The Canadian Lutheran September/October 2021

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VOLUME 36 NUMBER 5 - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

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Your gifts have the power to change lives this Christmas! Watch for your copy of our new 2021 Gifts from the Heart catalogue or visit www.clwr.org/GFTH

www.clwr.org/GFTH | 1.800.661.2597

CONTENTS FEATURES www.canadianlutheran.ca Volume 36 Number 5

September/October 2021

Faith and Suffering The Journey Through Grief Love Your Enemies: The Persecuted Church Today

DEPARTMENTS TABLE TALK

Peace when there is no peace

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REGIONAL PASTORS

West: Return to the Lord your God Central: Who catechizes you?

East: Help! The communion wafers are stale.

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A Strange Blessing for the Saints

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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PRESIDENT’S PONDERINGS Cover Art by Alex Steinke The Canadian Lutheran is the national publication of Lutheran Church–Canada, published in Winnipeg six times per year: January/ February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December under the auspices of the Board of Directors (Committee for Communication and Technology).

ISSN #0383-4247 Member: Canadian Church Press Editor: Mathew Block Design: Alex Steinke Advertising: Angela Honey Subscriptions: $30/yr Or Buy-One-Gift-One: $50/yr Email: a.honey@lutheranchurch.ca All material and advertising should be in the office of The Canadian Lutheran five weeks prior to publication date. Advertising rate card available upon request.

The Canadian Lutheran 3074 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2 Telephone: 204-895-3433 FAX: 204-897-4319 Email: editor@lutheranchurch.ca Materials published in The Canadian Lutheran, with the exception of Letters to the Editor, news reports, and advertising, receive doctrinal review and approval before publication. Contents of supplements are the responsibility of the organization purchasing the space. ©2021 Lutheran Church–Canada. Reproduction of a single article or column for parish use does not require the permission of The Canadian Lutheran. Such reproductions, however, should credit The Canadian Lutheran as the source.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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NEWS SECTIONS

Eight dead after flash flood at Ethiopian seminary • Latvian Lutherans vote to seek membership in the ILC

NATIONAL NEWS

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LCC’s Free Stock Photo Catalogue is here • Confessional Chats: Introducing LCC’s New Video Series

WEST REGION

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First-ever virtual youth gathering a success • A block party brings the community together

CENTRAL REGION

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Bethel Thunder Bay closes • Another generation confessing •

Teach the Catechism • May flowers

EAST REGION

New pastor for Fisherville • No time to sleep • Rev. Zakel installed at Prince of Peace

MISSION NEWS

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Mission congregation hosts installation of LCC’s newest Missionary-at-Large for the francophone community

EDUCATION NEWS

New academic year begins • Former CLS president called to glory • Nominations open for honorary awards

ANNOUNCEMENTS IN REVIEW: THE GREEN KNIGHT

SUPPLEMENT

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@thecanadianlutheran @lutheranchurchcanada THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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Custodial Fund Investments

How Your Congregation Can Benefit!

Many congregations across Synod have reserve or gifted funds set aside in various financial institutions and may not realize that Lutheran Foundation Canada provides an investment option for these funds. Currently, the Foundation has approximately $18 million in assets under management, with $9 million invested as ‘endowment’ funds and another $9 million invested as ‘custodial’ funds. Endowments a re e s ta b l i s h e d w i t h f u n d s gifted to the Foundation and typically invested into perpetuity, with annual distributions that support the LCC synodical family.

Custodial funds however, are not donated but only transferred to

the Foundation for investment purposes, and remain the property of the organization that transferred them. These funds may be returned to the investing organization at any time. Both types of funds are invested using similar strategies as outlined in the Foundation’s Investment Policy Statement.

As a service to member congregations and organizations of Lutheran Church–Canada’s s y n o d i c a l f a m i l y o n l y, t h e Foundation accepts funds ($25K min.) for investment purposes.

These funds are pooled with other similar funds and placed in the Foundation’s Custodial Investment Accounts. The Foundation uses

When comparing these returns to a typical GIC where rates are usually below 2%, the overall value to a congregation can be significant in the long term.

Further information is available on the Foundation’s website at www.lutheranfoundation.ca, or contact Allen Schellenberg, Foundation Executive Director, at 877-711-4438. You can download our Custodial Fund Agreement and Investment Policy Statement through our website’s Resources section.

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the same investment consultant (Ellement Consulting) and some of the same investment managers (TD Asset Mgmt, Romspen Commercial Mortgages, and Mawer Investment Mgmt.) as LCC’s pension funds.

This approach creates substantial economies of scale, reducing investment management fees, and providing access to investment options typically unavailable for smaller investment amounts.

Investment returns for Custodial Funds have averaged 6.17% in the Balanced Mandate and 4.34% in the Conservative Mandate, NET of fees. The chart below shows annual performance by year. (Note: Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.)

TABLE TALK

Peace when there is no peace

“They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace…”

Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11

by Mathew Block

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hese words, uttered by God in the leadup to the destruction of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity, are spoken as a rebuke to false priests and prophets. God had declared, through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others, that disaster was coming as a result of the people’s sin. But instead of heeding this warning, instead of calling for repentance, the authorities rejected the message. “Be at peace,” they told the people. “All is well.”

In reality, there was no peace to be had. The rulers of the land were leading their people dangerously astray (Ezekiel 13:10). The nation had a deep, festering wound which needed immediate medical attention; instead, the leaders slapped a bandage on it and called it good. Meanwhile, the gangrene was setting in—with fatal consequences.

There is something deeply distasteful about proclaiming peace when there is no peace. And yet the world sometimes accuses the Church of doing the same thing, albeit in a different context. This life is full of suffering. Millions of children across the globe are underfed and malnourished. Totalitarian states brutally oppress their citizens.

Illness strikes without rhyme or reason. Terrorist organizations slaughter the innocent. Natural disasters sweep away the little that poor people once had.

In response to this suffering, the Church comes and offers Jesus, saying that in Him all people will find peace.

But hang on: isn’t this just what the priests were doing in Jeremiah’s day? Weren’t they papering over real problems, promising a peace that wasn’t there?

To be fair, sometimes we as Christians can be guilty of this— offering words alone when action is needed (James 2:15). Faced with grief or sorrow, we rush to solve the problem with our words. “God moves in mysterious ways.” “He’s in a better place now.” “This too shall pass.” “God’s got it under control.” These answers are all true; and yet our delivery of them can become a little too pat. A little too trite. We fail to enter into the grief of others, acting as if a few words should make everything better.

This isn’t the peace that Jesus offers.

He doesn’t pretend that faith in Him will free us from suffering; instead, He promises to be with us in the midst of suffering. That’s the difference between a false peace—that condemned in the Book of Jeremiah—and the peace which Christ gives. He acknowledges the reality of suffering, and yet promises to be with us in it, granting us the peace of His presence—a peace which passes all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

“Peace I leave with you,” Jesus says to us. “My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

We indeed face many sorrows in this world. But we need not be afraid.

God is with us in the midst of these

sorrows. He sends His Holy Spirit to be with us, to comfort us. He bears us up in His arms. And it is this promise which gives us peace in a world where otherwise we should find none.

In this issue we contemplate some of the challenges of life which threaten to rob us of peace. Rev. Dr. Richard Beinert explores the relationship between suffering and faith (page 6).

Rev. Michael Keith helps us chart a path through the journey that grief entails (page 9). And our third feature invites us to remember the persecuted Church around the world in prayer (page 12)—a theme expanded upon also in President Timothy Teuscher’s column this issue (page 42).

In the face of suffering like this, it can be easy to feel hopeless. But even in these things, our Lord has promised us His peace—a peace which does not deliver us from sorrows in this life but sustains us in the midst of them.

For our Jesus also knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it is to grieve the death of a loved one. He knows what it is to be persecuted and put to death without cause. But just as God raised Him from the dead, He will raise us also. At length, He will gather us to Himself, and there we shall grieve and suffer no more. For there, in the presence of the Prince of Peace, we shall know true peace at last.

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

A d a p t e d f r o m " T h e E n t o m b m e n t o f C h r i s t, " C a r a v a g g i o ( c . 1 6 0 2 - 1 6 0 3 ) , P i n a c o t e c a V at i c a n a , R o m e .

FAITH and Suffering

by Richard Beinert

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n the Middle Ages, it was not uncommon for people to use images of the instruments of Jesus’ torture and suffering as the basis for their meditations. While the practice might seem odd to us today, there was a strong sense at that time that suffering was somehow redemptive.

After all, Jesus Himself taught that we are to take up our crosses and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-26) and that it is through trials and tribulations that we gain access the Kingdom of Heaven (Acts 14:22).

Needless to say, there are distortions in the way in which Christians have sometimes made use of these verses. Even today, there are some who feel that suffering makes them somehow inherently more worthy of grace. Like a Monty Python skit gone bad, there are movements within both society and the church that attempt to increase their own suffering at the hands of others—to increase their own trials in an effort to become ‘holier’ in the sight of God. A closer look reveals some of the problems with this view. True, we will face struggles in this life. It is also true that Christ is present most powerfully in our moments of weakness, as St. Paul writes in those familiar words: “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). But, as we are reminded by the writer of the book of Hebrews (2:10-11), it is ultimately Jesus Christ who perfects our salvation by taking our suffering onto Himself and dying on the cross. He thus becomes the one who sanctifies us by His grace—all in order to be present with us in our own deepest struggles (2:17-18; 4:15-16; 5:2), no matter what shape they take.

St. Paul put it this way: Christ became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In the image of Jesus’ suffering and death we find, then, not simply an image of a distant God and Saviour who wants nothing to do with our struggles as we face them in the reality of day-to-day existence, but instead a God who comes to be our brother, right in the midst of where we are—even today.

This was part of Luther’s insights in his Meditation on the Passion of Christ (1519) where he reminded his readers that Jesus’ crucifixion is not just an opportunity to meditate on the evil and cruelty in the world—or to gnash our teeth at others for their wrong-doings. If that is all we find in this image, then we have really missed the Gospel message that this image and event display. It is both our sin and our brokenness that Jesus took onto Himself that caused His own suffering and death. And as we behold this blessed image of God’s divine suffering on our behalf, we discover the beautiful message of the whole realty—that Jesus did this ‘for you’.

The difficulty we face is that suffering is not an easy topic in our day and age. Amidst all of the images of wars and poverty-stricken areas, there is the constant call for us to engage with compassion to help ‘fix’ the many problems that are out there. While there are certainly

many opportunities for us to do good, the tugging on our heart-strings can easily lead us to a point where we become overwhelmed by what psychologists call ‘compassion fatigue,’ which leaves us drained and feeling empty.

This is complicated by the way in which our culture suggests we can ‘fix’ suffering and even eliminate it, rather than acknowledging that suffering is simply a part of the human condition—a condition which is, as Scripture reminds us, built upon the brokenness called sin. All of creation groans waiting for the day of Christ’s return (Romans 8:22-25), when the struggle with sin will be finally wrapped up in the light of the first day of eternity and there will be no more sorrow or tears (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, we continue to wrestle—even in ourselves—within this broken condition. But we do so with hope, rising from faith, because Christ has borne both our sins and our sorrows for us so that we can be His own. We are His through the waters of our Baptism, where our lives have come to be hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3-4). And He is ours by faith (Ephesians 3:17), through which Jesus has come to be hidden within the heart and core of our being.

The trouble is that we don’t always have a good relationship with suffering when we encounter it in ourselves. Like Adam and Eve, we blame others for what we feel is wrong. Our minds race to find a ‘fix’ or a ‘solution’ rather than meeting Jesus who has come to hold us in the midst of wherever it is that we find ourselves. We add anger to our weakness to cover our feelings of helplessness in the hopes that it will give us a sense of strength and control. But the pain of brokenness and suffering besets us all this side of eternity. We cannot escape it even though we try. Neither can we master it or toss it out on our own. We often expend more time and energy fighting or fleeing the trials we encounter than living through them in the strength which our Saviour provides—trying to create solutions through our own strength.

But faith is not only for when times are good; faith is the presence of Christ who comes to us in Word and the Sacrament to re-anchor us in Himself—no matter what we are going through—all to be our Rest and Peace. Our help truly does come from the Lord (Psalm 121:2), as our old liturgies used to say as we gathered before the Altar to confess our sinfulness. We make that confession in hope, lifting up our eyes to Jesus, coming again to receive Him and His loving compassion into the broken mess of our lives, to receive His strength and peace. With Jesus in the boat, we truly can smile at the storm (Mark 4:35-41).

Søren Kierkegaard once wrote that “life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”

He was addressing in part the absurdity of life as we encounter it, riddled with sin as it is. We have a tendency to think that, as a result of our culture’s THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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scientific advances and learning, we can somehow escape the brokenness that underlies our world—to escape through our own technological and political efforts. Yet, one of the deepest insights of the Christian faith is the recognition that we can never pull ourselves out of our brokenness by what we do—or don’t do. Brokenness is just a fact of life until our Lord returns.

It is the work of faith—the working of the Holy Spirit in and through our Baptism—to lead us away from seeking “do-it-yourself ” solutions to the trials we encounter in life. The Holy Spirit instead leads us to put our trust and hope in Jesus who has carried our struggles in His own body on the cross. And He still comes to be present with us right where we are, no matter how messy the situation might be. Learning to embrace Christ in the midst of suffering then becomes one of the most challenging facets of our spiritual lives today—even as it was in Luther’s day, and in Paul’s day, and in Jesus’ day.

