In This Issue

• Is the ELCA preparing for another exodus of congregations?
• Baltimore Marathon?
• Discerning God's call
• Today's social upheaval
• How are creeds properly vetted?
• Dead faith Christians
• Devotion options
• CORE video book review for July
• SIMUL's spring edition

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by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director

 In my Summer Letter from the Director I told in great detail the disturbing story of how Bishop Yehiel Curry of the ELCA’s Metropolitan Chicago Synod threatened, intimidated, bullied, and abused power in order to gain control of a CORE-friendly congregation that was doing its best to reach out to its bi-lingual and Spanish speaking neighborhood with the love of Jesus. A link to that letter can be found here. That bishop and synod council used chapter S13.24 in the Model Constitution for Synods as a way to move in and take over the congregation. 

I recently become aware of another situation where the synod council of another ELCA synod – Southwest California – used the same constitutional provision to seize the property of a congregation. As a former ALC congregation, according to the ELCA constitution, Faith Lutheran Church of San Dimas, California should have had no problem [...]

by Pr. Kevin Haug, ELCA Pastor

Note from our Executive Director: Many thanks to Kevin Haug, ELCA pastor in Texas, for his article about the Sparkle creed.  This so-called "creed" has received a lot of attention and stimulated a lot of discussion since its recent use during a worship service in an ELCA congregation in Minnesota.  We should all be alarmed over the way in which this statement rejects Biblical teaching and orthodox theology in its promoting the LGBTQ agenda and transgender ideology.  We are saddened but not surprised as we read of many ELCA pastors who are praising it as a way to connect the Christian faith with life today.  We are also saddened but not surprised by the total silence of ELCA leaders about it.

“Pastor, what are we going to do about this?”

Those words were spoken by one of my octogenarians after she heard two news stories about the “Sparkle creed,” a statement that received national attention because of its use at an ELCA Lutheran Church in Minnesota. The congregation recited it at worship, posted the video online, and it went viral. [...]

In a very real way, everyone has a creed of some sort. Individuals have creeds. Organizations have creeds. Individual congregations have creeds. In fact, many biblical scholars say that the first creed was quite simple: Jesus is Lord. Those three words actually led to the death of Christians who would not say the Roman creed: Caesar is Lord.  

[...] if I believe that all human beings are endowed by their Creator with fundamental rights, then that is a creedal statement. And I would happily argue that it is a good creedal statement for various reasons. Someone could hold a different position: that human beings are not endowed with rights from a Creator, but that governments decide what rights a person should or should not have. I would argue that this isn't a very good position to take, but that doesn't prevent some nations and people from holding it.  [...]

by Ms. Teresa Dubyoski, a Mission Partner of River's Edge Ministries based in Mt. Airy, MD.

Editor's Note: In 2023 Teresa helped lead the January Cross Country Mission in Pine Island, FL (including organizing all the food and meal prep teams) and City Mission in Baltimore, MD in May.

When I think of Baltimore, I often think of my early childhood home with a large magnolia tree in the front yard and a tall, hemlock pine in the back, where my siblings and I used to climb and play amongst the branches to our hearts content. I think of the cookies my sisters and I would sell in the neighborhood without supervision, pulling our bright red Flyer wagon full of a variety of cookies behind us. I was only 6 when we moved away, but I remember [...] that I felt fear.

I’ll be honest…It felt heavy seeing a woman come through a food pantry with her face apparently beaten [...] It feels heavy knowing that a stone’s throw from one of the churches we partner with is the sex trafficking hub of the city. It feels heavy when a woman graduates from a recovery program and dies after running into someone she once did drugs with; one last hit and she was gone … just as she was beginning to rebuild her life. 

One evening someone in the group shared that these churches, ministries, and organizations that we partner with in Baltimore are like “Pockets of Hope.” It felt like the perfect description. That’s truly what these places are.

Because of these “Pockets of Hope,” we also experienced joy and immense encouragement, not just heaviness. [...]

by Pr. Jeff Morlock, staff member of the North American Lutheran Church and Director of Vocational Discernment for the North American Lutheran Seminary.

Of all the voices in the world calling you to be this or do that with your life, how will you discern God’s call? While God calls persons into full or part time ministry, biblically God’s call has less to do with the job you get paid for and everything to do with the kingdom impact you were born to have on the world. Living in response to God’s call involves trusting the Lord in the midst of the darkness and waiting for the light to dawn. But how are we to discern God’s light, as opposed to the light of our own desires or our need to please others?

Consider the prophet Isaiah, whose call story is found in Isaiah Chapter 6. "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple" (v. 1). The mention of King Uzziah's death tells us something about Isaiah's state of mind. [...]

In a time of uncertainty, God reveals Himself to Isaiah in His heavenly glory to confirm that He is King and reigns in heaven, regardless of what may be happening on earth. His sovereignty is never in question. This assurance is a prerequisite to hearing [...]

by Pr. Don Brandt, Congregations in Transition (CiT)

As Americans we are living in a time of increasing emotional despair. And this crisis presents the Body of Christ with tremendous challenges as local churches consider how they might respond.

