Ambassadors of the Kingdom

KINGDOM

F Faith ellowshipChurch of the Lutheran Brethren • May/June 2011 • Vol. 78, No. 3

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Ambassadors of the

In This Issue

FAITH & FELLOWSHIP Volume 78 - Number 3

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright ©1973. 1978. 1984. International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

FF

Director of Communications:Tim [email protected] | twitter: @ffmag

Editor: Brent [email protected]

Publisher/Graphic Designer: Troy [email protected]

Photography:Katie Tysdal: p.3, p.4, p.6, p.8

4 Are You Vocated?Richard Erickson

6 Response to GraceEd Nugent

8 Beside Yourself?Roy Heggland

10 Snap ShotAnn Rupnow

11 Do You Innovate?Kathryn Bakke

15 Canadian & Pacific SouthRegional Meeting ReportsArt Hundeby/Steve Lazicki

12 Finding VocationWith Zachary Schroer

16 Smile at the CrazinessAnn Rupnow

19 Bound Together in the Word — in Canada!Cheryl Olsen

2 Faith & Fellowship

18 Church & Synod News

20 re:ThinkTroy Tysdal

Pray on!

“It takes all kinds of people to make the world go round!” That’s one of my wife’s favorite expressions when we encounter a disagreeable person. Maybe you have similar thoughts about some of your neighbors or people you work with. Think of poor Moses. Someone described his situation as follows: “Moses probably had the most critical, rebellious, awkward, ungrateful, unreasonable congregation of grumpy old men that any leader or pastor could ever have.” The Israelites rebelled and mutinied against Moses, provoking God to say, “I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a

nation greater and stronger than they.” But Moses interceded for them. He earnestly prayed, “In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” What a lesson it is when Jesus reminds us to pray “for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)!

As we look to the Holy Spirit to re-mold our attitudes, we can pray for “all kinds of disagreeable people” whom God, with his great love, wants to forgive and to pardon.

Pray on!

Shel Sorensen is the CLB Prayer Team Coordinator. The CLB Prayer Team is on-call to pray for requests from our family of churches. E-mail the team at: [email protected]

It Takes All KindsSHEL SORENSEN

GlimpseAmbassadors of the Kingdom

BRENT JULIOT

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JOHN 20:19-23On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Student, construction laborer, gas station attendant, musician, optometrist’s assistant, graduate student, pastor, editor/writer, carpenter (not very skilled), teacher, editor, pastor. Try this exercise: List all the vocations of your lifetime in order, if possible, in which you were engaged for more than a year. Now think through the list, and ask yourself, “In which of these vocations did I have the sense that I was made to do this—that this is my calling?” You saw my list. At least twice I’ve had that sense. And when you feel you were made to do something, the labor becomes light, work becomes fun! Question is, when you’re not having fun, but only “doing a job,” can you conclude that it is not your calling? I suggest that every vocation you engage in is your calling for that time. And that God is using the earlier experiences to prepare you for the later experiences. And that in every one of your vocations, your real calling is a constant—you are sent to serve God. We tend to distinguish between the pastor’s “call” and other callings. There is something unique about the call to proclaim God’s Word. But we see in John 20:19-23 that Jesus called (and sent) all of his disciples, and it wasn’t only to preach. Some might write, some might go fishing, some might make tents. But whatever they did with their talents and skills, their

calling was always to serve God and people by sharing the Good News. In verse 19, we see disciples who think their world has fallen apart. They are hiding in fear of the Jews. Jesus is about to send them out with Good News to the very people they don’t want to face. How can they possibly answer that calling? Jesus not only called them, he equipped them. What equipping did they receive? First, they had three years of knowing, walking with, and learning from Christ himself. Now, in John 20, Jesus brings to them his renewed presence, the evidence of his resurrection, the joy of knowing him personally, the peace with God that comes with sins forgiven, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the privilege of forgiving people’s sins by bringing the gospel to them—sometimes called the keys of the kingdom of God. What equipping do we have today? First, we have years (however long you’ve been a child of God) of knowing, walking with, and learning from Christ himself. We also have his presence, the evidence of his resurrection, the joy of knowing him personally, the peace with God that comes with sins forgiven, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the privilege of forgiving people’s sins by bringing the gospel to them—sometimes called the keys of the kingdom of God. Regardless of your specific vocation right now, you are equipped for a wonderful calling. Even now, Jesus says to you and me, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Rev. Brent Juliot is Editor of Faith & Fellowship magazine, teaches math at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, and serves as senior pastor at Stavanger Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN.


ast summer I found a small bolt lying in the grass of the back yard. “What’s that to?” I asked myself

(he never answers). A week or so later, my wife found a nut and washer in another part of the back yard. I’d left the renegade bolt on my workbench in the garage, and guess what! The nut fit the bolt. The next time I mowed the lawn, a piece of the lawnmower fell off. “Aha,” I thought to myself (no reply, of course).

