North Star News 07-25-2013

This month the church where I preach in Karlstad is getting a make-over: new shingles, new siding, some new windows, and a new main door with the hope that it will continue to be a beautiful house of worship a hundred years from now.  The current building that houses our congregation was built in the same year I was born.  Over the years both of us have had to have some repairs to keep us functioning, but I am confident that this house of worship will still be standing with a steeple raising the cross over Karlstad long after I have been laid to rest.  Despite being blessed with good health my whole adult life, I know that the time is coming when it will not be so.  It happens to all of us sooner or later.

In 2^nd Corinthians 5:1 St. Paul wrote, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”  Paul was a tent maker by trade, so he knew what he was talking about.  Many times he had repaired a tent and made it usable again, but he knew there came a time when the old canvas could not be mended anymore, and it was necessary to toss it away.  In this passage he speaks of a human being as housed in a body.  This body can be a beautiful thing which should be shown the utmost care and respect.  In 1^st Corinthians 6:19 he wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?”  But as vigorous and vibrant as any body might be, it inevitably deteriorates over the years until the time comes when it cannot be repaired any more.  The promise of the Gospel is that through faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning death on the cross, human beings can be assured of a new home in heaven which is eternal and incorruptible.

There is a beautiful story about the sixth president of the United States which is based on this passage of scripture.  When John Quincy Adams was 81 years of age he was met on the street by a friend who said, “Good morning.  How is John Quincy Adams today?”  This aged former president, whose hair was silver white, replied.  “Thank you.  John Quincy Adams is well, quite well, thank you.  But the house in which he lives is becoming a bit dilapidated.  I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out pretty soon; but he himself is quite well indeed.”

St. Paul wrote in 2^nd Corinthians 4:16, “So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.  For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”  So if your house is getting a bit dilapidated, cheer up.  There is a beautiful new home waiting for you, just as Jesus promised in John 14:1-7.  Consider singing the chorus of a great old song by Stuart Hamblin:

“But, I ain't gonna need this house no longer
Ain't gonna need this house no more
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Or to mend no window pane
Ain't gonna need this house no longer
I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints.”

North Star News 07-18-2013

One of America’s self-help gurus was quoted in the media in June as saying, “Don't waste your time hanging around people that stop your growth,” which would be good advice if the only goal in life was building up yourself.  But the famous opening line of one of the most influential Christian books of recent times is right when it says, “it’s not about you.”

Jesus lived his life for others and, in the end, sacrificed his life for all humanity.  In Mark 10:45 Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, to give his life a ransom for many.”  Then he practiced what he preached by spending his time not seeking to find those who could improve his life but seeking those whose lives he could improve.  In John 4 there is his encounter with the woman at the well in Samaria.  She had nothing to offer him except a cup of cold water, and she even hesitated when he asked for it.   She was foreign to him and of questionable morality.  His disciples thought that by hanging around her he could only damage himself and his reputation.  But Jesus engaged her in conversation and eventually offered her living water that leads to eternal life (John 4:10-14)  This was a totally lopsided exchange.  John does not even say explicitly that Jesus ever got his cup of cold water.  But she was blessed beyond measure because of her conversation with the Man from Galilee that led to her conversion and to her testimony to others. (John 4:39)

Philippians 2:5 says, “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….”  No one reading these words has “equality with God” or is “in the form of God,” but everyone reading this can have “this mind among yourselves.”  To be a disciple of Jesus Chirst is to live for others.  Jesus said in Mark 8:34-35, “if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake and the sake of the gospel, will save it.”  And then in Acts 20:35 he is quoted as saying, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”  The way of Jesus that leads to life, joy, and peace is the way of service to others.  So waste a little time today doing something for someone who has nothing to give you to help you grow.

