Northwoods Seelsorger

Well this is a new twist. In an attempt to protest the illegality of gay weddings, some liberal churches are refusing to do any civil weddings at all. The pastors who are refusing to sign legal wedding licenses are predominately from a handful of small liberal churches, according to the Associated Press article, I believe this past Sunday (the article was handed to me in church undated.) These churches, however, may perform a religious ceremony "to bless the unions of straight and gay couples - but straight couples must go separately to a judge or justice of the peace for the marriage license," the article reports. The idea being pushed is that the separation of church and state should dictate that civil marriages and religious ceremonies celebrating a marriage are two different things. Under the guise of this separation principle these pastors are thus refusing to perform "civil marriages." Interesting. As Lutherans we have never had a problem recognizing ...

This past Sunday the Epistle reading from St. James, the fifth chapter, reminded us to "be patient" as we wait for the coming of the Lord. The bishop of Jerusalem was writing to Christians under the pressure of poverty and violence and certainly no little persecution since the day of Stephen's martyrdom. In his words of encouragement he pointed to the farmer, who despite the unpredictability of the Spring and Autumn rains, so critical for a successful crop, nevertheless remained full of hope by focusing on the valuable harvest to come. James also reminded his readers of the prophets, who faithfully proclaimed God's Word, even though many rejected their message and turned on the messengers themselves. Finally he pointed to Job, the greater sufferer, who learned what it really means to live under the cross, where the face of God is hidden behind pain and loss. Advent is a season that teaches patience as we are required to wait for our celebration, first giving ...

It might seem self-evident that missionary work, by definition, involves proclaiming the Gospel. However social and humanitarian efforts can easily eclipse the normal focus of evangelization. Recently Religious News Service posted this brief note: Vatican says missionaries must also evangelize By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY -- Roman Catholic missionaries should aim to convert people to their faith and not restrict themselves to humanitarian good works, according to a Vatican document released Friday (Dec. 14). The 19-page document tries to correct a “growing confusion” among theologians who argue that “it is enough (for missionaries) to build communities which strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity,” and who claim that it is “possible to be saved without explicit knowledge of Christ and without formal incorporation in the Church.” The statement is a follow-up to Dominus Iesus, the 2000 document produced by Pope Benedict XVI when he was still a cardinal, which said ...

Recently Mike Huckabee asked a question during an interview that has caused a bit of controversy. He simply asked if the Mormons taught that Jesus and Satan were brothers? Now, first of all, let us note that Huckabee did not say that the Mormons taught this. He merely asked if it was so, admitting that he did not know a lot about Mormon doctrine. This little piece of fact was conveniently forgotten in the transmission of the story. However, in an election season we can expect such things to happen. Any little word that has potential for controversy is pounced upon with great enthusiasm by those seeking sensationalism. But aside from this, the question is stilled begged: Do the Mormons teach that Satan and Jesus were brothers? There has been swift response by Mormons to distance themselves from this, and for good reason. Even nominal Christians would be quite offended to be told that the Savior of the Word and the arch-enemy of God are essentially related. To answer the question, I firs...

As Todd Wilken admits in a recent article in Issues, Etc. , the combination of the word "freedom" and "law" seems out of place. "What does the Law have to do with Christian freedom?" However, Wilken is addressing an issue that is often used within the Church as a license for abuse or excess in the name of freedom. The issue is sometimes referred to by its technical Latin name, adiophora , which refers to the area of theology concerning matters that are neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture. Within the LCMS the appeal to adiophora is often used by pastors and churches to justify massive overhauls of the liturgy and the ministry with the justification that the details of these areas are not spelled out in specific terms within Scripture. However, as the saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and much mischief has been attempted by tampering with the little things that often go unnoticed by the general observer. Christian freedom ha...

A minor milestone, to be sure, but Sunday the 25th represented the one year anniversary of this blog. This cyber-journey had direction from the beginning, but its destination has always been unknown. While many blogs exist primarily to chronicle individual opinions and random thoughts, the goal of this site aimed at offering information and fostering discussion on worthy topics that impact the world of faith and church. Not knowing where such a journey would lead or how far it would go, I have been pleasantly surprised by the readership this little corner of the blogosphere has attracted and engaged, modest as it may be by standards of established blogging. While the topics are ultimately my own choosing, their choice has often been influenced by comments and feedback. Those who read and offer insights and even challenge my views have given me an interesting and invigorating experience in the task of public writing. I learned early on that the words one sends forth into the...

