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Advent: songs of promise andexpectation!

Christmas: pealing of bells, rejoic-ing at promises fulfilled!

Easter: hallelujahs fill the sky,praises to our risen Lord!

Lent: funeral dirges? The Lenten Season seems to be a

time of the year when the worship ofthe Christian becomes more somberthan usual. The hymns often take on aminor key, and our focus of topic shiftsdramatically. We move from Christmasand Epiphany’s Baby and Shepherds,angel choruses and Wise Men, toLent’s sin and suffering, agony, blood,betrayal and death.

These are the realities in the life ofour Savior (as they are harsh realitiesin our lives as well).

Taking a good hard look at the lifeof our Savior, it is easy to see the dis-appointment and suffering He faced inthis life—and not as easy to spot thejoy and light-heartedness that we

might see in another’s situation. With Christ we understand, howev-

er, that the fate of all mankind was lit-erally in His hands—while, at the sametime, with His true human nature therewas potential for disaster. If Jesus hadnot fulfilled every prophecy perfectlyand kept every commandment com-pletely, the curse over all sinnerswould remain; all hope would be lost.

The Scriptures remind us that Jesuswas in all points tempted as we are, yetwithout sin. He faced not only the real-ly huge temptations brought on bySatan (as the temptations in the wilder-ness, cf. Matt. 4) but He endured andovercame the day-to-day pettiness oflife—struggles with self, time con-straints, temptations of frustration, andeven dealing with misguided and out-rightly deceitful friends. Things likethis to which we often fall prey, Christconquered.

When we see Jesus approaching theLenten season of His life, we may feel

A Bitter-Sweet Season

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sympathy for Him. When consideringthe plight of the Christ, genuine pityand sorrow may creep into the breast ofthe Christian. But it is more than sad-ness and pity that needs to be felt—weneed to deal with our culpability! Weput Christ on the path to the cross. Oursins caused the sinless Son of God tohave to become sin for us. His redeem-ing love brought Him down from Histhrone in humble obedience to HisFather’s will to reclaim our rebellioushearts from Satan.

Is it any wonder then that theLenten season, when we focus on sinand sorrow—our sin, His sorrow—is a“bitter” time?!

Smiling Through Tears

Yet it truly is a bitter-sweet season.We who have lost loved ones under-stand the bitter-sweet sensation. Theheavy heart that says good-bye and thetears that flow in sorrow over a depart-ed Christian are tempered by theknowledge that our brother or sister inChrist is even now enjoying the eternalrest prepared for us all.

Similarly, when sin drags us downand our failures loom before us, whenguilt grips the heart because we have

caused the shame and suffering of ourSavior, we must smile. We smilethrough our tears because we havebeen shown the great love of ourSavior. This is the whole reason Hecame into this world—to save thatwhich was lost, to save us!

Our failures and shortcomings, ourungodly actions and rebelliousness—all have been nailed to the cross withChrist, paid for in full by His preciousblood!

On the one hand, we may wonderhow unbelievers go about their merryway with no thought of the futuredestruction that awaits them. On theother hand, those who observe us maymarvel at redeemed children of Godgoing about with dour, humorlessexpressions and attitudes—as if for-giveness were not theirs and heavendoesn’t await them!

Listen carefully to our Lentenhymns this season. Can you hear songsof promise and expectation—pealingof bells, joy at promises fulfilled, hal-lelujahs filling the sky, praises to ourrisen Lord?!

Funeral Dirges? Let the dirges befor our conquered enemies—the devil,the world, our sinful flesh, and deathitself, each of whom Christ has defeat-ed for us!

—Teacher David W. BernthalFond du Lac, Wis.

“What are you giving up for Lent?”I remember hearing that question

often as a child growing up aroundchildren from Catholic homes. EachLenten season those children were

expected to choose something thatthey would do without from AshWednesday until Easter.

So they would say that theyplanned to give up some favorite food

Sacrifice

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or activity. We Lutheran children usedto make fun of the practice, and wewere glad that no one was expecting usto give up anything we liked for thatsix-week period.

When I was a student at ImmanuelLutheran College, there was an occa-sion when some of us were makinglight of the custom of giving up some-thing for Lent. We were surprisedwhen one of our teachers chided us forour levity. We were told that, rightlyunderstood, the custom is not a badone.

It is very bad indeed if people areled to believe that their acts of sacrificeare works by which they earn God’sfavor. But it could be good for childrenand adults to sacrifice—willingly,cheerfully, humbly—something theyenjoy as a way of reminding them-selves of the infinitely greater sacrificeJesus made for us all.

No doubt there are good reasonswhy the custom of giving up some-thing for Lent has not been promotedamong Lutherans. It is a custom easilymisunderstood and misused, and evenat its best it is a custom of limitedvalue. There are far more meaningfuland necessary sacrifices that believersare called to make for the sake of JesusChrist.

Jesus does call us to sacrifice. Heteaches those who would follow Himthat discipleship involves the sacrificeof everything that gets in the way offollowing Him. He says, “He wholoves father or mother more than Me isnot worthy of Me. And he who lovesson or daughter more than Me is notworthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37).

We ought to love our parents andour children, but we are not to holdthem so high in our estimation that to

please them we are willing to goagainst the Word of our Savior or failin our service to Him.

Even “Small” Sacrifices...

While following Jesus involves sac-rifice, let’s not think only—or even pri-marily—of big, heroic sacrifices.

Think instead of sacrifices required,for example, to attend a Sunday wor-ship service and Bible class. For mostit doesn’t seem like very much: therelinquishing of a couple of hours oftime, the expense of gasoline, the effortof getting dressed up and getting goinga little earlier than usual on a Sundaymorning.

Yet such sacrifices should not bebelittled. They are necessary if we areto participate in public worship and toreceive the blessings of Word andsacrament.

Even small sacrifices made forChrist are a denying of self (Matt.16:24) and a crucifying of the flesh(Gal. 5:24). If one is unwilling to makesmall sacrifices for Christ, how willsuch a person be willing to make thegreater sacrifices that are expected?

What is it that makes one willing to

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sacrifice for Christ? It is ChristHimself and His sacrifice! It is Hislove for us, the love that moved Him tosuffer the death of the cross to redeemus from sin and death. It is the salva-tion that He won for us by His sacrifi-cial death.

