Season 5 of the Netflix series Queer Eye was released on June 5, 2020.  Episode 1 features a number of ELCA pastors, including the Rev. Noah Hepler, who needed help in accepting his sexual identity; the Rev. Megan Rohr, the ELCA’s first transgender pastor; and Bishop Guy Erwin, the ELCA’s first gay bishop.  This episode lifts up the LGBTQ+ lifestyle as well as what has come to be called “Queer Christianity.”  Because of the fact that potentially it could be seen by millions of people around the world, it is important that people know what is being promoted and how they can respond to friends and family members who see the episode and might be persuaded to accept its LGBTQ+ ideas.  A link to the trailer for season 5, including episode 1, can be found here.  

Queer Eye is a series which features a team of five LGBTQ+ people, who are known as the Fab 5.  Each of them is an expert/specialist in some field, such as cooking, fashion, and interior design.  They work with individual people, giving them a makeover, redesigning their home and/or workspace, and then helping them improve some aspect of their life.  Pastor Noah is the person whom the Fab 5 help in this episode.

I will begin by commenting on the Discussion Guide, which was prepared by ReconcilingWorks and ELM (Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries).  These are two organizations which advocate for and are committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.  A copy of the discussion guide can be found here.

Good things can be said about each of the three “Ground Rules for Engagement” in the Discussion Guide.  In the First Ground Rule I agree that people are more important than definitions.  If you do not know what pronoun to use, then just call that person by name.  All you need to welcome someone and engage with them in conversation is their name.  I agree with the concern in the Second Ground Rule to build a relationship of mutual trust and respect.  A primary goal of conversation is to dismantle barriers between people.  I appreciate the point in the Third Ground Rule that as people engage in conversation they might experience a new awareness of themselves and/or someone they care about.  In any conversation we need to have an open heart and mind.  We need to be learning and growing our whole lives.  I can also understand the emphasis in the Third Ground Rule upon self care.  People need to take care of themselves – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – if they are going to be able to engage in these difficult conversations in a healthy way.     

But immediately below these Ground Rules there is a quotation from Scripture, which I believe is being misused.  The verse being quoted is 2 Corinthians 5: 17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  I assume that the intended interpretation is that the old that passes away is traditional views of human sexuality as well as all the guilt and shame that is being felt by those who claim to have been abused by the church and therefore are struggling with their sexual and gender identity.  I assume that the new that comes is the full acceptance of all forms of gender identity and the full inclusion of people of all sexual and gender identities within the life of the church.

The problem with that interpretation is that it does not square with other things said by the same person (the apostle Paul) to the same group of people (the church in Corinth).  Following the principle of letting Scripture interpret Scripture, we need to understand 2 Corinthians 5: 17 in the light of 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11.  These three verses in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians list several examples of wrongful behavior, including two terms that refer to same-sex sexual behavior.  Then Paul says, “This is what some of you used to be.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”  We need to understand 2 Corinthians 5: 17 in terms of what was intended by the person who wrote it, not in a way that supports our own pre-determined agenda.  Being a new creation, having the old pass away, and experiencing the new does not mean my accepting my gender identity, whatever it may be, and my acting according to my desires, impulses, and attractions, whatever they may be.  Instead it refers to the forgiveness of sins, the breaking of the power of the hold of sin in my life, and my experiencing all the love, joy, peace, hope, and grace that God has to give. 

There are six things that I would now like to say about Episode 1 of Season 5 of Queer Eye.

First, I am very sorry that Pastor Noah grew up in a home and church environment that was so negative and repressive.  I thank God that there are many congregations that hold to traditional views that are not negative and repressive like the one he grew up in.  I thank God that there are many congregations that hold to traditional views not to repress people, but to bring people into the life-giving way of Jesus Christ. 

Second, we have a stunning example of what is called “queer hermeneutics” in Pastor Noah’s telling about the healing of the centurion’s servant, as recorded in Luke 7.  The NRSV says in verse 2, “A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death.”  Following the principles of queer hermeneutics, Pastor Noah translates the word as “beloved” or “boyfriend,” meaning that the centurion and the servant were in a same-sex sexual relationship.  So rather than the centurion’s concern for his servant being an example of the caring spirit and high moral quality of this Roman soldier, which would lead some Jewish elders to speak to Jesus on his behalf, because he had shown great care for the Jewish people by building a synagogue for them (verses 4-5), those who practice queer hermeneutics twist Scripture to say what they want Scripture to say in favor of same-sex sexual behavior.

I cannot imagine that Jewish elders, who were steeped in the law, would advocate for an official of an occupying foreign army who was having a same-sex sexual relationship with a servant.  Jesus clearly defined marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman in which two people become one flesh (Matthew 19: 4-6).  And though Jesus did get into trouble with the Pharisees for breaking the sabbath, he never did cancel the Old Testament moral law, such as in Leviticus 18: 22 and 20: 13, which clearly forbid same-sex sexual behavior.  It is preposterous to me to say that Jesus did not say anything about the same-sex sexual relationship between the centurion and his servant, but instead healed the servant.  Therefore, Jesus must have been okay with same-sex sexual relationships.  Such a violation of the clear meaning of Scripture in order to promote one’s own agenda is unworthy for anyone who would claim the authority to teach the Scriptures.   

