Law and Gospel

No matter what community you live in, the needs are the same. These needs may not be what you think they are. What we all need is, first of all, the law to confront us in our sin. We need to hear that we aren't perfect and that we can't live our lives on our own. But, most importantly, we need to hear the Gospel so that we can be assured that our sins are truly forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus and that our lives have meaning and purpose and lastly that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. May God help us understand the Christian faith in its purity and power.

Evangelism in the Suburbs

Greetings, once again. I want to change the direction of my blog a slight bit. What has been on my mind most recently has been, for lack of a better word, evangelism. As Lutherans, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is of utmost importance to us. We believe that Jesus Christ offered himself on the cross for our sins. We, also believe that three days later, He rose from the dead. His blessed death and resurrection is the bedrock of our faith. As Lutherans, we also believe in the importance of a solid confession of our faith, contained in the Book of Concord. Sadly, very few people understand who the Lutherans are and therefore have a weak understanding of the Gospel at best. Strongsville is also a community in which it is challenging to get the word out about who the Lutherans are. It is my goal that this blog becomes a way that we can get the Word out about Jesus: who He is and what He has done for us. I appreciate any input on how the Gospel message can be proclaimed to the people in the surrounding areas. Soli Deo Gloria!

Lone Survivor

Marcus Lattrell was a Navy Seal. He along with 3 other Seals were commissioned to Afghanistan to continue the war against the Taliban. They were called to take out the most difficult-to-find leaders. Their mission was simple: by whatever means necessary, gather intel, find the leaders and take them out. On one particular day, out in the middle of nowhere, they came across some wandering Afghan goat herders and they were faced with a dilemma. Were they enemy combatants or were they innocent civilians? If they were enemy combatants, they had every right to take them out. If they were innocent civilians, there were strict international laws that prohibited them from killing them. If they let them go and they went back to the Taliban, Marcus and his men could be in great danger. If they were innocent and they just shot them in cold blood, then they would possibly face a court marshal and be brought up on charges. What a horrible dilemma! Not knowing what to do, they erred on the side of caution and decided to let them go. In a short time, these goat herders came back with over a hundred enemy soldiers. In the ensuing battle, three of Marcus’ fellow soldiers were killed and he was left for dead in the middle of nowhere. The government thought that all four of them had been killed.
But, in the book that describes his miraculous and courageous story, "Lone Survivor", Marcus depicts the faith that kept him going. Finding safety in a crevice in a rock, with broken bones, a bloodied body, being without water for countless hours, he had lost much hope to ever get out alive. But, one thing kept him going: Believe it or not, the 23rd Psalm. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. Even though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Though spreadest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." The enemies were out there. They were out there in full force. The human wolves wanted to find him and devour him up. But, the Lord was His Shepherd, and by God’s mercy and protection, he was rescued and lived to tell this amazing tale.

Answers to Four Questions

1) What is the meaning of the term "church" and who or what makes up that church?
The church is first and foremost the "body" of Christ. It is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ across all denominations. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is part of the "invisible" body of Jesus or the Church. The "visible" church are those members who adhere to the Church that teaches God's Word rightly and who administer the Sacraments according to the institution of Jesus.

2) What is the mission (purpose, goals) of the Church?
We are, as the Church, to go out into all the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God, and to teach them to observe the doctrine of God. The mission of the church, then, is to preach the Word of God rightly and to administer the Sacrament of Baptism, Confession and Absolution and Holy Communion according to Christ's institution.

3) What is the nature and purpose of the worship (liturgical) services?

The purpose of worship is to receive the gifts of God. In the Divine Service, heaven and earth come together. Through the hearing of God's Word and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus Christ gives us His gifts. He forgives our sins, cleanses us from all unrighteousness, comforts us in our trials, and encourages us to live as His people in the world. In response to the gifts that are given to us in The Divine Service, we respond with prayer, praise and thanksgiving. 4) What is the relationship or connection of these three to everyday life of the members? How does it encourage you in day to day living?
Every day, we live as the body of Christ. Everyday, we put to death our old nature and live in our new nature. Every day, we no longer live but Jesus lives through us. We measure our time from Sunday to Sunday. During the week, we perform our liturgy or our service to our neighbor as we serve them in Christian love and devotion. We are part of the body that takes the Gospel out to the world. In our vocation, God serves others through us.

Letter to Church in Philadelphia! Revelation 3:7-13

The Christians in Philadelphia had to endure a lot. They had to endure the pressures of Jewish opposition. They had to endure many literal and symbolic earthquakes. But, in Christ, they were brothers, loved by God. And, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, they were victorious. They same is true for us, here at St. John in Strongsville. We are brothers loved by God. The door to eternity is open through Christ. We may have little power, but through Jesus, we keep His Word. We are surrounded by many synagogues of Satan, but they will get what is coming to them. We are enduring the hour of trial, but in Christ, we patiently endure it. Jesus is coming soon, so let us hold fast to our crown. For, in Christ, we conquer because we are pillars. God’s name is written on us. We are His! For He who has a ear, let us hear what the Spirit says to the seven churches and says to us!

The Divine Liturgy

When we step through the doors of the church, our Lord is serving us. Heaven and earth come together. We worship with all the host of heaven. Worship today is seen by many to be about the worshipper. Worship is exclusively about praising God. Sadly, that form of worship is misleading and incomplete. The icon above helps us understand what goes in the Divine Liturgy. God is giving us His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. We join with the invisible church in faith, song and praise. Worship should never be cute and cuddly, but full of reverence and respect. May our understanding of worship continue to grow as we realize what is going on in the Divine Liturgy!

The God Delusion?

Over the last several days, I have been listening to (on CD), "The God Delusion", written by the world famous atheist Richard Dawkins. At the beginning of the book, he boldly sets forth his agenda of trying to convince the reader or my case the listener that atheism is superior to a belief in the Trinitarian God. He even goes so-far-as-to-say that belief in a Christian God is detrimental for society and for the individual. Christians have for centuries "deluded" themselves into believing that there is a God. They have made Him up to make themselves feel better. There is so much that can be said in opposition to the arguments that he makes in the book. However, I will only say this. When Richard Dawkins is at his death bed and thinks back over his life and when he ponders what lies beyond the grave, I pity him. His philosophy sounds so "rational." "God can't be proven, so therefore he doesn't exist," he would say. But, when all is said and done and when he is faced with his own mortality, I wonder if he will be so sure of himself and his atheism. I think not! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

The Gospel is the Only Answer

This morning, we laid to rest a member of St. John Lutheran Church. Her name was Mary Beranek. She died unexpectedly last weekend. While her body was put in the ground, her soul went immediately to be with her Savior. The theology of the Lutheran Church centers around Jesus Christ and him crucified and risen. It is what I attempt, by God's grace, to preach every Sunday. But, it is at a funeral service where Lutheran theology takes on breathtaking beauty. It is not "our"theology at all. It is God's teaching. It comes from His Holy Word and it is my privilege to preach it especially when we stare death and the grave squarely in the face. But, in Christ, we have victory. We have victory over sin, death and Satan. I am thankful that we have a message to proclaim, especially to our world today. It is my prayer that God would continue to open doors so that we can proclaim His truth to the world.

I Don't Know Whether to Laugh or Cry

This morning, I went to a seminar in which I had the opportunity to hear the well-known and well-respected, at least within the wider Christian community, scholar and Lutheran pastor Martin Marty. Dr. Marty has written over 5o books and is currently the emeritus professor at the University of Chicago. In the course of his lecture he promoted the ecumenical movement, homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle, the ordination of women, and open communion, just to name a few heresies. I shouldn't have been surprised. I have read some of what he has written. But, what truly surprised me this morning was his desire to still connect himself to the Lutheran Church. His "version" of the Lutheran Church is so far upstream from Historic Lutheranism that is hard to distinguish it from liberal Mainline Protestantism. At one point in the past, I truly thought that maybe there was some hope that there were some within the ELCA that still held to historic Lutheranism. After hearing Marty, I am convinced that there can be no discussion. We are of a "different spirit." Lord have mercy!

Great Luther Quote!

"'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness'- That is, God lifted up a bronze serpent like the other serpents that all who looked at it might recover. This symbolized the fact that God would let His Son descend from heaven and be nailed to the cross, where He, too, hangs like a serpent or a worm, the object of scorn and contempt.. But whoever believes in this crucified Christ will not be lost and perish but will have everlasting life, just as those who looked at the bronze serpent in the wilderness did not die but were saved."

A Shameless Plug for Issues Etc.

If you want to know more about what the Lutheran Church believes, teaches and confesses, I urge you to check out Issues, Etc or Pirate Christian Radio on the web. Their various programs are fantastic in proclaiming the uniqueness of the Lutheran faith.

Why I Believe that Evolution is True! Not!

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been reading this book, "Why Evolution is True." In the chapter, 'Remnants; Vestiges, Embryos, and Bad Design,' the author states, "Women... give birth through the pelvis, a painful and inefficient process that, before modern medicine, killed appreciable numbers of mothers and babies. The problem is that we evolved a big brain, the infant's head became very large relative to the opening of the pelvis, which had to remain narrow to allow efficient.. walking. This compromise leads to the difficulties and enormous pain of human birth. If you designed a human female, wouldn't you have rerouted the female reproductive tract so it exited through the lower abdomen instead of the pelvis? Imagine how much easier it would be to give birth?"

This is his argument why evolution must be true because the design of the woman's reproductive system does make sense? Come-on! What lunacy! God's Word clearly answers his point in Genesis 3. There will be pain in childbearing. Sin has caused the problem not God. To criticize God's creation and creative design is dangerous, Mr. Coyne! Thankfully, our God is a merciful God.

Who are the Lutherans?

Who are the Lutherans? What do they believe, teach and confess? What makes them tick? What makes them unique? I am blessed to serve Christ's church in Strongsville, Ohio. Most people, in the area that I serve, have no idea what the Lutheran Church is all about. It is my intention by God's grace to get the Word out about the Lutheran church. Please join me in my attempt to spread the Word.

The Church Is At War

I ran across this section from Conservative Reformation and Its Theology written by Charles Porterfield Krauth. It is so true in regards to the current state of affairs in Lutheranism. It begins on page 147, "The life of a Church may be largely read in its controversies. As the glory or shame of a nation is read upon its battle-fields which tells for what it perilled the lives of its sons, so may the glory or shame of a Church be determined when we know what it fought against; how much it valued what it believed to be truth; what was the truth it valued; how much it did, and how much it suffered to maintain that truth, and what was the issue of it struggles and sacrifices. Tested in all these ways, the record of the Lutheran Church is incomparably glorious. It has contended for great truths at great sacrifices, and in every conflict in which it has borne a part, truth has ultimately been victorious. A Church which contends for nothing, either has lost the truth, or has ceased to love it. Warfare is painful, but they whose errors create the necessity for it are responsible for all its miseries." SDG

A Real Myth Buster

Adam Savage is one of the hosts of the popular television show on Discovery Channel called "Myth Busters." On one of the episodes, he spoke a slogan that really caught my attention. Denying that he had made a mistake, he said, "I reject your reality and substitute my own." Trying to be funny, I think he truly summed up in a short phrase, the modern philosophy of so many people in our world today. They reject what they don't want to be true, and put in its place what they want to be true. Breaking a promise is no big deal. Cheating on one's spouse or on one's taxes, also, is no big deal. Worshipping false gods are fine, as long as what you believe, you believe with your whole heart. Taking God's name in vain is freedom of speech. Killing the unborn is a personal choice. "I reject your reality, (that is God's) and substitute my own." Isn't that exactly what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden? In fact, because they did that, death resulted. God allowed us to have our own reality. The skeleton in the picture is quite coincidental but proves my point. It is a real myth to think that we can reject God and there are no consequences. You can reject God's reality, but it will cost you dearly. On the other hand, thanks be to God that it is no myth that God sent His only Son into the world to bear our sin and be our Savior. God took on flesh, dwelt among us, suffered and died on a cross, to take our place. He rose again, three days later, again no myth, and proclaimed to the world that there is life and there is hope and there is salvation and there is forgiveness. "I reject your reality and substitute my own." In fact, that is exactly what Jesus said to us. I reject your sinful reality that leads to death and substitute my own that leads to life. Let us follow the reality of our Lord because it leads to where we want to go. God bless.

What Are We Exposing Our Children To?

I just came from our children's school, Muraski, here in Strongsville, where they had a "parade" of children walking around with their costumes. But, as I stood there, a thought came into my mind: what are we exposing our children to? What are our children watching? There were many fairies, many Spidermen and many Darth Vaders. These I don't have as much of a problem with; but, there were a lot of costumes that were scary in every sense of the term. I saw a Jason from "Friday the 13th." I saw a Freddy from "Nightmare on Elm Street" and Michael Myers from "Halloween" the movie. Muraski only goes up to the 6th grade and that means that the oldest child is maybe 13. Do our children watch these so-called horror movies? I ask that knowing full well that they do, because I have talked about it in confirmation. We should be furious that kids of all ages are watching these movies that adults should not even be watching. We live in such a violent society already and we should not make light of violence in any way. What redeeming value is there in letting our children dress up like mass murderers? It is sick and it is wrong. It sends the wrong message and especially if we are not teaching our children what is right and what is wrong. Is it any wonder that children go into schools and act out what they see in movie? If anyone saw the pictures from the shooting at Success Tech in Cleveland, you know exactly what I talking about. Asa looked like someone you would see in a horror movie. When will it all end? I wonder. The bottom line is that we must take a stance against this in our society and we must do it quickly. Lord have mercy on us!

Standing Up For What You Believe In!

From the beginning of my ministry (1998), people, especially District executives, have said that I needed to change my viewpoints on worship. The historic liturgy was on its way out. People today need something more. They need bands and contemporary music. Hymns were too old-fashioned. For a church to be successful, it had to have a contemporary service. But, it is my firmest conviction, that what people need is the Word of God and the historic liturgy, our hymns and confessional Lutheran worship is the best way to bring that to them. We don't need to change who we are for the sake of increasing our membership. Yes, there will be some people that demand a certain type of worship. But, I believe that if people truly understand how our confessional Lutheran worship is structured and why we do what we do, they will desire it. The bottom line is that we have been given a beautiful and magnificent form of worship, i.e. the historic Lutheran liturgy and we must hold on to that no matter what. I will believe that for as long as God allows me to serve Him as pastor. S0li Deo Gloria!

A Reformation Angel

This image to the left is taken from the title page of the 1534 Bible of Martin Luther.

Revelation 14, verses 6 and 7, "Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."

These two verses from Revelation 14 beautifully describe Martin Luther, the man God used to bring the Gospel back into the spotlight. He definitely was an angel, a messenger the Lord used to bring countless souls into the kingdom of God. But remember, this Reformation Angel isn’t gone. He still flutters his wings whenever the Word of God is proclaimed in its truth and purity. He still flies through the air and contends with God’s enemies of sin, death and devil. Thank you, Martin Luther, for being a faithful angel or messenger of Christ!

Who are the Jehovah Witnesses?

You never know when you are going to have an opportunity to bear witness to the faith (1 Peter 3:15-16). Sometimes, it comes when you least expect it or when you least desire it. On Sunday afternoon, God provided an opportunity for me to confess the truth to two young Jehovah Witness ladies. Sunday afternoon, I am usually fairly tired from the Sunday activities; and this past Sunday, I also had a hymn fest that I was going to later in the day. Needless to say, I was not necessarily in the mood to debate theology at my front door. But, as these ladies came to the door, I knew that it was an opportunity that I could not pass up. As the conservation began, I asked them where they were from and what they were up to (I had previously told them that I was a Lutheran pastor). They continued with their presentation. I listened for awhile and then when the opportunity presented itself, I began to stir the conversation around who Jesus was. Predictably, they informed me that Jesus was a created being, not God. Jesus was a good man, but not our Savior. He was, "our king"- one who shows us how we should live our life. Also, I asked them if they believed they were going to heaven. Their response, "No, only 144,000 are going there. They were going to the new earth that Jesus was going to create." As the conversation continued, we discussed many other topics, but before they left, I presented to them the Gospel. "We are all sinful, truly and completely unable to save ourselves. So, therefore, God the Father, who is rich in mercy, sent His only Son into the world, Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for all people. Those who believe and are baptized into Jesus will be saved." I also warned them to make sure that their beliefs were really from the Word of God. I, then, invited them to St. John and we parted ways. I will probably never know the full effect of this conversation. I pray I may have an opportunity with them again someday. But, as a Christian, the opportunities are all around to bear witness to Christ in what we say and what we do. May the Holy Ghost inspire us to be bold and take advantage of the opportunities as they present themselves! God bless!

Keeping Things in Perspective

I'm upset. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was their year. I had nearly given up earlier in the year; but, as the season ended, I was a firm believer. Everything was lined up and as game 7 with the Red Sox ended, I was in shock. But, as a few days have passed, my attitude has changed. It was disappointing- no question about it. But, keeping things in perspective, it was a great year. We won the division. We beat the Yankees and we were one game away from going to the World Series. I am very proud of our team. It will take time to get over how this season ended; but next year will come. We will be ready to take it one step further. Go Tribe!

What Are the Most Important Things We Can Teach Our Children?

As a father of four boys, I have often asked myself this question: what are the most important things I can teach my children? Is it to throw a baseball or a football or is it to cheer for the Cleveland sports teams or is it how our American form of government works or is it how to deal with our enemies or is it how important our military is to our national security or is it how to spend money? Certainly, all of these things are important, some more than others. But, as a father, I have learned what is most important thing to teach our children: it is the Gospel; and not just part of the Gospel, but the entire Gospel. Teaching our blessed children right from wrong; teaching them that they are sinners in need of God's grace; teaching them that God loves them for the sake of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection; teaching them that they are God's beloved children in Baptism; teaching them what goes in Holy Communion so that when they are old enough to receive it, they will truly appreciate it; teaching them Bible stories and our blessed Lutheran doctrine; and teaching them that when they die they will be in God's presence forever. This is the Gospel and this is what we need to teach our children.

So often, myself included, I think parents get side-tracked. Because of busy schedules or just a lack of concern, children are cheated out of what we as parents should be teaching them. Sometimes what we are teaching them is not what we want to be teaching them or we are allowing the media, television and the Internet to be teaching them. Being a parent is such a humbling experience. But, as a parent, I know how quickly the time goes. So parents, may we truly heed the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 6, beginning at verse 4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. "And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you- with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant- and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. "

1 Goal Reached, 11 games to go!

I must admit that at one point this year, I didn't think they would get it done. They proved me wrong. Unbelievable game, but they aren't finished. 11 games to a championship. The city needs it. We have waited long enough. Go tribe!

What Do We Believe as Lutherans? Adult Instruction Class

Starting on Wednesday, September 26, at 7pm at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 8888 Prospect Road in Strongsville, Ohio, we will be starting another adult instruction class. This class is intended for all adults who are considering joining St. John, for those interested in knowing more about the Lutheran faith, or for those who are already members who want to go back and study again what they learned as youth. Anyone is welcome. It is a great opportunity to learn more and grow in our faith. The class usually lasts anywhere from 10 to 12 weeks. Come one and all.

He Did It Again?

