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Monday, July 31, 2006

Church and Moralism

Below is a comment I left on the Beast's blog earlier. Go here to see his post.


Very interesting post. I like what you wrote very much. I haven't read about Pastor Boyd, but he may really be on to something.

Certainly the Bible teaches us how to live holy lives. And certainly it is God's will for His children to lead holy lives. And the Christian Church will, at times, proclaim messages that overlap with current events or social issues.

But you are abso-tively correct that the Bible is not just a book of do's and don'ts It's firstly a book about Jesus and His saving work for humanity. That should always be our central focus.

I personally squirm a little when churches are so quick to adopt secular holidays like 4th of July, Mother's Day, Veteran's Day but ignore historic Christian holy days such as Epiphany, Ascension Day or the season of Lent. But that's another topic.

There is something a bit off about too much blending of Christian teaching with politics and current events. Yes, as I said, the bible does address many issues that happen to show up in the daily papers and the church must teach clearly the whole counsel of God.

But I do not believe the church is the proper place to display the American flag or sing the national anthem or anything like that. God is not (gasp!) an American. Nations rise and fall and ours will be no exception. America is not the new Israel (the church is). We are not the chosen nation (the church is).

Revelation talks about heaven being filled with people from every tribe, nation and tongue. Which flag do they salute in their sanctuary? Whose anthem do they sing in worship? Wouldn't it be great if the church on earth would better reflect the church in heaven?

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Ecumenical Blogging

One of the things I love about blogging is the network of friendships I have found with Christians all over the nation and of varying confessions.

Two blogs that I check every single day and always get a kick out of reading are from Darrell, the devout Roman Catholic, at SouthCon and from Philip, the Southern Baptist youth pastor, over at The Beast's Lair. They are my peeps.

This is true ecumenism, my friends. We have never been afraid to discuss our differences, but I have been delighted by the civility and warmth and supportiveness these blogging buddies have demonstrated. I certainly do not believe in sweeping doctrinal disagreements under the rug, but it has been enlightening to find out how much we share in common.

Don't get me wrong. I have personally never been more convinced of the veracity of the Lutheran Confessions, but I find that when I hang out only with Lutherans of like convictions, we become sort of, well, smug.

I heard someone put it this way. Confessional Lutherans are like manure. When you spread them around they can do a lot of good. But if you put them all in one place, they just make a big stink.

Anyhoo, go check out SouthCon and The Beast's Lair.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006

My Announcement

Friends,
I announced to my congregation today that I have accepted the call as the Director of Admissions for Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN. Our moving date is not certain because that depends to an extent on the moving company. It will likely be the third week of August. Our son will begin 5th grade in St. Paul Lutheran School I think the 23rd. My plan is to return to preach a farewell sermon on August 20th.

I approached this with varied emotions. There is a novel called The Hammer of God by the late Swedish Lutheran bishop, Bo Giertz, in which one of the characters says something like, "Can there be anything more wonderful than being a pastor in God's church?" And the answer to that question is no. And it is after prayer and consultation with trusted advisors that I am accepting this opportunity to have a small role in the recruitment and preparation of the future pastors of God's church. I thank everyone for their prayers and advice.

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Friday, July 28, 2006

Children of Men

P.D. James is one of my favorite contemporary writers. She's an octagenarian English woman who primarily writes detective novels. But anyone who's ever read a P.D. James book knows that she's not just another Stuart Woods or Michael Connelly. Her books are literature in the finest sense. She is also a Christian, a fact that any reader of her novels can discern.

But her most explicitly Christian novel was not a crime story. It was an unlikely sci-fi tale called The Children of Men. It is a wonderful novel. And now it's being made into a major film. I just hope they don't gut it. The preview (see here) looks promising.

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Getting There

So here we sit in the Denver airport (online, of course). I had a minor boo-boo with the rental car so we got to the car place early to get that taken care of. At present, it appears that our credit card will take of it (whew!).

Looking forward to getting home. I have some hospitalized parishoners to visit and a sermon to prepare for Sunday. So I'll be hopping back in the saddle pretty quickly.

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Thursday, July 27, 2006

Vaca Comes to an End

Well, Julie, Jacob and I will return home to Pittsburgh tomorrow. It's been a great time out here in the West. But it's always nice to come home.

