North Star News - Christmas

THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

Pastor Gary Halverson

First Eidsvold Lutheran Parish

Are you ready for Christmas?  When most people ask me that question they are asking if I have bought and wrapped all the gifts I am giving at Christmas.  Some people prepare for the celebration of Christmas long before December arrives.  Late on Thanksgiving Day as we prepared to leave my sister’s house my second sister said, “Wait, Gary, I have something for you to take home.”  Then she placed in my car a box with five Christmas gifts perfectly wrapped with individualized ornaments attached to each bow for each of us who will be in the Karlstad parsonage on Christmas morning.  My sister had been helping my mother shop this fall.  They were all done on Thanksgiving Day.  I, on the other hand, had not given a thought to even one Christmas gift for this year.

Are you ready for Christmas?  I admire people who plan ahead, but the question of being ready for Christmas has a deeper meaning than cards, gifts, and decorations.  The true focus of Christmas is the gift that no money can buy.  It is the gift God the Father has given us in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our savior and lord.  As St. Paul wrote in Romans 3 about the salvation Christ brings, “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”  Looking back on all that Our Lord has done for us, St. Paul summed it up beautifully in these verses.  But when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds on hills above Bethlehem they said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)   Even as a babe in the manger he was the gift of God.

Are you ready for Christmas?  A great way to prepare for Christmas is to open your heart to the love of Jesus by reading his word, following his instructions, and trusting his promises.  Preparing for Christmas is not all about frantic activity but should also include taking some quiet time to read God’s Word, to sing the sweet carols of faith, and quietly to ponder the awesome event we are celebrating.  As one beloved carol says, “how silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given, as God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.”  No matter how many Christmas memories you may have accumulated over the years, the most important thing to remember is the great gift of that first Christmas in Bethlehem.

Are you ready for Christmas?  At a recent church council meeting one of the members read a story by my predecessor in this parish, Pastor Don Peterson, called “A Four Dollar Christmas” from his book “Ponderings.”  The title sums up the story, the story of his most memorable Christmas when there was almost no money for gifts but there was love and faith, and the gift no money can buy.  This is the heart of Christmas, to receive the gift of Christ by faith and live in the assurance of his love, his presence, and his promises all through the year.

As St. Paul said in 2^nd Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

Newsletter December 2014

I recently decided to read Karl Ove Knausgaard’s trilogy “My Struggle” this winter.  It was wildly popular in Scandinavia recently, and the English translation has been moderately popular in America.  So I stopped at several book stores this fall looking for all three volumes.  Volume three is not yet out in paperback, so that will have to wait.  Volume two was immediately available in every large book store.  But nobody had a copy of volume one on hand.  Being impatient, I began to read volume two, which is set in Sweden, but soon realized that I wanted to start with volume one which is set in Norway.  The only way to do this was to order a copy on-line.  Normally, books ordered on-line arrive promptly, but day after day passed with no book in the mail.  Again being impatient, I told the clerk at the post office that I was looking for this book to arrive, and she assured me that normally books ordered on-line arrive in a day or two.  Finally, when I thought they had lost my order, the book arrived from an obscure (to me) publisher in New Jersey.  Finally, I could begin at the beginning.

Patience is one of the themes of Advent when we have to wait to begin at the beginning of the story of Jesus’ life.  Advent is centered on the coming of Jesus.  First of all, we prepare to celebrate his coming into this world as the child of Bethlehem after Israel had waited long centuries for the promised Messiah.  The scripture says, “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law….” (Galatians 4:4)

In Advent we also read the scriptures that speak of his coming again in power and glory to judge the nations, and again there is the issue of patient waiting until the right time shall come.  At the ascension of Jesus the disciples were promised he would come again (Acts 1:11) but were also told it is not for them to know the time of his coming (Acts 1:7).  So, his followers are to wait patiently for the day when he will come again to judge the world and set all things right – and there are plenty of things that need setting right in this world.  We try to wait patiently even as we pray “Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

But thanks be to God, the third coming of Jesus is into the lives of believers by Word and Sacrament.  For that, no one has to wait, for the Word of God is proclaimed continually and the Sacraments are administered regularly among us.  There is no waiting line for them.

Patience is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, but patience in everyday life seems to be in short supply today.  As I write this in the days before Thanksgiving, the airwaves are filled with ads and reports about early shopping on Thanksgiving Day so people can get a good deal and get ahead on their shopping.  Last year there were news reports of people knocked to the floor as shoppers rushed to be the first to get into the store.  Can we not let one holiday be fully and properly celebrated before beginning on the next?  Does this not call to mind the harsh words of the prophet Amos to Israel for “saying, when will the new moon be over that we may sell grain?  And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great, and deal deceitfully with false balances?” (Amos 8:5)

As one of the fruits of the spirit is patience, so one of the virtues of Christian living is patience.  God has his own timetable for his work, and he will not be hurried, any  more than I could hurry my book through the mail by fretting about it or pestering the postal clerk.  With regard to things happening out in the world Psalm 37:7 says, “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.  Do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.”  With regard to things happening in our own lives Psalm 40:1 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord.  He inclined to me and heard me.”

This Advent season, let us practice the virtue of patience.  Let us see if we can be patient with one another, especially when it comes to one another’s shortcomings and failings.  Let us see if we can find some time in this busy month to be still, as Psalm 37 advocates, and wait patiently for the Lord.  Let us see if we can resist the temptation to be first in line, fastest on the road, and the first to get something done.  Let us pace ourselves through this month knowing that Christmas will come on December 25 no matter what we do or fail to do, and let this be a lesson in life knowing that God will accomplish his will in his time according to his timetable.  May you be filled with the fruit of the Spirit this holiday season, filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

Newsletter November 2014

November begins with the general election on November 4.  I hope everyone who is eligible to vote will vote whether by mail as Halma and most of the townships of Kittson County do or in person as the City of Karlstad and Springbrook Township do.  It is a privilege to be able to vote for the candidates of your choice.  This is a privilege that many people in many places do not enjoy.  Last month the young people of Hong Kong have been demonstrating by the thousands for the simple right to have the candidates of their choice on the ballot instead of those dictated by the Communist Party in Beijing.  Some have been severely beaten, but they value the right to a free and fair election so much that they are willing to take the risk.

            In America people give many excuses for not voting.   They are too busy, or the campaign ads are too negative, or they think their vote does not matter, or they have not taken the time to get to know the candidates and their stance on the issues.  Although Minnesota has one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the nation, there is still room for improvement.  Minnesota still does not match the turn out in Nordic or German speaking countries.

            The task of voting is a small price to pay for the freedom we enjoy in this land.  Getting to know the candidates and where they stand takes a little more effort, and yes I know, it can be difficult to wade through the campaign rhetoric and the negative ads to find out where a candidate really stands.  Like many of you, I am not happy with some of the negative ads that have been run against one candidate or another, often by out-of-state political groups not officially connected to the candidate.  These out-of-staters don’t seem to get “Minnesota nice.”   But reading and watching news from a variety of sources will often lead to the truth.