Our Triune Lord and God never leaves us alone, no matter what circumstances we face. That is Jesus’

image of Jesus’ body being carried to the tomb, surrounded by a grieving Mary, Mary Magdalen, and John the apostle. The jarring element around this image (derived from Caravaggio’s 17th century painting “The Entombment of Christ”) is that in Pastucha’s painting it is set within a subway station, with garbage in the background and a train barreling down the tracks.

Behind the image of the grieving friends of family— with the lifeless body of Christ at the centre—is a sign identifying the location as the 96th Street Station near Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

It is easy for congregants to miss the significance of that location in the busyness of their Sunday schedules. Not only does the name “Mount Sinai” have religious connotations; it is also only a few kilometres north of another subway station in New York: Cortlandt Station. That station was destroyed when the Twin Towers, under which it sat, crumbled beneath the weight of human cruelty on September 11, 2001.

Faced with a tragedy like this, we are tempted to ask: where is Jesus in the midst of our pain and suffering?

Pastucha’s painting helps us to answer that age-old question: Jesus is here with us. We often think that He is somewhere else—that He comes to us only in moments of joy and happiness. This image, however, reminds us that even in moments of suffering and death, our Lord is with us today—right here, right now. He is here, beneath it all, carrying our suffering within Himself so that we might have life in His name.

T h e 1 7 th c e n t u r y Lutheran pastor Christian Scriver once put it this way in a devotional work directed towards a society crushed by the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War: “Even a hen can find a speck of goodness on a manure heap.” No matter "TRANSIT AUTHORITY," ROMAN PASTUCHA (2002). From the Series "The Roamin' Empire." Oil on who we are, or what struggles we face—whether Canvas 80x86. Used with Permission (https://romancreative.wixsite.com/store). as individuals, as families, baptismal promise that He will be with us to the very as parishes, or communities—we have hope in Christ end of the age (Matthew 28:20). As St. Paul put it: there through Baptism. He is our Lord and Saviour, our everis nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

There is a painting by Roman Pastucha called Rev. Dr. Richard Beinert is pastor of St. James “Transit Authority” hanging in the narthex at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. It depicts the familiar Lutheran Church in Winnipeg.

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The Journey Through Grief Rev. Michael Keith

You don’t get over it; you get through it.

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s a pastor I have journeyed through the valley of the shadow of death with many people. The loss of a loved one leaves us profoundly hurt and broken.

We experience emotions of grief that at times can feel overwhelming. The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences we go through in life.

Many Misconceptions There are many misconceptions surrounding grief that can lead to false expectations for someone experiencing grief as well as family and friends seeking to lend support and encouragement. One of the biggest misconceptions is that grief is something like the common cold. You have it for a while and then you get over it and get back to “normal.” That’s the great desire for those in grief and those who are seeking to lend support—for things to get back to normal. The idea seems to be that you have grief for maybe six months or at most a year, and then you “get over” it.

The harsh reality is that this never happens. That is the pain of death. What once was can never be again. You don’t get over it; you get through it.

This raises the misconception of “closure.” Many look forward to a funeral so they can gain “closure”—as if, after the funeral, all the grief and mourning can be left behind. That is not how it works for most people. It is far more helpful to see the funeral as something near the beginning of the journey through grief. It is the public recognition that a death has occurred. It is the community, the body of Christ, gathering to receive strength and encouragement from God so that they might then in turn offer support and encouragement to each other. It is a time where we gather before God to give thanks for giving life to this person and for the opportunity we had to share in it. More than this, it is a time to give thanks for the eternal life that was secured for our friend by Jesus. Far from the end of the journey or providing “closure,” the funeral is often the beginning of the journey through grief.

Another common misconception is that grief and mourning are the same thing.

It is helpful, however, to make a distinction between them. Grief is the emotion and feelings that you experience on the inside as a result of a loss. Mourning is instead the public expression of those emotions. One of the great struggles we THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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have in our culture is that we have very few places and avenues for people to mourn. Our culture does not allow for the public expression of grief; it makes us uncomfortable when someone openly grieves. Yet mourning is essential to a healthy journey through grief.

We must allow ourselves and those around us to mourn.

We must be able to express grief. If you are experiencing grief, it is important for you to find a friend or a group where you can feel comfortable expressing your feelings of grief and authentically mourn. And this is likely to be something you will need to do a number of times in your journey through grief. Expressing the emotions of grief in mourning is a healthy part of the journey. How you experience and express your grief in mourning can be intensely personal and will not look the same for everyone. But it is essential to a healthy journey.

The journey through grief does not generally follow a straight line. It seldom progresses in orderly stages, despite the common misunderstanding. You seldom complete one stage and then move on to another until you are through all the stages and “over” your grief. You don’t get over it; you get through it.

Grief is not a lack of faith; it is the natural and normal reaction to the death of a loved one.

One image that many people find helpful when thinking about the emotions of grief is that of waves.

When the death of a loved one occurs, the waves of grief come in high and hard and constant, and it feels as if you are drowning in them. Then, as one journeys healthily on through grief, the experience of the waves of grief change.

They don’t go away—they likely never will—but they may not be as high and hard and constant. They will still come, but they may not knock you down every time. Certain days and events and times of year, like Christmas or birthdays or anniversaries or Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, may result in higher and stronger waves, even many years after the death of a loved one. That’s perfect understandable and to be expected. You will always miss the person you loved who has died. That’s okay.

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You will always miss the person you loved who has died. That’s okay

Faithful Grief There are some people who think that experiencing grief is somehow a sign of a lack of faith—that as a Christian you should be happy that your loved one is resting with Jesus and that experiencing grief demonstrates a lack of faith. This is a terrible burden to place on someone in mourning and represents a misunderstanding of what grief is. Grief is not a lack of faith; it is the natural and normal reaction to the death of a loved one.

The physical separation from our loved ones is one of the great pains of death. And while we may draw great comfort from the knowledge that our loved one is safely resting with Jesus awaiting the Last Day, we still weep that they are not here to carve the turkey at Christmas.

Grief is a part of life in this fallen world.

It is inevitable. “For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,” God warned Adam (Genesis 2:17). Ever since our first parents’ disobedience and fall into sin, we have suffered under that punishment. As we experience the death of loved ones, we will experience the emotions of grief.

Some of you may be feeling the intense emotions of grief right now. That’s okay. There is no need to hide that or pretend it is not so.

Seek out appropriate places and ways where you can express your emotions of grief in authentic mourning. The shelf-stocker at your local grocery store, who asks out of custom, “How are you?”, might not be the best person to respond to the burden of your grief.

The pastor of your congregation, by contrast, or a friend or loved one might be. Seek out people or groups who will serve as a supportive place for mourning.

Above all, know that you do not journey through the valley of the shadow of death alone. Your Lord Jesus walks beside you. He has walked this path before. You may feel like you are very lost, like you do not know which way to go. Jesus has walked this valley to the cross and the grave and has come out the other side to life everlasting. Your loved one rests safely with Him in the promise of eternal life secured by Jesus through His death-defeating resurrection. Now, as you tarry below and remain in this vale of tears, Jesus will support you and uphold you through His Word and Sacraments in His Church.

As we gather as the Body of Christ on earth to hear God’s Word and receive the Sacrament of the Altar, we can also take comfort that we gather with the angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven in the foretaste of the feast to come. As we sing in the hymn, we enjoy even now “mystic, sweet communion with those whose rest is won” (LSB 644).

The Lord gives You Himself to uphold and sustain you in this journey. He has also given you His Church in which you will find companions on your journey to support and encourage you. Seek out those whom the Lord has placed in your life for the support that you need. Above all, seek the Lord where He may be found: in His Word and Sacraments in His Church. Jesus will uphold you and strengthen you in this journey through grief. The day will come at last when we will have a great and grand reunion with those who have gone before us in faith, and together we will behold Jesus face to face in glory.

Rev. Michael Keith is pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church and SML Christian Academy in Stony Plain, Alberta. He holds a Certificate in Grief and Death Studies from the Centre for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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LO V E YO U R E N E M I E S T H E P E R S E C U T E D C H U R C H T O D AY

" S t. S t e p h e n " b y S p a n i s h p a i n t e r L u i s d e M o r a l e s ( c . 1 5 7 5 ) . M u s e o d e l P r a d o , M a d r i d , S p a i n .

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by Mathew Block

he year is approximately 34 A.D. A young man named Stephen stands before a crowd in Jerusalem. He confesses that Jesus is the Messiah promised by the prophets of old and that, though He was killed, He now stands alive at the right hand of God. The mob is enraged and drags him from the city. There he is stoned to death—the first Christian to die for his faith.

The year is about 203. A father pleads with his imprisoned daughter Perpetua, a young woman in her twenties, begging her to renounce her faith in Christ. She refuses. A few days later she is led out with her fellow Christians to the amphitheatre

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in Carthage. Wild animals are released, and Perpetua is wounded by a wild cow. Shortly thereafter, a soldier approaches with his sword and takes her life.

The year is 1523. Two monks named Johann Esch and Heinrich Voes have been tied to a stake in the city of Brussels. A year earlier they had been convinced that Martin Luther was right: that Scripture alone held authority over the church and that that the church had lost sight of the Gospel. The fire is lit, and the men die proclaiming their faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed and the Te Deum.

The year is 2015. A group of men—twenty Egyptians and one Ghanian—kneel on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Libya. Each is held captive by a terrorist for the crime of being “people of the cross.” After the leader makes a public threat against Christians worldwide, the victims are beheaded.

These are just a few stories of the martyrs, those who have remained faithful to Christ even at the cost of their lives. As Christians in Canada, we enjoy many freedoms.

As a result, it can be easy to think of martyrdom as a thing of the past. Nothing could be further from the truth. The 2021 World Watch List, published by Open Doors, reports more than 4,700 Christians were murdered for their faith over the previous year. More than 4,200 were arrested or imprisoned without trial. And nearly 5,000 churches and associated buildings were attacked.

A far greater number of Christians suffer under more general forms of persecution. The 2021 World Watch List reports that more than 340 million Christians live in places of persecution throughout the world. That adds up to roughly one in every eight Christians.

Christians in Canada generally do not face institutionalized persecution of this sort. But Canada’s Christians are increasingly the victims of intolerance. As we observe our country become increasingly hostile to the faith, we must learn from our persecuted sisters and brothers in other countries to more faithfully bear the cross. At the same time, we should also do what we can to support persecuted Christians around the world—to encourage them in the midst of their suffering, to advocate on their behalf, and to name them in prayer before our Father in heaven.

P e r s ec u t i o n A r o u n d t h e Wo r l d If we wish to support and pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering throughout the world, it is important to know who they are. To that end, Open Door’s annual World Watch List is a good guide. It ranks the fifty most dangerous nations in the world to be Christian based on the severity of persecution.

In 2021, Open Doors again declared North Korea the worst persecutor of Christians worldwide—a position it

has held now for twenty years. What makes the country so dangerous? The answer is simple: being discovered as a Christian results either in immediate death or imprisonment for you and your family in a brutal labour camp. There are an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians currently in such camps throughout North Korea. And these are not prisons as we know them in Canada: in North Korea, prisoners regularly die from starvation. The few who are released or escape from these places tell terrible tales of suffering.

Afghanistan is ranked second on the 2021 World Watch List, with Open Doors noting it had nearly tied North Korea for first place over the past three years. But the list came out in January—before the evacuation of Western forces and the government’s fall to the Taliban.

Even before the regime change, it was dangerous to be a Christian in Afghanistan. Those discovered to have converted to Christianity from Islam could face death if caught—though the former government often opted, as The New York Times has reported, to instead expel Christian converts from the country. But the Taliban’s return to power increases the danger for Afghanistan’s small Christian population. Already there have been reports of Taliban soldiers going door to door, checking smartphones for the presence of Bible apps, and killing any Christians they find.

In places like these, Christians must often go “underground” in order to practice their faith. Consider China, for example, which appears 17th on the 2021 World Watch List (its first time in decades to appear in the top twenty). There are in China many state-sanctioned churches but it is common knowledge that the Communist Party of China wields strict control over what these churches teach.

For that reason, many Christians in China—perhaps the majority—are members of underground or house churches not approved by the government. As authorities discover these groups, they are shut down and pastors imprisoned and tortured. And the threat of discovery is only increasing as China rolls out widespread surveillance systems to track the movements of its citizens.

In fact, China’s crackdown on religious groups of all types—Christian or otherwise—has accelerated in recent years. The widespread arrest and “reeducation” of Uyghur Muslims, for example, has been widely condemned by other countries, including by Canada’s House of Commons, as genocide. The horrific crackdown on the Uyghur—and the anemic response to it by other nations—led Forbes to ask in an article earlier this year whether Chinese Christians might be next in line for such “reeducation.”

L o ve, Not Hate In a world where such atrocities are committed, it is easy for Christians to grow weary—to despair of things ever getting better. It is easy to begin to hate the enemies THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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of the Church, those who work so diligently to destroy the Christian faith.