Unbelievable! Way to go Casey! Twice in four days, he hits a walk-off homer. A 5 1/2 game lead. The magic number is 7. Playoffs here we come.

Time For Me to Rant!

It's time for me to rant! Yet another "star" has been "exposed" on the Internet. It shouldn't surprise me; and yet, it does. I remember reading a book awhile back that revealed how all of the major female stars in Hollywood had taken off their clothes, in one form or another, on their way up the ladder of success. It was a kind of "rite of passage" to be successful in Hollywood. We've fallen so far as a society. When is it going to stop? The success of the movie, "High School Musical", rather tame in comparison to a lot of what we watch today, reveals just what we value in our society. We value having fun at all costs. We value doing whatever we want whenever we want. We look up to people who lack moral integrity. Where does it lead us? Only God knows. But, here is my plea. America, stop! Stop spending millions of dollars watching the garbage that comes out of Hollywood. Stop going to the movies! Stop buying and renting DVDs. I can't even go to Blockbuster with my children anymore. What they see on the shelves staring back at them makes me blush. Turn off the shows that promote promiscuity and moral ambiguity. As a culture, we must stand up and fight it. If we don't, our future is in serious jeopardy. But, let us not forget that there is forgiveness for all sins at the cross! It is only the grace of God in Jesus Christ that can cure what ails us!

What Are They Planning Next?

The day after the 6 year anniversary of 9-11, we still must ask ourselves two very important questions: 1) Are we any safer today than we were six years ago? 2) What are the terrorists planning next? To answer the first question, we must say that in some ways, we are safer. We are more aware of the fact that we have enemies and that is a good thing. I think prior to 9-11, we had forgotten that we have enemies- enemies that are bent on our destruction. I am also certainly thankful for the men and women in our military who are fighting to make us safer. In that way, we are safer. Lastly, certain governmental policy has made us safer. But, it is also questionable whether our airline industry is any safer or if we are any less vulnerable to an attack. Our border to the south is a huge problem and in that regard, we are less safe. So, are we any safer today than we were six years ago? Not sure.

To answer the second question, we must be honest. We don't know what they are planning next; only, we know they are planning something. I believe that it is just a matter of time before we are hit again. Glenn Beck, on the radio and on his television program, brought up the possibility that terrorists may strike at our schools. A couple of years ago, extremists attacked a school in Russia. Many experts today feel that our schools are also vulnerable. Talk about terrorism. There are buses missing in Texas and bus radios missing in the Northwest. Again, we don't know. But it certainly makes you wonder what the terrorists are up to next.

So, the bottom line is simple: pay attention to what is going on around you. Get involved in your local community and vote in office those leaders who you think will protect and keep you safe. But, most importantly, pray. Pray for our nation and especially for our children. God bless us.

What is a Pastor to do?

Pastors today are asked to do a lot and to know a lot. Today, the expectation by some is that a pastor must be able to master many different trades. They are asked to be Cruise directors (make sure everyone is happy and having a good time), Chairmen of the Board (providing leadership and goals for the future), firemen (put out fires), policemen (break up fights), lawyers/judges (determine who is right and who is wrong), doctors (help with medical needs), and accountants (balance the budget). But, first and foremost, the role of the pastor is to do what this painting so beautifully portrays. What is a pastor to do? Point people to Christ. When they are in despair, point them to Christ. When they need help, point them to Christ. When they are in error, point them to Christ. Whatever the situation, point them to Christ. If a pastor is doing that, he is doing what God wants him to do and what the congregation has called him to do. Pastors today must not become distracted from their primary function- point people to Christ. Soli Deo Gloria!

Chief of Sinners Though I Be!

William McComb, a laymen from Ireland, in the 19th century, wrote one of our greatest hymns about the nature of our relationship with God. In our day and age, to speak of sin is taboo and judgmental. But, to God, acknowledging our sinfulness is good because it leads us to cling to Christ as Savior. Read these words and may Christ lead us to Himself. Soli Deo Gloria!

1. Chief of Sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me, died that I might live on high, lives that I might never die. As the branch is to the vine, I am His, and He is mine.

2. Oh, the height of Jesus' love, higher than the heavens above, deeper than the depths of sea, lasting as eternity! Love that found me- wondrous thought! Found me when I sought Him nought.

3. Only Jesus can impart balm to heal the wounded hear, peace that flows from sin forgiven, joy that lifts the soul to heaven, faith and hope to walk with God in the way that Enoch trod.

4. Chief of sinners though I be, Christ is all in all to me; all my wants to Him are known, all my sorrows are His own, He sustains the hidden life safe with Him from earthly strife.

5. O my Savior, help afford by your Spirit and your Word! When my wayward heart would stray, keep me in the narrow way; grace in time of need supply while I live and when I die.

A Six Game Lead with 25 to go!

About 3 weeks ago, I vented my frustration about the Cleveland Indians, wanting them to start winning. Since that time, boy have they turned it on. With a month to play, they have a six game lead over the Detroit Tigers. Keep it going, Tribe! This is the year! 60 years is long enough for a championship.

Way to Go Mustangs!

God bless our kids!

This morning, I dropped two of our kids off at school. Hard to believe, summer is over. As they begin another year, I pray that they learn what it is they are to learn and disregard that which they are to disregard. May God protect them and all children in our schools this year. Hymn 866 in LSB, sums it up well, Lord Jesus Christ, the Children's Friend. "Lord Jesus Christ, the children's friend, to each of them Your presence send; call them by name and keep them true in loving faith, dear Lord, to You.... That caring parents, gracious Lord, and faithful teachers find reward in leading these, to whom You call, to find in Christ their all in all... Then guard and keep us to the end, secure in you, our gracious friend, that in Your heavenly family we sing Your praise eternally." God bless.

Going, Going, Gone!

On the final day of its 2007 Churchwide Assembly in Chicago (Saturday, August 11), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a resolution which “prays, urges, and encourages [ELCA geographical] synods, synodical bishops, and the presiding bishop to refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining those rostered leaders in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship who have been called and rostered in this church."

The ELCA continues to slide down the slippery slope toward compromise with the world. There is no Biblical rationale for this decision. It is entirely based on worldly opinion and a refusal to abide by God's Word. Homosexuality is a sin against God. To have "rostered leaders" trying to justify their behavior is beyond description. For those who are still faithful in the ELCA, my advice to you is get out now. Why the ELCA continues to keep the Lutheran name is beyond my feeble understanding.

Is God punishing me?

For many, when they hear the word discipline, they also get scared. They think immediately of punishment. Are you one of these people? Bad things that have happened in life or are currently happening in life mean that God is surely punishing them for their sin. What they are going through serves no higher purpose other than retribution on God’s part. God wants to get them back, to watch them squirm. But, nothing could be farther from the truth. God is not getting you back; for He has punished His own Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, with the punishment that was rightly due to you and me.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” The Lord’s wrath against sin was unfurled on the shoulders of Jesus, as He endured the scourging, mockery, and finally being crucified upon a cross as punishment for the sins of the world.

Life Under the Cross

August 13th through the 15th, I attended a Saint Louis seminary extension class hosted by St. James in Cleveland. Dr. Jeff Kloha discussed various chapters in 1 Corinthians. It was truly an enlightening class. Although, I didn't necessarily agree with everything that was said, (who does?) overall the theme was spot-on: all of our lives are lived under the cross. The main problem, if you will, at the city of Corinth was that they didn't see a connection between what Jesus did for them on the cross and their everyday lives. They excused their actions all in the name of Christian freedom. May the Spirit through the Word of the cross lead us to live out our faith in the world now and always.

Forgiveness

"Zhang Shuhong, who co-owned Lee Der Industrial Co. Ltd., killed himself at a warehouse over the weekend, days after China announced it had temporarily banned exports by the company, the Southern Metropolis Daily said. Lee Der made 967,000 toys recalled earlier this month by Mattel Inc. because they were made with paint found to have excessive amounts of lead."

I saw this headline and I just had to comment. What a tragedy. It happens every day, but it is still a tragedy. I don't know much about the details, but apparently, this man, so overwhelmed with guilt, saw no way out other than to kill himself.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose again from the grave so that the forgiveness of sins might be preached to all nations. There was forgiveness for Zhang. Yes, he made a big mistake, but in Christ, there is forgiveness. No one's sin is so large that it can't be forgiven. Just look at Peter. He denied Christ and yet, Jesus forgave him. May we continue to do the work the church has been given and not get sidetracked into a host of other objectives. Preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments. Jesus forgives your sins and the re is hope for you in this life and the next. Take care.

Let The Rookie Start!

The Cleveland Browns have a dilemma. Which quarterback should start? For me, it is simple. Give the rookie his chance! Neither Frye nor Anderson are going to get it done. Brady has more talent and desire. Let him learn early, make his mistakes and see what happens. Just my humble opinion. What's it going to hurt?

It's Time To Turn It Around

I have to make a brief comment on my beloved Indians. Since moving here in October of 2003, I have become an avid Cleveland sports fan. I fell in love with the Indians very quickly. But, this year, has been very strange. We have been at the top or near the top all year and have not played anywhere up to our abilities and potential. Our family is going to the game Wednesday night. Now is the time. This series is important. Let's go tribe! It's time to turn it around.

It's Good To Be Back

It is good to be back. I have not had a chance to write a new blog in many months. The responsibilities of the pastorate have kept me away. But, I have more to say, so I am making the time. God bless.

Some Quotes from Joel Osteen

1. Joel Osteen-(born March 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas) is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, North America’s largest and fastest growing church averaging more than 42,000 attendees at weekly services. He is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Your Best Life Now,and his television ministry is the most watched inspirational program in America.

2. Took over Dad’s ministry in 1999: John said, “It's God's will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty. It's God's will for you to pay your bills and not be in debt. It's God's will for you to live in health and not in sickness all the days of your life.”

3. Osteen quotes:

a) Osteen’s upbeat style is deliberate and authentic. ‘Make church relevant,’ he says. ‘Give them something to be able to take away. I find today people are not looking for theology. There’s a place for it, [But] in your everyday life you need to know how to live.
b) "It's not a churchy feel," Osteen, 40, said. "We don't have crosses up there. We believe in all that, but I like to take the barriers down that have kept people from coming. A lot of people who come now are people that haven't been to church in 20 to 30 years."
c) "I think for years there's been a lot of hellfire and damnation. You go to church to figure out what you're doing wrong and you leave feeling bad like you're not going to make it," Osteen said. "We believe in focusing on the goodness of God."
d) Interview with Larry King: KING: “What if you're Jewish or Muslim, you don't accept Christ at all? OSTEEN: “You know, I'm very careful about saying who would and wouldn't go to heaven. I don't know ...KING: “If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They're wrong, aren't they?OSTEEN: “Well, I don't know if I believe they're wrong. I believe here's what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I just think that only God with judge a person's heart. ... I don't know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And I don't know. I've seen their sincerity. So I don't know. I know for me, and what the Bible teaches, I want to have a relationship with Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:3-4- For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

A Snow-out in baseball? Come on!

On Monday, my family (my brother and dad drove up from Indiana to Cleveland) and I were supposed to see the Indians play the Seattle Mariners. For the 4th straight day, it was postponed due to snow. Now, who ever heard of a baseball game getting canceled due to snow? Come on! But, with all things, some good came out of it. Our family went to the IX Center instead, and a good time was had by all. And, sometime in May or June, we will try again to see the Indians. Hopefully, the weather will be better.

Easter in Cleveland!

Living in Cleveland now for over 3 years, I have learned to expect anything. But, having snow on Easter was a new experience. I say that even after living in Montana for 4 years. Nevertheless, what a joy it was to celebrate with all the faithful the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, snow or no snow! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth

1- A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, the guilt of all men bearing; and laden with the sins of earth, none else the burden sharing! Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, to slaughter led without complaint, that spotless life to offer; bears shame, and stripes, and wounds and death, anguish and mockery, and saith, "Willing all this I suffer."

2- This Lamb is Christ, the soul's great Friend, the Lamb of God, our Savior; Him God the Father chose to send to gain for us His favor. "Go forth, My Son," the Father saith, "and free men from the fear of death, from guilt and condemnation. The wrath and stripes are hard to bear, but by Thy Passion men shall share the fruit of Thy salvation."

Why Is the Mormon Church So Deceptive?

On Saturday, March 10th, I went with a group from St. John's to see an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the visitors center in Kirtland, Ohio. We went there to see the exhibit, as well as, take a tour of their historic village and temple. Joseph Smith was in Kirtland from 1831 to 1838 and their church was headquartered there.

But, I can not remember a time in my life where I have been more disgusted with what I saw. What we witnessed was the Mormon church at its deceptive finest and a classic bait and switch! Instead of it being an objective presentation of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), they attempted to draw connections between the community that many people believe produced the DSS and the Mormon doctrine and practice. One particular example was the strict dietary restrictions of the Essene community that produced the DSS. They said that the Mormons are the community that continues these strict religious observances and therefore, the Mormons are the restored church.

What upset me the most was in the room in which they were displaying their copies of many of the DSS. As you walked around the room, you listened to a running commentary of what you were seeing. Throughout the commentary was Mormon propaganda. And to top it off, at the very end of the exhibit was a table that contained the Bible, as well as, the Book of Mormon. They were saying loud and clear that the Book of Mormon was in line with the Biblical writings of the DSS and should therefore be believed and accepted as God's Word.

Now, anyone who has studied the Mormon church at all knows that they believe the Book of Mormon to be an additional revelation of God's Word. But, to "hijack" and manipulate the DSS, in such a way, as to say that Mormon doctrine and practice can be legitimized in the DSS is from a scholarly point of view, extremely dishonest and from a Christian point of view, deceptive and unbelievably evil.

After we walked around looking at the exhibit, we had a question-and-answer period with one of the leading elders. I raised my hand and asked point blank, "How can you possibly draw any conclusions whatsoever between the DSS and Mormon teaching? Is this honest?" From there, we debated Mormon doctrine for the next 30 minutes or so. Members of our congregation and myself rebuked the man one point after the other. At one point, he tried to dismiss me by saying that nowhere in the Bible does it say that church should pay their clergy. He also said that he was a former judge and that I was getting dangerously close to contempt. I was offending him and was out of order. If I was out of order, than so be it! I could not believe that they had the audacity to do what they were doing and someone had to say something!

At still a later point, as we were watching a video on the history of the temple in Kirtland, the presenter was talking about what the original temple looked liked when it was built in the 1830's. Because the early Mormon people were relatively poor, they couldn't afford the finest materials. So, they tried to create an illusion, with paint and other materials, to make it look more expensive, elaborate and majestic. How ironic! The Mormon church trying to make themselves look different than they actually are! There is no greater deception that goes on in our world today than what the Mormon church is involved in! I am dedicating myself to continual study, as much as I possibly can, so that I can renounce them at every level. I have never seen so many people lie, with a straight face, or worse yet, with a smile. Lord have mercy!

Play Ball!

With a lot of snow yet on the ground, it may be somewhat premature to think about the Indians. But, I don't care. Baseball is just around the corner and it helps a little to think about baseball. In just over a month, the Jake will be hopping once again. This is their year! Go Tribe!

Tragedy or a Wake Up Call?

I hesitate even saying anything about Anna Nicole Smith, but I feel that I must. Her story is tragic on so many different levels. It is tragic that she died so young. It is tragic that her child is now without a mother. It is tragic that so many people want her fortune, sinking to the most despicable of levels. It is tragic that we treated her with any interest whatsoever. But, what is most tragic is her eternal destiny. She experienced personal demons that destroyed her; but, if she rejected Christ, those demons have become infinitely more painful. It is my prayer that people see her life and her death as a wake up call. Hollywood has very little, if anything, redeeming and important to say about what truly matters in life. We must not idolize that which is evil. It only leads to destruction. Wake up America! Over-indulgence and sexual immortality are not what they are cracked up to be. Contentment, peace, joy and hope are found only in Christ Jesus!

For You Are Dust and to Dust You Shall Return

Last night, we had our Ash Wednesday service. It was a powerful and important start to Lent. I offered ashes to those who wanted them before and after the service in my office. For me personally, to not have ashes on Ash Wednesday was to miss something important. I grew up as a pastor's kid. My dad, a Lutheran pastor, always used the imposition of ashes. So, I got used to it. In the minds of many, the imposition of ashes are "too Roman." That is unfortunate because there are numerous things that we share in common, especially when it comes to worship practices, with our Roman brothers, i.e. the Liturgy, vestments, church architecture, Communion ware, just to name a few. Receiving ashes is not mandatory; but, I believe that those who received them were reminded in a powerful way that, "they are dust and to dust they shall return." We are mortal and will one day turn to ashes; and yet, on the Last Day, Christ will come and raise those ashes to be a glorified body. God bless.

Judge Roy Moore's Poem

You may have already seen this, but still good.

The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama. The judge's poem sums it up quite well.

America the Beautiful, or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride; I'm glad they'll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters, Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty; your house is on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly poisoned by cocaine,
Choosing to indulge their lusts, when God has said abstain.
From sea to shining sea, our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love and a need to always pray.
We've kept God in our temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool, and Heaven is His throne.
We've voted in a government that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges who throw reason out the door,
Too soft to place a killer in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.
You think that God's not angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait before His judgment comes?
How are we to face our God, from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do, but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children, will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face and mend our evil way: (Trust in Jesus for forgiveness- my words)
Then God will hear from Heaven and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful, if you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy God withdraw His hand from Thee.

Beware of False Prophets!

In the 2nd letter of St. Peter, the 2nd chapter, beginning at verse 1, we read, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction."

This afternoon, I attended a lecture at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH. It was the third in a series given by Dr. Elaine Pagels. Dr. Pagels is a professor at Princeton University. She has written many books, some of which include The Gnostic Gospels and Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas.

As I sat and listened to Dr. Pagels, the above passage came to mind. What I am about to say next, I do not say lightly, but I am compelled to by the Word of God: I was listening to a false prophet. In our society, we hate to condemn anyone. Our world feels as if no one has an exclusive right to the truth, and everyone is right and no one is wrong. That attitude is dead wrong!

Here is what I mean. It is Dr. Pagels' view that the 27 New Testament books were brought into one unit, what we would call the Canon, for the purpose of having something to read in Church. But, she also feels that God may have wanted other "spiritual" or "divine" books to be read, marked and inwardly digested as you would study the Bible. She informed her audience that she believes that the Bible and the New Testament were written for new converts to Christianity; while the gnostic gospels, that is, the gospels that were found in Nag Hammadi in 1945, were written for those already well established in the Christian faith. So, in essence, the gnostic gospels are superior to the Gospels found in the Bible. Unbelievable!

I wanted to ask her, but I didn't have the opportunity, a couple of questions. 1) Does not the New Testament itself condemn false teaching? 2) If it does, does it also not condemn Gnosticism? 3) Then, if it condemns Gnosticism, what right do we have to read The Gospel of Thomas or The Gospel of Philip or any of the other gospels that have been found as the Word of God? It absolutely dumbfounded me that she was analyzing the Gospel of Thomas as you would any other New Testament book and implying that they might contain the Word of God.

Bottom line then is this: Paul says in Galatians, chapter 1, verses 8 and 9. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."

