North Star News 01-31-2013

When Jesus was forty days old his mother and father took him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to perform the rites of purification for Mary. (Leviticus 12:2-8) According to Luke 2:25 this young couple with the newborn baby encountered a very old man by the name of Simeon who was quite devout and who was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” Furthermore, by some special revelation he knew that he would not leave this earth before he had seen that consolation. As the years rolled by he must have wondered if this revelation were true because the inevitable end of his life was coming into view and the Messiah had not yet appeared. But when Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus came into the Temple he knew that he had finally seen the One for whom he had been waiting so long. Again this was a revelation given by the Holy Spirit. According to Luke 2:29 this wrinkled old man took this fresh new baby in his arms and said,


“Lord, now let your servant depart in peace,

According to your word;

For my eyes have seen your salvation

Which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

A light to lighten the Gentiles,

And the glory of your people Israel.”
February 2 is forty days after Christmas so February 2 is the day many Christian remember this remarkable story. The power of Simeon’s song still touches people today who have seen in Jesus Christ the savior of the whole world and who wish to feel that same sense of profound peace that Simeon had as he came to the end of his days. “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace” has been prayed with the dying breath of many a Christian who was not carried kicking and screaming from this world but who departed this life composed, calm, and quiet. Simeon’s serenity is an inspiration.
These words of Simeon in the face of death did not come from some inner self control such as the Stoics of the time sought to achieve and which was greatly admired in pagan circles of that day. Simeon had seen the savior, even receiving him into his arms – and into his heart. The old man would not live to hear the grown-up Jesus preach and teach, nor did he know about the cross and the resurrection, but he did know that God had begun his saving act of salvation. And that was enough for him. He didn’t know everything, but he knew one thing for sure: Jesus Christ is the savior and that made all the difference.

People today seek the inner peace that Simeon had whether they are facing the end of their days or hope to have many years ahead of them in a rather turbulent world. That peace is found in Jesus. That peace comes when people welcomes Jesus their hearts with open arms day by day. In John 14:27 Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

May “the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7) today and always, to the very end.

North Star News 01-24-2013

A young man was filling out a form for college in which he was asked to list some of his preferences in life. When he got to the line that said “church preference” he thought for a minute and then put down “red brick.” The form, of course, was not asking about his preference in architecture but his denominational affiliation and hoping he would use the shorthand that so many denominations use: RCC, ELCA, LCMS, UMC, A/G, SBC, PCUSA, and so on. The Christian Church is divided into many denominations, and some of them are not very cordial towards each other.


Friday, January 25, is the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which is observed by some denominations but not by all by any means. Those who observe this week annually join Jesus in the prayer that he prayed for his disciples in John 17:11: “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.” It is the express desire of the Lord Jesus Christ that those who confess him as Lord and Savior will be united in faith and will live in harmony with one another. Unity does not mean uniformity of practice or holding a common view on every public issue of the day, but confessing a common faith in Jesus, desiring to follow his teachings, and loving one another. In John 13:34 Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The history of the Christian Church is the history of a struggle between the impulse to work together in love and the impulse to splinter into different and often competing groups. This goes all the way back to the days of the New Testament. St. Paul was dismayed at the divisions that were arising among Christians in Corinth. They did not use the alphabet soup of labels we use today, but identified themselves by one apostle or another: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and so on. In 1st Corinthians 1:13 Paul’s response was, “Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” And in verses 10-11 he wrote “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”

The prayer of Jesus, the great intercessor, is still being offered up today as new issues and new personalities cause division and hard feelings. And the appeal of St. Paul still needs to be heard in this day and age as much as it did in the first few decades after Pentecost. As hard as it is to appreciate the views of some believers and as hard as it is, at times, to love some people, those who follow Jesus are still asked to “make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” because “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:3-4) So pray today for unity and peace, and say a little prayer for that person or that denomination with whom you most strongly disagree.

North Star News 01-17-2013

In just a few days President Barack Obama will take the oath of office for his second term as our president, while others re-elected in November have already taken their oaths of office. In this northwestern corner of Minnesota only a few city and county officials are newly elected. Our U.S. senator and representative as well our state senator and representative have already served one or more terms and in the case of Stumpf and Peterson many, many terms. Nevertheless, this is a good time to pray for our governmental leaders and think about what the Bible says about their role. In the midst of the storm and stress and the distractions of political life there is a need to keep reminding our leaders and ourselves of what is truly important.


