Getting Away From It All

From Messiah Lutheran Church's July/August 2011 newsletter

The summer months are here. The kids are out of school. The weather is nicer (at least we hope it will be). The days are longer. It’s time to get away for a vacation. Could be a couple of weeks. Could be a couple of days. Whatever the case may be, it’s good to get away for a while. See new places. Do new things. Rest. Recharge.

Jesus knew the importance of “getting away from it all” once in a while. He often would withdraw from the press of the crowds who followed him and go into “desolate places” (e.g. Mark 1:45). At other times, a brief “cruise” on the Sea of Galilee was in order (e.g. Mark 3:7). And after the disciples returned from their first preaching mission, Jesus encouraged them to “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

What did Jesus do in those “desolate places”? As True Man, he needed to rest his body. But the Scriptures also inform us that he prayed (e.g. Mark 1:35). Jesus knew that prayer was a vital part of his rest and an opportunity to express his fellowship with his Heavenly Father.

I hope you get the chance to “get away from it all” and rest a while this summer, if only for a brief time. But as you do, take time also to pray and worship. One of the joys of traveling is visiting other congregations and making connections with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in another region. Make use of the congregation locator at the LCMS website to find a church in the cities or towns where you plan to be. If you are reading this on the internet, click here to find a sister LCMS congregation. If you don’t use the internet, check in at the church office, and we can give you contact information for the churches in the areas to which you will be traveling.

Maybe it’s not possible for you to find a “desolate place” to get away. Your work responsibilities are keeping you close to home. Your finances don’t allow you to travel farther than Everett or Arlington. That’s when you need to find a “desolate place” right under your own roof … a moment or two of quiet reflection where you can read God’s Word and spend even a brief moment in prayer. If the Holy Son of God thought it necessary to “get away from it all,” how much more important it is for us weak and sinful creatures.

And don’t forget about the most important time of rest … when we gather together on Sunday mornings to rest and receive our Lord’s gifts of life and salvation in the Divine Service. Here we have a respite from all our troubles … a place to “get away from it all” (another reason why I like the word “sanctuary” for our worship space). Here all the baptized hear the precious word of forgiveness in the Gospel. Here God’s reconciled people receive the body and blood of our Savior who was sacrificed for our salvation. Here God’s redeemed receive a foretaste of the eternal rest promised us in Paradise at “the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end.”

In Christ’s service and yours,
Pastor Onken

The "Business" of the Church

From Messiah's March 2011 Newsletter

Luther said that even a "seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd." (Smalcald Articles, Part II, Article XII. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005, p. 309) That really is the true "business" of the Church: to assemble on Sunday mornings and at other times for Divine Service and the prayer offices (Matins, Vespers, Evening Prayer, etc.) and to listen to the voice of Jesus. The baptized, declared holy through faith in the shed blood of Christ, gather to be nourished, nurtured, and refreshed by the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament. God then sends us out from the assembly to continue his "business" in the world, dispersing into our various vocations to serve our neighbors as "masks of God."

Each local congregation also has a certain amount of temporal business that needs to be attended to in order to support the Gospel ministry that is carried on there. Bills need to be paid. Toilets need fixing. Light bulbs need changing. Lawns need to be mowed. Money needs to be counted. And so on and so forth. You get the picture. Sometimes these issues can conflict with preparing our hearts for worship. Most of us only see each other on Sunday mornings, so it may seem like a natural time to address particular items on the agenda. Unfortunately, this more often than not becomes a distraction, especially when you consider that we are already arriving with assorted hurts, pains, sorrows, anxieties, and brokenness. Keep that in mind before you decide to approach someone with a certain item of business on Sunday morning or at other times of worship. Bring it up later with that individual in a phone call or an email.

Granted, there are certainly some business matters that need to be attended to on Sunday mornings. Let's all make a concerted effort, however, to keep this to a minimum so that nothing distracts us from doing the real "business" of the Church ... to listen attentively and expectantly to the voice of the Shepherd and to receive in repentant faith all the good gifts he pours into our hearts and lives.

