Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

In Matthew 18:15 Jesus tells us to go to a person we feel has done us wrong in some way. We need to remember that God’s goal is reconciled relationships, not the victory of one person over another. The goal is not to prove yourself right but to heal and restore the relationship.

What makes a great church? I agree with the person who said, “Trouble and struggle.” But that is true only if churches and Christians handle trouble and struggle God’s way. How do we do that? How do we approach the person we feel has wronged us? How do we go to that person?

Here is “the way to go”: Go promptly, go personally, go privately, go positively, go patiently. That’s the way to go!

First, go promptly. Don’t delay unless it’s to pray or to seek Godly confidential counsel.

Second, go personally. Don’t send an email or a text message. You need to see the other person so that each of you can see each other’s body language and facial expression.

Third, go privately. Don’t do this in front of an audience. Find the time and place that works best for the other person. Remember that your motive is Christ-like love: total commitment to the total well-being of that other person. Any other motive is not pleasing to God.

Fourth, go positively. Go for the right reason. Don’t go to ventilate; that’s not love. If you have to ventilate, find another way to do it. Go positively: not to prove a point but to restore the relationship; not to win a victory but to reclaim unity.

Fifth, go patiently. It may take more than one conversation. You may need to “go” frequently so that true reconciliation can take place. 

By the way, when you go you may find out that the other person has no clue he or she has done something wrong. The person may have acted in ignorance or simple thoughtlessness, as we all do on occasion. 

You may discover that you have some confessing and repenting to do in the relationship with that person. If that happens it will be a good exercise for you in Christian honesty and humility.

Expect God to do great things. You are acting in faith and obedience. You are doing what God is blessing, so go! 

Many who contemplate serving in a church work vocation are intimidated by the very thought of doing so. By the standards that they have constructed for those who should serve in a church work vocation, they conclude that they just don’t measure-up. They may conclude that they are not “holy” or “pious” enough, not knowledgeable enough about Scripture or Lutheran doctrine, not articulate enough, bright enough, or extroverted enough to serve in a church work vocation. By whatever standards they are utilizing in the discernment process, they conclude that they just don’t measure-up.

In 2 Cor 4:7, Paul refers to himself and all who carry the priceless treasure of the Gospel as “jars of clay.” He writes, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” A plain, ordinary clay jar – that is how Paul describes himself and others in the Church in Corinth. But they are not just clay jars. They are clay jars that contain treasure given from God.

Now one has to wonder: Why would God place this treasure in plain, frail, fragile clay jars? It happened again and again in Scripture. Moses was afraid that he was too slow of speech. Jeremiah was afraid that  he was too young. And then there were the disciples – some fishermen and a tax collector. They were not learned men and they so often seemed not to understand when it came to anything that Jesus was trying to teach them. And then there was Paul himself, a persecutor of the Christian church and a man who referred to himself as the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15). Paul’s detractors in Corinth criticized him saying that his physical appearance was weak and his speech of no value (2 Cor. 10:10). Jars of clay – all of them!

In the very same way, any church worker who is honest and knows his or her sins and limitations would have to conclude the same thing: I am just a clay jar into which God has deposited his treasure.

Fortunately, the “surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” It’s not the clay jar that is important. In fact, the clay jar doesn’t add anything to what is it contains. It isn’t supposed to add anything. It’s sole purpose is to carry the treasure so that others may view it.

It’s what is in the clay jar and what God does in and through it that is essential. As Luther reminds us in his explanation to the third article of the Apostles Creed, it is the Holy Spirit Who “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

And so if you are contemplating service as a pastor, teacher, deaconess, DCE, or any of the church work vocations, perhaps you feel as though you just don’t measure-up. Maybe you are serving in one of these vocations and frequently feel as though you just don’t measure-up. If this is your thinking, then I invite you to join me in a long line of “clay jars” who can attest to the truth that “the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

But this year, as I carefully set each piece away into its own box, I found myself enraptured by the shepherd of the nativity scene. In my traditional set, he’s depicted as very David-like, an Old Testament character I’ve always related to. The character is young, rugged, with a sheep slung over his shoulders and a look of sincere concentration on his face. If he’s positioned just right in the nativity, it’s clear he can’t take his eyes off of the baby Jesus.

