Editor’s Note: Dan Hetherington is the pastor at St. John Lutheran Church, Columbia, MD.

We have heard many stories from around the country about the problems some have faced in leaving the ELCA.  For us, at St. John, it was rather straight forward; however, a lot of the reasons why go back to leadership of previous years.

For many years, prior to my arrival at St. John, the staff and church council had refused to update their constitution and bylaws and so were operating under a different set of guidelines than most.  This was also before any regimented changes to bylaws from ELCA upper leadership.

The congregation of St. John has always been a ‘mixed bag’ when it comes to members’ political leanings.  For some, political affiliation has always been a leading influence on shaping values and beliefs, yet for others, Scripture has been the overriding authoritative source and norm for life. 

The straw which broke the camel’s back and led to the senior leadership beginning the conversation, and taking what they found to the Council, was what can only be described as movements towards universalism and, more concerning, paganism.

Once this was shared with the council there was deliberation on how this would be received among the congregation and what any fall-out might be.  Before anything was decided upon, we took our time to make sure that our membership roster was up-to-date and that only those who still have a ‘true’ interest in the mission of St. John would have a voice when it came to deciding our future.

Having things lined up, letters were sent to the congregation from the council president and from myself as the senior pastor, stating the requirements for discussing and ultimately voting, as well as sharing the primary concerns.

The bishop and his staff were very good.  He heard our grievance, spent time in speaking with members of the congregation, which brought us to the point whereby we could vote and then enter a process of discerning to which network we moved (either LCMC or NALC).

I have no doubt that the right decision was to leave the ELCA, and although this resulted in some people leaving the church, the major test for us was in our dedication to be who we said we were – and after voting to join with LCMC, keep to the statement of faith to which we agreed to uphold.

Being part of the ELCA had allowed for the church to be many things, and for a lot of our members, that was not Lutheran.  There were difficult discussions which resulted in people walking away over our stated beliefs and some of the practices which now held a stronger place in our worship.

All-in-all although the church membership is greatly depleted, and the active participation in worship even smaller, I believe that we are a mightier body than before.  The strength that I have seen from those who remain has given me great cause for celebration.  We don’t all agree on everything – there is still a divide in political alliance, and with that certain views on what some refer to as political issues and others moral issues.  But we stand together, and we hold the Scriptures as being the sole authority on which all things we decide to do must stand.

“Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’” (Matthew 18:33)

Will you not treat others as you are treated?  Are others beneath your dignity?  How we treat others reflects whether we have love within us.  Our salvation is based upon coming into the loving relationship of Trinity and then reflecting that love from deep within us to those around us.  If we do not have love, we are just so much “sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”  We do need to learn how to have mercy upon others as the Lord has had mercy upon us.

Lord, You know where my heart has those secret places where I am nowhere near being like Jesus.  Continue to work deep within me to remove my selfish desires where I do not love others as You love me.  In my heart, I know it does no good to win prizes or gain advantages, for You have called me into a life that loves You above all things.  Teach me how to love my neighbor as I love myself.

Lord Jesus, I hear these words and I may understand them with my mind, but my heart is often far away.  Bring all of me into Your presence and lead me in Your goodness to realize that You will not stop helping me until I am filled with love as You are.  Take me from where I am to where I need to be.  Keep me on the way You know I need to go.  Guide me always on the narrow way of everlasting life, dear Savior.  Amen.

“So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened.  Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me” (Matthew 18:31-32).

In this age, there are many who will do whatever it takes for their self-interest but have little or no compassion others.  This is one of the definitions of wickedness.  There are those of this age who will take every advantage, but do so in order to accumulate for themselves fame and fortune.  This kind of attitude may, for a time, gain what it is after, but it never succeeds in the end.  It merely tears down and destroys others.

Lord, the wickedness of this age is all around me.  I too have been infected.  Lead me away from this wickedness to have compassion on all those whom I encounter.  You care infinitely for each one of us and You have commanded that we love our neighbor as ourselves.  We shall be known by the kind of attitude we show others.  The Lord knows who we are and what will become of each one of us.

