Emmanuel Lutheran Church (NALC) in State College, PA is a dynamic, growing, and multi-generational church plant located in the heart of central Pennsylvania, home to Penn State University. Celebrating 10 years of faith, growth, and community, Emmanuel’s name, God with us, captures the essence of our journey. From the very beginning, we’ve felt God’s presence guiding us as we seek to live out His calling.

Our core values are foundational to everything we do: Grounded in God’s Word, Confident in God’s Grace, and Committed to Sharing God’s Love. These principles shape our worship, outreach, and relationships, as we strive to be a faithful, generous, and enthusiastic presence in our community. A pastor called to Emmanuel will find a supportive and encouraging congregation, eager to partner in ministry and growth. We are committed to providing opportunities for both personal and family development, as well as a welcoming environment for leadership and spiritual growth. As we look to the future, we are excited to call our next pastor; a shepherd who will help guide us in sharing the Good News and extending God’s love in the State College area. Together, we will continue to grow in faith, hope, and mission.

For more information about Emmanuel, see the Congregational Profile at:   https://drive.google.com/file/d/17VNb_7wyQAMPb2-sn8Dj29BxM9_0x8dD/view

A video about Emmanuel is available at:  

Link’s to Emmanuel’s webpage and Facebook page:     

https://www.emmanuelnalc.org

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.

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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.

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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

“And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power” (Mark 9:1).

Perhaps Pilate momentarily considered an invasion by Jesus’ army when Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  The power that Jesus has unleashed is the power of the cross.  That power is here and saves all who believe.  John would see the vision which we call Revelation.  We shall all taste death.  We must die to sin, death, and the devil.  Jesus will raise us from the dead.

Lord, I try to pin everything down into terms I can understand.  You are God, Creator of all things.  There is no way I can consider all the worlds You have made, nor comprehend that no bird falls from the sky that You do not know about.  What I can comprehend is the simple command to follow Jesus.  Bring me in the power of the cross to where You will take me.

Lord Jesus, You have told us plainly the things we are able to understand.  Help me to learn how to trust You above all things, realizing that the weakness which conquered death on the cross is the power of the resurrection.  How much more, the strength?  Lead me Lord, for all things are in Your hands and You are my Savior.  You know what I need.  Help me to listen to You and always follow Your lead.  Amen.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38-39).

This world hates Jesus.  It even hates the name of Jesus.  This world despises love, loyalty, and the very things that make us truly human.  We are driven, like sheep to the slaughter, to the place of self-destruction.  Clinging to the salvation in, by, and through Jesus is hard because this world tugs at the ones who hear and follow the voice of the Master.  Yet, Jesus has given us the words of eternal life.  There is no other place to go, except destruction.

Lord, I read these words and they are plain and simple.  I see the struggle, but living amidst the struggle is so hard.  Help me to take the steps that are needed in order to enter the journey.  Help me to see that what I am giving up is nothing and that what You are giving me through grace is everything.  Empower each step I take to move forward on the journey of salvation.  Be the One who leads me.

Lord Jesus, with just a few words You have revealed the truth of the journey before me.  This world shouts that if it does not feel good it cannot be good.  You tell me otherwise.  Help me to hear Your voice and let it break through to my soul so that the eternal life words that You have spoken would reside in me.  Lord, I ask that the truth reside in my heart and be unshakable through the storms of this world.  Amen.

“And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”  And He warned them to tell no one about Him” (Mark 8:29-30).

Who is Jesus?  That is the most important question anyone can ask.  He is either who He says He is or else a lunatic or a liar.  No one treated Him as if He were crazy, so He either is the Son of God or else a deceiver.  Everyone must make their choice.  If You hear His voice and know that He is the Christ, then fall at His feet and worship Him.  He will lift You up and send you to work in His kingdom.

Lord, this simple question must be answered by each of us.  Some will ignore the question, which is its own answer.  Some will spend a lifetime trying to deny the answer and even be fanatical about it.  Help me to realize that You are the Son of God, the Messiah or Christ, the anointed One of God, God in the flesh.  All who hear His voice know He is our Shepherd.  Hear, follow, and obey.

Lord Jesus, You have said that the sheep know Your voice.  Help me to hear and obey all that You command.  Lead me far from the doubts of this age to live in the truth that You are the One who has come to save all who believe.  Lead me through the doubts of this age to humbly submit to the trust what You have revealed for all ages.  Guide me in faith to live according to Your word and live into the Father’s will.  Amen.

“And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Marl 8:34-35).