Have you ever wondered why there’s only one shepherd in our nativity scenes? Unless you’re going for the entire nativity village, it seems that one teenaged boy has been chosen to represent the possibly dozens that were greeted by the shepherd and raced to an animal feeding trough to see a newborn. Why is that? Did the inventor of nativity scenes possibly think his creation would be too crowded if he or she realistically represented the shepherd quota in the scene? I mean, I don't think the original nativity exactly had elbowroom to spare.

I dare to pose a thought in response to this. The word “shepherd,” just from a quick biblegateway.com search, occurs in the bible a total of 66 times. We hear of David as a shepherd, our Father in heaven as shepherd, and even Peter is instructed by Christ to feed his sheep. So what if the one shepherd is meant to be us? As the nativity is put into place, he stands off to the side among his own smelly livestock, aloof, unsure, and completely in awe. We hear in the shepherd story of their battle between fear and overwhelming joy at the words of the angel. And then it says in Luke 2:16, “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a manger.” They hurried. Other translations use words like “with haste” and “running,” but all carry the same basic message: The shepherds didn’t walk to see their Savior.

In this Epiphany season, may we too let joy win in our hearts as we run to be with Christ. The Christmas season is over, but the True Shepherd is still calling us by name, asking us to feed His sheep, and slowly but surely guiding us home.

“What kind of church home are you looking for?” That’s an important question, one that is asked and answered in all sorts of ways as people “church-shop” from place to place. The good news is that they’re looking. The bad news is that they’re not always looking for the right things. 

One answer might be, “I want a church where I can be fed.” That’s not bad. We all need feeding, as long as it’s the right spiritual food – what we need, not always what we want. We need solid food: law and gospel along with life application from God’s Word, reinforced and made personal in the sacraments given to us by our Lord. But if all we’re doing is being fed, we’re like someone who eats and eats but never exercises. That’s unhealthy! We need to exercise our faith in service prompted by love. “I need a church where I can serve.”     

“What kind of church home are you looking for?” Another answer to that question might be, “I want a church where I can be comfortable.” That’s not bad either. We all need some level of comfort, a sense of peace, a reduction in stress, a feeling of belonging. 

But the question arises: Why am I comfortable? Maybe it’s because I’m being allowed to go on just exactly as I’ve always been, not growing, not developing, not maturing. If I’m totally comfortable, I’m not growing. 

We need to be convicted of sin. We need to be challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live a more Christ-like life. The comfort of the gospel is not the same as creature comfort. Gospel comfort is the peace that comes with the forgiveness of sins. If I’m never confronted, never convicted, never challenged, I can start thinking the cross was for all those miserable sinners who need it, but surely not for me – and that is a truly deadly deception. “I need a church where I’ll be challenged.” 

Let’s try this answer: “I want a church where Jesus is comfortable.” We know He is present where two or three gather in His name. He says so, so we know it’s true. Here’s the question: Is He comfortable being with us? Is He enjoying our company? If I’m comfortable, that may be a good thing, or maybe not. If Jesus is comfortable, I’m definitely in the right place!  

What kind of church are the people in your community looking for? How might we help them be more discerning in their search? How might our congregations and schools increasingly become places where Jesus is comfortable? 

As I write this post on January 6, the Festival of The Epiphany of our Lord, I am struck by the strong and natural connection between the two. Since Epiphany means to “make known” or “manifest,” what better connection could there be to the ordained and commissioned servants in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod whose daily vocation is to make Christ known to all people in all circumstances?