A BOLT IN THE GRASSAs a school teacher in seminary, a place full of people especially keen on knowing God’s will, I am frequently asked by students about discerning God’s will for them. It’s a good question; a graduate education is tough! “Yes it is,” I tell them, “but at least it’s expensive.” The truth is,

L though, I do wonder why some of them are in seminary! Are they called? “Vocatus es?” as Luther might have asked a fellow monk in monastery Latin. “Are you called?” Have you been “vocated?” Do you have a vocation? It makes sense to ask this of a monk, but according to Luther, every one of us has a vocation. Frankly, there are times when I need a vacation from my vocation. We use the term “called” to describe how a priest or pastor ends up in the pulpit of Our Lady of Perpetual Motion or of Bob’s Pretty Good Baptist Church (you know, the one with the sign out front inviting passersby: “This would be a better place if you were here!”). Whether the self-governing local church issues the “call” or the hierarchically governing bishop does, either way the pastor or priest is “called.” This can give the rest of us the impression

that, where God’s kingdom is concerned, we others do not have a “call.” Some of us do have “vocations,” though, in the sense of work careers. “What’s your vocation, friend?” “I’m a civil engineer.” “Oh. Cool. I deliver the mail.” But ask your friend if she’s “called.” She’ll probably say either “Huh?” or “Sheesh! No!” Being “called” is for clergy and missionaries. Luther would not have agreed. Vocation means calling; calling means vocation. Whatever we find to do in terms of honest work can be a calling, a vocation. Each of us is at least a bolt in the grass. Bolts hold things together. The question is, “What things?” Lawnmowers, for example. That bolt may be “gifted” with threads and a hexagonal head, but why? Where does it fit in? What exactly does it do with its gifts? And this leads us to the notion of election!

Are You Vocated?RICHARD ERICKSON


lining the river of the water of life are for the healing of the nations, and this is in the New Earth! God’s purpose—from the Fall to the Re-creation—has been and always will be the redemption and restoration of all his Creation. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 1:9-10: “God has made known to us the mystery of his will… a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.” The Fall and the miserable sequel of human history cannot divert him from his purpose, his purpose! It’s a “what-for” issue! Election, calling, vocation: It’s not about having special privileges that the uncalled, the non-elect do not have; it’s about being chosen to do a job. There is work to be done, and the “called” are elected as God’s instruments for accomplishing that work. God’s people are called, chosen, elect, “vocated,” for a purpose, not because of something special about them. It’s a what-for question, not a how-come question. Even Moses said so (Deuteronomy 7:7).

FITTING INI think Luther was absolutely right about “vocation.” Every one of God’s people is called to serve him in the task of redemption. Of course, only God, in Jesus Christ, could accomplish the redemption in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. That’s not what I mean here. What I mean is that the Church, as the Body of Christ and in the power of the Spirit, brings the fruit of Jesus’ redemptive act to all the rest of Creation. To this end, the Spirit has given gifts of all sorts to his people, gifts meant not for the benefit of the gifted individuals, but meant for the benefit of the entire Body in its task of reaching all Creation. Oh. Pastors and missionaries, then? Right. But far more than that! Letter carriers, nursing home LPNs, beet farmers, dairymen, webmasters, teachers,

WHAT FOR? OR HOW COME?The English language sports at least three ways to inquire after the reason for something. I can say, “Why did you shave the cat?” Or I can say, “What did you shave the cat for?” Or I can say, “How come you shaved the cat?” We are not always careful about how we use one or the other, but in general the second and third options are more focused than the first one. “What for” is about purpose; “how come” is about cause. “How [did it] come [about that] you arrived so early?” What caused it? That’s not the same question as “What [purpose] did you come so early for?” What did you hope to accomplish by it? Both these questions can be put like this: “Why did you come so early?” Only now we do not know whether we are asking about the cause or about the purpose. “Huh?” You may be saying to yourself. “Why is he telling us this!?” Here’s why. Israel perpetually lost sight of why they had been chosen by God to be his “elect” people. “Elect” means “chosen.” Even in Paul’s day, after centuries of discipline and exile, many Jews, perhaps most Jews, still assumed that God chose them because they were better than the Gentiles. Their view of it was a “how-come” issue: their Jewishness, their possession of the Torah, the Law of Moses, is what made them special in God’s eyes and therefore more valuable to him than the Gentiles. “Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated” (Malachi 1:2; Romans 9:13). But from the beginning it was not so (to use Jesus’ words on another issue). If we read the Scripture carefully, we see quite clearly, from Genesis to Revelation, that God’s purpose in calling Abraham and his family was always, from the word “go,” to make blessing and redemption accessible to all nations (Genesis 12:3). And at the end, in Revelation 22:2, the leaves of the trees

maintenance engineers, retail clerks, newspaper deliverers, administrators, diaper-changers, contractors, bricklayers, data-entry personnel, military personnel, politicians, DOT snow-plow drivers, law enforcement officers, commercial fishing folks, and on and on and on. Whatever we do, we do as unto the Lord. What does it take to raise up a godly generation (Malachi 2:15)? What does it take to create and foster a safe environment for community life on earth? What does it take to carry the Good News to all corners of God’s earth? It takes all of us. We are not just gifted bolts lying independently in the grass. We belong in place, doing the job we were gifted and called to do, together bringing into reality some small foretaste of what life will be like in the New Heaven and the New Earth, even if only in an imperfect way. One day, in that New Earth, we—the human race—will at last be “holy and blameless before God in love,” just as God chose us to be before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Meanwhile, we are called to obey him in love for him and for all those other folks and all those things he loves. It’s our calling. It’s our vocation. Each of us fits into it. Are you a lawnmower mechanic? Great! What you do contributes to the beauty of creation. Just make sure you do your work as unto the Lord. Make sure every bolt is properly set. The safety of someone’s foot might depend on it, the foot of someone God loves. It’s all God’s work, right down to the last click of the ratchet.

Dr. Richard Erickson, Ph.D is Associate Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary Northwest in Seattle, WA.

