WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – 11 AM EDT

In addition to alerting people to ways in which the ELCA is going further and further off the rails, we of Lutheran CORE see as part of our work providing encouragement and resources for congregations and their leaders and lay members. 

Lutheran CORE is about to embark on providing a new series of resources – webinars on church leadership and ministry led by practitioners who know what they are talking about because they will be sharing insights and approaches that they have learned from their own ministry experience and have put into practice in their own ministry settings.  Many thanks to three members of the board – NALC pastors Brian Hughes, David Charlton, and Doug Schoelles – for articulating and developing the vision for this new ministry and doing the work to bring it to life.

The first webinar, entitled “Planning as a Paradigm Shift,” will be offered on Wednesday, September 25 from 11 AM to 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time.  Lutheran CORE vice president Brian Hughes says concerning the webinar, “Planning is deciding about a preferred future, especially when it comes to creating faithful disciples.”  He also said, “Planning for ministry means setting priorities which might, even in the best and healthiest of situations, require pruning something in order to add a new emphasis.”  He also shared that as we deal with the diminishment of our ministry amid the accelerating de-churching of America, church leaders need to figure out what path to take and how to convince others to join.

When asked why this webinar series starts with planning, Brian answered, “Planning assumes we’ve looked at our current reality and want to be somewhere else.  What is not working and what do we want to be about that’s different?”  When asked whether this webinar is a one-time event, he replied, “This is a taster offered by Lutheran CORE that will likely become a monthly offering with more content and other presenters already in the wings depending on the response and needs we hear.”

Brian Hughes is a retired pastor now rostered with the NALC and living in South Carolina.  After serving ELCA congregations in places like Capitol Hill (Washington DC), Pittsburgh PA, and the Bay Area of California, he finished up with almost twenty years in Columbia MD.  For several years he served as assistant to the bishop in the ELCA’s Sierra Pacific Synod (northern California and western Nevada) with seminary candidacy and first call leadership development as part of his portfolio.  He continues to be part of a movement of reintroducing faith formation into homes, multi-generationally.   After retiring from his ELCA congregation in Maryland in 2019 (where they had nine services a weekend in five languages) he launched an NALC street ministry in Baltimore that evolved into leading a Sunday morning worship service in a strip club.  His former congregation in Maryland is now LCMC.  He currently serves as vice president of the board of Lutheran CORE.  Mission and discipleship have been his passions throughout his entire ministry.

Here is a link to register for this webinar.  There is no charge for attending.

We all remember with horror the ways in which traditional views on such matters as human sexuality were rejected and belittled at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering.  Here is a link to an article in the Summer 2018 issue of CORE Voice newsletter about that event, including the way in which ELCA public theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber led 32,000 young people in a chant rejecting Biblically faithful views as a lie from Satan. I think it is very interesting that as of the time of my writing this article, the website for this summer’s ELCA youth gathering – taking place in July in New Orleans – does not yet include the names of the keynote speakers.  However, in the information for churches that will be sending their youth, there are more than enough reasons for congregations that take the Bible and the historic Christian faith seriously to stay far away.

Here is a link to the information that has been prepared to help youth and youth leaders get ready for the gathering. The theme for the event is “Created to Be.”  The preparatory materials are divided into five sections with two sessions each.  We have been Created to Be Brave, Authentic, Free, and Disruptive Disciples.  Each of the ten sessions starts out with a land acknowledgment, stating who were the original inhabitants of the land on which the gathering will be held, and from whom the land was stolen.  Not only is the ELCA conditioning its young people to think and feel negatively about the country in which they live, they are also displaying their blatant and pompous hypocrisy.  The ELCA is totally ignoring ways in which synods are abusing power and misusing a constitutional provision to take over the property of congregations.  Also I am not aware of any situation where a synod has returned the proceeds from the sale of the property of a closed congregation to the original inhabitants of the land.  Rather synods use this income to fund their radical-left agenda as their congregations, number of congregations, and the income from congregations continue to diminish.