This “making known” doesn’t just mean a first encounter with Jesus. It also means a repeated “making known” in the midst of the joys and especially the sorrows of life. What encouragement comes to people in the midst of life’s trials as Christ is brought to them and “made known” to them in the promises of God’s Word. There is no substitute for it. There is nothing that can take its place or fill the vacuum that exists without it.

Just as God worked through the means of a star to guide the magi to Christ, so also God works through these humble servants to bring people to Christ and Christ to people – every day and in all circumstances. What more can we do than thank God for His “peace” in the midst of this life and for those whose vocation it is to bring it to us - pastors, teachers, DCEs, deaconesses, etc.? May this same peace, from the Prince of Peace, attend our Synod’s ordained and commissioned servants!

As the New Year begins, if you are doing an honest self-appraisal, you may be thinking, “What a mess!” Good for you! You’re being honest! As we take unflinching inventory of ourselves, we shake our heads and whisper, “Lord, have mercy. Forgive me, Lord. Save me from the mess I have made of myself.”

God says to you: “I know you better than you know yourself. I see your sins. I know things about you that nobody else knows, that even YOU don’t know. But unlike you,” God says, “I am faithful. I made you, and I’m not giving up on you. I gave my Son Jesus Christ for you, to be conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, to be born as a Baby in Bethlehem, to live a holy and sinless life in your place, and then to die on a cross in payment for your sins.

"But the tomb could not contain Him! He defeated death for you and He will come again for you, in power and in glory and in victory. And I myself will wipe away every tear from your eyes, because I love you; I love you so much!” Thus says the Lord God almighty! 

God offers us something far better than a New Year’s resolution. He offers a NEW YOU REVOLUTION.  Anyone who is in Christ Jesus is a new creation in the sight of God. So says the Word of God!   God does far more than change our behavior. He transforms our character. He creates a clean heart. He gives us a new identity. 

God looks at the one who trusts in Jesus and says, “You look like Jesus to me!”   So we can say something far deeper than “Happy New Year!” Because of Jesus, the Lord who saves, we are able to look at one another -- we are able to look in the mirror -- and say by the grace of God, “HAPPY NEW YOU!” In God's sight you’re not a mess. You’re blessed!  God’s richest blessings to you in the New Year, always, and forever.    

I admit that this post is self-contradicting by its very nature. Yet, when Time Magazine named “The Protester” its much-anticipated Person of the Year, I got to thinking, who would I name as The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Servant of the Year? I can think of many pastors, teachers and laypeople over the course of my life who would qualify, but what about this past year? Who would I want to see on the cover of The Lutheran Witness as "The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Servant of the Year?"

Again, I know this post is bordering on inappropriate. As Mark records after the disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest, “And he [Jesus] sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all’” (Mark 9:35). True servants don’t seek notoriety and earthly rewards. They simply live as redeemed, repentant, faithful, humble servants and seek to do God’s will on a daily basis. As such, they provide a wonderful and encouraging example for us all.

So who comes to your mind and why?

Upon hearing this morning Christopher Hitchens' death, I repost this blog entry from 15 months ago. While there is no evidence of Hitchens' conversion, prayers for all who are this day without Christ as their Savior would, in my humble opinion, be a very appropriate response to the death of Christopher Hitchens.
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Friday, September 10, 2010

In the latest issue of Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens, an atheist, writes a gripping article titled Unanswerable Prayers. The article surveys communications Hitchens has received since being diagnosed with throat cancer. The communications span quite a spectrum - from glee over the fact that cancer is striking the very throat that Hitchens uses to blaspheme God and that Hitchens will eventually "writhe in Hell," to the assurance of prayers that would include not only his cancerous throat, but his soul as well. There is even a website that has been established to take bets on whether or not Hitchens will convert from Atheism prior to his death.

Sept. 20 has been designated "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day" by some of his close friends. Sadly, the article ends with these words from Hitchens:

I don’t mean to be churlish about any kind intentions, but when September 20 comes, please do not trouble deaf heaven with your bootless cries. Unless, of course, it makes you feel better.
 
