IT IS WRITTEN: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” (ROMANS 10:15)
A PUBLICATION OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD
20 2 1 Synod C o nvent i o n
The Good Shepherd Sends Shepherds pgs 8-15
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FROM ELS PRESIDENT: GLENN OBENBERGER
The Subject of Your Certainty
It is common among much of American Christianity to use salvation sentences with the wrong subject of the action verbs: I invited Jesus into my heart. I gave my life totally over to Jesus. I made Jesus Lord of my life. I chose to follow Jesus. etc. Sadly, it sets up the Christian to find his/her certainty of salvation within their own doing, and this will never produce certainty at all.
In my instruction of youth or adult confirmands, I have occasionally and repeatedly made this point: When it comes to salvation sentences, always watch who is controlling the verbs. If it is not God who is the subject of the sentence and we the objects, we will leave ourselves open to the tricks of Satan. The last question I have used in the oral exam of adults before the elders has been: “If you were to die tonight, why would you go to heaven?” More often than not, the response would be: “Because I believe in Jesus as my Savior.” I assure them that most Christians would answer in this way and it is not wrong, but a better way to answer is: “Because Jesus has done all to save me.” The latter response is keeping God as the subject and me, the sinner, as the object. The former response leaves one vulnerable to Satan’s diabolical tricks. He, along with your old man of sin, can say: “You believe in Jesus? Let’s review your sinful life and see how much you really believe in Him.” Then all certainty evaporates.
When I was a young man, shortly after high school, I was dabbling in such theology, thinking all such users of these expressions were able to live better Christian lives than we Lutherans ever could. But the more I pursued this brand of Christianity, the more I became frustrated with myself. I was blessed with having something I memorized in confirmation class constantly come back to me in my frustration: “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith …” Luther’s opening words to the explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed not only saved me from that wretched self-focused theology, but still to this day is my favorite portion of Luther’s Small Catechism.
On the Sunday of Easter 7, the Old Testament historical lesson is from Ezekiel 36:25-27 (ELH p. 203). Notice how God is the subject of the action verbs regarding His people’s salvation: [Thus says the Lord God:] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Read the larger context in vv. 22-32 and see the additional times God is the subject of salvation sentences.) In its public reading, I have loved to highlight those emboldened words. (Similarly, we find the divine subject emphasized in salvation sentences for these Old Testament lessons from Isaiah 42: 1-9, 44: 21-23 and Jeremiah 33:6-9 throughout the Church Year.) THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
Our gracious Lord wants you to be certain of your salvation. I pray, my fellow redeemed, you remain blessed in all your salvation sentences by keeping Him rightly as the subject and you as the blessed object. Let the devil be damned with all his accursed lies. See you in heaven!
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IN THIS ISSUE: THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
EDITORS DEVOTIONAL SERIES
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5th Petition | The King or the Quota REV. KYLE MADSON
13 Preparing Shepherds for the Future REV. DR. BRIAN KLEBIG
THE BIBLE’S PRAYER BOOK:
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The Psalms Teach Us to Pray
14 Photos of the 2021 Synod Convention
REV. TONY PITTENGER
THE GOOD SHEPHERD SENDS SHEPHERDS
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The Pastor and Pastoral Care Today
REV. GAYLIN SCHMELING
THE GOOD SHEPHERD SENDS SHEPHERDS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD SENDS SHEPHERDS:
MEETING MY BROTHERS & SISTERS
20 Grace Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Illinois REV. DAN MCQUALITY
10 Pastoral Formation Through the Ages
THE GOOD SHEPHERD SENDS SHEPHERDS:
DEPARTMENTS:
REV. DR. TIMOTHY SCHMELING
THE GOOD SHEPHERD SENDS SHEPHERDS:
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From the President
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Pastor, I Have a Question
12 The Seminary Today
16 Synod & Seminary Memorials & Honors
19 Synod News: Seminary Commencement
REV. GAYLIN SCHMELING
Evangelical Lutheran Synod PUBLISHED BY: The Evangelical Lutheran Synod 6 Browns Court Mankato, MN 56001
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL / JULY–AUGUST 2021 / VOLUME 104 / NUMBER 4 / ISSN OO24-7510
The Lutheran Sentinel is the official publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and is published six times per year. The subscription price is $12.00 per year with reduced rates available for blanket subscriptions at $10.00 through a member congregation.
ADDRESS EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE TO: Rev. Paul Fries 6 Browns Court Mankato, MN 56001 ADDRESS CIRCULATION CORRESPONDENCE and ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO: Lutheran Sentinel 6 Browns Court Mankato, MN 56001 PERIODICAL POSTPAID AT MANKATO, MN 56001 and ADDITIONAL OFFICES. POSTMASTER: Send changes (Form 3579) to Lutheran Sentinel 6 Browns Court Mankato, MN 56001
STAFF: Rev. Kyle Madson Editor Rev. Paul Fries ELS Communication Director Rev. Piet Van Kampen Contributing Editor Denise Luehmann Subscription Manager Jessie Fries Proofreader Ryan Madson Layout & Design
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EDITOR’S DEVOTIONAL SERIES: WHAT DID I JUST SAY?
5th Petition | The King or the Quota by REV. KYLE MADSON, Editor THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL, Norseland, Minn.
member only for the sake of “meeting the quota” - only with the goal of getting to that threshold when we can pull out the list of wrongs against us as leverage for our justification. This is, of course, sin. But in Jesus’ parable, this is symptomatic sin. It is a view of “forgiveness” totally divorced from the King’s compassion – His mercy toward us and His debt-erasing kindness for us in Christ His Son. Like Peter, we’re fond of the idea of forgiveness, but we fail to believe in its value and power for us when we anguish and chafe at the notion of forgiving others.
