In This Issue

• Remembering the rock of remembrance
• Places where no Christians exist
• No perceived value in suffering
• How to hear God more easily
• Does failure require us to abandon the metaphor?
• Resources that can be used now
• Why not the NALC?
• Jesus said to make disciples, not dismantle racism
• A tribute to Carl E. Braaten

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by Pr. Kevin Haug, ELCA Pastor in Texas

With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? –Mark 4:30

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. –Romans 8:15-16

The first time I read the phrase “kin-dom of God,” I rolled my eyes. It looked to be another attempt to make Christian terminology politically correct—something I have a personal aversion to. So, when I was asked to write a piece on this particular phrase and its usage, particularly amongst progressive Christian circles, I thought I now had an opportunity to academically hammer the phrase.

However, after research, I have become a little more sympathetic to the term. Although, as the title indicates, there is no “kin-dom” of God without the Kingdom of God. Explanation is in order. [...]

by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director

In the September 2023 issue of CORE Voice I gave an analysis of the expected outcome from the ELCA’s Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. After reading the biographical paragraphs for the thirty-five members, I described the certain end result of their work. Here is a link to my analysis, which I entitled “Once You Know the Makeup, You Know the Outcome.” 

Based on who was chosen by the Church Council to be a part of the Commission, I listed four things that are certain to characterize the Renewed Lutheran Church – social justice activism as the main mission and purpose for the church, an ever-diminishing role for men, LGBTQ+ activism, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the primary value system for the church. At the end of that article I said that I would keep you informed as the Commission continues to do its work. 

The Commission met electronically September 21-22. [...] The work of the Commission is as predicted. After all, “Once You Know the Makeup, You Know the Outcome.” […]

by Dean Rostad, President of CLBI

Director's Note: We wish God’s blessings upon Dean Rostad, president, and the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute. This is the third of a series of three articles about various residential discipleship ministries for young adults.  We began in January by featuring Faith Greenhouse, connected with Faith Lutheran Church (LCMC) in Hutchinson, Minnesota.  We continued in March with the Awaken Project (TAP). TAP is a non-profit organization housed on the campus of Mt. Carmel Ministries in Alexandria, Minnesota. We thank God for these ministries and pray for them as they work to raise up a whole new generation of followers of Jesus and leaders in the Church.  

“...take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan…” Joshua 4:3

After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites were about to experience God’s saving work in a profound way - walking through the parted (piled-up) Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. So that this God event would never be forgotten, God instructed them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan. These rocks of remembrance were to become physical pointers to God’s saving action in their lives. God never wants us to forget how He has moved in our lives.

My name is Dean Rostad and I have the privilege of serving as the President of the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI) in Camrose, Alberta. CLBI is a campus-based Bible college through which 1000s of young adults have been trained to become disciple-makers in their churches, neighborhoods, and professions. In 2023, CLBI’s […]

by Pr. K. Craig Moorman, Member of the Board of Lutheran CORE

 Part 1: A Gift of Restoration, Resilience, and Prophetic Perspective

Dear Friends—

We were in the middle of our first vacation ‘Out West’, somewhere between Colorado Springs, CO, and Yellowstone Park, WY, when my wife asked in a surprisingly calm voice, “So, what does happen when the pop-up mechanism of a pop-up trailer doesn’t pop?” Just minutes before I had explained that there was a high degree of probability that the lifting system on our trailer had broken. All I can say is that it was a most fascinating time with five kids. I only wish we had brought the dog and a couple of cats to make it more magical! Anyway, it was wonderful but not necessarily restful. You’ve probably had at least one of those vacations in your lifetime; you return home in desperate need of rest.

I’d like to address the topic of ‘rest’ in light of Jesus’ gracious appeal in Matthew 11 and how we can more fluidly incorporate rest into our lives. Why is rest (aside from sleeping) an essential but often missing ingredient in our daily schedules? I would say that without it—REST—we are much less effective in how we go about the work of ministry.

Are you presently resting from a place of work, or working from a place of rest?  [...]

by Pastor Franklin Gore, Epiphany Lutheran Church, Pensacola, FL

“We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3

The congregation of St. Paul located in Pensacola, Florida began the discernment process of leaving the ELCA in 2018. We had the 2^nd vote to leave the Florida-Bahamas (FB) Synod of the ELCA in 2019. We expected some challenges in leaving because of the small group of members who wanted to remain in the ELCA. The congregation voted with a super-majority to leave the FB Synod. St. Paul applied to and joined the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) in 2020. Shortly after being received into the NALC, the congregation council received a letter from the FB Synod informing us that we could not leave. 