The article aroused many emotions in me - from anger toward some "Christians" who would express glee over anyone's cancer and prospect of "writhing in Hell,' to sadness over Hitchins' unbelief and absence of hope beyond life in this world.

I contrast this approach to the one I observed over the past two weeks when a dear friend and devout Christian lady in our congregation died. To the very end, she was an inspiration to all of an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life. Numerous people, including my wife and I, went to her home to say "good-bye for now" and to provide encouragement and strength for her through Scripture, discussion, and prayer. I think she encouraged all of us more than we did her, through her expression of faith and trust in Jesus Christ for victory over death and the grave!

In his sermon, our pastor recounted the same type of experience with her, especially noting his last visit with her when together they sang the hymn "I Know that My Redeemer Lives." After they finished, this devout Christian lady said to our pastor, "It's all true." While many tears were shed at the funeral by family and friends who will surely miss the presence of this wonderful woman here on earth, there was also a clear and overwhelming expression of thanks to God for all of His blessings to her in this life, especially for His gift to her of eternal life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

I don't know about you, but I will be praying (not just on Sept. 20) for Hitchens - and it won't be so that I can feel better.

Do we need an effort like What a Way in our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod? Do we need more pastors, teachers, DCEs, and deaconesses? As long as we have people like Christopher Hitchens facing eternity without Jesus Christ, the answer is "YES!"

Your comments and reactions are welcomed!

Eric Weiner, the author of “Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine,” wrote an interesting column in the New York Times over the weekend describing the religious “Nones” in America, a group to which he belongs.  He indicates that 12% of Americans are Nones and nearly double that percentage of young people in America are Nones.

What are Nones? Weiner describes them: “Nones are the undecided of the religious world. We drift spiritually and dabble in everything from Sufism to Kabbalah to, yes, Catholicism and Judaism.” They do, according to Weiner, believe in the existence of “God” or a “higher power.”

In a perfect post-modern description of “truth,” Weiner writes, “Nones don’t get hung up on whether a religion is “true” or not, and instead subscribe to William James’s maxim that “truth is what works.” If a certain spiritual practice makes us better people — more loving, less angry — then it is necessarily good, and by extension “true.”

While Lutherans could respond by quoting John 14:6 - "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” would this be the best approach? I think not.

Why not use Weiner’s own definition of truth in response and provide witness from our own lives concerning how well this “truth works” in our own lives? Apparently the changed life of the Christian is what appeals to Nones and Christians should not hesitate to provide witness to Nones or any other non-Christian about the peace that only Christ can give and how that peace is present in our lives. It is a great opportunity to let the love we have for one another and for all people to be observed by Nones in works of love. As James wrote, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

In a somewhat hopeful note, Weiner adds, “We Nones may not believe in God, but we hope to one day. We have a dog in this hunt.”

The “dog in this hunt” is the same for all of us – our eternal relationship with God. I suggest a winsome engagement of Nones, atheists, and all who do not confess Jesus Christ as Savior. Starting with what is “true” in our lives, we can provide a winsome and powerful witness to the love God has for all people and what that love moved Him to do. The Parable of the Sower reminds us that the Word will not always be received and will not always result in faith. Yet, we continue to sow the seed in love because everyone has “a dog in this hunt.”

The “dog in this hunt” is also the reason that we keep praying to the Lord of the Harvest to raise-up the next generation of pastors, teachers, DCEs, deaconesses, etc. Rev. Michael Redeker, sr. vice president for enrollment management at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis said it very well in speaking about the need for pastors, “As long as there are people who die every day apart from faith in Christ Jesus, then Christ needs pastors.”

Your comments are welcomed.