READ: MATTHEW 18:23-35 It’s yet another The-Kingdom-of-Heaven-is-Like parable. This parable – often called The Unjust Steward -– is in answer to what Peter imagines to be a very practical and quantifiable question: How often am I required to forgive one who sins against me? In fact, the matter seems SO practical and numeric to Peter that he even starts the bidding: would seven times be enough? The parable response from Jesus is also matter-of-fact(s). But the facts don’t start where Peter starts – with himself. Jesus’ response has a different protagonist – a different leading role, you might say. The Cliff Notes read like this: • Stars a king who is balancing his books. • The king is brought one of his borrowers. • The borrower is way under water! – Funny money in today’s economics. • The borrower clearly cannot pay. • The king (in a very pre-abolition way) orders the debtor to be sold into slavery along with his family and the funds from said sale considered payment. • The debtor begs for patience / for the time to “get square” with the king. • The king, in a very compassionate but matter-of-fact way forgives / cancels the whole debt!
And so, dear Christians, we repent. God the Spirit, grant us contrite hearts for our Peter-like love of quota – our devaluing of the King and His debt-canceling forgiveness to us. The Lord, your King, has endured the debt you and I could not pay. He took the deadly expense upon Himself, dying for your sins and mine. But debt forgiveness is more than the King securing the payment (the cross). Forgiveness is the King then delivering the benefits/ liberty of that act (the cross/atonement) to you. Forgiveness is not like pizza for pick-up. Forgiveness is with delivery. For the Christian to be concerned with forgiving others who sin against them is, at its heart, for the Christian first to be concerned with God forgiving them – delivering the fruits of the cross to their soul and conscience in the absolving Word of Jesus.
It stands as fact that the man who stood to lose his life and the lives of his loved ones into slavery because of what he owed and could not pay now owes nothing! This wildly good-news fact is all on account of the king.
Luther says very simply, “If God does not forgive without stopping, we are lost” (LC – 5th Petition). God’s Son died once for your sins and that one-time death is enough. But its benefits – the cancellation note – that is forgiveness. Forgiveness – the delivery of Jesus’ dying for you – is not once. Forgiveness is the King’s compassion demonstrated at the cross delivered to you again and again and again. The King’s forgiveness is life for you. And in that compassionate Word from the King, forgiveness flows through you to those who sin against you. Forgiveness for us is the recipe for forgiveness through us. Go your way, then. Your sins are forgiven you.
This is what The Kingdom of Heaven is like, says Jesus. It’s a great story! Who of us wouldn’t like to be on the borrower’s end of that kindness? But does that answer Peter’s very practical, very numeric, self-justifying question: How many times do I forgive my neighbor? Did Jesus answer the question, or (to borrow some debate verbiage) did He “pivot?” Peter is looking for a number – Seven? More or less than that? Instead, he gets a story about a king and should-be slave. It seems a bit like two ships passing in the night, no?
Father in heaven, do not look upon our sins or deny our prayers on account of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that You would give them to us by grace, for we daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment. So we, also, will sincerely forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us. In Your mercy, hear us, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
5TH PETITION
Forgive us our trespasses as we (in turn) forgive those who trespass against us…
When we Christians fail at forgiveness, we fail like Peter. We lose grasp of the King and His gifts for us in favor of the quota – our supposed achievement of the kingdom for Him. And what a joyless and painful way of living this is. Forgiving our spouse or family
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
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PASTOR: I HAVE A QUESTION...
Two people were friends for years. One stopped speaking to the other some time ago and refuses to acknowledge any communication, say what the problem is, or attempt to try to solve whatever might be wrong. Does God forgive this kind of deliberate act of disobedience where someone refuses to love his neighbor? What insights does Scripture offer in this situation?
Answer: My heart goes out to anyone who desires to reach out and reconnect with a friend. To restore a friendship once it has been broken is not an easy task. Doing so takes humility, time, and great patience. To answer the question about God’s forgiveness for a deliberate act of disobedience, perhaps we see best by going back to the first sin. Did Adam and Eve disobey God by accident? Was their foray into eating forbidden fruit purely the result of the serpent’s trickery and a moment of weakness on their part? Scripture tells us that Eve’s sin was no accident. After talking with the serpent, Eve approached the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to investigate for herself. And when she “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6, NKJV). Eve rationally considered what she was about to do before she did it. And she was not alone; Adam was with her. Their decision to disobey was a defiant act against God. If only sins of weakness could be forgiven and not deliberate sins, none of us would have a leg to stand on because we all sin deliberately. At various times in our lives, we actively pursue wrongdoing, rationalizing evil in our hearts and lives in the same way that Eve looked at that forbidden fruit and saw it was good for eating. We allow angry grudges to fester in our hearts, convinced that we are in the right and the other person is in the wrong. We entertain lusts and evil desires because we’ve convinced ourselves that we deserve to have what God has forbidden. For that, we deserve to be cut off from God for all eternity. Yet instead of cutting us off, God in His mercy and love seeks us out and calls us to repentance. He graciously went to Adam and Eve in the garden. Through His Word, He calls us to confess our sins and seek His mercy and forgiveness. And then He forgives us! God promised a Savior to crush the serpent’s head. That’s how great the Father’s love is! He willingly offered up His own Son to die on a cross so that every sin could be forgiven and
every sinner could be at peace with Him. Even those who have sinned against Him deliberately. In the light of God’s grace toward us sinners, then, Scripture brings the following advice to bear in the case of a friendship where the love has turned cold. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ tells us if our brother has something against us, we should make every effort to resolve the matter. “First be reconciled to your brother,” Jesus says (Matthew 5:23-24). Don’t give up on your friend. Be persistent, but patient, too. If phone calls aren’t working, try reaching out with a gently-worded letter or sending an email. When reaching out, remember the encouragement of the apostle Paul to put away bitterness and wrath and to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). Instead of blaming or finding fault, exercise humility and offer to apologize. The words “I’m sorry” can go a long way toward healing a rift. These efforts may or may not be successful. Sometimes Christian friends decide that they need to take their lives in different directions from each other now so they can enjoy a truly good friendship in heaven. Yet we do not need to be deterred by the prospect of failure, either. Remember God’s loving persistence in calling us sinners back to Himself. As His dear children, imitate His love, “as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
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Do you have a question for Pastor Van Kampen?