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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

InterState Abortion Bill

So 34 U.S. senators voted against this bill. The bill which says that you can't transport a minor over state lines for an abortion without parental consent. How morally empty do you have to be to vote against this bill?

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Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Bearing False Witness

The 8th commandment is "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." This is the commandment that everyone breaks and that no one breaks. What I mean is that this is the commandment that people always break against you, but which you never break against someone else. It's is hard to justify murder or lust, but easy to justify breaking the 8th commandment. "Oh, I'm just reporting what I heard." "I know what he said, but here is what he really meant...." And so on.

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther explainse it this way:

We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest possible way.
In another translation, the last line says, "put the best construction on everything." That seems to be the rub.

On the one hand, I think this requires some qualification. Sometimes putting the best construction on something results is sugar-coating bad behavior. And that is something we should never do.

For instance, if a Sunday school child tells me his uncle is molesting him, I don't just pat the lad on the head and say, "Now, now. How can we explain this in the kindest possible way? Your uncle is just really affectionate and likes to hug you with his pants off." Sure, innocent till proven guilty, but take every accusation or hint of impropriety seriously.

Another example I've heard is when a man keeps beating up his wife and she excuses him saying, "Oh, I know he's a good man deep inside. He really does love me. He only hits me when he's drunk anyway."

Hmmm... Oscar Mayer produces a meat-type product that answers that. BALONEY. Sorry, sweetie. The man's a creep. He does not love you.

How does that beautiful paean to love from St. Paul go: "Love is patient. Love is kind. Love will punch you in the face, but only when drunk...."

Just like faith w/o works is dead, so also love. Call the cops. Move out. Get help. Don't let anyone use a perverted understanding of the 8th commandment to to keep you from doing what is necessary. According to Luther, the theology of the cross calls a thing what it is. Preserving that man's rep is not as important as saving your life.

ON THE OTHER HAND - and this is what I initially set out to write about - how quick we are to judge one another. Explain things in the kindest possible way? Seems like sometimes folks bend over backwards to attach the worst possible interpretation to your words or actions.

One thing I always advise couple who come to me for pre-marital instruction is this: Never assume you know what the other person is thinking. And never ever think that you know another person's motives. Certainly, I can judge your words and actions, but not your motives. Never. Why? Because only you know what your motives are and maybe you're not even sure.

So here are some practical ways to understand and obey this commandment:

  • Don't assume you know someone's true motives.
  • Don't read so much btwn the lines.
  • Remember that you are not a mindreader.
  • Remember that gossip is a sin.
  • But DO call a thing what it is. Do not feel you must put a good construction on truly bad behavior.

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Overstreet Is Underwhelmed by "Lady in the Water"

Jeffrey Overstreet runs a blog that I like to check almost daily. He writes about pop culture from a Christian perspective.

Like him, I have enjoyed all of M. Night Shyamalan's major films thus far. My favorite is definitely Unbreakable but all of them are great. So I'm a bit sad to read Overstreet's review of the latest Shyamalan picture, Lady in the Water. It stars Paul Giamatti, whom I think is terrific. And Bryce Howard stole the show in The Village. But according to Overstreet, Shyamalan's script is too weak for even the finest actors to pull off effectively.

In the final analysis, Overstreet gives the movie a "B-". And to be frank, a B- for a Shyamalan film - in my opinion - is worth more than an A for most other directors. But nonetheless, as one who sits anxiously on th edge of his seat for the next Shyamalan movie to come out, I am a wee bit disheartened.

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Monday, July 24, 2006

15 Funniest Films According to FilmGeeks

Here's a great list of the Film Geek's Fifteen Funniest Films.

It's a great list. I think I'd add Young Frankenstein.

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Sunday, July 23, 2006

"Doctrine Monster?" I've Been Called Worse

I loved and could totally relate to this post by Pastor Chryst.

Since the word "doctrine" simply means "teaching" and since in the context of Christianity, the word "doctrine" means "the teachings of God's Word," I don't see how any believer can not be passionate about pure doctrine.

Of course, there are Church Bullies in every denomination. And the LCMS is no different. Pure Doctrine is not a club to beat up our opponents with or a badge of superiority. The chief aim here is not simply to "be right" or to win debates or to intimidate those who disagree. The kingdom will not come by sword or force or arrogantly bullying our opponents. Smugness is not a virtue. Nastiness in the name of orthodoxy is repugnant.

