The Great Physician May/June 2024

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“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” - Mark 2:9-11

Healing the paralytic at Capernaum by Belisario Corenzio.

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

by mathew block

Jesus had returned to the town of Capernaum, and the crowds were so eager to get a glimpse of Him that they overran the place where He was; no one else could get close to Him. “And many were gathered together,” we read in the Gospel of St. Mark, “so that there was no more room, not even at the door” (2:2; cf. Luke 5). But that doesn’t mean other people weren’t trying to get in. Outside, a group of men brought their paralyzed friend to see Jesus. “And when they could not get near Him because of the crowd,” St. Mark writes, “they removed the roof above Him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay” (2:5).

The paralyzed man now lay before Jesus—before that great healer about whom he had heard so much, that great healer who in this very town had healed so many before (see Mark 1:29-34). And Jesus, full of compassion, turned to the man… and didn’t heal him.

Instead, He said: “Son, your sins are forgiven” (2:5). These are not the words the paralyzed man expected. Nor are they, if we are honest, the words we would hope to hear when we come to Jesus in illness or suffering. We want a cure—a solution to what ails us. And Jesus does too. But He is the Great Physician; He looks deeper than surface-level symptoms. He cuts to the heart of things, seeking the ultimate cause of pain and suffering and every evil. And He gives His diagnosis: the problem underlying all of it, He says, is sin.

In fact, this is the very reason why the Great Physician has come at all: to root out sin. Jesus explains this clearly

in the story which immediately follows that of the paralyzed man. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick,” Jesus says. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (2:17). Nor is this a rare condition; we are all sinners. The paralysis which afflicts human hearts with sin is no less debilitating than the paralysis of the man who could not walk. In neither case is human will or effort enough to overcome the disability.

Thankfully, Jesus not only has the diagnosis; He offers Himself as the cure. “Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases,” the Prophet Isaiah writes, “yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted” (53:4 NRSV). He takes our sin upon Himself and dies in our place—dies on a cross—that in His resurrection we might find eternal life. He forgives us our sin, just as He forgave the sin of the paralyzed man.

That doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t care also about our bodily needs. He cares deeply. And He demonstrates that compassion for the paralyzed man in Capernaum by ultimately healing his broken body as well. But Jesus performs this miracle—indeed, all His miracles—primarily to demonstrate His authority to also heal our corrupt nature. He reveals His power so that we might trust He can also forgive sin (Mark 2:10-12). Because ultimately, that is Jesus’ goal and purpose: to heal sinners of their sin.

This is the work of the Great Physician, work which He accomplishes through His Word and Sacraments for our eternal salvation. But as we have said, God cares also for our earthly

live, and so we thank Him for the work of lesser physicians—those whose vocation it is to bring about healing of the body. My wife is a physician. She does many wonderful things—things which, to my untrained eye, seem almost miraculous. And in a sense, they are. For God works through her and other healthcare workers—even those who do not know Him—to bring about healing.

But of course, people can also sin against vocation. Our first feature this issue reflects on the challenge that euthanasia and physician assisted suicide in Canada poses for everyday Christians (page seven). In our second feature, we reflect on the work of St. Luke, asking how his training as a physician contributed to his work writing his Gospel and the Book of Acts (page ten).

O God, we thank you for the work of doctors and other healthcare workers who use their training in ways to heal and to help. And we pray that their vocation will be safeguarded against the encroachment of the culture of death. We thank You also, dear Lord, for the ministry of Your Son our Great Physician, Jesus Christ, who brings us true and eternal healing through His death and resurrection. Amen.

“Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” - Psalm 103:2-5

Tel

www.garfinkle.com

Crossing the Finish Line in Faith

The Challenge of Euthanasia in Canada Today

by Ken Maher

The runner staggers and stumbles. Every breath is a lancing fire down his side. He can barely lift his feet high enough to slide them forward. But the finish line is in sight, finally. It’s the end of the gruelling marathon, if he can just keep going a little farther. Then his ankle gives out and he’s on the ground. He struggles to rise only to fall back down again. His body and will are at war, and he cannot help but groan. Then he hears the roar of the crowds lining the road. He looks up with hope but it takes a moment for their words to register through the noise and the shock. “Quit!” they call out. “Just stop!” “You don’t have to suffer this indignity!” “What are you trying to prove?” “I don’t have time to wait here for you finish!” “You can end the race right here, right now.” “Quit! Quit! Quit!”

Ridiculous? Yes. But, sadly, not unthinkable in our day and age. The statistics on euthanasia in Canada are staggering. More than 13,200 Canadians died by assisted suicide in 2022.

This is a 31.2 percent increase from 2021 alone. The total number of physician-assisted deaths in Canada sits at nearly 45,000. MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) is now the fifth-leading cause of death among all Canadians. In Quebec, euthanasia makes up seven percent of all deaths—the highest in the world. Recently, the government’s proposed loosening of MAiD to include people suffering only from mental distress faced more backlash than expected and was thankfully postponed until 2027. But make no mistake: it is neither gone nor forgotten. It will be back again in some form, and we will have to address the ever-weakening bonds no longer able to protect Canadian lives on their bad days.

And all of this is unfolding in the midst of a healthcare crisis in which our medical system seems incapable of offering timely psychiatric services, suicide prevention, or palliative beds. Can you blame people for opting for state-sanctioned suicide when they feel they have no other

choice? In many cases, people believe that MAiD is the only thing they’re eligible for.

And MAiD is not just an option to be explored; sometimes it is a mandate to be enforced by weight of the law. In 2017, the Fraser Valley health authority in British Columbia ordered all the healthcare facilities it oversaw, including hospices, to offer MAiD. The Delta Hospice Society, which ran the Irene Thomas Hospice in Delta, B.C., objected. To make a long and sad story short, despite some initial victories by the hospice, the province simply withdrew $1.5 million in annual funding to the society, terminated their lease, and evicted the hospice’s residents. The health authority then took over the running of the hospice with new rules that allowed MAiD on the premises. It seems the powers that be will get their blood one way or another—so what are we Christians to do in the face of this juggernaut of death?

First, we should be reminded that Jesus Himself came up hard against the finish line, so to speak, that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. St. Mark records His anguished prayer. It is the cry of a man on his last legs—a man who doesn’t know if He can finish the race. “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death,” He told His disciples. And going a little farther, He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father, all things are possible for

You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:34-36).

“Remove this cup fRom me. Yet not what i will, but what You will.”

This is the insidious temptation that waits to trip us up in our own final hours. It lurks there just before the finish line, waiting to hit us when we’re at our lowest. Can you hear its incessant call to avoid all suffering? Facing the increasingly gruesome hours left before His horrible death, Jesus struggled. Not even He was happy at the thought of suffering, much less the terrible suffering He knew lay in each and every step before Him that day. Suffering is never nice or pleasant—but it is sometimes necessary. No one in their right mind would seek it out for themselves. Yet nowhere else but in suffering will you see so clearly just what God Himself was willing to endure to find you and bring you back from a suffering far worse than mere death. For our flesh is weak indeed, and that is why these lies are so tempting. The devil wants you to know only that suffering hurts, that he can make it all go away with a painless injection and some hollow platitudes. Only sweet wine for you, never any bitter dregs if you don’t want them. And really, who does?

After all, that little voice whispers in your ear: it’s your life, so you should get to say when you are done... But, You are my God. My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! (Psalm 31:14-15).

Ah, but this doesn’t hurt anyone else, the voice states more

forcefully. Yet this is true only as long as you don’t think too long or hard about the family you leave behind to bear the grief of your decision, or the doctors you ask to kill you. Choosing death is never a harmless decision: for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning... Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image (Genesis 9:5-6). Enough, the angry cry goes up, it’s my body, my choice ... But do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

You don’t understand, the sufferer cries out. I just can’t go on like this, I can’t face more of this. It is all just too much! And while we do not want to belittle or gloss over anyone’s pain or suffering, this is perhaps the most insidious lie of all, because you can do it... You can endure whatever suffering your Lord lays before you. You can run the race no matter how long or difficult. You can face your own Garden of Gethsemane and not fear what you are about to suffer (Revelation 2:10). You can do it because He is with you!

One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:14-15).

“YouR faithful loRd alwaYs stands ReadY to lift You up and help You cRoss that finish line to victoRY and Rest.”

Our Good Shepherd walks with us all the way through this valley of the shadow of death, ready at a moment’s notice to lift us up when we have no more strength to go on. The harder it gets, the more you need to lean into Christ and say, as He Himself said to His Father: “Not what I will, but what You will” (Luke 22:42). Jesus is the secret of facing our darkest moments of suffering. He is the calm when our insides are in turmoil. He is life itself in our time of death. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but

Christ faced down His own tremendous suffering and death so He might help us to face our own. He defeated the temptation to flee from suffering so you might not only have His example but the very fruit of His holy conviction. And that mercy is His everlasting covenant in His own Body and Blood. Before He left the upper room to face the agony of the garden, Jesus gave us the very gift that can see us through our own dark night of the soul: the gift of His own body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins, and the promise of paradise that awaits us after this time of suffering, pain, and grief. A foretaste of the eternal heavenly feast to come, where the cup containing the bitter dregs of Christ’s own suffering and death have become, in His resurrection and ascension, the sweetest of wine to gladden and strengthen the most troubled and suffering of souls. Jesus calls on you to put down this world’s sweet cup of poison and be seated instead at His heavenly feast. For the table is prepared, and it is full of the food of life. Eat and live, and like Elijah before you, get up and move forward with Christ’s divine support to hold you firm until the Lord calls you through your own cross to His heavenly home.

No one wants to suffer. But you can’t win by quitting, and there is no dignity in running away. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). No matter what the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh cry out, know this: your faithful Lord always stands ready to lift you up and help you cross that finish line to victory and rest.

Rev. Ken Maher is pastor of Christ Our Hope Lutheran Church in Collingwood, Ontario.

The Vale of Tears: Gustave Doré, 1883.

Doctor Luke

Evangelist & Physician

by James Kellerman

We learn from Colossians 4:14 that Luke was a physician. But did that fact have any bearing on the way that he wrote his Gospel?

We could answer that question by simply searching for words in Luke or Acts that might have a medical meaning. That is a trickier procedure than it sounds because both Greek and English have many words that can be used in a medical sense or with a more ordinary meaning. Think of “acute” or “benign” or “fracture,” for example, in English.

Nonetheless, there are a number of words in Luke and Acts that seem to come from the world of medicine. For example, when Luke describes in Acts 13:11 how Elymas became blind, the word he uses (translated as “mist” by the ESV) is a technical term also used by the ancient physician Galen. Also, whenever Luke refers to someone who was unable to walk, he uses the more medically correct Greek word: “a paralyzed man” (my translation; see Luke 5:18, 24; Acts 8:7; 9:33). The other evangelists use the more colloquial form, which is a related noun: “a paralytic.” And, although we aren’t entirely certain, the word for “dropsy” in Luke 14:2 seems to be a medical term. At the very least, no other passage in the Scriptures uses it to describe a person suffering from that affliction.

In addition to using the occasional medical term, Luke also seems to describe patients the way a doctor would. He notes how long patients had been suffering (Luke 13:11; Acts 9:33) and their age (Luke 8:42; Acts 4:22). The phrase “Physician, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23) is in our Lord’s first sermon. And nearly the last words of Acts are “I would heal them” (28:27). Thus, Luke’s two-volume work (Luke and Acts) begins and ends with references to healing.

But what was medicine like in the ancient Greco-Roman world? By Luke’s time, Greece had made significant advances in medicine over what had prevailed in the Ancient Near East during the Old Testament era. For one thing, medicine was no longer inextricably linked with the worship of pagan deities. Physicians were taught instead to be keen observers of the body and disease, and were warned not to let philosophical speculation or pagan rites distract them from that task.

By Luke’s day, the medical profession had a good understanding of basic human anatomy. Five centuries before Christ, physicians had already discovered such things as the optic nerve and the Eustachian tubes. At the dawn of the third century B.C., they had added such body parts as the cerebrum, cerebellum, duodenum, and prostate to their

St. Luke: Simone Martini, c.1330.

anatomy books. They had also discovered that arteries and veins were distinct but connected in one system.

They made some errors, to be sure. For example, most physicians thought that illness was caused by an imbalance in the four humours (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile). They also thought that the heart pumped air through the arteries, and that its chief function was to provide “innate heat”—a key measure of health. But rather than focus on their errors, we should commend them for striving to practice medicine based on what the empirical data were showing them. Medical knowledge is always developing, and today’s physicians change their practices as better science becomes available. That was what they did in antiquity, too.