When Christ our Savior is seen inthe depths of His sufferings, we realizethat no one else can compare to Him.When we think of the eternal life thatwe have through faith in Him, we real-ize that nothing else that we have orcould have here on Earth can compare

with it. Seeing Christ as He is and seeing

our blessings in Him as they are, wehave the same view as St. Paul whenhe said, “...Yet indeed I also count allthings loss for the excellence of theknowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,for whom I have suffered the loss of allthings, and count them as rubbish, thatI may gain Christ and be found inHim” . . . (Php. 3:8,9).

—Pastor John KlattRapid City, S.Dak.

What is the most focusedyou’ve ever been?

Maybe it was the thesis you had towrite for your Master’s Degree?Maybe it was getting that last renova-tion on the house done? Maybe it wasgetting your three year-old potty-trained? Whatever the task at hand, itconsumed a majority of your time andattention. It was your focus.

God is focused. We can go all theway back to the Garden of Eden to seewhat He was focused on. After Adamand Eve sinned against His only com-mandment and played the blame game,God promised to send a Savior. Fromthe woman one descendant wouldcome who would crush the head of thedevil.

Throughout the Old Testament wesee God’s focus to accomplish this taskof sending a Savior.

God chose Abraham and his descen-dants to bring forth this Savior. TheSavior would come from the tribe of

Judah and be a descendant of KingDavid. Everything God did with and forthe Children of Israel, He did with thisfocus in mind—sending the Serpent-crusher as promised to Adam and Eve.

“When the fullness of the time hadcome, God sent forth His Son, born ofa woman, born under the law, toredeem those who were under the law,that we might receive the adoption assons” (Gal. 4:4-5). The time hadcome—the Savior was born. He whowas promised in the Garden of Edenwas born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus hadcome to crush the head of the devil.

Jesus too...

Jesus too was focused. We read thateven at the age of twelve He wasfocused on doing His Father’s busi-ness. As He grew older, His focus didnot change. Throughout the Gospel ofJohn you can read how Jesus said thatHe was focused on doing the will ofHis Father.

Focused

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Then we read, “Now it came topass, when the time had come for Himto be received up, that He steadfastlyset His face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk.9:51).

FOCUS! The time had come forJesus to crush the head of the serpent.Jesus knew full well what awaited Himin Jerusalem. He told His disciples,“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,and the Son of Man will be betrayed tothe chief priests and to the scribes; andthey will condemn Him to death anddeliver Him to the Gentiles; and theywill mock Him, and scourge Him, andspit on Him, and kill Him. And thethird day He will rise again” (Mk.10:33-34).

Even though Jesus knew He would

have to suffer and then die, Heremained focused. “He steadfastly setHis face to go to Jerusalem.” He washere to do His Father’s will, and thatmeant destroying Him who had thepower of death—that is, the devil (seeHeb. 2:14).

To accomplish this Jesus wouldhave to die. He did! He would thenhave to overcome death by rising fromit. He did!

Remember that particular task youwere focused on? How hard was it toaccomplish that task? Writing a thesiswas probably pretty hard. Getting yourthree-year-old to cooperate was proba-bly pretty frustrating. Yet it only costyou time and energy.

God was and is focused. Jesus wasand is focused. Focused on you andme! From eternity God called each ofus to be His child. In time God sent HisSon to reconcile us unto Himself. Thefocus of Jesus took Him to Jerusalemto suffer and die. All along, the TriuneGod was focused on you.

Praise be to God for His redeemingfocus!

—Pastor Nathan Pfeiffer

Hecla, S.Dak.

How DDeep tthe FFather’s LLove ffor UUs(Numbers 3 & 4 of a series of six Lenten meditations [2006] by CLC pastors

serving congregations in southern Minnesota)

No. 3 — The Father Placed Sin’s Curse Upon His Son for Us

Prayer: Heavenly Father, by the words of Your Law, teach me to understandand know my sin. By seeing Jesus suffer and die on my behalf, teach me not tothink of my sin lightly, but to understand its seriousness and repent. Dear Father,I come to you confessing my many sins. Forgive me. Help me to always believeand trust in the truth that You have given me Jesus’ righteousness in place of my

sin. Thank You for Your deep love! Amen.

Behold the Man upon a crossMy sin upon His shoulders.

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voiceCall out among the scoffers.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse

for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)...” (Galatians

3:13).

Before a particular battle against the Amalekites, God instructed King Saul toutterly destroy the enemy, leaving neither person nor animal alive. Yet Saul andhis men kept some animals and the king alive. Then Saul tried to downplay hisblatant disobedience against God by telling Samuel, “they have...spared the bestof the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest wehave utterly destroyed” (1 Sam. 15:15).

Saul’s excuse did not work. He had contradicted the clear will of God. Samuelresponded, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, asin obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better thansacrifice....Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has reject-ed you from being king” (1 Sam. 15:22f).

There is a notion out in the world—our world—that seems to think that sin isserious only when it is a so-called “big” sin. “Big” is defined as a sin that is well-known, affects others, and has the greatest visible consequences.

This notion is false, for all sin is serious. All sin contradicts God’s will—yes,even the white lies and the things we think are little. All sin is condemned byGod’s law. All sin rightly deserves condemnation and judgment in hell. Thewages of any and all sin is death! (cf. Romans 6:23)

When we understand the true wages and curse of sin, then what wonder andawe can flood over us when we hear about the deep love the Father has shown tous. Our heavenly Father sent His Son to bear sin’s curse for us and in place of thecurse God gives us Jesus’ righteousness!

God said through Isaiah: “Surely [Jesus] has borne our griefs. [He] has carriedour sorrows...He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for ouriniquities...All we like sheep have gone astray...and the LORD has laid on Himthe iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:4-5).

Thanks be to God for our substitute—Jesus! Amen.

—Pastor Wayne Eichstadt (Mankato, Minn.)

No. 4 — The Father Had His Son Finish Salvation’s Work for Us

Prayer: Dearest and most gracious Father, I praise You that You have sentYour Son as a willing sacrifice for sin and as the perfect atonement for all peo-ple. I thank You that You did not leave me in my deep distress but provided a per-fect and complete rescue so that I now might come before Your mercy seat with

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complete confidence of Your grace and favor for the sake of Jesus Christ, Yourbeloved Son, my Savior. Amen.

It was my sin that held Him thereUntil it was accomplished;

His dying breath has brought me life—I know that it is finished.

