“Your Devotional Journey Through Scripture: A Daily Discipleship Resource”

by Pastor Don Brandt

Many thanks to Doug Schoelles, NALC pastor and member of the board of Lutheran CORE, for his video review of Don Brandt’s new book.  A link to Doug’s video can be found HERE.  A link to our You Tube channel, which contains sixty-seven reviews of books and videos on topics of interest and importance, can be found HERE. 

Doug writes –

I applaud Pastor Don Brandt for addressing a fundamental practice of growing in our faith: How do we study the Bible?  As Lutherans with our mantra of Sola Scriptura we believe the Word of God is for all people. We also believe that God’s Word has something to say to every Christian every day.

But we know that building a consistent devotional pattern is difficult. We get distracted by the mundane, our busyness, and shiny electronic things. I commend Pastor Brandt for laying out a pattern to help people to begin to immerse themselves daily in the Word. Your Devotional Journey is a practical book to help a beginner become a pupil of scripture. The pattern that he gives is relatively simple. He gives advice on how to set yourself up for your quiet time in the Word. I do think he should have given a bigger emphasis to praying for the Holy Spirit to teach us. Only by the gift of the Spirit will the Word be revealed to us and our understanding be grounded in God.

• Read the day’s Bible passage.

Pastor Brandt has selected passages of three to twelve verses from throughout the Bible. I would even suggest they read the passage twice. The work he has done to select passages helps the pupil of the scripture to focus initially on important scripture passages. He has twice as many New Testament lessons as Old Testament passages. Again, this is a beginner’s book. A pupil of the scripture should cover all the scripture, Old and New Testament, over their years and decades.

• Copy 1 to 3 verses of the passage.

We are encouraged to hide the Word in our hearts (Ps 119:11). One of the best ways to learn and memorize scripture is to copy it. Pastor Brandt asks the pupil to write down – copy – 1 to 3 verses of that passage to their prayer journal. This is a good practice. Another practice that could be encouraged is writing down key words or repeated words.

• Read Pastor Brandt’s brief reflection on the passage.

The work he has done to give direction to the pupil of the Word by way of his written reflection and questions is very helpful. Reflection questions are helpful to guide meditation, going deeper, making personal. His reflections focus on the bondage of sin, the character and works of God, and applying the New Life in Christ.

• Write your personal reflections on the passage.

We have read the scripture and even copied, so now what? How does the Word of God apply to my life? The act of writing down our meditation on the Word should lead us to listen for what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. How is the LORD applying this scripture passage to me, to my life, to my sin and to my need for salvation? So, again I applaud Pastor Brandt for encouraging this step.

• Write a prayer of gratitude to God based on the scripture passage.

I was pleasantly surprised that his concluding devotional act was to reflect and write down a “thanksgiving to God.”  Not just what you are thankful for, but to thank God for his work and word in your life. When we ponder the character and works of the LORD that bless our lives, then we will find our unshakeable joy in the LORD (Isa 58:14). This emphasis on gratitude can help the pupil of the scriptures to develop a hunger and thirst for God’s Word because they find something delicious to consume each time.

I commend Pastor Don Brandt’s “Your Devotional Journey Through Scripture” as a practicum that can help Christians to begin and establish a daily time in God’s Word.

Scripture: Luke 24:44-53

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: Today is a special day, Sammy.

Sammy: Yes it is. We have church today!

Pastor: Yes, Sammy. And today at church it is Ascension Sunday.

Sammy: What does that mean?

Pastor: Well today we read a passage from the Gospel of Luke about Jesus ascending into Heaven.

Sammy: Ascending. Ascending. Boys and girls, can you try that word with me? Ascending. Ascending. What does ascending mean? 

Pastor: Ascending means that Jesus went up into Heaven while the disciples were looking at him.

Sammy: Oh I think I get it! Jesus was standing on the ground and then he started floating in the air and then he went into Heaven.

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy.

Sammy: That’s kind of like this one time I was standing on a sidewalk with a balloon.

Pastor: What does a balloon have to do with Jesus?

Sammy: Hang on, Pastor. I am getting to that part. So I was standing on a sidewalk with a red balloon, and then all of a sudden, I let the balloon go.

Pastor: Boys and girls, what do you think happened to Sammy’s red balloon?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: These are good answers.