The physicians of ancient Greece were regarded as skilled craftsmen. They did not receive a licence from a professional association but were instructed at one of several schools throughout the Greek-speaking world. They were especially trained to possess the skill of foresight (a term Luke uses in Acts 24:2). Foresight was more than the mere ability to make a reasonable prognosis of a disease. It also included the ability to size up a patient and deduce symptoms without being told. By this skill, they looked for a crisis or turning point, when prompt treatment needed to be applied. And it taught them to be wise enough to know when their craft could do no more, and they had to let the patient rest so that the body could heal itself. In short, physicians in Luke’s day were probably as competent as any other generation of physicians until the middle of the nineteenth century.

mood for a verb that his contemporaries were largely ignoring. His usage would be akin to someone today saying, “If I were the ruler of the world” instead of “If I was the ruler of the world.” Everybody understands the latter, and it is probably the more common way to say it in modern spoken English. But those who pride themselves on following the old-fashioned rules of grammar would insist on the former expression. Luke wrote in that kind of style—a bit on the prim and proper side.

At the same time, his writing is not stuffy. His style was shaped by the language of the Septuagint, the main Greek translation of the (Hebrew) Old Testament used in Greek synagogues and in the early church. The Septuagint is a rather varied translation. Some portions of it read as if they were one of the Greek classics. Other parts read as if someone was thinking in Hebrew while writing in Greek. But that was how the Jews of Luke’s day talked. Some could speak in as sophisticated a form of Greek as any native speaker, while others peppered their Greek with Hebrew idioms. Thus, Luke was versatile enough to write in a sophisticated style that would appeal to educated Jews like Philo and yet could speak to ordinary people who spoke a less polished Greek, a language that was not their native tongue. He was a physician who could be quite precise but knew not to address his patients in “medical speak.”

We learn from Colossians 4:14 that Luke was a physician. But did that fact have any bearing on the way that he wrote his Gospel?

Like modern doctors, physicians back then were not just medical experts but tended to be well read on a variety of subjects. Their curiosity and attentiveness to detail easily transferred to other studies. It is probably no accident that one of the greatest philosophers of antiquity, Aristotle, was the son of a physician.

We see that attentiveness and intellectual curiosity in Luke’s writings. His prologue (Luke 1:1-4) has a dense structure and a content similar to prologues of Greek historians. He states that he wants to investigate for himself what others have narrated, and he wants to put everything in an orderly account.

His Greek at times has a literary bent to it. For example, he often follows some subtle grammatical rules about the proper

Luke also adopts a no-nonsense approach to writing, which may reflect his medical training. Mark is full of details, and his account of each incident tends to be much longer than Matthew’s or Luke’s. But Luke is a master at portraying a vivid scene with relatively few words. He has been compared to a painter who can create a rich picture with a few powerful brush strokes. Like a good physician, he never succumbs to emotionalism. He engages in no bitter polemics or flights of rhetorical fancy.

So, did Luke’s occupation as physician influence how he wrote his gospel and Acts? It most certainly did. It is not that he was consciously thinking of medicine as he wrote, but his entire training and life experience would have prepared him for the task. And, thus, his writings are indeed a fine balm for our souls.

Rev. Dr. James Kellerman is Associate Professor of Theology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario).

Lutherans in Turkey and Bulgaria join the ILC

TURKEY – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has welcomed the Istanbul Lutheran Church (İstanbul Luteryen Kilisesi – ILK)/Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria (Евангелиска Лутеранска Църква в България – ELCB) as an observer member in the ILC.

“It is a joy to welcome the Istanbul Lutheran Church/Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria into the International Lutheran Council,” said ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz. “We thank God for this new partnership, and we pray that God will

bless our work together on behalf of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The ILK/ELCB has applied also for full membership in the International Lutheran Council, but decisions on full membership can take place only at a World Conference. The ILC’s next World Conference will take place in 2025.

“We are very glad that the ILC has granted us observer status, and we are grateful that God provides His people with opportunities for fellowship, cooperation, and solidarity,” said Rev. Bahadir Argönül of the

ILC welcomes Corpus Christi

EUROPE – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has accepted Corpus Christi into membership as a Recognized Organization.

Corpus Christi is a Lutheran young adults association first established in

Sweden but which has grown to serve young adults from Lutheran churches all across Europe. The organization began in 2008, founded by a group of Lutheran Swedes who had attended an American Higher Things conference and were inspired by its focus on liturgical worship, confessional teaching, and fun. Corpus Christi held its

Istanbul Lutheran Church. In fact, this connection with other faithful Lutherans was the impetus behind the church’s decision to apply in the first place. “We want to join the ILC in order to get to know other churches with whom we share a common confessional Lutheran faith,” explained Leading Pastor Feymi Madjirov of Peshtera, Bulgaria, “and to work together with them for the proclamation of the Gospel and the Lutheran doctrine.”

The ILK/ELCB is one church body serving Turkish-speaking Lutherans in two nations: Turkey and Bulgaria. Lutheranism was first established in Turkey in 1709, when Sweden sent a Lutheran pastor to serve in Constantinople. A chapel built on the grounds of the Swedish Embassy followed in 1748. That Lutheran ministry came to a hiatus near the end of the 19th century, but late in the 20th century, Finnish Lutherans living in Turkey came together to form a new congregation out of the original chapel.

The Istanbul Lutheran Church was formally established in 2003, with its Bulgarian branch—the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria— following in 2005. Today the church has about 200 members, with two congregations in Turkey (Istanbul and Ismir) and two congregations in Bulgaria (Peshtera and Krushevo).

ILC News

first conference in 2009 in Sweden, with young adults from Finland and Norway also attending.

As Corpus Christi grew, so did international involvement from the rest of Europe. Today the annual conference attracts approximately 250 participants from 20 countries each year.

ILC News

The ILK congregation in Istanbul, Turkey.

Brazil’s Lutherans reach out amidst catastrophic flooding

BRAZIL – Lutherans in Brazil are reaching out with the love of Christ as they struggle in the aftermath of devastating floods—the worst the country has experienced in 80 years.

From April through May, the state of Rio Grande do Sul has experienced massive flooding. More than 160 people are confirmed dead, others are still missing, and hundreds more are injured. Nearly 600,000 people have been displaced, with close to 70,000 people living in emergency shelters.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB) is experiencing the devastation firsthand; more than half of its members live in the affected state. “In Rio Grande do Sul, heavy rains are causing destruction like never before,” explains IELB President Geraldo Schüler. “There are hundreds of municipalities partially or completely destroyed. Many people have died because of the floods and landslides, thousands of homes have been destroyed, and many people are missing.”

The IELB reports that 14 of their churches are known to have suffered damage in the flooding, and a number of Lutheran schools have

also been affected. Seven pastors have completely lost their homes and everything inside them. Other pastors managed to save a few belongings and escape by car, while others lost even their cars. The full impact on church members remains impossible to assess at this point, but many have lost their homes and been displaced.

The church’s publishing house, Editora Concórdia , was also submerged. “We still don’t have a real understanding of how things are there,” the IELB reports, “and we confess, we are afraid of what we will find.”

Even as Rio Grande do Sul is facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation, Brazil’s Lutherans are reaching out with critical care and support. The Lutheran University of Brazil in Canoas, for example, is hosting more than 8,000 people who have been displaced—the largest such shelter in the country. In São Leopoldo, meanwhile, the church’s seminary, Seminário Concórdia, is also hosting displaced people, primarily elderly people and those with special needs. Faculty, students, and family are all involved in caring and feeding those

on campus, as well as distributing food to people in other locations.

“We are facing many difficulties because of this huge flooding,” said President Schüler. “But this is also an important opportunity for the church to share God’s great love, and this is being done in a wonderful way through the congregations and institutions linked to the IELB.” IELB congregations have provided assistance in numerous ways, ranging from rescuing people caught in the flooding; providing shelter in unaffected buildings; collecting and distributing necessities like food, water, blankets, clothing, and hygiene goods; raising emergency funds; and of course providing pastoral care to people in the midst of great suffering. As of May 22, the IELB has raised more than R$1,850,000 for relief work, and already distributed R$500,000 for emergency food, life-protecting supplies, and other needs.

ILC News

Left: Congregação Concórdia, a 120 year old church in São Leopoldo, under water. Photo: IELB. Right: Devastating flooding in Brazil. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Finnish Supreme Court will hear appeal against Bishop and MP

FINLAND – The Supreme Court of Finland has announced it will allow prosecutors to appeal the exoneration of Finnish Member of Parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen, and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. A date for the trial has not yet been set.

Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were first charged with hate speech in 2021 for their articulation of historic Christian teaching on human sexuality. They stood trial at the Helsinki District Court in 2022 but were unanimously acquitted by a panel of three judges, declaring: “It is not the role of the district court to interpret biblical concepts.” That decision was appealed to the Helsinki Court of Appeals, where the two were again unanimously acquitted on all charges in 2023.

“I’m not surprised but I am disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to grant leave to appeal,” Bishop Pohjola said in response to the latest developments. “I am confident that the Supreme Court will also deliver an acquittal which, as a precedent, may in the future help to ensure that no one else in a state under the rule of law has to endure such an incomprehensible and

tiresome process—a situation which we have been facing now for nearly five years.”

The charges against Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola focus on a 2004 booklet by Dr. Räsänen, as well as comments made by her during a radio interview and in a tweet (which included a picture of a Bible verse). Bishop Pohjola was charged for his role as the publisher of the 2004 booklet. Following the ruling of the Helsinki Court of Appeals, the prosecution has appealed only two of the three acquittals to the Supreme Court: those related to the booklet and the tweet.

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow another appeal, Dr. Räsänen said that she is “ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court and, if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.” She continued: “I have considered it a privilege and an honour to defend freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic state.”

In the face of state-sanctioned persecution, Bishop Pohjola continues to encourage Christians to speak openly about their faith. “Although

I’m accused of hate speech incitement against a group of people, we continue boldly to teach the intrinsic value of every human being and also God’s will and design for human sexuality and family,” he said. “This is not the time to step back and be silent but in love and truth to confess the good created order and God’s institution of marriage between a man and a woman, and to share from the empty tomb Christ’s wonderful gift of forgiveness of sins for all people.”

The ongoing prosecution of Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola has drawn global expressions of dismay and concern over the state of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in Finland. “The news of the Finnish Supreme Court to hear the case against Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen is disturbing to all who have followed the situation closely for some time now,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “The trial process seems endless and tiring. Our thoughts and prayers are with both Dr. Rasanen and Bishop Pohjola in hope of a ruling that finally exonerates them of all prosecution.”

The ILC has drawn repeated attention to the situation in Finland, encouraging prayer, organizing a speaking tour, and issuing a public letter signed by the heads of 45 Lutheran church bodies worldwide. In another show of support, church leaders gathered in Kenya for the ILC’s 2022 World Conference elected Bishop Pohjola to serve as Chairman of the ILC. As he and Dr. Räsänen face the prospect of another trial, Bishop Pohjola is expressing gratitude for all those who have supported and prayed for them: “I am thankful for all the support, encouragement, and intercession among ILC churches and beyond.”

ILC News

Dr. Päivi Räsänen (left) and Bishop Juhana Pohjola (right).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Lutherans and Catholics hold international discussions

ITALY – From March 1-2, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) hosted the inaugural meeting of the Concordia Lutheran–Catholic Augustana Working Group, which met in Rome.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the DPCU, welcomed the members of the working group and encouraged them to explore the pre-confessional/ ecumenical potential of the Augsburg Confession in more detail in view of the 500th anniversary of the Confessio Augustana in 2030.

The Augustana Working Group includes representatives of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and the Catholic Church. Following the conclusion of the theological conversations between the ILC and the Catholic Church (2014–2019), both sides suggested the establishment of a working group as a distinct ecumenicaltheological format.

The working group is not an official dialogue commission. The aim is not

to produce a document of churchly consensus. However, the publication of the results of the joint research is intended to enrich the ecumenical discussion in an indirect way.

The working group is headed by two episcopal chairmen: on the Lutheran side by Bishop Dr. Juhana Pohjola, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland / Chairman of the ILC; and on the Catholic side by Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Peter Birkhofer, Freiburg im Breisgau.

The working topic is: “Catholicity and Apostolicity in the Augsburg Confession, Examined in the Areas of Soteriology (Justification) and Ecclesiology (Ministry, Episcopate, and Ordination): a joint Lutheran–Catholic review of Augsburg Confession in a pre-confessional and ecumenical perspective.”