And yet, this is not how many victims of such persecution have responded. Consider the experiences of Richard Wurmbrand, a Lutheran minister who spent 14 years in prison for sharing the Gospel in communist controlled Romania. His own suffering was severe—he once famously took off his shirt during a U.S. Senate committee to reveal the scars upon his back—and yet Wurmbrand could say that he loved those who hated him.

“It was in being tortured by them that we learned to love them,” he writes in his classic book Tortured for Christ.

“I have seen Christians in Communist prisons with fifty pounds of chains on their feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonfuls of salt had been forced, being kept afterward without water, starving, whipped, suffering from cold—and praying with fervor for the Communists,” he says. “This is humanly inexplicable! It is the love of Christ, which was poured out in our hearts.”

St. Stephen, the very first Christian martyr, shows something of the same love in his dying words. Falling to his knees beneath the stones, we read that he cried out: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

There is an echo here of Jesus’ own words as He hung on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

It is this very love—this offer of forgiveness to those who have wronged Him—that draws us to Jesus in the first place. For we all are sinners. We have all rebelled against God. We are all guilty of nailing the sinless one to a cross. And yet Christ receives us as His own.

He ransoms us through His death and resurrection, taking upon Himself the punishment for our sin. “He was pierced for our transgressions,” the prophet writes.

“He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

God wishes to bestow that same healing upon those who persecute the Church. Consider St. Paul. This hero of the faith was present for the execution of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen. And he wasn’t just an innocent bystander; Scripture tells us directly that he approved of the murder (Acts 8:1). And yet God would call him in time to turn from his sin and believe the Gospel.

That puts St. Paul’s words in his epistle to the Romans in a somewhat different context. “Bless those who persecute

you; bless and do not curse them” (12:14). The Apostle knows what it is to be the persecutor; he knows they also need our prayers.

Jesus commands us: “I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

It is a difficult thing. And so we pray that God would soften our hearts for this work too. Dear God, help us to love those who hate You that they may come at length to know Your love.

Into t h e Fr a y We must remember that, ultimately, our battle is not against human foes. There is a deeper evil at work in this world. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,” St. Paul explains, but rather “against the cosmic powers over this present age, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). For that reason, our weapons must be the weapons given us by the Spirit: truth, the Gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (6:13-7). Armed with these, Christians conquer even in dying; for the devil cannot snatch by force any who abide in the hands of Christ (John 10:28).

These are the weapons which persecuted Christians bring to bear in their sufferings. And we are called to join them in the battle. It is no accident that St. Paul closes his meditation on the armour of God with the exhortation to pray for others. We are to wield these weapons, he says, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18). In particular, we are to make “supplication for all the saints,” especially those who, like himself, are “in chains” for Christ (6:20). Those on the battleground need our prayers—that they would remain faithful under trial, that they would draw comfort from the love of Christ, and that they would be delivered, if possible, from earthly suffering.

You can find out more about the persecuted Church from organizations like Open Doors (the authors of the annual World Watch List highlighted above) and Voice of the Martyrs (a group founded by Wurmbrand, whose story was also highlighted above). Congregations may also wish to make the observance of the International Day or Prayer for the Persecuted Church (taking place this year on November 7, 2021) an annual event in their churches.

Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine and communications manager for the International Lutheran Council.

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

INTERNATIONAL NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

Eight dead after flash flood at Ethiopian seminary

Flooding at Mekane Yesus Seminar y.

ETHIOPIA - Eight people, including three children, are dead following flash flooding at Mekane Yesus Seminary in Addis Ababa on August 17, 2021.

“We request your prayers in this tragic moment,” the seminary writes.

“It is with heavy hearts to lose eight and say goodbye.”

In addition to the tragic loss of life, there is extensive damage to seminary property, including

residences. The seminary reports damage to 21 buildings, to roads, and to other infrastructure. Multiple families and students have been displaced, and the seminary was forced to suspend classes in the aftermath. Mekane Yesus Seminary is a theological institute of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), the world’s largest Lutheran church body.

In a letter to leaders of the EECMY and the seminary, General Secretary Timothy Quill of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) expressed condolences and assured the Ethiopian church that Lutherans around the globe are naming them in prayer. “Our shared grief over the loss of life and property is deep,” he wrote.

“However, for those who died in the flood, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we do not grieve as others

who have no hope. Our hope is in Jesus who died and rose again, and at His coming He will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).”

“Our prayer is that you will find encouragement and strength to meet the challenging days ahead, knowing that it is our Lord’s Church and that He loves His Bride and her seminary,” Dr. Quill continued. “He promised to be with you always to the end of the age. It is our ascended Lord who gives the gifts of pastors for works of service to His Church (Ephesians 4:7-12). The Lord has given the EECMY the gift of a marvelous seminary in which faithful pastors will continue to be trained to preach the Gospel to the lost and give evangelical pastoral care to His faithful baptized children.”

ILC News

Australian, German leaders who led churches to partnership with LCC pass on to glory WORLD - The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) and Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (Selbständige EvangelischLutherische Kirche - SELK) are mourning the deaths of former leaders who led their respective church bodies into partnership with Lutheran Church– Canada (LCC).

The Lutheran Church of Australia’s former president, Rev. Dr. Lance Graham Steicke, passed on to glory on September 10, 2021, at the age of 88. Dr. Steicke was elected president of the LCA in 1987 and served in that position until his retirement in 2000.

Among other work, he led the Australian church into partnership with Lutheran Church–Canada.

Dr. Steicke and Rev. Dr. Edwin Lehman, then president of Lutheran Church–Canada, officially signed a Recognition of Relationship between

the two church bodies on January 30, 1994 at a meeting in Winnipeg.

On September 22, 2021, Rev. Dr. Jobst Schöne, Bishop Emeritus of Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church also entered into glory. He was 89 years old. Dr. Schöne served as bishop of SELK from 1986 until retiring in 1996. In July 1991, Dr. Schöne and Dr. Lehman signed a protocol document declaring fellowship between LCC and SELK during the latter’s convention in Wisbaden, Germany. Later that year, Dr. Schöne was elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) alongside Dr. Lehman, who was elected as Chairman. They served two terms together in those positions.

Fuller details on the lives and ministries of Dr. Steicke and Dr. Schöne are available on the website of the International Lutheran Council at www.ilc-online.org.

L C C - S E L K : S E L K B i s h o p Jo b s t S ch ö n e and LCC President Edwin Lehman sign a declaration of fellowship between the two churches in 1991.

LCA-LCC: LCA President Lance Steicke and LCC President Edwin Lehman sign a partnership agreement between the two churches in 1994.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

Latvian Lutherans vote to seek membership in the ILC

has become a welcoming and loving home to those faithful to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,” he continued. “Many of our dear Latvian friends have already experienced this firsthand. The peace, concord, and love shared among ILC churches is indeed a beautiful thing.”

Delegates to the LELB’s synod met under the theme “We Will Serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15), gathering in an open-air facility in Roja. This was the first time a synod of the LELB has been held outside Riga. The synod had previously been scheduled to take place in June 2020 but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among other business during the synod, the LELB also voted to withdraw from membership in the

Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE), formerly known as the Leuenberg Church Fellowship.

“When LELB joined the CPCE in 1975, we were behind the Iron Curtain,” noted Rev. Andris Kraulins (Riga), head of the LELB’s department for international affairs.

“There was no discussion about it in the church; it was a decision of the archbishop at that time. The reason for joining was also not so much that we agreed with the content of the Leuenberg Agreement, but rather an attempt to protect the church from the arbitrariness of the Soviet state.”

The first moves towards exiting the agreement began in the 1990s.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia is the largest church body in Latvia, with approximately 700,000 members. The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures and to the Lutheran Confessions. The ILC exists to encourage, strengthen, and promote confessional Lutheran theology and practice centered in Jesus Christ both among its members and throughout the world.

ILC News

ELMDF, preached for the service and led the consecration of his successor. Bishop Soramies reminded Bishop Elect Pohjola to remember the words of Jesus: “Take care of My sheep” (John 21:16).

The ELMDF is a partner church of Lutheran Church–Canada.

ILC News

ELMDF Bishop Juhana Pohjola

LELB Archbishop Jānis Vanags (centre) during worship at the Latvian church’s 2021 synod.

LATVIA - The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (Latvijas evaņģēliski luteriskā Baznīca - LELB) held its 28th synod on August 6, 2021, during which time the church voted to seek membership in the International Lutheran Council (ILC).

“We are delighted to learn that the Latvian church has voted to seek membership in the International Lutheran Council,” said ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill. “The LELB has a long, fruitful, and harmonious relationship with many of the churches who are members of the ILC. We know each other well and are of like mind and heart in Lutheran doctrine and practice.”

“At a time when many church bodies worldwide have rejected historic Christian teaching, the ILC

New Bishop Consecrated for Finnish Lutherans FINLAND - Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola was consecrated as bishop o f t h e Ev a n g e l i c a l L u t h e r a n M i s s i o n D i o c e s e o f Fi n l a n d (Suomen evankelisluterilainen Lähetyshiippakunta – ELMDF) on August 1, 2021 at the conclusion of the church’s three-day summer festival in Loimaa.

Bishop Pohjola, who formerly served the ELMDF as Diocesan Dean, was elected to serve as bishop earlier this year. Rev. Dr. Risto Soramies, outgoing bishop of the

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

NATIONAL NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

Reflections from LCC/LLL-C's Communications Internship

JULIA FLOR

ALEX STEINKE

LISA JACKSON

ANNA KRAEMER

ALEX STEINKE | LCC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

This past summer marked the first ever paid Communications Internship coordinated by Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) and Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada (LLL-C). Our goal was to give young people an opportunity to be actively involved in their synodical family, and to encourage church workers and young Lutherans to grow together as ‘Communicators in Christ’.

It is vital that we engage and equip our members— enabling ‘our successors’ and future church leaders!

Imagine if every elder, pastor, deacon, or organist knew exactly which kid in their congregation would grow up to inherit their role in the church! How would that change the way we involve the younger members of our congregations in routine church work?

Our interns did not serve in a distinctly ‘young person’ capacity. We didn’t attract them with watered-down doctrine.

We asked our interns to continue communicating the same ‘old’ (timeless) Word of God that is so effective that it not only pierces to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow... but even transcends the generational gap, reaching and saving the young and the old with equal efficacy!

Lisa and I were so blown away by the applications we received from passionate, faith-driven individuals across the country that we ended up hiring two interns. It was encouraging to see that these applicants were not only seeking to learn and work in a professional setting, but also to serve in an environment that encouraged them in their faith.

ANNA KRAEMER | COMMUNICATIONS INTERN 2021

This internship was truly a blessing in both my personal and working life. With the desire to practice my skills as a Graphic Designer, I was thrilled when I got hired along with Julia! It was a great opportunity to share my talents and serve the church community, where it is not always easy as a young Lutheran to find ways to contribute to the church. This internship was one of the amazing ways to do so.

As I enter into my fourth year of my Bachelor of Design, it is the last year of school before I enter the work world. This

internship was a great opportunity for me to practice working collaboratively in a working environment and to also see what the working world is like.

Working with Alex and Lisa was amazing and I couldn't have asked for better bosses and mentors. They were both very understanding of time differences, as we were all in different time zones, and easy to work with in general. It didn’t feel like they were necessarily our bosses, but rather another co-worker/friend who respected everyone’s voice and contributions. I learned so much from them about communications, collaboration, and more about our faith and the Lutheran Church here in Canada.

JULIA FLOR | COMMUNICATIONS INTERN 2021

I am very thankful for the opportunity to have worked as a summer intern with Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) and the Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada (LLL-C). My responsibilities were divided between both organizations, and included creating and translating devotional material for children, developing a series of social media posts, and editing videos.

I was also given the liberty to pitch my own project ideas, which were supported enthusiastically by my supervisors. These projects allowed me to advance my skills in communications, as well as to acquire new abilities. However, what I most enjoyed about this internship was the opportunity to work in a Confessional Lutheran setting where I was able to use my gifts to serve the church. In short, this internship is a unique and enriching experience for our church’s youth.

LISA JACKSON | MANGING DIRECTOR LLL-C

It was exciting to work with interns who brought fresh, new ideas and energy to the work we do, while also facilitating an introduction of the faithful people of LHM and LLLCanada to the younger generation.

The summer flew by, filled with projects, brainstorming sessions, and new creative tools! Julia and Anna both contributed to the work at LLL-C with energy and maturity.

I worked hard to avoid imposing my own ideas about work environment and structure on our interns, so that I could benefit the most from what they had to offer. While I’m in Ontario working core business hours, Julia was working remotely from Europe, about 6 hours ahead, and Anna was working remotely from Alberta, two time-zones behind me.

We navigated the scheduling with some adjustments and found ways to communicate, meet and work with Julia and Anna where and when they were available—and they exceeded all our expectations!

Mentoring young people in the church requires investment, apprenticeship, and making room for someone else to lead— and it is well worth it.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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NATIONAL NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

Confessional Chats: Introducing LCC’s New Video Series

CANADA - On September 9, 2021, Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) launched its inaugural video in a new series called “Confessional Chats” hosted by President Timothy Teuscher. LCC believes it is important that our Synodical President has

contact with the pastors and people of LCC—and beyond—regarding the mission and ministry of our Synod.

