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“The What and the Why of the Weeds and the Wheat” (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)Last week we heard Jesus tell us the Parable of the Sower, from Matthew 13. Today’s Gospel reading likewise comes from Matthew 13; it’s the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat. In fact, Matthew 13 is a whole chapter full of parables, seven of them altogether. Some of these parables are shorter, some are longer. Some are explained by Jesus, some of them are left unexplained. Today’s parable is one of the longer ones in the chapter, and Jesus does explain it. Therefore, what it means...

Observe that the Lutherans cite government as “an important catalyst in God’s work.” In fact, their agenda implies that government is virtually God’s only instrument. The Lutherans want government to abolish poverty, prohibit war, cleanse the environment, engineer egalitarian justice globally, and seemingly usher in The Millennium through additional regulation and taxation. If government can achieve so much, who needs God, much less the church?

“The Parable of the Sower” (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)Many of you have gardens. And all of us--whether we’re gardeners with a green thumb, or just simply couch potatoes whose thumb never gets off the remote control--all of us probably know something about planting seeds. We know that not all the seeds which are planted into the ground end up as full-grown plants. Some of the seeds which are planted don’t make it along the way, for a variety of reasons. But even so, we know that the seeds we plant will, in many cases, produce plants and yield a crop of...

ELCA NEWS SERVICE July 11, 2008 Women of the ELCA Tackles Community, Church, Global Issues 08-110-FI/JB/LT* SALT LAKE CITY (ELCA) -- A hearing and three briefings offered participants of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) opportunities for education and conversation July 10 between their 2008 convention and gathering. The hearing was related to the ELCA's draft social statement on human sexuality. The briefings dealt with commercial sexual exploitation, water issues, and women and children living in poverty. Women of the ELCA's Seventh Triennial Convention was July 8-10 here at the Salt Palace Convention Center. More than 2,000...

Lutheran Letter to the Candidates July 8, 2008 We write to you representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran Services in America, and Lutheran World Relief. Lutherans have a long history and wide experience with direct ministry and advocacy related to health and human services, relief and development, refugee protection and immigration. Lutheran ministries reach every state in our nation and are present in more than 60 countries, serving millions of the most vulnerable people in America and throughout the world each year. Loving and serving our neighbors -- Lutherans make a difference....

“Rest for the Weary” (Matthew 11:25-30; Romans 7:14-25a)“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus here issues a wonderful invitation and makes a wonderful promise. “Come to me” is the invitation, and “I will give you rest” is the promise. And to whom does he address this invitation and this promise? To “all who labor and...

A Watertown pastor suspected tonight of having sexual contact with a child. KSFY obtained these court documents which lays out the case against Dennis Hayes. In documents released by Watertown Police, we're told the suspected contact happened last Friday when Hayes took a juvenile boy he had been mentoring from the "Southwest Youth Services Center" in Magnolia, Minnesota to a library in Luverne, Minnesota. The boy claims during the drive to Luverne, Hayes held his hand and told him he loved him. While at the Luverne library, he claims Hayes rubbed his back outside his shirt. During the drive back...

“Two Battles: The Battle from Without” (Matthew 10:34-42)Over today and next Sunday I want to talk to you about “Two Battles.” These are two battles every Christian is called upon to fight, from the time we are baptized till the day we die. There is no opting out. You are engaged in these battles whether you realize it or not. So the thing to do is to fight them well, and that means we need help. For on our own we would not be strong enough to prevail. What are these two battles? Simply put, they are, first, “The Battle...

ARUSHA, Tanzania (ELCA) -- The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) can help create a global movement to limit or halt environmental degradation, but it must have many partners and large numbers of people to be effective, said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Hanson made the comment at a June 25 news conference following his report to the LWF Council, which is meeting here through June 30. The LWF is a global communion of 140 churches in 78 countries, representing 68.6 million of the...

Last week there was this news from Germany: German Lutherans in northern Schleswig will decide on July 12 whether to elect an openly gay bishop. Conservatives have opposed Horst Gorski's candidacy, saying it would lead to divisions within the church. When Horst Gorski, 51, first took up his archdeacon post in the northern city of Hamburg, some members of the congregation had misgivings about this homosexuality. But within a few years it was no longer an issue, Gorski said. Gorski believes the same will be the case if he is elected the next bishop of Schleswig, a mostly rural region...

