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

Easter 2026

Dear Friends in the Lord Jesus –

For me one of the great joys of Bible study is seeing something that has always been there but I had never noticed before. Such was the case with a couple statements about Peter, which I discovered as I was preparing for the Bible study on Peter that I have been leading on the Wednesday evenings during Lent.

For many years I have been aware of the statement made by the young man dressed in a white robe to the women who had come to Jesus’ tomb early Easter Sunday morning and found that it was empty. “Go, tell His disciples and Peter” (Mark 16: 7). Other translations say, “Go, tell His disciples – especially Peter.” There was special concern for the man who had denied his Lord. “Make sure Peter knows that Jesus is alive.”

The new discovery for me this year was in Luke 24: 34, where the two followers of Jesus from Emmaus, after they recognize the Risen Lord, run back to Jerusalem, find the eleven and their companions, and say to them, “The Lord has risen indeed, and He has appeared to Simon!” Paul also mentions this special appearance of the Risen Jesus to Peter in his First Letter to the Corinthians. “He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and . . . he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve” (1 Corinthians 15: 4-5). According to John’s Gospel at the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning Mary Magdalene saw the Risen Jesus, but Peter did not. He only saw an empty tomb. Sometime later on Easter Sunday Jesus made a special point of appearing to Peter.

Think of what that must have meant to Peter – to know that Jesus made a special point of appearing to him. Think of what it would have meant to the lamb in Jesus’ parable, if the lamb had been aware of what actually was going on – to know that the shepherd left behind the ninety-nine to go searching just for him.

What can it mean to all of us – with all the ways that we have failed our Lord – to know that Jesus wants to make sure that His message of mercy, grace, forgiveness, hope, and love also comes to each one of us?

Peter spent the rest of his life boldly proclaiming Christ. Why, then, did all four Gospel writers – when they were recording this part of Jesus’ story – include the account of Peter’s greatest failure as a disciple? The Gospels contain different parts of the story, but they all tell about the collapse of Peter’s courage and his denial of his Lord. Why? I believe that they all told this story because Peter himself told this story over and over again. Peter and the Gospel writers wanted us to see that we all are like Peter and have denied Jesus. We all have lived in ways that our inconsistent

with our pledge to follow Jesus. We all have had moments when our witness or example was needed, but we remained silent and did nothing.

Peter’s story shows us that we do not need to be defined by our failures. God does not look at us in terms of the worst thing we have ever done. Jesus uses flawed disciples. And sometimes He uses us even more profoundly and powerfully, not merely in spite of our flaws and failures but because of them.

As I ponder all this, I become very sad as I think about the way that in some churches the main and sometimes the only message the people hear is about social, gender, and climate justice. People are continually told to grovel, repent, confess, and resist all forms of racism, sexism, male dominance, white supremacy, xenophobia (fear of foreigners), homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia. In other churches it is not quite so bad. The main and sometimes the only message that people hear is that they need to do good. Every Sunday they are told they need to do more good. The problem is that none of us is able to do enough good.

I was very saddened while watching a summary video from the ELCA of the ELCA’s 2024 Youth Gathering. The only time that Jesus was mentioned in the video is when the host bishop of the host synod described our Risen Lord as “the Jesus who calls us to challenge systems of oppression and power.” It was distressing to think that this was the main message about Jesus that was being given to fifteen thousand young people.

As I realize that I too have been like Peter and have disappointed and denied my Lord, I need to know that Jesus still loves me, forgives me, has a place for me within His Kingdom, and will make sure that I get word that He is alive. I do not need – I am not helped, healed, and encouraged by – a Jesus through the lens of Marxism, critical race theory, and DEIA.

Because of your faithful prayer and generous financial support we are able to continue our work of being a Voice for Biblical Truth and a Network for Confessing Lutherans. We are able to continue giving witness to the truth of the Gospel, alerting people to ways in which the Gospel is being undermined and even rejected in some parts of the church, and providing support and resources for individuals, pastors, lay leaders, and congregations.

Please find below links you can use to give a gift towards our regular operating expenses. Please also let us know how we can be praying for you. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel, as we serve the Risen Lord Jesus, Who forgives and restores people today just as He did for Peter.