Again, what I say I do not say lightly: What Elaine Pagels teaches is heresy, pure and simple. The Bible specifically condemns what she teaches. She is a false teacher and it is my prayer that she repents of her sin and turns to Christ. And, even more importantly, may God have mercy on anyone, who after hearing these lectures, may believe her and be lead into false belief and despair.

In Christ,

Pastor Haugen

Another Explanation For Global Warming!

At adult Bible class on Sunday, another very astute explanation was given for the possibility of global warming. We were discussing Revelation 20 and the possibility that we are in the "little season" or the time where Satan is released after the 1000 years. The comment went something like this. "Pastor, maybe that is what is causing global warming. If God is allowing Satan out of his Hell, then it would make sense that the earth is getting warmer." Interesting?

So You Think You Want to Be a Pastor?

On February 21st, from 4 to 7pm, the Reverend Scott Stiegemeyer, from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will be at St. John to visit with anyone who might have an interest in becoming a pastor. If this is something that you have thought about, now is the time to pursue it! It is never too late to answer God's call. We are located at 8888 Prospect Road in Strongsville.

Who Are Those Lutherans?

Starting this Sunday, February 11th, at 7pm, and going for roughly 8-1o weeks, I will be having again my adult catechesis class. This class is intended for those interested in pursuing communicant membership at St. John, as well as, for those who who are just interested in what Lutheranism is all about. We will be covering the Small Catechism primarily; but, we will also be discussing issues such as infant baptism, close communion, the nature of God, suffering in the world, homosexuality, abortion and much more. Please feel free to come at any time. St. John Lutheran Church is located at 8888 Prospect Road in Strongsville, Ohio. God bless.

All My Sons

On Saturday night, my wife and I went to a play written by Arthur Miller, called, "All My Sons," at the Weathervane Theater outside of Akron. It was the story of a father caught between wanting to provide for his family on one hand and doing something completely immoral on the other. The setting was during World War II. He was the owner of a factory that supplied parts to airplanes. On one fateful day, the factory was producing a faulty part that had a crack in it. He had to decide whether to shut the factory down and fix the part and risk losing his business or ship the part, knowing that something tragic could occur. Unfortunately, he chose the latter and 20 men were killed in the airplanes with his faulty part. And to make matters worse, he tried to cover up the crack by blaming his head manager who was also his neighbor and good friend. That man ends up taking the fall and going to prison. As the play continued, his deception is found out and he ends up shooting himself.

I did feel that the play was well acted, but I like stories with happy endings- call me what you will. I hear enough tragic stories on the news every day. When I see a movie or watch a play, I want something that is uplifting. This play was far from that. But, I must say, it was accurate. Try as they might, people try to justify their actions with all sorts of good intentions. But, without God, outside of faith in Christ, life is hopeless and delusional. I really don't know how anyone can survive with some hope in their life. The bottom line is simply: don't try to live your life by yourself. If you have to do something immoral to make yourself or your family successful, it is definitely not the right thing to do. God provides for you. You need not take matters into your own hands. You can live your life by yourself for awhile, but ultimately, it will lead to destruction. Trust in Jesus Christ! He is the way, the truth and the life!

Sometimes Peace Is Not A Good Thing! Installment #1

David Heileman wrote in the Thursday, November 23rd edition of the SunNews, "A new center for transcendental meditation, a counterculture phenomenon that in the 1960's attracted celebrities like the Beatles and the Beach Boys, is in the works here (in Strongsville). The movement, founded a half century ago by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and now operating as the Global Country of World Peace, plans to build a 'Peace Palace.'" Their center will offer a transcendental meditation program along with courses in health, self-improvement, exercise and nutrition, as well as a day spa. Later, he writes that, "the center's plans in Strongsville also call for the construction of a private school for boys and girls in grades 9-12 as a second phase of the project."

On the surface, this sounds like just another exercise facility with a more religious twist. But, sadly, that is not the case. Strongsville does not need the Maharishi palace. It is dangerous in so many ways. It is a classic bait and switch. It will take the residents of Strongsville down the wrong path. In other installments, I will explain why I feel that this "Peace Palace" is a cult and why we should not buy what they are selling. Stay tuned for further information.

The Titanic Has Sunk!

At half-time, the Ohio State University band played the theme song from the movie, "The Titanic." Talk about irony! OSU sailed into the game thinking that it was indestructible. The iceberg was the Gators and the boat OSU sunk hard. What an absolutely dominating performance by Florida. There was no sign of life from the Buckeye's after the first 15 seconds. Who would have thought? Anyway, on the positive side, OSU still had a great year and much to be proud of.

A Blessed New Year!

A blessed new year to all. I look forward to another year of God's grace found in the manger, at the cross, at the empty tomb, at the right hand of God, at the font, from the lecturn and pulpit, and at the altar. In a world full of fear and trembling, we have a God who tells us, "Don't fear, for I am with you always to end of the age." May God bless our Lutheran Church as we remain faithful to Him.

Did You Get Everything You Wanted for Christmas?

Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas? Did you get that new pair of pants, or new shirt or new tie or new necklace or Play Station III that you wanted? News reports are saying that for many retailers, this was somewhat of a disappointing year. Disappointing for what reason? They weren't at the stores I was at. Our country has become so obsessed with material possessions. Our stuff owns us, not the other way around.

Thanks be to God that I got everything that I wanted for Christmas. I wanted to celebrate with all the faithful the blessed incarnation of Jesus. Got to do that! I wanted to sing the joyful Christmas hymns. Did that! I wanted to see the look on the faces of my boys and wife when they opened their presents. Enjoyed it! I wanted to get together with my family to enjoy a Christmas dinner. Had the pleasure of that! I got everything that I wanted for Christmas. Have a blessed Christmas and Christ-centered New Year!

When Sinners See Their Lost Condition!

TLH- #65

1. When sinners see their lost condition and feel the pressing load of sin, and Jesus cometh on His mission to heal the sin-sick heart within, all grief must flee before His grace, and joy divine will take its place.

2. When Jesus enters meek and lowly to fill the home with sweetest peace; when hearts have felt His blessing holy and found from sin complete release, then light and calm within shall reign and hearts divided love again.

3. When Jesus enters land and nation and moves the people with His love; when, yielding to His kind persuasion, our hearts His truth and blessing prove; then shall our life on earth be blest, the peace of God on us shall rest.

4. When Jesus comes,- O blessed story!- He works a change in heart and life; God's kingdom comes with power and glory to young and old, to man and wife; Through Sacrament and living Word, faith, love and hope are now conferred.

5. Then stilled are cries and lamentation, then loosed is Satan's every band; in death is hope and consolation, the soul is safe in Jesus' hand. When we shall walk through death's dark vale, His rod and staff shall never fail.

6. Oh, may He soon to every nation find entrance where He is unknown, with life and light and full salvation, that heathendom may be overthrown and healing to the hearts may come in heathen land and Christian home!

Let the Light Shine!

On Wednesday, December 13th, the Western Church recognizes the minor festival of St. Lucia- who was an early 4th century martyr who refused to recant under the persecution of the Roman emperor, Diocletian. At one point in her persecution, Lucia's eyes were cut out, which makes the symbolism which would come later that much more significant.

Particularly in the country of Sweden, in Lutheran homes, St. Lucia is remembered on this day, by having one of the daughters of the house dress in a white robe with a crown of lighted candles and go singing from room to room early in the morning, while it is still dark, to awaken the other family members and to offer them cakes of bread.

The symbolism is clear: Jesus is the Light of the world and the Bread of Life. We are covered with the righteousness of Christ in our Baptism. As we wait for the celebration of Christ's first Advent, as well as His Second Advent, may the Light of Christ shine in our world! May we also remember that we shine not with our own inward light, but reflect the light of Christ, who is our Head! God bless.

Science As Evangelism

Recently, I received an article written by George Johnson entitled, "Natural evangelism." It is subtitled, "Science is urged to vie with religion as teller of the greatest story ever told." It appeared in the Toronto Star: www.thestar.com. The point of the article is that scientists should not be afraid to "evangelize" their beliefs over and against those that support creationism, much like churches do.

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in physics, is quoted as saying, "the world needs to wake up from its long nightmare of religious belief." Also, Carolyn Porco, a senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said, as well, "We should let the success of religious formula guide us. Let's teach our children from a very young age about the story of the universe and its incredible richness and beauty. It is already so much more glorious and awesome- and even comforting- than anything offered by any scripture or God concept I know."

Oh, really? Man-made beliefs and theories are more comforting than God's most holy Word? How tragic! It is time for our churches to take a stand against Darwinian evolution! What so many churches and pastors fail to recognize is that if you take away or question what God says in Genesis, then you open the door to questioning God's Word at any point. If you don't believe the Bible to be God's Word, then there is no possibility of discussion. But, if you believe the Bible to be God's Word, then it is fundamental that you believe that what is recorded in Genesis 1-11, i.e., the origin of the world in Genesis 1 and 2, the fall of man, the flood, the Tower of Babel, is historical and not mythical. There is no reason to question the truth and veracity of God's Word in those chapters. We must believe that God created the world in 6 twenty-four days and rested on the seventh day! We must believe that Adam and Eve were real historical figures! We must believe that a global flood occurred! We must believe that the Tower of Babel really occurred, as well! If we try to accommodate science by trying to work Darwinian evolution into the Genesis record, then we are wrong, first of all. But, fundamental passages in other parts of the Word of God are then, also open to debate. Therefore, we open the door to sexual immortality, abortion, homosexuality, and the undermining of the office of the Holy Ministry, and many other things.

I recommend a great resource in this area. "Answers in Genesis" at http://www.answersingenesis.org/. It is not written by Lutherans, but contains some very good working videos, books and contains some great information.

Again, it is obvious that those who support Darwinian Evolution are encouraging one another to continue to "evangelize" the world. They are getting bolder in their approach. As Christians, we too need to be educated in having answers for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15), especially as it relates to the creation of the world. God bless!

Believeland!

On Sunday afternoon, I braved the bitter temperatures to watch the Cleveland Browns battle the Kansas City Chiefs at the Stadium. (Thanks Tom Gunter for the ticket.) At one point in the game, I stared up at the crowd and saw a sign that read, "Believeland." Apparently, enough people believed, because the Browns were victorious, 31-28.

But, the sign got me thinking- a dangerous idea, I know. But, the sign"Believeland" other than being a little corny, is indicative, of our culture. If enough people just believe in the Cleveland Browns, or in Santa Claus, or in a change of the weather or in world peace or whatever it is, it will happen. Where is the true "believeland?" The church, of course. It is in the church, in the divine service, through the Word of God and His Holy Sacraments, where God works and strengths our faith in Jesus Christ. It is God's work, not ours. We can believe all we want; but, it is God who brings us to and keeps us in the faith.

Despite the sign, I enjoyed the game and hope the Browns can keep going in the right direction.

God bless.

It's back!

Coming January 0f 2007, the second edition of Concordia- The Lutheran Confessions will be available. I encourage every Lutheran household to own either this edition or one of the older versions, such as Tappert or Kolb/Wengert. This edition is nice because it contains many helps that make studying the Confessions more user friendlier. Not only should all Lutherans have a copy of our Lutheran Confessions in their home; but, also should read, mark and inwardly digest it. Start with the "Small and Large Catechisms," then, "The Augsburg Confession" and move on from there. God bless.

Are You in the Right Church?

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St. Andrew, November 30

On Thursday, November 30th, the Church celebrates the festival of St. Andrew. He was not one of the prominent disciples, and yet, his faithfulness and dedication to Jesus, and his desire to bring others to Jesus is to be imitated. During the Wednesday nights of Advent, I am doing a thematic on the "Saints of God." This Wednesday night's sermon will be on St. Andrew.

The prayer listed for the festival of St. Andrew leads us to Jesus, "Almighty God, by whose grace the blessed apostle Saint Andrew obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, grant us also to follow him in heart and life; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."

Victory Over Death!

On Sunday, I traveled to Delafield, Wisconsin, to be present at a graveside service on Monday for a former member of St. John's, Craig Peters. He and his wife were currently living in Kansas, where his wife was finishing her residency program. Craig passed away suddenly at the age of 48. He leaves behind a wife, Beth, and two boys, Will and Daniel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Peters family at their time of loss. But, certainly as believers in Christ, we do not mourn without hope.

St. Paul had the Peters family in mind, and all of us when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4, starting at verse 13, "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."

May God, again, bless the Peters family as they deal with this change in their lives.

Now Thank We All Our God!

TLH # 36

1. Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices; who from our mother's arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love and still is ours today.

2. Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us and keep us in His grace and guide us when perplexed and free us from all ills in this world and the next!

3. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given, the Son, and Him who reigns with them in highest heaven: The one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore! For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore. Amen.

Also, the text listed in TLH is Ecclesiasticus 50:22-24 (Apocrypha), "Now therefore bless ye the God of all, which only doeth wondrous things everywhere, which exalteth our days to His mercy. He grant us joyfulness of heart, and that peace may be in our days in Israel forever: that he would confirm his mercy with us, and deliver us at his time!"

Again, I say Amen.

Advent Devotions

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"So, how is it that you have favor with God? How is it that heaven is truly and most assuredly yours? How is it that you can stand holy and righteous before God the Father? How can all this be? Jesus! Jesus is the Righteous One who stands before God the Father for you. Jesus is the Righteous One, whose coming in the Flesh you now anticipate during this Advent season.” (Advent Reflection - December 4, 2006)

For three years, Higher Things has provided free Gospel Reflections for youth and congregations for each day of the season of Advent. Families have gathered around the table, lit advent candles, sang hymns, read the Scriptures, and had devotions together. Moms have forwarded emails to their college students to spread the Word: Jesus is coming! His Advent is near!This year, we invite you to prepare again for the Lord's Coming with our latest Advent Reflections written by the Rev. Daniel Feusse. Pastor Feusse is pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church in Clearwater, Nebraska. You can email him at seelsorg@aol.com.

The booklet of Advent Reflections is available for free in pdf-format for download here: http://higherthings.org/reflections/download.html?.

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A Blessed and Happy Advent Preparation to you and your family! INI.-- Rev. George F. Borghardt III Assistant/Youth PastorSt. Mark Lutheran Church Conroe, TX

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Recommended Reading List

Gentlemen and women,

God's blessings. I am wanting to compile a list of books that all Lutheran pastors should not only have on their bookshelf but should have read and have knowledge of. I was wondering if you might do me a quick favor. Besides the Bible, the BOC, and all of Rick Warren's books (:-) can you give me 10-15 books or more, if you like, that you think are mandatory for all Lutheran pastors to read. If you might help me out on this, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks much.

In Christ,

Sh. Haugen

Go Buckeyes!

Built on the Rock the Church doth Stand!

TLH # 467

1. Built on the Rock the Church doth stand, even when steeples are falling; crumbled have spires in every land, bells still are chiming and calling, calling the young and old to rest, but above all the soul distrest, longing for rest everlasting.

2. Surely in temples made with hands, God, the most High, is not dwelling; high above earth His temple stands, all earthly temples excelling. Yet He whom heavens cannot contain chose to abode on earth with men, built in our bodies His temple.

3. We are God's house of living stones, builded for His Habitation; He through baptismal grace us own heirs of His wondrous salvation. Were we but two His name to tell, yet He would deign with us to dwell, with all His grace and His favor.

4. Now we may gather with our King e'en in the lowliest dwelling; praises to Him we there may bring, His wondrous mercy forthtelling. Jesus His grace to us accords; Spirit and life are all His words; His truth doth hallow the temple.

5. Still we our earthly temples rear that we may herald His praises; they are the homes where He draws near and little children embraces. Beautiful things in them are said; God there with us His covenant made, making us heirs of His kingdom.

6. Here stands the font before our eyes telling how God did receive us; th' altar recalls Christ's sacrifice and what His table doth give us; here sounds the Word that doth proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same, yea, and for aye our Redeemer.

7. Grant, then, O God, where'er men roam, that, when the church bells are ringing, many in saving faith may come where Christ His message is bringing; "I know Mine own, mine own know Me; Ye, not the world, My face shall see. My peace I leave with you." Amen.

Be Still, My Soul!

TLH #651

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; leave to thy God to order and provide; in every change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake to guide the future as He hath the past. Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul; the waves and wind still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, tho' dearest friends depart and all is darkened in the vale of tears; Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears. Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay from His own fullness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, sorrow forget, love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last. Amen.

A Goddess Rosary! Lord have mercy!

I invite you to check this out. It is creepy. They use a "Goddess rosary." They try to combine elements of radical feminism with the Christian faith. The name of the church is "Her Church." It is located in San Francisco and it is also known as Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Their site can be accessed at:

http://www.herchurch.org/.

Their video can be accessed at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4639219646887101318&q=church&pr=goog-sl

The Greatest Job on Earth!

I am writing this blog as a tribute to my boys. They are such a wonderful blessing. I love them more than words can truly say. I know this is an over-used cliche, but I will use it anyway. If you would have told me ten years ago that I would have four boys, I would have either laughed hysterically or cried uncontrollably. But, now, as I look at them when they are sleeping or glance at them when they are doing something else, all I can say is Lord have mercy. They are growing up too fast and I want them to stay put. I know that this is not how it works, but I want to enjoy them every second. The world that they will face is so different than the world I faced. The evil that they will have to endure is mind-boggling. And yet, I know and trust that God will take care of them. He has a plan and a future for them. This I know and believe. So, boys, thank you. Thank you for putting up with my busy schedule and my inability, at times, to be a good father. I want you to know that being a father is the greatest job on earth!

Holy God We Praise Thy Name!

TLH # 250

1. Holy God, we praise Thy name; Lord of all, we bow before Thee. All on earth Thy scepter claim, all in heav'n above adore Thee. Infinite Thy vast domain, everlasting is Thy reign.

2. Hark the glad celestial hymn angels choirs above are raising; cherubim and seraphim, in unceasing chorus praising, fill the heav'ns with sweet accord: holy, holy, holy Lord.

3. Lo, the' apostles' holy train join Thy sacred name to hallow; prophets swell the glad refrain, and the white robed martyrs follow, and from morn to set of sun Thro' the Church the song goes on.

4. Holy Father, holy Son, Holy Spirit, three we name Thee; though in essence only one, undivided God we claim Thee and, adorning, bend the knee while we own the mystery. Amen.

Duct Tape or Nails!

This story was shared with me. It was entitled, Duct Tape or Nails.

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter says, 'Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in.' 'Okay," the man says, 'I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart' 'That's wonderful,' says St.Peter , 'that's worth three points!""Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service." "Terrific!" says St.Peter . "That's certainly worth a point.""One point!?!!" "I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." "Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says. "Two points!?!! "Exasperated, the man cries. "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God" "Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!" We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with nails. "

This story is a variation of one that has been passed around for awhile. As good of a goal as it is to stress the grace of God and the death of Christ, this story has one major flaw. We contribute nothing toward our salvation. It is not as if we contribute a small portion toward salvation and God contributes the rest. We are dead in trespasses and sins and God raises us up, breathes life into us, gives us faith, and brings us to heaven when it is time. We do nothing. That is the grace of God.

What God Ordains Is Always Good!

Hymn 521, TLH

1. What God ordains is always good; His will abideth holy, as He directs my life for me, I follow meek and lowly. My God indeed in every need doth well know how to shield me; to Him, then, I will yield me.