While I have been critical of material on the DayStar site and of Dr. Matthew Becker's writing, in particular, I did enjoy a recent article regarding his recent October class trip to Germany. Dr. Becker, a professor of theology at Valparasio University, led a group of twenty students on a week-long study trip to sites in central and eastern Germany connected with Martin Luther. The information he shares is very informative, especially concerning the contemporary condition of the German church. Although I was aware that Christianity in Europe has been declining for a long time and is at a very low point in the Reformer's homeland, I was still shocked by the statistics Becker presented: " According to a 2005 survey, the percentage of Christians in Thüringen is 34% (ca. 780,000 out of 2.3 million). In Sachsen the figure is 25% (1 million out of 4 million). The percentage is even lower in Sachsen-Anhalt, only 19% (ca. 456,000 out of 2.4 million). In cities such as Leipzig ...

A recent comment on an old post regarding dressing for church (July) brought up the topic of clergy dress. As all can see from my picture on this blog I prefer the so-called "Roman collar" or "tab shirt." I also occasionally wear the "Anglican" or "neckband" style of shirt popular among some Lutherans and Episcopalians. Within my tradition a great variety exists. The appearance of a Lutheran clergyman can range from very casual to a suit and tie to a clerical collar. No doubt much is communicated by the way a pastor dresses, even though there are those who would like to believe that dress is neutral. As pastor dresses for the most part, I suspect, to reflect the way he views his office (vocation) and the way he wishes to project himself to his people. While I do not wish to judge the dress of other pastors, I would like to offer a rationale for those of us who wear distinctive clerical clothing. To some eyes the "Roman coll...

After reading the comments on the last article, one might be tempted to ask: Is there a clear, universally accepted definition of the word "Christian," or is it somewhat vague to fit most people who profess some belief in Jesus? My understanding was that the term Christian was reserved for those churches that confessed the truth of God according to the historic and universal creeds. Thus, Christian meant one who believed in God as triune, three persons, one Godhead. It also meant one who believed in Jesus as fully God and fully man (the Two Natures of Christ.) Using this definition any number of different churches are included, even if they do not formally subscribe to the three ecumenical creeds (Apostles', Nicene, Athanasian.) However, historically within the mainline Christian denominations, certain religious organizations have not been included, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Christian Scientists , so...

Mitt Romney's run for the presidency has placed the Mormon church back into the public eye. But it has also stirred up old questions and concerns. Sensitive to an image that appears less than Christian, they have decided to step up their marketing strategy of painting the church in bold Christian colors. In the November 12 issue of U.S. News and World Report , Elder M. Russel Ballard was interviewed by Jay Tolson as to "The Mormon Way." Here is some of the interchange: Tolson : What is the biggest misconception that people have about your church? Ballard : One is that some people say we Mormons are not Christians. We can't comprehend that, when Jesus Christ is the center of everything we teach and believe...The other thing is that some people say the Mormons are a cult. We don't understands that. We're a very strong Christian organization that's doing great things and trying to relieve human suffering, to increase knowledge of the gospel truths....

On Friday representatives from the Episcopal diocese of Pittsburgh voted to approve amendments to their constitution which grant initial approval for separation from the mother church. The Pittsburgh diocese joined other dioceses in San Joaquin, California and Quincy, Illinois in making these preliminary moves toward independence. For some time now Episcopalians have been struggling internally over differing views on issues of homosexuality, scriptural authority, scriptural interpretations, and other doctrines such as the divinity of Christ. "As a diocese, we have come to a fork in the road," noted Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan just prior to lay delegates approving the amendments 118 to 58 and clergy by a margin of 109 to 24. "Indeed, it has become clear that our understandings are not only different, but mutually exclusive, even destructive to one another," he said. Joe Mandak in his Associate Press article from Saturday, observed that the division within t...

Depending on who you listen to, times are tough right now for the economy. Housing sales are down, gas prices are up, stock prices are up and down daily, and the common consumer struggles just make it another day. To read the news one might think that we were a poor, third world country with no jobs. Is it as bad as it all seems? Obviously I'm not an economist, nor do I understand the wide world of finances. Yet I do understand how God provides, regardless of what the commentators say. I also understand that man does not live on mere bread alone. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus instructs us to pray only once for our physical needs of food, shelter and clothing. And when we pray, we pray only for what is needed for that day. Admittedly it is a very different approach than we see in the unbelieving world that is forecasting well into the future, and worrying about events that have not even occurred. Jesus once said that worrying this way fails to add even a short spa...

