Brazil | The Apostles’ Creed | Keeping Christ in Christmas

Christmas joyThe story of Christ’s birth fills our hearts with joy. Page 10

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FEATURES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Shout for joyAt Christmas, happy hearts break into song! Daniel A. Witte

Transforming youth ministryBuilding strong foundations for families ultimately impacts youth.Alicia A. Neumann

Confessions of faithAfter attending Mornings with Mommysessions, a family finds joining a churchbody to be a smooth transition.Rachel Hartman

Heart to heart: Parent conversationsHow can we help our family stay focusedon Christ this Christmas?

Open your CatechismThe Apostles’ Creed was used by Chris-tians already in the second century. Is it still important, or is it obsolete?John A. Braun

Mission stories: BrazilBeth Flunker

Hope for the hopelessNo matter what situation you are facing,your Savior offers hope and comfort.Rachel Olson

The key to setting us freeChristmas means freedom for the prisoners caught in Satan’s trap.Joel C. Gerlach

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCKDecember 2016 3

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VOLUME 103, NUMBER 12

IN EVERY ISSUE

May the L OR D our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. — 1 KINGS 8:57

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FeedbackReaders share their opinions

DevotionTraditions with purpose

From the president’s deskFree to proclaim Christ

Light for our pathDate of Christmas celebrations

Teen talkWhere do you find happiness?

Bulletin boardAnnouncements from around the synod

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NewsWhat’s happening in WELS

Editorial commentToo much Christmas?

Bible studyThe ripple effect: Rhoda

A thoughtA beautiful Bible teaching

Interactive Bible studyWhat it means to be truly Lutheran: Original sin

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EDITORIAL OFFICE

Forward in Christ magazineWELS Communication ServicesN16W23377 Stone Ridge DrWaukesha WI 53188-1108Phone: 414-256-3210E-mail: fic@wels.netwels.net/forwardinchrist

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Rev. John A. Braun braunj@nph.wels.net

MANAGING EDITOR

Julie K. Wietzkejulie.wietzke@wels.net

STAFF WRITER

Nicole R. Balzanicole.balza@wels.net

SEMINARY CONSULTANT

Prof. Bill Tackmier

ART DIRECTOR

Karen Knutson

DESIGNER

Carianne Ciriacks

COPYRIGHT

©2016 by Forward in Christ. Printed in the USA. Forward in Christ grantspermission for any original article (not a reprint) to be photocopied for use in a WELS church, school, or organization,provided that copies are distributedfree and indicate Forward in Christ asthe source. Artwork may not be repro-duced except in the context of its article. For other copyright questions,contact Kristine Laufer, 414-615-5706;lauferk@nph.wels.net.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwiseindicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE,NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copy-right ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan.All rights reserved worldwide.

POSTMASTER

Send address changes to Forward in Christ,c/o Northwestern Publishing House, 1250N 113 St, Milwaukee WI 53226-3284.

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COVER PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

WHAT’S INSIDEWhile the title wording says, “Christmas joy,” Christmas is not a happy time for every-one. But even when worldly fears and problems plague us, we can be joyful—especiallyat Christmastime.• In his devotion, Pastor Joel Seifert discusses what it means that God sent his Son to

live among us. Jesus’ life wasn’t always happy and idyllic. He lived in a sinful worldjust like we do, but he still let his love show (p. 7).

• Our cover story explores the ancient predecessor to the famous Christmas hymn“Joy to the World,” a psalm that reminds us of the wonders of God’s love for his people throughout this pain-filled world (p. 10).

• Mira, a member of the Brazilian Lutheran Church, has had a hard life. But she is joyfuland says that she has no problems—because she has her Savior. Read more about yoursister in Christ on p. 28.

This year, let your joy in the knowledge of your Savior show. Pastor Seifert tells us oneway we can do this—through prayer for the martyrs and the innocents. Several newsstories also highlight how WELS members are helping others during difficult times in their lives. Don’t miss “Together we can make a difference” (p. 22) and “Helpingcarry one another’s burdens” (p. 24).

Julie Wietzke

6 December 2016

FEEDBACK

EVERY NEIGHBOR, EVERY NATION

How I’ve savored and rejoiced over thebonus Home Mission and World Mis-sion issue of Forward in Christ! It was ajoy praying over every page as I finishedreading each one’s accounts of God’sblessings on and through the Wordwe’re privileged and charged to share.Looking forward to rereading thisspecial issue.

John Keibel Concord, California

Thank you so much for the “Every neigh-bor, every nation” bonus issue of Forwardin Christ. What a treasure to have all thiscurrent mission information in one mag-azine! I remember 60 years ago, when Iwas a child, that World Missions in WELSmeant one country in Africa, Japan, andthe Apache mission in Arizona. To seethe centerfold map highlighting over fourdozen world missions and new worldmission opportunities is staggering anduplifting. See what God has wrought!The Lord is opening the floodgates ofopportunities in the world and in ourcountry and calling us to go. 

Lois Kluender Hartland, Wisconsin

MORE THAN A PREFERENCE

In “Organs or guitars” [Sept.], PastorSamuelson cites the common theory

that people’s reactions to differentstyles of worship are often simply “per-sonal preference.” He then emphasizesthat “the differences go much deeper.”This is very true, but it is also true thatmany reactions labeled mere “personalpreferences” already do go deeper thanthat phrase suggests and thus meritcareful consideration. These concerns are often based on ser-ious factors such as soloists and/orvideos displacing participatory worshipby the singing congregation; the issueof the good or bad “performance” of thesoloist at the mic in front of church soeasily replacing the focus on the mes-sage being presented; the setting andpresentation of worship music resem-bling the secular entertainment industrymore than sacred worship in the houseof the Lord; worship styles geared moretoward people’s perceived tastes thanthe Lord’s revealed nature. Both aspectscan coexist, but when the former seemsto upstage the latter, worshipers—andquite possibly the Holy One we wor-ship—are understandably upset. “The conversation we need to be hav-ing,” as Pastor Samuelson writes, needsto include a close look at factors likethese. True, worship style is an adi-aphoron, but as St. Paul writes on thattopic, “Everything is permissible, butnot everything is helpful . . . builds up”(1 Corinthians 10:23 HCSB).

Jonathan RupprechtMilwaukee, Wisconsin 

I am commenting on this article fromthe standpoint of not only being a mem-ber of a Lutheran congregation all mylife but an organist of over 50 years.(Yes, I am in the category of “GreatAunt Tilly” as mentioned in the article.)Why had our Lutheran church as wellas most other Christian churches usedthe organ at our services? . . . Might itbe because it not only leads but sup-ports congregational singing like noother instrument can?It is my hope and prayer that muchconsideration be given before taking

the best instrument for leading andsupporting congregational singingout of our churches.

Shirley SchroederWeston, Wisconsin

CHRISTIAN ROOTS

I was surprised that Pastor Schroerforgot the Hussite church when heclaimed, “every non-Roman CatholicChristian church . . . can trace its rootsback to the moment Luther’s hammerstruck that nail” [“Happy anniversary!”Oct.]. This in no way takes away from the im-portance and impact of Luther’s act,but it is good to remember God’s Wordhas always motivated some to stand forits truth. It’s not the man that matters;it is God’s Word that will remain to theend. That being said, we celebrate Ref-ormation Day every year at my house. 

Shelly HahmHilton, New York

COVER IMAGE

Why would FIC choose such an unat-tractive cover for this magazine [Oct.]?I would not share this. I like to leave acopy in the doctor’s office or similarplaces, but this one—NO. 

Jean RauchTinley Park, Illinois

Send your letters to Feedback, Forward in Christ,N16W23377 Stone Ridge Dr, Waukesha WI53188; fic@wels.net. Letters between 100 and200 words are preferred. Include full name andaddress. Letters are edited for clarity, conciseness,and relevance. Not all letters received can beacknowledged or used. Writers’ views are notnecessarily those of WELS or Forward in Christ.

CORRECTION

Martin Luther nailed the Ninety-five Theses to the door of the CastleChurch in Wittenberg, not his localparish—St. Mary’s, the state churchfor Wittenberg—as was written inPastor Andrew Schroer’s editorial“Happy anniversary!” [Oct.]. Weapologize for the error.

December 2016 7

DEVOTION

In the weeks leading up to Christmas,we light the candles on our Adventwreath as part of our evening devo-tions. Every year my wife warms ham,cheese, and mustard sandwiches inthe oven for us to eat as we open Christ-mas presents after our Christmas Eveservice. On Christmas morning, weput on church clothes one more timeas we go to celebrate the birth of ourKing.Our tradition for Dec. 26 is a littlesimpler: We recover. We hunt downthe last scraps of wrapping paper andthrow them in the recycling bin. Wegraze on leftovers. We call the lovedones we didn’t connect with on Christ-mas Day. We nap.

GOD’S LOVE ENTERED A WORLD OF PAINIt’s so different from what Christ’slife was like after Christmas. I marvelwhenever I read the Spirit’s wordsthrough St. John, “The Word becameflesh and made his dwelling amongus.” I marvel at God’s love in makinghis home among his people.But “among us” doesn’t just meanbeing adored by his loving motherand stepfather and some wonderingshepherds. From the moment of hisfirst breath, Jesus was living in a sin-ful, pain-filled world. Even as a baby,Christ lived the perfect life that wehaven’t lived. As a toddler, he foundhimself on the run when Herod or-dered the murder of the infants ofBethlehem.

WE MINISTER IN THE SAME WORLDIt’s good for us to remember that, because God calls us to serve in thesame world. Christmas doesn’t meanthat everything is perfect and happy.

It means that God’s love is living andactive in a world filled with sin andsorrow. He lived among us. We stilllive here.Maybe some old Christmas traditionscan help us remember that. Threetraditional “minor festivals” fall onthe first three days after Christmas.On Dec. 26, the church remembersStephen, the first martyr of the NewTestament church, stoned for hisfaithful witness to Christ. On Dec.27, we remember the apostle John.After decades of preaching God’slove in Christ, he lived in exile on aprison island. Dec. 28 marks the com-memoration of the “Holy Innocents,”the children of Bethlehem who werekilled in Herod’s mad rage. It seems like such a jarring tradition:Following the joy of Christmas, yousee a world’s evil—and God’s peoplein the middle of it. But it’s good for us to see that.

Celebrate Christmas. Then consider afew “new” post-Christmas traditions.The day after Christmas, set asidesome time to pray for those whoseministry puts them in harm’s way.Pray for your brothers and sistersliving in nations that lock up faithfulChristians. Pray for our world, wheremadmen still rage and hurt people

and where even little children are cutdown without cause. Pray that abor-tion comes to an end, that adoptionsincrease, and that we truly love chil-dren the way God intends.It may seem jarring in the days afterChristmas. After all, aren’t we sup-posed to be focusing on Jesus? Indeed,we are. “The Word became flesh andmade his dwelling among us.”

Contributing editor Joel Seifert is pastor atShining Mountains, Bozeman, Montana.

Traditions with purposeThe Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14Joel C. Seifert

Christmas . . . means that God’s loveis living and active in

a world filled with sin and sorrow.

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8 December 2016

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

It’s a happy day when a couple who hasbeen making mortgage payments foryears is able to make that final pay-ment and “burn the mortgage.” Youngpeople who accumulated thousands ofdollars in student loans look forwardto the day when those loans are com-pletely paid off, freeing precious dol-lars for other important expenses. By January, the synod will be makingits last payment on its capital debt.You may recall that it was in 2008when the synod combined all of itscapital debts into one debt of $22.4million. The decision was made toundertake an effort to retire the debtcompletely by 2018. The effort wasbegun with a special offering in 2008-09 called the “Year of Jubilee Debt Re-tirement Offering.” The people of thesynod gave approximately $5 millionin that initial effort. After that first of-fering was gathered, the plan was putin place to make annual payments of$1.6 million to retire the debt by 2018.In 2015-16, with the end of the debtin sight, a second special offeringcalled “One in Christ” was gatheredfrom individuals and congregations.By last summer, over $2.6 million wasgiven toward debt retirement. Addi-tional gifts were received and regularpayments were made through the endof 2016, enabling us to completelyretire the debt more than one yearahead of schedule.Debt in itself is not a bad thing. It canenable people to buy homes and carswhen they may not be able to makesuch large purchases with cash. It canprovide funds for larger building proj-ects that may not be possible to dowithout borrowing. As long as carefulplans are made to repay a debt, it mayeven be an example of good and faith-ful stewardship of God’s blessings.But in the case of the synod, the debtwe faced was causing us to divert pre-cious resources away from gospel min-

istry. Especially in difficult economictimes such as these, with Congrega-tion Mission Offerings not keepingpace with inflation, it was clear that wewould much rather use our resourcesin maintaining and expanding the mis-sion and ministry we do together as asynod. Thanks to God’s blessings, be-ginning in January 2017, funds used torepay the debt will now become avail-able to support missions, train calledworkers, and assist congregations incarrying out their mission.What a blessing this is! How thankfulwe can be that God has moved thehearts of his people to respond to thischallenge in such a generous and faith-ful way! So we are “burning the synod’s mort-gage.” We will not be celebrating ourown accomplishment, but we will becelebrating the grace of God for giv-ing us his gospel message and for giv-ing us this opportunity to show ourthanks for that message through ourgifts of faith and love.This happy news comes at an impor-tant time, a time when God continuesto place before our synod opportuni-ties to share the gospel with peopleand in places that may have been un-thinkable only a few years ago. Withthat perspective, I hope that the newsof the retirement of the synod debt isnot simply news about money and fi-nances, but a reminder of the privilegeand resources that God continues togive us in carrying out his mission. Inthis case, we do not shout, “We’re debt-free!” Rather, we proclaim, “We’re freeto preach Christ crucified—to as manypeople and in as many places as hegives the opportunity!”

