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Higher Things
Inside this issue:
• A Survival Guide
for Trouble
• What’s with the Collar? • Normal
W W W. H I G H E RT H I N G S . O R G
/ SUMMER / 2009
Worship, Theology, and Roller Coasters… Where do I sign up?
www.ctsfw.edu/christacademy H I G H E R
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Join guys like you, guys who have been encouraged to consider serving the Church as a pastor.
✠ Worship together ✠ Study together ✠ Play together
For more information about Christ Academy, please call us at 1-800-481-2155. You can also find information at the seminary’s Web site www.ctsfw.edu/christacademy or e-mail christacademy@ctsfw.edu June 20–July 3, 2010 Concordia Theological Seminary ✠ 6600 N. Clinton St. ✠ Fort Wayne, IN 46825
Contents T A B L E
O F
FEATURES 4 Knitted Women 8
By Sandra Ostapowich Today’s society says that men are no different from women and women are no different from men. Christianity, however, reminds us that both genders are fearfully and wonderfully made but also separate and unique. To read up on why the differences are important, check out Ms. Ostapowich’s article.
What’s with the Collar?
By Rev. Jeffrey Bloom A lot of Lutheran pastors wear black shirts with funky little white bands around their throat. Are they just trying to mimic Catholic priests? Or is it more that they have absolutely no fashion sense and they can only match black with black? There’s a little more to it. Check out Pastor Bloom’s article to see why your pastor isn’t wearing mismatched polka dots and stripes.We hope.
10 What Does God Want Me to Be When I’m an Adult?
By Rev. Rick Marrs Society can lay it on pretty thick.Teens today are taught to think about college at any early age. From sports to band to singing to writing, youth are pushed to do their best at the youngest possible age, all in the hopes of getting into a good college. But what happens then? Pastor Marrs made a few career changes of his own, and he survived.You will too.
12 Normal
By Miss Mary Karner Lindsay Lohan dates girls and drinks Red Bull. Britney Spears shaves her head. Miley Cyrus poses half-dressed for Vanity Fair. All this may have you wondering,“I don’t do those things. Is something wrong with me? Am I normal?” No worries. Mary Karner’s a normal Lutheran youth, and she’ll tell what the media got all wrong.
14 A Survival Guide for Trouble
By Rev. Tim Pauls You can hardly get on the Internet without seeing some article some where talking about the crummy economy. But it’s all pretty confusing. Recessions, stress tests on banks, bailouts . . . can someone please translate what that means for teenagers? Pastor Pauls to the rescue!
18 Love is No Battlefield
By Scott Yenor There's a lot of talk about marriage in the news today, maybe in your high school debate class too.Who can get married? Why should anyone? To help you navigate popular morality and defend marriage, Dr. Yenor lays a strong foundation.
Volume 9/Number 2 • Summer 2009
20 The Masquerade of Evil
By Mr. Uwe Siemon-Netto Generations of Germans still suffer guilt for what happened during World War II. Even though these people were not alive at the time and are sorry for what happened, they are still ashamed. Americans today suffer from a different kind of humiliation: the shame of not speaking out against the death of thousands of innocent babies.Want to know how you can stand up and make a difference? See Mr. Siemon-Netto’s article to learn how.
24 The Gospel of Twilight
By Mr. Jess Norton The Twilight series is all the rage. From books to movies to parties, vampires are everywhere. Is this the next Harry Potter? Should you read it? Should you not? Is there anything worthwhile a Christian can learn from a book that deals with evil? Mr. Jess Norton has read the books and has a few analogies to the Christian life that just might get you thinking.
26 The Alpha and the Omega
By Prof. Thomas Egger Those goofy Greek letters—the Alpha and Omega—are always popping up around church. What’s the point? Nobody but pastors read Greek anyway! They look cool,but do they mean anything? Prof.Egger says they mean everything,and he’s here to give you a crash course in Greek 101.
COLUMNS 6 Chickens in the Kingdom of God
By Kathy Luder School’s over, and Kathy’s spending a week on the farm with her grandma and grandpa. Grandpa’s in the mood to give Kathy a little lesson in what real life is like out in the country, but she thought she was going to the farm for some summer fun.Turns out, Grandpa has other plans, and Kathy’s about to get a study in why chickens can do more than just taste good and what heaven will be like.
