“You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.  Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door” (James 5:8-9).

How old are you?  How much longer will you live on this earth?  A few more decades?  A little less?  What is that in comparison with eternity.  You have been given the gift of grace through Christ and called to live with Him forever.  Come then and live into this life which is coming to an end much quicker than most imagine.  Whether Jesus returns in our lifetime or at the end of this life, it is not for us to know. But the Lord said , “be ready.”

Lord, help me to put an eternal perspective on things.  I, too often, think in ways that do not help me see what You are teaching me.  Guide my eyes to see and my ears to hear in order that I would now and always be guided by You in the life You give.  Help me to participate in these things knowing that You are always near me.  Let me not be found at rest when there are things that need to be done and which I am able to do.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that we may have life and have it abundantly.  Not only here, but forever.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life so that I would hold fast to the truth You have revealed once for all.  Lead me according to the Father’s will to be about His business knowing that my time here is short.  Let me look to You always for all encouragement and direction.  Amen.

Note: This post is intended to be short and to the point. Dennis Nelson, CORE’s Executive Director, has also written a longer version which can be found here as well as via the button located at the bottom of this article.

The ELCA’s Churchwide Assembly (CWA) begins on Monday, August 8, 2022 and concludes on the 12th. We’ve chosen to highlight three items.

Under each of the following headings you will see the suggested changes to various documents on the left followed by text explaining why this caught CORE’s attention.

The Mission of Colleges and Universities

Other recommended changes to the Constitution of the ELCA can be viewed here. These are expected to be voted upon en bloc.

The proposed changes on the left leave us wondering:

Are ELCA colleges and universities no longer to be Lutheran/Christian; no longer faithful to the will of God; no longer to provide religious education and worshiping community; no longer to provide holistic care of students (body, mind, spirit)? Are they to be merely vocational training institutes–indistinct from any other college or university out there–and nothing more?

What impact will this have upon colleges and universities which previously had a strong Lutheran identity and/or solid confessional teaching (e.g., Grand View University, home of the NEXUS Institute)?  What will become of colleges and universities when they are no longer held accountable to the godly mission which they once had, and which is now being removed by constitutional amendment?

The rationale for the amendments does not acknowledge that a significant change has been made to the mission of the colleges and universities or explain why.

The Role of Rostered Ministers

The following comes from this list of constitutional amendments which were approved at the 2019 CWA but are still unofficial; the plan is for them to be ratified, en bloc, in 2022.

Are rostered ministers no longer to be “proclaiming God’s love for the world” and/or “witnessing to the realm of God in the community, the nation, and abroad”?  Why?

This change is rather shocking given that even “radical liberal” clergy would generally agree that it is their responsibility to be “proclaiming God’s love” and “witnessing to the realm of God”–albeit, perhaps, with different definitions of “God’s love” and the “realm of God” in mind than confessional Lutherans hold.

Revision of Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust

The third item comes from the report of the Memorials Committee (PDF). The memorial below is to be discussed separately from the “en bloc”, and others can dispute the recommendations and/or make their own proposals on the assembly floor. The most expansive and specific of the report’s demand is on the left:

In a nutshell, this synod is asking for a review of the Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust social statement in order to revise it “to reflect current church understanding, church policy, civil law, and public acceptance of marriage of same-gender and gender non-conforming couples.”

Revisionists in the ELCA apparently could restrict or eliminate “bound conscience,” thereby forcing churches and clergy to adhere to LGBTQ+ affirming policies.

Although the “resolved” is unclear about what it means when it says “current church understanding, church policy, civil law, and public acceptance…”, the activities and the advocacy of ReconcilingWorks and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM), which has included such things as allowing those who identify as polyamorous to be included on the ELM’s Proclaim roster of LGBTQ+ clergy and seminarians, and as redefining marriage as a mere aspiration rather than as a hard requirement of sexually active rostered leaders, gives us some hint of what we might expect from a proposed revision of this social statement. 

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains” (James 5:7).

The question of why is important for us to ask.  Why am I here?  Many have fallen asleep and are in the trap of living as if this life is all there is.  You have been called to be conformed to the image of Christ.  How are you doing?  It will take all of this life and perhaps more to accomplish all that needs to be done.  What is the crop you are hoping for from the seeds that have been sown?

