Isaiah 62:1-5, 10-12; Revelation 19:11-16; Matthew 1:18-25

Though you try for a lifetime, you will never save yourself.Salvation is a feat of the Lord; his people are redeemed byGod’s Word alone. This is why the prophets says that theLord will not be quiet until his Bride, the Israel of God(Galatians 6:16), is righteous. God accomplishesrighteousness and salvation through the sharp sword of hismouth (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16), the Word of God.The Lord is not silent, but wields his sword, the Word ofGod, striking down your sin and unrighteousness.

This is fully accomplished in Jesus, who is the living Wordof God (John 1:1-14). Jesus, the Word made flesh, is theexact imprint of God’s nature. He is the word of power(Hebrews 1:3) that upholds the whole universe yet, stoopedto save your soul. Jesus was born a man and lived amongus, and he is still with us — Immanuel. The Word of God istrue and faithful to remain among us, never silent, alwayscrying after us, “Behold, your salvation comes!”

Prayer: O Word of God, help me to trust you in this newyear and always. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Pastor Mark Ryman,Communications Coordinator for the NALC.

This devotion from January 1 is an example of the dailydevotions featured on the NALC website and in the NorthAmerican Lutheran Church Facebook group.

NALC NewsN o r t h A m e r i c a n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Daily devotions now available onNALC websiteDaily devotions are being featured on theNALC website. The daily devotions are alsoposted in the North American Lutheran Churchgroup on Facebook and on the NALC Network.

Written by NALC pastors and coordinated byPastor Mark Ryman, NALC CommunicationsCoordinator, the devotions are based on thedaily Scripture readings from the LutheranBook of Worship Daily Lectionary.

The recommended readings from the DailyLectionary are active links at the top of eachdevotion. By clicking on the link and reading theassigned texts, the New Testament will be readeach year and most of the Old Testament will beread over the two-year cycle of readings.

NALC pastors are encouraged to volunteer towrite some of the devotions. Contact PastorMark Ryman for more information or tovolunteer at mryman@thenalc.org.

“The NALC daily devotions set the tone for myday, focusing me on the Lord, reminding me ofmy own need for forgiveness and God’swillingness to forgive me, as I go out to offerthe same to others,” said Pastor William Makiof Zion Lutheran Church in St. Marys, Ohio. “Because these devotions are available on theNALC website, they are beneficial for the faithdevelopment of all our people. As word of thisgets out, more and more people might includethe NALC as a place they go to each day forspiritual food.”

Amy SchifrinJames NestingenDavid Yeago

2016 NALC Pastors Conference‘The Lord, His Church and Ministry’ - Feb. 2-4 in Orlando

“The Lord, His Church,and Ministry” is thetheme of the 2016NALC PastorsConference Feb. 2-4 atthe Crowne PlazaOrlando Universal inOrlando, Fla.

The featured speakeris Dr. David Yeago,Professor of SystematicTheology and Ethics atthe North AmericanLutheran Seminary andTrinity School forMinistry in Ambridge, Pa. Dr. Yeago will present twolectures on the theme.

Reflections on preaching the Lectionary Scripturereadings for Lent and Easter will be offered by theRev. Dr. James Nestingen, Professor Emeritus atLuther Seminary and an Adjunct Professor for theNALS. Dr. Nestingen and the Rev. Dr. Amy Schifrin,President of the NALS and Associate Professor ofLiturgy and Homiletics at Trinity School for Ministry,will lead preaching workshops.

Workshops and individual appointments with NALCstaff will be available.

All NALC pastors are encouraged to attend theannual pastors conference.

Registration is $100 and includes breakfast anddinner on Wednesday and breakfast on Thursday.

To register or for more information go to thenalc.org.

Congregations consider ratification NALC congregations are considering severalamendments to the NALC constitution that wereapproved by the 2015 NALC Convocation. Theproposed amendments are all related to a changein the relationship between Lutheran CORE and theNALC. The amendments will go into effect if a two-thirds majority of the NALC congregations voting bythe Feb. 14 deadline approve the amendments.

The amendments remove references to LutheranCORE in constitutional language about theCommission on Theology and Doctrine. Thecommission had been a joint commission for theNALC and Lutheran CORE.

The “Vision and Plan” for Lutheran CORE and theNALC was for Lutheran CORE to continue as “anassociation of confessing Lutherans spanningdenominational bodies” and for a close ongoingrelationship between Lutheran CORE and the NALC.Lutheran CORE leaders have decided it is nownecessary for them to focus on providing “shelter”and “voice” for confessing Lutherans remaining inthe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Thatfocus requires an end to the formal relationshipbetween Lutheran CORE and the NALC.

The details of the proposed amendments areavailable online at thenalc.org/2015-convocation.

N A L C N e w s 2 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Pastors who attended the seminar on the Mission of the Church in Boma in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. NALC Pastors Stephané Kalonji and DavidNuottila traveled to Congo to lead the seminar.

Mission trip to CongoBy Pastor David Nuottila

How often have you wonderedwhat it might be like to go to afar-off place, meet people of amuch different culture, andshare with them the goodnews of Christ our Lord?

I had not really envisionedsuch an experience; that is,until my friend and fellowpastor Stephané Kalonji toldme about his mission work inhis native DemocraticRepublic of Congo.