He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. Ephesians 1:9-10

y first job was delivering newspapers for the Bergen Record when I was twelve

years old. Rain, snow, or shine, six days a week I lugged papers to the homes along my route. Every Wednesday evening I would go to each house to collect $1.75, hoping that they wouldn’t ask for change. I was basically working for tips, and, yes, people who tipped well never got a wrinkled paper and always got the comic page on Sunday morning. I’d like to tell you that I found great satisfaction in my calling as a paperboy, but that would be stretching the truth—a lot. In reality it was the only avenue open for me to make money, so that’s what I did. Although I was providing a service, I wasn’t serving anyone other than myself. So how do you view your profession? Who are you serving and why? Since my time as a paperboy, I have been a carpenter, youth minister, salesman, estimator, manager, and now a pastor. I am convinced that in each one of those roles, God has been working through me for his glory, even when I was not aware of it. I started seminary in 1992 and served as a youth minister for a few years while going to school. I knew that God had called me into ministry, but after a few years I was burned out and felt like I wasn’t getting the job done. I was engaged, broke, and working

M too many hours to be healthy. After much prayer, I eventually resigned my position and got a straight job. My thinking was that I’d be away for a year or two and then return to finish my last year of seminary. Then I’d serve as pastor of a church. But God had a bigger lesson for me to learn. As my wife Tanya and I started our life together, I had a new job, a new home and a new church. I had never expected to feel content working outside of full-time ministry, but I loved volunteering at church and working a regular job. I began to understand that, as a husband, salesman and Sunday School teacher, I was serving God just as much as when I was a youth minister. And as a volunteer, perhaps my motives to do a good job were less selfish, since I wasn’t being paid to do it. I felt real freedom to serve and I loved it. Do we have to serve God or do we get to serve God? The answer to this question has a tremendous impact on how we live our lives. For most of my life I had considered serving God and following his will as something that I had to do. This is the way of the Law, and it only leads to one of two outcomes: pride or despair. Neither one brings joy. Pride comes to us when we think we’re doing a pretty good job for God. We are prideful people if we believe that God is pleased with us

for working hard and doing “good” things, and not pleased with people who don’t work as hard as we do. Despair comes when we realize that we cannot love enough, serve enough or give enough to fulfill the Law. We hear the demand to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength—but we can’t do it. So we give up, believing that God must be pretty disappointed with us. But what if there was a different way? What if we get to serve God? What if the Law was fulfilled and the penalty for failure was abolished (Romans 3:19-24)? What if the reward motive was removed and we could serve God out of gratitude? This is the way of Jesus, the way of grace. Gratitude is a great motivator! When I left the ministry I thought


Response to GraceED NUGENT

I’d be back in a year or two. But after a few years I realized that I did not miss the ministry at all. I began to pray that God would lead me and that if he wanted me to return to the ministry he would have to give me the desire. In the meantime, I was having a great time teaching and serving at the church where he had placed me. It’s a funny thing to realize that God’s will and our joy are not contradictions. Fast-forward a few years and a few thousand miles south to Florida. I had a career, a new home, a new baby daughter and the same prayer: “God, if you want me to go back to seminary, please give me the desire and make it clear.” I had prayed that prayer for about ten years. So when God renewed that desire in my heart, I recognized it immediately. I didn’t


have to go back to seminary and full-time ministry—I got to! You don’t have to serve God—you get to. When your work becomes a response to his grace, God adds meaning to whatever it is that you do. So whether you’re writing a book, changing a diaper, fixing a car, delivering a sermon or even a newspaper, do it out of gratitude to Jesus. You will find freedom and joy in the process.

Rev. Ed Nugent is pastor at Word of Life LBC in LeSueur, MN.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

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e’s beside himself!” Of course, he isn’t literally “beside” himself, but the phrase captures the idea

of someone so conflicted or acting out of character that it seems as if he is two different persons at the same time. Did you know that as believers in Christ we are, in a very real sense, “beside ourselves”? And that we live in two different realms at the same time? Let’s look at Scripture to help us understand. Romans 8:28-30 (ESV) says this: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” God has called us in a package deal: according to his purpose; conformed to the image of his Son; justified; and glorified. A Christian is one who has been called by God. We often talk about pastors receiving

H the call of God to minister and shepherd the church, but all believers are called by God. We have first been called to faith by the grace of God. By its very nature, a calling originates with the one who calls. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) makes it very clear that even the faith to hear and believe the Word (or calling of God) is a gift of God, not something we do: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Luther talks about our calling from God by using a word that comes from the Latin word for calling: “vocation.” The passages above indicate that our calling affects how we live right now: God’s purposes are to justify us, conform us to the image of Christ, glorify us, and lead us to walk in the good works he prepared for us. The word vocation, as we are using it, means much more than just our occupation or profession. Vocation is used to describe every aspect

of our lives: as a member of a family; as a person who works in a job, profession or as a volunteer; as a citizen of a community and country; and as a participant in a church congregation. We see God at work through the power of the Gospel accomplishing not only our justification, but also our sanctification. But this is where we can feel “beside ourselves.” In the realm of what God has done for us and is doing for us through faith alone, by grace alone, and in Christ alone, where do good works come in? Any goods works I do to earn God’s favor are “but rubbish”—I can do nothing to make God love me more than he already does. So what “good” are good works? Why should I do good things for my family and neighbors? Why go to work every day, give it my best and then give some of what I earn away to the church or other charities? Why vote in elections or serve on a school board? Why should I take raising my children very seriously? Why teach Sunday school or sing in the church choir or praise band? Do I have to? NO!…YES! Martin Luther answered this dilemma