Send them via email: pastorspvk@christthekinggb.org
Send them via “snail mail”: 1700 Cardinal Ln, Green Bay, WI 54313
A WALK THROUGH THE PSALMS: PART 4
The Bible’s ‘Prayer Book’
The Psalms: Teach Us to Pray by REV. TONY PITTENGER, Contributing Writer BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH, Port Orchard, Wash.
God bless our native land, firm may she ever stand, through storm and night. When the wild tempests rave, Ruler of wind and wave, do Thou our country save, by Thy great might (ELH #602, verse 1). That song, often sung during summer, is a prayer, isn’t it? A prayer for God’s help in the storms and darkness our nation faces, both the literal and the figurative.
When Moses blessed the tribes of Israel just before he died, he said: Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty. (Deuteronomy 33:29).
Psalm 79 (NKJV) Psalm 79 is usually used in the summer months. The traditional psalm for the fourth Sunday after Trinity, it is usually heard from late June to mid-July and is often paired with Christ’s words about the blind leading the blind and about seeing specks of sin in others while overlooking the logs of sin in ourselves (Luke 6:36-42). Written by Asaph, a contemporary of both David and Solomon, the psalm describes days of national calamity and defeat, days when wild tempests rave. Unbelieving forces profane God’s temple and slaughter God’s people…
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. The dead bodies of Your servants— They have given as food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, And there was no one to bury them. We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and derision to those who are around us. (Psalm 79:1-4)
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But where would that shield be when Asaph prophesies of godless invaders? Why didn’t God unsheathe His sword to defend His people then? Part of the cause and the problem would be with His people. The blind presuming to know the way, pretending there aren’t planks and logs sticking out of their own eyes. In verses 5-8, Asaph leads the people in confession, teaches them what to say and how to say it: How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your wrath on
the nations that do not know You, And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob, And laid waste his dwelling place. Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us.
seph: “And you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
As the centuries passed, Asaph’s words would be fulfilled when Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon desecrated and finally destroyed the temple. Persia would allow them to rebuild it, but it would be damaged and defiled again by the Greeks, the Ptolemies, and the Seleucids.
More light shines on this as Asaph says He will “provide atonement for our sins.”
Rome would rebuild and remodel it, especially under Herod the Great, but that work was hardly finished when Rome desecrated, then destroyed it. Almost 2,000 years later, it remains as the Roman army left it in A.D. 70. “Our iniquities,” says Asaph as he catalogues how we suffer because of the sin of the world around us as well as our own. Yet God’s people are not left without hope. A transition begins in verse 8… Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, For we have been brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake! Confessing our “former iniquities,” Asaph admits that these things are the consequence of “our sins.” He pleads God to forget, “do not remember.” Do not hold them in Your heart, O Lord. God’s “tender mercies” are appealed to, compassion that originates from deep within the person. Twice in verse nine, we hear that God’s name is the cause, the occasion, for the help we need.
“Jesus” means “Savior,” and in these verses, the Lord Himself is called “God of our salvation.”
“Provide atonement” means “purge, cover, forgive.” Psalm 79 calls on God to mercifully rescue, not remember iniquities, and cover sins for the sake of His own name. Convinced of his own forgiveness and deliverance and atonement, Asaph now says: Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve those who are appointed to die; And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord (10-12). God Bless Our Native Land is a prayer for our nation. In Psalm 79, the Church prays for His protection and deliverance. Those imprisoned pray for release. Those slated for execution look to Him for help. Nations like ours rise and fall. Buildings, even temples, crumble. The Church’s confidence is eternal. Remember the cause for the Church’s confidence: So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations (79:13).
Matthew 1:21 shines the clearest light on God’s name. There the angel Gabriel says this to Jo-
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SYNOD CONVENTION 2021
by REV. GAYLIN SCHMELING, President BETHANY LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Mankato, Minn.
The Pastor and Pastoral Care Today The purpose of this essay is to consider the main aspects of the pastoral ministry and pastoral care in the Lutheran church today. What is the responsibility of the Lutheran pastor and what is the responsibility of his congregation?
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
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Every orthodox Lutheran pastor confesses that the Holy Scriptures are God’s errorless inspired Word, the only source of faith, doctrine, and life. He accepts all the Lutheran Confessions because they are a correct exposition of the Bible. At the same time, the pastor will always desire to live a Christ-like life as an example to the congregation.
The Shepherd Searches for the Lost The pastor and his congregation will not only look inward, but they will also seek the lost. The pastor is continually looking for opportunities to share the Gospel of salvation with those who do not know the Savior. He wants his entire congregation to be equipped to present the way of salvation in their vocation. If a Christian in his vocation can discuss world events and the political situation, then he should also be able to discuss the most important thing: Jesus and His cross for our salvation.
The Responsibility of the Flock to the Shepherd
The Shepherd Nourishes the Flock
The first responsibility of a congregation is to judge if the preaching and teaching that they hear is from God as St. John tells us (1 John 4:1). This judgment is not based on what it wants to hear, but alone on the Holy Scripture. If the pastor is teaching the Word in its purity, then it is not man’s words, but God Himself speaking and it should be accepted as such. The congregation will receive its pastor with all the compassion of the Savior.
One of the primary ways that the pastor nourishes his congregation is through preaching. Martin Luther said, “There is nothing that so attaches people to the church as good preaching.” Since the preaching of the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), the pastor will devote much time to the careful preparation of his sermons. He will administer the Sacraments in accord with Christ’s institution. In Baptism, trust in the Savior is worked and new spiritual life is received. In the Lord’s Supper, the new spiritual life of the Christian is nourished and strengthened through Christ’s body and blood.
The members of the congregation will participate in the work of the church according to their ability. There are many opportunities for members to serve in leadership, education, evangelism, stewardship, and general maintenance.
Education and servant leadership are a vital part of the pastor’s calling. He educates and leads through the sermon, but he also trains and educates in other ways, such as Confirmation class, Sunday school, and Bible studies.
Both the pastor and congregation have to admit that they have failed many times in their responsibilities to each other and to the Lord. Neither pastor nor congregation can fully emulate the love of Christ. Yet thanks be to God that our gracious Savior is always present in need. He gives full forgiveness and strengthens both the pastor and congregation to better carry out the work of the kingdom so that more and more know the joy of salvation.
