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e d itor i als

Growing in Christs Love

In the midst of a presidential election, weare reminded of how much attention is givento the intricate details of the politicianslives and the lives of their famil ies. We havecertain expectations of these individuals who desire to run our country of how theyshould behave. We formulate opinions basedon what the media can drum up and publishin the latest forum. We take the focus off our own lives and look at these individualsin order to escape reality and distractourselves from our own aws. Growing upas a pastors kid, there were times when I feltas though our lives, actions and behaviors were the focus of the parish ioners and the

communities in which we lived.What is it l ike to grow up as a PK? My initial response is that we are human,too! Labels of pastors kids are either thegoody-goody or the rebel. Admittedly, thereare pieces of my past in which I played bothof those roles. I recall t imes I compromisedmy fathers role and ministry due to my ownpoor decision-making. Yet I suggest thateach of us carries these attr ibutes based onour sinful nature to rebel from God.

A pastors family is held to highexpectations to live according to Godscommandments, being good examples of what God ordains. A pastors family should

reflect these standards. All Christianfamilies should aspire to do so. Yet wealso recognize that the pastors family isconfronted with the various forms of sin thatevery human faces. We ride the pendulumof human behav ior from good to bad.

The pastor and his family are imperfect.This reality does not give any of us anyexcuse (as Romans 1 reminds us). Rather, we recognize our sin, admit it, and by Godsgrace learn to change it. Having experienceda gamut of life issues within my family andpersonal life, I have come to regard thepastors family as a vessel to the congregation,sharing our common hurts, pains, and

disappointments as a congregation of theredeemed. Relating to one another assinner to sinner, we grow in Christs love.Our behavior whether it be labeled goody-goody or the rebellious is the processof normal growth and development in theChristian l ife. It is important to emphasizethat we are those in need of a perfect God who sent the perfect Sonto love us withall our imperfections.

What else does your dad do besides preachon Sundays? I was taken aback when in highschool a classmate asked me this question.I suppose my shock was associated with

those times when Dad wasnt there to tuck me in at night because he was at a councilmeeting. Or, he would be cal led away fromsome family event because of an emergency.I am sensitive to this question because ithas always made me realize that the roleof the pastor is similar to many otherprofessions. Congregational demands andexpectations of the pastor regarding churchgrowth, how worship should or shouldnot be conducted, public relations in thecommunity, counseling, visiting those whoare ill, funerals, and weddings are issuesthe pastor faces in order to achieve successin his role. The toll of these expectations

can create physical, spiritual and emotionaltornados hovering to touch down andcause devastation in the pastoral family atany moment.

I write this to bring understanding andperspective. I write this as a request of church members to bring encouragementto your church workers and their familiesthrough prayer and loving actions.Congregations can be watching the radar which focuses attention on the pa storand family, not with criticism, but withprotection and care. I encourage membersof congregations to practice patience andlove, not haste and hatred, in the act ivities

of your congregation.Synod, districts, and researchers try topinpoint why sometimes we have shortagesin young men entering the ministry.Meanwhile we, the parishioners, can guardagainst the burnout pastors and theirfamilies may be experiencingby loving them the way Christ rst loved us. In doing so, we can limit the heartache of hav ing toclose church doors because there are notenough ministers to ll them.

Barb HoierPK and member

First Lutheran ChurchPlattsmouth, Nebraska

Caring for Others and Self Do we know how to nurture called church workers? I keep trying to reframe thisquestion because I believe the issues aremore than the caring for and the nurturing of church workers. The other side of myre ective coin is whether church workersalways know how to care for and nurturethose that we are called to serve.

We become church workers for all sortsof different reasons, and we remain on

these church worker journeys for manydifferent reasons. How do we equip church workers to go on these journeys? Is this theresponsibility of the colleges and/or theseminaries? Should the LCMS take on thisresponsibility? How responsible should thechurch worker and the church be for self-careand nurturing one another?

I believe that church workers and thechurches we serve are in a constant state of

ux in this day and age. There are no easyanswers. There is no such thing as one size

ts all in our society anymore. Nor can wemake anyone else responsible for our actions.There is no one simple program that meets

all our needs. No two churches and schoolsare exactly alike.The personality of the church worker is

re ected in the church. Sometimes churchesget stuck in patterns developed with earlierchurch workers. Sometimes we church workers lose ourselves in the churches that we serve. Sometimes church workers feellike they never really became a part of thechurch. At other times, the church workergets stuck in an earlier situation in his orher life that we keep repeating the same orsimilar actions.

The question once more is, How do wecare for and nurture our church workers?

There are many programs out there for thechurch worker and the church. I believethat the process starts with us as people thatcan be nurtured, or before we can nurturesomeone else. We need to know who we are,and how we function with others. We areon life journeys that can lead us in so manydifferent directions but to one ultimate placein Gods Kingdom.

Another crucial issue is how we as church workers have a shared vision with ourchurches and schools. This shared visionmeans that we as church workers are inconstant conversations among the threemost important families in our lives: our

birth family, the family we marry into,and the virtual family we work with in ourcongregations. Sometimes these familiesoverlap. At other times, these families are atodds with one another. The most importantthing for us as people of God is to be inconversation with our three families.

These conversations are also key for multiplestaffs and schools as we nurture and care forone another. What is our shared mission and vision? How do we have the conversations thatmatter to us on our spiritual journeys? Are weopen enough to one another and do we trusteach other enough to work together?

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Mark Rockenbach

Stress in the Lives of Church Workers

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Stress is the amount of pressure that is exertedagainst an entity. Too much pressure willcrush you, and no pressure at all means youare dead. Consider your blood pressure. Bloodpressure is the force applied against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood throughthe body. If the heart pumps with too muchforce exerting too much pressure against the vessel walls, you have high blood pressure orhypertension. High blood pressure increasesthe risk of developing heart disease, kidneydisease, eye damage and stroke (brain damage).

A diagnosis of high blood pressure requirestreatment that will help normalize bloodpressure and prevent complications.

In healthy people, especially athletes, low blood pressure is something that is desired.However, low blood pressure (hypotension)may cause inadequate blood ow to vital organs

such as the brain, heart and kidneys. Those with low blood pressure typically experiencedizziness, lightheadedness, chronic fainting spells, nausea, fatigue and clammy skin. Whensymptoms of low blood pressure begin tointerfere with daily function, lifestyle changescan help correct the problem.

As you can see, stress against the walls of the arteries impacts the overall health of theperson. Too much pressure (stress), or toolittle, can result in dif culties. But not all

stress is destructive. In fact, research hasdiscovered that stress is actually good for you.

Acute Stress Acute stress will strengthen the immune system,protect against certain diseases and help you meetenvironmental challenges (Segerstrom & Miller,620). Bruce McEwen notes that Stressful eventsand the accompanying release of stress hormonescan enhance the immune system (McEwen, 97).The stress hormone which is most signi cantin this process is called cortisol. It is a steroidhormone made from cholesterol (McEwen, 24).It is a major player in our response to stress.Small amounts of it give a quick burst of energy,increase memory and strengthen the immunesystem. Cortisol is very important to help us deal with acute stressors, sometimes referred to as the ght or ght response.

An increase in blood pressure in times when you are under stress will help you deal with lifearound you. When you get up in the morning there is an extra boost of stress hormones(cortisol) to help get you going. Bruce McEwensays, Ideally, the tide of cortisol is highest inthe early morning, ebbing in the afternoonand reaching a low at night (McEwen, 26).

