by Pr. Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director

On September 27 the ELCA released a “Declaration of the ELCA to American Indian and Alaska Native People.” The document contains a full page of confessions to the American Indian and Alaska Native communities of the ELCA and in the U. S. as well as to non-Indigenous communities of the ELCA. A link to that document can be found here.  

There is no doubt – there is absolutely no question – but that when settlers from Europe came to America, there were already people living here. There is no doubt – there is absolutely no question – but that treaties were broken, promises were not kept, and people – including children who were forcibly enrolled in boarding schools – were mistreated and abused. There is much that we need to repent of. We also know that all of our homes and all of our churches – and even the ELCA office building on Higgins Road – are all built on land that once belonged to someone else.   …

It makes you wonder if part of the reason for all of the problems within our country – as well as within the ELCA – is because of …

by Ken Coughlan, Media Director and Christian Apologist, Joppa, Maryland

 Have you ever been working on a project and felt like you were moving on “automatic”? You hit a rhythm and find yourself going from one step to the next without even needing to think about it. Whatever you are doing is so familiar that it has become second nature. We’ve all been there at some point. We act, but we don’t necessarily think about our actions.

That is the essence of a concept proposed by 20^th century Jewish political philosopher Hannah Arendt. She called it “the banality of evil.” Arendt fled Nazi Germany and eventually settled in New York. Then in 1961 she covered the trial of one of the primary organizers of the Jewish Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann.  …

Arendt’s description has an uncanny resemblance to some modern attempts to justify abortion. Take, for instance, the oft repeated line that abortion is a private medical procedure …

by Pr. Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director

The first communication is dated September 3, 2021 and is entitled, “We Are the Body of Christ.” A link to that communication can be found here. In that letter Bishop Eaton writes about the great, long-standing animosity between Jews and Gentiles, and about how in the early church, these two groups of people were able to be brought together. She refers to the council in Jerusalem in Acts 15 as well as to the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, and to how “the dispute between the two groups was healed.” She said that this healing “went to the very core of what it meant to be part of the church.” She then said, “They were one body. We are one body. . . . Yes, we have significant disagreement about very important issues, but our cultural and political differences cannot dissolve this bond.” I was absolutely floored by what she wrote next.  …

by Pr. Cathy Ammlung, Former Secretary of the Board of Lutheran CORE

Many of you know that I write intercessory prayers that are posted on the Lutheran CORE website and sent to many individual pastors and congregations. I’ve done this for over 10 years, motivated to improve on clunky, theologically weak, or odd prayers provided by various resources. Additionally, pastors and laity charged with leading intercessory prayers are often terrified by the prospect of “winging it” or writing prayers every week, and appreciate good resources. Occasionally, pastors repurpose their sermons in the guise of intercessory prayers –advising God to help parishioners get the point made earlier, expand on it, and Just Do It. Laity (and some pastors, especially in informal settings) often want prayers to be plainspoken and down to earth. That’s a laudable goal not well served by a “Lord Father God I just wanna” style! Finally, when left to our own devices, we sinners focus on Us, Ourselves, and We, rather than “the Church, the world, and all people according to their need.”

by Dr. Don Brandt, Director, Congregations in Transition for Lutheran CORE

The signs were there, even before this pandemic. North American culture seems to be moving toward an increasingly secular worldview at breakneck speed.  …

Admittedly there are days when I despair that the Body of Christ is at risk of becoming completely inconsequential, a relic of the past. But that was before I read …

by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director

Lutheran CORE continues to provide monthly video reviews of books of interest and importance. Many thanks to NALC pastor Mark Werner for giving us a review of Heather Ruesch’s book, Sexuality Mentality: Creating a Culture of Biblical Integrity.

Because we are being bombarded by all sorts of propaganda and lies that the devil uses to deceive and destroy, Pastor Werner feels that we need a book like this one, which views sexuality as a good gift from God which enriches life when people live according to God’s design for healthy relationships. Knowing that many pastors have been worn down and are tired from speaking about sexuality on the floors of synod assemblies, Pastor Werner states that the confessional church is now often too silent and is not …

Our purpose can be summed up in two words– Network  and  Voice. As  Network  for confessing Lutherans, we support and connect Lutheran individuals and congregations who seek to live in accord with Biblical and confessional teachings and practices. As a  Prophetic Voice, we advocate for Biblical authority and confessional fidelity among churches of the Lutheran community.