During this Advent season, I have been struck by two examples of confident, comfortable, even smug atheism. The first is a story that appeared in the New York Times titled “The Unbelievers.” It chronicles the growth of a Facebook group called Black Atheists. To quote the article:

In the two years since [its origin], Black Atheists has grown to 879 members from that initial 100, YouTube confessionals have attracted thousands, blogs like “Godless and Black” have gained followings, and hundreds more have joined Facebook groups like Black Atheist Alliance (524 members) to share their struggles with “coming out” about their atheism.

African-Americans have been and remain more religious than the general American public. The article quotes a Pew Forum 2008 survey that concluded “88 percent of African-Americans believe in God with absolute certainty, compared with 71 percent of the total population, with more than half attending religious services at least once a week.” So it is particularly striking when groups of African-American atheists are so public and popular.

The other example of atheism that struck me was the way an atheist blogger (not on the What a Way blog!) ended his blog post: “Merry Christmyth.”

As every indicator points to an increasingly “post-church” culture in America, we should expect expressions of unbelief to more and more prevalent. Our initial reactions might include surprise, anger, or bewilderment. But I am convinced that our reaction must include engagement, not withdrawal. Winsome engagement, modeled by Jesus, should be our approach to those who are espousing comfortable, confident, even smug atheism.

How important also that we continue to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will raise-up the next generation of pastors, teachers, DCEs, deaconesses, and others in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod who will fervently shine the light of the Gospel forward into a world that seems to be increasingly darkened by unbelief. As the Christ candle is lighted in our churches this Christmas, I will remember and rejoice in the clear and simple truth concerning Christ that John wrote, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5).

A blessed remainder of Advent to you, and a joy-filled celebration of Christ’s birth – the light that shines in the darkness!

“Merry Christmas!” The greeting rings out with gusto and sincerity. The honest response in many cases might be, “Thanks, but I’m having a MESSY Christmas!”

The weather is lousy. People are annoying. Services don’t go as planned. Students don’t listen to directions. Family pressures mount. Stores and roads are crowded. Crises come in clusters. Christmas can be more messy than merry. 

That’s the kind of Christmas Mary and Joseph had 2000 years ago: a very messy Christmas — Mary expecting a baby before she and Joseph were married — about to give birth far away from home after a long and tiring journey — surrounded by strangers upset to have had their lives disrupted by the government, forced to travel long distances so they could stand in long lines and fill out long forms and pay more taxes — a “no vacancy” sign on every hotel in town. They finally got to stay in some kind of cave or shed, and that’s where their Child was born. No jingle bells, no celebrations, no glittering packages with beautiful bows. No crib for a bed, but only a manger, a feeding trough for animals, for the little Lord Jesus to lay down His sweet head. Not a merry Christmas, but a very messy Christmas.

“And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son.” In the person of Jesus, God got Himself physically, personally involved in this world. He got Himself into this mess of ours, to walk through it with us, to weep with us, to laugh with us, to comfort us, to challenge us, to call us to follow Him on the path to life that is truly life, life with Him forever. 

If and when things don’t go as you planned this Christmas, remember that Christmas is not about everything and everybody being perfect. It’s about God becoming one of us to bring us back to Him. It’s about God getting His hands dirty and bloody, loving us too much to let us go to hell, loving us so much that He placed our sins upon His Son, crediting us with the holiness of Christ.   

Nobody wants a messy Christmas, but a messy Christmas can open our hearts to the real MESSAGE of Christmas: “The Word of God became flesh and made His dwelling among us . . . the only-begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” A messy Christmas can get our eyes and minds and hearts off the baubles and bows, the glitz and the glitter. The mess creates a longing to hear the message, and in the midst of the mess we behold the Messenger who is the Messiah: Jesus.

Okay, that’s great and all. But what does hope have to do with your daily walk? And did I really tell you what hope is yet? Well, personally when I hear the word “hope,” a website comes to mind. GivesMeHope.com was created in response to FML.com, a website where people were supposed to post stories about the most horrible moments in their lives. Gives Me Hope then challenges people to remember the random moments of kindness, affection, and caring that humans still share with each other on a daily basis. It’s become a regular practice of mine that when I have a really bad day, I log onto this site, and by the time I close my computer, I have hope again.