Free to proclaim Christ

Beginning in January 2017,

funds used to repaythe debt will nowbecome available to support mis-

sions, train calledworkers, and assist

congregations.

Light for our path

Anecdotal evidence and congregationalworship service statistics supply cre-dence to your question, so let’s examinethe issues.

A LOST DATEIt does seem unimaginable, but the exactdate of Jesus’ birth is unknown. God cer-tainly had a time in mind for Jesus toenter the world he created, and when thattime had “fully come” (Galatians 4:4), theLord was born of the virgin Mary. Youand I might think that the date of suchan important event would have been writ-ten on a scroll like Job’s words (19:23) orchiseled into tablets like the Lord’s wordsto Habakkuk (2:2). If it was, it did not sur-vive the passing of time. The date ofJesus’ birth escapes our knowledge.

AN ARBITRARY DATESo if we do not know the date of the Lord’sbirth in Bethlehem, how did the earlyChristian church arrive at Dec. 25, as younoted? The answer to that question is notentirely clear. Two theories have long beensuggested. One states that the early Chris-tian church proposed that late Decemberdate to counteract a Roman winter festivalthat promoted immorality. The other the-ory imagines that Jesus was conceived anddied on the same date: March 25. Thatwould make the day of his birth Dec. 25.Neither theory carries much weight by wayof historical evidence and documentation.Because the date of Jesus’ birth is elusive,it comes as no surprise that the Christianchurch does not agree on when to cele-brate it. The Western church opted forDec. 25 as the day of Jesus’ birth, whilethe Eastern half selected Jan. 6. As Christians in the Western church, wehave a church calendar in which Dec. 25has long been designated as the Nativity of our Lord, the festival that celebrates the

birth of Jesus Christ. So why is there somuch emphasis on worship the night be-fore, you ask? Why does Christmas Evesurpass Christmas Day in importancein some people’s minds? I have my ownguesses, but that is all that they are. Iimagine the sentimentality of an oftencandlelit evening service is more appealingto people than another morning service.Family traditions, including get-togethers,can take place on Christmas Day, lead-ing people to gather for worship on theevening before.No doubt there are many other factorsinvolved.

A TIMELESS CELEBRATIONFor me personally, the day the church hasdesignated as the celebration for Jesus’ birthhas more significance than the evening be-fore. Yet I recognize the place of Christianfreedom in this area of life. God has notspoken in his Word about our worshipschedule. We can freely establish liturgicalchurch calendars. Consequently, it is notsurprising to find both Christmas Eve andChristmas Day listed alongside the Nativityof our Lord in liturgical church calendars.Rather than pitting an evening against aday, that dual listing can encourage wor-shipers to attend both Christmas celebra-tions. As with other important events inJesus’ earthly life and ministry , his birthmerits more than a single-day celebration.There is every reason for it to be a time-less celebration.

Contributing editor James Pope, professor at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Min-nesota, is a member at St. John, New Ulm.

James Pope also answers questions online atwels.net/questions. Submit your questionsthere or to fic@wels.net.

QUESTION & ANSWER

Since the early Christian church chose Dec. 25 as the day to celebrate Jesus’ birth, why is there so much emphasis on worship the night before?James F. Pope

December 2016 9ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK10 December 2016

At Christmas,happy hearts

break into song!We are filled withjoy because Jesushas entered ourworld of sorrowand tragedy.

Daniel A. Witte

Psalm 98 encourages us to “Shout forjoy to the LORD, all the earth, burstinto jubilant song with music” (v. 4).Yet such joy often eludes so many.

A WORLD OF SORROWI stumbled onto an 1803 rhyme. At eighteen, Thomas Love Peacockwrote:

“Quickly pass the social glass,Hence with idle sorrow!No delay—enjoy today,Think not of tomorrow!”(from “A Glee”)

I happened on those words the day I learned that a friend I first met whenI was eighteen had just died. Alco-holism. Now comes his family’s firstChristmas without him. Will it bemerry? Would beer give more cheer?

Two weeks after the first horror, apolice chief in a nearby town killedhimself, leaving a wife and two smallchildren.In both cases, what would you offerto help hollow hearts? And what of your deepest 2016 grief,whether secret or stretched wide forall to see? Is joy real at all, in a worldso worldly, in a mess so messed up?If lasting delight does not come froma bottle, where do you get it?AN ANCIENT SONG MADE NEWYet what if we all sang anew an ancientsong that both soothes sorrows anderupts in exuberance? What if that song needed trumpets of more than one kind to make itloud enough? What if God himself

breathed it out? And what if it werethe original “Joy to the World,” wrap-ping God’s praise with the brightestChristmas bow and more?Do you hear what I hear? God put theraucous song right in your Bible—Psalm 98. He intends it to be evernew, despite having lyrics perhapsthree thousand years old. It’s part ofour Christmas every year.“Let the sea resound, and everythingin it” (Psalm 98:7). Think about thefish of the sea singing.In 2014, Nature published a studyon how many fish reside in the globalocean at a depth of 200 to 1,000 me-ters, deeper than fishers can harvestwith nets, down where 95 percent offish biomass might exist.

December 2016 11

Researchers discovered that previousestimates of a billion tons of fishes inthose waters were low—90 percenttoo low. In those waters swim proba-bly 11 to 15 billion tons of fishes.The most common fish, experts note,are bioluminescent bristlemouths.Do you think of chickens as the mostcommon vertebrates on earth? Theyoutnumber people about three to one.The number of chickens worldwidemay surpass 24 billion. Yet glowingand swimming deep down in thedark may be thousands of trillionsof bristlemouths.All of them are to praise God, says thewriter of Psalm 98. And they make uponly one species of about two millionanimal species we can identify on theplanet. A million more species un-known to current science may dwellin deeper ocean depths.The writer of Psalm 98 tells them all,with all people on earth, to shout andsing to the Lord, while rivers clap theirhands and mountains shout togetherfor joy before the Lord.

AN AMAZING MESSAGE“Joy to the world!” Why did Isaac Wattssummarize Psalm 98 with those words,when he put the Spirit’s ancient songinto rhymed English poetry?Why should you rejoice too? I’m nottalking about just dipping a tentativetoe into some subdued celebration,but joining all the globe—even all theoceans and fish—with both wind andstring instruments in utter jubilation.Why shout to the Lord? “He has donemarvelous things; his right hand andhis holy arm have worked salvation forhim. The LORD has made his salvationknown and revealed his righteousnessto the nations. He has remembered hislove and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth haveseen the salvation of our God” (vv 1-3).Likely a Jewish man wrote those words.Whoever he was, he seems to have anodd sense of timing. He sings cen-

turies before the first Christmas as ifbaby Jesus already lay in a manger inBethlehem.That is, the psalmist does not say,“The LORD will do marvelous things,”but “he has done marvelous things.”He does not predict: “His right handand his holy arm will work salvation,”but states a fact: “His right hand andhis holy arm have worked salvationfor him.”

Mary sang similarly about God, be-fore Jesus was born: “He has broughtdown rulers from their thrones buthas lifted up the humble” (Luke 1:52).Had proud potentates tumbled frompower? Were God’s lowly ones liftedup? Not yet. But God always fulfillshis promises. Mary believed. So do we, as we sing Psalm 98. Here is joy. We believe that as sure as Jesuscame the first time to die in our place,he will soon reappear. It’s as good asdone. The arrogant will be banished.All creation will worship Christ.We trust what holy angels sang of thefirst Christmas night: First, “Glory toGod in the highest heaven.” Then, “onearth peace to those on whom hisfavor rests” (Luke 2:14).The glory goes first to God because,as Psalm 98 recognizes, “his righthand and his holy arm have workedsalvation for him” (emphasis added).But think again. He saved for himself?If you rescue someone from drown-

ing, don’t you dive in for the benefitof that helpless person, not yourself?But what could deploy more joy thanrecognizing that God is different? Hedid all the saving, all on his own ini-tiative, to glorify his holy name. And whom did he save, when Jesustook flesh to die for all the world? Thepsalmist says that the Lord revealed hisrighteousness to the nations. Again,how odd that would have sounded inIsrael. If the Lord uncovered his right-eousness not just to Israelites, but tothe nations, wouldn’t that be bad newsfor Israel? Foreigners were so depraved,so dirty, so distant. If the Lord prom-ised to be Israel’s God, how could all ofthe ends of the earth see his salvation?But by the Spirit of the risen Christ,who gives us his righteousness as thebest Christmas clothes, it is happen-ing. Again this Christmas, believersaround the world worship Jesus, frommassive Chinese metropolises to tinyrefugee camps in northern Iraq. Two years ago, Iraqi refugees in onecamp set up a meager tent with amanger scene. “All you have got left is the love of that refugee child,” ex-plained their British-born pastor.“That to us in the Middle East is allthat matters this Christmas.”Or visualize Christians I met in UrukUso, a village in Nigeria. Down dirtroads they stroll, boisterously carolinglate into the sticky night on Christ-mas Eve, blown away by God’s rescue.

JOIN THEM IN SONGSing Psalm 98, seeing wonders ofGod’s love worldwide in believinghearts. And think of the ultimate to-morrow. Long for Jesus’ reappearing,when the song will fully, finally cometrue: “Joy to the world.”

Daniel Witte is pastor at Trinity, Nicollet,Minnesota.

What if we all sang anew an

ancient song that both soothes

sorrows and erupts in exuberance?

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK12 December 2016

“I asked the youth leaders who attendedthe pilot for my marriage-buildingsession, ‘Are you wondering why we’respending an hour on marriage building?Your youth members aren’t married,’ ”says Randy Hunter, pastor at St. An-drew, Middleton, Wis. “Everyone thereunderstood that when the parents havea strong marriage, the kids will do bet-ter. And that’s the way God designed it.”Hunter says this topic has also comeup in conversations with communityleaders. “I met with the police chief,the principal of the public high school,and the director of a local food pantry.I asked them, ‘What can we, as a church,do to help?’ Their answers were thesame: Fix the family.”

BUILDING STRONG MARRIAGESHunter says one way to do this is by

improving marriages—something St.Andrew is actively working on. Thecongregation has committed itself tobecoming a marriage-building churchby helping Christian couples live thestrong connection between the gospeland their marriage. “Everyone wants a strong marriage,and there’s no shortage of marriagematerials out there,” Hunter says. “Butso many of those materials lack thegospel of who Jesus is and what he’sdone for you. We want to connect thegospel to your marriage. That’s reallywhat makes this distinct.” Jason Teteak, member at St. Andrew,appreciates his congregation’s emphasison strong marriages. “Before my wife,Jess, and I got married, we went througha pre-marriage workshop with PastorHunter,” says Teteak. “It was just fantas-

tic because it helped us understand howto put Christ at the center of our rela-tionship and how to grow together ashusband and wife.”The Teteaks also have attended mar-riage retreats. “We love to go to them,”he says. “You’ve got to get into the Bibleto grow your faith, and you’ve got towork on your marriage to grow yourmarriage. God didn’t design us to havemarriage without him. When you puthim at the center and have your entiremarriage founded on that central core—it’s helped us in so many ways.” For example, he’s seen how his mar-riage impacts his five-year-old son.“When my son sees me give my wife ahug, he comes over and gets a hug too,”says Teteak. “When your children seethe love you and your spouse have,they feel so much love because of that.”

WELS congregations are helping adults build strong foundations for theirfamilies—which ultimately impacts youth.Alicia A. Neumann

December 2016 13

Teteak likens it to when you’re on aplane. If the oxygen masks drop down,“you’re supposed to put the mask onyourself first, then help the others,” hesays. “If a marriage is not connected toChrist and it isn’t spiritually healthy,the kids suffer. But when the parentsare connected to Christ, the kids getto experience that too.”

