Rev. Tucher

In the May 2008 newsletter to pastors, President Kieschnick has some good words regarding the unity of the Spirit.

A word from St. Paul: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).

The unity we have as Christians is a precious gift of God. If it then behooves us as Christians to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” how much greater is our responsibility in this regard as ordained ministers of the Gospel?

While much could be written about these few verses in Ephesians, I find a comment in Kretzmann’s Popular Commentary worth sharing: “By striving after the virtues named by the apostle: love, peace, meekness, humility, long-suffering, patience, the Christians maintain the unity of the Spirit given to them in the Word. As soon as these virtues are disregarded, the result is dissension and disagreement, division and sectarianism.” It’s my prayer that all of us-and I begin with myself-will exhibit these virtues and maintain the gift of unity given us by God’s Spirit.

May this be our prayer!

Yes, it’s another sad day for The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Another mission has been closed, this time in Burkina Faso and Togo, West Africa. Rev. James May and family will be leaving their missions this summer. The reason why: money. Unfortunately, money takes precedence over the Gospel. This comes from his latest newsletter:

I regret to inform you that due to programmatic and business decisions, World Mission has decided to cease employing me as a missionary in West Africa. This decision came as a shock to me and my family as it may also be a surprise to you.

World Mission has been pressuring me to move on and inform you as soon as possible. One reason is that I would be without a paycheck and insurance soon after we have a baby due in July. We hope that by the grace of God we could have another call in place when my salary and benefits terminate at the end of August 2008.

The decision leaves three newly planted churches in Burkina Faso without a theologically trained leader and also the Lutheran Church of Togo without a missionary which they had been awaiting for six years. Please keep all these people involved in your prayers.

I didn’t know him and his family all that well. I think I met him and his wife at an LLL deal or something during summer Greek back in 2001. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family (with a baby on the way), the churches of Burkina Faso and Togo, and for the Church throughout the world so that the Gospel of Christ may continue to be preached, regardless of the cost.

What I’m hoping won’t happen will be the following announcement. Please note, this is purely satire and has not happened (and we pray that it won’t)!

ST. LOUIS - Churches close their doors across the country

Many churches across the country have closed their doors due to lack of funding. A decision by The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod’s Board for Poor Church Spending (BPCS) has closed the doors of some 6100 churches because money became a bigger issue than the spreading of the Gospel. No statement was available, as there was no one left to say anything about the issue.

UPDATE 5/8/08

It has been brought to my attention that money was not the issue behind Rev. May’s termination as a missionary in West Africa.  My apologies for any misconceptions.

On Tuesday, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis held its Vicarage Assignment and Candidate Placement services.  At those services, all vicar-elects were placed, while 20 pastor-elects were not placed.  Of those 20, 3 were special cases.  That left 17 men without calls to a congregation.  St. Louis also had 5 deaconess-elects without calls.

On Tuesday evening, my alma mater, Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, held its Vicarage Assignment service.  All vicar-elects were placed.  The following evening, the Candidate Placement service was held.  13 men were left without calls to a congregation.  8 men also chose to pursue graduate studies.  It’s possible that those men also were left without calls and chose to pursue further studies in hopes that calls would be forth-coming.  Dr. Fickenscher said that it was his hope that all men would be placed into the Office of Holy Ministry by the end of July.  We continue to pray for all of these men as they enter the role of shepherd and for those who continue to wait for calls.

The following is the “response” email I received from an email I sent David Strand, the Executive Director for the Board for Communications Services. When I say “response,” understand that I use that term very loosely. This is the standard reply that everyone seems to be getting.

—– —– —–

The following comes from the KFUO-AM website.

For programmatic and business reasons, the decision was made this week to discontinue the “Issues, Etc.” program on KFUO-AM.  We look forward to bringing you new programming in this time slot in the near future. Also, we thank “Issues” host Rev. Todd Wilken and producer Mr. Jeff Schwarz for their years of service on behalf of the station. Those interested may still download past “Issues, Etc.” programs from the “Issues” archive on this website. Thank you sincerely for your continued support of KFUO’s radio ministry.

Personally, that doesn’t say anything.  I want a real reason as to why “Issues, Etc.” was canceled.  Tell me that Rev. Todd Wilken said or did something to step over the line.  Tell me the Synod has gone bankrupt and is not able to produce the show anymore.  Tell me that Jesus has come back and there is no need to preach the Gospel any longer.  We as loyal listeners and supports of “Issues, Etc.” deserve a true, straightforward answer.  When will we get it?