22 Christ on Campus: The Mother of All Conspiracies
By Mr. Mark Pierson You’ve probably seen the previews for Tom Hanks’ new movie “Angels and Demons.”You might have even seen your parents reading The Da Vinci Code. What’s with all these conspiracies about Jesus being married, killing people off, and not really being the Son of God? Who can you trust? Seminarian Mark Pierson sets the record straight.
28 Law and Gospel
Rev. David Petersen Your pastor likes to throw out cool theological phrases now and then, usually ones you don’t really understand like,“the proper distinction between Law and Gospel.”What’s the big deal anyway? The Law is the Ten Commandments, and the Gospel is, um, Jesus, right? Pastor Petersen struggled with understanding all this too, and he’s glad to fill you in on what he’s learned.
HigherThings Volume 9/Number 2/Summer 2009 Editor REV. TIM
PAULS
Managing Editor ADRIANE DORR Assistant Editor
JULIE BECKWITH Art Director STEVE BLAKEY Editorial Associates
REV. GREG ALMS REV. PAUL BEISEL REV. BART DAY REV. DAVID PETERSEN A FATHER'S DAY TRIBUTE BY ADRIANE DORR: "I love my dad. Not so much when he tossed me up in the air in our living room as a small child and I heard my mom scream, ' Ceiling fan!' but I love him nonetheless." Business Manager
LYNNETTE FREDERICKSEN Financial Manager
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ELIZABETH CARLSON Webmaster
STAN LEMON ___________ Christ on Campus Executive REV. MARCUS ZILL Conferences Executive
REV. GEORGE F. BORGHARDT III Internet Services Executive REV. MARK BUETOW Publications Executive CAROLYN COCKEY Retreat Executive
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LYNN FREDERICKSEN REV. JOEL FRITSCHE REV. DAVID KIND REV. BRENT KUHLMANN REV. LARRY NICHOLAS MARK PFUNDSTEIN ___________ Higher Things Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc., 5009 Cassia, Boise, ID 83705. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2009. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-448-2359 or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org. (This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@higherthings.org. Please check http://higherthings.org/magazine/writers.html for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.
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What’s With the Collar? By Rev. Jeffrey Bloom
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Have you ever wondered why some Lutheran pastors wear clerical collars?
Luther and his associates regarded clerical vestments (including clerical collars) as adiaphora (neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture).There is, however, a significant amount of symbolism behind the use of vestments and especially a clerical collar. First, the black color shows to the world that the pastor is a sinner, dead in his trespasses and sin. By himself, a pastor is nothing. Second, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, the words that come from the pastor’s mouth as he preaches and absolves are in the stead of Christ, and, therefore, are as white and pure as freshly fallen snow.Thus, the white tab is located in the front of the clerical collar.There is also a white Anglican collar that wraps entirely around the pastor’s neck and resembles a dog’s flea collar. Did I just accuse your pastor of having fleas? This type of clerical collar symbolizes that the pastor is not his own master but is leashed by God to speak His Word in all of its truth and purity. Third, the collar is a constant reminder to the pastor that he is a representative of Christ and the congregation he has been called to serve.Therefore, choosing to wear a clerical collar is an act of forfeiting one’s anonymity. In other words, when the pastor wears a clerical collar, he is willingly placing himself under the microscope of scrutiny of those with whom he comes into contact. In doing so, he has a heightened awareness of how his words and deeds can have a positive or negative effect on others and their attitude toward Christ and His Church. If you don’t believe me, try placing a Christian bumper sticker on your car and see how it affects the way you drive your car. Fourth, a clerical collar is a uniform like a police officer or a soldier wear. When you see them in uniform, you immediately know what they are.The same can be said of a collared pastor. Speaking from experience, when I wear a clerical collar, access is much easier at hospitals and other healthcare facilities because the staff immediately knows why I am there. It also proves helpful when visiting the elderly suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Fifth, a clerical collar communicates that the pastor is to care for the people of God.There are some pastors who refuse to wear a clerical collar because they think it gives the appearance of being Roman Catholic. However, many clergy from church bodies wear clerical collars besides the Roman Catholic priests, such as the Episcopalians, Anglicans, even some Methodists, and others. Of course, there are times when people will greet me and call me “Father.” I used to correct them by letting them know that I am a Lutheran pastor, but anymore I politely greet them