Sammy: My balloon floated up and up and then I couldn’t see it anymore. I don’t know where it went, but it went up really far.

Pastor: Jesus ascended just like your balloon, Sammy, but Jesus went to Heaven. Most balloons that float away from us pop and the pieces come back down. Or they get stuck somewhere.

Sammy: I miss my red balloon. Do you think the disciples missed Jesus?

Pastor: I think they missed him in a way, but you know, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with the disciples. And Jesus promised to always be with them. He was with the disciples, and he is here with us today.

Sammy: I love that Jesus is always with us.

Pastor: Me too. Let’s pray. Boys and girls, will you please fold your hands and bow your heads with me? Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth as a tiny baby. Thank you for choosing to die on the cross for our sins. Thank you for showing us your glory in beating death, rising again, and ascending to Heaven. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

A devotional Bible study based upon Psalm 23
The Psalm for Good Shepherd Sunday, April 26

What do you think David had in mind when he wrote the Twenty-Third Psalm? Can you even imagine having such a gift with language and such a close relationship with God so that you could write something like that? Later in life, when David was reflecting back on what he had written, what kinds of thoughts and feelings do you think might and must have been going through his mind? Maybe something like this –

“The Lord is my shepherd”

In David’s day, as well as at the time of the birth of Jesus, being a shepherd was an occupation that was looked down on. When Samuel came to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be king, he asked whether all the sons were present. Jesse replied, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” (1 Samuel 16: 11) Later, when David went to visit his older brothers who were in the army, his oldest brother Eliab asked him, “Why have you come here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness?” (1 Samuel 17: 28)

David took an occupation that was looked down on and gave it dignity and value by using that image to describe his relationship with God. Reminds me of when the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “So whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10: 31)

“He restores my soul”

There were many reasons why David’s soul needed to be restored. After his sin with Bathsheba the prophet Nathan told him, “The sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12: 10), which turned out to be painfully true. Son Amnon raped daughter Tamar, whereupon son Absalom murdered Amnon. After stealing the hearts of the people, Absalom stole the kingdom from his father, whom he publicly humiliated, and then eventually met his death after his short-lived rebellion.

David experienced unimaginable sorrow, as the prophet Nathan told him he would. But still God called him a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13: 14) His soul was also restored in the birth by Bathsheba of Solomon, who would build the Temple that David had wanted to build and would be the ancestor of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus.

“Your rod and your staff – they comfort me”

David was confronted by a wise woman from Tekoa for refusing to reconcile with his son Absalom. He was also confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding his sin with Bathsheba. “You are the man!” Nathan had said. (2 Samuel 12: 7) Realizing the greatness of his sin, David experienced the greatness of God’s mercy and wrote a most powerful psalm of repentance. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51: 1)

“You spread a table before me in the presence of my enemies”

David spent many of his younger years fleeing from Saul, who saw David as a threat to the throne and therefore wanted to kill him. Three Psalms are identified as written by David while he was fleeing from Saul and living in a cave – Psalm 142, Psalm 57, and Psalm 34. These Psalms show a progression in his trust in God. Whatever was happening in David’s life when he wrote Psalm 22 also shows how many enemies he had. This is a psalm that Jesus prayed from the cross, beginning with the lament, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

“My cup overflows”

David had wanted to buy from Araunah the Jebusite a threshing floor where he would build an altar to the Lord, but Araunah wanted to give it to him at no cost. David replied, “I will not offer to the Lord my God sacrifices that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24: 24) First Chronicles 29 records the enormity of David’s gift towards the project of building the Temple. How much David must have rejoiced over the resources God had given him so that he would be able to make such a large contribution and in doing so inspire other leaders of Israel to give significantly. The Bible tells us that the people rejoiced over the generosity of the king.

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life”

The prophet Nathan, who later would confront David over his great sin, earlier in David’s life comforted David with the promise that after his death, his son would build the Temple that David had wanted to build, and his house, kingdom, and throne would be established forever. (2 Samuel 7: 16) It would not all end with David.

