 19-22).

Dr.
Buba commented, “When the Holy Spirit is blown on us, there are no more closed
doors.”  Many are accustomed to indoors
Christianity.  They see everything as
diminishing and closing.  But the Holy
Spirit is moving us from indoor Christianity – where there are closed doors –
to outdoor Christianity – where there are open doors.  He spoke of several Oromo churches, who at
first were concerned because they were being kicked out of buildings.  They were wondering, “Where will we go
now?”  They are no longer renting
buildings.  Rather they are buying
buildings. 

Dr.
Buba also shared how the church of Jesus Christ is always under pressure.  The persecution and pressure may be different
in different parts of the world, but we are all under pressure.  Satan is seeking to destroy the church.  But when the Holy Spirit is leading the
church, the church becomes unstoppable. 
Receiving the Holy Spirit, the early disciples moved from being in one
room behind closed doors to being out in the world, speaking in many different
languages. 

Dr.
Buba reminded us that some say that there is no future for the church in
present-day America.  But we follow an
unstoppable Holy Spirit.  With the early
disciples we move from one room with closed doors in Jerusalem through open
doors to all over the world.

May
we follow our crucified and risen Lord Jesus, who has given us the Holy Spirit
and who now leads us to follow him from behind closed doors into the outside,
waiting world.   

* * * * * * *

NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH

I believe that our annual bi-lingual ministries Encuentro is our strongest connecting point with the ELCA.  The Encuentro is an annual gathering of inspiration, fellowship, support, and resources for pastors, lay leaders, and congregations who either are currently involved in or are considering becoming involved in Spanish and/or bilingual (Spanish-English) ministries.  It is held at an ELCA congregation in northwest Chicago (St. Timothy Lutheran Church).  It is co-sponsored by Lutheran CORE and the Bilingual Ministries Resource Center out of First and Santa Cruz Lutheran Church in Joliet, Illinois (another ELCA congregation).  The majority of those who attend are ELCA, and the majority of the presenters are ELCA – including pastors, theologians, and national church staff.  We were especially delighted this year to receive an email greeting from Bishop Jeffrey Clements of the ELCA’s Northern Illinois Synod, and we were deeply honored that Bishop-Elect Yehiel Curry of the ELCA’s Metro Chicago Synod stopped by.  Bishop-Elect Curry said during his greeting, “I represent the entire synod.”  How delighted we were that the bishop would include in his definition of “the entire synod” a congregation that would host an event planned and sponsored by Lutheran CORE.

When
so much of our work is a critical review of much of what is done and valued by
the ELCA, it is refreshing to have this annual event, which is a source of
support and encouragement for many in the ELCA. 
Lutheran CORE and the ELCA disagree on many, very basic things, but we do
agree on the importance of reaching out to and receiving the gifts of Spanish-speaking
people.

I
would also want to mention the intentional inter-Lutheran outreach of this
annual event.  We were very happy to
welcome several LCMS pastors and lay people. 
   

Main
presenter was Dr. Maxwell Johnson, ELCA theologian and professor at Notre Dame
University in South Bend, Indiana.  Dr.
Johnson is incredibly knowledgeable, dynamic, energetic, and even funny.  He really engages with his audience and is
very clear in his teaching of the orthodox Christian faith.  Much of his second presentation was on the
Virgin of Guadalupe and her appearance to a native Mexican peasant farmer by
the name of Juan Diego.  Much of what he
said reminded me of the Magnificat in Luke 1, where Mary praised God for
lifting up the lowly (verse 52).  Dr.
Maxwell shared how her appearance gave the hope of the Gospel to people who had
no Good News from what was coming from Spain. 
Juan Diego was one of the low and despised indigenous persons who became
a messenger of God to the powerful, both in government as well as in the
church.  Dr. Maxwell sees her appearing
as an example of God’s care for and identification with the poor.  He said, “For people who have been told that
they are inferior – for the Juan Diegos of this world – there is
vindication.”  He added, “The Virgin of
Guadalupe is not necessary for salvation, but she is an expression of God’s
love.”

It was exciting to see the extent to which St. Timothy is reaching out to its neighborhood.  There were several from the community present during part of the event, and both the beginning of a mariachi-led Misa Panamericana as well as a prayer vigil for peace in the city of Chicago were held outside – as a witness to the community.  One woman who came with her family to the Encuentro invited everyone to her home on the evening of Wednesday, December 11, the day before the annual commemoration of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12.  This will be one of several Wednesday evening Advent prayer gatherings for the St. Timothy congregation.  The text for these evening home Bible studies and Vespers will be Mary’s Magnificat from Luke’s Gospel.

Part of the festival was a re-dedication of a more-than-a-century-old baptismal font, which had not been used in worship for several years.  That rededication seemed like a recommitment on the part of the congregation to reach out to its community.

                                                       
* * * * * * *

NOT ASHAMED OR AFRAID TO CALL GOD FATHER

The
second time I had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Maxwell Johnson was at the
Society of the Holy Trinity (STS) general retreat.  At that event he spoke on “Ecclesia Semper
Reformanda” (the church must always be reformed) as it relates to baptism and
the eucharist.  I deeply appreciated the
powerful case he built against the radical hospitality movement, which would
invite all people to receive the Lord’s Supper whether or not they have been
baptized.  Here are some of the
statements Dr. Johnson made which I thought were particularly helpful and
insightful.  “In baptism the eucharist
begins; in the eucharist baptism is sustained.” 
“No one deserves baptism; the eucharist is the birthright of the
baptized.”  “The exclusion of the
unbaptized from the eucharist is not to protect the eucharist, but out of
pastoral care and concern for the unbaptized.” 
They might not be ready to make a confession of faith in Christ and to
commit to the costly discipleship of the life of following Christ.  I also appreciated his comment, “The purpose
of liturgy is not to permeate our lives with ritual, but to permeate our lives
with Christ.”

It
was refreshing being with people who are not hesitant to affirm the Trinity and
the Trinitarian nature of our faith.  It
was also refreshing being with people who are not afraid and ashamed to call
God Father.  The Society of the Holy
Trinity is an inter-Lutheran ministerium which regularly gathers pastors for
mutual encouragement, prayer, and study, fortifying continued faithfulness to
ordination vows.