Lord, I do need Your grace and mercy for the many times that I have treated others poorly without caring about them.  Guide me in the way of living the new life You intend for me.  Help me to understand that things do not matter so much as I think, but people do.  Lead me away from the wickedness of this age to live into the new life for which You have redeemed me.  Keep me in the upward call of becoming like You, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

“So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’  But he was unwilling, and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed.” (Matthew 18:29-30)

We are tempted to take vengeance into our own hands.  Yes, the other may technically deserve it, but is it the best thing for them?  In this age, we step on top of each other.  Jesus is teaching us to care for one another.  It is not just a matter of giving everything away, but about being gracious and compassionate to others so that they may have the opportunity to walk in the salvation of our Lord.

Lord, I understand what You are saying here very well.  I understand it, but my heart, hurt by others, strikes back and wants what I feel is fair.  I want justice.  I do not even know what is just, so take me away from this place to where I am able to think, say, and live the reality of Your compassion for others for their sake.  Let me realize that others are watching me, and when I say I follow You, help me to be consistent with what You have taught me.

Holy Spirit, I need Your help.  Yes, I am a hypocrite; I say one thing and do another.  Guide me to neither be condescending, nor defensive, but honest in my thoughts, words, and deeds.  I am in debt to You, and daily I receive grace upon grace.  Guide me in the truth so that I humbly walk by faith, trusting in Your guidance for every situation.  Help me, Lord, to live the new life You are giving me.  Amen.

“And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt.  But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’” (Matthew 18:27-28)

We have been forgiven much, but do we forgive those who have a debt with us?  Many act just as this slave did, being cruel and unmerciful to others.  We can see this kind of behavior in others, but do we see it in ourselves?  This may be a parable, but we see it in the world all the time, especially in the church.  Learn how to listen to the Lord’s prayer and forgive as You have been forgiven.

Lord, You have taught us a very important principle which gets to the heart of the old Adam.  I want Your grace and mercy, but I do not always want to extend that grace and mercy to others.  You teach us that vengeance is Yours, but too often, I want retribution when offended.  Guide me away from the way of the old Adam to have a heart like Yours. I cannot do it, but You can put it in me.

Lord Jesus, I need You to rescue me from myself.  Take away the resentments that are in my heart.  Teach me how to forgive as I have been forgiven.  Lead me in the way of life You give so that I am willing to forgive every debt.  Lord, only You know what is needed in every situation.  Help me to live into the new life You have called me to live.  Guide me in Your goodness to show mercy to others as You have been merciful to me.  Amen.

“But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made.  So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’” (Matthew 18:25-26)

How often do you and I plead with the Lord to have mercy and not give us what we deserve?  Are we as merciful with others as the Lord is with us?  Or are we more like the world which, like falcons coming in for the kill, swoop upon those who are down, attack them, and justify it in our minds.  We all are debtors before the Lord.  Our Lord does have patience with us, and so we should have it with others.

Lord, you have been patient with me and I do not know the extent of my debt to You.  This world’s poison is deep within me.  Help me to be rid of the dog-eat-dog way of this world so that I live with compassion for others as You have had compassion upon me.  I do not want to live in the way of the world, but with the love You have given me through grace.  Help me move into a renewed life. 

Holy Spirit, You know the deeper things in me that cause me to act the way of the world.  Confront me each time I go to a place where I do not have mercy and compassion.  Keep me from the self-justification that is almost instant from my lips when confronted.  Take me to the place where I am more and more like Jesus, truly caring about the welfare of others.  Amen.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him” (Matthew 18:23-24).

The Lord God created you.  He placed you where you are.  He gave you all your opportunities.  He has forgiven you through His own shed blood.  Everything you have comes from Him.  The amount of money in the parable is, for most of us, an unfathomable amount of debt.  We are in debt to the Lord more than we know.  We cannot repay the debt.  We must be redeemed.  We must be rescued.

