Northwoods Seelsorger

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...