            In Romans 13:7 St. Paul writes about the government, “Pay all of them their due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to who respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.”  As Christian people enjoying the freedom of this land we should show respect for those who run for office even if we disagree with them and do not intend to vote for them, and we should honor with our vote those with whom we do agree.

            There are days when I would like to shout at the TV or radio “The Bible says to show respect!”  But I don’t.  Instead I go quietly into the voting booth and vote for the candidates of my choice.  (no early voting, mail voting, or absentee voting for me)

            November ends with the Thanksgiving holiday on November 27.  The tradition of a day dedicated to giving thanks goes all the way back to the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock and were helped through a terrible winter by the native Americans already there.  After enduring terrible hardship, these profoundly religious people paused after the next year’s harvest for a day of thanking God and their neighbors with whom they shared a feast of turkey with all the trimmings.  Thanks-giving has been a regular national holiday since the days of President Abraham Lincoln who, like our current president, was from Illinois and did not belong to any Christian congregation or denomination, had a profound sense of God’s power and providence.

            The true purpose of a day of Thanksgiving has been crowded by an emphasis on overeating, by football games, and by shopping (ugh!).  The real purpose of this holiday is to give thanks to God for his many blessing to us as a nation and a people and to encourage a thankful attitude.  Thanksgiving is best observed by counting our many blessings, saying a prayer to God, and eating with our family – after saying grace, of course.

            In writing his epistles St. Paul often said a word of thanksgiving right off the bat.  For instance in Philippians 1:3 he wrote, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.”  And in Philippians 4:6 he encourages us to offer up our prayers and supplications to God “with thanksgiving.”   And in Colossians 3:15 he simply says, “and be thankful.”

            We have good reasons to be thankful this year.  Despite the nation facing horrible new diseases and frightening terrorists, we have by and large been spared the worst of these things.  Although there has been a spate devastating illnesses afflicting local people, the support and prayers of the community are encouraging.  Although the harvest has not been quite as bountiful as some years due to the late spring and other causes, the weather for the harvest this year has been exceptionally good.  The list could go on.

            But above all else, we can give thanks to God that he is still our God, that he loves us like a father, that he watches over us like a shepherd, and that he provides for all our needs.  As the 4^th verse of ELW hymn #764 says, “thankful hearts raise to God, thankful hearts raise to God, for he stays close beside you, in all things works with you, thankful hearts raise to God!”

North Star News 10-30-2014

October 31 is Reformation Day because on the eve of All Saints Day (that is, on October 31) 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  This event is the symbolic beginning of the great 16^th century upheaval called the Reformation.  Reformation Day is observed by Lutheran churches throughout the world but the idea that the Christian community is always to be reforming and occasionally needs a major overhaul is one that Christians of every denomination recognize.  There is an old Latin slogan “ecclesia semper reformanda est secundum verbum Dei” which means “the church is always reforming according to the word of God.”  So it was in 1517, and so it is in 2014.

            Luther’s 95 Theses were presented as propositions for debate concerning how the church could be more faithful to the witness of the Bible and the teachings of the early church.  Luther felt the practices of Christians had veered off course in his day, so he said “let’s talk about it.”  He truly wanted to reform the church through debate and persuasion, not divide it into hostile camps.  His sole purpose was to be faithful to the Bible and the early fathers, and his 95 Theses were meant to begin the process of returning to the ways of old, not to start something new.

            The first of the 95 Theses is this:  “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent’ (Matt. 4:17) he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”  This thesis is saying that individual believers are also to be reforming themselves constantly in light of the teachings of the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  If life is a journey from birth to death, and then on into eternal life, there are many times when a course correction is needed.  The only way to know if a person is on the right road is to consult the road map that God has given us in his Word.  Each day believers should be asking themselves, “is this the right thing to do?” or “is this the direction God wants me to go?” or “does this square with the teachings of Christ?”  Repentance is examining life, sometimes making a small change in direction, and sometimes starting on a whole new road..  As Psalm 119:105 says, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

            John the Baptist also preached repentance, just as Jesus did.  According to Luke 3, after one of his fiery sermons there were many who could see they needed a course correction, so they asked John, “what should we do?”  To the multitude he said, “share what you have with those in need.”  To the tax collectors he said, “be honest in all your dealings.”  To the soldiers he said, “don’t exploit your power and plunder the people.”  (I am paraphrasing here.)  John was a man of keen insight, so when each group of people came to him he knew just what course correction they needed.  He spoke to each one about the place where they were about to veer off into selfishness, dishonesty, intimidation, or whatever it might be, and he pointed them to a better path.

            One prayer that would be good to use at the beginning of each day is found in Psalm 25:4 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.”  The roadmap for life is found in the Bible which is readily available everywhere.  The guide for life is the Holy Spirit whom God has poured out upon “all flesh” – young and old, women and men, high and lowly. (Acts 2:17-18)  As surely as the church needed reform in the 16^th century, we need repentance and reform in the 21^st century.  What is one “course correction” (or reform, if you will) you could make today so that you are on the path the Lord wants you to travel?  Think about it this Halloween.

North Star News 10-23-2014

Election day will be on November 4 this year, and I hope all of you who are eligible will vote for the candidates of your choice.  We are blessed to live in the United States of America where those who rule over us in government are chosen by the people and serve successive terms of office only as long as the people wish to re-elect them.  We have had presidents who were re-elected by huge margins such as Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, and we have had presidents who lost their bids to serve another term such as Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter.  This is not a presidential election year, but we still have the opportunity to retain or retire our governor, senator, congressman, and many other officials.  If they are not re-elected they return to being ordinary citizens with no governmental power anymore.

            When we move from the realm of government to the realm of faith there is an entirely different dynamic.  Despite the fact that pastors and evangelists continually invite people to make Jesus the Lord of their lives, Jesus Christ does not hold the title of Lord by the vote or decision of the people.  This is his title by divine right, and no vote can ever change it.  What pastors and evangelists are really doing is challenging people to see the reality of who is Lord and then live accordingly.  In Philippians 2:9 it says that because of Jesus’ obedience up to and including his death on the cross, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that 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.”  There was only one vote for Jesus, but it was the vote that mattered because it was God the Father’s.  Jesus Christ is Lord for all eternity!

            At several points in his earthly life Jesus was deeply unpopular.  When he delivered his first sermon in Nazareth where he had been brought up, the people were so angry at his broad concept of God’s mercy for all people of all nations that they forced him out of the synagogue and almost threw him over a cliff.  (Luke 4:29)  Later on, when he delivered his teaching about being the Bread of Life it is reported “after this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” (John 6:66)  But when he asked the Twelve if they, too, wished to leave, St. Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”  St. Peter would not be swayed by popular opinion.  He knew the truth.

            St. Peter had this sense that, no matter what anyone said, Jesus was, is now, and always will be Lord.  He remembered that Jesus had once said to him and his eleven companions, “You did not choose me, but I choose you.” (John 15:16)  So he never felt that he had decided for Jesus, but that Jesus had decided for him.  And Jesus has decided for you, too, whoever you are.  He wants you to open your eyes and see that he is the Lord of all.  He wants you to open your mouth and offer him the praises that are due to him and which saints and angels sing to him (Revelation 7).  He wants you to open your heart and obey him and his precepts willingly.  Won’t you acknowledge the “name that is above every name” today?  Won’t you live daily as a citizen of his kingdom?   Won’t you open your eyes to the truth no man can change?