A good place to start would be Psalm 72 which is the psalm appointed for Epiphany Day. Although the titles for government officials need to be updated, the responsibilities of those who govern continue to be those enunciated in this psalm. “Give the king your justice, O God (verse 1) that he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice (v. 2). Let him defend the needy among the people, rescue the poor, and crush the oppressor (v.4). For the king delivers the poor who cry out in distress, and the oppressed, and those who have no helper (v. 12).” Just as the Lord pays special attention to those who are in need and as Jesus had an eye for those who were overlooked and neglected, the Bible consistently teaches that the chief role of governmental leaders is to attend to the needs of the poor, the oppressed, the disadvantaged, and “those who have no helper.”

This new year of 2013 has two anniversaries that remind the nation of the ongoing struggle to stay focused on the needs of the poor and oppressed. January 1st was the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which finally ended slavery, 87 years after the Declaration of Independence said it is self-evident that “all men are created equal.” And August 28th will be the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 100 years after Lincoln’s Proclamation. Many political leaders had come and gone over those years, but the struggle for justice and freedom from oppression continued because there continued to be injustice, inequality, and oppression in the land. And the struggle continues today.

Another duty of governmental leaders is revealed in an encouragement to pray found in 1st Timothy 2:1-2: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” Embedded in that call to prayer is the duty of the government to work for peace and quiet within the borders of the nation and internationally. Peaceful streets and highways, safe working environments, and the protection of children at home and in school is a sacred obligation of those elected to make and administer the laws of the land. Vigorous debates may be held about just how to accomplish these goals, but even those debates should be peaceful, civil, and respectful. Regarding civic leaders Romans 13:7 says to show “respect to whom respect is due and honor to whom honor is due.”

So this weekend offer an extra prayer for those elected to office: the mayor, the governor, the president, and the city council, county commissioners, state legislature, and U.S. Congress that they may fulfill their duties well and that all our citizens may work together towards the goals of peace, justice, and liberty.

North Star News 01-10-2013

One of the most beautiful winter scenes is an open field with a fresh blanket of snow on a clear, cold, calm day. The snow covers all the bumps, lumps, and trash in the field giving it a pure white cover. It looks like a uniform blanket seamless from one end of the field to the other except for the crystals that sparkle like diamonds in the sun or even under a full moon. And yet that blanket is made up of millions if not billions of individual snowflakes each one of which is unique.


The book “The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty” is filled with Patricia Rasmussen’s amazing micro-photography of this fleeting beauty. The text is by author Kenneth Libbrecht who wrote “A snowflake is a temporary work of art…… no two snowflakes look exactly alike when they fall.” The book is a beauty, but the snowflakes themselves are even more beautiful to behold.

Like the snowflakes, God has made each one of us as a unique individual to grace this earth for just a short time. Psalm 139:14 says “I praise you [O Lord], for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know full well.” Just like the snowflakes, no two people are the same. God must love diversity because he made each person different from the others: red, yellow, black, brown or white; tall, short or average; blondes, redheads, black hair, or yes, even gray; and most delightful of all, male or female. Some of us are musical, others athletic, some are math whizzes, and others are poetic. People are all different, and yet each one can claim Psalm 139:14 “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” You are a precious creation of the Creator.

One of the most delightful songs of the 20th century was sung by the great guttural voice of Louis Armstrong. Along with Psalm 118:24 (“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”) it is a good thought with which to start each day:

I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do
They're really sayin......I love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
They'll learn much more.....than I'll never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself .......what a wonderful world.
                  © MEMORY LANE MUSIC GROUP,

North Star News 01-03-2013

It’s a new year – 2013. We put out new calendars for the next twelve months. Many of us are scratching out “2012” when we write the date and replacing it with “2013” as we try to get used to the new number. Old habits die hard. Last year had some interesting dates in it. 12-12-12, of course, was a special day, the likes of which we will not see for 89 years when 01-01-01 rolls around again in 2101. I wrote 12-12-12 as many times as I could that day. 12-21-12 was fun to write, too. Even for those who don’t enjoy math, there was fun with numbers in 2012. For more fun with numbers we might note that the new year is the first year since 1987 to have four different digits.


One of the things people don’t do so often is write “A.D.” after the date. It has become common in recent years to write “C.E.” to designate the year instead of “A.D.” in an effort to be more inclusive of other religions and cultures. But I still prefer “A.D.” not because it brings back thoughts of Latin class in high school, which I thoroughly enjoyed because of a delightful elderly teacher, or because Pope Benedict XVI is encouraging the use of Latin at the Vatican and throughout the church today, but because the two letters “A.D.” are a subtle witness to the centrality of Jesus Christ to all of human history.

“A.D.” stands for “anno Domini” which is the Latin for “the year of the Lord.” The calendar now in use throughout the world is one that is based on the central event of all of human history which is the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. This calendar was developed based on the belief that Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem in the year 1 (there is no year zero) and that the history of the world hinges on that event. The use of the letters “C.E.” for “common era” is an attempt to soften that assertion by not referencing the Lord directly but it still uses a calendar that numbers the years as either before Christ or after Christ.