Acute stress (eustress) gives you a feeling of ful llment and achievement rather thananxiety. Eustress gives you a competitive edge

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and focus. It stimulates you and gives a senseof accomplishment. When I get into the pulpitto preach or stand before large groups to give apresentation, I have a healthy amount of stress thatputs me in the zone. Athletes encounter the samething when they compete. Without the acute stressresponse, we would not have the focus and alertnessneeded to perform under great pressure. Therefore,pressure (stress) is imperative in helping us performand be productive. Without it we would not bemotivated to do anything.

Chronic StressHowever, too much cortisol impairs cognitiveperformance and increases risk factors of highblood pressure which results in lower immunity

(McEwen, 24; Segerstrom & Miller 618). While acute stress is bene cial to the immunesystem, chronic stress has the potential to bedamaging to the immune system. At Ohio StateUniversity, they discovered a connection among chronic stress, loneliness and social support. Theyfound that loneliness, bereavement and lack of a social system had a negative impact upon theimmune system (McEwen, 93).

Too much pressure (stress) over a long period of time is called chronic stress. While acute stress canbe thrilling, exciting and healthy, chronic stressinterferes with living. Chronic stress will resultin either distress or burnout. Dr. Archibald Hartdescribes distress and burnout this way: Burnoutmay never kill you, but your long life may notseem worth living. Stress (distress) may kill youprematurely, and you wont have enough time to

nish what you started (Hart, 5).Both distress and burnout are the result of

chronic stress. Too much pressure over a long period of time that is not properly dealt with isdevastating. And pressure is typically felt from

many different directions. Stress in one area of lifecan result in stress in another. While we are told toleave work at the of ce, it is easier said than done.Sleepless nights, poor eating habits, limited physicalactivity, and poor attitude toward those we havecon ict with, all make their way home.

And the stresses of home also make their way to work. When the pressures around us become toointense and last too long, it becomes chronic stress.One of the worst aspects of chronic stress is whenpeople get accustomed to it. This can be a particularproblem for church workers. They begin to tellthemselves that this is normal and even expected.

Stress ReactionThe stress reaction diagram (page 9) is a work inprogress that I have been developing. Ultimately, aperson wants to be in the middle where the stressorsof life are in healthy balance. However, as stressaccumulates and our responses become ineffective, we will soar into distress or dive into burnout.Dr. Hart has developed symptoms for distress and

burnout that I have included in the diagram.The trigger for either distress or burnout ischronic stress. But each has very differentsymptoms and results.

First, I draw your attention to the middle of the diagram that is identi ed as h althy hom o ta.Homeostasis literally means to stay the same.Every system needs balance in order to functionproperly. When the body is subjected to majorchange, it will react to maintain homeostasis andcreate health. If there remains a chronic imbalancein the system and homeostasis cant be achieved,there is illness. Eustress is healthy homeostasisthat is good for your immune system and lifefunctioning. Remember, the only person whois without stress is a dead person. So if you live,breathe and are reading this article, you havestress. Eustress (acute stress) will enhance theimmune system and give you the strength to meeteach new day. Yet, if you experience chronicstress, and the tide of cortisol continues withoutceasing, the stress is no longer eustress or acute,but chronic stress.

Chronic stress gives way to two options. You willbecome distressed or burned out. Each option isthe result of too much pressure that has not beendealt with in a healthy way and becomes unhealthystress. From my experience it is common forprofessional church workers to become distressedand then become burned out.

Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon use theillustration of a rocket. When the church worker isin distress, it is like a rocket soaring skyward on ahuge burst of energy, then it burns out and falls

The Rev. Mark Rockenbach ( M. D iv .,MAC, LMHP ) serves as the Church Worker Health Executive of theNebraska District. Markr@ndlcms.org

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to the earth (248). The teacher who sits at herdesk while the kids run wild in the classroom isburned out. The pastor who stays in bed untilnoon and dreads going to the of ce is burnedout. Burnout leads to lack of motivation and lossof calling and purpose.

Initially, burnout is your bodys way of blowing afuse before the whole system blows up. When chronicstress puts you into a distressed state, your body willslow you down (symptoms of burnout) and produce astate of lethargy and disengagement in order to protect you from total destruction.

Recently, I was making a visit on a pastor in thehospital. It was my last visit of a very long day. In themidst of the visit I began to sweat and became clammy.I felt dizzy, sick to my stomach and was unable to

concentrate upon the conversation. I was determinedto nish the visit, but eventually it became evidentthat this was not possible. I quickly excused myself and sat in the hospital waiting room for about 45minutes trying to recover. What happened? I hadbeen dealing with chronic stress, and I had beenliving in a state of distress. I was over-engaged,leaving early and coming home late in order tosatisfy the pressures of my vocation. But there, in ahospital room, an internal fuse blew. My body wasattempting to protect me from total destruction.

Rowland Croucher identi es four categoriesof stressors: B o- colog cal factor poor diet and exercise.

Consumption of caffeine, alcohol or drugs.He also indicates the contribution of noiseand air pollution.

Vocat onal factor lack of identity, too manyexpectations and poor time management.Poor boundaries, not taking time away from work.

P ycholog cal factor loss of loved one, transitionalissues, relating to social environment. Key

elements relate to con ict and loss. sp r t al factor questioning ones faith, living under the Law and no deliverance of theGospel. Immoral living: According to Foc onth Fam ly, one in ve pastors has a problem inthe area of pornography.(www.focusonthefamily.com)

ExpectationsThe pressures which professional church workersface are typically the result of expectations from

others and themselves. With each expectationthey are faced with fears, desires and judgments(Sande & Kober). The fears, desires and judgments can fall into three categories: real,imagined or threatened.

For example, Pastor Jack believes that hissermons, member visits and leading of worship allneed to be high quality. His f ar is that he will berejected by his peers and those he is called to serveif his work is not high quality. This lf- mpo d

xp ctat onhas created in him an mag n d f ar . As aresult, the fear of rejection puts a lot of pressure onhim to do everything perfectly.

Pastor Jacks congregation also has xp ctat onof him. They want (d r) their pastor to resurrect the youth group, increase church attendance, resolve

the budget shortfall, and reach out to inactives andunchurched. They want this so much that they toldhim his raise will depend upon progress in theseareas. This is a thr at n d xp ctat onthat has beenimposed upon Pastor Jack. As a result, the d rof his congregation put a lot of pressure on him to doeverything perfectly.

These expectations of both pastor andcongregation are unrealistic. Yet, both have atendency to look at ministry idealistically. Pastors will spend hours at the of ce or visiting membersand prospects. Teachers take papers home to begraded, and they volunteer to coach sports or raisefunds for school activities. Directors of ChristianEducation spend weekends on youth retreats andevenings in meetings or lock-ins. Some will spendtheir own money for ministry projects which thechurch will not support. They think they cansolve any and all problems that come their way.They honestly believe they are God.

B t t tak a lot of n rgy to b om th ng yo ar

Identity

The demands of the church worker may not bethat different or greater than other professional vocations. After all, each vocation has its ownunique set of stressors. But how the church workerresponds to stress is important. How they respondto the pressures of ministry will say a lot about who they are. It is at this critical time that they willeither cling to the cross or cling to themselves.

Distress and burnout many times are the result when church workers cling to themselves rather thanto the cross. They believe that they can handle the

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Encouraging, nurturing and loving others characterize both a healthy Christianand a healthy church. Just as servants of theLord strive to manifest a genuine love forthose under their care, the people of Godneed to have a deep love for the professionalchurch worker. The way a church nurtures

its workers speaks volumes about the Christ-centeredness of the congregation. Churchescanand mustdo much to help pastors andcalled workers weather the stress inherent intheir ministries.

Spiritual NurtureNurture begins by remembering what theBible teaches. Jesus said, A new command Igive you: Love one another. As I have loved

you, so you must love one another. By this allmen will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35). Peterechoed that commandment, urging that we

love one another deeply from the heart(1 Peter 1:22). The apostle Paul offered

similar instruction, reminding us that oneslove must be sincere honor one anotherabove yourselves (Romans 12:9-10).