A total period of four years is planned for working on the topic. The next meeting will take place in Wittenberg from December 9-10.

Participants from the International Lutheran Council (ILC) include: Bishop Dr. Juhana Pohjola, Helsinki, Finland (Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, ILC Chairman); Prof. Dr. Joel Elowsky, St. Louis, Mo., USA; Prof. em. Dr. Werner Klän, D.Litt., Lübeck, Germany; Asst. Prof. Dr. Jonathan Mumme, Hillsdale, Mich., USA; and Prof. Dr. Thomas Winger, St. Catharines, Ont., Canada. (Prof. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, Fort Wayne, Ind., USA (ILC General Secretary) is parttime participant, but not a member.)

Catholic participants include: Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Peter Birkhofer, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; Prof. Dr. Markus Lersch, Siegen, Germany; Dr. Tim Lindfeld, Aachen, Germany; Asst. Prof. Dr. James Prothro, Greenwood Village, Color., USA; and Father Dr. Augustinus Sander OSB, Vatican (Permanent Representative of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity). ILC News

The Augustana Working Group holds its inaugural meeting in Rome on March 1, 2024.

LWMLC reaches three-year mission grant goal

CANADA – Every three years, the women of Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada (LWMLC) set a goal and select recipients for their mission giving over the following three years. At the end of the most recent triennium, all mission grant goals selected in 2021 were completed—a total of $248,000 to thirty-six recipients. The LWMLC gives praise and thanks to God who has richly blessed the league with opportunities and funds to do this work.

Mission grant recipients from the current triennium included several across Canada as well as grants supporting Lutheran Church–Canada’s international missions in Ukraine and Central America. For full details regarding these recipients, see LWMLC’s website at https://lutheranwomen. ca/supporting/.

In the thirty-one years since LWMLC became autonomous from LWML in the United States, such grants have been made and administered by both the national and district levels of the organization. Following changes to LWMLC’s

administrative structure made at its 2021 national convention, this triennium has been a little different. Grant proposals selected at district conventions in 2022 as well as grant proposals selected at the national convention in 2021, were combined and administered by the Christian Mission Committee of the national board of directors. The committee is made up of a vice-president elected at convention and one member appointed from each district.

Mission grant proposals for LWMLC’s 2024 national convention

have come from LWMLC groups across Canada and from Lutheran Church–Canada. Each proposal must meet established criteria: extend the ministry of the Word and God’s kingdom, communicate the Word of the Gospel, providing opportunities for nonbelievers to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, and be in harmony with the mission plans and objectives of Lutheran Church–Canada. For information about these proposals, check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ubBFkVh4-tc.

Groups receiving support from LWMLC’s Mission Grants 2022-2024

CANADA MINISTRY

- Recent Immigrants, Sudbury & Timmins, Ont., Outreach & Support

- Oromo Ministry & Outreach, Ont.

- South Sudanese Lutheran Mission, Ont.

- St. Andrews, Atlantic Canada Ministry Support

- Street Reach, Regina, Sask.

- Christian radio to South Asians in GTA & world via internet

- BC Mission Boat Society

- Bethel Lutheran Sports Ministry, Alta.

- Windsor Essex County (WELCO) outreach, downtown Windsor, Ont.

CENTRAL AMERICA

- Spanish hymnals for congregations in Nicaragua & Costa Rica

- Land purchase for church, Costa Rica

- Diaconal support, Nicaragua

SCHOOLS

- Concordia Lutheran School, B.C.

- Beautiful Saviour Lutheran School, staff development

- Beautiful Saviour Lutheran School, education materials

- Seminary, Edmonton

- French Sunday School Materials

- First Lutheran Christian Academy, Windsor, Ont., Bibles & hymnals

YOUTH

- Youth Worker, B.C.

- National Youth Gathering

- Aurora Lutheran Camp

- Camp Lutherland

- Jackfish Lake Lutheran Camp

UKRAINE

- New mission, Lviv, Ukraine

MISSION OPPORTUNITY GRANT

- Bus Ministry Missisauga

- IT Equipment Osoyoos

- Hope Lutheran School Port Coquitlam, BC mission trip

-French Liturgy Workshop

- Moncton, NB Youth to Young Adult Event in Toronto

-LCC Central Regionl Pastors’ Wives Retreat

Lutheran Hospital Ministries Southern Alberta Society

- Youth Director Richmond & Killarney, Vancouver, BC

- IT Equipment Moncton, NB

- Halifax (Laurentian District) Oaks of Righteousness Seminar

- Video Camera Trinity Lutheran Abbotsford, BC

- Alberta Youth Retreat

- LCC Missions

Walter Heinemann, former LCC board chair, enters into

REGINA – Walter Gustav Heinemann, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC), was called to be with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, on April 18, 2024 with his loving family by his side. He was 92 years old.

Born on June 23, 1931, Heinemann would go on to hold major leadership positions in the Canadian church. In 1983, Heinemann was elected to the Board of Directors of the Manitoba and Saskatchewan District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. In 1985, he became Vice-Chairman of the district’s board, a position he would hold until 1988 when he was elected to the Board of Directors of Lutheran Church–Canada, during the church’s founding convention as an autonomous church body.

After the previous chairman left the board at the end of 1988 to lead a new stewardship program, Heinemann was named the new chairman of the board. He was reelected to the board in 1993, and continued to serve as chairman until completing his service in 1996.

During Heinemann’s tenure, which took place alongside LCC’s first President Edwin Lehman, the Canadian church took its formative steps as an autonomous church body. When LCC’s synodical office building in Winnipeg was dedicated in 1995, Chairman Heinemann was present to unveil a new plaque which reads in part: “Dedicated to the service of Jesus Christ and His Church.” The plaque still stands in the building today, a testament to the mission and witness of Lutheran Church–Canada then and now.

After completing his service on the synodical level, Heinemann returned to service at the district level. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Central District three times (in 1997, 2000, and 2003), and would serve there also as chairman of the board.

Heinemann continued to serve the Canadian church in the years following,

including on the synodical Committee for Nominations for the 2008, 2011, and 2014 conventions. He further served on the Board of Directors for the Central District Church Extension Fund from 2004 until its dissolution in 2022.

“Serving the Lord’s church at a national level is a great privilege,” Heinemann noted in a 2010 article in The Canadian Lutheran. “You have the opportunity to see the big picture, provide input on important decisions, and see how the Lord is working through our church.”

For Heinemann’s own service to Christ and His Church, Lutheran Church–Canada expresses its gratitude.

Heinemann is grieved by three sons—Lyndon (Tammey), Kevin (Sherry-Lin) and Trevor (passed May 2024) (Dawn)—and one daughter Karen (Jim) Wiome, as well as by grandchildren, great grandchildren, and his youngest brother Lloyd. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Florence Elma Violet Heinemann ( née Ramsay); parents Frederick and Katherina Heinemann; sisters Lydia Maier and Alvina Morgan; and brothers

Lawrence Heinemann and Rev. Herbert Heinemann.

A service in memory of Heinemann was scheduled to be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Regina on June 8, 2024, with a private family internment to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family has invited donations be made to Regina Wascana Grace Hospice or another charity of your choice

LCC AGM

ONLINE

- Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) was scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting online on June 13, 2024.

A report on the AGM will be published on www. CanadianLutheran.ca after the meeting.

Speakers for 2025 National Youth Gathering announced

CANADA – Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) 2025 National Youth Gathering (NYG) committee is excited to announce the co-main speakers for the gathering will be Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee and Jennifer Kerr (MAMFT, CAMFT-A), who have both been involved in previous NYGs in different roles. The returning guest speaker will be DCE Cassie Moore (Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod –LCMS), who will focus on equipping and supporting youth leaders.

Dr. Robert Bugbee serves as a pastor at First Lutheran Church and Christian Academy in Windsor, Ontario, where he has been since 2018. From 20082018, he served as LCC President. At the 2013 NYG in Winnipeg, he served the gathering as Bible study leader.

Dr. Bugbee was born in Ohio, then studied at Wartburg College in Iowa and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, with semesters in Germany. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana) in 2010. He is married to Gail, and they have four children and ten grandchildren.

Jennifer Kerr is a mental and relational health counsellor from Regina. She has a husband named Rocky, a cat named Kirby, and a guitar named Bennett. Throughout her time working with kids, youth, and young adults in numerous organizations, Kerr knew she wanted to grow in her abilities to serve young people and families. That led her to complete her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and become a professional counsellor. She has been part of many LCC youth gatherings as a musician, and spoke on mental health from a faith perspective at the 2023 IMPACT Youth Gathering.

Cassie Moore is an author, international speaker, and leadership

consultant with 15 years’ experience as a Director of Christian Education in LCMS churches, schools, and youth gatherings. Growing up in Illinois and Minnesota, she earned her Master’s degree in organizational leadership from the Townsend Institute at Concordia University in California, and has served as an educator since 2008. She’s taught and spoken to thousands of students of all ages in the course of her career. In her free time, Cassie loves chatting over coffee with friends, hiking and kayaking with her dogs, and travel with her husband, Tyler.

The 2025 LCC NYG will take place July 4-8, 2024 at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Registration information will be made available later in 2024. The theme, UNBREAKABLE, is based on Ephesians 6:11. For more information, follow the NYG on Facebook or Instagram, or subscribe to the InfoDigest enewsletter.

2025 NYG committee (Speaker photos on back cover)

Four CCCA awards for The Canadian Lutheran

CANADA – The Canadian Lutheran is the recipient of four awards from the Canadian Christian Communicators Association (CCCA).

The Canadian Lutheran received first place in the Feature Series category for its November/December 2024 issue. This category acknowledges feature articles that are connected by a common theme. Recognized for their work in this issue are editor Mathew Block’s column “Comfort and Joy?”; Rev. Oleksiy Navrotskyy’s article “Christmas Peace in a Land of War: Reflections from Ukraine”; Bishop Juhana Pohjola’s article “Who Are You Bowing To?”; and Michelle Heumann and Scott Gamble’s joint article “Advent Blues.”

Rev. Navrotskyy, whose article was also part of the Feature Series award mentioned above, also saw his article receive third place in the category of Biblical/Theological Reflection.

The Canadian Lutheran also received a third place finish in the First Person Account category for Rev. Daniel W. Barr’s feature “Sharing Jesus on the Streets of Canada’s Murder Capital.”

The CCCA also acknowledged Rev. Ted Giese with a Media Review award. A regular winner in this category, Rev. Giese received third place this year for his review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The Canadian Lutheran’s editor, Mathew Block, acknowledged the awards with gratitude. “Lutheran Church–Canada works hard to produce a quality magazine that both informs and edifies our readers,” he said. “I am grateful for all of those who contribute to The Canadian Lutheran with their writing, copyediting, art, photography, and design. And I’m delighted to see that excellence recognized by the broader Canadian Christian community with this year’s awards.”

A longer story appears online at CanadianLutheran.ca.

WEST REGION NEWS

West RMMC holds meetings

EDMONTON – Members of Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) West Region Mission and Ministry Council (RMMC) met for their annual in-person meeting at Grace Lutheran in Edmonton from April 11-12.

Rev. Dr. Joel Heck from Concordia Lutheran Seminary presented on “The Art of Asking Questions,” as well as leading a Bible study on hospitality— both topics very valuable to a mission and ministry council.

Rev. Mark Smith, LCC’s Director of Missions, presented on “Calling and Gathering People into the Body of Christ.” His presentation brought the RMMC up to date on LCC’s current international missions and future goals. His presentation also addressed LCC’s domestic missions in Canada.

David Friesen, LCC’s Director of Advancement, gave presentations on the business side of the synod: challenges, goals, and the role of the RMMCs in the synod.

The members of the RMMC form smaller working groups (Works of Mercy, Missions, and Outreach; Youth, Young Adult, and Family Ministry; Finance and Stewardship; Communications and Convocations; and Equipping Leadership), and all had an opportunity to gather at a table to work on ideas and projects together. Meeting together in person only once per year, this time is valuable and productive, instilling new energy and excitement to the work.

Grace Lutheran, which served as host for the meeting, treated the committee with great care, serving delicious meals

with gracious fellowship. Rev. Neil Stern (pastor for English-speaking members), Rev. James Kay (pastor for Nuer-speaking members), and congregational chair David Dyck gave a presentation explaining the transition to a “fluid” service in both English and Nuer, including its challenges, goals, blessings, as well as what they have learned. At Grace there are two cultures worshipping together as one family, brothers and sisters in Christ. It is an example to be recommended and for which thanks should be given to God.

