Category: Current Events

By Pr. Eric Brown

I woke up this morning to more reports of violence. More terrorism over the weekend, another mass shooting, places still devastated by natural disasters. Seems to be what we wake up to entirely too often. And so the question seems to be how do we as Christians react, respond to these tragedies – and I don’t mean here in terms of our charity or our giving. Yes, of course, go love your neighbor and help those who are suffering – but how do we approach this violence, how to we understand it as Christians?

The world responds to violence in a horrible way. I sat watching my news feed as bits and pieces of information came in – and everyone was just waiting for the political spin. Please don’t let the shooter be one of “us” – let him be one of “them” so we can talk about how they are dangerous and need to be stopped. The vultures were hovering waiting to toss out blame, waiting to rile up anger. There’s a tragedy – so do we get to attack today or are we going to be attacked?

Of course this is the way the world works. The world loves anger, loves a “good” fight to prove that we’re “right”. That’s the way it was in Jesus’ day. When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He weeps. He cries out, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Lk 19:43) Isn’t that what we see today? Peace is far from anyone’s mind – there’s been tragedy and instead of rushing to provide peace, we end up getting prepared for the next round of spin the blame wars that are sure to come. No peace, no real longing for peace – just people waiting for the chance to use tragedy to argue about how they were right and the other person was wrong and dangerous. No peace.

The very same Jesus who weeps is Himself the One who makes for peace, true and lasting peace. He is the One who goes to the Cross and dies for peace. He is the One who rises and appears to the disciples and speaks to them over and over again, “Peace be with you.” He is the one who come to you in bread and wine so that the Peace of the Lord would be with you always.

Always. Even when the news feed is full of shouts of angry shouts of blame. Even when there’s tragedy and disaster, one after another. And when they show up again, we in Christ need not try to pin the blame on our enemies. We know the root blame of tragedy and disaster. Jesus has taught us. When we see tragedies in the world, they remind us of sin – our own sin, our own need to repent (Lk 13:1-5). When we see “wars and rumors of war… famines and earthquakes” (Mt 24:6-7) and all sorts of troubles, these are reminders that Jesus will come to deliver us from this evil.

Whatever you see on the news, whatever bile you see people slinging at each other, the fact remains that Jesus has come and has made true peace. He has died and He has risen for you. He’s died for the sins of the whole world – even for the sins of the wicked, even for the sins of the suffering, even for the casters of blame. He’s died and risen even for the angry, the hurt, and the confused. He has died and risen for you, and He speaks His Word of peace to you over and over again in His Church so that you would know His peace, the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Yes, there is darkness in the world. You’ll see that darkness as long as you live. You’ll be tempted to jump on in and toss your own darkness into the mix and throw shade at your enemies. But here is the greater truth: Christ Jesus has forgiven you all your sin and called you out of this darkness into His marvelous light. In Christ Jesus, you have life and light always – no matter what comes down the pike, no matter what people say. He is your life and your light, and He always will be for you are His and He is yours.

How do we as Christians make sense of tragedy? We remember our Lord who suffered Himself upon the Cross to rescue us from all sin and evil, who rose to give us life everlasting. This is ever our hope, no matter what we wake up to.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

In light of recent events in South Texas (where I live), I thought this would be the perfect subject to start off with. The hurricane was devastating and destroyed countless homes and hurt more people than we could ever imagine. When we were all catching cabin fever by day four everyone was ready to get out and help. Help by making food, donating supplies, gutting houses, and so many other things. Something I noticed was all of the college-aged students showing off the way they helped and then sticking some random bible verse on it about how they were doing it for God and that since they volunteered God had their back next time.

That’s just not how it works, folks. Who are we really trying to impress? God or our friends? Our friends are the ones commenting on our Instagram post and replying to our Snapchat story. Of course, it’s great to get out and help our neighbor. I mean, “Love thy neighbor as thy self” and what not. However, when that’s the case, we probably are not doing it to help our neighbor, especially if we are searching for praise afterward. The only thing we are doing then is trying to convince everyone else we are better than them. This is more than just the whole Harvey Fiasco this is something we as sinners do daily.

