Newsletter December 2012

The 19th chapter of 1st Kings tells the story of the prophet Elijah fleeing from the wrath of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel after the Lord had proven Elijah to be a prophet of the one true God at Mt. Carmel. Following this intense period of activity at Mt. Carmel and its dramatic aftermath, Elijah’s mind was reeling. There was so much that needed to be done. There were so many things that needed to be said. There were far too many decisions to make. Elijah was overwhelmed and ready to give up.


In the midst of all of this, the Lord told him to “stand upon the mount before the Lord.” A ferocious wind came up, but “the Lord was not in the wind.” Then there was an earthquake, but “the Lord was not in the earthquake.” The earthquake was followed by a fire, but “the Lord was not in the fire.” Finally, Elijah discerned the word of the Lord. It was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. It was in the calm and quiet that followed as Elijah stood alone. The unique phrase at the end of Elijah 19:13 דַקָּֽה׃ דְּמָמָ֥ה ק֖וֹל has been translated in a variety of ways. The most familiar translation is “a still small voice” (KJV and RSV) but others have suggested “a gentle whisper” (NIV and Living Bible) or “a sound of sheer silence” (NRSV) while literally it says “a sound of soft stillness.” In any case, the word of the Lord came to Elijah when there was quiet and calm in the immediate world around him. In the stillness, God spoke.

The month of December is a month of frantic activity for most people. There is so much to do during this holiday season, and there is noise everywhere, even if it includes beautiful Christmas carols. Sometimes people are overwhelmed by the demands of this season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, demands they place on themselves to do so many things and the constant drumbeat of shop- shop-shop and party-party-party in the media. Where will the voice of the Lord be heard?

The voice of the Lord will be heard in those times of quiet and calm and peace. As it says in the beloved Christmas carol by Brooks:

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given.

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heaven.

(ELW#279)

In an effort to create space for some quiet reflection, all five of the congregations in the Kittson County Internship plus Grace and Red River of Hallock are going to take a few moments after the sermon in each of the four Advent Sunday worship services for silent reflection. As one of her internship projects, Intern Kate Johnson has chosen four pieces of art, each one reflecting on the gospel for the day, for the people to use as a focus for mediation. A copy of this artwork will be given to each worshipper at the beginning of the service. In some congregations it will be projected on a screen as well. In this parish it will appear on the Sunday bulletin page of the website each week. The artwork that is handed out is to be used as a focal point during the time of quiet reflection in worship and to be taken home for further use. Some may put it up in their home where they can see it daily. Others may carry it in a pocket. Pastor Melodi Hagen from Sion of Lancaster has challenged her members with these words: “Then during the week your challenge is to talk to at least one person about the image and where they see hope and Christ’s presence today.” This sounds like a good challenge for First and Eidsvold members, too.

In addition to this part of Advent worship in 2012, it is good to learn from Elijah to listen for the word of the Lord in the stillness and quiet wherever it can be found. Even in this season when carols are played on loudspeakers on the streets and almost everyone loves to hear a hearty “Merry Christmas!” there is a time and a place for quiet if not sheer silence.

Psalm 46 is a psalm written for times of stress and turmoil. It speaks of the earth changing, the sea roaring, the mountains trembling, nations raging, and kingdoms tottering. Does this sound like today with Hurricane Sandy, the Isareli-Gaza conflict, and the fiscal cliff in view? In the midst of it all Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

May the four weeks of Advent and the twelve days of Christmas be a time when you find peace and renewed strength through in the gift of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord. After all, he is Emmanuel “God with us.”

Newsletter November 2012

On the first Sunday in November we read from Isaiah 25:6 a prophecy that “the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food…..” On the last Sunday in November we read from Daniel 7:14 a “night vision” that “to him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” The month of November is bracketed by prophecies of the day when all peoples will be united under one God, the Lord of hosts.


The first Sunday in November is All Saints Sunday, a day on the church calendar for remembering all the faithful who have gone before us to be in the presence of God forever. Many of us remember particular people who have played a big role in our lives but who are no longer with us on this earth. But another emphasis of this day is the vast scope of those who are now with God. As John saw in Revelation 7:9 they are “a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues.” The saints in heaven are truly a cacophony of languages, a broad pallet of colors, a cross section of denominations, and a mix of political persuasions because Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

The reading from Daniel for the last Sunday of November this year comes from a man who was far from his native soil living among people who did not revere the Lord God of Israel whom Daniel served with unfailing faithfulness. In that foreign land among people of a strange religion, Daniel is given the assurance that despite all the power and might of the Persian Empire, he serves a God who will one day be worshipped by all. It might be that those who charged Daniel with breaking the law against praying to anyone except King Darius for a 30 day period and got him thrown into the lions’ den had the upper hand for the moment, but there would come a day when everyone would bow before the Lord, even old King Darius himself.

On the same day, the last Sunday in November, we read in Revelation 1:5 that Jesus Christ is “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” This verse points to the central focus of the day. Christ the King Sunday is the newest of the principal festivals in the church year. It was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in response to growing nationalism in Europe and particularly the rise of communism in Russia, fascism in Italy, and Nazism in Germany, all of which proclaimed that the state could demand the ultimate loyalty of its citizens, and the latter two of which taught racial intolerance, ethnic hatred, and the separation if not elimination of some groups. When Stalin in Russia, Hitler in Germany, and Mussolini in Italy fanned a cult of personality unrivaled anywhere until Mao in China and Kim in North Korea two decades later, humble Christians everywhere continued to uphold the universal kingship of Jesus Christ.

In our day the rulers of the nations strike a much humbler pose (except for Kim’s grandson in North Korea). What the visions of Isaiah, Daniel, and John in Revelation proclaim to us in our day is the inclusive nature of the kingdom of God. What they have to say to us who live in a remote corner of a state far from the pageantry of the seat of government and the glitz of the West Coast is that the Lord we worship is Lord of all. The sacrifice that Christ made on the cross is effective for all who believe. The Word that Christ spoke and that we read today is intended for all people. When we are baptized we are baptized into a church that is universal in its scope and outreach and membership.

There is an old story of a saint who died and appeared at the Pearly Gates where St. Peter ushered him in and showed him around. He was warmly welcomed by many of the saints who were already there. But off in a corner was a group of people huddled together like a football team between plays. They were talking to each other with their backs to everyone else. “Who are they?” saint asked St. Peter. To which St. Peter replied, “Oh, they are members of _________church. They think they are the only ones here!”

Jesus said in John 10:16 “and I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” This is the theme that brackets the Sundays of November which begins with All Saints Sunday and ends with Christ the King Sunday. As it says in Ephesians 4:5, there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

Newsletter October 2012

The campaign season has seemed long already even though there is still a month to go before the November 6th election. The TV ads for the North Dakota senate race have saturated the airways in the Red River Valley for a long time now. The political pundits have been chattering for months about the presidential race. Lawn signs are popping up all over. Many of us are eager to have the election over and are weary of the negative ads especially. For a moment let us step back from the heat of the current races and consider the foundations for making a choice in any election.


As Christian people we are obligated to take part in the electoral process for the sake of our neighbors. In Romans 12:7 St. Paul writes “Pay all of them their due, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” He is writing about “the governing authorities” (12:1). Surely, in a democracy, the government is due the informed vote of the Christian citizen. It is the duty of all citizens to become well informed about the candidates and issues, to think and pray about how to vote, and then to cast that vote. Because of elections the American government is “of the people, by the people, and for the people” as President Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address. Minnesota has a right to be proud of the high percentage of citizens who vote in each election. Every year this state comes out near the top. Let us hope it is so again in 2012.