2. What God ordains is always good. He never will deceive me; He leads me in His own right way, and never will He leave me. I take content what He hath sent; His hand that sends me sadness will turn my tears to gladness.

3. What God ordains is always good. His loving thought attends me; No poison can be in the cup that my Physician sends me. My God is true; each morn anew I'll trust His grace unending, my life to Him commending.

4. What God ordains is always good. He is my Friend and Father; He suffers naught to do me harm, though many storms may gather. Now I may know both joy and woe, some day I shall see clearly that He hath loved me dearly.

5. What God ordains is always good. Though I the cup am drinking which savors now of bitterness, I take it without shrinking. For after grief God grants relief, my heart with comfort filling and all my sorrow stilling.

6. What God ordains is always good. This truth remains unshaken. Though sorrow, need or death be mine, I shall not be forsaken. I fear no harm, for with His arm He shall embrace and shield me; so to my God I yield me.

AMEN!

Jesus Christ, My Pride and Glory!

The Lutheran hymnal #408, by Johann Olearius

Jesus Christ, my Pride and Glory, He, the true and living Light,
strengthens me with glorious might. Christ, revealed in sacred story, whom I now as Lord confess, teaches me true holiness.

Let me live to praise Thee ever, Jesus, Thou my heart's delight, Thou who leadest me aright. Let me cling to Thee forever, all the fleshly lusts deny, and the devil's host defy.

Grant me, Lord, Thy Holy Spirit that in all I follow Him, lest the light of faith grow dim. Let me ever trust Thy merit, let Thy blessing me attend, from all evil me defend.

From all pain and imperfection, gracious Lord, deliver me, Heaven's glory let me see. Keep me under Thy direction that the grace Thou gavest me I may praise eternally. Amen.

Former President Barry's Letter on Gambling

Promised Gain Comes With Great Pain
A Statement from The Office of the President The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod 1333 South Kirkwood Road St. Louis, Missouri 63122 United States of America

A number of weeks ago, my office received correspondence from one of our nation's congressmen that contained very sobering information about gambling. We need to be clear that it is not possible, on the basis of God's Word, to say that each and every instance of gambling is sinful. It is true however that every act of gambling does present a tremendous opportunity for temptation. What is clear is that legalized gambling is increasing in popularity across our nation. It rests on the promise of gain but comes at the cost of considerable pain to our society.
The National Gambling Impact Study Commission released a report, following a two year study of gambling in America. It reveals some very troubling facts about gambling's impact on the poor and those who become addicted to gambling. The findings were alarming enough for a majority of the commission to call for a "pause" or moratorium on further gambling expansion in America to give time to dig deeper into its effects.
Americans now wager about $600 billion a year, which is more than is spent on groceries! In 1992, it was $329 billion a year. In 1974, it was just $17 billion. That is a staggering increase of 3,500 percent over 25 years! And the gambling commission noted in its report that "with little stretch of the imagination, it is conceivable that, some day, gambling enterprises may be franchised and, at least, in parts of the country, become as common as fast food outlets are today." Gambling today is not simply harmless family entertainment, as advertising for commercial and state-sponsored gambling seems to indicate. Millions of people have become addicted to gambling and have brought untold suffering on themselves and their families.
We now know some very real and troubling facts about gambling and addiction. According to the gambling commission report: "in 1997 . . . the Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions . . . estimated at that time that there were 7.5 million American adult problem and pathological gamblers and 7.9 million American adolescent problem and pathological gambles."
That is more than 1.5 million people having difficulty with gambling and more than half of them are children. This means that our nation's youth is disproportionately impacted by gambling. Or, to put it another way, there are currently more adult and adolescent problem and pathological gamblers in America than people residing in New York City. There are six times as many adolescent problem or pathological gamblers in America than men and women actively serving in our combined armed forces—the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
The statistics do not tell the whole story. According to the report, the impact of human suffering is truly immeasurable. For example, in "Atlantic City, the Commission heard about a 16-year-old boy who attempted suicide after losing $6,000 on a lottery." Many children are hurt, even if they themselves do not have a gambling problem. Quite often they are the victims of addicted parents or guardians. "The Commission heard testimony of numerous cases in which parents or a caretaker locked children in cars for an extended period of time while they gambled. In at least two cases, the children died."
When it comes to the poor and gambling, the commission found that "the education category with the highest per capita spending includes those who did not complete high school. . . . College graduates have the lowest. With respect to household income. . . those with incomes less than $50,000 spend more than others, and the lower-income categories have the highest per capita spending." Legalized gambling victimizes the poor and preys on our society's weakest members. It entices those who are the most desperate with the offer of a way to achieve wealth and prosperity. It tempts those who are at the most vulnerable point, and this is truly disturbing. A nation such as ours cannot, and must not, put the interest of industrialized gambling above the need and concern that we must have for the poor. Surely, it is not in the best interest of our nation to do so.
The commission reported "a further criticism is that, in pursuit of revenues, some lotteries have employed overly aggressive and even deceptive advertising and other marketing methods. Lottery advertising has advanced in recent years from simple public-service-announcement-type ads to sophisticated marketing tools. Critics charge that they are intentionally misleading, especially regarding such matters as the minuscule odds of winning the various jackpots. (As an agency of government, lotteries are not subject to federal "Truth in advertising" standards). State-sponsored lotteries are perhaps the most harmful because they project an image legitimizing gambling and ultimately help nurture a gambling culture among our children—the next generation of gamblers."
We would simply ask that all church workers of our Synod, and our congregation's lay leaders, consider how best to communicate the profoundly harmful impact that state-sponsored and legalized gambling is having on our nation and on our communities. The problems associated with gambling will only grow worse as gambling continues to gain a foothold in our communities and becomes more commonplace across our nation. We Lutherans know that it is our duty to avoid stealing, but in so doing also to do whatever we can to help our neighbor to improve and protect his property and business. Gambling is one area where, as Christian citizens, we can work to improve a situation so harmful to the poor and to families devastated by a family member caught up in a gambling addiction.

The Reformation Continues!

Today, we honor and give thanks to God for Martin Luther and the Reformation that he began over 489 years ago. We honor the man who had the courage and bravery to stand up in the face of extreme opposition and conflict. He was not afraid to let his voice be heard. He was willing to die for the faith that he knew to be true. He knew that Jesus Christ was his Savior from sin- that He died on the cross, rose again, ascended into heaven and will come again to judge the quick and the dead. Studying the Word of God with great diligence and thoroughness allowed him to see the errors of his Church. Believing his beloved church to be in error broke his heart and yet he could not stand idly by and do nothing. “Here I Stand! I can do no other! So, help me God! Amen.” These are words of strength and power- not his own strength, but the strength of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. These words ring loudly down to us as we sit here this morning.
As we look at the Lutheran Church today, we wonder what Luther would say? What would he reform today if given the chance? Does the church even need to be reformed today? What are the errors that need to be dealt with and what needs to be done away with in our church? This morning, I want to give you a kind of a unique sermon. Presidents give a state of the union speech. Governors give a state of the state speech. Mayors even give a state of the city address. Today, I give a state of the church sermon. This sermon may appear to be more scholarly or more like a paper than many of my sermons, but hopefully, you will understand what I am trying to say. May God bless both my words and the hearing of those words this morning!
Let me start of by asking you: how many Lutherans do you think there are worldwide? Well, according to Wikipedia, my favorite source for info, says there are 82.6 million people who call themselves Lutheran worldwide. That number-82.6 million make up about 4 percent of the people who call themselves Christian in the world- 2 billion worldwide. A little closer to home: we are part of the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. There are 2.5 million in our Synod, making us the 8th largest Christian denomination in the USA.
Even though we are not the biggest Christian denomination in the US or the world, we need to be thankful for what God has done for the Lutheran Church and specifically for our church here at St. John over the years. Many mainline denominations are declining at a very rapid pace. Many beautiful churches in downtown areas and in small towns have had to close their doors. Over the last several years, the Missouri Synod has not grown as we would have liked, and maybe our own church has not grown as much as may have liked, but we are remaining steadfast and solid. That is a testament to the fact that God has been with our church in the midst of some very trying times. Our own church, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Berea, Ohio, with its principle office in Strongsville, as our constitution calls us, has been in service to God for 116 years- something to be truly thankful to God for. How many companies that existed in the 1890’s are still in existence today? Or how many companies that are in existence today, will exist in the year 2122? Probably, not all that many! The point is we need worry about the state of our church. As we continue to be faithful to God and His Word, He will bless our church and Lutheranism. God is in control! I believe that we have a very bright future!
With that said, it is also fair to say that the Lutheran Church today would not be easily recognized by Martin Luther. What goes on in various Lutheran churches across the world and across the USA would make Luther’s head spin. Despite what the media wants us to believe, all of Lutheranism is not united. Far from it! What has contributed to the demise of the Lutheranism today is not a simple matter. Let me share with you a couple of movements that are affecting our Lutheran church today. Hopefully, by doing so, we can see the danger that we are in!
What has contributed to the state of the Lutheran church today, first of all, I will call the “ecumenical movement.” This movement began roughly 100 years ago, at the Edinburgh Missionary Conference in 1910. With very good intentions, this movement believes in the importance of bringing all denominations back together again. It believes that all the denominations in our world today are a tragedy. However, to come together, this movement does something totally and completely “un-Lutheran.” It downplays, or in some cases, completely rejects the importance of doctrine and theology. It stresses unity of faith in Jesus above all else. Their motto is, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials diversity and in all things charity.” You may have heard of that phrase.
The debate comes up for us as Lutherans, with just what those essentials are and is it right, ethical, Biblical to join with other churches that have such drastic differences? Unfortunately, the “essentials” are very few things. Basically, faith in Christ, a belief in the Trinity: God as Father, Son and Spirit, some form of sacraments, and a desire to spread the Gospel and that is about it.
This “ecumenical movement” has caused our sister Synod- the ELCA- to declare altar and pulpit fellowship with non-Lutheran denominations, something unthinkable just a few years ago. Again, what a church actually teaches is secondary to the desire to join together, to have unity, even if what the two groups teach is miles apart.
This movement has deeply affected the state of the Lutheran Church. The conventional wisdom of so many in our world today says that there is not all that much that really separates the churches. Why shouldn’t we join together with other denominations? Luther would turn over in his grave if he knew that Lutheran churches today have joined with non-Lutheran churches despite significant differences in teaching. He risked his life because of those doctrinal differences. What right do we have in our enlightened times to ignore the differences? None whatsoever! Doctrine matters and it is unthinkable that doctrine is being ignored for the sake of unity!
Another movement that is affecting the state of the Lutheran Church today is the “non-denominational movement.” This movement began with a man by the name of Charles Finney in the 19th century, in a town not too far from us, Oberlin. Finney, a lawyer turned evangelist, began what was called, “revivalism” or the “Second Great Awakening.” He toured the country and large numbers of people left other Christian denominations and followed him. He believed deeply in the importance of joining together American culture with Christian belief, so that there was not a difference between what went on in the world with what goes on in the church. That is, he attempted to bring the church and the world together in his teaching and practice. He, also, stressed enthusiasm in the faith- that is the church should be about entertainment, excitement and feeling good. In doing so, he stressed the importance of making a “decision for Christ.” Finney led to other great revivalist preachers such as Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, and today Rick Warren. This movement continues all over the country and is present right in our back yard.
What is wrong with the Non-denominational movement? Is it not a good thing that these churches are bringing in large numbers of people and converting them to Jesus? Well, yes, it is a good thing that they want to tell others about Jesus. We have a lot in common with these churches. But, what we don’t have in common is not insignificant. In fact, it is of utmost importance. Just as false teaching existed in the Catholic Churches of Luther’s day, so does false teaching exist in these large mega-churches. What a church teaches in all areas of theology matters.
And here’s the kicker. Because we saw many of these non-denominational churches growing, and we wanted to grow ourselves, we attempted to imitate what they were doing, especially in worship style. However, by doing so, we changed who we are and our doctrine also changed!
These two movements, “the ecumenical movement” and the “non-denominational movement” have affected our Lutheran Church in so many ways. Today, Lutherans allow for diversity in worship styles that was never there before. Our communion practices differ. We don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to the role of women in the church, to our doctrine of the office of the pastor, in how we relate to other churches, to our teaching on the End times, to our teaching on good works, just to name of a few. The bottom line is that these two movements, among many others have watered-down our Lutheran teaching. For those whose heritage comes from Martin Luther, it is a shame and a tragedy to reject what has been handed down to us.
But other than just pointing out what is wrong with our Lutheran Church today, it is also my humble goal to give us some helpful direction on what can be done. Like I said before, I believe that we have a bright future. As I have said, we have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to our Lutheran church. As we are faithful, God will bless our church. And I believe from the bottom of my heart that there is a place for conservative, confessional Lutheranism in our world today and especially in our area.
What we need to do is know what our church teaches and boldly confess that truth. We need to diligently study our Lutheran doctrine ourselves, so that we can teach it to our children. We need to appreciate the desire for sound teaching. We need to see doctrine, as something that is vitally important and is relevant to our lives. How we understand who God is, how we understand what sin is, how we understand who Jesus is, how we understand what Jesus has done for us, or what Baptism is, or what Holy Communion is. All of these things affect us in our lives. We are a church body that believes in the importance of a solid and clear confession of faith, not watered down, not changed, not altered, not softened, not politically correct or changed to make people feel good about themselves. We care deeply about honoring God’s name among us so that we can give a clear and consistent confession to the world. May God help us to do just that!
Today is the celebration of the Reformation. What Luther was willing to die for was the teaching and preaching of God’s most Holy Word based on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For us, it should be no different. I conclude with a quote from one of my favorite books, “The Fire and the Staff.” Pastor Klemet Preus proclaims, “The church needs to set her sights high and expect what God expects. He expects neither numerical growth in every situation nor glorious reports of how well we are doing. He expects faithfulness to the pure doctrine and the Sacraments. This faithfulness will always involve proclaiming justification by grace for Christ’s sake, teaching Luther’s catechism, and teaching the theology of the cross. Faithfulness is compromised when anyone, is indifferent to doctrine or actually suggests that doctrine is harmful. Our “success” ought to be measured by the cross. Wherever true doctrine is valued and taught, the truth of the Gospel burns itself into the lives of people. Christ’s church can light the fire only by teaching purely.” I add one final comment. When this happens, dear friends in Christ, the state of our church is good.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

All Saints Day

Psalm 116:15 reminds us, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." There is nothing quite like All Saints Day. For me, it is a chance to truly give thanks to God for all the blessings of being united to Christ. In Christ, we are united with the heavenly chorus, the invisible church, the church triumphant. Every time we gather together in the Divine Service, we are worshipping with the heavenly saints. As we receive the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ on this side of eternity, we are joining with those on the other. When my oldest son goes up to communion now, he talks under his breath to those who are in heaven. May God bless your celebration of All Saints and let us remember, Hebrews 12, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Lord have mercy!

Sermon Packs a Punch!

In our local newspaper this morning, The Plain Dealer, in the Metro section, there was a picture (unfortunately I could not load the actual picture of it in my blog) of Pastor Paul Endrei knocking down another man in the middle of a boxing ring. It happened inside his church in Westlake, Ohio- The Church on the Rise. It was an illustration of a theme that he was talking about, "A Bout with Doubt." "There are lessons we can learn from boxing that have real-life application to our everyday lives."

One wonders what is next. I thought I have seen a lot, but this is now at the top of my list. The boxing world and the church are now one. Where will it all end? Pastor Endrei, also said that children could volunteer their parents to go into the ring during the service, as well. How amusing! Lord have mercy!

A Stewardship Renaissance?

I received an email from the Synod. I quote a portion of it, "He also spoke about the recently released report of the Synod's Blue Ribbon Task Force for Funding the Mission and its recommendations, especially that a 'stewardship renaissance' take place in the Synod, and that ways be sought to increase unrestricted giving in the LCMS." A stewardship renaissance, huh? Interesting. This sounds an awful lot like money is becoming an idol for us as a synod. How about a Gospel renaissance or a doctrinal renaissance? That is what we need. If we preach and teach the pure and unadulterated Gospel and administer the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ, the money will follow. Everything will follow. Our priorities seem to be completely mixed up. I wonder if they realize how ridiculous a "stewardship renaissance" actually sounds? Just my humble opinion. Lord have mercy!

The New Hymnal

I want to thank CPH for making such an appealing looking new hymnal. From the outside, it looks like something you want and need. However, what is on the inside leaves something to be desired. Our congregation uses both TLH and LW and we have little desire to go to a new hymnal. The only thing that would have drawn us into considering using it might have been if what we love about TLH was in the new hymnal. All the good hymns, as well as, the services of TLH included with some newer expressions of reverent and confessional hymnody. However, that is just not the case. Now, they say that the TLH service and TLH hymns are in the new hymnal. Some are and some are not! The TLH service is the TLH service, with all the "thee"s and "thou"s in there! I have heard for years that I should not support using language that is out-dated and not relevant to the generation of today. What they fail to understand is that the language of TLH is the language of the church. The "thee's" and the "thou's" take us out of the world and into the church. Holding onto the TLH language is far more than just something done because we are comfortable with or used to it. We hold on to TLH because the hymns are superior and the language is churchly. Why did the editorial committee choose to keep some of the old language and disregard other parts of it? It makes no sense. It seems arbirtary. On the other hand, I want to thank some of the modern hymn writers for their contribution. We plan on using them in the future. May God bless our Synod!

Augsburg Confession- Article I- God

All theology must begin by answering the question of: who is God? That is why our Lutheran Confession begins with God. If we don't know or clearly confess who God is, then, everything else we say really doesn't matter. Article I of the Augsburg Confession confesses God to be three persons in one divine essence. God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. That is the only confession of God. Therefore, confessing God as only Father, or only Son or only Holy Ghost is not a Christian confession of Him. All three persons must be confessed. The Augsburg Confession, Article I, condemns the Jewish and Muslim definition or confession of God; because, it is incomplete. May we continue to honor God by clearing confessing him to be Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Anything less is not the right confession. Amen.

Ranting About Sports in Cleveland

Since I arrived here in October of 2003, I have become an avid Cleveland sports fan. I cheer for the Indians, Cavs, and the Browns for 14 games (I am also a Steeler fan. Sorry, I have cheered for them since the 70's) . The Indians season was a huge disappointment this year and I find myself slowing getting the Cleveland chip on my shoulder. Somehow, it is a great and grand conspiracy that we haven't won a major sports championship since the Brown's teams of the fifties. Oh, we have come pretty close. But, we haven't gotten over the hump. I have heard some pretty wild conjectures as to why we haven't won. I still like the Indian curse theory. The stadium was built on old Indian land. You get the picture. But, anyway, this year, I know will be different. This is the year that we finally break through. Lebron and the boys will do it! They will find a way to win a championship! If not, it is because everything is predetermined anyway and the powers that be don't want us to win. There I go again. Sorry. Hope springs eternal. God bless.

What Makes up the Book of Concord?

1. Apostles' Creed- 2nd century AD
2. Nicene Creed-325, 381 AD
3. Athanasian Creed-6-8th centuries AD
4. Augsburg Confession-June 25, 1530 AD
5. The Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession-1531 AD
6. The Smalcald Articles-1536 AD
7. Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope-1537 AD
8. Luther's Small Catechism-1529 AD
9. Luther's Large Catechism-1529 AD
10. The Formula of Concord: Epitome and Solid Declaration-1577 AD

With Intrepid Hearts!