Third, in the episode one of the Fab 5 tells how he had been hurt by the church.  He still has negative feelings about the church, but he says that he would be happy to help another person who would then promote a different kind of Christianity that does not hurt LGBTQ+ people.  People who hold to traditional views of human sexuality need to realize that many LGBTQ+ people have been hurt by the church.  We who hold to traditional views need to share our views in such a way that we do not come across as angry, judgmental, and/or afraid.  It is not because we are against LGBTQ+ people, but instead it is because we care about and are concerned for LGBTQ+ people that we share our traditional views.  LGBTQ+ people need to know that we care about them.  They need to know our love for them.

Fourth, I am concerned about the way in which – in the redesign of the church – rainbow lights are placed along the side aisles, to add color as well as to celebrate Noah’s queerness.  Also, the church is decorated with flowers in the colors of the rainbow flag on the altar.  Decorations in the church are to bring glory to God, not to celebrate me.  Anything placed on the altar should be an expression of God’s great love and gift of Himself to us.  The altar and anything on the altar are not to promote a personal agenda or to point to me.  Making me rather than the Lord the focus is a form of idolatry.

Fifth, Noah explains to the member of Fab 5 that both of them had been hurt by the church.  On behalf of the church, Noah apologizes for the hurt that had been caused for the member of Fab 5 by the church’s refusing to be LGBTQ+ affirming.  As explained above, we who hold traditional views need to make sure that we communicate that it is our love and concern for LGBTQ+ people that leads us to share our traditional views.  But we also need to remember what Martin Luther said so eloquently that the Bible comforts the afflicted, but it also afflicts the comfortable.  Sometimes God’s Word will make me uncomfortable.  It will convict me of sin.  Hebrews 4: 12 says that it is “sharper than any two-edged sword.”  Objects with sharp edges can hurt.  I cannot expect that God’s Word will never hurt.  It is neither appropriate nor helpful for me to feel that I have to apologize every time God’s Word hurts someone.

Sixth, just as I was troubled by the rainbow lights in the sanctuary that celebrated Pastor Noah’s queerness and the rainbow colored flowers on the altar that promoted the LGBTQ+ agenda, so I am troubled by the wording of Pastor Noah’s sending at the end of the service.  “Go in peace.  Be fabulous in the Lord.”/”Thanks be to God.”  The purpose of the sending is to give glory to God and to strengthen my commitment to service and ministry.  It is not to focus on how fabulous I am.  Whether it is the decorations in the sanctuary, the items on the altar, or the wording of the sending, making me rather than the Lord the focus is idolatrous.

1517 (https://www.1517.org)

“We create and distribute theological and apologetic resources anchored in the central message of the Bible: that Christ died for sinners and rose for their justification. Through the proclamation of the Gospel, we aim to give assurance and consolation to Christians, enable individuals to serve their neighbors in freedom, and strengthen the church.  Our resources include a podcast network, daily articles, speakers, a publishing house, annual conferences, and an online academy.”

3DM Ministries.  (https://www.3dmovements.com)

“We are made up of men and women around the world who are following Jesus together, multiplying disciples who make disciples, and empowering spiritual families to live on mission for the sake of the lost. We are a richly diverse movement of people from different walks of life, socio-economic contexts, ethnic backgrounds, and spiritual traditions. What unites us is our love for God, our desire to live the life Jesus modeled for us, and our passion to see the good news of his kingdom come to all people.”

The Crossings Community.  (https://crossings.org)

A worldwide network of Christians dedicated to connecting the Word of God and daily life under the motto, “Crossing Life with the Promise of Christ.”  Theologically committed to the proper distinction of law and gospel.  Serves people in “crossing” their lived experiences with the promise of Christ to see how their stories fit within the gospel story.  Has an annual conference in the St. Louis area (free for seminarians), an engaging website, and a weekly Law/Gospel text study analysis of the lectionary Gospel reading that can be emailed to you or accessed on the website. 

Doxology.  (https://www.doxology.us)

Doxology provides pastors with a unique study and renewal experience, rooted in the classic art of the care of souls (cura animarum) and informed by the insights of contemporary Christian psychology.   Their primary purpose is to provide training, mentoring, and consultation services for pastors seeking to enhance their ability to help people struggling with the ever-increasing personal, family, and social complexities of contemporary life.  The retreat training environment, grounded in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, ensures that pastors will be emotionally and spiritually refreshed and equipped by their participation.  The Center provides a safe environment for clergy to reflect on their own spiritual and emotional health and assists them to review and enhance their professional competencies and skills as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s sacred mysteries.  Doxology strengthens pastors so they can more faithfully pastor others.  Please note: Doxology does not recognize the ordination of women. 