As we spoke, I could feel theHoly Spirit calling me in realways to go with him. Finally, Iasked Pastor Stephané if hewould like me to accompanyhim on his next trip. I cannotbegin to describe the surprise and joyful look on hisface as he said, “Yes.”

After months of preparation, we finally left for Congoin late August of 2015 and landed in Kinshasa, thecapitol city. Immediately, I became aware of thehardships of daily living.

There is no gradual acclamation, no settling in. Theconditions are what they are. Food, clean water, andelectricity are all scarce. The extreme conditions aremet by people with a strong yearning for wholenessin life.

Still, as we met the next morning with pastors fromthe Lutheran Church in Kinshasa, the joy of missionin Christ’s name came instantly to the forefront.

Pastor Kalonji and I traveled with the purpose ofpreaching the Gospel and leading seminars forpastors and lay leaders. Our schedule would see ustravel to the port city of Boma, about 300 milesaway, and remain there for four days. Due to roadconditions, the drive took over 15 hours to complete.

While in Boma, we led a seminar for pastors on theMission of the Church, and a seminar onForgiveness and Reconciliation for the women.

Pastors and lay leaders traveled great distances toattend these seminars. Considering the difficulty oftravel in such a place, I was quite taken by theirresponse.

I am so very thankful that, as he became aware ofour plan to go to Congo, Pastor Didi Panzo (anNALC global worker through World Mission PrayerLeague) agreed to join us for two days. He was inneighboring Angola and offered to serve as myinterpreter.

Pastor Panzo’s presence was such a blessing. Hedescribed all that was going on, related stories ofothers, and put my English words into the nativetongues of others so that we could all enjoy hearingthe good news of Christ.

Continued on Page 4

N A L C N e w s 3 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Pastors Kalonji and Nuottila assist in feeding orphaned children in Boma.

Pastor Didi Panzo interprets for Pastor David Nuottila.

Continued from Page 3

The men and women of Congo areso hungry for the Gospel and soeager to learn of God’s goodnessand mercy. Each daylong seminarwas broken into segments, and eachsegment began with singing.

All day long, everywhere you went,the people of God in Boma aresinging songs of thankfulness andpraise. Even though they have solittle in the way of material goods tobe thankful for, they know God iswith them. I can still hear theirsinging, even as I am miles andmonths removed from them.

Our first Sunday in Congo broughtwith it my opportunity to preach the gospel inworship. Pastor Kalonji hinted to me that I would beafforded as much time to preach as I would like.Sermons of an hour or more are the norm, so I neednot feel rushed. Considering all we had experiencedso far, the sermon I had prepared in advance wasnot the message God would have me share.

Days went by, and collecting thoughts proveddifficult. In His goodness, God answered my prayersof desperation. The hymn, “I Love to Tell the Story”came to mind. “Tell them the story, David.” was themessage from God. And so, having Pastor Kalonjiread to the congregation the account of the Road to

Emmaus, I did my best to tell the story of Christ astold by Moses and the prophets. God gave me thewords, my friend put them in the language of myhearers, and I preached good news for over an hourand 15 minutes. Following our service of worship, which lasted manyhours, we shared another blessing with the peoplein Boma. Pastor Kalonji has made it a practice tobring with him donated pairs of eyeglasses for thosewho do not have access. In years past, he wouldbring a few dozen pairs and distribute them.

On this trip, however, with the help of thecongregations of Reformation LutheranChurch in New Bern, N.C., Union LutheranChurch in Salisbury, N.C., and St. John’sLutheran Church, in Asheboro, N.C., wedistributed nearly 250 pairs of eyeglasses.

Many of those who received the glasses hadwaited for years for such a blessing. Onewoman, in her gratitude, embraced PastorKalonji and told him it was the first pair ofglasses she ever owned.

The Lutheran Church in Boma is also onethat ministers to a large group of orphanedchildren. On this day, Pastor Kalonji and I

Continued on Page 5

N A L C N e w s 4 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Pastors Panzo, Kalonji and Nuottila enjoy time with the women andchildren in Boma.

Farming project of the Lutheran Parish in Boma.

Continued from Page 4

were blessed to provide food forthese children and to help fill theirbowls with a hot meal. In mostinstances, this meal of rice, beansand a small piece of fish would betheir only meal that particular day.After the orphans were fed, childrenfrom the community were invited toshare in the meal. They too may nothave a warm meal waiting for them athome. Such are the conditions inBoma.

The pain of hunger, especially asworn on the faces of small children,changes a person. Later that evening,news came that some of the localchildren could not eat before the foodran out. Suddenly, my simple meal of a plate of ricetook on another meaning. Thankfully there was noelectricity that evening and the room was dark. Inquietness, I ate my supper while holding back thetears.

Our final morning in Boma brought with it theopportunity to see the parish’s farming project. On adonated piece of land, and with help from PastorKalonji (and now the NALC’s Carolinas MissionDistrict), the Lutheran Church established a farm

which will one day produce food for the community. Hunger is a grave concern in Congo. Smallmonetary donations have a way of adding up whenused by God’s faithful people. Bishop M. Keya(Lutheran Church of Congo), Pastor Ngoma(Lutheran Parish in Boma) and other church leadersoversee this project.

There is so much more I could share concerningthis mission trip, but space does not allow me to goon. I can say that Pastor Stephané Kalonji is a man

with a heart for mission, and he hasbeen a great teacher for me. Hiswillingness to take me along issomething for which I will always begrateful. I will also treasure therelationships I have found with thepastors and people in Boma andKinshasa. I look forward to seeingthem all once again and sharing withthem the joy of being children of ourLoving heavenly Father.

