Last week, I attended my last church council meeting for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. My term is coming to an end in July.
Community Lutheran Church is a part of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and I am honored to serve on the church council for the national church body.
In addition to the preparation for electing a new presiding bishop and secretary at the churchwide assembly in July, we covered a lot of action items while I was in Chicago.
Here are few highlights of the work we accomplished:
Received the final report and recommendations of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC)Recommended that the 2025 Churchwide Assembly:
• Adopt the proposed social statement, Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All
• Adopt proposed editorial changes to the social statement, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, in response to the memorial, “Reconsideration of Social Statement on Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”
• Receive the 2024 Lutheran-Orthodox “Common Statement on the Filioque”
• Adopt additional bylaw amendments to the Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA to allow for exchangeability of deacons with certain full communion partners and to establish additional standards forrostered ministers
• Adopt the “Rules of Organization and Procedure” for the 2025 Churchwide Assembly
• Approve churchwide organization budget proposals for 2026–2028
Approved addition of a definition of “hate group” to Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline
AND A LOT MORE!
I also sit on the Service and Justice subcommittee which supports the Service and Justice Unit (department) of the ELCA.
(The picture below is of the Service and Justice Committee and two staff members.)
I heard firsthand about the damage from the abrupt grant cuts from USAID that essentially closed earlier this year. This immediate lack of funding (versus tapered off) has caused much hardship and pain among the most vulnerable around the world. The ELCA does not have the resources to fill the gap left behind.
We also received an update from continuing war in the Holy Land and how it is seriously affecting the Christian community. Please keep them in your prayers.
Our church body, the ELCA does good work and seeks to be a thriving church while living into the teachings of Jesus just as we do at Community Lutheran Church. I give thanks for our church family and the ELCA.
For me, the journey towards the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus involves humility. Why? Because he acts on our behalf. Jesus does something for us that we can’t do for ourselves. I can’t absolve myself of sin without the death and resurrection of Jesus. I need what he so graciously did for me. That causes me to be a little more introspective and little more humble.
Ego and self-importance is a great way to short circuit your relationship with Jesus. Remember: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
If we go back to the time of Daniel the prophet, long before the time of Jesus, we see what happens when arrogance is out of control. We pick up the story with the son of King Nebuchadnezzar’s son who is now king. His kingdom is in decline and he is oblivious.
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. Daniel 5:1-2
Yes, he is partying hard and he calls for the sacred vessels from the temple of Jerusalem to drink from as if to say he is “large and in charge” without a care in the world. He is very much thumbing his nose at God.
As you read earlier, there is no better way to get God’s attention than to be prideful and arrogant. Well, King Belshazzar has God’s full attention.
Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. Daniel 5:5-6
A sign! But it’s not a good message. Belshazzar’s arrogance and careless living is coming to an end. More than that, had he not been so wrapped up in himself he would have seen the signs without the hand of God spelling it out for him.
The queen tells her husband to call the prophet Daniel (from Israel originally) to interpret this message from God. They think they will find relief once they know what the message means. Spoiler alert: they won’t.
Daniel is summoned and is promised gifts and a promotion if he can interpret the sign. Daniel says, “Keep it.” Daniel then interprets the “handwriting on the wall.”
“This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 5:26-28
This is the end for King Belshazzar. This is the end of his arrogant and prideful ways.
As the Proverbs say: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
It is still true today. Pride and arrogance doesn’t serve you or the people around you. We are called to something better in Jesus. Humility!
There is great comfort in pointing to and leaning on the One who is greater than all of us!
Humility helps us find our place in the created order and it reminds us that we will never be perfect or even God.
Lent is a perfect time to humble yourself and look to Jesus for all things. Surrender your ego and embrace kindness.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
Yesterday, we began the season of Lent. Lent is Latin for the word “spring.” As you may have guessed, the name has nothing to do with the actual church season.
Lent is a time to prepare our hearts for the greatest miracle in human history: The Resurrection of Jesus. Lent can also be a time of introspection and soul searching. Personally, I use Lent to return to the inescapable truth that I need a Savior. I need Jesus who will save me from my sinful self.
As the prophet Joel once wrote, Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13
It is not about the outward signs of showing remorse (rending your garments), Lent is about opening our hearts to Jesus so that he can mend them back together.
Jesus accomplishes this on the cross when he died for our sins. Simply, He takes our place. As Paul wrote, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
I want to be ready to remember that great gift on Good Friday and that is why I spend Lent getting ready to receive the undeserved gift given to us at Jesus’ death.
Even then, death doesn’t have the final word. Jesus conquered death AND he forgave our sins. That is a double win!