Just as the coming of Jesus Christ into the world was the most important event in all of human history, so his coming into our lives is the most important event in our personal biographies. Besides looking back over 2012 in these early days of 2013 we might look back over the whole of our lives. There were undoubtedly many important dates where things changed. For some it was a marriage where the woman changed her last name and, if she was a bit retro, got the title “Mrs.” For others it was a certain job or becoming a parent or meeting someone who became a life long friend. But the coming of Jesus into our lives has to be #1.

For some of us who were baptized as infants and raised in the faith it may be that the sense of change is minimal. For others, such as the Apostle Paul in New Testament times, it is crystal clear. In fact, the change in Paul’s life after his Damascus Road experience was so great that he changed his given name from Saul to Paul. Jesus made all the difference. John Newton (1725-1807) wrote a hymn about his experience of Christ in which he said “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see.” Jesus made all the difference.

At the center of each of their lives was Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. Because of him the world is different and so our calendar is numbered in relation to his coming into the world. And because of him our lives can be different, filled with that “amazing grace” he brings as well as a “peace that passes all understanding” and “a joy that no man takes from you.” (John 1:14, Philippians 4:7 and John 16:22 respectively). In 2013 he is still at the center of everything.

Newsletter January 2013

On January 1, 1988 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officially began its ministry, making this year the 25th anniversary of the ELCA and of its women’s auxiliary, the WELCA. 25 years ago many of us celebrated with joy this milestone in the life of our church. Throughout this coming year of 2013 there will be more muted commemorations of the continuing mission and ministry of the largest Lutheran denomination in North America.


The history of Lutherans in North America is the history of the tension between the impulse to divide and the drive for unity. For those of us who are Norwegian, like the founders of Eidsvold and First Lutheran churches, immigration to this continent began with the ship “Restauration” which sailed from Bergen to New York in 1825 with a load of dissenters from the Church of Norway. It was a harbinger of things to come.

In the broader Lutheran picture the immigrants not only separated from one another along linguistic and ethnic lines but on doctrinal and piety lines as well. Eventually there were dozens of Lutheran groups across the country, but in every group there were those who had the dream of Lutherans living, working, and worshipping together in one denomination and giving a united witness to the enduring principles of the Reformation. The members of Eidsvold saw the United Evangelical Lutheran Church formed in 1890, only four years after Eidsvold began, in an attempt to bridge the gap that separated Lutherans from one another. In 1917, just one year after the organization of First Lutheran Church in Karlstad by people who did not wish to worship in Swedish in the church down the street even though it was evangelical Lutheran, a merger produced the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which, like First Lutheran Church, had the word “Norwegian” in its legal name for many years. In 1960 for the first time our forbearers crossed ethnic lines to join Germans and Danes in forming The American Lutheran Church, but that still did not include the church down the street. And then in the 1980s another drive towards unity produced the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Finally we were in the same organization as our Swedish neighbors as well as most Germans except for the Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Synod. (WELS).

With every merger there were those who would not come along. They formed their own little rump groups separate from the majority. This happened again after the 1988 merger. As the years rolled along there was always the temptation to break apart over some disagreement or vote or practice. A fair number of people gave in to this temptation after the 2009 ELCA churchwide assembly. The tension between the impulse to divide and the drive for unity continues to this very day in arguments over how much diversity is permissible, how much uniformity is critical, and with whom to fellowship or affiliate.

There is an old saying, often quoted, that goes back to some of the fierce intra-Lutheran controversies in Germany, that is still worth considering today: In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity. But of course, the debates often hinge on what is essential and what is not.

Being part of a large denomination is much like being part of a large family. There are tensions that exist between some members of the family who disagree rather strongly. There is often one member or another who is a bit different from the rest, who doesn’t seem quite like “one of us.” And from time to time there is going to be a scandal that brings shame on everyone. But it is still a family. The odd one is not ostracized. Those who seem to be going down the wrong road are guided, if possible, onto the right road. There are frustrations. And there are things you’ve just got to live with, like it or not. But good families do not give up on each other.

That being said, the family that we call the ELCA is one of which I am proud to be a member. Back in June I wrote in this space about going to the 2012 NW MN Synod assembly and encountering people wearing buttons that said “Proud to be ELCA.” Humble understated Lutherans don’t often say this, but maybe we should. Maybe we should lift up the good things that happen among us and be proud, but not too proud. Maybe we should focus a little more on the faithful members who get little press and focus just a little less on those who grab a headline or generate a controversy. And maybe we should love those with whom we disagree as well as those with whom we agree and talk to those who puzzle us as well as those we think we understand.