Yet the reality is that congregationsdo not always view professional church workers through caring, understanding eyes. Congregations often want their church

workers to be perfectnot the sinner-saintsthat they, like all Christians, are. Nurturing church workers in high-demand ministriesrequires congregations to adopt a Christ-likeattitude in three signi cant areas: realisticexpectations, a compassionate heart, and aforgiving spirit.Nurture Spiritually through a Healthy Lowering of Expectations. Heroes of our faithNoah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacoballmanifested imperfections and character aws.Only our Lord Jesus provides a model for theperfect Christian. Thus, congregations needto refrain from placing unreasonably highexpectations on church workers. Serving theLord is not a ministry of perfectionit is aministry of service to Gods children, all of whom are broken with sin.

Not every sermon a pastor preaches willbe awe-inspiring. Not every subject a teacherpresents will be riveting. Not every meeting a youth group director conducts will be

Randall Schroeder

Ways of Nurturing Church Workersin High Stress Environments

Dr. Randall Schroeder serves atConcordia Theological Seminary,Fort Wayne, as a Professor ofPastoral Counseling. Randall .Schroeder@ctsfw.edu

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engaging. Parishioners must realize thatexpecting perfection from church workersis crippling and destructiveto the workersand the church. Frustration, bitterness,and resentment smolder, sapping workersof their energy and creativity. In contrast,reasonable expectations allow church workers to grow and ourish. Workers canfeel free to be themselves, con dent that anymisstep wil l not unleash the congregations wholesale condemnation.Nurture Spiritually with aCompassionate Heart. Throughoutthe Old and New Testament, our loving,merciful God is spoken of in numerouspassages as compassionate. The Psalmiststated, The Lord is gracious and righteous;our God is full of compassion (Psalm 116:5).In Zechariah 7:9, we read, This is what theLord Almighty says: Administer true justice;show mercy and compassion to one another.

Jesus demonstrated a compassionate heartthroughout the Gospels. Wherever He went,He cared for children, women, the lame, andthe lonely. For example, Matthew 14:14 reads,

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,He had compassion on them and healed their

sick. Christian compassion is the ultimategoal for all believers in Christ. But it is notenough for parishioners to just talk aboutcompassion. They must nurture one another,starting with the very people they called toserve their church.

Compassion happens in a variety of ways.Demonstrate Christ-like care by asking church workers what to pray for in theirministries and in their families. Expressappreciation in writing with cards or notes.Recognize that workers have private lives andhonor their personal and family time. Placea note in the church newsletter reminding members to encourage workers.Nurture Spiritually with aForgiving Spirit. In the Lords Prayer, weare reminded how important it is to forgiveothers because God in Christ forgives us.The Bible itself has nearly 125 references tothe importance of forgiveness. Yet believersfrequently struggle to forgive others, and

forgiving church workers can sometimes bethe hardest task of all.

But church workers need to receiveforgivenessagain and again. Congregationsare enhanced when Christians understandthe vitality of forgiveness for all relationships.Forgiveness cleanses, clearing the way forparishioners to see opportunities to nurture.Our Christ-likeness is in direct proportionto the forgiveness demonstrated towardothers, including workers.

Nurture through Encouragement of Self-Care

Working long hours, serving others all day,being involved in emotionally demanding

situations, especially after many years of service, can lead to compassion fatigue. Atgreatest risk are servants over owing withsel essness and lled with an idealistic

vision that they are the savior rather thanone pointing parishioners to our Savior

Jesus Christ. When compassion fatigueoverwhelms, ministers become distant anddetached from parishioners and co-workers.

Church workers need to focus on self-care to be faithful servants and to modelhealthy behavior for their parishioners.

When self-care is absent, congregationalleaders and parishioners must encourageprofessional church workers to seek balanceby focusing on their spiritual, emotionaland physical health.

Most church workers understand theimportance of seeking to know God betterthrough dai ly Bible reading, prayer, anda devotional life. But job demands andpressures can interfere with devotionallife. Like all Christians, servants need tobe reminded to maintain daily habits thatincrease trust in the promises of Gods Word.

Laughter and a sense of humor areimportant components of self-care.Laughter combats negative emotions andhelps people manage anxiety. Smiling andlaughing actually have a positive impact onphysiology. An appropriate use of humorby parishioners can lighten the load andpositively nurture faithful servants.Regular exercise helps, too. Exercise

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ministry, frustrations with parishioners,tension in co-worker relationships, andstruggles with temptations.

Nurture through Encouragement of

Support Outside the CongregationIn church work, pastors and church workerscan easily feel alone. Sometimes, themore successful a church worker becomesin ministry, the more likely he or sheis to experience overwhelming feelingsof isolation. Their success creates a withdrawal in order to hide human frailtiesand shortcomings. The con dential natureof ministry may cause disassociation fromfamily members, leading to distressed

relationships at home and church.Given all this, congregations shouldpurposefully encourage outside relationshipsthat can contribute to the inner peace andful llment of church workers. To build asupport network, consider the following:Support Groups. For pastors, circuitmeetings can be a safe haven wherefriendships are developed and supportobtained. Likewise, workers may nd a safehaven elsewhere in their community. For

instance, a number of years ago a districtpastoral executive shared that his supportgroup was Christian men he worked out withthree times a week at the local ymca .

When support groups do not exist, church workers should be encouraged to start theirownperhaps to meet biweekly for Biblestudy, encouragement and consultation.Meeting regularly with workers from outsideones circuit to discuss health and wellnessthemes and how to handle challenges inministry can be immensely bene cial.Post-Seminary Applied Learning andSupport. pals is a lcms program where veto 12 recent seminary graduates meet withan experienced pastor during their rstthree years of ministry. In these meetings,the new pastors worship, study and discusstheir experiences as well as gain skills todeal with ministry challenges. The goal isto help pastors and wives transition fromseminary l ife to parish ministry. A detailed W

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distracts the mind, reduces musculartension and diminishes emotional strain.Parishioners who encourage church workersto exercise with them greatly assist in self-care. Congregations should even considergiving health club memberships, therebyincreasing workers opportunities toexercise. The payoff from such investmentscan be rewarding. Exercise gives workers anemotional lift, and it increases the physicalenergy needed to serve the Lord.Model Quality Workers. Some church workers connect with those struggling inboth ministry and life. Bonding with anotherdistressed, unhealthy worker often leads to adownward spiral of dif culties. Servants needto be encouraged to associate with those whoaccentuate the positive, possess an attitudeof gratitude, and maintain a cheerful spirit.Persuade them to seek the wisdom of faithfulservants who have been successful in the ways of the Lord and to learn from those wise in earthly matters as well. Promoteconsultation with mentors who have achieved

well done service in kingdom work. Byconnecting with excellent workers andmodeling healthy behaviors, coping skills are

learned, hope prevails and growth occurs. Accountability partner . Church workers need to assume personalresponsibility for their wellness. Onemethod for achieving this goal is to havean accountability person, a con dant, orperhaps a confessor. A close relationship with at least one other person creates a safehaven for support. The con dant-mentormay be another church worker within thecongregation. However, a better choiceis someone more removed. One Synodof cial shared that his best friend oraccountability partner is more than 1,000miles away.

Church workers should look forcon dants who are Christ-centered,trustworthy, good listeners, compassionate,and nonjudgmental. The professionalchurch worker needs to speak with theaccountability partner on a regular basis.Topics may include disappointments in

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by providing special gifts on holidays,anniversaries, birthdaysor whenever thetime seems right.