In his first year in office Pope Francis has put a renewed emphasis on Christ’s call to be of humble service to others.  His namesake, St. Francis, sparked a reform movement 900 years ago that called people back from the desire to be served to the mandate to serve, because spiritual growth comes through service to others.  He wrote a famous prayer that says,

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen”

North Star News 07-11-2013

Early this month was the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) which many historians consider the turning point of the Civil War. Victory for the Union forces came at a high cost, however, with about 23,000 casualties on each side including a total of 7,863 killed outright. Gettysburg has become famous and, in some quarters, romanticized for actions such as Pickett’s Charge and the heroism of Minnesota’s Regiment and of course, President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the cemetery for all those dead soldiers. But the terrible carnage that was the essence of the battle should never be forgotten.

One of the ironies of the battle is that part of it was fought on Seminary Ridge which is named for the Lutheran seminary there. Today Gettysburg Seminary (ELCA) still sits on that ridge where tourists and students can still see bullet holes in one of the buildings. It is an irony that there such a deadly battle was fought on a campus that was, and still is, dedicated to producing preachers for the Prince of Peace. The seminary was to be a place where young men could study quietly for a life of bringing “the peace of God that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) to an often violent and cruel world. For a few days in July 1863 it was anything but tranquil.

The will of God for all people is summed up in the song sung by the angels at the birth of Jesus: “peace on earth, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14 KJV). Early in his ministry Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) And throughout his ministry Jesus called his disciples to a life of peacemaking in their relations with one another as believers and in their interaction with others who do not believe. It is his desire that people work out their differences without resorting to violence, threats, intimidation, or war. In Matthew 5:43 he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

The early Christians took these words very seriously and were known as a people of peace in a culture that made them stand out for it. In Romans 12:18 St. Paul wrote, “if it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” And the author of Hebrews wrote in 12:14 “pursue peace with everyone….” This is a worthy goal for today: to work for a world of peace where bombs do not explode along the route of a marathon and where drones do not reign terror from the skies. It takes great courage to advocate for peace in a world of vengeance and violence.

The great vision that has animated the people of God for centuries is that of the prophet in Isaiah 2:4
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

As the nation observes the sesquicentennial of the tragic events of the Civil War may the prayer of the people be that of the 1955 song by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller:
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be
With God as our father, brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

North Star News 07-01-2013

This week will be filled with a great deal of patriotic fervor as the nation celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 on July 4th. The parades, speeches, and fireworks are all intended to create pride in America and loyalty to the nation. On July 4th many a heart will swell with emotion when the national anthem is played. But on other days it seems that Americans swing widely between the poles of proclaiming that this is the greatest nation on earth and despairing of the actions of the government when gridlock grips the capitol or revelations of massive intelligence gathering hit the news.


Scripture teaches that the nation is to be respected but not worshipped because the nation is part of God’s rule over the earth but not part of God’s plan of salvation. Salvation is the gift of God through Jesus Christ for all who would believe in him without any respect to nationality, race, or ethnicity. There are two key passages in scripture that speak to the Christian’s relationship to any nation from America to Zimbabwe.

In Romans 13:1 it says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Even though Declaration of Independence says “governments are instituted by men and derive their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and the introduction to the constitution of the United States clearly states the “we the people….do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America” it is through the will of “we the people” that God accomplishes his will to establish order and safety in the land. And it is for this reason that Romans 13:7 goes on to say “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” even if those in office are members of the other political party, be they Democrats in Minnesota or Republicans in North Dakota.

And in 1st Timothy 2:1 it says, “First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” This is a clear call to pray for those who hold office in the land and whose decisions will have a powerful effect on our lives. Pray for President Obama, Governor Dayton, the members of the U.S. congress and the state legislature. Pray for the Supreme Court and all the courts in the land right down to traffic court. Pray that they will be wise in their decision making, fair in their administration of the laws, and compassionate in their dealings with ordinary citizens.