The
campus of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, where the
retreat was held, is beautiful, and the singing at the worship services was
awesome.  Very often I did not join in
the singing because I just wanted to be surrounded by the beauty of voices
lifted up in praise to God.

The
Rev. Dr. Ryan Mills, STS, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven,
Connecticut, and dean of the New England Chapter of the Society, gave the
message at the closing worship service. 
The Scripture passages were the account of the Last Supper in Mark 14
and Luke’s description of the shipwreck on the way to Rome in Acts 27.  As I listened to those passages being read, I
was wondering how they were going to be related to each other.  The way Pastor Mills did it was brilliant.

In
Mark 14 Jesus sends a couple of his disciples into Jerusalem, where they are to
follow a man carrying a jar of water. 
Men usually did not carry water in those days, so this man was sure to
catch their attention.  They were to
follow him to a house where a large upstairs room would be furnished and ready
for them to eat the Passover.  Mark tells
us, “So the disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he
had told them” (verse 16).  All that we
need for our faith to be nourished and sustained Jesus has furnished.  It is ready in the Lord’s Supper.  The grace that he has promised and that we
need is available there – just as he has told us.

In
his description of the storm in Acts 27 Luke uses phrases like these.  “We were being pounded by the storm so
violently” (verse 18).  “All hope of our
being saved was at last abandoned” (verse 20). 
“We were drifting across the sea” (verse 27).  “Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they
. . . prayed for day to come” (verse 29). 
What did Paul do in a situation like that?  He urged them all to take some food – to help
them survive.  Verses 35 and 36 – “He
took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and
began to eat.  Then all of them were
encouraged and took food for themselves.”

Often
we feel like we have been caught in a powerful storm of unfavorable
circumstances.  We feel pounded
violently.  We can lose all hope of being
saved.  We feel like we are
drifting.  Fearful, we pray that day will
come.  In circumstances such as these
what do we need?  The body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ, to give us courage, strength, and spiritual
sustenance.  Having heard that message,
and having attended that retreat, I felt ready to return to the challenges of
life – knowing that Jesus has already prepared all I will need, and that with
his presence and grace I can weather the storms.   

* * * * * * *

INTENTIONAL INTERIM MINISTRY

Attending
the LCMC annual gathering, I was blessed and encouraged by the resources that
that association provides for congregations that are between pastors, in the
call process, and/or in transition.  I
attended breakout sessions for Call Committee Coaches, on Intentional Interim
Ministry (with a focus on the interim pastor), and on Pastoral Succession.  I had a hard time choosing between a second
breakout session on Intentional Interim Ministry (with a focus on the
congregation) and the session on Pastoral Succession.  I found myself wishing they were not being
offered at the same time. 

The
session for Call Committee Coaches was led by Perry Fruhling, LCMC Coordinator
for Pastoral Ministry.  I commend Perry
for all the resources he has for congregations that are in the call
process.  I also deeply appreciate the strong
endorsement he has given to Lutheran CORE’s Congregations in Transition
ministry initiative.

I
was very interested in attending the breakout sessions on Intentional Interim
Ministry and Pastoral Succession because I have seen the tragedies that can
happen when pastoral succession does not go well.  I have seen a strong, orthodox ELCA
congregation where orthodoxy did not survive a change in pastors.  I have seen the massive disruption and great
damage that can happen when the largest congregation in a synod trusts the
synod to supply them with their next pastor. 
I have seen a congregation “settle” for a pastor in order to relieve
their own anxiety rather than doing the hard work of continuing in the search
process.  This congregation is now paying
a high price.  I have seen what can
happen when one person manipulates and controls the call process rather than
allows it to be a unique opportunity for the congregation to learn from its
past, identify its strengths, and prepare itself for a new future.  Having seen what can happen, I was very
grateful to learn about the Intentional Interim Ministry that the LCMC has to
offer its congregations.

I
was intrigued with the comparison that was given between repairing a parking
lot and interim ministry.  One option is just
to fill the potholes.  That would be like
simply having pulpit supply.  A second
option would be to apply a thin coat of sealant that would get you through
another winter.  That would be like
having an interim pastor who has not been trained to be an intentional
interim.  The third option would be to
take the time and put forth the effort to take off a few layers and get down to
the foundation.  That would be like
having an intentional interim.

Three
kinds of situations were described where having an intentional interim would be
particularly recommended – after a long-term pastor, where there have been
several different pastors in a short period of time, and when a pastor leaves
suddenly or unexpectedly.  The comment
was made that a congregation should have an intentional interim for one month
for every year of the former pastor’s call – but no less than a year. 

We
learned that intentional interims can and need to be “truth speakers.”  Using all the capital and credits that they
have, they can deal with issues that the next called pastor will then not have
to deal with.  A big difference between
an intentional interim and the next called pastor is that the intentional interim
will be leaving.  That factor alone might
enable the intentional interim to do what needs to be done. 

People
attending the breakout session were encouraged to consider whether they might
have the gifts and calling to be an intentional interim.  We were told that intentional interims have
got to be able to love all people – even very difficult people – as they draw
from the well of God’s great love for us. 
They have got to be able to remain calm and be a non-anxious
presence.  And they have got to be engaged
in doing self-care. 

I
am very grateful to Dawn Spies, Steve Abend, and Steve Lien (former LCMC
coordinator of pastoral ministry) for leading the workshop.  The next day I was talking with a friend who
is serving his second term as an intentional interim.  I thanked him for what he is doing, and I
committed myself to pray and ask God to bless those who serve in this way and
to raise up more intentional interims.

*
* * * * * *

Thank
you to the organizers of and the presenters at these four events.  I am very grateful for the opportunity to
attend, I value the ministry partnerships, and I enjoy the relational
connections. 

Blessings in Christ,
Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
[email protected]

PLEASE, LORD, BRING FIRE

For
me one of the most challenging parts of writing an article or a letter is
knowing where and how to start.  I know
what I want to say.  I know what I want
to include.  But where and how do I
begin?