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
P.O. Box 1741
Wausau WI 54402-1741

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In his article in the February issue of First Things, “The Rise and Fall of Gay Activism,” Scott Yenor details the various waves of the gay liberation movement that, beginning around the time I was born, as an outgrowth of the sexual revolution both created and defined what has been the defining pastoral and theological issue for my generation of pastors.  Yenor’s article is a deep-dive on the subject, detailing the thinking and strategies that took same-sex relationships from forbidden, to fringe, to fraught, to front-and-center.  Same-sex attraction has in both the popular and scholarly imagination, gone from disordered to desirable in the space of living memory.  Indeed, among many young people it is seen as in many ways more desirable than heterosexual attraction, as it does not carry with it two great risks; the risk of navigating the natural divide between male and female ways of encountering and engaging reality and the risk of the life-changing effects of pregnancy and parenthood, which necessarily involves the curtailing of one’s own desires for the sake of the children.

“The love that dare not speak its name” is not only shouting it from every height and corner of the culture, but all who do not add their enthusiastic endorsement are publicly regarded with the scorn and opprobrium once reserved for Nazis and the KKK.  When I reposted a link to former New Atheist Aayan Hirsi-Ali’s now-viral essay “Why I Am Now a Christian,” all a high school friend, once a devout Roman Catholic, could reply in response was, “But Christianity still has no place for gay people.”

It was not worth responding to her that Christianity has all the room in the world for people who think of themselves as gay, it just has no ability nor authority to condone or bless same-sex sexual behavior… just as it has no room to do so for much (most?) of the behavior engaged in by heterosexual couples since the sexual revolution.  It was not worth saying that the church is full of sinners who struggle to live out, live up to, and live into the fullness of God’s revealed intentions for not just sex, but the whole panoply of human behaviors.

There was no point in responding because social media is not a place to do pastoral counseling or theology, but rather to engage in rhetorical pugilism and gather an observing crowd whose primary purpose is not to thoughtfully listen and reconsider their own position, but to cheer for the point of view they already espouse. 

In such contexts, truth is not the point.  A generation ago, in a book that still stands without peer or persuasive reply, Robert Gagnon’s The Bible and Homosexual Practice demonstrated using historical-critical exegesis that orthodox, Biblically-based Christianity not only cannot endorse same-sex behavior, but that there were few moral perspectives in the Scripture more consistently attested to in both Testaments.

Christianity also cannot endorse the central claim of the sexual revolution, the claim that sexual orientation and expression is central to human identity and flourishing.  Biblical Christianity insists that true human flourishing can only be found when one identifies themselves as “in Christ,” and that the human soul is only finally and properly ordered when it regards “everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [as] Lord’ and gladly suffers “the loss of all things and counts them as rubbish, in order that [it] may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:8) 

As a colleague once helpfully summarized, “The problem is not just what the Bible says about sex, it’s what ignoring that does to Biblical authority.”  Put plainly, what it does is gut Biblical authority.  This may be why on a recent podcast, an ELCA pastor who is a top-notch systematic theologian with a high regard for Biblical authority confessed their dismay at the confession of several ELCA seminarians that most of what they learned at seminary “bashed” the Bible, clearly seeking to undermine its witness in every way.

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My purpose in this article is not to re-adjudicate the theological disputes that have divided not just the Lutheran communion in this regard, but every Christian communion functioning in the West.  It is also not to outline tactics or strategies to win the erstwhile “culture war”—Yenor does that in his article, and besides, in my estimation, Christianity has been decisively on the back foot culturally since it accepted what social historian Barbara Dafoe Whitehead termed “expressive divorce’ thirty years after the legalization of no-fault divorce.

My purpose is rather to point out that the Church needs to be not only teaching faithfully what Christian life entails, it must be preparing her members for the distrust, resistance, revulsion, and sometimes betrayal of those they love because of it, particularly in the area of sexual behavior.  I have had more than one person to whom I ministered and who at one time both embraced and professed the Christian faith reject that faith so that they could embrace a “sexual identity” or demonstrate public support for behaviors that are clearly at variance with the requirements of Biblical Christianity in the realms of sexual identity, sexual behavior, and the related area of the sanctity of human life.  Occasionally, such people have gone so far as to excoriate me publicly or cut off contact with me.

This hurts, and we do nobody any favors by pretending that it doesn’t.  In fact, we must prepare people as we teach them not only the negative demands of God’s Word regarding sexual issues, but also the exhortations of God to ongoing faithfulness and trust in that Word and the promises of God that He will both help us in that steadfastness and reward us for it in the fulness of time.

