March 2019 Lutheran CORE Newsletter

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. O
Lord, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds. To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and
call upon the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:15-17)

Are you afraid of death? What is
there to fear? The unknown? If you know the Lord, then all you need to know is
known. The Lord is with You all the days of Your life. He created you and He
knows you. He even knows the day of your death. It is precious to Him because
this age of sin and wickedness is over and you are in His eternal presence. Trust
in the Lord always, for He is with you.

Lord, lead me through the dark clouds of this age to know that in You
is all the hope anyone could ever want. Guide me in Your goodness that I would
walk with You always, knowing that You are there and You know the plans You
have for me. Lead me into the assurance that no matter what comes, I am in Your
hands. In You alone, Lord, is there hope and a future that is eternal.

Holy Spirit, minister to my heart
that I would not be afraid. Lead me beside the still waters of faith that no
matter the circumstances of this world, I would rest securely in the hope You
give. Teach me this day what You would have me know that I would humbly walk
with Your guidance in the presence of the Father. Help me to be thankful in all
circumstances, lifting praise and thanksgiving to You. Amen.

“What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I
shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I shall
pay my vows to the Lord, oh may it be in the presence of all His people.” (Psalm
116:12-14)

What can you give the Lord who
made all things? What can you produce that He needs? There is only one thing
that can come from you. Yes, it even needs the Lord’s help, but it also does
come from you and that is your love. He created you to join in the love that is
Trinity. Lift up the love the Lord grows in you and share it with Him and all
people. This is the greatest commandment.

Lord, help me to see through the economy of religion to get to the
heart of the matter. You are not bartering for stuff, for You can create that
any time. You are growing in those who believe a new heart that is able to love
as You love. Grant me a new heart and grow in me a right spirit that I may live
into the life to which You have called me. Help me pay these vows faithfully.

Without You leading the way, Lord
Jesus, it would be impossible. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I
would walk humbly with You and learn from You. Lift me up with You that I may
walk in the way of righteousness. Lead me in the presence of all people that
they may witness the love You are growing in me. You are the Savior and have
come to lift up those who believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.

“I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed
when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.”
(Psalm 116:9-11)

The world is filled with those
who believe they live for themselves. Lift me out of the lie that I may live in
the truth that You alone are God. Help me now and always to abide in You all
the moments of this life as I prepare for the eternal life You have promised. You
have promised that all things will work together for good as I am learning to
love as You first loved me.

Lord, You know the afflictions of this life. You have tasted them
firsthand. You know the path I need to walk and You have prepared the way. Lead
me through the lies of this age and the afflictions that come because of those
lies. Help me now and always to simply come into the truth of Your presence. Lead
me in the way of salvation that I would hold fast to the truth You have revealed.

Lord Jesus, Truth Incarnate, lead me this day to abide in You. You are the way, truth and life and there is nothing apart from You, for through You all things have come into being. Guide me in the goodness You have revealed that in spite of the circumstances of this day I may give You thanks and praise. Keep me lips from lying and my heart focused upon what is holy and true for Your name’s sake. Amen.

“The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return
to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You
have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.” (Psalm
116:6-8)

The Lord preserves those whom He
has made. What is the point of a short lifespan and then more of the same? The
Lord is producing something greater through the grace and mercy He gives. Look
at it all simply. You were created by the Lord to live in His praise with
thanksgiving. Come unto the Lord and know His goodness. Taste and see that the
Lord is good, for He has rescued your soul.

Lord lead me through the fog of self to see that I am a part of all that You have created. Guide me in the goodness of Your mercy that I would forever live in praise of You. You are God and there is no other. You lead me to where I need to be and You provide for my every need. Keep my feet from stumbling that I would live into the promise You have given me through grace.

Merciful Savior, You have kept me from walking into destruction. Guide me according to Your goodness to live into the life to which I have been called. Help me now and always to live the promise You give through grace. May I daily remember that it is simple: trust You and walk with You. Amen

March
14, 2019

Dear
Bishop Collins –

I
read with considerable confusion and concern your letter to the Rev. W. Stevens
Shipman informing him that action had been taken by the Upper Susquehanna Synod
Council to remove him from the Word and Sacrament roster of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.