But on the other hand, it seems to me that in our day and age an equally pernicious difficulty facing American Christianity is theological laziness and doctrinal indifference. The temptation is to reduce Christianity to a shared experience or raw moralism.

People will say the word "doctrine" like it's a profanity or as if it literally puts a foul taste in the mouth. How can this be? Some will say something along the lines of, "as long as we love Jesus, why make a big deal of doctrine?" The answer is because our doctrine is nothing other than God's Word. It is not possible to love Jesus AND be indifferent to the His Word. It is not possible to proclaim Jesus rightly without maintaining doctrinal integrity. Doctrine matters because God matters and what God says matters. It matters more than human opinion, more than misty religious experience; it matters even more than moral reform.

Confidence does not have to equal arrogance. Boldness does not require a sharp tongue. But neither does love mean wishy-washiness or humility equate with uncertainty.

God's Word is the lamp to our feet and the light for our path. God's Word is the powerful message of salvation. God's Word creates, destroys, kills and gives birth. Mixing human philosophy with God's Word or mixing contemporary opinions with God's Word do not sttrenthen the Church, do not make Jesus more relevant. It only pollutes us all. I am not embarrassed by my passion about speaking God's Word correctly.

Nor am I above correction. Being passionate about pure doctrine does not mean that I never err. When I say that your doctrine is wrong, I don't mean that I hate you or that I am better than you. And if you find it necessary to correct me, then do so on the basis of Holy Scripture and sound reasoning and I will listen. Ad Hominem attacks - though not unheard of in Church history - are not the way to go. I believe that thoughtful and careful argument is good for us. As someone wise once said, the only reason we fight is because we don't know how to argue.

If by "Doctrine Monster" you mean arrogant smart-alek who nit-picks everyone to death, then may I never be one. If, however, you mean a bold confessor of the faith (creed) handed down to us, then I'll take the title gladly.

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Friday, July 21, 2006

"The Feast" Was Awesome!

I want to report that the weeklong Lutheran youth gathering in Colorado Springs was abso-posi-lutely awesome! Kudos to the hard work of Rev. Marcus Zill and his 10 zillion faithful helpers. Higher Things youth organization is doing a terrific job of training the future of our churches in sound doctrine, biblical knowledge and wisdom for life. I am ALWAYS impressed, not only with the excellence of the conferences, but also with the excellence of the participating youth.

For three days, I lectured on The Da Vinci Code. We covered some heavy duty stuff. The deity of Christ. The development of the biblical canon. Art history. And so forth. But the kids were attentive and engaged. I had numerous participants ask me to send them my PowerPoint presentation. Why? So that they could show it to their family and friends who are being deceived by Dan Brown. RIGHT ON!

So if any of the youth participants who were present and might want a copy of the presentation, just send me your email address and your snail mail address. I will either send it to you via internet (if you have a hi-speed connection) or on a disk. But you have to finish this sentence in an email to me: Dan Brown eats...

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Thursday, July 20, 2006

St. Ephrem the Syrian on the Da Vinci Code

In researching about The Da Vinci Code this evening, I found this wonderful sermon by St. Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306-373). Below are few quotes, but the whole sermon can be found here.

“If He was not flesh, who was lying in the manger? And if He was not God, whom did the Angels come down and glorify?

“If He was not flesh, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes? And if He was not God, whom did the shepherds worship?


“If He was not flesh, whom did Mary suckle? And if He was not God, to whom did the Magi offer gifts?


“If He was not flesh, who was invited to the wedding in Cana of Galilee? And if He was not God, who turned the water into wine?


“If He was not flesh, who fell asleep in the boat? And if He was not God, who rebuked the winds and the sea?


“If He was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if He was not God, who by His command brought out one four days dead?


“If He was not flesh, who was struck with a blow? And if He was not God, who cured the ear that had been cut off by Peter and restored it to its place?


“If He was not flesh, who stood before Pilate at the judgment seat? And if He was not God, who made Pilate’s wife afraid by a dream?


“If He was not flesh, who was hung on the cross? And if He was not God, who shook the earth from its foundations?


“If He was not God and man, our salvation is a lie, and the words of the Prophets are lies.”