Isaiah reminds us that our King is perfect and wants the best for us!
In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it— one from the house of David— one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness. Isaiah 16:5
Jesus was coronated King of kings and Lord of lords on Easter morning!
Take some time to look inward over the next 5 weeks. It is good for you.
Let’s reflect on the Kingdom of God for a moment. Not the kingdom of humanity or governments or corporations or even small organizations.
When Jesus the Son of God began his earthly ministry, he proclaimed, “The Kingdom of God is near.” Mark 1:15
Of course this makes sense, wherever the Son of God is, the Kingdom is also present. Throughout his ministry Jesus refers to the rule of God and what life is like under God’s leadership.
Needless to say, the kingdom of God is vastly different than any human controlled fiefdom.
Let’s take a moment to look through the scriptures to get a glimpse of what the kingdom of God is like.
After a non-Jewish person was accepted by God, “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts people from every nation who fear him and do what is right. Acts 10:34
For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11
Jesus healed the Roman Centurion’s servant. Matthew 8:5-13
Jesus healed theSyrophoenician Woman’s daughter. Mark 7:24-30
Jesus talking about his believers, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:16
Saint Paul writing about the Church, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Jesus said, “It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:31-32 (There’s room for everyone.)
Philip the Deacon baptized an Ethiopian Eunuch after studying the prophet Isaiah. Acts 8:26-40
“But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” Luke 18:16
I have come to the inescapable conclusion that the Kingdom of God is diverse and inclusive because God is good. Let’s continue on…
Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. Leviticus 19:15
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:3-4
Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
God describing the future messiah to Isaiah, “He shall sense the truth by his reverence for the Lord: He shall not judge by what his eyes behold, Nor decide by what his ears perceive. Thus he shall judge the poor with equity And decide with justice for the lowly of the land. Isaiah 11:3-4a
I have come to a second inescapable conclusion regarding the Kingdom of God. Jesus values equity for all in this life and it is the rule in the Kingdom of God.
Just remember what we pray we every week…
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10
Early this week, someone aligned with the current administration but not an employee of the federal government posted this on social media…
“Now it’s the ‘Lutheran’ faith (this use of ‘religion’ as a money laundering operation must end):
Lutheran Family Services and affiliated organizations receive massive amounts of taxpayer dollars…”
This was amplified by another person who is connected to the administration (but not a government employee) when they reposted the original comment about with their own on social media…
“The @DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments”
(This post has been deleted. There is a screenshot of it at the bottom of the article.)
This is a lie. There is nothing illegal in block grants and there is no money laundering.
If you think the above is truthful, a civics lesson might be useful.
Civics 101
City, county, state and the federal government all fund programs through their budgeting process.
For many years, governments at all levels fund programs that they themselves do not want to administrate. It is more efficient to give grants to organizations that are already doing the specific work they want accomplished. This happens a lot and is not limited to work in the social service sector.
None of this funding can happen without it passing through the various governmental bodies that pass budgets for their respective constituencies. No money can be spent or granted without budget approval from these various government agencies.
There are no illegal payments.
There may be disagreements among political parties about what should be funded and what should be cut, but there is nothing illegal about funding programs that help those in need.
Moreover, grants at every level of government have very specific funding guidelines that must be met by the organization to receive reimbursement for those programs or funding in future years. There is a secure level of accountability for this funding and never just handed out.
Secondly, non-profit organizations that receive such funding must file an IRS 990 form that is public to everyone so that even the general public can see what these organizations do with their funding.
If there was an illegal use of grants or other funding, that organization would be caught and found liable. That is not the case for these Lutheran organizations.
Money Laundering
The accusation made regarding our Lutheran organizations laundering money is beyond absurd.
The definition of money laundering is when ill-gotten gains are funneled through a legitimate business or organization (often called a front) so that when those funds are dispersed or taken from that business they are viewed as legitimate or clean.
Even the use the of the term is wrong. If anything, the accusation would be “reverse money laundering.” But even that accusation is false.
Personal Reflection
We may disagree on how the government (at all levels) spends money. But it is up to those individual governmental bodies to budget funds. We may have influence over how those resources are allocated as citizens but ultimately it is up to those governmental bodies to pass a budget.
Once a budget is passed, it is law. There is no cutting off funds/payments until the next budget is passed or that spending line item is reversed in the respective legislative body.
To slander the para-church ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is wrong. It is sinful and it is harmful. Defaming something as illegal just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it the truth.
As a pastor of the ELCA and a church council member of the ELCA, I am appalled and saddened at such careless statements. These statements are polarizing, unhelpful and dishonest.