            We have had 44 presidents of the United States.  They come and go.  We have had 40 governors of Minnesota.  They, too, come and go.  But there is only one Lord, and his term of office never ends.

North Star News 10-16-2014

October 18 is the feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist who is also known as Luke the Physician because of the greeting from “Luke the beloved physician” in Colossians 4:14.  Because of this single reference, St. Luke is the patron saint of doctors and surgeons.

            Right now doctors throughout the world are being called to watch closely for signs of the Ebola virus in their patients as an epidemic in west Africa threatens to engulf the world.  The American government through the CDC is calling for vigilance in observing the behavior of anyone who has even the remotest chance of having come in contact with an infected person.  Thousands of deaths in Africa and one (so far) in America are enough.  We don’t want a repeat of the great 1919-1920 Spanish influenza epidemic that killed around 20 million people worldwide, most of whom were young adults.  (My maternal grandfather’s first wife died then, leaving him with two little girls.)  In 1919 and now in 2014 keen observation is the key to containing the epidemic so infected persons can be quarantined and treated.

            As a physician, Luke would have had a keen eye for observation which is what made him such a good writer of his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.  As he began his gospel, Luke wrote, “it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you…….” (Luke 1:3).  Luke, of course, was not one of the original followers of Jesus and thus not an eyewitness to Our Lord’s ministry (Luke 1:2) nevertheless, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he wrote an inspired and authoritative gospel account filled with many details that we find nowhere else.

            For Christians, it is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that is most important when reading his gospel or Acts (2^nd Timothy 3:16), but where did he get his information?  There are old stories that much of it came from St. Mary who “pondered all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:19) and was the only human being to have observed Jesus through his whole life from birth to death and resurrection.  She was also present with the apostles at Pentecost, but as Luke wrote more and more about the Acts of the Apostles, he eventually came to rely on his own experience, for in Acts 16:11 he switches from the third person (they did this or that) to the first person (“from Troas we made a direct voyage”).

            Not many of us are physicians or writers, but we all would do well to follow the example of Luke in observing closely what Jesus said and did as recorded in the Bible.  There are many things that are said to be the will of God and many strange things that are sometimes attributed to Jesus or to divine inspiration, but in turning to the Bible the true Word of God is revealed.  As Luke himself wrote in his introduction, his purpose was that “you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.” (Luke 1:4)

            When we read the Gospels, we encounter Jesus as the man who took the children in his arms and blessed them, who had a deep concern for the poor and needy, who reached out to heal the sick and suffering, and who rose from the dead to live forever.  As much as Luke the Physician was concerned about healing the body, more than anything else Luke the Evangelist desired all to find spiritual healing through faith in Jesus Christ.

            Jesus himself said, “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  So have a consultation today with the Great Physician himself (Jesus) in the writings of St. Luke and in the other books of the Bible.  You will find healing for what ails you.

North Star News 10-09-2014

October 13 is Columbus Day (a Monday holiday in the USA) because on October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus landed his ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, on the Bahaman Islands, thus beginning the active relationship between the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern.  Before he died ships were traveling annually between Spain and the many islands in the Caribbean Sea.  But during his lifetime, and now in the 21^st century, Columbus was a controversial figure.  He was a brilliant navigator and visionary but a poor administrator and governor.  He made four trips to the New World but returned to Spain on the last one as a prisoner in chains.  (He was immediately released upon arrival.)  Today his legacy is noted in the name of a country in South America, a province in Canada, a university in New York, many towns in the USA, and a major street in Grand Forks.  But he is also seen as a villain of history in beginning European domination of the Western Hemisphere, bringing European diseases that decimated the population of the New World, and allowing cruel treatment of the native populations.  Minneapolis has removed Columbus Day from the city calendar.  My friend in South Dakota told me that in his state it has been renamed “Native American Day” to celebrate the rich heritage of the aboriginal peoples of America.

            All of this reminds us that the life of every human being is a complex combination of good and bad, strength and weakness, high ideals and sordid actions.  Columbus often wrote that he wanted to convert the native people he encountered to Christianity and brought priests on the ships he sailed, but then he also followed the custom of the day and enslaved those who opposed him causing many of the priests to turn against him.  It is a complicated and complex picture.

            Another active traveler who sought to bring Christ to the nations was St. Paul.  We call him a saint for his great evangelistic work for the gospel, but he had his struggles as well.  In Romans 7:21 he wrote about his ethical dilemma: “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

            None of us will ever be as celebrated as St. Paul or as vilified as Christopher Columbus, but we all struggle to do the right thing and often find that “evil lies close at hand.”  This struggle to say and do the right thing will continue as long as we live, but we can read the written Word of God and call on the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we try to discover what is right and to do what is right.  Above and beyond that, we can rest assured that because of Christ, God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10) but when we come to Christ “we find mercy and grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

            This Columbus Day not many children will recite the poem “in fourteen hundred ninety two Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” for it has gone out of fashion, but we can remember what a complex fellow he was.  And we can remember that no matter what a complex mixture of good and evil we are God still loves us.  We can ask him to guide us on the ocean of life, to protect us in the storms, and at the end to bring us to the safe harbor of life.  Put your trust today in him who walked on water and calmed the seas.

North Star News 10-2-2014

October 4 is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Italy) who died on the eve of this day in 1226.  After statues of the Lord Jesus Christ himself and his blessed mother, Mary, statues of St. Francis are the most common in the western world, often adorning gardens and lawns.  These outdoor statues reflect his great love of the environment, his teaching of respect and love for all of God’s creatures, and his care for the natural world.  Outdoor statues often show him with birds all around him.

But Francis was first and foremost a serious disciple of Jesus Christ.  He did not start out life that way.  He was born into a wealthy family and spent his early years living the rather extravagant and high-spirited life of a rich young man.  He sought to gain glory as a soldier and even fought in several battles.  But then the gospel of Jesus Christ began to take hold of him, especially during times of illness and his year as a prisoner of war.  He abandoned his wanton ways to embrace a life of poverty, prayer, service, and peace-making.  The simple rule he strived to live by was “to follow the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.”  His father was not happy and tried several ways to persuade Francis to return to the world of commerce and wealth.  Finally, in a dramatic scene, Francis renounced all his wealth and even took off the clothes his father had provided for him and walked away.

Service to the poor, cheerful obedience, care for animals and the environment, and reform of the church are all part of his legacy along with an earnest desire for peace.  Jesus Christ himself had said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9), and Francis desired above all else to be a true child of God.  And so this former soldier who fought mainly for the personal glory gained in battle became a man of peace who sought nothing for himself except to be a child of God.