Recognition of Ministry Service.

Congregations should always be thankful forthe dedication and service of the ministrystaff. Thus, they should honor workersfor every ve years of ministry service andrecognize every ve years of serv ice to aparticular congregation or institution. Theyshould also organize an appreciation dinnerand/or reception on a Sunday morning toexpress congratulations for ministry serv ice.

Sabbatical. Some congregations arenow recognizing the tremendous renewal

power of sabbaticals by providing church workers with time off and financia lsupport. During a sabbatical, professionalchurch workers are absent from ministryresponsibilities for roughly three to12 months to rest and recharge. TheCommission on Ministerial Growthand Support has detailed informationregarding the benefits and process of sabbaticals. So does Wheatridge Ministrieson its website under M n try sabbat cal R o rcC nt r . In addition, the Alban Institute has

published a useful pamphlet titled Cl rgy R n wal:Th Alban G d to sabbat cal Plann ng.

The Eli Lilly Foundation website, www.resourcingchristianity.org/grantsinfo,describes the 2008 National ClergyRenewal Program, whereby pastors canreceive funding for their sabbaticals. Thisprogram, established in 1999, has allowedmore than 1,000 pastors to take breaks fromtheir congregations and engage in pursuitsranging from biblical studies to spending time in different cultural contexts. This year the Lilly Endowment fund anticipatesawarding as many as 120 grants of up to$45,000 each to Christian congregations tosupport pastor renewal. As much as $15,000of the grant may be used for congregationalexpenses such as paying for interim pastors.

Continuing Education. Medical doctors,nurses, mental health counselors, and othersin helping professions are required to earn acertain number of continuing education hours

description of the program can be foundat the lcms website under MinisterialGrowth and Support. Congregationalleaders should promote the importance of pals to new pastors.

Nurture from the Body of BelieversCongregations need to be proactive insupporting workers at many levels so asto guard against ministry burnout andmarital /family discord. In 1997, the Inter-Lutheran Coordinating Committee onMinisterial Health and Wellness of the elca and the lcms developed a wellness wheel toguide congregational leaders in nurturing church workers. The guide can be obtainedfrom Wheatridge Ministries. In addition,parishionersworking as a body of believersshould consider the following:Congregational Support Team. Healthy churches establish some type of congregational support team for pastorsand workers. Team members pray forchurch workers, listen to concerns, and ask appropriate questions about the workersspiritual, relational, nancial, andemotional needs. The team seeks to learnhow it could assist workers to serve morefaithfu lly. This support group guardsagainst the spread of rumors and gossip andattends to the general wel fare of workers andtheir families.Salary. Healthy congregations have acommittee to annually review district salaryguidelines. At a minimum, congregationsmust consistently strive to provide asalary based upon district guidelines.Church workers deserve to have a salarycommensurate with training, experience,

and assigned responsibilities.In addition, healthy congregations remain

alert to the stress pastors and church workersundergo and, when appropriate, providemore vacation time or a paid weekend mini- vacation. Parishioners may treat the workerand/or their family to a lunch or dinner ata restaurant. Perhaps gift certi cates for amovie or a spa treatment can be provided.Further, parishioners can show theircommitment to nurturing church workers

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annually. Although continuing education isnot a requirement for ministry, professionalchurch workers bene t from attending conferences and one-day seminars. Church workers should be encouraged to take courses inkey ministry areas to enhance their knowledgeand foster insight. One of the most neglectedcomponents of the ministry, continuing education should occur during regular ministryhoursnot as part of vacation time.Book Allowance . Congregations shouldnot hesitate to provide money for books, journals, and other resources for church workers. Church budgets should include acontinuing education and book allowance andallow church workers to select how to spend

the money to enhance their ministry. Vacation Time. Along with providing vacationtime, congregations should encourage church workers to use all their allotted days off. Equallyimportant, congregations should convincechurch workers to take their designated days off each week. Regular times of rest, renewal andrecreation are essential and must be stronglyencouraged by the body of believers.Family Members of Church Workers. Ministry impacts church workers spouses and

children, often leaving them feeling neglectedby and disconnected from parishioners.Congregations need to be aware of the uniqueneeds of spouses and children, especiallyduring periods of high stress. Surprise the workers family with a special day or evening of their choice paid for by the members. Or, inchurch newsletters, remind parishioners totell family members how special and valuedthey are to the congregation. Suggested books,magazines and websites to encourage spousesare listed at www.lcms.org (category Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support,section Wives Resources).Pastor/Professional Church Worker

Appreciation Sunday/ Month.Congregations should set aside a month, usuallyOctober, to recognize the faithful service of pastor and staff, including deaconesses, dce s,and dco s. The website www.parsonage.org hasa Cl rg y Appr c at on Month Plann ng G dthatoffers exciting celebration suggestions and step-

by-step instructions. If an entire month is not workable, set aside one Sunday to show specialappreciation.Teacher Appreciation Day/Week .Teachers deserve a special day or week of recognition, separate from pastor and staff. The website www.teacher-appreciation.info providesstudents and parents with suggestions to thank teachers for their nurture, care and support. Inaddition, www.parsonage.org lists more than 40articles and websites containing suggestions forappreciating teachers. Check under the section,

Frequently Asked Questions, and then click on What can par nt do to mprov p bl c chool ?The suggestions are applicable to all teachers,including church workers.

lcms Commission on MinisterialGrowth and Support The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod hasa national commission that advocates forchurch workers and their families.

A detailed description of this commissionthe Commission on Ministerial Growthand Supportis listed on the lcms website.To assist congregations and workers, thecommission offers two valuable tools titledPath to Growthand L t Talk it Ov r: 10 Conv r at onon s pport ng Ch rch Work r .

Path to Growthis an educational dvd designedto spark conversations on ministry strugglesand to focus on nding growth opportunitiesfor church workers. L t Talk it Ov r: 10 Conv r at onon s pport ng Ch rch Work rincludes a dvd and workbook to investigate areas pertinent tothe life of a worker as he/she seeks to serve acongregation. Topics touch on everything frompay and bene ts to vocational development,from proper boundaries to spiritual warfare.

District and circuit leaders would do well toshare these programs with congregations. Annual study sessions by congregation leadersand workers are recommended.

District MinisterialHealth CommissionsMost districts have a ministerial commissionfor the health of church workers. For example,the Indiana District Ministerial HealthCommission has as its mission: To assist

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professional church workers for overall healthand wellness by 1) serving as an advocate forthem, 2) connecting them with appropriatecare, and 3) encouraging their participationin preventive and enrichment opportunities.Recently, the Indiana commission prepared aone-page Ten Tips for a Healthy ProfessionalChurch Worker with speci c actions that thelay leadership of a congregation might take toenhance a workers health.

Nurture through Outside Assistance When emotional struggles or relationshipdif culties stall a church workers ministry,leaders can initiate assistance through websites, phone assistance, consultants, districtof cials or counseling. When church workershave interpersonal problems with members,enlisting outside help usually begins withthe circuit counselor. If needed, a districtreconciler and even the district president maybecome involved.Parsonage.org. A website of Foc on th Fam ly,this resource is primarily for pastors. However,all church workers have access to the manyuseful products, websites and articles availableat www.parsonage.org.Pastoral Care Line. Where can a church worker turn if his/her accountability partneris unavailable?Foc on th Fam lyprovidesassistance for church workers through the

Care Line, a service available 9am to 4pm Mountain Time at a toll-free number(877-233-4455). Callers can speak to anindividual trained to l isten to concernsand is willing, if needed, to offer somepractical wisdom.