The RMMCs are working and praying for the congregations in all regions of LCC, and if you would like to learn more about their work, ask your circuit representative (details can be found on LCC’s website).

Sonja Bland

What is Regional News?

Regional News can include a congregation’s significant anniversary or other landmark occasion, a mission or outreach event, a retreat or special event hosted by an LCC organization or by the circuit, or other church involvement in the community. Regional News can ALSO be something unique that your congregation is doing for its members, like hosting a hiking club, mentoring younger members into leadership positions, or preserving a heritage church building. Sharing our news is one way our geographically widespread Synod can stay connected, and if you're not sure if a story qualifies as news, please ask! www.canadianlutheran.ca/editors-and-submissions

WEST REGION NEWS

It is springtime out west, and signs of new life are beginning to appear. This is despite very trying times: drought conditions on the prairies and a hard, untimely frost have done their best to prevent new life from appearing.

And it’s not just the weather that has sought to prevent life from appearing; we live in a world of death-lust. As of this writing, almost 34,000 abortions have taken place in Canada. We live in a part of the world which has one of the highest death rates by Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in the world. Our neighbours in Nunavut have one of the world’s highest suicide rates (82 deaths per 100,000). We live in a time of world history where the term genocide is used more often than at any other time in history.

Many of you know the ancient story from the first book of the Bible, how from the very first temptation that human beings faced, our desire has always been to choose the pathway that leads to death. It is the pathway that seeks to strip human beings not only of life, but also of their worth. That old evil foe would have you and me believe that life is worthless. We are tempted to repeat those words to one another. In our fear, anger, hatred, and anxiety, we have treated others as though they are dead to us.

God has a better word to speak to us in our day: “The life I give is sacred. The life I give has infinite and eternal worth. Each and every life matters to Me.”

YOUR LIFE IS SACRED

from the regional pastor | rev. robert mohns

The revelation of sacred Scripture tells us that our good and gracious God created the world and every living thing through His Word. It reminds us that He formed human beings from the elements of the earth, breathed into them His own life-giving Spirit. It reminds us that life is a gift given by our good and loving God. So, we can say that life is a sacred thing. All of it, from beginning to life’s natural end, and even into eternal life.

Hear again what sacred Scripture says, that God “formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

Concerning life’s end, St. John records that he “heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” (Revelation 14:13). And again, Jesus’ declares in John 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

All life is sacred. Your life is sacred. Every life has infinite worth and eternal value. Your life matters— from conception to natural death to eternity. The psalmist declares: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14).

God sent His Son, Jesus, as the antidote to our death-lust. Jesus’ incarnation, perfect life, obedience, suffering, death, and His resurrection have redeemed us from the empty way

of life. On the cross, Jesus, true man and very God, was put to death! His last words were: “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit” (Luke 23:46). His body was placed into a tomb.

Three days later, He rose from the dead. He died and was raised to life in order to bring an end to sin and death, and to silence the voice of the devil who seeks to rob you and all human beings of their worth.

In your baptism, God has brought you from death to life. He has given your life His infinite worth and He has sealed it with the blood of His Son. Jesus is the antidote to death-lust— not only yours but the world’s. Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Friend, you have a good word to speak to your neighbour. You have God’s Word of life to share— with your spouse, your children or grandchildren, your co-worker or friend. You can tell them that their life is sacred, a gift of God, and that their life matters to you.

As you walk the path of life with your neighbour, learn and celebrate the depth and breadth of the infinite worth of their life—whether they are preborn, homeless, destitute, dying, friend, or foe. Learn, through the trials set before you and the sacrifices you make to improve the life of your neighbour, the awesome worth of life. Life is sacred. Every life matters.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

WEST REGION NEWS

West Region slo-pitch tournament

WEST REGION – Ball teams from Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan have been joining together in August for the past 36 years for fun, fellowship, and to play slo-pitch.

In August 2023, the trophy was taken home by First Lutheran (Kelowna, B.C.). The teams and fans enjoyed sun and blue skies during the church service at the ball field led by led by Rev. Eric Moffett (Foothills in Calgary, Alberta), with music by

Gary Brucker (Kelowna) and Joel Haberstock (St. John’s in Vernon, B.C.). Participants express thanks to the congregation at Trinity Lutheran in Golden, B.C., for hosting the concession and the delicious supper at the ball field.

During the Friday night competitions, Warren Stein (Bethel in Sherwood Park, Alberta) was the continuing champion for fastest around the bases in the over 40 category, while his daughter Jennifer

Campbell River holds youth retreat

CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – On April 19-21, 2024, Bethany Lutheran hosted a youth retreat, which started Friday evening with a Bible study that incorporated a speedy game of who can find the book and chapter the fastest! Advancing in the game developed knowledge of how Scripture can help Christians navigate through pop culture.

The theme of the retreat was: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Saturday found the group adventuring south to Parkville to

the North Island Recovery Centre, learning about wildlife rehabilitation on Vancouver Island through interacting with bears, birds of prey, and wetland creatures like turtles and frogs! After that, a picnic was enjoyed before adventuring to the Riptide Lagoon mini golf and bumper cars. The rain held off until the drive back to Campbell River where participants enjoyed pizza and a swim at the pool. A late night playing Gargoyles was followed the next morning by the group being brighteyed and ready to serve at church! It was a small but mighty group!

Sonja Bland

Theroux took home the ribbon for speed for the woman under 40. Competitions on Friday include the fastest around the bases, most accurate throw, and longest hit.

Teams and individuals are invited to join this year’s ABC District Tournament from August 9-11, 2024, in Revelstoke, B.C., hosted by volunteers from a number of different churches in the West Region. For more information or registration, contact Tracy Simons at tsimons@shaw.ca.

Worship on the ball field led by Rev. Eric Moffett (centre) with musicians Joel Haberstock (left) and Gary Brucker (right).

2023's winning slo-pitch team from First Lutheran in Kelowna, B.C.

Off to Riptide Lagoon for mini golf.

WEST REGION NEWS

Riverbend returns to building, installs Rev. Pastucha

EDMONTON – After almost nine months of exile from their building due to a break-in and arson, the folks at Riverbend Lutheran Church had plenty to be thankful for and celebrate.

On March 17, a week after returning to the sanctuary, the church gathered for the installation of Rev. Jan Pastucha to a half-time position. Rev. Pastucha joins Rev. Sye Van Maanan to proclaim God’s Word to a growing community in southwest Edmonton, and Riverbend and King of Kings (St. Albert) share this called position.

Members of both congregations filled the newly restored sanctuary with song and praise. Lutheran Church–Canada’s West Regional Pastor Robert Mohns conducted the installation with participation from Rev. Sye Van Maanan, Rev. Dr. Alexandre Viera, Rev. Garry Dombrosky, and seminarian Jade Watson. Cake, coffee and fellowship followed.

Rev. Pastucha served Riverbend Lutheran for six months in 20222023, while Rev. Van Maanan was deployed with the Canadian Armed Forces as a chaplain in Latvia. The church praises God that, during this period as well as upon his return, the congregation has grown!

Barbara Darrah

Rev. Jan Pastucha and Rev. Sye Van Maanan.

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Making summer plans? Plan to attend a Lutheran camp!

CENTRAL REGION – As summer nears, Lutheran Bible camps in Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) Central Region are inviting you to join them!

Camp Lutherland (Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan) is offering “All Ages Camp” (age 7-14) from July 7-11, under the theme “Water.” The cost to attend is $250 per week. A “Come and Go” week of camp (also ages 7-14) will be held from July 14-18, and provides greater flexibility for attendees who wish to attend just one or two days or for the whole week). The theme for the come and go camp is “Small but Mighty,” and the cost to attend is $40 per day or $250 for the week. Financial assistance may be available for those who can’t afford the total cost.

Camp Lutherland will hold a Family Camp from July 12-14. The cost attend is $100 per adult and $50 per child, up to a maximum of $300 per family. The theme is “Biblical Families.” Then, from August 5-8, Camp Lutherland will host a Seniors’ Camp (ages 55+).

For more information on attending Seniors’ Camp, contact farm.boy@ sasktel.net.

For additional information— including registration forms, daily schedules, FAQs, and information on applying to be a youth consellor, you can visit www.camplutherland.com (or email clutherland@gmail.com). As of this writing, Camp Lutherland is seeking a Pastor of the Week for Week 2 of camp.

Jackfish Lutheran Camp (Roblin, Manitoba) is holding three weeks of camp this year. Junior week (ages 8-10) will be held July 7-12. Intermediate Week (ages 11-13) will be held July 14-19. And Mixed Week (ages 9-13) will be held July 21-26.

Registration is $150 per week, but those who complete their registration (with payment) by June 15 or who attend two weeks of camp will receive a $10 discount. Additional information, including registration forms, are available at www.jackfishbiblecamp.com.

Aurora Lutheran Bible Camp (Thunder Bay, Ontario) is holding three opportunities to camp this summer. “Little Lambs Weekend Camp” (for parent and children ages 4-8) will take place July 12-14. The week after that will see Children’s Camp held for ages 7-12 from July 14-19. Youth Camp (ages 11-16) will take place July 21-26.

Registration for Little Lambs Camp is $100 (for one adult and one child), with each additional child from the same family being charged $50. For Children’s Camp and Youth Camp, the registration cost is $285 (with each additional child from the same family costing $235). Those who fully pay their registration fees for Children’s Camp or Youth Camp by June 1 can save $25. If you bring a friend—not including a family member—who has never been to Camp Aurora before, you can receive a $50 discount.

For additional information, including registration forms, visit www. auroralutheranbiblecamp.com.

Lifelong Lutheran celebrates 100th birthday

WINNIPEG – Pauline Hammersly attended worship at Saint James Lutheran Church on April 28— her 100 th birthday! Pauline is a lifelong Lutheran. She was baptised, confirmed, and married at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Regina. The importance of faith and attending worship was instilled in her by her parents.

At 100 years of age, attending worship whenever she can is important

to her. She and her husband Art were charter members at Saint James Lutheran, and Pauline was an active member of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League – Canada and sewing group at Saint James until failing eyesight made it difficult for her to participate. Pauline’s dedication to her faith and her commitment to attending worship even at 100 years old are truly inspiring.

Iris Barta

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Who are you? It is an unavoidable question these days. Identity politics and tribalism are two ways in which the world seeks to answer this question. The world will put you in your place and label you. Victim. Oppressor. Winner. Loser. But what does your Lord and Maker say about you?

In recent columns, I’ve talked about the true marks of the Church according to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. But I’ve also been talking about some “alternate marks of the Church” which we find in much of North American Christianity. These alternate marks include enthusiasm, mysticism, revivalism ( in my next column!), and pietism.

According to Bryan Wolfmueller’s book, Has American Christianity Failed? , pietism “teaches that the Christian life is chiefly marked by growth in good works.” This is a pervasive assumption in much of popular Christianity. We easily become convinced that the Christian life is all about good works—that it is your good works, growth, and obedience which keep you in the Christian faith.

If this is true, what happens when your good works don’t increase? Are you still a Christian? What happens when you feel like you have fallen down. Are you still a Christian? Your works, at best, place you on a pendulum that swings back and forth between thinking, “I’m an awesome Christian— better than this pharisee over here!” and absolute despair, thinking, “I am no Christian at all, because no Christian would do what I just did!”

WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT YOU?

from

the

regional pastor | rev. DAVID HABERSTOCK

So, what does God say about you? Well, He who spoke all things into existence and named the stars blesses you with His name in Holy Baptism, restores you to His name in Holy Absolution, and protects you with His name in the Benediction. He has claimed you as His own through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and He names you as His child—and not due to your increase in good works; not due to any good works at all. This is what He calls you: My beloved child.

Parents delight in their children even when, especially when they are tiny babies, unable to do anything for themselves. They gaze at their chubby fingers with love, even when all they can do is eat, sleep, and soil their diapers. That overflowing love for their baby carries parents through the times when their beloved child runs away, denies their family and name, and breaks their hearts. So, if you who are evil know how to give grace to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:11)? How much more will our Father love us, the Father from whom all Fatherhood is named?

The One who said to His beloved Son: “It’s time to have compassion. Then go, bright jewel of My crown, and win for all salvation!” (LSB 556:5).

Doing what you were made to do—producing good works according to your callings—can feel good! But do not mistake those feelings for the Lord’s good pleasure toward you, nor their absence as His displeasure. His favour towards you is yours apart from your actions. After all, you are His beloved child in Baptism.