 […]

by Pr. David Charlton, Lutheran CORE Board President

In the September CORE Voice, I reflected on my time as the pastor of a mission congregation. My question was whether the Lutheran Church is prepared for a time when many, if not most, congregations do not own property. This month, I want to ask a similar question: What are we prepared to do to help congregations without pastors?

For at least the last decade, the Lutheran Church has been facing a double crisis. The first part of that crisis is that there are fewer pastors to fill the needs of congregations. The second part is that more and more congregations are too small to afford to call a pastor. What can be done about this crisis?

[...]

by Pr. Douglas Schoelles, Member of the Board of Lutheran CORE

“You’re welcome.” Joy comes from saying those words to someone who recognizes and thanks you for an act of service or kindness. When you perform such gracious acts to express respect, kindness and even love, you hope your service will bless the other person. So, when the recipient of your kind service is oblivious or seems entitled, you might say sarcastically, “You’re welcome!”

Ingratitude is an ugly behavior of people who think they are entitled. Ungrateful miscreants are ever present irritants in our contemporary culture causing much friction. I can understand how secular unbelievers are trained by hyper-consumerism to be lousy ingrates.

But I scratch my head explaining Christians who have an ingrate faith. Ingrate faith is an entitlement that God owes you. Ingrate faith is not joyous for God’s work of redemption. Ingrate faith is selfish with a hardened heart and a stubborn mind. [...]

by Pr. Dennis Di Mauro, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (NALC) in Warrenton, VA. He also teachers at St. Paul Lutheran Seminary and the North American Lutheran Seminary.

Imagine a scenario where a loved one is suffering from an incurable condition and unimaginable pain. And yet, antiquated laws have prevented her from finding peace once and for all. Shouldn’t they be changed to allow a medical professional to compassionately put her out of her misery?

This is the argument posed by physician-assisted suicide (PAS) advocates, and it has successfully changed numerous laws in the United States. But is death the only way to end pain? And do laws which allow PAS affect others in unexpected ways as well? Furthermore, could the legalization of PAS be abused?

First, let’s examine the facts. PAS is legal in many westernized countries today, such as Canada, the U.K., and Japan. But the country with the most PAS data is the Netherlands--one of the first countries to legalize the practice. Shockingly, PAS accounts for over four percent of all deaths in the Netherlands [...]

by Pr. Steve Shipman, Former Director of Lutheran CORE and Dean of the Atlantic Mission Region of the NALC

“I never thought of Carl Braaten as being with us. I thought he was on the other side.” So a Lutheran leader reacted when I told him of Carl’s passing at 94.

Carl was an enigma. He was an active member of an ELCA congregation, but the NALC theological conference carries his name, and the NALC continues a “younger theologians” gathering Carl founded.

In 1966 he made the New York Times by announcing, “The Reformation is over; let’s go home.” Yet unlike many of his friends, he never “swam the Tiber,” just as he never left the ELCA. Carl devoted himself to an ecumenical vision informed and renewed by the Reformation. This was especially true in the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, which he and Robert Jenson founded.

To understand Carl, you need to understand his commitment to theology. When he felt that the ELCA had given up on theology, he blessed Lutheran CORE by building it into our DNA.

Carl grew up in the mission field in Madagascar, and struggled over the years until embracing the best of his pietistic background. He remained concerned about mission, yet flirted with universal salvation, carefully nuanced and always as a hope and not a teaching.

Paul Hinlicky wrote a brilliant reflection for CCET, and Carl’s own book, A Harvest of Lutheran Dogmatics, includes reflections on his place in recent theology as well as thoughtful reflections on other theologians he knew.

May Carl rest in peace, as his theology now has been perfected into vision.

• Pro Ecclesia Conference - Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, AL. June 10-12, 2024. Click here.
• NEXUS 2024 - Grand View University, Des Moines, IA. July 21-27, 2024. Click here.
• NALC Online Convocation. August 9, 2024. Click here.
• LCMC 24th Annual Gathering & Convention - Marion, IA. September 29 - October 2, 2024. Click here.

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