It’s fun to get involved in an organization, and obviously advertising things we do is a way to get others to join whatever it is your organization does. However, if we are simply joining an organization to try to show everyone how awesome we are, and how great all of these things we are doing are, we’re not doing it as a work of the Holy Spirit, but to boost the way we appear to others. Maybe we think if we go out and join an organization dedicated to serving others God will help us out. But, God does not have our back here and there, He has our back every moment of every day. It’s simple, look at the word, God does not say, “Do good things and then I’ll help you.” No. Our sanctification is done. We are on a path that God leads us down. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. [Psalm 119:105] We as sinners constantly veer off this path and God as our Shepherd guides us back. He is ever-present and unfailing. He sent His Son to die for us and rise again. He is our Salvation. We are baptized and it is done because of the death and resurrection of Christ on the cross.

Our works are done by the Holy Spirit within us. We do good things because we are guided to good works by God, not because it saves us a little more. Christ will do the work within and through us. We do not boast then in the good we do but we are humbled and lead forward continuously by our Heavenly Father so that we may help and love our neighbor.

By Pastor David Vandercook

The mission of Higher Things is to assist parents, pastors, and congregations in cultivating a distinctly Lutheran identity among their youth and young adults. As a pastor who’s brought groups to Higher Things Conferences for the past five years, I can say with confidence that this is precisely what happens at Higher Things Conferences each summer. This summer, as we anticipate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, the theme “Here I Stand” was especially appropriate.

At Higher Things, when it’s time for worship, we worship. Each time the opening Divine Service begins for a Higher Things Conference, I’m taken aback by the sheer volume of the singing, as 300+ voices are joined together. What is sung is nothing other than the hymns and the liturgy of our church. There are hymns from throughout history that deliver to us Jesus, who lived and died for us that we might have life in His name. This continues through all the services: Matins each morning, Vespers each afternoon, Evening Prayer each evening, Compline before lights-out each night, and the closing Divine Service on Friday afternoon before everyone goes home. All of these services (taken directly from the hymnal, by the way) deliver to us the goods of the cross—the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation—through the proclamation of the Word, faithful Law-Gospel preaching, Holy Absolution, and the giving and receiving of the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Likewise, when it’s time to learn, we learn. In the first half of the Conference, our plenary sessions went through a timeline of history that stretched from the birth of Christ to today. Dr. Carl Fickenscher showed how significant the Lutheran Reformation was, even though it only consisted of 50 or so years on a timeline that stretches for over 2,000 years. It was made clear that the story of Martin Luther and the Reformation was not just all about Luther, but rather it is a story about Jesus. It is about how the gifts that Jesus won on the cross make it all the way to us here in 2017. During the second half of the Conference, Pastor Aaron Fenker took us through the four “Solas” (Christ Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone) of the Reformation. We were reminded that Christ saved us by grace alone through faith alone in Him alone, and that all of this is revealed to us in Scripture alone.

Then there are the breakout sessions. These offered a wide variety of opportunities to learn about just about every topic under the sun. What do you want to learn about? Want to hear about God’s Word says about things like dating, marriage, homosexuality, and women’s roles in the church? Want to learn about exorcisms in the Lutheran church or more about Luther’s teaching on vocation? Want to learn about what other religious groups like Mormons, Mennonites, and the Amish believe? How about learning about the history or structure of the Lutheran liturgy or learning a bit about playing the pipe organ? Higher Things has it all covered. I think the most difficult thing that many of my kids had to do during the course of the Conference was make some tough decisions about which sectionals they would attend! While the conferences are for youth, adults would and do find themselves right at home in these, too.

Finally, when it’s time to play, we play. While the schedule each day is rigorous, there’s also time to play at Higher Things. Each evening provided something for everyone. Some participated in the Medieval Fashion Show, the chant-off, or the talent show. Others played board or card games. Still others had the opportunity to play basketball, volleyball, nine square in the air, or archery tag. We were even treated to a fireworks show in Mars Hill on Independence Day.

Higher Things is like all other youth events in that it does all the same things that any youth event does: it allows for fellowship between youth. A Higher Things Conference provides youth with the opportunity to meet new people and to have fun. The congregations that I serve are small and located in areas where there very few Lutherans around in general. It’s always good for the youth I bring to see that they are not alone in this world. Here is where the similarities end, really.

With Higher Things, there is so much more than that. Higher Things conferences do exactly what they say they do. It is unapologetically Lutheran. It doesn’t just tell kids that they are Lutherans. It teaches kids what it means to be Lutheran. And most importantly, it teaches why it matters to stay a Lutheran.