This series will feature eight short videos and cover a variety of issues and topics on the basis of our Lutheran Confessions. Topics will

delve into questions such as: Why do we have confessions of faith; and why specifically the Lutheran Confessions?

The videos will also address what our confessions say about the purpose of the church; the office of the ministry; the role of the laity; the order of worship, missions, and evangelism; and the purpose of the Synod.

LCC parishioners can expect a new video in this series to be released every second week on Thursdays, accessible via LCC’s YouTube Channel, LCC’s Webpage for Videos and Recorded Services, and on LCC’s Facebook Page. You can make sure you don’t miss a video, or any other ‘News and Views Beyond The Pews’ from LCC, by subscribing to our weekly e-newsletter, InfoDigest.

LCC’s Free Stock Photo Catalogue is here!

ONLINE - Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s Stock Photo Catalogue is finally here, and available for free to churches, schools, and non-profits!

It is our hope that this tool will make it easier for members and related organizations to manage their communications, through both print and digital means. Those looking to view and download the stock photos are encouraged to email Alex Steinke, LCC Communications, for the Dropbox Link.

Over the course of the pandemic, many LCC pastors and lay leaders have been in dialogue with the communications team to discuss and implement strategies for their congregations—while also providing valuable insight into the kinds of tools that might be useful to our Synodical family in navigating these new means of communication.

One lay leader, who was working on developing a congregational website, inquired about stock images for powerpoint slides and the like, and whether a sort of library could be made for congregations to use.

Frustration surrounding the sourcing of stock photos is not uncommon for

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our smaller congregations who do not have the funds to purchase licenses to use high quality images, nor the staff to navigate copyright claims.

Equally, if not more, frustrating is the challenge of finding visuals that incorporated Confessional Lutheran imagery and content!

Work began on LCC’s Stock Photo Catalogue when Anna Kraemer joined our Communications Department as an intern this past summer. Anna is a graphic designer and photographer from Edmonton, as well as a student in the Bachelor of Design program at MacEwan University. One of her projects for the summer was developing and categorizing stock photos that captured liturgical imagery and meaningful, Christ-focused content.

The release of LCC Stock Photos was officially announced in LCC’s weekly e-newsletter yesterday, and many have already received access to the catalogue. We have also already been contacted by more than one LCC member looking to contribute their own photos for others to use.

Learn more at: lutheranchurchcanada.ca/lccstock-photos

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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First-ever virtual youth gathering a success

EDMONTON - On September 10, 2021, the IMPACT Youth Gathering committee held a mini virtual youth gathering as a way to fulfill their mission statement—Community, growth, and equipping centered on Christ—in a time when gathering in person for a weekend has not been possible. Called “IMPACT...but shorter,” the livestreamed event had several important parts of a gathering packed into just a few hours.

The event was free and open to all youth groups in Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC), and almost 80 youth and leaders attended online.

A small team gathered to stream from Concordia Lutheran Seminary, which generously provided the space and the technology required for the event.

Hosted by Rev. Eric Moffett and Rev. Scott Brayall, the event included two sessions: one by the hosts on the IMPACT theme verse, 1 Peter 1:35, and one by Alex Steinke (LCC Communications Director) on mental health, called “‘Follow Your Heart’ and other lies we tell each other.”

The evening also featured music by Sarah Wemyss, a Kahoot quiz game (with a prize of a National Youth Gathering registration fee), a Q&A

session (the pastors were joined by Dcn. Dr. Jennifer Frim), and some time for chatting with other youth.

Youth leaders were provided with a resource list, a Bible study on the theme, and a suggested servant event to do with their group—a way to make an impact in their community.

The sessions were recorded, and will be made available online, along with the other resources, at www. impactyg.ca.

The planning committee is thankful for everyone who participated in making this a great evening of learning and connecting.

Confirmation news from Fort Mac

Anything but still!

RICHMOND, B.C. - On Saturday, July 24, 2021, Trinity Lutheran Church held its first Family Vacation Bible School. The event was built around the story of Jesus calming the storm from Mark 4. But unlike the wind and the waves, these families were anything but still!

Eighteen families from the congregation, Trinity’s Little Children Centre, Killarney Community Lutheran Church (Vancouver), and the community participated in this event. The VBS was held as a drop-in where families could come anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to move through the various stations (Bible story, crafts, snacks, games, and music) at their preferred pace and in their preferred order.

The event proved to be a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel with families as the congregation begins to resume in-person programming.

Samantha Neeb, Youth Director

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. - June 27, 2021, was a very special day for the Haberstock household and Trinity Lutheran Church as Rev. Keith Haberstock’s son Joshua professed his faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord, the faith that the Holy Spirit bestowed on him fifteen years earlier via the water and Word of Holy Baptism.

Please rejoice with the congregation there in his standing before his brothers and sisters in Christ to make the great confession of faith in the one true God. The family is especially thankful that Joshua’s grandfather, former Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) president Rev. Dr. Ed Lehman was also able to participate in the Rite of Confirmation.

Rev. Keith Haberstock

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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WEST REGION NEWS

Alberta and British Columbia - Michelle Heumann, editor

FROM THE REGIONAL PASTOR, REV. ROBERT MOHNS

Return to the Lord your God

“‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.” - Joel 2:12–13

A

n umber of years ago a company ran a successful back to school campaign with a rendition of a classic Christmas song, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” The ad featured a scene of parents merrily wheeling a shopping cart down the store aisle, filling it up with school supplies in the happy anticipation of children returning to school and the family returning to the familiar patterns of life that were in abeyance during the summer holidays.

Fast forward to our current situation, and that image and little ditty seem totally alien. Far from a happy return, parents and children are struggling to know what the new school year will be like. The stress, anxiety, and pressure of making choices concerning the return to school are palpable. Teachers and educational administrators are feeling the strain of the return to the classroom. The call for employees to return to their places of work is also often met with dread, fear, and reluctance.

In our western provinces, our agricultural and livestock producers are hearing the call to return to the land for harvest time and are experiencing droughts, plagues, and

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crop failures. For many agricultural producers, this harvest season is hardly a return to the most wonderful time of the year. Merry music just does not seem to cut it in this season.

The long anticipated and promised return to normal seems to have dissipated like a wisp of thin cloud in the heat of the midday scorching sun, replaced with a thick, acrid pall of smoke tearing our eyes and choking our throats. The cries of distress and mourning of loss have drowned out our songs of celebrated returns.

Return? What will we return to, we wonder.

In the days of the prophet Joel, God’s people faced a crop failure caused by a plague of locusts. It would mean the starvation and horrific death of many people. The plague came as God’s promised discipline to the people’s sinful disobedience.

One day, through His prophet Joel, God spoke to his people saying, “Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and with mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

When all the attempts of God’s broken, sinful, and rebellious people to fix their dire situation, to make their life better on their own, failed, and when they faced the near reality of their bodies returning to the dust of the ground from whence they arose, God spoke His Word of deliverance. They were about to meet their God. Not the God they supposed nor the God that they had created in their own imagination, but the true and living God. Then they would know Him as He is,

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

When they could not come to Him, He would return to them with human flesh and blood in the person of the Son of Man and Son of God, Jesus Christ. No longer would the word, “return” be a word to dread, but it would be word of promise and of hope.

God still speaks through the Words of His prophet Joel and the rest of Scripture to sinful and broken people in every generation. “Return to the Lord your God,” and “lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). It is a good word, filled with promise and hope for you.

Return to the Lord your God, who forgives your sin. Return to the Lord your God, who promises to deliver you. Return to the Lord your God, who in Holy Baptism has put to death your sinful nature and has filled you with true righteousness and real life that avails unto eternal life.

Return to the Lord your God, who has set a table before you to nurture you along life’s weary way. Return the Lord your God, who returns for you to take you to His heavenly home.

Return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love. Like the prodigal son’s return to his father, so God’s call is a return to Him who has already prepared the sacrifice of our redemption for us (Luke 15).

The world’s enticement to return to a season that is the most wonderful time of the year rings hollow to our ears right now. Its vainglory has been revealed for what it is. By contrast, God’s call to return is filled with grace and hope and promise. God grant us ears to hear His call to return.

WEST REGION NEWS

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VBS goes online again at Foothills Lutheran Church

One family’s home craft station.

Leading children through craft time.

CALGARY, Alta. - At the beginning of the year, it appeared that Vacation Bible School could be in person for 2021, so Rev. Eric Moffett and Dcn. Miriam Winstanley got to work developing a curriculum— “Jesus, Our Good Shepherd”—and contacting prospective volunteers and

attendees. When it became apparent that a third wave of COVID-19 was here in May, the decision was made to move VBS online once again.

This year, everyone knew better what to do, and with the help of willing hearts, hands, and voices, the staff and volunteers were able

to provide openings, Bible and application lessons, and crafts at three levels, with music to go with each of five days. The program was based on Psalm 23, with companion Bible lessons for each section of the Psalm. By the end of the week, if they did their memory work, the children would have memorized the whole of Psalm 23.

Sixty-seven children from forty families registered and received craft packs. Families used the YouTube videos at times that suited them, some finishing the program in a week, some doing them one day a week through the summer. One parent said in an email that they were “Loving the flexibility of online videos. We’re having fun!”

Everyone misses in-person VBS, and God willing that will back next year.

Dcn. Miriam Winstanley

King of Kings hosts VBS

DICKSON, Alta. - In July of this year, King of Kings Lutheran Church invited the children of the community (ages 4-12) to Vacation Bible School at the church in Dickson. Many accepted the invitation and joined in the fun for five days of song, stories, snacks, and crafts!

The theme this year was “Rocky Railway: Jesus’ Power Pulls Us Through.” Planning for the event

began in March. As time went on and registrations were rolling in, it became clear that more supplies would have to be ordered.

Approximately 80 children attended each day, along with 25 youth and adult volunteers. The church was vibrant and lively, and many of the stations were held outdoors under tents. The congregation’s prayers were answered and the sun shone for the entirety of the week.

Families who attended the VBS were asked to bring donations of nonperishable food for the Spruce View and District Food Bank, and more than 400 lbs of food was collected. The week concluded with a free barbeque for the children, their families, and volunteers.

God’s Word and love was spread that week, and the church prays that it will continue to shine in the hearts of all the children who attended.

Karen Mackenzie

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A block party brings the community together

SPRUCE VIEW, Alta. - King of Kings Lutheran Church hosted their second annual block party on August 28, 2021. It was a fabulous outreach for the community, especially in light of the recent pandemic. The congregation could not have been happier with the attendance of approximately 300 guests and new acquaintances—a great success in building connections with the wider community.

The event was entirely free.

The Spruce View Co-op joined in to provide a hotdog barbeque

with drinks and ice cream, and JR Adventures volunteered horse and wagon rides around Spruce View. The church is thankful for the community partners’ generosity.

The event also included Wood Shed Axe Throwing, two bouncy castles, face painting and airbrushed tattoos, and Mr. Chris Gamble’s clowning around. Local folk music artists, Curtis Phagoo from Red Deer and Justine Vandergrift from Cochrane, blessed folks with good vibes and great music. Dave and Tammy Grobe from Crossroads Church performed some of their

high-energy kid’s songs, which included bubbles and dancing.

The dunk tank was a highlight and drew a constant crowd. Local teachers Cheri Sanche and Joseph Amundrud, Red Deer County Peace Officer Stephan Poburan, and the congregation’s very own pastor, Rev. Russ Howard, were wonderful sports and braved the cold water to the delight of everyone.

The congregation thank God for the work He has given them in sharing the gospel and being good neighbours and friends.

Kristine Amundrud

SHARE YOUR STORIES Contact Michelle Heumann, Regional News Editor | regionaleditor@lutheranchurch.ca |

WEST REGION Contact Rev. Robert Mohns, Regional Pastor | rmohns@lutheranchurch.ca | 1. 855. 826. 9950 |

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and NW Ontario - Michelle Heumann, editor

Bethel Thunder Bay closes

The chancel after the disposition of the building. The artwork features the ascension of Jesus and the promise that Christ will come again.

THUNDER BAY, Ont. - After 124 years of the Lord’s blessings in Word and Sacrament, Bethel Lutheran Church in Thunder Bay held its final Divine Service and closing of the congregation on July 4, 2021.

“It was a day filled with tears and bathed in the blood of Jesus dispensed in Absolution, Supper, and the Word,” noted Rev. David Haberstock, Lutheran Church–Canada’s Central Regional Pastor. Preaching for the service was Rev. Jamie Bosma, who has served the congregation for the past 21 years. The sermon text was Matthew 11:28-30.

The service saw the disposition of the building, symbolized by the removal of candles, altar books and missal, communion vessels, and so forth from the chancel. The removal of items was paired with the reading of appropriate Scripture passages.

Bethel Lutheran was the mother church of Thunder Bay, originally part of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran National Church (which later merged with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod). The current building was built around 1934 after a fire in the congregation’s previous building.

The records of the church will be given into the trust of nearby sister congregation, Epiphany.