in an earthly kingdom which is subject to law). Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV) says: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Living in a fallen world and struggling with our old natures, we sin in our vocations. We do not do what God wants us to do and we find ourselves doing things he doesn’t want us to do. We abuse and misuse the gifts he has given us. We act outside of our vocations and fail to carry out our responsibilities. Our struggle against the world, the devil, and our own flesh is the cross we bear in our vocations. Understanding vocation gives me a comprehensive view of Christian living: already perfect before God, yet struggling to love my neighbor, and all the while being transformed by Christ through the Gospel—“being beside myself.” In vocation, we become the face, hands and feet of Christ to our neighbors. Christ lives his life of sacrificial love through

with the scriptural “two kingdoms” concept. We live in a spiritual kingdom or realm, where God bestows his grace through the Word and Sacraments. We also live in an earthly realm, where God works through natural order and through human callings or vocations. Since our relationship with God is based entirely upon God’s grace to us, none of our good works are done in order to, in some way, bring God’s favor upon us. No, the good works which we do through our vocations are done because we live in a relationship with our neighbors, and they need our good works—just like we need theirs. Luther said that good works done to make ourselves more acceptable to God are not good works at all but are the “rubbish” that Paul spoke about in Philippians 3:8. So, NO, we do not do good works to win God’s favor. In fact, we cannot. But, YES, God desires that we do good works for the benefit of our neighbors because he has chosen to work through us in this earthly realm to accomplish his eternal purposes. Works that are truly good are those done for our neighbors’ benefit, out of love (because Christ loves us) and duty (because we live

Beside Yourself?ROY HEGGLAND

our lives. We truly serve God not in some mystical, metaphysical way, but by going about our everyday vocations, serving our neighbors in our families, at our jobs, in our communities and in our churches. By faith we see God present and at work in even the mundane circumstances of this world. As Paul said in Philippians 2:21a (ESV), “For to me to live is Christ…”

This article is based in part upon the book by Gene Edward Veith, Jr., God At Work, Wheaton: Crossway Books. I highly recommend both this book and The Spirituality of the Cross by Veith as great expositions of Christian Vocation and Theology.

Roy Heggland is a member of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren Council of Directors, and lives in Estero, FL.


Memories Found

ANN RUPNOWsnap shot

interest of our African mission and for the salvation of precious souls.” After reading this, I asked my mom about these memoirs intended for me, as one of the three grandchildren. Sadly, she told me that Dad and she had never seen them; in fact they understood the planned dictation hadn’t really materialized or at least had not resulted in memoirs, as expected. Returning to the Friday night in August... I began sifting through fascinating documents, for example, Grandpa’s letters describing how he scoped out a mission territory. And then at the very bottom of the pile, I found it: a 24-page typed document that my grandpa had dictated shortly before his death in 1963. In the very early hours of August 15, 2010, I began reading a message from my grandpa, and this is how it begins: “Not long ago I received a letter concerning my granddaughter. One Sunday during her Sunday school class, Jeannie [Ann’s sister] was asked to tell about my work in Africa. She said she was sorry she hadn’t taken more time to sit down and have me tell her about my

work in detail. But, it was I who was sorry for my own negligence. More children should know about the different fields and the work that goes forth on them. It is this thought that prompted the idea of writing in detail on our work in Africa. I would like to dedicate these missionary stories to my grandchildren and other young people who are interested enough to read it.” Oh Grandpa... I’m finally reading the document you left for me! Though I’m no longer considered a young person (except by my mom), your words are not too late to read and share. I will help spread the stories of God’s faithfulness to you, and to me, and we will enjoy it together someday in heaven.

Ann Rupnow is the granddaughter of Berge and Herborg Revne, pioneer CLB missionaries in Africa. She recently traveled to the area where her grandparents worked and visited with people who knew her grandparents.

y visitor’s name was Solveig, and she and I had already purchased tickets to travel to

Cameroon, Africa, in January 2011. Until this Friday night in August 2010, however, Solveig and I had never actually met. Mutual friends, knowing of our individual wishes to visit Cameroon, connected us, and we began to make plans by phone and e-mail—trusting that we would be compatible traveling companions. (After a weekend of chatting and hanging out together we had no worries.) Solveig Nelson spent five years as a missionary nurse in Cameroon in the 1960s and currently volunteers in the Lutheran Brethren International Mission office in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. This is the mission organization that sent my grandparents, Berge and Herborg Revne, to Africa in the early 1900s. Knowing I would be interested, Solveig brought some documents from my grandparents’ file. Around midnight, after she had gone to bed, I decided to simply glance at the curious little stack of papers before calling it a day. An hour and a half later I was wide-awake and in total awe of God’s workings. Before I tell you why, however, I need to take you back to early May when I found articles from November 1963—about one month after my grandfather died. One of these articles, talking about my grandpa’s last months, said: “But even if he was confined to his bed… he was not ready to quit working. He asked if he could not get some help to write his memoirs of his life in Africa for the benefit of his grandchildren and other young people. Therefore the Board of Foreign Missions provided him with a stenographer to whom he dictated many interesting experiences from his long life in Africa. Thus, as long as there was any strength left, he continued to be a tireless worker in the

M

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KATHRYN BAKKE

God speaks clearly, but I can’t hear the Pastor

earing loss is hard to spot. Without guidance, blind people bump into things. Wheelchair occupants encounter obvious barriers. They need help and generally ask for it. But people with a hearing loss have an invisible disability. Hearing aids

can be difficult to see. Furthermore, hard of hearing people (as opposed to the deaf) are curiously reluctant to discuss their hearing loss and ask for help. In a congregation of 500 members, if 150 of the members are age 50 or older, then statistically 40 of them will have a hearing loss. The percentage rises as their years rise, eventually reaching 50% and more by age 75. Sometimes you need to do detective work to find who needs help. They often do not ask for assistance because the barriers of ignorance, fear and humiliation seem too high and wide to be surmounted. Thus we have a group of people who, depending on their degree of hearing loss, cannot hear the sermons, cannot function well in large meetings or even small ones, and experience isolation in social situations—sometimes to the point of giving up and staying home.