Pastor Vandercook serves Shepherd of Peace Lutheran Church in Maumelle, AR, and Trinity Lutheran Church in North Little Rock, AR.

By Monica Berndt

College campuses and Christianity are not two words I would put together very often. With our society increasingly moving towards ‘post-truth’ where no one can state objective truths, Christians are often left out of the conversation. This is especially true on college campuses across the country. But, thinking that there is no such thing as truth undermines everything we believe as Lutherans. It can be frustrating to attempt conversation with someone who does not respect your point of view. It can also be difficult to find other Christians who can help balance out this thinking. However, there are still ways to remain a Confessional Lutheran on campus and not feel overwhelmed.

1. Find a church where Christ is preached and the Sacraments properly administered. This is perhaps the single most important thing you can do while in school. Nothing else can replace physically sitting in church, hearing the Word preached, and receiving God’s forgiveness through the sacraments every single Sunday morning. Church is one of God’s greatest gifts to His people. He gives it precisely because He knows we need that time to focus on the Word. No matter what you faced during the week, whether it’s midterms, or homesickness, or difficulties with friends, Jesus is there specifically for us every Sunday offering forgiveness and grace “for you”!
2. Make some friends at this new church. Befriend the couple who sits in front of you, or the other college kids at the church. Not only will you have someone to talk to on Sunday mornings, you’ll also have someone who will hold you accountable to coming every week. You will also get the chance to talk about struggles or grievances with someone who shares your worldview. Hopefully, you can meet someone who understands the struggles of living as a Christian on campus and who can help you if things become difficult.
3. Read/ listen to some good theology. Don’t let the mountain of required reading drown out your need to read the Bible, Book of Concord, and Lutheran theology. If you prefer podcasts, find one and try to listen once or twice a week. Consistently exposing yourself to theology will help counterbalance the wave of progressive ideology that you will encounter on college campuses, and will also help you approach issues or discussions that come up in your day to day activities.

In one way or another, college is tough and there’s no easy way around that. However, no matter what happens you will always have the promises and the grace of Jesus Christ available to you through His Word and Sacraments. They will always be there- given for you.

Monica Berndt attends the University of Washington in Seattle where she studies history and music education.

By Ann Osburn

Oaths. Traditions. Formalities. Ceremonies. Parades.

Today we witnessed a new president taking the oath of office, and the peaceful transition between two presidents, two vice-presidents, and two political parties.

Maybe you aren’t old enough to vote yet. But perhaps you have political leanings already—whether you think along Democrat, Independent, or Republican lines, you were able to watch history in the making today. It’s only happened 45 times, after all.

Did you notice the ceremony today? Without going into too many specifics, it began with an invocation and closed with a benediction. The House and Senate chaplains prayed before and after the inaugural luncheon in the Capitol. The name of God was definitely invoked several times.

It’s important to maintain some church and state separation, and it’s prudent for us to be responsible citizens in both realms. Just as we take the time to learn the Ten Commandments and God’s Word, we should also read how the United States Constitution establishes the executive branch and learn how the Bill of Rights safeguards our freedom of religion, right to vote, and reserves rights to the states and people.

As this day comes to a close, what really changed at noon today? Emotions may have run high as you watched a helicopter take a former president away, heard about rioters, and saw a motorcade with significant security escort families who walked together and waved to onlookers. As easy as it can be to come down on one side of the fence or the other, our places in life remain largely unchanged.

Let’s get a little perspective from the Small Catechism’s Table of Duties:

Of Civil Government:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (Romans 13:1)

Of Citizens:
It is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. (Romans 13:5-6)

So, we continue to respect governing authorities, pray for our president and leaders, and love and serve our neighbors.

A lot of people fulfilling their vocations made today’s events possible: law enforcement, moving teams, members of the military, pilots, chefs, elected officials, cleaning crews, photographers, and more. Whether they recognized it or not, all were using their God-given talents to ensure the day and this time of transition of responsibility went as smoothly as possible.

We are blessed to live in this country, where we can celebrate inaugurations with all the oaths, traditions, formalities, ceremonies, and parades, as one nation under God.

It’s a good time to pray for our nation (LSB page 313):

Almighty God, You have given us this good land as our heritage. Grant that we remember Your generosity and constantly do Your will. Bless our land with honest industry, truthful education, and an honorable way of life. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil course of action. Grant that we, who came from many nations with many different languages, may become a united people. Support us in defending our liberties, and give those to whom we have entrusted the authority of government the spirit of wisdom, that there may be justice and peace in our land. When times are prosperous, may our hearts be thankful, and in troubled times do not let our trust in You fail; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Ann Osburn has Political Science, Public Relations, and Education majors, and serves as the Marketing Executive for Higher Things.

