“Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.”  And they all left Him and fled” (Mark 14:49-50).

This is the way of the world.  Afraid to confront in public, clandestine means are used to bring about a controlled result.  What was it about Jesus teaching that made them so mad?  He introduced nothing new in morality or the law; but called for all to follow the Lord’s commands.  What is different is who He is, not only what He said.  Those who sought His condemnation condemned Him for who He claimed to be, not what He said or did.

Lord, You are the Creator of all things.  All power and authority belong to You.  In rebellion, we want to control what we want to control.  Therein, we violate the first commandment by not trusting You above all things.  Whether in small measure or large, this is the problem of sin.  You have come to free us to live in the truth.  Help us to hear Your voice and live in the truth that You alone are the Sovereign One.

Lord Jesus, You willingly went with those who condemned You.  I who deserve it was replaced by You who did not.  You have taken my punishment so that I could take on Your life and live as life is meant to be lived.  In all of the ways I live, help me to not betray You, but live according to the model You gave me with Your own life.  Lead me to always live in the grace You have given me.  Amen.

“They laid hands on Him and seized Him.  But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.  And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber?” (Mark 14:46-48)

Mark does not deal with the healing recorded in the other Gospel.  This reminder is in the  Gospel of Luke.  Jesus came to heal.  We have the witness of Mark, telling his understanding of what happened.  With violence the world attacks the Lord.  With violence the world attacks those who believe.  Christians are treated as heinous criminals while criminals are applauded.  This is the extent of the rebellion against the Lord.  The Lord wants us to see the violence of this age so that we may understand more clearly that from what we have been saved.

Lord, except by Your grace I am one of those who would use violence to get what I want.  Help me to be rid of the selfishness of sin so that I may see others as You see them.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to live according to Your will.  Teach me what it means to let my light shine so that others may see my good works and turn to You.  Lead me in the way of righteousness.

Lord Jesus, You have suffered indignities throughout this age.  Help me so that I may bear the indignities that will happen because I am following You.  Teach me to press through all that this world will bring my way in order that Your light in me may shine brightly.  Continue to guide me in the way of everlasting life.  Grant that I would willingly go through whatever may come for the sake of the Gospel.  Lead me through my own cross, Lord.  Amen.

“Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”  After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him” (Mark 14:44-45).

The illusion of power strikes us in the simplest of places.  The sinner lives to boss other people.  We turn to the one who will be betrayed and pretend to be friendly, even addressing them with a title —such foolishness— as if heaven could be deceived.  Judas portrays what every rebellious sinner pretends to do in the delusions of this age.  All power and authority belong to the Lord.  Judas could not have done this if God had not allowed it for His own purpose.

Lord, we each have free will and can act in our sinfulness.  But there is also the truth that everything we do is known by You.  What none of us knows are the times when You stopped things from happening by the will of others.  Through this simple lesson, help us to better understand the pretenses that go on all around us.  Guide us to live the good life and abide in You and live according to Your will now and forever.

Lord Jesus, You taught us to pray, “Thy will be done.”  You demonstrated this by willingly being led to the cross.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, so that I willingly go where You send me and live in the Father’s way of righteousness.  Help me now and always to look to You, the source of grace and live in the way You are guiding me to live.  Give me ears to hear and eyes to see so that I may now and always follow You in the truth You have revealed.  Amen.

“Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders” (Mark 14:43).

If we surround ourselves with people who agree with us, we can feel high and mighty.  Judas came against God-in-the-flesh.  It may seem that we can do this, but it is utter foolishness.  Sadly, many do it all the time.  If the Lord did not have a purpose in this, it would not have happened.  As it is, this is what the Lord had the prophets speak of.  Woe to the one who betrays the Lord.

Lord God of heaven and earth, You know I sin, but I do not mean to betray You.  Help me to never gather a crowd that is willing to agree with me.  Help me to live according to the Gospel.  Lead me in the way of truth and help me to abide in You, learning how to live and love.  You have given me the words of eternal life, and I know how difficult things can be in this life.  Help me to learn how to abide in You in all circumstances.

Lord Jesus, You have suffered the betrayal of so many.  Only because You are God in the flesh could You do this.  Help me in my daily journey to humbly submit to the Father’s will and live within the circumstances which I find myself.  Guide me to navigate the difficulties of this world in order that I may now and always live according to the way of the righteous.  Lead me Lord, and keep me from trying to be the one who leads.  Amen.

“And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!” (Mark 14:41-42)

In the pattern of being asleep, notice that our Lord is doing what needs to be done.  We are often unaware of what is coming, but our Lord understands and knows what needs to take place.  He invites us to participate with Him, joining in and being a part of the solution.  He does what needs to be done;, but we have the opportunity to join with Him and share in the work of the kingdom.