The preparatory materials are filled with examples of ways in which the ELCA is indoctrinating its young people.  For example, the “Go Deeper” section of Session 2 of Unit 5 (Disciples) makes the statement, “Many of our young people have experienced Christians who do harm, speak hatefully, and work for laws that hurt our neighbors.”  The youth are then asked, “What negative words come to mind when you think of Christians or disciples?  What harm have you seen people do in Jesus’ name?”  In contrast, in the “Go Deeper” section of Session 1 of Unit 5 the young people are asked, “Is your church a Reconciling in Christ congregation?  If so, how long did your church take to make that commitment and adopt a welcome statement?  If not, what would it mean for you if your congregation became a Reconciling in Christ congregation?”  Any pastor who does not want the congregation to become Reconciling in Christ – and/or does not want the issue to be raised within the congregation – needs to be forewarned.  Also, the implication is that people with traditional views do harm, speak hatefully, and work for laws that hurt people, while congregations that are Reconciling in Christ are accepting, loving, and wonderful. 

And how does the ELCA indoctrinate the people who work with its young people?  Information regarding the general session speakers for the ELCA’s Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza being held this month also in New Orleans is available.  Here is a link to the website for this gathering for leaders in youth ministry.

Looking at the bios for the general session speakers, you will see that the overwhelming emphasis is on LGBTQ+ ideology as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Here is information regarding three of the five general session speakers.  If you want your ministry to and with your young people to be anything other than that, you need to look elsewhere.  

• Jamie Bruesehoff is listed as an “award-winning LGBTQ+” advocate.  Jamie and her at-the-time pre-adolescent transgender child spoke at the 2018 youth gathering.  She describes her experiences raising a transgender child as “rooted in her queer identity.”  She is the author of Raising Kids beyond the Binary: Celebrating God’s Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children.
• The Rev. Carla Christopher (she/they) is co-chair of the ELCA’s Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church and chaplain for Proclaim, which her bio describes as “an ELCA ministry that supports LGBTQIA2S+ seminarians and rostered leaders.”  She serves as Assistant to the Bishop for Justice Ministries in two ELCA synods and is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Consultant for multiple synods and faith-based organizations.
• Deacon Ross Murray is director of the Naming Project.  The website for that organization describes their goal as to “provide a safe and sacred space where youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities are named and claimed by a loving God.”  They also work to “advocate for systemic change in church and society.” 

If that is what you want your congregation’s youth ministry to be all about, more power to you.  If that is not what you want, stay far away from both gatherings and from any potential youth worker who attends or who would promote either or both gatherings. 

In the fall of 2021, St. Paul Lutheran Seminary launched a new academic Journal called SIMUL, and since that time its pages have featured articles by Bob Benne, Mark Granquist, Brad Hales, and many others.

But Why a New Journal?

When one looks at the landscape of Lutheran publications in the United States, there are many fine journals to choose from, including Lutheran Forum, ProEcclesia, Lutheran Quarterly, and Logia, just to name a few. So what makes SIMUL different?

1) It’s free. Its readers pay nothing to read the articles or share them with friends. The last thing our pastors and laity need right now is to write another check to a theological journal. And so, they are quite proud of SIMUL’s availability without charge. But quite honestly, it does cost money to produce. So if you would like to make a contribution to the production of SIMUL, you can do so by going to our website at https://semlc.org/support-st-paul-lutheran-seminary/  But please do not feel obliged to do so, because just like the gospel, SIMUL is a free gift.

2) It’s online. To keep SIMUL free, it is offered online only. SIMUL can be accessed on their website at https://semlc.org/simul/ and on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/St-Paul-Lutheran-Seminary-139019069505467. It is also accessible through their email list. If you would like to be added to that list, send your email address to dennisdimauro@yahoo.com.

3) It’s readable. Let’s face it – you probably subscribe to a few print journals and actually read only one or two articles from every issue. Then you throw that copy out, feeling a little guilty. No more! SIMUL is a quarterly journal, and they plan on including just four articles per issue. Therefore, SIMUL is a journal you will actually read from cover to cover every three months, and when you are done, there is no need to walk to the recycling bin.

4) It’s academic, but it’s written for the church. SIMUL is an academic journal, and it is written by academics. All four articles in its first issue were written by Lutheran scholars who hold PhDs. The articles you will read in SIMUL are going to adhere to the highest academic standards, and they will include endnotes so you can reference where the authors are getting their information. But just because our articles are written by academics that doesn’t mean you have to be an academic to understand them. SIMUL is going to be readable, but not just by academics, and not just by pastors, but also by our church members, the disciples who move the church forward. And that is their goal – not to simply look smart in front of other academics, but rather, to edify the church.