What signs might be clues that a person is hard of hearing? 1. They don’t respond when you speak, only when you get their attention.2. They give “way out” answers or ask “way out” questions or don’t respond at all.3. They listen with a blank expression and don’t connect with you.4. They laugh artificially when a joke is told.5. They make ambiguous, “one size fits all” responses during chitchat.6. They become reclusive.7. They tend to dominate the conversation.

When faced with a choice about whether or not to attend an event, I always consider access. I try to find out what is provided before I make a decision. It is very helpful if the venue provides that information without my having to track it down.

How can your church’s hearing access be publicized?1. Have large signs and/or a statement in the program about what the church provides.2. Use box advertisements in the local newspaper.3. Include hearing access information when announcing meetings or social events.4. Include hearing access information when the church is sponsoring an event.

When a person has a new hearing loss, either sudden or caused gradually by aging, it is imperative that an event planner let them know ahead of time that they will be able to participate. Many of them, especially those who are older, lack the energy and perseverance to pursue the information on their own. You have an opportunity to give comfort, even joy, for a group that, by and large, has been ignored, because you didn’t know and they didn’t inform you that they needed help. Blessings to you in your mission of glorifying God and helping people with a hearing loss to glorify God with you.

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FourFour

TenTen

ways to help

things tochange

How to help people with a hearing loss even when they don’t ask:

1. Educate yourself about challenges facing the hard of hearing.2. Identify people with a hearing loss, and help them learn of ways to help themselves. Assure them that you are available to help.3. Get the person’s attention before speaking.4. Keep the person informed of the topic, either verbally or with a note.

In the worship service and other church gatherings:

1. Provide copies of the sermon; make it easily available for worshipers.2. Provide copies of plays, skits and special music so at least the words are understood.3. Provide a listening system and publicize it at the entrance in a prominent way.4. Educate ushers and people running the sound system (often the best place to store the individual units for listening systems) so they are able to assist any hard of hearing people who attend.5. Minimize resonant acoustics.6. Minimize ambient music which distracts the listener.7. Use a wireless microphone during large meetings. Ask each speaker to use it.8. Educate speakers and moderators to repeat questions and comments from the floor.9. During prayer meetings, use a microphone to repeat prayer requests and subjects.10. When videos are shown, advocate for subtitles to be provided and then make use of them. If subtitles are not available, use a computer to highlight the main points.

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Kathryn Bakke travels throughout the country sharing her musical gift and hearing loss expertise. She is a member of the National Speakers Association.


WITH ZACHARY SCHROER

Finding Vocation

s Zachary Schroer prepared to graduate from Lutheran Brethren Seminary (LBS) in Fergus

Falls, Minnesota on May 14, Faith & Fellowship asked him about his calling.

F&F: Tell us about your family and background.Zachary: I married Alissa after my first semester at LBS. She was raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and grew up in her faith at Bethesda Lutheran Brethren Church. I was raised Roman Catholic and my faith was nurtured there until college, when I attended an Assembly of God church. When Alissa and I began to date, we would switch between churches for Sunday services. We prayed for God’s guidance in settling on a church home and believed he was calling us to Bethesda. We both appreciate the differences in our spiritual growth through various denominations, and we use those differences to give us a fuller view of God and the Church.F&F: How did you end up in seminary? What challenges did you face?Zachary: Even before college, I knew I was going to go into full-time ministry through a church, but didn’t know which denomination I’d be in. So I went to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire seeking God’s guidance. I enrolled in the Religious Studies program, planning to first learn about Christianity and other religions through a secular college, and afterward I would go to a seminary. It was God’s calling on my life from high school, and I was waiting for God to reveal his plan to me on which seminary I was to attend. My years at UW-EC were difficult at times. I took a course called “Critiques of God.” All the students and even the professor called it “Atheism Class.” The entire course was trying to disprove the existence of God. The readings for that class were very hard to get through and often made me so mad I had to take a break from my reading. After completing the course I greatly appreciated it though, because I was able to learn what other people think about God.

The biggest hurdle getting to seminary was financial. I completed my degree at UW-EC with only a couple hundred dollars and a loan on my car. But God provided great support for us through Bethesda, through family and friends, and through a nursing job for Alissa. F&F: Why LBS?Zachary: LBS was the natural choice after God led us to become members of Bethesda. I did not even consider another seminary. We knew that if God called us to be members at Bethesda, then he would want me to attend LBS. After I applied and was accepted, we went to Fergus Falls to look at the seminary and become a little bit acquainted with the town. We were confirmed in our times of prayer and discussion with others, and through the provision of God in our lives as we made the move here.

F&F: What has impressed you the most in your LBS experience?Zachary: I was greatly impressed by the faculty of LBS. Since all of them have served full-time in ministry before becoming professors, they have practical experiences to add to their teaching. They are not just teaching theology from a book, they are teaching theology that has been “lived out” and “worked through” in their various ministries. One great highlight has been the opportunity for Alissa to audit courses for free. She has taken five courses with me, and the ability for us to discuss what is being taught at the seminary has been amazing. She will be involved with our ministry as much as I am, so for her to gain this training will be a great aid in the future.