The Moses Project (https://www.grandview.edu/the-moses-project)

Gives rural pastors a vision of ministry that will help them thrive in congregational leadership and in turn, enhance the vitality of the congregations they serve.  Designed to help rural pastors build relationships with and learn from experienced clergy who will guide them through challenges at critical, transitional phases in their early ministerial career. Through a distinct and exceptional professional development program, pastors will receive critical support, develop innovative strategies, and engage in ongoing learning and opportunities for renewal. They will build the very network that will provide them and those they serve with vitality.  Funded by the Thriving in Ministry Initiative of the Lilly Endowment, housed at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, and in collaboration with the Southeastern and Western Iowa Synods of the ELCA.

Mount Carmel Ministries (www.mountcarmelministries.com)

Mount Carmel Ministries is a place of rest, renewal, and recreation where people experience Jesus.  Founded by the Lutheran Bible Institute of Minneapolis as their summer teaching ministry in 1938, Mount Carmel became independent in 1988.  They live out their mission through biblically based, Christ-centered programming and hospitality.  Their signature ministries include a summer camp for families, a Bible camp for adults age 55 and older, a Christian retreat center, and a daily devotional booklet. 

Sola Publishing (www.solapublishing.com)

Sola Publishing seeks to provide resources that reflect the integrity of the Scriptures as the Word of God, from the perspective of the historical Lutheran Confessions. The theological position that underlies the teaching materials produced by Sola Publishing is summarized in a statement called “The Common Confession.”  This is the same Common Confession adopted by Lutheran CORE and the NALC.  Sola Publishing offers a wide range of Bible Studies, Worship resources, Children and youth resources, including an online Sunday school resource called SEED, as well as books and magazines. Sola Publishing also added materials from Crossways International that are available through our website.

What Happened To Our Churches? (https://whathappened.church/blog/)

In fifty-two blogs Dr. David Luecke addresses what he sees as having gone wrong with traditional mainline churches.  Fifty years ago they were healthy, but now they are in steep decline. Luecke believes that Lutheran, as well as Presbyterian, Reformed, Episcopalian, Methodist, and United Church of Christ churches, have lost their basic spiritual energy.  It is his conviction that the only way for them to regain that energy is to pay much more attention to the apostle Paul’s emphasis upon the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

World Mission Prayer League (https://wmpl.org  612-871-6843)
A pan-Lutheran fellowship committed to Christian prayer as a working method of mission.  An international community of approximately 6,000 members with formal offices in the United States and Canada.  Supports approximately 120 workers serving in twenty countries throughout Africa, Asia, North America, and South America.  Its mission is to see that populations with limited or no access to the Gospel experience the love of Christ and that believers and communities of believers in the Americas and elsewhere engage in active and collaborative participation in living out their roles in the great commission.

American Lutheran Publicity Bureau (https://alpb.org)

Established in 1914.  An independent, non-profit organization that is linked by faith and confession to the Church it serves. Committed to an understanding of the Lutheran tradition as evangelical and catholic.  Affirms the Church’s scriptural and confessional foundations in order to foster renewal within the Lutheran bodies of North America, worldwide, and the wider ecumenical community. In an era in which the Church in North America must address an increasingly post-Christian and secular culture, makes the theological, liturgical and devotional resources of our confessional heritage accessible and relevant to all Lutherans as well as to friends in other communions.

First Things Journal (https://www.firstthings.com). 

Published by the Institute on Religion and Public Life, which was founded in 1989 by Richard John Neuhaus and his colleagues to confront the ideology of secularism and the position that faith has no place in shaping the public conversation or in shaping public policy.  In addition to publishing ten issues of First Things each year, the Institute hosts educational programs that promote religiously informed analysis of culture, society, theology, and politics.

CTS Media Resources (http://media.ctsfw.edu/)

Theological articles, course videos, chapel sermons, and other resources from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  No charge, but contributions are welcome.

Logia Journal: A Journal of Lutheran Theology (https://logia.org). 

A quarterly journal of Lutheran theology published by The Luther Academy featuring articles from diverse contributors worldwide on exegetical, historical, systematic, and liturgical theology. Clings to God’s divinely instituted marks of the church: the gospel, preached purely in all its articles, and the sacraments, administered according to Christ’s institution.

Lutheran Forum and Forum Letter (https://alpb.org)  

The flagship publications of the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau.  Discusses the faith once delivered to the saints as well as what is going on today in our culture, parishes, seminaries, and national churches.  For those who love the Lutheran tradition, sometimes worry about its future, and want to keep up with the news in the Lutheran church bodies in the United States as well as with what faithful Lutherans around the world are thinking and writing about worship, theology, ecumenism and more.  The FORUM Package includes both the Lutheran Forum, a 64-page quarterly journal with thoughtful articles written by a diverse group of authors, as well as the Forum Letter, a monthly 8-page lively newsletter that most subscribers read from start to finish on the day it arrives.

