Tag Archives: Lutheran

Lutheran World Federation Assembly Reflection

31 Wednesday May 2017

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A few weeks ago I boarded a plane with several others from the seminary and we flew down to Windhoek, Namibia to go to the Lutheran World Federation Assembly.  It was an incredible experience and a great way to finish up my seminary career.  I’ll be posting pictures from the Assembly in the near future, but I while it is still fresh, I wanted to offer a few reflections.

First, I learned about (or better said, I was reminded of) the diversity of Lutheranism.  That’s not hard to do when you travel halfway around the world to gather with other Lutherans.  You see that Americans are just a small speck in this giant world. (A good lesson to be reminded of – something that only really see when you step out of the continent.)  You hear that English is not the only language that people speak (another good reminder).  And of course many, many Lutherans don’t look-alike either.  All of this became obvious quickly when we came together for worship in multiple languages, heard people speak in four primary languages, and saw many people from about 90 different countries.  It was especially evident with the election of the new LWF president – who happens to be from Nigeria.

Second, connections are important.  We learned that there are approximately 75 million Lutherans in the world.  That’s a good number of people, yet still not a huge percentage of the world.  At the same time, when you come together at assemblies like this, you start to see that much like national gatherings, synod assemblies, and even congregations, there are a handful of people who are the most engaged and you see them everywhere.  They are the ones you want to get to know for multiple reasons.  They are the ones who can connect you with many other people.  They are the people who get things done.

Third, worship comes in a wide variety.  During the assembly, we experienced such a wide range of worship.  It was great.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t like everything, but that’s ok.  It wasn’t about liking everything – I’m sure there were people who didn’t like what I like.  That’s ok too.  But it’s still good to experience different worship styles.  The best worship was the Sunday commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  It was in a stadium and the sermon was very powerful.  Worship lasted for four hours – but then again, when you have to commune 10,000 people, that takes about an hour.

Fourth, I want to go back to Africa.  This was my first time to the continent and I loved it. I can’t wait to go back.  I was exposed to a part of Africa that I knew very little about – which is why I wanted to go (I wanted to learn more).

Overall, going to the LWF Assembly was a wonderful trip, a great educational opportunity, and I’m glad I went.  Next time though, I want to go as a delegate.  Let’s see what happens in the next six years.

The next two weeks

05 Friday May 2017

Posted by in Church, Seminary, Theology, Travel

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A lot will happen starting Monday.  I’ll be part of a group from the seminary going to Namibia to attend the Lutheran World Federation Assembly.  We’ll be there about a week and a half.  Then we’ll return and two days after returning I’ll be graduating from Seminary.  All while this is going on, I’m in the call process with a congregation, and so soon after graduation, there is a possibility that I will be called as pastor.

That’s a great amount of change in a short period of time.

Yet, when I turn inward, I’m not sure what I feel about all of it.  I’m mixed about traveling.  I enjoy traveling.  I’m not thrilled with the long flight to get to Namibia though.  I’m sure once I’m there I’ll love it.

Part of the issue is that I’m in the process of finishing up my class work for the semester – so this has taken most of my attention.

I’m excited to graduate.  This was my fifth year of seminary.  That’s long enough.  It’s time to get out and get going and doind ministry.

I’m excited to complete the call process.  It’s gone great and I look forward to serving the church and God’s people.

I’ll see you on the other side.

Why are we looking to fight North Korea?

01 Monday May 2017

Posted by in Politics, Theology

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This is a serious question that I don’t have an answer for.  Are we looking to puff our chest to show just how serious we are?  Are we the world’s police force?  Are we being provoked?  Are we trying to put Kim Jong Un in his place?  What place is that?

What do we gain from this little adventure?  Is the point to raise the polls at home?  A war usually has a good effect for that – time to rally round the flag and president.  Will that work if we end up in war this time?  Who knows?

Lots of questions.  I just don’t get it.  But then again, I’m not into seeking power.  I’m not into telling people what they “have to” do or “must do.”

Of course, I’m finishing up seminary and hope to be a pastor soon, but really, being a pastor isn’t about going around and telling people what they “have to” do.  I don’t/won’t have that kind of authority – ever.  Plus as a Lutheran, our focus is on what God is doing anyway.  We can’t do anything to bring about our own salvation.  We can’t even go and decide to accept Jesus.  We can respond to what God is doing in our lives, but we can’t initiate the relationship.

So what about international relations.  What would be Lutheran way of looking at these things?  I’m not sure actually.  Maybe it would be a different approach.  It probably wouldn’t sit well with people who think “America first!” Maybe it would involve grace and mercy.  Maybe it would involve wiping the dust off our shoes in relation to them.  Maybe it would be confrontational.

