An open letter to the church in response to a note from a church member.
(*This is not just a response to one letter from a church member, but to the many emails and notes I have received from church members in regards to the ELCA resolutions. Â Our church members do not easily fall into clearly defined categories, but represent a broad spectrum of beliefs and opinions on these matters. Â I offer this to those who are looking for a quick or easy fix to the problems facing the church, especially those who are looking for the “right answer” from me.)
To my friend in Christ,
My grandpa always quoted this Native American proverb: “Don’t judge anyone until you have walked many miles in their moccasins.†Another is like it, “Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.†In the best of times putting these proverbs into practice is difficult. When we are dealing with deeply held beliefs, it is even more difficult if not next to impossible. So, I thank you for sharing your beliefs, concerns, and thoughts with me.
I appreciate the proverb you shared with me: “Vision without action is only a dream. Action without vision is a waste of time. Vision and action can change the world.†I appreciate your call for a clear vision for the church, along with clear actions to change the world. I believe that is exactly what Jesus Christ came to accomplish through his death and resurrection, and give to us to fulfill, as difficult as it is for us to accept and to do. Jesus taught us the Greatest Commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself†(Matthew 22: 37-40). Without God’s grace in Jesus Christ, I would not be able to even try to live out these greatest commandments in my life.
Every Sunday I do my best to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. I have no illusions that everyone agrees with everything I say, nor do I make the mistake that I can make anyone believe or do anything that they don’t want to. This church is full of people who believe and do all sorts of different things, some of which I am OK with, and some I am not. But I can no more make someone a Christian than I can make it rain or the sun shine. That is up to God and the Holy Spirit to do.
It is the responsibility and burden of the Christian disciples/members of Christus Victor to interpret and apply what the Bible says to our ministry, mission, and shared life together. This was given to the Church by Christ Jesus himself, referred to as “the keys of the kingdom of heaven†(Matthew 16: 18-19 and Matthew 18: 18-20). What is black and white to you is not black and white to other Christians who take the Bible as seriously as you do. What is not open to interpretation for you is open to interpretation for others. The most important thing in the midst of our disagreements is not who will win and who will lose in our disagreements, but where is God leading us through the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ?
No one can make the members of this church do or believe anything. Not the government, not the ELCA, and most certainly not me. In fact the ELCA resolutions give it back to each individual church to make their own decisions on the blessing of same-sex relationships and the calling of homosexual pastors. It would not be by a simple majority either, but a 2/3rds majority to make any changes to our constitution, or even in the calling of a pastor. So, I personally see no reason to hold a church vote to make any changes to our constitution at this time, and we are not going to be calling a pastor any time soon either.
However, it is clear to me that a significant number of our church members do want to have a vote on these issues, both those that agree and those that disagree with the ELCA resolutions. A growing number of our members want to “take a stand,” and I can tell you with great certainty that there is not a 2/3rds majority on either side of this issue! Therefore, at some point in the near future it will come back to you and all of the disciples/members of Christus Victor to state and vote on what you believe. And after the vote everyone will have to decide whether they will stay at Christus Victor to work and serve together as disciples of Jesus Christ, or seek another church to join. Either way, it seems pretty certain that we will lose members and their gifts of service, leadership, and offerings, which will damage all of the ministries and mission of the church that we have worked so hard to build and grow.
So I am trying to listen to the Holy Spirit, trust in God to lead and guide us, hold onto the love and grace of Jesus Christ, and leave this in the hands of the disciples/members of CV to decide.
This is probably more than you were expecting, but your letter brought forth a lot of the things I have been dwelling on and struggling with these past few months.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Kent Claussen Gubrud
Christ the King and Consecration Sunday
It seems almost ironic that we would be celebrating Christ the King Sunday and have the consecration of our pledges on the same day. On this Christ the King Sunday we acknowledge that Jesus Christ reigns over all; that Jesus is our King; that all of the powers, nations, and rulers of the earth will both bow down to Him; that no power, nation, or ruler will come before our Lord, Jesus Christ in our lives. This includes money.