The following are just a few of the top stories on GivesMeHope.com:

“Today I was approached by a homeless man who asked if I had any change. I only had two dimes, but I gave them to him anyway. As I watched him walk away, he put the dimes in an expired parking meter of a stranger’s car. Someone who can’t afford to buy himself something to eat but helps others GMH.”

“Today my school had a fire drill. I was standing outside with one of the most popular football players, when a Down Syndrome girl came up to him and wanted to hold his hand because she was scared.  Happily, he held her hand in front of all his friends back to class.

 His soft side in front of his boys GMH.”

“Last month, we visited my grandmother. She has a strange case of Alzheimer's.     

When she denied being married, my grandfather looked up. We could tell this killed him inside. Instead of getting angry, he stood up, walked over to her bed and asked her out again. His love for her GMH.”

“3 days ago, my best friend died. 2 days ago, I found that she was an organ donor. 1 day ago, I heard that a nine-year-old boy now had her heart. Today, I met that nine-year-old boy. He told me that because he had my best friends heart, he’d be my best friend now. He and my best friend GMH.”

This last one’s my favorite:

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:6-7). Christ’s birth GMH.

As followers of Christ, we are called to a life of hope, the feeling that Christ was born here, has walked with us, and will come again. May we all feel this “thing with feathers” in our hearts this Advent season.

Raymond Van Buskirk writes clearly and compellingly about “evil in the church and school” in his post of November 17. He is bringing up a vital subject that is worthy of careful attention and thoughtful action. 

Thankfully, some excellent work has been done on the subject of “antagonists in the church” – most notably a fine book by that name published in 1988 by Dr. Kenneth Haugk, a classmate and friend of mine who is the founder of Stephen Ministries. The book is published by Augsburg Fortress and is available from various websites, including Amazon. 

Antagonists in the Church seeks to define, identity, prevent, and deal with those persons who cause most of the heartache in church/school conflict situations. They are commonly labeled “alligators.” Many of them are suffering from personality disorders.   

Dr. Haugk identifies antagonists as “individuals who, on the basis of nonsubstantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others.” He divides antagonists into three different types: hard-core, major, and moderate. There are different approaches to define, identify, prevent, and deal with each type. Dr. Haugk offers excellent advice from a mature spiritual perspective and with much practical insight.   

Do not to try to go it alone when dealing with an antagonist. Use the resources of the body of Christ, the church, to defend against the attacker. For a pastor, this usually means involving the Board of Elders early and often.  Sometimes a fellow member or group of members is much more effective than the pastor in dealing with an antagonist. 

Not all opponents are antagonists. We should not label as an “alligator” everyone who disagrees with us. Sometimes those who oppose our ideas do so for good reasons, such as the fact that we ourselves may be on the wrong track. 

We can be grateful that true antagonists are few and far between. But when they exist, they must be identified and dealt with decisively and effectively, for the good of the body and for their own sake as well, lest they become hardened in their heart because of persistent, unrepented sin. 

Finally, I would offer this admonition to all ministers of the gospel, ordained and commissioned: Make sure you are not the antagonist.  Don’t you be the alligator!   

Let’s keep this important conversation going!

When a phenomenon occurs time and time again following the occurrence of something else, you finally have to conclude that there probably is a strong cause-effect relationship.

Well, it happened again this year at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. When asked which person had a strong influence on first-year seminarians enrolling at Concordia Seminary, 91% of the entering students indicated that “a pastor” had a strong influence. It may be their current pastor, a pastor who confirmed them, a vacancy pastor, or a pastor who only served them for a short time, but nine out of 10 incoming seminary students cited a pastor as a strong influence toward their seminary enrollment.