His world, much like our world, was engaged in a great battle with Islam both ideologically and in ongoing wars.  In 1219 Francis traveled to Egypt to preach to the Sultan of Egypt and bring an end to the Fourth Crusade, but it was all in vain.  The Sultan remained a Moslem, and European Christians continue to try to conquer the Holy Land by force.  Yet his willingness to involve himself in the greatest conflict of his day and his idealism are admirable.  He knew that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”  (Matthew 26:52)

He was more successful in preaching about inner peace through faith in Jesus Christ and service in His name.  From the days he rebuilt the church in Assisi to this very day there are those who find their way to peace with God through the teaching and example of Francis.  His mission is elegantly summed up in a prayer that is attributed to St. Francis which would be a great prayer to pray on Saturday.

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

Newsletter October 2014

On October 26 we will again celebrate Reformation Sunday.  Lutherans celebrate the great reformation of the church on the Sunday before October 31 because on October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  It was the eve of All Saints’ Day and most people would be passing through those doors the next day for mass.  Many would read them or at least take note of them.  Martin Luther was a professor of Old Testament at the University of Wittenberg, and his 95 Theses are written in the language of the educated elite of his time.  He intended to start a discussion of reforms he felt were needed in the church.  He intended this discussion to take place at the university level with people who knew the Bible very well, who could quote many of the church fathers at length, and who could read not only German and Latin but maybe Greek and Hebrew, too – as Luther himself did.  Luther had a brilliant mind and was highly educated.  His father intended for him to spend his life working in the family’s copper mining business, but Luther instead mined the scriptures in the original languages and scoured the writings of the church fathers for the truth of God.

So Luther’s attempt at reformation was intended to engage the most nimble minds of his time.  Luther held his own in disputations over many points of doctrine and practice both with those representing the old order and those advocating a much more radical reformation.  But he also had a heart for the needs of the common man, and especially for the Christian family.  Once he renounced his vow of celibacy, he himself became a family man when he married Katherine von Bora with whom he had several children.  As a father and the head of his household, he was deeply concerned about the faith and knowledge of his children and the children of his community.

In the fall of 1528 he made a visit to several parishes in his native Saxony which led him to publish the Small Catechism in 1529.  In the preface he wrote, “The deplorable conditions which I recently encountered when I was a visitor constrained me to prepare this brief and simple catechism or statement of Christian teaching……Although the people are supposed to be Christian, are baptized, and receive the holy sacrament, they do not know the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed or the Ten Commandments….”  So he set about to rectify the situation.  In the preface he excoriated the local parish pastors who had so neglected the teaching of basic Christian ideas and encouraged them to emphasize the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer in their preaching and in their parishes.

Under the headings for his explanations of the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments he wrote these words, “in the plain form in which the head of the family shall teach them to his household” and thereby placed the teaching of the fundamentals of the faith right in the home.  (By the way, not all Catechism booklets have this phrase in them, but the authoritative version in the Book of Concord does, and many of us who are older remember reading these words in even the shortest Catechism booklet.)  As much as Luther prized the public preaching of the Word, at which he excelled, and as much as he taught the efficacy of the Holy Sacrament (Christ is really present here in an absolutely unique way), he also knew that practicing the faith at home was essential to a vibrant Christian life.

So Luther promoted faith at home.  He believed in daily devotions with the children and whoever else was in the house.  In addition to the five main parts of the Catechism (Commandments, Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, Communion) he added morning and evening prayers to be said every day, and he added “Grace at the Table” which included not only a prayer before eating but a prayer after eating as well.  He encouraged, and practiced himself, a lively devotional life at home as well as an active church life.  He not only strongly encouraged vigorous singing at Sunday morning worship, but mentioned singing a hymn at the beginning of the day at morning devotions at home.

As we celebrate Reformation Sunday 2014 at the end of the month, let us consider this aspect of the Reformation and consider our own practice of the faith at home.  Some of us say grace at meals occasionally if not consistently.  Some of us have a daily devotion routine, now made even easier with the internet resources available.  And quite a few of us say prayers at bedtime or, perhaps, upon rising in the morning.  This year why not affirm what you are doing and consider what more you might do to practice the faith at home?  Take a look at those later parts of the Catechism in the back and put a 21^st century twist on them.  Old Brother Martin knew what he was talking about, and he practiced what he preached.

Newsletter September 2014

The theme of this year’s synod assembly in May was “Faith at Home; At Home in Faith” which reflected the bishop’s emphasis in his second six year term of office.  With the adoption of the “Vibrant Faith” initiative the synod is putting a new emphasis on faith formation at home as parents and grandparents pass on the Christian faith and traditions to the next generation.  It is pretty clear that this is a much needed emphasis as we see the dramatic decline in church participation by the younger generation and the move away from traditional Christian values by American society as a whole.  Many of us wonder “will our children and grandchildren have faith?”

There is no doubt that the home was the incubator of Christian faith for the majority of people who today are living a life of discipleship and for many others who are searching for a way to deal with a stressful situation.  What they saw, did, and learned from Mom and Dad or Grandmother and Grandfather has a great influence on them.  Journalist John Foley wrote that when he was a prisoner of Islamic extremists for the first time in Libya that he prayed the rosary over and over because “that’s what my mother and grandmother would have prayed.”   He used his knuckles to count the decades because beads were unavailable to him.  We can be quite confident that he did this also when he was held hostage again, this time by ISIS in Iraq, and in the hours before he was so brutally beheaded this summer.

But many people do not have a mother and grandmother like Foley’s, or like the mother and grandmother of young Timothy who are mentioned in 2^nd Timothy 1:5 and that is where other people’s mothers and fathers step in to provide a positive Christian role model and positive Christian teaching in Sunday School.  While Sunday School is a good experience for children who come from faithful families, it may be the only Christian experience that some children have because they come from unfaithful or undisciplined or dysfunctional families.

The Sunday School movement began in London during the Industrial Revolution when thousands of children were left to fend for themselves on the streets while their parents struggled to make a living working long hours in dismal conditions, and many of them used what little free time they had to drink and carouse.  These people had left the relative serenity – and poverty – of the countryside to try to make more money in the city.  Society was in upheaval and, as usual, it was the children who suffered the most.  Caring Christian men and women began to provide instruction and food for many of these children so they did not end up lost and abused like young Oliver Twist and led into an adult life of crime by some Fagin, or end up left behind like young David Copperfield by some hapless Mr. Micawber.

When our ancestors left the state churches of Europe, where Christian instruction was provided in the schools, to come to America where the schools were secular, they used the Sunday School as the primary means of instructing the young in the Bible and the catechism until they were old enough to start confirmation classes with the pastor.  Some came from homes where they had heard Bible stories even before they were old enough to read (“David and Goliath” being a favorite), had always prayed together before eating any meal (“Come Lord Jesus be our guest….”), and were taught to say bedtime prayers every night (“Now I lay me down to sleep……”).  But other children cannot tell one Bible story, do not know any prayer for the table or for bedtime, and some do not even know the Lord’s Prayer.  We have a special responsibility for them.