We were created.  God created us.  We were born into a rebellion of the heart where we act as though we created ourselves.  If we cling to what we think life is, we will go ever deeper into ourselves and the illusion that we have control.  If we deny ourselves and go with the Lord where He leads, He will show us what life is eternally.  The journey is hard because we need to be led out of ourselves and into the Lord.  Jesus came to set us free.  We are in bondage and must be set free.

Lord, I know this, but my rebellion wells up within me and I sink back down into the pit, believing I am able to control circumstances.  Help me to see things clearly and humbly walk wherever You lead me.  Guide me according to Your purpose to live into the life You have set before me.  Grant me the grace to step out and the faith to learn how to trust You above all things.

Dear Jesus, You have watched and guided countless souls who struggle with the same struggle that I have.  You know the way out of the maze of deception that is all around an in me.  Lord, I desire to follow You, but I get in the way.  Teach me what it means and were I need to deny myself in order to take up my cross and follow You.  Help me to look to You and follow You where You lead.  Amen.

“And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Mark 8:32-33).

The rebellion causes us to look at things from our point of view.  Our point of view is perverted, trapped in time, and driven by the self.  We are not the Creator, but the created.  The opposition (for this is what the word Satan means) is opposed to what God is doing.  God is love.  The opposition is hatred against God, and therefore, love.  You are invited to cease hating and learn how to love.

Lord, I am a bunch of self-centered nerves, seeking what I want and wanting what I want and how I want it.  It never has worked out right, but I seek this none-the-less.  Guide me out of my narcism and into the light of Your love.  When I rebel, humble me and by Your mercy, begin with me again and place me on the narrow path of submitting to the Father’s will.  Lead me so that I may be created by You rather than pretending that I am creating myself.

Lord Jesus, You are my Savior.  You know all that I need and what hinders me on the path of salvation.  Help me hear Your rebukes and heed Your warnings.  Create in me a clean heart that seeks to learn how to love as You love.  Guide me in Your goodness all the days of my life so that I may humbly walk in all of Your ways.  Be the One who is leading me always and help me learn humility.  Amen.

Matthew 4:1-11

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three…Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning everyone!

Pastor: Hey Sammy, how are you doing?

Sammy: I am ready for Spring, Pastor.

Pastor: I am, too, but we still have several more weeks of Winter. 

Sammy: We do. I know.

Pastor: Wouldn’t it be great if we could just melt all the snow?

Sammy: Yes it would.

Pastor: And wouldn’t it be great if we could just have warm spring breezes and sunshine?

Sammy: I would really like that. And fresh grass, too! But you, know, Pastor, winter has a purpose and the seasons are a part of God’s plan for creation.

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy. 

Sammy: I mean, as much as I would love to have new spring grass and feel the warm sun on my wool, I am going to try my best to enjoy the last few weeks of winter.

Pastor: Great perspective, Sammy. It’s tempting, though–to just think about willing winter away. 

Sammy: What does tempting mean?

Pastor: Tempting means that you feel pressure to do something that you shouldn’t do.

Sammy: Oh you mean like eat extra oats out of the oat bin?

Pastor: Yes.

Sammy: Or go in the Pastor’s office and hide somewhere and yell, “Surprise!”

Pastor: Definitely.

Sammy: Or let a whole bunch of mice in the church?

Pastor: Sammy, let’s focus. You know, Jesus was tempted, too.

Sammy: Did he want spring to come, too?

Pastor: No, Sammy. Jesus is fully God and fully man, and he felt hungry, just like we do.

Sammy: I understand that. I’m always hungry. 

Pastor: Being hungry is okay, but because Jesus is the Son of God, he was tempted to make his own food.

Sammy: Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Men can make food, too, Pastor. I know you can cook–I’ve been to your house. 

Pastor: That’s not what I mean, Sammy. Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread.

Sammy: Stones? Like rocks on the ground?

Pastor: Yes.

Sammy: That’s silly. Why would he do that?

Pastor: Jesus is God–he is Lord of Creation and can do anything. But he was asked by someone to turn stones into bread so he could prove who he is. 

Sammy: Why would Jesus need to prove he is God? All throughout scripture, people who encounter him just know by the power of the Holy Spirit. They trust him, and they believe.

Pastor: And that’s what we are called to do today, too. We are called to believe in Jesus. 

Sammy: How did Jesus stop being tempted?

Pastor: That’s a great question, Sammy. We all are tempted to do wrong things. Jesus gave us a great example of how to resist temptation: He quoted scripture. 

Sammy: That’s why it’s important to know your Bible verses.

