Author: Higher Things

With so many books on “youth ministry” available today, it’s often difficult to decide which ones to pick up and which ones to leave on the shelf. If you are interested in youth and what is happening in the spiritual world of teens then do pick up Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.

Parents, pastors, and youth leaders alike will gain surprising insight when reading this book. It is the culmination of a sociological study conducted across the country through surveys and one-on-one interviews with American teenagers. Two things make this book a must-read: first, the candid, word-for-word, dialog that the author’s record with teens; and second, the conclusions that can be drawn from those discussions.

The authors canvassed over 250 teenagers between the ages of 13-18 from around the country. The teens provided a snapshot of America. The good news is that most American teens seem to be interested in spirituality. According to the findings in the book, they also tend to “go along” with the religious practice of their parents. The bad news is that they tend to be highly illiterate regarding the teachings of whatever faith that they do practice. The authors refer to the term “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” the view that being “Christian” is equivalent to “being good,” and that “being Christian” means you have access to some sort of “great therapist in the sky.” Very few teens had the sense that the faith they practiced was any different from any other religion. Most related in their interviews a willingness to see “all religion as the same”.

Perhaps the most disturbing discovery was the reality that very few teens could articulate the central truths of their own faith traditions. When the question was asked of them: “What is the central teaching of your faith?” the authors got the impression that the teens had never had this sort of conversation with an adult before. In fact, the authors describe the teens as being “incredibly inarticulate.” One of their examples includes a quote from a “17-year-old white mainline Lutheran boy from Colorado: ‘Uh, well, I don’t know, um, well, I don’t really know. Being a Lutheran, confirmation was a big thing but I didn’t really know what it was and I still don’t. I really don’t know what being a Lutheran means.” More often than not the youth being interviewed failed to even use the language of the faith teaching that they identified as “most important” to them. In individual interviews, teens used the phrase “to feel happy” more than 2,000 times as opposed to using “Christian phrases” like, “sin,” “righteousness,” “salvation,” and “Trinity,” only 154 times.

The “Conclusion” and “Concluding Unscientific Postscript” found at the end of the book is worth the price of the book alone. While sifting through the first several chapters may seem tedious with all the statistics and frustrating (but enlightening) quotes from teens, the Conclusion pulls together the hard work of the authors. The reader is left with much to ponder. Parents are reminded that the role they play in the faith formation of their child is real and intense, for better – and for worse. The authors also remind the church that the message she conveys is vital as well. They admonish the church to “better attend to their faith particularities,” as well as observing the trend “that many youths, and no doubt adults, are getting the wrong messages that historical faith traditions do not matter, that all religious beliefs are basically alike, that no faith tradition possesses anything that anybody particularly needs.”

Confessional Lutherans need to read this book. Although it is primarily a work of “sociology” and not of “theology”, it outlines the battlefield that exists in the church today. Through the muck and the mire that is “American religious and spiritual life”, Lutherans hold up the “Light of the World,” which is the clear articulation of the Gospel: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for fallen man. Soul Searching is a perfect reminder that all disciples are made by baptizing AND teaching.

by Karen Gabriel

God changes your vocation. God gives you meaningful employment. God gives you employers and other authorities at work. God gives you governmental authorities. God gives you parents. God gives you a family, spouse, children.

How different are these statements then what is typically heard! “I moved over to this new company last June.” “I finished law school three years ago and joined this firm.” “I met my wife and married her three years ago last June.” “My husband and I have two sons and a daughter.” None of those statements are totally untrue – and most are not said maliciously. Yet is it not funny how the first words out of our mouth when we speak of all of our daily vocations usually starts with the first person singular or plural subject?

I even find myself speaking the same way – “I began studying for the Office of the Holy Ministry four years ago last June.” “We moved to Fort Wayne in 2003 to begin my seminary education.” “I was ordained this past June.”

God is supposed to be the subject of these sentences. He gives us all things. I am therefore slightly off base, although perhaps without intending great and mortal sin. The better way to speak of my recent history: God blessed me by allowing me to begin studying for the Office of the Holy Ministry in June of 2003. Before that, God blessed me with a beautiful and supportive wife in 1999, and God blessed us with the gift of a healthy son in October, 2002.

Since then, God allowed me to complete study at the Seminary, graduate, and has blessed me with a call to be the Associate Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Plano, Texas. Even better, God consecrated and ordained me into the Office of the Holy Ministry here at Faith on June 24, 2007, the Festival of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. What a gift! What a privilege! God uses a poor, miserable sinner like me to preach and teach His Word, bring His Absolution and peace to His people, feed them with His Body and Blood, wash them with His Baptismal flood.

But you know, even before God granted all these things, He had given me some wonderful vocations. He gave me the vocation of being a dutiful son to caring and loving parents. He gave me to be a loyal brother to two siblings. He gave me the vocation of husband and father. He gave me the vocation of hard-working student in elementary, high school, and college. He gave me the vocation of being a responsible, single adult who was continually gathered around His Word and Sacraments before I was blessed with marriage. After college, He provided for my daily bread by giving me the vocation of Chemist and later a junior-level manager at the same company. In that company, God gave me many opportunities to share the Gospel news of Jesus Christ with colleagues who needed to hear it – in particular a lapsed Mormon and some nominal Moslems come to mind. Because of God blessing me with meaningful employment, He allowed me to be able to support the work of spreading the Gospel to my neighbors through the work of my home congregation and through the Church at large.