And yet it is easy to become cynical about the electoral process. Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura in an interview with CNN’s Pierce Morgan in September said that the American electoral system is based on bribery. He went on to say that he meant that the politicians promise that the voters will have more money in their pockets if they vote a certain way. As usual, Jesse was overstating the case in a flamboyant way when he said “that’s bribery” but also, as usual, there is a kernel of truth in there. If voters are thinking only of their own pocketbooks they are susceptible to electoral bribery. But if they are concerned about the welfare of their neighbors, of future generations, and of the whole country, then the process of voting becomes something far more noble and honorable.

Martin Luther based his ethical teachings on the question “does it help my neighbor?” This is clear in the Small Catechism where the word “neighbor” occurs over and over in the explanations of the Ten Commandments. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God and “to love your neighbor as yourself.” Even in the process of voting, whether it is for candidates or on issues before the electorate, the Christian will ask “does this reflect love for my neighbor?” not “what’s in it for me?”

Back in January 1961 President John F. Kennedy used this memorable line in his Inaugural Address: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” For a whole generation of Americans that line rang out as the true measure of good citizenship. A corollary when entering the voting booth would be, “ask not what my vote will do for me but what my vote will do for my country.”

What has been good for the country over the last 236 years has been the expansion of the rights of the people. Back in 1776 only white men who owned real estate were allowed to vote. The franchise was gradually expanded to non-property holders, to racial minorities, to women, and (in my youth) to those between the ages of 18 and 21. Freedom from slavery was the great cause of the 1860s, and freedom from racial discrimination was the great cause of the 1960s. As has often been noted, when our current president was born in 1961 there were 26 states that would have forbid his parents to marry because one was white and the other black. Young people today can hardly imagine such a restriction, but it once was common, although not in Minnesota and not in Hawaii where he was born.

In the American system voters cast a secret ballot for whomever or whatever they wish. Every voter is expected to make up his or her mind for himself or herself. Reasonable people can, and often do, arrive at different conclusions. People of faith will find themselves on the opposite side of various issues from time to time as they try to sort out what is good for the neighbor, what is best for the country and thus what is the best way to vote. In the heat of any campaign it is good to remember that in four years we will do it all over again. People do change their minds over time about both issues and candidates, but every vote should be the voter’s best judgment on that day.

So listen, watch, ponder, and pray in October and then cast your vote in November.

Newsletter September 2012

Last summer we celebrated the 125th anniversary of Eidsvold Lutheran Church and tried to contact the 3 men who were interns from 1957 to 1960 under Pastor Maurice Molvik and the 11 men who served as interns from 1973 to 1985 under Pastor Don Peterson. Several of them responded with gracious letters about the good experience they had as interns in this parish, preaching at First and at Eidsvold and living in the old parsonage in Halma.


Pastor Paul Peterson wrote, “Much of who I am today is from the witness of the saints who have worshiped at Eidsvold Lutheran Church.” Pastor Glen Hetland wrote, “We look back fondly on the days that I served as your intern. My internship took on an even greater dimension when Pastor Molvik resigned soon after our arrival and I became the acting pastor for the whole parish. You were all very understanding and supportive, for which I have always been grateful.” Pastor Charles Bunnell wrote, “My appreciation of your support, love and acceptance was so important to us. My appreciation of Pastor Don and Esther Peterson grows with every year of ministry. I learned so much, and I treasure Don’s wisdom, courage, and grasp of God’s grace.”

It is clear that the people of this parish back in the 1950s, the 1970s, and the 1980s had a big impact on the education of the interns who came here to learn, grow, minister, and worship among us. Today they are active or retired pastors in Minnesota, California and many places in between.

Now in the fall of 2012 the members of this parish have another opportunity to help shape the ministry of a future pastor of the Lutheran Church as Kate Johnson becomes the first woman to serve her internship in this parish. Some things will be different with this intern. She is the first intern to work among us half-time for two years instead of full time for one year. She will be the first intern not to live in Halma as she makes her home with her new husband in Hallock where he serves as a newly ordained pastor. And finally, she will be the first intern we share with three other congregations in Kittson County.

But the essential purpose of the internship program remains the same as in decades gone by. She is here, first of all, to worship, witness, and work along side of us as a sister in Christ. In that respect she is just like all the rest of us members of the two congregations of this parish. We all worship, witness, and work together in the name of Christ, each of us in our own way as the Spirit of Jesus has gifted us. Ephesians 4:11 says, “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the equipment of the saints for the work of ministry for building up the Body of Christ.”

This intern’s unique purpose in coming among us is to learn and grow into a pastor of the church. After college and seminary, after preaching in her home church and working with youth in another church, she is here to learn by experience the joys, sorrows, and rewards of parish ministry in rural America. Of course, we are all learning all the years of our life, and in that respect we are all in the same boat. But only she is in the official program for educating new pastors for the church.

I hope all of you will welcome her as a co-worker in the Kingdom of God and a sister in Christ. As she takes on some of the duties of a pastor I hope you will all respect her work as much as you respected the work of the pastors and interns who have served in this parish in the past. The internship committee will be looking for positive and helpful feedback on the work she does among us as they report back to the seminary. And I hope you will pray for her and her ministry in this parish.

At the end of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he has an intriguing little note tucked in with all the other greetings and salutations. “When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. So let no one despise him. Speed him on his way in peace.” (16:10) Could we take that verse as directed to us as we welcome our new intern? Especially, “put [her] at ease.” If you are wondering about the word “despise” in this verse, turn to 1st Timothy 4:12 where Paul writes to his young protégé, “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching.”

This fall our parish is starting something wonderful and new in cooperation with two other parishes. May God bless this new endeavor.

Newsletter August 2012

In June this column was about standing up for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. July was about Lutherans as part of the whole Christian church. In light of the opening of the first mosque in Grand Forks this August column is about Christians and other world religions.


According to the June 30, 2012 Grand Forks Herald Muslims have been worshipping in Grand Forks for more than 20 years in borrowed space at UND. But now they have purchased the former United Church of Christ building across from Sharon Lutheran Church and Red River High School for use as an Islamic Center which includes a mosque (that is, a place to worship Allah). The UCC congregation will rent space in the Islamic Center, reversing the relationship of the past year when the Muslims rented space from the Christians. This is indicative of a long trend in the northern Red River Valley where some Christian congregations are fading, the Jewish synagogue ceased to function a long time ago, and the Muslims are increasing in number. On the other hand, some of the most vibrant Lutheran congregations in the valley are located in Grand Forks, such as the aforementioned Sharon Lutheran Church.

America is an increasingly pluralistic society as immigrants from Asia and the Arab world come to this land of opportunity. It is easy to see this pluralism in the major metropolitan areas of the country, but increasingly it is becoming evident in rural areas, too. Those who practice other religions deserve the respect of Christians and the freedom to practice their faith as they see fit as long as what they do is legal and recognizes the rights of others in this society, including the rights of women. There is no place for discrimination against people or worship sites simply because they are different from the dominant culture or new to the region. There should be not merely tolerance, but respect and equal rights under the law. This is the Christian way despite the sad history of intolerance at times and the infamous anti-Semitic writings of the aging Martin Luther. Christ taught us a better way to treat our neighbors who are different.