My
area of confusion was in your quotation from section 8.62.15.d of the ELCA’s
constitution which says that “ministers on the Word and Sacrament roster of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America must accept and adhere to this church’s
Confession of Faith, as well as abide by this church’s standards and policies
for ministers of Word and Sacrament.”

We
all know that there are pastors of the ELCA who do not adhere to the ELCA’s
Confession of Faith.  One needs to look
no further than Ebenezerher Church in San Francisco, which promotes goddess
worship; the various versions of the Lord’s Prayer which were options in the
service after 2009 which welcomed or welcomed back people to the ELCA Clergy
Roster; and any followers of Marcus Borg and his version of “Progressive
Christianity,” which denies the deity and physical, bodily resurrection of
Jesus.  There were pastors on the clergy
roster of the synod in which I served before I retired (Southwest California)
who did not believe in the basic tenants of the historic, orthodox Christian
faith as expressed in the ELCA’s Confession of Faith, but the bishop just
looked the other way.

One
needs to look no further than the signers of the “We Are Naked and Unashamed”
movement to find people who are objecting to – and one can safely assume are
not living up to – the ELCA’s standards and policies for ministers of Word and
Sacrament.  And yet not only are they
allowed to remain on the ELCA clergy roster, they are celebrated, endorsed, two
of them were chosen to be keynote speakers at last summer’s youth gathering,
and in many ways one of them, who openly advocates for “ethically sourced porn”
and sex outside of marriage, has been allowed to become the most prominent,
public spokesperson for the ELCA.

In
a letter to Bishop Eaton I expressed my concerns regarding last summer’s youth
gathering.  She wrote back, “Regarding
the ‘We Are Naked and Unashamed’ movement, it is not an official group or
policy of the ELCA.  I do not wish to
give more attention and credence to a movement that is outside this church’s
social teaching by speaking about it publicly.” 
Again, nothing is being done.  It
is not being addressed.  It is being
allowed to continue and even flourish even though it is in violation of “this
church’s standards and policies for ministers of Word and Sacrament.”

In
their “Pastoral Message”, which was released on March 6, 2019, the ELCA
Conference of Bishops said regarding “Visions and Expectations,” “We recognize
and acknowledge that its application has been uneven and inequitable.”  They ended by saying, “We aspire and pledge
in the future to apply the church’s standards for ministry with equity and
compassion.”  Is your removing Pastor
Shipman from the ELCA’s clergy roster while other people are being allowed to
remain on the roster another example of ELCA standards being applied unevenly
and inequitably?

My
area of concern has to do with the Synod Council’s motion, which you quoted at
the end of your letter, in which the Synod Council expressed its support for any
decision that you would make that would prohibit Pastor Shipman from even
attending a synod function and or event, “especially as a representative of
Lutheran CORE.” 

Is
the Synod Council saying that no representative of Lutheran CORE would be
welcome to attend one of your synod’s functions and or events?  Would I, as Executive Director of Lutheran
CORE and a retired pastor on the ELCA roster, or a pastor or member of a
congregation that is a part of the Upper Susquehanna Synod, also not be welcome
to attend a synod function and or event, such as to set up a display table at a
synod assembly?

Bishop
Eaton began the letter which I previously referred to with these words: “Grace
and peace to you and to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are part of the
Lutheran Coalition for Renewal.”  Pages 19-21
of the “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” social statement, which was approved
by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, laid out four different positions on
same-gender relationships and behavior, which the document said are held to by
people “with conviction and integrity.”  The
social statement also said, “This church . . . encourages all people to live
out their faith . . . with profound respect for the conscience-bound belief of
the neighbor.”  That same paragraph ended
by saying, “Regarding our life together as we live with disagreement, the
people in this church will continue to accompany one another in study, prayer,
discernment, pastoral care, and mutual respect.”

The
March 6 “Pastoral Message” from the ELCA Conference of Bishops ends by saying,
“We aspire and pledge in the future . . . to listen and take seriously the concerns
of all our leaders – particularly those who historically have been
marginalized.”  Do the leaders of the
ELCA, including the leaders of the Upper Susquehanna Synod, wish to “listen and
take seriously the concerns of all our leaders” – not just those who are
described as “historically . . 
marginalized,” but also those who are currently the most marginalized –
those with a historic, traditional view?

Thank
you for your leadership in the Upper Susquehanna Synod and your attention to my
confusion and concern.  I will look
forward to receiving your response.