The Shepherd Tends the Flock In times of sickness, burden, and approaching death, there is a temptation to doubt God’s love, to murmur, and to despair. At such times, the Christian especially needs Gospel comfort from his pastor. Therefore, the pastor will want to visit his people as they face various difficulties to strengthen them with the Gospel of forgiveness and the Sacrament as is seen in James 5:14.
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SYNOD CONVENTION 2021
by REV. DR. TIMOTHY SCHMELING, Contributing Writer BETHANY LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Mankato, Minn.
Pastoral Formation Through the Ages The development of pastoral education has taken some interesting twists and turns over the centuries. Speaking in broad strokes, the education of the Levites was based on the Pentateuch until the rest of the Old Testament was penned by divine inspiration. Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers formed the core of Levitical pastoral theology. The Prophetic Books received by the Prophets unpacked the Pentateuch’s meaning, called the people to repentance, and expanded on the Messiah’s saving work. As the Wisdom Books came into being, they helped Levites, prophets, and the scribes learn how to better meditate on God’s Word, how to apply it, and how to cultivate pastoral prudence. “Schools” provided training for the Levites, prophets, and scribes (1 Kings 12:8, 10; 2 Kings 2:7; 5:22; 6:1–2; 10:1, 5–6; 12:2; 22:8). THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
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Apostolic education consisted of three years of communal life with Christ and Old Testament instruction, a model still influencing seminary education. Through the Old Testament, the Epistles, and later the Gospels, the apostles taught their students how the New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament and how the latter is revealed in the former (Cf. John 5:39). The Gospels became a renewed Pentateuch for the Christians. Some may have served as catechisms, too (e.g., Matthew and Luke). The doctrines and theological ethics concretized in the Gospels are fleshed out in the Epistles’ more propositional form. The Pastoral Epistles and the Letters to the Corinthians provided the pastoral theology of the new clergy. The New Testament reaffirmed the Old Testament notion that theology is a God-given practical wisdom (Psalm 111:10; 119:104, 130; Proverbs 1:2, 7; 9:10; 2 Corinthians 3:5–6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6) cultivated through prayer, meditation, and the cross/trial (Psalm 119:15, 26, 84).
ist education reform that revived the humanities, giving the Lutherans the grammatical, historical, and rhetorical tools necessary to return to the primary sources (instead of digests) as well as read the Bible and the Church Fathers contextually. In other words, Wittenberg returned to a more Biblical and patristic educational model that focused on the explication of Scripture in a historical-grammatical way rather than through syllogistic logic. In addition to professors of exegetical (Biblical) theology, Wittenberg added professorships in theological commonplaces (loci communes). At this juncture, published Theological Commonplaces were more Biblical reading guides (sort of like Bible Cliff’s Notes) than systematic (doctrinal) theology with prolegomena, which developed in the seventeenth century. Wittenberg also established historical professorships at the liberal arts level, but a professorship in historical theology only become normative in the 1650s. In order to provide practical theological training (i.e., sermonizing, liturgical theology, pastoral care, catechesis), Lutheran theology students had initially followed up their university study serving as schoolmasters or deacons under experienced pastors before becoming pastors themselves. Lutherans soon recognized the need for post-university schooling in practical theology. The beginnings of the seminary first emerged at the Lutheran Cloister at Loccum in 1677. Even then, the first true Protestant post-university seminary was established at the Lutheran Cloister at Riddagshausen in 1690.
While Tertullian (fl. turn of the third century) objected to Athens’s Greco-Roman or classical education (i.e., classics, liberal arts, and athletic competition) having any influence on Christian education, most of the Early Church Fathers in the East and West appealed to Scriptural precedents (e.g., Acts 17:28; 1 Corinthians 9:23–27; 15:33; Titus 1:12) for using Greek education (especially the humanities) as a helpful toolbox for interpreting Scripture and carrying out pastoral duties. Thus, the Fathers were willing to “spoil the Egyptians,” but they also recognized the dangers in making use of the best education of their day. Sometimes they were even led astray by Greco-Roman thought. Their pastoral education recognized that theology was a God-given pastoral prudence for the purpose of explicating Scripture, preaching, and pastoral care. This is made explicit in Augustine’s (354–430) On Christian Doctrine and Gregory the Great’s (ca. 540–604) Pastoral Rule, famous guides to Biblical interpretation and preaching from this era. The monks kept this tradition alive through Late Antiquity and supplemented it with monastic approaches to pastoral theology.
As Confessional Lutherans have critically engaged the modern theologians, Confessional Lutherans have increasingly revealed modern theology’s flawed presuppositions and shown that a robust Confessional Lutheranism can better address the concerns of modern theology without abandoning the apostolic faith. The most significant developments in Confessional Lutheran seminary education have been vicarages, seminary field experience, and the further expansion of new areas of study within practical theology, especially in light of the social sciences and the social upheaval since the 1960s.
However, the rise of the cathedral schools and Scholasticism in the High Middle Ages brought about a myopic reduction of university education to Aristotelian logic, not unlike the scientism or positivism so prevalent today. As a result, Scholastics tended to do theology in dehumanizing, unhistorical ways and without the grammatical and literary understanding necessary to properly interpret the Biblical text beyond the fundamentals. More pastoral theology manuals and pastoral helps were produced than times past because of technological innovations and need. Guido of Monte Rochen’s (fl. 1331) Handbook for Curates was a very popular pastoral theology. Even though there was a resurgence of preaching and pastoral care, the Gospel was obscured by the Medievals’ improper imposition of Aristotelian logical, metaphysical, and ethical categories upon the doctrines of man, sin, and grace.
At present, Confessional Lutheran seminary formation is confronted by the following new challenges: How to provide a sufficient foundation for pastoral education in an education environment that has increasingly sought to demote the humanities? This is compounded by the problem that many humanities and social science programs no longer believe in a fixed human nature and have become hotbeds of social constructionism. How best to realize the four dimensions of pastoral formation; namely, spiritual formation, academic formation, pastoral formation, and human formation? How best to equip the new generation of pastors to minister in an increasingly globalized, secular, and hostile world while keeping them filled with the joy of the gospel and confidence that the one holy Christian and apostolic church will prevail until Christ comes again because Christ has already prevailed over sin, death, and the devil?