That
is the challenge I was facing with my August letter from the director, where I
wanted to write about and review two church gatherings that took place during
the same week – the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Milwaukee and the NALC Theology
Conference, Mission Festival, and Convocation in Indianapolis.  I attended the NALC events.  Many thanks to ELCA pastor Steve Gjerde, vice
president of our board, who attended the ELCA event and gave us on Facebook an
account of the proceedings as they occurred.

I
wanted to write about those two gatherings and I knew what I wanted to include,
but for several days I could not answer the question, “Where and how do I
begin?”  But then, one week after both
events, during a telephone conversation with a pastor colleague, I was reminded
of the Gospel reading for August 18, the second Sunday after both assemblies –
Luke 12: 49-56.  In that passage Jesus
said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already
kindled! . . . . Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the
earth?  No, I tell you, but rather
division!”

During
the days leading up to and even more so since the 2009 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly, we all have grieved over the relationships that have been strained
and even broken, the damage that has been done to congregations, and a church
body that is going off in the wrong direction.  The division is even greater – the lines are
now even more sharply drawn – as the ELCA goes further and further away from a
traditional, orthodox understanding of the authority of the Bible, the mission
of the church, and moral values. 

Four days after the close of the assembly, on August 14, the ELCA released a summary of actions that were taken by the assembly.  A link to that summary can be found here.  The opening sentence stated that the voting members made “a number of key decisions to further the mission and ministry of this church.”  Those key decisions included naming patriarchy and sexism as sins; calling on the church to take action against gender-based violence, workplace discrimination, and economic inequality; pursuing racial diversity and inclusion; adopting memorials dealing with gun violence, engagement in the Holy Land, and gender identity; affirming the ELCA’s long-standing commitment to migrants and refugees; declaring the ELCA to be a sanctuary church body; committing the ELCA to support a campaign against rape and violence; and condemning white supremacy. 

NO MENTION OF JESUS

Did
you notice that there is one thing missing in all these actions?  There was no mention of Jesus.  And there was only one mention of God, and
that one mention had to do with speaking “boldly about the equal dignity of all
persons in the eyes of God.”  I did see
one other mention of God in one of the daily press releases during the
assembly, but that reference had only to do with using gender inclusive and
expansive language for God.  With no
mention of Jesus, there is nothing in these actions regarding telling the world
about what Jesus has done (grace). 
Instead they are all about what I need to do (works). 

Now
some might say that that lack of reference to Jesus and that minimal mention of
God was only true of the summary of actions taken by the assembly.  Certainly Jesus must have had a more
important place during the assembly.

You might be able to convince me of that possibility if it had not been for the action taken by the assembly to adopt “A Declaration of Inter-religious Commitment” as “church policy for inter-religious relations.”  A link to that declaration can be found here.  The Declaration said, “We must be careful about claiming to know God’s judgments regarding another religion.”  It also stated, “Lutheran tradition has understood the word ‘faith’ to mean trust rather than affirming beliefs.  Hence, we also must be careful not to judge our neighbors only on the basis of their religious beliefs. . . . All we know, and all we need to know, is that our neighbors are made in God’s image and that we are called to love and serve them.”

I
do not know how anyone could read the Bible and study church history and say
that “we must be careful about claiming to know God’s judgments regarding
another religion.”  The prophet Elijah
spared no energy in warning Israel against the worship of Baal.  Other Old Testament prophets joined with him
in clearly warning against worshipping the idols of the surrounding
peoples.  The apostle Paul warned the
churches to whom he was writing about the other religions of the day.  How could we say that the Bible says that we
cannot know God’s judgments regarding other religions?  And besides, to argue that faith means trust
rather than affirming certain beliefs does not support the intent of this declaration
because my trust is only as good as the object of my trust.  I am not showing love for and I am not
serving my neighbors (which the declaration calls upon me to do) if I do not
warn them that what and/or whom they are placing their trust in is not worthy
of their trust.

We
commend a voting member of the assembly for reminding the assembly that in the
words of Jesus in John 14: 6 we do have “a basis to know God’s views on
religions that do not require faith in Jesus Christ.”  This voting member proposed an amendment to
the declaration both prior to and during the assembly.  His motion to amend was overwhelmingly
defeated.  The policy statement was
adopted with 97.48% voting in favor.  How
can we view the fact that the discussion took place in the presence of
thirty-nine ecumenical and inter-religious guests on stage as anything other
than the ELCA’s manipulating and controlling the outcome?

IN SHARP CONTRAST

In
Luke 12 Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth.”  “I came to bring division.”  Contrast the actions and priorities of the
ELCA Churchwide Assembly and its de-emphasis upon Jesus with the clear
statements from the Rev. Dr. Daniel Selbo, who was elected to be the new bishop
of the NALC (North American Lutheran Church). 
In answer to the question, “What hopes do you have for the mission of
the NALC?” he wrote, “As a Christ Centered church body my hope is that we will
continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  I hope each member of the NALC will become
stronger in their own personal faith-walk with Christ.  I hope our preaching and teaching will lift
up the name of Jesus. . . . My hope is that Christ will be seen in us because
we have fallen in love with Him and we have no greater purpose in life than to
live for Him. . . . Because ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,’
we must be tireless in our efforts to increase the number of people who come to
know Him as Lord.”  

I AM DEEPLY DISTURBED AND
CONCERNED

I
am deeply disturbed by the actions taken, the resolutions approved, and the
memorials adopted by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.  I am even more concerned when I consider the
percentages of the votes. 

The
“Declaration of Inter-religious Commitment,” which we discussed above, was
approved by a vote of over 97%.  The
social statement, “Faith, Sexism, and Justice,” was approved by a vote of
97%.  Elizabeth Eaton was re-elected on
the first ballot by a vote of over 81%. 
She is the first ELCA presiding bishop to win re-election on the first
ballot.  How could we expect her to view her
re-election as anything other than a clear mandate to continue leading the
church in the direction in which she has been leading it?

What
is the significance of all of these nearly unanimous or high percentage votes?  (Every photo I saw of voting members’ voting
by ballot showed everyone holding up their green cards.)  I can think of several probable outcomes from
the ELCA’s leadership and chief decision-making body becoming almost completely
of one mind.