Money has a huge power over us. We need it to buy the things we need to survive from day to day, and subsequently, whether we are conscious of it or not, instead of believing and trusting in God to give us our daily bread, we look to our job and even ourselves as the source of all we need. Instead of Jesus ruling in our lives, money and the pursuit of money rules instead. Such a subtle temptation to idolatry.
But when we intentionally give our money to God through our offerings, we are making a faith statement. It is God who gives us our daily bread, it is Jesus to whom we own our life and give our allegiance, and our offerings, our pledges, are a sign and symbol of our faith and fidelity to Christ our King.
So on this Christ the King Sunday, when we bring our pledges forward to the altar, be thinking of what this means as a real sign of you faith in Jesus Christ.
Listening to each other – Listening to God
After two informational meetings regarding the ELCA CWA resolutions, I am struck by how hard it is to listen to each other, especially to try and understand a different point of view, interpretation, or belief from our own. Â Part of the challenge is internal as we mull over our own views, beliefs, etc. in an attempt to come up with a rebuttal, and some clarity in our own minds about what we believe and why. Â In any case listening is hard work, and it is not something we do very well.
I am also struck by the parallels in our difficulties listening to those that are right in front of us, speaking in a language we can understand, about ideas and information that are not totally beyond our comprehension, with our difficulties listening to God. Â Listening to God is complicated by the fact that God, though with us, is not literally in front of us, nor speaking a language we can understand (and no I am not referring to the original languages of the Bible, nor necessarily the Bible itself – but prayer and listening to the “still small voice” of God), added to the fact that God is beyond our comprehension and understanding (seriously, who fully comprehends and understands the divine mystery that is the Trinity, the Incarnation, let alone the Resurrection, without faith?). Â Yet that is one of the central statements of the Bible and of the Christian faith: Â God is constantly communicating with us and we can “listen” and respond.
In the midst of our congregations conflict over the ELCA resolutions (not the first conflict nor the last), a significant number of people from both informational meetings want to gather together to study and discuss the Biblical and Theological issues underlying our differences. Â This desire to learn, discuss, and struggle with these serious issues of faith and our common life, gives me great hope for our church. Â And while I am working on a number of opportunities for people to study and learn, it is also clear to me that we need to learn together to listen to God. Â If Christ is at the center of our church (and I know He is), and the Holy Spirit continues to lead and guide us (because Jesus promised), then we had best learn how to listen to God to find our way through these challenges into the future God is calling us into. Â Therefore I am looking for a group of people that will commit to meeting with me for six months, starting in January, as part of an international, ecumenical journey of discovery in listening to God. Â If you’d like some more information of what this might entail, please check out the materials on John Ackerman’s website. Â He is my spiritual director and will be leading and facilitating this discovery process. Â This group will be separate from the study groups that I will be offering. Â If you are interested, please contact me at church so we can talk more about this opportunity to grow in faith through listening to God.
Informational Meeting on Sunday, Nov. 8 between services
Sunday, November 8 at 9:45am – join us as we gather for an Informational Meeting on the ELCA Church Wide Assembly votes in August. Â This will follow the same agenda from the first meeting on October 29:
- Opening Prayer and Scripture Reading
- Reading of the resolutions
- Time for questions and answers regarding the resolutions
- Next steps suggested by the Thursday group – input and suggestions for next steps from the Sunday group
- Closing scripture reading and prayer
The 3rd and Final Informational Meeting will be held between service on Sunday, November 29. If you, or people you know, have not participated in one of these meetings, please encourage them to attend.
The ELCA Church Wide Assembly Votes and our church
This past August the 1045 voting members at the ELCA Church Wide Assembly considered a number of resolutions on the subject of allowing congregations who choose to, to find ways of blessing same-sex committed relationships and calling ordained pastors in same-sex committed relationships. Â Those resolutions were approved. Â You can find the exact wording of those resolutions and accompanying documents at www.elca.org.
