Northwoods Seelsorger

Looking at the date of my last post, I was surprised to see that my absence from blogging has been a whole week now. As a parish pastor shepherding the flock takes first priority, and this past week demanded my all and then some. By this time last Tuesday two of my members had died, and with a midweek service and a wedding coming up that Saturday, it was clear that even sleep would be slighted along the way. I preached five times in a period of four days, with Thursday's evening sermon being rewritten for Sunday on that morning, simply because I didn't like the way it flowed the first time. My wife, who heard it on Thursday, actually said she liked it. But I'm the one that has to preach it, and if I don't have a sense of peace about what I am saying I go back and retool the message. God's Word demands the very best of the preacher's art, time constraints notwithstanding. But far from complaining, you should know that such labor is full of rich rew...

Quiet and unassuming, Leonard Parker's brilliance often pales beside other personalities in the world of physics. While many will quickly relate Stephen Hawking to the ground-breaking work of quantum physics and its revolutionary effect on how we understand our universe, Parker's work still lies in the shadows of awareness for most of us. Despite the fact that contemplating the inner recesses of the universe occupies an inordinate amount of time and energy for this genius, Dr. Parker also has another passion: faith. After his mother died in 1985 Parker seemed to rediscover his religious roots. His Jewish faith deepened in the years following. According to Mark Johnson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Sunday, Aug. 19), Parker "began attending daily services to recite the Kaddish prayer for his mother." Yet, how did this meticulous scientist reconcile faith and reason, which drove so many of his waking hours? "While he found that faith and physics somet...

Christians should begin to address God as Allah in order to improve relations with Muslims, suggests Dutch Catholic Bishop Matinus "Tiny" Muskens. "God really doesn't care how we address him," he said, noting that we shouldn't be divided over such terminology and that God is above such "bickering." Bishop Muskens pointed out that Christians who speak Arabic already use the word "Allah" to refer to God. According to Wikipedia "Allah is the standard word for 'God' [in Arabic]." The article notes that "Arabic-speakers of all faiths, including Christians and Jews use the word 'Allah' to mean 'God.'" So, does the Bishop have a point here? Not so quick. How one refers to the true God is more than just a semantic exercise. The implications of what names and titles mean are far-reaching when it comes to differentiating the essential differences between religions. In the English-speaking world...

They gathered again to to remember the "king." Not the King of Kings, mind you, but the King of Rock and Roll. This was the 30th annual vigil for the song legend Elvis Presley who passed away on August 16, 1977. His followers, however, have not dimmed in their support over these many years. In fact, their idol worship is just as strong. Reflecting back one fan commented: "When I would hear him sing, I'd go into like a trance and nothing else around me mattered." Recalling an experience in '57, one woman admitted: "We rubbed our hands on the stage and I didn't wash my hands for a week." Eew! Apparently they had record numbers at Graceland this year for the candle light vigil at the king's grave sight. At least 40,000 attended. However, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau of Memphis predicts that up to 75,000 will be in the city for the anniversary this year. Add to this the fact that up to 600,000 tourists visit Gracela...

Numbers fascinate us. They provide a seemingly concrete description of all that we do with black-and-white precision. Virtually every aspect of our lives is defined by numbers: our age and health, the size and nature of our communities, our economy, our personal finances, as well as trends far into the distant future. It is not surprising that the church should also enjoy an equal fascination with numbers. It was reported recently that the overall membership of the largest Lutheran denomination declined again. Given it's liberal leanings, such numbers will be looked upon by some as a prediction of its eventual demise. The LCMS, on the other hand, has defined its future by an increase in numbers, even providing an on-line 'counter' to track its outreach. Mega churches, those behemoths of success, are now pushing for greater representation in the denomination, with the belief that numbers represent power and influence. The local struggling congregation is of cour...

Probably not that far off thanks to renewed publicity from the far left in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. While the convention this time around did not take on the issue of women in the church (as it did famously in '04 by opening all church offices except the pastoral office to women), a recent article in the online DayStar Journal indicates that the time is right to bring the topic back to the forefront of synodical discussion. In "Let's Include Women in the Pastoral Office," Pastor Karl Wyneken represents a paper originally written for the group Voices/Vision in the 90's in which he defends the practice of women in the pastoral office. According to the editor/author: "When this article was published previously in Voices/Vision, a complaint was filed against him; he received a visit from high officials in the synod and was virtually told to be silent on the matter." Now that the synodical leadership has been substantially changed over the last t...

The debate on stem cell research will receive much additional attention as the presidential race heats up in coming weeks. For this reason I am glad that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod went on record at their recent convention in support of adult stem cell research, but made it clear that such research that destroys human life (embryonic stem cells) is unacceptable and not supported. The benefits of stem cell research are well known and varied. These cells are currently used in the ongoing treatment of such conditions as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson's. Michael J. Fox and Nancy Reagen have raised awareness by their frequent public comments, using their own suffering as a plea for more support. However, as people look at the diseases ravaging such popular people and their families, they tend to forget the larger ethical questions behind this research, especially those issues that affect the very sanctity of life itself. The ...

This morning our family enjoyed a most edifying worship service here in Boulder, CO. Pastor Daniel G.O. Burhop , a recent graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary - Ft. Wayne, led the Divine Service at University Lutheran Chapel (ULC) and proclaimed a solid Law-Gospel sermon on the subject of prayer from Luke 11. His message specifically expounded the significance of calling God "Father," which he indicated is unique to the Christian faith. We call upon our God as Father because of the relationship we have with the Son, through whom we are made God's children. Pastor Burhop reminded us that university chapels can still be liturgically faithful places of worship with distinctive Lutheran practice, and not the kind of glorified camp sing-a-longs which these places are tempted to become. We are blessed to have men such as this pastor and others like Pastor Marcus Zill up in Laramie, WY, who has been instrumental in spearheading the Christ on Campus emphasis of t...

Although a comprehensive study of sexuality is due in 2009, many in the ELCA do not want to wait. Having refused to change their rules governing non-celibate clergy at the assembly in 2005, they will again address resolutions on the place of gay clergy and same-sex blessings at the assembly scheduled to meet on August 8 - 12. No less than 21 of he 65 synods have asked the assembly to again debate these issues, with many actually asking for change in the denomination's stand. "The battle lines are being drawn," notes one advocate. The 5 million member Evangelical Lutheran Church of Amercia, the largest Lutheran denomination in the US, will certainly be watched closely this coming week, especially by their Lutheran denominational neighbors such as the LCMS. No other Lutheran body in this county has ventured to alter the long-standing biblical prohibitions against homosexuality. Still, considering the ELCA's more liberal approach to the doctrine of scripture, suc...