Ambassadors of Reconciliation. As mentioned earlier, forgiveness is at

the heart of healthy relationships. Anorganization that explains forgivenessand reconciliation is Ambassadors of Reconciliation, a non-pro t group and aRecognized Service Organization of thelcms . Ambassadors assists congregations andchurch workers in resolving disagreementsin a loving Christ-like manner. Oneof Ambassadors main goals is to equipchurches for living, proclaiming andcultivating lifestyles of reconciliation.

Ted Kober, founder and president of Ambassadors, wroteConf on & Forg v n :Prof ng Fa th a Amba ador of R conc l at on, toeducate leaders, parishioners and workers with a thorough understanding of peacemakerprinciples. Repentance, forgiveness andreconciliation construct a ministry of nurturefor the whole church.Concordia Plan Services. ConcordiaPlan Services provides an excellent employeeassistance program (eap) for church workersand family members exhibiting emotionaldistress. Most districts have the names andaddresses of good counselors to contact when workers need counseling.

Each calendar year a worker receives ve

free-of-charge counseling sessions through theemployee assistance program. A co-pay of $20kicks in with the sixth session. Congregationsshould encourage workers to seek help throughthe eap program and, if further sessionsare necessary, perhaps assist nancially withco-pays. The district of ce or the districtministerial health commission may cover co-pays in serious situations.Career Counseling. For church workersstruggling in ministry, some districts

provide career counseling to help themidentify their God-given gifts and nd where they can best serve the Lord. At times,a congregations offer for career counseling demonstrates its ultimate support andnurture of workers.

Congregations with a Track Recordof Minimal NurtureChurch workers today often command lessrespect, while enduring more demands, fromparishioners. Unfortunately, nurture is a low

priority for some congregations. When suchcongregations are unwilling to address theirtrack record of neglect, they may bene t from alengthy vacancy with an interim pastor.

Inspiring congregational leaders to activelysupport their workers and correct unhealthypatterns is a demanding task. A starting pointfor improvement might be a Saturday workshop where leaders and members draw uponbiblical principles and learn nurturing skills.

Wheatridge Ministries provides Healthy

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Teams Workshops to energize parishionersto seek a healthy Christian lifestyle.

Nurture from District Personnel When necessary, congregations should turn

to district personnel to provide guidanceon nurturing church workers. Suchpersonnel often have the most up-to-dateresources. For example, President Dan May,Indiana District, developed a booklet fornurturing new pastors that was shared withall Indiana District congregations in the Fallof 2008. Ideally, district executives wouldremind congregations at least twice a year of appropriate district resources and strategiesfor nurturing professional workers.

Nurture throughGrowth AssessmentsToo many pastors and church workers have been

blindsided by congregations because oversightboards failed to conduct annual performancereviews. These hurting church workers had noidea their performance was unsatisfactory untilthey were asked to resign.

Nurturing congregations seek to helpchurch workers constantly grow. They scheduleannual review meetings at which church leaders

detail areas of praise and offer practical advicefor ministry growth. To help with the review,churches should use reputable assessmenttools. The Indiana District Ministerial HealthCommission has prepared an Effective PastoralGrowth instrument that can be used annuallyby both pastor and church leadership for a face-to-face review. Similar formal assessmentsshould be available for educators and allchurch workers through district of ces.The goal of assessments is to identify areas wherepastors deserve praise and to provide speci csuggestions for improvement.Nurture through RetreatsRetreats provide opportunities for people torelax and to recharge emotionally, spirituallyand physically. Congregations nurture workersby encouraging them to attend retreats and bybudgeting monies and allocating time for thegetaways. President Keith Kohlmeier, KansasDistrict, reports that his district has invested ina complete Worker Retreat Center on a lake near

Herrington, Kansas, with the theme, A place forthe worker to reconnect with God, him (her) self,and his (her) family.Pastors Wives Retreats. Wives needsupport as much as their husbands, whichis why the Indiana District sponsors athree-day Katie Retreat weekend forpastors wives every February. PresidentDan May describes the Katie Retreat as

an important t ime-away to talk and prayand worship and rest and laugh and think as you share and celebrate your faith inChrist. Organizing retreats for spousesof all commissioned workers should be animportant goal in every congregation.Grace Place Retreats . In 2000, Dr. JohnEckrich organized Grace Place Retreats,now a Recognized Service Organizationof the lcms , to provide all church workers with health education at weeklong retreatsat resorts and other locations across thecountry. Focused in Christ, these retreatsteach physical, emotional, relational,spiritual and scal skills for maintaining and enhancing the health and ministryservice of workers. More than 20 retreatsare offered yearly. More information and a

list of retreat locations are available at www.graceplaceretreats.org.Retreat information can also be found

at www.parsonage.org. Under the categoryof Pastoral-Caregiving Ministries, one can

nd listings for camps and retreat centersavailable to clergy and church workers, freeor at a greatly reduced cost.

ConclusionCongregations that grasp the essentials of nurturing church workers do more than

please our heavenly Father. They motivate workers in a positive ministerial direction with sharing the Gospel. Even small gesturesof nurture increase the enjoyment of serving fellow believers in Christ. Just as

Jesus wholeheartedly nurtured his disciplesand followers, let every parishioner beencouraged to show kindness and care toothers. And let that nurturing begin whereit should, in the house of the Lord among fellow believers. W

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What Does a Congregations Call and Promiseof Supporting a Church Worker Mean?

Rick Marrs

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In C.S. Lewis classic book,Th scr wtapL tt r ,a more experienced demon isinstructing a novice on how to tempt theman for which he is responsible. Early in

their correspondence (the second letteractually), Screwtape writes to Wormwood:One of our great allies at present is theChurch itself. Do not misunderstand me.I do not mean the Church as we see herspread out through all t ime and space androoted in eternity, terrible as an army withbanners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy.But fortunately it is quite invisible to thesehumans. Al l your patient sees is the half-

nished, sham Gothic erection on the new building estate. When he goes inside, hesees the local barber with rather an oilyexpression on his face bustling up to offerhim one shiny little book containing aliturgy which neither of them understands

When he gets to his pew and looks aroundhim, he sees just that selection of hisneighbors whom he has hitherto avoided.

Are we tempted to view Church through worldly eyes? Do we see people we wouldnormally like to avoid? Do we think of church as a club of like-minded people who happen to come together to sing anddo religious things? Do we see carpeting that we would not have chosen or dust thatthe janitor missed again this week? We

Americans so easily fal l into the mindsetthat our faith is individualist ic, that it is justbetween me and Jesus, that we forget thatthe people around us are members of theBody of Christ, fellow digits of His handshere on earth. We believe in His forgivenessfor us as individuals, but do we regularly seek

to forgive those who trespass against us?Do we see and appreciate the Churchinvisible spread out through all time andspace that puts fear into the boldest demons?

How are we tempted to view our pastorsand other church professionals? Screwtapedoesnt bother to describe how limited thelocal churchs pastor or teachers might be

(at least not until Letter xvi ). Do we feellike we are listening to an underwhelming motivational speaker? When a baby isbeing baptized or the Lords Supper isbeing distributed, do our minds drift awayto more important matters of home orbusiness? Do we ponder How much are wepaying this pastor to do what seems to be amediocre job of motivating this congregation(or classroom) to perform more ef cientlyand enthusiastically? How expensive aretheir bene ts? If these thoughts are wandering through our minds more than just occasionally, we should stop to consider whether someone like Wormwood is excitedly writing to his superior about his latest success. Whenever we nd ourselves distracted fromthe wonderful and powerful, yet ofteninvisible, Gospel of Jesus Christ by the visible issues of church kitchens, carpeting or workers salaries, we may want to go tothe churchs sanctuary and/or pastor forconfession (and, of course, absolution).