By Rev. Donavon Riley

The “Hallel Psalms” or, “Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving” have been used for thousands of years as a special prayer by observant Jews. On holidays the Jewish faithful recite, verbatim, from Psalms 113-118, which are used for praise and thanksgiving.

In the congregation that I serve, we use the Hallel Psalms in a similar way. Every year, on Thanksgiving Day, we gather in the morning before tables are set, furniture is rearranged, and pies are baked, to praise and offer thanks to our heavenly Father, the Giver of every good gift. We read the Thanksgiving Psalms responsively, not just to offer thanks for material, earthly gifts, but especially for the gifts of salvation that enlighten us so that we may see all things as gift from God.

The Hallel Psalms point us to Jesus and the fact that nobody can hope to live by bread alone. Instead, Christians confess that as Jesus teaches, we “live by every word that comes from God’s mouth.” Psalms 113-118 remind us that even though Thanksgiving is a cultural holiday—the one day of the year set aside for people to specifically “give thanks” for family, friends, and so on—for Christians, every day is “Thanksgiving Day.” Every day we’re turned toward Calvary’s cross, toward Jesus crucified for us. Sin? Forgiven. Death? Jesus knocked out its teeth. Satan? Powerless before the Name of Christ. Every day for Christians is a celebration of Jesus’ victory over all the powers that crush and kill us. Every day opens up to us the truth about the source of every good gift, in this life and life hereafter.

So, before we sit down for turkey and gravy, cranberries and stuffing, and all those delicious pies, we acknowledge to God and one another that on account of Jesus’ bloody suffering and death for us that we’re free to sit and eat and rejoice in earthly gifts, and even the lack of earthly things. Jesus sets us free to be people of God—baptized children of the Father, who receive every day as free gift and “all the fullness therein.”

This year, then, maybe before the first guests arrive or while you’re on your way to whomever is hosting the Thanksgiving meal, check out Psalms 113-118: the Hallel Psalms, the Psalms of praise and thanksgiving. And give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His faithful, lovingkindness for you endures forever. Amen.

Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota. He is also the online content manager for Higher Things.

Rev. Eric Brown

Before we think a bit about politics and such, let’s just review the First Commandment. You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust God above all things. With this, we as Lutherans have our working definition of what an idol is. An idol isn’t just something false that you worship or set up a shrine to—it is anything that you fear, love, or trust above God.

Politics is full of idols. This year has been an especially wild and surprising election season. If you were watching election returns come in or scrolling through social media and seeing reactions, you saw a lot of fear, a lot of love, a lot of trust. Wild emotions raged all over the place. In reality, what you saw was a lot of idols being revealed. Possibly some of your own idols were revealed, too.

Politics so often touches upon that First Commandment because we think it’s the way in which we get to control things, the way in which we get to make things work the way we want them to work. We trust in our candidate while we fear the other candidate, and we think everything hinges upon whether or not we get our way.

Over and against this sort of thinking, the Lutheran Church has taught the idea of the Two Kingdoms: that there is a kingdom of the left which deals with laws and temporal lives, and that there is a kingdom of the right which proclaims the Gospel, forgiveness, and faith. However, this is NOT the modern American idea of the separation of church and state. The Lutheran point is that God Himself rules in BOTH these ways and that God is truly in charge of both kingdoms. God is in charge, not us. This is true whether we’re voters in a democracy or rulers ourselves.

Proverbs 29:26 reminds us of this truth: “Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.” This is why Luther writes the following to the German princes in his great essay “To the German Nobility”:

The first and most important thing to do in this matter is to prepare ourselves in all seriousness. We must not start something by trusting in great power or human reason, even if all the power in the world were ours. For God cannot and will not suffer that a good work begin by relying upon one’s own power and reason. He dashes such works to the ground, they do no good at all. As it says in Psalm 33[:16], “No king is saved by his great might and no lord is saved by the greatness of his strength.” (LW 44:124)

We are taught and reminded at all times, no matter what we see, no matter what we think we can or cannot accomplish, God is still in control over this world. Ours is not the might; God is the mighty one.