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”

For days David had prayed that God would spare the life of the child that was born out of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, but on the seventh day the child died. At that point David rose from the ground, washed himself, changed his clothes, went into the house of the Lord and worshipped, and then went home and went on with his life. When asked why he had responded in that way David replied, “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12: 23) People go through death only in one direction. David was saying, “Someday I too will die and will go to where my son is. But he will never return to where I am.”

The Twenty-Third Psalm has given comfort, strength, encouragement, and hope to millions of people for three thousand years. I believe it did the same for the one who wrote it – the shepherd who became king. Could he have written a psalm of such depth, insight, and beauty if it did not also speak powerfully to his own life?

How does the Twenty-Third Psalm speak to your life? Where and how especially does it give you comfort, strength, encouragement, and hope?

Sharing with you in following and in being cared for by the Good Shepherd,

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

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

“In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation” (Mark 12:38-40).

Sinners settle, each in their own place of pride.  We love to look down upon others and not see that we all have been made in God’s image.  From those who accumulate vast wealth to those who lord it over others from their small positions, it is the same.  It ought not be so with those who believe.  Jesus is Lord and we are called, each from our place, to where the Lord will grow us in His image.

Lord, I begin to see that Your Kingdom is nothing like how this world establishes governments.  We are each different, yet all the same in Your love.  You do not Lord it over us, as those in the world do, but love each of us and give us the opportunity to grow into Your image, not with power built upon pride, but as You lift us up to do the Father’s will.  Guide me in this upward journey.

Lord Jesus, I am polluted by the ways of this world which tries to do it all without You.  Pride raises up those whom we call great and puts down the humble.  Help me to have a different way of thinking about things so that I live in the way You are preparing me to live.  Place a heavenly mind in me that seeks for what is good here, now, and forever.  Lead me in the call You have given me to become what You are making of me.  Amen.

“David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him” (Mark 12:37).

We can be guilty of torturing a text, but perhaps more often, we do not see what it is actually saying.  David’s Son is called Lord.  We have heard and believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, born in time and space, yet also the Alpha and Omega.  He told us before it came to pass.  So also, there are many things He teaches us along the way, as we are able to hear, but the most important You already know: Jesus is Lord.

Lord, help me to understand what You would have me know with the words You have given me through Scripture.  Help me also to not worry about what I do not understand.  You have already given me the words of everlasting life.  Help me move beyond just listening to You, to applying what You have said, for if these are the words of everlasting life, then I need to receive them and be prepared to spend eternity with You.

Lord Jesus, You have shown the way and set me upon it.  Your word also tells me that I am to be conformed to Your image.  Guide me today and every day You give me, to walk in the way You would have me walk, doing those things which will shape my character, and lead me in the way You know I need to go.  I know You are my ever-present help; teach me to abide

“And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?  David himself said in the Holy Spirit”, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”’ (Mark 12:35).

Jesus points out the small things in Scripture which point to very specific things.  How can one be younger than king David and yet older?  If you are God in the flesh, that is exactly what it is.  The right hand of the Lord is accomplishing all things according to the Father’s will.  Be led by Him and trust that the Lord knows all things and will bring them to pass according to His will.

Lord, I live with a people who are constantly questioning.  They wonder, but many will not pause to hear the answer.  Help me to not be like those in my culture, but instead, one who stops and listens.  Lead me in the truth You have revealed so that I may hear and heed Your word of truth.  Guide me in Your goodness now and always through this age that shall be brought into subjection under Your authority.

Lord Jesus, You have come with gentleness in order that we who believe may be united with You.  You speak truth and tell us of these things so that we may believe.  Help me to live out the truth You have spoken by believing and obeying Your word of truth.  Help me to hear when You speak and to act upon what I hear.  Place me where You will but lead me as one who is subject to You, my Lord and King.  Amen.

“When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions” (Mark 12:34).

Having the right knowledge and understanding the principles are fine, but it is only when one enters the love relationship that one begins the journey of becoming like Christ.  More than an intellectual exercise, one becomes a child again and is reared in the way of eternal love.  This is the process of becoming.  What we will be we do not know, but we do know that we shall become like Christ.

Lord, I have taken the intellectual steps, but there are many times when I settle upon this and do not take the actual steps of learning how to love.  Guide me in the steps You know I need to take.  Help me so that I progress to the place where I fully abide in You, knowing that You are abiding in me.  Minister to the whole of me and keep me with You now and forever.