I don’t know.  I do know that our actions are raising a level of anxiety around the world when it comes to North Korea.  What they do seems to be predictable.  Tyrants have a way of being predictable – they do what keeps them in power.

Raising anxiety is not a good solution to the challenge.  Raising anxiety probably means we are trying too hard, that we are looking to save something.  Are we looking to be the savior of the planet?  Sorry, the job has already been taken.

Where did Jesus say: “Do not be afraid…except when you vote, then it’s ok.”

28 Friday Oct 2016

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If you vote for x, you’re really voting for y!  You have to vote for candidate y, otherwise the country is going to come to an end!  Yes, candidate z if imperfect, but certainly better than candidate w!  If you vote for x, you’re throwing your vote away!  If you vote for x, then you’ll be the one responsible for candidate y winning and the disaster their administration will be!

These are just some of the reasons I have been told as to why I have to vote for either Clinton or Trump.  Just fill in w, x, y, and z with candidate names of your choice.  It really doesn’t matter who you fill in – the logic given is the same.  I’m amazed that I have that much power that I can defy the laws the math with my vote.  Apparently my writing in a name for president has the power add a vote to both Clinton’s and Trump’s vote tally.  And at the same time, I’m told that I’m wasting my vote.  Amazing. I must be superman in order to do two opposing things at the same time.  Or maybe this is just a really Lutheran election.  Lutherans love to live in paradox.  We talk about being sinner and saint simultaneously.  Maybe this is the Lutheran election – my vote matters, but I’m throwing it away at the same time.

To all those who use any of the sayings at the beginning of this post, I have some questions for you.  These questions are really pertinent mostly for Christians who make these arguments.  Everyone else is off the hook here.

Since when did it become acceptable for Christians to live in fear or to vote based on fear?  We hear this fear from both major campaigns in their arguments – see the statements above.  We hear it in the arguments from supporters that if you vote for a third party candidate or write in someone, you’re actually voting for someone you didn’t actually vote for.  Yet the question remains, when did it become alright for Christians to live in fear?  Not just acceptable and alright, but fully embracing this kind of fear and rhetoric.

We claim a Christianity and a faith that is not based on fear.  Rather, Jesus told us not to be afraid, yet we hear plenty of voices that shout aloud the opposite of what Christ said when it comes to elections and voting and other areas of life. And from people who claim to be Jesus’ followers.

So what is it fellow Christians?  Do our ideals and beliefs matter?  Or should we just pitch them and admit we’re full of shit and instead be honest with the idea that while we like wearing the label of Christian (except for the cross thing), we actually believe that our salvation resides in a different savior – one who we elect? If that’s the case, we don’t follow the same religion.

How would this clinging to and speaking words based on fear be any different than the throngs who greeted Jesus at the gate of Jerusalem with palm branches?  They believed that Jesus was going to be a military or political leader who was going to bring political and military freedom – throwing off Roman rule through revolution.  They believed in Jesus as savior in a similar way that it seems that we as a society believe – that our salvation comes in the form of a political leader who will bring about political change through the established system.

I’ve got news for you – That’s not what Jesus was about.

Living in this type of fear and speaking about the election in this manner are not the Gospel.  This is not voting in a Christian way as far as I can tell.  I refuse to live in fear, or vote based on fear.  I hope you’ll join me in doing that – regardless of who you vote for.  Please, oh please though, don’t insult my intelligence by throwing contradictory arguments at me.  I’m not interested.  You want to have a conversation about the election, great.  I’m willing to do that.  I’m not willing to sit and listen to you throw fear around as a good reason to vote for your candidate.  It’s not a good reason.  And our salvation doesn’t reside in your candidate.

God, government, and country…Iceland style

25 Thursday Aug 2016

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In many ways Iceland is so unique.  They are extremely progressive on many issues, small in number, on top of ways to use safe energy, etc.

Yet in other ways, Iceland is just like many “older” nations – the link between God and country has been there for so very long.  Not in a American way.  No, more European in mindset.

First is the Parliament building.

Iceland_451

The building itself isn’t much to look at.  But look at the top.

Iceland_453.JPG

There’s the Icelandic flag and a crown – a hat tip to the Danish monarchy that ruled Iceland for so many centuries.

The garden in the back of the building is actually much nicer.

Iceland_455

The great thing about Iceland is that you can go pretty much anywhere and you won’t see any security guards.  I have no doubt that they are watching your every step, but at the same time, not having security present all the time gives a different feel – that there is a different level of trust between the governing and the governed.

Across the street from parliament is the cathedral.