FAITH HABITS FOR FAMILIESKristi Sebald, member at Crosswalk,Phoenix, Ariz., agrees that familiesneed a strong foundation—“a strongmarriage and a strong spiritual base,”she says. But for many families, thatstrong spiritual base is lacking.“I’ve been doing a lot of research, andstatistics say that in Protestant Amer-ica regular church attendance is oncea month,” says Sebald. “Of those peoplewho say that they belong to churchand regularly attend, only 10 percentpractice spiritual disciplines at home.So if you think about parents who goto church, only 10 percent are read-ing their Bibles, or praying with theirfamilies, or doing these things that weknow affect family culture and trans-form faith.”Sebald used to serve as the directorof children’s ministry at Crosswalk.In that role, she was looking for waysto connect to parents. “We wanted to help them be spiritual leaders athome,” she says. So she developed acurriculum that cultivates and nur-tures faith habits like praying withyour child, reading Bible studies, andhaving family devotions. “They arebasically spiritual disciplines that wewould do as adults, but implement-ing them with children,” she says. The idea is to have parents focus oninstilling one faith habit in their chil-dren per year, from infancy to fifthgrade. The parents are invited to at-tend Sunday school with their kidsonce each year. They spend abouthalf the time observing the children’slesson, then they learn about the faithhabit to do with their child at home.

“It’s amazing to see parents gettinginvolved in their children’s faith lives,”says Sebald. “Some parents don’t knowwhere to start, so we started introduc-ing these habits in small, easy ways thatthey can absorb into their family cul-ture. They are relieved when they findout that something like family devo-tions don’t have to be a huge produc-tion—you can take ten minutes to reada story, discuss two or three questions,and then pray together. These are foun-dational habits that really will affect achild’s faith throughout their lives.”Stacia Weinstein, member at Cross-walk, agrees. “If the kids don’t see theirparents reading the Bible, they think,Why should I do it? If kids don’t see ithappening, they’re probably not goingto do it.”Weinstein, who volunteers for Cross-walk’s children’s ministry, says she’switnessed a lot of blessings over thepast year. “At one of the preschoolsessions I attended, the teacher wentaround the circle and asked eachchild to say a prayer. When it wastime for my friend’s daughter to pray,she didn’t say a word. So my friendwent home and worked on prayingwith her daughter. A few weeks later

in class, the teacher asked the kids tosay another prayer. When it was myfriend’s daughter’s turn, she had thecourage to say the prayer she hadpracticed.”Weinstein says this ministry helps theentire family—parents included. “Par-ents have the best intentions, but otherthings get pushed into their minds andlife gets busy,” she says. “This is a greatreminder about what’s really impor-tant; this is eternity. I’m doing this be-cause I want to have my kids with mein heaven. And I want to help otherparents achieve the same thing.”

Alicia Neumann is a member at Christ,Zumbrota, Minnesota.

This is the last article in a four-part serieson the importance of youth ministry.

Hunter and Sebald are both presenters forthe new WELS School of Youth and Fam-ily called Transformed: Equipping YouthLeaders. For more information about thiseight-part video series, or to order, visitwww.nph.net and search for “Trans-formed: Equipping Youth Leaders.”

Children learn “faith habits” as part of the Sunday school curriculum at Crosswalk,Phoenix, Ariz.

14 December 2016

After attending Morningswith Mommy sessions, a family finds joining a church body to be a smooth transition.Rachel Hartman

“Just being a part of a church familyis a blessing in and of itself,” notes KimBaker, who joined the Lutheran churchseveral years ago with her family.Kim, along with her husband, Chris,had grown up attending church, butthey had not found a church to callhome for their family after gettingmarried.That changed after Kim attended Morn-ings with Mommy sessions at a nearbyLutheran church. Now the family appre-ciates having a place to worship and thesense of belonging that comes withbeing part of a church body.

DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDSBoth Chris and Kim were born andraised in Missouri. As a child, Chrisattended the Catholic church, whileKim went to a Baptist church withher family. “I grew up in a small townand went to services with my grand-parents,” she recalls. “I would eventake my great-grandma to church.” When Chris and Kim got married,the wedding ceremony was held in a

Baptist church. During their first yearsof marriage, however, they realized itwould be difficult to find a churchhome. When they discussed theirbackgrounds, they noted the Catholicand Baptist churches had stark differ-ences. At one point, they decided totry attending the Baptist church to-gether. “It just didn’t work,” says Kim.As a result, the couple drifted awayfrom services and from a congrega-tion. “We spent a number of years inour early marriage not going to church,”Kim explains.One reason involved the idea of a sepa-rate place for kids to worship, awayfrom the parents. Chris and Kim wereblessed with three children, and withKim’s background in the Baptist church,she was accustomed to seeing childrenattend a kids’ church while the adultswent to a different area. “The kids wereyoung,” she says. “I wasn’t comfortablegoing and dropping them off at a placeaway from me.”

MORNINGS WITH MOMMY Several years later, while their chil-dren were still young, the Baker fam-ily moved near Myrtle Beach, S.C. Asthey settled in, Kim heard from anacquaintance about a program called“Mornings with Mommy” being of-fered at a nearby Lutheran church. Kim decided to try it and attended asession with her youngest daughter.

At the time, the program was beingheld in a temporary space while thecongregation worked on constructinga new building. The Mornings with Mommy pro-gram offered both structured andplay environments. Parents were in-vited to attend with their child and toenjoy a variety of activities together.The sessions often involved arts andcrafts, play time at a sensory table,flannel stories, and a snack. Motherscould mingle with one another dur-ing the activities. “It’s a great resourcefor moms to come in and meet othermoms,” Kim explains.Kim continued to attend Morningswith Mommy for about a year. Thenher youngest started preschool, sothey stopping going to the sessions.When her daughter had a day off ofpreschool, however, they went back. When they returned, Kim noted thatthe location had moved. The programwas no longer offered at a temporaryspace; it was in a new church building.The pastor’s wife was the director ofthe program. Kim enjoyed the program and found itto be a welcoming way to learn moreabout the church. She mentioned toChris that the church would be a goodplace for their family.The first Sunday the family walkedinto the church, one of the members

BACKGROUND PHOTO: DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

greeted Kim with a big hug. “My kidssaid, ‘Why is he doing that?’ ” None of the family knew the person. “I said, ‘He’s just welcoming us tochurch,’ ” remembers Kim.The Baker’s youngest child was fourwhen the family first attended worship.At the time, Kim was nervous abouthow her daughter would act. She waspleasantly surprised to find that no onejudged them. In fact, children wereencouraged to sit with their families.“They want [kids] there,” says Kim. After their initial visit to church, thepastor paid a visit to Kim and Chris at their home. “I talked to him abouthow the kids and I had not been bap-tized before,” recalls Kim.There was a reason for this. “With theBaptist faith you have to have this sav-ing-faith moment to be ready to bebaptized,” notes Kim. Since the eventseemed to require a certain time andemotion, she had never been baptized.And her children hadn’t either. The pastor came back another nightto talk about what the Bible saysabout Jesus, forgiveness, and Baptism.“The pastor told me, ‘If you want tobe baptized, you don’t have to waituntil you’re a member,’ ” recalls Kim.“The kids and I were baptized prettymuch immediately after that.”Chris and Kim began attending wor-ship on Sundays on a regular basis.

They also completed a Bible informa-tion class. When they finished, theywere confirmed as members.

SERVING AS A BRIDGEKim is thankful for the chance shehad to learn more about the churchand to become familiar with the envi-ronment through the Mornings withMommy program. “Without the pro-gram, we probably wouldn’t be goingthere,” she notes. “It helps you to getcomfortable and is a good tool to getpeople in the church.”She has appreciated the chance to letGod’s Word speak to her. “It’s a bless-

ing to delve into the Bible and realize,yes, I’m a sinner and God still lovesme.” She values the certainty thatcomes from God’s forgiveness. As a teacher, Kim has been able toserve at church as well. In addition toteaching Sunday school during theyear and vacation Bible school in thesummer, she also helps organize aregular basketball camp. She was partof a group that initiated plans to add a preschool to the church. The pre-school opened in the fall of 2016.Chris has managerial experience thathe has been able to apply in variousways. He serves as an elder in thechurch and is part of the executivecommittee for the preschool. Living in South Carolina puts theBakers far away from the rest of theirrelatives. “Being part of that churchfamily is such a blessing, especiallywhen our family lives a thousandmiles away,” notes Kim.Furthermore, going to church as a fam-ily has aided the Bakers in setting thetone for their life at home. “It has helpedcenter and focus our family,” notes Kim.“We’ll have conversations in the car andat the dinner table about the sermonand how we can apply it to our lives.”

Rachel Hartman and her husband, Mis-sionary Michael Hartman, serve in Leon,Mexico.

December 2016 15

Chris and Kim Baker and their family onthe day Kim and the children were bap-tized at Amazing Grace, Myrtle Beach,S.C. Also pictured is Amazing Grace’spastor, Ben Zahn (back row, far left).

Our authors this month have somegreat tips for how to keep yourfamily focused on Christ thisChristmas. These are not one-size-fits-all ideas, though. Thesearticles are meant to support youin your Christian parenting journeyand to be conversation starters.They are not supposed to makeyou feel guilty about anything youare or are not doing.

We certainly get enough of that atChristmas, don’t we? The guilt?The self-induced stress? The feel-ing that we need to check certainboxes off in order for our childrento have a “perfect” Christmas?Yeah, I’ve been there, and I’ve dis-covered that I’d rather be at themanger. At the manger I find thejoy and the peace and the purposeof Christmas. Please join me at themanger this year—and leave yourguilt at the foot of the cross, wherethe babe of Christmas fulfilled hispurpose of becoming our Savior.

Nicole Balza

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I lovethe annual reminder that God loved us so much thathe sent his son as a little baby to be with us here onearth and, eventually, to pay the price for our sins. My daughter came home from school recently, horri-fied, having learned that some people refer to Christ-mas as X-mas. “Mom, they don’t even want to sayChristmas. They take Christ out completely!” Part of me was sad that my eight-year-old is becom-ing more familiar with the ways of the world, andpart of me was so thankful that she was deeply trou-bled by something to which I’ve, sadly, become de-sensitized. Her reaction was a powerful reminderto me of the importance of teaching my kids to keepChrist in Christmas.One of our favorite things to do as a family in pre-paration for Christmas is to decorate our home. Weput up the tree, hang up wreaths, and look throughlast year’s Christmas cards. But our favorite thing to set out together is ourcreche. Andy and I have a special set that was a giftfrom my parents on our first married Christmas.While I set out the shepherds, angel, wise men,Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, our kids set up a toy nativ-ity of their own. When Henry was two, he set quitethe Christmas scene with Jesus in the manger andall his “guys” (Batman, Spiderman, even The Joker)coming to pay their respects to the newborn king.Another favorite tradition is participating in andattending our church’s Advent By Candlelightservice at the start of Advent. There is somethingso special about sitting next to my daughter andworshiping together, preparing our hearts to cele-brate the birth of our Savior. Each of the past few years, we have received a verse-a-day Advent calendar from that service, and we read ittogether as a family at breakfast. This, combined withworking with my kids to memorize their speakingparts for the Christmas services, is a great start to ourdays during Advent. (I’m convinced Luke’s account ofJesus’ birth is meant to be heard in children’s voices!)Our family’s biggest blessings in helping to keep us focused on Christ at Christmas are the church andschool to which we belong. Worshiping and learningtogether about the true meaning of Christmas on adaily basis keeps our hearts and minds focused onwhat matters through the busyness and many dis-tractions of the Christmas season.

Kerry Ognenoff and her husband, Andy,have two young children, Anna and Henry.e family worships at Grace, Milwaukee.

Join theconversation!

Visit wels.net/forwardinchrist and look for the

Heart to heart link. HOW CAN W

E HELP OUR FAMILY STAY FOCUSED ON CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS?

“How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?”“Change?! We’ve always had that light bulb!”Sometimes we Lutherans can get the reputation for being re-sistant to change. We’ve always parked in the same spot in thechurch parking lot. We’ve always sat in the same pew. We’vealways brought the same dish to the church potluck.But our hesitancy to change isn’t always bad. It’s rooted in ourunderstanding of the value of traditions. Traditions help uslearn. Our little Lutherans know the liturgy with ever growingunderstanding because they hear those same words spokenevery week in church. We celebrate baptisms and confirma-tions to show that they’re special. Traditions teach us valuesand important truths.And if there’s any part of the year that’s steeped in traditions,it’s the Christmas season. So many Christmas traditions are de-signed to point us to Jesus. So if we want to keep our kids (andourselves) focused on Jesus at Christmastime, let’s consider fo-cusing on connecting Jesus to the traditions we already have.• Do your kids participate in a children’s Christmas program?

Be a part of it! Help them memorize their parts and look upthe Bible verses in their context. Show your children howthey point to Jesus.

• Do you have a nativity scene? Consider letting the kids playwith it (or buy an inexpensive one they can use). Don’t set out all the pieces at once. Let the kids move Mary and Josephacross the room a little each day during Advent. Put the babyin the manger for the first time on Christmas morning. Thenadd the shepherds and start the Magi on their journey downthe hall to join the scene by Epiphany. Talk about the storyand anticipate the joy of the Savior’s birth.

• Do you buy and eat candy canes? Teach your children howthe red and white stripes remind us of the red blood Jesusshed for us, which makes us pure and white as snow. Showthem the Good Shepherd’s staff which, when turned upsidedown, makes a “J” for Jesus.