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the

Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ Now a vessel full of sour wine was

sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put

it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is fin-

ished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:28-30).

It looked like a done deal. Adam was cowering in the bushes with Eve, seek-ing to evade all contact with the LORD God. He had enjoyed such contact withGod, but that was now a thing of the past. His response to God’s approach wastelling: “I was afraid and hid” (cf. Gen. 3:10).

Adam’s response (to the probing accusation of the LORD)—“The womanYou gave me caused the problem” (cf. Gen. 3:12)—was also telling. It surelylooked like fellowship with God had been forfeited forever.

Even after God had promised to send someone who would defeat the EvilOne, the whole matter looked bleak. The entire world was corrupt and destroyedby the Flood except for the tiniest remnant (cf. Gen. 6ff).

In the renewed world, the same pattern repeated: the world turned over-whelmingly away from God. Even among the carefully nurtured chosen nationof Israel, things looked bad—so bad that a prophet of God was convinced that healone was left (cf. 1 Kings 19:1ff). He was mistaken and was actually part of ahidden minority. It did look as if the human race was beyond remedy and lostforever. It looked as if Satan, the Accuser, could say, “It’s over. It’s finished.”

When Christ was falsely convicted and slain by wicked hands, mocked andridiculed, and hanged on a tree, His enemies thought they had won. It was fin-ished. They would never be troubled by Jesus again!

But thanks be to God, how wrong they were! What was finished was the ter-ror of conscience, the fear of death, and reign of Satan. What was completed wasthe work of salvation, the redemption of mankind, the payment for sin, the rec-onciliation with God. Christ had finished the gracious work He came to do. Andwe are safe with Him.

—Pastor Norman Greve (Eagle Lake, Minn.)

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There are several different ways inwhich we could end a letter.Depending upon the person to whomwe’re writing, we might close with“sincerely,” or “love,” or “in Christ.”

When we are saying goodbye tosomeone in person, our words willvary as well. We might say, “I loveyou,” or “God bless you.” If we werein an argument, we might be keen toget in the last word in a negative way.Perhaps we’d get in a parting shot.

Final words have a lasting effect.Paul’s closing words in his first let-

ter to the Thessalonians were intendedto have a positive, lasting effect. Hecommunicated what he wanted forthem and from them. Both of thesedesires are on a high spiritual planeand demonstrate a Christ-centeredrelationship for Christians in general,and the relationship between pastorsand congregations in particular.

There are two things that Paul wish-es for his fellow Christians atThessalonica: 1) That God would sanc-tify them completely. 2) That theywould be preserved blameless at Jesus’coming.

To be sanctified completely is to betotally set apart from sin. It is a statusthat we will not attain until heaven, butat the same time it is something that westrive for here on Earth. As Christians

we are in a constant struggle to dowhat is right and avoid what is wrong.We strive to please God; we also workto help our neighbors in that direction.These are God-pleasing actions. Infact, in this letter to the ThessaloniansPaul directs them to do just that.

However, the power to be set apartfrom sin—whether in time or for eter-nity—is found in the Holy Spirit. OnlyHe can overcome our sinful instincts.We do well to pray for our fellowChristians that they might be set apartfrom sin, and that God’s will may bedone in them.

In a similar vein, we ought to prayfor each other that we might be pre-served blameless until the Last Day.Many have come to grief in seeingfriends and family become like seed notable to put down roots, or like a plantchoked out by the thorns and thistles(see Matthew 13). Faith needs constantnurturing with the gospel. Pray for yourfellow Christians that they remaininvolved with the means of grace andfinish the race of faith set before them.“He who calls you is faithful, who alsowill do it” (1 Thess. 5:24).

Fellowship Aspects

Paul also asks for three things fromthe Thessalonians: 1) Pray for us; 2)Greet one another with a holy kiss; 3)

Studies in First Thessalonians—“...(We) wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10).

Chapter 5: 23-28

The Last Word

Read the letter to the brethren.All three of these requests remind us

of the positive aspects of fellowship.God brings people together asChristians that they might give strengthto one another. Our relationship withour fellow Christians and our pastorshould not be merely passive. There isactivity in our Christian relationships.

Pray for your pastor. Pray that hewould remain faithful to the Word.Pray that God would give him zeal toserve. Pray that he would remainuplifted and not grow despondent.Pray that God would give him strengthand compassion. Pray that he would bea shepherd under the direction ofChrist.

Pray in a similar way for the mem-bers of your congregation. A goodexercise would be to go through yourchurch directory name by name, mak-ing requests of your Lord for each per-son in the flock. If you don’t know ofparticular needs, you can make generalrequests or view that as an opportunityto get to know your fellow Christiansand their needs.

This fraternal love is the idea behindwhat is termed “a holy kiss” (v. 26).While we do not kiss each other ingreeting (as was done years ago), theprinciple of friendliness still remains. Ina society that is always in a hurry, we dowell to take time for each other asChristians. God has brought us togetherto give strength to one another.

That strength will be grantedthrough an involvement in God’sWord. “I charge you by the Lord thatthis epistle be read to all the holybrethren” (v. 27). The bond fromChristian to Christian is not based onrace, or common interest, or anythingelse but the Word.

It is in that Word that we learn weare God’s children—brothers and sis-ters in Christ. In God’s Word alone wefind the truth about the love of God andour status with God. The Lord stilldirects us to His Word today.

Some last words to think on? “Thegrace of our Lord Jesus Christ be withyou. Amen” (v. 28).

—Pastor Michael SchierenbeckMarkesan, Wis.

West Central DistrictPastoral Conference

met at Prince ofPeace Lutheran

Church, Hecla, S.Dak. last September.

A church membereven providedweapons and

instruction for atrap shoot break.

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“Consider your ways!”As I write this article, such words

sound oh, so very familiar, what withNew Year’s but a few short weeks past.People the nation over took the opportu-nity (perhaps long overdue) to considertheir ways, perhaps making some muchneeded improvements to their lives.

As you read these words, they willalso ring true with you. The Lord’sencouragement through Haggai—”Consider your ways!” (1:5,7)—is anintrinsic theme of the Lenten season.As we see the Lord of life suffering forour sins, we take stock of what we areby nature, without God, and considerhow our sinful ways made it necessaryfor our Savior to go to Calvary in ourstead. As we consider Haggai’s mes-sage, we will find the Lord leading usto apply these words of correction andsalvation also to ourselves.