What Does Support Mean?Foundationally, a congregations call andpromise of supporting a church workershould start from a spiritual and theologicalbasis. Many of our congregations membersand leaders come from the mindset of theirown vocations, be that of large corporations,small businesses, farms, government ormilitary work experience. All of thoseexperiences have their own stresses,including competition, weather, limited

funding, even bombs exploding nearby forsome of our military. All of these vocationshave their temptations (but we wont review all of Screwtapes strategies here). Pastors andother church workers have many of the samestressors that come with those other vocations(we pray that exploding bombs wil l not soonbe a stressor in our American churches,but they are in other parts of the world).But church workers have the additionalstress (with accompanying joy) of striving

The Rev. Rick Marrs, M.Div., Ph.D.,is Associate Professor of Practical Theology (Pastoral Counseling) andDirector of Continuing Educationand Parish Services, ConcordiaSeminary, St. Louis. MarrsR@csl.edu

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that normally an of cially recognizedGospel proclaimer should be supportedin heralding the Gospel. The Lordcommanded that this is their right, even if

Paul opts not to claim that right. While wedo not have these explicit words of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospels, we doknow that He made similar statements (cf.Luke 10:7; Matthew 10:10).

The Galatians 6 text has a similaressential message as the 1 Corinthians 9passage, but Paul ratchets up the force inGalat ians. In English, if we desire to speak in the imperative mood (Do this), wecan essential ly say this only in the secondperson (You do this!). In Greek, there isa third person version of the imperative.Many common translations into Englishsoften this emphasis with phrases like

Let the one who is taught share (nasb ).The esv more closely matches the force of the passage with One who is taught mustshare. Paul is effectively saying, Share what you have with your catechists, but heis doing so in the third person. He ties thisstatement with strong words of admonition:

God is not mocked. Writing to all of theGalatians at once (the Greek also has asecond person plural, you all, that weuse only in colloquial southern English),Paul warns them that they will be deceivedand be treating God with contempt if theydo not adequately share their income andbelongings with their pastors and teachers!

But what is adequate sharing? We allknow of tv evangelists who live in multiplemansions. You may even know of local(hopefully non-Lutheran) pastors who livelifestyles that are much more extravagant

than nearly all of their parishioners. A morenormal guideline for lcms congregationsis that the pastor and other church workersshould have pay packages somewhere on par with the average of their church leaders.This would seem to be an equitable andfaithful way to consider sharing, but it would require church leaders to be open with each other about their own incomes.Districts often try to give guidelines tocongregations in the form of District Pay

Scales. These can also be very helpful, butreaders should not get so focused on DistrictPay Scales and the rising costs of bene tpackages that we fail to consider that pastor

and teacher salaries are part of our ownfaithful response to the Gospel.It should be noted that church workers run

risks with their salaries, such as unwittinglybasing their sense of success or rewardon their salaries or size of congregations.Luthers words in the closing paragraph of the Preface to Th small Cat ch mspeak directlyto this view. So look to it, you pastors andpreachers. Our ministry today is something else than it was under the pope. It hasbecome a serious and saving responsibility.Consequently it now involves much moretrouble and labor, danger and trial, and inaddition it brings you little of the worldsgratitude and rewards. But Christ Himself

will be our reward if we labor faithfully.The Father of all grace help us to do just that.To Him be praise and thanks forever throughChrist our Lord. Amen. (page 252).

A Note about Debt LoadIn our culture students often run heavy debtloads to nance their college and graduateschool plans to enter a vocation. In someprofessions, for example, medical doctorsand lawyers, high debt loads are not ascritical because their higher incomes allow former students to pay off their debts. Butpastors and other church workers will neversee those high incomes, and generally theyhave incomes lower than other professionaloccupations. Congregations, districts andother support agencies should considerhow to help church workers manage

and pay off their debt. I know of severaldistricts and congregations who have set upspeci c endowments that are used to payoff indebtedness over a multi-year periodsuch as ten years. Such endowments can bestructured to increase each year, therefore

nancial ly encouraging new church workersto stay longer in their rst congregations.Unfortunately, many of these endowments are underfunded and reimburse workers for onlya fraction of their overall indebtedness. W

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Support as Honor When, at age 39, I told my parents that I was planning to leave my college teaching position and was contemplating attending a seminary to become a pastor, they weresurprised, even though they knew I hadconsidered being a pastor during my teensand early twenties. My mothers response was: Honey, are you sure you want to dothis? You know how many congregations outthere are mistreating their pastors. She wasconcerned for me, my wife and our children.

A district vice-president once told me thatbeing a pastor now is a lot like being a highschool basketball coach in Indiana. Thecoach knows that he knows a lot more about what he and his team are doing, but he alsoknows that everyone in the stands thinks thathe or she knows more about what the teamshould be doing than he does.

In too many congregations in our Synod,the relationships between church workersand congregations are strained. Many may

not even understand how the relationshipsbetween church worker and congregationshould work. Our culture tends to teach usabout the relationships in some vocations,such as between boss and worker, ownerand employee. In other vocations, theboss is expected to interview, hire the bestavailable candidate, and then communicate

job expectations. The boss then evaluates job performance and makes decisions aboutretaining, promoting or ring the employee.

If the company is doing poorly nancially,even well-performing employees may haveto be laid off. Often, these performancereviews are thoughtful, objective and well-planned. Sometimes they are capricious.In our representative democracy, we electsome people to their vocations, and those whom we (the majority) believe will dothe best job are placed in of ce, at least untilthe next election or until term limits restrict

continuing in of ce.But in church worker professions, the rolesare different than in other vocations. Who isthe boss? Who is the employee? Who doesthe performance review? On what basis? If this vocation stems from an of ce that a groupof people elected them to, can they rightlybe recalled from of ce by casting a ballot?

The problem with asking such questions isthat they imply a worldly understanding of how the Church and the local congregations thatmake up that Church should operate. Most

people realize that the Church is not a businessor a political party. But is it a not-for-pro tprivate agency? Is it a voluntary organization with enough similarities to a businessor government agency that it is somehow dependent on our human skills to function?

We Christians must be constantlyreminded of how unique the Church is inthe world. Our perception of pastors andother church workers will be inextricablytied to our perception of what church is.

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The Church is NOT a volunteer organizationof like-minded religious people. The Churchis the people of God whom the Holy Spirit hascalled, gathered, enlightened and sancti ed

in the one true faith. Our interrelationships,our treatment of each other then must beguided by beliefs and virtues counter to oursecular occupational elds.

The nal verses in this subsection of Thsmall Cat ch memphasize how pastors and otherchurch workers are to be treated within theChurch. Three passages from Scripture whichare cited are: 1 T mothy 5:17-18. Let the elders who rule

well be considered worthy of double honor,especially those who labor in preaching andteaching. For the Scripture says, You shallnot muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,and The laborer deserves his wages.

1 Th alon an 5:12. We ask you, brothers, torespect those who labor among you and areover you in the Lord and admonish you, andto esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

H br w 13:17. Obey your leaders and submitto them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give

an account. Let them do this with joy andnot with groaning, for that would be of noadvantage to you.

The emphasis is not on American valueslike fairness, rights and freedom. Theemphases are on the honor, respect, esteemand love that should be shown the worker bythe congregation. (By extension, these versesshould teach church workers the importanceof honoring, respecting, esteeming and loving one another, but perhaps that should be left toanother article.) These virtues are what bring

honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christand His life-changing Gospel. When outsiderssense the respect and love that Christianshave for their leaders, this will build up theirleaders reputations and the reputation of theChurch as a place of love and respect, opening doors to a Gospel witness.