Satan is the source of these “alternate marks” of the Church that we have been discussing in my recent columns. He is the one who tempts you onto that pendulum of pride and despair where your inner monologue sound like this: “I’ve managed to please God by doing enough good,” or “I’ve failed to please God because I’ve sinned” (pietism). Or: “God is with me and loves me. I feel it,” or “God has abandoned me. I don’t feel it” (enthusiasm). This deadly pendulum is the swing many of our Christian friends who do not know the objectivity of the Gospel are on.

That is why it is so important to go to a church where you hear that you are forgiven through the objective Word spoken by our Lord’s messengers. That it is all already accomplished. It can’t be undone. You are His Child. He loves and forgives you in Jesus so that you can have fellowship with Him. And in our Lutheran liturgy we hear it again and again in Holy Absolution, the songs of the liturgy, the hymns, the Creed, the distribution of Holy Communion, the prayers, and the final Benediction. It all comes from outside you, objectively, rooted in Christ’s finished work.

You do not need to wonder what God says of you according to your works because you know what He has done for you and what He says of you, for you heard it from Jesus through your pastor just last week in the Absolution. In Baptism, He called you by name and claimed you as His own. Just the other day He placed His body and blood on your lips anew. You belong to Him. That’s what God says about you.

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Regional young adult retreat

REGINA – Mount Olive Lutheran Church, assisted by Rev. Nigel Prozenko (Prince of Peace, Regina), hosted a Central Region young adults retreat over the final weekend in February, drawing participants from across the province, with some even travelling from Manitoba. Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) Central Regional Pastor David Haberstock presented on Luther’s Small Catechism and the “anti-catechism” of the world that becomes the default spiritual education of people who fail to seek the Lord where He may be found in Word and Sacrament.

This was an encouraging opportunity for young people to get to know each other in person, worship, pray, sing, and study together. The weekend ended Sunday morning with Divine Service and a sermon

from Rev. Ted Giese on the virtues of patience and perseverance in matters of faith, remembering the promises of God when life doesn’t unfold as desired or expected (Genesis 17:1-7, 15; Mark 8:27-38). Discussions are already underway for similar events in the future.

Women delve into God’s Word

Rev. Ted Giese

SASKATOON, Sask. – Thirty-six women from the Saskatoon Circuit Lutheran churches—the Nor’Western Zone of Lutheran Women Missionary League – Canada’s Central District— gathered at Aspira Hunter Village, a retirement residence for seniors and the home of two zone members. A rental fee for the room at The Village was waived with the purchase of lunch and a coffee station. That made planning easy and was well received.

The LWMLC seminar, “Oaks of Righteousness,” was the chosen theme. Co-author Miranda Heidecker from Middle Lake, Saskatchewan, led the presentation. Although small group discussions were difficult with the long table set up, the room was humming with shared experiences and laughter while contemplating the questions. Attendees came away with an appreciation for the biblical women who were studied as “Oaks

of Righteousness” in God’s plan of salvation, and thankfulness for also being part of His plan.

An ingathering for the Saskatoon Pregnancy Options and Support Centre netted $285, plus a donation of four beautiful, hand-knitted baby sweater sets.

Renate Bishopp

Reunion of former Redeemer Regina members

REGINA – April 1, 2024, was a fun, rather impromptu, gathering of the “young people” of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Regina.

Redeemer merged with Good Shepherd Lutheran in Regina around 2008, and at that time former members joined either Good Shepherd or Mount Olive in Regina.

The group that gathered were part of the youth group between 1965-1985. Don and Eileen Hutton, who served as youth counsellors from 1969-1973, maintained their connection with the youth well beyond that, and were remembered fondly by those present at the gathering, as was Rev. Ron Raedeke.

The day started off with time to reconnect, enjoy a pizza lunch, and then visit. Many stories were shared from times at Camp Lutherland, Sunday evening Bible Study, a bikea-thon to support the church, and many more events. The group agreed to reconnect again soon—without waiting another 45 years this time!

Linda Long

EAST REGION NEWS

Bethel in Kitchener celebrates 75 years of grace

KITCHENER, Ont. – On February 6, 1949, eleven men met and signed the charter establishing the congregation of Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kitchener. On February 4, 2024, 210 attendees gathered for the Divine Service to celebrate its 75 th anniversary, followed by a catered lunch and an extensive program of music, skits, and historical presentations in the auditorium.

The guest preacher was Rev. Dr. Harald Tomesch, Professor of Theology at Concordia University Wisconsin. Dr. Tomesch is a son of the congregation and his wife, Renate, is a daughter of one of the founding charter members, Friedrich Machel. The sermon theme was “Seeds & Talents.” The lector was former pastor Rev. Richard Orlowski, assisted by Rev. Alan Scharlach.

The congregation’s anniversary verse, “For the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and

his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5), well expresses how the members of Bethel feel as they now observe its 75th year.

Rev. C.T. Wetzstein commenced serving Bethel in 1949 to provide services to an ever-increasing influx of post-World War II German-speaking immigrants coming from fourteen different areas of Europe. Outgrowing several previous locations, a property and parsonage at the current location on Sheldon Avenue North were purchased and a new church building with seating for 550, 22 classrooms, and a large basement auditorium was dedicated in 1963.

With time, it became obvious that English services needed to be introduced to minister to those members, especially with their children who more comfortable speaking English. This commenced in the late 1980s. German and English services

and Sunday School were offered for many years. Gradually, with the passing of many of the original founding members, the use of English overtook the German language.

With the COVID-19 crisis, it became necessary to combine the use of English and German into one bilingual service which was also broadcast over social media. One English-language Divine Service is now held every Sunday, and an afternoon German service is held once a month.

With the arrival of quadra-lingual Rev. Davi Schmidt from Brazil in January 2023, a monthly service in the Portuguese language, with an extensive social media following, is being offered to new Brazilian immigrants. Bethel’s mission, with its particular origins, continues to provide a spiritual, confessional Lutheran home for new immigrants to the Waterloo Region.

Left to right: Rev. Davi Schmidt, Rev. Alan Scharlach, Chairman Jim Gardner, Rev. Richard Orlowski, and Rev. Dr. Harald Tomesch. (Photo: Peter Walesch).

Iwrote my column for this issue just after attending Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary’s Vicars Dinner, which was sponsored by the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League – Canada (LWMLC). It brought back memories from years ago when I attended as a student preparing to head out on my vicarage. It was an enjoyable evening. LWMLC President Linda Long gave a wonderful presentation on all that the LWMLC does to support the work of the ministry. It was a good refresher for me as well as for the vicars.

During the event, I encouraged the vicars to think of themselves as a water tower. Water towers are filled over time with life-sustaining water. Then they distribute that water slowly to those in need. They do not dump all they have all at once; if they do it overwhelms.

Vicars are heading out to put into practice what they have been filled with over their training. They will also take more in as they learn under the tutelage of a seasoned pastor. The danger is they might be like a teenager who is taking driver’s education, sitting in the back seat and constantly

LIKE A WATER TOWER

from the regional pastor | rev. marvin bublitz

telling mom or dad what is wrong with their driving. I cautioned the vicars against that way of serving.

When I was a student, Dean Humann told us in preaching class that we are to preach the whole council of God—but, he said, we don’t have to do it in full in every sermon. To do that would be like a water tower dumping all its water at once, overwhelming those intended to be helped. We need to discern not only what people need to hear but when best they ought to hear it.

This counsel does not just apply to pastors. Over my years in ministry, I have met many well-meaning energetic Christians. Unfortunately, some have tried the “hit ‘em over the head with the Bible and drag them to church” approach.

That approach usually ends with the person feeling overwhelmed and running for an exit. As the people of God, we have been filled with the life-giving news of Christ. The Holy Spirit continues to fill us through Word and Sacrament, sustaining our faith and preparing us for everlasting life in our Father’s Kingdom.

We are thus moved by that Spirit to tell everyone what He has done.

We go about our daily lives and vocations sharing that with which we have been filled. But we do so with gentleness and respect. We do so with great patience and careful instruction. The danger is that, if we dump everything all at once on others, we will overwhelm them.

Another danger is forgetting that it is the Lord’s work. If we start to think everything depends on us, then we forget who really brings people to faith: God. Our task is to speak His Word and then let God be God. He determines where, when, and how that Word works. Don’t fall for Satan’s Garden of Eden lies—that you will be like God. It is ultimately all God’s work.

This knowledge is, in fact, very calming. If it depends on me then all is lost. Thankfully it depends on God. It is His work. We are blessed that He has worked saving faith in us. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, He empowers and uses us in His service where and when He chooses. Thanks be to God.

EAST REGION NEWS

Mission trip to Costa Rica

KITCHENER, Ont. – On January 30, 2024, Jack Chuol, Gabrielle George, Roy Sullivan, and Rev. Paul Roggow of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church travelled to Costa Rica to carry out a one-week mission trip.

They were joined by Lisa Jackson, director of Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada. Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) has been supporting the ministry in Costa Rica since 2005, and the goals of the trip were to nurture the relationship between LCC and the Iglesia Comunidad Luterana Confesional de Costa Rica (Confessional Lutheran Church of Costa Rica), to better understand how LCC and its members can support the church, and to lay the groundwork for future mission trips.

In 2009, Rev. Edmundo Retana was ordained and thereafter began serving the people of Cartago, a city of 130,000 people an hour’s drive from the capital, San José. He, and his wife, Deaconess Betty Solorzano Retana, have been guiding the Confessional Lutheran Church of Costa Rica since then, through several location changes throughout the city. He is the only confessional Lutheran pastor in the country, with a small congregation currently meeting in a modest rental space.

During the week the team met with young adults and some families, visited with a grieving family, and joined in the church service and fellowship. The team also examined plans for the construction of a church building and visited the purchased plot of land. This site is at a major intersection near a high school and a university campus. The blueprints include the sanctuary, classroom and office space, a kitchen, and a bedroom to accommodate local missionaries as needed.

Inquiries are being made about possibly purchasing the adjoining vacant property. Construction will hopefully begin this year, and support from LCC members is vital.

Another priority is developing the next generation of church leaders. A small group of young adults meets weekly to discuss philosophy, arts, culture, and their intersection with the Christian faith. Some have expressed a desire to become church workers. They will need a sustainable plan for training deacons, deaconesses, and pastors.

This mission trip was a source of encouragement to all, and it opens opportunities to partner in serving the Lord together in Costa Rica. Please pray for the church in Cartago, especially for the construction of a permanent church home; the Christian growth of the youth; and Rev. Retana, his family, and his ministry.

Gabrielle George

Installation of Rev. Jack P. Hetzel

STRATFORD, Ont. – The rafters of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church rang with joy on April 13 at the installation of Rev. Jack P. Hetzel, formerly of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oshawa. The service began with a song of welcome from the Sunday School children, led by Kathy Parkins and Jessica Robins. Crucifer Mark Rohfrietsch led the procession of pastors down the aisle to the hymn, “The Lord our God has Called His Man,” written by Lutheran Church–Canada’s East Regional Pastor Marvin Bublitz.

The choir of St. Peter’s sang three anthems: “On Christ I Stand” by B. Harlan, “Here I Am Lord” by J. Schrader, and “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by David Lantz. One of Rev. Hetzel’s favourites, “Thou Who the Night in Prayer Didst Spend” (TLH 493) was sung as the Hymn of the Day.

Sixteen pastors from the area participated in the service: the lector was Rev. John Trembulak (Stratford Circuit Counsellor), the liturgist was Rev. John Rapp (Vacancy Pastor at St. Peter’s, from Messiah Lutheran Church in

Waterloo), and the preacher was East Regional Pastor Bublitz. Susan McEwen was the organist and Ben Roesner was the acolyte.

A lunch reception was held in the Parish Hall with nearly 125 people in attendance. Rev. Rapp was given a farewell gift of a photo of the interior of St. Peter’s taken by Rob McEwen and presented by Chairman of the Congregation, Wayne Wharran. Both Rev. Rapp and his wife Charlene and Rev. Hetzel and his wife Lisa received lovely carnations presented by Gloria Hutchison, floral convenor, and guests enjoyed welcome and farewell cakes. St. Peter’s gives thanks to God for the gift of Rev. Hetzel and the service of vacancy pastor, Rev. Rapp. Rob McEwen

Revs. Paul Roggow and Edmundo Retana (Photo: Roy Sullivan).