Pastor Stephané Kalonji is anNALC pastor serving ReformationLutheran Church in New Bern, N.C.,where he lives with his wife andthree daughters. Pastor DavidNuottila is an NALC pastor servingUnion Lutheran Church inSalisbury, N.C., where he lives withhis wife and two daughters.

N A L C N e w s 5 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Tools of the Trade in a Mission-Driven CultureBy Pastor Scott Ness

I’m pretty forgetful. Sometimes I forget where Iam going while driving. I frequently get to mycar and have to go back into my office to getsomething I left behind. Just today my wife hadto drop my medication off as she ran errands.

I forget lots of stuff. Constantly. And, wheneverI realize I have forgotten something, I have aquick internal dialogue with myself. “Do I reallyneed it or can I fake it/get by without it/professmy deep apologies and redeem myself thenext time?” All of this takes a mater of a fewseconds. And, most of the time, I determinethat turning the car around is not necessary.

But, there is one item that I almost always turnaround to go back and pick up off of thekitchen counter — my phone. I’ll admit that myphone and I have a little bit of a co-dependentrelationship. It depends on me to keep itcharged and to go back and get it when I leaveit places. I depend on it to keep track of mycalendar, my contacts, my to-do lists, and allmanner of other things.

Is it unhealthy? Maybe a little. Maybe a lot. Butit is also the world where I live. This is theworld that we live in today. As such, I’ve hadone major question rattling around in my headfor the better part of three years. How can weturn these handheld computers into a tool fordiscipleship? How can I pivot on the way that Iuse my phone so that it helps me to followJesus better?

At the NALC Mission Festival, held in Hilliard,Ohio, in November, I had the opportunity towrestle with this question out loud and to sharesome of the responses to those questions thatthe NALC has come up with recently.

Drops From the Well has been a Scripturedelivery service that the NALC Missions Officehas offered since this summer. The concept issimple. Most of our congregations follow alectionary for our readings and preaching.

To have Drops in Focus (the weekly lockscreen image) delivered to your phone,text the word “Focus” to 614-328-5636.

As such, a team has been working to whittle down thosereadings to one key point and one key verse. Those whosubscribe to Drops From the Well then have that keyverse texted to their phones (or emailed) every Sundayevening.

In a perfect world, you were in worship on Sunday andyou heard the Word of God. Perhaps the sermon keyedin on the same key verse. Perhaps not. But, you heardthat Word and now, you have it sent to your phone sothat you can read it over and over again throughout theweek. Would it be a step in the right direction ofdiscipleship to have this one key verse imprinted on yourheart through the week? It could be a start.

As with most things, version 2.0 builds upon the initialidea and makes it better. I’d like to introduce you toDrops in Focus. The concept is similar, but the fruit ismuch riper. Perhaps you, like me, get a bunch of textmessages throughout the week. It doesn’t take long formy Drops From the Well message to get buried undera long list of other messages. So, our team continued todream about ways to keep the Word right under ournose.

Continued on Page 7

N A L C N e w s 6 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Continued from Page 6

Drops in Focus utilizes the same technology, but instead ofsending you the verse in a text, it is delivered to your phone ina picture image each week. The goal is to save this image toyour phone and set it as your lock screen image. We startedusing this lock screen image in Advent in the congregation Iserve. The results are incredible.

Every time I turn on my phone the first thing I see is that verseof Scripture. The image shows me a deeper level of theScripture, and it connects with how our brains are wired. Withthis simple shift, I have a simple verse of Scripture on theforefront of my mind every time I check my email on myphone; every time I look at Facebook; every time I send aquick note; every time I check my calendar. The Word of Godbecomes the filter that I live my life through. The sacrifice isthat I had to take down the wonderful picture of my wife andme at a wedding this summer. I love that picture and I love mywife. But, the truth is, I am a better husband today becausethe Word of God is front and center, and one piece of thatpuzzle was replacing my lock screen picture. I’d like to inviteyou to join us on this journey as Drops from the Living Watercome into the focus of our lives.

If you already receive Drops from the Well texted to yourphone, that will continue. We hope to eventually provide away to cancel Drops from the Well for those who only wish toreceive the image.

As our mission teams continue to drive our Drops initiative,know that it has helped the NALC Missions Office tosynchronize many of our messages and deliveries.Discipleship Moments have been short video clips,predominately from the executive staff, to help teach, inspire,and guide our church.

Each week the Discipleship Moment aligns with the week’s“Drop” as a way to unify our message; a way of submitting ourcommunication to the Word of God; and as a way to help ourbroad footprint of the NALC to be united by the one thing thattruly unites us as mission driven.

Finally, Mission Connect is very similar in delivery, butdifferent in content. Mission Connect is a way to keep intouch with a variety of missions that are taking place acrossour nation and across our globe. One week you might receiveprayer requests from a variety of mission fields. The nextweek you could hear a domestic story of mission. The thirdweek may be a story of a project that could use your support.And, the fourth week could be a story of mission from aforeign missionary.

To sign up for Mission Connect text theword “connect” to 619-356-2910.

Drops From the Well, Drops in Focus,Discipleship Moments and MissionConnect are all great but simple toolsthat have been helpful on this journey. Inthe midst of my forgetfulness, they havekept the word at the forefront. May theybe that gift and blessing to you, yourfamily, and congregation, as well.