“Don’t Be Afraid to Confess Christ” (Matthew 10:5a, 21-33)What are you afraid of? I mean, what are you afraid of, as far as being a Christian? Are there things to be afraid of, that might happen to you because you are a Christian? Let’s think about that today. That’s what Jesus talks to his disciples about in the Gospel reading for today. He tells them, yes, there are things that might scare you, there are some bad things that might happen to you, precisely because you are my disciples. But the bigger thing Jesus tells them is what he will...

June 20, 2008 ELCA Bishop Calls for Prayer, Action Concerning Domestic Disasters 08-095-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), asked the 4.8 million-member church to join him in "prayer and action" for people facing adversity this spring after tornadoes and floods struck the central United States and the humanitarian crisis following an immigration raid in Postville, Iowa. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested about 390 workers May 12 at a meat processing plant in Postville, making the raid the largest at a single location in U.S. history....

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany could elect its first openly gay Lutheran bishop next month, a move conservatives say would alienate many Christians and open divisions in the Church. The July 12 election brings to Germany the question of gay clergy and same-sex unions which has caused rifts in several countries and faiths, including the Anglican community. Horst Gorski, a senior cleric from Hamburg, is standing for the post of bishop of Schleswig in northern Germany against Gerhard Ulrich, a senior cleric from the Schleswig area. The incumbent bishop is retiring in September. Gorski is a widely respected theologian and he...

“The Compassionate Authority of Jesus Extended” (Matthew 9:35 – 10:8)“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” So we read in our text for today from the Gospel of Matthew. That particular verse is Matthew 9:35, but its sounds a lot like a verse we read about five chapters earlier, in Matthew 4:23: “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” The...

A local church conference questions how much the CEO of a social services nonprofit earns. A local congress of Lutherans wants to know why the top executive of a large, church-affiliated social services agency has a compensation package topping $1 million. In 2006, the Rev. Dr. Daun E. McKee, CEO and president of Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, collected $385,947 in salary, $582,925 in benefits and a $63,591 expense account for a total $1.03 million, according to tax records. McKee's compensation topped all other nonprofit executives in the region, according to the Central Penn Business Journal. Diakon officials defend McKee and...

“Follow Me, the Doctor of Mercy” (Matthew 9:9-13)As many of you know, this is the “Year of St. Matthew” in our lectionary series. Matthew’s Gospel is the one that we’re following this year. But in our text this morning, we see Matthew himself doing the following. St. Matthew hears the call to follow, and we, the people of St. Matthew Lutheran Church--we hear it also, the call of Jesus, “Follow me.” St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, had something in common with quite a few pastors today (including this one): He was a “second-career man” in the ministry. The only thing...

Federal prosecutors are reviewing the case of a Lancaster man accused of stealing more than $1 million from the regional governing body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, lawyers said. Lower Paxton Township police arrested Barry R. Herr, 61, of the 2100 block of Creek Hill Road in March and accused him of misappropriating $1,004,732 in church money. Herr was charged with 36 felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility and one felony count of theft by deception in a scheme police said dates to at least 1991. Herr was released on $25,000 unsecured bail. Prosecution of...

“Location, Location, Location” (Matthew 7:24-27)Real estate agents will tell you there are three things that determine the value of a house: 1) location; 2) location; and 3) location. That old line may be somewhat exaggerated, but the point is clear enough: Location is extremely important in determining value. Where a house is located can make a huge difference in its value. Now if that saying about “location, location, location” is true of the physical houses we build, how much more important is it when we talk about the spiritual “house” that everyone builds for him or herself. Where you build...

“From Baptism to Burial--and Beyond” (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3-5)Today we began the service with the Invocation and a Remembrance of Baptism. Why did we do that? What does that have to do with a funeral service? What comfort does that give to us, Millie’s family and friends, to hear those words about baptism? Lots, actually. May these words give you great comfort now, as we go “From Baptism to Burial--and Beyond.” We began with the Invocation, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” That’s appropriate, for those are the words--that is the...

Comments on the "Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality" by Dr. Hans Schwarz (ELCA Pastor and Professor at the University of Regensburg, Germany) May 5, 2008 [You may also download Comments as a pdf file] "ELCA social statements are theological and teaching documents that assist members in forming judgments on social issues. They offer a framework for moral discernment. They also set policy for this church, guide its advocacy, and aid its life as a public church" (I). This means that a social statement does many things: teach, assist members in forming judgments, set policy, and above all provide a...