What this means is that the Church needs to be catechizing her congregants on how to be resilient, long-suffering, and loving toward those who reject them or their faith.  We must be teaching our people to have the trust and steadfastness of purpose that Monica, the mother of Augustine, showed for the twenty seven years that she prayed for her son’s conversion from sensualism and Manichaeanism.  Augustine ultimately became one of the greatest theologians in Church history, but he did not get there without the Lord working through his mother’s prayers.  We must teach our people to be a Monica for every Augustine in their lives… especially when they despair of that person ever changing.

What we can be sure of is this; learning to face persecution, pray unswervingly, and love those who scorn us is the very essence of becoming more Christ-like in our character.  As an Orthodox friend once said to me (Orthodoxy has a rather more fraught regard for Augustine’s theology than Lutheranism), “We are pretty sure Augustine was a saint… we are POSITIVE that his mother was!”

The church’s pastoral ministry has always been long-suffering when it comes to helping people live into the Christian standards of chastity outside of heterosexual, monogamous marriage, and most pastors I knew prior to Obergefell and the concomitant liberalization of ecclesiastical disciplines that began to be officially enacted around that time were caring and deeply sensitive in their pastoral work with their LGB (T’s and Q’s were beyond the horizon as of then) members.  The Church can be infinitely patient with sinners, but it cannot redefine sin, for if we do, we end up proclaiming nothing but our faith in our own contemporary judgments—and such affirmations are deficient in their ability to console or  instruct when sin, death, and the devil inevitably come knocking, for they lack the substance of revealed truth, which is the heart of the Word of God.

For the sake of the wellbeing and comfort of both Her members and those who do not yet call Christ Lord, the Church needs to be preparing its members for misunderstanding, resentment, and even persecution from those who reject “the faith once for all delivered to the saints,” especially the people closest to them and especially in regards to sexual issues.  To do less is spiritual malpractice… and it will mean the eventual caving of orthodoxy to the spirit of the age.

…was the last time in the Pulpit,
The last time serving Holy Communion,
The last time preaching the love of Christ,

Then I am humbled to have been
Called to serve Your People, Lord.
I count it all joy!

Thank you, Lord, for Your Holy Word.
I know you were there, Lord of Mercy,
In that Country Church.

You were there in the faith of the people.
In the music.  In the liturgy.  In Holy Communion.
All is good. I have been so blessed.

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If now is the time to step back
to enjoy Your Stillness, O Lord,
To embrace Prayer as a Call to
Ministry in my Sunset years…

…To Pray for a Revival in Your Church
With tears of Gratitude in My Heart,
Thank You for the Years.

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I pray for Wisdom, Lord.
I ask not to be that Old Pastor
Tripping and Falling 
On the Church Steps. Again. 

I ask for Clearness of Mind, 
Not to be irrelevant.
Mis-speaking the words, 
Repeating myself; Staying too long. 

If it is Your Will, let your servant gently
fade away as Your Light Shines On
Brighter and Brighter into the future. 

Lord, please bless the time remaining:
Bless My Family.  If now is the time
to step back, it was all worth it.  

With Gratitude in My Heart, 
All Glory be to the Triune God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  
Amen and Amen.

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

UNIMAGINABLE, AMAZING GRACE

by Dennis D. Nelson

I had heard that the musical “Hamilton,” based upon the life of Alexander Hamilton, was good.  Until I went to see a movie version of it on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its opening on Broadway, I did not know how good.  The staging was stunning, the singing was energetic, the lyrics are brilliant, and the man who played King George was an absolute hoot. 

For me the most powerful part of the play was the song, “It’s Quiet Uptown,” in the latter part of the Second Act.  Alexander and his wife Eliza have moved to a quiet part of town as they seek to rebuild their lives after the severe double trauma of the death of their son Philip and Alexander’s marital infidelity.  Phillip was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr as he tried to defend his father’s honor.

UNIMAGINABLE GRIEF

Parents who have lost a child through death say that that pain is the absolutely worst possible.

The Ensemble then join with Angelica in noting that the Hamiltons have moved up town – to the quiet part of town – as they “learn to live with the unimaginable.”

Hamilton, who had been very active in the founding and early days of our country, describes what life is like for him now in the quiet part of town as he seeks to come to terms with what he has done and the loss he and his wife have suffered. 

I think of people I have known who surround themselves with constant busyness and noise so they do not have to deal with the painful parts of their lives.  They would never want to live in the quiet part of town.