Lutheran Quarterly Journal (www.lutheranquarterly.com)

Discusses Lutheran church history and theology.  Appears in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter issues each year. Provides a forum for the discussion of the Christian faith and life on the basis of the Lutheran Confessions.  Applies the principles of the Lutheran Church to the changing problems of religion and society.   

Lutheran Quarterly Books (http://www.lutheranquarterly.com/)

Formerly published by Eerdmans.  Emphasizes Lutheran theology and the history of doctrine, as seen in the three titles by Gerhard Forde, two volumes by Oswald Bayer, and two collections of essays on Luther’s teachings edited by Timothy Wengert.

 Modern Reformation Magazine (https://www.whitehorseinn.org/modern-reformation) and its syndicated broadcast, the White Horse Inn (https://www.whitehorseinn.org).

“We are more than a talk show and a magazine. We believe that each generation must rediscover and apply the gospel to their own time. We long to see a second reformation – a modern Reformation take hold of our churches and return them to the God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-wrought places of worship they should be. Over the past twenty years, we’ve grown more hopeful that such a reformation is possible. So, we’re putting our time and resources to work toward one, helping Christians ‘know what they believe and why they believe it.’”

Pro Eccclesia (https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pre)

A quarterly journal of theology founded by Carl Braaten and Robert Jenson and published by the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.  Seeks to give contemporary expression to the one apostolic faith and its classic traditions, as it works for and manifests the church’s unity by research, theological construction, and a free exchange of opinions.  Members of its advisory council represent communities committed to the authority of Holy Scripture, ecumenical dogmatic teaching, and the structural continuity of the church and are themselves dedicated to maintaining and invigorating these commitments. The journal publishes biblical, liturgical, historical, and doctrinal articles that promote or illumine its purposes.

SIMUL (https://semlc.org/simul/ and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/St-Paul-Lutheran-Seminary-139019069505467)

SIMUL is a new academic journal launched in the fall of 2021 by St. Paul Lutheran Seminary.  Its pages feature articles by Bob Benne, Mark Granquist, Brad Hales, and many others.  It is free, online, and very readable.  It is an academic journal, with articles that are written by academics and that adhere to the highest academic standards.  They include endnotes so you can reference where the authors are getting their information. But it is also very readable, not just by pastors, but also by our church members, the disciples who move the church forward.

Lutheran Study Bible (Concordia)  

The first Bible in English to be developed with notes that are distinctively Lutheran. Notes were prepared by theologians and pastors from more than twenty Lutheran church bodies. Current scholarship, insights from Church Fathers, and rich devotional commentary help both new and mature Christians learn about God’s Word.

The New International Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

A rich, academic resource for studying the Bible.  Contains scholarship from many, well-known theologians.

The Pillar New Testament Commentaries

Designed for serious readers of the Bible.  Seeks to make clear the meaning of the text. Writers interact with the informed contemporary debate yet avoid undue technical detail. A blend of rigorous exegesis and exposition, scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, with an eye alert both to biblical theology and to the contemporary relevance of the Bible. Fourteen volumes.  Brings together some of the best biblical scholarship of our time.

Keller, Timothy.  Anything.

Videos on various subjects by the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City, a movement that trains pastors for ministry in global cities.

For a list of Tim Keller Video/Sermons in PDF format. Click here.

Tim Keller Video Lectures/Sermons worth watching

On Preaching:

Evangelism/Christian Life – (this one is probably one of the most influential lectures I have listened to.)

Sermons

Here is the link to his YouTube page with a lot of his sermons:

https://www.youtube.com/c/Gospelinlife/videos?view=0&sort=p&shelf_id=4

Aulen, Gustaf.  Faith of the Christian Church.

An eminently accessible work by an ecumenical giant of the 20th century.  Aulen was a distinguished professor of theology before becoming the bishop of Strangnas for the Lutheran Church of Sweden.  He wrote the latest revision of this work after his retirement.  In it he focuses on key issues and core beliefs as he discusses what binds all Christians together in faith.  His most famous book is Christus Victor, which still exerts considerable influence on contemporary theological thinking on the atonement. 

Barth, Karl.  Dogmatics in Outline.

A phrase by phrase reflection on the Apostles Creed, interpreting it as the central statement of Christian belief for all time.  Emphasizes the absolute centrality of Christ.

Bauckham, Richard.  Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony.

Argues that the four Gospels are closely based on the eyewitness testimony of those who personally knew Jesus.

Bayer, Oswald.  Living by Faith: Justification and Sanctification.

Shows how the concept of justification provides a comprehensive horizon for discussing every aspect of Christian theology.  

Braaten, Carl E. Principles of Lutheran Theology.

This book has guided students in theological reflection on the landmarks of the Christian faith as interpreted in the Lutheran confessional heritage since it was first published in 1983. 

Brunner, Emil.  The Mediator: A Study of the Central Doctrine of the Christian Faith.