Martin Luther’s (1483–1546) Reformation emerged out of the need for Gospel-oriented preaching and pastoral care. This was facilitated by Wittenberg’s Renaissance Human11
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75TH ANNIVERARY: BETHANY LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
The Seminary Today by REV. GAYLIN SCHMELING, President BETHANY LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Mankato, Minn.
lower level of the seminary building, and the other part of the collection and the rare books are found in the Memorial Library on the college campus. The seminary library holdings include 16,000 volumes and 100 periodicals. The seminary library catalog is accessible on the Internet. It is the hope of the seminary that the library may function as a media center for our students and for area pastors. It is intended to be a center of scholarly research.
As one views the Minnesota River Valley from the seminary atrium, he is reminded of Psalm 121. The cliffs and hills bordering the Minnesota River Valley illustrate the power and majesty of God our Helper and Redeemer, as this psalm points out: I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (121:1-2). The seminary is located in these hills protected by the Lord; it is a city set on a hill which cannot be hidden and a light proclaiming the Gospel in a world covered with darkness. Here our students can study safe and secure in our Bethany fortress, preparing for the public ministry.
The seminary was not necessarily on the razor’s edge of technological advances, but in September 1997, the seminary developed its website, www.blts.edu, and later became involved in social media. The website provides updates and information concerning student life and seminary activities. The catalog and admissions materials are also available there. For the benefit of the members the synod, all the past issues of the Clergy Bulletin and the Lutheran Synod Quarterly have been made available on the website. In addition, the website has an essay file.
The cost of such education continues to increase. It has become almost impossible for students to attend college without student loans or outside support. These same trends have influenced the seminaries of this country, our seminary included. Also, more and more students are married and have families. This entails many financial responsibilities. Often students and their families are at a subsistence level economically.
Most of the seminary notes, essays, and other materials are shared online for student use in the classroom and for personal study. This has made it possible for the seminary to be virtually paperless. The seminary is in the beginning stages of providing online classes. At present, the technology is being used for international students in need of certain classes and for other special situations. In spring 2020, all of the students attended classes online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Considering these financial issues, the seminary has been striving to cover as much of the tuition costs as possible with scholarship funds. This has been a blessing for our students. It allows them to work fewer hours to provide for themselves and their families financially, giving them more opportunity to prepare for the important task of proclaiming the Gospel of the Savior. This has only been possible through the generous support of the congregations and individual members of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Seventy-five years ago, our Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary held its opening service. Five students were enrolled during the first year. Today, there are seventeen men enrolled in the seminary. We praise God for blessing our seminary over the past seventy-five years, and we thank everyone who has so generously supported our seventy-fifth anniversary fund.
No student can function without a library and the same is true of a seminary student. Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary has been blessed with a fine library where our students are able to study and engage in theological research. Today, the seminary library is found in two locations. The larger part of the collection is located on the THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
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Preparing Shepherds For the Future by REV. DR. BRIAN KLEBIG, Communications Professor BETHANY LUTHERAN COLLEGE, Mankato, Minn.
Another change to expect is an increased desire to be able to meaningfully interact with others in mediated environments. Relationships are critical to the operation of the church, and when we have an expectation that people will be attending remotely, there also arises a need to interact with these people remotely. This requires time, perhaps taken from people who are there in person, in order to meaningfully connect with illocal others. While the current tech environment does not do a great job covering this aspect of online relatedness, we can see that the next generations of future tech will be strongly geared toward improving the sense of social presence.
During the year of our Lord, 2020, the ELS endured a number of events that would have been considered catastrophic taken all on their own, but taken as a whole, they represented a large-scale shift in how we view ourselves. The suspension of in-person worship, forced distance from those to whom we were providing close care, and the sudden death of President John Moldstad have had significant impacts on our future in both the short and long term. However, with God’s grace, these can be events that allow us to better empathize with and minister to a world that has gone through similar struggles this past year. Throughout history, God has positioned His Church near the center of every major communication advance. Writing in Egypt, phonics in the Promised Land, the codex in Rome, the printing press in Germany, radio in the United States, all were critical moments in communication history, and God’s people were there to be the first to take advantage of these new mediums. Each advance resulted in sacrifices made in order to gain some advantage. Writing, for example, for all its blessings robbed us of some memory. As we approach new communication media, we should be conscious both of what they give and what they take away, but do so with the knowledge that there is no returning to what humans were before the advance and that we have to minister to the people God has put in our path. Accordingly, it is beneficial to consider how we can expect people to be different in the future based on the anticipated communication environments. The first change we can expect is an increased importance on the ability to be illocal, attending events and meetings remotely. Expectations are skyrocketing concerning what we should be able to do in these environments and the level of interaction we should expect. By planning operations around illocality, we can take advantage of some of the benefits it offers. For one, the infrastructure developed to remotely deliver divine services during the pandemic can now be used to reach individuals who have barriers to attending functions (elderly, parents of small kids, unchurched individuals, etc.). Meetings can often be more efficiently done when they are planned around illocality as everyone can have direct access to needed resources, no matter where those resources are. Interactivity allows for Christians to immediately live out lives of faith while giving them practice for engaging in these behaviors in non-mediated environments. The import of physical objects and places will likely decline, so considerations should be made concerning what we want from our physical church structures.