This weekend, our circuit visitor, Rev. John Hill, is making his tri-annual visit.  Yesterday he met with myself and Gwen for lunch, then a one-on-one meeting with me.  Later in the afternoon, he met with the senior pastor and in the evening, he met with our Board of Elders.  This morning, he will be joining us for worship at both services, then will be staying for a potluck welcoming new members, as well as his visit.  This will give him an opportunity to meet and greet the congregation, talk to them as a whole briefly about the state of the Synod.  If people would like to talk to him individually, he has set time aside following the potluck to meet with those members.

I think that the Wyoming District is unusual in that our circuit visitors actually visit our congregations.  It’s good for the pastors so we can address some issues we have, seek advice and support.  It’s good for the congregation so that if they have issues which are afraid to bring up to the pastor (why, I don’t know.  It’s not like we’re scary or anything).  Maybe in this type of setting, they might be more open.  It’s also good for the District as a whole so as to make sure that all things are going well in the congregation.

Speaking of congregation, I guess I should head to church now.

This past Sunday, we had an installation of officers for our LWML.  I was given two “rites.”  The first was Installation Service.  The second was Installation and Rededication Service.  The first service was usable.  Actually, it was something which could have been included in the LSB Agenda.  The second service was longer and more responsive.  Below is a reading from “Scripture” from that service.  It comes from The Living Bible.  If you’re not familiar with The Living Bible, it is a paraphrased version of the Bible. 

Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body.  We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do.  So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.  God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.  So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, prophesy then whenever you can-as often as your faith is strong enough to receive a message from God.  If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well.  If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching.  If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful.  If God has given you money, be generous in helping others with it.  If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously.  Those who offer comfort to the sorrowing should do so with Christian cheer.  Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Stand on the side of the good.  Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Be glad for all God is planning for you.  Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.

So, you be the judge.  Does that sound like anything you’ve ever read before?

In the latest e-news letter put out by Rev. Terry Dittmer from the Youth Ministry Office of The LCMS Board for District and Congregational Services (what a mouthful), he has a blurb from the Associated Baptist Press under his “Teens and Trends” section. Here is what it says:

If you want to influence a teenager’s faith, have them serve meals to the homeless or do other hands-on service projects. “Involvement in community service is far more significant to the faith development of teens than involvement in worship,” says Michael Sherr, one of the Baylor University researchers who conducted the study (Associated Baptist Press, February 8, 2007).

So the question is: should I have my youth attend the Divine Service, where they hear the Word of God and receive Christ’s body and blood, OR should I send them to the local soup kitchen where they serve meals to the homeless? Better yet, why not just cancel church for all the members and send them to various places to do “hands-on service projects?” If it’s good for youth, then it has to be good for the entire congregation, right?

UPDATE: You can read the entire article for yourself here.

Luke 13:1-9

 
Good Fruit

            Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, amen.  The text for the
sermon this morning comes from the Gospel which was read earlier.

            Back in Indiana, we have
something very special.  Actually, we
have a whole lot of them.  Some are good
and some aren’t so good.  Some are big
and some are small.  They come in all
shapes and sizes.  What I’m talking about
are trees. 

            Jesus
begins His parable this morning saying, “A
man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard…”  As He tells us the story, Jesus expects us to
understand that god is the one with the vineyard and you—the believer in
Jesus—are the fig tree in the vineyard of God’s grace.  God planted you in His vineyard on the day of
your baptism, which St. Paul
describes as being “planted together in
the likeness of [Jesus’] death,” that we may be raised “in the likeness of his resurrection.”

            God plants
with the expectation of a harvest.  More
valuable than figs, the fruit God is looking for in the life of the Christian
is the fruit of repentance—the fruit that humbly acknowledges my own sinfulness
and asks God for forgiveness for no other reason than the Father’s love for us
through His Son, Jesus Christ.

            Not every
plant bears fruit.  There are many open
spots in the pews, spots which were occupied by someone whom God planted in His
vineyard.  When did the vacancies in the
pews appear?  Some just a week, some
months, some maybe even years.  How many
have noticed?  Did we fail these living
trees which God has planted in the likeness of Christ’s death in the hope that
they would share in the likeness of His resurrection?  Did we do something to cause their fruit not
to grow?  It is our hope that all bear
fruit, because as we see in today’s text, the tree of Jesus’ innocent death now
bears the fruit of life in all who believe.

            You were
all planted in the soil of God’s vineyard, the Church.  You were planted in God’s vineyard when you
were brought to the waters of Holy Baptism. 
God planted you in His vineyard so that you might mature and grow and
bear fruit in His kingdom.  That was the
plan anyways.  However, it didn’t last
like that for long.  Once Satan entered
the Garden, once Eve ate from the fruit, once Adam ate from the fruit, the
vineyard which God planted His children in, the fruit became tainted and
polluted.  The vineyard became
unfruitful.  It wasn’t the vineyard which
God had created.  How would God restore
the vineyard to its fruitful state again?