A thorough analysis of the Biblical doctrine of the person and work of Christ.  Shows that Christianity stands or falls by what is believed and thought about Jesus.  

Forde, Gerhard. Theology is for Proclamation. 

Constructs a whole system of theology on the model of Luther’s Bondage of the Will.  Drags systematic theology out of the study and sticks it in the pulpit so that it proclaims the Gospel. 

Johnson, Luke Timothy.  The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels.

The first book to challenge the findings of the Jesus Seminar, the group of two hundred scholars who claim that Jesus said only eighteen percent of what the Gospels attribute to him.

Kitamori, Kazoh.  Theology of the Pain of God.

Demonstrates the limitations and problems of most Christian theology from a Japanese point of view.  Reformulates the Christian faith in non-Western terms as it expands the dialogue between Eastern and Western Christians. 

Kolb, Robert and Arand, Charles P.  The Genius of Luther’s Theology: A Wittenberg Way of Thinking for the Contemporary Church.

An introduction to two central themes of the reformer’s theology – his view on the believer’s response to God and the world, and his perspective on God’s relationship to humanity.

Lennox, John. God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?

Evaluates the evidence of modern science in relation to the debate between the atheistic and theistic interpretations of the universe.

Lindbeck, George.  The Nature of Doctrine: Religion and Theology in a Postliberal Age.

Lays the foundation for a theology based on a cultural-linguistic approach to religion and a regulative or rule theory of doctrine.

Neuhaus, Richard John.  Freedom for Ministry. 

Argues that there is a necessary awkwardness about Christian ministry because we are ambassadors of a “disputed sovereignty.”  Discusses the “awkward responsibility” of being a preacher. 

Polkinghome, John and Beale, Nicholas.  Questions of Truth: Fifty-One Responses to Questions about God, Science, and Belief.

A defense of the compatibility of religious faith and science.  Contains responses from a physicist and a philosopher to questions about science and religion.

Rognlien, Robert.  Recovering the Way: How Ancient Discoveries Help Us Follow the Footsteps of Jesus Today.

Written for those who want to understand the truths Jesus taught and want to live the life Jesus lived.  Shows how Jesus’ teaching and example can shape our lives. 

Willard, Dallas, editor.  A Place for Truth: Leading Thinkers Explore Life’s Hardest Questions.

A collection of speeches from two decades of Veritas discussions. Since its founding in 1992, the Veritas Forum has provided a place for the university world to explore the deepest questions of faith and life.    

Wingren, Gustaf.  Luther on Vocation. 

An analysis of Luther’s teaching that helps us understand the relationship between faith and works. 

Zahl, David.  Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It. 

A thoughtful and entertaining look at the way in which people turn to all sorts of everyday activities for identity, purpose, and meaning.

“GOD IS THE RULER YET”

One of my favorite hymns for Fathers’ Day is “This Is My Father’s World.”  One of the verses goes like this:

This is my Father’s world. 
Oh, let me not forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world.
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King, let the heavens ring.
God reigns!  Let the earth be glad!

We live in a time when the wrong seems so strong.  Between the pandemic, the blow to our nation’s and the global economy, and racial strife, we wonder how much more our country and our world can take.  I was very disturbed to read a comment made by a CIA intelligence officer.  According to him, what he sees happening are the kinds of dynamics that occur in nations that are about to collapse.  How will it end?  What will be next?  How will it play out?  How long will it take?

I completely missed – because of my focus on the pandemic – May 8 as the seventy-fifth anniversary of V-E Day, Victory in Europe Day.  That is the day when the Allies formally accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945, thus marking the end of World War II in Europe.

I do not want to similarly miss the seventy-fifth anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day.  That term has been applied to the day when Japan’s surrender was initially announced – August 15, 1945, in Japan, and, because of time zone differences, August 14, 1945, in the United States.  It has also been applied to September 2, 1945, when the surrender document was signed, thus officially ending World War II.

We know how the war ended – both in Europe and in the Pacific.  But can you imagine being a part of the massive effort to win the war, when you did not know how it would end? 

We recently observed the seventy-sixth anniversary of D-Day.  From our vantage point, we know how it turned out.  We know that the effort was a success.  It was a massive invasion that cost many lives, but it gave the Allies a foothold on the European continent.  It turned the tide of the war.  But can you imagine being a part of the invasion, not knowing if it would succeed?

We do not know how the pandemic, the economy, and racial strife will all play out.  We do not know how long it will take, how many will suffer, or how much damage will be done.  But we do know this.  That this is our Father’s world.  And “though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”  “The Lord is King, let the heavens ring.  God reigns!  Let the earth be glad!”

I would now like to turn our attention to four passages in the Old Testament that tell us what we as God’s people need to be doing at a time like this.