• Do you decorate a tree in the living room? Teach your chil-dren the symbolism behind the tree and its decorations. Thelights remind us that Jesus is the light of the world who res-cued us from sin. The angel or star remind us of the goodnews proclaimed. The garland that seems to wrap aroundthe tree endlessly and the tree itself that’s ever green andpoints to the sky remind us of the beautiful eternity thatawaits us in heaven one day soon. 

What traditions do you have? What do you do to help you andyour family celebrate Christmas? How have you used those tradi-tions to focus on Jesus and on the eternal peace that he gives?Consider engaging in the online discussion at forwardinchrist.netand share your traditions. Maybe one from your family will helpmy family and others look to Jesus this Christmas.

Rob Guenther and his wife, Becky, have four sons. Rob serves as pastor at Grace, Kenai, Alaska.

More resources to consider thisCHRISTMASNorthwestern Publishing House offers a variety of books, music, nativities, and other resources tohelp your family focus on Christ at Christmas. Here are a couplenewer resources to consider:The Christmas Star from Afar:Set up the wooden nativity thatcomes with this set, and then hidethe star each night to create a funhide-and-seek game throughout Ad-vent. Some families hide candy orlittle treats with the star. When yourchildren find the star each morning,they move the three wise men to itslocation. On Christmas morning, thestar is found on the top of the stableand your children can move the wisemen to worship baby Jesus. This setalso includes a hardbound book thatincludes the Christmas story as wellas Scripture verses to read each dayleading up to Christmas.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy: This book of Advent devotions workswell for family devotions. The bookleads readers through the biblical ac-counts of God’s Old Testament prom-ises about a coming Savior and theirfulfillment in the New Testamentthrough the birth of his Son. Eachdevotion is a reminder of the good

news of Jesus Christand how he came toearth to live and diefor us, which are thetidings of comfortand joy that the an-gels sang about thatfirst Christmas night.

For more information on these or otherChristian books or gifts, visit www.nph.net.

Yes, I went Black Friday shopping asI’m sure many of you did as well. And,yes, I probably spent more moneythan I shou1d have. But hey, I gotplenty of great deals and saved lots of money! That makes it well spent,right? Not exactly. When I got home, I was kicking myselffor missing some deals. I was moreconcerned about what I had missedout on buying. But that’s crazy, right?I was left feeling empty inside as Ilooked at my shiny new possessions.And it’s for the same reason that mil-lionaires aren’t content and desire tobecome billionaires. The world tells usday and night that the key to happinessis money and material possessions.The problem is that almost everyone isfooled. Living in America, we’re likelyin the top percent of richest people inthe world. The real question is whydon’t we feel like we’re in the top per-cent? Why do we always want more,more, more?

It’s because money cannot buyhappiness. Material possessions can-

not give us happiness. Nothing in thisworld can give us true, lasting happi-ness. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “Whoeverloves money never has enough; who-ever loves wealth is never satisfied withtheir income. This too is meaningless.”We can try and deny it, but that wouldbe foolish. Why else would we alwaysdesire more? If these things, however, don’t give ustrue happiness, what can?

God, of course, is the answer.God never leaves you wanting formore. God never leaves you feelingempty inside. True happiness is lastinghappiness, and what other than Godand his love in this world can last? Justthink for a moment about how amaz-ing it is that God, omniscient, omni-potent, omnipresent, creator of theheavens and the earth, loves you, anddespite your inherent sinfulness, for-gives you all of your sins because ofJesus. Knowing this is the only thingthat can give you true happiness.It’s okay to want something, but theproblem arises when you begin to

covet and stop being content withwhat you have. This is when you beginto fall into the trap of thinking, If onlyI could have this or that, I would behappy. But Matthew 16:26 says, “Whatgood will it be for someone to gain thewhole world, yet forfeit their soul?”Material wealth doesn’t last. Noneof your physical possessions can betaken with you past death. Heaven,however, is forever, so you shouldfocus on that rather than your shorttime here on earth.I’m going to close with my confir-mation passage, which I think fitsperfectly with this message. ‘‘Keepyour lives free from the love of moneyand be content with what you have,because God has said, ‘Never will Ileave you; never will I forsake you’ ”(Hebrews 13:5).

Devon Perkins, a junior at Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills,Wisconsin, is a member of Holy Cross,Madison, Wisconsin.

Where do you find happiness?The world tells us the key to happiness is money, but only God can make us truly happy.Devon Perkins

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

TEEN TALK

18 December 2016PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

BULLETIN BOARD

CHANGES IN MINISTRY

Pastors Baumler, Dale R., to Christ, Pewaukee, Wis.Berg, John C., to Divinity, Saint Paul, Minn. Boggs, John H., to Hope, West PalmBeach, Fla.Brown, Matthew J., to Abiding Word,Houston, TexasBruss, Wesley G., to St. John, Darfur, Minn. Clemons, Samuel M., to retirementEggert, Jan C., to retirementEwart, Michael J., to St. Peter, Appleton,Wis. Falck, Mark H., to Emanuel, Forestville, Wis.Hahm, Steven A., to Christ Our Savior,Rockford, Mich.Hanson, Joshua J., to Christ, Lodi, Calif.Hoogervorst, James R., to St. Lucas, Ke-wauskum, Wis. Kolterjahn, Darrick P., to retirementLee, Nau X., to retirementLor, Daniel C., to Trinity Hmong, Mani-towoc, Wis. McKenney, Joel A., to St. Paul, Algoma,Wis.Meier, Dennis W., to retirementMeyer VI, John H., to St. John, Sparta, Wis.Monday, William A., to St. Peter, Freedom,Wis. Rautenberg, Daniel J., to Apache missionRutschow, David N., to retirementScharrer, Paul A., to retirementSchroeder, Daniel M., to St. Peter, Modesto,Calif.Schwartz, Jacob M., to Star of Bethlehem,New Berlin, Wis.Sheppard, Michael G., to Mt. Zion, Ripon,Wis. Sternhagen, Joshua D., to Living Hope,Commerce City, Colo.Stuppy, Donald W., to European civilianchaplainTauscher, James W., to retirementTraudt, Michael J., to retirementTrembreull, Luke I., to Beautiful Savior,Corvallis, Ore.Waterstradt, David L., to Hope, Penryn,Calif.AssignmentWetzel, Kurtis J., to Cross of Christ, Boise,IdahoTeachersAustin, Ginger L., to St. John’s, Sparta, Wis. Bolstad, Gail, to St. Paul, Onalaska, Wis. Dorn, Andrea L., to St. Stephen, BeaverDam, Wis.Eiland, Martha, to Pilgrim, Mesa, Ariz. Fenner, Roger A., to retirementFesterling, Kevin E., to WisconsinLutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wis.

Fricke, Becky, to St. John, Baraboo, Wis.Halter, Ryan C., to Mt. Lebanon, Milwau-kee, Wis. Kent, Brian, to Atonement, Milwaukee,Wis.King, Sharon P., to retirementKopczynski, Priscilla F., to Immanuel,Waukegan, Ill. Kuehl, Emily R., to Resurrection, Aurora,Ill. Maddox, Nicole P., to St. Paul, Rapid City,S.D.Martin, Jana, to St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis. Neujahr, David J., to Beautiful Saviour,Carlsbad, Calif. Panitzke, Jessica D., to Shepherd of theHills Preschool, Knoxville, Tenn.Pappenfuss, Kim S., to Cross of Glory,Peoria, Ariz.Patoka, Kathryn, to Redeemer, Tucson,Ariz.Rehberger, Claire L., to St. John, Fremont,Wis. Uhlhorn, Daneen P., to Beautiful Saviour,Carlsbad, Calif.Vogel, Jocelyn E., to St. Mark, Lincoln,Neb.Wockenfuss, Rebecca, to Mt. Lebanon,Milwaukee, Wis.Zellmer, Rebecca J., to St. John, Juneau,Wis.

SYNOD CONVENTIONe 64th biennial convention of the Wis-consin Evangelical Lutheran Synod will be held July 31–Aug. 3, 2017, at LutherPreparatory School, Watertown Wis. econvention delegate fee, paid by the callingbody the delegate represents, is $275. edeadline for submitting memorials to beprinted in the Book of Reports and Memor-ials is Jan. 15, 2017. Memorials submittedafter Jan. 15 and approved for conventionconsideration will be posted on the con-vention website, wels.net/2017synodconvention, if they are received by June 15,2017. Further directions can be found at wels.net/2017synodconvention. Send memorials to the President’s Office, N16W23377 Stone Ridge Dr., Waukesha WI53188; carla.martin@wels.net.

NOTICE FOR CONGREGATIONTREASURERS AND PASTORSWe thank God for you and for your sup-port of the ministry WELS carries out onbehalf of all congregations. We ask thatyou continue to mail your CongregationMission Offering (CMO) deposit and itsprocessing coupon to our bank lockbox,which provides effective and efficient de-posit processing for the synod. For your

CMO payment to be included in reportedreceipts for the month, it must be receivedin the synod’s bank lockbox on or beforethe last business day. An exception is madefor December offerings. Gifts received bythe bank lockbox up to and including Jan.9, 2017, will be credited as 2016 CMO, ifaccompanied by a 2016 coupon. ank youfor your assistance.

ANNIVERSARIESSan Antonio, Texas—Our Savior (50). Dec.3. Outreach music festival, 2-6 P.M. Dec. 4.Celebration worship, 4:30 P.M.; meal to fol-low. RSVP requested, 210-696-2716;llobeck@osl-sa.org. Website, osl-sa.org. Houston, Texas—Christ the Lord (50). Dec.25. Rite of rededication to ministry service.281-778-3003. Website, facebook.com/CtL50thanniversary/.

COMING EVENTSLiving nativity—Dec. 2–3, 6-8 P.M. Christ,Eagle River, Wis. Presentations run every20 minutes. Refreshments provided. 715-479-8307.Living nativity—Dec. 2–3, 5-8 P.M. Trinity,Marinette, Wis. Presentations run every 20minutes. Website, trinitymarinette.com.715-732-9868.Living nativity—Dec. 3, 4-7 P.M. MartinLuther, Oshkosh, Wis. Website, martinlutheroshkosh.com/events/live-nativity. Living nativity—Dec. 2–3, 6-9 P.M.; Dec. 4,6-8 P.M. St. Paul’s, Muskego, Wis. Presenta-tions run every 20 minutes. Refreshmentsprovided. Website, stpaulmuskego.org.414-422-0320.Living nativity—Dec. 2–3, 6-9 P.M.; Dec. 4,4-7 P.M. St. Paul, Howards Grove, Wis. Pre-sentations run every 20 minutes. Website,stpaulshowardsgrove.org. 920-565-3780.WELS ministerial education schoolChristmas concerts—• Dec. 3, 7:30 P.M.; Dec. 4, 4 P.M. Martin

Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.507-354-8221.

• Dec. 11, 3 and 7 P.M. Wisconsin LutheranSeminary, Mequon, Wis. 262-242-8100.

• Dec. 11, 3 P.M.; Dec. 15, 10 A.M. LutherPreparatory School, Watertown, Wis.920-261-4352.

• Dec. 16, 7 P.M. Michigan Lutheran Sem-inary, Saginaw, Mich. 989-793-1041.

Mid-term graduation—Dec. 15, 10 A.M.Chapel of the Christ, Martin Luther Col-lege, New Ulm, Minn. 507-354-8221.Christian Leadership Experience—Jan. 6–8, 2017. Orlando, Fla. Registration open.Website, christlead.com.

To place an announcement, call 414-256-3210; bulletinboard@wels.net. Deadline iseight weeks before publication date.

December 2016 19

Shortly after our Thursday morning Bible class fin-ished, Naomi came to our church office looking wor-ried. “I can’t find my husband, Peter!” she explained. Peter hadn’t come to Bible study. He only speaks Chi-nese, and, what is more, he says he is an atheist. In-stead, he had gone for a walk but did not come back. We drove around the neighbourhood looking forPeter. Then we called the police. Soon all the mem-bers at the Bible study began searching for him. Theafternoon turned into evening, and the evening tonight. By the time the police found him, our searchparty had covered nearly half of Vancouver.But Peter was not safe and sound. The followingweek, a brain scan revealed he had a malignant andinoperable brain tumor. The doctors gave him threemonths. What made it worse was that Peter’s mindwas slipping so that he would not even believe hewas sick.Naomi had been wondering if Peter was showingsymptoms of early onset dementia. For weeks be-fore this incident, she had been making him comewith her everywhere she went—even to church.She sat toward the back, whispering a translationof our worship service in his ear. Every time people shared Jesus, Peter only said, “Ibelieve in evolution.” He was such a proud man.He fought in China’s communist army as a youngman. He educated himself and got into China’smost prestigious university. He was a self-made,successful businessman. Now he did not evenknow what was happening to him.