Nothing is revealed to us concern-ing Haggai apart from his name andwhen he lived. He was called by theLord to serve as a prophet to His peo-ple who had returned from theBabylonian Captivity.

At first those who returned had vig-orously begun the rebuilding of both

the city and the temple. But there wasopposition, and the work slowed to astandstill (for more, see Ezra 4,Nehemiah 4). Soon fourteen years hadpassed without any work being doneon the Temple.

So the Lord caused famine condi-tions to descend on the newly returnedpeople at Jerusalem. Through Haggaithe Lord told His people that thefamine was due to their sluggishness atrebuilding His house. “‘Is it time foryou yourselves to dwell in your pan-eled houses, and this temple to lie inruins?’ said the Lord. ‘Consider yourways! You looked for much, but indeedit came to little; and when you broughtit home, I blew it away. Why? Becauseof My house that is in ruins, whileevery one of you runs to his ownhouse’” (1:4,5,7,9).

No doubt the people had excuses fornot completing the Temple. There wastoo much else to do—such as trying todeal with the results of the drought.

Rededication Brings Blessing!

“Consider your ways!” How manythings do we have on our weekly sched-ules? How many projects do we have at

INTRODUCINGthe Books of the Prophets

HaggaiWhat a blessing that the Lord gives us this message through

Haggai! How much we need to hear that God forgives our sins-including sins of apathy and selfishness—and gives us His guidingpresence.

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home that have been on the proverbial“back burner” for months on end?

How tempting it is to say, “Youknow, I just don’t have time for devo-tion today; I have to get to work early.”Or “There isn’t time for church thisweekend; I’ve got too much to do, andI get only a day or two off.” Or “Theyare asking for people at church to helpwith a evangelism outreach project, butI can’t get involved; there is a birthdayparty to go to tonight, and then I needto get to bed so I can get to the gymearly in the morning.”

How we need to hear the Lord’swords through Haggai: “Consider yourways!” The Lord may not come to usand connect certain sins with particularresults in our lives, but we do have theLord saying: “Seek first the kingdom ofGod and His righteousness, and all thesethings shall be added to you” (Mt. 6:33).

“Consider your ways!” And as youdo, by the grace of God, may your faithbe strengthened to rededicate yourselfto the Lord—for doing so alwaysbrings God’s blessings!

Such was true among the Jews: “Sothe Lord stirred up the spirit ofZerubbabel, governor of Judah, and thespirit of Joshua the high priest, and thespirit of all the people; and they cameand worked on the house of the Lord ofhosts, their God” (1:14).

The Lord had come to them notonly with law but also with the gospel:“I am with you, says the Lord.” In thisWord of God the Jews found thestrength to get up and build. And theLord saw what they did—as He hadgiven them the strength to do—and Heblessed them: “Consider now from thisday forward—Is the seed still in thebarn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, thepomegranate, and the olive tree havenot yielded fruit. But from this day Iwill bless you” (2:18,19).

The Temple they built looked noth-ing like Solomon’s temple, yet the Lordsaid, “Is this not in your eyes as noth-ing? Yet now be strong, all you peopleof the land, and work, for I am withyou. My Spirit remains among you; donot fear! Once more I will shake heav-

Outline of HAGGAI

I. Haggai Reproves the People for neglecting the building of the Temple...(Ch. 1)II. The Greater Glory of the Second Temple, especially because of Christ’s coming

to it. (Ch. 2)(Outline adapted from Introduction to the Books of the Bible, Drewes, Concordia Pub. House,

St. Louis, Mo., 1965)

Our Savior’s, Jamestown,N. Dak., observed its 75thanniversary in 2006 (see

February issue). Ann.Committee members were:

Alice Laber, CarolHillstrom, Laurie Hamm,

Curtis Wiest, EverettMurch, Pastor Eric Libby

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en and earth, the sea and dry land; andI will shake all nations, and they shallcome to the Desire of All Nations, andI will fill this temple with glory. Theglory of this latter temple shall begreater than the former. And in thisplace I will give you peace” (2:3-7,9).

The Lord Himself would suddenlycome to His Temple! Regardless of thebuilding the people built for His wor-ship, God would be among them!

What a blessing that the Lord givesus this message through Haggai! Howmuch we need to hear that God for-

gives our sins—including sins of apa-thy and selfishness—and gives us Hisguiding presence. He will bless us aswe rededicate ourselves to putting Himand the things of His house first; He iswith us whenever and wherever wegather around His Word.

Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home; Oh, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart!...(TLH #94:4)

—Pastor Paul KrauseClarkston, Wash.

— Perspectives —

: Why Bother In the First Place? (Jan ‘ issue)

: Some Background History (Feb ‘ issue)* : Toward Preserving an “Orthodox Character”

: Why the LC MS is Paralyzed

In our postmodern day, we stillbelieve that words mean something,especially when we are talking aboutthe “words” of God! We believe thatthe Bible is Holy Scripture, that is, theverbally inspired Word of God (“ver-bal inspiration”). Together with that,some of us within conservativeChristendom still believe that there isneed and place for creeds and confes-sions—statements of faith whose“words” deserve close scrutiny as towhat is being said/confessed/believed!

In other words, it matters a great

deal to us exactly how something issaid/written. Our holy desire is that aparticular creed or confession accu-rately conveys what the Word of Godteaches on a given subject—especiallyif and when that subject comes underdiscussion and debate.

Perspective : TToowwaarrdd PPrreesseerrvviinngg aann““OOrrtthhooddooxx CChhaarraacctteerr””

That in turn being the case, it iscommon among us to “test the spiritswhether they are of God...” (1 Jn. 4:1),as Holy Scripture directs. If somethingis said or written among us that maynot be clear—whether in our pulpits,Bible Classes, classrooms, publica-tions, conference and conventionessays—it is only fitting and properthat in a spirit of Christian love andconcern the matter be clarified in keep-ing with Scripture through brotherlydiscussion and debate.

What is being said here findsexpression in the following paragraphof the Brief Statement:

The orthodox character of a churchis established not by its mere name norby its outward acceptance of, and sub-scription to, an orthodox creed, but bythe doctrine which is actually taught inits pulpits, in its theological seminar-ies, and in its publications. On theother hand, a church does not forfeit itsorthodox character through the casualintrusion of errors, provided these arecombated and eventually removed bymeans of doctrinal discipline, Acts20:30; 1 Tim. 1:3. (“Of the Church,”Brief Statement, par. 29).