C e n t r a l R e g i o n a l Pa s t o r Haberstock offers the following prayer for those wishing to remember the people and ministry of Bethel Lutheran in prayer: Lord God, our Heavenly Father, we thank You for the many blessings which You have showered upon Bethel Lutheran Church, especially for the Gospel and the Holy Sacraments and for Your continued presence

with Your people. Forgive us where we have been slow to receive Your Word and unwilling to obey it. We rejoice in Your goodness and in the promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. Grant that no one among us may be left without the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments. Bless Your Church throughout the world so that she may give faithful witness to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ both in word and deed. Preserve and protect Your people at all times, and bring them at last to the heavenly home which You have prepared for all who serve You in faith and love; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Rev. David Haberstock, Regional Pastor

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and NW Ontario - Michelle Heumann, editor

FROM THE REGIONAL PASTOR, REV. DAVID HABERSTOCK

Who catechizes you?

Y

ou might say that to be catechized is to be taught, whereas to be discipled is to put teaching into practice. Both are important. Practice without reasons behind it is empty, but teaching without action can be equally empty.

But you might not realize that both catechesis and discipleship are happening to you all the time, either by the world or by God and His Word.

Our world and technologies not only catechize us but disciple us constantly. They teach and train us in patterns of behaviour. This can be good or bad, but if you don’t realize it is happening, then you will be shaped and moulded by forces you don’t understand. Your smart phone disciples you. So too does Amazon, television, the fast food industry, and more. These technologies and industries train us to want and expect instant things.

Social media not only trains us to constantly go to it for entertainment and distraction from boredom, but also catechizes us into thinking that the world is headed to hell every day—that it will be a miracle if we make it out of whatever the latest crisis is. And this alarmism occurs on both sides of the aisle, no matter what your own social media echo chamber is.

In the last year and a half, we have been discipled by new technologies applied to things that we haven’t really dealt with before—namely, online worship. There have been moments where this may have been one of your only ways to connect with church. In that sense, it’s been good.

But one of the things online worship teaches us, especially after

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prolonged use, is that I can watch “church” whenever I want. Or that I can watch it how I want: just catch pieces here or there, treating it as entertainment, like anything else I would watch online. Maybe I watch it in my pajamas, with a cup of coffee in hand. Maybe I multitask while listening in. Online worship can become an opportunity to remain independent and not really connect with the church in person (a prospect which, let’s face it, can be enticing for some of us who are introverts).

But one of the things we miss when we approach church this way is the Body of Christ in its present, physical, necessary manifestation.

For how else will you meet with one another (Hebrews 10:25) and carry each other’s burdens thus fulfilling the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) without being face to face and side by side?

These things are sacrificed in when we approach online church within the context of personal autonomy. The pursuit of autonomy is all about me. We must be careful that in trying to “slow the spread” or “care for our neighbour” we do not fall into the trap of merely doing things in ways we already prefer.

Personal autonomy is all about me, not about the neighbour.

This statement might tread on some toes. There has been a lot of reasonable fear and concern in the last year and a half which have compelled us to act in certain ways.

But we must constantly check our own motivations, for we live in a society that worships personal autonomy. It is an idol.

Just notice how we talk about ourselves in our society. The world

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

uses words like “independent, autonomous, free, my own person” to describe us. The Bible by contrast uses words like “child of God, redeemed, believer, fellowship, body of Christ” to describe us. This means that we do not belong to ourselves. We were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)! Certainly it is for freedom (from sin) that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1)!

Freedom from the slavery of sin is a biblical value, but not autonomy in the way our world currently describes it. Martin Luther, in his treatise On Christian Liberty, says it this way: “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all, subject to all.”

Both are true. We need to be catechized again into these truths and discipled to live them out. If there are ways we can keep each other safe in this time, that is worth considering and acting upon. But we must also consider how we are discipling ourselves—by the things we do and through what our government prescribes—into our own idols and blind spots, for Christ disciples us to follow Him. To be part of the Body of Christ.

Christ has given what is necessary.

He has catechized us with His Word, and discipled us by the weekly gathering together to receive His Grace, in one place in the Sacraments He gives, where heaven comes to earth to be with us. This is good. This is godly. This is salvation!

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and NW Ontario - Michelle Heumann, editor

Another generation confessing WINNIPEG, Man. - On July 25, 2021, the members of Immanuel Lutheran Church welcomed Sarah Daher, Kerry Hargot, and Matthew Just into membership through confirmation.

This public confession of their faith before the world and the One into whom we are baptized continued what has been done by previous generations: “One generation will praise your deeds to another and tell about your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). Immanuel Lutheran Church is the mother church of the Red River Circuit and the Central Region, and it is a great joy to welcome three more communicant young people to walk with us as brothers and sister Christ.

The day was the culmination of two years study of the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism, unit exams, reading through the book A Marytr’s Faith in a Faithless World by Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, and public questioning of the confirmands to test their knowledge. Classes took place on Saturday mornings via Skype to accommodate the distance between the three students.

Rev. Mark Just noted it has been a blessing to teach this class, and he looks forward to continuing to help the three grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour

Sarah Daher, Matthew Just, Rev. Mark Just, and Kerry Hargot.

Jesus Christ as they continue to hear His Word and receive His Sacraments for the strengthening of their faith.

The confirmation verse for Sarah comes from Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go.”

The verse for Kerry comes from Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the

“Teach the catechism, especially to the young” - Martin Luther

Rev. Travis Heide, socially distanced from Tate Unger (left) and Jonas Schultz (right)

gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The verse for Matthew (son of Rev. Just) is from Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Confirming his son was an emotional moment for Rev. Mark—a precious memory gifted by the Lord.

Rev. Mark Just SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. - On Holy Trinity Sunday, May 29, 2021, first year confirmation students of Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church received their first communion.

Rev. Travis Heide offered Jonas Schultz and Tate Unger this privilege after their hard work committing Luther’s Small Catechism to memory.

They made a public profession of faith, undergoing the Rite of First Communion laid out in the Lutheran Service Book - Agenda.

Jonas and Tate aspire to complete their second year and undergo the Rite of Confirmation next spring.

Rev. Travis Heide

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and NW Ontario - Michelle Heumann, editor

May flowers REGINA, Sask. - On May 22, 2021, Rev. Travis Heide joined his fiancée Suzanne Sauer in the bonds of holy matrimony. Their wedding took place under the auspices of Suzanne’s home congregation, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Regina.

Travis and Suzanne elected to hold the marriage outdoors in Kiwanis Park in order to avoid mandatory use of face coverings. They made their nuptial vows before a group of 30, including family, friends, and worship facilitators. Their audience was broadened by the outdoor location and a livestream via Facebook.

Tr a v i s a n d h i s b ro t h e r p rov i d e d s t r i n g e d accompaniment to the service hymns. Rev. Randy Heide, the father of the groom, prepared a brief sermon for the occasion.

Rev. Travis Heide

Rev. Travis Heide (Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, Swift Current) and bride Suzanne Sauer, with presiding minister Rev. Daryl Solie (Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Regina)

SHARE YOUR STORIES Contact Michelle Heumann, Regional News Editor | regionaleditor@lutheranchurch.ca |

CENTRAL REGION Contact Rev. David Haberstock, Regional Pastor | dhaberstock@lutheranchurch.ca | 1. 800. 663. 5673 |

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

EAST REGION NEWS

Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada - Michelle Heumann, editor

New pastor for Fisherville

FISHERVILLE, Ont. - The members of Trinity Lutheran in Fisherville praise God for bringing a pastor to serve them after nearly three years. Rev. Andrew Cottrill was installed as Pastor at Trinity on September 12, and his first worship service was on September 19.

Rev. Cottrill was born in St. Catharines, Ontario. In 2004, he professed the Christian faith and was baptized at Harbour Fellowship Baptist Church in St. Catharines. After high school, he studied at Capernwray

Pastors participating in the installation remove their masks briefly for a group photo. Back (l-r): Rev. Mark Koehler (Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Hamilton & Vacancy Pastor for Trinity Lutheran, Fisherville), Rev. David Zakel (Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Burlington), Rev. Kurt Lantz (Niagara Circuit Counsellor), Rev. Peter Gatluak (Pilgrim Lutheran Church Sudanese Ministry, Hamilton), Rev. Robert Morley (Kitchener & Rotational Pastor at Trinity Lutheran, Fisherville). Front (l-r): Rev. Aaron Astley (Redeemer, Hamilton & Christ Our Saviour, Grimsby); Rev. Joe Das (Kitchener & Rotational Pastor at Trinity Lutheran, Fisherville), Rev. Kevin Walrath (Hamilton Circuit Counsellor), Rev. Andrew Cottrill (Trinity Lutheran, Fisherville); Rev. John Makey (Vacany Assistant Pastor), Rev. Michael Meleg (Faith Lutheran, Dunnville & St. Peter’s Lutheran, Port Colborne).

Hall Bible College in England where he worked in youth outreach with the Church of England and the Methodists.

He went on to study at Brock University, where he received a B.A. in History. During his studies he was confirmed into the Roman Catholic Church (2009), and volunteered with student ministries (Newman Club).

For graduate studies he went on to McMaster University, receiving a M.A. in History, and then to Concordia

Lutheran Theological Seminary where he earned his M. Div. He was received into Lutheran Church–Canada in 2011 by Rev. Kurt Lantz.

He married Sarah Plunkett in 2013, and together they have two children, Audrey and Bruce. Their family also includes a dog and house cat.

He received a first call to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, where he served as pastor for four years before accepting the call to Trinity, Fisherville.

Wilderness Escape VBS at Bethel KITCHENER, Ont. - This summer a wonderful Vacation Bible School was held weekday evenings from August 16-20 at Bethel Lutheran in Kitchener.

Twenty children participated each night, with six or seven volunteer helpers. A few parents stayed in the church parking lot and socialized the entire time—a muchneeded break for them!

The theme was “Wilderness Escape,” with the kids going back in time to the story of Moses and the Israelites. Each evening started out with the theme song projected on the big screen: “God Will Guide Us.” The children learned several more songs each day corresponding to the Bible lesson. One favourite was “There is Power in the Blood” and the ending song, “Shalom,” which means “peace.”

Each day the children visited different stations set up in our auditorium including the craft tables,

games, snack table, and Moses’ tent, where they listened to the day’s featured Bible story. Moses and Malachi (the “wilderness whiner”) relayed the story in a fun skit form.

The five stories through the week were the Crossing of the Rea Sea, the Manna and Quail, the Amalakites, the Passover, and the Ten Commandments. Many visual elements were used to bring the stories to life. The kids especially enjoyed eating the manna (frosted flakes) and quail (marshmallow chicks), and painting the cardboard doorframe with red paint to represent the blood of lambs used during the Passover. The teaching reinforced that Jesus was the final sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who died for the sins of all.

Everyone left the week knowing that God is still with us and will never leave or forsake us.

Bettina Cook, Bethel Sunday School Superintendent THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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EAST REGION NEWS

Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada - Michelle Heumann, editor

FROM THE REGIONAL PASTOR, REV. MARVIN BUBLITZ

Help! The communion wafers are stale.

I

t’s an interesting phenomenon.

With the pandemic shutdowns and reduced numbers in our worship services, the wafers and perhaps the wine may have gone a bit stale. Maybe, if water was left in the baptismal font, algae is growing. Perhaps there is dust covering the Bible which has not been opened or moved.

I have more in mind here than just the physical state of wine and wafer, Word and water. Their staleness is but a sign of a deeper staleness within.

Jesus warned us of this as He spoke of the approaching end of the world. He said, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:12).

As the Day approaches, Jesus tells us that not only will we suffer in various ways, but people will turn on each other, and the love of many will grow cold. Boy, how well that describes our times. You see it every day on the news. In one place or another people are attacking each other. I personally know of individuals who have been assaulted for simply asking someone to wear a mask on the elevator. At the same time, the public vitriol which has sometimes been directed at people sceptical of masks has not been

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constructive either. Some might say, “It’s my right to ask them to wear a mask.” Others might say, “It’s my right not to wear a mask.” “It’s my right to demand you get vaccinated.” “It’s my right to refuse the vaccine.”

Shame on us, one and all! When children of God focus exclusively on our individual rights, we are in the wrong. Oh, yes, as citizens of Canada, we have rights. But as Christians with our citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20), our responsibilities and our love for neighbour trump those rights.

The Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to speak of love this way: “It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful” (1 Corinthians 13:5). In fact, the Holy Spirit says a lot to us about how love bears with each other, forgives each other, and seeks what benefits the other. We need to shake the dust out of our ears and listen: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything t o g e t h e r i n p e r f e c t h a r m o n y” (Colossians 3:12-14).

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

We have the Old Adam in us, and during trying times, he seems to speak louder than the new man in Christ of Holy Baptism. The love of many has grown cold.

Let us never forget that “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:49). And, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

See, the real staleness is not in wine and wafer or Word and water.

Rather, it is a spiritual staleness within. In sin, our love for the blessings of God in Word and Sacrament, and our love for each other that flows from font and table, can grow cold. It is true not just of people “out there”; it is true also of us within the household of faith.

We need to return to the Lord our God. Return to His Word and gladly hear and learn it. Return to our Baptism, rejoicing in all He does for us there, and let the new man in Christ reign. Return to His table and take His crucified, risen, and ascended Body and Blood into our body to renew, restore, and forgive us.

We need to kneel at His bloodstained cross, repenting of our sins so that we receive His Holy Absolution.

As we arise from our knees, the cold staleness of this sinful world in our hearts is forgiven. Thus, bearing the image of Christ, we love and forgive and bear with each other as fellow members in the Body of Christ. Grant this Lord unto us all. Amen.