Sunday School has fallen on hard times in the 21^st century as American society has developed into a weekday/weekend culture where the weekend is for travel get-a-ways or crowded with sporting events.  But the twin foci that Sunday School had from the beginning is still there: to reinforce and supplement what is being taught and modeled in the home and to provide good Christian teaching for those who get nothing at home.  There is still important work to do even as Sunday School teachers struggle with sporadic attendance, unruly children, and indifferent parents.  God is still touching the lives of our children in Sunday School.

Let us support and pray for our Sunday School as a new year begins this month.  Your words of encouragement will surely be helpful.

Newsletter August 2014

On the last four Sundays of August all of us Lutheran pastors in Kittson County will be preaching a series of sermons on the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.  Whether you worship God at Grace in Hallock, Red River to the west, Maria in Kennedy, Sion in Lancaster, Zion in Lake Bronson, Eidsvold in Halma, or First in Karlstad the subject of the sermon will be the same, although the comments will be those of each individual preacher.

On the surface the Book of Ruth reads like a romance novel, a nice light read to take to the lake or to the beach.  “Will Ruth ever find love again?” would be on the cover at the checkout line in a big box store.  But there is more here.  A lot more, which is why this book is tucked into the Old Testament between Judges and Samuel.  Together the four Lutheran preachers in Kittson County will explore the deeper meaning and the nuances in the Book of Ruth.  In preparation it might be good to read straight through the book.  It is only four chapters long.  It won’t take long to read through it before we read one chapter in church each Sunday in August (except the 3^rd of August).

The Book of Ruth is about the power of families and of family connections.  We hear a lot about dysfunctional families and watch the drama of certain families on TV and in the movies.  Ruth experienced the other side of family, the side that is full of love and compassion, and duty faithfully done.

It starts out with Ruth marrying into the family of a man from Bethlehem.  They are Israelites, and she is a Moabite, but they welcome her into their family with open arms.  There is no sense that Ruth is just an “in-law” not to be counted as an equal to blood relatives.  When Ruth’s husband died young, her mother-in-law still treats her as a daughter.  In fact, she calls both Ruth and Orpah “my daughters.”

Mothers-in-law are the subject of many jokes by comedians.   The relationship between two women who love the same man, one as a mother and the other as a wife, is often contentious and difficult.  But it is not so with Ruth and Naomi.  They have a tender affection for one another that stands out as an example of how loving a family can be.  Despite her deep affection for Ruth, Naomi releases Ruth from any obligation she might have to care for the mother of her late husband.   In the face of tragedy and loss, Naomi encourages both of her daughters-in-law to go out and start over again.  She encourages them to marry another man, have children, and build a beautiful life together.  The two daughters-in-law respond differently.  Orpah does as Naomi asks her to do.  She decides to start over again with a new man.  It was the right choice for her.

But Ruth is so devoted to her mother-in-law that she begs her to be allowed to return to Bethlehem with her and see what God has in store for them there.  It is at this point in the story that Ruth utters those famous words that have been recited so often at weddings to express the love of a husband and wife, but which originally spoke of the love of in-laws for one another:

Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you.

For where you go, I will go,

And where you lodge I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God my God;

Where you die I will die,

And there will I be buried.

May the Lord do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you.

And so these two women set out for Bethlehem together.  The rest of the story is about how they are received there, how Ruth encounters another member of her late husband’s family by the name of Boaz, and what a good, generous, and upright member of the family he is.  Spoiler alert!  Ruth does find love again in the strong arms of Boaz while Naomi is well cared for in her old age even though she is bereft of any direct descendants.  In the end God is praised (Ruth 4:14) for his care.

So come on the last four Sundays of August and reflect together with us on this beautiful little story.  And if not, I will try to put my sermons on our website for you to read.  Here’s the schedule:

August 10 – Ruth 1 – Tragedy in Moab

August 17 – Ruth 2 – Provision in Bethlehem

August 24 – Ruth 3 – On the Threshing Floor

August 31 – Ruth 4 – Justice at the Gate

Newsletter July 2014

This is the third and final installment  in a series of reports on the vibrant church life in Liberia (West Africa) written by my godson, Benjamin Swanson, who is wrapping up a two year term with the Peace Corps there teaching math in a remote village while his wife teaches English.   Read their blog and see their pictures at http://kingswan.wordpress.com.  He wrote two posts “Clap for Jesus” and “Wave for Jesus” in February 2014 which I have re-printed as three articles in May, June, and July with his permission.            –Pastor Halverson

[after the sermon is completed]  This leads us to the offering, which, according to some pastors, is “the most important part of the service.” In Liberia, the opportunities to give money to the church are numerous, and they are far from subtle. Your opportunities for giving start the moment you walk into the sanctuary. Ushers often greet you at the door and pin a ribbon to your lapel. In exchange for the ribbon is a small, compulsory offering. The worshipper then sits down and the service commences. Before the official offertory, there are several points during the service where collection baskets are placed on the altar. If any churchgoer feels so moved, he or she can walk to the front of the church at any time and give an offering. This may be in response to an exceptionally good song, moving prayer, or rousing sermon.

The official offertory involves a musical procession that brings each person to the front of the church. The pews are dismissed one by one and the congregation marches or dances around the aisles to the altar. There, one or more baskets await their offering. Each person’s offering is dropped into the basket in full view of the church. Everyone in attendance – including elders, choir members, and pastors – passes by the altar. When the last person has passed, the baskets are consolidated. Then, the procession is repeated, sometimes twice. The occasion is lively and people enjoy it. Offering is a dance party, resembling a Congo line. It’s a festive time; the only thing missing is high-fives. It is especially entertaining to watch the whole congregation parading by in their Sunday Best.

This is how the offering works on a typical church day. There are, however, numerous other special days during the church year. There are days recognizing Mother/Father/Child of the Year, Women’s Day, Men’s’ Day, Youth Day, church conferences, and all the standard Christian holidays. Rally Sundays can pit men against women in fundraising challenges. Figures are tallied, called out, and multiple rounds held. When gifts dry up, well-to-do members can be called upon by name: “Mrs. Kollie, I know you are the head of the local Market Women’s Union, would you please come show your support (again)?” Occasionally, other fundraising tactics are employed. Small trees hung with bags of popcorn and juice are brought out. After two hours in a pew, the treats are enticing and definitely worth the small offering.

We have visited about ten different churches during our time here. We have been with the Lutherans, Pentecostals, Seventh-Day Adventists, Baptists, Methodists, and various other Christian groups. Regardless of the specific denomination, things operate pretty much the same. Liberians have created a rich and animated tradition that they love. Everyone leaves the church with a smile on their face. Angie and I usually leave the church feeling a tad bit thirsty, somewhat exhausted, and looking for any quiet place. But we feel energized knowing that we have once again participated in Liberia’s vibrant, faithful culture.

Now in the middle of summer many of us here in Minnesota are visiting other churches as we travel and vacation.  Sometimes we are quite confortable, welcomed, or spiritually moved.  Other times it is difficult to worship in an unfamiliar setting in an unfamiliar style.  But it is good to worship with others and experience other ways to praise God from whom all blessings flow.

