A Message for the Synod (Congregational Newsletter Article) (41)

MONEY AND YOUR MINISTRY – May 25, 2012 at Capital University, Ruff Memorial Learning Center, 260 Bridge Room, Columbus, OH

Is your organization facing a budget crisis? Is your salary stagnant? Does your church fight about money—or keep secrets about it?

Come, learn and participate in this one day seminar by the Rev. Margaret Marcuson who works with churches who want to create a ministry that lasts and clergy who want to have more impact on the people they serve best. She speaks and writes on leadership and works with church leaders nationally as a consultant and coach.

Healthy Congregations Brochure and Registration Information - May 25, 2012 (14)

]]> http://nwos-elca.org/2012/04/healthy-congregations-leadership-series-money-and-your-ministry/feed/ 0 http://nwos-elca.org/2012/04/voting-member-pre-assembly-conference-meetings/ http://nwos-elca.org/2012/04/voting-member-pre-assembly-conference-meetings/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:05:12 +0000 administrator http://nwos-elca.org/?p=2191 All Voting Members, Pastors and other Rostered Leaders, and Congregational Leaders are invited to join other Voting Members and Leaders in their conference for an important Pre-Assembly meeting in preparation for the 2012 REIGN ON!!! Assembly May 18-19th.  Please check out the invitation linked below for details!!!

 Pre-Assembly Meeting Invitation (29)

“He (the young man) said to them (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome), ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised: he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him just as he told you.’” (Mark 16:6,7)  What would you do with such a shocking, bewildering experience? The smell, touch, and sounds of death still fill their memories. Now comes the incredible announcement that the beloved who was dead is alive. What does this mean? What would the women do with this directive? Mark records, “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.” (v.8)  If “terror and amazement” was the first reaction, by the Spirit of God these women and the other disciples would, in fact, be moved “to go” and “to tell.” Throughout the centuries the cry “He has been raised” has been received by those who lives were filled with “terror.” As we prepare to celebrate “The Festival of the Resurrection of the Lord” we are those who now get to receive that very good news and, better yet, to trust ourselves to it. The directive also comes to us, “Go and tell….the risen Lord Jesus is going ahead of you!
At our May Synod Assembly I expect that we will adopt the a new Vision Statement, “Marked with the cross of Christ, we who belong to the congregations, ministries, and agencies of this synod will be signs of and participants in God’s inbreaking reign in Christ Jesus.” As we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection may the Holy Spirit so work among us so that when others see us individually, as congregations, as ministries, and as agencies in this synod, they also will see something of the risen Lord. Now, what might that look like?
Some Signs of God’s Inbreaking Kingdom:

• Two youth from our Companion Synod in Tanzania, the Dodoma Diocese, and two from our Companion Synod in Serbia, God-willing, will be coming to the National Lutheran Youth Gathering in July. What a wonderful sign of what it means to be one in Christ!
• Plans continue for a very different Synod Assembly, during which we will hear many stories of how God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is reigning among us, through us, and within us. Then we will imagine and dream about new ways in which God might work among us. Keep us in prayer!
• $125,000 “extra mile giving” enables us to provide additional support for Trinity Seminary, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio, Mission Partners (Threshold, Salem and Redeem Lutheran Churches, St. John at the Bay, and others); in addition we are able to make grants to the Dodoma Diocese and to the Malaria Initiative. Thank you! We praise God for such generosity.
• Three seminarians have been assigned for their First Call including Robbie Ketcham, Jaci Tiel, and Brenda Piper. We praise God for these gifts. Pray for these candidates and for the congregations in call processes.

May you and your congregation have a most joyous celebration of the Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Bishop Marcus C. Lohrmann

Today’s service included the reading of the Athanasian Creed. This is an important creed for us to read and hear as it really tries to explain the Trinity, a very difficult concept for most of us to understand. However, the last part of the creed seems to say that we are entered into “eternal life” through the good we do. Our actions will decide whether we have “eternal life”, or “eternal fire”.  At his coming all the people shall rise bodily to give an account of their own deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, those who have done evil will enter eternal fire. This is the catholic faith. One cannot be save without believing this firmly and faithfully.  This, is seemingly totally incompatible with what Luther taught and how I have been raised in the Lutheran community. I have been taught that it is through “faith” in Jesus Christ, his death on the cross and then resurrection that assured forgiveness for the faithful .
This concept of forgiveness and eternal life through “faith” alone is the “core” of our Lutheran faith.  Am I wrong?  Therefore, I come to you to ask the following questions:

• Am I misunderstanding this part of the creed?
• Am I misunderstanding the core of Luther’s philosophy and the Lutheran religion?
• If this section of the creed is not what we really believe, then why do we read and recite it?
• Is there not a better text to recite that supports our Lutheran beliefs?”