Potentially the most obvious change will be alterations in norms and expectations concerning a person’s attention. It is rare to see anyone wholly dedicated to a single activity anymore. We tend to split our attention between multiple information streams and devices. This has a negative impact on cognitive functioning but a positive impact on emotion. As much as we might not like this new reality of divided attention and the challenges it brings, we also cannot expect that people will retreat back to being how they were. Fortunately, people who are dividing their attention between multiple information streams can still be kept on task and interested by carefully considering what we present to them with an eye toward engaging multiple senses. We can expect that people will become bored more easily, but also that it will be easier to snap them out of that boredom. In all of this, pastors will have more to do, swelling already bloated schedules. Delegation will be important, particularly of media-centric tasks, which our laypeople may be better suited to. Beyond that, automation may remove the demands of some mundane tasks, but this will necessitate a repurposing of some volunteers to other areas in which they may serve. The ELS itself will face changes as well, as losing President Moldstad presents challenges to our earthly organization. A recent study showed John at the center of our relationship system, providing close connections throughout the entire pastorate. Losing him increases the distance between us and makes interpersonal strife more likely. Additionally, pastors are at the center of similar networks, and worldly concerns can also serve to push people away. An awareness of what positions we allow to be known while serving God through the sharing of His Word is critical to the success of our churches. 13
J U LY – A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
PHOTOS OF SYNOD CONVENTION 2021
SYNOD MEMORIALS & HONORS: GIVEN BETWEEN 07/01/20 - 06/30/21
SY NO D ME MORIALS Carlyle Anderson Our Savior’s Ladies Aid, Belview
Redwood Falls, MN
Harmon Anderson Laufey G Anderson
Avis Leupke Heritage Ladies Connection Hank Lukas
Johnstown, CO
Silas Born
St. Timothy Lutheran Church
Lombard, IL
Jean MacKain
Monie Blom Heritage Ladies Connection
Apple Valley, MN
Jeff Bergandine
Ever Ready Circle, Holton Lutheran Holton, MI
Deb Cygeirt Ever Ready Circle, Holton Lutheran Holton, MI Dr. Polly Browne Mankato, MN
Rev. Jerry Dalke Daniel A Basel
Mankato, MN
Apple Valley, MN
Norman Faugstad Heritage Ladies Connection
Apple Valley, MN
Rev. Frank Fiedler Daniel A Basel
Mankato, MN
Brent Greene Heritage Ladies Connection
Apple Valley, MN
Ron Harper Silas Born
Mankato, MN
Gary Hartwig First Shell Rock Ladies Aid
Northwood, IA
Eugene Kauffeld Julianne Kauffeld Richard J. Wilkins
Watertown, WI Belhaven, NC
Alton Krikava Daniel Faugstad
Redwood Falls, MN
Michael Allen Lindemeyer Margaret Gullixson
Buena Park, CA
Kristi Lecy Dan Browning
Minnetonka, MN
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
Robb McMullen Brittney Maehl Oshkosh, WI Rev. Robert Harting Thornton , IA Rev. Martin Hoesch Ames, IA Polly Lukens Story City, IA Paul C Tessmer Chesaning, MI Iowa Scottish Heritage Pipes/Drums Des Moines, IA Dale L Olson Ames, IA Jode W. Edwards Ames, IA Helen Miller Harold L Miller Eugene Fredenberg Robert L Bradley
Madison, WI Cottage Grove, WI Middleton, WI
Rev. John Moldstad, Jr
Walt Eisenbeis Heritage Ladies Connection
Milwaukee, WI
Mankato, MN
Roger Duberowski Daniel A Basel
Mankato, MN
Rev. Richard MacKain
Wanda Brannam
Silas Born
Apple Valley, MN
Blethen | Berens Mankato, MN Ever Ready Circle, Holton Lutheran Holton, MI Michelle A. Graham Mankato, MN Ross Hermanson Wells, MN Rev. Michael Smith Mankato, MN Redeemer, Scottsdale Scottsdale, AZ Robert W. Smith Pine River, MN Mary Born Mankato, MN Kevin Madsen Winthrop, MN Philip D. Honsey Lakeside OH Rev. Robert Harting Thornton IA Channing R. Smith Farmington, MN Peace Evangelical Lutheran Deshler, OH Jerry Straub Onsted MI Steven C. Jaeger Mankato MN Melissa Everett Midland MI Ann Laack Marion WI Rev. Tosten Skaaland Wittenberg, WI Luke Ulrich Mankato, MN Andrew Cascione Lakeville, MN Brian Ninmann Iron Ridge, WI Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Mequon, WI Kurtis Freimuth Deshler, OH Rev. Mark K. Rogers Cape Girardeau, MO Michael W. Butterfield Palos Heights, IL Rev. Craig Ferkenstad Mankato MN Elsa Ferkenstad Mankato MN Timothy E. Thiele Oconomowoc, WI Rev. Nicholas Proksch Mankato, MN Margaret Gullixson Buena Park, CA Perry Lund New Ulm , MN Joe Meyer Mankato, MN Timothy Bechtold Robbinsdale, MN Carolyn A. Bernard Mankato, MN Rev. Paul Fries Mankato, MN
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Marilyn Olson Mankato MN Doris Rank Maple Grove, MN King of Grace Lutheran Church Waukon, IA Rev. Martin Hoesch Ames, IA Ann M. Werner Mound, MN Lynette Merseth Mankato, MN Faith Lutheran Tallahassee, FL Brian Klebig Mankato, MN Mark Olson Mankato, MN Rev. Cory Hahnke Madison, WI River Heights Lutheran Church East Grand Forks, MN Debra L. Carpenter Bowling Green, OH Samuel Barbosa Mankato, MN Holton Evangelical Lutheran Holton, MI Marie Aaberg Rochester, MN Karl D. Bloedel Lake Mills, IA John M. Brenner West Bend, WI Redeemer Ladies Guild Scottsdale, AZ Abiding Word Lutheran Church Bowling Green, OH Matthew Brooks Holts Summit, MO Peace Lutheran SS Jefferson City, MO Peace Lutheran Church Jefferson City, MO Trinity Ladies Aid Brewster, MA Our Savior’s Ladies Aid, Belview Redwood Falls, MN William Bukowski Mankato, MN Judy Krause