Then, God used my dear Pastor in Christ to give me a “kick in the pants.” “You know,” he said quite innocently one day, “you enjoy talking theology and liturgy with me. You enjoy teaching Sunday school. I think you ought to consider the Holy Ministry. I think you have the heart for it.” That’s what it took. A small encouragement, and prayerfully, listening to God’s Word – God changed my vocation, especially in employment terms (!), yet still blesses me with many of those other vocations as well. Notably, God has blessed my wife, son, and I with the birth and Baptism of a second son this summer.

“Do not be anxious” for today or tomorrow, Jesus says. God has promised and given all things to us in our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that all of us continue to recognize and give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the blessings He gives us on account of His Son, no matter what vocations He has ordained to give us. Know God does not give a vocation that you cannot truly handle, because He promises to carry your burdens. Know God can and does keep you safe and secure for this life and the eternal life to come through His pure and no-strings-attached love for us – including His Word and Sacraments, including the employment, authorities, parents, family, pastors, and fellow Christians that He blesses us all with.

Evening and morning, sunset and dawning,
Wealth, peace, and gladness, comfort in sadness:
These are Thy works; all the glory be Thine!
Times without number, awake or in slumber,
Thine eye observes us, from danger preserves us,
Causing Thy mercy upon us to shine.
–   Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676, Evening and Morning, LSB #726

by the Rev. Jacob Sutton

Friendship is a good place to begin, with its shared interests, common values, and mutual pursuits. In close friendships between young men and women, there will almost always be a certain tension, due to the natural attraction of the sexes for each other. Great care must be taken to avoid the breaking of that tension with sin. Alternatively, the tension may also be “broken” in a positive and wholesome way, by leading to something more than friendship. When there are not only those shared interests in other things but in each other. When there develops a back-and-forth between walking side-by-side and turning toward each other, face-to-face. “Twitterpation” cannot sustain a permanent relationship or life together, but it does have its place in this dance of love. There ought to be a joy and delight in each other, which is not driven by lust or perversion, but by the goodness of God’s creation.

It is not only at that point but especially then, that a young man or woman (of whatever age) ought to be seeking the counsel and advice of father and mother and other authorities, such as pastors and teachers, in particular. Holy Scripture does not tell you whom to date, nor whom to marry, but the Lord does command you to honor your father and mother. It is mainly through your parents that He guides and directs your life, especially from childhood into adulthood. Besides, there is no one who knows you better, and no one on earth who loves and cares about you more. Similarly, your pastors and teachers know you well and have your best interests at heart. Your pastor is called and ordained by God to shepherd you with His Law and Gospel, unto repentant faith in the forgiveness of sins. You shouldn’t proceed with any major decisions in life without relying upon that divine and heavenly wisdom!

Fathers and mothers already ought to be involved in approving their children’s circle of friends. All the more should they be consulted when one of those friends is becoming something more than a friend. Hormones, especially under the curse of sin, are powerful and persuasive, and lust has a crafty way of masquerading as love. Young men and women should not rely upon their feelings and emotions to determine whether a particular girlfriend or boyfriend is a meet, right and salutary one. Hard as it may be to accept, when Mom and Dad (or pastors or teachers) are skeptical and apprehensive about a relationship, then it’s probably not one to pursue. Caution needs to be exercised, at any rate, and regular counsel sought at every step along the way.

Where a good friendship between a boy and a girl does transition into a romantic relationship, that will be a terrifically exciting time. But the thrilling fun of dating should not be perpetuated for its own sake, nor allowed to go on and on without any guidance or direction. This stage in a relationship is really a testing of whether these two friends may become husband and wife. If it becomes clear that marriage would be unwise or out of the question, then romantic dating ought to stop, and perhaps a normal friendship in the company of other friends may be resumed. But if the relationship continues in a positive and healthy direction, with the blessing and approval of parents and other authorities, then the couple ought to be thinking and planning toward marriage. Long-term dating relationships are simply too subject to abuse. Engagements, too, should only be as long as necessary to make arrangements for marriage, including pre-marital pastoral care. There may be all sorts of exceptional circumstances, but I’m referring here to things in general. The bottom line is to honor the Word of God and obey the Fourth Commandment, that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

It may sound crazy to 21st-century ears, but maybe the arranged marriages of the past weren’t such a bad idea. Americans are frankly too hung up on romance. Romance is fine and good, but it doesn’t make or sustain a marriage. It is the love of Christ for His Church, and the faith and love of the Church for Him, that teach and equip husbands and wives to love and serve each other. The true love that makes for a good marriage is chiefly the love of self-sacrifice and free forgiveness, for Jesus’ sake. It is a commitment to do the right thing, even when you don’t feel like it. Often as not, the romantic love of a husband and wife will wax and wane over the course of time, as the years go by. Fireworks come and go, like holidays, but there grows and develops the satisfying substance and stability of a shared life, home and family.

by The Rev. Rick Stuckwisch

As a campus pastor I’ve talked with many a parent terrified of sending their pride and joy off to college, where opportunity to exercise new-found freedom is around every corner. If your parents went to college, chances are they remember the atmosphere pretty well. Perhaps they managed to get through it with their faith intact, or were part of the majority who forsook church during their twenties, and then realized the need to return once they became new parents. I, too, remember the free-wheeling world of college life. So please understand if your parents exhibit fear. It is natural—and well founded.