UNIMAGINABLE GUILT

UNIMAGINABLE GRACE

That is the turning point.  She takes his hand.  In spite of all her unimaginable grief and Alexander’s unimaginable guilt, she offers him unimaginable grace.  She takes his hand.  What made her able to do that?  What made her able to offer what the company then sings about?

“Forgiveness.  Can you imagine?

Forgiveness.  Can you imagine?”

Every time I hear that song my heart is rung out and I have a deeply moving spiritual experience.

This is not easy, cheap grace – as Dietrich Bonhoeffer described.  This is no, “I’m sorry.  Please forgive me.  Now it should be all over, so why are you still upset, mad at me, and do not trust me?”  Rather this is an unimaginable forgiveness – an unimaginable grace – given by someone who has suffered unimaginable grief to someone who has fully accepted the seriousness and consequences and felt the pain of his unimaginable guilt.

Alexander knew his wife.  He knew whom he had married.  He knew that his only chance lay not in the depth of his confession and/or in the amount of his sorrow but in the depth of her love, expressed in unimaginable grace.

It also reminds me of the story of King David, who along with Bathsheba experienced unimaginable grief.  David bore an unimaginable guilt, but, as undeserving as he was, experienced God’s unimaginable mercy and grace.  David is a prime example of the truth of the statement that is attributed to Ravi Zecharias, American evangelical minister and Christian apologist who learned the full meaning of these words from his own life –

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

The Psalm for Ash Wednesday is Psalm 51.  In this Psalm David confesses his unimaginable guilt.  He knows that his only chance is to throw himself completely upon the mercy and grace of God.  The prophet Nathan, who had confronted him with his sin, tells him that – because of his confession – he will not die, but the child that will be born to Bathsheba will die and the sword will never depart from his house (2 Samuel 12: 10-14).

David is guilty of an unimaginable guilt.  He has taken the wife of another man (who happened to be not a stranger but a close comrade) and arranged for the death of that man.  David’s confession did not bring Uriah back to life.  The consequences of his sin remained, just as the consequences of our sin remain.  Uriah was still dead.  

David and Bathsheba are suffering an unimaginable grief.  Their first child died.  Son Amnon will rape his sister Tamar.  Son Absalom will kill his brother Amnon.  Son Absalom will be killed after leading a rebellion against the King and taking over the throne.  What the prophet Nathan said did come true.  The sword never departed from David’s house. 

But David also received unimaginable forgiveness, unimaginable mercy, and unimaginable grace.  From David and Bathsheba Solomon was born, whose descendants eventually included our Lord Jesus Christ.  Even when we humans are at our worst, God can still bring about His best. 

This Lenten season, as once again we bring all our sins and sorrows to the cross, may we again put our full trust in and receive the full blessings of God’s unimaginable, amazing grace. 

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PASTORAL CARE, POWER, AND THE PROPER WORK OF THE CHURCH

Many thanks to Paul Fleming for writing a theological analysis of the Consultation that Bishop Hagmeier of the ELCA’s South Dakota Synod had with the leaders and members of First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.  This consultation was held on September 21 prior to their first vote on whether to disaffiliate from the ELCA. 

Paul is a retired intelligence officer and confessional Lutheran layman who is currently working toward a Master’s degree in Lutheran Theology. His work reflects a deep concern for pastoral integrity, congregational life, and the centrality of the Gospel in the Church.

My analysis was written more from a governance perspective.  His is from a theological perspective.  A link to my analysis can be found HERE. 

The Bishop’s Consultation was held one week prior to the first vote on September 28.  For that vote 360 out of the 530 ballots (67.9%) voted to terminate the church’s affiliation with the ELCA and 170 ballots voted to stay with the ELCA.  A two-thirds vote on two separate occasions is required to disaffiliate.  The second vote was held on January 25.  There was a total of 661 votes, so 441 were needed to disaffiliate. The total votes were: Yes to disaffiliate: 434 (65.66%)

 – No to disaffiliate: 227.  So the vote failed.  Please join with me in prayer for the pastors, lay leaders, and congregation of First Lutheran Church.   

Paul writes –

Inspired by and written in response to Pastor Dennis D. Nelson’s Lutheran CORE article,
“An Analysis of a Bishop’s Consultation.”

