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Some of the comments to this blog are getting posted on facebook "notes" and NOT on the "comments" section of http://equalsharing.blogspot.com/. To read the comments that people put on facebook, and to see what else is going on, feel free to friend me - search for stevekarl - that's my username.

Kids Love

Earlier in August we got an email forward from a friend named Rose. She lived next door to us in Ladysmith when our daughter Naomi was born. We got to see Rose and one of her sons this summer -- it was great!

I'm copying the email forward on this blog because it's just so important to remember how precious children are. Let's keep loving kids, our kids and "other people's kids," no matter what. Let's make sure there is safety, care and kindness in each home so our kids will know the gift of love.

Here's what some kids said about love.

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' (Rebecca- age 8)

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' (Billy - age 4)

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' (Karl - age 5)

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' (Chrissy - age 6)

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' (Terri - age 4)

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' (Danny - age 7)

'Love is when you kiss all the time.. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' (Emily - age 8 )

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' (Bobby - age 7)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' (Nikka - age 6)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.' (Noelle - age 7)

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' (Tommy - age 6)

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' (Cindy - age 8)

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' (Clare - age 6)

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' (Elaine-age 5)

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' (Chris - age 7)

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' (Mary Ann - age 4)

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' (Lauren - age 4)

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (Karen - age 7)

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' (Mark - age 6)

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' (Jessica - age 8)

Finally - a four year old child’s elderly neighbor had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'

If there's ever a time we need love, it's now. If there are any challenges in your home, let someone know. Don't hide. On the other hand, if things at home are pretty good, but it would be good to spice up and enrich the love between husband and wife, there are a couple of weekends coming up I'd recommend.

• This is in the Pulse newsletter that went out from our church this week:

» Two Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekends will be held Oct. 16-18 in Duluth and Nov. 20-22 in Brooklyn Center, MN. Attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend will make your marriage run like new. You'll spend two nights in a hotel and enjoy five delicious meals from Friday at 7 p.m. to Sunday at 5 p.m. It's great for couples who already have a good marriage and want to enrich their relationship, but it also does wonders for those marriages that have lost their luster through years of child rearing and work obligations. Please register a month in advance. For more information, contact Dick & Judy Dehnel at 952-432-3105, Pete & Phyllis McMahon at 763-561-1575 or visit http://godlovesmarriage.org

• There are other possibilities too…

Toni and I went to “A Weekend to Remember” back about 10-15 years ago and learned a lot and grew in our relationship in ways that still matter. Click here for info about upcoming conferences in our area--page 2 of the PDF has dates and locations that aren't too far away.

If you think it would be good for you and your spouse or fiance to go to something like this, but the cost seems a bit much, let me know. We never want money to stand in the way of love.

www.equalsharing.com

Pulpit Supply Sep 6

I decided yesterday to be gone next weekend (Labor Day Weekend) to attend a family reunion. Looking for a faithful believing pastor type to preach and preside here September 6. • 8:30 a.m. Traditional LBW worship with the Lord’s Supper • 10:30 a.m. Contemporary non-communion with worship band. Contact Pastor Steve Thorson, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cokato, MN, cell 763-291-3499, church office 320-286-5964, home 320-286-616.
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Added 9:30 a.m. - My college friend, Becky Sogge, a pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, Buffalo (on sabbatical), has agreed to preach and preside Sep 6. Thank you Becky!

Good Things

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change... James 1:17

Please come to worship this Sunday at our church -- website under construction here! (Colored words in this blog are links.) I'll be tag teaming a sermon with a daughter of our congregation, Brittany Bayuk. The James 1:17 verse above is one of the scriptures we'll be reading. The others are available at this link.

Please worship with us Thursday at Dassel-Cokato High School! Our communities have enjoyed remarkable blessings as people from many churches have studied scripture, prayed and worked together. Come and share at a community worship and praise event on Thursday, September 3. Songwriter Robin Mark** will be our leader. He is a worship leader from church in Belfast, Northern Ireland. That church began when students who believed in God began to organize and pray together "24/7" for peace. (See The Days of Elijah Come to Cokato for more). Discount tickets - pay what you can afford - are available at our church office.

• 4:30 p.m. - An hour of fellowship and conversation with Robin Mark. He will share his story and talk about how worship impacts lives, churches and communities. See Second Chronicles 29 and bring your Bible.
  