Winona, MN Ron Younge North Mankato, MN Gregory Costello North Mankato, MN Charles Ruzek Princeton, MN Karen E. Madson Minnetonka, MN Kathryn R. Roeber Minnetonka, MN Minnesota Valley Lutheran H.S. New Ulm , MN William R. Carter Brownsville, WI John Baumann Mankato, MN Thomas P. Nass New Ulm , MN Margaret R. Madson North Mankato, MN Patricia M. Rovey Parker, AZ Leah B. Wandersee Plymouth, MN Emily Goetzke North Mankato, MN Barbara A. Beltrand Plymouth, MN Paul R. Kassulke Medford, OR Lila L. Gullixson Madison, WI Rev. Bradley J. Homan Cottage Grove, WI Willis Anthony St. Peter, MN Mark Boche St Francis, WI Steven P. Petersen Farmington, MN Bob Donner Belview, MN Ruth E. Orvick Madison, WI Rev. Glenn Obenberger Tacoma, WA Peter J. Faugstad Lawler, IA David Madson Redwood Falls, MN Keith D. Wiederhoeft Mankato, MN Rev. Mark E. Marozick Madison, WI Carol Hagen Glenville, MN Daniel Faugstad Redwood Falls, MN Daniel A. Basel Mankato, MN Janine M. Andreasen Mankato, MN Dan Browning Minnetonka, MN
Donald Moltz Heritage Ladies Connection,
Apple Valley, MN
Elsa Karen Johansen Natvig Harold O Natvig
Mankato, MN
Eric Oman Our Savior’s Ladies Aid
Princeton, MN
William Overn Heritage Ladies Connection
Apple Valley, MN
Fritz & Anita Perlwitz Allison Perlwitz
Cedar Falls, IA
Arthur Remter Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
Warwick, RI
Rev. John Shep Eileen Karow Madison, WI Phillip Hagedorn Menomonee Falls, WI Lonny Burrack Trail, MN Janice Serafini Mt. Prospect, IL Marcia Brekken Scottsdale, AZ Louis Bier Walpole, MA Carolyn Smith Silas Born St. Martin Lutheran Church Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Mankato, MN Shawano, WI Saginaw, MI
Lois Tecken Steven E Tecken
Rock Rapids, IA
Darlene Zimmerli Our Savior’s Ladies Aid, Belview
Redwood Falls, MN
IN HONOR OF John Moldstad Sr., 95th Birthday Daniel A. Basel
Mankato, MN
Judy Meder, 80th Birthday Mary Born
Mankato, MN
Ted Kittleson, 100th Birthday Daniel A. Basel
Mankato, MN
Timothy Erickson Hartland Evangelical Lutheran
Hartland, MN
George Lee Natvig Harold O. Natvig
Mankato, MN
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J U LY – A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
SEMINARY MEMORIALS: GIVEN BETWEEN 07/01/20 - 06/30/21
S EM I NARY ME MORIALS Selma Voth Albers Rev. and Mrs. Shawn Stafford
Paul Lynch Hartland, MN
Mark Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Paul Swenumson
Marshall, MN
Marion Benzing Trinity Lutheran Ladies Aid
Calmar, IA
Robert Berg Rev. and Mrs. Shawn Stafford
Hartland, MN
Floyd Billings Mr. & Mrs. Fred Bull
San Antonio, TX
Neenah, WI
Rev. Frank Fiedler Christ Mission Circle Christ Lutheran Church Mr. & Mrs. Terrance Nelson St. Matthew Lutheran Church
Sutherlin, OR Sutherlin, OR The Dalles, OR Myrtle Creek, OR
Donald A Hackbarth, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Donald Hackbarth
Menomonie Falls, WI
Genevieve Harvey Trinity Lutheran Ladies Aid
Calmar, IA
Gerald Ivey Mr. and Mrs. Paul Brown
Mason City, IA
A. Donald Johnson Mrs. LaVonne Johnson
New Hampton, IA
Ona Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Rose
Panama City Beach, FL
Lorene Kline Rev. and Mrs. Martin Doepel
Yukon, OK
Olaf and Pauline Knutson Mrs. LaVonne Johnson
New Hampton, IA
Saint Francis, WI Mankato, MN Plymouth, MN Winona, MN Minnetonka, MN Mankato, MN Minnetonka, MN Naples, FL Plymouth, MN
Gladys Moye Mr. & Mrs. Fred Bull
San Antonio, TX
Marjorie Marozick
Mason City, IA Portage, IN Oconomowoc, WI
Rev. John Moldstad Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Brown Mason City, IA Rev. and Mrs. Martin Doepel Yukon, OK Naomi Dukleth Luverne, MN Elsa Ferkenstad Mankato, MN Mr. and Mrs. James Flantz Gaylord, MN Rev. & Mrs. Theodore Gullixson Mankato, MN Rev. Gregory J. Haugen Neenah, WI Dr. and Mrs. Eric Jahn Wayzata, MN Mrs. Judy Levorson Northwood, IA Rev. and Mrs. Jonathan Madson Sebring, FL Mr. and Mrs. Mark Madson Mankato, MN Rev. Paul Meitner Winthrop , MN Ms. Judith Miller Belle Plaine, MN Mrs. Joslyn Moldstad Madison Lake, MN Rev. & Mrs. James Olsen Ontario, WI Miss Lois Otto Mankato, MN Mr. & Mrs. Allen Quist Saint Peter, MN Redeemer Lutheran Church Phoenix, AZ Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Rose Panama City Beach, FL Rev. & Mrs. Gaylin Schmeling Mankato, MN Mr. Ralph Seidensticker West Bend, WI Rev. and Mrs. Shawn Stafford Hartland, MN Martha Statlander Thornton , IA Mr. & Mrs. Howard Swenson Nicollet, MN Mr. & Mrs. Paul Swenumson New Hampton, IA Dr. Erling T. Teigen Mankato, MN Mrs. Arlene Theiste Plymouth, MN Dr. & Mrs. Carlin Wiemers Mankato, MN Zion Lutheran Church Thompson, IA
Mr. and Mrs. David Knott
Panama City Beach, FL
MN
Mankato MN
Linda Diane Johnston Parker Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Rose
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
Tracy
Eugene (Buzzy) Olson Rev. & Mrs. Gaylin Schmeling
Bill Lynch Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Rose
Madison, WI
Eugene (Buzzy) and Barb Olson
Camden Locklair Mr. and Mrs. Paul Brown Rev. and Mrs. David Locklair Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Thiele
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Boche Mr. & Mrs. David Ewert William and Mary Farquhar Bud and Judy Krause Karen Madson Timothy and Susan Madson Scott and Kathryn Roeber Bradley and Marjorie Schreier Mrs. Arlene Theiste
Rev. and Mrs. Mark Marozick
Rev. Jerry Dalke Rev. Gregory J. Haugen
Panama City Beach, FL
Clarice Madson New Hampton, IA
Lael Bahn Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Possail
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Rose