Come, Holy Spirit, and minister to me where You know I need help.  Guide me away from the ways of this world and its self-seeking.  Take me to the place where I learn to love You and my neighbor as You prompt me.  Through all that I experience, help me to understand that it is not what I feel, but what You are doing that is important.  Lead me all the days of my life.  Amen.

“The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:32-33).

The heart of the Gospel is in the simple reality that we have been invited into an eternal loving relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.  To live in His love is to become one who loves as the Lord loves.  He loves every sinner, but He hates the sin.  He has come to give His life and love so that we may join with Him in love and truly live.  This is not a subject of sacrifice on our part, but the object itself in the goal of being with Him.

Lord, You invite me to be with You.  You have invited me into a love relationship with You and all others, understanding things through Your eyes of love.  Guide me, Lord, so that I live according to Your good word, doing those things which are the expression of Your love.  You are One, and in the mystery of Trinity, You have revealed Yourself so that all who believe might enter into an eternal love relationship both with You and our neighbor.

Guide me, Lord Jesus, to learn from You what love really looks like.  Teach me the way of eternal love so that I love You and my neighbor in the way which is pleasing to the Father.  Keep me away from pride and help me to live according to Your word.  Through You, I can do this as You lead me day by day and step by step to be conformed to Your perfect and loving image.  Help me to do this.  Amen.

If you are at all plugged into what is going on outside of Lutheran circles, you have undoubtedly seen news related to the surge of thirty-five and under young people (particularly young men) who are coming back to church… or exploring the faith for the first time.

 But they are not just showing up at any church.  These young people have done their homework.  There is no societal or family expectation from their religiously milquetoast parents that they be in church, and a high percentage of their friends are involved in neo-paganism or the various identity categories that serve a religious function in the lives of their adherents.  No, they have come to the end of all that or else they have sensed as much as deducted that something is radically wrong with the world they inhabit. 

When they show up at the doorsteps of the church, they have already “deconstructed” the secular, progressive faith into which they were catechized by both their education and the liturgical cycle of television, YouTube, and social media, for they have experienced its devastating fruits in either their own lives or the lives of those they love.  By the time they warm a pew for the first time, they may know more about the controversy regarding whether and when the exodus happened, the debates at the Council of Nicaea II, or the history of the Reformation than the pastor preaching to them remembers or maybe ever knew.

While they may know they need spiritual formation and are hungry for such, while the pastor or any experienced Christian may quickly discern how partial or narrow their autodidactic catechesis has been, they are mostly not showing up the way people showed up at church a generation ago did.  They are not seeking a vague “spirituality,” to “teach their kids morals,” or “doing what comes naturally” once the halcyon days of their twenties are over and it is time to “settle down.”  They have gagged on the modernist Kool-Aid and are seeking an emetic to get the toxins out of their system.

So, they are seeking out orthodoxy and orthopraxy. To the consternation and frustration of theological progressives everywhere, these people are seeking out Latin mass and Eastern Rite catholic parishes, vital Orthodox congregations, and traditionalist Protestant communities.  Popular YouTube theologian Jordan Cooper has done some reflecting on why such people seem more drawn to Anglicanism than Lutheranism,[1] but I think his reflections miss one key point; Lutheranism defines itself—at least in part—over and against the very thing these young people are looking for… tradition.

Because of our polemical family history (recounted each autumn as Reformation Sunday rolls around), we emphasize theological and Biblical argument rather than the reception of a precious, historical (and so immutable) heritage.

This need not be so.  I am not here proposing that we should downplay our history or heritage, but rather that we should tell the whole story.  The Reformation may have settled upon the material principle of the Reformation as justification by grace alone (sola gratia) through faith alone (sola fide) and the formal principle of the Reformation as revelation through Scripture alone (sola Scriptura), but the hermeneutic principle that brought the Reformers to these conclusions was ad fontes—back to the sources.  The Lutheran Reformation in particular was an attempt to recover what had been lost, restore what had become corrupt, and expose again the foundation upon which all later Christian theology was built.  It does not take much time with the Church Fathers to discover that as they debated the doctrines that would later be deemed the dogmas of the faith, they used the canonical Scriptures to justify their positions.  That must mean that the Scriptures were more fundamentally authoritative than the theologians (however exalted intellectually or hierarchically) who interpreted them… Sola Scriptura.