Almighty Father, I have often been a bystander, and You know how I have opinions about many things.  Help me to move beyond the constant caring  for the flesh which is perishing so that I may live according to Your purpose.  I know that in walking with You there will be many places of betrayal along the way, but You have promised purpose in all things.  Lead me so that I may humbly abide in You always.

Lord Jesus, You know where my heart needs to change.  You have done it all willingly so that all who have faith may have the opportunity to live a whole, full, and eternal life.  Guide me now and always so that I may be alert and faithfully endure all the trials and tribulations that will come my way.  Teach me and awaken me, Lord, to live the way You know I can live and trust in Your leading always.  Amen.

“Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.  And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him” (Mark 14:39-40).

Our Lord has given us the words of everlasting life, but often we do not know how to answer Him.  He comes to us and we are far away.  We have been told that we should pray without ceasing.  It is not a matter of having the right answer, but being alert, praying, and willing to respond.  We have been given the privilege of an eternal relationship with the Lord, and we are to be willing to relate.

Lord, I know that I should be offended by a so-called friend who was never attentive, doing what they wanted to do all the time while ignoring me.  How often I treat You like window-dressing but not actually engaging with You.  From this I need to be saved.  All of these things You have told me so that I might have the opportunity of becoming like You.  I need the salvation You bring.

Lord Jesus, the depth of sin which separates me from You is more than I can fathom.  You know.  Help me, dear Savior, so that I may humbly live into the new life for which You have called me.  You know where my heart and mind need to be awoken.  Awaken me Lord in order that I may live life in relationship with You, paying attention to what is going on around me, and living according to the Father’s will.  Amen.

June 2026

NOWHERE ELSE TO GO

Dear Friends –

In Matthew 9: 18-26 – part of the Gospel for June 7 – we read of two people who come to Jesus at a time in their lives when they have nowhere else to go.  One was a leader of a synagogue, whose daughter had just died; the other was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.

Mark 5 and Luke 8 also tell of these two people and give the man’s name – Jairus.  Matthew says that he “came in and knelt before Him” (9: 18); in Mark the language is much stronger.  He “came and, when he saw Him, fell at His feet and begged Him repeatedly” (5: 22-23).  This man was desperate.  Luke informs us that this twelve-year-old girl was his only child (8: 42).  And while in Matthew the girl had just died (9: 18), in Mark “she is at the point of death” (5: 23) and in Luke she “was dying” (8: 42).  In Matthew Jairus begs Jesus to raise her from the dead.  In Mark and Luke he begs Jesus to come and heal her.  Either way, he is desperate.  He sees Jesus as the only one who can help him.  He is highly respected in the community, but he has a problem that is way beyond his ability to solve.  He is a leader of a synagogue, so he could be severely criticized for associating with Jesus.  But out of desperation and because of his great love for his daughter he goes to Jesus, falls on his feet before Jesus, and brings Jesus into his home.  He has nowhere else to go.

The woman who had been bleeding for twelve years also had nowhere else to go.  According to Mark, “she had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse” (5: 26).  Several ancient versions of Luke do not want to badmouth physicians as Mark does, so they do not include “she spent all she had on physicians” but only say “no one could cure her” (8: 43).  As I think of the tremendously high cost of health care today and of people who have spent a great deal of their retirement resources on health care, I can understand why they are – and this woman was – desperate.

If the little girl was at the point of death or dying rather than already dead, then Jairus must have become even more desperate when there is a delay in Jesus’ responding to his need because He first responds to the need of the bleeding woman.  Either way here are two people who have nowhere else to go who go to Jesus.

When in your life have you gone to Jesus, knowing that you had nowhere else to go?  Are we sufficiently aware of the fact that every Sunday morning there are people in our sanctuaries who have nowhere else to go? 

It grieves me when I see churches taking away from people the Jesus they can go to when they have nowhere else to go.  Instead they give people a Jesus who is constantly calling on them to try harder, do more, and keep on repenting of racism, sexism, patriarchalism, white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia (fear of foreigners), and Islamophobia.    

It grieves me that in their first recommendation the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church revealed what they valued the most and felt most urgent about. They recommended that “the ELCA Church Council immediately begin identifying and acting upon mutual accountability measures and compliance incentives across all expressions of the ELCA to ensure the proactive centering of dismantling racism within the denomination.”   A memorial overwhelmingly approved by the 2025 Churchwide Assembly directed the Church Council “to provide progress updates to this church with a final report by fall 2027, including possible constitutional changes.”  Nearly one year after the 2025 Churchwide Assembly no progress report has been given.   