The ELCA has been struggling with these issues over the last ten years, if not dating back to the 1990 approval of ordaining homosexual clergy as long as they, like single heterosexual clergy, remained celibate. Â However, while the current presenting issue focuses on homosexuality and homosexuals, there are deeper and broader concerns and questions underlying the present controversy in the ELCA. Â Among them are:
- How is the Bible God’s Word for the Church? Â Are we revisiting the old conflict between an understanding of the authority of the scriptures between Biblical Inerrancy as opposed to Biblical Inspiration? Â Â
- How does our Lutheran Theology and Confessions inform and shape how we interpret and understand the scriptures? Â For instance, how do the principles of Law and Gospel, or the Canon within the Canon, inform our interpretation of scripture?
- What is the article of faith upon which the Church stands or falls, and how does that inform our understanding and interpretation of the Bible? Â The assumptions we start with are determinative of our interpretive conclusions.Â
- How do we interpret and understand scripture, and what do we do when Christians disagree with one another? Â Can there be more than one faithful interpretation of the same Bible text without dividing the church?
These are but some of the deep and broad issues that I see underlying our present controversy, and I hope to address these questions with the members of Christus Victor in the coming weeks and months.
On October 29, 2009, over 50 members of Christus Victor gathered for an Informational Meeting, to ask questions and share their concerns. Â And while the ELCA resolutions do not require congregations to change their beliefs or practices, not everyone is satisfied with that, so out of this meeting came four next steps:
- About half, if not a little more, of those attending the meeting want the members of Christus Victor to eventually vote on where we stand on the ELCA resolutions, with possible further steps involving withholding our benevolence dollars to the ELCA, and/or leaving the ELCA all together. Â According to our constitution, a special congregational meeting may be called by the pastor, council president, church council, or with a written request by 10% of the voting members of the church. Â No meeting has been officially called… yet.
- We will hold a few more informational meetings with the same agenda as the first meeting, so more church members can be informed, ask questions, and share concerns. Â (specific dates and times have yet to be set and announced, so stay tuned).
- It was also determined that we should hold a series of forums/study discussions regarding the issues and decisions facing the church. Â (Again, specific dates and times have yet to be set and announced).
- Pastor Laura and I will seek ways to guide this congregation and keep us focused spiritually in Christ. Â Some thoughts include daily prayers on the website, prayer vigils, and time for silent centering prayer in worship on Sundays. Â Your thoughts on what would be helpful to the congregation, and how you might like to help, would be appreciated, please call or email me at church.
I have been reflecting at length over the implications of the above steps for our church. Â First and foremost, I think this is an opportunity for us to clarify what is at the core of our ministry and mission as a church? Â Who are we? Â What do we believe? Â What is our purpose and mission? Â While we have a clearly defined mission of “Serving Christ and Community with Faith, Love, and Open Arms,” we do not have a single shared understanding and interpretation of the Bible and our Lutheran Theology undergirding our mission and identity at Christus Victor Lutheran Church. Â Instead we have a diversity of interpretations, assumptions, and understandings of scripture and theology and what that means for our church, that will, without a clear shared vision of the unity of our shared life in Jesus Christ as forgiven sinners, divide us and undermine our ministries. Â In light of the diversity of opinion among us, and the strong feelings and deeply held beliefs on all sides, I will do my best to listen to all, keep Christ at the center, speak the truth in love, and preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Â I do not want anyone to be naive, and know that whatever course the members of Christus Victor choose to take into the future, it will be a difficult and challenging course. Â And this makes it all the more important that we all pray and keep our attention firmly fixed on Jesus Christ, for truly, only God can lead us through.