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Panama City Beach, FL
2021 Seminary Commencement
Maren Preus Ring Mr. and Mrs. Ross Hermanson
Wells, MN
Louise Rodning Willis & Rachel Anthony
Nicollet, MN
Gary Schuchart Mr. & Mrs. Fred Bull
San Antonio, TX
Betty Carol Secor Trinity Lutheran Ladies Aid
Calmar, IA
Rev. John Shep Mr. and Mrs. Mark Boche Rev. Warren Granke Mr. and Mrs. Ross Hermanson Rev. and Mrs. Bradley Homan Steve and Lois Jaeger Rev. Norman A. Madson Mr. and Mrs. Juel Merseth Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mickelson Miss Lois Otto Rev. and Mrs. Steven Petersen Zion Lutheran Church
Saint Francis, WI Menomonee Falls, WI Wells, MN Cottage Grove, WI Mankato, MN North Mankato, MN Mankato, MN Madison, WI Mankato, MN Palm Bay, FL Thompson, IA
Carolyn Smith Rev. & Mrs. Craig Ferkenstad Rev. & Mrs. Gaylin Schmeling
Mankato, MN Mankato, MN
Cynthia Stubenvoll Ms. Shirley Hanson
Decorah, IA
Albert Whiteaker Tim and Nancy Toft
Ellendale, MN
Merlyn Witte Rev. and Mrs. Daniel Basel
Mankato, MN
Lloyd Zimmerman Bruce & Ruth Swenson
Nicollet, MN
2021 Bjarne W. Teigen
Reformation Lectures October 28–29, 2021 “We Confess Jesus Christ” Early Church Christology Dr. Joel Elowsky, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
Early Modern Lutheran Christology Dr. Carl Beckwith, Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, AL
Modern Lutheran Christology Dr. Jack Kilcrease, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI
Bethany Lutheran College | S. C. Ylvisaker Fine Arts Center Mankato, Minnesota | October 28, 10:30 a.m.
left to right:
Cody Anderson, Nicolas Lilienthal, Samuel Johnson, Abraham Faugstad, Cui Jinfeng (David Choi), Colin Anderson, Adam Brasich, Joel Hansen, Sean Scheele, Peter Bockoven, Roger Emmons, Max Kerr, Caleb Helmen, Matthew Lehne
The Commencement Service for Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, which included the assignment of calls, occurred on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. in Trinity Chapel. The Rev. Kyle Madson served as preacher, Pres. Gaylin Schmeling served as liturgist, and Mr. John Baumann was the organist. The sermon was based on 1 Peter 4:10-11 with the theme “Your Charge and Its Payoff.” In the sermon, Pastor Madson explained that there are many questions that arise in a student’s mind on the day of their call, but there are also a few certainties. First, their charge is to be a steward of God’s grace. Remaining a student of grace secures fit stewardship. Second, their payoff for stewarding God’s grace is that God is glorified. God is made known by the gracious gifts of salvation, truth, and life given through His stewards. Graduates from the seminary with a Master of Divinity degree were: Adam Brasich, Cui Jinfeng (David Choi), Roger Emmons, Samuel Johnson, and Sean Scheele. Adam Brasich was assigned as pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church (Winter Haven, Florida) and Our Savior Lutheran Church (Lakeland, Florida); Cui Jinfeng (David Choi) was assigned as pastor in Seoul, South Korea; Roger Emmons was assigned as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church (Redmond, Oregon); Samuel Johnson was assigned as pastor of Abiding Word Lutheran Church (Bowling Green, Ohio); and Sean Scheele was assigned as pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church (Waterloo, Iowa) and Faith Lutheran Church (Parkersburg, Iowa). Colin Anderson was assigned as vicar of Saude, Jerico, and Redeemer Lutheran Churches (Lawler and New Hampton, Iowa); Peter Bockoven was assigned as vicar of Parkland Lutheran Church (Tacoma, Washington); Abraham Faugstad was assigned as vicar of King of Grace and Trinity Lutheran Churches (Waukon and Calmar, Iowa); and Nicholas Lilienthal was assigned as vicar of Grace Lutheran Church (Weston, Ohio).
6 BROWNS COURT MANKATO, MN 56001
MEETING MY BROTHERS & SISTERS:
Grace Lutheran Church
by REV. DAN McQUALITY, Contributing Writer GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH, Lincoln, Ill.
Lincoln, Illinois Milwaukee
Lombard Cedar Rapids
Chicago
Bloomington
Lincoln
St. Louis
THE LUTHERAN SENTINEL
Grace is excited to begin a unique way of doing outreach with the opening up of the Connectivity Center on July 17, 2021. Through a generous BHO grant, we were able to finish and upgrade our downstairs area into a new community center. The Center will provide various activities, craft making, and educational classes to Lincoln residents that both build up community and provide a way for the Church to establish relationships that lead to sharing of the gospel. A huge, world-class, 14-foot puppet theatre has also been built for children’s outreach. Coming out of a year of COVID-19 isolation, we hope that this will be an exciting way to connect with our community. More information can be found at the Connectivity Center’s website: www.connecttothecenter.com Even though COVID has slowed our plans immensely, we are excited that worship attendance is again rising. Additionally, we have just started a new Adult Confirmation Class, which 16 people attend! From this class, we will enjoy three adult baptisms, and we have multiple children’s baptisms scheduled for this month as well. Please pray that God will mature us into a fruitful, self-supporting congregation and that He will bless both our outreach through the Connectivity Center as well as our ministry in Word and Sacrament. Your giving to ELS missions is making our labor in Lincoln, Illinois, possible, and we thank you deeply!
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