The very name of our synod—Church of the Lutheran Confession—is intended to convey to ourselves inparticular and to the world in generalthat ours is a confessional church. Westrive to be that not only in name butalso in practice. The synod’s not infre-quent “controversies” can and shouldbe seen as our striving to maintain anorthodox (truth-teaching) theologicalposture among ourselves first of all,but again also before a watching world.This does not mean that we critiqueone another for the sake of being criti-cal. Rather, our hope and prayer is that,

whatever the discussion or debate, it becarried on out of love for preservingthe gospel of Jesus Christ in its truthand purity. When that is kept in mind,God’s believing children will be“speaking the truth in love” even asthey are “endeavoring to keep the unityof the Spirit in the bond of peace”(Eph. 4:3,15).

The sad fact is that all of us, thoughChristian believers, are sinful humanbeings, and in the face of doctrinal dis-cussion (“controversy”), the sinfulnature easily comes to the surface, dis-playing unchristian traits such as love-lessness, strident tones, prideful preju-dices, and/or simple sin-blinded humanreasoning.

However, the possibility of such sin-ful factors beclouding a well-inten-tioned doctrinal discussion or debateshould not and dare not lead to the con-clusion that our—or any—church bodyis better off by refusing to “test the spir-its...”! If and when a refusal to addressdoctrinal issues wins the day, the resultis what is being witnessed in countlesschurch bodies in our day—practicallyanything goes lest a concerned brotherbe perceived as self-righteous, judg-mental, or politically incorrect.

God help us by His Spirit that wenever “forfeit (our) orthodox charac-ter” in the interest of preserving a false,merely outward peace. Such forfeiturewould make us guilty of failing to liveup to the Truth and to the very name ofour church body—a name whichmeans that we are a church committedto a biblically sound, truly Lutheranconfession of God’s Word of truth!

_________________RE: FACING PAGE:

A few months ago a synod memberreminded us that 2006 was the tenth

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From the Proceedings of the 22nd CLC Convention, June 17-21, 1996, at Immanuel Lutheran College, Eau Claire, Wisconsin....

SANCTIFICATION

1. Sanctification is not something that the believer does, it is what the Holy Spiritdoes in the believer. From beginning to end, sanctification is the work of the HolySpirit in the believer. The monergism of grace needs to be maintained in sanctifica-tion (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Concordia Triglotta 895:37; 229:8).

2. The sanctified life of believers, including every work by which they serve andglorify God, is due to the Holy Spirit who has renewed them and continues to workin them by grace. It is in this sense that one may speak of the sanctified life as beinga gift of grace. The life that is Spirit-lived is a fruit of being Spirit-filled (new man).

3. Because the Holy Spirit has sanctified them, believers are the doers of goodworks. Thus, these works are the manifestations of the sanctifying work of the HolySpirit (Rom. 8:1,4; Ps. 110:3; CT 905:63; 807:6).

4. Good works are the fruit of faith working by the love generated by the HolySpirit. The faith that the Spirit of God creates is simultaneously receiving the fullgrace in Christ Jesus and moving the Christian to lead the Spirit-filled life. Sin in thelife of the Christian is not of the Spirit but of the old man, for which reason we needdaily repentance (CT 941:9ff; Acts 16; Fourthly of Baptism; Rom. 6:4-6).

5. The good works of believers are in full accord with the immutable will of Godrevealed in the Law (Deut. 12:8, 28, 32; CT 967:17).

6. When we speak of progress in connection with sanctification, we do not mean thata person becomes holier in God’s sight. It means that sanctification is not static, but thatit is ongoing. The evidence of this is in the growth of faith, love, knowledge, etc.

THE THIRD USE OF THE LAW1. The immutable will of God and the Law are identical in content - LOVE.

However, the Law because of sin is coercive and condemnatory.2. The Law in all its uses only applies to the Christian insofar as he is flesh or old

man, because of sin (CT 805; 963).3. For the Christian insofar as he is new man the Law does not apply in any of its

uses (curb, mirror, rule or doctrine, demand and curse) (Pieper, Christian Dogmatics,Vol. 3, p. 237).

4. The Law in all of its uses retains its full condemning force, even in the thirduse when it presents the fixed rule according to which the regenerate, because oftheir flesh, are to direct their lives (CT 805:1; 265:55).

5. The Law of God prescribes to believers good works, not solely for a didacticpurpose and not solely for a condemning purpose. It shows and indicates that in thislife good works are still imperfect and impure in them. “That his good works areimperfect and impure he recognizes from the Law. Rom. 7:7ff.” (Isa. 64;6; CT969:21; 209; 198)

6. The Law has no power to effect what it demands (Gal. 3:21). It is the Spirit’swork through the Gospel “to work in us both to will and to do” (Phil. 2:13; CT 905:63).

WHEREAS this statement is correct on the basis of the Scripture and theLutheran Confessions; and

WHEREAS no points of controversy were raised that were not considered by thisstatement; therefore be it

RESOLVED that this statement is a settlement of the matters in controversy andthat it constitutes our rejection of all prior statements in conflict with the truthsexpressed in it.

anniversary of our synod Convention’sresolution of the “third use” controver-sy; this comment was added: “We mustnot become complacent nor forget theblessings that the Lord gave us throughthis doctrinal statement...ten years ago.”

In the spirit of our comments aboveon the importance of addressing andresolving in a brotherly manner doctri-nal issues which arise among us, andas an example of how the Lord led oursynod to a godly resolution of the stat-ed controversy, we are (re)printing the

material on “Sanctification” and “TheThird Use of the Law.” This material istaken from the Proceedings of the22nd CLC Convention, June 17-21,1996, at Immanuel Lutheran College,Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

As God led the synod to this andother godly settlements, so may He doin the future as together we strive toproclaim His saving word and gospelin and to a world of sinners.

—Pastor Paul Fleischer

Noting the 75th Anniversary of the “Brief Statement of the Doctrinal

Position of the MISSOURI SYNOD” (1932-2007)

A Trumpet Which Gave—and Gives!—a Clear Sound(See 1 Corinthians 14:8)

Brief SStatementOf Creation

Introductory Thoughts:The issue of origins has been the

subject of increasing discussion withinour society in view of the work of suchorganizations as The Institute forCreation Research and Answers inGenesis, as well as the growing debatewithin scientific circles over IntelligentDesign.1 That debate has been fueledwithin the external Christian church, as

more and more Christians—togetherwith their respective denominations—have turned away from a literal inter-pretation of the Scriptural account ofcreation and embraced the tenets oftheistic evolution.