How important is the Lutheran confession of faith? The Formula of Concord answers the question. "This declaration... is our faith, doctrine and confession. By God's grace, with intrepid hearts, we are willing to appear before the judgment seat of Christ with this confession."
In our world, what you confess means very little. What one person confesses is just as important or unimportant as what anyone else confesses. But, to a Lutheran, our confession is a matter of life and death. We are willing to die for our confession. It is that important! A countless number of our forefathers died to preserve, protect and hand down to us our confession. So often, I have heard, "Why do we care so much about doctrine? Can we give a little for the sake of unity and compromise?" Answer: No, we can not give in. Not one inch. If doctrine matters to God, it matters to me. If by teaching true doctrine, I preserve Christ crucified and risen for those who will come after me, then true doctrine I will preach, teach and confess. Soli Deo Gloria!

Help for Pastor Rippy

(From Pastor Sean Rippy)

Brothers,

I have been called to serve St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Sunderland, England while I attend nearby Newcastle University on Tyne. St. Timothy’s is a member of the ELCE- The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, sister church to the LCMS. She is a solid Lutheran church- a beacon of hope in the midst of the spiritual chaos that is England.

The problem is this light is dimming. There are currently only 15 congregations in the ELCE. 15! And most are struggling. We all know the cycle. As congregations struggle financially, it is difficult to support pastors and their families. Without pastors and more specifically the means of grace which pastors are called to provide, it is difficult for congregations to remain stable. Without stability it is difficult to maintain finances to provide for pastors. And the cycle goes on and on.

A few years back St. Timothy’s was struck with a hardship that left her weak and vulnerable. Recently, when her last pastor left, they believed they would have to close the doors because they could not afford another pastor. In the LCMS closing one of our 6,000 congregations is a deep sadness, no one wants to see it, but in the ELCE when 1 of 15 congregations closes- that is a tragedy. That very often means an entire part of the country will have no Lutheran presence at all. The result is those poor Lutheran saints must suffer, not to mention those who would benefit from good solid Lutheran teaching and preaching.

St. Timothy’s is in the far Northeast corner of England. There isn’t another ELCE church for hundreds of miles in any direction. If St. Timothy’s were to close that would mean the Lutheran light would go out in that part of the country.

In every sense St. Timothy’s is a mission. She can provide a parsonage and possibly a car (the ELCE provides for congregations a very economical car option at 60 pounds a month) but no salary at all. She requires financial aid and subsistence from outside sources and right now the ELCE as a Synod is not able to provide much help. She too is financially hurting.

I call on you as fellow pastors who know the power and importance of Word and Sacrament ministry. As we follow God in this call and literally step out in faith, my family and I need your help, but perhaps more importantly St. Timothy’s and northeast England needs your help.

I write this not to create guilt, but to make you aware of a problem that you may not have been aware of. If we do not know the trials of our brothers and sisters, we can not help. If you or your congregation find yourself able to help in any way, you may contact me up to the end of December at:

Pastor Sean L. Rippy
673 Clayton NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49534
(616) 735-0890
Oratiocredendi@aol.com

Alternately, you may make a check out to: St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church
And mail to:
Queen Alexandra RoadAshbrooke, SunderlandSR2 9AATelephone: 0191 528 4424

Or go to www.northernlutheran.co.uk and click on: “Support Us” and then click on: “St. Timothy’s” to donate via credit card.

Thank You Professor Marquart!

On Friday, September 22, I attended a marvelous celebration of the life of professor Kurt Marquart at Kramer Chapel. Processing in with dozens of other LC-MS clergy was one of the highlights of the 8 years of my time serving as a pastor. The service was beautifully done. The liturgy was rightly reverent. Pastor Hill preached a fantastic Gospel-centered sermon. The hymns were perfect. It was such a honor to be there.

I have many memories of the professor. He was a top notch teacher in and out of the classroom and will be greatly missed. I especially enjoyed visiting with him at the library, where I worked while at the seminary. He was a learned and gentle man at the same time. I remember, especially, during my fourth year at the seminary, at one of the parties, he read the classic Dr. Suess book, "Green Eggs and Ham" in his trademark Australian accent. "I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am."

Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with his wife, family and friends. At the viewing, I thanked his wife for sharing her husband with the synod for all these years. Her response I will never forget. "He wasn't mine from the start. He was God's creation and it was time for him to go back with him."

So, then, thank you, professor and pastor Marquart for your faithfulness and dedication to our Lutheran faith. You were and continue to be an inspiration. As St. Paul says, "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

Soli Deo Gloria!

A Plug for Higher Things

Next year, Higher Things are having two youth conventions. I strongly encourage you to attend or get your youth excited. Check out their website at higherthings.org. Keep up the good work.

A Right to Speak # 2

I have applied the duct tape so my head won't explode (Glen Beck reference). I am ready to speak and I will try to do so calmly. At the Ohio Convention, these comments were also made by our president; but, naturally, there was no time to respond to them. Let me start by saying this. It is absolutely ridiculous that the By-laws are being interpreted in this fashion. It mirrors how our United States Constitution and By-laws are being interpreted by those on the left. Yes, we have an obligation to Synod. Yes, we should approach our brother if he sins against us. Yes, we should go through the proper channels if we disagree. That is why our congregation submitted so many overtures to our District Convention.

But, if I disagree with the Synod, if I think that the resolutions of the Synod are wrong, I have a moral and theological obligation to speak my mind. What kind of a Synod are we in, if pastors can't even express themselves? What kind of Synod are we in if pastors are not allowed to teach their own members about false teaching that our own Synod promotes? I really do think at this point, all we need is the Word of God and our Lutheran Confessions. Until we reach unity in doctrine and practice, the Constitution and By-laws of our Synod should be cast aside. Do you hear me? Cast aside! I am sick and tired of those in leadership hiding behind the C and B. It is ridiculous. They did it after 911 and they are doing it again. Let us throw off the shackles of our Constitution and Bylaws and get back to what is important. If somehow we can reach uniformity in doctrine and practice, then maybe we can bring them back in. Just my humble opinion. The duct tape seems to be holding.

God bless and God have mercy on our Synod.

In Christ,

Pastor Jim Haugen

A Right to Speak- # 1

A copy of an email was sent to me. I quote a portion of it. "Kindly note Bylaw 1.8, below: 1.8 Dissent 1.8.1 While retaining the right of brotherly dissent, members of the Synod are expected as part of the life together within the fellowship of the Synod to honor and uphold the resolutions of the Synod. 1.8.2 Dissent from doctrinal resolutions and statements is to be expressed first within the fellowship of peers and then brought to the attention of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations before finding expression as an overture to the convention calling for revision or recision. While the conscience of the dissenter shall be respected, the consciences of others, as well as the collective will of the Synod, shall also be respected. The Synod itself, at the Milwaukee convention in 1971, has interpreted the meaning of "honor and uphold" in the above paragraphs and addressed the reasons why honoring and upholding the Synod's doctrinal resolutions and expressing one's dissent in the manner we have mutually agreed upon is so important. Salient portions of Resolution 2-21 from that convention are reproduced for you below: The Synod, therefore, holds that every member, by virtue of his agreement when he voluntarily joined the Synod and freely placed himself under the provisions of the Synod's Constitution and bylaws, is bound by the Word of God expressed in the Synod's resolutions until it can be demonstrated that a resolution is in fact "not in accordance with the Word of God" (Bylaw 1.09b), and the Synod permits no member to teach or practice in violation of a resolution simply on the grounds that he does not agree with it or that it is in conflict with his private persuasion. Formal commitment of the Synod to a confessional base is pointless unless the Synod has the right as a synod to apply its confessional base definitively to current issues and thus conserve and promote unity and resist an individualism which breeds schism. If a member cannot for conscience' sake accept a doctrinal resolution of the Synod, he has the obligation and opportunity through mutually approved procedure to challenge such a resolution with a view to effecting the changes he deems necessary. Failing in that, he is completely free by reason of his wholly voluntary association with the Synod to obey his conscience and disassociate himself from the Synod. Meanwhile every member of the Synod is held to abide by, act, and teach in accordance with the Synod's resolutions. To "honor and uphold" means...to support, act, and teach in accordance with them... I have taken the liberty of attaching the entirety of 1971 Resolution 2-21 and a related resolution (5-24) from the same convention for your edification and convenience. To sum it up (and this summation should also not be taken out of context): * The Holy Scriptures are the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and practice in the church. The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God (cf. LCMS Constitution, Article II). * Membership in the synod is voluntary. * Members of synod have voluntarily committed themselves to the rules by which we govern ourselves-the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod (this includes Article II of the Constitution!). * Members of the synod may dissent from the position of the Synod. The Synod recognizes that it can err! * In dissenting from the position of the Synod, members have committed themselves to the process for dissent mandated by the Handbook. * While dissenting according to mandated procedure, members of the Synod have (voluntarily) committed themselves to "honor and uphold" the doctrinal resolutions of the Synod, and not to preach or teach contrary to them.

Did you get all that? I will respond in a second blog.

Just Say No!

For quite some time, leaders of the LC-MS and the AALC have been pursuing altar and pulpit fellowship. It seems that we are getting closer, from the news that is coming from Synodical headquarters. The picture included here is of the Presiding Pastor of the AALC. From my observation, this possible fellowship would be a very bad idea. The AALC have many theological problems that should completely prevent the Missouri Synod from joining in any type of relationship with the AALC. There are serious questions about the AALC's doctrine of Holy Communion, the Charismatic Movement and the Ordination of Women, to name just a few. The fact that the leaders of our Church are pursuing this fellowship shows to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt (as if I really needed any more evidence) that we are not unified in doctrine. The issues that divide us are so much more than issues of style or practice. God have mercy on our Synod!

Purpose Driven Lutheranism

Sometimes, a quote is so good, I must share it with you. The quote is by Rev. Kurt Hering, pastor of Trinity Lutheran in Layton, Utah. He is quoting, Paul Proctor. He says, "While the adiaphora of cultural vehicles that bear the means of grace can and do change – such as language, music, instruments, artwork –Law/Gospel preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins should not, indeed cannot, ever be replaced by PowerPoint and other video presentations; the Sacraments should not, indeed cannot, be replaced by the thinly veiled, "Lutheranized" altar calls of open communion; the liturgy should not, indeed cannot, be replaced by the self-centered, attention seeking idolatry of "praise" oriented worship; confession/absolution should not, indeed cannot, be replaced by motivational appeals to good works and social action; catechesis should not, indeed cannot, be replaced by spiritual gift inventories .. .and the evangelism that is the Good News of Jesus Christ and the teaching of ALL that He has commanded for the making of disciples should not, indeed cannot, be replaced by slogans, logos, and toteboard encounters." Couldn't have said it better myself.

Excerpt from "The Fire and the Staff"

I wanted to give you a section of "The Fire and the Staff" to encourage you to read it. This book has needed to be written for a long time. On page 55, Preus writes, "Doctrine is important because of the central doctrine of the Bible- the doctrine of Christ. Christian doctrine teaches Jesus... Every so often I will hear someone say, 'You believe in doctrine. I believe in Jesus.' Such an expression may sound very pious, but the devil is behind it. We cannot believe in Jesus unless we are taught the doctrine of Jesus. You cannot separate Christ from the doctrine of Christ. Christ without doctrine is some vague, wordless, fleshless, and incomprehensible blur, unknowable, and unworthy of knowing. If you can't teach it, you can't believe it."

Good stuff! More to come.

Just Believe!

In the face of such tragedy, Jairus’ grieving heart may have questioned the words of the book of Lamentations in the Old Testament, “The Lord is good to those who hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; there may yet be hope.” Did Jairus wonder about the goodness of the Lord? Did he question what kind of hope there could be now that his daughter was dead? Although we cannot say what was in the mind of this grieving father, Jesus could. And the Lord of life ignored the men and their message of mortality. Turning to Jairus, the Savior simply says, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Jairus, let your belief push aside the fear. Let your belief settle your nerves. “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
You know the rest of the story. Jesus and Jairus went to the house. You know how they shouldered their way past those who were mourning with their weeping and wailing. You know how they endured laughter and terrible taunts. You know how Jesus took the girl’s lifeless hand and summoned her soul back from the grave. Just believe. Believe that in his wisdom, God knows how much joy and sorrow, how much pleasure and pain, how much prosperity and poverty is proper for each of us. Jairus was to believe as one pastor has said, “that God knows the correct balance of sunshine and storm, the precise mixture of darkness and light we need.” Just believe.

Recommended Reading!

I want to recommend for your reading enjoyment the book, "The Fire and the Staff," written by Klemet Preus. It examines the relationship between Lutheran doctrine and practice. This issue has been one that I have wanted to read about for years. There are many who say today that doctrine and practice can be kept separate; but, not according to the author. I have not finished with the book yet; but, so far it is excellent. I hope to comment further in future blogs. I plan to use it as a study with the elders of St. John. May God use this book to help our Synod understand how intricately our doctrine and practice are related. Happy reading!

Support the Mother Church in Cleveland

I want to inform you that Zion Lutheran Church (the first LC-MS church in Cleveland) is offering a 200 page history. It is excerpted from a paper read before the Cleveland Chapter of Concordia Historical Institute on May 28, 1970, by Rev. Clarence T. Schuknecht. It is being sold by Zion as a fund-raiser for needed repairs. Rev. Schuknecht served as Zion's pastor from 1929 to 1988. This book contains:

> a written history of Zion from April 14, 1843, through May 28, 1976;
> pictures of the early church and school, their officers, teachers and other groups;
> elementary school pictures; confirmation pictures and names dating back to 1921;
> pictures and names of those who served in WWII;
> the "Story of the First Christmas Tree";
> Zion's picture Directory dated 1988; and much more.

This book weaves a tapestry of Zion's history and Lutheranism in the Cleveland area from well before the Civil War, as German Lutherans immigrated to this country.

Please contact 1-216-861-2179 or mail $30.00 for color, $20.00 for black and white and $2.15 each for shipping and handling to Zion Lutheran Church- Attn: Carol Corpus 2062 E. 30th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44115. Checks can be made out to Zion Lutheran Church.

Reflections on the Ohio District Convention#1

Blessings in Jesus Christ,

From June 8th through the 10th, I attended the Ohio District Convention in Dublin, Ohio. My congregation, St. John, Strongsville, submitted 9 overtures, non of which passed at the Convention (The overtures were suggested by Consensus). My goal was to bring up for discussion on the floor of the Convention significant issues that still plague our District and our Synod. I was told right after the Convention that District Conventions are not the place for these type of overtures. I must respectfully disagree. I think District Conventions are the perfect place to discuss our issues of disagreement. One of the overtures that we submitted dealt with Closed Communion and the need for us to continue to practice it. This resolution overwhelmingly failed. I am curious how a resolution about Closed Communion can fail at a District Convention, seeing that it has always been Lutheran practice. Nevertheless, we will continue to press on.

Generally, I was encouraged by the Convention. I got the opportunity to meet other pastors committed to Confessional Lutheranism. It is my hope- and the plans are already in the works- to have more congregations submit overtures in 2009. If you or your congregation would like to assist St. John, please contact me.

After the Convention, I am committed more than ever to Confessional Lutheranism in Cleveland and throughout Ohio. I also have hope, after the Convention, that our District will return to a more confessional position in the future. We have a lot of work to do. May God bless us now and always.

In Christ's service,

Pastor Jim Haugen

So Close and Yet So Far!

I recently received a very interesting book about the Passover. It is a Jewish catechetical book, called, "Pesach". Here are a few of the pages in the book. Sorry, no pictures!

"Daddy, what are we looking for?"
"We are searching for Chometz, so that there won't be any crumbs left. You see David, the bread and all the other Chometz we have found, we now burn."

"Mommy, what does Pesach mean?"
"Pesach means Passover. Hashem passed over the homes of our fathers in Egypt and saved their first-born sons, while those of the Egyptians died."

"Mommy, what are you doing?"
"Children, I am making Charoses, which is a mixture of chopped nuts, sliced apple, cinnamon, and wine. It reminds us of the mortar, and the clay from which our fathers had to make bricks while they were slaves in Egypt."

"Now children, this as you see, is the Zeroa. It reminds us of the lamb which was the Korban Pesach."

"Daddy, why do we drink four cups of wine at the Seder?"
"Hashem used four different words as to how He would free our people from Egypt."

"Yes, Children, let us hope that next year we will be in Yerusholayim"

How close to and yet how far from Jesus! So many things that point to the death of Christ! So many things that point to what God has done and is doing in Jesus Christ. May God embolden us to reach out to Jews in our midst. May we all meet in the heavenly Yerusholayim!

Pastor Haugen

Porn Generation

Jenny and I took the boys out to eat the other night. We sat down at our table and looked forward to a nice dinner. At one point, I glanced at the people sitting next to us. There were probably eight or so at their table. In their group was a little girl, oh, maybe 8 or 9, possibly 10. What particularly struck me was the clothes that she was wearing or better yet, the clothes she was not wearing. She had on a shirt worn by many teenagers and those wanting to be teenagers. It showed the entirety of her back and most of her stomach as well. Should we be surprised by the problems that we are facing in our country right now?

I came across a book entitled, The Porn Generation. It is not a book I necessarily recommend for all people; but, if you want to know the honest truth about what is going on today, it is a must read. The book, written by Ben Shapiro, is subtitled, “How Social Liberalism is Corrupting our Future.” Mr. Shapiro, born in 1984, is a student at Harvard University. In his book, he chronicles the downward spiral of our society, as it relates to our sexual morals. He starts off his book by saying, “I am a member of a lost generation. We have lost our values. We have lost our faith. And we lost ourselves. As societal standards and traditional values have declined, and the crassest elements of sexual deviancy and pornography have taken over the public square, it is the youngest Americans who have paid the price. Never in our country’s history has a generation been so empowered, so wealthy, so privileged- and yet so empty... Over the latter half of the twentieth century, the forces of moral relativism, radical feminism... have gradually destroyed the foundation of our own greatness. Instead of adopting stronger moral standards, our society has embraced the lure of personal fulfillment. In a world where all values are equal, where everything is a simply a matter of choice, narcissism (self-obsession) rules the day. Our culture has bred hollow young men, obsessed with self-gratification. Young women are told to act like sex objects and enjoy it... The mainstream acceptance of pornography has become a social fact... We have replaced faith and family with a warped image of sex and self-satisfaction that ridicules the concept of purity and mangles the most sacred ideals of matrimony. Traditional authority figures- parents, community leaders, even God have been discarded. The new authority figures are... members of a coarsened pop culture... sex ed instructors, university professors, advertisers, Hollywood actors, MTV “artists” and assorted celebrities who act as the new elders of a church of corrupt, shallow and materialistic humanism.... Our new god is Tolerance of all behavior, our new credo “live and let live.”