In the past, when I heard people complain about the state of American society and the level of social upheaval, I would respond, “But it’s not as bad as it was back in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Well I no longer say that. I think the state of American society, in 2023, is now worse. I have never, in my lifetime, seen as many studies and statistics pointing to widespread depression and despair as I have read about in just the last two years. Some examples: [...]

Back in 1920 the poet William Butler Yeats wrote his poem, The Second Coming.  His appraisal of the world of his day, no doubt shared by many of his peers shortly after the conclusion of the First World War, was incredibly stark. “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold, the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” Call me an alarmist, but I believe these words capture how a great many Americans—on both sides of the (political) aisle—view the current state of American society.    

 There are undoubtedly many factors contributing to these startling statistics. Perhaps the most frequent cause cited is [...]

So what can the local church do to respond to all this despair? In my opinion congregations can potentially make a significant and positive difference. How? [...]

by Ms. Kim Smith, Lutheran CORE editor and webmaster

Editor’s Note: Rev. Dr. Douglas Schoelles joined the board of Lutheran CORE earlier this year. Rev. Jeffray Greene has been writing devotions for us for many years. We are thankful to them both for their valuable contributions to Lutheran CORE.

Lutheran CORE’s readers have been faithfully absorbing Rev. Greene’s daily devotions for a long time. Some read them on the website and others view them on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

But it’s nice to have options. Pastor Schoelles enables you to watch a video or listen to audio in the car. He records The Daily Plunge in which he encourages “a quick swim in the day’s scripture reading.” Pr. Schoelles says he works his way through books of the Bible in bite-sized pieces. And by bite-sized he means videos in the 4–5-minute range. Definitely digestible!

Dr. Schoelles recently asked Lutheran CORE if [...]

by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director

Here is a link to our You Tube channel. In the top row you will find both our Video Book Reviews as well as our CORE Convictions Videos on various topics related to Biblical teaching, Lutheran theology, and Christian living. You will find these videos in the order in which they were posted, beginning with the most recent. In the second row you will find links to the Playlists for both sets of videos. This month we want to feature a new Video Book Review.       

THE POWER OF HEALTHY LEADERSHIP

by James Hoefer

Many thanks to retired AALC pastor James Hoefer for his review of a book which he himself has written, “The Power of Healthy Leadership.” Here is a link to his video.  [...]

by James Hoefer, retired AALC pastor and author of The Power of Healthy Leadership by Pinnacle House Press

Leadership is not a title, a performance, or mere occupation. It is a sacred relationship creating ripple effects, for both good and bad. This book is about stewardship leaders, who are both the humblest and stubbornest people on the planet. Today in our “pro-choice” environment freedom is about choosing, the more choices the better. For stewards, freedom is about being chosen, knowing who you are, with assigned roles and tasks. Thus, healthy results radiate outward into your community, church, or workplace. Life becomes more gracious, business more successful, and the church more effective when you follow your call.

We are in a leadership crisis today. [...]

by Dennis Di Mauro, NALC pastor and member of the Teaching Faculty at Saint Paul Lutheran Seminary.

The Spring 2023 SIMUL, the Journal of St. Paul Lutheran Seminary, is out – and best of all, it’s free! Click here to access it.

The Spring 2023 edition includes a number of insightful articles concerning church renewal. In this volume, John Pless explains how revitalization flows from the font, pulpit and altar. Tom Hilpert explains the value of small groups in any effort to restart a congregation. Tony Ede emphasizes the importance of creating a church renewal plan. Randy Freund shows how the scriptures and our Lutheran Confessions are invaluable guides for recharging a church. And Brad Hales underscores how discipleship and visitation are key elements in any effort to rejuvenate the church. Finally, I close out this issue with a review of Sarah Hinlicky Wilson’s delightful new novel A-Tumblin’ Down.

SIMUL can be read three ways. One can enlarge and read through the flip book on the top of the webpage (there is a full screen button that can be clicked on the lower right-hand side of the flipbook), or one can scroll down and read each individual article. This second option allows readers to share individual articles (that can be read on a cellphone) without sending the entire issue. You can also download a pdf to your device and keep it forever!

Enjoy!

Dennis

• NEXUS Institute Summer 2023 - Des Moines, IA. July 16-22, 2023. Click here.
• ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering - Phoenix, AZ. July 17-20, 2023. Click here.
• NALC Lutheran Week 2023 - Oklahoma City, OK. August 7-11, 2023. Click here.
• LCMC 23rd Annual Gathering & Convention - St. Charles, MO. October 1-4, 2023. Click here.

© 2023 Lutheran Coalition for Renewal

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Lutheran CORE's mission:

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• A Voice for Biblical Truth

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.

We communicate Biblical truth through our newsletter, mailings, and various forms of social media.