It would appear that such Christiansand Christian denominations are will-ing to deny the inspiration of Scriptureand the truths revealed by Scriptureregarding God’s act of creation in orderto secure the approval of the world.Such denials are very serious, however,for you cannot undermine one sectionof Scripture with the truths that it con-tains without undermining the whole of

1 Intelligent Design is a scientific theory,which suggests that certain basic biological com-ponents within nature are simply too complex tobe explained as arising by random chance (assuggested by evolution). Their very complexitysuggests that they were designed by some intel-ligence.

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Scripture and the truths containedthroughout. You cannot deny the bibli-cal teaching of creation without affect-ing negatively the teachings of the fallinto sin, the origin of death, and theconsequent need for our redemptionthrough Jesus Christ.

The teaching of creation, therefore,is fundamental to our understanding ofthe present and our hope for the future!We of the Church of the LutheranConfession, therefore, heartily endorsethe confessional position expressedwithin The Brief Statement.

Brief Statement text [with com-ment]:

Of Creation

We teach that God has created

heaven and earth, and that in the

manner and in the space of time

recorded in the Holy Scriptures,

especially Genesis 1 and 2, namely,

by His almighty creative word, and

in six days. [Genesis 1-2 provide forus the inside story of creation. Godalone was there, and He has chosen invery simple style to relate an accountwhich otherwise would have beenbeyond our ability to imagine, muchless to comprehend. Truly our God“the LORD is great and greatly to be

praised!” (Psalm 96:4a) Using thepower of His Word, Christ Himselfcalled into being everything thatexists—as revealed in several passagesin the New Testament (cf. John 1:1-3;Colossians 1:15-18). This He did whileestablishing time—the twenty-four-hour day and seven-day week—whichgoverns our lives within this world.Some would suggest that the days ofGenesis 1 were long periods of time,but their arguments are not convinc-ing. The context suggests normal days,for the use of the words “evening andmorning” together with the enumera-tion of each day is routinely used else-where within Scripture with referenceto normal days. Beyond this, the use ofthe creation week as a pattern for thesix-day work-week established inExodus 20 demands that the days ofGenesis 1 be viewed as normal days.]

We reject every doctrine which

denies or limits the work of Creation

as taught in Scripture. [Among thosedoctrines would be theistic evolution,which constitutes a compromisebetween materialistic evolution andbiblical creation. It suggests that Godoriginally created the matter whichmakes up our universe, but that this

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Immanuel Lutheran, Mankato, Minnesota, hosted the CLC Teachers’Conference last October (story, p. 21).

complex universe then developed with-out the further intervention of God bymeans of evolutionary processes andwithin a time-frame of millions ofyears. Theistic evolution therebydenies God’s creative genius and limitsHis creative work.]

In our days God’s creation is

denied or limited by those who

assert, ostensibly in deference to sci-

ence, that the world came into exis-

tence through a process of evolution;

that is, that it has, in immense peri-

ods of time, developed more or less

out of itself. [The teaching of evolu-tion—which properly cannot even becalled a scientific theory, for it cannotbe tested, and which certainly is notscientific fact—is a philosophy of ori-gins masquerading as science.Unfortunately, secular humanists (whochampion evolution) hold sway inmany areas and institutions of ourcountry—including our public muse-ums and parks, our public schools anduniversities. Evolution, it is wildlyclaimed, is the heart and core of sci-ence. Evolutionists suggest that with-out evolution advancement in sciencewould stop! In reality, evolution hasnothing to do with the practical work-ing of real science. As those currentlypromoting the concept of intelligentdesign are revealing—evolution is, inreality, science’s “emperor withoutclothes”!]

Since no man was present when it

pleased God to create the world, we

must look for a reliable account of

creation to God’s own record, found

in God’s own book, the Bible. [Onecan almost hear Ken Ham, thePresident of Answers in Genesis,2 ask:“Were you there?” The acceptance ofbiblical creation is ultimately a matterof faith (cf. Hebrews 11:3), as is theacceptance of any other theory regard-ing origins. “No man was present” andso we are dependent upon God’s reve-lation—the Bible. We are blessed thatGod reveals the facts concerning cre-ation, which establish His position ofauthority over creation, our position asHis representatives within creation,and the nature of our relationship withour Creator God.]

We accept God’s own record with

full confidence and confess with

Luther’s Catechism: “I believe that

God has made me with all crea-

tures.” [The apostle Paul assures usthat “All Scripture is given by inspira-tion of God, and is profitable for doc-trine, for reproof, for correction, forinstruction in righteousness, that theman of God may be complete, thor-oughly equipped for every good work”(2 Timothy 3:16-17). We can acceptGod’s account of creation with confi-dence. That account assures us thatour Universe and we ourselves are notthe result of mere cosmic accidents butrather are the carefully crafted productof an omnipotent God who has alsorevealed His grace and mercy to us inthe person of Jesus Christ! Yes, Godhas indeed “made me with all crea-tures” even as He has “redeemed me alost and condemned creature, pur-chased and won me from all sin, fromdeath, and from the power of thedevil”!]

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting

Mankato, Minn.

2 Answers in Genesis is an excellent sourcefor materials dealing with the ongoing debatebetween creation and evolution. Information andresources may be obtained through their web-site: www.AnswersinGenesis.org.

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Lord Jesus, Word of God incarnate,as once You came in the flesh, even sonow come to our hearts through YourWord.

Can there be any doubt that thechapel speakers want you to read theBible? Over and over again we hear aspeaker telling us to read the Bible.

Why do we keep reminding oneanother to study the Word of God? Well,I would like you to consider thesewords from the first chapter of John:

“In the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God, and theWord was God. And the Word becameflesh and dwelt among us, and webeheld His glory, the glory as of theonly begotten of the Father, full ofgrace and truth. And of His fullness wehave all received, and grace for grace.For the law was given through Moses,but grace and truth came through JesusChrist” (John 1:1,14,17).

We refer to the Bible as the “Wordof God.” In this passage we are toldthat the Word existed in the beginningand that the Word was with God andthat the Word was God.