Furthermore, Christian people can make common cause with those of other religions in the areas of peace and justice. There are appropriate times to work together on common projects that are good for the whole community. For instance, Lutherans and Muslims might work together to help poor, often monolingual, Somalis who have fled the violence that has wracked their country for so long for the freedom and safety of America. After all, in the most celebrated parable Jesus told it was a Samaritan who helped the Jewish man who was beaten and robbed and left for dead by the side of the road. This was in response to the actual question “And who is my neighbor?” and the implied question “to whom do I own my help and assistance?” (Luke 10:29-37)

Having said all that, it still is the Christian claim that the way to the heart of God is through Jesus Christ and him alone. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) St. Peter preached “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved [than the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth]. (Acts 4:12) This has been the bold assertion of the Christian faith from the very beginning while still recognizing the good works, quality of life, and learning in the other world religions. Remember the compliments St. Paul paid to the pagan Athenians while still pointing to Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. (Acts 17:22-21)

While every religion has equal rights under the law in America, and this is as it should be, not every religion is of equal value. There is only one way to God’s forgiveness and favor, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ who offered his life on the cross for the sins of all people of every race, clan, and nationality. As he himself said, in the end he will be the judge of all the nations of the world without exception. (Matthew 25:32) Some may deny him today, and they have the right to do so, but one day “every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

In this increasingly diverse and multi-cultural society, Christians are called to make the claim of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone while respecting the rights of other religions and the dignity of all human beings no matter what they believe. At times it is difficult to do this, as when a place once dedicated to the glory of Jesus Christ now reverberates with the cries of “allahu akbar” without reference to Jesus. I catch myself yearning for the little Lutheran enclave in which I grew up. But this is the world in which we live today and in which we are called to witness and serve in Christ’s name with respect and dignity.

Newsletter July 2012

Last month’s column was about a button from the synod assembly that said “Proud to be ELCA.” This month’s column is about the phrase in the Nicene Creed “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.” With these two columns let us ponder the creative tension between church and denomination.


Throughout the New Testament there is an ongoing tension between the human impulse to divide into various groups and the divine imperative to hold together as one body of believers in Christ. St. Paul dealt with this in his first letter to the Corinthians where he wrote “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (1:10) He knew full well there would never be total unanimity among the believers on all subjects, but he consistently taught that unity in Christ should always trump diversity of opinion about secondary matters. And so he appealed in Ephesians 4:3 for the believers “to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And he went on to base this appeal on a central tenant of the faith: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of us all….”

The struggle to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” continues in the 21st century as people argue over some of the social issues of the day and come to different conclusions about public policy and appropriate private behavior. Sometimes sharp differences on one or two points become more important than sharing a faith in Christ and a fellowship centered on his redeeming sacrifice on the cross. When St. Paul was appealing to the Corinthian church to come back together, he wrote “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified….” (1:22) and “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (2:2) Keeping Christ central will keep believers together.

So when I say that I am proud to be ELCA, this does not diminish my desire for unity with those who are LCMS or RCC or A/G or anyone else in that alphabet soup of Christian denominations. When tempted to pull away (and I am sorely tempted at times) I try to remember that what unites us (Christ) is stronger than what divides us (social issues, secondary doctrines, etc.).

President Ronald Reagan, who struggled at times to keep his political party together and who was famous for his “11th commandment” not to speak ill of fellow Republicans, is also widely quoted as saying, “A man who agrees with me 80% of the time is not my enemy.” Reagan, of course, was talking about politics here, but his comment is good for Christians to heed in the midst of religious and ethical discussions. The Christian with whom there is only 20% disagreement is certainly a brother or sister in Christ, and thus a person with whom there should be fellowship and cooperation. There should be no thought of disaffiliation.

But there are people who make it difficult to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” After all when St. Paul wrote “If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18) he knew full well that it does not depend entirely on you. There are difficult personalities and inflammatory issues that make it hard to hold together. There are those who isolate themselves from others with whom they disagree as well as those who seem more bent on attacking people of faith with whom they disagree than working together for the good of all and against the truly evil things in this world. Working and worshipping together in the spirit of true Christian fellowship is an imperative for believers in Christ.

This is consistent with the prayer of Jesus in John 17 where he prays “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you….” Jesus prays that his disciples be one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, but not always of one opinion about every issue before the church or the electorate. Unanimity of opinion will never happen this side of heaven.

In Revelation 7:9 St. John has a beautiful vision of heaven where there is “a great multitude which no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, clothed in white robes…..and crying out with a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God!….” What a great picture of a diverse crowd united in singing God’s praise in harmony with one another.

May glimpses of this vision of heaven be seen in the way we live here on earth as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church today.

Newsletter June 2012

When my wife and I arrived at the Northwestern Minnesota Synod assembly on May 11 we greeted an old friend who was wearing a button that said “Proud to be ELCA.” We asked her where she had obtained this button, then found ones for ourselves, and wore them throughout the two day assembly. Like many others at this assembly, we wished to affirm our relationship with our branch of Christ’s church.


Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, along with wrath, greed, sloth, lust, envy, and gluttony. Pride is usually described as excessive love of self that leads to contempt or even hatred for others. St. Paul spoke of this kind of pride in Philippians 3 where he writes to those who have excessive pride in themselves and their heritage. In verse 4 he begins “if any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more; circumcised on the 8th day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews…..” and then went on to say that this is not what is important to him. He let it be known who he was but he did not take excessive pride in it. In 2nd Corinthians 10:17 he wrote “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.”

Excessive or exclusive pride is not what we wished to assert at the assembly this year, nor did we want to put down any other group. We simply wanted to affirm and celebrate that which is good in our own denomination. There are so many good people in our church and so many wonderful ministries as well as a rich heritage that often get lost in the midst of the challenges and controversies of the current day. At the assembly we lauded our companion synod relationship with the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church of India, we began participation in the ELCA’s effort to join others in eradicating malaria in Africa, we commissioned a young family for missionary service in South Africa, and we rejoiced that our finances are finally stabilized. In several of his letters St. Paul lauded and applauded the work being done by others, and that is what we would do, too. Denominational chauvinism is bad; but justifiable pride is not.

A few days later I met a man who told me about how he does not care much for denominations, so he is part of a non-denominational or, as he might prefer to call it, independent church. In this he was part of a broad trend in American Protestantism where many large churches without any denominational affiliation. are growing in the suburbs around every major city. Several large Lutheran churches have gone independent after they became as big or bigger than a small synod. These mega-churches are the hot topic in religion right now, as attested in an article last week in the Grand Forks Herald about religious trends in America. As someone who has never changed denominations, indeed whose father, grandfather, and great-grandfather always were members of the ELCA or its predecessor bodies. I know that I am open to the charge that I simply have accepted what I inherited without examining it or that I am simply old fashioned. But this is not the case. There have been decision points in my life when I read, thought, prayed, and then affirmed my desire to be a minister in this particular church.

Being part of a denomination is learning to deal with the good, the bad, and sometimes even the ugly. In this it is not much different from being part of a family or a local congregation. All through my ministry I have encountered people who have asked me “do you know what happened in this part of your denomination?” Inevitably there would then come an account of a person or a congregation that did something for which I would have no defense. In those moments of consternation I have found that it is important not to let the negative overwhelm the positive. The “outrage of the week” can easily overshadow the good things that are happening all around. It takes a conscious effort, at times, to keep the good at the forefront.

In Philippians 4:8 St. Paul wrote, “finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This applies to congregations and denominations as much as to individual persons.