A Liberian worship service is quite different from a Minnesota worship service and would take me quite a while to adjust.  For me it is easiest to move into worship where the service is preceded by quiet prayer with  organ music.  I am fully committed to the Lutheran liturgy every Sunday morning.  And yet there are things to appreciate in these Liberian services as described by my godson, I am very impressed with the deep commitment and full participation of the people, the length of the worship (I’ll bet there are no clocks on the wall), and the way the service is the whole focus of the day of worship.  I would not advocate adopting their syle in total, but we could learn from Liberia. 

North Star News 06-26-2014

“God has made everything beautiful in its time.”  Ecclesiastes 3:11

There once was a little girl who climbed up into her grandmother’s lap after a busy day at Vacation Bible School where she had learned about God’s creation of the world and all its creatures.  She asked her grandmother, “did God make me?”  Her grandmother told her that God had, indeed, created her.  The little girl asked, “And did God make you?”  Her grandmother again affirmed that yes, indeed, God had created her.  The little girl looked up at the wrinkles on her grandmother’s face and the grey hair on her head and said, “don’t you think he is doing a better job now than he used to?”  After the laughter, her grandmother gently said, “No, God made everything good and doesn’t need to improve his skills.”

Ecclesiastes 3 begins “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” and then goes on to list 14 couplets beginning with “a time to be born, and a time to die.”  It is soon after this that it says, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”  There certainly are seasons of life, some of which people embrace with joy and some of which people fear, but all of which are part of God’s great plan.  Our God has created the world so that one generation follows another with each new generation bringing a fresh start to life and a renewal of the earth.   Both the vim and vigor of youth and the quiet dignity of old age are good in their time.  The world needs the brash enthusiasm of the youth who seem to question everything and the wisdom of their elders who have experienced many things and seem so content with the way things are.  The clear skin, 20/20 vision, and bright blonde hair of that little girl are beautiful and so are the smile lines (aka: wrinkles), faded blue eyes, and grey hair of her grandmother.

One of the 14 couplets of Ecclesiastes 3 says there is “a time to keep and a time to cast away.”  The debate about what to keep and what to cast away keeps rolling on through the generations and often pits one generation against another.  Older folks who are downsizing their living arrangements often find it hard to decide what to keep and what to cast away.  Some of us find it hard to throw away those beautiful flowers given by a loved one, but there comes a time to chuck them out because their time of beauty has passed.  Others of us lament the way the world is changing and cling to traditions and customs that out to be left behind as something new unfolds.

The wonder of God’s creation is that every faded flower is followed by a new one of equal beauty.  The tulips of spring are followed by the roses of high summer and then by the mums of autumn.  Even the cold of winter with its snow and ice has a certain kind of beauty.  Psalm 104:30 says, “when you send forth your Spirit, they [all living things] are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”

            God is still renewing his creation as one season follows another, as some flowers fade and others come into bloom, and as babies are born to take the place of the aged ones who soon will be gone to their eternal rest.  When it comes to people, let us all cherish everyone, because each and every one is precious in the sight of the Lord, be they young or old, and all of them are beautiful in their time.

North Star News 06-19-2014

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2^nd Corinthians 13:13)

God the Father reveals himself to us as the creator of all good things in this world.  The Bible begins with the words “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and ends with a vision of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1) which God will create.  Throughout the Bible God the Father is lauded for the wonders of his creation.  Psalm 104:14 says “you cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.”  And Psalm 8:3 says “when I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in their courses, what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him?”  Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:28 “consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”  On this June day as you see the dew on the flowers in the morning and are awakened by the melody of the songbirds, give thanks to God for his wonderful creation.  Join the creator as he “saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”  (Genesis 1:31)

God the Son reveals himself to us as the redeemer of the world.  Because of the actions of Adam and Eve and every one of their descendents right down to you and me, the beauty and wonder of God’s creation has been marred by sin and polluted by human action.  But God the Father never stopped loving his creation and his creatures right down to you and me.  As it says in John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”  The plan of salvation was made so simple that even those mired in the deepest sin and guilty of the worst atrocities could be saved with a simple act of faith in the Redeemer of the World.  This is shown most powerfully on Mt. Calvary when a notorious sinner turned to the Savior and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  To which Jesus replied, “very truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)  Today put your faith and trust in Jesus so that you can hear anew those wonderful words, “take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.”  (Matthew 9:2)

God the Holy Spirit reveals himself to us as the quiet counselor.  At the end of St. Peter’s Pentecost sermon he told the thousands who heard him and “were cut to the heart” that they should “repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  The work of the Holy Spirit had already been announced when Jesus said, “but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  On this beautiful day, quiet your heart and open your ears to the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit bless you now and forever.   Amen.  

North Star News 06-12-2014

“In our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”  Acts 2:11

There were many amazing aspects to the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2: the sound of a mighty wind, tongues like fire over each head, the sudden proliferation of languages.  Each one of these is an over-the-top sign of the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.  But those upon whom the Spirit had come did not talk about themselves as the recipients of this amazing gift on that glorious day.  No, they immediately began to speak about “God’s deeds of power” which were done by the Lord Jesus Christ.  When Peter stood up to speak on behalf of all of them, he started with Jesus, and he ended with Jesus.  He was in tune with Paul who would later say, “For I determined to know nothing among except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  (1^st Corinthians 2:2)

Although they had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles of all time, Peter gave only a brief explanation of those events and then started the main body of his talk by saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst….” (Acts 2:22)  After recounting Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection he ended with, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36)  From beginning to end the speech was not about Peter or the other apostles, and not even about the Holy Spirit as such, but about Jesus who lived to proclaim the kingdom of God, who died for our sins, and who was raised to lead us to eternal life.

When people experience a great event in the world of today, they are often asked what it was like for them.  Initially, the focus is all on them, their feelings, their experiences, and their emotions.  But Peter and the other apostles never told us what it was like suddenly to hear the sound of a rushing, even violent, wind or to have fire-like tongues over their heads.  All they wanted to talk about was Jesus, the man who had called them out of the darkness of sin into the light of his grace.  They deflected the attention of the crowds from themselves to Jesus Christ.

Whenever the Holy Spirit is truly present, the focus is on Jesus.  It is the Spirit of Jesus that is the Holy Spirit.  In John 14:26 Jesus said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  This is the ongoing work of the Spirit today, to help us remember what Jesus said and teach us how to walk with Christ.  The unregenerate sinner is often focused on himself and, if he is feeling guilty, on his load of sin.  When people are filled with the Spirit of Christ the focus shifts to the Savior himself and his amazing grace and love.

The spectacular events of the Day of Pentecost are past.  But the work of the Spirit is ongoing in leading people to look to Jesus for salvation and peace, to witness to Jesus among those who do not yet know him, and to serve the needs of others in Jesus’ name.  Pray today that the Holy Spirit may lead you to a deeper appreciation of what Jesus has done for you and a greater willingness to speak about “God’s deeds of power.”

North Star News 06-05-2014

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?  This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:11

These words were spoken by “two men in white robes” who appeared immediately after Jesus ascended into heaven from Mt. Olivet.  Peter, Andrew, James, John, and all the rest of the disciples were quite dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed, and I imagine them standing there wide-eyed with their mouths open.  They wondered what they were supposed to do now that Jesus had ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father.  After all, they had given their whole lives over to following Jesus, and now that his work on earth was done he had returned to the glory that was rightfully his.  But what about those who were left behind?  What about us today?  Jesus is still in heaven.  We are still on earth.  What now?