Questioning the techniques and philosophy of "Church Growth" is tantamount to be "politically incorrect" in today's church. Especially if one were to call into question the success of the Church Growth flag ship, Willow Creek Community Church. At least until now. In a rather revealing article by Bob Burney entitled "A Shocking 'Confession' from Willow Creek Community Church," we discover that the gurus of the modern church may have taken a wrong road after all. After decades of telling us to throw out everything we ever knew about how to run a church, they are now telling us to possibly throw out their own original advice. Burney writes: " Willow Creek has released the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry. The study’s findings are in a new book titled Reveal: Where Are You? , co-authored by Cally Parkinson and Greg Hawkins, executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. H...

In a previous post I indicated that atheism is "in." So as the Evangelicals discovered the power of popular paperbacks and the appeal of the 'big screen' to further their views, we should not be surprised if agnostics and atheists utilize the same resources. In December of this year a new movie is scheduled to hit the theaters which is based on the first volume in a children's book trilogy by British author Philip Pullman , who has won prizes in the UK for his children's literature. By his own admission, Pullman is a non-believer and an atheist, although he seems to leave the door open for a slim possibillity. He states: "I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say. I think it's perfectly possible to explain how the universe came about without bringing God into it, but I don't know everything, and there may well be a God somewhere, hiding away. Actually, if he is keeping out of sight, it's...

Last night I attended a brief symposium in a neighboring town sponsored by a new Lutheran devotional society called Coram Deo (L: "face to face with God"). Their featured speaker was a classmate of mine, the Rev. Peter Bender, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church and Academy in Sussex, WI, and founder of the Concordia Catechetical Academy. Pastor Bender spoke on the theme of home and personal devotions. The evening's session was preceded by a candle light vespers service, a wonderful closure to the day's Reformation celebration. Personally I benefited greatly from Pastor Bender's insightful Bible study on the Syrophonecian women with the demon-possessed daughter (as a lesson on faith and prayer), as well as a review of Lutheran resources for personal prayer. Bender reviewed the devotional resources he uses in his parish and school, and they are impressive. They also sound a bit overwhelming. Many of our churches are light years away from the discipline h...

Ironically, I learned to "cross" myself as a Lutheran from a converted Jew. Prior to my time at seminary this practice was foreign to me, as it is undoubtedly still to many Lutherans. Now I "cross" myself regularly, and my people see it weekly as I begin my sermon invoking the name of the Trinity. However, to "cross" oneself is to many Lutherans a decidedly "Catholic" custom. And it is true that at weddings and funerals one can usually identify the visiting Catholics by observing the ones crossing themselves - and those who stop praying the Lord's Prayer before the final doxology :) But "crossing" oneself is a practice that was encouraged by Luther in his Small Catechism as part of the regular devotional life of the Christian. For Lutherans familiar with the Rite of Baptism, this action should have a ring of familiarity, as the first thing a pastor does is to trace the sign of the holy cross upon the head and heart of the chi...

In the October issue of the devotional newsletter for Corum Deo (see previous post), editor Steven Gjerde includes a nice article on the positive nature of the Reformation. Here is a snippet from that article: "If someone asked you why Martin Luther raised his voice in protest, sparking a church-wide reformation, what would you answer? Would you say, 'He was saying 'no' to indulgences, in which people paid money for salvation? Or, 'he did not think that we had to do certain things to be saved'? Or, 'He thought we should pray to God, and not to Mary or the saints?' All of those answer are common, and they certainly touch on issues relating to the Lutheran Reformation. Yet if you look back at them, you'll notice a decidedly negative character in all of the statements, leading some people to wonder: Is a protest against things all that Lutheranism has to offer? Is it just a big 'no'? This issue of Corum Deo rings with the convictio...

This morning thousands of Lutheran churches will celebrate the Reformation. To some it may seem a very sectarian occasion in a more ecumenically enlightened world. Wasn't the Reformation responsible for splintering Christendom into countless scattered pieces and disrupting the unity of the church? Didn't the Reformation break with the history of the past and abandon the rich traditions carefully collected over millenia? Certainly there were excesses and abuses in the period of the Reformation. This, like all periods of history, was not a perfect time. However, as a Lutheran, I look back positively to this era and note that much good came of Martin Luther's efforts. Yet first of all we need to note that the church was already divided at his time, technically speaking. It had been so since 1054 when Rome and Constantinople parted ways. And as to a break with the past - Yes, some of the more radical reformers did abandon all that came before and began with a b...