EAST REGION NEWS

Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada - Michelle Heumann, editor

No time to sleep

The church has long supported a local home for displaced people.

When it was time for the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, the congregation modified food items to match then-current restrictions.

When the LAMP ministry team was unable to return to a community in northern Manitoba as a result of current regulations, winter accessories and other reminders of love were instead mailed to children in the community over several shipments.

The Thanksgiving ingathering helped Kaljas Homes for displaced individuals.

KITCHENER, Ont. - Lives were greatly interrupted over the past eighteen months, togetherness was reduced, and within the church family of Faith Lutheran, members longed to meet. But they also knew that Lord had not forgotten their needs or the needs of others. Member care continued as the church turned to online worship, email, and telephone communications. What was less clear, however, was how to continue reaching out to others.

It was true that members couldn’t do some things; but they learned to balance it with what they could do.

“We did not want to sleep for what turned out to be eighteen months,” notes Stewardship Chair Jane Ford.

That outreach came in many ways.

Online worship services and Bible studies reached out to members of course, but they also were a way of reaching others too. Someday in heaven, Ford notes, the full effect these efforts had on all viewers may be made known.

As part of the congregation’s reopening plan, the church included AA groups that depend on the church to serve clients and families. As early as the government allowed, these groups resumed their meetings.

Monica House reaches out to women and their children in crisis.

Knapsacks filled with a LAMP devotion book and other things were sent to Little Grand Rapids in the latest shipment.

Devastation from two hurricanes and the pandemic in Nicaragua compelled the congregation to fund two large food hampers for 60 church workers, translators, and drivers last December and again in January.

An Advent ingathering helped a women’s shelter, Monica House, which reaches out to women and their children in crisis.

The Ladies Guild blossomed with multiple projects for medical missions, seminarian support, and funding for a local hospice. Their Virtual Christmas Bazaar lifted members’ spirits.

A friendship ministr y at a local farm employing Jamaican workers created awareness and respect for seasonal workers. Two ingatherings resulted: one for sports equipment, games, and crafts; the other for fall clothing.

Advent and Lenten offerings supported Lutheran charities. And members encouraged each other in private endeavours, too—the kind that the left hand does not know what the right hand does.

In the end, Ford says, “God gave us courage to continue His mission to others, and we became a bit too busy to sleep much!”

Jane Ford, Stewardship Chair

Respect for farm workers has connected us to those who leave their homes for up to nine months to grow food for Canadians.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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EAST REGION NEWS

Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada - Michelle Heumann, editor

Rev. Zakel installed at Prince of Peace

BURLINGTON, Ont. - God bestowed many blessings on Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on July 4, 2021. This was a day that the congregation had waited and prayed for, as David Zakel, who had been the vicar at Prince of Peace under the watchful eye of Rev. Robert Krestick, became Rev. David Zakel, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Rev. Kevin Walrath.

Much planning was required as this was an outdoor service, with all COVID-19 protocols in place. There were no restrictions on the number of people attending so long as they were seated outside and distanced.

The congregation prayed for good weather for the event, and God granted the request.

A large white tent was erected to provide some shade and wind protection, and eighteen pastors joined 119 family members, friends, and members of the congregation for

the celebration. Approximately 130 people also viewed the service online.

Rev. David and Stephanie Zakel were accompanied by their four children: Kaleb, Ethan, Hannah, and Nathaniel. The parents of both Rev. Zakel and Stephanie were also present.

Music was an integral part of the service, with Murray Birkett serving as organist. Friends of the Zakel Family— Paulo Winterle (violin), Daniela Cruz (violin), and Eduardo Farias (trumpet)— supplied instrumental music at the processional and recessional. The cantor was Rev. Ron Mohr.

The service began with the processional, “Thy Strong Word,” as the acolyte, Ethan Zakel, the crucifer, Kaleb Zakel, and banner bearers, Liam Klages, Mackenzie Klages, Daniel Alexander, and Julia Alexander, were followed by the officiants.

The lector was Rev. Vishal Paul and the sermon for the ordination was given

by Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, speaking

on the text Proverbs 30:5. East Regional Pastor Marvin Bublitz officiated over the ordination.

David Zakel heard the words: “The Lord Jesus pour out on you His Holy Spirit for this office and work that you may faithfully preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments.” Rev. Zakel was vested with a stole and a chasuble.

The Rite of Installation followed, with Rev. Bublitz speaking the words: “David William John Zakel, I install you as pastor of Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The Service of the Sacrament followed, with Rev. Zakel consecrating and helping to distribute the Sacrament for the first time as an ordained minister of the Word. The service concluded with the recessional, as the officiants led the way to a socially distanced dispersal of the people in attendance.

Lois Munz Photos courtesy of Craig Lemon

SHARE YOUR STORIES Contact Michelle Heumann, Regional News Editor | regionaleditor@lutheranchurch.ca |

EAST REGION Contact Rev. Marvin Bublitz, Regional Pastor | mbublitz@lutheranchurch.ca | 1. 855. 893. 1466 |

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

MISSION NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

French Ministries

Mission congregation hosts installation of LCC’s newest Missionary-at-Large for the francophone community

Rev. Marco-Antonio Jacobsen (Photo: Roni Martins).

by David Somers QUEBEC CITY, Que. - On October 3, 2021, the congregation of Sainte-Trinité in Quebec City, hosted the installation of Rev. Marco-Antonio Jacobsen as assistant Missionary-at-Large for Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s French Ministries.

Sainte-Trinité was formed through the cooperation of half a dozen or so LCC members who happened to move to the city within months of each other, in partnership with LCC Missionary, Rev. Dr. David Somers. An application for seed funds for exploratory outreach was approved by the

former LCC East District in mid-2008. A sum of $3,640 was provided for publicity and transportation.

A formal church building was not available, so the group held monthly services at a 19th century prisonbecome-private library. The local community covered rental costs and, subsequently, transportation costs for the pastors, including Rev. Razafy Razfindrakoto.

In the summer of 2010, this confessional Lutheran community in Quebec decided to assume more responsibilities at the local level since, up until this point, they had been operating under the directives of the Missionary-atlarge. This step forward was encouraged following the recent arrival of some relocated members from the Sherbrooke Lutheran Mission (Rev. Razafy Razfindrakoto) to Quebec City (a young family of three and a single woman) as well as by the arrival of a member from our sister church in France (with whom we had been in contact two years before when he was studying in Trois-Rivières, Quebec). A solidifying sign of this progression was the choosing of a name for the congregation: Église Évangélique Luthérienne de la Sainte-Trinité (Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity)—which became a Recognized District Mission.

Another part of this formative process was the decision not to request further District Mission Funds.

By September of that same year, the mission had developed further as they moved to the Université Laval chapel, affording a visible Lutheran presence for the student population. The free-of-charge and regular availability of the new venue permitted the addition of another worship service per month (second and fourth Sundays). Those services plus the monthly Lutheran service led by the military chaplain Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau (and subsequently others) at nearby Valcartier army base chapel allow for three services per month for the Lutherans of Quebec City. When the university chapel was no longer available, an Anglican church was rented for Sunday services. In spite of challenges, this mission was growing steadily, and at a rapidity not seen in the early years of Lutheran francophone missions.

In June 2011, just when a five-member family was being transferred away, news was received of the pending arrival of a retired LCC pastor moving to Quebec City, in large part, to support the mission. By November, he had arrived. A contact who had periodically attended services in Montreal but was making the transition to Quebec City, also joined the mission and invited a family she had met in a grocery store line to come as well—they later became members! Then, in January 2012, a Malagasy couple (formerly Reformed) who had become faithful communicants at l’Église Luthérienne de l’Ascension (Montreal) announced their forthcoming move to Quebec City.

Sainte-Trinité is a congregation that could have given up many times over the past decade, and yet continues THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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MISSION NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

to grow in spite of adversities. This small community has withstood four changes in worship venues within the last ten years, and its humble beginnings as a monthly service in French for less than ten people whose first language was not French. On top of this, the members were from five different countries, with a variety of church backgrounds (some Lutheran, some not).

When the members of Sainte-Trinité were finally able to meet together on a weekly basis, there was often no pastor available, sometimes at a late notice, because many of the supply pastors were military chaplains whose primary duty was service on the base. Still, this congregation continued on with no full-time resident pastor and, further, with many of the members faced with frequent relocations.

Sainte-Trinité members continue to meet—and, joyfully, at that—in spite of fragility, diversity, dispersion, and a lack of full-time pastoral presence. In fact, many members are strongly present, actively assisting in the worship and contributing their time and treasure, bringing one another to church.

Pastoral care is often via regular emails, by phone, as well as through monthly visits by the LCC Missionary-atLarge, before and after services. In addition, the presence of a very active, retired pastor the Rev. Frank Morget, mentioned above serves as the Resident Pastoral Advisor.

Along with his wife, Nancy, they have provided stability for the congregation throughout the years.

The frequent departure of families, anywhere from foursix members at a time, could have had devastating effects on this church body. However, each time a family moved away, others seemed to show up within a matter of months. Among the arrivals was Lutheran pastor Walta Clercius and his wife and family from Haiti, both doctoral students in Quebec.

Rev. Jacobsen and Rev. M.L. Smith, LCC's Missions Director (Photo: David Friesen)

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

French Ministries

The Jacobsen Family (Photo: David Friesen)

More recently, pandemic-related restrictions lead the local Anglican Church to lose its doors between March and September 2020 and then again from January to March 2021, which meant that SainteTrinité members could no longer make use of the building for weekly services.

Once again the congregation adapted, joining LCC Lutherans in Montreal for Zoom services, a new Bible study, and monthly youth activities. Amazingly, despite the shutdowns, the congregation grew.

During that time Rev. Marco-Antonio Jacobsen, a doctoral student in sociology, and his wife and daughter moved from Montreal to Quebec City. Remarkably, a young couple immigrating from Brazil to Quebec found us online and got in touch. This couple became active members just as we opened back up again in the spring of 2021—and which point, we ‘happened’ to have a Brazilian pastor available to welcome them!

Each step backward for Sainte-Trinité, seems to be followed by a step forward, and the congregation now has 25 members. Average attendance is consistently at around 12 people, despite many members regularly having to work weekends.

It was truly a joyful experience for the people of Église Évangélique Luthérienne de la Sainte-Trinité to celebrate the installation of Rev. Marco-Antono Jacobsen as LCC's newest Missionary-at-Large.

Rev. Dr. David Somers serves as Missionary at Large for Lutheran Church–Canada’s French ministries in the province of Quebec.

EDUCATION NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

New academic year begins!

CANADA - The opening service for the 46 th academic year at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS)in St. Catharines, Ontario, took place on Sunday, September 12 at 4:00 p.m. in the seminary chapel. Seating was limited due to pandemic restrictions, and the service was also available for viewing via livestream through the seminary’s YouTube Channel.

During the service, former CLTS graduate (1987), Rev. Dr. Thomas Korcok, was officially installed as Associate Professor of Theology. Dr. Korcock accepted a call to the seminary in November 2020. The same service saw Rev. Robert Willie, emeritus pastor in the West Region, honoured with the Emeritus Crucis award.

Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) in Edmonton held its opening service on Wednesday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the s e m i n a r y c h a p e l . Re g e n t s , students, faculty, and staff gathered together to celebrate the opening of the seminary's 37th academic year.

The seminaries have chosen as their theme verse for the new school year, “Shepherds After My Own Heart” (Jeremiah 3:15).

Vacancies are the talk of the town. Many Lutheran Church– Canada congregations are looking for ways to move forward under limited budgets and specialized needs for ministry. The seminaries exist to fill vacancies like this— to train new pastors and other church workers. If you know someone who may have a quiet voice nudging them toward ministry as pastor or deacon, please contact the seminaries to begin a conversation.

In the spotlight . . .

• The “Impact, but shorter” LCC youth gathering was livestreamed from Concordia Lutheran Seminary on September 10. Nearly 80 people tuned in to hear banter; candid talk about emotional and mental health challenges in light of God’s powerful Gospel; games and contests; a pitch for seminary studies; and the love, grace, and forgiveness of Christ.

CLS was glad to be a host site and sponsor of the streaming services.

• The first class in CLS’ deacon program had two students who successfully completed the course in August. We are thankful that God is sending students to be formed for service to Christ and His church.

• CLS will have four men prepared for service in the church next year … one ready to be ordained, two more who will serve deferred vicarages, and a fourth who will serve a vicarage and then return here for a fourth year of service.

• T h i s y e a r, C LTS w e l c o m e s new students from across Canada (Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia), the United States, Nigeria, and Germany in addition to the returning multinational student body that includes China, India, and Brazil.

Almost as many students are enrolled in the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) programme as in the more traditional Master of Divinity (MDiv) programme that leads to ordination.

Many of the current MTS students are already pastors seeking advanced degrees. Others are laity involved in church work.

• CLTS’ annual student retreat, normally held at Mount Carmel Retreat Centre in Niagara Falls, was moved this year to Trinity Lutheran Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This turned out to be an unexpected blessing as students and faculty were able to enjoy meals outside and leisurely walks in the sunny vineyards in between sessions.