Iceland_452

Being Scandinavian in outlook, the Lutheran church is the state church.  Pastors are paid by the state and the church serves an important symbolic function in Iceland.  There are positives and negatives to this, too many to go through in this post.  The point is this – there is no separation between church and state here.  The church serves the needs of the state.  That’s the price you pay when you accept money from the state.

Lastly, there is the tribute to great people of the past in Iceland.

First there is the founder of the capitol.

Iceland_448

Looks like a pleasant man, huh?

And across the street in the park opposite the parliament there is another statue.

Iceland_450

The biggest difference regarding statues between Iceland and the rest of Europe is this – they don’t have guys on horses here for the most part.  That may be because they generally don’t celebrate military figures here.  They are more concerned with culture.  Not a bad thing.

Questions about Catholic/Lutheran Ecumenical Relations

25 Monday Jan 2016

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Recently, there have been some big news concerning ecumenical relations between Lutherans and Catholics.  To say these are big is actually an understatement.

First, earlier this month, Finnish Lutherans were offered Communion during a Catholic Mass at the Vatican after having a meeting with Pope Francis.

Second, it’s been announced that Pope Francis will be attending a Joint Ecumenical Commemoration of the Reformation in Sweden in October.

Throw on top of that the Vatican-backed plan to rename a square there after Martin Luther.

And Pope Francis hinting towards the idea of Lutherans taking the Eucharist at Mass.

That’s a lot of ecumenical reaching out from Catholics to Lutherans in a short period of time. Or at least from the pope to Lutherans. Overall, these are positive steps towards healing old wounds between the two denominations and are really just the latest moves that have been going on for about 50 years now.

All of this leaves me with a bunch of questions.  I’m not really looking for answers.  I’m more just thinking out loud.

What is the end game?  Is it to be able to share communion?  Is it to welcome Lutherans back into the Roman Church?  Something else?

If the ultimate goal is to reunite Lutherans and Catholics, how will divisive issues be handled – things like female clergy, agreements with full communion partners of other Protestant denominations, number of sacraments, etc.  These are not insignificant things.

To play devil’s advocate for a moment – are these gestures just symbolic or will they actually lead to the Roman Church making any actual changes?

What will Lutherans have to give up or change?  What will Catholics do to accommodate their Lutheran brothers and sisters?

I have other questions, but they get in real deep theologically – questions about the theology of the priesthood, the Eucharistic prayer, etc.  Lots of questions.

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t celebrate these advancements.  Any actions that bring a greater unity to the churches is a step in the right direction.  I wonder what questions come to your mind.

We’re leaving – What’s Going Through My Mind

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Blog, Family, Finland, Seminary, Travel

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Next week we leave Finland – the place we have come to call home for the last 11 months.  We came here to continue my studies, thanks to an exchange program between Gettysburg Seminary and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. I was also very interested in learning more about the church here – especially about the decline of the membership and what’s being done about it.  We came to travel and see parts of Europe.  We came to live in a different culture with a different language.

We did all of these things and so much more.  And, as if often the case, things turned out differently than our expectations – but on the whole, far better than we could have ever imagined.  For one thing, we fell in love with Finland.  There’s just so much to love about Finland, it’s hard to even make a list and frankly, making a list doesn’t do the country justice.

We grew closer as a family.  This came out of necessity as we often had to rely on each other for so many things.

Now we are just about at the end of our time here in Finland – less than a week remains.  We have mixed emotions.  We are sad to leave the friends we have made.  I can’t lie and tell you I was excited to buy the return tickets to the US.  It was hard to do.  But…

But new adventures await us – which is exciting.  It’s my internship year – which means I’ve been assigned to a congregation to learn the practical side of being a pastor.

We know that if we can pack up our house, put it in storage, move to a different continent and live there for 11 months, we can do anything.  Plus, we’ve learned something else about ourselves – we look for the good in everything we do.  We already know that we’re going to love where we are headed next – not because we have been there, or because of anything we’ve seen, but rather because, that’s just who we are.  It certainly helps that the people we’ll be working with are excited to have us. And that God is calling us there – which means God’s got our back.  And as much as I love to read, I also love to do something practical and internship is an excellent pastoral shaping experience.

Next week we head to Iceland for a few days of rest and adventure on our journey back to the US, then we arrive in the US on the 4th of July.  (I’m expecting fireworks for our return, Not) Next week I take a break from blogging as we make this transition.  It’s good to take a break every now and then.

I’m not sure what to expect when we go back to the US.  How has the country changed while we’ve been gone?  I’ve read headlines and news stories, but they don’t give the full sense of it.  I can’t say I’m super excited to go to a country that appears to be ripping itself apart with racial tension.  At least that the impression I get from what I read.  But I also know that this isn’t the whole story either.