First, 2 Kings 19: 14

King Hezekiah of Judah received a threatening letter from the Assyrians, basically telling him that just as no other nation had survived the Assyrian assault, so Jerusalem would not survive either.  How did Hezekiah respond?  2 Kings 19: 14 says that Hezekiah took the letter with him, went to the house of the Lord, and spread the letter out before the Lord, and basically said, “God, this is beyond us.  We do not know what to do.  Our eyes are on you.”  We also need to take our whole situation and spread it out before the Lord.  Like Hezekiah, so we, too, need to say to the Lord, “This is beyond us.  The issues are so complex.  The problems are so deep and so deep-seated.  The wrong goes back for so long.  We do not know what to do.  Our eyes are on you.”

Second, Amos 5: 24 – “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.”

I live in Arizona – out in the desert on the northeast side of Phoenix.  We are just at the beginning of the Monsoon Season – that time of year when we can experience some powerful thunderstorms.  We live about thirteen miles from where we go to church.  Between our house and the church there is only one traffic light, but there are about twenty places where the road dips down, following the contour of the land.  If we had one of those major thunderstorms on a Sunday morning, there is no way we could get to church.  There are too many places where our car would either stall in the water or even get swept off the road.

Justice rolling down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream is an image that speaks powerfully to me.  As a nation we need to look seriously at where people have been denied justice.  The quest for justice needs to be as powerful as the runoff from a mighty desert thunderstorm.

Third, Micah 6: 8 – “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” 

The prophet Micah is not saying, “It sure would be nice if you would.”  Instead he is saying, “This is what the Lord requires of you.”  “Requires of you – to do justice.”  Not just to be in favor of justice, but to do justice.  To work to make justice happen.  To identify with and to advocate for those who have been denied justice.  To love mercy.  For me – during these times – loving mercy means doing something because we are concerned for those who have been most effected by the pandemic – those whose health is most vulnerable, those who are facing great personal risk as they bravely and faithfully provide care for others, those who are isolated in nursing homes and other care facilities and their families who are unable to visit them.  Loving mercy means doing something because we are concerned for those who have been most effected by the economic shut down – the poor, the long-term unemployed, those who were living from paycheck to paycheck and now have no income.  Loving mercy means doing something because we are concerned for those who have been most effected by racial strife –  victims of prejudice, good police officers who now feel vulnerable because of lack of support from public officials, business owners who had already suffered major economic setback, and now have had their place of business looted and/or destroyed.

The fourth verse says more about what it means to “walk humbly with your God.”

2 Chronicles 7: 14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.”

Lord Jesus, heal our land.

* * * * * * *

AN ALARMING MISUSE OF SCRIPTURE

The second thing I would like to talk about is Episode 1 of Season 5 of the Netflix series Queer Eye, which was recently released.  Queer Eye is a series which features a team of five LGBTQ+ persons, who are known as the Fab 5, who work with someone and give that person a makeover in some area of life.  Episode 1 features a number of ELCA pastors, including the Rev. Noah Hepler, who needed help in accepting his sexual identity; the Rev. Megan Rohr, the ELCA’s first transgender pastor; and Bishop Guy Erwin, the ELCA’s first gay bishop.  This episode lifts up the LGBTQ+ lifestyle as well as what has come to be called “Queer Christianity.”  Because of the fact that potentially this episode could be seen by millions of people around the world, it is important that people know what is being promoted and how they can respond to friends and family members who see the episode and might be persuaded to accept its LGBTQ+ ideas.  A link to the trailer for season 5, including episode 1, can be found here.

One of the things that should be most alarming to Christians who take seriously the authority of the Bible as the Word of God is the way that this movement, called “Queer Christianity,” views, misuses, and misinterprets Scripture.  Hermeneutics has to do with how we interpret the Bible.  It is alarming how those who follow the principles of “queer hermeneutics,” as illustrated in this episode of Queer Eye, interpret the Bible. 

I urge you to read my full article so that you will see how advocates for “Queer Christianity” do not listen to and follow the clear and obvious meaning of Scripture.  Instead they use Scripture in order to get Scripture to support their LGBTQ+ perspective.  And I urge you not only to read my full article, but to share it with others.  This is not just a matter of different views of human sexuality.  Rather what is at stake is the authority of the Bible as the Word of God and the foundational principles of the Christian faith.  Click here for a link to the full article.  

LIST OF CONFESSIONAL RESOURCES

Finally, for your summer reading, I would like to refer you to the List of Confessional Resources which Lutheran CORE has prepared.  Many thanks to all the pastors who have contributed to this list of books, videos, commentaries, ministries, and movements.  Click here for a link to this annotated bibliography of confessional resources.

If you have a resource that you would like to see added, please let us know.  May you be blessed by and during your summer reading.

Blessings in Christ,
Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
[email protected]
909-274-8591 

Dear Friend in Christ –

“The Last Full Measure” is a 2019 American war drama film that tells the story of William H. Pitsenbarger, a U. S. Air Force Pararescueman who was killed while aiding and defending a unit of soldiers who were being pinned down by enemy assault.  Before his death he helped save over sixty men. 