• 6:00 - 7:00 - Supper -- food available from vendors. There will be a time of conversation for worship & prayer leaders, pastors and others. Let's share and pray together to mutually strengthen prayer, worship and peace making for the good of our communities as we prepare for the fall school season.
  
• 7:30 p.m. - Praise Concert and Worship led by Robin Mark. Lyrics will be projected so all present can worship and sing along. Local songwriter Rachel Kurtz will lead the first 20 minutes. She currently serves as minister of worship, music and young adult ministries at Faith Lutheran Church, Hutchinson.

I need to get the Youth YDT material (link on this blog at top right) updated. Sorry I haven't done that yet. Too distracted... the first thing will be a meeting with parents on September 9. We had hoped to do this Sept. 2 but there were too many conflicts.

The ELCA pastors of our area met yesterday. We agreed to keep one another informed about what's going on in our churches.

• A "Questionnaire On Our Local Church's Response To Denominational Issues" is going in our church's newsletter and is available in PDF form by clicking here (2 pages).
• A letter and a couple of other items given to our church council president by me is available for the asking. Email, stop by the office, or give me a call.

www.equalsharing.com

Meeting Today

This afternoon I am meeting with other local ELCA pastors in regard to our response to what's been going on in our denomination. If anyone has any questions about anything, I hope you will not hesitate to call, email or comment.

Sticking with Jesus (audio)

Click here for a link if you want to listen to my sermon (8:30 a.m. version) of Sunday, August 23. The scriptures were the ones assigned from the Revised Common Lectionary: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69. You can read them here.

At worship we distributed the following letter:

August 23, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

At the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) a resolution was passed permitting the blessing of same-sex unions. A resolution was also passed allowing clergy in such unions to serve as pastors in the ELCA. A third resolution made it clear that no local church will be required to bless same-sex unions or to call clergy in such unions as their pastors.

We are pastors serving ELCA congregations in the Dassel-Cokato area. We want to inform you that our position on these issues has remained unchanged. Based on our interpretation of scripture we cannot bless same-sex unions or participate in the ordination of individuals who are part of such unions.

We ask your prayers and your comments. We look forward to speaking with you about this or any other issue.

Sincerely yours,

[signed by five ELCA pastors whose churches are located in the Dassel-Cokato school district area]

This morning I sent the following note to our church staff and council

Please pray for me now that I'm back from the assembly. These are hard days because I'm feeling that my church denomination has moved away from scripture in a way that is new.

Pray that I will have the right balance of patience and zeal. I committed myself to working with [the other ELCA pastors in my area]. We are feeling different things these days, even though we agree on the basics of marriage, etc. [Some of us think we we should] work through ELCA channels. I'm not sure that's what God is calling me to do. [Other pastors] are also concerned but I don't yet know what they are thinking this week.

The difference between us was that I was at the assembly. I felt things way down in my gut. They didn't have that experience. So I'm feeling quite zealous and impatient.

But, I do not want to be led by feelings. Feelings are unstable. To correct this, please pray that I will be able to focus on the "routine" things of my job -- preparing for worship, working with our energetic leaders, ministering in crises -- so that in doing those routine things I get back to the basics -- sticking with Jesus and his love.

I ask that you, blog reader, would also pray. Pray not only for me but for all of us in the ELCA. Thank you.

www.equalsharing.com

Unbinding the Conscience

I am looking at scriptures assigned for this coming Sunday, August 30 in our church. In these scriptures I hear God working to unbind our consciences from what is false in order to form them according to his Word. The ELCA's new statement on human sexuality seems to celebrate the "bound consciences" of people so as not to do just what God's Word does in the scriptures for this coming Sunday. If anyone reading this can help me, I'd appreciate it, because I am thinking that this "bound conscience" idea as articulated by my church body is about the same as what we often confess on Sunday mornings, that "we are in bondage to sin."

Here is a link to the scriptures for this coming Sunday:

First Reading
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
or
Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Psalm
Psalm 15
or
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

Second Reading
James 1:17-27

Gospel
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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for more on "conscience" see A Prayer for Transformation.

www.equalsharing.com

Crabby Christians?

At the risk of allying myself with Christians who have, at least in our area, been perceived as crabby, I'm posting an article here from WordAlone Network president Jaynan L. Clark:

To all believers, not just Lutherans, and to all not-yet believers in Jesus Christ: Have ears to hear!

It is very important for you to hear today that Jesus died for you to save you from your sin through repentance, forgiveness and new life, which are true freedom in Him.