Family Conflict – the first generations
I’ve been thinking about Family Conflict as a way for me to understand the dynamics at work in a church family. Â
It’s family reunion time, and all of the members of the extended family are getting together for a celebration. Â Everyone who is coming is somehow related to the original patriarch and matriarch of the family, Ole and Lena Olafson. Â Their marriage was a scandal to both families, for it was a dreaded mixed marriage! Â Ole was Norwegian and Lena was a Swede! Â To make matters worse, Ole came from the Pietist tradition, and Lena came from the orthodox state church in Sweden. Â It is not clear whether their families disowned them, or Ole and Lena beat them to the punch by immigrating to America in 1883.
They ended up joining the Uniting Lutheran Church, for neither the Norwegian Lutherans nor the Augustana Lutherans would take this sinful mixed couple. Â Ole and Lena also became rock solid members of the Bull Moose party, partly because Lena had a crush on Teddy Roosevelt, and partly because Ole liked anyone who’d take on those he disagreed with on both the left and the right! Â Through the years, things would get awfully tense in the Olafson household, for their son, Sven, had the gall and nerve to marry a German girl named Helga. Â Ole threw Sven out of the house saying, “I won’t have any mixed marriages in my family! Â I disown you!” Â But one year later Sven and Helga were back because Lena couldn’t bear not seeing her first grandchild. Â And when they named the boy little Ole, well, big Ole kind of melted.
But Ole’s heart was hardened again when second son, Ivar, both became a Democrat and married a Dane named Pia. Â To make matters worse, their daughter Ingrid married a Swede, Peder, who was an Augustana Lutheran. Â Some say Ole died of a broken heart. Â Lena just said he ate too many meatballs and sausages.Â
The Olafson clan now had four different kinds of Lutherans in the family, and a number of mixed marriages, which everyone tried so hard not to talk about at family gatherings, especially when Lena was around. Â ”You are all my precious children and I love you all,” is how she would scold them when they got into any arguments over which Lutheran church was the True Lutheran church, and thereby who were the real Lutherans, and who were the dirty heretics. Â Once Lena died, the families kind of drifted apart.
Sven and Helga moved to South Dakota. Â Ivar and Pia stayed near the homestead in Minnesota. Â Peder and Ingrid moved out to Oregon.
Only after the depression hit did the family start coming back together again. Â Sven and Helga lost the farm and moved back to Minnesota. Â Peder and Ingrid went bankrupt when the Herring market collapsed, and they too moved back to Minnesota with dreams of starting a lutefisk factory. Â Some people just never stop dreaming. Â All of Ole and Lena’s grandchildren started attending the same schools and got to know each other in the years that followed. Â Added to this were the mergers starting to happen between the different Lutheran churches, though the old Norwegians and the Missouri Synod Lutherans still wouldn’t talk to anyone outside their faith. Â Christmases would become fraught with crying children when the uncles started yelling at each other calling the other, “Spawn of Satan” and “Hellbound Heretics!” Â Needless to say there were a few Christmases when Peder and Ingrid would not come to Christmas with their kids and everyone missed their lutefisk with cream sauce and delicious lefse. Â It seems Helga couldn’t get the hang of either dish, but everyone felt bad for her because she couldn’t help it, she was German after all.
God alone is our Rock
I’m reading a book called, “Transforming Congregational Culture,” by Anthony Robinson. It was recommended to me after reading and discussing a few other books on church ministry and addressing the changing culture while on my sabbatical. So the learning and growing goes on. As I read through this book, I will be posting some thoughts, reflections, and questions to ponder as we continue to address the need to change and be changed by God for the sake of our souls and of the world.