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Let's Get the Party Started

So Julie and I are now at The Feast in Colorado Springs. This is the 2006 Higher Things Lutheran Youth conference. Both of us are doing mega-sectionals which begin this morning. Mine is a three part thing on The Da Vinci Code. And she is doing one on being a Christian writer along with Miss Adrian Dorr, the Higher Things magazine assistant editor. Read about what Julie and Adrian are up to here.

My stuff on Da Vinci won't be too hard for me because I just did a series on that topic for my congregation. I just had to turn my 4-part series into a 3-part and then youth-ize it.

If you are ever looking for a great cause to support, consider throwing some money at Higher Things. This is an organization committed to in-depth catechesis for the church's young people. This is not an effort to compete with other official synodical youth ministry, but to complement it. We have gatherings like this every summer and they are held all over the country. I believe that in 07, we'll start having them at two locations. These are much smaller than the triennial synodical youth gatherings (only 1500-2000) but are often much less expensive. But if you believe that offering week long retreats packed with fun, worship and study for teenagers is important, pray for Higher Things.

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Monday, July 17, 2006

Our Working Vacation

Hi all,
Julie and Jacob and I flew to visit my inlaws in Denver today. Tomorrow, we drive down to Colorado Springs for the annual Higher Things Youth Conference. Julie and I are both doing mega-sectionals.

When we're done with this on Friday, we're going to my inlaws's cabin in Grand Lake for a few days. You may be reading horse riding stories from me that day. And then we are going to the Hot Springs Lodge in Glenwood Springs for a few days - a family favorite vacation spot.

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Sunday, July 16, 2006

Solus Christus

When we say that we are saved through faith alone, what do we really mean? Are we saying that repentance is unessential? No. The Lutheran Confessions understand repentance to be part of saving faith and faith to be part of repentance. Are we saying that good works are unimportant? No. It is clear that a person who apprehends what Christ has done and appropriates those treasures for himself will produce works of love toward his neighbor. As Luther says, "It is as impossible to separate faith from works as it is to separate heat from light in fire."

It seems to me that what we are really saying with sola fide is that the sinner is saved solely and completely by Jesus Christ. We really mean solus Christus. We are acknowledging that I can add nothing to the work of Christ for my salvation, that His work is complete and sufficient to save me and all sinners.

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New Blog

The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Naumann is a Lutheran pastor in Pittsburgh and has just entered the blogging universe. Check him out.

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"Man of the Cloth"

I have always wondered about the origin of that phrase. What cloth? Thanks to Pr. Petersen for finally clearing up this great mystery.

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Friday, July 14, 2006

The Gesticulator

Someone told me recently that when public speaking, I need to pay more attention to my hands. I gesture a lot. And I was told that, according to body language experts, whenever a speaker touches his mouth or nose it means he is lying. And I touched my nose a couple of times. I explained that I have allergies and when they begin to kick in my nose itches. But I guess I better be more careful.

Here I am lecturing in Abakhan with the mighty Pr. Alexei Streltsov as my translator.








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Media I Am Presently Consuming

Books



Music

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Thursday, July 13, 2006

Thou Shalt Not Drinketh Beer

Recently the Southern Baptist Convention issued this statement in total opposition to consumption of alcoholic beverages.

While I do respect their intentions, I cannot affirm this decision. The Scriptures clearly condemn drunkeness. And having just returned from Russia, I can attest to what a serious problem alcohol abuse is in that country. People everywhere are seen carrying open bottles of beer and spirits. Public intoxication there is common. I had 5 or 6 different drunk people attempt to engage me in public places such as airports, on an airplane, train stations, and the beach. Without doubt, such alcohol consumption is socially and spiritually destructive.

But I also believe that watching television more than an hour or two per week is socially and spiritually destructive. The same with Big Macs. Gluttony and obesity are also serious social, health, and spiritual issues in our time. If overeating is one of the seven deadly sins, having 3 squares a day is not.

I respect any person (Christian or otherwise) who makes the decision to not drink alcohol. I met a number of very solid Lutheran pastors in Russia who avoid alcohol, not because they see it as sinful in itself but because of the issues mentioned above. But mandating temperance is not a good solution.