With the approach of the familiar holiday of Halloween, the subject of "ghosts and goblins" again fill the air. Of course a lot of it is in jest, but a few take the subject quite seriously. In my local paper this morning a group known as the a "ghost hunt team" was featured. They are a small version of what many have seen on such cable shows as the "Ghost Hunters." Armed with techno gadgets for measuring sights and sounds beyond the awareness of normal human senses, they head out to old cemeteries and abandoned buildings in search of restless spirits. The theory behind such efforts is that once dead the spirit of the deceased lingers around in this world, unable or unwilling to leave. These spirits, they claim, are either friendly and benign, or mischievous and even spiteful - much like they probably were during their living years. As a Christian, however, such theories not only irritate me, the naivete also concerns me. There are disembodied s...

As Stan Guthrie points out, atheism is in, and as we have seen with some recent volumes from their ranks, they are clearly in a bad mood. In his article "Answering the Atheists" from the November issue of Christianity Today , Mr. Guthrie quotes from Christopher Hitchens's book God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything showing their new edgy approach: "Many of the teachings of Christianity are, as well as being incredible and mythical, immoral." Richard Dawkins, Guthrie notes, "suggests that believers 'just shut up.'" To which he the adds: "Apparently, they didn't get the tolerance memo." Guthrie makes a profound point in those last few words tinged with tongue-in-cheek humor. Atheists make much of the supposed intolerance of the church that chooses to believe in absolute truth as apposed to the relativism of popular culture. The mere fact that we might insist (at the direction of God's own word) that only...

In a recent ad placed by College Avenue Baptist Church of San Diego, this 2,000-plus member mega church is looking for a PASTOR OF WORSHIP AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION . They state that they "desire varied and creative worship expressions that are passionate, engaging, full of Scripture, prayer, and an awareness of God's presence." Have they considered the liturgy and the Lord's Supper? Nah. That's just not sufficiently creative, passionate or engaging.....

Many who endorse the Church Growth Movement see it merely as a theologically neutral tool for ministry. In a desire simply to increase the number of people hearing the Good News, what can be wrong with borrowing from the very practical realm of sociology, psychology, and business? We need to be practical and pragmatic in understanding trends and technology if the church hopes to remain effective in a modern world, so the gurus of success tell us. Aside from the incompatibility of the concepts of "effective" or even "successful" as applied to the ministry and mission of a church under the cross, other matters in this philosophy are equally troubling. In an article entitled "Who Asks the Trough Questions?" from the October 2007 issue of Religious Product , Lyle Schaller reveals the fundamental issue at stake with three simple words. As he discusses five current trends in American Protestantism, he makes this statement: "High on that list is ...

Dr. Mary Todd, author of the controversial book Authority Vested: A Story of Identity and Change in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, wrapped up DayStar's journal on women's ordination with a brief article . Although departed from the LCMS scene and now teaching in a school outside of the synodical system, she still seems determined to take a few parting shots at her former home. Her final words take a last stab at the church she deems hopelessly lost in denial and forced silence: "And in declaring once again it knows the will of God, the church will continue to deny itself the gifts of women who, created in the image of God, seek only to carry the good news as women did that first Easter morning. Thank God those women broke the rule." Aside from the familiar rhetoric of denying the gifts of women, etc., Dr. Todd reveals one point I have long suspected is at the core of the argument for women's ordination. Reflecting on this past summer's convent...

Several of the GOP contenders addressed the Values Voters Summit in D.C. this past Saturday, hoping to win over a large and powerful voting block. Former N.Y. major Rudy Guiliani, a professed Catholic, had the biggest liability as an avowed abortion rights supporter. Mit Romney is conservative and prolife, but his liability for Evangelicals is his Mormon faith. Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher and Arkansas governor seemed to muster the greatest positive reaction, as he repeatedly appealed to the crowd with biblical images and passages and a passionate support of conservative values. John McCain, who has conflicted with the right over immigration among other issues, tried to tout his honesty and consistent pro-life voting record. Still, unlike previous elections, the Religious Right has yet to galvanize around a single candidate, and there are rumors of support for a Third Party candidate, if one should arise. Yet, despite the liberal tendencies of the U.S. and Democrat...