First Timothy 5:17 is another exampleof the third person imperative in Greek being under-translated into English. Theforce of this grammatical construction is

more like Be doubly honoring of theelders who rule well, particularly thoselaboring in preaching and teaching. Themeaning of rule is also important. The

Greek word translated rule ( pro t m)should not be considered synonymous with administering. Rather, the Greek carries more of a connotation of caring for rather than ef ciently leading. Theleaders rule over the congregation notas a ceo seeking to make the organizationrun more ef ciently, but as leaders whodeeply care for the members as parents dofor children (cf. 1 Timothy 3:4, 12). Pauluses similar concepts and some of the same words in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, but nearthe end of that sentence he ratchets up hispersuasiveness even more. This verse can betranslated Esteem them a arn tly a po bl in love because of their work.

Why Honor Church Workers? Why do we esteem pastors, teachers andother church workers as earnestly as possible when their workat an earthly levelmay notalways seem as polished as the reporters we watch on the nightly news? We esteem them

in love because their work is bringing us thegood news of the Gospel, which continuesto reconnect us week after week with ourSavior who gave Himself for us. Lutheransdo not see the Gospel as information thatchanges our lives once and then we are

good to go for the rest of our lives. Instead,Lutherans understand the need for dailyrepentance and forgiveness and that theGospelWord and Sacramentsis medicinethat we constantly need to be protectedfrom ourselves, the world and the devils like

Wormwood and Screwtape. The principal way God has chosen to bring us thatmedicine is through the very awed voicesand hands of those we call to be pastors andteachers of the church.

The last verse listed inTh small Cat ch m subsection being examined is the onlypassage not written by Paul. However, theauthor of Hebrews concurs with the apostle.The rst word of the verse obey ( p tho) is acommonly used verb in the New Testament,

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but in nearly all other contexts it is translatedbe persuaded by. Be persuaded by yourleaders is perhaps a more clear translationfor our American ears that do not liketo be told to obey laws and rules. Butthe rationale for this persuasion is abit different than for Paul. The author of Hebrews emphasizes that the reason weshould submit and be persuaded is Becausethey themselves keep watch over your lives asthose who will give an account. The publicministry is just that, very public. It can belike that Indiana high school basketball coach who knows that he has the whole communitylooking over his shoulder. At the end of theseason the coach probably will have to give

an account of his and his teams performanceto the principal or school board (or even thecommunity gathered at the barber shop, as inthe movie, Hoo r).

It is probably good that pastorsand teachers give an account of theirperformance to their elders and schoolboards, seeking their feedback on how theirperformance could be more God-pleasing.But ultimately they will give an account of their stewardship of Gods gifts to theirLord. Pastors and other church workersknow that their Lord is forgiving (or else we would never enter this vocation), but yet we want to respond to His love with aperformance that pleases Him. With each worker having particular gift-sets that arestronger or weaker, we should constantly bestriving to improve ourselves as preachers,teachers, theologians, administrators,evangel ists, and spiritual care-givers.Honor shown to church workers does notcome because of their stronger gift-sets, but

because of the gift of the Gospel they arebringing to the church.The author of Hebrews then concludes this

section by instructing Christians to behavein ways that bring joy, not groaning, to theirleaders. To burden their leaders with grief andgrumbling is of no help to the congregationand is even harmful in their mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

October is Pastor Appreciation Monthin the usa . My heart was made most joyful

several years ago when many of the membersparticipated in a Christian radio stations

Pastor Appreciation Month program.Several church leaders took me to anappreciation luncheon sponsored by thestation. Many members had written notes tothe station about what they appreciated aboutme as their pastor. I kept many of thosenotes in a desk drawer, as well as many otherthank you notes that came to me throughthe years. When I was having a tough week, I would open that drawer and read througha few of those notes to be reminded of theirappreciation and to have the joy of serving them be revived just a bit. I still keep thosenotes in a box in my of ce at the seminary.

Parishioners who remember to thank theirpastors and teachers, highlighting speci cdeeds that they have found spirituallyhelpful, will help increase the joy of theirchurch workers vocation.

In Letter xvi from Screwtape to Wormwood, the senior demon describes theone ongoing strength of the il l-equippedpastor in his patients village: But I must warn you that he has one fatal defect: hereally believes. And this may yet mar all.May every congregation be blessed withpastors and teachers who really believe in

Jesus Christ. May that be the fatal defectfor the demons who are tempting us. Maychurch members also consider how theytreat their pastors and other church workers,both nancial ly and personally, not as

American employees, but as messengers of the light of Gods grace which they bring tothe Church.Endnote. The author of this article isaware that it is necessary, on rare occasion,

to remove professional church workers fromtheir positions. The Synod spells out thefollowing guidelines: Called ordained orcommissioned ministers may be removedfrom of ce in Christian and lawful orderby a two-thirds majority ballot vote of the voters assembly for one of the following reasons: persistent adherence to falsedoctrine, scandalous life, willful neglectof the duties of of ce, or the inabil ity toperform those duties. (from the Guidelines

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for Constitutions and Bylaws of LutheranCongregations, May 2006). If a called worker is released from ones call for oneof these reasons, congregations are stillcalled upon to administer church disciplineprocedures in Christian love in the lightof Galatians 6:1: Brothers, if someone iscaught in a sin, you who are spiritual shouldrestore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (niv )

ReferencesLewis, C. S.Th scr wtap L tt r. New York:

MacMillan Publishing Company, Inc., 1961.L th r small Cat ch m w th explanat on.St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986.

Th Book of Concord . Kolb, Robert and Wengert, Timothy, eds. Minneapolis: FortressPress, 2000

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripturequotations are taken from Th Holy B bl ,engl h standard V r onpublished by CrosswaysBibles, 2003.

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To Live with Christ.Bo Giertz, trans. Richard Wood andBror Erickson. St. Louis: Concordia

Publishing House, 2008.

The pastoral heart of Rev. Bo H. Giertz(1905-1998) is readily witnessed throughthis dai ly devotional volume. Many readersmay already know Giertzs main work,Th Hamm r of God , rst published in Swedishin 1941 and since translated. Now hisdevotional text is also available in Englishthrough the translating work of Woodand Erickson.

Born and raised in Sweden, Giertzclaimed atheism as a youth. It was thegrace of Christ that brought him to faith

as a young man and then called him as aparish pastor and eventually a bishop inthe Church of Sweden. This spiritual path,fraught with struggle, allowed him to maturethrough the crucible of modern, liberaltheological tensions in the Lutheran churchin Sweden. This maturity, which is borneout in his devotions, is the same spiritualand pastoral depth which has also earnedhim the reputation as the North Star inthe Church of Sweden.

To L v w th Chr t is a daily devotionalbook which follows a simple outline: brief Scripture reading, one to two pages of commentary or exposition, and a prayer.

The reader should allow 15 minutes or sofor each devotion.Giertz follows the church year allowing for

a daily liturgical rhythm which will enhancethe readers weekly worship experience.

Also included at the back of the book aredevotions for special seasons and days suchas Thanksgiving Day, St. Michaels and All

Angels Day, and even Boxing Day.Giertzs conservative Lutheran, evangelical

style is apparent in each devotion. His lovefor the Lord and Christ-centered focus isinspiring. This devotional is solidly balanced with attention to Law and Gospel theology. Yet it is the penetratingly re ective style

indicative of the authors own personalpiety and spiritual journey which draws thereader in. Pastor Giertz addresses, throughthe Scriptural texts, topics which challengeand encourage life with Christ. Such topicsas temptation, confession, faith, the Trinity,doubt, prayer, theology of the cross, RealPresence, the of ce of public ministry, andstewardship are considered in more than aperfunctory manner. One gains the sense thatthis author has wrestled with these spiritualthemes in the presence of the Lord.