North Star News 5/31/2012

In Matthew 7:12 Jesus said, “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this the law and the prophets.” This is called “The Golden Rule” and is the most universal teaching in all the world’s religions. Thus Jesus says, “for this is the law and the prophets.” In Leviticus 19:18 the law says this about dealings with your acquaintances, “Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And in Leviticus 19:34 the law says this about dealings with strangers, “But the stranger that dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

The basis for the Golden Rule is found in Jesus’ statement in Matthew 22:34 when he was asked what is the greatest commandment. His reply was “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus once told a story about a man who went down to Jericho and was attacked by robbers who both robbed him and beat him so that he was left helpless along the side of the road. After a little while a priest came by who walked around the injured man and went on his way. Still later a Levite walked right by without lifting a finger to help. But a Samaritan saw the situation and had compassion on the man, bound up his wounds, transported him to the nearest town, and paid for lodging for as long as it would take the man to recover. When the Samaritan came upon the helpless robbery victim, did he consciously think “what would I want if our roles were reversed?” Maybe not. Jesus pointedly says that the Samaritan had compassion for the man along the side of the road. But whether consciously or by instinct, the Samaritan was following the Golden Rule. He made the ethically right choice by simply doing for the wounded man what he would want done for himself if he were attacked by robbers on that same road.

This world would be a much better place if everyone would practice the Golden Rule. Political discourse would be much more civil if people would stop to ask whether they would like to have the circumstances of their birth questioned or pranks from their high school days brought up. The sports world could avoid scandal if someone would simply ask if they would like to have a bounty paid to someone who physically injured them to the extent that they had to leave the game. Families would be more harmonious if each and every member treated others as kindly as they would like to be treated. Civil rights for all citizens would not be questioned if everyone would simply try to imagine themselves as one of the minority groups among us and ponder how they would like to be treated.

The Golden Rule is so simple to say and so easy to remember and yet so profound. As you encounter people today just keep these wise words of Jesus in mind as you decide how to treat the people you meet. You won’t go wrong if you do.

Baccalaureate Sermon 5-30-2012

First of all, let me congratulate all 21 of you on your impending graduation from Tri-County High School. This is one of the most important events in your young lives, one filled with a lot of emotions not only for you but for your parents and other family members. Along with your families, I have watched you grow and change over the years, and I think we would all agree that you are a fine group of young people. We have watched you face challenges from time to time. We have seen you excel at various things, the latest being Tanner’s qualifying to attend the state golf meet. But it is just the latest. We have all been pleased when a picture of one or two of you appeared in the local paper as all conference selections, or the sports editor of the Grand Forks Herald wrote about Jarad’s baseball pitching prowess or the list of those on the honor roll came out in print.

Most of you have gone through all 12 grades here at Tri-County School in Karlstad. A few of you joined this class at one point or another. But now, together, you have come to the end. It’s won’t be long now before your pictures as the class of 2012 are added to the row of class pictures that starts down by the library and ends out by the south entrance. It is amazing how fast time goes by. Those of us who are a bit older feel that even more than you do. I remember when my own three children’s class pictures were at the end of the row, but now they are way behind the last 7 classes. It won’t be long now, before people will look up at those pictures and talk about how much you have changed, or how much you haven’t, as the case may be. Nothing stays the same. Time flies by. Transitions must be made.

That’s what I have been led to talk about this year at graduation. I suppose it is not just because you all are facing the biggest transition of your 18 or so years. It’s partly because I am getting older just like your parents and grandparents. I am shocked to think I officiated at wedding ceremonies for some of your parents: Karissa, Beau, and Nick. They were hardly any older then than you are now. Well, maybe a few years. No child brides there. I have preached at six of these baccalaureate sermons in Karlstad, and when I was looking through my file I discovered that in the very year that most of you were born I was standing right here preaching to a batch of graduates at baccalaureate at the end of May. My life hasn’t changed that much these last 18 years.

In some ways that makes me the least likely person to talk to you tonight about transitions. I am not much for change. But there are times when we have no choice but to make a change, and graduation week is one of those times. It may have struck you already that life is changing for you, but if it hasn’t, when next fall rolls around and you are no longer getting on a bus for school at Tri-County it surely will. From now on, if you visit these halls, you will have to check in at the office as a visitor. That’s a change.

As you move on from your education in this school, the faculty, staff, and your families all hope that you are well equipped to deal with the new circumstances and the new challenges you will be facing. You will have to adapt if you are to be successful in the next stage of your life. Some of the skills that have served you well in this little school in this remote corner of Minnesota will not serve you so well in the larger world where you are going. Other experiences here will help you a great deal. Many of the things you take for granted you will no longer be able to take for granted. You will need to adapt simply because you are becoming a young adult, let alone because many of you will be at another school or a new place of employment next fall.

We all have to adapt and change as time moves on. I don’t know if you are aware of it, but every fall a group of professors at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts out what it calls “a mindset list.” It is distributed among older college professors to help them understand the world from which their new freshmen college students emerged. In other words, to help my age group understand your age group. I know about it only from stories on the news – I still watch TV news, how old fashioned is that? They have not come out with their list of “things old people need to remember” about your group, the graduates of 2012, but here are a few things about last year’s class: [select a few to read]

1. There has always been an Internet ramp onto the information highway.

2. Ferris Bueller and Sloane Peterson could be their parents.

3. States and Velcro parents have always been requiring that they wear their bike helmets.

4. The only significant labor disputes in their lifetimes have been in major league sports.

5. There have nearly always been at least two women on the Supreme Court, and women have always commanded U.S. Navy ships.

6. They “swipe” cards, not merchandise.

7. As they’ve grown up on websites and cell phones, adult experts have constantly fretted about their alleged deficits of empathy and concentration.

8. Their school’s “blackboards” have always been getting smarter.

9. “Don’t touch that dial!”….what dial?

10. American tax forms have always been available in Spanish.

11. More Americans have always traveled to Latin America than to Europe.

12. Amazon has never been just a river in South America.

Sometimes when I read that list I think it is not just to help older teachers understand incoming college freshmen as much as to make some of us feel quite old. You have had a different high school experience than your parents. And you will face different challenges in the future.

Adaptability is something you will need. You might think that when it comes to your religious faith, you need to be firm and constant and unchanging. But this is not always the case. Let us think about the way that the first great evangelist for Christ carried out his ministry, St. Paul. As he moved from one place to another, he learned to adapt to the place where he was living at the time and change his tactics. In 1st Corinthians 9:19-23 he explained how he was able to adapt to new situations, and why he did it. St. Paul wrote:

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Now, I hope you don’t think that he was merely a chameleon, changing to fit into whatever culture he happened to be in. Paul’s ability to change as he moved from town to town and as he moved forward in years did not mean that he would accept anything and everything that he encountered along the way. In his day there was a saying, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” which meant that a person should adapt to everything in their new environment. Paul did not do that. But he did know when to adapt and when not to adapt. He knew how to fit in with the people and yet held himself accountable to a higher standard that never changed.

Let me give you a modern day example. Last summer I read the book “Through My Eyes” by Tim Tebow, the football quarterback, who is famous for beginning the “tebowing craze” of a few years ago. When my wife told me that biographies by sports figures were always in demand at the library, I donated my copy to the Tri-County library. She told me recently that it has been out in circulation most of the time this last year. Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines to missionary parents but raised in central Florida. He was home schooled but played football for a public school. All his life he had to adapt to different situations. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and played for championship University of Florida teams in 2006 and 2008. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos and bought a place in Colorado to anchor himself in the Rocky Mountains. Then last year he was traded to the New York Jets and declared how much he loved New York. Change and challenges have been constant in his life, including his mild dyslexia, but his love of the Lord and his faith in Jesus Christ have not wavered. Nor has his rather exemplary personal conduct. If you have read his book you may remember how disgusted he was with a few team mates in college who partied too much on weekends or got themselves suspended for bad conduct. Tebow has remained a Christian example in a world filled with temptations to do otherwise as he moved from one football team to another.