These are great questions! Below is my response: 

Athanasius was one of the “fathers” of the Church who lived in the fourth century and who played an important part in the formulation of the Nicene Creed which was developed at the Council of Nicea in 325AD. One of the concerns of that Council was to describe the nature of God. The Athanasian Creed was written by Christians in about the 6th Century among renewed debates about the nature of God and given the name “Athanasian Creed” in memory of Athanasius. The creed seeks to stress the unity of the divine essence; one God in three persons. Erwin Lueker in Lutheran Cyclopedia points out that “Luther regarded it as possibly the grandest production of the church since the time of the Apostles.” (p. 256) This Creed has been used in the Church since the 6th Century. Because of its comprehensive statement on the Trinity, it is often used on Trinity Sunday.  I can appreciate your reaction to the first paragraph. I think it can offend “modern sensibilities” and, if not properly understood, cause distress and confusion. I think that by accepting it, the Church wanted to say, “The story of the God revealed in Jesus Christ is critical. It is a matter of life and death. To value the person and work of Christ we need to see in that the reality of God.” The phrase “Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish for eternity” is strong language intended to urge the hearer to be willing to stake their life on this cross centered story.  I can also appreciate your reaction to the last paragraphs. They can offend Lutheran sensibilities which accents that we are justified by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ without works of the Law (see Romans and Galatians).  Interestly enough, however, this is language that reflects some Biblical language. For example, the Gospel of Matthew stresses the “doing of righteousness”.

Check out the Sermon on the Mount,
Matthew 5-8; or Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24, “everyone then who hears these words and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock;” or 7:21 “not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 25 speaks of God’s judgment in the light of how we have responded to the poor, naked, imprisoned, hungry, etc. The Old Testament is filled with warnings directed against those whose worship and words
are true but are judged “empty” inviting the wrath of God because care for the poor, for justice, for humility was missing. Here you might think of the Micah text, “What does God require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” Many other texts could be cited in the New Testament as well. Scripture does speak of the need to give an account of deeds. Paul can even use that language.  Yet, it is also true, that when we see what the Law of God requires we are tempted to either despair or self-righteousness. To those who despair, God offers the promise of mercy in Christ. Faith is invited.  And when such faith is confessed, there is evidence of the Spirit of God. Paul: “No one can say Jesus is
Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” To those who are self-righteous, Christ speaks words of judgment.  In terms of the words in the text, I do read them in a “Lutheran” way although they are words that belong to the Christian community beyond the Lutheran community. When I am asked on that day, to “give an account of my own deeds” , I will “plead Christ” and pray, “Dear God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, when you look at me, please see your beloved Son, who has promised to clothe me in his righteousness.” The “account” that I will give is the account of him who has forgiven and claimed me as his own. I would do a similar thing with the last paragraph. To “do good” is not first and foremost too “right behavior”.  It is to live and act in faith, that is, trusting in God’s promises in Christ.  I like John 14-17 for this stuff. In these chapters, Jesus encourages us to abide in him. To act apart
from Christ is to be branches cut off from the vine. To abide in Christ is to trust in him who gives lives.  “What works should we be doing to get “life”; Jesus offers us a pun in response. “ This is the work of  God that you believe in him whom he sent.” Again, “to do good” is to be “in Christ”, to trust oneself toGod’s promises in Christ even when our consciences condemn us.  With regard to the last paragraph, again I think the writers intend to say what Scripture says (see John 3:16) and elsewhere: To believe this story, to hang one’s heart on it, that is, on Christ, is to get life.  Apart from that one gets judgment. The final judgment is of course God’s to make. But it is our task and privilege to share and embody this word of Life that is Christ for the world.  Having said all of the above, I would not recommend using this Creed with great frequency but I think it is worth re-visiting. If nothing else, its use prompts the great questions you have asked. However, given your questions, I’m not sure it is helpful to use if we fail to take time to “unpack” it.  Otherwise our words can be only a “noisy” gong. The use of the three Creeds also serves to remind me that whenever I gather at the Lord’s Table I am joined to Christians of every time and place. As I work, by God’s grace and forgiveness, at living the faith in the present, I need to hear the confession of those who have claimed and encouraged Christ in the past. 