Pastor Scott Ness serves St. John’sEvangelical Lutheran Church in GroveCity, Ohio. He is a member of theNALC’s Mission Team andCommunication Team.

Learn how to set an image aswallpaper or a lock screen: Apple: http://apple.co/1ScnAXM Android: http://abt.cm/1mP4GIO

N A L C N e w s 7 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Epiphany – Making Christ KnownDear Followers of Christ Jesus,

The transition from the season of Christmas to theseason of Epiphany is upon us. The word Epiphanymeans manifestation. To make manifest means tomake evident, to show plainly. It is a transition inwhich the obscure becomes clear, the unknownbecomes known, the hidden becomes exposed, theclosed becomes open, the covered is revealed, theprivate becomes public, and the invisible becomesvisible. The season of manifestation is time tocelebrate the ways in which Jesus manifests Hisidentity as Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and God inperson.

The wise men are the first to identify Jesus. Theirvisit signals that His is no ordinary birth but anevent of cosmic proportion. He is not only a king,but the King of Kings. At His Baptism we read aboutthe Holy Spirit and the declaration that He is theSon of God. During His temptation in the wildernesswe read about His confrontation with Satan and Hispower to prevail against evil.

Throughout the Epiphany season we read aboutthe variety of signs and wonders Jesus performedto manifest who He is and why He came. Thewords of others also reveal who Jesus is. John theBaptist announces that Jesus is “the Lamb of Godwho takes away the sins of the world.” Andrew, adisciple of John, tells his brother that Jesus is theMessiah, the Christ. Each text is a reminder of whyour hearts are filled with joy at His birth, becausewe know who He is: Christ our Lord.

I must confess that in my own preaching andteaching on these texts I am always tempted tofocus on the theological assertions of theIncarnation and its mystery or explaining theimplications of the various understanding of Jesus’identity manifest in each of the Gospel texts of theEpiphany season.

My fear is that my use of so many theologicalassertions and understandings only created greaterobscurity. Instead of making Him manifest, I haveunfortunately made Him as abstract as ourtheological vocabulary. This is in direct opposition

to the nature of the season of Epiphany, makingChrist manifest.

Our word manifest comes from the Latin manifestuswhich means “to touch with the hand.”

The Christmas proclamation from the angels to theshepherds is this is good news of great joy for you. For unto you is born this day in the city of David aSavior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a signfor you. The shepherds responded to thisproclamation by obediently going to see what hadbeen proclaimed to them. Perhaps they were closeenough for His infant-sized hand to touch theirs.

Martin Luther reminds us, “No matter where you’rereading in the Bible, faith is the mystery you shouldrecognize. Faith is not believing that the story you’rereading is true as written. That does nothing foranyone. Even unbelievers can believe that thisBible story about Jesus’ birth is true. Faith is not anatural work apart from God’s grace, as theScripture clearly teaches. Rather the right kind offaith, the kind that flows from grace and that God’sWord demands, is firmly believing that Christ wasborn for you. His birth is yours and occurred foryour benefit.”

It is not merely the abstract proclamation of thebirth of a Savior, nor is it good news in general. It isthe birth of our Savior and good news for you!

Every manifestation of Jesus during this Epiphanyseason is designed to help us see clearly a Lordwho is reaching out His hand to touch our lives withHis grace. Jesus is God reaching out to take us bythe hand. Jesus is God’s commitment to walk with

Continued on Page 9

From the Bishop

Bishop John Bradosky

N A L C N e w s 8 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Continued from Page 8

us through all that life brings, hand-in-hand. He laysHis hands on us to call us, guide us, and empowerus with His Holy Spirit so that we can beinstruments of His life-giving love and redeemingpower in this world.

This touch with the hand is a powerful manifestationof Christ’s presence in the Sacraments.

In Baptism nothing surpasses the intimacy of thegracious hand of Jesus on the baptized. The water,the Word, the sign of the cross and the laying on ofhands are all part of the tangible work of the HolySpirit. The physical touch manifests the profoundtruth of the Incarnation in ways that exceed anytheological abstraction.

In the Eucharist, through the bread, the wine andthe Word, we receive Christ’s real presence. Wetouch, smell and taste the elements but they touchus in far deeper ways with the grace of Christ, inforgiveness, new life now, and the promise of lifeeternal. In distributing the elements I have neversimply said, “The body of Christ” or “The blood ofChrist.” I will always add “for you.” Here the abstractand the mysterious meet in the personal experienceof the quality of faith Luther was describing. It ismore than simply believing what the Wordproclaims, but faith that holds that Christ comes tome through these earthly elements of bread andwine. The implications of the manifestations of Christ’sidentity are powerful and overwhelming. Theyshape both our identity and our mission. Eachcongregation in the North American LutheranChurch is a community of faith in which people cancome to see clearly and know with certainty whoJesus is so that they can trust and believe in Himcompletely through Word and Sacrament ministry,through faithful teaching and spiritual disciplines.

Jesus came so that we might experience God’sGrace, His undeserved love for us. He came toredeem and save us. He came to guide and directour lives as His disciples.