As much as the world around us may change and we have to adapt to changing circumstances and situations, there is a God who is unchanging through it all. This is something I want to make very clear to you. In Hebrews 13:8 it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus, who loves the sinner, who says “come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” who comforts the downtrodden, and who promised the thief on the cross “today you will be with me in Paradise” has not changed his mind about you. No matter what changes you face in life, you can count on him, and you should be loyal to him.

I have always liked what it says in Psalm 139, and I would like to share it with you as you move on from Tri-County High School. Psalm 139 says about God:

Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.

And finally, as you transition out of high school into the next chapter of your life, I would like to quote for you a hymn that is often sung in my church at times of transition. It was written by John Ylvisaker back in 1985 when my denomination was facing a big change in the form a merger. It is written as the voice of Jesus speaking to a person, maybe someone who is facing a big change in their personal life. Think of Jesus speaking to you as you listen to the words. He is the one constant in this ever changing world.

I was there to hear your borning cry,

I'll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized,

to see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child,

with a faith to suit you well;

In a blaze of light you wandered off

to find where demons dwell."



"When you heard the wonder of the Word

I was there to cheer you on;

You were raised to praise the living Lord,

to whom you now belong.

If you find someone to share your time

and you join your hearts as one,

I'll be there to make your verses rhyme

from dusk 'till rising sun.



In the middle ages of your life,

not too old, no longer young,

I'll be there to guide you through the night,

complete what I've begun.

When the evening gently closes in,

and you shut your weary eyes,

I'll be there as I have always been

with just one more surprise.



I was there to hear your borning cry,

I'll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized,

to see your life unfold. AMEN.


THE BENEDICTION:

As you go on your way, may God go with you.

May He go before you to show you the way.

May He go behind you to encourage you,

beside you to befriend you,

above you to watch over,

within you to give you peace.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (set to music by John Ylvisaker)

North Star News 5/24/2012

This weekend is the kickoff for the summer season and therefore is one that many people anticipate with joy. No school for three months. Summer vacations. Fishing, golf, road trips, and outdoor barbecues. This unofficial beginning of the season, characterized by fun in the sun, is a happy time for most of the nation.

But this weekend is also Memorial Day weekend, which is a time for somber remembrance. Memorial Day began shortly after the Civil War, which still stands as the most deadly and painful time in American history. Unlike today, most of those who fell in battle were buried near to where they fell, and this led to a concern that their graves not be neglected even though they were far from family and friends. So “decoration day” began to be observed on May 30. Later, decoration day was changed to Memorial Day and expanded to include the placing of flags and flowers on the graves of all those who served in the American Armed Forces and then as a day to visit and decorate the graves of any family members whether military or not.

So Memorial Day is a day for somber remembrance of those who gave “the last full measure of devotion,” to use President Abraham Lincoln’s phrase, in service of the nation. Lincoln himself was one of the last casualties of the American Civil War when he was assassinated in April of 1865. Memorial Day is a good day for rededication to the ideals of America which he so eloquently defended in his speeches: freedom, liberty, equality, and justice.

Memorial Day is also a good occasion to contemplate the horrors of war and the benefits of peace. There are those among us who have seen a friend killed before their eyes because of one momentary lapse, who have watched innocent civilians die as “collateral damage,” and who have witnessed the tragedy of death by “friendly fire.” They know that “war is hell” as General William Tecumseh Sherman said after his ferocious march to the sea and burning of Atlanta, Georgia in 1864. It is to be engaged in only as a last resort when all other attempts to avoid conflict have been exhausted.

Jesus Christ came into this world as the “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9) In Psalm 34:14 the Bible teaches that the man of God will “seek peace and pursue it,” a verse that the prince of the apostles repeated in 1st Peter 3:11. On a day dedicated to remembering those who died in war, it would good for all those still living to dedicate themselves to peace so that the prophecy of Isaiah may come closer to fulfillment: “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

May the memory of the dead be blessed. May the purpose of the living be peace.

North Star News 5/17/2012

This issue of The North Star News will be published on May 17 which is Norwegian Independence Day or simply “Syttende Mai.” At our house the Norwegian flag will be unfurled, we will eat gjetost, sil, and lefse (no lutefisk in the springtime), and celebrate our wonderful Nordic heritage. The Irish have St. Patrick’s Day, the Italians have Columbus Day, the Mexicans have Cinco de Mayo, the French have Bastille Day, but our family celebrates Syttende Mai. Each of these special days celebrates what makes each group different and distinctive.
.
When we turn to the Bible we find that Jesus is a man who transcends all the ethnicities, tribes, tongues, and nationalities of the human race. When St. Peter was explaining to Cornelius who Jesus is, he added parenthetically “he is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36) Cornelius was an Italian; Peter was an Israelite. Cornelius was a soldier; Peter was a fisherman. Cornelius was a serious seeker after God; Peter was a full-fledged life-long Jew (Acts 10:11). But when Peter baptized Cornelius and his household into the Christian faith they were united as brothers in the faith. They might each enjoy their heritage, but they delighted in a new found unity in professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
.
In Jesus’ great prayer in John 17 he prayed for his disciples “that they may one, even as we are one.” [Jesus Christ and his heavenly Father] (John 17:11) He went on to pray “not for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world might believe….” (John 17:20-21) It was not long before those who believed in Jesus came not just from Judea and Galilee, but from Italy, Ethiopia, and other places all over the globe. Indeed, on Pentecost Day there were “devout men from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5) who listened to Peter preach, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and were baptized into the faith.

Those of us who live in predominantly Christian communities and a predominantly Christian nation are to remember that God cares for all the people in the world and watches over every nation in the world with as much love and care for one as for any other, even those where other religions predominate. In John 10:16 Jesus the Good Shepherd said, “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.”

As much as one may delight in an ethnic heritage, or take pride in being a member of the Red Sox nation, or be proud to live in Twins Territory (even in 2012), what really matters is that Jesus Christ is Lord and God is Father, so all become brothers and sisters in Christ. As it says in Ephesians 5:5 “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

North Star News 5/10/2012

As we prepare for the celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday please remember how important little acts of kindness and honor really are. Although the American observance of Mother’s Day only goes back to 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson made it an official national holiday, the idea behind Mother’s Day goes back to the days of Moses. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, one commandment was “honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” And in Ephesians 6:2 St. Paul notes that “this is the first commandment with a promise” when he counsels children to obey their parents in the Lord.

The Bible is teaching that children are to show respect and obedience to their parents and that adults are to show respect and honor to their parents no matter how old they may be. This is a commandment for every day of the year, one with the result that “it may go well with you” as well as that “you may live long upon the earth.” (Ephesians 5:3) People of any land, whether it is the Promised Land of the Hebrews or the wide land of the Americans, will build a stable and wise society when parents are given respect and honor on a daily basis.

My maternal grandmother died in 1936 when my mother was only 7 years old. I have often wondered what she was like and how she handled her final illness. What was she thinking as she lay dying in a TB sanitarium along the Wisconsin River knowing that she would be leaving a little boy and a little girl behind. After she died along came another woman and her husband who took my mother into their home as a foster child. They raised my mother as the child they never had, although they never legally adopted her.

When I went off to college I decided to write a letter once a month to my foster grandmother, who now lived with an illness of her own, multiple sclerosis, which left her paralyzed. In the nursing home where my foster grandmother lived a kindly Roman Catholic nun would come on Sunday evenings to read to the residents and occasionally write letters for them. She wrote a short letter to me that my foster grandmother dictated, and then, like Tertius in Romans 16:22, added her own little note. She wrote “I want you to know how much your letters mean to your grandmother.”