In recent years, many Lutheran congregations have experienced deep strain—not primarily from external persecution, but from internal processes intended to bring “clarity,” “truth,” or “renewal.” Pastor Dennis D. Nelson’s careful and documented article, An Analysis of a Bishop’s Consultation, names this reality with sobriety and pastoral concern. His work provides an important occasion to reflect more broadly on the nature of pastoral care, ecclesial authority, and the proper work of the Church according to the Lutheran confession.

The concern raised is not simply the size or composition of synodical consultations, resource teams, or institutional delegations. Rather, the deeper issue lies in the spiritual logic that governs these encounters. When gatherings described as pastoral immediately introduce loss-based leverage—threats involving funding, scholarships, institutional standing, or reputational harm—the Church risks substituting fear for faith. At that point, consciences are no longer being addressed solely by God’s Word, but are being pressed by consequences.

The Lutheran Confessions speak clearly here. The Church has been given a specific and limited mandate: to proclaim Christ crucified for sinners and to distribute His gifts through Word and Sacrament. Pastors are not authorized to manage outcomes, secure compliance, or curate narratives. They are called to bind and loose consciences only by the Word of God (Augsburg Confession XXVIII). When pressure or strategic silence enters the process, the pastoral office is quietly transformed into an instrument of control rather than care.

This tension becomes especially acute when former pastors are drawn into congregational conflicts. Even where policies permit such involvement, the pastoral office is not a political role that can be redeployed to influence internal governance disputes. Former shepherds retain spiritual authority in the eyes of the congregation. When they are positioned—intentionally or not—to shape outcomes, the appearance—and often the reality—of manipulation is difficult to avoid. For congregations already carrying heavy burdens, this compounds confusion and deepens wounds.

Lutheran theology insists that Christ alone governs His Church through His appointed means. The Church is not renewed by stronger management structures, clearer messaging, or enforced alignment. She is renewed when sinners are forgiven, consciences are comforted, and faith is created and sustained by the Gospel. Any process, however well intentioned, that displaces this center risks turning the Church inward upon herself.

This danger becomes particularly visible when institutional programs or compliance frameworks assume organizing authority over the Church’s life. When ideological accountability or mandated initiatives become functionally central, the Church subtly shifts from proclamation to performance. Good works, justice, and love of neighbor matter deeply—but they must remain the fruit of faith, not a new law that becomes the Church’s operating gospel. As Luther repeatedly warned, even well-intended law always accuses.

Unity in the Church cannot be coerced. Trust cannot be engineered. Renewal cannot be managed. These are gifts of the Holy Spirit, given through the Gospel. When leaders substitute institutional righteousness for sacramental life, they may achieve short-term compliance, but they inevitably lose credibility. Congregations recognize when truth is being managed rather than spoken plainly, and when pastoral language is used to serve non-pastoral ends.

None of this is written with joy in separation. Faithful Lutherans rightly grieve division. The recent vote outcome at First Lutheran, Sioux Falls, only underscores the pastoral weight of these matters and the continued need for prayerful, confessional clarity. Yet coercion must not be baptized as care, nor narrative control labeled “truth.” When leaders refuse to speak plainly or to respect congregational integrity, trust collapses, and consciences seek refuge elsewhere.

The way forward is neither reactionary nor despairing. It is confessional. The Church must return again and again to her true center: Christ crucified for sinners, given freely in Word and Sacrament. Where this center is preserved, even painful disagreement can be borne with patience and hope. Where it is displaced, no amount of institutional effort will suffice.

Faithful Lutherans are not called to win battles, but to confess Christ clearly, soberly, and without fear—entrusting the Church to her true Lord, who sustains His people not by pressure, but by grace.

In Christ,
Paul Flemming

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VIDEO MINISTRIES

HERE is a link to our YouTube channel, which contains 66 videos on books and topics of interest and importance. This month we would like to feature two videos.  First, to continue the themes of guilt, grief, and grace in the opening article in this letter, we have a video review by Daniel Ostercamp of Philip Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”  And then Cathy Ammlung continues her series of helpful information for worship planners, particularly in churches where there is no regular called pastor.

WHAT’S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE?”

by Philip Yancey

A review by Daniel Ostercamp

Many thanks to LCMC pastor Daniel Ostercamp for his video review of Philip Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”  HERE is a link to his review.  Daniel writes – 

Philip Yancey calls his readers to trust deeply in grace and to proclaim it as powerfully in their lives as in their words. Grace is the specifically Christian treasure that needs to be shared boldly with the people who judge themselves solely by their successes and failures within this broken world. 