Each community of faith is a place where peoplecan experience the grip of God’s grace in Jesus ashe takes each one of us by the hand and says,

“Follow me.” They are communities of faith in whichpeople hold the hands of one another to offersupport, encouragement, direction, counsel andprayer. They are discipling communities with handsthat stretch out to embrace the entire world andevery person in it, because it is for those verypeople that Jesus came to offer His life for theirredemption and salvation. We can’t manifest Jesusunless we show plainly His powerful, life-givinglove. We are here to make sure the hands of thosenot yet reached by the Gospel of Jesus touch thelove of Jesus through the love we offer in ministry inHis name and under His direction.

In this transition let us hold fast to those powerfulwords of Scripture: “to you,” “for you,” and “with youalways.”

Have a blessed Epiphany season!

NALC youth ministryresources offered byfaithwebbing.com The North American Lutheran Church is inpartnership with faithwebbing.com to provideresources for youth ministry to NALC congregations.The faithwebbing.com website is up and running. Congregations now have access to topics andresources ranging from safeguarding to sampleforms, templates, copyright laws, resource links andmore.

Congregational leaders are asked to identify aChurch Connector who will be their mainconnection to faithwebbing.com. ChurchConnectors will receive webinar announcementsand updates on resources to pass along to yourcongregation.

Send an email to faithwebbing@gmail.com with thename of the Church Connector chosen for yourcongregation. Please include church name, townand state, plus the person’s email address. Awebsite invitation will be sent to the Connector.Once a connection is established a church can addmore connectors.

N A L C N e w s 9 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

On Pastors and Pastoral LeadershipIf it’s not readily apparent, my primary goal in writingthis series of articles is to address “matters” of“ministry” within the NALC.

As I began serving in this position, it was titled“Ministry Coordinator,” although that quicklychanged to “Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry andEcumenism.” It sometimes seems it might be betterexpanded to be “Assistant for Ministry andEverything Else!” Nevertheless, my hope has beento provide articles that reflect upon, support andstrengthen “ministry” in our new church body.

As I have the opportunity to visit with pastors andcongregations, a recurring question has been:“What is a pastor?” And together with that: “What ispastoral leadership?”

The answers to these questions are too complex forone “Ministry Matters” monthly submission, so Ihave decided to dedicate every monthly article in2016 to answering these two questions, or at leastproviding thoughtful reflections that might causepastors, congregations, seminarians and others togive some thought to what it means to be a pastor,have a pastor, and lead as a pastor.

While it might seem such articles would be moreappropriate shared only with pastors, the reality isthat congregations are often as confused about thepastoral office and the nature of pastoral leadershipas are clergy! I witness this first-hand as I work withcall committees and councils in the call process, aswell as in those situations where there is conflictand tension within the leadership team.

It may be that at one time in Lutheranism there wasgreater clarity and shared understanding regardingthe pastor, the pastor’s call, authority andleadership and how that related to lay leadership inthe congregation. It is the case in manycongregations today — and for many pastors —that there is now confusion about these matters,leaving pastor and parish unsure of how to relate toone another, how to lead the congregation, or howto resolve what are sometimes simple problemsthat are heaped up into a pile with other sometimesinsignificant issues until what remains is an

insurmountable mound of, let’s just say, “garbage”that smells up the church, hinders mission andministry, and makes everyone’s life unpleasant, tosay the least.

My prayer is that these brief messages on the pastorand pastoral leadership may positively impact andshape pastors and ministry within our congregationsso that all may find greater joy in the serving andvisitors may be drawn to NALC communities that are healthy, thriving and focused on mission — notmaintenance or worse, damage control.

The first question to ask, then, is “How is a pastorcalled?”

There has been, historically, some confusion aboutthis in Lutheranism. Does the disciple of Jesussense some inner “call” from God that is in itselfvalidation that God intends for this person to be apastor? Does the larger church have any role inthis, or should the bishop and other pastors “get outof the way” and let God simply work in the heartand life of the potential pastor? How are the Churchand the local congregation assured that this personis truly called, and not sensing something that is notGod’s call, but the result of their own unhealthiness,neediness, or desire for wielding power in thechurch over others?

From my entrance into seminary 38 years ago, ithas been abundantly clear that there are manyreasons why individual Christians enter seminaryand think they are supposed to be a pastor inChrist’s Church — and not all reasons are godly,spiritual, or valid. Let’s just summarize thesereasons by saying they may be “self-serving.”

Continued on Page 11

Ministry Matters

Pastor David WendelAssistant to the Bishopfor Ministry and Ecumenism

N A L C N e w s 10 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Continued from Page 10

Any Christian who wakes up one day and says,“Jesus visited me last night in a dream and told meto go to seminary and be a pastor” ought to betested to discern the spirit/Spirit, with properconversation, reflection, and questioning whetherthis is of God or the result of some other agenda orurging.

Being called to serve as a pastor is not a right, norcan anyone claim to “deserve” to be a pastor, dueto any personal vision, feeling, sense or supposedvisit by the Holy Spirit. Yes, there must be someawareness of an “inner call” — which is different formost every person — but that’s not the whole of it.

For at the same time, Lutheranism has normallyrequired an “external call” — from the Body ofChrist affirming that truly, this person seems tohave been called and thus the Church extends aformal call to the person.

This combination of internal and external call is aprotection and safeguard for the pastor, thecongregation, and the larger church. It does notdeny the activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of theindividual Christian, but it also recognizes that theSpirit is active in the community of the Church.

Together, the internal and external call work todiscern the movement and activity of the Spirit withregard to God’s call to ministry. Neither is moreimportant or valid in the call of a pastor.