After the diagno-sis, Naomi invitedme to their hometo talk to Peter.Naomi translatedthrough tears whenwe read from Luke13, Jesus’ commentsabout turning toGod in repentancein the face of dis-

aster. Peter finally agreed to hear more aboutJesus. I desperately wanted to share the gospel with himimmediately, but Peter was so weak that he couldonly stay awake for 15 minutes. I realized my onlyway to reach Peter was to give Naomi the wordsto say. As his mind and body went, she was theonly one he still recognized. She read the gospelsto him and let Jesus do the talking.Weeks later, Peter was laying on his deathbed in ourlocal cancer centre. Naomi was with him constantly,along with a stream of church members coming topray for him; encourage him; and, most important,witness to him. He lost his ability to speak, but hecommunicated to Naomi: “Yes, I believe in Jesus.”Then on the last day he was conscious, he asked tobe baptized. On Aug. 21, Jesus came for Peter. Peter was ourcongregation’s first funeral. It could hardly havebeen more improbable. He was a man who, the firsttime I met him three years ago, told me he had noneed for God. A man who had hidden himself in hisbedroom when his wife hosted Bible studies in hishome. He was never a member of my church. Nowhe is a member of the Church triumphant. God taught my members and me important lessonsthrough this experience. He taught me how impor-tant the universal priesthood and Great Commissionare—I was physically unable to serve Peter by myself.And God taught our Chinese members how he canuse them to be his mouthpiece, even to a man whofor all but three months of his life would not listen.

Geoff Cortright serves as a home missionary at Saviourof the Nations, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Learn more about Saviour of the Nations’ Chinese outreach ministry in a Moments with Missionariesvideo at wels.net/missions.

Photo: Members and friends of Saviour of the Nations.Peter is in back wearing a gray hat. Naomi is in front ofhim in the purple jacket.

20����������������20 December 2016

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIAGeoff C. Cortright

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CANADA

December 2016 21

NEWS

You would be hard-pressed to find amore concise chronicle of Reformation-era

events than Luther’s Protest: From 95 Theses to Reformation. Pastor John Braun has condensed vol-umes of research on this complex and contentiousperiod into a straightforward but thorough history—with only a little Lutheran bias.

Luther’s Protest is not a biography, though in it youwill find many of the familiar Luther anecdotes youremember from catechism class or sermons. Thesestories have greater impact as they are sprinkled intothe context of 30 years worth of attemptsto right the unscriptural practices of theRoman Catholic Church.

As the reform-minded efforts of Lutherand his supporters progressed from ad-dressing the sale of indulgences in theNinety-five Theses to the broader reformstatements of the Lutheran Confessions,chapter after chapter demonstrates howthese efforts were frustrated by debates,diets, and decrees that gave little oppor-tunity for scripturally-grounded defense.

You will sense both frustration and determinationas the reformers stand firm on God’s Word against a corrupt church that leans on human tradition andpolitical power.

Our present political climate full of heated rhetoricseems mild compared to the author’s numerous ac-counts of the papal manipulation of rulers like Em-peror Charles V and the hateful treatment of “heretics”who opposed the church’s authority. It is hearteningto read, however, how God controlled those evils tokeep his truths alive—though not by means of the

reform for which Luther had protested.

Take up Luther’s Protest as part of yourReformation 500 awareness and celebra-tion. As Pastor Braun shares about his per-sonal objective for writing the book, youalso will benefit from reading it with a sim-ilar purpose in mind: “I simply want tounderstand my own heritage as a LutheranChristian and confess why I believe it tobe valuable.”

Peter SchaeweJefferson, Wisconsin

ObituariesJulie M. Carmichael, 1962–2015

Julie Carmichael (née Jacob) was born Oct. 1, 1962, in BeaverDam, Wis. She died Oct. 10, 2015, in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

A 1984 graduate of Doctor Martin Luther College, NewUlm, Minn., she taught at St. John, Dakota, Minn.; St. John,Lake City, Minn.; Roots to Wings Learning Center, LakeCity, Minn.; and Pilgrim, Menomonee Falls, Wis.

She is survived by her husband, Scott; five sons, one brother;and one sister. She is preceded in death by her parents.

Gregg H. Bitter, 1969–2016Gregg Bitter was born Apr. 26, 1969, in Neillsville, Wis.He died Aug. 12, 2016, in Ridgeland, Wis.

A 1996 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary,Mequon, Wis., he served St. Paul, Litchfield, Minn.; St.John, Hancock, Minn.; St. Paul, Ridgeland, Wis.; and St.John, Colfax, Wis.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; two daughters; one son;his parents; three brothers; and one sister.

Herbert R. Kruschel, 1924–2016Herbert Kruschel was born Dec. 20, 1924, in Cudahy,Wis. He died Aug. 19, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wis.

A 1949 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon,Wis., he served St. John, Cortland, Neb.; St. Mark, Sutton,Neb.; First, Aurora, Neb.; Pilgrim, Menomonee Falls, Wis.;Our Savior’s, Port Orange, Fla.; and St. John, Manitowoc, Wis.

He is survived by 3 sons, 2 daughters, 13 grandchildren, and 16great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife, Helen.

Glenn H. Unke, 1929–2016Glenn Unke was born Oct. 18, 1929, in Milwaukee, Wis.He died Aug. 24, 2016, in Sheboygan, Wis.

A 1955 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon,Wis., he served Trinity, Wabeno, Wis.; Immanuel, Oshkosh,Wis.; Faith, Oshkosh, Wis.; and Immanuel, Manitowoc, Wis.

He is survived by 3 sons; 2 daughters; 15 grandchildren; and10 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife,Miriam.

Price: $18.99

22 December 2016

NEWS

New Bible study materialsA series of congregational Bible studies entitled“What it Means to be a Lutheran” is available fromNorthwestern Publishing House. Two new studies

in this series, “The Word Endures, Lessonsfrom Luther Yesterday and Today” and “The

Word Endures, Lessons from the Lives of Powerful Politicians” explore keytruths from God’s Word as echoed byMartin Luther during the Reformationera as well as examine the politicians

in Luther’s day who impacted the work of the church during the Reformation.

Find these and other Reformation materials at nph.net/reformation500.

Community outreach opportunityThe Commission on Evangelism and the Board for Home Missions arepreparing materials for four outreach events for congregations. The goal is for congregations to invite their prospects and neighbors to visit and learn the importance of the Bible’s teachings.

The suggested dates and emphases are: Nov. 5, 2017: Scripture Alone; Nov.26, 2017: Christ Alone; Dec. 17, 2017: Grace Alone; and Jan. 7, 2018: FaithAlone.

Special worship resources as well as promotional and follow-up materials will be available in spring 2017.

Synodwide event canceledThe national-scale celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation in 2017, which was mentioned in this month’s WELS Con-nection, has been canceled.

The plan was to have a pastors’ symposium involving all WELS pastors, a national teachers’ conference attended by all WELS teachers, and a closingworship service for called workers and WELS members in the BMO HarrisCenter in downtown Milwaukee. But the $400,000 cost was higher than an-ticipated.

“We concluded that it would not be wise stewardship of God’s gifts,” saysWELS President Mark Schroeder. “In a time of budget planning that in-volves no increases in synodical spending, we can focus our financial re-sources on ministry work—spreading the gospel,helping congregations, and supporting our min-isterial education schools.”

The fall 2017 pastors’ and teachers’ confer-ences, as well as the annual symposiumhosted by Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary,will be held in their normal locations.

Information about district Reformation 500 events can be found at wels.net/reformation500.Learn more about Reformation 500 in thismonth’s WELS Connection.

Reformation 500 news and updates

“I never thought I’d be doing thisagain,” says Linda Hall.

Hall, a member of Crown of Life,New Orleans, and a resident ofBaton Rouge, was heavily involvedin the disaster relief efforts follow-ing Hurricane Katrina 11 years ago.Now God has placed a similar situ-ation for service in front of her.

In August, Baton Rouge receivedtorrential downpours that resultedin three times as much rainfall asthat caused by Hurricane Katrina.The resulting flooding left almost150,000 homes damaged and thou-sands of families displaced.

Hall, whose home was spared, sawthe needs in her community andwas grateful when WELS ChristianAid and Relief began to coordinateefforts to rebuild some homes in thearea. She and her husband, Randy,have been offering lodging in theirhome for relief volunteers and landfor others to park trailers and RVs.They opened their home in a sim-ilar way to the WELS volunteerswho helped rebuild Crown of Lifeand many homes in New Orleansfollowing Katrina.

“We’ve been blessed,” says Hall. “Sowe need to do something to helppeople who are hurting. We may be a relatively small church body, buttogether we can make a difference.”

After initial assessments and meet-ings with pastors and members atCrown of Life and Cross of Glory,Baton Rouge, WELS Christian Aidand Relief put together a plan to rebuild eight homes, only one ofwhich is a home of a WELS mem-ber. The other homes are owned by friends of members.

Randy Baker, the volunteer construc-tion supervisor and a member atShepherd of the Hills, La Mesa, Calif.,was also part of WELS’ relief efforts

Together we canmake a difference

NEWS

December 2016 23

Helping schools intentionalize outreachA new program from the Commissionson Lutheran Schools and Evangelism isnow available to guide congregationson how better to use their Lutheran el-ementary schools and early childhoodministries for reaching out into theircommunity with the gospel’s savingmessage.

Telling the Next Generation: Utilizingour Schools for Outreach is a daylongworkshop that helps congregation andschool leaders focus on their jointmission, build relationships within thechurch and with school families, anddevelop an organized program to con-nect school families with the Word.

“Our schools are recognizing thegrowing opportunities to reach outto the community with the gospel,”says Cindi Holman, national coordi-nator of early childhood ministries.“They are finding that just having a child and a family enroll in yourschool isn’t enough. What they arelooking for—and what we’re trying to share with them—are specific waysthey can do both outreach and har-vest strategies within their schoolministries so they can connect peo-ple with the means of grace.”

Besides offering information and re-sources, the workshop allows timefor a congregation’s ministry team tomeet and work on developing a spe-cific ministry plan to facilitate theoutreach they want to do. Assignedadvisors also will stay in contact withthe congregation to answer follow-upquestions and provide additional re-sources and encouragement.

Risen Savior, Orlando, Fla., hostedthe pilot workshop in April 2016; tendifferent churches attended, includ-ing Our Savior’s, Port Orange, Fla.

Our Savior’s started its part-timethree- and four-year-old preschoolprogram in 2004 with 27 children in a portable classroom. Twelve years—and two expansion projects—later,the congregation’s early childhood

ministry has 145 children in eightclassrooms with a staff of 25 and in-cludes an infant room, childcare, and a preschool.

While the ministry has been blessedwith amazing growth, Donn Dobber-stein, pastor at Our Savior’s, says thegrowth presents challenges. That’swhy he appreciated the opportunity to bring a ministry team to the work-shop. “We really need to keep thebiblical focus—especially with so manychanges going on,” he says. “You canget so focused on classroom and pro-gram that you start to lose sight ofwhy you are doing this.” Dobbersteinsays that the ministry team at OurSavior’s wanted to walk away with an intentional harvest strategy—howto connect families with the gospelnot just in the classroom but in othersettings as well.

Since the workshop, the congregationhas started movie nights, which bringtogether school families for fellowshipas well as an evening devotion. Theyalso have intentionalized meetingswith prospective parents, focusing onpreparing each team member to telland show what makes the early child-hood education center distinctivelyLutheran.

“It was awesome to go into this work-shop and get away from everythingthat is going on and focus on some-thing that is truly important—howwe can use our school for outreach,”he says.

Telling the Next Generation: Utilizingour Schools for Outreach is meant forall Lutheran elementary schools, earlychildhood ministries, and high schools,whether small or large, growing orstruggling. Holman says the goal isto provide one workshop in every dis-trict, more if requested, by the end ofthe 2016–17 school year.

Learn more at wels.net/tellingthenextgeneration.

in New Orleans. As he says, “I enjoythe fellowship and making contactwith non-church people. Most ofthe homeowners ask at some point,‘Why are you here?’ Then I think,Wow! That’s the open door I waslooking for so I can share my faith.”

In mid-October, two unchurchedfamilies visited Cross of Glory whilevolunteers were working on theirhomes. Baker and the other volun-teers were joyful as they worshipedtogether.

Mark Vance, director of operationsfor Christian Aid and Relief, reportsthat 26 volunteers are helping onthis project during October andNovember, some of whom are rep-resenting Builders For Christ, adivision of Kingdom Workers. Vol-unteers are hanging drywall, taping,and finishing the spaces.

“This is such an outreach-mindedgroup,” says Vance. “They are plant-ing seeds as they work. What’s bet-ter than that?”To learn more about Christian Aid andRelief or to help support its efforts, visitwels.net/relief.

Builders For Christ volunteer DennisTennier, a member at Good Shepherd,West Bend, Wis., is helping rebuild thehome of Gloria Ray. Tennier is in BatonRouge, La., as part of the relief effortcoordinated by WELS Christian Aid and Relief.