How have we changed while we’ve been gone?  I won’t know until we reunite with friends who comment on something here and there that they notice about us.  I do know that we have changed.  It’s impossible not to.  A friend of ours who has lived overseas told me before we left that you develop a third culture when you live abroad. You have your first culture – the country you come from.  You gain a second culture – the country you go to.  And you develop a third culture – something of a mix of cultures that is purely unique because you are unique and you have changed.

How do we answer the question – “So how was your time over there?” I don’t have a good answer for this.  Are people really looking for an answer or a nice one-line sentence?  How do you condense the last 11 months into one phrase?  I can’t and I doubt anyone wants to sit for hours on end to listen to everything we’ve learned and experienced. I think the best answer I have is “It was life changing.” It’s the most honest answer I can think of.

The next month and a half will feel like a hurricane.  And the time will go by fast, I’m sure.  We’re taking it one day at a time.  That’s the only way we can right now.  It would be too overwhelming if I had to think through all the things that have to be done.  Today we are visiting Helsinki – maybe for the last time.  We’ll enjoy it and inside we’ll probably shed a tear.  It’s kind of like mourning a loss.  But we also know that the future is wide open.  God calls us to some amazing adventures in life.  I don’t know what the future holds, only God does.  I’ll keep my trust in God – that always turns out to be the best.

One more post tomorrow, then a week off.  Then we’ll see how the jet lag is affecting me.  I’ll start posting again in July.  God Bless.

Interior of Turku Cathedral

18 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Church, Finland, Travel

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Turku Cathedral is big, especially by Finnish standards.  But of course, the Cathedral was built well before Finland was an independent nation, so it’s not that surprising.

At any rate, the church is big and beautiful.

Turku CathedralWhen you step in, you get that sense of awe for the vastness of the building and how small we as individuals truly are.  There’s a whole theology behind the idea of building churches large.

One of the neat things about Turku cathedral is that you can easily see different construction techniques in the building.  Different sections were built at different times.  Take this for example.

Turku CathedralCan you see the difference in the arches?

Another thing that is neat is the ceiling.

Turku CathedralThe star shape in the ceiling is so Medieval.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a church without a pulpit.

Turku CathedralWhat is actually surprising about the pulpit here is that it is not more ornate.  But then again, it’s not the original pulpit, which burned when fire struck and destroyed the vast majority of Turku in 1827.

Another feature of Medieval churches are tombstones, like this.

Turku CathedralPeople are buried in the church.  Remember, this wasn’t built as a Lutheran church, it was built before the Reformation, so it was Catholic for a few hundred years.  It was common practice for people, especially VIPs, to be buried in the church.  The idea being that they would be closer to God and Jesus at the resurrection since they were buried in a church.

Next Travel Post – More fascinating medieval stuff in the cathedral.

Espoo Cathedral and Ordination

15 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Church, Finland

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About a week ago, I attended the ordination of a friend of mine at the Espoo Cathedral in Espoon Keskus.  The Cathedral is an old Medieval church built in the late 15th century and reminds me of the Cathedrals in Porvoo and Turku in many ways.  Considering these are also Medieval churches, that is not surprising.

Espoo CathedralThe ordination was done in Finnish, of course, and led by the bishop.  It was a very nice service.

Espoo CathedralThe service was very liturgical and full of the right amount of pomp and circumstance, given the occasion.

Espoo CathedralThe one part of the service that was different for me what after the people were ordained as either a pastor or deacon, they turned toward the congregation where I was expecting a round of applause to congratulate them.  But there was silence.  A good reminder that different cultures have different ways of doing things.  The service itself felt very Finnish.

After the service, there was a short pause and the church was empty, so I went back in to get a better view of the inside of the church.

I was not disappointed.   It is beautiful.

Espoo CathedralYou can see old and new in this church.  And the old and new mesh well together.

Espoo CathedralThe part I like the most are the original medieval drawings on the walls and ceiling of the church.

Espoo CathedralThey give it such an old feeling, but in a good way.  It’s kind of hard to explain, but it feels like a connection with past.  Just think for a moment, you’re standing in the same place as someone in the late 15th/early 16th century who shares the same faith as you.  That’s a cool thought.

One of the most difficult articles I’ve ever written

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Church, Finland, Society

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I was recently asked to write an article on my experiences and what I’ve learned about the church in Finland for a Finnish church publication – Kirkonkello.  I was very humbled to be asked to do this.  It turned out a great deal harder than I expected.  Enjoy the article.

One of the most difficult articles I’ve ever written.