Often, the inner sense of call comes first. Theperson enters seminary, connects with thedenominational preparation or candidacycommittee, and, throughout the education andpastoral preparation process, the Church seeks todiscern God’s will with regard to this candidate.

Other times, it is the local congregation that sees ina young person the budding faith, character andgrowing discipleship which might lead one tobelieve this young man or woman could serve as apastor. The congregation, then, encourages,supports and invites the person to begin to exploreand pray about whether God might be calling themto pastoral service. The external sense, then, of theBody of Christ might actually foster or generate theinner sense.

However it happens, in the Lutheran tradition, theremust be both the internal and external sense of call.

It should be said, however, that even the largerChurch, working through the Pastoral CandidacyCommittee, doesn’t extend a formal call orauthorize a candidate for ordination apart from theactivity and discernment of a congregation. In thissense, we do live out our Core Value in the NALCthat we are Congregationally Focused.

Even if a candidate has a sense of an inner callfrom God and the NALC Candidacy Committeeapproves the person for ordination after properstudy of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,together with pastoral formation, a candidate willnot be ordained until and unless they receive a validcall — usually from a congregation, although theExecutive Council may extend a call for specialservice, say, as a missionary or military or hospitalchaplain. In these circumstances, however, there isusually the expectation that the candidate will firstreceive a congregational call and serve for a periodof time as a pastor, prior to specialized ministryservice.

Why this priority for a regular call from acongregation? First, our chief confessionaldocument, the Augsburg Confession (Article 14),states that no one should preach or administer thesacraments without a “regular call.”

This call affirms that the Church, expressed throughthe local congregation, recognizes that God hascalled this person to serve as pastor, and that theywill receive him or her as such, pray for him/her,work with him/her, and respect the pastor as God’scalled shepherd of the congregation. Second, theregular call from the congregation confirms the callas being valid and of God, certifying, if you will, thatthe decisions of the Candidacy Committee andBishop are correct.

It is the case that there have been times when aperson experiences what they believe to be aninternal sense of call. They have completedseminary studies and been examined and approvedby the Candidacy Committee of the larger Churchbut, after extensive interviewing with congregationsin the call process, they never receive a call to

Continued on Page 12

N A L C N e w s 11 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Continued from Page 11

pastoral service. In this situation, the candidate willnot be ordained as a pastor. Without a regular callfrom a congregation, the person normally is notconsidered to have been called by God to be apastor.

Although the local congregation and the largerChurch work together with the candidate indiscerning God’s call, the bottom line is thecongregation and the sense of the faithful.

Does the congregation believe this person is calledor not? If not, the person may continue to serve inthe Church and the congregation, using their giftsand education in many ways, but as a layperson. Inthis, we trust the Holy Spirit, working through theBody of Christ, manifested primarily through thelocal community of Word and Sacrament.

I hope that this helps to explain, in short form, ourunderstanding in Lutheranism and the NALC of howa person becomes a candidate for pastoral ministry,but even more, how the call to service isexperienced, discerned and finally affirmed.

This is useful for those who may sense an inner calland be considering entering seminary, but it is alsoimportant for congregations to understand theircritical role in lifting up and encouraging persons toconsider pastoral ministry at the start, and in thefinal decision with regard to whether a personal is“called.”

It is also helpful for we who are pastors to bereminded, once again, of the important role of thecongregation in discernment as it is God who callsus, yet through the Church — manifested in thelocal congregation.

Next month: “Why a Pastoral Office? Jesus says,‘Feed and Tend My Sheep!’”

NALS ends relationship with Gordon-ConwellFour years ago, even before the formation of theNorth American Lutheran Seminary (NALS),Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS),working with the Carolinas Mission District, made asignificant step in developing a Lutheran House ofStudies at the GCTS Charlotte, N.C., campus.

During a time of great need for us in the NorthAmerican Lutheran Church, GCTS welcomed sevenstudents and three faculty members who hadformerly been at the Lutheran Theological SouthernSeminary. In a spirit of generosity and Christiancharity, GCTS provided an opportunity for thesefaculty to continue teaching and for the students tocontinue their theological education. We in theNALC continue to be deeply grateful to GCTS forassisting and supporting us at a time when welacked resources for our own students. In spite of this positive beginning, the Board ofRegents of the NALS has voted to discontinue ourrelationship with GCTS effective May 31, 2016. TheNALC Executive Council adopted the Board ofRegents’ recommendation.

There are a number of reasons that have led theBoard of Regents to make this difficult butnecessary decision. Our students have indicatedthat the language expectations at GCTS areunmanageable. Others have reported to us that thecurriculum and other aspects of GCTS mean thatstudents typically require five to six years tocomplete their Master of Divinity (M.Div.) work —compared to a more typical four-year M.Div. track.Our students have also experienced difficulty incompleting a full year of internship within the overallGCTS curricular program. Internship is anon-negotiable requirement for ordination in theNALC. Finally, the Board of Regents is unaware ofany NALC students in our candidacy process whoare enrolled in the M.Div. track at the GCTSCharlotte campus. The M.Div. is also a requirementfor ordination in the NALC. The NALS is still in its infancy and relationships withpartner institutions take an enormous amount oftime to develop and nurture. We are carefullyexploring emerging options, focusing our effortswhere academic goals are mutually shared. We askfor your continued prayers as we grow a strong andhealthy seminary program for the NALC.

