40 Days of Prayer - Week 5

Hebrews 11:32-12:2 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Devotion: When I think of the countless thousands of brothers and sisters who have suffered loss for the sake of standing firm in the faith, I am humbled and encouraged.

On the days when I listen to the criticism of those who think that the stand I have taken with others in the nearly 500 congregations that comprise Lutheran Congregations for Mission in Christ around the world is intolerant or divisive, I remember the witness of those who were willing to die for the faith delivered by God speaking through the prophets and the apostles. I remember their courage and unwavering trust in God. I remember that they pressed forward even when the odds against them looked insurmountable. I remember their faith and it strengthens mine.

As those of you who are working to form the NALC gather together this week, those of us in LCMC will be praying for you and cheering you on. We are grateful for your partnership and look forward to running the race marked out for us together by our Lord Jesus, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.

Prayer: Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word; curb those who by deceit or sword would wrest the kingdom from your Son and bring to naught all he has done. Amen.

Today’s devotion and prayer is offered by The Rev. Bill Sullivan, Pastor of New Life Lutheran Church, Sterling, Illinois and former LCMC Service Coordinator.

Micah 4:10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the land of your enemies.

Devotion: The enemy had defeated Jerusalem and only a remnant remained. God tells that remnant that they will suffer…that they will be taken to a foreign land--to Babylonia. The word “Babylon” carries a meaning of “spiritual darkness;” and while this period of darkness makes them feel abandoned by God, God has a plan…a plan for new life. God’s people were going to suffer, but God would be with them and He would rescue them. Their pain would be like that of a woman having labor pains. Those of us who have given birth know about labor pains! Often we announce, “I’ll not do this again,” in the midst of labor. When the baby is finally delivered, the pains endured during labor begin to subside, as a mother beholds her child.

Babylon, a dark place, was the perfect place for God to reveal a light…a future redemption will sprout out of great darkness. We understand this prediction to be a promise of an eschatological redemption of Israel in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. But the waiting seems endless, just as a woman’s labor seems to be endless and unbearable.

Has the pain and longing of the past years seemed endless to you? The longing is necessary, so one doesn’t lose hope and give up the battle. You have endured the labor and the wait will soon be over. Yet even as Lutheran CORE will give birth to the NALC, we still wait and long, as we await the coming again of Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and He will rescue His people. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Gracious God, we give you thanks for your plan of salvation. Give us the endurance to overcome all pain—especially the pain of leaving and new beginnings. Fill us with hope and allow us to leave our fears behind as we seek to be faithful. Bless the days ahead and give us joy in new beginnings. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Today’s devotion and prayer is offered by The Rev. Cathy A. Fanslau, Pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Portsmouth, Virginia.

Matthew 28:17-20 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Devotion: It is a great commission indeed. Wouldn’t it be great if we just did it?

The story is told of a small girl returning home from Sunday school who expressed disappointment with the class’s reaction after the day’s lesson. “We were taught to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations,” she said, “but we just sat there!” I share her disappointment and frustration. Why do we talk “about it” but we don’t “do it?” The text tells us that Jesus’ commanded and promised this ‘great commission’ in the midst of praise and doubt. And so it goes even today. Doubt is not the enemy of faith but a part of being a fallen sinner. If we wait for our certainty we will certainly continue to sit. John Kanary says, “If doubt is challenging you and you do not act, doubts grow. Challenge the doubts with action, and you will grow. Doubt and action are incompatible.” Is this just a bit of conventional wisdom or even power of positive thinking or does it tell us something about those whom Jesus commissions? We are the faithful---worshipping Him---we are the fallen---doubting Him. I was told in seminary 25 years ago that Jesus didn’t really say this; that it was later conjured up by those forming the church and formulating the Trinitarian doctrine. So be it. I wonder how that is working for all of those who have decided to doubt God’s Word, listening to human scholarship based on opinion rather than acting in faith according to Jesus’ command and promise. The Historical Critical Method was meant to be a tool that has been used repeatedly as a weapon by those who have been commissioned to spread seeds of doubt, decommission action and lead the charge on deauthorization of Jesus’ sole position of authority over us. As Thomas Fuller reminds us, “He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil.” There are numerous examples in our contemporary context that witness to those who claim to be working for the church of Jesus Christ but sit in positions of authority boasting of and boosting sin at the expense of sinners robbed of the gift of repentance and the call to action by Jesus Himself.