When the disciples are asked “why do you stand looking into heaven?” there seems to be the broad hint that there is work to be done.  This is not the time to be standing around simply waiting for something to happen.  It is the time to roll up their sleeves and be about the work of Jesus here and now.  The work of Jesus is to tell the good news of salvation and peace in the name of Christ, to bring comfort and balm to those who are wounded, and to challenge those who don’t see the need for a savior.  Now is not the time for idleness.

In Matthew 20 Jesus told a parable about a householder who went out looking for laborers for his vineyard.  He hired some first thing in the morning, some at 9:00, and a few more at noon.  Then in the afternoon he came across others in the market place and asked “why do you stand idle all day?  You come work in the vineyard, too.”  In terms of the parable, the vineyard is the kingdom of God, the householder is the Lord himself, and the workers are the disciples of Jesus.  And the question the Lord asks is “why do you stand idle all day?”  There is work to be done.

In Matthew 25 Jesus told another parable about the last day when he comes again “in the same way you saw him go into heaven” to quote those two men in white robes.   He describes the scene as being similar to a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, placing some at his right hand and others at his left.  Those at his right are blessed because they were about the work of the kingdom.  They fed the hungry, clothed the naked, gave water to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, and visited the sick and imprisoned.  This is the work of the kingdom after preaching the gospel and calling for repentance according to this parable.

As I write this it is Monday morning.  Time for work.  A new batch of teens has graduated from high school.  Time to move on.  The weekend was wonderful.  Time to start the work week.  And Jesus has ascended into heaven.  Time to carry on his ministry.  God’s work; our hands.

Newsletter June 2014

Last month my godson, Benjamin Swanson and his wife who are wrapping up a two year stint with the Peace Corps in Liberia in west Africa, wrote about the first part of a typical Liberian Sunday worship service.  This month he continues the report.  Read their blog and see the pictures at http:// kingswan.wordpress.com.  He wrote this in two posts “Clap for Jesus” and “Wave for Jesus” in February 2014.  Or check my page on our website for last month’s installment.  Now, read on!

                          –Pastor Halverson

Services are often led by an “evangelist.” This is a lay-person with a penchant for crowd-control. He will lead the congregation through the service, introducing songs, readings, announcements, etc. He is also the one who monitors the energy level in the sanctuary. If the energy in the room starts to drop or if the people get too chatty, he will use one of the standard attention-grabbers (responses in italics): “God is good! All the time! And all of the time! God is great!” “Everyone wave to Jesus!” (Congregation waves their arms in air.) “Hello! Hi! Hi! Hello!” And our personal favorite: “Let’s all clap for Jesus!” (Congregation claps vigorously.)

Music is the main focal point of the worship service. Fifty percent or more of the service can be devoted to music. A church usually has two choirs – an English choir and a second “dialect” choir. Our second choir is the Bassa choir. The English choir is accompanied by a western drum set and electronic keyboard. In long choir robes, they dance and sing western-influenced gospel music in two part harmonies, often with a soloist on the microphone. They have a big, soulful sound. The Bassa choir has two traditional drums and a sasa. The sasa is a traditional percussion instrument made from a dried gourd woven inside a net of beads or shells. The Bassa singers, in their commencement-style caps and gowns, sing in the Bassa language. The melodies are complex, with lots of blazing-fast rises and falls. A lead singer calls the words, and the choir and audience call responses. The songs are long – sometimes as long as twenty minutes. Traditional Bassa music seems to be in a minor key, but never sounds somber or dark. Everyone in church, including guests, is encouraged to stand up, clap, and dance to the music. It is a truly joyful scene. (And it requires getting out of one’s conservative shell!)

Prayers in the church are impassioned and prolonged. Early in the service is the Prayer for the People, where parishioners are asked to come forward so the pastor can pray for them. We have been at services in the States where five or ten people will go to the front. In Liberia, five or ten can be the number left in the pews. During the prayer, people can listen to the pastor or put up their own prayer. Worshippers pray out loud, sharing whatever personal and private thing is in their hearts. Ten cathartic minutes later, the prayers subside and people peacefully return to their seats.

The sermon comes at the end of the service. It begins with a question by the Evangelist: “Who brought their weapon?” In enthusiastic response, people wave their bibles in the air. Then the pastor leads off by reading the week’s Bible passage, sometimes calling each verse number as he goes. He then moves on to his message, which can be fire-and-brimstone or funny and anecdotal. Regular themes center around bearing false witness, hypocrisy, and, most frequently, tithing. Key phrases and messages are translated into the local dialect. Audience participation is frequent. When worshippers are moved by the pastor’s message they issue calls of the traditional: “Halleluiah!” the spirited: “Preach it!” or the ironic: “Tell them!” Ushers patrol the sanctuary, waking any sermon snoozers with a quick jab and a sharp word. Small children are expected to be silent when in church, which is amazing considering the sermon’s length. Sermons average forty minutes in length, but can approach ninety. Angie has held other peoples’ babies during the sermon, but the experience is usually short-lived due to the child’s “unacceptable” cooing and giggling.

Oftentimes, at the height of the homily, the pastor comes down from the pulpit and enters the pews. Feeding off the drama and energy, the audience rises to meet him. With flair and style, the pastor delivers his final, punctuated points. At the finale, the sanctuary bursts into applause and jubilant singing. The choirs sing the pastor back to his seat. On the way back to the platform, the pastor is sent with handshakes and backslaps. As he mops his sweat-beaded forehead, appreciative parishioners throw cash into baskets on the altar.

Next month he describes the offering and the conclusion of a very lively and long Sunday service.

Thrivent Vote at the Synod Assembly

Today the Grand Forks Herald reported on the front page that the NW MN Synod assembly voted to advise Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to end its "neutrality policy" for Thrivent Choice dollars.  On Friday the bishop, as chair of the assembly, declared the resolution failed with a vote of 177 yes, 165 no, 51 abstentions with the abstentions effectively being "no" votes.  But on Saturday he reversed himself on the recommendation of the parlimintarian because the abstentions should not have counted either way.  So the assembly was closely divided on the issue.  As a voting member of the assembly I voted "no" because this is an issue that should be addressed at a Thrivent meeting and not at a synod assembly.  The synod has no business getting into this issue.  Secondly, Thrivent is right to try to avoid entanglement in contentious political and cultural issues that have divided Lutherans far too many times.  Like many others, I am tired of the wrangling over policy that some seem to enjoy and encourage.  For that reason, if this issue ever came up at a Thrivent meeting, as a member of Thrivent I would encourage the continuation of the "neutrality policy."   The church needs a united witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If the church could discuss the limits or definitions of "the law" with civility and decorum, then none of this would come about.  But the bitter recriminations and disaffiliations that followed the 2009 churchwide assembly vote on equal rights for all its members shows clearly that some parts of the church continue to argue with one another while the witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ is compromised.  Let us hope that Thrivent ignores the advice of a slight majority of the 2014 NW MN Synod assembly.  The divisive debates in the church do not need to bleed over into the operation of Thrivent Financial.