As Martin Chemnitz pointed out beautifully, the Lutheran Reformation was not ultimately about rejectionof tradition, but rejection of authority that made claims contrary to the canonical Scriptures that were in reality the beating heart of the Christian tradition.

“How may I inherit eternal life?” asked the young rich man of Jesus.  As modern scholarship has clearly shown, the Jews of Jesus’s day did not feel burdened by the Law, not desperate to “earn their salvation” by their obedience to it—that was the peculiar pathology of the Roman Catholicism Luther later encountered.  No, the Jews of Jesus’s time viewed the salvation of the Lord and the means by which they received it (by definition, means of grace) as a precious inheritance to be received from God through their forebears.

Wise Christians should do the same.  A principle of the medieval theology from which Lutheranism sprang was that we—whoever and whenever “we” happen to be—are “dwarves standing upon the shoulders of giants.”  While certainly they were sinners who got some things wrong and whose ideas would consequentially need to be corrected by consulting “the sources” of the Christian tradition (preeminently the Scriptures) just as our descendants will need to correct us, what they passed faithfully far surpassed the mistakes they made. 

While he ended his life in Orthodoxy, Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan was a Lutheran when he penned his most famous line; “Tradition is the living faith of the dead.  Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.”  Lutherans should embrace the tradition of which we are a part and honor the theology—and practices—of our forebears in more than words, by inhabiting them, practicing them, and making them our own.

There is more to be said about how traditional congregations (and the kind of people who probably read the Lutheran CORE newsletter) can lean into the evangelism opportunities of this historical moment by “living out loud” as who they actually are, but for now, the chief thing is to remember that at its heart, the Lutheran Reformation is not against the Christian tradition, but receives it as the Lord’s inheritance to His people.

[1] https://youtu.be/iRXi6rQxTtQ?si=Bpm8A7543EAmuhre

Jeffray Greene’s recent devotional on Mark 12:1 was thoughtful and helpful. It reminded me that everything we have belongs to God and that we are called to be faithful stewards. That is true and important. But it also helped clarify where much modern theology, especially within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has begun to drift away from the heart of the Gospel.

In Mark 12:1–12, Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard. A man plants a vineyard, builds it up, and entrusts it to tenants. When he sends servants to collect fruit, they are beaten and killed. Finally, he sends his son, and they kill him as well. Jesus is not primarily teaching about wealth or fairness. He is teaching about rejection, specifically, the rejection of God’s messengers and ultimately His Son.

The focus of this passage is clear: God is the owner, we are stewards, and humanity has failed. The problem is not that people failed to distribute resources equally. The problem is sin, rebellion against God and rejection of Christ.

This is where we must be careful. Much modern “social justice” theology shifts the focus away from sin and Christ and toward human systems and historical grievances. It often teaches that we must repent not only for our own sins but also for the actions of past generations. It suggests that justice requires correcting the past through social or economic means.

But Scripture does not teach this.

The Bible is clear that each person is responsible for his own sin. In Ezekiel 18:20, we read: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.” This means guilt is not passed down through history in a political or social sense. We all share in original sin (Romans 5:12), but we are not held accountable for specific historical acts committed by others.

At the same time, Scripture also teaches that we are saved by grace alone. As it says in Ephesians 2:8–9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith… not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” This is the heart of Lutheran theology. We are not saved by what we do, whether that is moral effort, social activism, or attempts to correct past wrongs. We are saved by what Christ has done for us.

This is where the distinction between Law and Gospel becomes critical. The Law shows us our sin. It tells us what God requires and reveals that we fall short. As Romans 3:20 says, “Through the law comes knowledge of sin.” But the Law cannot save us. It can never be satisfied by our efforts.

This is what was rightly observed in the response to the devotional: no matter how much we do, it is never enough. We cannot give enough, repent enough, or fix enough to make ourselves right with God.

That is why we need the Gospel.

The Gospel is the good news that Christ has done what we could not do. He lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and rose again. His work is complete. As Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). There is nothing we can add to it.

This is also clearly taught in the Lutheran Confessions. The Augsburg Confession states in Article IV: “Men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith.” This is not just one teaching among many—it is the center of the Christian faith.