But my job as your pastor is not just to point out what is wrong. My job is to try to make a difference. What can we do to make a difference? Honestly, it seems like too big of a problem. But what I do know is that we must do something. We can’t just sit around and let our country go down the path that it is going. Since I have been here, I have been praying that God would provide some areas that we can a difference in our community. Are the issues mentioned above a problem in Strongsville and Berea? Are they a problem in your family? Are they a problem with your friends and neighbors? I am sure that all of us would have to say: Yes. If they are, let us try to do something about it.

In order to make a difference, to stem the tide, we need your help. We need everyone on the same page. Where will it lead? I don’t know. But, to start, we need to pray for God’s guidance. We need to continue to talk about the issues with our family, with our friends and with our neighbors. We could offer classes or support groups for the community. In the near future, I plan to write letters to local editors and pursue other ways to get the word out. There are many other things that we could do. If you have an idea, let me know.

Just what are we sticking up for? It is very basic. They are 3 things. 1) We want to put sexuality back where it should be. Sex is a beautiful thing and it is reserved and belongs only to those who are married. Tolerance of immortality can not be accepted. We must take a stand against adultery and premarital relations. Couples must not live together until they are married. Teenagers must wait until they are married to enjoy the blessings of marriage. Abstinence is the only option.2) Also, for those who have been caught up in the porn generation, we must also offer the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. There is hope for all, even those who have ruined their own lives and the lives of others. 3) We want to provide support, guidance and helpful suggestions for people of all ages to take a stand against immortality. This is a message that our community and our world, desperately needs to hear.

Will we change the world? No. But, with God’s help, I believe that we can make a difference in our local community.

Should We Stay or Should We Go- Installment # 1?

Should we stay or should we go? That is the question. Should we leave the Missouri-Synod or should we stay and attempt to turn things around? After about 6 months at my first parish in Hood River, I was ready to leave. I was fed up and held out little hope for our Synod. Today, I am not so sure that we can't win the battle. Yes, our Synod is in trouble. Yes, our Lutheran identity is in serious jeopardy. Yes, it will be along hall. Yes, it would be easier to start over. But, I believe that in time, things will turn around. Many questions have to be answered. Do we still want a synod? Is a synod still even a possibility today? Would local synods be better? As time permits, I hope to answer these and other questions. Feel free to leave your opinion. For now, I leave you with this: Our Synod is very sick, but there is a cure- the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "Be faithful unto death, I will give you the crown of life."

Maker of Heaven and Earth!

Get Busy Living and Get Busy Dying!

Blessed Lenten tide. While at the "Logical" Seminary in Fort Wayne, I had Professor Donald Deffner (may his soul rest in peace) for a Christian Education course. While not agreeing with him on some issues, I did appreciate his interest in finding Christian themes in movies, music and entertainment. In fact, I drive my wife crazy finding Christ in everything I see. So much of what poses as entertainment today is horrible. Down-right evil, really. Occasionally, something that comes down the pike isn't half-bad. One such movie that has many themes that coincide with the Christian faith is Shawshank Redemption. The movie is full of vulgar language that would make a sailor blush; but, if one looks past that to the deeper meaning, it can point us to the cross. At one point in the movie, the main character Andy says to his friend Red. "It comes down to a choice really. Get busy living or get busy dying." For us, as we take up our cross and follow Christ, we do both really. In Christ, we get busy dying and get busy living in the waters of Holy Baptism. May we be brought to the cross and see there our Savior who died for us and for our salvation.

A Blessed New Year to All!

Fellow Sons and Daughters of the Light,

The new year provides us with an opportunity to start over, to start fresh. I had gotten away from posting anything on my blog for several months (August). Whenever I had something that I wanted to say, other responsibilities of the Ministry seemed to take precedence. It is my intention to start up again. It is also still my intention to help spread confessional Lutheranism in the Cleveland area. I do see hope on the horizon for Lutheranism in the Cleveland area. One glimmer of hope is the growth of the Confessional study that meets at Christ on the first Friday of the month from 10 to 12pm. Other pastors in the area are beginning to see the importance of sound doctrine and continual study of the Book of Concord. There is still so much work that needs to be done.

I realize that nothing will be perfect on this side of eternity, but I can dream can't I? I look forward to the day when pastors understand their role as shepherds, not as facilitators. I look forward to the day when "happy clappy" is a thing of the past. I look forward to the day when the Liturgy is not seen as a hindrance to growth but as the way to preserve the faith. I look forward to the day when churches see themselves as baptizing and catechizing communities of faith and not as entertainment centers. I look forward to the day when we stress "vocation" not "ministries."I also want to help write a history of Lutheranism in Cleveland. I have come across a study that was done until 1893. Any help in this area would be appreciated. May God continue to be with our Synod in the future or with whatever God has in mind for Lutheranism in the 21st century.

In Christ's service,

Pastor Jim Haugen

I'm Sick of It! Lord have mercy.

Greetings in the name of Jesus.

Having a blog gives me the opportunity to say what I want to say. Something that has been on my mind for quite some time is our national obsession with immorality and deviant sexuality. We are getting so immune to it. Everywhere you look, there is some company or business cheapening and denigrating sexuality. So many movies and television shows promote adulterous and promiscuous relationships. Even children's programs have subtle sexual themes now and again. There are pre-conceived notions as to what is attractive and what is acceptable and if you don't fit the mold, you are less than a person. Is there any wonder, we have so many problems. There was a school here in the Canton area that had 65 out of 490 girls who ended up pregnant, that's 13%. Can you believe that? Something that was intended to be "very good" is manipulated and abused everywhere you look. I am so sick of ladies showing off their mid-sections. I am so sick of young girls who try so hard to be "sexy" far too early. A radio talk personality calls them "Prostitots." I am so sick of men going outside of marriage to find fulfillment. I am so sick of all the pornographic sites on the internet, all the chat rooms, all the advertisements. I am so sick of cameramen, at a sporting event, when there is a lull in the action, focusing the camera on some "attractive" lady. If there is something that is going to destroy us as a country, this is this. How long will God put up with it? May we repent of our sins, and may the Lord have mercy on our souls. Thank you for listening.

Is This Still Your Grandfather's Synod Lectures

Is This Still Your Grandfather’s Synod?
The State of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Today

You are invited to attend one of two special lectures. There will be two different lectures at two different locations, with the same topic. The correlation between missions and doctrine will be the topic discussed in both lectures.

Rev. Lloyd Gross will be presenting the subject: “What we sow, what we reap; What does doctrine have to do with missions?” He is a 1968 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, with his STM from there in 1974. Rev. Gross has been serving at Christ Lutheran Church in Cleveland for the past 26 years. He will be presenting at:
Grace Lutheran Church
989 N. Portage Path
Akron, OH 44313
330-864-4244
on
Saturday, September 24 from 9:30 to noon

There will be time allotted for questions and answering.

Rev. Jack Kozak will be presenting the subject: “What we sow, what we reap; What does doctrine have to do with missions?” He is a 1990 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. Rev. Kozak has been serving at Hope Lutheran Church in Akron for the past 10 years. He will be presenting at:
St. John Lutheran Church
8888 Prospect Rd.
Strongsville, OH 44149
440-234-5806
on
Saturday, September 24 from 9:30 to noon

Ablaze Is Not the Answer!

Ever since I heard about the Synodical mission emphasis of "Ablaze" a couple of years ago, I was against it. Many "pastors" have asked me, "how can you be against Ablaze? It is all about mission." I am not against mission, just so long as it is God's mission, not our man-made version of God's mission. I am against Ablaze because I don't believe that it coincides with the mission of God's Word. Everyone has a mission. All businesses have a mission. The devil also has a mission. Just because something has the outward appearance of being a mission doesn't mean that it is God-pleasing.

First of all, the name "Ablaze" conjures up Pentecostal themes. Could they not have picked a different name? If I didn't know any better, I would think that the current leadership is trying to take us away from traditional Lutheran theology and practice to a more tolerant, loving and compromising stance. Second, all that "Ablaze" seems to be is numbers and counting. "Boy, look how good we are! We have shared the Gospel with x number of people. We are doing God's mission. Why don't we just pat each other on the back." As if God needed us to do His mission. I happen to remember a certain census that David took in the Old Testament that made God very angry. I have to ask: what is the point? Third, Ablaze fits neatly with the theology of Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Church. In Warren's view, everyone should be a missionary. But I ask you: is everyone a missionary? We say in Lutheran circles that, "All are priests. Some are ministers/pastors." Would we not say the same thing about missionaries? "All are priests. Some are missionaries." The Bible seems to indicate that missionaries are a special group of pastors called by God to start up a new church, hand it over to another pastor and move on. Is everyone called to be a missionary? I must answer no! I do not believe that everyone is called to be a missionary. I do believe that everyone is called to live out their faith in their various vocations. We are all priests of God, "offering our bodies as spiritual sacrifices to God." If we are the body of God and if we extend the metaphor out, would not pastors and teachers be the mouth? Not everyone is the mouth in the body of Christ. We need all the other parts of the body to function.

So the bottom line is this: To count how many people you have shared the Gospel with does not jive with God's mission or His Word. It is arrogant. It gives the appearance of, "Look what I am doing for God." It is foolish. How can we put a number or judge statistically what God is doing? And it is wrong. It gives the impression that to be a "real" or a "committed" Christian, one has to share their faith with as many people as possible. As if living out one's faith in one's vocation is not good enough? I am not saying that we shouldn't share our faith. But, if we are to share our faith with someone so that God brings that person into His Church through what we said or did, it will happen whether or not we make a conscious effort to do so. Praying the Lord's Prayer and its meaning come to mind. "The kingdom of God comes even without our prayer. But, we pray in this petition that it might come among us also." It seems to me that "Ablaze" is about guilt and superficial appearances pure and simple. I welcome any responses.

A Disturbing Trend in ELCA

As a life-long Lutheran, and as a LC-MS pastor committed to Holy Scripture and our Lutheran Confessions, I felt compelled to share some thoughts about what I see as some disturbing trends in the ELCA. My purpose is to encourage discussion and debate among its lay people. There are many things that are troubling to me and I would also hazard a guess are also troubling to many inside the ELCA.

There is much that unfortunately separates the LCMS and ELCA, but three main issues come to mind. They are: first, the role of women in the church, namely women as pastors; secondarily, the openness to the gay/lesbian movement and along with that ordaining of homosexual clergy and thirdly, the altar/pulpit fellowship that has been extended to many non-Lutheran churches over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, what I have learned in my discussions with other pastors in the LC-MS, open and honest discussion is often extremely difficult. It is fair to say that the LC-MS and the ELCA are not going to come together on these issues. Those who feel strongly about what they believe are not going to change their minds. The LC-MS and the ELCA are operating, it would seem, on two fundamentally different understanding of the Word of God and our Lutheran Confessions. There is not space here to include all my reasons for why the LC-MS believes what it does. Here’s my view. You are welcome to disagree. The bottom line seems to be: all of the above items, are the result of caving in to the pressures of the world. The ELCA has allowed itself to be manipulated by the cultural fads of our day.

To those within the ELCA, if you are not happy with your church body, let me remind you of what question #179 says in Catechism, Letter B, “We should be faithful to that visible church, or denomination, which professes and teaches all of the Bible’s doctrine purely and administers the sacraments according to Christ’s institution,” and also Letter C, “We should avoid false teachers, false churches, and all organizations that promote a religion that is contrary to God’s Word.”

At St. John’s, in Strongsville, we are committed to that which is fundamental: God’s Word, our Lutheran Confession and Liturgy. If you are not happy with your church, I encourage you to visit http://www.lutheranliturgy.org/. Type in Ohio and find many churches committed to traditional and confessional Lutheran teaching and practice. If you are happy with the decisions made by the ELCA leadership, then you are not probably reading this article. But, if you are not happy, maybe now is the time to reconsider your affiliation with the ELCA. God’s blessings to all.
Pastor Jim Haugen

Yes Sound Theology Does Matter!

In my reading of Church History, it has always amazed me when faithful men and women were not afraid to do what was right; and to do what was right often cost them their lives. Certainly, as Lutherans, we can point to Martin Luther at various times and places in his life, when he risked his life for theology. Many of our church heroes actually lost their lives for theology. Yesterday, was St. Lawrence Day, a 3rd century Roman martyr (www.lcms.org/?3779 ). We also remember Ignatius of Antioch, John Hus, and many others. I can't count how many times I have heard people say, including pastors, that, "Yes, sound theology is important; but, we must focus more on reaching the lost. Our Synod spends too much time on incessant bickering over this teaching and that teaching. We must do whatever it takes to bring people in." Today, it seems that pastors and leaders in our church say that they care about sound doctrine, when in fact they really don't. It is just lip service. A historian of the church will tell you that sound theology was primary in the various debates throughout our history. Imagine what would have happened had Luther not cared so much about sound theology, or Athanasius, or Augustine and or even Walther. Are you telling me that these heroes fought and some even died for nothing? So for them, sound teaching was important, but today not so much? Is the need for sound teaching somehow less today? I wonder if some of our Synodical leaders were faced with the threat of death, would they hold to certain teachings? Would they be willing to die for the correct understanding of the Liturgy, of Holy Communion, Baptism, the Office of the Ministry, just to name a few? I fear that if push came to shove, many in our Synod would give in all too easily. The point is this: the battle is always about teaching the Word correctly. It started with Adam and Eve and it will continue to the blessed return of Christ. May God give us the courage to stand up and fight for what is right, no matter what! It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you're not!

Our Sympathy Is With You Brook Park

Yesterday, at the Cleveland IX center, a civil/religious ceremony was held where thousands of people came to pay their respects to the over 20 U.S. Marine Reserve servicemen of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment, headquartered in Brook Park, Ohio, who lost their lives in two bloody days of war in Iraq. Politicians and local leaders spoke about love of country and the nobility of suffering for a cause. As Confessional Lutherans, we have the ultimate respect for anyone who would die for someone else. So, we say thank you. Thank you to all those servicemen who bravely stepped in harm's way to protect us. They come home heroes and may their bravery be an example to us. For those who mourn the loss of their father, son, husband, brother, friend, I pray that you find comfort the only place that it can be found and that is in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. This Jesus conquered death so that all who look to Him as their Savior need not fear death; for they have their sins forgiven and can look forward to a bright future. Brook Park, our sympathy and prayers are with you!

I Want the Blood! I Want the Body!

After the Divine Service today, I had to send this out. During the Distribution of the Elements, a child at our church was very insistent. He shouted, "I want the Blood! I want the Body." He couldn't understand why he couldn't also receive Christ's body and blood. Why does everyone else get to eat and I don't? As I passed him, I said, "In due time. When it is right."

I am not advocating young children participating in the Sacrament. What I do think that we can learn from this child is His insistence and persistence to receive what God offers. He really wanted it. He needed it. He had to have it. He was upset when he couldn't have it. I think as adults we have a tendency to lose that zeal, that desire for the Sacrament and what God offers. We are used to it. Holy Communion becomes sort of ho-hum. Been there, done that and got the shirt to go with it. We enjoy going up, but maybe we don't go with the same sort of zest and zeal for what is being offered to us: the forgiveness of our sins, life and salvation. May we learn from this little child and have a passion, a gut-level need for what Jesus is offering us: something out of this world. I want the blood! I want the body! Take care. Pastor Haugen

Looking for a Confessional Lutheran Church?

Are you tired of what is going on in your church? Do you miss the old hymnal, TLH, page 5 and 15? Does the worship leave you dissatisfied because it seems to be so shallow? Do you desire worship that reminds you of worship when you were a child? Well, you have come to the right place. If you want to visit a church committed to traditional Lutheran worship, visit this website: http://www.lutheranliturgy.org/ Go to the Ohio section and you will find several churches in the Cleveland area. Come and visit. God bless.

Calling All Lapsed Catholics- Part II

I got this off our web-site.

Q. What are the main theological differences between the theology of the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church?

A. At the risk of oversimplification, and keeping in mind that individual Lutheran (and Catholic) theologians would undoubtedly disagree about the success of recent Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogues in lessening or even "resolving" historic doctrinal differences between these two churches, listed below are what the LCMS would regard as some of the major theological differences between the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church:

1. The authority of Scripture.
Lutherans believe that Scripture alone has authority to determine doctrine; the Roman Catholic Church gives this authority also to the pope, the church, and certain traditions of the church.

2. The doctrine of justification.
Lutherans believe that a person is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Roman Catholic Church, while at times using similar language, still officially holds that faith, in order to save, must be accompanied by (or "infused with") some "work" or "love" active within a Christian.

3. The authority of the pope.
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, Lutherans do not believe that the office of the papacy as such has any divine authority, or that Christians need to submit to the Pope's authority to be "true" members of the visible church.

4. Differences remain about both the number and the nature of the sacraments.
Lutherans believe that Christ's body and blood are truly present in the Lord's Supper, but they do not believe, with Catholics, that the bread and wine, are permanently "changed into" Christ's body and blood [transubstantiation].

5. Differences remain about the role of Mary and the saints.
Unlike Catholics, Lutherans do not believe it is proper or Scriptural to offer prayers to saints or to view Mary as in any sense a "mediator" between God and human beings.
While Lutherans believe that any doctrinal error has the potential to distort or deny Scripture's teaching regarding salvation, we also believe that anyone (regardless of denominational affiliation) who truly believes in Jesus Christ as Savior will be saved.

Calling All Lapsed Catholics! Part I

I have been here in the Cleveland area for almost two years. It is amazing to me how many people that I talk to who are Catholic- lapsed Catholic that is. They are associated with the Church but they never attend. When I mention that I am a pastor of the Lutheran Church, they respond something like, "Oh, I know you guys. You split from us back 500 years ago. You wanted to reform the church." Maybe, they even say something like, "You don't have as many Sacraments as we do." But that is as far as it goes. Unfortunately, most Catholic don't know what the Lutherans believe. It is my contention that if more Roman Catholics actually knew what Lutherans stood for, they might come into our church. There are also many lapsed Catholics who are very angry at their church for one reason of another. Maybe, they are angry because of what a priest said or did or maybe because of an ugly divorce. The Roman Catholics and the Lutherans are different in many ways; but, we do have much in common. In other blogs I will discuss the similarities and differences, but for now, if you are not happy with your Roman Catholic Church, visit a confessional Lutheran Church. We would love to meet you. I believe that you will find all of what you like about the Roman Catholic Church and not find what you don't like. Try us out. You won't be disappointed.

Why Doesn't Anyone Wear Their Clerical Collar Anymore?