My foster grandmother died a few months later. No one wept, for she was freed from the prison that was her paralyzed body for so long. I never met the nun who wrote that little note. I have long forgotten her name, but I have never forgotten what she wrote. A simple letter by a skinny kid in his freshman year of college had brought a little cheer into the life of a woman who had done a magnificent thing in opening her home to an orphan in the midst of the Great Depression. And I never forgot how important little acts of kindness and honor really are. Do something nice for Mom this Sunday. She will appreciate it.

North Star News 5/3/2012

As we begin the merry month of May, let us take a moment to give thanks to God for the beautiful world in which we live. May is a wonderful month beginning with the charming custom of giving May baskets and ending with the serious business of decorating the nation’s cemeteries. The grass is greening up here in the northland. Spring flowers such as daffodils and tulips are springing up and bursting with color. By the end of the month, the lilacs will be filling the air with wonderful fragrances. Robins are building their nests, and ducks are swimming in the wetlands again. The whole earth is awakening to the bright sunshine and warm winds coming this summer. The bursting forth of new life in May is an echo of the new life in the first days of creation. In the beautiful poetry of Genesis 1:11 it says, “And God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind upon the earth.’ And it was so….And God saw that it was good.” As people listen to the chirping of the birds, look at the bright flowers of spring, and smell the fragrances of the season, they experience a little bit of what God experienced in the beginning. According to the creation story in Genesis 2 God created a garden of delights for everyone to enjoy. “Eden” in the Hebrew language means “delight.” God did take delight in all that he made. If the first reaction of people to the wonders of creation is delight in the wonderful things God has made, the thoughtful response of people is to praise the mastermind of all these good things. Psalm 95:3-7 says, “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it; for his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.” There are a few people who have traveled to outer space and looked back on the earth to see it as a shining blue jewel in the bareness of space. Recently a few explorers, including movie director James Cameron, went to the depths of the sea when they visited the Marianna Trench in the Pacific Ocean. In an interview on National Public Radio Cameron spoke about how awesome it was to see strange and delight forms of life in the depths of the sea. Ordinary people have simply visited the colorful choral reefs in the ocean or the immense Grand Canyon in the desert. These places are awesome and lead some to stand in awe not only of the creation but of the creator. But right here in northwestern Minnesota there are wonderful delights all around. And right here in northwestern Minnesota God is at work in his creation, bringing life and joy. There is an old adage that encourages people to “stop and smell the roses.” In addition, say a little word of thanks to the creator who has created a word filled with so many good things. Psalm 118 24 says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Newsletter May 2012

When the president of our Eidsvold congregation convened the special meeting of the congregation on April 15 he commented that when the subject of having an intern at Eidsvold again began to be discussed he thought about what the intern could do for the congregation. But lately he had been thinking about what Eidsvold could do for the intern because, he said, “isn’t that what the church is for, doing for others?” These words have come back to me in the weeks since that congregational meeting: “isn’t that what the church is for, doing for other?” This was certainly the point of what Jesus said and did on Maundy Thursday. According to the Gospel of John, he got up from the Passover table, took off his good clothes, put a towel around his waist, and washed the feet of his disciples. In John 13:12 he said, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” What he was teaching here by example was what he had been teaching with words all through his ministry. The way of discipleship is the way of humble service to others. It is the way of the cross. In Mark 10 there is an account of two of the disciples, James and John, asking that they be recognized for their status by sitting at Jesus’ right hand and at his left hand when he comes into his glory. In their scramble for recognition, we might wonder whether they might have argued with each other about which one got the right and which one got the left, since the right hand was a higher status. In his response to their request in Mark 10:43 Jesus rejected this whole way of thinking when he said, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This is the way of the cross. Thirdly, in Philippians 2:5 St. Paul encourages all of Christ’s disciples to follow Christ’s example when he writes “Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant……” In other words, the way of the cross. Modesty, humility, and service are the virtues that Jesus himself practiced throughout his life and that he encouraged all of his followers to practice as well. He did good for others but did not seek fame. He performed great miracles and then told people to keep quiet about them – and give thanks to God alone. He was the Son of God, but he walked about as a humble carpenter’s son from a little town in Galilee. Throughout his life the emphasis was not on what others could do for him, but on what he could do for others. From the beginning to the end, his life was marked by quiet service that spoke more than all the boasting he might have done. His disciples were encouraged by word and by example to be of service to others in quiet humility. Among the many examples of homespun wisdom in the Book of Proverbs is this in 27:2, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” This is such good advice, and timely, too. In the current culture in which we live, it is advice that needs to be heard by politicians, athletes, celebrities, even clergy. Praise is so much sweeter when it comes unsolicited from others. Good deeds that get no recognition at all are the most precious to God in heaven. People who draw no attention to themselves are most noticed by God. As our parish contemplates the beginning of a 21 month internship 27 years after the last pastoral intern left Halma to finish his seminary education, it is our privilege to be of service to this potential new young pastor as she preaches, teaches, visits, and counsels. Those of you old enough to remember the interns from the past know that the intern is here to learn as much as to serve, to grow as much as to help the rest of us grow in faith, service, and love. We who live here now and will live here long after she is gone can help her become the best pastor she can be. Together, as we quietly serve one another and the world around us, we prove to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn’t that what the church is all about?

Newsletter April 2012

Last year Easter was almost as late as it can ever be, so we spent most of April waiting for it to arrive. This year Easter is at a more normal time (April 8), and we begin the events of Holy Week with Palm Sunday on the very first day of the month. This year we will spend most of April living in the aftermath of Easter.

In today’s church the weeks after Easter can feel rather empty. No more mid-week Lenten services. The Sunday after Easter usually has low attendance because the out-of-town guests are gone and some local people think the sky would fall if they went to church two Sundays in a row. The sense of the season is that there is a big build up throughout Lent, and then the curtain falls abruptly on Easter evening. It is all over until next year.

But the New Testament church lived in the dynamic and lively aftermath of Easter filled with excitement and lively expectation. They were dazed and amazed by the things that happened to them during that week from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Matthew 28:8 says “So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” Luke 24:22 quotes the apostles as saying “Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body…..” And then the Emmaus Road disciples said “Did not our hearts burn within us as He spoke to us on the road, while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)

The resurrection of Jesus released those disciples from their timidity behind locked doors to be men and women who went forth to tell the good news with boldness. Peter went from denying he even knew Jesus on Maundy Thursday to giving a dramatic and very public sermon about Christ 53 days later on Pentecost Sunday. The Twelve moved from being disciples only who followed and learned from Jesus to being apostles who were sent out to preach and teach others about Jesus. Easter Sunday was not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new era of fruitful activity.

The whole New Testament was written in the aftermath of Easter by those who felt the events of Holy Week are the greatest story every told. All four gospels reach their climax with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 15:3 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve.” Then he rolled on talking about many other appearances of Jesus after Easter.

As I joined others throughout our synod in reading through the Book of Acts during Lent I noticed periodic little summary verses that speak about how the church grew and prospered in the aftermath of Easter. (2:47, 4:32, 5:42, 8:25, 9:31, 12:25, 16:5 and so on). This growth in faith and in numbers happened despite persecutions, such as the stoning of Stephen and the scattering of the disciples which only led to the gospel traveling farther than before, and in spite of some disagreements among the disciples, such as that between partners Paul and Barnabas which only led to two teams of evangelists going forth (Paul and Silas; Barnabas and Mark) where there had been one before. They were all intent on telling others that the one who died for our sins on the cross now lives as our Lord and Savior.