• An increasingly intolerant attitude towards and eventual suppression of any dissenting position.  They are well on their way to eliminating anything other than the preferred view.  If they are already at 97%, and there were about nine hundred voting members, they only have to eliminate twenty-seven people in order to be at 100%.  Why would they even bother to pretend to honor bound conscience and listen to and give a place for traditional views if the prevalence of revisionist views is so strong?  Even though the ELCA leadership and makeup of the churchwide assemblies will be increasingly out of synch with the majority of congregation members sitting in the pews and supporting the work of the church, those in power will fully be able to implement their agenda and priorities.     

• An even stronger trend to promote only the official ELCA values and views at the ELCA seminaries.  While we are very thankful for every orthodox ELCA pastor serving in an ELCA congregation and as Lutheran CORE want to do everything we can to support them, it is only a matter of time until every ELCA rostered leader will have attended and graduated from seminary post 2009.  Orthodox churches who are blessed to have an orthodox pastor and who believe that all of this cannot and will not affect them are in for a rude awakening. 

• An even easier path for positions that a few years ago would have been unthinkable to become acceptable, mainstream, and even preferred.  For example, there is a video in which Bishop Elect Leila Ortiz of the ELCA’s Metro Washington D. C. Synod speaks favorably of polyamory (a relationship in which there are three or more partners).  A link to that video can be found here.  With the churchwide assembly being so strongly of one mind, what is to prevent an even further erosion of Biblical views and values from taking place? 

TRUSTWORTHY SERVANTS

In the July 2019 issue of CORE Voice we wrote about the document, “Trustworthy Servants of the People of God,” which was written in order to express what the ELCA expects of its rostered leaders.  A link to that article can be found here.  As we mentioned, the document was recommended to the ELCA Church Council by the ELCA Conference of Bishops.  But after hearing from many who objected to it, the ELCA Church Council declined to consider it and instead referred it back to the Domestic Mission Unit, who had originally written it, for review and revision.  In our opinion it was rejected because it was just too traditional and conservative.  We believe that the review and rewriting process will continue until it is exactly what the LGBTQIA+ agenda and community want it to be. 

There was a very interesting email that was sent out
to some ELCA rostered leaders on August 3, in which Pastor Phil Hirsch,
executive director of the ELCA’s Domestic Mission Unit, asked for input.  He said that the review and rewriting
committee wanted to hear from “various communities,” including “the
confessionally conservative” and “those from all four convictions identified in
the social statement ‘Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.’”

On the one hand, we are encouraged by the possibility
that an ELCA task force might actually want to hear from “the confessionally
conservative” and those who hold to more traditional views.  But then we wonder whether traditional views
will actually be taken seriously and whether this is only a way so that they
will be able to say, “We heard from all sides.” 
We are reminded of how strongly some people objected even to Lutheran
CORE’s presence at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly.  Some people said that even our presence made
them feel unsafe, to say nothing about the willingness on the part of the
leadership of the assembly to announce our evening hospitality gathering twice.  One person asked, “Who will they allow to be
here next?  The Taliban?”

If even our presence at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly
was so strongly objected to, how much more of an outcry will there be against
the review and rewriting committee’s wanting to hear from “the confessionally
conservative” and from those who hold to positions one and two as identified in
the human sexuality social statement? 
And will it be even easier for the objecting voices to prevail given
that the votes at the 2019 Churchwide Assembly were so close to being unanimous?

Still, if you have received one of those emails from
the Domestic Mission Unit, asking for your input, we urge you to respond.

IS
THERE ANY HOPE?

Many
times I have been asked by people, “Is there any hope that the ELCA will turn
around?”  I always tell them, “It would
take a major intervention on the part of God. 
It would take a powerful working of the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the
earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! . . . . Do you think that I have
come to bring peace to the earth?  No, I
tell you, but rather division!”

We
pray for a sending of the power and fire of the Holy Spirit, to convict us of
error and to bring us back to Biblical truth. 
We pray that we will not be comfortable and at peace until the church
returns to recognizing Jesus rather than a social activist agenda as its
Lord.  We pray that the church will be
united under the authority of God’s Word, which is living and active, sharper
than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4: 12), and able to pierce and divide truth
from error, true worship from idolatry, true values from misplaced
priorities. 

Jesus
said, “I came to bring fire to the earth.” 
Jesus, we need Your fire.  We need
Your fire to reform, renew, reorient, and redirect Your church.  Please, Lord, bring Your fire.  How we wish it were already kindled!

Pastor
Dennis D. Nelson

Executive
Director of Lutheran CORE

909-274-8591

[email protected] 

HAS THE ELCA SPUN OUT OF CONTROL?

My original plan was to share with you the letter I wrote to my synodical bishop regarding “Trustworthy Servants of the People of God.”  That is the document which the ELCA was considering to replace “Visions and Expectations” as a statement of the behavior that is expected of pastors and deacons.  But after receiving a very strong negative response to the document, the ELCA Church Council – at their meeting in early April – declined to consider it.  Instead they referred it back to committee for further review and redrafting.  After all of that, what I had been planning on writing seemed so out of date.  Therefore, instead I will be reviewing and evaluating what the ELCA Church Council had to say as it decided not to consider for adoption a document which had been recommended to them by the Conference of Bishops. 

First,
the ELCA continues to be obsessed with sex. 
Any who thought (and maybe even hoped) that this obsession would subside
after the 2009 Churchwide Assembly should now see that this preoccupation will persist
until the radical, relentless LGBTQIA+ community and agenda get all that they
want.  Many times we of Lutheran CORE
have been accused of being obsessed with sex, as we have been advocating for
the historic, traditional view of human sexuality that the vast majority of the
world’s Christians for two thousand years have understood the Bible to clearly
be teaching.  We are not the ones who are
obsessed with sex.  We are not the ones
who keep on bringing up the subject, always pushing the perimeters one step
further.  Rather we are the ones who keep
on lifting up and holding onto traditional Biblical values and views as others
keep on pushing for an erosion of Biblical understanding and standards.