N A L C N e w s 12 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Letter of Counsel onMarriage and Religious Freedom

The following Letter of Counsel was written byDr. Robert Benne and approved by the NALCCommission on Theology and Doctrine inDecember.

Letter of Counsel

with regard to the

U.S. Supreme Court decision

of June 26, 2015,

in which in a 5-4 decision it held that:

The Fourteenth Amendment requires a State tolicense a marriage between two people of the samesex and to recognize a marriage between twopeople of the same sex when their marriage waslawfully licensed and performed out-of-State.

Regardless of whether we agree with the decisionthat finds a right to same-sex marriage in theConstitution, the fact is that now it is the law of theland. This presents great challenges to the freeexercise of religion of the church, its relatedinstitutions, private Christian enterprises, andChristian individuals. We now have a legal, publicdefinition of marriage that diverges dramaticallyfrom Christian teaching. Though same-sexmarriage would have been unthinkable even in thecivil sphere for everyone until very recent times, thedivergence between church and civil marriage wasanticipated early on. Already in Luther’s time hetaught that civil marriage and Christian marriage aretwo different things, though the civil definition waspowerfully conditioned by Christian teaching. Heargued that civil marriage ought to be available tocouples (everyone assumed they would beheterosexual) who committed themselves to a life-long pledge of faithfulness, not just to Christians ingood standing with the church, which had been theRoman Catholic requirement. For Luther, marriagesblessed in the church involved higher standardsthan those performed in the public sphere. Thus,from Reformation times until now in Germany,Christians have two ceremonies — one by the

magistrate and one in the church. C.S. Lewis,already in the 1940s, perceived that the idea ofmarriage promulgated by the state was sharplydivergent from that of the Christian church. He, too,supported two different rites.

This dual approach to marriage is something theNALC corporately ought seriously to consider, nowthat the public definition contrasts so sharply withChristian teaching on marriage. Such a withdrawalfrom being an agent of the state is perhaps the bestway to protect the free exercise of the church’steaching on and practice of marriage.

It is quite likely that the First Amendment will beinterpreted by the courts to allow for the religiousfreedom to teach and practice Christian marriagewithin the church. But it is possible that churcheswill be punished for doing so by various publicsanctions, e.g., the loss of tax exemptions for itsproperty, as well as those for its institutions. Or thechurch and its institutions might lose the right for itscontributors to receive tax deductions for their gifts.The church will also be subject to contempt bysectors of the society who have embraced theworld’s new definition of marriage.

At any rate, it is clear that no court, Supreme orotherwise, or secular establishment can definemarriage for the church. The biblical definition ofthe First Institution founded by God before the Fall(Genesis 1:26-28, 2:21-25), and the reiteration ofthat definition by Jesus (Matthew:19: 4-7, Mark 10:6-9) as well as the consistent teaching of the churchthroughout the millennia, offer a course of actionthat is plain: “We must obey God rather than anyhuman authority.” (Acts 5: 29) If penalties come itsway, the church must be faithful to God’s Word inspite of negative legal or cultural repercussions. Itmay live and flourish even with these sanctionsagainst it; for example, many churches in Australiathrive even though contributors receive minimal taxrelief for their gifts.

Continued on Page 14

N A L C N e w s 13 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Continued from Page 13

Though it is doubtful that such curtailments of thechurch’s exercise of religious freedom will beapplied to the church itself, the same cannot besaid for institutions related to the church. We havealready seen how Catholic adoption agencies havedecided to close down rather than buckle to thestate’s requirement that they offer adoption servicesfor same-sex couples. Those church-relatedinstitutions that take any sort of federal or statemoney will likely be subject to the new federal andstate requirements. This will be true of charitableinstitutions of all kinds, as well as schools andcolleges. Sadly, this will be the case even if thepublic support is indirect, through grants toindividuals, such as loans to students. However, itseems that the government (both federal and state)is more likely to exempt religious associations fromfederal and state non-discrimination laws if thoseassociations are “pervasively religious,” i.e., if theyhire only members of their religious tradition.

It is important that such “pervasively religious”institutions be allowed to exercise their religiouscommitments in their own institutions. In suchinstitutions it makes clear sense to claim that theyshould “obey God rather than any human authority.”The NALC should publicly witness for such freeexercise even though it has no vulnerable church-related institutions of its own. (Its seminary andhouse of studies are “pervasively religious” andpresumably take little or no public money. Itbehooves them, for obvious reasons, to continue topreserve that status.)

Such institutions should be under no illusion thatthey will necessarily escape retaliatory publicsanctions — loss of property tax exemptions or taxrelief for contributions — or public opprobrium.

Business enterprises run by Christians or individualChristians in their work are even more vulnerable topublic legal sanctions than the churches or theirpervasively religious institutions. They are certainlyvulnerable to vicious attacks through the social andpublic media. Even so, the Supreme Court didexempt a business run by committed Christians,Hobby Lobby, from including contraceptives itconsidered to be abortifacients from the medicalinsurance it offered its employees. But the Court’sruling was very narrowly drawn.

Such free exercise may be more strictly limitedwhen it comes to issues surrounding same-sexmarriage, but certain distinctions may be helpful inpreserving the right to conduct one’s enterprise andwork according to one’s religious convictions. First,a Christian enterprise or individual Christian shouldnever discriminate against a person based uponwho they are. Race, ethnic group, religion, sex, orsexual orientation cannot be grounds for refusingservice or ministry. Such discrimination would bewrong morally as well as legally. So a Christianbaker should not refuse to sell any of her regularproducts to anyone based upon who they are.