Another notable feature of this tex t isthe particular educational aspect of thedevotions. Daily a biblical doctrine is taughtand reinforced. This feature caused thetranslators to conclude, When you have

nished this book, you also will havecompleted a short doctrinal study.

A devotional of this caliber is suitable forthe pastor who wants to walk with a brother inthe ministry. Certainly dce s, teachers, anddeaconesses will recognize and appreciate afellow servant who has wrestled with the joys

and struggles of walking with others in the journey of life with Christ. Also the devotedadult who is craving spiritual meat on a dai lyschedule and the spiritually mature teenager

will be strengthened by these devotions.By way of criticism one would only wish for

an index of topics and Scr iptural referencesto access more readily the insights andteachings contained within the 830 pages. Wehope that more of Pastor Bo Giertzs writings will soon be translated into English.

Mr. Tim Rippstein Assistant Professor of EducationConcordia University, Nebraska

Timothy.Rippstein@cune.edu

The Consolation of Theology.Edited by Brian S. Rosner. Grand

Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, uk : William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008.

Applied theology faces the challenge of dealing with the struggle of human emotionsin the face of lifes dif culties. Th Con olatof Th olog yis an exploration of six Christiantheologians selected from the centuries who were chosen for their personal struggle with aspeci c human emotion. This book containsa set of six essays written for the Conferenceon the Consolation of Theology in Sydney,

Australia, in 2006 at Moore TheologicalCollege, where ve of the essayists reside.Each essayist begins with a brief biographical

sketch of his selected theologian, whichoutlines a personal emotional struggle.The biographical sketch is followed by anexamination of how the essayist found theChristian source of comfort and resolutionfor his struggle.

In Lactant on Ang r.Richard Gibsonshows how Lactantius dealt with theproblems of anger as he lived throughthe persecution of Christians i n the earlyfourth century. He observed that angeris placed squarely with in the creation of God, and is a normal pa rt of our lives. Inthe Christian community, anger oughtto be directed at sin, with the Word of

Christ protecting us from the excess of anger. Lactantius sees anger at sin as partof the nature of God which is propitiatedby the death of Jesus Christ.

I n A g t n on Ob on, A n d r e w Cameron observes from Augustine thatthe obsessed persons sights focus onsome tiny corner of Gods good world atthe expense of all else. From A g t nConf onwe find that a theologicalconsolation to obsession is livi ng a quietlife in Christ, which opens the way forthe Spirit to be poured out in aid. It isthe Holy Spirit who radically reorientsour affections.

In L th r on D pa r,Mark D. T hompsonexamines the struggle with doubt anddespair in Luther s life. Luther evencoined a term for his black periods, calling them his Afechtungen. His periods of despair were not viewed as experiencesto be endured, but as opportunities tobe embraced. In the face of these attacksof Satan, we have the promise of Christon which to hold, even in the darkness.Luther often invokes the promise of Godin baptism as a shield against despair.

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W i n t e r 2 0 0 8

In the Name of Jesus: Re ectionson Christian Leadership. Henri J.M. Nouwen. New York: Crossroad

Publishing Company, 2002.

What is the Christian leader to be like in the21st century? Drawing on his experienceas a Catholic priest, scholar and counselorand using the scriptural accounts of Jesustemptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)and His post-resurrection breakfast discussion with Peter (John 21:15-19), Henri Nouwenoffers his thoughts on this question.

Although some who advise Christianleaders may concentrate on developing teaching or preaching skills, programmaticinnovations, and effective leadership habits,

Nouwen warns that as leaders develop theseabilities they may actually be drawn intotemptations similar to those Satan devised toassault Jesus. He speci cally states they canbe vulnerable to the following temptations:to be relevant (temptation of turning stonesto bread), to be spectacular and popular(temptation of jumping from the temple),and to be powerful (offering Jesus thekingdoms of the world).

Nouwen describes how he, as a well-known teacher and scholar at Yale, Harvardand other universities, wrestled with thetemptation to be relevant. Although living in a different environment, Christian

leaders may wrestle with the desire to de nethemselves by what they can build, show andaccomplish. Nouwen, however, reminds thereader that in Johns Gospel Jesus did notask Peter if he was competent. Instead heasked, Do you love me?

The temptation to be spectacularand popular can prompt leaders to a

performance attitude and a go-it-aloneapproach to leadership that can bring recognition and applause to leaders butcan also separate them from those they lead.In contrast, Nouwen states that Christianleadership is to be both communal andmutual. Jesus sent his rst disciples out

in pairs to support one another and keepeach other faithful to their calling. Andhe cites Jesus command to Peter to feedmy sheep as a calling to the role of a caring shepherd whose relationships are based ontrust and love.

The third temptation of Jesus is likenedto the 21st centurys leaders temptation tobe powerful and to ru le. Using knowledge,position and other advantages, a leader mayforce those led into compliance. Nouwencomments that the history of the church

In K rk gaard on Anx ty,Peter G. Bolt showshow Kierkegaards personal struggle withanxiety formed his concept of angst. TheDanish thinker distinguishes ordinary fear, which gives some protection from harm,from an agonizing premonition of evil, which has no objective basis. Bolt explores atlength the difference between Kierkegaardsunderstanding of objective anxiety, which isthe result of the fall into sin, and subjectiveanxiety, which is experienced internally when an individual recognizes his or her

freedom and all its various possibilities.In Bonho ff r on D appo ntm nt , Brian S.Rosner explores how Bonhoeffer handledhis disappointments as he moved from a lifeof privilege and prestige to imprisonmentand execution. Rosner gleans eight counselsfrom Bonhoeffer, which include focusing on people in our lives, embracing Godlyoptimism, nding comfort in the God who seeks again what is past, and walking through our disappointments with God.

In the final essay, C. s. L w on Pa n,Robert Banks shows that the purpose of pain is to bring us to the point of realizing our need for God. God whispers to us in

our pleasures, speaks in our conscience,but shouts in our pains. (page 139) Thisessay explores how Lewis writings providea model of grieving as well as an aid to think within and through our feelings when painand grief come.

This set of essays provides an example of the application of theology to the emotionsof life. Many have put great effort intoattaining a carefree life, and yet have a senseof being utterly lost emotionally. Theseessays give examples of the consolation of theology in the midst of human struggle,and would be of value to pastors, teachersand other church workers.

Rev. Arnold H. Jurchen Adjunct instructor

Theology DepartmentConcordia University, Nebraska

Pastor, Holy Cross Lutheran ChurchGoehner, Nebraska

Arnold.Jurchen@cune.edu

is filled with people tempted to choosepower over love, control over the cross,being a leader over being led (p. 78).

To counter these temptations Nouwenrecommends three Christian disciplines.The rst, contemplative prayer, is identi edas the central discipline as it brings the leaderagain and again into the presence of God,roots the leader in an intimate relationship with Jesus, and increases dependenceon Him. The second, confession andforgiveness, when shared with community,

enables not only the leader to care for hisor her people, but allows the people to show how deeply they care for their shepherd.The third, theological re ection, calls onleaders to recognize their powerlessness, tobe humble, and to approach the realities of daily life with the mind of Christ.

Although Nouwens comments initially were presented at a conference primarilyfor priests, this short book of 80 pagesspeaks to anyone who desires a return tothe Source of understanding Christianleadership and guidance in practicing it. Rather than emphasizing new toolsor programs, he emphasizes that leaders

rst should have a life lled with love of and service to God and others. CrossroadPublishing includes a short study guidethat makes the book adaptable for personaldevotions, team ministr y preparation,school faculty workshops and other areasin which Christians are called to lead andserve in the name of Jesus.

Dr. Eunice GoldgrabeProfessor of Health and Human Performance

Concordia University, NebraskaEunice.Goldgrabe@cune.edu

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