Second,
something is wrong if ELCA leaders do not realize by now what they have enabled
and even created by continuing to cater to the radical, relentless LGBTQIA+
agenda.  They have allowed it to become
more and more prominent and empowered.  One
group that appeared before the ELCA Church Council, which calls itself the
“Trustworthy Servants” Public Witness Team, wants at least 25% of the members
of a task force that would carry out the work of revision to be LGBTQIA
people.  The traditional view was trashed
at last summer’s youth gathering, the LGBTQIA+ community was able to force the
firing of a seminary president, and ELCA leaders refuse to stand up to a
movement which rejects marriage by any definition as normative for sexual
activity.  Is all this being allowed
because ELCA leaders agree with it, or do they feel powerless and unable to
stop it?  Either way we have a serious
problem. 

Third,
the ELCA expects its leaders to be trustworthy, while the ELCA itself is not
trustworthy.  It was only after a very
long, painful, and divisive process that the 2009 Churchwide Assembly approved
the possibility of ordaining persons, and the possibility of congregations
calling persons, who are in publicly accountable, life-long, and monogamous
same gender relationships.  And yet the
ELCA has neither honored the commitments that were made nor remained within the
boundaries of what was actually officially approved.  The 2009 Social Statement, “Human Sexuality:
Gift and Trust,” describes a wide range of four positions on human sexuality
that exist within and that would have a place within “this church.”  The “Trustworthy Servants” document describes
only one acceptable position – that “those who serve as pastors and deacons
reflect a variety of sexual orientations and diverse gender identities” (page
11).  Even though the ELCA has broken
trust by developing a document that goes way beyond what the 2009 Churchwide
Assembly actually officially approved, it is not enough for the LGBTQIA+
community.  They have risen up against
it, claiming that the document’s expectations concerning marriage are shame
producing and not life-giving.  Therefore,
the ELCA Church Council declined to consider it and instead sent it back to
committee for review and rewriting – I assume until it turns out the way the
LGBTQIA+ community wants it. 

Fourth,
I am not aware of any statement from the Presiding Bishop concerning this
fiasco.  She will make and has made statements
on many things – including gun violence, immigration, the recent vote taken by
the United Methodist Church, and the Middle East.  But on subjects where a statement from her
could elicit a strong negative response – such as standing up to the “We Are
Naked and Unashamed” movement, dealing with a prominent ELCA “public
theologian” who advocates for sex outside of marriage and “ethically sourced
pornography,” and addressing recent state legislation on abortion which is
clearly contrary to the ELCA social statement on abortion – she is silent. 

Fifth,
what is the ELCA Church Council saying to and about the Conference of Bishops
when they decline to consider what the Conference had recommended?  What are they saying to and about the Domestic
Mission unit, which developed this document? 
What are they saying to and about the leaders of the ELCA for the first
twenty years of the life of the ELCA when they say that now they especially
want to hear from “those who have been most harmed by the misuse of ‘Visions
and Expectations’”?  How will they feel
if twenty years from now the new leadership of the ELCA most wants to hear from
“those who have been most harmed” by the statements and actions of the current
leaders of the ELCA?

Having
made these five general statements about the Church Council’s response, I would
now like to comment on specific parts of their response.

First, the Church Council referred the document back to the Domestic Mission unit “for further review and redrafting that is governed by this church’s social teaching documents.”  And then it gives “Sexuality” as an example of one of those social teaching documents.  A couple things are significant here.  For one, the review and redrafting are not to be governed by the Bible and the Lutheran confessions, but instead by “this church’s social teaching documents.”  Once again, the ELCA sees itself as wiser and more insightful than the authors of the Bible and the writers of the Lutheran confessions.  Also, if this review and redrafting truly were to be governed by this church’s social teaching documents, it would have to include and respect the wide range of views that are described and honored in the 2009 social statement, not just the one view that endorses a “variety of sexual orientations and diverse gender identities.”

Second,
the Church Council said that they want a “process that intentionally includes diverse
voices.”  The “Trustworthy Servants”
Public Witness Team, which I previously mentioned, wants at least 25% of the
people on the task force to be LGBTQIA. 
Once again will the makeup of the group be so lop-sided that the end
result is predicable?  Will these “diverse
voices” also include voices that will give credible, respectable expression to
the traditional view?  Will there be
enough credible, traditional voices so that it will not be just a token group
so that the ELCA can say, “We also listened to the traditional view”?

Third,
the Church Council said that they especially want to include the voices of
those who have been most harmed by the misuse of “Visions and Expectations.”  What about the voices of those whose
congregations have been most harmed by the actions of the ELCA since 2009?  Do the leaders of the ELCA care – does the
LGBTQIA+ community care – about the amount of turmoil that has been created in
and the amount of damage that has been done to congregations where many, if not
most of the people, have traditional views? 
How can they say that there are people who have been “most harmed by the
misuse of Visions and Expectations” when the original wording in “Visions and
Expectations” was not misused but instead was applied in determining who would
be eligible to be a rostered leader in the ELCA?

Fourth, the Church Council said that they would support the Conference of Bishops in their “living into their commitment . . . to listen and take seriously the concerns of all our leaders – particularly those who historically have been marginalized.”  What about those who currently are being marginalized?  First as president of the board and now as director of Lutheran CORE, I have written many times to the presiding bishop and the sixty-five synodical bishops.  Over the years I have written on such subjects as the Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage, the ousting of the president of an ELCA seminary, last summer’s youth gathering, state legislation on abortion, the removal of our former director from the ELCA clergy roster, and the question of whether anyone from Lutheran CORE is welcome at a synod assembly.  Once in a while I do receive a response.  I would want to say that my own bishop was most gracious in her response to my letter to her about the “Trustworthy Servants” document.  But usually, if I do hear anything, the response rarely engages with and takes seriously what I have said.  Usually I am completely ignored.  I have written many times to the bishop of the synod in which I was rostered before I retired.  I have never received a single response to any of my communications.  When one is usually completely ignored, is not that person being marginalized?  Do the Church Council and Conference of Bishops only want to listen to and take seriously the concerns of those whom they say have historically been marginalized, or are they also willing to listen to and take seriously the concerns of those who currently are being marginalized?