Now in the 21st century we are still living in the aftermath of that great day when Jesus rose from the dead. It may be hard for those who have celebrated 60 or 70 or 80 Easters to generate the same kind of enthusiasm as those who first experienced it, but it is still true that Easter is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new and lively chapter. It is Easter that gives hope to those who have followed a hearse to the cemetery recently (gaze on the empty tomb). It is Easter that gives courage to those who are facing illness, disease, or pain (look at the cross). It is Easter that gives patience to those who are disappointed in people who are close to them (think of Peter). It is Easter that renews the joy of those who view the future as gloomy (remember the disciples). It is Easter that propels us to share the good news, act with boldness, engage in new ventures, and step out in faith.

We are an Easter people, for Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Alleluia! Amen!

Newsletter March 2012

One of the most striking features of the Book of Acts is the way the early church turned adversity into opportunity. Reading a portion of the Book of Acts on each of the forty days of Lent is something the Northwestern Minnesota Synod is encouraging all of its members to do. When reading from the book daily certain themes begin to emerge in a way they do not when reading a portion in isolation from what comes before and after. The theme of turning adversity into opportunity is repeated from the beginning to end of Acts.

The first example is in chapter one, verses 12-26 (Day 2 - Feb. 23) where the apostles deal with the devastating betrayal of Jesus by one of their own group, namely Judas Iscariot. In electing a replacement so that they are back to the full compliment of twelve apostles they find not one but two fully qualified candidates: Joseph and Matthias (v.23). So they decide to “cast lots,” which is akin to throwing dice, to see which they would select. The lot fell to Matthias. When one apostle was lost they discovered that there were two ready to take his place. Although Joseph is not mentioned again, he must have gone on his way to carry out yet another ministry for Jesus. Matthias was enrolled as one of the twelve (verse 26).

The last example is in the last chapter of the book in the reading for the last day of Lent (Day 40 - April 7) where St. Paul is brought to Rome as a prisoner who had appealed to Caesar for a trial. While in this situation of being a prisoner waiting to see if he would be set free, executed, or imprisoned Paul went on “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” to the guards, to the officials who questioned him, and to many people who came to him to see what this was all about (verse 31, the last verse of the book).

In between those two stories are many others of how the early church would take a catastrophic turn of events and use it to further the gospel. Another example is in chapter 8 (Day 13 – March 7) where a great persecution began after the stoning of St. Stephen, one of the first seven deacons of the church and the first Christian martyr. The members of this small young church were scattered in all directions as they took flight to save their lives. The result was that this tight knit band of believers was separated from one another in an era before cell phones, texting, and Skype. But “those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (verse 4). And so the message about Jesus spread further than it ever would have if they had not been subject to persecution. Adversity was turned into opportunity.

In the second century of the Christian era, when the church was growing despite sporadic persecution and frequent harassment and opposition, Tertullian wrote “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” meaning that the more blood that was spilt by those who persecuted the church the more people who were covered by the blood of the Lamb, because they came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord on account of the witness of those who were willing to die rather than renounce Christ. Every lost martyr resulted in many more conversions. To change metaphors, it was as if someone plucked a ripe dandelion. In the act of pulling it up, the seeds are scattered in every direction and many more dandelions grow.

When adversity comes to Christians today, it can be an opportunity to grow, or learn, or witness, or serve. If one can get past the worry and the complaining (“why me?”) there is often an opportunity lurking in the shadows of the problem. It takes a great deal of faith in the ultimate victory of God to see the opportunity in the adversity. There may be times when that opportunity is very well hidden, indeed, but it is usually there. That is what the story of the early Christians in Acts teaches.

It is not the job of the person who is suffering adversity to turn it into opportunity. To think that way would impose a heavy burden upon the person who is already suffering. The job of the person suffering adversity is simply to look around and see what opportunity God is placing in front of them. It is God who does this work. It is Christ who uses setbacks to move forward. It is the Holy Spirit that works in mysterious and hidden ways.

In Lent the church lifts high the cross of Christ. The cross is the ultimate symbol of adversity as the instrument for a cruel and shameful death. And yet the death of Christ turned the cross into a symbol of hope, forgiveness, and life. How amazing!

Newsletter February 2012

When the news broke in January that the treasurer of the synod had confessed to embezzling funds from the synod, the first question that many asked was “can he pay it back?” In the law this is called “restitution” which is often ordered by the courts when a crime involving money or property has been committed. The perpetrator is ordered to pay it back, or pay for the damage, as the case may be. This is the law’s attempt to make things right again for the victim. It is my sincere hope that the former synod treasurer will pay back what he took. If he does, he can make things right financially with the synod. What he cannot do is restore the trust that people had in him. That is forever shattered.
This whole incident started me thinking about confession, forgiveness, sin, punishment, and restitution. Before the Reformation, the church generally taught that a valid confession of sin required three things before forgiveness could be granted: sincere contrition (contritio cordis), a spoken confession (confessio oris), and satisfaction (satisfactio operas). The last one involved either restitution or some other deed that in some way compensated for the sin that was committed. Who can ever forget Kristin Lavransdatter, in Sigrid Undset’s great novel of that name, making a harrowing winter pilgrimage over the Dovre Mountains to the cathedral in Trondheim with her firstborn son in her arms as an act of contrition for conceiving the child outside of wedlock with a married man? She was told to do this as part of her penance. She had to balance her bad deed with a good deed, or so she was told.
The Lutheran reformers abolished the satisfaction part of confession, holding that confession should consist of only two parts: the confession spoken by the penitent and the absolution spoken by the confessor. The purpose of this change was to make clear to the penitent sinner that “ we receive everything by grace.” (Luther’s Small Catechism) There is absolutely no way the sinner deserves or earns the forgiveness of sins from God. The only acceptable act of satisfaction for sins was accomplished by Jesus on the cross and is given as a free gift to the one who has faith in Jesus. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35 makes this clear. The servant was forgiven his debt by his master and never asked to pay it back. Unfortunately he did not show the same kindness to his fellow servant.
The reformers were right to make this change because it conforms to the Bible. And yet, the natural human instinct is to ask “what can be done to make things right?” when seeking forgiveness. A sincere confession of a sin against another human being would lead the sinner to try to make restitution if it is possible. Unfortunately, many sins cannot be made right because they are not as simple as a mere theft of money. In those cases the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant teaches that Jesus expects unconditional forgiveness. In the Lord’s Prayer he taught his disciples to pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
In a famous incident in the life of St. Francis of Assissi, a woman came to him and asked forgiveness for gossiping about her neighbor. She asked what she could do to make it right again. St. Francis said that she should place a goose feather at the door of each house in the village and come back the next day. When she came back the next day he told her to gather back all those goose feathers. She said that it would be impossible to get them all back. He said to her that it was just as impossible to recall the words of gossip she had said about her neighbor. She was going to have to accept forgiveness and know that she would have to live with the consequences of what she did for a very long time. Her words would float around the village for years to come, and there was little she could do about it except say she was sorry.
In the case of the synod treasurer, the synod staff has pledged to make every effort to recover as much of the money that was taken as possible by every means possible. They have also pledged to put in place all the safeguards against this kind of theft that they can. These are entirely appropriate things to do, but they should not be seen as diminishing the church’s teaching on confession and forgiveness. As Lutherans this church still stands on the Lutheran understanding of confession and forgiveness as found in the Catechism and the Augsburg Confession – and the Bible.
February 22 is Ash Wednesday, the church’s great day for confession of sins. While sorrow over sin is real and sometimes intense, faith in the unmerited and unconditional forgiveness that God offers in Jesus Christ our Lord is yet more powerful. It is with grateful hearts that we confess our sins to God, knowing that divine forgiveness is real and complete.

