Northwoods Seelsorger

Every now and then one finds a succinct statement about worship worth repeating.  This one was found on the website of the Anglican Catholic Church : While contemporary worship may entertain, it also tends to isolate us from the historic and universal Church by reflecting back to us our own culture and tastes.  The Anglican tradition emphasizes the timeless nature of Christian worship.  Our liturgy (literally "work of the people") encourages us not only to know the Jesus of the Bible, but to experience Him through the sacramental life, drawing us out of our narrow and self-contained existence and into the loving presence of God. My summary: Contemporary worship reflects us back to our own culture and tastes.  It is therefore bound to a small range of experiences and personal desires and not reflective of the communion of saints throughout time.  Traditional, thus liturgical worship, emphasizes the timeless nature of Christian worship.  It ne...

Preaching the Kingdom of God presents a unique challenge to the preacher.   This challenge arises not because the concept lacks clear and sufficient reference in Holy Scripture, but rather due to its understanding in the mind of the modern hearer, especially the American hearer who has no connection with a functioning royalty or monarchial rule.   Instead, the modern hearer may encounter the word “king” more in connection with its secondary definition, namely “ one that holds a preeminent position; especially : a chief among competitors.” [1]   Thus, in hearing the word “king” the hearer might associate the word with an eating establishment (e.g.: Burger King) or a famous singer (e.g.: Elvis Presley, king of Rock of Roll; Michael Jackson, king of Pop), or the famous late 20 th century civil right leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Then again, a younger hearer familiar with the film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, where they encounter kings in a surreal quas...

My district president recently invited me to take part in the recent leadership meetings held throughout the area.  As one of the participants from the district to attend the first national convention of the Rural and Small Town Mission of the LCMS held in Storm Lake, IA at the beginning of November, I addressed concerns and resources concerning the unique challenges facing this demographic.  For 12 years now I have served a parish in a decidedly rural setting, and therefore I was able to bring a personal perspective to the discussions.  The groups that joined me for the three mini-workshops ranged from 4-10 or more, not a huge crowd, but an interesting mix.  We discussed the various challenges facing rural and small town settings and found common ground, despite our varying situations.  Although far from an expert on this subject, I am beginning to get a better 'feel' for what faces us.  Some of the ideas I am accumulating along the way.... The need to o...

Some would like to believe that in the beginning the church worshiped with minimal structure and form.  Today's churches that utilize casual formats for worship no doubt think that they are attempting to reach the world in a way no so different than the Early Church.  An insightful quote from the liturgical scholar Dr. Massey Shepherd offers a corrective: The customs of worship among the Jews in the days of our Lord were very formal and liturgical, whether in the temple sacrifices, the Sabbath services of the synagogue, or even in the domestic rites of the home about the family table.  It is only natural that the forms and ideas of these Jewish liturgies, which nourished and blessed our Lord and His first disciples, should have been carried over into the worship of the Church. The Old Testament and its Psalms, the festivals of Passover and Pentecost, sacred meals, initiatory baptisms, confessions of faith in one God, forms of thanksgiving and of benediction, and, above...

An interesting and informative article regarding the use of flags in the church sanctuary can be found over on the Gottesdienst site .  I would venture to guess that a majority of LCMS parishes have an American flag in the church, along with the so-called Christian flag.  The argument that the church ought not have this in a place that should point only to Jesus has warrant.  A while back our flags were moved from the inner chancel area, where they had been for years, to a different location at the front of the nave to accommodate the newer banners which looked better in the chancel area.  Admittedly I was concerned about the fallout.  Surprisingly no cry of foul occurred.  That said, I struggle with just how a pastor should handle this delicate situation.  Anyone who knows me realizes that I have been willing to suffer controversy for a worthy cause, so not taking on the flag issue cannot be attributed to cowardice.  The moving of my flags actual...

I always try to keep at least one book within arm's reach at all times. Sometimes I will even read that book.  At in blessed moments I even occasionally finish them.  During deer hunting this year I worked my way through most of a fascinating book by Stephen Prothero entitled Religious Literacy: What Ever American Needs to Know - And Doesn't (HarperColins, 2007).  At present I am working through an extensive glossary at the end of the book, but for all practical purposes I have finished it.  Although I initially checked it out of the local public library on a whim, my wife ended up purchasing a copy for me later.  It is one of those books I plan to reread and review.  The book description from Amazon reads as follows: The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy. Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any....