October Newsletter Article

Witness, Mercy, Life Together

In recent memory, every time a new synodical president is elected, he presents a theme which is held forth for the congregations, people, and institutions of the synod to rally around. President Harrison’s three-fold emphasis – “Witness, Mercy, Life Together” – was unveiled last month. You can see the logo for the emphasis at the left (if you are reading this in the print version of the newsletter, the colors are red at the top, purple at the bottom left, and green at the bottom right). Based on three biblical words, it describes the focus of what the Church of Jesus Christ is all about. Here’s how Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations, explains it on his blog:

Witness, Mercy, and Life Together is the English phrase chosen for the Greek words Martyría, Diakonía, and Koinōnía. These activities describe the work of the church and are centered on the cross of Jesus. Martyría describes the witness, proclamation work (missions) of the church. Diakonía describes the church's work as a servant of mercy to those in need (human care). Koinōnía describes the church's life together with all its accompanying activities such as worship, schools, seminaries, church relations, et al. There are over 200 passages in the New Testament that use these words to describe the church's work, not including synonyms and other words … Just as a start you might want to look up 1 John 5:7-8 (Witness), Mark 10:45 (Mercy), and 1 Corinthians 1:9 (Life Together).

Here are those Bible verses and my explanations of why I think they were chosen. 1 John 5:7-8 says, “For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.” The Holy Spirit works through the Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, and all “agree” as they point us to Christ. We use those same means to “testify” or “witness” to Christ and reach out to draw others to the Savior.

In Mark 10:45, our Lord Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Son of God became a servant when he humbled himself by becoming Man and by giving his life on the cross for our sins. Christ’s work of mercy towards us sinners enables us to act with mercy towards our neighbors who are near (through the work of our congregation) and those who are far (through our offerings sent to the synod).

Finally, 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Through the Good News of the forgiveness of sins in Christ, we are called and gathered into the Holy Christian Church. In this Christian Church, we are intimately united with Jesus and with one another as members of the Body of Christ. In this “fellowship” we live, pray, and work together for the good of each other and the world.

This is a wonderful, succinct theme for all of us to remember as we go about our work as a congregation and as individuals who through Holy Baptism are members of the Body of Christ. There will be more information coming from the president’s office about this three-fold theme, and you can be sure we will make use of it to continue our “Witness,” to act in “Mercy,” and to learn more about what “Life Together” in Christ means for our fellowship at Messiah.

In Christ’s service and yours,
Pastor Onken

Rev. Matt Harrison elected LCMS president

Our synod has been meeting in convention since this weekend. Some pretty radical structural changes were voted upon and passed. More on that later. Today, the Rev. Matt Harrison was elected as our new synodical president. Here is a video of the results and Harrison's first address to the convention.

Thinking about Dad

My dad died in 1996 after a ten year battle with cancer. I still think about him a lot.

I think about him when I’m shaving. Gillette Foamy is what he used, and that’s what I use. None of that frou-frou stuff for us. No aloe. No strawberry scent. Plain old Foamy. That smell is embedded in my olfactory memories. When I lather up, I can smell my dad.

I think about my dad every time I watch a baseball game. He passed his love of the game on to me. There was a long time after his death when I would automatically reach for the phone to call him whenever I saw a great play or saw an outstanding “web gem” on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. I don’t reach for the phone anymore. But I still recall our days when we used to watch the Angels and the Dodgers together.

I think about my dad every time I watch a Clint Eastwood western. There were some times when he and I would actually put on our cowboy hats and boots to watch a film together. Not in the theatre, mind you, but at home, where we could prop up our feet and pop open a cold beer.

I suppose I could go on and on telling you about the many occasions when I think about my dad. The most important memories I have of my father have to do with church.

I think of my dad when I put the hymn numbers up on the hymn board near the chancel. When my dad was an usher and an elder, that was one of his duties, and he would often take me along on a Saturday morning and have me help. Someone once asked me, “Pastor, why don’t you let someone else do that job?” I told them that I don’t mind doing it, because as I put those numbers up on the board I’m also reminiscing and giving thanks to God for my dad’s faithful example of humble, quiet service.

I think of my dad when we sing the Te Deum, when we sing hymns about the saints in heaven, and during the preface in the Divine Service: “Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven…” My dad didn’t have the greatest singing voice. But that didn’t stop him from loudly singing the liturgy and hymns. He didn’t think, as some men do, that singing was “unmanly.” Dad had his hymnal opened and sang boldly.