Then we are told that the Wordbecame flesh and dwelt among us and

that its glory was that of the onlybegotten of the Father, full of graceand truth—and that we have receivedthat grace. Finally, we are told thatgrace and truth came through Jesus.

There is only one conclusion we cancome to: the Word is Jesus Christ! In thebeginning was the Jesus, and Jesus waswith God, and Jesus was God. Jesusbecame flesh and lived among us. Jesuswas full of grace and truth.

So...if the Bible is called “theWord,” and Jesus is called “the Word,”does this mean that the Bible is Jesus?After all, if A equals B and B equals C,then A equals C; right?

In a sense, that is right. WithoutJesus, there would be no Bible. Adamand Eve would have been executed andsent to hell, and that would have beenthe end of everything. They were

Do You Read Jesus?

The WWord FFrom IImmaanuuelCChhaappeell TTaallkkss ttoo tthhee ssttuuddeenntt bbooddyy ooffIImmmmaannuueell LLuutthheerraann CCoolllleeggee,, EEaauu CCllaaiirree,,WWiissccoonnssiinnTTo oour yyoung rreaders —— TThhis iis ffor yyou!

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allowed to live because of Jesus. Noahwas spared because of Jesus. Abrahamwas chosen because of Jesus. Israel wasdelivered from bondage in Egyptbecause of Jesus. David was chosen tobe king because of Jesus. The prophetswere sent because of Jesus. Judahreturned from exile because of Jesus.The entire Old Testament is about Jesus.

As for the New Testament, theGospels contain the life of Jesus. Thebook of Acts contains the spreading ofthe gospel of Jesus. The epistles con-tain the teachings of Jesus. The book ofRevelation reveals the ultimate victoryof Jesus over all His enemies—a victo-ry which is given to us. The entire NewTestament is about Jesus.

The entire Bible is the revelation ofJesus and of His impact on the world—past, present, and future. It begins withthe reason for Jesus—that is, that manwas created in the image of God but thathe lost that image when he sinned.Therefore in the greatness of His lovefor man, God promised to send Jesus,His Son. The Bible continues with thestory of how God prepared the worldfor His Son’s coming. It shows howGod sent His Son, how Jesus lived alowly life and died a cruel death, howJesus rose from the dead and ascendedinto heaven. The Bible reveals how thelife, death, and resurrection of Jesuswiped out all our sins and replaced themwith His righteousness, and how we areguaranteed an eternal place in heaven.

The Bible is not only about Jesus. Itis from Jesus. Jesus is the Messenger ofthe covenant...grace and truth camethrough Jesus Christ. We know the loveof God because of Jesus. Jesus revealedthe truth about God. He revealed thegrace of God and He bestows that graceupon us. It is for Jesus’ sake that God is

gracious unto us and forgives us.The Bible is from Jesus and about

Jesus. Moreover, the Bible is the voiceof Jesus. As we hear it and read it,Jesus is talking to us. He is talking notjust to our ears nor just to our brain, butto our hearts.

This book is Jesus. Oh, I don’t meanthat this leather and paper and ink aresome kind of transformation of the fleshof Jesus. However, the thoughts andwords that issue forth from this book arealive with the power of the person andthe work of Jesus. When we hear andlearn the Bible, Jesus is present. He iscoming to us and speaking to us and liv-ing in us and bestowing His grace uponus, strengthening us and preserving us.

Jesus is the Word of God in theflesh, full of grace and truth. Likewisethe Bible is the Word of God. The twoare inseparable. Without Jesus therewould be no Bible in our lives. Withoutthe Bible there would be no Jesus inour lives.

Now we are preparing to celebratethe Word becoming flesh. For us, it isnot merely an historical account of thebirth of someone who is no longeraround. When we hear the Word, thebirth becomes a living reality, and theincarnate Word is reborn in our hearts.The voice of Jesus speaks: “I was bornfor you; I lived for you; I died for you;I rose for you; and now I am interced-ing for you before My Father’s throne.You are forgiven. I am preparing aplace for you in heaven.”

So, why do chapel speakers keepreminding you to read the Bible? Needyou ask?

PRAYER: O Word of God incarnate, help usto celebrate Your birth by listening to Your voicein our daily Bible readings. Amen.

—Prof. John Pfeiffer

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“Serve the Lord with gladness”(Psalm 100:2).

Improve your serve! ChaplainNathan Wales opened this year’s con-ference at Immanuel LutheranChurch, Mankato, Minnesota with adevotion in which he reminded us thatwhen we are looking to improve ourservice for the Lord, we study HisWord and follow our best example,Jesus Christ.

Wednesday

Our conference presentations beganon Wednesday, October 18, withPastor Paul Nolting giving the keynoteaddress based on this year’s theme:“Improving Your Serve.” He invited usto think about the call we havereceived from God, and how our servecan improve based on God’s love forus and the children we teach.

Professor Joe Lau presented abook review on The O’Reilly Factorfor Kids. He concluded that the authorhad practical advice about smart liv-ing for children. However, much of itwas based on this world’s morality.

Before and after lunch Mr. DanielLoe, a Christian counselor of twentyyears, spoke on the subject of depres-sion. He offered many suggestions onwhat to watch for in our students andwhat steps to take if depression isfound.

Amy Osborne presented “TeachingWorld Languages.” She gave manypractical ideas and told of resources touse in teaching foreign languages inour classrooms.

Wednesday concluded with anideas exchange. Many beneficial ideaswere shared to help with the improve-ment of our serve.

A song service was held Wednesdayevening at Immanuel LutheranChurch. The service theme was“Through the Church the Song GoesOn.” We were spiritually uplifted bythe Word given to us through Scripturereadings and various choir pieces.

Thursday

We gathered together to begin oursecond day with another devotiongiven by Nathan Wales. Thursday’s

2006 CLC Teachers Conference

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devotion was based on John 21:15-25,in which Peter is reminded by Jesusthat his strength is from Christ alone.This reminder is meant for us also aswe look for the strength to improve ourserve. We were also spirituallystrengthened through the Lord’sSupper.

The papers continued on Thursdaybeginning with Ted Quade’s paper on“Christ-like Attitudes.” He led usthrough a study of James, a bookwhich is full of words of encourage-ment for improving our serve througha Christ-centered attitude.

Kathleen Olmanson presented “All-Day Kindergarten.” She discussed whyImmanuel, Mankato’s school boarddecided to switch to all-dayKindergarten and the benefits she hasseen since the change.