“Don’t Worry, Be Trusting” (Matthew 6:24-34)Welcome to the Non-Worriers Hall of Fame. In our exhibits you will meet some of the most famous non-worriers in history. These are the champions of carefree living, down through the centuries. Stress was a stranger to these advocates of the anxiety-free life. Here in our first display we meet Alfred E. Newman, the goofy-looking cover boy of Mad Magazine. Alfred’s motto is as famous as his gap-toothed grin. It’s the simple question, “What, me worry?” Next in our Hall of Non-Worriers we come to the well-known singer Bobby McFerrin. Bobby captured the airwaves in...

ELCA NEWS SERVICE May 19, 2008 Michael Burk Elected Bishop of ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod 08-065-JD* IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The Rev. Michael L. Burk, executive, Worship and Liturgical Resources, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Chicago, was elected May 17 to a six-year term as bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod. He was elected on the fourth ballot for bishop during the synod assembly here May 16-18. On the fourth ballot, Burk received 312 votes to 92 for the Rev. Kurt R. Nordby, assistant to the bishop, ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod, and director, Illowa Lutheran Coalition, Rock Island,...

A Critique of the "Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality" Prepared by the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality, Church in Society Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by Carl E. Braaten (May 2008) [You may also download the Critique as a pdf file.] I am aware that this social statement is a first draft. The Task Force has asked for suggestions and criticisms that might be helpful in producing an improved and final version. The authors of the document claim that it is based on Lutheran theological foundations. My critique will examine whether this proposed social statement is faithful...

“Great Is the Lord, and Greatly to Be Praised” (Psalm 145:3)“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” So goes the Gradual for today, from Psalm 145. Yes, the Lord is “greatly to be praised.” But what does that mean? How do we do it? How do we “greatly praise” the Lord? Let’s explore that a little bit. It’s certainly fitting that we consider this theme today, on this day when we dedicate new hymnals for the praise and worship of God. How do we greatly praise the Lord? Maybe part of it is that we use great materials....

“From Feast to Feast to Feast” (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:1-21)Today is the Feast of Pentecost, a major festival in the Christian church year. Today we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit, whom our ascended Lord Jesus Christ poured out on his church, as we read about in the second chapter of Acts. That was the beginning of the worldwide spread of the gospel, and you and I are here today as Christians because of what began on that first Pentecost. Actually, though, that was not the first Pentecost. For the Christian Feast of Pentecost has its roots in the...

"A homosexual couple has taken the Swedish tax authority (Skatteverket) to court for registering their marriage in Canada as a partnership. Lars Gårdfeldt and Lars Arnell, who are both priests in the Swedish church, allege discrimination. "The tax authorities can make an exception for a marriage where one party is under-age but not for homosexuals," said Lars Gårdfeldt to Svenska Dagbladet. Skatteverket confirms that it does make exceptions to Swedish law with regard to under-age couples legally married overseas. But only for marriages involving a man and woman."

“He Cares for You” (John 17:1-5; 1 Peter 5:6-7)“He Cares for You.” Yes, he does, God cares for you very much. St. Peter tells you this when he encourages you to be “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” So that’s what we want to do today. We will cast all our anxieties on God, and we will hear how, and how much, our God cares for us. What are your anxieties, and what is God’s care that deals with those anxieties? Those are the questions we’ll be asking. The first and greatest anxiety that people...

“Ascension Day, the Forgotten Festival” (Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11)Welcome to the Forgotten Festival! Today is Ascension Day--or to put it more fully, the Festival of the Ascension of Our Lord. But there is reason to call it, as I say, the “Forgotten” Festival. Even though Ascension Day is classed in the church year as a major festival, and thus a day for to church to gather for the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, the sad fact is that in recent decades many congregations and many Christians have forgotten all about celebrating this important festival. It used to be that...

United Methodists declared Monday a "banner day" as they approved a full communion agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The new relationship between the two major Protestant denominations is not a merger but a recognition of each other's ministry and mission. Full communion recognizes that each church has "the one, holy, catholic and apostolic faith" expressed in the Scriptures and confessed in historic creeds and the core teachings of each denomination. The two churches also recognize the authenticity of each other's baptism and eucharist and the full interchangeability of all ordained ministers. "It's not merger," said Bishop Melvin...

“The Hope That Is In You . . . Comes Out You” (1 Peter 3:13-22)During this Easter season, we are hearing a lot about hope. A few weeks ago the Epistle reading from 1 Peter 1 told us that God “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Last week’s sermon said that we in the church are “Living in Camp Hope,” that we have hope for an eternal future because our Lord Christ has gone to prepare a place for us. Hope--the hope that we have in...