A crisis of conscience emerges when a customerwants the Christian to provide custom-madeproducts for use in specific practices which violateChristian convictions regarding those practices. So,for example, a customer wants a Christianphotographer to take photos at a same-sexwedding. Such a request ought to be able to bedenied if the exercise of religious freedom meansanything at all. Forcing people to participate inpractices that violate their consciences is certainly a

Continued on Page 15

N A L C N e w s 14 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

Continued from Page 14

violation of the freedom to exercise one’s religion,including its prohibitions. Indeed, one would hopethat such a request would not be forthcoming fromgay couples. Respect for the other’s religiousconvictions would lead them to seek outphotographers who had no such scruples, of whomthere would likely be many.

A more extreme example might be offered to makeour point: a group of Christians demand that anOrthodox Jewish butcher prepare and serve porksandwiches for their picnic. Legally requiring suchaction on the part of the butcher would be athorough destruction of free exercise. On the otherhand, that same Orthodox butcher would be morallyand legally wrong to refuse to sell his regularkosher products to a Christian who came into hisshop.

The NALC should publicly witness for the religiousfreedom not to be forced to participate in practicesthat violate religious convictions, while at the sametime supporting laws against discrimination basedon the identity of the customer.

A complication arises when a Christian is in a publicgovernment role, as was a Kentucky county clerkwhen she refused to grant marriage licenses tosame-sex couples. In such cases there are anumber of options available. She might press for anaccommodation for her religious beliefs byreleasing her from her duty to offer marriagelicenses because others in the office would do so inher stead. Or, since she has taken an oath touphold the law but believes the law is wrong andfollowing it would compromise her Christianconvictions, she might quietly resign. (This seemsto be the route suggested by the Lutheran two-kingdoms teaching. The law goes against God’s willand therefore she cannot participate in it. Yet, sheagrees that the law must be obeyed by those in apublic role.) Or, she can simply accommodateherself to what she believes is a bad law.

At first it seems that the second alternative is thebest one. Anarchy would ensue if governmentalofficials pick and choose what laws they wish tofollow or enforce. Yet, that might be too passive astance. Perhaps the request for accommodationwould bring public attention to the need to

accommodate those many citizens for whom whatis legally demanded is not morally acceptable. Suchinstances will arise more frequently as secularinterpretations of the law replace those based onreligiously-based moral convictions. It will make forsocial peace if such accommodations can bereached.

If such accommodation is not forthcoming, it maywell behoove Christians to disobey the law but takethe consequences, which might include dismissal,fines, or even imprisonment. This strategy wasfollowed frequently in the civil rights struggle of thelate 1950s. Or, short of that more dramatic path, tomake a very public statement about the reason fortheir forced resignation or dismissal. In either case“the world” is being shown that it is departing fromGod’s law, which will have grave consequences forour common life.

Christians might well be called to such sorts ofactions, or to support such actions if they are donewithout malice or threat. The NALC should beattentive to members who sense the call to suchactions.*

While there are many more instances where theFirst Amendment’s guarantee of the free exerciseof religion will be challenged, right now they seemfocused on sexuality issues. Therefore, this letter ofcounsel has naturally been concerned about thoseareas. The church must pay close attention to theseissues. The free exercise of religion, which thiscountry has so prized, is at stake.

* In the NALC Braaten-Benne Lectures in Theologyof 2015 on the subject of martyrdom, an interestingset of distinctions was made. “Witnessing” meanspublicly proclaiming Christian truth when there willlikely be no negative repercussions for that action.“Confessing” means public proclamation in acontext in which serious deprivations are likely,such as the loss of one’s job. “Martyrdom” meansproclamation in the face of possible death.Christians in America are not threatened by deathfor their beliefs and practices, but they may soon becalled upon not only to witness but to confess. Thechurch should have the courage to both witnessand confess, while it should offer support to thosewho also choose to do both.

N A L C N e w s 15 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTWIN CITIES, MNPERMIT NO. 7007

2299 Palmer Drive, Suite 220New Brighton, MN 55112-2202

Christ Centered + Mission Driven + Traditionally Grounded + Congregationally Focused

March for Life is Jan. 22The 2016 March for Life will be on Friday, Jan. 22, in Washington, D.C.

The day will begin with a worship service at 8:30 a.m. at D.A.R.Constitution Hall. Gov. Samuel Brownback of Kansas will be honoredat the service for his contributions to the pro-life cause.

After the service, NALC members will meet with other Lutherangroups and participate in the March for Life. The March for Life Rallywill take place at noon on the grounds of the Washington Monument.The March will begin at approximately 1 p.m.

NALC Bishop John Bradosky, as well as other members of the NALCExecutive Council and other NALC members will participate.

NALC members in the Washington, D.C., area may be able to houseout-of-town NALC participants. If you have any questions about theMarch for Life or NALC housing options, contact Pastor Dennis DiMauro at dennisdimauro@yahoo.com.

You can learn more about the March for Life at marchforlife.org.

NALC NewsPublished monthly by

North AmericanLutheran Church

3500 Mill Run DriveHilliard, OH 43026-7770

Phone: 614-777-5709

www.thenalc.org

Pastor David J. Baer, editornews@thenalc.org

Please copy and sharethis newsletter widely.

N A L C N e w s 16 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6