Good works do have a place. Lutherans affirm that faith produces good works. As Martin Luther wrote, “Faith is a living, busy, active thing.” But these works flow from faith. They do not create it, and they do not save us.

This brings us back to the issue with modern social justice theology. When the Church begins to emphasize social or historical repentance as necessary for righteousness, it risks turning good works into a new form of law. It places burdens on people that Scripture does not place. It binds consciences where God has left them free.

This does not mean that Christians should ignore injustice or fail to love their neighbors. On the contrary, we are called to serve others in love. But we do so as those who are already forgiven and free in Christ, not as those trying to earn forgiveness or correct history.

History itself is complex. Human beings have moved, settled, and fought over land for thousands of years. No group is without fault. But more importantly, Scripture does not call us to resolve all historical wrongs. It calls us to repent of our own sins and trust in Christ.

God is still at work in the world, even through flawed people and nations. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, “God works all things together for good for those who love Him.” This does not justify sin, but it does remind us that God’s purposes are greater than human history.

In the end, the Church must remain focused on its true mission: proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. When it shifts that focus to political or social agendas, it loses its center.

The answer is not found in human systems or ideologies. The answer is found in Christ alone. In Him, we have forgiveness, life, and salvation.

In Christ,

Paul Flemming

We have reached a new milestone when it comes to the median age of currently-serving Protestant pastors.  It is now sixty.  (I deliberately spelled out “sixty” in case any of you would have thought the number “60” was a typo.)  This is the current estimate from author Thom Rainer, founder of Church Answers, an organization focusing on congregational revitalization and outreach.  “Sixty.”  Reflect on that for a moment.  I consider this something of a milestone; and not in a good way.

I realize that my repeated articles regarding the clergy shortage are beginning to sound like a “broken record”; at least to those of you who are old enough to remember what “records” are.  But I am becoming convinced that many denominational leaders, seminary staff, pastors nearing retirement, and congregational leaders are simply not paying attention when it comes to the gravity of this situation.  Or perhaps they do understand the severity of this crisis but are hesitant to acknowledge it publicly.  After all, none of us want to be labeled as “alarmists”.  And then there is always the possibility that the world is about to end, so why worry?  Anecdote: Survey results this last March of 3400 Americans indicate that one third of them believe the world will end in their lifetimes. The New York Times labels this a recent “mainstream apocalypse” world view.

Allow me to speculate on possible questions from those of you who might consider my concerns about the clergy supply situation “alarmist.”

1. “As a pastor who is still a few years from retirement, why should I be overly concerned regarding my congregation’s transition after I leave?”  Answer: Because odds are your congregation will not be able to replace you, and might need to consider “raising up” the next pastor from among your active church members.  And training, mentoring and educating (with online seminary courses) that prospective pastor will take years, not months.

2. “But why would it take years to replace me?”  Answer: Because the current median age of serving pastors is sixty; in case you already forgot.  And because twice as many Lutheran pastors retire each year as there are new seminary students graduating.  To put it bluntly, this crisis is something that is beyond what denominational leaders can manage on their own.  Not because they aren’t trying, but because this crisis is unprecedented.  Unprecedented in my lifetime, and even unprecedented going back a century or more.

3. “As congregational lay-leaders why can’t our church manage even a long-term interim on our own? After all, we might be relatively small and have an older membership, but we are a strong fellowship of believers; both in terms of our commitment and our financial support.”  Answer: Perhaps you can manage a two or three-year transitional interim, but what if it stretches to four or five years or more?  Consider this September/2025 quote from Karl Vaters, a pastor and author who focuses on the challenges faced by smaller churches: “Pastoral transitions are dangerous and traumatic times for churches…Other than the church planting phase, more churches close due to pastoral transition than for any other reason.”

One Current Example of a “Pastor-in-Training” Ministry Initiative

Here is one case of a church seeking to plan ahead when it comes to an upcoming pastoral transition.  Not coincidentally, I happen to be a member of this congregation.

The dual-rostered (LCMC/NALC) congregation I attend is Our Savior’s Lutheran in Salem, Oregon.