We don’t need anyone to tell us that the mainline churches in America are facing many challenges and changes from without and from within. This shouldn’t be new or surprising to folks, although how these changes and challenges are manifesting themselves may be new and surprising, if not disconcerting. Nor should it be surprising that there continues to be steady change in how Americans think and behave where religion is concerned. This is not just a mainline issue!Â
In times such as these, and we are not alone in the story of God’s people on earth of having “times such as these,” I am reminded of the church camp song, “The Rock!” The words come right out of Psalm 18: 46 - The Lord Lives! Blessed be my ROCK, and exalted be the God of my salvation!”  I need a rock to stand on, a firm foundation when life is so shakey and uncertain. If it feels like you are on ever shifting sands, perhaps what you are relying on for stability is not God, but something else that has become a substitute for God. Power, possessions, and prestige in one form or another often are the substitutes we go to instead of seeking God. God wants to take away any and all substitutes that we have put in place of God, so that God can be our Rock, our center, our very life.
Change is actually the point. God wants to change us, save us, and transform our lives. So, I end with the beginning of Robinson’s book on transforming congregations, it begins with a question: what is our God given purpose? Who is God calling us and changing us to be, and from that, what is God calling us to do? This is not a one time question, but the guiding question for us as Christians in community, keeping us focused on God our Rock!
Daily Baptism and Tipping Points
Baptism is both a one time washing by water and the Word, a Sacrament (means of God’s grace), and, a life long process. As Martin Luther wrote in his “Large Catechism,”
Thus a Christian life is nothing else than a daily Baptism, once begun and ever continued. For we must keep at it incessantly, always purging out whatever pertains to the old Adam, so that whatever belongs to the new man may come forth. LC, pg. 89
So, the Baptismal or Christian life is an on going process of change, of transformation. It is first, what God has done and is doing in our lives in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is followed by what we do, how we respond and participate in the process of change and transformation of our own lives and souls. The frustrating and sad paradox for me, especially because I am a Christian of the Lutheran persuasion, is that we Lutherans hate and resist change with a passion!
How many Lutherans does it take to change a lightblulb?
“CHANGE?! We don’t change!”
This brings me to a thought on Tipping Points. A tipping point is when the benefit of change outweighs the benefit of staying the same.  Something needs to happen to overcome the power of inertia and the status quo.  I believe that “something” is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we receive a new vision of reality (Jesus called this the reign of God), a new mission or passion (when we see a great need or injustice in the world), or a new clarity of purpose and direction in life (when our gifts and talents intersect with the needs of the world). Now that sounds all fine and dandy, but how does that happen in our lives?  I know that new visions, passions, mission, and clarity come from God, but how?
How? From an encounter with the Living God.  In men’s work this encounter is sometimes called the necessary spiritual “whomp” on the side of the head, that wakes us up to our deep need and desire to be changed and to change. In my reading of scripture, church history, and listening to the lives of Christians of all ages and backgrounds, God doesn’t work in just one particular way.  But somehow we do need to “wake up,” listen, pay attention, be opened by, or be open to God.
Christians have always had a set of practices, or maybe better said, “disciplines for disciples,” to create a space, an opening, an opportunity in our hearts, minds, and souls for the Holy Spirit to get into our lives. This is what Daily Baptism is all about, and what brings about the many needed tipping points for transformation and change in our lives.  Maybe if Dan Brown were to write a book about these Christian practices and come up with some mysterious name like, “The Secret God Code,” or, “The Hidden Path,” then people would get really interested! On the other hand most of us want a quick fix and easy answers, so we’d respond to “7 Easy Steps in under 5 Minutes a Day to Perfect Unity with God.” The point being that there isn’t a secret to living the Christian life and Daily Baptism, nor is it easy or quick, it is a life-long process, a journey, and it requires our discipline and commitment.
OK, you already know about these practices, and you’re probably doing some of them already.  The question is, what will it take for you to do them daily, weekly, and regularly? Which of these practices might God be calling you to commit to that would be worth your time, energy, and resources, or dare we say it, a change in our priorities, schedules, and attitudes? Â
Worship, Prayer, Learning, Serving, Giving, Real Relationships, Sharing your faith
These seven, and the greatest of these is love.
Can music help us “see”?