“Living in Camp Hope” (John 14:1-14)Yesterday our Men’s Club held a big fundraiser for Camp Hope. Camp Hope is a place where disabled veterans can come and find a little “R & R,” rest and relaxation, or you could say, rest and recuperation, rehabilitation, and recreation. Camp Hope is a place where these men can find healing, help, and hope. Hope. These disabled veterans need hope. These men go off to war healthy and whole and vigorous, and they come back wounded--physically, to be sure, but often mentally and emotionally wounded also. Now they have the rest of their lives...

When about 75 people gathered outside the international headquarters of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod this week, it was a rare display of public dissension among the members of a relatively quiet Christian denomination. . . . When the church pulled the plug on its KFUO-AM program, "Issues, Etc.," and fired its host and producer, the show's fans turned up the volume. . . . The show had a conservative, traditionalist theological bent. . . . Many of the protesters said the current administration is too focused on recent evangelical megachurch growth models instead of on traditional Lutheran doctrine. . ....

Dear sexuality task force, First I must compliment you, the Human Sexuality Task Force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, on a well-documented and thorough study of the sexuality issue. You have put much work into a very difficult subject, and at the present I’m not sure what more you could do given your stated assignment and the lay of the land. I felt that you tried to be open to all views, but I do have some critical comments that I hope will help bring this topic to light from a different perspective. First I have to comment...

The Holy Father addressed representatives of other Christian communities during an ecumenical encounter at St. Joseph's Church, New York, 18 April 2008. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, My heart abounds with gratitude to Almighty God - "the Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:6) - for this blessed opportunity to gather with you this evening in prayer. I thank Bishop Dennis Sullivan for his cordial welcome, and I warmly greet all those in attendance representing Christian communities throughout the United States. May the peace of our Lord and Savior be...

Kirkwood — About 75 protesters gathered Monday outside the world headquarters of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, many holding signs that asked simply, "Why?" The question was directed at church leaders who, during Holy Week last month, pulled the plug on a popular radio program on the denomination's KFUO-AM station called "Issues, Etc." The host, the Rev. Todd Wilken, and producer, Jeff Schwarz, were fired without warning, and all reference to the show was taken off KFUO's website. Fans were left confused and angry. ... In the vacated time slot, the church has launched a new program called "The Afternoon Show,"...

“Suffering Sheep and Their Good Shepherd” (1 Peter 2:19-25)This day is known in the church as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The readings from Psalm 23 and John 10, the Collect of the Day, the hymns--all these carry the theme of the Lord as our Good Shepherd. The images that come to our mind on Good Shepherd Sunday usually are very peaceful and pleasant ones. We think of sheep safely grazing in green pastures, being led beside still waters. We picture Jesus carrying a lamb in his arms or a sheep across his shoulders. This is all well and good. The shepherd...

“Redeemed: From What? With What? So What?” (1 Peter 1:17-25)First of all I want to say that, from what I’ve seen of it over the last couple of years, the English Standard Version overall is a very good translation. But as with any translation, you come across a place here and there where you wish they would have translated it a little different. Today is such a case, in our Epistle from 1 Peter 1. In verse 18 the ESV has, “knowing that you were ransomed.” All the other major English translations--the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version,...

read the original story here: Zion Lutheran begins 40 days campaign Sunday (LCMS)

WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pope Benedict XVI will lead an ecumenical prayer service April 18, at St. Joseph's Church in the Yorkville area of Manhattan. Participants at the service will include 250 national and local Protestant and Orthodox Church leaders. St. Joseph's Church was built in the 19th century by the immigrant German community that settled in the area and today serves a diverse population. A Sunday Mass is still celebrated in German. The pope will address the group after a reading from Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4:1-6) and before the congregation prays the Lord's Prayer. At the...

“On the Road and at the Table” (Luke 24:13-35)Many of you I’m sure have seen this painting before. The original German title is “Gang nach Emmaus,” the “Walk to Emmaus,” by 19th century Swiss artist, Robert Zünd. It’s a picture of Christ and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Of course it’s based on the Holy Gospel for today. It’s a lovely painting. And what a wonderful walk it must have been! To have Jesus there at your side as you walk along! You feel like you’d like to put yourself into the picture, so you could just...