My experience was not too different from today. We didn’t have ipods, computers, cell phones, texting, or Facebook. But there are still plenty of common denominators: freedom, sex, drugs, and alcohol. All those good and great things that were missing in my day make it even easier to get into all those dangers in common with today.

As a freshman at a large state university, I felt I was walking into a den of iniquity. I was one of three people on a floor of fifty who regularly attended church. My particular floor was known across campus as being wild. All I had to say to an acquaintance was “I live on the fifth floor of West Akers,” and their eyes would grow wide with wonder.

But I emerged with my faith intact, and you can too, despite modern conveniences that make getting into trouble so much easier. It’s not likely that you’re going to go through four years without any bumps and bruises, but there is tremendous help available on many college campuses, both secular and “religious.”Real help and comfort can be found in the place where God’s Word is preached and His Sacraments are faithfully administered through LCMS campus ministries.

Campus ministry settings vary across the country. Some are congregations that serve both the resident community and the college campus, called “town & gown” congregations. There you’ll see ages from pre-school to elderly. There is usually an associate pastor, vicar, deaconess, or DCE who works full or part-time with students.

Others are made up almost entirely of students. These are often stand-alone churches either on, or within walking distance to campus.  The pastor’s full-time responsibility is to serve students. Usually the only one with a little gray hair is the pastor! The congregational leadership is mostly students. Some campus ministries offer housing in some type of student center in exchange for being hosts or care-takers. There are sometimes other part-time or volunteer staff people who work with international student outreach.

Even when there is no congregation nearby that engages in full-time or part-time campus ministry, there is usually a “town” congregation that will bend over backwards to make sure you have the opportunity to receive the Word and Sacrament. Some congregations even “adopt” Lutheran students, and transport them to Divine Service, or take them to enjoy a nice dinner. These are called “campus contact” congregations.

I know you’ve heard this before, but success in many areas of life comes down to making choices. If you as an ambitious freshman seek to make your college years a positive and productive experience, there is no better choice to make than finding the nearest Lutheran campus ministry and becoming a part of it! It won’t count that your roommate is Lutheran (or Baptist, etc.), thinking that discussions about faith with him or her can substitute for the gifts given in the Body and Blood of Christ. These gifts are meant for you to receive regularly, not just to discuss or think about or remember!

Students give lots of reasons for staying away from the gifts of the Means of Grace in college. Here are some of the most common ones I hear as a Campus Pastor:

1) The feeling that Sunday morning is “my time”, and during “my time” I choose

to sleep.

2) This attitude: “Since I’ve been good all my life and gone to

church, Sunday School, youth group, and even parochial school, I can now

experience the world and leave my childhood behind”.

3) Doubts about whether God is real, given the state of the world and the

contempt that very smart professors heap upon Christianity.

4) Involvement in seemingly innocent “non-denominational” small-group Bible

studies or big outreach gatherings becomes a substitute “Church”.

5) The fear that one’s studies are so demanding that one or two hours of weekly

church involvement isn’t possible.

6) Fear of attending Divine Services on Sunday alone.

7) The campus ministry just isn’t the same as church at home.

So what does involvement in a Lutheran campus ministry bring to four years of college life? Namely, preaching and teaching that doesn’t blur God’s law and Gospel, and the receiving of life, salvation and the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. It brings sound Biblical teaching, usually from someone thoroughly trained and holding a degree that included Biblical studies and languages (as opposed to the “grab bag” of teaching in non-denominational campus groups that almost always contradicts what Lutherans have learned in their Small Catechisms). It brings confession and absolution for the sins that weigh heavily upon a student’s conscience.

It also brings many “intangibles”, such as Christian friends to support and encourage you in the ups and downs of campus life, an oasis of sanity and clarity in the midst of philosophical, social, or scientific confusion. Campus ministry provides a place to pursue your vocation grounded in God’s Word, using your gifts in arts and letters, science, or athletics to communicate your witness to the world. You can sing in the choir, play an instrument, or put what you’re learning in accounting class to use as the financial secretary.

Does going to college automatically mean losing your faith? Absolutely not! I receive much welcomed affirmation of this in e-mails from students spread across the world. They most often end with a thought similar to Melissa, who attended college here where I am a Campus Pastor: “Going to University Lutheran was the best thing I ever did in college. What I learned was better than any class I ever took, better than any book I read.”

by The Rev. Richard Woelmer