First published in 1997, the book would eventually sell more than two million copies.  The more recent edition includes a preface with reflections about how our world thirsts for grace even more today.  We are not people of reward, retribution or karma, but receivers and givers of love and mercy. 

The challenge of receiving the new beginning of grace in the midst of the difficult reality of our own sin is always central to our lives as Christians.  We walk in the knowledge of our own failures and how they have hurt our loved ones.  

As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to pray humbly for those who have fallen short and to share the forgiveness of the cross.  In deep sorrow, Philip Yancey shared in January that he needed to confess the betrayal of his vows of faithfulness to his wife of more than fifty years, Janet.  As a reviewer of his work, I offer my prayers as well, asking that they and their family would know helpful guidance and wise ministry.

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TOOLKIT FOR WORSHIP PLANNING – PART THREE

by Cathy Ammlung

Many thanks to NALC pastor Cathy Ammlung for this third in a series of videos intended to provide congregations – especially those with temporary and/or longer-term pastoral vacancies – with some tools for worship planning.  A link to her video can be found HERE.  A link to the full manuscript of her presentation can be found HERE.   

In this video, Cathy covers the lectionary: What is it?  Where is it?  Why is it?  Why are there more than one?  How do you use the lectionary in worship planning?  What are some pitfalls, and what are the most important things to know about lectionaries as a worship planning tool?

In her first video in this series (LINK) Cathy discussed the whole issue of why worship planning is important.  In her second video (LINK) Cathy talked about the church year, including festivals.

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May the Lord draw you closer to Himself and the Cross as you begin your Lenten journey.

In Christ,

Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

“One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” (Mark 12:28)

We love to quantify and make an economy of things.  Ask me what is the most important thing and I will focus upon that.  The Lord looks at our heart, and what may be the most important thing for us in this moment may not be of significance in another.  All the commandments are important.  What is most important is that we live by faith, trusting that the Lord will lead us in the way of salvation.

Lord God, how I love to quantify.  How much?  How many?  Tell me what is important so that I can ignore what is not.  You have created us to live life.  You have called for us to learn how to be faithful.  Lead me, Lord, so that I do not just quantify things, but live in the relationships You have established around me.  Guide me into Your grace and goodness so that I humbly see that what You give me in this moment is the most important thing.

Guide me, Lord Jesus, so that I do not constantly question You, but hear and heed Your word.  Yes, some things are more important than others in the moment.  By the power of Your Holy Spirit, show me the most important thing which is before me in each moment.  Lead me to learn from You how to live in the righteousness You give.  Keep me from arguing and help me to spend that energy learning how to be faithful.  Amen.

“But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken” (Mark 12:26-27).

God is the God of the living.  When Jesus returns, He will judge the living and the dead.  All shall rise to face Jesus, both those who are alive in Him and those who are dead to Him: some to life in Him and others continuing on the path of hatred and vitriol.  The mystery is great, but God has spoken and we shall all be raised on the last day.  Do not make the mistake of those who do not believe.  Their unbelief will be revealed when they stand before the Lord.

Lord, this is so simple, but it strikes at the heart of the religious battles that take place in this age.  You have created us to live eternally with You.  You have promised that we shall rise to stand before You.  Help my unbelief so that I do not fall victim to the great unbelief that is all around me.  Lead me away from doubts to live in the trusting faith You have given me.  Guide me now and always to humbly abide in You.

Lord Jesus, let me not be mistaken.  Help me to see clearly what You have spoken in Scripture.  You are the One who has redeemed us to dwell with You forever.  Guide me to live my life preparing for my final destination with You.  Help me to apply all that You teach to my life so that I become like You.  Lord, You have given me the words of life.  Help me to abide by Your word now and forever.  Amen.

 

“Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Mark 12:24-25).

Jesus gives us the answer we need.  Heaven, in many respects, will be different than the way things are in this age.  This is not permission to speculate but tells us plainly that the order of things here has its own purpose, which prepares us to be in heaven eternally.  We will not become angels, but we shall be like them.  What we have been given in this age points to the reality of what shall be in the age to come.

Lord, I have enough to do in this world as You prepare me to be with You forever.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to seek what You give me to do knowing that You are preparing me to dwell in the house of the Father forever.  As with all things, teach me to trust what You have said and to apply these things to my own life so that I may become ready for what You have prepared.