Several U.S. mainline Protestant denominations are about to face their latest showdowns on one of the most vexing issues since slavery: whether to break from biblical morality as traditionally understood to allow clergy with homosexual partners and to sanction blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. "Mainline" groups (predominantly white, with early American roots, and affiliated with the National Council of Churches) contain vocal, well-organized liberal and evangelical combatants. The resulting dispute "certainly has taken a big toll," says Jack Haberer of Presbyterian Outlook, an independent magazine that airs varied views. "For some, it's the total compromise of all things moral. For...

Program's End Provokes Differing Views on Lutherans' Direction ... More importantly, I wish to address the unfortunate comments in the column that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is deeply divided and that it is pushing "church marketing" over the historic confessions of the evangelical Lutheran Church. The Rev. Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick As a former guest on "Issues, Etc." and as a listener to the show I was very unhappy that it was cancelled. I can't help but conclude that the cancellation was somehow related to the deep divisions that exist in our denomination and that are referred to in the...

I was baptized through the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod, and I have been an active member of the church body ever since. As a Lutheran, I’ve never thought of myself as “Protestant�, nor have I ever embraced the kind of extreme sola-scripturism that has been much in evidence in responses to Frank’s announcement. I always recognized that the Scriptures are themselves the foundation of, and very much a part of, a divine Tradition. Although I believed that only the Scriptures were infallible, I nonetheless assigned great weight to the ‘rule of faith’ established by the continuous tradition of teaching...

...when the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod canceled its popular, nationally syndicated radio program "Issues, Etc.," listeners were baffled. Billed as "talk radio for the thinking Christian," the show was known for its lively discussions analyzing cultural influences on the American church. It seemed like precisely the thing that the Missouri Synod, a 2.4-million-member denomination whose system of belief is firmly grounded in Scripture and an intellectually rigorous theology, would enthusiastically support. Despite the show's popularity, low cost and loyal donor base, Mr. Wilken and Jeff Schwarz, the producer of "Issues, Etc.," were dismissed without explanation on Tuesday of Holy Week. Within...

“Believing Is Better Than Seeing” (John 20:19-31; 1 Peter 1:3-9)The disciples were pretty lucky, weren’t they? I mean, getting to see Jesus in the flesh, to travel around with him, to see him perform his miracles, to actually see him risen from the dead, to see him with their own eyes. What could be better than that? No wonder they had such a strong faith! Too bad we can’t have that kind of faith in our day. Just look at the advantage they had! Easter day, that evening, Jesus himself comes to them, shows them his hands and his side....

A pastor whose disappearance from a small town in upstate New York triggered a search by police and the FBI was found earlier today — inside an Ohio strip club. Police said that when the Rev. Craig S. Rhodenizer, 46, was confronted by an officer, he began crying and said he couldn't remember anything about the 36 hours he was missing. But dancers at the club remembered Rhodenizer. They told investigators that Rhodenizer spent two hours drinking, soliciting dances and making threatening comments. He also said he wanted to take the dancers back to his motel, according to the police...

Usually radio hosts have to offend sacred moral sensibilities to be thrown off the air. Opie and Anthony were fired after they encouraged a couple to have sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Don Imus lost his job after using racist and sexist epithets against the Rutgers University women's basketball team. But when the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod canceled its popular, nationally syndicated radio program "Issues, Etc.," listeners were baffled. Billed as "talk radio for the thinking Christian," the show was known for its lively discussions analyzing cultural influences on the American church. It seemed like precisely the thing that the Missouri...

A task force drafting a statement on sexuality for the nation's largest Lutheran group said Thursday that the church should continue defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. However, the panel did not condemn same-gender relationships. The committee expressed regret that historic Lutheran teachings have been used to hurt gays and lesbians, and acknowledged that some congregations already accept same-sex couples. The report released by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is part of the denomination's yearslong effort to bridge internal differences over the Bible and homosexuality.

“He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” (Matthew 28:1-10)Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus...

“The Big ‘Why’ Question” (Matthew 27:45-46)Why? The question is as profound as it is short. Why? Who, what, when, and where--those are usually easy to answer. But “why,” that is the big question. That’s the case today with our Gospel reading. Who? Jesus of Nazareth, a Roman governor and soldiers, the Jewish religious leaders. What? Jesus is beaten, mocked, and crucified. When? On this day we call Good Friday, close to 2000 years ago. Where? A place called Golgotha, just outside Jerusalem. But then the question, “why,” that’s a little harder to answer. Why did things happen as they did?...