During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, Pitts (as he was called) willingly chose to leave the relative safety of the rescue chopper to aid people on the ground when he saw how bad the situation was below.  While others on his team declined to go, Pitts willingly put himself at risk.  After saving many, he was ordered to take an opportunity to escape on the last helicopter out of the combat zone.  But he stayed behind in order to defend and save many American lives, before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam war.

His being willing to come down into a place of great danger reminds me of how Jesus was willing to leave the halls of Heaven in order to come to earth, even though He knew that He would be despised, rejected, and crucified here.  Jesus was willing to go through hell for us because He did not want to go to Heaven without us.

But there is also a brief moment of dialogue – which is included in the trailer for the movie – which speaks to me of how I have responded when people have asked me, “Why are you – and other people in Lutheran CORE – still fighting for orthodoxy within the Lutheran church today?”  One of the soldiers asked him, “Why are you here?”  Pitts responded, “Because you are here.”  The battle really was not his.  He was a part of the Air Force.  The people being attacked were in the Army.  He could have stayed in the relative safety of the helicopter.  But he willingly came down because of what was happening – because he could offer what was needed.

Many times people have asked me, “Do you really think you can get things to turn around?”  I always reply, “It would take a mighty intervention and work of the power of God to get things to turn around.  But I am here – and I continue to do the work of Lutheran CORE – because people need to be alerted to what is happening.  People need to be warned of how Biblical faith and moral values are being compromised.  And we need to be there for people when they do become aware.”   “Why are you here?” Pitsenbarger was asked.  “Because you are here,” he answered. The rescue work of William H. Pitsenbarger reminds me of the work of Lutheran CORE.

“Why are you here?”  “Because you are here.”  Among our newest efforts is the work that we are doing to develop a support system for orthodox ELCA students at ELCA seminaries.  We have orthodox pastors who are available to talk and pray with orthodox students.  We have a list of orthodox pastors and congregations that are willing to serve as internships sites for orthodox students.  Please pray that the ELCA seminaries will be willing to allow that to happen.  We are developing a list of Biblically and theologically faithful resources – books, newsletters, websites, etc. – to recommend to students.  Members of our board are writing responses to various publications from ReconcilingWorks in order to demonstrate in a clear and compelling way that the LGBTQIA+ agenda is in violation of the clear teaching of Scripture.  We are very grateful for the seminarians who are giving us help and guidance in knowing how we might be able to make connections and build relationships with other students.  Please pray that God will bless these efforts.

Thank you to all who are supporting our partnership with the NEXUS Institute, a program of Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa which is giving high school youth the opportunity to study the Bible and theology, engage in ministry, and consider a church-related vocation.

Your support also enables us to keep on doing the following –

• Provide a system of support for orthodox ELCA pastors

• Offer ministries specifically designed for these days of the COVID-19 pandemic – two new Facebook groups as well as a list of congregations that are livestreaming and/or posting recordings of their worship services

• Through our Congregations in Transition ministry initiative provide (mostly retired) Lutheran pastors who have been trained to be coaches for congregations where the pastor either already has or soon will be retiring or resigning to take another call

• Hold our annual Encuentro – a day of fellowship, inspiration, and resources for pastors, lay leaders, and congregations that are already involved in or are considering becoming involved in Spanish language and/or bi-lingual (English-Spanish) ministry 

• Provide on our website daily devotions and worship resources, including prayers and hymn suggestions

The reason we are able to do all of this work is because of your faithful prayer and financial support.  Please click on the button below to let us know how we can be praying for you.  Your timely gift to Lutheran CORE will help enable us to continue to be a VOICE for Biblical Truth and a NETWORK for Confessing Lutherans.

As a steward with you in the ministry of the Gospel, 

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

Visit our website www.lutherancore.org
Follow us on Twitter @LutheranCORE
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/LutheranCORE

Thank you for your generous response to our appeal for $15,000 so that we will be able to sponsor one week of NEXUS for high schoolers at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. As of April 30, 2020, $8,081 has been given towards our goal of $15,000. We are 54% of the way there!

NEXUS is designed to give high school students a chance to engage in the study of the Bible and Lutheran theology, be involved in service, and discern whether God has gifted them and is calling them to full-time Christian ministry and/or leadership in the church. In the past three years, over one hundred high schoolers have gone through NEXUS. In addition, many college-aged mentors who have participated in the program have gone on to seminary and/or full-time church work.

The cost to host one week of NEXUS for twenty-four high school students, which includes college-age mentors, teachers, activities, room and board, and materials, is $30,000. Lutheran CORE has committed half of the amount for one week – $15,000. The funds from Lutheran CORE will be matched by Lilly Endowment to cover a full-week’s cost of $30,000. The funds from Lutheran CORE will be used for a week during the summer of 2021.

If you have not already done so, please consider giving a gift to Lutheran CORE – over and above your current giving – to help fund the commitment that we have made. Please be sure to designate NEXUS on the memo line of your check.