It is quite simple and straight forward-- either you believe Jesus commanded us to make disciples and teach them what He first taught us and to obey Him, not powers and principalities, or you don’t. If you don’t believe it, you have a reason for not doing it. If you do believe it, then not doing is just an excuse or failure to act—sin worthy of repentance and forgiveness. Whatever the reason is that you remain seated, hear now Jesus’ call, commission and promise: “I’m asking you to do it. Tell my story and I seal your action with my promise to be there till the very end.” Wouldn’t it be great if we just did it and came to realize that the doing is church?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, decommission our sinful selves in holy forgiveness and recommission us by your Holy Word to do that which you have commanded. .. . making disciples of you and not ourselves, teaching them what you first taught us and not what we would think up, and to obey You and no other authority that claims leadership over You, God’s Living Word. Amen.

Today’s devotion and prayer is offered by The Rev. Jaynan Lazarus Clark, Jesus’ claimed/forgiven child, baptized, ordained, mom of four and presently serving as president of WordAlone Ministries and preacher for Amazing Grace (LCMC), Gloria Dei (LCMS) Lutheran Church, a pilot program on the ground in Spokane, Washington.

Philippians 2:5 Have this mind in you which was in Christ Jesus…

Devotion: A former colleague and I had an ongoing debate about Christian Education. For him, the goal was people knowing “the heart and mind of Jesus." The problem for me was his seeming overemphasis on having an emotional experience of, and basis for, one’s faith in Christ. Not that I am against emotion (even though I am the product of a rather staid German/Swedish upbringing). It’s just that, for me, his emphasis on emotion often lacked an adequate and necessary emphasis on the content of our faith, that is, on the content of "the heart and mind of Jesus;" content revealed in only one place – the Bible. Thus I was always arguing for the need to teach the content of what we believe as Lutheran Christians and not to neglect or minimize it. After all, how can people ever be moved to any right emotion toward God or others, if their emotions aren’t first based on having a right knowledge of Him and about His Will for our relationships? That was our tug of war. Who was right? I still maintain that I was and I suspect he still maintains that he was.

In the last analysis, our debate revolved around doctrine. It is said that Doctrine Divides. I disagree. I believe that Doctrine Unites. Many of the trials and tribulations the Church has gone through over the years, including our own ELCA, have been caused by a lack of adherence to sound doctrine. Instead, feelings and emotion - which are the most unreliable guide of what is actually true - have ruled the day. Feelings may be the world’s standard for judging whether something is true or not but it should never be the Church’s. Sadly, many denominations have fallen victim to this standard when it comes to making decisions and establishing policies. They have let the fallen human heart take precedence in determining policy and practice, rather than giving precedence to a mind illuminated and submissive to the revelation of the Mind of Christ found in Holy Scripture. A faith, a life, or a love based only on feelings -- feelings which are easily deceived and manipulated -- are ripe prey for falsehood. Why? Because love without Truth is a lie.

Luther (commenting on John 17:8, “I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest me…”) said: “The Church does not appoint or ordain anything outside the Word of God. And if there is a Church which does that, it is only a Church by name, as Christ says. The Word is not the Word of God because the Church says it, but the fact that the Word of God is preached constitutes the Church. The Word is not created by the Church, the Church is created by the Word. And a certain sign by which we may know where the Church be (sic), is the Word of God.” Only a faith, life, or love built upon the content of the Bible will inevitably inspire a heart that overflows with trustworthy emotions, emotions based on the Mind of Christ as revealed in God’s Word, the Bible.

Prayer: O Most Merciful God, may the North American Lutheran Church which is being constituted tomorrow be one that is always grounded in the Truth of Your Holy Word. May its teachings and leadership, its policies and practices, its people and ministries, ever reflect the heart and mind of Christ revealed in Sacred Scripture and, with hearts and minds overflowing with His love and true faith, may we cheerfully and faithfully serve others in His Name. Continue to lead by Your Word and with Thy Holy Spirit those brothers and sisters who remain in the ELCA and the ELCIC (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada), those who belong to and lead Lutheran CORE, those who are serving You in other areas and in other ways in the Church catholic, and all those who are praying for us today, that their faithful witness to the Truth may be a shining light within their own Church bodies, and in ours, to the Glory of Your Holy Name. Amen.