As I read what has been posted on Facebook by some of the people who attended the meeting with the ELCA Church Council, and as I read statements from the “We Are Naked and Unashamed” movement, I conclude – If the real issue is that there are ELCA pastors and seminarians who do not want to have to be married in order to be sexually active and/or do not want to be limited, bound, or confined by the expectation that they will be monogamous, then the ELCA Church Council and Conference of Bishops should just admit it and state it rather than use all of this other language to make it sound better than and/or different from what it really is. 

Blessings in Christ,

Dennis D. Nelson

Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

[email protected]

909-274-8591

NALC LIFE CONFERENCE AND MARCH FOR LIFE
WERE AWESOME AND INSPIRING

Many thanks to Pastor Dennis DiMauro for organizing and to the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenton, Virginia for hosting the NALC Life Conference the day before the March for Life in Washington D. C. They were both amazing events.

Pastor DiMauro, who holds a Ph. D. in church history, began with a strong Biblical defense of the pro-life position along with a summary of how many great Christian leaders have spoken out in defense of life in the womb. We were all mightily encouraged as we heard how the current number of abortions is the lowest since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision in January 1973. We were also told that three-fourths of Christianity is pro-life and to anticipate 100,000 participants in the March for Life the next day.

The next speaker, Mona Fuerstenau, from Bethesda Lutheran Communities, has been a disability advocate for over thirty years. She reminded us of how as followers of Jesus we need to speak up for all people, no matter the age, stage, or level of ability or disability. She referenced two passages of Scripture, 1 Corinthians 12: 22 and 1 Peter 4: 10. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “The members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” Those who “seem to be weaker,” such as the disabled, can be seen as having nothing to contribute. On the contrary, God calls all of us to minister in His Kingdom. The title of her talk was “Everyone is necessary in the body of Christ, and we have a lot of work to do!” She also quoted 1 Peter 4: 10. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” The verse contains no qualifier and gives no exception. Instead it says, “each of you.”

Mona has a son with a significant disability. He accompanies her as she goes around to speak. Mona finds that the way people respond to her son is a good litmus test for the congregation. She can tell within the first five minutes in the way in which she and her son are greeted whether this congregation will be welcoming to people with disabilities.

The third speaker, Melissa Ohden, was amazing. She is the survivor of a failed saline infusion abortion. I am in awe over people who are able to tell their personal life stories, including sharing their deepest hurts and greatest struggles, in a way that is clear, confident, and compelling.

According to Melissa, we have been fed the lie that abortion prevents suffering. Instead abortion causes suffering – to the parents and grandparents, to say nothing about to the fetus that has been killed. She asked, “If we have lost sixty million lives to abortion, how many hundreds of millions of lives are and have been affected?”

We have also been fed the lie that abortion is about choice. The truth is that the majority of women do not have a choice. Sixty-four percent of women who have had an abortion tell about being coerced into having the abortion. Melissa said, “It is not about empowerment.”

Melissa shared how her maternal grandmother had pressured her birth mother into having an abortion, and for thirty years her birth mother did not know that actually she had survived. She told the amazing story of how she was able to come across her own birth records and then was able to find her father and birth mother. She shared how her ten years of searching were a “journey of mercy.” “God allowed me to learn what I needed to learn and not the rest.” After she truly surrendered her search to God, “everything happened.” She said, “God performs miracles still today; it is not just in the Bible.” “God blessed me with finding my medical records so that I could agitate in this world.” “I loosened my grip on my career so I could fulfill my calling.” “My birth mother is one of my greatest supporters. She tells me, ‘I need you to keep doing this.’”

Melissa concluded by saying, “Women, families, our culture deserve better than abortion.” She then spoke of the March for Life the next day as she shared, “We are not here to have fun. Rather we are here to grieve the loss of life and to find joy and support in each other.”

MARCH FOR LIFE

We have all heard much about the March for Life, especially in light of the events that took place near the Lincoln Memorial. I personally was not near the Memorial, so I cannot speak from personal observation. But I am very glad for recent reports which have exonerated the students from the Catholic school in Kentucky.

The main thing I would want to share is how deeply impressed I was with the very large number of young adults who were enthusiastic participants in the March. We constantly hear about the conspicuous absence of young people from our churches. Younger people are not attending traditional denominational churches. And it is not just the Lutheran churches. We wonder what will happen to our churches if we continue to be unable to reach younger people. And yet somehow the pro-life movement has been able to catch the attention and capture the enthusiasm, energy, and commitment of the millennial generation. Our churches, and many other groups that promote traditional values, have much to learn from the pro-life movement. How could we place ourselves in a position for that movement to teach us?

There are two other things I would like to say. First, how clean the march route was after the event. The crowd was huge, but they were polite and respectful in addition to being massive. Second, how deeply I was moved at the end of the route, in front of the Supreme Court Building, by all the signs which read, “I Regret My Abortion.” What can we do to help keep more women from making a choice and taking an action that later they will regret? The song that was sung at the end of the National Memorial Service for the Pre-Born and Their Mothers and Fathers earlier that morning contained these words: “What was your name? What were you meant to be? I wish I could have known.”

“REKINDLE YOUR FIRST LOVE” EVENT

I remember a several year period – during the years when I was serving as a pastor before I retired – when I would have jumped at the chance to be able to attend a gathering which was intended to help me regain my first love. I recall the energy, enthusiasm, and optimism with which I began my ministry. I served the same congregation for forty years. After eighteen years there we completed a major, two-million-dollar development of the property, including the building of a new sanctuary and fellowship hall. But then, immediately afterwards, began a process in which all hell broke loose.

One of the major families in the congregation became intensely angry with me. For a full year I received hate mail from them, as often as three times in the same day. When the congregation council finally stood up to them, they left. During the same time, as well as immediately afterwards, I was accused of having an affair with one of the staff members, our school principal was accused of embezzling funds, and the rumor was that there must be a reason why the school principal was able to blackmail me into being silent. For years this kind of behavior was tolerated and allowed to continue. When it was finally confronted, the inevitable blow up occurred, and everyone who was contributing to the problem, as well as everyone else whom they could influence, left within a matter of a few weeks. I gained a new appreciation for Paul’s image of the church as the body of Christ. In order to be able to survive, a living organism must be able to get rid of highly toxic material. The church finally stood up to and was delivered from everyone who was engaging in highly toxic behavior. But the damage was done – to the congregation, as well as to my relationship with the congregation. I could have used a “Rekindle Your First Love” event.