Submitted by:
Bishop Marcus Lohrmann
April 2, 2007

Hello and God’s blessings are with you on this Lenten journey! I’m sending you a note with some quick points of information to think/pray/learn about as we prepare for traveling to New Orleans in July for the Gathering… and then to return home as different people. I know you are already doing great ministry with your youth and keeping them in prayer. Let’s cloak ourselves in prayer throughout this whole journey. Let’s commit ourselves, here and now, that as adult leaders we will strive to do everything out of love for one another. From fundraising events to Bible studies being led, let’s do everything out of love. (No resounding gongs or clanging cymbals are needed… 1 Corinthians 13:1). :-)

1. If you are looking for some ready-to-go Bible studies and other materials, please visit the elca.org/gathering website and look under “Getting Ready Materials.” There is a wealth of material here for you! Take a look. It’s free! And it’s for you and your group! Take and use whatever materials you think will be most helpful for your group. It’s professional stuff… and it’s free!
2. Be thinking now about what you’ll do with your group in the middle of all of the “be” time in New Orleans. There will be a lot of waiting around in lines for lunch, dinner, dome events, etc. We usually write this time off as “time to kill.” Meanwhile, sometimes the best memories and faith-formational moments come as a result of using this time wisely. Do you think your group might learn a song and sing it during “be” time opportunities to keep their energy going? Is your group ready to meet new people while waiting around in line, getting to know other people while waiting? Can your group use such time to get to know each other better? The sky’s the limit with “be” time. Don’t waste it!
3. A great thing to start thinking about now if you haven’t already – have cell phone numbers of the youth plugged into your phone. Not all youth have phones obviously. But if they do, it’s a great idea to collect that information and have it all plugged into your cell phone, and to have it for the youth to plug into their phones, too! This helps in case any emergencies might arise or if someone in your group gets separated from the rest of the group.
4. I know you’re working hard to get to New Orleans and offering a great deal of time and energy toward making this event happen for the youth. It’s so important to hang on to this understanding of the Youth Gathering though… the Gathering itself is not the destination. The Gathering is not an entity unto itself. The whole thrust of the Gathering experience is geared for preparation. The youth, and us adults too, will be going through an incredible faith-formational experience with each other. And with God’s help, we’ll return home prepared to be “citizens with the saints.” Just thought we might need to keep this perspective as we continue.
5. I’m sure you already do this in powerfully good ways, but value your young people as much as you can. Value who they are, where they’ve been, what’s going on in their lives. I can pretty much guarantee it… the youth in your group are paying closer attention to you than you realize! Value them by showing up to one of their sporting events. Value them by keeping them in your prayer and keeping a prayer journal of their prayer requests. Value them by encouraging them and worshiping with them on Sunday mornings, sitting next to them… there are tons of ways to value them for who God has made them to be!

 Other than that, keep checking the website for more information and your registration page for more details about the Gathering. If you have any questions, concerns, or joys to share, please send them on!God is with you in this holy experience!

 With you in Christ,

Pastor Matt Wheeler
Gathering Coordinator, NWOS
First Lutheran Church
127 S. Columbus St.
Galion, OH 44833
(419)468-3107

Reservations are required to Bev at 419.861.4954 or bapel@lhsoh.org by March 19th

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Contact:  Rebecca Tollefson (614)885-9590, Ext. 13

A DREAM COMES TRUE:  CHAIR IN PEACE STUDIES AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT MERSHON CENTER, OSU

After years of promoting a movement to establish an endowed faculty chair in international conflict resolution and peace at the Ohio State University, the first position of its kind has been established in the person of Dr. Christopher Gelpi, who will fill this Chair beginning in January 2013.
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“by design” is for moms with children from newborn to age 12.

(Childcare provided)

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Event Date: April 15-17, 2012 Location: Baltimore, MD

A mind altering, Go Big or Go Home, national symposium to alter the way you think about your church buildings.

• Use real estate assets for income streams to support the parish budget and ministry. • Environmentally wise choices that save money. • Use church buildings to their fullest potential, connecting with the community. • Disperse real estate assets that are no longer needed.

Last year’s Buildings for a New Tomorrow launched a movement. Visit www.ecbf.org for comments and videos from the 2011 event.

Use this year’s gathering to benefit your next years Registration and Information: http://www.ecbf.org/symposium.html

Registration deadline April 1

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