Newsletter May 2014

My godson, Benjamin Swanson, and his wife are wrapping up a two year stint with the Peace Corps in Liberia which is in west Africa.  For the next few months I am giving this space over to their description of the Christian church in Africa.  Maybe we can learn something.   Read the blog and see the pictures at http://kingswan.wordpress.com/                                   –Pastor Halverson

Liberia is a religious place. Ninety-five percent of the nation is Christian, and it shows. Churches are everywhere in Liberia with new ones springing up daily. Everything from professional meetings to taxi rides start with a group prayer. Inquiries of “How are you?” are met with the standard, “Thank God!” Religion is prevalent through all aspects of the culture, including school, government, and daily life. (The other five percent is mostly Muslim with a smattering of other world religions.)

Church-going is one of the most culturally-rich activities in Liberia. Church is a lively, loud, and colorful place. Compared to a more reserved American style, the Liberian setting can be a little startling at first. And there’s no testing the waters. You have to jump right in. In a western religious service, you can be a quiet, anonymous observer. If you are visiting a Liberian church for the first time, there’s no hiding. As a guest, you are asked to stand, state your name, your home church, your position at the church, and the name of the person who invited you. Then, a lengthy “welcome song” starts. The whole church filters past each of the guests, shaking hands and singing, “You gotta find somebody, tell them that you love them. Put your hands together and praise the Lord!”

Sunday is always a big day in Liberia. Church starts around eleven o’clock in the morning and never before ten. All the day’s chores must be finished before coming to service. Water is hauled, markets are visited, and food is cooked – all before church. Church services last, on average, two hours and thirty minutes. The shortest service we ever attended was ninety minutes. The longest went four hours, thirty minutes. Angie once attended a service with our host family where she and the family left mid-way through the service to go eat lunch. After eating, they came back to their same seats and rejoined the congregation. Nobody seemed to bat an eye. The length of church can seem daunting to those accustomed to sixty-minute services. But for those living a life full of hard work and little luxury, church means something more than just spirituality. Church is a time of entertainment, learning, socializing, rest, relaxation, and fun.

Churches are fairly simple buildings. They are generally one large room built from cement blocks. There are no atria, social halls, or office spaces. The roof is usually corrugated tin (which leaves people straining to hear the sermon during a rainfall). Some churches are decidedly more simple – bamboo poles or mud brick. The style of seating can vary between churches. The more affluent churches use plastic patio chairs for seating. A step down from these are the standard, unpadded wooden church pews. Lowest on the ladder are rough-hewn, backless wooden benches.

During worship services, a typical sanctuary is divided up into several sections. The main seating is divided into three. Men sit on one side, women sit on the other. In the middle is a mixture of men, women, and a few children. Most children attend Sunday school during the worship service. When Angie and I attend church together, we sit in the middle section. When we attend separately, we gravitate to the section of our respective genders. Angie claims the womens’ section “is where the party is at.” In front of the women sit the Missionaries in their white blouses and head wraps. These are the elder women in the church. Across from the Missionaries sit the Deacons – the elder men in the church. In the front of the church is a raised platform. On the platform sit the choirs and the multiple Pastors. Having a position in the church is important, and the seating reflects your status.
            When people arrive at church, they are dressed in their finest. Women wear full lappa suits. Lappa refers to the colorful printed fabric that is available all over West Africa. Local tailors fashion matching skirts, tops, and head wraps for churchgoers. Men wear their equivalent lappa shirts and trousers. Children wear their “Sunday Best” suits or dresses. All clothes are spotless and wrinkle-free. (Clothes are pressed that morning using a hot, charcoal-filled iron.) Women cover their hair inside the church. Some women use scarves. Others use lappa as head wraps. Some wear large, ornate hats that, elsewhere, would elicit shouts of, “down in front!” Those who need a modest solution will pin a washcloth, doily, or napkin to their head.           More next month…..

Newsletter April 2014

As we come to Holy Week this month (April 13-20) we commemorate the events that are at the very heart of our faith.  On Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday we remember those events that called us to the faith and secured our salvation.  There is no other week in the whole year like Holy Week.  It is truly a sacred time for all Christians.

In 1^st Corinthians 15:3 St. Paul wrote, “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.”  We have an echo of these words in the communion liturgy when we say, “Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.”  This is the heart of our faith in three short sentences.

At times we Christians may get caught up in other aspects of our faith and tradition, or even go off looking for a new emphasis in an attempt to woo the next generation.  There are plenty of good things and worthy causes to engage the mind and heart of a believer in Christ, but they should never be allowed to overshadow the central tenet of our faith or crowd out the central event that we remember during Holy Week.  We should always strive to remember what is at the core of our faith and what is of second or third or even lesser importance.

In the first chapter of First Corinthians, St. Paul faced a situation in Corinth where other things overshadowed the centrality of the cross, and he responded with this ringing affirmation in verse 22 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, but Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”   And then he went on in the 2^nd verse of the 2^nd chapter to say, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 

St. Paul was a wise man with strong opinions on a variety of topics.  In the rest of this epistle he teaches boldly about the issues of concern to the church in Corinth including marriage (chapter 7), lawsuits (chapter 6), spiritual gifts (chapter 12), and so on.  At times he spoke for the Lord (1:10 & 11:23) and at other times he was less sure of himself and give his personal opinion (7:12), an opinion which was ratified by being included in sacred scripture.  Yet at both the beginning of this letter and again at the end he emphasized that which is “of first importance” that Christ died for us and on the third day rose again.

But it is not only during this one week of the year that the cross is at center of our thoughts, for every celebration of Holy Communion brings this central event to the fore.  Not only do we hear the words “the Body of Christ given for you” and “the Blood of Christ shed for you” when eat and drink, but in 1^st Corinthians 11:26 St. Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”  So each and every celebration of Holy Communion is a time when that central truth of our faith is proclaimed, even if it is during the Easter season, or during the harvest season, or Christmas Eve.  Whatever the season and whatever the mood of the service, there it is again: “Christ died for you.”

So as Lent culminates in Holy Week in the middle of this month, let this be a time when we all meditate the profound and moving events that are also the culmination of each of the four gospels.  Everything in those gospels can be considered as prologue to the cross and the empty tomb.  May our faith be centered on the death and resurrection of Christ and on nothing else, and then blossom in all the ways we live out our faith from day to day.

Beneath the cross of Jesus I long to take my stand

The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land,

A home within a wilderness, a rest upon the way,

From the burning of the noontide heat

and the burdens of the day.

Upon the cross of Jesus, my eye at times can see

The very dying form of one

who suffered there for me.

And from my contrite heart, with tears

two wonders I confess:

The wonder of his glorious love

and my unworthiness.

I take, O Cross, your shadow

for my abiding place.

I ask no other sunshine than

the sunshine of his face.

Content to let the world go by

to know no gain nor loss,

My sinful self my only shame,

                       my glory all the cross.    (ELW #338)