First, it is pharisaical to make religious/moral legislation beyond what is contained in Scripture. There really is no avoiding the daily use of alcoholic beverages in Bible times. "The fruit of the vine" is unquestionably alcoholic wine. Before the invention of pasteurization in the 19th century and without refrigeration, it is not possible to keep grape juice from fermenting. People drank wine. Jesus made high quality wine, in massive quantities, at the wedding of Cana. In addition, there is the symbolic eschatological dimension to wine in the Bible. It is always associated with the joyfulness of banquets and feasts, particularly wedding feasts which are visages of the great wedding feast of the Lamb in heaven.

OK, so I am not defending alcohol abuse. I just think it's wrong to bind consciences in this way by totally condemning even moderate alcohol consumption.

In Colossians, St. Paul says not to let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink. I don't ridicule those who abstain and I ask not to be condemned for the occasional pint of ale.

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Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Losing Her Religion

The woman whose given name is in honor of the Mother of God (Madonna) is reportedly about to renounce the heretical Jewish mystic school of thought known as Kabbalah. See here. She is so very typical of postmodern humanity. Try an exotic religion. Go whole hog even. But abandon it when it gets boring, loses it sexiness, or causes inconveniences. Actually, I am glad that she is ditching Kabbalah. It's just that we so often see the same mentality in the Church. "I'm a disciple of Jesus until it interferes in my human relationships." Or "I'm a Christian until it actually makes demands on how I raise my kids." Or "I will follow Christ as long as all my felt-needs are getting scratched."

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Lecturing on Ethics

Here I am teaching on a Sunday afternoon in Abekhan, Russia. My main series of lectures were on Christian Ethics. I spent the first half of the seminar describing the difference between justification and sanctification. And the last couple of days, I taught the Ten Commandments. Actually I only got through the first 6.

The young woman in orange you see assiduously scribbling notes in the front row is Gloria. She is a deaconess student at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN. She is from Tomsk, Russia and is doing her year-long internship at a Christian crisis pregnancy center in Novosibirsk, Russia.

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

For "Sola Fide" But Against Antinomianism

A few blurbs from Article III of the Formula of Concord (SD).

These treasures (of Christ) are brought to us by the Holy Spirit in the promise of the Holy Gospel. Faith alone is the only means through which we lay hold on, accept, apply, and take them for ourselves (10).

Nor, on the other hand, is this the meaning: without repentance, conversion and renewal we can or should yield to sins and remain and continue in them. True contrition must come first (22).

Love is a fruit that surely and necessarily also follows true faith. The fact that a person does not love is a sure sign that he is not justified. He is still in death or has lost the righteousness of faith again, as John says (1John 3:14).... Good works do not come before justification but follow it.... (27)

It is also correct to say that believers who have been justified through faith in Christ first have the righteousness of faith credited to them in this life. Then, they also have the initial righteousness of the new obedience or of good works. But these two types of righteousness must not be mixed with each other or both be injected into the article of justification by faith before God. For this initial righteousness or renewal in us is incomplete and impure in this life because of the flesh. A person cannot stand with and on the ground of this righteousness before God's court. Before God's court only the righteousness of Christ's obedience, suffering and death - which is credited to faith - can stand (32)

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Sola Fide or What?

A blogging buddy is doing a discussion on Sola Fide over at his blog. I'd put his address here, but I am honestly concerned about inadvertantly directing a bunch of Lutheran and protestant shi'ites over to bury him in comments. It is not my intention to flood him with rabid Reformationistas. He is a good friend and sound thinker. And he is making a good and good-natured foray into apologetics.

But, I did write a little something and figured why write two posts in one day. So I've included a slimmed down version here. Tell me what you think. And if you are nice and WINSOME (as another good blogging budy would say), I'll allow others to read your comments.


What is meant by "faith?" Is faith simply declaring that one believes in God. No, even the devil believes in God and shudders. Is faith merely believing that Jesus is the Son of God who died for the sins of the world. No, again, the devil understands this much. The Lutheran Confessions state that faith is how we "lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them (the treasures of Christ) to ourselves."

Faith - by definition - includes contrition and repentance. And this kind of faith, alone, justifies the sinner in the eyes of God. But such faith is never truly alone.

The Lutheran Confessions also state that it is just as impossible to separate true living faith from a life of good works as it is to separate heat from light in fire. No one can have faith who does not have repentance.