5) It is going to introduce you to St. Paul Lutheran Seminary. The summer of 2021 marked the tenth anniversary of St. Paul Lutheran Seminary, which offers something very special to the church: an affordable education, available online, from a Lutheran perspective, by professors who also serve the church as pastors. So let’s take a look at the history of the seminary:[i]

St. Paul Lutheran Seminary

St. Paul Lutheran Seminary (SPLS) began with a simple premise in the summer of 2011: to provide churches with an easily accessible, high-quality confessional Lutheran education and resources for mission, with a goal of equipping servant leaders.  SPLS uses a “Paul-Timothy” model for preparing ministry candidates. They utilize pastor/academics to educate and mentor men and women for Word and Sacrament ministry. And SPLS allows students to complete their studies online at one of their residential locations. They offer MDiv, a DMin, and a certificate programs, as well as our Kairos program in association with Sioux Falls Seminary. They currently have 39 students studying domestically and another 33 studying at our overseas locations in Ethiopia, as well as in Mexico and Nicaragua (both of which are offered entirely in Spanish). In addition, another 500 students are enrolled in a weekly lectionary study led by their founder and provost, Dr. Jim Nestingen, and 22 others participate in a short preaching course for those interested in providing pulpit supply. Along with Dr. Nestigen, they have some wonderful professors: Dr. Marney Fritts, who teaches theology, as well as Drs. Bud Thompson, and Orrey McFarland who head up their biblical studies classes, and so many other dedicated pastor/theologians.

So academics are their strength, but they have made the curriculum practical as well. Their program includes a 6-course series called “Being a Pastor,” which is taught by experienced pastors who love parish ministry. The classes feature open discussion on such topics as “how to enter a community,” “maintaining healthy boundaries,” “parish administration,” and other areas of concern to aspiring pastors and church workers.

They are also blessed with an amazing board of directors who lead them financially and administratively, one of whom, Dr. Edwin Spruth offers a wonderful article in their first issue. It is they who govern the seminary.

The result is a seminary which is orthodox, Lutheran, confessional, and ready to prepare students for ministry. To quote their dean of students, Rev. Julie Smith, “All of this theology is for the sake of faithful preaching, for the sake of setting sinners free.”[ii]

What’s Ahead?

We are so excited about this coming year. Summer 2022’s topic is the “Uses of the Law  – 2 or 3?” (they will attempt to remain civil and avoid any further schisms). And their Fall 2022 issue will cover the subject of the sacraments, something which has come under much discussion during the COVID-19 shutdowns.

Their 2023 annual theological conference will be at the historic Jekyll Island Club in GA on April 11^th and 12^th, 2023  – always a fun time in a beautiful place, with so many wonderful speakers. You can register at https://semlc.org/conference-registration/

So I hope you enjoy the first-ever issue of SIMUL. And if you have any questions about the journal or about St. Paul Lutheran Seminary, please email Rev. Dr. Dennis R. Di Mauro at dennisdimauro@yahoo.com

[i] A more detailed history of St. Paul Lutheran Seminary can be found on our website at https://semlc.org/about/

[ii] Julie Smith, “Address to the Augustana District Conference in 2018,” https://semlc.org/about/ (accessed Sept. 29, 2021).

“For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.  For judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.  Who will stand up for me against evildoers?  Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?”  (Psalm 94:14-16)

Lord, time and again one can look at history and see that those who abide in Your Word survive whereas those who walk in the way of wickedness come to nothing.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way You would have me go that I would not fall prey to the way of the wicked.  Lead me to see in You the hope of glory and know that Your righteousness shall prevail forever.

Lord, grant me wisdom to see through the plots of the wicked.  Lift me up in Your goodness to see in You the hope of glory for all generations.  May I now and always come to You for wisdom and see clearly that the way of the wicked comes to destruction.  Guide me, O Lord, in Your ways, teaching me how to obey all that You have commanded not out of obligation, but in love.

Lord Jesus, You have come to set the captive free — free from the tyranny of wickedness to do what brings the Father glory.  Teach me this day those lessons You know I need that I would do what is right in Your sight always.  Help me through those temptations that come along that I would now and always choose the way You set before me.  May I abide in You and Your ways always.  Amen.