My spiritual director sent me this link to Youtube. A song by Wendy Francisco, called “God and Dog.” Whether you are a dog lover or not, this song helps me “see” God’s love all around me.
Sometimes I get so bogged down in the words and phrases of the scriptures, I just don’t get it. But when a musician takes those same words, phrases, or ideas and turns them into a song, somehow that helps me “get it.” I can ”see” better what God is trying to show me about God’s self, and maybe something about myself too. One of the reasons I come up with, why this is so, is because music seems to connect with all different parts of our mind/body at the same time. Drama can do this. And the Sacraments do this too!
What helps you to “see” God better? Are there any particular songs that have helped you to “see” better?
Run Your Own Race (with thanks to Rev. Denita Williams)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Â Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12: -13
(Rev. Williams’ text for her sermon on the occasion of the 2nd Anniversary of Lilly of the Valley AME.)
As I sat in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday night, my soul and mind being moved by the grace and power filled words of Pastor Denita, the congregation responding with “amen” and “hallelujah” and claps of approval, I wondered about the connection and disconnection between “running our own race” as a church, and, “running our own race” as individual followers of Jesus Christ. Â
Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, we at Christus Victor are caught in the comparison game with the other Lutheran churches surrounding us. Â Easter in Eagan, Shepherd of the Valley in Apple Valley, Prince of Peace in Burnsville, and Hosanna in Lakeville, not to mention Grace and Community of Hope as well, and settled in the middle of our massive siblings is little old Christus Victor. Â Funny thing is, when compared with all of the churches across the ELCA, little old CV isn’t so small after all. Â We’re in the top 97% in terms of worship attendance and membership!!! Â We are not small! Â
Yet when we take our eyes off of following Jesus, running our own race of faith set for us by God, we get “thrown off” the course. Instead of focusing on the people and the ministry at hand, whether that be teaching Faith Trek, singing in a choir, serving on a committee, doing our part for Joyful Servants on Sunday mornings, or whatever the situation may be, we c0mpare ourselves to the other churches and worry about what we are not doing or can’t do that they are doing.
Take the garage sale as an example. Literally hundreds of people donated items and helped make the CV garage sale a great success! Over $16,300 was raised!!! Yippee, Hallelujah, and Praise the Lord!!! Right?
Well… A number of CV people and neighbors of CV just had to get into the comparison game. “Pastor, did you hear that Prince of Peace raised over $160,000 with their garage sale?” Yeah, of course I knew. And they had better make 10 times what CV made, because they are over 10 times larger than we are. If they didn’t they’re doing something wrong.
The point is we need to run our own race. What is God doing here at CV, do we have any reason to give thanks and praise to the Lord?  Are our struggles God’s Call for us to change and grow instead of giving up and giving in?  Where is the Spirit of God blowing us, and are we opening our souls and our sails to go where God wants us to go, what God wants us to do, and who God wants us to become?Â
Since Jesus Christ is the author and perfector of our faith, wouldn’t it be a good idea then, to keep our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts focused on Jesus instead of comparing ourselves and worrying about everybody else?  Do other churches have things to teach us? Absolutely! Do we have a lot yet to learn, more to grow, and not only be open to change, but seek to be changed by God and with God’s help? Yep!
The issue for the church and for each of us as individuals is to identify both what is hindering and entangling us/you from keeping fixed on Jesus, then ask for help in dealing with that (yes, folks, that means prayer and the support of other Christians!). And then, do those things we know we need to do to help us stay fixed on Jesus, and continue to run our race of faith.
You know what I’m talking about: worship (coming with a worshipful attitude), daily prayer, daily devotions, lifelong education/learning, serving others, giving financially and growing in giving, inviting people to church/telling others about your faith (especially your family!), getting to know new people and welcoming them, use your gifts to help others. If any of this is new or strange to you, please let me know, I’d love to talk with you more, because I want to help you run your race of faith in Jesus Christ.