For most of you I do not know what you are going through and have gone through. But I do know that ministry is tough. Jesus said that it is going to be tough. No wonder we need to put on the full armor of God.

I would strongly urge you to sign up today. We have a great group of presenters who will lead us in rekindling our first love for Christ, for the church as the body of Christ, and for mission and ministry as the work of Christ in the world. In addition we have a fourth presenter who will help us take the next steps as we move from rekindling to re-establishing the fire of our first love. The presenters represent a wide-range of church body affiliations – NALC, LCMC, and ELCA.

The contemporary Christian singer/song-writer, Keith Green, in his song “Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful,” sings these words –

“Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love.”
 

The date is Wednesday, May 1. The location is Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenton, Virginia (the same location as for the NALC Life Conference). Here is a link that will take you to the flier that will tell you more about the gathering and how you can register. I urge you to do so today.

Blessings in Christ,
Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
[email protected]
909-274-8591

LIFE IS HARD, BUT GOD IS GOOD

If Mary were with us today, what are the lessons that she would share as the mother of our Lord? I believe that the first thing she would say to us is this – LIFE IS HARD.

Mary should have known from the beginning that her life was going to be hard. Spending the last few days of her pregnancy on the back of a donkey and having no better a place for the birth of her child than a cave with the odors of cattle and sheep, Mary should have known that her life was going to be hard. And the journey to Bethlehem was not her last journey that was going to be hard. Mary and Joseph and the new-born Jesus are forced to flee to Egypt to escape from Herod’s wrath. Mary and Joseph are on the run, fleeing to protect the life of their son.

Martin Luther said this about the flight to Egypt. “The artists give her a donkey; the Gospels do not.” She might have had to trudge over hills and desert sand on foot, nursing her precious child and leaning on her beloved Joseph for support. It was not until Herod’s death that the young family was finally able to return to their home in Nazareth. In a world filled with refugees, it is important for us to remember that our Lord Jesus Himself at one time was a refugee.

The next dozen or so years in Mary’s life were undoubtedly good ones. Except when Jesus gave them the scare of their life when He remained behind in the Temple at the age of twelve. Mary and Joseph were never prosperous. But Joseph was a hard worker and an able provider. And their oldest son, Jesus,was turning into a fine young man as He was growing in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and other people.

But then something must have happened to Joseph. After Jesus turned twelve, Joseph is never mentioned again in the Gospels. Mary might have found herself left as a young widow, as her oldest son, Jesus, would have taken Joseph’s place in the carpenter’s shop.

But the loss of her husband Joseph was not going to be the last major source of sorrow for Mary. She experienced a parent’s worst nightmare. She watched her beloved, oldest boy die as a common criminal on a cross. Can you feel her agony as she watched the cruelty of death by crucifixion? I am certain that Mary would have gladly taken her son’s place on the cross, just as Jesus took our place on the cross.

Yes, LIFE IS HARD. That is the first thing that I believe Mary would say to us today. But then I believe she would also say, BUT GOD IS GOOD.

Mary must have been overwhelmed that the God of all creation would have chosen her for the high honor of being the mother of His Son. No wonder she sang –

“He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant;
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me,
And holy is His Name.”

In Mary’s mind only a good and gracious God would bypass the wealthy and powerful and choose a young peasant girl to bear His Son.

“He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
And lifted up the lowly.”

You and I will never play as significant a role in God’s plan of salvation as Mary did. And yet each one of us can know what it is like to be humbled by God’s great concern for us. We do not deserve His care. We do not deserve to be able to play even a minor role in His plan for the future. After all, who are we that the God of wonders beyond our galaxy would be aware of us and our needs and would have any need and use for us? And yet, with a sense of deep gratitude, we teach our children to bow their heads and pray, “God is great and God is good.”

LIFE IS HARD, BUT GOD IS GOOD. Not only did He choose the lowly maiden of Nazareth. Not only was He aware of her needs. And not only does He choose us and is He aware of our needs. He also keeps all His promises. No wonder Mary also declared –

“He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy.

According to the promise He made to our ancestors,

To Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Mary understood that the coming of the Messiah was the fulfillment of God’s great,long-awaited promise. Yes, LIFE IS HARD, BUT GOD IS GOOD.

Mary’s story is a story that has been duplicated millions of times throughout human history. It is the story of a mother’s deep, deep love for her child. Even when He was a grown man, with a ministry she could barely understand, still for Mary He was her son. But even Mary’s love for Jesus is but a pale reflection of God’s great love for you.

I do not know what kind of a holiday season this one has been so far for you and will continue to be for you. I hope and pray it has been and will be the best one ever. But I also know that for some it is shaping up to be a very difficult one. Either way, may we all learn these lessons from Mary – LIFE IS HARD, BUT GOD IS GOOD. 

Pastor Dennis D. Nelson

Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY

That is a theme that I heard twice during the same week – at both the LCMC annual gathering October 7-10 and the Lutheran CORE-sponsored, Spanish and bi-lingual ministries Encuentro on October 12.

Kent Hunter, founder of Church Doctor Ministries and keynote speaker at the LCMC gathering, was sharing how our nation as a civilization is showing deep signs of stress. Our culture is deteriorating from the inside. For the church of Jesus this undeniable reality is a great opportunity. If you were to ask unchurched people, “What do you think it is going to be like for your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren?” their response is likely to be one of hopelessness. This hopelessness is a sign of receptivity to spiritual things. It is a lie from Satan to say that people today are not receptive. We are living in a season of receptivity. As a simple way in which everyone can respond to this season of receptivity, Dr. Hunter suggests that you ask the person who is waiting on you at a restaurant for their name, and then ask them if they have any concerns that you can pray for when you pray for your food. People are hurting. People are in need. People are receptive and will value and respond to your offer to pray for them.