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F&F: What would you say to someone thinking about seminary?Zachary: To those who are thinking about attending LBS—follow the call of God. He is able to provide all of your needs, and if he is calling you, you will be provided for. Alissa and I received provision from many Christians along the way as they were stewards for God and enabled us to serve him. LBS is a place where any person may go to prepare for any type of ministry work. It is not only for those following the call to become pastors. Our seminary is for those who are to be missionaries, and we are all missionaries wherever God has placed us.F&F: What are your aspirations for the future?Zachary: Our long-term future is to serve in God’s mission in Chad through Lutheran Brethren International Mission. Before we even met, Alissa and I both had received a calling from God to serve him in some way in Africa. We were affirmed in that calling as God brought us together. Since Chad is where the CLB is sending people in Africa, and we are a part of the CLB, we are willing to go there. Once again, we have prayed and discussed this idea, and we are confident that this is God’s leading. We look forward to the day when funding comes in from CLB churches to, Lord willing, send us there. In the immediate future, Alissa and I will be going back to Eau Claire to continue to prepare and to wait until we are sent by the CLB to Chad as full-time missionaries. Alissa will continue to increase her nursing skills by working at one of the hospitals in town, and doing more reading on the subject. I will be doing studies on my own and with Alissa to help us prepare to serve in God’s work in Chad. I will also be working with Bethesda to develop my ministry skills and build stronger relations with that church body. We will be actively involved with Bethesda until we are sent overseas.F&F: Is there anything you’d like to express to the people of the CLB?Zachary: I would like to say thank you to all those who support the ministry of the CLB. Thank you to those who give money for the scholarship program at LBS and to support LBS itself. Thank you to those who give to support our present and future international missionaries. Thank you to all who give to any part of the CLB to further its service to God.

Zachary Schroer is a 2011 graduate of Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, MN.

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Lutheran Brethren Seminary: 218-739-3375 • www.lbs.eduPreparing Lutheran pastors, chaplains, and missionaries.

JAY PRICE

KIRK MILITZER

KEN DAVIS

REMEDY DRIVE

LUTHERAN BRETHRENNATIONAL YOUTH CONVENTION

REGISTRATIONFINAl

5.27.2011

ART HUNDEBY

STEVE LAZICKI

CLB-Canada Regional Meeting

Pacific South Regional Meeting


Our opening worship service was led by Pastor Roger Olson and a Worship Team from Resurrection (Camrose). Our CLBC Regional Pastor, Art Hundeby, brought the message “Doing Church as a Team.” Saturday morning worship was led by Pastor Brian Smith from Rock of Ages (Saskatoon). The worship music portion, with Pastor Dean Rostad, Pastor Brian Tysdal and Daniel Stenberg on the instruments, ushered us into God’s presence. Delegates and friends were blessed this year to have special guests with us, including Eastern Regional Pastor Warren Geraghty, Director of Women’s Ministries for the CLB Ruth Vallevik, and CLB President Joel Egge.

family spirit will have to grow with time and opportunity. Our major business was to adopt a constitution, the preparation of which was a joint effort with our friends to the north. More obvious was our fellowship with the CLB as a whole. North American Mission was represented in the persons of all five Regional Pastors, and our opening session was a great panel discussion on their calling, gifts, cooperation among themselves and so on. Warren Geraghty, Regional Pastor for the East, led a session on burnout in ministry and another on coping with personal loss. International Mission had a voice with a segment of the Glimpse Project Taiwan

At our business meeting, chaired by Pastor Roger Olson because our Chairman Pastor Jon Overland was ill, we were reminded of God’s faithfulness in providing in all ways for the specific areas of ministry he has called us to. We were thankful that Daniel and Karen Stenberg as well as Pastor Danny and Mandy Bronson and their families have joined our Canadian ministry team.

Art Hundeby is Regional Pastor for the CLB Canadian Region.

video, and Dr. David Veum represented Training Mission with an update on Lutheran Brethren Seminary. The Yuma congregation hosted us royally and gave a tour of their new worship facility.What cooperation with the northern churches will look like in the future remains to be seen—the constitution is intentionally flexible in this regard—but we do feel that the Lord has blessed us with a good start. If we could only get that down: Pacific Region South. Someday it will roll off the tongue.

Steve Lazicki is Co-chairman of the Pacific Region (South), Church of the Lutheran Brethren and resides in Pasadena, CA.

he Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Canada (CLBC) held its annual convention in Edmonton, Alberta

on the weekend of March 18-20, 2011. Unlike the other four regions, which will have biennial conventions under our new CLB structure, the CLBC will continue to have annual meetings to fulfill government requirements. Under the theme, Bound Together by the Word, the wonderful weekend of inspiration, fellowship, food and business was held in two different locations—the Beaumont Community Centre in Beaumont near Edmonton, and the Burnewood Community Hall in south Edmonton—facilities where our congregations have been and are meeting.

ne of the bigger challenges of the first biennial meeting of the Pacific Region South of the CLB (Yuma,

Arizona, February 25-26) was mastering the vocabulary—banishing district and annual and president and Southwest to the dustbin of history and embracing their current counterparts. Much more enjoyable was embracing a new member to our circle (new to us), Good Shepherd Ministries of Buda, Texas. We theoretically also embraced our sister congregations to the north, joining with them in one great Pacific Region. But that’s a long stretch. At this point we share with them a Regional Pastor, a newly adopted constitution, and an ocean. The

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t was my last night in Cameroon and I was enjoying dinner under the stars, and listening to a lot of conversation

in French… At one point late in the meal, our host, whose father worked with my grandpa, recalled when my father visited Cameroon twenty years ago. Through his son, who was translating his words into English, this man told me, “When your dad, Harold, visited, he told my dad as they parted, ‘I will most likely not see you again here, but I’ll see you next time in heaven!’” Both of our fathers have now died.