            God tried
to let nature take its course and right itself, but that didn’t work.  God sent the flood to destroy all that God
had created, with the exception of Noah and his family, eight souls in
all.  In order to make His vineyard
fruitful again, God sent His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, into the
world.  It is through His life, death,
and resurrection that God’s vineyard has been restored.

            We were
planted into God’s vineyard at our baptism, when the water with God’s Word,
touched our foreheads.  As baptized
believers planted in the vineyard of God’s kingdom, we know that we have
received life and salvation from God because of Jesus Christ and His actions,
not because there is something that we have done.  

            Now that we
have the vineyard of God established, we must look at the fruit that the
vineyard yields.  Sometimes the vineyard
produces fruit while sometimes it doesn’t produce fruit.  And some of the fruit that the vineyard does
produce, it may not be good fruit. 
Listen to the words of Jesus: “A
man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and
found none.  And he said to the
vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig
tree, and I find none.’”

            Looking
good isn’t good the same as good fruit. 
Just because fruit is in season and the tree looks mature, but sadly, there is no actual fruit on the tree!  All too often we say in Christianity, people
who call themselves Christian, but in their life, there is nothing that reflects
Christ in their life.  They are
hard-pressed to be seen in church.  They
think that just by being a member of a church or calling themselves “Christian”
is all that they need to be saved.  They
do exactly what Luther speaks against in the Third Commandment: “We should fear and love God so that we do
not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and
learn it.”  We see the same thing
with the Jews who gathered around Jesus—even His own disciples—think that
giving up everything and following Him is good enough.  However, Jesus says that they too, will
perish unless they repent. 

            That is the
message for us today.  Repent.  The message is so important that Jesus says
it twice in our text: “No, I tell you;
but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” 

            How are we
to repent?  Have we really done that bad
that we need to repent?  If we take stock
of ourselves I think we’ll often find that we’ve been careless at some point or
other in our lives—that we’ve lived as if God doesn’t matter, or allowed a
cynical attitude to develop, or conformed to the mood and mindset of the age in
which we live.  In short, instead of
living our lives according to God’s commandments and His ways, we live our
lives in the way which makes us happy, regardless if it’s contrary to the Word
of God.

            How do we
live then?  The standard is too high, and
we don’t even measure up to the “not good enough” of which Paul and Ezekiel
speak of in our other readings.  But God
is on your side and wants you to flourish! 
Ezekiel writes, “I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and
live.”  Jesus intervenes and
intercedes on your behalf.  Through the Law, Jesus digs down to your
roots and exposes your sin.  Through the
Gospel of forgiveness, in all of its forms: verbal, written, spoken, poured
out, eaten and drank – Jesus provides spiritual growth and enables you to bear
the fruit of repentance. 

            Golgotha’s dead tree bears the only life-giving fruit
that is able to save you from being cut down. 
Baptism alone will not save you if you refuse that precious means by
which God intends to keep you alive, His Word and His Sacraments.  That goes back to just calling yourself a
Christian and not doing anything to strengthen that faith.  If you don’t come to hear the Word of God,
how will you know what it is that Jesus has done for you?  How will you be able to safeguard yourself
against the attacks of the evil one?  If
you do not receive Christ’s body and blood, then you will have nothing to strengthen
your faith.  Try as we might, we cannot
do it on our own.  Try as we might, we
are only a fig tree that bears no fruit. 

            Today and
everyday, God provides everything needed for your escape from the burn pile
outside the vineyard.  Escape from sin
and evil in this life through participation in the communion of saints,
regularly receiving God’s saving Word and Sacraments.  Escape from eternal judgment, delivering you
instead into the eternal joys of life everlasting through the forgiveness and
new life of righteousness offered in these same means of grace.

            Jesus
Himself does everything possible so that baptized believers like you and I may
bear the fruit of repentance and live. 
Jesus gets His hands dirty; He digs down beneath the topsoil and exposes
the root of your sin.  Proclaiming the
Law through the Scriptures and from the pulpit, Jesus lays bare your innermost
soul so that He may apply the divine potting soil of the Gospel: His Word of
life that alone is able to produce fruit acceptable to God.

            Sadly, some
Christians may eventually leave an empty space in the pew.  But for those who remain in Jesus’ gift of
Word and Sacrament, bearing the fruit of humble repentance that trusts in Jesus
alone for salvation, for you Jesus has made the way of escape from the sin and
evil of this life, “and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of
everlasting life.”  In Jesus’ name, amen.

            Now the
peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true
faith, until life everlasting.  Amen.