If you wrongly believe these Lutheran organizations are laundering money, I suggest that the Evangelical Lutheran Church is not the church for you.
Biblical Reflection
God said…
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who turn darkness to light and light to darkness,
who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight. Isaiah 5:20-21
God said…
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
God said…
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deuteronomy 15:11
God said…
Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. Exodus 22:22-23
God said…
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. Deuteronomy 10:17-20
Jesus the Son of God told a story about the final judgment…
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:44-46
Jesus the Son of God said…
“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Before the creation of the universe, there was God. Before the creation of the world, there was a spiritual realm. Everything we see and experience was first imagined in the heavenly realms.
The permanent dwelling place of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is more real and more enduring than the physical universe we live in. Everything we know, originates from that spiritual dimension.
Many miss this fundamental truth that spirit precedes the physical. Not only that but the spiritual realm is closer than we can imagine even if we can’t sense it.
We are even told that some our abilities are a gift from that very place. Paul tells the Christian family that, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:7
We are so loved by God, that he breaks through the proverbial wall between the earthly realm and the spiritual realm to give his family (us) gifts and talents to encourage one another in faith.
We are loved because “God is love.” 1John 4:8b. The spiritual realm, heaven, The Kingdom of God contains one overriding principal and feeling: love.
The more we love, the closer we are to our destiny and open to a deeper spiritual connection to that realm. The love we foster now prepares us for our future and creates deeper connection today.
One of the things Jesus did by dying on the cross, was to purge hate from our lives. Hate is a form of sin. Hate also gives birth to sin. Jesus’ death can remove hate from our lives if we are open to his graceful love.
As I reflect on Jesus’ death, I also see his willingness to give up his physical life because his spiritual life continues on and it is greater and more wonderful than life here in this realm. In a quiet way, Jesus’ death and resurrection reminds us to not be afraid of “moving on.”
To emphasize this, Jesus told us quite clearly, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3
One day, we will go to be with God… to a place where the universe began: the spiritual realm. A place of love.
I will do all I can to strengthen my love for others and for Jesus so that I can strengthen my connection to Jesus and the place I will eventually call my forever home.
It is easy to be distracted by earthly things like hate and anger. Those things only serve to pull us away from the source of life. Animosity and irritation sever the connection with Jesus and the Communion of Saints who are cheering us on in love even as you read this!
Keep focused on what is already surrounding us even if you can’t see it. Stay attentive to the love that is available to you right now from all corners of heaven including friends and loved ones who have gone before you.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3
Last week we entered 2025. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations are a part of our secular culture. Some (not me) stay up to welcome the new year and all the possibilities it may bring.
Although we can’t predict what may come, I pray it is a good year for you and our church family.
Although most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar (us included) and celebrate the new year on January 1st (thanks to Julius Ceasar) did you know new year celebrations predate our current calendar?
Our Jewish brothers and sisters have been celebrating Rosh Hashanah longer than western world!
Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year.” As early as the book of Numbers (from the Time of Moses) we hear the instruction from God to the people of Israel.
On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. As an aroma pleasing to the Lord, prepare a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. Numbers 29:1-2
Although there is no mention of it being “New Year’s Day” in the Bible, this is where the holiday finds its beginning. A day of noise! The sounding of trumpets! It is also a day of sacrifice to receive forgiveness from God.
The blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn) is a call to action! A call to wake up from a person’s spiritual slumber and be ready for God! Rosh Hashanah is a moment to look back on the year that has passed, to seek forgiveness for any wrongdoings, and to focus on how to better oneself in the year to come.
According to Jewish tradition, on this day, God sits in judgment over the world, reviewing each person’s deeds over the past year and determining their fate for the year ahead. That might cause some to fear but for most it is a day for joy.
This new year’s celebration begins 10 days of introspection that culminates on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
If you have read this far, you might be wondering why I am writing about the Jewish New Year? Because there are things we can learn from our Jewish brothers and sisters as we enter 2025.
As Christian’s we too can approach the new year as a time to reflect on the previous year and even let go of attitudes and behaviors that don’t correspond to our walk with Jesus.
We too can use the New Year to shake off the spiritual malaise and laziness of our lives and recommit ourselves to the purposes of Christ and His will!
This coming year (like every year) will be what we make of it as individuals, families and the church. If we depend upon others and positive events to make a year good, we will be disappointed. We are the ones who will make 2025 great!
Happy New Year and may God bless your lives, your mindsets and your actions!
As Christmas approaches, let me encourage you to be like Jesus by taking the first step towards another person.