This month the Canadians will gather around the Maple Leaf flag on the 1st, the French will have “La Fête Nationale” on the 14th, and we will fire off fireworks on the 4th of July. Every nation has its day and its place in the sun. Let us celebrate our national holiday with pride and prayer, and with the sure knowledge that our God is Lord of all. Back in 1934 Lloyd Stone wrote a hymn to be sung to the “Finlandia” tune that still rings true today.

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

Newsletter July 2013: Synod Assembly Report

The annual assembly of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was held June 7-8-9, 2013 at Concordia College of Moorhead MN under the theme “Always Being Made New” which is based on 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; behold, everything has become new!” This is the theme for the 25th anniversary year of the ELCA and of the synod celebrated throughout 2013.

At the assembly Bishop Larry Wohlrabe said that he felt the synod was experiencing “a new normal” in its life. He was quoted in the Grand Forks Herald (6/10/2013) as saying, “I believe that the Northwestern Minnesota Synod turned a corner and is heading into a hope-filled future, serving God’s mission in the world.” After years of divisive debates on human sexuality, angry disaffiliations, declining revenues, and a series of one term bishops, things have turned around.

The first order of business was the election of a bishop. Wohlrabe is in the final months of his six year term. For the first time in the 25 year history of the synod a bishop was re-elected to a second term. Wohlrabe won on the first ballot with 88% of the vote, followed by a standing ovation from the assembly and congratulations all around.

It was reported that synod revenues have been rising for the last two years. There has been an insurance settlement for the embezzlement by the former bookkeeper and new procedures and safeguards have been put into place. The Malaria Campaign in the synod is well ahead of schedule in raising fund to combat this devastating disease in warmer climes than Minnesota experiences.

The tone of the assembly was cordial and respectful throughout as the voting members passed four resolutions by overwhelming margins. Votes were not counted one by one because it appeared that the vote by the raising of hands was 80% or 90% in each case. The full texts of the resolutions are posted on the synod website. Briefly they were

1. Allowing St. Paul congregation of Lowry to transfer from NW MN synod to SW MN synod.

2. To allow the synod to begin a consultation with the ELCA to adjust the percentages of revenue divided between the ELCA and synod. (more to the synod annually)

3. To support the Uniting American Families act currently before the U.S. Congress

4. To support legislation prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The first two were presented by the synod council and officers. The latter two came “from the people” through the conference assemblies held earlier this spring across the synod.

The worship at the assembly was inspiring with lively music and meaningful communion liturgies on Friday evening and Sunday morning as well as “Prayers around the Cross” on Saturday morning. One of the great delights of each assembly is the vigorous hymn singing by 500+ Lutherans. Especially moving was the Friday sermon on the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17) by former Bishop April Ulring Larson, whose son was killed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake while on a mission trip.

Another delight of each assembly is connecting with old friends and former neighbors. We had two meals with Jackie Hellerud, formerly of Karlstad, and a good conversation with Pastor Ken & Cindy Losch, formerly of Hallock. Dorothy Suomala, former Karlstad school superintendent,, her husband Paul, and her daughter, Pastor Mary, were all there and greeted us warmly. Mary had died her hair red after challenging her congregation’s youth to raise money for the Malaria Campaign and they just about doubled the goal – but I missed her beautiful blonde locks. At the Saturday night banquet two former bishops (Lohr and Hermenson) sent written greetings while two others (Rimmereid and Wangberg) spoke in person and introduced many of the staff members who served with them in years gone by.

Voting members sat together by conferences for the business sessions so there were good visits with, for instance, Todd Ehrnstrom of Lake Bronson, Ken & Barb Peterson of Lancaster, Patti Swanson of Kennedy, Ken & Judy Horntvedt of Baudette as well as their pastors – and many others, of course. Kittson County churches were highlighted twice for their work together in bringing a pastoral intern to rural Minnesota. As one pastor said afterwards, “I was really proud to be from Kittson County.” So were Steve & Beth Murray, Ruth and I as we represented First and Eidsvold this year.

The next synod assembly will be May 17-18, 2014 again at Concordia in Moorhead.