Lord Jesus, we cling to that which we know.  The love in marriage is a wonderful thing.  I am unable to comprehend what it will be like.  You say there shall be no marriage in heaven.  Teach me to trust You when You tell me these things believing that it will be better and complete when I am with You in eternity.  Help me to be engaged properly in this world as You prepare me for the world to come.  Guide me into all faithfulness.  Amen.

“There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children.  The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also.  In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her” (Mark 12:20-23).

A person is not property.  A group of Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, are asking a hypothetical question – and a silly one at that.  There will be those who ask questions from the place of unbelief and even hatred.  Suppose these or those facts and then give me an answer.  Prove that God exists.  Prove that you exist, and you will find in seeking the answer the absurdities of this line of reasoning.

Lord, teach me to not get caught up in the games of perverted thinking.  You have revealed the truth.  You are truth.  You have given me the words I need to hear.  When I encounter another, help me so that I do not seek to be clever, but instead answer them simply and honestly.  Guide me so that I see through the world’s traps that others may set before me.  None of us knows what eternity will be like, but in trusting You, we know it will be glorious.

Lord Jesus, You have put up with the doubts and foolish questions of every age.  Help me to move beyond my doubts and not ask foolish questions.  Guide me in the wisdom You give to learn to trust You above all things.  Help me learn from You how to be gentle with those who ask such questions so that I may have the opportunity to share the truth You have spoken.  Lord, You love us all and desire that we would abide in You together eternally.  Help me to abide in You. Amen.

Scripture: John 14:15-21

 

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! Today is a special day! Today is Mother’s Day!

 

Pastor: Happy Mother’s Day to all of our church mamas out there. 

 

Sammy: You know what’s great, Pastor?

 

Pastor: What is that, Sammy?

 

Sammy: I have a mama at home, but here at church, I have many mamas and grandmas that God gave me. We all believe in God, and we are a church family. I love looking around at my family here at _______ (church name).

 

Pastor: That’s a gift, Sammy. Boys and girls, what are some of the things your mamas and grandmas do for you because they love you?

 

[Allow time for responses]

 

Pastor: Those are all great answers. My mom helps me _______. 

 

Sammy: Pastor?

 

Pastor: Yes, Sammy?

 

Sammy: What is an avocado?

 

Pastor: An avocado is a fruit that grows on a tree.

 

Sammy: No. No. Let me try again. What is an ad-vo-cat? 

 

Pastor: An ad-vo-cat?

 

Sammy: Yes, an ad-vo-cat.

 

Pastor: I don’t think that’s anything, Sammy. I think you are making up words.

Sammy: I am not making up words. You were the one who read the Gospel, Pastor.

 

Pastor: Oh! You mean an advocate. Jesus is talking about an advocate, Sammy.

 

Sammy: Phew! I was worried that you were not going to understand me, Pastor. So what is an advocate.

 

Pastor: An advocate is someone who speaks on our behalf and who watches out for us. In the Gospel, the Advocate Jesus is talking about is the Holy Spirit. Jesus has to go back to Heaven, and he promises his disciples, and us, too, that he is not going to leave us alone. 

 

Sammy: But he left!

 

Pastor: Right, but the Holy Spirit is with us always. God is always with us.

 

Sammy: I am glad he is with me and that he is my advocate.

 

Pastor: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us because he loves us. Just like our mamas love us. Just like our church family loves us. We are given these gifts from God because his love for us is so great, it is more than we can ever imagine. 

 

Sammy: That’s a whole lot of love. I love that Jesus sent an advocate for me. And I love that he gave me my mama, and our whole church, too.

 

Pastor: Let’s pray together. Can everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for mamas.  Thank you for our church family. Amen.

 

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

 

Pastor: Bye, everyone!

“Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother” (Mark 12:18-19).

Another trap.  The ones who do not believe in the resurrection set traps to ensnare those who do not agree with them.  This is the way of wickedness.  Seeking to be clever, they take you down a trail with a trap set at the end.  The truth is the truth and those who twist the truth for their own ends will do what they do to feel good about themselves, even if it comes at the expense of your understanding of things.

Lord, I know there are those in this world who seek their own ends.  Help me to see through them and not to be caught up in their traps.  Guide me through this world’s traps seeing them for what they are.  You have revealed truth and what I may think about things is secondary.  In You alone is the world held together.  Guide me in wisdom to not get worked up by those who are seeking for their own gain.