Newsletter January 2012

The greatest team in the history of football, the Green Bay Packers, is having the greatest season in its fabled history. As of the writing of this article they are still undefeated under the cool, competent leadership of quarterback Aaron Rodgers who is sure to be the league’s MVP (Most Valuable Player) this season. But the biggest story in football this year is the story of a young upstart quarterback for the Denver Broncos named Tim Tebow. (www.timbebow.com) Whether playing in the Mile High City or on the road, he has led a series of improbable and exciting-to-the end comeback victories. The media are in a frenzy.

Tim Tebow’s fame rests as much on his strong and very public evangelical faith as it does on his improbable success as a quarterback. Last summer I read his book, “Through My Eyes,” and then donated it to the high school library. I had it on good authority that when high school boys are assigned to read books they head for the sports section. This book would be a good one for them to read, even if it is apparent on every page that it was written by a 22 year old, but a 22 year old of strong character and strong, if youthful, faith.

The book chronicles the well known facts of his life: born of missionary parents in the Philippines to a mother who was told to abort the pregnancy for solid medical reasons (you may remember the pro-life TV ad they did during the last Super Bowl), home schooled in Florida, Heisman Trophy winner during phenomenal seasons at the University of Florida, and consistently being told that quarterback was not the position for him. Google his name and one of the most common hits involves the word “virgin” because at the end of a press conference in college a reporter, who was well aware of his evangelical faith, asked him if he was “saving himself for marriage” to which he simply said “yes” and the press erupted in incredulity and amazement.

This young man’s name has become a verb in the sports world because of his habit of dropping to one knee, putting his elbow on that knee and his fist on his forehead when he prays on the sideline. That’s what it means “to tebow.” (www.tebowing.com) This action has been imitated by thousands of young people, some in sincerity and a few in mockery. To his great credit Tebow says in the book that he does not believe God has an interest in the outcome of football games. Sports are entertainment and recreation, where winning and losing are not subject to divine intervention. God surely has more important things to deal with, like the plight of orphans in the Philippines. Anyone who reads his book discovers Tebow’s success is not God’s doing but the result of relentless hard work ever since he started playing football. Tebow writes that he is puzzled that some other players do not spend more time working out, studying the game, and lifting weights. His work ethic is amazing and a good example for other young men.

However, Tebow does pray publicly, even at games, and does speak openly and often about his faith in Jesus Christ, which delights many and irritates a few. One former Broncos quarterback said he wishes Tebow would just “shut up” about religion. But others have rushed to his defense. On ESPN one night former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkington noted that many sports celebrities use their fame “to sell shoes,” so what is wrong with a Christian who uses his fame to witness to his faith in Jesus Christ? And he doesn’t get paid to do this.

Each one of us has a place in life where we are able to influence others for the good or for the dark side of life. Only a few have such a platform that their words and actions are the subject of TV coverage and internet searches, but everyone has someone who is listening and watching. Everyone has some opportunity to bear witness to the light, just as John the Baptist did when Jesus appeared. Without being obnoxious or heavy handed, everyone can witness.

The first bishop of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod, Harold Lohr, used to end his visits with clergy by saying with a wry smile, “Don’t forget to put in a good word for Jesus.” That’s good advice. Wherever you are and whenever you can, using whatever your station in life is, bear witness to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ this Epiphany.

The Name of Jesus

THE NAME OF JESUS sermon January 1, 2012 Year B

Today is the first Sunday of Christmas, and so the bulletin cover we use has printed the scripture texts that are used for this Sunday, which are all about the presentation of Jesus in the Temple when he was forty days old. But this is not the 40th day since we celebrated the birth of Jesus. It is the 8th day of the twelve days of Christmas and the 8th day since our Christmas day festivities. To every devout Jewish family and to those well versed in the culture of the Bible, the 8th day of a boy’s life was very special.
Why is that? Well here is a hint. In Philippians 3:3 St. Paul is arguing against having confidence in worldly attainments, ethnic purity, or outward religiosity. There he writes, “… if any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews…..” and on he goes. You noted it, right? Circumcised on the 8th day – in strict obedience to the law set down in Genesis 17:12 as a sign of the old covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendents. A boy who was 8 days old was to have this done – and was to be given his formal legal name at the same time. This is what happened to Paul in strict obedience to the command. And this is what happened to Jesus. In the New Testament there is but one simple verse describing this event. It is Luke 2:21 “At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
The very next verse in the Bible is the verse that begins today’s reading about the things that happened 32 days later when Jesus was 40 days old. Once again notice the strict adherence to the laws of the old covenant made with Abraham and his descendents so many years before: “When the time came for her [that is Mary’s] purification according to the law of Moses [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’” You can’t help but notice that in the early life of Jesus, everything was done properly according to the rules and rituals that pertained to the Jewish people in that day.
But when you read Luke 2:21 you also can’t help but notice a subtle shift of emphasis from the acting out of the ritual to the new thing that God is doing in Jesus Christ. Listen again to Luke 2:21: “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” The event that took place at the end of eight days is just the setting for what this passage of the Bible really wants us to hear: that his name is Jesus.
Yes, once again, we find that Mary and Joseph were the kind of people who did everything according to the Book – or in this case according to the word of the angel who appeared to both of them, about this child Jesus. When the time came for the official, formal, and final naming of her son, they did as they were told. They named him “Jesus.”
In Luke 1:31 the angel Gabriel says to the very young Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High……” And so Mary agreed to name him Jesus. In Matthew 1:20 Joseph hears an angel say, “…do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name ‘Jesus’ for he will save his people from their sins.” And so Joseph agreed to name him “Jesus.” They didn’t talk about any other name. They didn’t go through a book of popular names.
“Jesus” is the way we pronounce the name in the English language. In the original Hebrew it was the same as the name we pronounce as “Joshua” and was a fairly common name in the days of the New Testament because people were looking for a savior. In the Hebrew pronunciation it was “Yehoshuah” which means “the Lord* saves” or “the Lord* will save.” And so Joseph is told by the angel that “he will save his people from their sins.” *the Lord = the sacred ׳חוח
So while a subtext of this passage is the way that the family of Jesus did everything for him properly and in a timely manner, the main point is centered on this name. Jesus. Through Jesus salvation will come to his people – and to all people, even you and me. His name says it all.
The name of Jesus was not given to him simply as a convenient handle by which we can talk about “the Man from Galilee,” although that is one way it is used. The name of Jesus was never intended to be a swear word, as often as it is used that way in violation of the second commandment. This child was given this name to tell everyone what was his purpose in life.
I would like you to consider a few verses in the Bible about the name of Jesus.
First, listen to Acts 4:10 St. Peter is giving his testimony about the power that healed a crippled man. He says, “Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved.” In this passage, there is both the universal and the exclusive claim made by the followers of Jesus: universal in that all people everywhere are invited to faith in Jesus Christ and exclusive in that this is the only one way of salvation. It was an audacious statement then; it is a politically incorrect statement in today’s world. But it is the claim of the name.
Then there is Philippians 2:9. Leading up to that verse is a statement of the humility and suffering of Jesus which ended on the cross. Philippians 2:9 says, “therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” “Jesus” is that name which is above every name. It has not happened yet, but the day is coming when every knee shall bow before that name and every tongue confess that name.
Until that time, those of us who believe Jesus is Lord are to honor that name and use that name. In Colossians 3:17 we are told, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” It is in the name of Jesus that we gather here today on the first day of the new year. It is in the name of Jesus that we pray, confident that God the father hears our prayers for Jesus’ sake.
“Jesus” is the name announced by the angels beforehand, given by Mary and Joseph to her son on the 8th day, used by us today to pray and to bless, and one day exalted by all. AMEN.