1. 2 Peter 3:1-10 2. 2 Pet. 3:11-18 3. Jude 1:1-16 4. Jude 1:17-25 5. Daniel 1 6. Da. 2:1-30 7. Da. 2:31-49 8. Da. 3 9. Da. 410. Da. 511. Da. 6

12. Da. 713. Da. 814. Da. 9:1-1915. Da. 9:20-2716. Da. 10:1–11:117. Da. 11:2-2018. Da. 11:21–12:1319. Psalm 13920. Ps. 140 & 14121. Ps. 142 & 14322. Ps. 144

23. Ps. 14524. Ps. 14625. Ps. 14726. Ps. 148–15027. Revelation 1:1-828. Rev. 1:9-2029. Rev. 2:1-730. Rev. 2:8-1731. Rev. 2:18-29

Read or listen online at wels.net/bible3.

2016

DECEMBER2016

NEWS

24 December 2016

Sometimes providing the little thingsis all you need to do to make a bigdifference.

Just ask Jennifer Bugenhagen, a mem-ber at Christ, Big Bend, Wis. She wastaking her 17-year-old daughter Katiefor a month-long pain rehabilitationprogram at Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minn., following an arduous three-year journey of countless doctors’ ap-pointments, missed diagnoses, dietand lifestyle changes, and thousandsof dollars of medical expenses. Theprogram at Mayo was the last hope.

But logistically, going to Rochesterwas a challenge. Where would theystay? How could they maintain thestrict gluten-free diet Katie needed?How were they going to navigate anew city and a large medical complex?

Enter the Church Away From Homeprogram at Ascension, Rochester,Minn. When Jennifer talked to BrianKom, pastor at Ascension, about herconcerns, she thought he would offersome suggestions about a place tostay and where to shop for food. Butby the next day, members had donateda guest house for them to use for free,gas money, a clinic parking pass, andhelp in shopping and paying for Katie’sfood for her specialized diet. “Theyliterally took care of every single needwe had,” says Jennifer. “They just tookthis huge burden off me and carriedit for me so that I was free to focus onmy daughter.”

“Do[ing] good to all people,” as writtenin Galatians 6:10, is the goal of theChurch Away From Home program,which members started about a yearago. “Mayo Clinic is making a big pushto be a destination medical center,”says JoAnn Bunke, the parish nurse atAscension and coordinator of the pro-gram. “We need to react to what isgoing on in our community. We havea lot of [WELS] members coming toRochester. How can we help them?”

Besides providing logistical help asthey did for the Bugenhagen family,the congregation wants to offer spiri-tual support—prayers, a church to at-tend on Sunday, and hospital visits.“Coming to Mayo with serious healthproblems is a very traumatic time—atime when they really need other peo-ple to lean on, to point them back totheir Savior,” says Kom. “Our churchfunctions as a church family for thosepeople who are away from their ownchurch family.”

Through a congregational survey, theChurch Away From Home committeeidentified more than 110 members atAscension who are willing to help those

coming to Mayo as well as their ownmembers in need—whether it’s cook-ing a meal, offering rides or directions,visiting people, or praying. “It can bethe smallest thing—like sending a cardat the right time,” says Bunke. “It canmake such a difference for people.”

Bunke understands this from firsthandexperience. She and her husband un-expectedly lost their 21-year-old sonsix years ago and appreciated the over-whelming support they received. “Whata difference it makes when your WELSchurch family is there for you,” she says.

Jennifer agrees, “I can’t tell you howthankful we are. It was an absolute mir-acle. God works through his people.”

Those coming to Mayo Clinic for health-care needs and looking for support cancontact Kom at 507-288-2781. Learnmore at churchawayfromhome.org.

Editor’s note: The pain rehabilitation pro-gram at Mayo was a complete successfor Katie. Jennifer shares more abouthow her faith helped her through herfamily’s complex medical issues in theFebruary 2017 issue.

Helping carry one another’s burdens

DAKOTA-MONTANAOn Oct. 16, Shining Mountains,Bozeman, Mont., held a celebrationof ministry service to thank God for45 years of blessings. The service alsoincluded the dedication of the con-gregation’s new church home. ShiningMountains’ members worshiped forthe past 30 years in a small churchthat had once been a house. WELSChurch Extension Fund, Inc., helpedShining Mountains with funding forthis project.

SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSINA group of students from WisconsinLutheran College, Milwaukee, Wis.,coordinated a bike drive for the non-profit organization Dream Bikes, whichworks with at-risk youth on skills thatwill help them transition to adulthood.Hundreds of bikes were collected in Oc-tober at drop-off locations at ShorelandLutheran High School, Somers; Win-nebago Lutheran Academy, Fond duLac; Fox Valley Lutheran High School,Appleton; Lakeside Lutheran HighSchool, Lake Mills; and Pewaukee HighSchool, Pewaukee, all in Wisconsin.

SOUTH ATLANTICMessiah, Alpharetta, Ga., dedicated itsnew Christian Family Center on Sept. 18.The 3,500-square-foot addition will pro-vide the 200-member congregation withneeded classroom and storage space.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!D-M—On Sept. 25, Bethel, Sioux Falls,S.D., celebrated its 75th anniversary.

NW—Zion, Kingston, Wis., celebratedits 125th anniversary in August.

Riverview, Appleton, Wis., celebratedministry anniversaries of five calledworkers on Sept. 18—Pastor DennisBelter, 35 years; Teacher and StaffMinister Peter Wolfgramm, 20 years;Pastor Adam Bode, 10 years; TeacherMelissa Nolte, 10 years; and TeacherJenise Nolte, 10 years.

On Sept. 25, St. Luke, Little Chute,Wis., celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Bethany, Appleton, Wis., celebratedits 75th anniversary on Oct. 2.

St. Peter’s, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., cele-brated its 125th anniversary in 2016.

SA—Trinity, Castries, St. Lucia, cele-brated its 25th anniversary on Oct. 20.

SEW—On Sept. 18, St. Paul, Franklin,Wis., celebrated its 150th anniversary.

On Oct. 21, Wisconsin LutheranSeminary, Mequon, Wis., celebratedthe 40th anniversary in the pastoralministries of James Korthals andJames Tiefel.

WW—On Sept. 11, St. James,Prairie du Sac, Wis., celebrated its50th anniversary. Several chartermembers attended the anniversaryservice.

Luther Preparatory School, Water-town, Wis., celebrated the anniver-saries of five professors on Oct. 23—Teacher Ken Taylor, 40 years; PastorSteve Ehlke, 40 years; Teacher RobertHuebner, 40 years; Teacher JustinGregorius, 25 years; and TeacherMatthew Prost, 25 years.

On Oct. 23, Trinity, Watertown, Wis.,celebrated the 40th anniversary in the

teaching ministries of Cheryl Holz-hueter and James Moeller.

The district reporters for this month are:AZ-CA—Michael Schroeder; D-M—DaveRuddat; NA—Philip Gurgel; NW—DennisKleist; SA—Jonathan Kuske; SEW—ScottOelhafen; WW—Brett Brauer.

NEWS

December 2016 25

ARIZONA-CALIFORNIA

The dual parish of Eternal Life, Concord/Good Shepherd, Vallejo, Calif., has hosteda bocce ball tournament for neighboring WELS congregations for 14 years. EternalLife and Good Shepherd take turns hosting the event. This year’s tournament tookplace Aug. 27 at Good Shepherd and also included participants from St. Mark, Cit-rus Heights, Calif. Pictured are attendees of the 2016 tournament.

District news

NORTH ATLANTIC

Ascension, Jacksonville, N.C., saw a needin its community for families with youngchildren to have a place to connect andbelong. The congregation began its Mor-nings with Mommy program (pictured) in fall 2015. “Every other week, it bringspeople through the doors who otherwisemight never have heard of Ascension,”says Doug Lange, pastor at Ascension.“Each session provides an opportunityto share a devotion with these familiesand to make connections.”

The Apostles’ Creed was used byChristians already in the second cen-tury. Is it still important, or is it out-dated and obsolete in our world?John A. Braun

When Luther began his explanation of the Apostles’Creed in the Large Catechism, he wrote, “The Ten Com-mandments are set so high that all human ability is far toofeeble and weak to keep them” (Large Catechism II:2).Why would God give us commandments that we couldnot possibly keep?The answer is that they are the diagnosis for the humanheart and life. We are sick, suffering from a terminal ill-ness. Sometimes we ignore the pain and misery we en-dure here. At other times we are troubled by the anguishwithin and the turmoil in our world. God confronts uswith the diagnosis: We are sinners, and so is everyone else.God is holy and powerful and the judge who will punishall who are opposed to him. We do not like that diagnosis,but it is inescapable and crushing, like an unwelcome di-agnosis of cancer or some other serious medical problem.Every painful diagnosis raises the next logical question:Is there any hope? One might think that if we try harderto keep the commandments, we can find such hope. Butthat is not possible. None of us will ever do enough tochange the diagnosis; every effort only emphasizes thatwe are “too feeble and weak” to keep the commandmentsas God demands. So is there hope? Yes, and it comes only from God himself.When we are troubled by the wrath of God that threatens

to punish our sins, God issues promises of love, forgive-ness, and peace. That’s why the Apostles’ Creed followsthe Ten Commandments. It is filled with hope!

I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTYGod directs us to turn our desperate eyes, filled with tearsover our failures, to the world around us. It is a beautifulworld filled with majestic mountains, breathtaking sun-sets and scenery, singing birds, and so much more. Hegives this world to us—and to all humanity—in spite ofour sins. We deserve none of it. God, the maker of heavenand earth, has created a world of beauty and majesty.Luther doesn’t leave us standing on the beach watchingthe sunset. He directs us to look at the world in a morepersonal way. God has made me, he says. Consider oureyes, ears, mind, and abilities! As we carry out our dailylives we enjoy food, drink, clothing, family, and property.All of this comes from the heart of our dear Father inheaven, not because we deserve it, even if we work veryhard for these blessings. God gives abundantly because of his love for all humanity.He is my creator and yours too. Some choose to ignorehim as the source of all these blessings. They fail to be-lieve he is the creator. But we confess, “I believe in Godthe Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.”Yet as we pause to marvel at what God has given us andothers in this world, hope still hides unknown. We canfind relief in the world and life we have, but the diagnosisof the Ten Commandments only has been set aside tem-porarily. It remains and returns to trouble our hearts. Theworld we enjoy tells us that a powerful God has a lovingheart. He gives us so much. Is there also hope for us as we think of our disobedience and failures?

26 December 2016PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

December 2016 27

I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRISTHere it is: the hope we need—Jesus! Over and above allthe temporal goods and the majesty of this created world,God gives us more. He gives us himself and withholdsnothing from us. Jesus, God’s one and only Son, camehere to redeem us. Our sins became his responsibility.Our punishment he willingly accepted.He redeemed us. In our worship, we confess our faith inthe words of the Apostles’ Creed. Our words announce allJesus did for us. He was conceived and born. He sufferedunder a Roman governor who issued the order to crucifyhim as a criminal. He was innocent, but because we arecriminals—sinners—he became one of us but without sin.He died, and his friends placed his lifeless body in a tomb, But he did not stay there. He rose again. Finished with hiswork, he ascended. He now rules all things and will returnto judge the living and the dead. The hope we have is theforgiveness he achieved for us and the victory over deathhis resurrection announces. All we have to do is wait forhim to take us home—his home—where we will have nomore tears, pain, or sorrow.Jesus is God’s remedy for the diagnosis we do not want tohear and so often ignore. Jesus is the mirror of God’s fatherlyheart toward us unworthy sinners. He did none of the thingswe confess in the Creed for himself. He did them for us. Wehave hope in him.

I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRITIt’s all too grand and glorious to believe. And on our own, wecould not believe it. The Holy Spirit gives us faith so we canconfess, “I believe.” Yes, I believe that God loves me and thathe gives me all the blessings of this life. I believe that Jesus

loves me so much he shed his precious blood for me. I be-lieve. Although I could not choose to believe on my own, the Holy Spirit loved me enough to awaken me through the gospel and bring me to faith so I possess God’s hope.The Creed also asks us to look beyond our personal journeysof faith. When we confess our faith in the house of God, westand with others. They too have been overtaken and over-whelmed by the love of God. Their voices join ours, and together we are the church—a gathering of believers. Thework of the Holy Spirit continues to add to Christ’s churchthose who will confess these truths. As we all come together for worship, the Holy Spirit contin-ues to work within us. We come into God’s house from aweek of challenges and sin. We come for the medicine Godhas prescribed—forgiveness in Jesus. It’s a dose we needoften. God does not withhold it; he gives it freely by grace. God has opened the deepest depths of his fatherly heartand his pure undeserved love. The three articles of theApostles’ Creed capture it all in short rich words. Weleave the hearing of the gospel in the Creed with God’shope. Now we are ready and willing to serve and obeyhim. This is most certainly true.Assignment: Read through the Apostles’ Creed and create your own list of things God the Father, Son, andHoly Spirit has done for you out of love. Think of your list when you confess your faith with the Creed.

John Braun, chairman of the Reformation 500 Committee, is the executive editor of Forward in Christ.