Living in the Cleveland area, and especially in Parma, due to the high number of Roman Catholics, I get a lot of strange looks whenever I wear my clerical collar. I have gotten used to the standard greeting, "Hello, Father." Most of the time, I don't correct them because I am a father- that is of 4 wonderful boys (see picture on my blog). It is especially humorous in public places when I have it on and my family is with me. What is disturbing to me, however, is the number of pastors today who don't wear the collar. I wonder why this is. I certainly hope that it is not because they are ashamed of their calling. Wearing the collar reminds me of my calling. For the first couple of years of my ministry, I didn't wear it, except on Sunday morning. Not that I would forget what I was doing, but when I wear my collar during the week, I am reminded of the seriousness of the office of the ministry. The criticism is that those of us who wear their collars, all the time, take themselves too seriously. Some have even asked me if I have clerical pajamas. I would argue that those who don't wear theirs take themselves and the office that they hold too lightly. The pastor who was here as the vacancy pastor reminded me of the symbolism behind the clerical collar. I think it fits; so I will share it. The pastor wears his black clerical collar for two reasons. First, the black shows to the world that the pastor too is a sinner, dead in his trespasses and sin. By himself, a pastor is nothing. But, secondly, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, the words that come out of his mouth should be as white as freshly fallen snow. When people see that collar, it reminds them that God is present and pastors are His representatives. Yes, some people will feel uncomfortable with it. Pastors who wear their collars may make some people nervous. Others will be turned off because of the individual problems with the Roman Catholic Church. Most people would agree that our society, and our church has lost a sense of what it means to be reverent. So much in our society is dumbed-down. Pastors who wear their collars remind the world that there is nothing wrong with tradition as long as it leads people to Jesus. That is what the office of the Ministry is all about- leading people to Jesus. Most people don't have a problem with a soldier or policeman who wears his uniform. When people see the officer in their uniform, it reminds them of what they are all about. Should not pastors stand out in the crowd? Should not a pastor remind those around that God is present? I believe that wearing a clerical collar does just that. Something to think about.

Trojan Horse in the Lutheran Church

Alvin Schmidt wrote a book several years ago, entitled, "Multi-culturalism: The Trojan Horse in America." If you want an honest analysis of how the ideology of multi-culturalism has affected and infected our culture, it is a very good read. Here's a spin off that thought. I would also call the Contemporary Christian Music movement the Trojan Horse in our Lutheran Church. Many churches accepted the music without critical analysis and thinking. It was seen as something harmless and even playful. What so many fail to realize is that the CCM movement is at the top of a very slippery slope. If you go down that road, it is very difficult to stop. The results are abandonment of Lutheran theology and practice. What we now see is the militant forces breaking out of that Horse and destroying our church. What can we do? Get rid of the Horse! Go back to solid, Biblical Lutheran worship! Don't allow the facade of the Horse to destroy us! If we continue to do nothing, it will continue to have an increasingly damaging effect. Just something to think about.

Twinsday Festival in Twinsburg Ohio

It's All About Jesus!

I don't normally read Christianity Today, but there was a recent article that caught my attention that I have to comment on. It was in the August 2005 issue and is entitled, "It's All About Jesus: A Convert to Orthodoxy reconsiders Evangelism." The author grew up a Baptist and converted to Eastern Orthodoxy later in life. He writes, "I lost my fundamental faith and became interested in the ancient traditions of the church, attended a Lutheran parish for awhile, and eventually wound up Eastern Orthodox." But, as the author continued to ponder his faith, he came to the realization that certain aspects of Evangelicalism weren't so bad, especially the concept that we are saved by God's grace, not by our works. He also writes, "Evangelicals, Catholics, and Orthodox disagree about the exact identity of 'the church.' But when the smoke clears, we all agree that everyone under the lordship of Christ, regardless of denominational affiliation, is somehow part of the church. That's the important thing." Classic ecumenical non-sense. But the last paragraph really caught my attention. "It took me awhile, but I think I've finally learned what really matters. Liturgical is not enough, sacramental is not enough, Catholic is not enough, and Orthodox is not enough. Only Jesus is enough." Classic Gospel reductionism. What he fails to understand and what so many in our Synod, for some odd reason, fail to understand is that the Liturgy is enough. Baptism is enough. The Lord's Supper is enough. The Office of the Keys is enough. The Bible and the Book of Concord is enough because all of them do nothing other than reveal Jesus. Scaer was and continues to be right. All theology is Christology. The job of the church is to give Jesus to the people. We are to teach the people about Jesus. We are to reveal Jesus in all his splendor. If all we are doing as Confessional Lutherans is promoting some dead orthodoxy, then we are to be pitied more than all men. What we hold to, what we cling to, what we strive to teach and confess, what we would gladly die for is Jesus and his teachings. So yes, I agree. It is all about Jesus.

Installation November 2003 

Why Contemporary Christian Music Should Not Be Allowed in any Lutheran Church! Installment 2

Greetings in Jesus,

Why should Contemporary Christian Music not be allowed in any Lutheran Church? It's association with the world. I recommend a decent book entitled "Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Movement" He doesn't come to the conclusions that I would have liked, but some of his basic premises are right on track.

He basically is saying that the CCM movement has no right to be in God's church, let alone the Lutheran church. The music blantly mirrors the world and is opposed to the Gospel. Without knowing it, he is promoting the all important concept of Lutheran worship, which is Lex orandi, lex credendi. Trying to preach and sing about the Gospel with worldly means is wrong! Even those whose wholeheartedly accept CCM acknowledge its association with the world. They argue that people will more easily come to church because they are hearing music that they like. These self-promoters get all excited because the Church is becoming more relevant to the world. To me, anything that excites the world should be rejected outright!

Take care and God bless. Pastor Haugen

Why Contemporary Christian Music Should Not Be Allowed in any Lutheran Church!- Installment Number 1

Greetings in Jesus,

Sorry for the delay. The summer is supposed to be a quieter time.:-) Anyway, these thoughts have been on my mind for many years. So, over the next several weeks, I am going to try to lay out for you why I think that Contemporary Christian music should not be allowed in any Lutheran Church for any reason. Many of us are trying to start a return to Confessional Lutheranism. I believe that one of the major tenets of the movement is our objection to the Contemporary Christian movement and praise worship in all its various manifestations. This also includes "blended worship." It should not be allowed in our churches. It is wrong and should be rejected!

Why am I against Contemporary Christian music? Why do I feel so strongly? I will tell you why. It causes division. St. Paul encourages us to stay away from those would cause division or put obstacles in our way (Romans 16:17). Even those who are in favor of Contemporary Christian music in our Lutheran worship must agree that it causes division.

At St. John's, CCM caused a major division. They had a Contemporary Christian entertainment service for a short time, a few years before I came. For various reasons, they decided to end the service. Some people got quite upset and left the church over it. In various places where I have been, I have seen it cause heartache and dissension in the church of God. The CCM movement should not be allowed in our Lutheran churches.

As I stated before, and will say again, the historic Lutheran liturgy provides all that is necessary for Lutheran worship. For those who understand the depth of the liturgy, nothing else is even comparable.

One of the most troubling things about our current Synod situation is that we have allowed or given approval to congregations to dabble with "alternative worship forms." One of the worst things we could have done! It has caused division in our Synod.

One of the things that bothers me is when people complain about something and don't provide any solutions. I don't claim to have all the answers. There are many brighter and better educated pastors who can flesh out how this can be done. But, in order to stop the ship from sinking we must plug the holes. One of the holes that must be plugged is the Contemporary Christian movement in the Lutheran churches. All congregations should use exclusively TLH (My person favorite), LW or the HS or the new hymnal. If we are going to start being a caravan again, we must not allow for dissension and division in our churches. Stay tuned for future installments.

May God bless our movement according to good and gracious will.

In Christ' service,

Pastor Haugen

The Joy of Being a Pastor

I wanted to take just a moment to relate a quick story. We have VBS this week. A little girl asked me, "Pastor, do you like your job." To which I responded, "Yes. I certainly do." It is such a joy to be able to be a Lutheran pastor. At times, you can lose your patience, your hair and your sanity; but, I can not think of anything else I would rather be doing. As a fellow pastor is apt to say, "The Word works." It is such a joyous experience to participate in this God-ordained office.

What is Confessional Lutheranism?

You may be asking yourself what is Confessional Lutheranism? I plan to write a summary of what it is very soon. Until I get around to writing it, I urge you to go to the home for Confessional Lutheranism on the net at confessionallutherans.org.

In God's House-Explanation of Liturgy for Children

IN GOD’S HOUSE- An explanation of our Lutheran Liturgy for Children

I. Introduction

As parents, we know that taking children to church can be extremely difficult. We want them to grow up in the faith, and to make God a priority in their lives. Sometimes, however, the negative consequences outweigh the positive when we bring our children to church. They don’t seem to understand what is going on and they don’t seem to get much out of it. They become easily distracted and bored. They get loud and we have to take them out. As a result, we, as parents, can’t worship either. After a few bad experiences, we became less apt to want to bring them at all. With this in mind, and also having four children myself, I have developed a resource that can be used to help our children understand worship. Bringing children to church will never be easy. But, it is my hope that by understanding our Lutheran worship and being able to participate in the service, they will gradually become more comfortable with it.

A. God’s House

A child can understand what a house is. Your family lives in a unique house or apartment. They see different houses in their neighborhood. All houses have things in common. All houses have doors that you use to enter. All houses have people in them that talk with one another. All houses have water in them. All houses have food and drink in them. Music is also common in most houses. Most houses have candles in them. Houses protect us from the outside elements. Believe it or not, all of these things are also found in God’s House. There is a door that allows people to enter. There is conversation going on between God and the people. There is water, food and drink in God’s house. There is music and singing in God’s house. God’s house has candles in it. God’s house protects us from the outside world. You can begin by explaining to your children all that is found in their homes is also found in God’s house.

B. Why Are We Going to Church? A Divine Service

Children often ask why they have to go to church. The standard answer is because God wants us to. This is true; but it is only partially true. God wants us to come to church because He wants to give us His gifts. Worship is primarily Divine Service. That means, that in worship, our God is “divinely serving” us. Our God is using His Word and His Sacraments to bless, to encourage, to strengthen, to empower, to enlist and to do so much more. He does this regardless of age. We come to church because we need what God has to offer. Then, as a response to what He does, we respond with thanksgiving and praise. Why do we go to church? Because God is there and He wants to give us His gifts. All children love to receive a gift. At church, God is giving us gifts. Children can understand that for sure.

C. Preparation for Going to God’s House

Before we go to someone’s house, we make preparations. We put on certain clothes. Maybe as parents, we dress our children in certain clothes and we encourage them to act in a proper way. We can do the same before we go to God’s house. We can remind our children that we are entering the house of God. We, therefore, want to respect His house. We wear nicer clothes. We are on our best behavior, not because we are trying to impress God but because we respect Him and want to give Him our very best. We also can tell our children that being in God’s house is a joyous thing. We have the privilege of hearing and talking with our Heavenly Father. Preparing our children gets them in the proper mind for worship and it also helps us as parents.

II. An Explanation of the Worship Service

A. Singing in God’s House- Hymns and Liturgy

Music is a integral part of our society. Everywhere you go, you hear music. The same is true in God’s house. You hear music being played throughout the Divine Service. It is played before the service begins and after the service ends. It is played throughout the service. Music is heard as we sing the hymns. The hymns are used to help teach all of us the faith. They are a sung confession of the faith. It is my firmly held conviction that our children can not only learn our hymns, but can also value them, as well. To do this, it takes practice. Later in this resource, I will provide you with a list of hymns that children can learn at very early ages. Maybe they won’t know the whole hymn, but they can learn a stanza or two. Learning various hymns as a child leads to a deep and abiding appreciation of them when they are older. Parents can also teach their children to sing various parts of the liturgy. For example, the children can sing the Kyrie, “Lord have mercy.” Children can learn, “Create in Me.” Teaching our children the various parts of the liturgy and the hymns will go a long way to help them participate in the service.

B. Water in God’s House

Most houses today have access to water. Water is necessary for us in that we need it for the normal functions of our body. We need it to keep us clean. The same is true in God’s house. On some occasions, water has a very prominent role. When we have the privilege of having a Baptism, God joins the Water with His Word and washes away that persons sins. They become God’s beloved child. On Sundays when we don’t have a Baptism, there is still water present. We begin most services in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. When we do this, we are remembering our own Baptism where we were washed with the Water and the Word. Every Sunday, we can remind our children to look at the Baptismal font in the front of the church. Remind them how God used water to make them His child.



C. Entering God’s House- Confession/Absolution

Before going into another person’s house, normally, either the person on the inside must let us in or we must have the keys to get in. That is exactly what happens in God’s house. The catechism reminds us that the church has been given the “Office of the Keys.” This a particular church power that Christ gives to His church to open and close heaven. Before we can be in God’s house, we must be ready. That is why we have Confession and Absolution at the beginning of the service. When we confess our sins, and when the pastor proclaims that forgiveness in Jesus’ name, we remember that the door to God is open. We remember why we are able to be in God’s house. He lets us in and we are now with him. We can remind our children how precious the forgiveness of our sins truly is.

D. The Liturgy of the Word- The Introit, Gloria Patri, Kyrie, Gloria in Excelsis, The Salutation and the Collect- Order and Structure in God’s House

This part of the service is the liturgy proper. It is sung every week; so it provides order and structure for our worship. In the Introit, God is speaking to us. The words spoken are related to the Scripture lessons and to the theme for the day. In the Gloria Patri, as well as the Gloria in Excelsis, we give our God the glory due Him. The Kyrie is asking that same God to have mercy on us, His children. Because they are so repetitive, it is my belief that children can learn to sing these sections of the liturgy very early. This section ends with the pastor reminding us that God is with us and then as a response we pray back to Him. The collect is a short summary of the theme for the day. Encourage your children to listen and pray to God as the prayer is said.

E. Apostles’ or Nicene Creed- Saying What We Believe

Understanding God can be difficult for children, as well as for adults. The Creeds are our confession of who God is and what He does in our lives. The Creeds helps us understand Him better. We confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He made us unique. He keeps us safe and provides for us. He sent his Son to die and rise again for us. He sends His Holy Spirit to bring us to faith and strengthen us in that faith. The earlier you can teach your children the Creeds, the better off you and they will be.

F. God’s Speaking to Us

In the house of God, it is such a joy to hear our God speak to us. That is what He is doing when the Old Testament, the Epistle and the Gospel are being read, as well as during the Sermon. The Hallelujah verse is also sung between the Epistle and the Gospel to remind us that we are about to hear the very words of Jesus. This can also be learned very easily. We need to help our children pay very close attention to the Word of God and to the sermon. During the sermon, God is speaking to us and relating the Word of God to our daily lives. Again, they may not understand all that is said that particular day; but, as they listen, the Holy Spirit is strengthening their faith. The next time they hear the same text, they may understand a little bit more. One way to help our children pay closer attention to the 3 readings is to read them the week before. In your devotion time, maybe before or after the family meal, the father or mother can read the lessons. If they have already heard the readings before Sunday morning, they will really feel a part of the service when that part begins.

G. The Offering- Giving God Money in His House

Explaining the offering to children does not need to be difficult. What we need to tell them is that everything in the world is already owned by God. He made everything that we see around us. We are simply the caretakers of His property. We are called to be good stewards of that property. We give back a portion of what God has already given to us to say thank you to Him. The money is used by the church in its mission and ministry. It is vital that we teach our children to be good stewards. We can teach them this by helping them set aside a portion of the money that comes to them and help them put it in the plate as it is passed. After the Offering, we sing the Offertory, asking God to create in us a new heart. We are making the transition to the second part of the Divine Service- the celebration of Holy Communion.

H. Speaking back to God- Prayers Used in Worship and the Lord’s Prayer

Praying to God is an essential part of being a Christian. We teach our children to pray at the dinner table, before they go to sleep and when someone is hurt. Praying is also an essential part of the Divine Service. During the General Prayer, we pray for what was preached about in the Sermon. We pray for our country, for our leaders, for those suffering, those in the hospital, those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, as well as any other need that might arise. The Lord’s Prayer, which sometimes comes later in the service, is a beautiful summary of what we can pray to God for. We pray for His name to be kept holy. We pray for His kingdom of grace to come to all people and His will to be done in this world. We pray that He would give us what we need to survive and to help us to forgive those who sin against us. Finally, we pray that the devil would not trick us and that we would not fall into temptation. Learning the Lord’s Prayer can be done by children at a very early age.

I. The Communion Liturgy before the Meal- The Preface, the Proper Preface, The Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei

Again, these are the regular parts of the liturgy that we do every time we celebrate Holy Communion. They help us to prepare our hearts and minds for receiving God’s meal. The Preface reminds us that God is with us, that we are to lift up our hearts and to give thanks for what God is going to be giving to us. The Proper Preface again highlights the theme for the day, and it reminds us why we need to give thanks to our God. The Sanctus reminds us how special it is that Jesus will be present; while the Agnus Dei reminds us that the Body and Blood of Jesus gives us the forgiveness of our sins.


J. God’s Meal

One of the most important times for us as a family in our various households is the time that we spend around the dinner table. We talk about how the day went and we strengthen the relationship that we have with one another. The same is true in God’s house. Holy Communion is the time that we are privileged to eat with our God. It is the time when we eat and drink the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, for life and for salvation. It is also a time in which God strengthens the bond that we have with our fellow Christians at St. John. I must admit that explaining Holy Communion to our children is not an easy task. They don’t understand why they too can’t eat and drink the meal. The easiest thing to say is that when they grow to be about 14 years of age, they too will be able to eat and drink this special meal. When they are old enough to understand what is going on, then they can commune. You can begin by saying that Jesus said that He is present in the bread and wine. It is a mystery. It is God’s way of being with us and our way of eating with Him. You can remind them that they do receive a special blessing from God and this, too, is important. They are part of this fellowship even if they can’t eat the meal quite yet.

K. The Communion Liturgy after God’s Meal- The Nunc Dimittis, the Thanksgiving, the final Prayer and Salutation, the Benedictamus and the Benediction.

After receiving the body and blood of Jesus for our forgiveness, we say, just like Simeon, that we are ready to depart in peace. Our eyes have seen, our ears have heard and our mouths have tasted the salvation of our God. We give God thanks one last time and we pray that what we have received in God’s house will continue in us as we leave. We are told one last time that God is with and He wants to bless us. The final words of God are His blessing and benediction over us. Because of Jesus, His face shines upon us and His peace always rests over us.




















III. Other Miscellaneous Elements of God’ s House

A. Decoration in God’s House

Many people decorate their houses based on what time of year it is. If it is Christmas, families put up Christmas trees and decorations. If it is Easter, we have Easter decorations. God’s house is the same. In the church, we follow a church year, with its various colors and decorations throughout the year. The main festivals in the church year are Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. Each time of the year brings with it unique decorations. For example, during Christmas, we have a Christmas tree, and a beautiful manger scene that we put up in the front of the church. During Lent, we put up a large wooden cross, which is draped with purple fabric. As these various “decorations” change throughout the year, we can explain to our children the significance and meaning. Helping our children understand and appreciate the passing of the seasons will help to enhance their worship. Please see the list below of what the different colors in the Church symbolize.