To be sure, God has been at work since the waters of baptism were applied to these seminarians. To be sure, God provided them with continued nurture through Word and Sacrament. To be sure, He provided them with gifts and the desire to serve (inner call, as Lutherans refer to it) in the noble task of pastoral ministry (1 Tim. 3:1).

Yet, God also provides affirmation and encouragement toward service in the pastoral ministry through the means of others in the Body of Christ, especially pastors it would seem. Two pastors were extremely influential in providing this affirmation and encouragement in my life, especially during my teen years. President Harrison, in the Encourage video he recorded for What a Way, recounted how a vicar was extremely influential in his seminary enrollment. I suspect that a very similar story could be told by nearly every ordained minister in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

While my experience is related to pastoral ministry, I suspect the same is true when it comes to preparing to serve as a Lutheran school teacher, DCE, deaconess, etc. Not only pastors, but teachers, DCEs, deaconesses, etc., are extremely influential through their lives of service and through their affirmation and encouragement to young people.

Let me encourage you to:

• Share your story – anonymously if you prefer – in the comments section below concerning a pastor, teacher, DCE, deaconess, or more than one, who served to affirm and encourage you toward your vocation as a church worker.
• Share your story – anonymously if you prefer – in the comments section below concerning someone for whom you serve in the role as model, affirmer and encourager.
• Look around – Is there someone you could affirm and encourage toward a church work vocation?
• Above all, pray, that the Lord of the Harvest would continue to raise-up workers, the next generation of workers, for His harvest (Matt. 9:38). I look forward to thanking God for His faithfulness in responding to the prayers of His people as we observe, “It Happened Again!”

Sometimes we need encouragement to keep pressing on when circumstances seem overwhelming and impossible. God’s Word contains many examples for our strength and inspiration. The great “cloud of witnesses” recorded in Hebrews chapter 11 is a great source of encouragement when times get tough, as the first few verses of Hebrews 12 remind us – while pointing us to the One who endured the torments of hell to bring us the joys of heaven. 

The history of the church is rich with the stories of those who have gone before us in steadfast faith and enduring hope. It can be a joyful exercise to read biographies (brief or otherwise) of the great men and women of God on whose shoulders we stand. 

And now we have another example, not from Scripture, not from the history of the church, but from the world of sports: the 2011 World Series champions, the St. Louis Cardinals! Their improbable story is all the more meaningful for us LCMS Lutherans since they come from our very own “Zion on the Mississippi.” I can only imagine the breadth and brilliance of the smiles on the faces of our fellow Lutherans in congregations around St. Louis, at our Concordia Seminary, and in the halls and offices of our synod’s International Center. 

In late August no one – and I mean no one – gave the Cardinals a chance of making the playoffs, much less going to the World Series, never mind winning it. But the players and their manager didn’t give up or lose hope. They kept pressing on, moving forward, plodding along, being faithful each day to the game that needed to be played, sticking together, trusting each other, having each other’s backs when times got tough.

The sixth game of the World Series was one for the ages. I still can’t believe what the Cardinals did in the last few innings of that game. Then, when they got behind by two runs in the first inning of the seventh game, they came right back with two of their own in their half of the inning. The rest is history.   

All the players who were interviewed after the sixth and seventh games gave credit to manager Tony LaRussa for never giving in or giving up. As they said, “It starts at the top.” In the postgame award ceremony, LaRussa pointed to a game in late August or early September when the Cardinals were on the short end of a 1-0 game going into the bottom of the ninth. The fans suddenly started cheering like mad even before the first batter came to the plate, and the Cardinals ended up winning the game. LaRussa said that game was the turning point in the season from his perspective. 

So as you go about the ministry into which God has called you, with whom do you identify? The players? The manager? The fans? Here’s the point: They are all important! You have an important part to play. Whether you’re ten games behind or world champions, keep pressing on, doing your part, being faithful to what’s in front of you each day, one day at a time, one step at a time. Daily faithfulness is the name of the game.