• Thanks to CLTS’ many benefactors who generously responded to our spring appeal, we were able to close out the fiscal year in June with a surplus which has been put aside for future needs.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

33

CLTS calls for nominations for honorary awards ST. CATHARINES - Each May at its annual Call Service, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary has the opportunity to confer two major awards on worthy pastors or lay members of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC).

The recipient of the Friend of the Seminary award is nominated by the faculty or Board of Directors (Regents) for making a significant contribution to the well-being of the seminary.

The Delta Chi Medal, by contrast, is awarded by the seminary on behalf of the wider church. This “highest and most distinguished award” is “presented to an individual, either clergy or lay, whose life exemplifies service to Christ in his/her everyday living and vocation.”

In making nominations, one should consider the person’s service to the local congregation, the community, the synodical district, the church at large, church service organizations, and educational institutions. Delta Chi refers to the initials of the Greek expression διάκονος χριστοῦ which means “Servant of Christ.”

Anyone in LCC may nominate a candidate for the Delta Chi award.

No current faculty or board member is eligible. Please submit your nomination in writing to the seminary or via email to concordia@ brocku.ca. The deadline for nominations is December 15, 2021.

CLS calls for nominations for honorary awards and degrees EDMONTON - Every spring at its Sacred Convocation Concordia Lutheran Seminary grants honorary awards and degrees based on nominations received from people like you. Though spring seems a long way off, the time to start thinking about those award nominations is now! CLS is now accepting nominations for 2022’s honorary awards and degrees which will be presented at its Sacred Convocation on May 27, 2022. Nominations close on January 1, 2022.

The recipients of these awards and degrees are selected by the faculty and Board of Regents after prayerful consideration of all nominations received. Through these honorary awards and degrees, CLS recognizes the outstanding contributions of our clergy, deacons, and lay people.

At the 2022 Sacred Convocation, CLS will also be presenting awards from the nominations received in 2021, as the presentation of 2021’s awards had to be postponed as a result of public health restrictions at the time.

The seminary looks forward to honouring two years’ worth of outstanding award recipients this spring.

Nominations may be made for the honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), Doctor of Letters (Litt.D), and Doctor of Divinity (D.D.). In addition to these degrees, the seminary also invites nominations for the Faith in Life, Friend of the Seminary, and the Doulos Dia Iesoun awards.

The specific criteria for each award or degree and nomination forms are available from Dr. Jennifer Frim. Please contact her for more information.

Dr. Jennifer Frim, Faculty Secretary tel. 780.474.1468 ext. 223 Concordia Lutheran Seminary fax 780.479.3067 7040 Ada Blvd. email jfrim@concordiasem.ab.ca Edmonton, AB T5B 4E3 34 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

EDUCATION NEWS www.canadianlutheran.ca

Former CLS president called to glory

EDMONTON - Rev. Dr. L. Dean Hempelmann, former President of Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) in Edmonton, has been called home to glory. Dr. Hemplemann entered into the presence of His Saviour on August 29, 2021. He was 82 years old.

“Dr. Hempelmann was an astute theologian, a strong administrator, and a wise churchman and leader,” said Concordia Lutheran Seminary.

“We thank God for him and his influence here and throughout Lutheranism. May God provide the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection and the Life to all who grieve his earthly passing.”

Dr. Hempelman was ordained in 1966, and served two parishes in Washington and Oregon over the next twelve years. From there, he moved to Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri) to become Director of Admissions in 1978. He served the St. Louis seminary as a professor, dean, and eventually as acting president.

In 1993, Dr. Hempelmann was called to serve as the third president of Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. During his tenure, Dr. Hempelmann led the seminary to accreditation in the Association of Theological Schools.

In 1999, he returned to St. Louis, Missouri to serve The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as Director of Pastoral Education. In 2005, he became Executive Director of the LCMS’ Board for Pastoral Education.

Dr. Hempelmann was preceded in death by an infant son (Michael Allen). He is survived by his wife Cathy and children Michael (Melanie), Cheryl (John), and Lisa (James), as well as eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

A public memorial ser vice for Dr. Hemeplman will be held in Georgetown, Texas on September 29, 2021. Memorials in Canada may be given to “The Dean and Cathy Hempelmann Endowment Fund” at Concordia Lutheran Seminary.

LAMP

Sharing Jesus Christ in remote areas of Canada

Expect the Unexpected

The

LAMPlighter

by Nathan Schmidt, Staff Missionary to B.C. “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…”

Ephesians 4:11-16 (ESV)

E

xpect the unexpected. After an unpredictable and challenging year and a half, I am guessing you can relate. We all have had to learn to do or practice things differently. While some of these practices are short-lived, others have inspired new and creative ideas for ministry.

People have been and continue to share more videos nowadays. Churches now are posting videos of their services, devotionals, and short messages from their pastor(s). This inspired me to initiate a collaborative project with my friend, Alex, who lives in Hazelton, B.C. I met Alex while serving as a missionary with LAMP. Alex is from the Gitanmaxx people and works for the Salvation Army Church. Alex has a unique position for the Church since he is First Nations and a youth worker. There are not many church youth workers in northern B.C. As a result, Alex doesn’t have other people in his field to

connect with, which prompted me to ask him to join the support group I belong to.

The group is called the “Thunderkittens” and is mostly made up of Lutheran church workers, with many coming from a Director of Christian Education background. Each member of the group serves in a different type of ministry including worship music, discipleship, youth and family, and missionary.

Despite being 1,600 kilometers apart (1,000 miles), Alex and I filmed a video that makes us look as if we are together in person. We are planning to create six videos aimed at teaching simple biblical truths about what it means to a Christian.

We pray it will be a useful tool in our ministry of supporting and equipping others and building up the body of Christ.

Note: Since the time of writing, the US/Canada border has opened to fully vaccinated Americans. I expect to be traveling up North mid to late August to have face-to-face visits in the communities I serve. Unexpectedly, Alex and I may be able to coordinate a video with us actually being in the same room!

Left: Nathan Schmidt, LAMP staff missionary. Right: Alex, Salvation Army youth worker.

VOLUME 53 NO. 2 FALL 2021 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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www.lampministry.org

An encouraging promise

by Gord Gilbey, Staff Missionary to Eastern Saskatchewan & Western Manitoba “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

partnered with us to help these children experience Jesus’ love.

W

hile things appear Please pray that our to be opening up teams can soon visit their in Northern Canada, adopted community our teams and staff and friends who they have not carried out miss dearly.Also pray summer ministry in their that these backpacks community since 2019. will greatly encourage In 2020, we conducted the children who receive ministry from a distance them and remind them Gitanyow mission team of Christ the Vine Church in Oregon using a variety of virtual that, even in this long assemble backpacks to be shipped. platforms and supporting period of extreme While a few of the teams our communities with gifts of crafts, isolation, the Lord will never leave packaged and shipped backpacks personal protective equipment them nor forsake them. directly to their community, most (PPE), Bibles, clothing, and other of our teams sent a selection of items. These gifts were greatly crafts, treats, and other gifts to appreciated and touched many be included in these bags to our hearts. field missionaries for packing and In addition to providing these delivery. Randy, Andrew, Nathan, essential items for 2021, we sought and myself are busily importing a way to especially bless and these gifts, packing the individual speak into the life of the precious bags, and delivering them by planes Indigenous children. An activity and automobiles (sorry, no trains). book with five days of teaching, puzzles, and colouring was designed and produced. We also purchased functional and fashionable cloth bags, which were imprinted with the LAMP logo.

In total, there are over 3,800 backpacks which are currently being distributed to 38 northern communities! We praise God for all those who have generously

Right: Gord Gilbey checks out backpack contents.

Air Purifiers for Deschambault Lake, Saskatchewan With fires burning across the lake, the community of Deschambault Lake is experiencing smoky conditions. Members of the LAMP VBS team and Christ the King Anglican Church in Edmonton responded by

raising funds to send much-needed air purifiers to families. Although not a perfect solution to the smoky conditions, the air purifiers provide a room where the air quality is better, especially at night. The Health Clinic was very happy to receive the units.

The

LAMPlighter Waiting on the Lord

by Judi Luckhardt, Volunteer Missionary to Hall Lake, SK

I

detest waiting. Plain and simple. I constantly find myself praying for patience for one thing or another. I have actually been known to make a right hand turn just so I don’t have to wait for a red light to turn green!

Our last visit to Hall Lake was December 31, 2019. Having VBS cancelled in 2020 was one thing, but to have it cancelled again this year was really testing me. When the LAMP staff told us about the backpack project they were setting up for this summer, I was so excited.

My wait was going to be over!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has set the right time for everything.”

Our community was anxious to see us, and we were anxious to go.

Our cargo trailer was already full of clothing, blankets, canning jars, and whatever furniture we had collected over the past year and a

Backpacks for moms and babies to be handed out by the Health Centre.

half for our community giveaway, but something had been holding us back. Finally God said go, and we quickly gathered what we needed to fill 150 LAMP backpacks with VBS materials, crayons, craft supplies, a special little gift for each one and, of course, a snack.

Working back and forth with the Band office, the date was set for July 15. It was mutually agreed just the two of us would be coming, a quick in and out of the community with a list of COVID-19 safety precautions. Hmmm, 1,900 kilometers round trip for a one-day visit…I wondered if maybe we were supposed to wait. Seriously, I really said that? No, they were expecting us, and we were going.

We were met with a number of surprises. The community centre in the satellite community of Sikachu has been completed. A member of our Sister2Sister ladies group has been holding weekly Bible studies with about eight regularly attending! We had packed enough extra devotion books and craft activities to leave behind for their fall get togethers.

When we arrived in Hall Lake, there was another surprise. The wornout community vans had been replaced with four newer passenger vans, all in good running order.

They were fueled up ready for an emergency evacuation should the fires get worse. Unfortunately, a new fire did break out just to the east of us so the Band councillor left immediately to check it out. He

had already arranged for helpers to offload our trailer and that proved to be another surprise.

The helpers were teens who have been faithful VBS students over the years. They recognized the LAMP plane logo, asked what was in the backpacks, and could they have one? I had wanted the backpacks to be used in the best way possible and had filled them according to age groups. Since I had marked the tubs it only took me a minute to find the appropriate ones for each of them.

After opening theirs, these amazing young people volunteered to deliver the backpacks door to door. They knew all the kids in the community, some that we have never even met yet, so this was just perfect!

Shortly thereafter, the group of women who have taken ownership of setting up the community giveaways started arriving, ready to sort and unpack the pile of bags and boxes we had collected from the many supporters that help us with this ministry. This left us free to make two more stops—the Health Centre and to fuel up with gas before the smoke got too thick.

We would have loved to stay to spend more time with the families we have grown to love, but our time was up. Even though it was only for one day, we felt so blessed to get a glimpse of how God is working in the lives of these special people He has entrusted to us. It was so worth the drive, and of course the wait.

3

www.lampministry.org

Patience in hope

by Pastor Dennis Ouellette, Interim Executive Director “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25 (NIV)

able to share the love of our Saviour, Jesus, from a distance.

A

s I was reading and reflecting about the last few months, this Youth in Hall Lake who offered to deliver backpacks.

Scripture verse stood out for obvious reasons. Many of us commissioned a pastor were hoping that life would return to to design a Bible story some semblance of normal sooner. activity booklet based Our LAMP teams and missionaries on a previously popular were hoping to be able to visit their VBS program. The teams communities this summer. Yet the supplied Christian materials pandemic is still with us and borders (necklaces, bracelets, crosses, are closed.* Meanwhile, everyone is pocket Bibles, etc.), snacks, personal waiting patiently, as difficult as that hygiene items, and more. Church is, for things to open up. volunteers and staff missionaries helped stuff backpacks that teams The Apostle Paul longed to were unable to do because of the visit believers in other cities even border restrictions. though he was prevented at times

from going. Yet he reached out to them in his letters offering hope and encouragement to guide and strengthen the people in the faith until he could travel there.

Likewise, our LAMP teams are reaching out through a project which provides a backpack to children in the communities our teams serve. Each backpack is filled with items unique for that team’s community. We purchased the backpack with our logo and

All of these backpacks will be delivered either by driving in or flying them to the remote communities. Some have already been delivered. When this project is completed this fall, about 4,000 backpacks will have been delivered to children in the northern communities! It’s a way, just like Paul’s letters, to let the people know that even though we can’t be with them physically, we are with them in thought and prayer. We are still

One of the greatest blessings we can have in life is our relationships.

That’s what makes it hard to be apart from the people who you care for and who care about you.

But separation shouldn’t change our relationships. If anything, it helps us to appreciate them even more. We are looking forward to the day when teams will be able to return to their communities and see their friends face to face. The reunions will be spectacular! Until that time, we must wait patiently knowing that the Lord is working through us in various ways to faithfully serve the people in the North as the words from Jude 1:21 encourage us: “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” *Canada’s border opened August 9, 2021 to fully vaccinated Americans and some Indigenous communities are welcoming visitors.

LAMP Mission Statement

LAMP is a cross-cultural ministry sharing Jesus Christ with God’s people in remote areas of Canada.

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4966-92 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6B 2V4 Box 480167, New Haven, MI 48048 tel 800-307-4036 x fax 780-466-6733 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

Donations can be made at our website

www.lampministry.org

Individual gifts are acknowledged with an official receipt for income tax purposes, and are tax deductible as allowed by law. Each gift designated toward a board-approved program will be used as designated, with the understanding that when any given need has been met, designated gifts will be used where needed most.