In fact, we figured out on that recent February evening that they died within a year of each other, about seven years ago. And as we sat there, it occurred to us that at that very moment they might be enjoying fellowship together in heaven, just as my dad had said! We smiled and chuckled at this fun realization, and then our host said, “Who’s going to come back and tell us if it’s so?” He had a big smile on his face, as he waited for the translation to reach me. When it did, I smiled too, and there was some laughter around the table, and I remember hoping

that there was not a measure of disbelief in this comment. I’ve thought about this more since that evening, and here’s where my thoughts have gone: 1) I hated to say good-bye to my new family in Cameroon; it was especially hard not knowing if I’ll ever see them again. I feel very connected to them, even a little protective of them—especially regarding their relationship with Christ. Perhaps because my grandparents first brought the Good News of Jesus to them, there seems to be a burden on my heart

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Smile at the CrazinessANN RUPNOW


that the truth not be lost or diluted all these years later. I don’t know that it is being lost or diluted, but I desperately don’t want it to be. Therefore, my dad’s good-bye with this man’s dad resonates with me. If I don’t get to see my Cameroonian family again on this earth, I trust with all my heart that I will get to see them in heaven. That we will all safely arrive, and have fellowship together there. 2) Is it really true that my Cameroonian host and I don’t know with certainty that our respective dads are in heaven? He is

right, after all, there is no one who can come back and tell us. Part of me wants to absolutely prove to the world that trusting in Jesus is the only way to live and die. It is true, I believe, and there should be no doubt about it. I even remember feeling a tiny bit of frustration that this new brother would cast that doubtful comment out into the open, even in fun. I mean, why voice that possibility—even jokingly—if you earnestly believe? Well, I’m fairly certain my Cameroonian friend does believe. Moreover, he’s likely confident enough in his belief to acknowledge unashamedly that eternal life through Jesus requires faith. It does look like foolishness to many. And it’s the very foolishness that becomes our salvation. Life through Christ involves a heart change that can only happen by the grace of God. If it were any other way, if it required my logical and perfect obedience to a set of laws, I would not be saved from the slavery to sin that is my human nature. I would not have the amazing hope that I have. Yes, I think there is a craziness to what we believe. And couldn’t one say there is a craziness to all things worthwhile? Think of love or human birth, as examples. When you first grasped the truth of

these things, wasn’t there a wonder and craziness to them? Is it any surprise, then, that the most beautiful, saving truth that exists should also have a craziness about it? If it didn’t, wouldn’t it be all the more ordinary, far less beautiful, and constrained by mortal life? Those of us who believe in Christ can smile at the craziness. We can even acknowledge this aspect as an expression of joy in our Savior, rather than a fear of offending him. Jesus came back from the dead and told us this is truth. His Spirit lives in us and verifies it too. I trust I will see you in heaven, my Cameroonian host, if not before!

Ann Rupnow is the granddaughter of Berge and Herborg Revne, pioneer CLB missionaries in Africa. She recently traveled to the area where her grandparents worked and visited with people who knew her grandparents.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19

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For more information on Cameroon, and international mission contact: [email protected]

Victory LBC in Jamestown, ND, installed Rev. Kevin Patch, Sunday, October 31, 2010, as Youth and Family Pastor. Rev. Shawn Bowman, Senior Pastor at Victory LBC performed the ceremony. Present also were Rev. George Aase, Fergus Fall, MN, and Rev. John Kilde, Victory’s Associate Pastor. Elders Dwight Schmidt, Doug Bounds and Garreth Kavlie were present as well.

Pastor Patch has served churches in Everett, WA and Bottineau, ND. He and wife, Linda, have two children, Larissa and Cooper. Linda is on staff at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. Their daughter is a freshman attending Normandale Community College in Minneapolis, MN, and their son is a junior at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls, MN.

Patch Installed!


Celebrating 50 Years

MAY/JUNE 2011

Immanuel LBC in Eugene, Oregon is celebrating 50 years of worshiping and serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. • Anniversary Celebration Saturday May 14 • Worship Service 10:30 Sunday May 15 • Featured Speaker, Rev. Robert Overgaard

For more information feel free to contact Immanuel Lutheran Brethren Church at 541-342-1911.

1 John 1:7

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Elder Ordination

On Sunday February 27, Ebenezer LBC in Mayville, North Dakota ordained Aaron Berg as Elder. Participating in the service were CLB President Pastor Joel Egge, Pastor Randy Mortenson, Elder Glenn Endrud, and Elder Curtis Hamre. To God be the glory for this willing and committed servant!

“I am thrilled to be called to this church and join the enthusiastic staff. I look forward to living here and enjoying the community of Jamestown as I serve the Lord and minister with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” - Pastor Kevin Patch

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1020 W. Alcot t , Fergus Fal ls , MN 56537 • Phone: 800-332-9232 • E -mai l : f [email protected]

CONFIRMATIONCURRICULUM

2011

Bookstore


Faith & Fellowship is the official publication of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, 1020 W. Alcott Ave., P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655, issued six times a year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by Faith and Fellowship Publishing, 1020 W. Alcott Ave., P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655. Phone (218)736-7357. The viewpoints expressed in the articles are those of the authors and may or may not necessarily reflect the official position of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (CLBA). Periodicals Postage Paid at Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538.

(USPS 184-600) • (ISSN 10741712)SUBSCRIPTIONS: Faith & Fellowship is offered to its readers at no charge. We would encourage your continued support with a donation and if you would like to be on our mailing list, please contact our office. Periodicals Postage paid at Fergus Falls, Minnesota. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please give both old and new addresses and allow four weeks.