My wife and I decided to give the amount of the financial stimulus check that we will be receiving from the federal government to five different Christian charitable causes, including NEXUS. We would like to challenge and encourage you to do the same.

Something I find very encouraging are the plans for reopening our lives, including our churches. Typically those plans include three or four steps, a delineation of the conditions that would need to exist in order to go to the next step, a warning that it would be easy to have to go back to a previous step, and a concern for the elderly, those with prior conditions, and others who are among the most vulnerable. Typically, the steps basically go in this order – from severe social distancing protocols to moderate social distancing protocols to limited social distancing protocols.

Thinking through the well-known account in John 20 of Jesus’ appearing to His disciples on Easter Sunday evening, when Thomas was not with them, and then a week later, when Thomas was with them, I find the early disciples going through very similar steps.

STEP ONE

John starts out by telling us that on Easter Sunday evening “the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews.” (verse 19) Like we have been, so the disciples were under strict self-quarantine. They were inside, not because of a virus, but because of their fear of the Jewish leaders who might do to them what they had done to Jesus. And the doors were not only shut, they were locked.

What did Jesus give to them to help them move from step one to step two? Six things, and Jesus wants to and can give the same six things to us.

First, His presence. Verse 19 says, “Jesus came and stood among them.” Nothing about their circumstances – neither their fears nor the walls nor the locked doors – were able to keep Him out. And nothing about our present circumstances – including all of our fears – need keep Him away.

Second, His peace. Twice – in verse 19 and then again in verse 21 – Jesus said, “Peace be with you.” Peace is also what we need. The peace that passes understanding. The peace that the world cannot give. The peace that only God can give.

Third, unmistakable evidence of His resurrection. Verse 20 – “He showed them His hands and His side.” We also need unmistakable evidence that Jesus is alive. We need the reliable, eyewitness accounts of those who were there. We need that sure and certain hope that comes from knowing that God has defeated our greatest enemies – sin, death, and the power of the devil – even the impact of the corona virus – through the resurrection.

Fourth, a purpose and a calling. Verse 21 – “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” I know that for me – as I seek to cope with these “stay at home” days – it has been so extremely helpful to have a purpose and a calling. It has been so helpful for me to be able to be involved in ministry that I value very much. To be able to teach a Bible study that is recorded and then posted on the websites and Facebook pages of two congregations. And to be able to do my work as executive director of Lutheran CORE.

Fifth, verse 22 – “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” We do not want or need either Jesus or us to have to wear a facial mask. We are not afraid of getting the corona virus from His breathing on us. Rather we need the Holy Spirit, whom we will receive through His breathing on us.

Sixth, authority. In verse 23 Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” The one who just before His ascension said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18), has shared with us His authority. We do not need to go out timid, afraid, uncertain, and insecure. Rather we are going and we are speaking in the name of and with the authority of the one who has all authority.

STEP TWO

All of that must have helped the disciples move from Step One to Step Two, because verse 26 tells us that a week later the disciples were again in the house. This time Thomas was with them. And even though verse 26 tells us that the doors were shut, it does not say that they were locked. The disciples had moved from step one to step two.

Again Jesus comes and stands among them. Again He says, “Peace be with you.” The disciples, including Thomas, are now ready to move on to step three.

STEP THREE

Jesus invites Thomas to do what Thomas had said he would need to do in order to be able to believe that Jesus is alive – “see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side.” (verse 25) But it does not say that Thomas actually did what he had said he would need to do in order to believe. Rather in verse 28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas became the first disciple to be recorded as actually calling Jesus God.

Thomas Was All In

I believe that Thomas (so called Doubting Thomas) has been given a bum rap. I believe that Thomas wanted to believe. With all his heart he wanted to believe. But death seemed final. The grave seemed irreversible. What the disciples were saying – “We have seen the Lord” (verse 25) – was just too good to be true. So, he could not believe.

But when he did come to believe, he went all the way. He was all in. He became the first disciple to be recorded as calling Jesus God. Other disciples had called Jesus many other things during the previous three years – Rabbi, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. But Thomas was the first disciple to call Jesus God.

And Thomas did not relapse from Step Three back to Steps One or Two. Early Christian writings say that Thomas brought the Gospel to India. The Christian church in Pakistan and India traces itself back to the evangelistic work of Thomas.

The congregation I was pastor of in southern California before I retired included a large Pakistani community. They were all related by blood or by marriage. A relative of theirs at the time was presiding bishop of the United Church of Pakistan. In February 2011 I accepted his invitation to visit the Christians and churches in Pakistan and found them to be incredible examples for us of courage, commitment, and faithfulness to Christ even in the midst of a very hostile environment.

In John 11: 16, when Jesus told His disciples that He would be going to Bethany, where Lazarus had recently died, Thomas told his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Thomas is a tremendous example for us not of doubt but of courage and strength of conviction. Christians today who trace their church back to Thomas are tremendous examples for us of courage and strength of conviction. May we face all the challenges of today with the same kind and level of courage and strength of conviction. May we, like Thomas, be all in.