Before lunch, the Okabena [Minn.]staff (Joel Gullerud and Erin Libby)presented a curriculum review of theEveryday Math series. After lunch, theteachers split into two groups for theTitle Five Presentations. Lower gradeteachers were given ideas for “HolidayGift Ideas” (Ann Sprengeler),“Devotionals” (Anita Meyer),“Keeping Students Productive Outsideof Class” (Heidi Nelson), “New(er)Christian Music” (Karla Olmanson),and “Winter Phy-Ed Ideas” (LilaBrown).

Upper grade teachers were present-ed with “Devotionals” (Ryan Libby),“Keeping Students Productive Outsideof Class” (Dan Barthels), “ComputerClasses” (Leif Olmanson), “New(er)Christian Music” (Sara Pfeiffer), and“Winter Phy-Ed Ideas” (Matt Thurow).

Friday

On Friday morning Nathan Walesconcluded his devotions with a portionof John 13 as text. Here we have theexample of Jesus washing His disci-ples’ feet. As Jesus showed that He wason this Earth to serve, we too need tofocus on our service to others throughChrist’s love.

Conference ended with two guestspeakers. Mr. Herb Geiger, a memberof Immanuel Lutheran Church andlong-time educator, presented ideas onhow to encourage spiritual activity inour students. Mr. Justin Olmanson,educator and member of BethelLutheran Church, Spring, Texas,shared information on how teacherscan better understand and use differenttypes of research.

We thank all the presenters, the staffat Mankato, host families, and all themembers whose hospitality weenjoyed. We also thank God that Heblessed us with another opportunity togather together to receive spiritual andeducational encouragement and

Conference choir in

rehearsal

growth. We thank Him for all theopportunities He gives us to serve, andwe pray that He continues to grant usstrength as we look to improve our ser-

vice of spreading the precious gospelmessage of our Savior.

Reporter: Teacher Erin LibbyOkabena, Minn.

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In Our CLC Classrooms—

Meet Amy Osborne

Amy Osborne (nee Rodas) has beenserving as the Kindergarten-secondgrade teacher at Luther MemorialChristian Day School, Fond du Lac,Wisconsin, for the past five years. Sheis a graduate of Immanuel LutheranCollege in Eau Claire.

She married Christopher Osbornein September, 2005.

Amy particularly enjoys teachingkindergarten reading, and first and sec-ond grade Spanish.

In her spare time she enjoys watchingprofessional football, coaching the gradeschool cheer squad, traveling, sellingMary Kay, and playing volleyball.

Amy considers Rochester, New

York, her hometown. She and her hus-band have a pet cat named Pablo.

Regarding the accompanying pic-ture, Amy writes: “This picture wasobviously taken at my wedding. Thechildren around me are most of mystudents and cheerleaders from LutherMemorial.”

Dear Lord, to Your true servants giveThe grace to You alone to live.Set free from sin to serve You, Lord,They go to share Your living Word,The gospel message to proclaimThat all may know Your saving name. (WS #780:1)

Above: Ministry by Mail staff—Pastors M. Eichstadt, W. Eichstadt, M. Schierenbeck,

P. Reim, M. Roehl

Top right: Synod’s 50th AnniversaryCommittee: Pastors D. Reim, F. Gannt,

C. Schaller

Right: Convention delegate Doran Slater(Tacoma, Wash.) is served by Stephanie Altom

in the CLC bookhouse at ILC.

Cover: Matt Schaser

the Ron Roehl purse.” Send gifts to...Jim SydowILC Business Manager501 Grover RoadEau Claire, WI 54701

TOUR CHOIR CONCERT SCHEDULE

Immanuel Lutheran CollegeEau Claire, Wisconsin

(tentative—verify date and time with pastor)Mar. 10 (Sat.) Austin, Minn. (11:30 a.m.)

Sioux Falls, S.Dak. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 11 (Sun.) Rapid City, S.Dak. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 12 (Mon.) Cheyenne, Wyo. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 13 (Tues.) Loveland, Colo. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 14 (Wed.) Lakewood, Colo. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 15 (Thur.) Valentine, Nebr. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 16 (Fri.) Watertown, S.Dak. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 17 (Sat.) Mankato, Minn. (7:30 p.m.)Mar. 18 (Sun.) Inver Grove Hgts., Minn.

(10:00 a.m.)

Send Change of Address to :Lutheran Spokesman

2750 North Oxford StreetRoseville, MN 55113

AnnouncementsILC REGENTS CALL FOR

NOMINATIONS

(printed belatedly as information)The Board of Regents for Immanuel

Lutheran College invites “all pastors, professors,male teachers, and voting members of membercongregations of the Church of the LutheranConfession” (CLC Constitution) to nominate anindividual or individuals to fill the vacancy cre-ated on the ILC faculty by the retirement ofProfessor Ron Roehl.

The man (men) nominated must be able toteach Spanish I and II at the high school level.Secondarily, he should have the ability to teachsubjects in the areas of Social Studies at both thehigh school and college level.

Those placing nominations are encouragedto include information regarding their nominee’seducational background and teaching experi-ence. They may also indicate how their nomi-nee(s) might help our school in supervisingextracurricular activities or serving in adminis-trative positions.

Please send your nominations, postmarkedno later than March 1, 2007, to

Rev. Ted BarthelsILC Board of Regents2200 16th St. SWAustin, MN 55912

AN INVITATION FROM THE ILCREGENTS

Professor Ronald Roehl will be retiring fromthe faculty of Immanuel Lutheran College at theend of the current school year. He has served atthe high school and college levels of Immanuelfor more than 40 years, and was active in theILC classrooms when our CLC school was stillat Mankato, Minnesota. Through the years Prof.Roehl has taught courses in science, mathemat-ics, English, Social Studies, and history. He alsoserved as Dean of Students, Athletic Director,and Registrar for many years. On the ball fieldand on the basketball floor, Coach Roehl wasinstrumental in the training and discipline ofhundreds of grateful students.

As a token of our appreciation we would liketo collect a monetary gift for this dedicatedteacher of our children. CLC members are invit-ed to contribute to this retirement “purse” thatwill be presented during graduation ceremonieson May 19, 2007. Please make checks payable toImmanuel Lutheran College, and stipulate: “For

NOTE: Updated website address for the TravelingVacation Bible School is: www.clctvbs.org