This is the third article in a six-part series on Luther’s SmallCatechism.

If this story had ended 15 yearsago, it would be tragic. It might

even bring tears to our eyes. But theLord saw to it that the story did not

end then. It is the story of ClodomiraFranco da Silva, born in Brazil in 1953,

the sixth of seven children of a familywho worked on coffee plantations. We

call her, affectionately, Mira.

A TUMULTUOUS LIFE STORY Her early years were neither good nor bad,just normal for a poor family with manychildren. “We didn’t know any better,” shesays. “We had each other.”The first tragic event occurred when Mirawas five years old. Her father killed hermother and then took his own life. The old-est brother tried to raise the children him-self, but he had to go to work all day and thelittlest children got into trouble alone athome. One day Mira drank some kerosenethat was normally used for the lamps. Shewas rushed to a neighbor who had a knowl-edge of herbal healing, and she recovered.But it was clear that the children had to becared for somewhere else.The four younger children went to livewith their grandparents, who promisednot to separate them or give them away.The grandmother took her Catholicismvery seriously. Mira says, “I learned all theprayers but didn’t know what theymeant. My only notion of Jesus was thatstatue on the cross.”The grandparents did not keep theirpromise, and soon the children weregiven away. At age seven, Mira wasgiven to an older couple in a largercity nearby. At first this was a won-derful move for her; she wastreated well and could go toschool, which she loved. But ap-parently the good treatmentcame from the old man. Afterhe died, Mira was treatedbadly, and it got worse when

the couple’s daughter and her two sons cameto live with the mother. Mira began to re-ceive regular beatings, and everything wasconsidered her fault.Mira put up with this treatment partly be-cause she thought she had no other option,but more so because she loved school andwanted to learn as much as she could. Butwhen Mira was 12, the old woman took herout of school so she could earn her living asa maid. That’s when Mira resolved to run away. Shescouted the local open-air bus and deviseda way out. “I remember to this day the feel-ing of planning to escape and being afraid itwouldn’t work,” she says. It took Mira severaldays to get up the courage to put the planinto action. She was short and skinny, look-ing more like she was 8 years old than 12.She managed to get aboard the bus mixed inwith other families. At the end of the linewas the small town where she used to liveand where she knew she had an uncle. But at the end of the trip, when she was theonly person on the bus, she had to tell herstory to the bus driver. The bruises and markson her body were obvious proof that she wastelling the truth. A kind judge took her to heruncle and settled things with the old womanfrom whom she had escaped. For two years Mira lived peacefully with heruncle and his family. “Those were goodyears,” she says. At the age of 14 she beganto earn money by being a live-in babysitterfor different families. At 17 she was seducedby a local boy, got pregnant, and was sent toanother state to live with his relatives untilthe baby was born. There, once again, shewas treated harshly. She and her baby sur-vived and returned to the small Braziliantown. There she ended up marrying a youngman who supported her and her son, andgave her two more children. They lived andworked on ranches, and Mira loved thecountry life and gardening. But her husbandfrowned on church going, so Mira had nomore connection with religion.

A story of God’s grace in BrazilBeth Flunker

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK28 December 2016

Fast forward 15 years. Mira and her husbandhad moved to Dourados. He had become analcoholic and sometimes was gone for daysand weeks at a time. He left his family to sur-vive as best they could. In those days Miraworked in homes, washing and ironingclothes. On one of his returns, her husbandmanaged to get his wife pregnant again, 15years after the last baby had been born andwith her 50 years old! She gave birth to ahealthy baby boy.

THE BEST PART OF THE STORYMira was invited by a neighbor to send herone-year-old son to the children’s outreachclass that was held in her neighbor’s house onenight a week. The congregation in Douradoshas used this method of outreach since itstarted. The older children took the baby toclass every week. And the lady in whose houseit was held did what she was supposed to do:followed up with the parents. Mira says, “If she had not insisted and in-sisted that I go with her to church . . . I am sograteful to her!” Once she began hearing the

Word of God regularly, Mira’swhole attitude was different.She and her daughter were con-firmed. Her eyes and her hearthad been opened by the Spirit.She knew her Savior and was ableto put the past and the present intoperspective. Mira’s life is still not easy. Her familyis very poor, sustained by the smallsalary of the older daughter. Theirhouse has the original cement floorand no doors on the rooms, just cur-tains. The little boy born so late in life isa tall college student, the main keyboardplayer in the church, and the joy of Mira’slife. She and her daughter sacrifice forhim so that he can get an education andget ahead in life. Mira shows her faith bygreeting people in church, by being cheer-ful and kind to everyone she meets, bypassing out scriptural material, and byinviting her neighbors to church. When I asked Mira what her problems arenow (and having known her for more thanten years, I know what they are), she said,“I have no problems. If I did not have faith,there would be problems. But now I amcontent. I need nothing else in this life andam ready for my trip home whenever theLord wants to call me.” And when Mira gets to heaven, that willbe the happiest ending to what began asa tragic story.

Beth Flunker and her husband, MissionaryCharles Flunker, serve in Dourados,Brazil.

Pictures: Christiano (who plays music forthe church), Mira, and Beth Flunker; Mirain her home; Mira (center) and two ofher children, her youngest son Chris-tiano and her daughter Ramona; theLutheran church in Dourados.

Learn more about WELS mission oppor-tunities at wels.net/missions.

BRAZILIANLUTHERANCHURCHBaptized members: 205National evangelists: 1National pastors: 2Number of congrega-tions: 2Preaching stations: 3Unique fact: Several mis-sionaries have served inBrazil over the years. Mis-sionary Charles Flunkerworked there from whenthe mission began in 1987until his retirement in 2006.He continues to minister inDourados on a volunteerbasis during his retirement.

December 2016 29

No matter what situationyou are facing, your Savioroffers hope and comfort.Rachel Olson

It’s 1 P.M. on a warm spring Friday afternoonwhen we weave through a sea of hundreds of doctors and nurses, patients and interns,mothers and children, husbands and wives. 

ENCOUNTERING A HOPELESS SITUATIONAs we make our way through the hospital, Ithink back over the past few weeks. My painful,unnerving symptoms began, sending me intothe nearest doctor’s office where serious condi-tions are eliminated, but the symptoms remain,puzzling everyone I ask. The nurses and doctorscratch their heads and suggest I make an ap-pointment elsewhere. This scares me. Anxiety takes hold. Fast forward and a twinge of hope jumps insideof me as we take the elevator up to the thirdfloor. This hospital is buzzing! These are thedoctors who teach other doctors to be doctors!We’re in the right place. Help is right aroundthe corner. Until it’s not. I sit on a paper covered seat across from aprestigious doctor who looks down at mychart and says in the flattest tone, “I don’tknow what’s wrong with you. You’ll need tofind a specialist. I can’t help you.” I stare back at her with desperate eyes, press-ing her to help. Please offer something. Pleasesee me. Acknowledge this pain, my fear. Offer

a word of comfort. A guess. Something. Any-thing. I’m offered nothing. I swallow hard as anxiety sinks its ugly gripinto my heart. I’m left sitting alone in the coldroom as my heart thumps loudly inside of me.It’s 2 P.M. now on that Friday afternoon. Good Friday.Over two thousand years ago the Prince ofPeace took up his cross and climbed a hill toshed his blood, suffer hell, and die. He foughtdeath and sin and the devil and WON. He did that for me. The woman alone in theexam room. I leave the room, hope slipping through myfingers. 

LOOKING FOR HOPEAs we drive home, my husband holds myhand and says aloud, “Is there a better timethan this to have such a struggle than the dayyour Savior showed you just how much heloves you? A doctor might not have answers,but Jesus does. He is here. He sees you. He’sthe hope you need.” Tears spill over. I know my guy is right. I knowthe beautiful truth down to my bones, but allmy worries and fears are screaming for me toLOOK AT THEM, not to my Lord. For the days and weeks following, I spendcountless moments breathing in the Word.His promises. “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfail-ing love, LORD, supported me. When anxietywas great within me, your consolation broughtme joy” (Psalm 94:18,19).

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK30 December 2016

for theHOPELESS

PHOTO: XXXDecember 2016 31

“ ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my poweris made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I willboast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2Corinthians 12:9).“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dis-mayed, for I am your God. I will strengthenyou and help you; I will uphold you with myrighteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).Hymn verses I learned as a young girl slip offmy lips, and I sing to stay calm, to touch peace,to remember his promises. I hum the melodiesand let the truth woven deep into the wordswash over me.“What a friend we have in Jesus,All our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carryEv’rything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit,Oh, what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEv’rything to God in prayer!” (Christian Worship 411:1).I scribble notes and tape reminders on thebathroom mirror. I frame comfort for my bed-room walls. I set truth on my bedside table. I pray for answers, for healing, for peace. Ipray for a doctor who will offer help. Butabove all, I beg for Jesus to be near. “Be near me Lord Jesus; I ask you to stayClose by me forever and love me, I pray.Bless all the dear children in your tender care,And take us to heaven to live with you there.”(Christian Worship 68:3).And in his gracious time, my gracious Godbrings clearer answers and slow healing. Healso brings the most brilliant, kind-heartedspecialist who looks me in the eye and says in his beautifully thick accent that he knowswhat I’m suffering with and can help. I wantto hug him and cry my eyes out, but settle fora high five. Dr. H. quickly tops my “thankfulfor” list—I tell him so each time I see him. 

FINDING THE HOPE WE NEEDThrough the Holy Spirit, I’ve known myJesus for 33 years, but I’ve never needed himmore, felt him more, saw his love more thanin those dark days of spring. It was there inthat thin place where my Father showedme again and again that he is all I need. Asthe flowers bloomed with color and treesstretched into green buds, he breathed new

life into me as I clung to hope, not as a wish,but as an absolute certainty. I don’t know your sufferings, your pains, your fears, your struggles. But God does. When circumstances blindside you, who isnot surprised? When your worst fears are a scary reality,who will calm you? When friends or family disappoint, who will you lean on?  When the worries of your life tug and pullyou down, who will pull you out? When your body betrays you and doctorsdon’t offer answers, who will bring the an-swer you need? When dead ends stare you in the face andyou wonder where to turn next, where willyou look for guidance?When the world fails—and it always will—what is left? All that remains is him. But your God is not a last resort or a back-upplan, but an All You Need-Peace Giver-GreatPhysician-Death Defeater-Beautiful Savior-Everlasting Father-Lover of Your Soul-PerfectAnswer. In the dark days, look to the Light and lay theheavy load at his feet. The One who createdyou, who knows you by name, who redeemedyou with his own life, is near.He’s here. And when the hurts of this temporary earthlylife collide up against the Holy One, he’s goingto win each and every time. Even death can’tcompete. On this side of heaven you are going to havetroubles and scares, but they are nothing com-pared to the perfect everlasting life waiting foryou (Romans 8:18).And for me. Until that day, whether in pain or joy and every-thing in between, let’s live every breath in thanksand praise for the One who will bring us home. Glory awaits.

Rachel Olson is a member at Shepherd of theBay, Lusby, Maryland.

Reprinted with permission of holyhenhouse.com.

Little Abby was puzzled. “Daddy, whenAunt Emily had baby William and wewent to see them at the hospital thatnight, didn’t we go again the next day?”“Yes, we did. Why do you ask?”“Well,” she said, “why didn’t we stayhome since we’d already gone just thenight before? Hadn’t we had enough?”“Of course not! You know how longeveryone, and especially Aunt Emilyand Uncle Sean, had waited for a baby,and we were all so excited to see William.It was a really big deal and a very happything. I don’t think anyone could have‘had enough’ of that!”“Oh. Then what did you mean when you said we wouldn’t be going to churchon Christmas Day because by Sundaymorning we would have ‘had enough’ of Christmas? Isn’t the birth of Jesus a really big, very happy thing for us?”Even if you’ve never missed a Christmasmorning service in your life, chances areyou at least have some understanding ofhow someone could feel he had “hadenough” of Christmas. Maybe it’s that oneradio station that starts 24-7 Christmasmusic even before Thanksgiving. Perhapsyou’ve worked retail during the holidayseason, and you just can’t take any moreof the crass commercialism. Maybe it’sjust the fact that the Christmas displaysand catalogs keep showing up earlier inthe fall every year, or perhaps too muchChristmas is more about overindulging in holiday treats or being overwhelmed by family and social obligations.We might call it “sugar shock.” The com-plaint that you’ve had or experienced toomuch Christmas is usually all about beingoverdosed with the saccharine sentimen-tality and the froth and frosting our cul-ture applies to its idea of the holiday.After the zillionth repeat of “Rudolph”and the umpteenth holiday special thatextols the “Christmas spirit” but never

mentions Christ, it’s easily understand-able that a Christian might say, “Enough!”So go ahead and sequester yourself fromthe Santas and mute “Rudolph” if it’s alltoo much for you, but don’t miss theonce-a-year opportunity to focus on thegreat and mighty wonder that is the birthof Jesus. There’s no better antidote to theemptiness of Christless commercialismand seasonal platitudes than the full andnourishing telling—and retelling—ofhow God promised the world a child whowould rescue us from sin and death andthen delivered that Son into our humanstory that night in Bethlehem. God cameto be with us—Immanuel—and save us.So yes, we go to church! We ponder andprepare through the season and servicesof Advent, focusing on the promises ofthe Lord to come. And when Christmasitself comes, we sing the songs that actu-ally tell what a really big deal this holyday is. We rejoice to hear the accounts ofangels’ visits and manger-cribs becauseJesus’ birth is a very happy thing, andwe eagerly come together in worshipand fellowship as the people who havepeace because of this newborn King. There’s no such thing as too much grace,good news, or glory to God in the high-est. Even when we get to heaven, we willnever have “had enough” of Christmas.