I saw this principle illustrated a few days later at the Lutheran CORE-sponsored Encuentro in the Hermosa neighborhood of northwest Chicago.  The previous Saturday a two-year-old boy had been tragically shot and killed in an eruption of violence in the area surrounding the host church. The following Monday there was a neighborhood gathering with city officials and law enforcement personnel. Keith Forni, pastor of the host church, St. Timothy’s, as well as pastor of First/Santa Cruz Lutheran Church in Joliet, coordinator of the Encuentro, and member of the board of Lutheran CORE, was present at the gathering and was asked by a city official to lead in prayer. Keith told about the prayer gathering that had already been planned for the closing of the Encuentro the following Friday evening. This time of prayer out in front of the church was being held for the city of Chicago, which has seen so many homicides and so much violence, and for the victims of shootings and their families. This prayer gathering was announced in the Chicago Tribune, and cameramen from two local television news stations came to film the vigil and to interview participants. What an opportunity. What a moment of receptivity.

Pastor Forni also described the practice of Las Posadas as an opportunity for a congregation to do neighborhood ministry. Reenacting the search of Mary and Joseph for a place to stay for the night, Lutherans in changing neighborhoods can reach out to and take the first step in connecting with a neighborhood that they may have lost touch with.

IT IS ALWAYS A JOY

It is always a joy to represent Lutheran CORE at the annual LCMC gathering. These people are warmly welcoming, fervent in their love for Jesus, and passionate in their commitment to mission. They are innovative and creative in their seeking to share their faith in a twenty-first century world. They are not going to become discouraged. For example, I was talking with a man who has been president of his congregation in Texas. After their pastor retired, they found that they no longer had the numbers and resources to call a new pastor. Rather than close the congregation, the church council told the president that they wanted him to be their next pastor. That person is now pursuing theological training online so that he will be able to fill the role that has been given to him by the congregation. I was reminded of the number of times in the New Testament when the apostle Paul appointed leaders in churches after he had been there for only a short time, and then he wrote letters to those churches in order to teach them what they should believe and how they should live.

As I experienced at the NALC convocation in August, there were so many people at the LCMC gathering who came up to me or who came up to my Lutheran CORE table and told me how they read our materials and how much they value and appreciate the work we are doing. They particularly mentioned reading our recent correspondence with ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton about the ELCA youth gathering and our evaluation of Bishop Eaton’s response. We were mightily encouraged by all the expressions of appreciation and support from our friends in LCMC.

Attending the gathering also gave me abundant opportunity to tell people about the upcoming Congregations in Transition ministry initiative and the Rekindling Your First Love event.

CONGREGATIONS IN TRANSITION MINISTRY INITIATIVE

The Congregations in Transition ministry initiative is an effort to train (mostly retired) Lutheran pastors to serve as coaches to congregations whose pastor has retired or resigned to take another call. A very generous gift has been received to cover the travel and lodging expenses of pastors for a three-night, two-full-day training and relationship building event probably in early April 2019 in the Phoenix area.  The need for this initiative is greatly increased by the number of soon-retiring Baby Boomer pastors, declining seminary enrollment, increased student debt for those graduating from seminary, the loss of congregational momentum that can occur during an interim period, and the fact that interim pastors will not always be available.

In this initiative a congregation organizes a Leadership Team of a few key leaders (separate from the church council and the call committee), which then works with their coach, primarily online. The ministry arrangement begins with an initial onsite visit to introduce the coach to the entire congregation and that includes the coach’s spending a full day with the Leadership Team. The primary purpose of this ministry is for far more than simply offering encouragement to the congregation in a time of crisis. It also includes helping the Leadership Team maintain not just stability but momentum in regards to the congregation’s vital ministries during this transition time.

There is no financial cost for those who volunteer to serve as coaches. Their travel and lodging expenses for the training event are being covered by a generous gift. There are very few financial costs to the congregations. The trained coaches are active retired pastors who are willing to volunteer their time. The only significant expense for the congregation would be if they decided that they would like their coach to visit their church.

Please watch for more information about this ministry initiative in future issues of our newsletter, CORE Voice, and in future letters from the director. Please contact me at [email protected] if you are interested and/or if you would like to know more.

REKINDLING YOUR FIRST LOVE

Another one of our upcoming projects which I was very happy to be able to tell people about at the LCMC gathering is our “Rekindling Your First Love” event. This gathering will take place on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 in the Baltimore area and will be a full day of spiritual and emotional renewal for pastors. It will include presentations, discussion, processing, prayer, fellowship, worship, determining next steps, and personal ministry time. NALC pastor Tim Hubert will talk about “Rekindling Your First Love for Christ.” NALC pastor Wendy Berthelsen will speak on “Rekindling Your First Love for the Church as the Body of Christ.” ELCA pastor Brian Hughes will address “Rekindling Your First Love for Mission and Ministry as the Work of Christ in the World.”

The idea of the gathering is as follows. At the end of his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul commended that church for their undying love. A generation later in Revelation 2 when John writes to the church in Ephesus he tells them that they have lost their first love. Many pastors – because of the demands of ministry, the painful experience of being hurt and even betrayed by congregational members, and having to deal with so much conflict – have lost their first love. If that is you, we want to invite you to rekindle and regain your first love. Please be watching for more information, which will be available soon.

PASTORAL FORMATION

We are also working with Perry Fruhling, LCMC coordinator for pastoral ministry, to identify congregations that have seen two or more people go to seminary recently and pastors who have seen two or more people go to seminary during their ministry. We will then work with these pastors and the leaders of these churches to identify the common factors that make a congregation and a pastoral ministry a good nurturing place for future pastors.

WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL

We are very grateful to Kim Smith for taking on the role of president of the board for Lutheran CORE. Kim has been serving on our board for a little under two years. She is the one who developed our new website and now is keeping it current. She is also editor of our newsletter. I was elected president of the board in early 2015. A year later I was also hired as part-time director. Because the ministry is ever-increasing, we are very grateful that Kim is willing and able to serve as president of the board while I remain as executive director.

We are also very grateful for all of our friends – individuals as well as congregations – who support our work. This is the time of year when many congregations are determining their benevolence budget and mission dollars recipients for next year. We urge you to speak with your pastor, and, pastors, we ask you to speak to your church councils about including Lutheran CORE in the list of missions which will receive financial support from your congregation next year.

As a partner with you in seeking to make use of every opportunity to share the love of Jesus,

Pastor Dennis D. Nelson

Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

909-274-8591

[email protected]