Pastor: Indeed it is. Boys and girls, will you please fold your hands and bow your heads to pray with me? Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth to rescue us. We praise you and we love you. Thank you for helping us stay strong when we are tempted to do wrong. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three…Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning everyone! Pastor, I have a question.

Pastor: Okay Sammy. Go ahead. 

Sammy: So the apostles go up the mountain with Jesus right? 

Pastor: Yes they do Sammy.

Sammy: And when they get to where Jesus was, they saw Jesus in all his glory with Moses and Elijah. 

Pastor: You are on track so far. 

Sammy: And then they hear the voice of God. 

Pastor: Sammy, are you just going to recite the passage we just read or are you going to ask me your question?

Sammy: Excuse me pastor, but I said I had a question.

Pastor: I’ll be quiet now Sammy. 

Sammy: If the apostles saw Jesus in all of his glory. Why were they afraid of Jesus? 

Pastor: Well Sammy, Seeing God is quite the scary thing. 

Sammy: It is? 

Pastor: Yes it is, even when Angels come to see people on earth. The first thing they tell them is be not afraid. 

Sammy: Why is that. 

Pastor: Because just seeing an angel is very different than anything else in this world. Seeing God is even scarier. When Israel reached Mt. Siani, God set a whole mountain on fire, and blew trumpets. As said anyone that approached him on the mountain, without being called up like Moses was, would die from the sight of God. Once the apostles heard God’s voice. They thought their life was in danger. 

Sammy: But why would they be afraid of dying just by seeing God? I thought that would be a good thing. 

Pastor: It would be a good thing, but because we sin and do bad things. We can’t look at God. We can’t even approach him. Because sinners cannot approach God. 

Sammy: But how do we approach God then?

Pastor: Because Jesus died and rose again Sammy. Jesus died to forgive our sins so we could be with God again. Just like our first parents were: Adam and Eve. 

Sammy: Oh I see pastor. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was all about reconciling God and humanity. And because Jesus died and rose from the dead. We don’t have to be afraid. 

Pastor: Exactly Sammy. I hope I answered your question Sammy. 

Sammy: You did Pastor.  

Pastor: Let’s pray everyone. Dear Jesus, thank you for coming down from heaven and living on earth. Thank you for revealing yourself to us so we can approach God without fear. We love you. Amen. 

“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).

The way of the cross, following Jesus is not easy.  It is war.  This world is in rebellion against our God who created it.  He has come to reconcile those who will lay down their arms and cease the rebellion, bringing all who believe to be with the Father.  But the war in this world rages on.  Jesus was killed by and for the sin of this world.  We are united with Him in order to be resurrected with Him.

Lord, I know the story and I see the rebellion all around me.  Lead all those who call upon Your name so that we live in the truth that You have come to reconcile all who believe in You in order to be with You for eternity in the love relationship out of which flows all goodness.  Guide all who turn to You out of the rebellion of this age and into the love You have for all.  Lead the faithful to see that in You alone is there hope and a future.  Raise us with You to live according to the Father’s will.

Lord Jesus, You have called me to die to sin, death, and the devil.  In You alone do I have hope and a future.  Guide me dear Jesus to do what is right in the Father’s sight and live the life You have given me to live.  Help me to stand firm in the truth amidst the rebellion of this age.  Teach me all I need to know in order that I may remain faithful to You, my Lord and Savior.  Help me always hear You voice.  Amen.

“And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”  And He warned them to tell no one about Him” (Mark 8:29-30).

Who is Jesus?  That is the most important question anyone can ask.  He is either who He says He is or else a lunatic or a liar.  No one treated Him as if He were crazy, so He either is the Son of God or else a deceiver.  Everyone must make their choice.  If You hear His voice and know that He is the Christ, then fall at His feet and worship Him.  He will lift You up and send you to work in His kingdom.

Lord, this simple question must be answered by each of us.  Some will ignore the question, which is its own answer.  Some will spend a lifetime trying to deny the answer and even be fanatical about it.  Help me to realize that You are the Son of God, the Messiah or Christ, the anointed One of God, God in the flesh.  All who hear His voice know He is our Shepherd.  Hear, follow, and obey.

Lord Jesus, You have said that the sheep know Your voice.  Help me to hear and obey all that You command.  Lead me far from the doubts of this age to live in the truth that You are the One who has come to save all who believe.  Lead me through the doubts of this age to humbly submit to the trust what You have revealed for all ages.  Guide me in faith to live according to Your word and live into the Father’s will.  Amen.