EAST REGION NEWS

25th ordination anniversary for Rev. Gerson L. Flor

CASTEAU, Belgium – On March 21, 1999, before the altar of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Community in Vila Progresso, Brazil, Rev. Gerson L. Flor was ordained into the Holy Ministry. Twenty-five years have passed and almost half of his life now has been spent as an ordained servant of Christ.

Writing from his posting in Belgium, where he is serving as a military chaplain, Rev. Flor reflects: “The Holy Ministry has taught me to be a humble servant, for that is the mind of Jesus (Matthew 11:29; Philippians 2:5-8). In this office I

learned day by day that we make plans, but God directs our journey often in ways we would never envision. I learn still that any changes that I, the Church, and the world need can only be accomplished by the power and blessing of God which comes to us through the preaching of Christ and His benefits, offered to the world in the means of grace. And I learn that, while I fail often and miserably, God surrounds me with His grace and pardon, and strengthens me through His means of grace and the encouragement of Christian brothers and sisters who journey with me in the same barren land, toward the same eternal goal, united in the same faith, hope, and love.”

Rev. Flor also writes: “The main change the Holy Spirit works in His ministers is a move from ‘I got this, I can do this,’ to ‘Lord, I am undone! Come to my aid!’ It has been a source of great comfort and joy to know that God is pleased to use one of the least of His children to point to Christ, the Lamb of God, and that comforted by God’s mercy we may comfort fellow sinners so together we may be strengthened in the faith and rejoice in the love all loves excelling.”

Rev. Flohr has now served in seven different countries and five different languages, and has wept with those who weep and rejoiced with those who rejoice. He has served young and old, and preached to believers and scoffers. Many were the challenges he met as a pastor, teacher, and military chaplain, and by God’s grace, he looks back and sees many blessings God has put in place to sustain him—especially his wife Guislei, their two daughters, Gabriela and Julia, his family across the ocean, faithful friends, teachers, colleagues, God’s children who held his hands when they were weak, and good neighbours in so many postal codes. “God continually leads His servants to know the riches of His grace, and then share them with those for whom Christ died and rose again. For me, a quarter-century has passed. Where did that time go?” Rev. Flor concludes that he “cannot tell, but I know that my time is in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15), and there it is redeemed, sanctified, blessed. How exactly His power used my imperfect service to spread His perfect gifts, I will only know when He extends to me that final call to serve Him in the kingdom of glory. May He grant this grace to us all.”

Rev. Gerson L. Flor

in Canada

New Director of Domestic Missions installed

WINNIPEG – On May 5, Rev. Jacob Quast was installed as Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) Director of Domestic Missions. He began work at LCC’s synodical office in Winnipeg on May 1.

“As I enter this new position, it is with deep humility for the trust that is being shown me by Synod to undertake such a responsibility,” Rev. Quast said. “I am also filled with great joy at the many opportunities our gracious Lord is placing before us to better reach others with His saving Gospel across Canada. I ask that all members earnestly pray to Jesus to bless this work with His Holy Spirit.”

Rev. Quast’s installation took place during regular Sunday worship at Saint James Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. Rev. Dr. Richard Beinert, pastor of Saint James Lutheran, served as liturgist for the service. Lutheran Church–Canada President Timothy Teuscher preached and presided over the installation. A luncheon followed the service.

“Almighty and most gracious God, we give thanks that You send Your people true and faithful servants,” President Teuscher prayed during the installation. “Grant Jacob—as he now begins his service in this position—the direction, aid, and counsel of Your Holy Spirit, that through his labour Your

church may be nourished, sustained, and equipped for every good work and built up into Him who is the Head, even Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.”

As Director of Domestic Missions, Rev. Quast is called to oversee and coordinate LCC’s missions and mercy work within Canada—work he will pursue in conjunction with LCC’s Regional Mission and Ministry Councils (RMMCs). The Director of Domestic Missions will explore new mission opportunities and strategies

within Canada, and provide guidance and encouragement to LCC members in our collective mission of sharing the Gospel in Canada.

Given the interconnectedness between domestic and international missions today, Rev. Quast will work closely with Rev. Mark L. Smith, LCC’s Director of International Missions. In addition to his primary responsibility for international missions, Rev. Smith served as Interim Director of Domestic Missions from 2019 until Rev. Quast accepted the call.

Getting to know the Director of Domestic Missions

1. Who is LCC’s new Director of Domestic Missions?

My name is Rev. Jacob Quast. I have been serving as a pastor in LCC for more than 20 years. My wife (Jolene) and I have been married for almost 28 years, and we have three adult children: Julia (27), Liam (23), and Rowen (22). I enjoy reading, watching movies with my family, and traveling across the beautiful world our Lord has created.

2. What is domestic missions, and how does it differ from international missions?

Domestic missions refers to LCC’s work that takes place primarily within Canada, whereas international missions refers to the work of the church outside of the country.

However, there are also many points of contact between our domestic and international missions—especially some of our language ministries. But whether we are talking about domestic or international mission work, the mission remains the same: proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people in need, and working to establish places where God’s people can meet to receive His gifts in Word and Sacrament.

3. What does the Director of Domestic Missions do?

This is something I am still learning! Some of my primary responsibilities include overseeing all current domestic mission and works of mercy programs, working alongside... (continued next page)

LCC President Timothy Teuscher, Rev. Jacob Quast, and Rev. Dr. Richard Beinert.

in Canada

Getting to know the Director of Domestic Missions (cont.)

LCC’s Regional Mission and Ministry Councils. In addition to supporting existing Domestic mission sites and missionaries, I will also explore new mission opportunities and strategies. I also have the privilege to represent LCC to our regions, circuits, congregations, and other organizations of LCC, as well as to auxiliaries and listed service organizations.

4. What experience do you bring that will be helpful in your new position?

As a parish pastor of more than twenty years, I bring a pastor’s heart to the joyful task of reaching people with the saving message of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners. At its core, this is the mission of the Church, and every Christian has been called by Christ and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share in this blessed work.

I have been blessed to serve LCC in various capacities and on different committees and task forces. God has placed me to serve His Church in small town/rural ministry settings, often isolated from other LCC pastors and congregations. This has made me appreciate the unity we have in our synod all the more. Knowing that we are united in our common confession of Christ crucified and risen, as well as our adherence to the Lutheran Confessions as a correct and faithful exposition of the Holy Scriptures, is a strength that we have in reaching others with the Gospel.

These are exciting times! We live in a world that is increasingly hostile to Christ and His Church—but this means we have more reason than ever before to share the life-giving Gospel of Jesus! We are living also in a time of profound loneliness and despair. The church is by its very nature a loving community—a place for people to gather together to be served by God with His gifts and then to serve one another in love.

6. In what ways do LCC’s directors of domestic missions and international missions work together?

LCC’s Director of International Missions, Rev. Mark L. Smith, and I will work closely together, coordinating wherever and whenever possible the various mission opportunities. This is especially true of Language Ministry programs— for example, in our our French Language Ministry efforts, which are organized in large part by Rev. Dr. David Somers, who not only serves congregations in Quebec but also produces resources for French-speaking Lutherans around the world!

Another opportunity for joint work is among the Oromo communities that are growing not just in Canada but in other parts of the world too—not just in Africa but even in Israel. Much of this work is possible because of faithful pastors like Rev. Asefa Aredo of Shalom Lutheran Church in Winnipeg, as well as Rev. Chuta Gizaw of Oromo Evangelical Church of Calgary.

5. How will your work impact what Lutherans are doing on the local and regional level?

It is my prayer that everyone across our synod may gain a better appreciation of the work taking place across our country. I pray that congregations will be excited to see the opportunities God has placed before us—be they on the congregational level or together as a larger region—as we share our faith in Christ, grounded in the grace of God poured out for us through the forgiveness of sins, which we receive from His generous hand in Word and Sacrament.

I hope to connect with local congregations and broader regions to discuss not only the work currently being done but also to explore new ways in which Christ’s name may be proclaimed, and to show how by working together, the Lord will bless and prosper His church as He sees fit.

Of course, we also have local congregations who want to serve international sister churches—often with works of mercy and Gospel outreach! These saints of God return to Canada with a renewed vigour to serve the Lord’s church here as well.

7. Do you have any specific goals or plans that you hope to focus on in your first few years?

My primary goal for now is to get to know our synod's missions, congregations, and service organizations in a deeper way so that I may better equip them for the ministries the Lord has given to them. It is also my prayer that, as I interact with people across our synod, I may be able to help us draw closer together as the body of Christ, celebrating the fellowship we enjoy with one another. In this way we will be better able to support and encourage one another in our common task of proclaiming Christ to our nation—and beyond!

Rev. Jacob Quast and his wife Jolene.

First calls for graduating pastors

Connor Buck (CLS) Called to: Redeemer Lutheran Church (Creston, B.C.)

Connor Buck spent much of his childhood in Winnipeg, where his father, Rev. Rod Buck, was pastor of St. James Lutheran Church. When Buck was thirteen, his father received a call to St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Stony Plain, Alberta, where Buck attended St. Matthew Lutheran School. After school, Buck attended Concordia University Edmonton across from CLS, where his older brother Kai was enrolled at the time. Upon receiving his bachelor degree, Buck enrolled in seminary.

“I look eagerly towards ministry and taking all of the learning and growth I have experienced through my seminary education and my vicarage,” said Buck, “and applying it in a meaningful and pastoral way in service to Christ and His Church.”

Buck served his vicarage at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Ontario. He is married to Bethany, his wife of five years, and is the father of two children: Delilah (3) and Bennet (1).

Daniel Cunningham (CLTS) Called to: Redeemer Lutheran Church (Kitimat, B.C.)

Daniel Cunningham was born in Oshawa, Ontario, and has called the Greater Toronto Area home for 31 years. His family attended Grace Lutheran Church in Oshawa where he was baptized by Rev. Al

Maleske and confirmed by Rev. Jack Hetzel.

At eight years of age, Cunningham had a strong desire to pursue the office of the holy ministry. Because of the encouragement of many faithful people and the grace of God, Cunningham entered into seminary after obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Trent University. He served his vicarage at Redeemer Lutheran in Kitimat, B.C. “Although it was remote in comparison to the Toronto area,” Cunningham notes, “it was a blessing to be able to serve God's people, recognizing the need for the Word of God throughout this entire country.”

Cunningham was scheduled to marry his fiancée, Alexandria Ley, in May 2024.

Vicarage Placements and Diaconal Internship

Albert Ho (CLTS)

Vicarage: Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (Winkler, Manitoba)

Martin Jagnow (CLS)

Vicarage: Grace Lutheran Church (Drumheller, Alberta)

Aaron Parkhurst (CLTS)

Vicarage: Immanuel Lutheran/Trinity Lutheran Church (Gowanda/Silver Creek, New York)

Vijay Samuel (CLTS)

Vicarage: Redeemer Lutheran Church (Waterloo, Ontario)

Samantha Neeb (CLS)

Internship: King of Kings Lutheran Church (Spruceview, Alberta)

Seminaries present honorary awards

CANADA – At the end of May, Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries held their convocation and call services. In addition to presenting first calls to graduating pastoral students and announcing vicarage and diaconal internship placements, both seminaries presented honorary awards to members of the wider church.

During its Call Service on May 25, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS – St. Catharines, Ontario) presented its Delta Chi (Servant of Christ) medal to Roland Naujoks. At 81 years of age, Naujoks has had long service to the Canadian church in a variety of roles, including as chair of the Board of Regents of CLTS; as chair of Lutheran Foundation Canada; on multiple committees at the district and synodical level; as co-chair of two district conventions; as a zone president with the Lutheran Laymen’s League; and in multiple roles on the congregational level, among various other service.

Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS – Edmonton) presented three awards during its Sacred Convocation service on May 24. Rev. James Heinbuch was awarded the Doulos dia Iesoun award. Rev. Heinbuch—a former recipient of CLS’ “Friend of the Seminary” award—has served the seminary in many ways over the years. He loaned his personal library to CLS when it was first beginning; has served as an adjunct

faculty member; and began serving as Interim Director of Library in 2019. Outside the seminary, he has served as the ABC District Secretary; as a circuit counselor for Parish and School Services; as a zone counsellor for the LWMLC; and on the board of regents of CLTS in St. Catharines.