Lord, You have called me through faith and by grace to walk the narrow path.  You have called for me to follow You.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I would walk humbly in the path You have set before me.  Let me not waver, nor fall asleep, but live into the life You intend and for which You died on the cross.  Help me pick up my own cross and follow You as You accomplish my salvation.

Lord Jesus, I too have fallen asleep and lived as though this life was all that mattered.  Guide me today in those ways which will help me live according to Your goodness and mercy and will shape me to be more like You.  In all that happens to me, Lord, may I always be found walking the narrow path that You have set before me.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life.  Amen.

“You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.  You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you” (James 5:5).

Have you sought the good life?  Are you living for yourself?  These are legitimate questions we need to ask ourselves.  Is my generosity something that hampers my ability to do things I would rather do?  Does my giving preclude spending money on myself?  It is not that you give to gain, but that keeping things for yourself may harm you spiritually.  Think on these things and ask the hard questions.

Lord, I am selfish.  I do want to live the good life.  Help me Lord to see beyond myself and care for others.  Lead me, Lord, in the way of living as You have designed it to be lived.  You know where I fall short and where I think of myself first.  Guide me out of this way of thinking so that I may be conformed to the image of Christ.  Through all these things, teach me to be faithful.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the example You have given us all.  You had nothing in this world, kept nothing, and left nothing from this world.  But for our salvation, You had everything and gave it away.  You who needed nothing became nothing for the sake of us who think we have everything but have nothing.  Lead me Lord in the way You know I need to go and help me follow You always.  Amen. 

“Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth” (James 5:4).

Do we cheat?  Do not answer that question so quickly.  We all like our cheap goods, produced by labor somewhere else.  We like to have the better deal.  Sin is sloppy and many are unaware how we participate in transactions at the expense of others.  Be that as it may, be as fair as you can be.  Know that the Lord holds you accountable for what you do and do not.

Lord, raise my awareness so that I see how things truly are.  When possible, lead me away from doing things that come at the expense of others.  Guide me in Your goodness to not only know these things, but to be gracious and generous to those who are walked on by others.  Lead me, Lord, in the way of everlasting life and teach me to be conscientious and caring of the welfare of others.

Lord Jesus, You did not come to be served, but to serve.  In Your example, help me to understand that in You I am called to also serve my neighbor.  Help me to be an encouragement to others by being fair, aware, and caring.  Guide me by Your example and teach my heart to be sensitive to every situation.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I may now and always be guided by You.  Amen.

“Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (James 5:3)

Yes, gold and silver corrode.  Things in this world are temporary, even the things we think permanent.  There will be a new heaven and a new earth.  Thus, the Lord has spoken.  Do not fall into the trap of thinking that anything other than the Lord is forever.  He made all things and only in Him is there a forever.  Come then and live the life which is forever and do not cling to what is temporary.

Lord, teach me to enjoy the things You have given me to use on this earth, but to know that only You are permanent.  Teach me to be a good steward, for that is an approved character, but my property, that which I tend and care for is only temporary.  Lead me, Lord, in the way You want me to go and then help me go in that direction.  In and through all things, guide me in the upward way of being Your disciple.

Lord Jesus, You call all disciples the same way by saying, “Come and follow me.”  Lead me in the way of life and help me to become aware of what You are doing.  In You is all hope and an eternal future.  Guide me into that future and help me to cling to You.  You are my Rock and Salvation.  In You is all hope.  You know what I need, Lord.  Thank You for lifting me up into Your never-failing love.  Amen.

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten” (James 5:1-2).

It is no sin to have things, but if your things have you, then watch out.  This was the warning that Jesus gave.  Too many are wrapped up in their possessions and do not think about the reality of the offer the Lord is giving them to lift up their souls to be with Him eternally.  Do not fall into the trap of thinking these things do not matter.  They are essential for eternal life and the reality of the direction you are heading.

Lord, help me to understand that on the one hand it does not matter, but on the other it is critical about how much I have and cling to.  It is critical if I let the things I have become what I worship.  Teach me to be rich in You and grow in the likeness of Christ.  Help me to invest in higher things which cannot be taken away, nor rust, and cannot be destroyed.  Help me turn my life over to You.

Lord Jesus, You have come to rescue us from all the traps of this world.  I own nothing and I own everything.  Both are true when I am in You.  Regardless of what the world says I have, help me to see that these are just things, but You are Truth itself.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way You have established so that I may walk humbly in the path You have set before me.  Guide me now and always.  Amen.