“So He brought them to His holy land, to this hill country which His right hand had gained. He also drove out the nations before them and apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.” (Psalm 78:54-55)

The Lord has always provided in the way He promised. Yet, the Lord is ignored by those who simply want what they want and want it in the way they want it. Yet, He still provides. He is gracious and kind and gives in spite of the people rebelling against Him. See that all things are in the Lord’s hands and that He provides for the just and the unjust. All things will be as He determines.

Lord, when things do not go the way I want, I am upset and think You have abandoned me. I want it to go the way I want it to go and I often think of You as being under my direction. Clear my mind of such rebellious thoughts that I may live in accordance with Your will and humbly walk in Your ways knowing that You alone are able to accomplish what You determine and have determined.

Lord Jesus, You have come to free me from this bondage to the self. Guide me, O Lord, in the way I should go that I may walk now and forever with You in the grace You have given from the cross. Lead me, O Lord, now and always in Your way of truth that I may walk humbly with You knowing that all things are now, as they always have been, in Your hands and that You will guide me. Amen.

“Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.  Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth.”  (Psalm 67:3-4)

Lord how much better would this world be if they just stopped fighting against the truth, seeking to replace it with their idea of the truth.  Alas, the world continues its battle and I along with them.  Bring me to the place where I praise you in spite of what those around me do.  You are the righteous judge and it shall be as You determine.  Guide me to live in that knowledge always.

Lord, You know the struggle in my heart.  I desire those things which are of no value and flee from Your statutes which are more precious than gold or silver.  Judge my heart that I may be freed of those things which hinder me, and lead me in Your ways now and always to be one who praises You in season and out of season.  Righteous judge, give me Your righteousness.

Righteousness Incarnate, Jesus my Savior, guide me in the way of truth that You have established that I may be guided in Your  way now and always.  Lead me forth from this moment to live in the truth that all things are known and that You are guiding me in the way I should go.  Help me see through the cloud of this age to become and be the person You have created me to be.  Amen.

“Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul.  I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.”  (Psalm 66:16-17)

In a world that is filled with noise and constant activity, the soul can be left behind.  The Lord will nurse the soul and refresh it to see clearly that yes, we are physical creatures but that we are also soul and it too needs nurturing.  Come to the Lord and be refreshed and renewed.  Know that in the Lord goodness and mercy are bounteous and the Lord delights in His little ones.

Lord, help me see the estate of my soul and come to You that I may be refreshed.  Lead me through all of the things that are going on in me that I may understand the need for Your sustenance and see that only You can lift me up.   Let me learn to extol Your name and know the truth of life which You grant to those who love you, for You alone are able to do these things in this age of turmoil.

Lord Jesus You have come to set the captive free that we may abide in You now and forever.  Guide me, mind, body and soul, to live into the life to which You call me that I may grow in the righteousness You have given me by grace.  Teach me to give You praise and thanksgiving for all the goodness You have shown me.  Teach me to be still and know that You are God.  Amen.

“Come,” He replied, “and you will see.” (John 1:39)

Our Lord spoke these words to St. Andrew, whose feast day is today (Nov. 30).  Church tradition often calls Andrew “the first called,” because he is the first disciple to whom Christ says “come” in the Gospel of John.  

In this invitation, we see more than just a call to Andrew.  We also see the simple truth that Jesus has no desire to hide anything from His disciples, but to be perfectly open and even vulnerable to them—indeed, He puts His life in their hands: “Take, eat, this is my body, given for you.”   

How fitting, then, that St. Andrew’s feast day stands at the joint where one Church Year turns to another.  For what is the preaching of the Church but Jesus laying Himself bare?  And what is the Church Year but a year-long sermon series on Christ and His kingdom?  

“Come, and you will see.”  It’s God’s promise to every sinner who calls on the name of the Lord.  You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

LET US PRAY:  We thank you, Lord, for Andrew, whom You graciously called to share in Your life.   Pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your Church, that this new year of preaching will lay bare the glory of Your Gospel for all who hear it; for You live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit.  Amen

Pastor Steven K. Gjerde

Zion, Wausau

WE ALL HAVE TO GET OUR OWN OIL

Devotional for November 12, 2017 based upon Matthew 25: 1-13

At one point all ten had brightly burning lamps. All ten had oil. But five ran out of oil. So five were not ready when the bridegroom came.