Contributing editor Jeffrey Samelson ispastor at Christ, Clarksville, Maryland.

Too much Christmas?Jeffrey L. Samelson

Don’t miss theonce-a-year

opportunity tofocus on the

great and mightywonder that is

the birth of Jesus.

32 December 2016

EDITORIAL COMMENT

After Jesus’ ascension,believers spread thegospel around the worldin widening ripples. Daniel N. Balge

Imagine having news so good that noone believes it. That was the predica-ment of a servant girl named Rhoda.

A BLEAK FUTURERhoda worked in the Jerusalem house-hold of Mary, the mother of John Mark.That household was apparently a hubof activity in the early church. Mark—despite once badly disappointing Paul(Acts 13:13, 15:38)—was “helpful to[him] in [his] ministry” (2 Timothy4:11). Mark also became a close asso-ciate of Peter (1 Peter 5:13) and laterwrote the gospel that bears his name.But all that lay in the future. UntilRhoda’s wonderful news, the futurelooked bleak. Acts 12:1-5 records that the churchhad just suffered a terrible blow.James—he, with Peter and John, wasonce of the inner circle of Jesus’ dis-ciples—had been beheaded by KingHerod, the grandson of Herod theGreat. Because James’ execution hadpleased Jewish enemies of the church,Herod had now imprisoned Peter toawait trial. Herod put Peter in maxi-

mum security. Four squads of foursoldiers each took turns guardinghim. Two soldiers guarded the celldoor; two were chained to Peter’swrists. He slept between them. Mean-while, “the church was earnestly pray-ing to God for him” (12:5).On the night before Peter’s trial, manyof the believers were praying at Mary’shouse. Even as they did, their prayerswere being answered (12:6-19). Anangel appeared in Peter’s cell, forcefullywoke him, and commanded him to getup and dress. Peter’s chains fell away.At the angel’s direction he wrappedhimself in his cloak and followed theangel past guards and through the maingate. A block from the prison, the angelleft him, and Peter found his way toMary’s home and to the servant girlRhoda, whose duties included answer-ing the door to the courtyard ofMary’s house.

AMAZING NEWSPeter knocked and said something toRhoda, enough that she recognizedhis voice. She was so happy that sheforgot to open the door and ran backto tell those praying for Peter, “Peteris at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they replied,rejecting the idea that God would an-swer their prayer so wonderfully sosoon (vv. 14,15).

But she kept insisting and Peter keptknocking, and at last the courtyarddoor was opened to great celebration.Peter signaled for quiet and told thegroup to get word of his freedom to theother leaders of the church. Then hechanged locations. Herod still wantedto kill him. After a strenuous searchfor him, Herod executed the guardson whose watch Peter had escaped.Scripture records nothing further ofRhoda. But let’s not remember heronly for leaving Peter at the door.Consider this detail: In the dark ofnight, through a thick door, in a time of danger to Christians, she recog-nized Peter’s voice when she was notexpecting to hear it. It says somethingabout Rhoda that she knew Peter’svoice that well. That voice had toldher—maybe many times—somethingfar better than even her news of hisescape. That voice had told her thegood news of Jesus. Such joy!

Contributing editor Daniel Balge, aprofessor at Martin Luther College,New Ulm, Minnesota, is a member at St. Paul, New Ulm.

This is the eighth article in a 12-part serieson lesser-known New Testament witnesses.

BIBLE STUDY

December 2016 33PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

34 December 2016

A THOUGHT

A beautiful Bible teaching

at baby in Bethlehem is a

treasured expression of God’s love for a

world so filled with ugliness.

“Do you actually believe this?” Thequestion often comes when we con-fess our faith. Sometimes we wince atthe question. When we confess thatwe are sinners and deserve God’s re-jection and punishment, it’s hard forsomeone else to grasp the reality ofsin that exists within us all. But there are other occasions for thequestion. “Do you actually believethat God will reject the good peopleof this world?” The thinking persiststhat all good people deserve specialconsideration from God. Yet we con-fess what the Bible says, “All havesinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Do you believe in sin, judgment, God’swrath, and all those bad things? Theykill our self-esteem and mentally crip-ple our children.” With that thought,the teachings of the Bible are to be re-jected as too unrealistic, harsh, or intol-erant—too ugly. But one beautiful incident from theBible’s pages defies that perception.Yes, some simply will think of it as amyth or fictional story, but it bringsus the beauty and purity of God’slove for the foul mass of humanity. One quiet night in a small town inJudea, a mother gave birth to a son weknow as Jesus. She was in Bethlehembecause the Roman government re-quired her and Joseph to register fortaxation purposes. Interestingly, thepeople mentioned in Luke’s account areall real people verified by historical re-search. Mary delivered her son underdifficult circumstances, wrapped him,and placed him in a manger. The storystill touches our hearts and the heartsof many. It’s simply beautiful.Then the night sky awoke to the bril-liance of angels. Their brilliance terri-fied the shepherds but also announcedthe birth of this child who was Christthe Lord. The shepherds went to findthe child with Mary and Joseph and

told all who would listen about thebeautiful event they had just witnessed.When the baby is identified as Christthe Lord, the beauty transcends everyhuman imagination; it is magnificent.The Lord is a baby in Bethlehem. Whereis the ugliness of sin and judgment somany expect from God? It’s a baby in-stead. This baby is God’s love for uglyhuman sinners who deserve to be dis-missed from his presence.A glance at any newspaper or historybook reveals the corruption and filththat pollute our world—abuse, vio-lence, greed, lust for power, rage, envy,discord, and immorality. These thingsfind their way to the highest levels ofour society, and they are also evident in every human heart and relationship.It’s as the Bible says, “All have sinned.” The beauty is that God chose to providea solution—an undeserved alternative.“God so loved the world that he gave hisone and only Son, that whoever believesin him shall not perish but have eternallife” (John 3:16). That baby in Bethlehemis a treasured expression of God’s lovefor a world so filled with ugliness.“Do you actually believe this?” Yes!Then I have questions: Why does thisbeautiful truth become so unattractiveto so many? Why do some decide it isjust a nice myth? Why do they seem toprefer a Christmas without the baby?Why persist in creating and perpetuat-ing a world without the love of Godfor unworthy sinners? Ah, God’s beautiful wisdom is foolish-ness and remains so to those who do notand will not see. But the rude manger inBethlehem holds a beauty that surpassesthe most profound thoughts of all thosewho have not embraced the baby: Christthe Lord. It’s no wonder we sing “Joy tothe World.”

“There’s a little bit of good in everyone.”“Such a cute baby . . . so innocent.”“Everyone’s got the choice to be goodor bad. We just have to put people intothe right environment so they’ll makethe right choices.” We have all heard such thoughts. It’s theprevailing view today. It is also the viewof every non-Christian religion and evenmany Christian denominations. It’snothing new. Throughout history, peo-ple have believed that they are not thatbad, that they can do enough good toearn heaven—or at least make somekind of contribution.The Bible, however, says the opposite.The Bible teaches that every person whois born of a mother and father inherits acorrupt sinful condition, going all theway back to the first sin of Adam andEve (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5). Of allChristian denominations, true Luther-ans believe, teach, and confess this moreclearly than most. The Augsburg Con-fession states: “It is taught among us thatsince the fall of Adam, all human beingswho are born in the natural way areconceived and born in sin. This meansthat from birth they are full of evil lustand inclination and cannot by naturepossess true fear of God and true faithin God” (II:2). The Formula of Concord explains ineven more precise language. “In spiri-tual and divine matters, the mind, heart,and will of the unreborn human beingcan in absolutely no way, on the basisof its own natural powers, understand,believe, accept, consider, will, begin,accomplish, do, effect, or cooperate.Instead, it is completely dead to thegood—completely corrupted. Thismeans that in this human nature, afterthe fall and before rebirth, there is nota spark of spiritual power left or pres-ent with which human beings can pre-pare themselves for the grace of Godor accept grace as it is offered” (II:7).

That is a far cry from believing that weenter the world morally neutral or pos-sess some spark of goodness. That isrecognizing and confessing that fromthe moment of conception we are lostand condemned creatures. We are in-capable of taking the first steps towardGod. We cannot by our own thinkingor choosing believe in Jesus.The problem with denying the totalityand severity of original sin is that peo-ple imagine they can do something toearn God’s favor. But how could anyoneever be certain they have done enough?When we confess and understand ourabsolute helplessness and hopelessness,we can see that salvation has to be en-tirely, from beginning to end, the workof God for us. And it is. Of that we arecertain.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1. Read Ephesians 2:1; Romans 8:7; 1 Corinthians 2:14. How do each of these passages describe our natural spiritual condition?

2. Why is it so difficult for people tobelieve the Bible’s teaching aboutoriginal sin? Why do you think thismight be an especially “American”problem?

3. Read Psalm 51:1-12. Explain howthe teaching about original sin fitsinto this psalm of repentance. Whyis confessing that we are “by naturesinful” so important in our regularconfession of sins?

Contributing editor Joel Otto, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon,Wisconsin, is a member at Salem, Milwau-kee, Wisconsin.

This is the third article in a 14-part series onkey doctrinal emphases that Luther broughtback to light through his Reformation. Findthis article and answers online after Dec. 5at wels.net/forwardinchrist.

December 2016 35

BIBLE STUDY

Original sinJoel D. Otto

STAINED GLASS PHOTO: ROBERT KOESTER

I had just returned from a round ofhospital calls. My wife met me at thedoor. She looked perplexed. “What’sup?” I asked. She led the way to ourbackyard.Our neighbor had set a trap to catch awily woodchuck. It had been making amess of things in his backyard and in ourgarden. An inquisitive squirrel saw thebait in the trap, checked it out, and sprangthe trap door. The squirrel was frantic. Ithad suddenly lost its freedom. It had cutitself off from the real world of squirrels.Squirrels aren’t meant to live in a cage.That’s not their native environment.Without further ado, I set it free.

CHRIST OPENED THE TRAP DOORMultitudes of people, like that cagedsquirrel, have cut themselves off fromGod and the way of life he originallyintended. They’re trapped. It all startedin Eden. Satan sprang a trap door. But the Creator wasn’t about to let thatcontinue. He confronted Adam and Evewith their sin. “What is this you havedone?” he asked. But that question wasonly the prelude to the real reason forthe confrontation. He promised to openthe trap door, not just for them, but forall of us. Christmas is our reminder thatGod kept his promise. He sent Jesus toopen the trap door.God used Isaiah to give us a propheticpicture of his intent. He revealed his plan“to open eyes that are blind, to free cap-tives from prison and to release from thedungeon those who sit in darkness” (Isa-iah 42:7). A time was coming for God “to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and tothose in darkness, ‘Be free!’ ” (Isaiah 49:9).Then “when the set time had fully come,God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:4). Therest is history.

Shortly after his baptism, Jesus went toNazareth and to the synagogue there.He read from the scroll of Isaiah, “TheSpirit of the Lord is on me. . . . He hassent me to proclaim freedom for theprisoners . . . to proclaim the year ofthe Lord’s favor.” Then with clarity, hesaid, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21).

WE ARE FREE TO FOLLOW HIMChristmas means many things. Peaceon earth, joy to the world, hope basedon real substance are just a few. But un-derlying everything else, Christmasmeans “freedom for the prisoners”caught in Satan’s trap. “It is for freedomthat Christ has set us free” (Galatians5:1). Yes, free. But we’re not free to dowhatever we please. That’s actually aform of universal slavery, “for people areslaves to whatever has mastered them”(2 Peter 2:19). Rather we are free fromsin’s bondage, free now to do whateverpleases our Lord and Master. “Set mefree from my prison, that I may praiseyour name” (Psalm 142:7).We aren’t destined to live our lives inan animal cage anymore. That’s the realdifference-maker between the world’sway of observing Christmas and ourway of proclaiming the “year of theLord’s favor.”“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,” Jesus said (John 8:36).David foresaw that, and it promptedhim to pray, “Keep me free from thetrap that is set for me, for you are myrefuge” (Psalm 31:4). David’s prayer is appropriate at anytime, also—and especially—in thisChristmas season.

Joel Gerlach, a retired pastor, is a memberat St. John, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Christmas means free-dom for the prisoners caught in Satan’s trap. Joel C. Gerlach