B. Colors

Blue- Advent; a color of royalty as we anticipate the birth of Jesus
White- Christmas, Easter and other holy times- a color of holiness and perfection
Black- Good Friday- a color symbolizing death
Red- Pentecost, other Festivals- a color symbolizing fire, Holy Spirit and bloodshed
Green- Sundays after Pentecost- a color symbolizing growth and new birth
Purple- Lent- a color symbolizing repentance and self-denial

C. Hymns that Children Can Learn throughout the Year (Learn one Stanza at a Time)

Advent- TLH # 62, 63, 68
Christmas- TLH # 87, 94, 102, 646, 647
Epiphany- TLH # 127
Lent- TLH # 146, 149, 159
Easter- TLH# 191, 199, 200
Pentecost- TLH # 657, 658, 376,451, 428

Closed Communion

THE PRACTICE OF CLOSED COMMUNION
Imagine that you are gathered with others for worship. After the hymns and liturgy, Scripture lessons and sermon, the Pastor says, "We are ready to participate in the fellowship of the Lord's Supper. Therefore, those of you who are not baptized, or are not instructed in the teaching of the apostles and prophets, or are not part of this confessional fellowship, are now dismissed. Thank you for your interest in hearing God's Word. We pray it will bear fruit in your heart and life."
You are attending a first-century Christian worship service. This congregation is practicing closed communion. Simply stated, the practice of closed communion means that only those who belong to the same confessional fellowship–those who believe, confess, and teach the prophetic and apostolic faith–may join together in the fellowship of Holy Communion.
Refusing communion to the general public and even to erring Christians is consistent with the historic practice of the Christian Church. Through the ages confessing Christians have regarded unity of doctrine as a prerequisite for admission to the Sacrament of Holy Communion. To this day, the Lutheran Church follows the Christian practice of closed communion. Those who are not Lutherans frequently do not understand this practice and often become very judgmental in the things they say. Sometimes even Lutherans do not clearly understand closed communion and may be embarrassed that their congregation follows this practice.
The purpose of this article is to briefly explain our practice of closed communion so it may be understood by inquirers. The focus will be on three major emphases.
The practice of closed communion rises from the Scriptural understanding of the nature of the Sacrament of the Altar.
"Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.' In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: 'Drink of it, all of you; this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'"
These words are known as the Words of Institution, since they were used when the Lord's Supper was instituted. They come from our Lord Jesus Himself. To call Jesus Christ "Lord" is to recognize that His Word is authoritative. He is Truth. His Word is truth. His words are true. When He says of the unleavened bread "This is My body" and of the cup (wine) "This is My blood," we must take Him seriously. Therefore, in this Sacrament we receive our Lord's true body and true blood in, with, and under the unleavened bread and wine.
Therefore, we do not contradict our Lord's Word by teaching that this Sacrament is merely a meal of obedience in which we participate simply because He commands it.
We do not contradict our Lord's Word by teaching that this Sacrament is a symbolic meal in which the bread and the wine merely represent or symbolize the absent body and blood of Jesus.
We do not contradict our Lord's Word by teaching that this Sacrament is a meal in which our Lord is spiritually present and bodily absent.
We do not contradict our Lord's Word by teaching that this Sacrament is a sacrifice for sin which the pastor offers to God.
As Lutherans, we take the Lord at His Word. We do not claim to understand how the sacramental union takes place, but we dare not contradict the Word of our Lord simply because we cannot understand it. This Sacrament is the Lord's Supper. He is the Host, and we are His guests. He determines the nature of His Holy Meal. Genuine faith receives what the Lord promises and gives.
In this Sacrament, the Lutheran Church is aware that much more than bread and wine is involved. The body and blood of Jesus Christ are really present, as He himself says. Such an awareness of the nature of this Sacrament causes Lutherans to exercise great care so the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ is recognized, respected, and received in faith. To change the clear Word of our Lord regarding His Supper is both disrespectful and disobedient.
The practice of closed communion is required by the understanding that fellowship at the Lord's Table is the confession of a common faith.
Some people may not understand the unity of faith and its practical application in the Sacrament of the Altar, because they misunderstand the Biblical concept of fellowship. In our day "fellowship" means little more than friends getting together to enjoy each other's company. In the New Testament the word "fellowship" (koinonia) means "participation in a common thing."
In Acts 2:42, the "fellowship" which characterized early Christians came about because "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching...." not because they were friends (which they probably were) and not because they got together to enjoy each other's company (which they probably did). If fellowship were only a synonym for friendship and get-togethers, it would also apply to pagans. Pagans can also be friends who get together to enjoy each other's company. However, the basis of pagan get-togethers is not the apostles' teaching. Among Christians, where any part of the apostles teaching–God's Word–is denied or rejected, the very foundation of fellowship is undermined.
In I Corinthians 10:16-17, "koinonia" is the word used to express the intimate fellowship, the communion of the Lord's Table. There is the intimate fellowship or communion (koinonia) between the unleavened bread and the body of Christ and between the cup (wine) and the blood of Christ. In the Sacrament of the Altar there is also the fellowship or communion (koinonia) between Christ and the believers, as well as the fellowship or communion (koinonia) of the believers who commune at the same altar. To ignore the essence of any or all of these "koinonias" is to undermine and mock the Sacrament of Holy Communion itself.
Since fellowship at the Lord's Table means confession of a common faith, it would not be truthful for those who teach the Real Presence of Christ and those who deny the Real Presence of Christ to join one another. It would be neither faithful to Scripture nor helpful to fallen humanity if those who confess clear Scriptural teachings and those who deny clear Scriptural teachings are welcome at the same altar. Where this is permitted, people can rightly ask whether Christian teaching and practice is determined solely by God's Word or simply by human consensus.
The Sacrament of the Altar is a means of grace, a way that God offers, gives, and seals forgiveness, life, and salvation to the believing communicant. Word and Sacrament are those means of grace. "Word" accents the verbal; "Sacrament" accents the visible. The differing accents do not mean they are mutually exclusive. In fact, they stand or fall together. In Holy Communion our Lord gives His body and blood for us Christians to eat and drink to forgive our sins and keep us in the true faith. This faith is not just a warm feeling about Jesus, nor is it some lowest-common-denominator understanding about Jesus, nor is it even a correct understanding about the nature of Holy Communion. This faith is the Christian faith, the teaching of the prophets and apostles, the Gospel in all its articles. In this Sacrament we commune not only as individuals but also as the family of God united in a common faith and confession.
The Apostle Paul stresses this unity of faith and confession in I Corinthians 11:29 when he reminds Christians that in eating and drinking the Lord's body and blood, "you (plural) are proclaiming the death of the Lord until He comes." We who commune together proclaim the Gospel together. This corporate act presupposes that we share a common faith and confession. Therefore, the practice of closed communion seeks to prevent a proclamation of confessional agreement and unity in the faith where there is, in fact, disagreement and disunity.
This same theme of unity in faith runs through the Old Testament prophetic struggles against syncretism, the attempted unity of conflicting beliefs. The split between Israel and Judah was as much religious as it was political. Relationships between the two were discouraged. After the Exile, the labors of men like Ezra and Nehemiah stand out in the struggles to maintain purity and unity of faith. Their struggles were not mainly against pagans. Their struggles were mostly against those who claimed to be orthodox Israelites but who were not true to the ancestral faith.
At the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther struggled against those who added their own opinions to the Sacrament of the Altar, whether Roman or Protestant. In his letter to Frankfurt he saw clearly that open communion went hand in hand with those who refused to take the Lord at His Word. He was appalled that those of opposing beliefs about this Sacrament should commune together at the same altar–the excuse being that what happens in the individual heart, not in God's Word, is decisive–and he chastised them. It is only natural in our day, with its emphasis on the individual and its ethics based on personal feelings, that open communion is practiced. This must not happen.
In truth, the apostolic practice of closed communion continues unchanged to this day among those who agree with the apostles. However, there have always been those who want to make Holy Communion fit their own personal whims. From the errorists in Corinth to the errorists of today, open communion will be advocated and practiced by those who are indifferent to the apostles' teaching either by acting as if one's personal "faith" is superior to the Christian faith–the teaching of the apostles and prophets–or by acting as if differences in doctrine are equally valid expressions of some vague truth. It shall not be so among us.
Some have said, "You can't look into another person's heart to judge his faith." This is true. No one is admitted to or kept from the Lord's Table on the basis of our knowledge of the faith in his heart. We admit or refuse to admit someone on the basis of the faith he confesses. This involves his confession of sin, his confession of Christ as the only Lord and Savior, and his confession of the Christian faith–the apostles' teaching. Others have said, "You Lutherans think you're the only ones going to heaven." No responsible Lutheran has ever taught that. However, we certainly are trying to be faithful to the apostles' teaching, since that is the only true basis for Christian fellowship and unity.
Confessional Christian congregations, including Hope, who have joined the confessional fellowship of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, understand that unity of faith and teaching is the essence of fellowship. Fellowship at Holy Communion involves the fellowship of the sacramental union, the fellowship of Christ with the believer, and the fellowship among those faithful to the apostles' teaching. Communicants confess a common faith. Such an intimate fellowship means that those who commune together confess the same thing. Therefore, those who do not confess the same thing do not commune together. Jesus is not honored when the Lord's Table is used as a way of expressing or achieving unity of faith where it does not exist. Joint communion of persons having differing beliefs, even about the Sacrament itself, is not the way to achieve unity. This is a horrible confusion of Law and Gospel. True unity in the faith confessed is not produced by ignoring basic Christian teaching nor by attempting to falsify the last will and testament of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Sacrament of the Altar is not people at work achieving their ecumenical desires. The Sacrament is God at work forgiving sin and keeping His family in true fellowship with Him and with each other.
The practice of closed communion presupposes that proper pastoral care shows loving concern for each communicant.
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself," writes the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11:27-29.
In Corinth, some thought they could make Holy Communion fit their own ideas of what it ought to be. Paul admonishes them. Christ's body and blood are given in this Sacrament for eating and drinking. Every communicant must examine himself to determine his relationship to what God is giving in this Sacrament. Am I a sinful human being? Am I sorry for my sins? Do I in faith desire to receive the body and blood of Jesus in this Sacrament for the forgiveness of my sins? Unless a person truthfully and honestly responds positively to these questions, he eats and drinks judgment upon himself. Before the fact, Paul calls them to repentance so they do not place themselves under God's judgment. He knows that God will not tolerate anyone taking His Sacrament lightly or wrongly, even in ignorance. Like good medicine, which is to be used only under a doctor's care, the Lord's Supper is beneficial only when administered and received according to the Gospel, in keeping with God's Word.
Therefore, when the Pastor of Hope does not give the Lord's body and blood to someone unknown to him or to someone not of our confessional fellowship, he is acting responsibly as a "...servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God" (I Corinthians 4:1). In the Lutheran Church, looking out for someone's spiritual well-being is a positive act. Out of love for others, we do not invite them to partake in something that may be spiritually harmful to them. Nor do we pass off our pastoral responsibility by saying, "That's up to them." We do invite questions. We ask that a prospective communicant first be instructed in the chief parts of the apostles' doctrine. After this instruction, if individuals join us in confessing the apostles' doctrine, they are accepted into our confessional fellowship as communicant members of Hope Lutheran and of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
The pastoral concern of the Lutheran Church can be illustrated in this manner. An automobile is a wonderful convenience. It is intended to be helpful to you, but it can also destroy you if you do not treat it with care. Consequently, for your own protection, our government requires instruction in the operating basics and evidence of driving ability before anyone is legally licensed to drive a car. This requirement is not intended to deprive anyone of anything. On the contrary, it is a matter of experienced, responsible persons being concerned for the physical well-being of others. Much the same attitude is found in the Lutheran Church with regard to participation in the Sacrament of the Altar. We are concerned about the spiritual well-being of those under our pastoral care and those who may desire that care.
It is a great irony that those who practice closed communion are often called legalistic and unloving. Love is not empty words. It means commitment. It means that we dare to encourage, admonish, confront. The fact that this happens does not mean love is absent. It means that Christian brothers and sisters care enough to face divisions, neither glossing over them nor pretending that division is good. We are to confess together the Christian faith, the teaching of the prophets and apostles which is the basis of our fellowship. If anyone cannot do that, the Lord's Table is not the place for practicing hypocrisy. The Lord's Table is not a place to pretend a unity that does not exist. To do so is loveless disregard for the Word of the Lord and for the spiritual well-being of other people. We at Hope, and we of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod desire to be faithful to the Great Commission and teach all that the Lord has commanded.
The practice of closed communion rises from the nature of the Sacrament, is required by the understanding of fellowship as a common confession of faith, and is a loving expression of proper pastoral care.

Swat Those Flies- Traditional Values

As you may remember, the theme for 2005 is Building Bridges. God has built his bridge down to us by the person and work of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. As a result, we can approach God with freedom and confidence. Our sins are forgiven. We have access to God. In addition, He has built bridges between us. We are united together in His church, here at St. John. Furthermore, He helps us build bridges to those around us in the community. Our foundations for this bridge, as you also may remember are 6-fold: 1) The Bible 2) Lutheran Confessions 3) Lutheran Liturgy and Hymns
4) Traditional and Conservative Values 5) Practical Faith 6) Outreach to the Community and world.

This month, we look at the fourth foundation: Our Traditional and Conservative Values. In our Gospel lesson for June 19th, Matthew 10:24-33, Jesus warns the disciples about the persecution that they will endure from the world. As they are out spreading the Gospel, Satan will be there, around every corner, attempting to stop it. In the above Gospel lesson, Satan is called an interesting name. He is called Beelzebub. Satan has many names in Scripture, but this particular one is insightful. Literally, Beelzebub means, “Lord of the flies.”

For me, the summer time is a wonderful time of year. I admit that the hot temperatures can be difficult at times; but generally, it is wonderful to get outside and enjoy the sun. What is not so nice about the summer is all the flies that are out-and-about. These flies can annoy us especially when we are outside doing something enjoyable. These flies can even bite us and cause us pain.

There are many other types of “flies” that are out in our world today, not just in the summer time, but throughout the year. These “flies” can also annoy and cause us great pain. Some can even be deadly. These “flies” come from Satan himself, “the Lord of the flies.”

What are some of these flies that I am talking about? There are so many in our American culture. One of them is certainly the elevation of the individual. What matters most is me and only me, the world would say. My needs are the only thing that motivate me. When we stop caring about others and only look to ourselves, then there are so many problems.

What are some of the other flies that fly around our country today? They are: the undermining of the family, along with the refusal of parents to discipline their children; illicit immortality and sexual depravity, especially the acceptance of homosexuality; rampant drug use; the lack of concern for life at its beginning and at its end; a post-modern attitude that results in an unwillingness to take a stand for what is right and what is wrong.

The church has many “flies” in its midst as well? What are some of those flies? They are: a denial of the inerrancy of God’s Word; a refusal to teach God’s Word rightly and correctly; a rejection of the Sacraments of the Church; a false understanding of the mission of the church; a love of worldly and business philosophies; and worst of all, the love of money.

What can we do to deal with these flies? Get out the ultimate fly swatter: God’s Word. The precious Word of God gives it to us straight. It knocks the flies right out of the air. It flats them and takes the sting right out of the them. God’s Word lays out a traditional and conservative philosophy for us as Christians. So, let us cling to God’s Holy Word. It won’t let us down. It never has and it never will.

In Christ,

Pastor Jim Haugen

Foundations of Confessional Lutheranism

Greetings in Christ,

Last month, I talked to you about a theme for the year 2005. That theme was Building Bridges. There were three different aspects to the theme. The first aspect was how God the Father has built a bridge down to us through His Son Jesus’ death on a cross and resurrection from the grave. We can approach God now with freedom and confidence. The second aspect of Building Bridges was the importance of working at our relationship with other members. Satan tries to tear down the bridges that we have with them. We need to continually work at fostering our current relationships and also work at building new ones. Thirdly, we talked about the mission of the church which is to build bridges to the community and to the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we know, every bridge has to have a strong foundation. Without it, the bridge will not stand the test of time and will fall down. So, in coordination with the theme Building Bridges, I have chosen six foundation posts, as it were, for our church- six things that make our church unique and relevant in our world today. My hope is that these foundations will continue to remain strong at St. John’s.
1) The Bible. There is no better place to start. God’s Holy Word is the sole source and norm for all teaching. God lovingly gave us His Word to teach us about himself and His love for all mankind in and through His Son Jesus Christ. We go to His Word for comfort, strength and power for living. God’s Word has always been a foundation for us as Lutherans and I pray that it will always be a strong foundation of our church in the years ahead.
2) Our Lutheran Confessions. As a Lutheran Church, our Confessions are also vitally important to our mission and ministry. We have always believed in the importance of clearly stating what we believe, teach and confess according to God’s Word. The Book of Concord, our written confession, is a clear statement of our doctrinal positions on a whole range of issues. It includes “the Small and Large Catechism, the Augsburg Confession” and many other wonderful documents. These document remain just as relevant today as they ever have been. If you are interested in obtaining a Book of Concord, let me know.
3) The Historic Lutheran Liturgy, Worship and Hymnody. In the Christian church today, you see various ways of worshipping the Lord. The Lutheran Church has always believed in the importance of the Historic liturgy and hymnody. It allows God to primarily give us His gifts and secondarily it allows us to give thanks for those gifts. The Lutheran Church has never thought of worship as being entertainment. It is God’s means for bringing us into His presence to bless, heal and uplift our hearts and minds for service to God in our world today.
4) Traditional/Conservative Values. No one would argue that our society has changed in regards to morality and behavior over the last 25 years. What was once considered obscene and inappropriate is viewed today as acceptable and a constitutional right. The Lutheran Church has, since its inception, believed in the sanctity of life at the beginning and end of life. We have always opposed abortion, euthanasia, and same-sex marriages. These issues tend to get politicized, but to us they are issues of conscience. It is important for us that we don’t allow society to dictate our morality. It is also important that we stand up for what we believe but we do so in a lovingly and compassionate manner.
5) Practicality. Something that is always on my heart and mind as a pastor is trying to bring the faith to bear in our everyday life. Living the Christian life today is extremely hard. There are numerous pitfalls and temptations to avoid. Satan is there at every turn to lead us astray. Our worship, Bible study and fellowship should then lead us to faithful and faith-filled living. The Holy Spirit through the Word changes our mind as well as our heart and encourages us to give evidence of our faith to the world around us.
6) Love for Others and Spreading the Gospel to all nations. Again, the Lutheran Church has always believed in the importance of reaching out to all nations with the Gospel. It is not okay for us to hold onto the pure Gospel and not share it with others. May the Holy Spirit continue to motivate us so that we powerfully take the Gospel outside of our church. May we always have a deep love for others who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Building Bridges is our theme for 2005. God has blessed our church with a very solid foundation. We are at a time in our history to do some most important work. May God continue to bless our ministry and strengthen our foundations so that He is glorified.

In Christ,

Pastor Haugen

Ground Rules

I wanted to lay out some ground rules for this blog. The purpose of this blog, as I see it, is not to impune another's character. We are not out to break the 8th commandment. The purpose here is not to mention individual pastors or teachers unless what they say is documented in a published writings. This is an idea blog- a think tank, if you will. This blog is intended to spread Confessional Lutheranism by letting people know what is going on around them. Cleveland has a history of being a Lutheran area. It is my hope that by the grace of God, we can attempt to get back to being a solid Confessional Lutheran community. The intention of this blog, then, is teach what being a Lutheran is all about. One cannot teach Lutheranism without also referring to other teachings, as is fully evidenced in the Book of Concord. But, as we do so, we need to be as objective as possible.

And We're Off

Greetings fellow Confessional Lutherans. This is my first attempt at a blog; so please bare with me. Let me explain the purpose of this blog. The purpose here at Cleveland Confessional Lutheranism is to raise awareness of Confessional Lutheranism in the Cleveland area. I have been here in Cleveland for almost 2 years. I am the pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Strongsville. I have seen many Lutheran churches go away from what it means to be Confessional Lutheran. As time goes on, it is my hope that more and more people might know the joy and comfort in the Lutheran faith. Please click on "Archive" for more postings.