That is the message and the calling for the church. That is not up for a vote.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America cannot change the need for repentance and forgiveness by a vote to accept homosexual behavior as it did during its assembly this week.

Only the arrogant, the ignorant and those led astray would believe such.

Luther never wanted a church named after him. I’m doubtful he would want these actions connected to his name. The ELCA has put a stain on the fabric of all churches that carry Luther’s name.

Instead of questioning the Bible from their perspective, churches should let the Bible question them, their perspectives, experiences and actions.

Hear also, Lutherans, and all other, Christians, how important it is to distinguish the human institution from the true church of God. Lutherans from the time of the Reformation have believed that the organization exists “for good order.”

Luther’s last stand was based on the Word of God and on sound reason. He was not convinced otherwise then, we in WordAlone are not convinced now.

When God said, “I am who I am.” He meant it, not “I am who you want me to be” or “who you want to remake me to be.” God and His Word are the authority over all of faith and life.

God’s Word is not up for a vote and, remember, He always gets the last word because He alone is eternal.

The ELCA assembly has now voted against the authoritative Word of God. The assembly has swapped His Word for human words that are neither based on sound reason or good order. In fact, the assembly voted against the Word of God, sound reason and the good order of creation.

That is not only not Lutheran, it is not Christian and it is not the work of the church but of a misguided , shrinking, sideline denomination whose leadership’s ears cannot hear and can no longer even discern or recognize, let alone revere, God’s direct warning and intervention.

God will not be mocked.

Steeples fall, the cross hangs upside down, the tables are overturned and the ELCA leadership pushes forward a human agenda and dismisses God’s clear directive and the churches’ long history of teachings. So, is what was passed now to be taught to our children?

Is this what Jesus’ love that “knows no bounds” really means? So what is it the ELCA will say “no” to? Are there any boundaries? That type of faulty parenting should bring to our door the Christian equivalent of child protective services. We are leading Jesus’ children astray.

Is the ELCA saying “no” to Jesus, to the Bible, to the historical teaching of the church, to those who stand only on the Word of God and to the Confessions of the Lutheran Church but not to desires, and experiences of homosexual behavior?

This is really an old, old story . . . as old as the debate over the apple itself. As it was then, it shall always be that when humans are faced with doing either what they want to do or what God tells them to do, we “fall.” It is the same old sin—self over God and His Word.

Swapping Jesus’ story for its own will have consequences for the ELCA.

But the end of this story is the beginning of another that witnesses to the One who is eternally to be known as the Crucified One because, as we have witnessed, even this church continues pounding the spikes into His scarred hands.

As the eternally Risen One, bearing the scars of our sin, He promises not to abandon but to abide and to raise up a faithful remnant to join with the vast majority of the faithful Lutherans worldwide.

We are not Lutheran orphans, because we stand with all the other Lutheran bodies who still believe in the authority of God’s Word and with the whole Holy Christian Church.

Be changed by God’s Word. Don’t let the Word be changed.

Please hear what Pastor Jaynan says, and please don't hesitate to share your concerns of any kind. If you think we're just being too crabby, please let me know.

www.equalsharing.com

Sticking with Jesus

Those who have been following this blog or the ELCA assembly action know this has been quite a week. Emotions have run high and low. For me this week seems, at least now, like it's the end of an era.

It was at the Minneapolis Convention Center in 1980 that I first heard a personal call to serve as a pastor in what was then the American Lutheran Church (ALC). This week, in the same location, I was present when the highest legislative body in the ELCA*, the churchwide assembly, made what I think are some major changes in church teaching.** These changes made me, and others, wonder about our future within the ELCA. (See Friends for the Journey to know that we're not alone.)

As I do that, I will not forget my responsibility to the people of my local church. Most likely many people don't understand the importance of what happened at the assembly. Though what happened at the assembly seems quite traumatic for me, lots of people may just be scratching their heads at what they've heard on the news, not quite sure what to think. Many people have gay or lesbian friends or family members. Some members of our local church probably don't understand why I'm not happy.

So, as I prepare for worship tomorrow, I need to remember, more than anything else, that it's my responsibility to preach the good news of forgiveness, salvation and transformation through the unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ. Fortunately, the gospel reading for tomorrow points in that direction.

At a very difficult time in Jesus' ministry, when his teachings had led many to question whether they would stay with him or not, Jesus turned to his disciples and said:

"Do you also wish to go away?"