The important distinction, in my view, is that btwn justification and sanctification. I say "distinction" not "division." Am I righteous in the eyes of God on account of Christ only or on account of both Christ and my own merits?

My understanding is that we are counted righteous on account of what Christ alone has done. And believing, laying hold, accepting, applying and appropriating that to myself is what I mean by "sola fide."

Sanctification refers to the inner renewal, transformation and life of good works that necessarily follows justification (not temporally but logically).

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Monday, July 10, 2006

Pastors on Depression

Many of you suffer from some form of clinical depression or anxiety disorder. Or you know someone who does.

A Lutheran pastor has now started a blog, Dark My Road, to discuss his own personal journey with mental illness. It is definitely worth your attention.

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Sunday, July 09, 2006

Young Lutheran Church in Siberia

One of the things that struck me about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Siberia is how youthful it is. And I'm not just referring to the newness of this Confessional Lutheran church body. I mean that there are lots of kids, teens and young adults active in this church and that is so encouraging. And refreshing. Even their head bishop-elect and many of their clergy and lay leaders are young.

It seems to me that the generation who came of age after the fall of the Iron Curtain are eager and open toward spiritual matters. And they crave substance. The Christianity Lite which American Christians often prefer isn't going to cut it. I just pray that they continue to have a zeal for sound doctrine and in-depth teaching. It is bearing amazing fruit thus far.






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Saturday, July 08, 2006

I'm Home from Russia, y'all

Thanks to everyone who remembered me in your prayers while I was traversing across Siberia for the past three weeks. I visited 8 cities, went through 11 different airports (half of them twice), 4 different train stations, and slept in at least 10 different beds. I literally flew and trained around the globe. I left going west and never stopped going west until I landed again in Chicago 3 weeks later.

I got home yesterday (about 7 p.m. Eastern time), a teensy bit tuckered out. The photo you see here is me at Red Square in Moscow on our last day in Russia. Notice on the left the famous onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral. And to the right, the ziggurat thingy in front of the clock tower, is V. Lenin's tomb.

The trip consisted of three main stops in order to participate in theological seminars for laity and clergy alike. The local Lutheran congregations have used these seminars quite successfully as opportunities first to further catechise their parishoners and secondly as means for outreach and evangelization. I had two sets of lectures at each stop: Christian Ethics and The Meaning of Suffering.

We began in the far east of Russia at Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka. The second seminar was held at a spa resort (not as fancy by Western standards as it might sound) in the woods outside of Chita. And lastly at St. Luke's parish in Abekhan. There is too much to say to go into any length about the trip here in a single post.

I'll just say that it was an excellent mission trip. The people were wonderful and responded favorably to the seminars. I enjoyed very much getting to know these fine Russian Lutheran Christians.

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Home

Hi everyone. This is the last post from Julie. Scott got home safely last night. Just wanted to update everyone, since he is somewhat sleepy right now. His flight was a bit late, but he had no problems with luggage or any other delays. He was a bit bleary-eyed last night, but also dying to show us his photos and tell us lots of stories from his trip. I'm sure he will want to give an update, just as soon as he's semi-conscious again. Thank you again for all of your prayers.

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Thursday, July 06, 2006

Homebound

It's Julie writing again. By now, Scott is probably in Novosobirsk, so he is on his way west! He said they have a layover there for awhile, so they were thinking about taking him over to the Lutheran seminary. Then they catch their plane to Moscow for an overnight stay, and then Scott will be on his way home.

I'm sure he is excited about updating all of you about his travels, and I personally want to thank you all for keeping our family in your prayers.

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Monday, July 03, 2006

In Abekan, Khakassia

Julie here again. Finally an email got through from hubby. He has been trying to write ever since he got to Russia, but the messages kept bouncing back to him. Apparently, a lot of spam comes from Russia, so our server was automatically blocking them.

Anyway, Scott is now in Abekan, Khakassia, and I just found out on this website that in that region, they are exactly the opposite time zone from eastern daylight savings. So, he is truly on the other side of the world.

It sounds like his seminars are going very well, and should be wrapping up in the next day or so. Then they'll travel to Moscow and Scott will come home, through Frankfurt and Chicago this coming Friday, July 7.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

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New Curriculum at Concordia Theological Seminary