Lord Jesus, You entertained all these people on equal footing.  You gave each of them their time.  Help me to not put You to the test but instead seek the wisdom which You give.  Guide me to focus on the upward call that You have given me, knowing that in You I have life and liberty.  Lead me in the way of life You are preparing me to live.  Help me to put none to the test, but keep my heart and mind devoted to the Gospel.  Amen.

“They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.”  And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him” (Mark 12:16-17).

This is an amazing answer.  Seeking to trap Him, Jesus turns around and gives a piece of profound wisdom that we can apply to all of life.  The Creator, who created all things, is truly the One to whom all things belong, but He has given us these things for us to use as stewards.  What is used for something belongs to that thing for which it is used.  The principle here is one of honoring the use which has been established.

Lord, You are all wise and know us better than we know ourselves.  For those who fear You, You grant wisdom.  We are to render obedience to the authority which is over us.  We are to render what is due according to the obligations set upon us in this world.  Guide us to understand more clearly the need to be ordered and active citizens in this world to be prepared to be honorable citizens of the eternal world You for which You are preparing us.

Lord Jesus, You guide and direct us into wisdom.  Teach me to honor others knowing that in so doing I am honoring You.  Lead me to be faithful in all things knowing that only through Your Spirit can I be prepared to live with You eternally.  Guide me in the way of honor and teach me so that each day I understand more of what it means to properly render all I am and have according to the Father’s will.  Amen..

 

“Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at” (Mark 12:15).

The Lord knows hypocrisy.  We are not to put the Lord to the test, but we do it all the time.  “Lord, if You do this . . .”  Our prayers are to be from our heart and without condition, just as our love, in order to be love, should be without condition.  We receive mercy and the Lord has put up with the foolishness of sinners throughout the ages.  His desire is that we would not perish, but come to Him humbly, willingly, and without condition.

Lord, I confess that I too have lived with my share of hypocrisy.  Guide me away from foolishness to follow You alone in the hope that only You can give.  Help me to live according to Your grace and mercy, and not to be tempted to put You or anyone else to the test.  Teach me to live the life You have given me, looking to You as the One who will guide me in the way of living righteously.

Lord Jesus, long-suffering Savior, You have made the way possible for me to move from living a life of hypocrisy toward living righteously.  Help me to have the right fear so that I overcome those places where I am tempted to put You or anyone else to the test.  Guide me in my living so that I humbly walk under Your direction and live the life You have given me to live.  Through You, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I am more than able to do all You command.  Amen.

 

“Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.  They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” (Mark 12:13-14)

If a politician cannot sway the crowd with tactic “A,” he uses tactic “B.”  Can you see that nothing has really changed?  Nuances are used, seeking to trap another into a false statement.  There are some religious that do this.  They’ll lead you down a trail, and if you give the wrong answer, declare that they are right.  Be wary of the traps of the wicked ones.  Look to the Lord’s teaching and walk in the way of truth.

Lord, You know all things, and knew the wickedness that was seeking to trap You.  I often do not have the ability to see the traps.  Help me to see the traps of the wicked ones and deal with them  by Your word.  Where I do not have the answer, grant me wisdom to look to You and, if necessary, remain silent.  You alone give the words of eternal life in a world filled with those who seek to destroy,

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead the way through all of those who seek to kill and destroy.  Hatred is their power.  Lead me into the truth of love so that I do not return hatred with hatred, but with the love You give me.  Grant me wisdom to discern, and willingness to serve, that I may humbly follow Your example and live into the life You are giving me.  Guide me always, my Lord and Savior.  Amen.

“And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away” (Mark 12:12).

Wickedness can never stand up to the truth.  Although multitudes in crowds may not fully understand all that is happening, there are those who know enough to know whether or not it is a bald-faced lie.  The world is filled with manipulative politicians who are always playing the crowd.  Jesus comes in and speaks to each one of us personally and asks us to follow Him and not to follow the whims of the politicians of this world.

Lord, nothing has changed.  There are those who seek a power they will never have and the sheep who are constantly being manipulated.  Help me to see the simplicity of truth and shed myself of those things which get in the way of humbly following You, even if it means to be seized by others.  Lord, You have given the words of eternal life.  Where else can we go?  You are true and You have revealed truth.

Lord Jesus, the truth revealed, guide me in faith to face whatever adversity might arise  seeking to lead me astray.  Keep me faithful to You.  You are the foundation upon which, through which, and for which all things have been made.  Lead me into the depths of true living so that I may humbly walk according to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and do what is pleasing in the Father’s sight.  Amen.