CLS presented the “Friend of the Seminary” award to Rev. James and Nancy Fritsche. Nancy has played an instrumental role in providing refreshments for receptions, opening services, Quest courses, and Sacred Convocations. She is an active member of the Seminary Guild, and regularly encourages faculty and staff with notes, cards, and more. She also played a major role in helping the families of Dr. Sam and Dr. Vieira relocate to Edmonton. Rev. Fritsche, who recently celebrated his 50th ordination anniversary, has worked with numerous CLS students as a Field Education supervisor; has used his woodworking skills to repair seminary furnishings; and has assisted the seminary as adjunct faculty in teaching Worship I.

The final award presented by CLS was the Faith in Life award, which was given to Barb Schmidt. Schmidt has served as Administrative Director at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Chilliwack, B.C.) since 1992. Though past retirement age, she continues to serve unwaveringly, readily responding to urgent calls at all hours—whether

addressing a building issue or supporting congregation members in crisis. Her loving presence offers comfort to those going through illness, loss, and other hardships, always pointing them to Christ’s cross. Schmidt is also the long-time leader of the church’s local missions team, often delivering food and clothing to Chilliwack’s youth shelter, and spearheads various outreach events. Even in crisis situations—like flooding in 2021 that impacted the church building and a third floor in 2023 resulting from a re-roofing problem— Schmidt has been on the front lines, helping to preserve the church.

Roland Naujoks, CLTS' Delta Chi recipient, with LCC President Timothy Teuscher.

Rev. James Heinbuch (right) receives CLS' Doulos dia Iesoun award.

Rev. James and Nancy Fritsche, recipients of CLS' Friend of the Seminary award.

Rev. Dr. James Gimbel presents CLS' Faith in Life award to Barb Schmidt.

CLS seeks nominations for president

EDMONTON – Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) in Edmonton is issuing a call for nominations for the role of President.

The seminary regents are responsible for the fulfillment of the seminary mission of “forming servants for Jesus’ sake.” In February 2023, CLS worked with Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) and Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) representatives to set goals that would further our work in training servants for the Church. With Dr. Gimbel’s retirement as President approaching, the CLS Board of Regents made the decision to call an Interim President for a two-year period, anticipating that during that period clarity would be gained regarding both the needs of the Church with regard to seminary education and the role of CLS in providing for those needs.

While this work continues, there has been sufficient clarity gained for the Board of Regents to be confident in calling for nominations for

President. The presidency of CLS is a unique role, and the Board of Regents is searching for someone who will carry forward the current strengths, work with existing faculty and staff, and help lead forward in the ongoing exploration of what lies ahead for CLS in its role of providing for the education of Church Workers in Canada. This is a called position.

A full list of qualifications can be viewed online at the seminary’s website: www.concordiasem.ab.ca.

Nominations may be made by members of LCC: congregations, pastors, deacons, including LCC President’s Ministry Council and Board of Directors, faculty, and CLS Regents. Nominations should be submitted by August 30, 2024.

Screening and interviews will take place in September and October 2024, with a first call issued by the end of November 2024 and a proposed start date sometime in late spring 2025 (an earlier start date is possible if mutually acceptable). There will be an overlap with the current Interim

President as necessary through June 2025 for transition of duties.

Questions can be directed to the President Search Committee at slyons@concordiasem.ab.ca.

Please send nominations to Dcn. Miriam Winstanley at mwinstanley@ concordiasem.ab.ca.

Pastor completes colloquy, accepted into LCC

EDMONTON –

During its 2024 Sacred Convocation, Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) celebrated Rev. Mergersa Belina Danu upon his completion of the colloquy program and authorized him to serve as a pastor in Lutheran Church–Canada.

Rev. Danu was born and raised a Lutheran in Ethiopia. At the age of 15, he began assisting Sunday School classes and, at the age of 17, began to teach

Sunday School children. He was also active in choir, Vacation Bible School, and outreach programs. His father encouraged him to pursue theological studies and become a pastor.

Rev. Danu studied theology at Mendi Bible College in Ethiopia, graduating in 2013. He was ordained as a pastor in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY). In 2020, he came to Canada. In 2021, he began serving at Faith Lutheran Church (Surrey, B.C.) under the guidance of Rev. Gerhard Wilch. He has been working with the Oromo community in Vancouver, B.C.

Rev. Danu is married to Ayantu Dibisa, and they have three children: Nafilet (3), Surraa (2) and Robsaan (2 months).

CLS professor receives honorary doctorate

ST. PAUL, Minnesota – Rev. Dr. James Gimbel, Academic Dean of Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton), has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP).

“This degree is awarded to individuals who have been active in philanthropy, community service, and leadership,” the university explains in a letter. CSP particularly commended Dr. Gimbel for his “faith, love for God and His people, and passion for God’s mission.”

The award was presented during CSP’s commencement service on May 3, 2024. Unfortunately, Dr. Gimbel was ill at the time and unable to participate in the ceremony.

“We are thrilled and honoured as a university to award to Rev. Dr. Gimbel the degree Doctor of Letters,” said CSP President

Brian Friedrich. “Dr. Gimbel has had a long, storied, and significant live of service to Concordia, St. Paul, to Concordia Publishing House (St. Louis, Missouri), and to Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.”

Dr. Gimbel expressed gratitude for the award in a post on social media: “Deeply humbled (keenly aware of my failures, faults, and sins, and in awe of others who seem more worthy), I only agreed with the understanding that by accepting the honour, I would be able to: 1) pay tribute to all the wonderful mentors who left their imprint on me throughout my formation; 2) affirm all the partners who collaborated with me along every step of my life and

deserve shared credit; 3) uphold the value of the ‘letters’ (humanities and liberal arts) that help us all respond with thoughtful and informed living; and 4) testify that my life of service is in joyful response to the Saviour who served and sacrificed all to save me and sanctify me for a life of serving Him.”

“I want to say thanks to CSP and everyone else who shares in a life of service but may not be thus recognized,” Dr. Gimbel continued. “And especially, thanks to God who gives our lives meaningful opportunities to serve Him.”

In addition to his current service at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton as a professor and academic dean, Dr. Gimbel served the institution as president from 2014-2024. He previously served as a professor at Concordia University, St. Paul from 2002-2013, and as a senior editor for youth, family, and Sunday School materials at Concordia Publishing House. He studied for the ministry at Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri) and earned his Ph.D. in 2002 from Regent University (Virginia Beach, Virginia).

LWMLC hosts banquets at LCC seminaries

The Lutheran Women's Missionary League – Canada (LWMLC) hosted dinners at LCC's seminaries in St. Catharines, Ontario (CLTS - left) and Edmonton (CLS - right) to celebrate students who will be beginning vicarage and diaconal placements this year, as well as to introduce them to the important work of the LWMLC.

LUTHERANS FOR LIFE - CANADA

OUR GOD REIGNS | by

Judy Obelnycki (LFLC President)

As a long-time volunteer with Lutherans for LifeCanada, and a staunch believer in the sanctity and dignity of life, all life, from the womb to the tomb, I am dismayed at how little respect is given to human life in our world today. How far we have fallen!

Canada is founded upon Christian principles that “recognize the supremacy of God” and which respect the Christian church, her ministry and moral principles (see Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms). The Parliament buildings reflect this; there are 25 Scripture Verses from God’s Word on Parliament Hill, etched in and on the external archways of the Peace Tower, in the brass on the Altar of Remembrance in the Memorial Chamber, and etched in three of the beautiful Stained Glass Windows of the Memorial Chamber. One reads: “He Shall Have Dominion Also from Sea to Sea” (see image to the right).

Canada was originally built on Christian principles, and the laws of the land were based on the biblical laws of God: love God with all your heart, love your neighbour as yourself, do not kill (murder), and do not bear false witness to name a few. However, times have changed as “born and bred Canadians” have become completely secularised and deceived by the current woke agenda and lost any Christian roots which they might have ever had.

ABORTION

Sadly, the Culture of Death has become big business. Doctors that took an oath to do no harm are participating in

actions that defy that oath and are busy with snuffing out the lives of our children while in their mother’s womb and can do this right up until the moment before the child exits the birth canal. Our children are being slaughtered. At one time this was considered a crime. Not anymore. Everything is about the woman’s right to choose what she wants. But what about the rights of that child? That child is a living person from the moment of conception. It is not just a clump of cells like some would have you believe. At ten weeks in the womb, if viewed by an ultrasound, the child has all the features of an infant.

I believe... in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, He descended into hell.

The third day He rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

EUTHANASIA

Another very profitable area, where again, “one human is granted the legal licence to destroy another human without repercussion” (David Cooke, Trudeau's MAID Service). “The fabricated right to die requires someone to kill, and someone to be killed.” Bill C-14, June 17, 2016. Again, another big money-making business that also encompasses another cash cow of organ transplants. Once more, people are misled into believing this is a noble action that spares themselves or

www.lutheransforlife-canada.ca

their loved ones pain and suffering. They believe they are choosing to die with dignity, as they agree to determine their own death and how, when, and where it will take place. What is so dignified about dying like an injected criminal or a sick animal? People playing God, deciding who lives and who does not. We are on a huge slippery slope here, as strangers can decide your fate when you are at their mercy. You could have some physical conditions to deal with, but unbeknownst to you, if someone deems that your quality of life is poor your life could be in jeopardy. Your fate could be decided, while you are under anaesthetics awaiting surgery, and you would have no say.

Now the government has taken this one step further, and since you have chosen to die, you are now given the opportunity to do something noble with your vital organs. You would be approached, and with your permission, the desired vital organs would be removed while you are still alive under heavy sedation. Once the organs are removed you are then murdered with the balance of the death cocktail, completing the suicide/murder pact. Once more the oath to do no harm is swept aside as surgeons sell their souls to partake in this money-making business. It’s like horror on top of another horror.

Both abortion and suicide are considered serious crimes under biblical law. God commanded that we do not kill another or take our own lives. God is the giver and taker of life, not the government. Today, in our secular world neither of these two actions are considered a crime. It seems people are fooled into thinking that both abortion and euthanasia are okay, and it is their right to choose what they can do with their bodies. We have all heard the cry, “my body, my choice.” Satan uses the secular laws of the land that are contrary to God’s laws to beguile them into making these choices. For instance, using the government terminologies of Medical Aid in Dying, (MAiD), or dying with dignity sounds so much better than calling it what it is: a murder/suicide pact.

Just because abortion and euthanasia are governmentsanctioned does not make it right in God’s eyes. To coin a phrase, what was good before is now considered bad. Conversely what was wrong (evil) before is now good. Times have changed, and Christian values and morals have disappeared from the laws of the land, but we can take comfort in knowing that God and His Word have not changed.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” - Isaiah 40:8

We can also take comfort in knowing that when we fail, we have a beautiful Saviour, Jesus. He took our sins with Him to the cross, and we now have a direct line to a gracious loving God, who upon our repenting forgives and loves us unconditionally. Hallelujah! To God be the glory!

WOMB

by John Krim

Christianity is and always has been the basis of Western family law spanning the last two millennia guiding marriage, parenting, kin relations, and human sexuality for preserving the fruits of marriage, children, and family. From the beginning this was a strict moral code with strong biblical roots. But in man’s restless pursuit for change, family law’s so-called “progressions” have been anything but. Moral and civil accountability are headed to extinction.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil...” - Isaiah 5:20

The ancient philosopher Aristotle said, “Horror Vacui” meaning Nature Abhors a Vacuum. In other words when something vacates a space, something else will come along to fill it. The vacuum created in abandonment of man’s faithfulness to God, has been filled by man’s self-glorification. What God has meant for good, in the case of sex and procreation; man has twisted for pleasure and evil, even if it means death to one’s own baby.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, ...ungrateful, unholy...”

- 2 Timothy 3:2

Faith, community, and civility has been the bedrock of family and the whole of civilization and that is the glue that binds us. But these Christian family values have declined dramatically in this past half-century when man discovered how to limit and control reproduction and put pleasure above life and morality. The Sexual Revolution of the late 1960s was the start of it. Free love, drugs, the birth control pill, the feminist movement, and infamous Dr. Henry Morgentaler who challenged then Canadian laws limiting abortion, to abortions on demand. Again, man acting on what he thinks is right and expedient by taking another huge bite from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil giving our imaginations unlimited possibilities. From Eve until the 1960s, women were no longer burdened with the role of “gatekeeper” to reproduction.

“There are none so blind, as those who will not see.”