Our Savior’s (OSLC) is currently served by one full-time, lead pastor: Tom Hux.  Pastor Hux has announced his plan to retire in four years; at the age of 65.  Just this last April (2026) OSLC formally voted (overwhelmingly) to hire an active member—Greg—to join our congregation’s full-time ministry staff as a lay minister.  His job description is to work three-quarters time to assist Pastor Hux in the area of pastoral care, teaching, worship leadership, and occasional preaching.  However, one quarter of Greg’s full-time position will be devoted to his taking online seminary courses; with the goal of eventually earning a Master of Divinity degree.  The congregation’s hope and expectation is that, once he graduates with his Master of Divinity degree, Greg will then be formally called to serve OSLC as an ordained pastor

So what led OSLC to this point?  These seven developments:

a) In June of 2023 OSLC’s full-time Associate Pastor resigned after serving five years.  This was the beginning of OSLC’s pastoral vacancy.

b) In March of 2024 a call committee was organized to launch a search for a new ordained pastor to serve with Pastor Hux.

c) After a two-year unsuccessful search process, the call committee endorsed—unanimously—a proposal to begin a “pastor-in-training” strategy in an effort to identify and enlist an active lay leader to join OSLC’s ministry staff and—simultaneously—begin an online seminary education.

d) At a special congregational meeting in the fall of 2025 the decision was made to support the formation of a “Pastor-in-Training” team to begin working on pursuing this new ministry strategy.  At this point the call committee would still continue to meet, and OSLC continued to list its pastoral vacancy.

f) In March of this year (2026) a second, special congregational meeting was announced and scheduled (for April 12^th) to vote on hiring our recruit Greg, an active member, as our new lay minister and pastor-in-training.  This upcoming congregational meeting would also be when the call committee—at least temporarily—would disband, and when OSLC’s pastoral vacancy would no longer be posted.

g) One month prior to this upcoming special congregational meeting a Sunday forum was held to introduce Greg to the membership; and to explain the agenda for the congregational meeting. Over 150 members attended this forum.

h) The official congregational meeting (and vote) was held on April 12^th of this year.  Greg spoke to those in attendance prior to the motion and vote.  The vote outcome—by written ballot—was just over 98% in favor of hiring Greg as part of our “pastor-in-training” strategy.

This is, of course, just one congregation’s “journey”; a journey that will be playing out over the next few years.  However, I share these details to make a point: Given the current clergy shortage, churches need to be—more than ever—engaged in advanced planning related to their pastoral transitions.  For Lutheran congregations this is in part about taking the New Testament (and Martin Luther) seriously when it comes to the “priesthood” we all—clergy and laity alike—share as Christ followers.  This clergy shortage will not, in my opinion, be “fixed” in the foreseeable future.  As a result, many congregations will need to organize to be effectively lay-led for the years it will take while one of their active members is educated (online), trained, and mentored for ordained ministry.  This is especially true for smaller churches; but will also be the future faced by many mid-sized and larger congregations.

However, on a less-bleak “note”: We want to keep some historical perspective here.  The first and second century church not only survived but thrived in a Roman Empire that was not only pagan, but  was openly persecuting the Body of Christ.  And that persecution began, needless to say, long before there were seminary-trained clergy available for call.  So we must not forget that, for most of today’s churches, their strength and institutional viability has been built on the commitment of their active members even more than their serving pastors.  And let’s never forget that the local church, when well-led, and guided by the Holy Spirit, is still an incredibly effective means of witnessing to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Finally, the details of how a congregation faces the challenge of a major pastoral transition can be incredibly complex.  There’s nothing “easy” about this.  As a result, the best way to address this challenge always needs to be a strategy customized for the unique characteristics, strengths and mission of each individual congregation.  But perhaps you’re not even sure how to begin when it comes to facing this challenge; whether your time of transition is already happening, or it will be sometime within the next few years.  If that describes what your church is facing, Lutheran CORE’s Congregations in Transition and Congregational Lay-leadership Initiative ministries are available to assist you.

One last thought for you to reflect on: Whenever congregations are about to face a major leadership transition, it is essential that church lay leaders and pastors plan in advance to address this challenge.  Let me be of assistance.  Details for both the CiT and CLI ministries are available on the Lutheran CORE website. 

If you have any questions you can always email me at pastordonbrandt@gmail.com.