and go on my way. After all, I am the father of Jordan, Joseph, Jenna, and Julia. Besides, spiritually speaking, the pastor serves as the spiritual father of the congregation he serves. Sixth, a clerical collar leads to all sorts of fascinating conversations. While it’s been said that it makes the pastor look less approachable, I cannot even begin to count the number of times while wearing a clerical collar that I have been approached by complete strangers with some religious question or simply seeking my counsel or aid. It’s a conversational magnet. Seventh, it defines the pastor as a servant. It has been said that the origin of the clerical collar can be traced back to slavery.The Church adopted the garb of the slave as a visible symbol that the pastor is a servant of Christ and the congregation to which he has been called to serve. Sometimes, the story goes around that a clerical collar is worn as a show of power and prestige, but that simply doesn’t agree with history. Lastly, on a more practical and perhaps humorous note, I never wake up in the morning and have to wrestle with the question,“What should I wear to work today?” Although there are certainly many good arguments for the wearing of a clerical collar by pastors, it is indeed neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture. So, whether or not your pastor wears a clerical collar, he has been called by God to serve you! Rev. Jeffrey Bloom is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. He may be reached at bloom5@juno.com.
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“normal” By Mary Karner
id you know that according to the New York Times the average American is bombarded with 5,000 advertising images a day? Many of these images are included in the average 2.6 hours an American spends watching television every day. I think most of my 5,000 images come from that issue of People magazine I buy every month added with that unfortunate addiction of mine to “E! True Hollywood Story.”
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Thus, like most of us, I’ve seen those headlines about Lindsey Lohan’s short-lived stints in rehab, Miley Cyrus’ racy pictures in Vanity Fair, the always dramatic Britney Spears, not to mention all of Brad and Angelina’s new children. It’s only natural for us to start believing that these images we read about, hear about, and watch are 100 percent normal. After all, isn’t it called “reality”TV for a reason? Aren’t those cameras actually filming in that celebrity’s home? It has to be normal . . . right? Personally, I hate the term normal. It has no concrete meaning. With the power of only two syllables, it defines a select, relative group of people and excludes a majority. It makes us think having a baby at age 16 like Jamie Lynn Spears is “normal.” We come to believe it is “normal” for men to get away with beating women, all because Chris Brown got away with hitting Rihanna. It seems “normal” for most teens to engage in underage drinking since we see those crazy parties on TV all the time. But as Christians, our definition of normal comes from the Holy, inspired Word of God rather than the highly publicized lives and behaviors of popular culture. John writes,“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). This is not to say that God is some strict Father-figure who wants to take away all our fun though. It’s completely the opposite! God wants us to enjoy the life He gave us, and He sets boundaries for us, not as a punishment, but for our own protection and good. So what does a normal, Lutheran teen look like? We know how to have fun within the rules. We laugh loudly. We respect our parents and elders. We go to youth group. We sing our guts out during our favorite hymns. We go to Higher Things conferences. We respect ourselves and our bodies. We help our neighbors. We rejoice in our risen Lord and Savior. And we most definitely “are not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). However, it is also normal for us to make mistakes, to get caught up in the earthly thrills of life and the desires of the flesh, and to be nothing but poor, miserable sinners. Even the apostle Paul spoke of himself,“I do not understand my own actions . . . For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:15, 19). Yet, we repent. We remember and cling to our Baptisms. We partake of the very body and blood of Jesus and receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation through it. And we live everyday with the confidence that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We have an awesome gift of already knowing our identity in Christ, instead of trying to find ourselves in a pop culture masquerading as “normal.” Plus, we have the whole body of Christ as our own personal support system and loving community. So dare to be who you are as a Lutheran because you can rest assured that you are an heir to the kingdom of Heaven and perfectly normal in God’s eyes, all thanks to the eternal life Christ won for you on the cross. Alleluia! Mary Karner is a freshman at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. E-mail her at mekarner@bsugmail.com.
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