Lord, help me to see clearly that any sinful sense of superiority I feel is nonsense.  You have redeemed me at the cost of Your own shed blood.  You bought me for a price higher than I can fathom.  You have redeemed all who repent and believe.  What kind of attitude should I have?  Lead me out of  arrogant self-righteousness to come to the place where I willingly see things as they are and live with gratitude.

Holy Spirit, minister to me and slay any haughtiness that is there.  Help me to see things with eyes of humble gratitude.  Let me see others as those equally forgiven.  You know the places where my heart needs to be renewed.  Lead me Lord, and create in me a forgiving heart that loves my neighbor.  Teach me the way to live each day and grant that I have a heart to live as You would have me live.  Amen.

“Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).

Every language has idioms.  This is one of them in Hebrew.  Seven is the number of perfection.  How many times?  Not just until you are perfect, as if it were about you, but as many times as necessary until your neighbor is also perfect.  It is not about becoming a flawless being.  Lucifer was that before he was cast out of heaven.  It is about being in relationship.  In this age, that can only happen with forgiveness.

Lord, You know how and where I harbor resentments and hold back forgiveness.  I remember things from long ago and I will not let them go.  The lack of forgiveness eats at me.  Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven.  Let me see how silly it is to hold on to these things which only harm me.  Guide me out of the fog of this age to see that in eternity, there will be all kinds of people and one of the things we will hold in common is being both forgiven and having learned how to forgive.

Forgive me Lord Jesus for not living as You have taught me to live.  Guide me deeper into the gift of faith You have given me.  Teach me how to be one who is forgiving.  In Your goodness, remind me each time I hold on to a grudge to let it go.  Grant me an attitude that is forgiving of others as You always forgive me.  Lead me into a life that forgives as I have been forgiven.  Amen.

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” Matthew 18:19-20).

Sometimes, we hear this and think that any two will do for those gathered in Jesus.  This is a faith statement.  When two are in union in Christ, as the Father and Son are in union in love, then they will hear the Lord’s will and act upon it.  Two or three, seeking what the Lord is saying will hear as the Lord leads them forward.  Jesus is constantly reminding us that this is all about relationship.

Lord, I need Your help to go deeper into prayer.  Not only in my prayer life, but also in praying with others.  Lord, take me beyond simply asking for stuff to come to the place of being united with You and others in the business of the kingdom.  Guide me, Lord, so that I may humbly come into Your presence and receive the guidance You have for me and others.  Teach me how to pray in agreement with You that Your will be done.

Lord Jesus, there are many things I do not yet understand.  I sometimes have known something for years, but still do not truly understand it.  Help me to go ever deeper into the mysteries of the faith.  Teach me to give way to the Holy Spirit that my prayers may seek the counsel of Your throne in all that I do.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way You know I need to go and help me to be a person of prayer.  Amen.

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).

When we walk in the love of our Lord, we do what He gives us to do.  This is not about some special power, but it is for the sake of bringing about repentance in one who is not repenting.  If they will not, then leave them to the Lord.  If they will repent, you will have had your part in the redemption of another.  No one will enter heaven who is unwilling to repent, for repentance is where it begins.

Lord, teach me to be cautious in the things I do.  You are asking that I take a step in maturity to care for others as You care for them.  Let me never take this responsibility lightly but lean wholly upon Your guidance in this and for all things.  You must be the One who leads.  You are the judge, but You have called for me to steward the mysteries of the faith.  Help me to be faithful.

Lord Jesus, in Your wisdom, guide me this day to do what You give me to do.  Take me ever deeper into the prayer life You have called me to so that I may do what needs doing with Your guidance.  Keep me from being a sinner who seeks to control and instead, help me to be a steward who seeks what is right for Your kingdom.  You are the author and finisher of faith for all of us.  Help me to be a part of what You are doing.  Amen