- Paraphrase of Jeremiah 5:2

I was barely out of my teens during the Sexual Revolution and two of the girls from my church youth group were

WOMB WITH A VIEW LUTHERANS FOR LIFE-CANADA

nurses in training at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. They described a first trimester abortion procedure which involves a vacuum aspiration machine, and in a few seconds the baby and placenta are vacuated into a transparent jar or giant syringe looking like it went through a blender. Ultra sound had only recently been developed, was primitive and rare. The baby’s beating heart and the mother's ballooning belly in later trimesters were the only tangible or visible evidence to observers. Certainly the baby was alive and there, but it was hidden from view. And so I imagined in my mind that, what if a woman’s belly (womb and placenta) were as transparent as the abortion jar, so that you could actually see and witness the baby in the womb? I was confident in my mind that abortion would be illegal and no one would have the evil heart to do an abortion. Least of all a doctor who vows to “Do no harm.”

As an antidote to common sense and outrage to the new direction being taken, the language needed dumbing-down, and the word “baby” needed to be replaced with generic nonhuman terms like zygote, embryo, fetus, or a “clump of cells” were used instead. How else to disassociate a human baby from reality and disengage our conscience (that second mind in us and engages with the indwelling Holy Spirit guiding us instinctively in knowing right from wrong). Indeed this is how language can cloud the truth. After all, all life is just a clump of cells, when defined without context to purpose or humanity. It is ironic that life expectancy has grown over the past millennia but now with medical assisted suicide (MAiD) and when abortion is also factored in, life expectancy has declined. Man is the new god, or executioner in this case. We decide who lives or dies.

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.” - Proverbs 3:7

Like the pendulum that is life, situations never remain static forever. Lately we see inspiring stories from former abortionists who lose their appetite for performing abortions after having children of their own. They have reaffirmed their medical ethics in the 2,400 year old Hippocratic Oath to “Do no harm”. Two of these stories are Drs. Hammond and Levatino. Dr. Hammond had performed over 700

abortions and when he felt a 5 months in vitro baby kick his instrument, he was shocked. This was his epiphany that this kick was from a living human baby defending himself. Surprise! Not just a clump of cells! He stopped the practice immediately and today describes himself as both a repentant Christian and a mass murderer.1 Dr. Levatino has performed over 1,200 abortions and after adopting a baby girl had a tragic epiphany when at age 6 years old, she ran out into traffic and then died in his arms. Here he testifies to the USA Congress the mechanics of performing a second trimester abortion.2

“You shall not murder” - Exodus 20:13

Recently I detect small positive changes and people speaking out more honestly. Christians and others formerly intimidated into silence are now generally fed-up tip-toeing around the truth with politically correct speech. Pro-lifers are speaking more confidently and boldly. Words “kill” or “unborn baby” are increasingly being replaced by what it actually is: “murder” for the former and “baby” (not unborn or developing) for the latter. Pro-abortion chants of “My body, my choice” lose meaning when returned as “The baby is not your body!” Huge advances in medical science have made it possible to view all 4 ventricles of a 7-week baby’s tiny beating heart. Heart surgery on the baby can even be performed in utero, if needed. The next generation of ultrasound equipment is currently in development which will render much higher visual definition, be in colour and 3-D.3 The womb then will finally become that transparent “womb with a view” that I had so long ago imagined! Prayerfully changing minds, saving lives, as seeing with be believing. Isn’t science wonderful? Praise be to God.

1 Dr. Hammond. https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/ choosing-life-beyond-the-legacy-of-roe/former-abortionistdescribes-abortion-in-detail-dr-steve-hammond.

2 Dr. Lavetino. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OZXQBhTszpU.

3 Imaging Technology News. February 7, 2019

LUTHERANS FOR LIFE - CANADA

FACING MONSTERS | by Tracey Juritsch

Growing up, I enjoyed a story called The Monster at the End of this Book. The main character is Grover Monster, from Sesame Street. *Spoiler alert.* At the start of the story, Grover hears the title and is scared: after all, there is a MONSTER at the end of the book. The story illustrates as it progresses how Grover tries to prevent himself and the reader from reaching the end of the book. The end does come, and the monster at the end is not scary—which Grover realizes with joy and relief.

We are blessed with the gift of life. At times, though, our sin-blocked vision blurs the world around us, focusing us on the “monsters” of life: the scary twists and turns of day-to-day living; unanticipated consequences to actions, like a surprise pregnancy; a preborn child at risk of an abnormal life; a life changing injury or medical diagnosis. The fear of these monsters with the unknowns they bring can have us feeling all alone, seeking ways to escape, evade, and avoid facing the situation. Our world offers solutions, and they are not always God pleasing. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is offered as a way to escape the concerns of decreasing abilities, the pain of now, the fears of possible future suffering, and the worry of being a burden while living with a chronic illness or disability. The world offers abortion as a solution to any surprise pregnancy or a larger than desired multiple birth, both circumstances possibly interfering with goals, hopes, and plans. Abortion is offered as well for the preborn child with a diagnosis of a shortened or abnormal life, as the fears of coping in these circumstances loom like a large monster. The world does not reveal that death via MAiD or abortion is another monster, bringing grief, sorrow, and separation.

Our Triune God gives life. God created each of us, male and female, from the moment of conception. God lovingly cares for each of us, no matter our mental or physical capabilities, whether we are strong or struggling, or whether life is simple or full of challenges to health and well-being. His love for us is so great that He sent Jesus to die for all our sins, so we may live as His forgiven people. We rest secure knowing that when we die, we will be resurrected and live with Christ in heaven. Yet, in life, there are fears and hardships that loom like unfaceable monsters. Perhaps we have considered

or used some of the world’s solutions to meet the monsters. God promises to walk with us and forgive repentant sinners, as we meet the consequences of the sins in our lives and in the world. God gives us other Christians to walk with us through the struggles and challenges of life, in your local congregation, community, and elsewhere, including the counselling available through Word of Hope (word-of-hope. org). Supporting others can start as simply as praying. The LCMS has provided a downloadable prayer book resource at resources.lcms.org/general/40-prayers-for-life.

God helps us face monsters and has conquered the biggest monsters of all. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.

Life resources from a Lutheran perspective: Lutherans for Life - Canada Website lutheransforlife-canada.ca

Lutherans for Life - Canada Substack lflc.substack.com

Life Issues Podcasts www.kfuo.org/category/friends-for-life

Other online resources at our American partner: lutheransforlife.org

Online resources and library at LCMS Life Ministries: lcmslife.org

For print resources, contact Lutherans for Life - Canada at: contact@lutheransforlife-canada.ca

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rev. Malkaa Gemechu of Edmonton and Rev. JeanLuc Damas of Dawson Creek, B.C. have submitted applications to the Pastoral Colloquy Program of Lutheran Church–Canada. Communications regarding these applications should be submitted in writing within four weeks to Rev. Michael Schutz, Chair, LCC Pastoral Colloquy Committee, c/o 2800 South Main Street, Penticton, BC or by email to vicepresident@lutheranchurch.ca.

Maj. (Padre) Vic Morris received the Commander CANSOFCOM Commendation on Friday, April 19, 2024. The citation reads:

“Major Victor Morris is recognized for his extraordinary contributions to the Optimizing Performance, Force and Family (OPF2) program, and in delivering outstanding spiritual resilience and chaplain support to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) members and their families. His unwavering dedication, compassionate care-giving and innovative leadership style have greatly empowered the success of holistic health and wellness initiatives within CANSOFCOM. Major Morris’ efforts in optimizing spiritualbased care across the Command have directly and profoundly contributed to preservation of the force.”

TRANSITIONS

Rev. Leander Arndt, Emeritus (Milk River, AB), called to glory.

Connor Buck, Candidate (Concordia Lutheran Seminary – Edmonton), called to Redeemer (Creston, BC).

Daniel Cunningham , Candidate (Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary – St. Catharines, ON), called to Redeemer (Kitimat, BC).

Rev. Steven Harold , Trinity (Richmond, BC) transferred to Emeritus (Richmond, BC).

Rev. Bokman Hwang, Emeritus (Port Coquitlam, BC) called to glory.

Rev. Roland Kubke, St. John’s (Beach Corner, AB) accepted a call to Faith (Courtenay, BC).

Rev. Greg Palmer, Candidate (Saskatoon, SK), accepted a call to Holy Trinity (Luseland, SK).

What is Regional News?

Regional News can include something unique that your congregation is doing for its members, like hosting a hiking club, mentoring younger members into leadership positions, or preserving a heritage church building. Sharing our news is one way our geographically widespread Synod can stay connected, and if you're not sure if a story qualifies as news, please ask!

regionaleditor@lutheranchurch.ca

The Canadian Lutheran sells advertising space to offset the cost of printing and shipping the magazine to subscribers.

For more information, please contact:

ON THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY MINISTRY

by president timothy teuscher

In our Lutheran Confessions we read these words: “No one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the Sacraments, without a rightly ordered call” (AC XIV). We’re talking here, of course, about the holy ministry or the pastoral office which our Lord Jesus Himself has instituted, ordered, established; and which, as such, we are not at liberty to ignore, change, or dispense with.

Before we consider what pastors are called to do, however, I would first mention a few things that they are not called to do. A pastor is not called to simply instruct people in moral principles for daily living. He is not called to deliver an upbeat, entertaining message on Sunday morning so that the people can get their week off to a nice positive start. He is not called to be a family therapist or a marriage counsellor or life-coach or social-convenor. Nor is he hired to serve as the CEO of the congregation and tasked with improving its financial condition, with revitalizing and growing the church, or with organizing all kinds of groups and activities. No, none of these things are what pastors have been called to do.

Consider the various words and titles that the Scriptures use concerning those men who are called, appointed, placed, ordained into the office of the holy ministry. They are ‘pastors’ (Ephesians 4:1)—that is, shepherds who are to feed the lambs and sheep of the flock entrusted to their care not with junk food but with the pure, wholesome food of God’s Word

and the blessed Sacrament… and to protect them from the wolves, from false teachings. They are ‘bishops’ or ‘overseers’ (Acts 20:28)—that is, those who exercise oversight over and care for the spiritual welfare of those entrusted to them. They are ‘ambassadors’ (2 Corinthians 5:20) —that is, representatives of Christ Himself who says of them, “The one who hears you hears Me” (Luke 10:16). They are ‘ministers’ (1 Corinthians 4:1) —that is, servants of Christ who serve Him by serving or ministering to the members of his congregation. They are also called ‘elders’ or ‘presbyters’ (Timothy 1:5), ‘fathers‘ (1 Corinthians 4:15), ‘teachers’ (1 Corinthians 12:28), ‘leaders’ (Hebrews 13:7), ‘messengers’ (2 Corinthians 8:23).

What is the purpose or task of pastors? On the basis of the passages referenced above, our Lutheran Confessions answer: “The authority of the Keys, or the authority of the bishops—according to the Gospel—is a power or commandment of God, to preach the Gospel, to forgive and retain sins, and to administer the Sacraments…. In this way are given not only bodily, but also eternal things: eternal righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. These things cannot reach us except by the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments” (AC XXVIII.5, 8-9).

This is why one of the priorities of our President’s Ministry Council or PMC—which consists of the three Regional Pastors, the vicepresident, and myself—is providing

proper, orderly pastoral care for our congregations who are without a pastor or cannot financially support their own pastor. Such is also the primary purpose of our seminaries— namely, to educate, train, and form men for the pastoral ministry. And such is also incumbent upon all the members of our congregations— namely: 1) to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38); 2) to support with our monetary offerings those who teach the Word (Galatians 6:6); and 3) to “encourage that young men be… educated for the holy ministry” (Preface, Book of Concord, 21).

And to those of us who have been called into this holy order of the public ministry, may we always heed and abide by these words of Luther from the Preface to the Small Catechism: “I beg you all for God’s sake, my dear sirs and brethren, who are pastors or preachers, to devote yourselves heartily to your office. Have pity on the people who are entrusted to you and teach the catechism to the people…. Our office is a serious and saving office. It involves much trouble and labour, danger, and trials. In addition, it gains little reward and thanks in the world. But Christ Himself will be our reward if we labour faithfully. To this end may the Father of all grace help us, to whom be praise and thanks forever through Christ, our Lord” (SC Preface 6, 26-27).

LLL-C will support and lead you through important steps to get started! Visit www.lll.ca/esl-conversation-circles, call 1-800-555-6236 or email director@lll.ca for details!

Rooted in the example and command of Christ to love our neighbours, Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada is offering FREE in person and online workshops aimed at empowering young adults to propose and implement impactful outreach projects in their communities! These workshops will equip participants to initiate an English as a Second Language Conversation Circle program designed to serve and integrate community members for whom English is a second language.

2025 NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING

SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED

(Details inside)

Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee

Jennifer Kerr MAMFT, CAMFT-A

DCE Cassie Moore