Dad also faithfully partook of our Lord’s body and blood in Holy Communion. I used to wonder where dad would go after we would return to our pews. Coming back from the altar, he always slipped out the side door of the church. We didn’t see him again until after the benediction. Only as I got a bit older did I learn that he had to get outside to satisfy his nicotine craving. He kicked that habit years later during his battle with cancer. But years of smoking had already taken its toll on his lungs, adding to his health issues.

Dad wasn’t perfect. Not because he smoked … but because he was a sinner. And he knew that himself. That’s why he also publicly confessed his sins with the rest of us in the Divine Service, acknowledging that he trusted in the shed blood of Jesus for his forgiveness and salvation.

Another Father’s Day has come and gone. To you dads, here’s a question for you: What kind of example are you setting for your children, in particular with your spiritual life and your involvement at church? Many faithful mothers have had to pick up the slack where their husbands have abdicated their responsibilities as the spiritual heads of their households. God bless those faithful women. But remember, men: the example of a father is of immeasurable importance in the spiritual life of a child. Your kids are watching you. Do they see you regularly in church? Do they see you participating? Do they see you volunteering your gifts and talents? Do they see you reading the Bible and praying at home?

That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. There’s only one father who’s perfect, and that’s our Heavenly Father. He sent his only Son to live a perfect life in our place and to die for the sins of the world, including the sins of us sinful fathers. Repent, receive his forgiveness, rejoice in his grace, and rejuvenate your spiritual life by availing yourself of the opportunities to hear the Word of God and partake of the Lord’s Supper. Guided by the Holy Spirit, you can set the kind of example that will make a difference in the spiritual life of your children.

Yet another reason why I believe Matt Harrison will be a great synodical president

Any guy who reads a book called "Orbiting the Giant Hairball" should automatically qualify for the job. Click here to read Pr. Harrison's post and an excerpt from the book.

Synodical nominations for Pres and First VP

Click here to read the LCMS news release.

Now click here and here to read two analyses of the numbers.

On Seeking Lost Sheep One at a Time

Thanks, Pastor Schlueter. We all need to hear this, not just pastors, but all congregations and members who are envious of what's happening at their neighboring churches. The following was posted at Straight Schlueter.

I suppose its true in any other profession, but it seems that pastors are good at professional one-up-manship. Pastors like to tell tales about the stuff they have going at their parish; building programs, stewardship, average worship attendance, etc. etc. etc. It is easy (for me anyway) to come away thinking that I need to get moving and make my congregation more like theirs.

It is way too easy to get sucked in.

I was recently reading on a friend's blog a posting by Matt Harrison (find it here) and discovered a quote that I found both inspiring and at the same time helpful.

Our vocation is not to save the ninety-nine, but to seek the one. One at a time. One here and one there. One child cared for. One person nursed to health. One life saved. One hurting soul comforted with the name of Jesus. One man loved. Our vocation is not to change Haiti, or to change the whole world, or to change the economic realities with which Haitians wrestle. Our vocation is to act and make a life-changing difference one at a time. And acting one at a time, we find that over some hours, over a few days, and over a couple of weeks, the flock of those helped in the name of Jesus has grown to be surprisingly large.

Pastor Harrison is talking about the parable of the Lost Sheep from John 15 and applying it to the needs of the people in Haiti following their devastating earth quake. He points out that Jesus went after the one. One at a time. One by one. This has been for me a profound insight.

There is always that pressure to be the church that has the budget surplus, that has the great attendance, that has the busting-at-the-seems programs. (I suppose I might confess it is easy to covet...) So churches always try to become this by implementing policies and adopting programs. "If they haven't attended in 3 years, drop them from the roles." "Let's write a series of form letters." "Let's hire a consultant to tell us how we can fix ourselves." These things don't work, or if they do work they have worked the wrong thing. Faithful pastoring doesn't mean you have budget surpluses and rear ends in the pews. It means that you preach God's Word; law and gospel. Week in and week out. And, when necessary, one at a time.

Instead of cleaning up the roles, instead of lopping off the dead wood, I have resolved to seek one. Reach out to one with God's Word. Rightly divide it. Mercifully apply it. And who knows, maybe after a time the flock will have grown quite large.