All ten had lights. Which probably were not some kind of small clay vessel with a little wick sticking out. Small clay vessels do not use much oil, but they also would not have been able to put out much light for a wedding party. They probably were torches – long poles with rags soaked in olive oil tied at the top. That kind of a torch produces a lot of light, but it also consumes a lot of oil, so the rags would have to be re-soaked in oil every certain number of minutes.

The oil that enables us to live our Christian lives is abundant. We can all be filled with the Holy Spirit every day. There is no energy shortage in heaven. And the oil is free. It has already all been paid for. But still, if we want our lives to keep on shining, we must receive a daily in-filling of God’s Holy Spirit. And so, in verse 4, “The wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” The wise had reserve oil. The wise enjoyed a deep, personal experience of the grace of Jesus. The wise had a deeper prayer life – a deeper Bible study life. The wise had a depth to their faith – a depth in their relationship with Jesus – that the five foolish bridesmaids did not have.

Verse 5 tells us, “As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.” All ten had thought that the bridegroom would have been there a lot sooner. But he wasn’t there. So they became drowsy and slept. Preparing for a wedding can wear you out. There’s a lot that goes into getting ready for a wedding. Not just the bride – and the bride’s mother – but also the bridesmaids spend hours and hours getting ready for the wedding. No wonder brides and bridesmaids get all stressed out and tired out. Even the five wise bridesmaids were so tired that they fell asleep because of the delay.

Spiritually are you asleep? Are you asleep even though you know that the King of kings is coming? True, there has been a delay. Jesus the Bridegroom has not come yet. And yet the longer the delay, the closer we are to the time of His coming.

Verse 6 tells us, “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out and meet him!’” When did the bridegroom come? At midnight. Jesus will return at the darkest time of the night. Jesus will come to you in your darkest hour. Sometimes I wonder how much darker it could get than it is right now. The bridegroom will come at midnight. In our hour of deepest need – at a time of greatest spiritual darkness – Jesus Christ will come.

Verse 7 – “Then all the bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.” All ten bridesmaids needed to refill their lamps with oil. But only the wise had brought along spare reserves of oil. What is that extra oil? It is an extra measure of God’s presence and grace in your life. It is the depth and strength of faith that you need to live in those toughest of times.

Verse 8 – “The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’” But in verse 9 the wise replied, “No! There will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealer and buy some for yourselves.” You cannot share the oil. Think about it this way. A deep Christian experience – a deep relationship with Jesus – a deep in-filling of the Holy Spirit – you cannot give yours to someone else. We must all go to the source.

Christian parents and grandparents may wish that they could just give their faith to their children and grandchildren. And many Christian people wish that they could transfer their Christian faith to their non-believing husband or wife. But each person must go to the source for himself or herself. The Christian faith can neither be transferred nor sold. Each must get the saving oil straight from the source.

No one can be a Christian for you. Your parent or grandparent can’t. Your spouse can’t. Your best friend can’t. And even your pastor can’t. We all have to get our own oil.

But where do you find oil at midnight? Verse 10 says, “And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.” Even if the five foolish bridesmaids had been able to find oil at midnight, they were not able to do so in time, so they were left out – standing out in the empty street – in the dark night.

In the same way, if you wait until you really need it to get that saving and strengthening relationship with Jesus – if you wait until midnight, you may have waited too long. The Bible says, Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to restock on oil. Today is the day to make your life right with Jesus. If you wait until midnight, you may have waited too long.

What about you? Is your lamp getting dimmer? Is your light beginning to flicker? Is your walk with Jesus lacking or even non-existent? Are you spiritually asleep? Don’t wait too long.

In verse 13 Jesus concludes this parable by saying, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” I want to be there and ready. And I want you to be there and ready too. I want all of us to be seated at that table that will spread for miles in God’s great heavenly banquet room. Jesus, our Bridegroom and Host, will be there to welcome us. So what should we do? Before your lamp begins to go out – on a regular basis – stop and get a fresh supply. Daily repent of your sins and receive God’s grace. Daily renew your relationship with Jesus. And always remember – we all have to get our own oil.

Dennis D. Nelson

President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE