Director’s Note: Many thanks to Bob Benne, esteemed NALC theologian and friend of Lutheran CORE, for his review of the history of the whole issue of “Bound Conscience.”

The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly passed two resolutions that called for reconsideration of
the 2009 social statement, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.”

• Reconsideration #1 called for a review of specific text references in light of the 2015
  Supreme Court ruling regarding same sex marriage and “public acceptance of marriage of
  same-gender and gender-non-conforming couples.”
  
• Reconsideration #2 called for a reconsideration of the “church’s current concept of the
  four positions of bound conscience” found on pages 19-21 of “Human Sexuality: Gift and
  Trust.”

The task force that was appointed to work on these reconsiderations had recommendations for
the 2025 Churchwide Assembly regarding Reconsideration # 1. They described these
recommendations as “simply editorial,” even though they amounted to no less than a complete
embrace of every form of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The task force is now working on its recommendations for Reconsideration # 2, which will be
voted on at the 2028 Churchwide Assembly. Given everything that is happening and the
direction in which everything is going, it is hard to imagine that providing a place of dignity,
belonging, and respect for traditional views and those who hold them will survive.

Most Lutherans know of Martin Luther’s famous appeal to “bound conscience” at the Diet of Worms in 1521.  He insisted: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason… my conscience is captive to the Word of God.”  His appeal to “bound conscience” meant that his theological and inner moral compass were not free but held captive by the authority of Scripture and clear reason.  For Luther, this wasn’t about subjective feeling but about obedience to God’s revealed truth, a profound conviction that led him to refuse to recant his writings, seeing it as right and safe only to follow God’s Word.   

There are no doubt many uses of the phrase in the history of Lutheranism since the 16^th century, but the use we want to examine is its use in the midst of a controversy in the ELCA over the nature of marriage and its attendant sexual ethics.  While we will focus on the ELCA since 1989, it is important to note that agitation to change traditional teachings on those subjects was already present in the merging churches—the American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches—especially in their youth divisions, as well as in their seminaries.

The Past

In the first Assembly of the ELCA in 1989, I roomed with a Virginia pastor who later became the Bishop of Virginia. He was assigned to attend the newly emerging youth organization. Every evening he would sorrowfully recount to me the ways that the adult leaders were propagandizing the youth into accepting practicing homosexual pastors and homosexual marriage.  We could already see what was to come in the new church.

Soon thereafter there were theological gatherings to resist the revisionism pushed by the new church and its Bishop, especially the Called to Faithfulness Conferences held in Northfield, Minnesota. By the turn of the century the newly organized Word Alone led many congregations out of the ELCA as a protest against its agreement with the Episcopal Church that all ordinations must be in the “apostolic succession,” which generally meant that Lutheran ordinations had to have an Episcopal Bishop among the presiders.  Those churches then became Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

Word Alone also sponsored the emergence of a protest movement against the moral revisionism of the ELCA.    I was present at its first gathering at St. Olaf College in 2003, which was organized and led by retired ELCA Bishop, Paull Spring.  Soon it took the name of Solid Rock and began organizing resistance to proposed changes in sexual ethics that would come about in the Churchwide Assembly of 2003. Solid Rock morphed into Coalition for Reform (CORE) with Roy Harrisville, Jr., as its executive.  Enough resistance was organized in both 2003 and 2005 that the revisionists did not get their way.  In 2005 a report noted that  “When Christians disagree about an ethical issue of this magnitude, one important category for determining the policy of the church may be the recognition that participants in this debate are disagreeing not out of pride or selfish desires, but because their consciences are bound to particular interpretations of Scripture and tradition. The careful way Luther approached moral dilemmas (e.g., in The Estate of Marriage [Luther’s Works 45: 17-49] or Whether Soldiers, Too, Can Be Saved [Luther’s Works 46: 93-137]) showed a genuine concern for the integrity of disputants.”  This report would become the groundwork for the “bound conscience” clause of 2009.

The Assembly of 2007 was supposed to be a truce concerning these issues, but at the end of the Assembly a Bishop proposed a successful amendment that no discipline should be used against those who were already disobeying church rules on sexual ethics.

After much work by a rather loaded task force on those issues, it proposed a social statement entitled Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, The statement turned out to be ambiguous about every crucial issue and passed by a single vote at 666.  The Assembly also passed provisions for allowing partnered gay pastors and gay marriage.

Though the task force that drafted Human Sexuality was loaded with revisionists, there was enough resistance that the “bound conscience” provision was inserted as a concession to the traditionalists and as a defensive move to prevent a wholesale rebellion in the ELCA.  It recognized four “conscience-bound” positions that Lutherans could faithfully hold on the matter of same-sex relationships, ranging from full opposition to full affirmation of same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy.

When hearings were held about the provision during the Assembly of 2009, I attended one and posed the question about whether it was simply a sop to traditionalist pastors and congregations at the local level to prevent wholesale losses, but that it would not protect traditionalists in any other facet of the church.  That has turned out to be true.  The upper levels of the church have been purged of recalcitrants.

The provision has been crucial for maintaining a painful compromise within the ELCA amid diverse views on human sexuality at the local level. Though hundreds of congregations left after 2009, those traditionalist pastors and congregations that stayed sheltered under the bound conscience provision. I have taught a number of such pastors at the Lutheran Institute of Theology, but they are worried about the future.  One has already transferred to the NALC.

The Present

What is going on to make such pastors and their congregations apprehensive?  The ELCA has already edited the statement and its rules to allow for same sex marriage language and is contemplating a more systematic application of the diversity, equity, and inclusivity ideology, which would definitely not include those traditionalists who cannot agree with the LGBT gender agenda. They are the oppressors and should be silenced or expelled.  Further, the elite of the ELCA have committed themselves to new fervid anti-racist policies that signal panic about the loss of black members even after decades of affirmative action, including the election of a black man as Presiding Bishop.

Those moves certainly signal that the bound conscience provisions are in grave danger.  Further, the task force that has been organized to examine and propose future policy has a majority of “progressives” that are likely to favor a withdrawal of the bound conscience provision.  But it seems that such a proposal is some distance in the future.  Meanwhile, traditionalist pastors and congregations are in uneasy limbo.

The Future

My hunch is that the bound conscience clause will go. There are certainly many level-headed members of the ELCA who prudentially see what will happen:  lots of losses of pastors and congregation with no gains.  More perceptive folks will see the further accommodation of the ELCA to secular progressive culture, much like sister liberal mainline denominations have done. Such accommodation means continued decline.

However, I think the “commanding heights” of the ELCA will push forward with their agenda, including the abolishment of the bound conscience clause.  The ELCA will continue down the slippery slope of accommodation.  When we in CORE were defeated decisively in 2009, we wagered that the ELCA would be unable to say “no” to anything in the sexual revolution. To confirm that wager, it has even made the grave error of propagandizing for transgenderism for children.

There is a long shot chance that the elite themselves will not push their agenda so quickly, or that synod representatives at the ELCA Assembly of 2028 will rebel and resist. But it is more likely that the Assembly will be managed well by the dominant elite, as it has been in most of them. They will make sure that their agenda will prevail.  And there will be one more step away from the Lutheranism whose teachings on marriage and sexuality are clearly grounded in Scripture and Tradition, to which our bound consciences yet cling.

“I don’t want to offend anyone or lose my friends.” That was the reason one of my church council members gave as to why she holds back from talking to her close friends about faith.

Her response came from a discussion we were having about the importance of building intentional relationships with friends and neighbors with whom we can talk about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s reasonable to understand her hesitancy. Yet, simultaneously, sadly, this is an excuse many believers fall back on because they don’t know how. Admittedly, I have not been exempt from using it myself, that was until one day, I was moved to change.

I had been invited as a guest to attend an NALC Regional Convocation. During one of the breaks, I had an engaging conversation with four individuals from the same church, who were attending as a group. They had asked me about my seminary experience. Up to that point, I had had difficulties with the ELCA candidacy process and I was contemplating leaving to join the NALC.

Throughout our exchange, I noticed how easy it was to talk to them. Even though I was a fish out of water, so to speak, they never made me feel uncomfortable. Their questions were genuine, not attacking or forceful, all while respectful. As we neared the end of the break, they asked if they could pray for me. As I told them that I would appreciate it if they would, they did something quite unexpected; rather than going on their way, they surrounded me, each placing a hand on my shoulder or arm, and began to pray for me, right then and there. It caught me by surprise because I had never had someone not only offer to pray for me but to do it! Over the next few minutes, each of them took a turn praying over something they had picked up on as they listened in, praying for God to give me the insight I needed to make my decision, whatever it was to be, for strength and guidance to go wherever He called me. As they ended, I opened my eyes to find that there were no longer four people surrounding me; passersby had also stopped to pray, placing their hands on those around me.

That day, I witnessed a group of believers demonstrate what following Jesus looks like, and I saw that conversations about life and faith don’t have to be divisive, inspiring me to do the same.

When our Lord encountered someone who was spiritually and/or physically hurting, he didn’t attack them. He didn’t simply offer to pray for them and then continue on his way. Instead, he stopped and prayed over them at that moment.

In the years since, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and offered to pray for strangers—even even someone who struck up a conversation with me on a flight home from Texas.

The feeling I have after praying for someone is that of joy. Doing so reminds me of Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus sends out his disciples ahead of him. As Christ told his disciples (I’m paraphrasing), “If you meet someone receptive to the Word, have a conversation; if they are not, don’t force it and go on your way.” However, I have never encountered anyone who refused my offer of, ‘Can I pray for you?’

Yet, encouraging her and telling her how to do it—based on scripture—only goes so far. While I have had such a positive experience, I find myself asking how I can help empower my councilwoman to set aside her fear and step out in faith.

Her fear is reminiscent of the disciples when Jesus told them to feed the five thousand. They had no clue how, and they certainly didn’t believe they had what it took to get the job done until their shepherd showed them the way. Their reaction was evident; they needed more time to be equipped and empowered.

After they had spent some time watching and learning how Jesus ministered to others, he released his disciples to try it for themselves. That’s when he instructed them how to minister to those receptive to the Word of God and to those who are not. When they came back to him, they reported incredible joy. As her earthly Shepherd, I can see how God has prepared her to spend time with me to learn how to follow Jesus.

DISRESPECTING THE INTEGRITY OF A CONGREGATION AND MISREPRESENTING THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION FOR A RENEWED LUTHERAN CHURCH

First Lutheran Church of Sioux Falls, South Dakota held their first vote to disaffiliate from the ELCA on September 28, 2025.  They will hold their second vote on January 25, 2026.  The results of the first vote exceeded the two-thirds that is constitutionally required for disaffiliation.

Prior to the first vote – on September 21, 2025 – Bishop Hagmaier of the South Dakota Synod came for the required consultation.  But she did not come alone.  She brought along a high-powered “Resource Team” of about twenty persons, some of whom are current or former members of First Lutheran.  The team included a representative from Luther Seminary, the president and senior campus pastor of Augustana University (an ELCA university in Sioux Falls), a Luther scholar, three previous bishops of the South Dakota Synod,  three previous pastors of First Lutheran, the bishop of another synod (who is also a member of the ELCA’s Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church), the vice president of the synod council, the synodical director for evangelical mission, the synodical director for candidacy and mobility, the dean of the local conference, the leader of the ELCA women’s organization for the local conference, and leaders and representatives from Lutheran Social Services, ELCA World Hunger, and Lutheran Planned Generosity.  That is a lot of people, some of whom traveled from considerable distance, especially Bishop Riegel from the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod. 

The format was that four of these resource people would speak, then there would be a time when people could ask questions of the bishop.  Then the various resource people were available for groups and/or individuals.  The reason given was so that people who did not have the courage to ask a question publicly could still have their question(s) answered.

Bishop Hagmaier obviously does not want to lose this congregation.  She put a lot into gathering this resource team.  I have not heard of any other synodical bishop who took the approach of so trying to overwhelm a congregation in a Bishop’s Consultation.

What I found most alarming about the Consultation were two things –

1. The way in which Bishop Hagmaier did not respect the integrity of the congregation.
2. The way in which Bishop Riegel of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod, who was also a member of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, misrepresented the work of the Commission.

Here is a link to a YouTube recording of the Consultation – Bishop Consultation // September 21, 2025.  This link can be found on the congregation’s website under “About FLC-Church Governance Task Force.”  Therefore, it is publicly available.  Anyone who wishes to can watch the seventy-minute consultation and find out for themselves whether what I am saying is true.  Here also is a link to the power point presentation from the Governance Task Force –   Presentation TO CONGREGATION – Master Version.  The Task Force has done excellent work summarizing the issues and expressing their concerns.  Their presentation reflects actions taken by the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

FEAR OR RUMORS VS. CLARITY AND TRUTH

Bishop Hagmaier began her part of the presentation by saying that the gathering would not be about fear or rumors but about clarity and truth.  And yet the president of Augustana University in her remarks told about generous scholarships that would no longer be available to young people from First Lutheran if the congregation were to leave the ELCA.  Also the leader of the conference women’s organization shared how the Women of the ELCA (WELCA) is constituted separately from any congregation.  Funds in a congregation’s WELCA treasury belong to WELCA, not to that congregation.  Therefore, if a congregation were to leave the ELCA, the funds would remain with WELCA, not with the women of that congregation.  One person – during the question-and-answer period – challenged the opening statement that the presentations would not be about fear or rumors given that those kinds of statements were made.  Also, when we come to the section where we tell about how the work of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church was misrepresented, it should be obvious that that part of the presentation was certainly not about clarity and truth.

DISRESPECTING THE INTEGRITY OF A CONGREGATION

I found it shocking that Bishop Hagmaier invited three former pastors of the congregation to be part of the Resource Team (though admittedly none of them were among the initial four presenters).  The ELCA has made it very clear that pastors who no longer serve a congregation are not to be involved in the life of that congregation and doing so would be reason for discipline. 

During the question-and-answer period one of the members asked if it is appropriate for a previous pastor to contact members of the congregation regarding the disaffiliation issue.  The person asking the question then said that these kinds of contacts were being made.  This member asked since ELCA guidelines for discipline prohibit it, will a pastor who does it be disciplined?  Bishop Hagmaier affirmed ELCA policy and said that any pastor who violated the policy would be disciplined by the bishop in whose synod that pastor is rostered.  She said that there was a process for this discipline and that any complaints should be brought to her in writing.  I thought it was astounding that Bishop Hagmaier reaffirmed as a reason for discipline behavior and action that she had invited three previous pastors to be involved in.

Bishop Hagmaier also clearly stated that the South Dakota Synod applies synodical administration (S13.24 in the model constitution for synods) only after a congregation has disbanded.  Only after a congregation has held its final worship service does the synod receive the keys to the property so the synod can make sure that the property is properly cared for.  I wonder how many synods apply synodical administration (S13.24) only under those kinds of circumstances rather than under circumstances such as we have described in other synods (including in the former synod of the current presiding bishop of the ELCA). 

MISREPRESENTING THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION FOR A RENEWED LUTHERAN CHURCH

I also found it shocking how Bishop Riegel of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod, who was also a member of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, misrepresented the work of that Commission.  Bishop Riegel was among the four initial presenters.  During his opening remarks he made the following comments regarding the Commission.

The “primary drive” behind the memorials from ten synods to the Churchwide Assembly that led to the formation of the Commission was “a sense that this church structurally is too big for itself.”

The focus for the original memorials was for “increasing flexibility for congregations and synods,” “loosening things up so that congregations and synods would have more ability to dictate to themselves how polity would be structured, how they would do things, so they could respond more nimbly to their context.”  The goal was “untangling some of the uniformity of the church” and “having greater flexibility.”

He also referred to the commitment to dismantle racism as merely a “proviso on the side.” 

Neither the final report of the Commission to the Church Council, nor the recommendations from the Church Council to the Churchwide Assembly, nor the actions of the Churchwide Assembly support his statements.

Contrary to what Bishop Riegel said, the commitment to dismantle racism was not a “proviso on the side.”  Instead it was a top priority of the process.  The resolution that was passed by the 2022 Churchwide Assembly that called for the creation of the Commission instructed the Commission to be “particularly attentive to our shared commitment to dismantle racism.”  Anything that any group is to be “particularly attentive to” is not a “proviso on the side.”    

Recommendation 1 from the Commission to the Church Council was entitled “Immediate Action on Dismantling Racism.”  It included these statements. 

“To ensure timely action, all constitution and bylaw amendments needed for the development and implementation of these accountability measures and compliance incentives must be developed and advanced in time for consideration by the 2028 Churchwide Assembly.  If by that time such measures and incentives have not been adequately identified or enacted, we recommend the ELCA Church Council call for a special meeting of the Churchwide Assembly to evaluate and enact necessary constitutional revisions that will enable and advance the ELCA’s commitment to anti-racism work.”

B-14 was a summary of memorials from several synods and was approved by the Churchwide Assembly 646-144.  The thrust of this motion was –  

• To acknowledge the importance of accountability in addressing racism within all structures of the ELCA
• To affirm the work of the Strategy Toward Authentic Diversity Advisory Team and request that the Church Council continue to work with the team to clarify the nature of mutual accountability as referenced in Recommendation 1 of the CRLC Report
• To direct the Church Council to add a timeline to its actions taken in response to CRLC Recommendation 1 and to provide progress updates to this church with a final report by Fall 2027, including possible constitutional changes, and
• To recommend that if this work is not accomplished by Fall 2027, the Church Council consider calling a special meeting of the Churchwide Assembly to enact necessary revisions to the governing documents of this church.

When you combine these actions with the development of a DEIA handbook and several pages of DEIA Recommendations for Congregations found in the DEIA audit which the Church Council had done of the ELCA’s governing documents, what you have is greater and enforced compliance and uniformity, not “greater flexibility” and “loosening things up.”

What has happened since then?  An October 9, 2025 news release from the ELCA reports that during the October 2-3 meeting of the Church Council the Council “received updates from its Executive Committee regarding a timeline of the ‘immediate action on dismantling racism’ . . . to develop mutual accountability measures and compliance incentives across all expressions of the ELCA.”  Anything that calls for “immediate action” is not a “proviso on the side.”  “Mutual accountability measures and compliance incentives across all expressions of the ELCA” do not speak of “greater flexibility” and “loosening things up.”  Instead they speak of greater, enforced uniformity. 

And then another way in which Bishop Riegel misrepresented the work of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church was in his incomplete reporting regarding a proposed amendment to the ELCA Churchwide Constitution – 22.11.b.  As I reported in my analysis of the Churchwide Assembly (LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR – AUGUST 2025 – Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE)) that amendment would have provided a way to fast track the approval of amendments that come from the floor.  According to the proposed amendment, they would no longer need to be ratified by a Churchwide Assembly three years later (hopefully after discussion in synods and congregations).  Rather they could be ratified by action of the Church Council within the next twelve months.  Bishop Riegel reported that he opposed that amendment, and he was correct when he said that it did not pass (though just barely).  But he did not say what happened next.  Later during the assembly a voting member proposed new language, which would provide for a provisional ratification of an amendment from the floor by a vote of the church council within twelve months and then a later ratification of the amendment by the next Churchwide Assembly.  After much discussion about whether the new language was appropriate and how it would be executed, the assembly voted 517-247 to refer the motion to the Office of the Secretary for further study.  This action raises the question of how newly elected Secretary Lucille “CeCee” Mills will interpret the constitution. 

I thought it was very interesting that Bishop Riegel did not tell the rest of the story.  Rather he presented the actions of the Churchwide Assembly in a way that would “calm the nerves” of the members of First Lutheran.  I also do not understand if the final report of the Commission was no more than what Bishop Riegel said it was, why he would have dissented to it in full.

I have only limited information from other congregations regarding the consultation that they had with their synodical bishop before they held their first vote on whether to disaffiliate from the ELCA.  But none of them were like this one.  This Consultation certainly says two things –

• ELCA synodical bishops need to respect the integrity of congregations.
• ELCA church leaders need to tell the truth. 

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GRINCH IF

One of the best-known Christmas stories of all time is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss. The Grinch was not happy. And because he was not happy, he did not want anyone else to be happy.

Now we all know people who behave like the Grinch. The Grinches we know do not live in faraway lands in caves on top of mountains. Instead they can be our neighbors – even our fellow church members. It would be easy to spot them if they had green skin. But outwardly they look like the rest of us. How can you know if you are having to deal with a Grinch? Worse yet, how can you know if you are becoming a Grinch? Here are five things that help us identify a Grinch. These same five things were true of another Grinch whose story is told in Matthews 2: 13-23, the Gospel reading this year for the First Sunday after Christmas. First –

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GRINCH IF YOU GET UPSET WHEN OTHERS INVADE YOUR TERRITORY

The Grinch in Dr. Seuss’ story is standing on a ledge outside his cave on a high mountain overlooking the village of Whoville. He is upset because he has to listen to all the noise from the village down below. He had moved to the top of the mountain because he had wanted to get far away from Whoville and Christmas. But on the top of the mountain his territory was being invaded by the sounds of Christmas.

Matthew tells us about another Grinch whose territory also was being invaded – Herod. The Romans had made Herod King of the Jews. But most of his subjects hated him. He had built mighty works for them, including a greatly expanded Temple, but they hated him. Herod knew how much the people hated him, and that they might use any opportunity to overthrow him, so he spent his days living in constant fear that he could lose control at any time.

So imagine Herod’s utter terror when some wise men come from the east and ask, “Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews?” What do you mean, King of the Jews? I, Herod, am King of the Jews. Someone was invading Herod’s territory. No wonder Matthew tells us that Herod was frightened. And not just frightened, he was infuriated. And Matthew tells us that all Jerusalem was upset with him. If Herod is upset, everyone is upset.

Do you ever get upset because you feel that Jesus is invading your territory? You like the idea of His coming into your life as baby born in Bethlehem – with His gifts of love and peace and joy. But there are certain areas of your life where you have posted big, bold “No Trespassing” signs.

If God starts to invade that territory, suddenly all of your defenses go up, and like Herod and all Jerusalem you get upset.

Yes, both the Grinch and Herod got upset because someone was invading their territory. So they cooked up a plan. Which brings us to the second way in which you can tell if you are a Grinch.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GRINCH IF YOU ARE PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT

The Grinch knew that he was hated down in Whoville. But he also knew that Santa Claus was loved just as much as he was hated. So he made a Santa suit out of some old red material and placed a pair of antlers on the head of his dog, Max. Then he went down to Whoville as Santa, not to deliver presents, but to steal every present from under every tree and every ornament from every home.

Herod had a similar plan. When he heard that someone was invading his territory, he called together the chief priests and those who knew the Bible well to find out from them what the Bible has to say about where this new king was to be born. The Bible scholars told him, In Bethlehem. So he called the wise men back and said to them, “Go and search diligently for the child. And when you have found him, bring me word so that I also may go and pay him homage.”

Herod had no desire to worship Jesus. He was only pretending because he wanted to kill Jesus. And I often wonder how much pretending goes on at Christmas time. Like people who pretend to have far more financial resources than they actually have by the amount they charge to their credit cards. Both the Grinch and Herod were pretending to be something they were not. And then, third –

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GRINCH IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO JOIN WITH OTHERS IN THEIR JOY

With his Santa Claus suit on, the Grinch and his dog Max head down the mountain into Whoville, where they go house to house, snatching all the toys that Santa Claus had left for all the good little Whoville girls and boys. Then he heads back up the chimney, packs the toys onto his sled, and then carries them up to the top of the mountain.

Herod, too, was surrounded by joy. He could have joined in, but he refused to. When the wise men heard where the Christ was to be born, they quickly headed off to Bethlehem. Can you imagine their joy. They had been on their journey for quite some time and now they were almost there. Matthew tells us, “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.”

What a moment of joy. But Herod did not get to experience any of that joy. Even though Jerusalem was only a few miles away and Herod could have gone there and found the source of true peace and joy that his troubled soul so desperately needed, still he chose to stay away. In fact, he even tried to destroy the source of joy. So close and yet so far.

Now there is nothing we can do about Herod. But we all know people who also are so close to joy. All around us are troubled people who are searching for peace and joy. Both the Grinch and Herod were so close to joy. But they were neither willing nor able to join in on that joy. Instead they wanted to rob others of their joy. It’s really sad to be around people who cannot stand to see other people happy.

I wonder if at some time early in his life the Grinch had been hurt very, very badly. I wonder if one of the Whovillers might have said or done something to him a long time ago that he just could not let go of. Is that how he had lost the ability to have joy, so now he wanted to steal the joy of others? Well that brings us to the fourth sign of being a Grinch.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GRINCH IF YOU GET INFURIATED IF YOUR PLANS DO NOT WORK OUT

God the Father knew how Herod would react so He warned the wise men to go home a different way. And He told Joseph to get Mary and Jesus out of Bethlehem.

Now I do not know why Herod did not just have the wise men followed so that he would only have to kill one baby and one family. But I do know, because Matthew tells us, how we reacted when he found out that he had been tricked. He was infuriated. So he sent soldiers to kill all the boy babies in and around Bethlehem up to the age of two years.

The Grinch also had a plan. He placed all the stuff he had gathered from Whoville onto his sled and then whipped little Max into pulling that sleigh to the highest cliff of the mountain, where he would throw everything over the cliff to be destroyed on the rocks below. But his plan did not work out quite as he had planned. And all that brings us to the fifth way that you can know if you are a Grinch.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A GRINCH IF YOUR HEART DOES NOT GET CHANGED

By the time that little Max was able to reach the top of the mountain with the sleigh, it was Christmas morning. The Grinch pauses to listen to what is going on down in Whoville. He is expecting to hear the sound of great wailing, for all the presents and ornaments are gone. But much to his surprise, instead of wailing, he hears singing. And it is the same song as before they lost all the presents and ornaments. The Grinch wonders, How can this be?

Then all of a sudden, the sleigh begins to slip over the edge. The Grinch tries to grab it. He does not want it to be destroyed. Something miraculous has happened. His heart that had been two sizes too small has grown four sizes. And the sly grin that had been on his face is now replaced with a smile that says that something good has happened inside.

But unlike the Grinch, Herod awoke to the sound of great weeping. Hundreds of mothers weeping. Not because their children’s Christmas presents have been stolen, but instead because their children have been murdered.

Now we all know how the story ends for Dr. Seuss’ Grinch. He became a part of Whoville. He joined in their joy and carved the roast beast. He was not an outsider anymore. His heart had been changed. Unfortunately, that is where the similarity between the two stories ends. Herod’s heart was never changed. Matthew tells us that he died, and history tells us it was only about a year later. Herod had his chance, but he missed his chance. So he remained a Grinch forever.

The Grinch’s heart was changed by what he heard. This Christmas may your heart be changed by what you hear. We do not have the ability to change our own heart, but the love we can receive from the baby in the manger can change our hearts forever.

If you know someone who is a Grinch, do you stay away from them or can you see beyond the tough exterior and green skin and reach out to them in love? If you know someone who is a Grinch, reach out to him or her this Christmas. Let him or her see the love and joy of Jesus shining through your life. Who knows what hard and shriveled up heart just might get changed.

* * * * * * *

VIDEO MINISTRY

INTERIM MINISTRY

by Cathy Ammlung and Tim Hubert

Many thanks to NALC pastors Cathy Ammlung and Tim Hubert for this video about interim ministry. A link to their video can be found HERE. A link to our You Tube channel, which contains sixty-four reviews of books and videos on topics of interest and importance, can be found HERE.

In this video Cathy interviews Tim, who is now serving his twelfth interim parish. They discuss the various kinds of interim situations; what congregations can (and shouldn’t) expect from their interim pastor; and what are the key components to successful, productive interim ministry. It is not about how to obtain an interim pastor or start a call process. Rather it is about developing a good and trustful relationship with your interim pastor – and with one another, if there’s friction; using his or her compensated time wisely and well; and working toward a healthy, productive future.

* * * * * * *

PETROS NETWORK

The November issue of our newsletter, CORE Voice, contained an article about Petros Network and its partnering with many indigenous churches worldwide, including the world’s largest and reportedly fastest-growing Lutheran denomination – the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY). For those who missed it, a link to that article can be found HERE. A link to the page on their website that tells about their work with the Ethiopian Lutheran Church can be found HERE. 

Reading that article, as well as Paul Borg’s article re the recent gathering of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Network (LINK TO ARTICLE), give new meaning to what the angel said to the shepherds, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people.” (Luke 2: 10)

* * * * * * *

The beloved Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” says about the small village where Jesus was born, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” May the love of Jesus fill you with hope and may His presence address all your fears.

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

December 2025

Dear Friends –

My theological degrees (M. Div. and D. Min.) are from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California.  After I graduated from Fuller in 1972 I served my internship under Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota at the same church as where I had worked as youth director during my third year in seminary.  Halfway through my internship year I went back to Luther for an interview with the faculty.  I was not prepared.  Attending a non-Lutheran seminary, I had not studied Lutheran theology and church history as I should have so I was required to spend a year at Luther as a graduate student taking Lutheran courses before I would be certified and approved for ordination.  I felt totally put upon by the requirement.  But as it turned out before the end of that additional year the congregation where I would end up serving my entire forty years of ministry, who knew me from my days in youth ministry, and where I met my wife was ready to call an associate pastor.  They would not have been ready before my additional year at Luther.  I have no idea where I would have been called and how my life would have gone if I had not been required to attend seminary one more year.  “All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8: 28) 

I remember wondering, when I found out that I would be required to attend one more year of seminary, how am I going to be able to pay for that?  But then I received an unexpected blessing.  The congregation where I had worked as youth director and served my internship gathered donations that more than covered the expenses for my unanticipated, final year of study. 

Knowing what it means to receive financial assistance from God’s loving and caring people, I am especially thankful that Lutheran CORE has the resources to be able to provide financial support for seven students attending the North American Lutheran Seminary (NALS).  One of them, Luke Ratke, writes –

“Thank you so much for your generous gift of financial support. . . .I am in my last year of study at the seminary and I plan to graduate at the end of the spring 2026 semester.  After I graduate I plan to begin a year-long internship at a North American Lutheran Church congregation.  I look forward to learning as much as I can during that year about how to do pastoral ministry work well. . . .May God bless your ministry work and all that you do for the sake of the Gospel!”

I am in the process of teaching a Sunday morning adult class on the life of Moses at the ELCA congregation where my wife and I are members.  Exodus 16:13 tells us that as the Israelites were on their way to Mt. Sinai, the evening before God first provided manna, “quails came up and covered the camp.”  I have read that this area of the Sinai Peninsula is along the route of a major bird migratory path.  Often birds would stop to rest after flying north over the Gulf of Suez.  And where they stopped to rest is where the Israelites were camped.  Long before the Israelites passed that way, God provided a way by which they would have food.  God knew where the finances would come from long before I knew that I would be required to attend an additional year of seminary.  And long before these seven students responded to God’s call to ministry, God knew that your generosity would help provide the resources for them to attend seminary.  “My God will fully provide for every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 19)

During the upcoming year we will continue to monitor and keep you informed about what the ELCA is doing leading up to its 2028 Churchwide Assembly in terms of eliminating any place for traditional views as it reconsiders the 2009 human sexuality social statement as well as in terms of continuing to make DEIA, dismantling racism, and critical race theory the central value and operating system of the ELCA.  In addition, we will continue to provide resources such as worship aids, prayers, daily devotions, weekly lectionary-based Bible studies and children’s messages, video book reviews, and support and assistance for congregations in transition.

For example, the ELCA news release dated October 9, 2025 concerning the October 2-3 meeting of the ELCA Church Council stated that the Council received an update from its Executive Committee regarding “a timeline of the ‘immediate action on dismantling racism’ acted on during the spring 2025 meeting to develop mutual accountability measures and compliance incentives across all expressions of the ELCA.”  There are powerful people who want to remake the ELCA and make DEIA and dismantling racism mandatory throughout the ELCA, including for congregations.  They made significant progress at the 2025 Churchwide Assembly, but they did not fully succeed.  They will not stop.  They will try again in 2028.  If there are not enough constitutional changes ready to go by the end of 2027 they will call for a reconstituting assembly.  Notice the wording in the news release.  “Immediate action” – for these people nothing else is of such supreme importance.  “Dismantling racism” – not just not being racist, but dismantling systems that privilege some and allow those some to oppress others (Marxism).  “Mutual accountability measures and compliance incentives across all expressions of the ELCA.”  “All expressions” includes congregations.  All still within the ELCA should wonder how these “mutual accountability measures and compliance incentives” will play out in their synod. 

Thank you for your prayers and your faithful, generous financial support.  Please find below a link to a form which you can use to let us know how we can be praying for you.  You can also use that form to send a year-end gift that will enable us to continue to do our work.  We would also like to hear from you regarding a time when God provided for you maybe even long before you knew that you would have a need.   

Thanking God for His goodness,

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

“[Y]ou no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that” (Mark 7:12-13).

Traditions can get in the way.  What starts out as a lesson to promote obedience becomes a hindrance that promotes sin.  Take care, lest your traditions contradict the very thing you are seeking to accomplish.  Neither rid yourself of all traditions, replace them with others, nor seek to transform yourself, but listen as the Holy Spirit guides you so that You may learn what faithfulness means.

Lord, You have come because I need to be saved.  I desire to be faithful, but there are things deep within me that hinder my journey of following You.  Bring me to the place where I am willing to let nothing stand in the way of the salvation You give.  Bring me out of myself to learn how to live out the love You have given me.  Guide me in the way of salvation and help me each step of the way.

Lord Jesus, at times I have thought Your words harsh, but You speak truth.  I do not like some of these words.  Help me to understand what it is that Your word of truth is saying.  Guide me out of myself and into You.  You willingly gave up all for my sake and for the sake of all others who come to You in faith.  Help me to get out of myself and live faithfully for the sake of You and my neighbor.  Amen.

“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God)’ (Mark 7:10-11)

God already owns everything.  It is entrusted to us for our use in this age.  We all know how to make excuses not to do things.  Do not play games with God or with one another.  We are to love our neighbor.  Above this, we are to honor our parents.  Help those who are in need and do not use God as your excuse for not helping.  From the smaller things, larger lessons are learned.  Learn the lessons.

Lord, You know the games I play with myself and others.  You have come to save me.  I need saving.  Bring me through the muddle of my thinking.  Sin effects my behavior so that I don’t seek to do what is right in Your eyes.  Remove those obstacles that are in the way of my being faithful to Your commands.  Guide me out of the fog of sinful thinking to see things as You intend for me to see them.

Come, Holy Spirit, and minister to my heart.  Though I resist, confront me where I need it.  Through all things, help me to understand what it means to be obedient.  Where I am selfish and seek to retain ownership, free me to be obedient as You direct me.  You know all that I need and what stands in the way.  Lead me to overcome these things in my way so that I may learn obedience from You.  Amen.

Lessons, Hymns, and Prayers, March 22, 2026, A, 5th Sunday in Lent

All: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (The valley of dry bones)

All: Psalm 130 (Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord)

Sola/LSB: Romans 8:1-11 (The life-giving Spirit)

                RCL/ELW: Romans 8:6-11 (You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit of Christ,

                                who dwells within you and gives you life)

All: John 11:1-45[46-53]) (The death and raising of Lazarus)

*********************************

Opening Hymn: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: LBW #315, ELW #631, LSB #700

Lenten Hymn, if desired: see Ash Wednesday

Hymn Paraphrase of Psalm 130: Out of the Depths I Cry to You:  LBW #295, ELW #600

From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee: LSB #607

Hymn of the Day: Be Still, My Soul: LSB #752 (Yeah, Finlandia. They used to play it on KFUO in St. Louis when they remembered the faithful departed. Can’t sing it without tearing up!)

OR Christ, the Life of All the Living: LBW #97, ELW #339, LSB #420

OR Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery: ELW #334, v. 1-3, Lent 5 stanza

Communion Hymn 1: What Wondrous Love is This: LBW #385, ELW #666, LSB #543

Communion Hymn 2: We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died: LBW #344, LSB #429 (Unfamiliar, though fairly simple tune. Words are superb. Sing to the Doxology!)

Closing Hymn: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less: LBW 293/294, ELW #596/ 597, LSB #575/576

*******

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Lord, we live in a valley of deathly shadows. Thank you for Jesus, who calls us by name from our tombs. Help us to firmly believe that his is our Resurrection and our Life.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon your Church. Make it the living body of Jesus in the world. In Word and Sacrament, and by deeds of mercy and forgiveness, let it share your life and grace with all who are held captive to sin, evil and death.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon your persecuted servants throughout the world. Revive their faith and knit them into an undying fellowship with Jesus and with one another. By their courageous witness and their patient suffering, glorify your Name and turn many hearts to repentant faith.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon all missionaries, pastors, and theologians. By their faithful preaching and acts of charity, grant life and salvation to those who walk in the valley of the shadow of death.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon this congregation, so that our worship, words, and deeds abound with the fruits of that Spirit. Fill us with Jesus, and give us grace to share his life with everyone we meet.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon all to whom death draws near, especially those who die alone or unloved. Grant them serenity, faith, and reconciliation with you and with family. Bless them with the mercy and grace promised by your Son to any who will receive him. Give a double portion of your Spirit to hospice workers and to all who care for the dying.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon all who lead the nations, especially our own. Fill them with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord; and joy in doing your will. Help them work for the welfare of their people. Give your grace and peace to us all.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon all who risk their lives to defend life and liberty. Keep them faithful, true, and bold. Shield and direct them in perilous situations. Raise and heal them when they fall. Deliver them into a place of safety when their task has ended.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit upon all who all who suffer, including: {List}. As Jesus raised up Lazarus from death, we beseech you, raise up these dear and restore them to their loved ones.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy and gracious Father, thank you for calling your faithful servants by name, out of death and into your eternal life. Breathe your Spirit upon us, for we are still troubled by the sin, death, and the devil. Give us grace to comfort, encourage, and help each other along life’s road. Grant us faith to confess your Son as the Resurrection and the Life, the One who has come into the world to bring us salvation.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lessons, Hymns, and Prayers, March 15, 2026, A, 4th Sunday in Lent

Sola/LSB: Isaiah 42:14-21 (I will lead the blind by paths they don’t see)

                RCL/ELW: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (Samuel anoints David)

Sola/LSB: Psalm 142 (I cry to the Lord, for I have been brought very low)

                RCL/ELW: Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd)

All: Ephesians 5:8-14 (Once you were in darkness; now walk as children of the light)

All: John 9:1-41 (Jesus heals the man born blind)

************************************

Opening Hymn: I Want Jesus to Walk With Me: WOV #660, ELW #325

OR O Son of God, in Galilee: LBW #426, LSB #841 (Both tunes are fairly easy, but if they’re not familiar, use tune for “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.”)

Lenten Hymn, if desired: see Ash Wednesday

Hymn of the Day: When to the World Our Savior Came: LSB #551 (Great words, familiar tune!)

OR Be Thou My Vision: WOV #776, ELW #793

OR Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery: ELW #334, v. 1-3, Lent 4 stanza

Communion Hymn 1: Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound: LBW #448, ELW #779, LBW #744

Communion Hymn 2:  My God, How Wonderful Thou Art: LBW #524, ELW #863

OR Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us: LBW #481, ELW #789, LSB #711

Note: Both LSB and ELW use the tune older members will remember from SBH, “Bradbury.”

Closing Hymn: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light: WOV #649, ELW #815, LSB #411

OR O God, My Faithful God: LBW #504, ELW #806, LSB #696

*******

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Father, thank you for the light of sun, moon, stars, streetlights, candles, and lamps. Thank you for these “created lights” that bear witness to the true and uncreated Light, your Son, Jesus Christ. Lead us, even when eyes fail and earthly lights grow dim, to his kindly light, which no darkness can overcome.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness of your Church. Give it eyes to see its own sin, and to repent. Give it eyes to see the world’s sins, and to offer your forgiveness to any who will receive it. Give it eyes to see the plight of all who are afflicted by sin, death, and the devil, and to proclaim your redemption, given through the Passion of your dear Son.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness of those who hate the followers of Jesus, and of all who turn a blind eye to their plight. Grant that the words and actions of all who suffer on account of Christ may inspire their enemies to repent and believe in you.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Give clear sight and strong faith to missionaries, seminarians and their professors, pastors, and all of Jesus’ apprentices. Through their labors, lead many who are spiritually blind to Jesus for healing.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heal any spiritual blindness in this congregation. Give us eyes to see Jesus in one another. For his sake, help us love even people we don’t yet like. Give us eyes to see new opportunities for serving you. As we become braver in sharing our faith, make us lamps shining with Jesus’ love for everyone we encounter.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let your healing, blessing, and grace rest upon the blind and deaf, and those with impaired senses of touch, taste, balance, or movement. Give them strength and courage. Sharpen the perception of their other senses. Surround them with people whose respect and encouragement leads them to greater faith in you, their light and their life.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness of the nations, and all who are in positions of authority. Give them eyes to seek your will, and hearts and hands to do it. Give them eyes to see injustice, deceit and cruelty, and the strength and courage to combat them. Make each of us into children of your light, living in faith toward you and with fervent love toward one another.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

As your dear Son healed the man born blind, we pray that he would also bring healing, light, hope, and faith to everyone who suffers from any affliction, including: {List}. Lift them up from pain, sorrow, fear, or grief. And give them the joy of your saving help, now and always.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Thank you, dear Father, for receiving into your greater light and into your eternal life, our beloved dead. Deal mercifully with those shadowed by grief. We pray: Lord, let us receive our sight, so that day by day, we see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly. Lead us, with all who have redeemed by the merits of your Son, to heaven, there to gaze on his fair beauty forever.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lessons, Hymns, and Prayers, March 8, 2026, A, 3rd Sunday in Lent

All: Exodus 17:1-7 (Israelites murmur against God, who gives water from the rock)

All: Psalm 95: (We are the people of God’s pasture; don’t be like those who murmured!)

All: Romans 5:1-8 (9-11) (Justified by faith in Christ, we have peace with God through

                him, who died for the ungodly)

All: John 4:5-26 [may add 27-30, 39-42]) (Jesus and the woman at the well)

***********************************

Opening Hymn: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing: LBW #499, ELW #807, LSB #686

OR Christ, the Word of God Incarnate: LSB #540, v. 1-3 Fairly familiar Early American tune. Just wonderful words. Verse 2 especially goes with the Gospel reading)

OR “Come, Let Us Sing Unto the Lord” (paraphrase of Psalm 95)

Words by Rev. Cathy Ammlung, STS; Tune: Kirken (Built on a Rock, the Church Shall Stand)

1. Come, let us sing unto the Lord, Our mighty Rock of salvation.

Come, with our psalms of thanks outpoured To the great King of all nations.

Come, make a joyful noise of praise; Come, worship God through all our days;

Come in his presence, adoring.

2. Within the hollow of his hand, Caverns and hills find their dwelling.

Measureless seas and trackless land Their Maker’s glories are telling.

Come; worship; bend the knee and bless Our God, Our Shepherd. We confess

His hand’s our pasture forever.

Lenten Hymn, if desired: see Ash Wednesday

Hymn of the Day: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say: LBW #497, ELW 332, 611; LSB #699

(Note: the 2^nd ELW tune is “Kingsfold,” a nice English folk tune. You’ll find it used in LBW #391)

OR As the Deer Runs to the River: ELW #331

OR O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts: LBW #356

OR Lent 3 stanza, Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery: ELW #334, v. 1-3

Communion Hymn 1: How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds: LBW #345, ELW #620, LSB #524

OR Eat This Bread: WOV #709, ELW #472 (Just repeat first set of words 3x)

Communion Hymn 2: Come With Us, O Blessed Jesus: LBW #219, ELW #501

Closing Hymn: Glories of Your Name are Spoken:

LBW #358, ELW #648 (BEWARE! Uses different tune, even though “Austria” is used elsewhere!)

Glorious Things of You are Spoken: LSB #648

OR Christ, the Word of God Incarnate: LSB #540, v. 4-6

***

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, your living water. Sometimes we don’t realize how thirsty we are. Sometimes what we drink makes us even thirstier. Thank you that Jesus quenches our thirst for your goodness, love, forgiveness, and life, by filling us with Himself.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Make your Church a place where your living water flows. Use it to quench the thirst, heal the hearts, and cleanse the souls of people dying for lack of your love. May it always share your holy Word so that many may hear, and come to believe, that your Son is the Savior of the world.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray on behalf of our persecuted sisters and brothers. Fulfill in them the Apostle’s words: that suffering produces endurance; endurance produces character; character produces hope; and hope does not put them to shame, because God’s love has been poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Jesus said the fields are ripe for the harvest. Therefore we pray: Call, equip, and send new pastors and evangelists to preach the Good News. Make each of us disciples “on a mission with you” to eagerly share the Living Water with thirsty souls in our communities.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy on this congregation. Make us people eager to worship you in spirit and in truth; to care for one another with gentle hearts; and to share the living water of your Son with everyone we know.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Thank you for everyone who makes clean water available throughout the world. Grant that all who benefit from the pure and refreshing waters of this life may also be drawn to the Living Water of eternal life, Jesus Christ your Son.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy on our nation, its leaders, and its people. Although we are all sinful and rebellious, save us, we pray, from our folly. Give us hearts that delight in your law, and wills set to obey it. Remove from us the spirit of discord and strife, and crown us with the blessing of your peace.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Refresh and heal with your Living Water everyone burdened with suffering and sorrow, including: { List}. Give them renewed strength, deep peace, strong hope, and abiding faith in your compassion.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, with reverence and affection, we entrust our beloved dead into your care. Wipe away the tears all who mourn. Refresh us with your Word and Sacraments as we pass through death’s valleys. Help us to encourage one another; to rejoice even though suffering; to cultivate good character; to live in hope; and to lean on your promises. Speed the day when, in Spirit and in truth, the whole company of the redeemed will worship you, and acclaim your Son as the Savior of the world, our Lord and our God.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

March 1, 2026, 2nd Sunday in Lent

Sola/LSB: Genesis 12:1-9 (God calls Abram, promises land and offspring)

                RCL/ELW: Genesis 12:1-4a

All: Psalm 121 (From whence does my help come? The Lord, who will watch over you)

All: Romans 4:1-8, 13-17 (The promises to Abraham came through the righteousness

                of faith, not works of law)

All: John 3:1-17 (Jesus and Nicodemus; God so loved the world….)

**************************************

Opening Hymn:The God of Abraham Praise: LBW #544, v. 1-4, 11; ELW #831, v. 1-4, 8; LSB #798, v. 1-4, 9

OR O Christ, Our Hope: LBW #300, ELW #604, LSB #553

Lenten Hymn, if desired: see Ash Wednesday

Hymn paraphrase of Psalm 121: Unto the Hills: LBW #445

Hymn of the Day: God Loved the World So That He Gave:  LBW #292, ELW #323, LSB #571 (If LBW or LSB tune is unfamiliar, take ELW’s suggestion and use Rockingham Old, tune for “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”)

OR Lord, Thee I Love With All My Heart: LBW #325, ELW #750, LSB #708 (One of the great chorales. If congregation is timid, have soloist or choir sing it.)

OR Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery: ELW #334, v. 1-3, Lent 2 stanza

Communion Hymn 1: Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me: LBW #333, ELW #767, LSB #722

OR Day by Day: WOV #746, ELW #790

Communion Hymn 2:  O Love That Will Not Let Me Go: LBW #324

OR Jesus, Feed Us: ELW #464

Closing Hymn: Guide Me Ever/O Thou, Great Redeemer: LBW #543, ELW #618, LSB #918

***

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Dearest heavenly Father, we know John 3:16 by heart. Thank you for its truth. You do so love the world! You gave your only Son! We have everlasting life, not death! Thank you for your love. By your Spirit, let our lives reflect that love – to you, and to people who don’t yet know your love or believe your Word.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let the wind of your Spirit blow through your Church. Breathe your life and love through it, to revive everyone who is wounded and dying from the assaults of the sin, death, and the devil. Make the Church your “wounded healer,” able to draw broken and sinful people close to Jesus.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Keep watch over our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world when they cry to you for help. Preserve them from every evil. Grant repentance, forgiveness, and new life to their tormentors.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Nicodemus, a teacher in Israel, needed the challenge, wisdom, and words of life that only Jesus could give. Grant that all who seek to be pastors, teachers, and theologians should always sit at Jesus’ feet. Fill them with his Spirit. Make them truth-filled teachers and trustworthy guides to everyone in their care.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Fill this congregation with the Holy Spirit, so that day by day, our hearts, minds, words, and works are reborn as instruments of your will. Use us to bring your redeeming love to those who need it most.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for travelers, immigrants, and refugees. Protect them from cruel traffickers, false promises, and deadly dangers. We also pray for those who strive to keep our nation safe from those who abuse our hospitality and endanger the innocent.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Teach and guide the leaders of all nations, especially our own. Help them prefer integrity and wisdom to the allure of power or popularity. Make them watchful and protective toward those entrusted to their care. Guide them in paths of justice and righteousness, and help us all to walk in those paths.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be the shield and strength of those who risk their lives on our behalf. Do not let their foot be moved. Deliver them from evil. Use them to bring safety and help in dangerous situations. Restore them to their loved ones when their task is done. Grant honor to the fallen, healing to the wounded, and peace to all.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Watch over everyone who endures pain, sorrow, fear, doubt, loneliness, or despair, including: {List}. Be their shade and shelter. Give hope to their hearts, health to their bodies, confidence to their minds, and faith to their souls.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you for embracing our beloved dead in your everlasting arms. Keep us steadfast in faith. Guide us through this “barren land.” Feed us with the Bread of Heaven. Be our strength and shield. When we tread the verge of Jordan, bid our anxious fears subside. By the Cross of Jesus, land us safe on Canaan’s side. Fill us with songs and praises that, with all the redeemed, we sing to you forever.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lessons, Hymns, and Prayers, February 22, 2026, A, 1^st Sunday in Lent

Sola/LSB: Genesis 3:1-21 (The serpent tempts Adam and Eve to disobey God)

RCL/ELW: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

 All: Psalm 32:1-7 (Happy are they whose sins are forgiven!)

All: Romans 5:12-1 (Sin came through Adam; righteousness, through Christ)

All: Matthew 4:1-11 (Satan tempts Jesus to disobey his Father)

*******

Opening Hymn: A Mighty Fortress is Our God: LBW #229, ELW #504, LSB #657

OR In Adam We Have All Been One: LBW #372, LSB #569

Lenten Hymn, if desired: see Ash Wednesday

Hymn of the Day: O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days: LBW #99, ELW #319, LSB #418

OR Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You: LSB #668 (Tune is “Wake, Awake, For Night is Flying.” Words are gutsy encouragement against temptation. Pretty cool.)

                OR The Tree of Life, With Ev’ry Good: LSB #561 (Tune looks straightforward. Beautiful words that tell of the Fall, and of our Redemption through the various trees – life, knowledge, Cross, life)

OR Lent 1 stanza, Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery: ELW #334, v. 1-3

Communion Hymn 1: Lord Jesus, Think on Me: LBW #309, LSB #610

                OR That Priceless Grace: ELW #591

Communion Hymn 2:  All Who Would Valiant Be: LBW #498

Closing Hymn: Jesus, Still Lead/Lead Thou On: LBW #341, ELW #624, LSB #843

*******

Sola/LSB: Genesis 3:1-21 (The serpent tempts Adam and Eve to disobey God)

RCL/ELW: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

 Psalm 32:1-7 (Happy are they whose sins are forgiven!)

Romans 5:12-1 (Sin came through Adam; righteousness, through Christ)

Matthew 4:1-11 (Satan tempts Jesus to disobey his Father)

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for letting him be tempted just as we are when we’re at our weakest! Thank you because he stands with us, and for us. Thank you for causing him to dwell in us, through the worst temptations and struggles we face.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, forgive your Church when it falls into lukewarm worship, wayward teaching, fractured fellowship, stingy charity, and halfhearted witness. Forgive it when it condemns certain sinners, but re-brands its favorite sins as virtue. Help it to stand firm in your Word when it is tempted by sins of faithlessness.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Forgive our persecuted brethren throughout the world when their anguish curdles into bitterness, retribution, or loss of faith. Strengthen and heal them, so by their witness, you lead their tormentors to repentance and true faith.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Forgive missionaries and all who seek to be your disciples, when their passion for the Gospel cools, or when they become impatient or distracted. Kindle the fire of your Holy Spirit within them, so that they glorify you in all they say and do.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Forgive this congregation when we focus on the speck in another’s eye, ignoring the log in our own. Forgive us when we seek our own will, not yours. Forgive us when we boast of ourselves, not the Cross of Christ. Fashion us into the image of Jesus, so others, seeing our good works, glorify you alone.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Strengthen us when we are tempted to sin. Warn and rebuke us, so we resist and repent. Guide us, so we feed on your Word and commit ourselves into your care. Humble us, so we rely only on our Savior, who in all things was tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Forgive the nations and leaders of the world, including our own. Forgive the arrogance and ambition that drive decisions. Forgive the cruelty, suspicion, and hatred that fuel wars. Forgive the apathy and prejudice that fuel neglect and injustice. Create new hearts within us, and grant us your peace.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Forgive our military and all first responders when their hearts become hardened by vengeance or hatred. Heal, guide, and strengthen them to act in accordance with your will.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, have mercy on all who are sick, injured, or handicapped; addicted, abused, or abandoned; despairing, frightened, or ashamed; frightened, grieving or dying. Today we pray for: {List}. Deliver them from the powers of sin, death, and the devil. Restore them to fellowship with all who love them. Renew their faith in you, their Savior and Lord.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, thank you for showing mercy to all who have died trusting in your promises. Keep us steadfast in faith. Forgive us when we give in to temptation. When the long Lent of this life is complete and the hour of death draws near, let the Cross of Christ sustain us in faith and hope. By his glorious Resurrection, raises us from our tombs. Through the Holy Spirit, breathe your life and love into us forever.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lessons, Hymns, and Prayers, Ash Wednesday, A (February 18, 2026)

February 18, 2026: Ash Wednesday

All: Joel 2:12-19 (Declare a fast; repent, pray)

All: Psalm 51 (Create in me a clean heart!)

All: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (Be reconciled to God and one another; now is the

                acceptable time!)

All: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 (On prayer, fasting, and giving alms)

*******************************************

Opening Hymn, if you’re not chanting Psalm 51: O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days:

LBW #99, ELW #319, LSB #418

Lenten Hymn, if desired: written by Cathy Ammlung. Or use as the opening hymn

Tune: St. Catherine, “Faith of Our Fathers.”Use refrain as opening line

Glory we give you, God of Grace! In Jesus’ Cross, you grant us peace.

Father almighty, great God and King,

Glorious, gracious, merciful, true,

Our praise and worship and blessing we bring;

Receive it, Lord, as homage due.

Glory we give you, God of grace! In Jesus’ Cross, you grant us peace.

Lord Jesus Christ, your Father’s true Son,

Sin-bearing Lamb, the world’s one true Light,

Grant life and mercy from your heav’nly throne.

Our praise make perfect in your sight.

Glory we give you, God of Grace! In Jesus’ Cross, you grant us peace.

Most Holy Spirit, great God and Lord,

You give us grace to bless and adore

One with the Father and with the Word,

To you be glory forevermore!

Glory we give you, God of Grace! In Jesus’ Cross, you grant us peace.

Hymn of the Day: Lord, Help Us Walk the Servant Way: LSB #857 (Marvelous Herman Stuempfle hymn, to simple tune. Sets tone for Lent. Get one-time license and use it!)

                OR Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus: LBW #486, ELW #802, LSB #685

OR O Sun of Justice: WOV #659 (2^nd verse great if you preach on 2 Corinthians text; tune is simple plainsong chant, but feel free to sing it to the Doxology, Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow)

Communion Hymn 1: Restore in Us, O God: ELW #328

                OR O Christ, Thou Lamb of God: LBW #103

OR Just a Closer Walk With Thee: ELW #697

Communion Hymn 2: Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive: LBW #307, ELW #605, LSB #843

OR Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling: WOV 734, ELW #608

Closing Hymn: Bless Now, O God, the Journey: ELW #326

OR Savior, When in Dust to You/Thee: LBW #91, ELW #601, LSB #419

*******

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer on behalf of all his people.

A brief silence

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us. As you are holy, make us holy. As you are mighty, give us strength to turn from sin to live for you alone. As you are immortal, by the death and resurrection of our Savior Christ, lead us out of death to life.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy upon your church. Purge it of false teaching, uncharitable words, and unholy actions. Fill it with your Holy Spirit, and use it to grant the joy of your saving help to all repentant sinners.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy upon all who are persecuted on account of your Jesus. Keep them steadfast in faith, patient in suffering, persistent in prayer, and gracious in forgiving. Soften the hearts of all who despise Christ. Grant them repentance and true faith.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy on seminary and church college professors, on Christian school and preschool teachers and aides, and on everyone seeking to follow Jesus as his disciple. Give wisdom to their minds, eloquence to their tongues, and love to their souls, for you and for all they serve.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy on this congregation. Cleanse it so it more perfectly reveals your love for us and those to whom we minister. Grant that we may prefer nothing whatsoever to Jesus Christ, and to sharing his forgiveness and salvation with others.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy upon all converts, all who are preparing for baptism at Easter, and all whose faith wavers because of doubt or despair.  Fill them with your Spirit, and bring them into your loving embrace.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy upon the nations of the world and their rulers, especially our own. Lead them in paths of righteousness, justice, and mercy. Conform them to your will as they care for the lives entrusted to them. Never let them, or us, forget the needs of the poor, the widow, and the orphan; the dispossessed and unemployed; the sick and forgotten; the abused and the unjustly imprisoned. Give us the means and the will to ease their burden.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy on all who stand in harm’s way in defense of life and liberty. Strengthen them in every virtue that increases concord, establishes safety, and protects innocent lives.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Have mercy on all who suffer in body, mind, heart or soul – especially those who crave our prayers, including: {List}. Refresh their spirits, renew their hope, and restore their joy.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, keep in your care our beloved dead. Comfort those whose grief runs deep. Help us to encourage one another throughout this troubled life. Keep us steadfast in faith, constant in hope, and warm in love. Lead us from death into the eternal life you have prepared for all whom you have redeemed through the passion of your Son, the Savior of the world.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”  He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition” (Mark 7:8-9).

How often do we hold to tradition and ignore the commandment of God?  This is not a simple question.  Jesus wants us to go inward and ask ourselves, “When have I done this?”  Following the Lord and leading others so that they may follow the Lord is more important than the way we do things.  That we do things a certain way is fine, but do not let that get in the way of being obedient.

Lord, You know where I have let my traditions get in the way of the heart that You desire.  Help me to understand that the traditions are to support my behavior and not the practice of the behavior itself.  Help me to live with others in relationship and not behind the wall of a specific practice.  It is to You alone that we are to conform ourselves and not to our ideas of how this is to be done.

Lord Jesus, You know fully what You meant in saying these words.  Teach me so that I can understand.  Guide me so that I humbly submit to Your commandments, even in those times where it may compromise my traditions.  Help me by teaching me all that it means to obey all that You command.  Lord, I want to be obedient to You above all things.  Teach me how to do this by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Amen.

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.  ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men’ (Mark 7:6-7).

Things do not seem to have changed much.  Some will do what they do only for themselves.  The Lord seeks our heart and desires that we humbly walk with Him.  He will lift us up and out of the mire of sin to learn how to love as He first loved us.  It is not just what we do or say on the outside, but who we are from the inside out that matters.  Our Lord will lead us into righteousness.

Lord, You know the wickedness that is in my heart.  You know the places where Your grace needs to wash away my sin so that I have a heart that loves You and my neighbor.  Guide me out of the mess of sin that is within me to see things through Your eyes.  Help to love You and others the way You do.  Teach me these things and, by grace, forgive me where I get snared in what is wrong.

Lord Jesus, Your grace is sufficient.  Through the trials of this age, You will teach me what it means to love others.  Guide me now and always to humbly walk in the way You would have me go.  Guard my tongue and help the cleanness You give come from within me and for Your sake.  Let my precepts be Your precepts.  Teach me to live faithfully and not in the vanity of this age.  Amen.