Today’s devotion and prayer is offered by The Rev. Rebecca Heber, Lake Mary, Florida, Steering Committee Member, Lutheran CORE. She and her husband, The Rev. Bill Heber, are planting OASIS Church, the first NALC church in Florida, whose first Service is September 5th in Lake Mary.

We have come to the end of our 40 Days of Prayer series. A debt of gratitude is owed to Pastor Gemechis Buba for raising up the critical importance of having this dedicated time of Prayer prior to the Lutheran CORE Convocation and the Constituting Convention of the North American Lutheran Church. I want to thank all those who contributed such thoughtful devotions and prayers to this significant undertaking. And to everyone around our nation and around the world who have been lifting up these and other prayers on behalf of the NALC, Lutheran CORE, the ELCA, and ELCIC (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada) – Thank You.

This past Christmas I worked part-time as a helper for UPS (United Parcel Service). I was so proud to ride around in that big brown truck and to deliver packages to people while wearing my chocolate brown uniform with its UPS emblem. (It made me look thinner, too. Bonus!) But even though I remain a UPS “loyalist,” I nonetheless feel a similar respect and appreciation toward the FedEx drivers in their purple and orange uniforms who drive around in big white trucks with its accompanying logo. Sure, UPS and FedEx are competitors. But in a much larger sense, I always saw us as being part of the same “brotherhood” - one that even included a few “sisters” like me. Sharing a common priority and dedication to serving people, I found the idea of competing with one another irrelevant, unimportant, even silly (although I doubt the CEO’s or stockholders of either company hold the same view). Along that vein, it occurs to me that now, as Lutheranism in North America is being reconfigured and a new era is unfolding before us, any sense of competition is irrelevant, unimportant, and silly, in fact, repugnant, among those who share a common priority to serve others in Jesus’ Name. We are each involved in the same mission – HIS mission – whether we are seeking to fulfill Christ’s Call through the NALC, Lutheran CORE, WordAlone Ministries, the ELCA, ELCIC, LCMC, LCMS, Society of the Holy Trinity, Seven Marks Society, Call to Faithfulness, or any of the other reform group members and partners with whom we are ministering to people in the Name of Jesus. In Him, we are a united brotherhood and sisterhood, dedicated to the priority of bringing the Gospel of salvation to a lost and dying world, even if we go about it in different ways. Regardless of how we undertake and accomplish His mission, “Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The unity of heart and mind Is like to that above.”

Blest indeed has been my experience as a member of the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee. It has given me a foretaste of the Feast to come as I have tasted the sweetness of genuine fellowship with so many brethren and “sis-tren” while working with Committee members and being CORE’s Region 9 Coordinator these past two years. I have experienced Lutherans of every stripe being united in a common faith, doctrine, love, and mission. It’s been a true gift from God. Heartfelt thanks and best wishes to all whom I have met and who have prayed for me and for the work of Lutheran CORE, with special gratitude to fellow Committee members: Paull Spring, Mark Chavez, Erma Wolf, Ryan Schwarz, Vic Langford, Ken Kimball, Scott Grorud, Mark Braaten, Paul Ulring, Steve Shipman, Eddy Perez, and to my predecessors, Stephanie Olson and Mark Graham, for your selfless service to our Lord and His Church. Thank you, Tonya Rike and Jerry Youngquist for formatting these 40 Days of Prayer on the Lutheran CORE website. Above all, thanks be to God for His faithfulness and tender mercies which are new every day.

Prayer: Lead on, O King Eternal! The day of march has come. Through days of preparation Your grace has made us strong. Lead on, O King eternal: We follow, not with fears, For gladness breaks like morning where’er Your face appears. Your Cross is lifted o’er us; We journey in its light; Lead on, O God of Might, until Thy Kingdom comes. Soli deo Gloria.