Dismantling racism does not mean just not being racist and being against racism.  We all are against racism.  We all agree that racism violates the dignity and value of every human being.  Dismantling racism is different.  It speaks of a political ideology, which views society as being made up of systems of power, privilege, and oppression.  Those in power (especially straight white males) are unable to not be racist.  They will do everything they can to preserve the systems that empower them.  Therefore those systems must be dismantled.  I wonder how many ELCA members know that that is the ideology undergirding much of what the ELCA is doing.   

Even though the ELCA Church Council was directed “to provide progress updates to this church,” they are very tightlipped and non-communicative.  The report from the representative from churchwide at the recent assembly of the synod in which I am rostered told of many good things the ELCA is doing, but we were told nothing about the above.  It definitely seems that ELCA leaders do not want ELCA congregations and church members to know what is actually going on.  We will inform you as we learn more. 

In our two most recent publications we included resources for those who want to learn more and/or want to inform their congregations about what the ELCA is actually doing.  In our May 2026 newsletter we had an article which contains links to and summaries of a number of articles which tell about actions that have been taken and decisions that were made during and between the 2022 and 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assemblies.  In my June 2026 letter from the director I gave a list of questions that you can use if and/or when your synodical bishop or another synodical representative visits your congregation.

Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement, and faithful financial support, all of which enable us to do our work of being a Voice for Biblical Truth and a Network for Confessing Lutherans.  Please find below links you can use to give a gift towards our regular operating expenses.  Your prayers are especially important to us.  Please let us know how we can be praying for you. 

In the Name of Jesus, to Whom we can go even when we have nowhere else to go,

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

“And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37-38).

“The flesh is weak.”  We make a resolution and then fail the slightest test against it.  Our spirits may be willing, but how easily we choose the whims of the flesh rather than the resolution of the spirit.  We sleep through the dangers and then wonder why certain things happen.  Jesus tells us to keep watch and pray.  The Lord, who never slumbers nor sleeps, is always with us.

Lord, I do fall asleep and do not pay attention to what I should be paying attention to.  I become absorbed with what my body wants and ignore what I know to be right.  Change my heart so that I may learn to submit all things to You, and not be a slave to the flesh which seeks to betray You.  Continue to lead me to become whom You will make me.  Lead me out of slumber to be awake.

Lord Jesus, in the hour of trial, I often do not pay attention nor come to You in prayer.  Lead me into a life that abides in You always, praying without ceasing.  Lead me to understand that these things are important.  I know I have grace, but that is not an excuse to willfully not act or, because of laziness or temptation, ignore what is the right thing to do.  Help me to better understand these things so that I may learn how to live with You in the righteousness You grant me by grace.  Amen.

“And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:36).

Seek to understand the struggle.  I believe Jesus did this for our sake.  He allowed us to see the reality of our human struggle.  We want the issue before us to pass.  We want the thorn removed.  Ultimately, we either go the way of the rebellion crying out, “Why me,” or else we surrender, if you will, die and say to the Lord, “Thy will be done.”  His will shall be done.  The question is, which path will you take?

Heavenly Father, You know that I have taken both paths.  I have drunk from the cup of suffering, but I still wrestle against circumstances.  In simple terms I know that I cannot control circumstances, but I still am tempted to try.  Help me to learn from You to humbly walk through all circumstances knowing that all things are now, as they always have been, in Your hands.  Help me to learn the lessons You would have me learn.

Lord Jesus, You know how the anxiety of the situation presses in and the helplessness – or so it seems – of this age presses in.  You gave us that place of peace which surpasses all understanding by directing us to rest in the Father’s will.  Help me so that I learn to give up the anxiety, working as You would have me work, but trusting that the Father’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen.

“They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.”  And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:32-33).

The world is often very troubling and we are often distressed.  Jesus was preparing to take upon Himself the weight of the sin of the world.  He knows the anxieties of the world that try to overwhelm us.  We often check out and do not listen to the Holy Spirit to work through these troubling moments.  It is not that we are to be stressed, but to recognize that in any given moment somewhere, there are those around us who are greatly distressed.

Lord, Your word says that if one member of the body hurts, we all hurt.  Around the world, there are so many who are distressed.  You have called for Your people to be a people of prayer.  In communion with You, we can learn what You would have us do and obey Your commands.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, guide Your faithful ones to be a people of prayer, in communion with all the saints, and seeking Your guidance.

Lord Jesus, none of us can comprehend the breadth and depth of the suffering You took upon Yourself for our sakes.  You call for me to join in intercessory prayer on behalf of those who are suffering.  Lead me in the faith You have given me so that I humbly join with the saints of all times and places on behalf of those who are distressed.  By Your example, help me to become a person of prayer.  Amen.