What do I mean by this? Let me explain…
We understand that God took a step towards us when he came down to us (from heaven) in the person of Jesus. We call that the “incarnation.” God became human and took a step toward us to show us that we are loved.
Later, Jesus told the women at the tomb on Easter morning to “go and tell” the disciples he had risen. After that, Jesus to the disciples to “go” and be witnesses to the love of Jesus.
Yet, we hesitate to “go” to others and show that love. Even at church.
Why?
In my sermon last week, I talked about the fact that we in the United States live in a “service-based economy.” In other words, we are accustomed to people catering to our wants and needs. We expect people to take care of us. From wait staff, to salespeople, to the person who rings up our groceries.
We are so used to people catering to us, we are surprised that doesn’t automatically happen at church. Suddenly, the church is labeled unfriendly because someone wasn’t treated like royalty.
Don’t get me wrong, hospitality is important, and it is something we value in our core value of “welcome.” The issue is not just welcoming others, the issue is “one sided hospitality.”
When an individual expects other people to do all the work but does not extend the same courtesy, it all falls apart.
We all should take a step toward each other. We all should take the time to greet and welcome people we don’t know. We have all the opportunity and choice to be like Jesus this Christmas and take a step towards others.
Yes, we are now in the unknown season of Advent. Most of the world is already in the season of Christmas but not us!
Most of the mainline Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church get ready for Christmas by entering into the season of Advent.
Advent literally means the “arrival of an important person or event.”
This is the time to prepare ourselves for the return of our King. We acknowledge in our creeds that Jesus will return one day. Advent is the time to prepare ourselves spiritually for Christ’s return.
We “practice waiting” for Christ’s return by preparing for Christmas.
As we await for the arrival (the advent) of Jesus, what else are you waiting for?
Beyond more money in your bank account, I would guess that you might be waiting for more: hope, peace, joy and love in your life.
I know it may be hard to believe, but you don’t have to wait for those things! They are available to you right now.
The issue might be where you are looking for those very things. If you are looking for hope, peace, joy and love in the world, you might come to the conclusion that those things are nowhere to be found. Maybe you are looking in the wrong place. Would you go to McDonalds for a ribeye steak dinner? Probably not.
What we are looking for is found in Christ. Hope, peace, joy and love are given by the Holy Spirit and available to you right now. Maybe it’s time to stop looking for these things externally and start looking upward (towards heaven) and inward (our souls).
Surround yourself with people who want the same thing and walk away from the negativity of others and even the media. In other words, draw close to Jesus and other faithful people as we await his return.
The next time you are in worship, take a moment to look at the Advent wreath in the chapel or sanctuary. The entire wreath has meaning.
The circular shape: Represents eternity and God’s infinite love .
The greenery: Symbolizes everlasting life and hope.
The candles: Represent the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.
The wreath as a whole: Reminds us of the immortality of our souls and God’s promise of everlasting life.
If you are a member of Community Lutheran Church, you know that I am a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s church council. Our church is a part of the ELCA.
I was appointed by our bishop over a year ago serve on our church’s national board. It is a great honor to represent CLC and our synod at the national level.
Every gathering consists of four days of meetings. I never knew there was such a thing as a four-day church council meeting before this!
I wanted to give you a snap-shot of the agenda items discussed and acted upon.
We began by gathering in worship and celebrated Communion together!
Update from the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church
This commission has been looking at how the church operates based on the constitution of the ELCA and other formational documents. They are bringing proposals for potential change to those documents.
Reports from our Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, our Vice-President Imran Siddiqui, the Secretary of the ELCA, Sue Rothmeyer and the Conference of Bishops of the ELCA.
A presentation of gender and racial inequality
I sit on the Service and Justice committee where we heard the following reports:
World Hunger
Lutheran Disaster Response
Young Adult in Global Mission
Our ecumenical partnerships
Specialized ministries
Budget concerns
Legal and constitutional review (revising and updating the constitution where needed)
Information about the upcoming 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly of which I will attend as an ELCA church council member. After that event, I roll off the council.
There will be a Presiding Bishop Election at the Churchwide Assembly in 2025
Report from the treasurer of the ELCA
Approved the 2025 budget for the churchwide organization
Adopted a financial compliance policy for payments and re-payments.
Report from the Vision Team that is shaping our future to be:
A Welcoming Church
A Thriving Church
A Connected and Sustainable Church
Finally we heard reports from every committee and department within the ELCA.
A lot happens in four days! If you are curious about anything, just ask me!
We are a part of a great church body that cares about people and how we live out of the love of Jesus.