So, whatever your thoughts or reactions to this election happen to be, flee from idols. Rather, remember that God rules this world, but also that He has won for you abundant salvation in Christ Jesus, and that the day will come when you will see the Lamb upon His eternal throne. Until then, we in the Church will continue to do what we have long done—gather together and pray for our rulers, whether we think them good or bad. Then we will join in and pray as our Lord has taught us “Thy kingdom come.”

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois.

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard

The dust has begun to settle on Election Day 2016. Your preferred candidate may or may not have emerged victorious. You may be elated or depressed. You may not care at all. But regardless of your political leaning, if you’re a Christian you will certainly be praying these words: “Thy kingdom come.” The holy Christian Church throughout the world raises this petition on a daily basis. But what is meant by God’s kingdom?

“Answer: ‘Nothing other than what we learned in the Creed: God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, into the world to redeem and deliver us from the devil’s power. He sent Him to bring us to Himself and to govern us as a King of righteousness, life, and salvation against sin, death, and an evil conscience. For this reason He has also given His Holy Spirit, who is to bring these things home to us by His holy Word and to illumine and strengthen us in the faith by His power” (Large Catechism III.51).

Some people think that the kingdom of God comes with a political victory. Others may be certain that it’s the kingdom of the devil with a political loss. But the reality is that it’s neither. “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,” says Jesus, “nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21 ESV). God’s kingdom is not the result of elections, nor is it constrained by political parties or geographic borders. God’s kingdom is wherever God is active in His righteous reign, giving life and salvation. It doesn’t matter who’s king, or president, or congressman, or dictator here on earth.

On Tuesday, America elected the equivalent of a crust of bread. Bread is necessary for life, but it also perishes and fails to deliver eternal life. Good government is simply part of daily bread (for which we also pray!). But we should always remember that it and its officers are a temporal and perishable good.

God’s kingdom is something altogether different. “From this you see that we do not pray here for a crust of bread or a temporal, perishable good. Instead, we pray for an eternal inestimable treasure and everything that God Himself possesses. This is far too great for any human heart to think about desiring, if God had not Himself commanded us to pray for the same. But because He is God, He also claims the honor of giving much more and more abundantly than anyone can understand. He is like an eternal, unfailing fountain. The more it pours forth and overflows, the more it continues to give. God desires nothing more seriously from us than that we ask Him for much and great things” (Large Catechism III.55-56).

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO.

Rev. Brady Finnern

On October 31, we celebrate the 499th year of the Reformation. The question arises, as we will surely have many festivities this next year to celebrate the 500th year—why such a big fuss? Does the Reformation have any impact on us today? I would argue it does still have an impact because of how we use one simple word: but.

I have listened to countless sermons where, at first, it seems as though you are hearing the pure Gospel. The preacher will say wonderful words of God’s unconditional grace: “Christ has taken all of your sins,” “He gives You His full forgiveness,” and “By His wounds you are healed.” When the preacher is toward the end of the sermon, he looks like he will finish with a hearty, joy filled, comforting Amen. However, almost out of nowhere comes the word but. It hits your ears like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. “But you must receive Him as Lord and Savior” or “But you have to make this faith personal” or my favorite “But God has faith in you to do your part.” To add a but statement is not Gospel. This is essentially the same issue that Martin Luther had to fight in the 16th century. If we add anything to the cross, we make the cross only partly effective, and in essence, null and void.

I have also heard this kind of talk within our own churches and, to be honest, in my own heart. We baptize a baby and remind people of the promise, “Baptism now saves you.” In the background, you can almost hear people whispering to one another, “But… do they really understand?” Or when the pastor stands up and says, “By Christ’s authority, I forgive you all your sins…” and people say in their hearts, “But… what if they haven’t truly repented?” Or we give the blessing after communion, “Go in His peace, you are forgiven” and quietly people look at others and wonder “But…it doesn’t look like they take their faith seriously.”

The but instead of the Amen is the reason why the Reformation still matters 499 years after Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis. The central doctrine of the Christian faith, which made the Reformation a seismic event in history, is justification. Justification calls us to not put a but where there should be an Amen. We do not need to add to God’s work, for Christ, crucified and risen, has done it all. As the Augsburg Confession states, “Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith…” Augsburg Confession, Article IV. We stand on the truth proclaimed during the Reformation and cling to promises of Christ—no ifs, ands, or buts!

Rev. Brady Finnern is pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church, Sartell, Minnesota.