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Whether or not we stick with a particular church denomination, the most important thing is sticking with Jesus, who reached out to the outcast and the sinner, claiming them as his own.

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*In 1987 the ALC merged with the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and became the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
**I found a helpful summary of some of these changes on the website of Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO. Click this link to go to the page.

Friends for the Journey

It's been a long week and last night was a late one. I want to get out and get some exercise to clear my head and give my body a break from sitting. Before I do I want to let you know that (1) the ELCA churchwide assembly continues and (2) those of us who believe that the ELCA has moved away from clear scriptural teaching are not alone.

For now, I'll just post links to two groups that I think are going to be very helpful in the days and weeks ahead. The colored words in this blog are links.

The Lighthouse Covenant provides "a focal point for progressive evangelicals to key on mission with those who share certain non-negotiables": (1) a high view of Scripture (2) a focus on kingdom expansion and congregational growth (3) the use of all spiritual gifts through the priesthood of all believers (4) commitment to marriage between one man and one woman and (5) that local churches are the most important part of the church's mission and life.

Lutheran CORE represents "the CORE faith and principles of Lutheranism in North America" and "the vast middle of American Lutheranism, spanning geographical regions, vocations, and political viewpoints." The Lutheran CORE website says "We are united by our common commitment to the authority of Scripture in the life of the ELCA... and seeks to be a voice for the solid, faithful core that is the majority of ELCA members, pastors, and congregations."

I'll have more to say later today and tomorrow. I am thankful for those who have commented on this blog or who have sent email or facebook messages or who have called. Please do not remain silent. We need each other as we move ahead.

www.equalsharing.com

Why Not?

The ELCA this week has made decisions that will lift up and honor publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender sexual relationships and to allow people in such relationships to be pastors and other "rostered ministers" in this church. In short, we have laid the groundwork that will make possible gay/lesbian marriages and pastors in such "marriages" to be pastors in the ELCA.

I think this is not good.

Here is an attempt to say, in regard to honoring
homosexual relationships, why not?:

God's Word and God's creative order show that God intends male and female marriage to be the place where we are to HONOR sexual intimacy. This plan is written into the fabric of creation, where God made us male and female so we can "be fruitful and multiply." God's intent, which comes to us in a broken and fallen world, is that intimate heterosexual sexuality be the foundation of family life, where mothers and fathers care for children in self-giving and self-sacrificial love.

Now, let me pause and say that I love adoptive parents and all those who stand in the gap for children whose birth parents cannot provide the loving home that is required for healthy children to grow up. I love couples and grieve with those who want but cannot bear children. I know that all married men and women will not bear children. Many gay and lesbian couples have provided loving, caring homes for children. It's also true that many couples who are not married, heterosexual and homosexual, have strong, loving relationships that bring joy into their lives and the lives of others.

Still,

Because it is in the context of heterosexual marriage that God has chosen to create human life, I believe God lifts up heterosexual marriage above all other expressions of sexual intimacy. God's Word teaches us that other forms of sexual intimacy are out of bounds, fall short of God's intent, and, therefore, by definition, are examples of our human brokenness and our fall into sin.

THEREFORE, PRAISE GOD FOR JESUS, who gave his life a sacrifice for sinners--for you and for me. We are all standing on equal, level ground before the cross of Christ and his glorious empty tomb.

This whole issue is complex and difficult, and I so want to be able to share Christ's sacrificial love with all people, including homosexuals. But I find that I need to let you know where I stand, with prayers that if I am wrong that I will be corrected and will repent, and if I am not sufficiently clear that you'll ask me to clarify my position.

I believe that what the ELCA is doing in this assembly, in honoring homosexual sexual relationships, is to move away from God's intent. I appreciate your prayers as I, and many others, decide what we will do and how we will act in the days and weeks to come.

www.equalsharing.com

Next - Impementing Resolutions

The Churchwide Assembly voted on the Social Statement on Sexuality just before 6:00. The vote was 676 to 338 - it required exactly 676 to adopt. If any one of those voting positively had voted no, the result would have been the reverse.

Click here a for a link to the voluminous statement. Now the assembly is starting to debate the implementing resolutions--they are at the end of the statement.

Personally, I think this is a sad day for a church that says it relies on the Scriptures as our source and norm for proclamation faith and life.

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Added 10:22 p.m. - Click here for a StarTribune story.