In
Christ,

Dennis
D. Nelson

Executive
Director of Lutheran CORE

Retired
ELCA Pastor

“The cords of death encompassed me and the terrors of Sheol came upon
me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O
Lord, I beseech You, save my life!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes,
our God is compassionate.” (Psalm 116:3-5)

As you look out at the state of
the world, you see wickedness and destruction. The Lord is good and rightly to
be praised, but the world is bad and alarming. Come to the Lord while He may be
found and know His mercy and grace which lifts up out of the mire those who
turn to Him. Taste the goodness of the Lord and walk in the way He is calling
you that you may know love and compassion.

Lord, You know the state of my heart and the way of destruction of this
world. You know the confusion and the difficulty it is for sinful humans to
discern between right and wrong. Lift up my countenance to see You through the
haze of this world and know the way of goodness. Save me from the insanity of
this always-sinning generation that I may be lifted up to You forever.

Lord Jesus, You are the way and
there is no other way to move through the cloud of this age. You, the Truth,
have come to lead us in the only way of life worth living. Guide me now and
always that I may walk humbly with You in the salvation You have prepared. Lift
me up to see more clearly this day that by Your grace I may abide with You,
giving praise to the Father and being always thankful. Amen.

“I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications. Because
He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I
live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)

The Lord hears you even when it
is tomorrow, you are speaking and the you who is in this moment does not know
what you are going to say. The Lord hears all that is said and even what is not
said. What a privilege to be in the Lord’s presence and by grace to stand
before Him and praise Him. Come before the Lord with all your heart and praise
the Maker of all things, for He alone is worthy.

Lord, I often live in a world of pretend. I pretend that You are not
listening unless I am specifically speaking to You. I pretend that You have not
answered my prayers. Clear my head and my heart to rejoice in the truth that
You are always listening, not eavesdropping as sinners do, but listening
because You love us. Teach me, O Lord, the way I should go and teach me to
listen to others as You do.

Holy Spirit, every day You are here
and You are listening. Teach me to be aware of all that is around me that I
would not be focused upon myself, but become what You intend. Guide me in the
way of eternal life that I might now and always live into the life of Christ to
which I have been called. Guide me in the way of faith to walk humbly knowing
that You are always with me. Amen.

“He will bless those who fear the Lord, the small together with the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children. May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence; but as for us, we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 115:13-15)

Be clear on what the Lord has
done. He has placed the earth in our hands and we have made a mess of things. Yet,
He still blesses us. Do not be conformed to the ways of this world, but to the
truth of heaven. The goodness of the Lord is given to those who walk with Him
in faith. Know then that the Lord is good always and He abides with us. Walk in
His presence now and forever.

Lord, help me to see more clearly each day the way things are as I move
away from my pride and humbly submit to You. Guide me in goodness and mercy all
the days of my life. May I learn through the power of the Holy Spirit what it
means to be one who fears You Lord and lives knowing that I am always in Your
presence. Teach me to praise You in every circumstance.

Lord Jesus, You are the bearer of
life and light. Guide me, O Lord, in the way You would have me go that this day
I would come even closer to You. Help me to see Your goodness and mercy and
lift up my countenance to abide with You always. May I learn from You how to
praise You in every circumstance and know that this earth is not my home. You
have called me to my true home with and through You eternally. Amen.

“O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. The
Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of
Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.” (Psalm 115:10-12)

We think that religious people
are those who trust in the Lord. Some do. Some do not. What people are doing
around you is never really the question. The real question is: are you trusting
in the Lord? He will bless those who draw close to Him. To be a priest means to
draw near to God. It is not a matter of physical birth, but of the birth that
comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, grant that I would see the hope You give me in faith. Remove from
my eyes the things that get in the way that I would live into the faith into
which You have called me. Lead me along paths of righteousness for Your name’s
sake that I would live as a priest drawing ever closer to You. Bless me in the
gift of faith You have given that I would live in the hope of salvation and
love my neighbor.

Lord Jesus, You have come humbly
to lead the way. I sometimes mistake the humility for some kind of equality,
but it will never be that. You have taught us to draw close to the Father that
He would draw close to us. Lead me past my own pride to come to the place where
I simply submit to the truth of Your presence and dwell with You all the days
of my life. Amen.