Direct all correspondence, including submission of articles, to: Faith & Fellowship, P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655;Telephone, (218)736-7357; e-mail, [email protected]; FAX, (218)736-2200. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Faith & Fellowship, P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538-0655 FF

Bound Together in the Word — in Canada!

Chairs were hastily stacked, and tables appeared, while fingers deftly smoothed blue fabric over the flat surfaces, and platters of attractively arranged food were whisked into the room by efficient Edmonton and Beaumont women. Burnewood Hall was transformed from the meeting place of the CLBC Convention (Church of the Lutheran Brethren Canada) to a lovely noon luncheon room for the women of the region! The churches of Alberta and Saskatchewan are many hours apart. But women representing both provinces and over half of the Canadian churches enjoyed this gathering with Ruth Vallevik, Director of Women’s Ministries for the CLB. They enjoyed food, conversation, camaraderie, and a chance to share about their local church ministries.

Here are some of their ideas shared:

• Have a Bible Study for women on alternate weeks with a Bible Study for men. To eliminate childcare, one week dads stay home to care for kids, and the next week moms are home! • Try “Girlfriends Unlimited,” a monthly light supper together. After music by a worship team, break into small groups for support and prayer together. • Use a Bible study DVD series, such as Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free.” With a large group including all ages, view the presentation together; then break into groups of six to eight. Have two co-leaders for each group to provide continuity if one is gone. • Other ministries by Canadian women include: writing to missionaries, outreach to single moms, a Salad Night, supporting local VBS, and a “Bread Ministry.”

Ruth then shared a message of encouragement from the perspective: “What it’s like to walk in the dark?” We’re still reeling from the double disaster in Japan of earthquake and tsunami. Christians in some countries have been targeted because of their faith. Marriages are at risk even in the church. What is it like for you in the dark? The group responded with “petty disagreements and conflicts; the economy; homes and jobs lost; marriages in jeopardy…” Ruth asked what our fears are—what is it about the darkness that makes us afraid? “Fear of the unknown; lack of control; wondering when, or if, the light will come…” Not all darkness is the same. There is darkness of body—sickness, health problems, or intellectual darkness. There is moral darkness—we justify wrong behavior, even saying “God led me” into a relationship

outside God’s boundaries. There is spiritual darkness—blinded by sin, feeling distant from God. There is personal darkness—living with guilt, darkness because of a wayward child, or even the aging process. Darkness is nothing new: consider David in the Psalms, Elijah on the run, Jesus in Gethsemane, a discouraged Martin Luther. But it is God himself, in his Word, who gives us hope in dark days of being “renewed day by day” by the Lord of Light. In scripture after scripture, Ruth unfolded promises, encouragement, purpose, and deliverance. Thoughts from those verses: If you are a believer in the dark, you’re not alone! Recognize the presence of God. He is yours in every encounter. Don’t be surprised. There is no testimony without a test. Our need drives us to Christ. God gives endurance, encouragement, and grace. Find the divine purpose in the darkness. Trust. Light your world. Realize that it can be dark at the foot of the Lighthouse. Keep on rejoicing. We’re part of the family of faith, here on earth and in heaven. We are one! “Keep your nose in the Book!” she encouraged. Saturate yourselves with it. “It’s a means of grace. Unfolding the Word brings light!”

Cheryl Olsen is Information Coordinator for Women’s Ministries of the CLB.

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CHERYL OLSEN

by: Troy Tysdal

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Imagine Our Reach

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everal weeks ago, I joined my youth group in a game of Jenga. It is a simple game that consists of 54 wooden rectangular blocks, every block identical in

shape and size. The blocks are stacked in rows of three, with each row laid perpendicularly to the one below it, creating a tower that is initially 18 levels high. During the game, the players take turns removing blocks from the center of the tower, and placing them one by one on top. The tower grows in height and becomes increasingly unstable with every turn. As the tower gets taller, the pressure and importance placed on each individual piece is constantly changing. On one turn a piece might be critical to the structure’s stability, and on the next, that same piece might hold no weight at all. Observing our tower, I thought about the Church, the body of Christ. I thought about the importance of each piece, each person, and how the Church is more than a building, more than a pastor. The Apostle Paul said, “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:18-20). The Bible tells us that God created each one of us with unique gifts. Gifts given to us to bring him glory. This being true, imagine our reach. God has gifted some of us to preach, some of us to build, some of us to engineer, some of us to teach, and the list goes on and on—all for his glory. Imagine the entire Church, the body of Christ, working together for one purpose, to bring the Father glory by proclaiming the Gospel of his Son in every aspect of our lives. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, not only as something we receive in the age to come, but as something we can experience right now. He told us to seek and desire his Kingdom with all that we have. He told us to live for him. That’s terrifying, because when we live for him, we encounter resistance from the world, and the more we try to impact the world, the more unstable the Church feels. It often feels like we are one wrong move away from crumbling to the ground, but that’s the beauty of the Church. The tower might sway

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to the left, and to the right, but we are armed with a promise that not even the gates of hell can bring us down. The Church of Jesus Christ is the only structure in this world guaranteed not to fail. Because the strength of the Church, its stability, has never been in the individual pieces. The strength of the Church is in its foundation, Jesus Christ. The world will resist us—God promises that, but in Christ we persevere. Together we move forward proclaiming his Gospel in our communities, and in the world, knowing that the God of all creation has sent us, and has promised to be our strength and foundation.

Troy Tysdal is Church Resource Coordinator for the CLB and serves as associate pastor at Stavanger Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN.

Ambassadors of the Kingdom

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Transcript of Ambassadors of the Kingdom