IN REVIEW

THE GREEN KNIGHT A TALE TRIED, TESTED,

& INVERTED

T

by Ted Giese

his eerie and foreboding retelling of the epic late 14 th-century Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a purposeful inversion of the long-studied and revered anonymous work. While it diverges at some points from the general narrative of the original poem—which Gawain purists will dislike—it goes even further, reversing almost all of the story’s elements. This raises the question: to what end? In this, The Green Knight presents an unanswered mystery.

The general story of both the poem and David Lowery’s film is that of a beheading game and an exchange-of-winnings game. On Christmas, a mysterious Green Knight with a menacing ax comes to the court of King Arthur in Camelot. While all are seated at the round table celebrating the birth of Christ, the Green Knight challenges Arthur and his knights to a game. The Green Knight will allow a single blow from one of the assembled knights and then he will return that blow if he can.

The Green Knight kneels and offers up his neck. Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, accepts the challenge and cuts off the Green Knight’s head, but to the surprise of everyone the Knight picks up his head and tells Gawain that one year hence he will return the blow at the Green Chapel.

As the following year nears its close, Gawain sets out to find the Green Knight and the chapel. With

only a few days until the appointment, Gawain finds himself in the castle of Lord Bertilak who engages him in an exchange-of-winnings game. Each day the Lord goes hunting he will give Gawain the best of what he catches and in return Gawain gives to the castle’s Lord what he gains that day. The Lord’s wife daily tries to entrap Gawain sexually but he resists her advances. They exchange kisses and Gawain withholds from the Lord the last gift from the Lady of the castle—a green sash she claims will protect against any attack. With the sash about his waist, Gawain departs to face the Green Knight and his doom.

The film follows the same general narrative of the poem, and yet it also inverts it. The poem, for example, is about a knight who despite having his virtue tested succeeds in remaining

a knight—albeit a repentant one.

The film however is about a man who gains virtue through the testing process itself, only becoming a true knight in the end. In the poem Gawain is a courageous knight before the story begins; in the film, Gawain is dubbed a knight only after facing the prospect of death honestly. In the poem, Gawain is

generous, courteous, chaste, friendly, and devout; in the film he is agnostic at best, socially awkward, unchaste, discourteous, and covetous. He is selfless in the poem; in the film, he is generally selfish. He succeeds in the face of adversity in the poem; in the film, he is dragged along kicking and screaming by the plot until the film’s final frames.

The film’s title—The Green Knight—in a sense then serves a dual meaning: it refers of course to the Knight whom Gawain is seeking.

But it can also refer to Gawain as being “green” in terms of his personal experience as a knight.

INVERTED MYTH Lowery goes out of his way to obfuscate who the surrounding characters in the film are. He doesn’t give the audience any indications that the king is Arthur or that his queen is Guinevere.

Gawain’s mother in the film is Morgan le Fay, King Arthur’s halfsister and sorceress, but she is never referred to by name (in the poem she would be Gawain’s aunt not his mother). Merlin is there too but has no dialogue and no one says his name. On the one hand, this shifts attention onto Gawain and away from anything the audience knows about Arthurian legend. On the other hand, it creates a situation where only those in the know truly understand what’s going on. That last part is a kind of occulting: a purposeful hiding in plain sight.

When someone in the know figures out who all these people are, they are confronted with the fact that Lowery has presented them differently than they appear in the poem. Is this a commentary on the danger of trusting myths? Or is it something else?

W h y i s G a w a i n a n ov i c e knight in this film rather than one already tested and true? Putting the best construction on Lowery’s motivations, we might suggest this change in Gawain’s character is a

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

39

response to a world in which people are seldom challenged to struggle against temptation. For audiences today, a more believable story might be one in which a character learns hard truths by experience.

But this interpretation is difficult to accept given the pattern of inversion elsewhere in the film. In the poem, Christmas is described with exuberance, mirth, and colour; in the film, it is drab, grey, and dour. Arthur in the poem is young and virtuous; in the film, he is old and weak in body and spirit. In the poem, going to church is a delight; in the film, it is a nuisance and the butt of jokes. In the poem, Gawain sets out in fine armour and knightly regiments, carrying a shield decorated on the inside with a painting of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child. He fights dragons and monsters of all sorts successfully before arriving at Bertilak’s castle; in the film, Gawain is quickly set upon by a scavenger and his fellow thieves.

He is accosted, robbed, and left for dead, his beautifully painted shield broken and left as trash by Gawain’s assailants. Even the Green Knight, whom the poem describes as a man decked in fine green-glowing kingly attire, flaming red eyes, and set as an equal with Arthur, is a monster in the film made of bark and branch, twig and root with clear and keen eyes like a man.

The list of changes goes on and on, even as the overall story follows the general plot of the poem. This is often called “re-imagining” or a “deconstruction,” but Lowery doesn’t just deconstruct; he re-constructs, presumably to suit his own purpose.

But what is that purpose? Is it criticism of virtue? Is it a parody of the original text? Is it a slight against the poem’s Christian themes and the rigour of Christian piety in favour of paganism?

At a critical moment in the film, when the Lady Bertilak (another character left nameless in the film) is about to give Gawain the green sash, she asks Gawain a key question: “Do you believe in magic?” The Christian response should be: “I believe it to be evil and forbidden by God.”

40

But both the Gawain of the poem and the film take the sash to their shame. In the film, however, Lowery adds an additional dimension to the choice: the sash is soiled during the third of the Lady’s sexual advances toward Gawain. Moreover, in another departure from the poem, the sash in the film turns out to have been one previous given to Gawain by his mother Morgan le Fay before he left on his quest. It was stolen by the scavengers earlier in the film. (As an aside, the Lady Bertilak as well as a prostitute with whom Gawain has relations in the beginning of the film are played by the same actress, further painting Gawain as sexually impure and unchaste from the beginning of the film right through to this critical moment.)

INTROSPECTIVE HORROR The question “Do you believe in magic?” when taken in the context of Lowery’s constant inversion of the original story, along with additions like a talking spirit/animal guide in the form of a fox, suggests that the whole film is a kind of sigil magic—a kind of symbolic rich celluloid spell cast to some private end. Lowery is certainly no stranger to the occult. He directed two episodes of the CBS All Access TV Series Strange Angel (2018) about Jack Parsons, a pioneering rocket engineer and scientist in 1940s Los Angeles who was also a follower of the British occultist Aleister Crowley.

The Green Knight’s production company A24 also produced Ari Aster’s 2019 film Midsommar and 2018 film Hereditary, as well as Robert Eggers’ 2015 film The Witch and 2019 film The Lighthouse, along with other sophisticated art-housestyle “elevated” horror films.

Indeed, within the first few minutes of The Green Knight, Lowery clues in the audience that this film is going to be less high adventure like The Lord of the Rings and more an introspective psychological horror film like the ones previously

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

mentioned. These films are cut from the same cloth in many ways and the association is worth noting. The Green Knight is certainly less gory, but it shares similar attributes to these films, including their approach to the occult and magic.

One final note on inversions. For them to have meaning, one needs to first presuppose the truth of the thing being inverted. So, while Christianity is subverted and downplayed in The Green Knight, some of the poem’s original Christian content remains to haunt the film. Interested viewers coming at the film cold with no knowledge of the poem may find themselves reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight out of curiosity and will find something altogether different from what they watched.

Because of the film’s suspicious nature, it’s hard to recommend.

Christian viewers should consider it with great caution and contemplation.

As a film The Green Knight is not interested in yielding its secrets.

With a 14A/R rating, this is certainly not a film for young viewers.

Some viewers will also find the movie’s slow burn, with an often discordant soundtrack, off-putting. Those wishing to watch a less ominous—but campier—take on the story should check out Stephen Weeks’ 1984 film Sword of the Valiant, starring Sean Connery as the Green Knight.

Rev. Ted Giese is lead pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; a contributor to The Canadian Lutheran, Reporter; and movie reviewer for the “Issues, Etc.” radio program. For more of his TV and Movie Reviews, check out the Lutheran Movie Review Index.

TRANSITIONS Rev. Andrew Cottrill, accepted a call to Trinity (Fisherville, ON).

Rev. Gregory Johnson, accepted a call to Mt. Calvary (New Westminster, BC).

Rev. Daniel Moeller has transitioned to emeritus.

Rev. Mart Salumäe (St. Peter’s Estonian, Toronto, ON), resigned from roster.

Rev. James Scholz has transitioned to emeritus.

St. Peter’s Estonian (Toronto, ON), resigned from roster.

Up-to-date Calls/Transitions information can be accessed any time at: www.canadianlutheran.ca/calls-transitions

Trial and Appellate Counsel – Commercial Litigation Garfinkle | Biderman LLP 801-1 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 2V9 Tel 416.869.1234 Fax 416.869.0547 www.garfinkle.com

Jeffrey A.L. Kriwetz

Partner

416.869.7618 jkriwetz@garfinkle.com

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

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PRESIDENT’S PONDERINGS

A Strange Blessing for the Saints

by President Teuscher

T

he appointed Gospel reading for All Saints’ Day, November 1, are the opening words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount called ‘The Beatitudes,’ in which He speaks of the blessedness, the spiritual wellbeing, of saints—of what it means to be saints, that is, holy people. All Saints’ Day serves as a kind of transition to the end of the church year, the emphasis of which is on what the Scriptures say about the end of this world and the Last Day. It is the eighth and final beatitude, therefore, that is most applicable to All Saints’ Day. It deals specifically with Jesus’ words concerning the signs of the end times, and seems to be a rather strange blessing.

He says: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).

As we consider these words of Jesus, we cannot but think back to those saints and martyrs of the early church who were brutally put to death in the arena by the Roman government; to the millions of believers who perished under oppressive totalitarian regimes in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union just this past century; and to those Christians in various countries today who are the regular targets of terrorists and imprisoned and executed for confessing Jesus Christ as Lord.

But this persecution of those who bear the name of Christ is not, however, limited to those nations where it is illegal to speak to others concerning Jesus or for a person to even convert to the Christian faith. No, even here in our own society, which prides itself on protecting people’s rights and freedoms and which claims to be tolerant of all people, there is one group that is more and more reviled and facing intolerance: those who bear and confess the name of Christ. Witness, if you will, the entertainment industry or the media or our educational institutions or government policies that, in one way or another, ridicule and belittle, insult and persecute the Christian faith and those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Why is this so? Why do people insult and hate, ridicule and falsely say all kinds of evil against those who confess the holy, precious name of Jesus? The Reformer, Martin

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN September/October 2021

Luther, answers that in his commentary on the Beatitudes: “Anyone who wants to have Christ must put in jeopardy his body, life, goods, reputation, and popularity in the world and, instead, suffer contempt, ingratitude, and persecution.

And the reason is simply this: the devil will not and cannot stand seeing a person enter the kingdom of God.” Think about it: to believe, teach, and confess that people are not by nature good and upright but sinful; that unless a person repents, he or she will perish eternally; that Jesus Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; that it is by faith and faith alone in this Jesus, and not by our so-called good works and good life, that a person is made acceptable and pleasing to God and thus saved eternally…

Do not these teachings and beliefs fly in the face of every religious notion and idea of the world’s? Are they not offensive to many people, causing them to revile, to hate, and even to persecute us?

This is why it is not only proper but also beneficial to do that which our Lutheran Confessions declare: “Saints should be kept in remembrance so that our faith may be strengthened when we see what grace they received and how they were sustained by faith. Moreover, their good works are to be an example for us, each of us in his own calling” (Augsburg Confession XXI).

To be sure, the eighth beatitude is a rather strange blessing! Blessed when we are persecuted? Blessed when we are reviled? Blessed when people utter all kinds of evil against us? But hear again that sure and certain promise of our Lord to those who are so blessed: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

“Let us therefore,” Luther concludes in his commentary on the Beatitudes, “be all the more willing to suffer everything the world can do against us, for all they do by their persecution is to actually drive and chase us to heaven. In addition, Christ promises such a wonderful and great reward; for the kingdom of heaven itself and everything Christ has, together with all the saints, shall be ours—a treasure and a comfort that I would not trade for all the possessions and joy and approval of the whole world. If you thus want to have the Gospel and Christ and eternal life, then know that in this life you must count on having trouble, conflict, and persecution wherever you go.” And is that not a great blessing?

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When Life’s Great Trials Cast You Down When life’s great trials cast you down, Recall that Christ who wears the crown, First had to tread life’s sorrowed road And bear the cross’s heavy load.

When past days come to haunt your mind And future’s hope is hard to find, He calls to you in His sure Word, “Be not afraid, ’tis I, your Lord”

He knows the burdens of your way And by your side will always stay; To lighten your life’s darkest place He shines on you His gracious face

“Your past is buried in my grave, Your days ahead I died to save; Look up to me and hope you’ll find To lift your heart and ease your mind.

As your flesh starts to fail you here, “Fear not,” He says, “for I am near.”

I’ll be with you in days ahead, Your risen Saviour from the dead.

Let not your thoughts be cloaked in gloom; Your life won’t end in death and doom; In joyous glory at my side, You ever shall with me abide!”

Rev. Kurt E. Reinhardt