For the Life of the World - Volume Nine, Number Three

LIFEWORLD

of the

For the

July 2005. Volume Nine, Number Three

Real and Abundant Life - p.4

Whatever Happened to the Human Race - p.7

Pro-Life Education in Preparation for the Parish - p.10

Called to Serve - p.12

The seminary’s late spring was still festive due tothe beautiful and robust worship in celebration ofthe Resurrection andAscension of Jesus Christ to

the Father’s right hand. Jesus’ victory over death forus invites renewal and reflection upon God’s gift oflife in every season.

Life is the foundational gift of God to all of humanity. Genesis suc-cinctly describes the origin of all life: “The Lord God formed the manfrom the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath oflife and the man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). The context of thisdescription of life’s beginning displays God’s intimate and attentiveinvolvement. Indeed, the word for “form” conveys the action of a pottermolding clay into its appropriate shape. (See Isa. 45:9; Jer. 18:6) Godalso provides a beautiful setting for Adam: “Now the Lord God hadplanted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He hadformed” (Gen. 2:8). The gift of life is made complete by the direct andgracious formation of woman (Gen. 2:21-23).

Just as Genesis 2 describes the intimate manner in which God gavelife toAdam and Eve, Genesis 1 surveys the broad landscape of creation.The heavens, the earth, the sea, the sun, the moon, the stars: these are allordered to sustain the life of Adam and Eve. The apex and culminationof creation in Genesis 1 is God’s gift of Himself: “God created man inHis own image, in the image of God He created him; male and femaleHe created them” (Gen. 1:27).

Even after man’s rebellious desire to be like God brought death intothe world, God quickly promised a birth that would reverse the curse ofdeath: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman; and betweenyour offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike Hisheel” (Gen. 3:15). Eve thought that the birth of Cain was already the ful-fillment of that promise: “I have the man, the Lord” (Gen. 4:1).

Throughout the Torah story of Genesis through Deuteronomy, God’sgracious and merciful character bestows the gift of life. Noah receivesGod’s gracious protection (Gen. 6:8). Abram receives God’s graciouspromise of offspring (Gen. 12:1-3). God sustains and guides His peoplegeneration after generation. Not even the great power of Egypt couldeliminate the lives of those who would bear the promised woman’s seed.At the very end of Genesis, Joseph could address his brothers: “Youintended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish whatis now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20).

At the conclusion of the Torah story, God’s people are about to enterthe promised land—a place where they were to dwell in wonderful com-munion with God, a return as it were to Eden. God again offers His peo-ple life, life with Him that is readily and freely available as His gift:

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult foryou or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have

to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it tous so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you haveto ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us sothat we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in yourmouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruc-tion. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walkin His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees, and laws; thenyou will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless youin the land you are entering to possess. Deuteronomy 30:11-16

Tragically, God’s people, as Adam and Eve, turned from God’s giftof life and embraced the culture of death in their love for the idols ofCanaanite Baal worship. God’s lavish and robust grace continued tooffer life even in the context of a wayward people. For those who wouldreceive the promise, there would be life: “On this mountain He willdestroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers allnations; He will swallow up death forever” (Isa. 25:7, 8).

The life-giving and life-redeeming character of God, so evident inthe Old Testament, is embodied in the Seed of the woman, Jesus ofNazareth, who explicitly claims life’s restoration: “I have come that youmight have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

How our world needs to hear this message! From universities to fac-tories, men and women are falsely assuming that human beings are heretoday and gone tomorrow—that in the final analysis there is a briefmoment of life and then death and darkness. How tragic for our con-temporaries to turn from the gift of God’s life—freely offered to all inChrist’s atoning death and victorious Resurrection—to the death anddead ends that the deceptions of this age present!

How beautiful and truthful is the incredible value of each human lifeunderscored by Jesus’ words in Luke 15: “There is joy in heaven overone sinner who repents.” Life given by God, redeemed by God, andalready in communion with God: in Christ such life is ours as a gift. HisWord, water, wine, and bread join us to Christ’s life—a life that willnever end.

Enjoy this issue of For the Life of theWorldwith its focus on God’sgift of life. What a noble calling is ours to nurture and protect the life ofeach and every human being at each and every stage of life’s journey.

Sincerely yours, in our Risen, Ascended,and Living Lord,

Rev. Dr. Dean O. WenthePresident, Concordia Theological Seminary

2 For the Life of the World

FROM THE

PRESIDENTDear Friends of Concordia Theological Seminary:

The Seminary’s Love of Life

F E A T U R E S

page 22

FortheLIFE WORLDof

the

PRESIDENTRev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe

PUBLISHERRev. Scott Klemsz

EDITORRev. John T. Pless

ASSOCIATE EDITOR COPY EDITOR ART DIRECTORJayne Sheafer Trudy Behning Steve Blakey

For the Life of theWorld is published quarterly by Concordia Theological SeminaryPress, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of thispublication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher of Forthe Life of the World. Copyright 2005. Printed in the United States. Postage paidat Huntington, Indiana. To be added to our mailing list please call 260-452-2150 ore-mail Rev. Scott Klemsz at [email protected]. For the Life of theWorld ismailed to all pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod inthe United States and Canada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia The-ological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

CONTENTS

JULY 2005 3

page 7

page 23

page 10

Called to

SERVE

4 Real and Abundant LifeBy Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, President, Concordia TheologicalSeminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Real and abundant life now and forever is God’s free gift inChrist. Death is defeated. As Christians walk through a cor-rupt and dying world, they are called to embody real life,showing Christ to all who are dying. If Christian vision everbecomes blurred, faith in Christ again pierces the darknesswith His light and life.

7 Whatever Happened to the Human Race?By Dr. Jean S. Garton, a Co-founder and President Emeritus ofLutherans For Life, resides in Benton, Arkansas

We are responsible not only for what we ourselves do butalso for what we allow to be done. Abortion isn’t about theright to choose or the right to privacy. Essentially, it is aboutthe decline of human significance. That is why it is an issuefor the church. This country desperately needs renewal andrestoration, but this country is going nowhere unless thechurch goes there first.

10 Avoiding the Fence: Pro-life Educationin Preparation for the ParishBy Mrs. Maggie Karner, Director of Life Ministries for the LCMSWorld Relief/Human Care, St. Louis, Missouri

This is where our Lutheran theology, with its proper distinc-tion between Law and Gospel and its roots firmly planted atthe foot of the cross, becomes so precious. This theology hasso much to offer to people who are struggling with difficultlife and death issues. It holds out the real hope of forgivenessand reconciliation, and our Catechism provides a wonderfulwindow with which to examine these issues in the light ofGod’s Word.

13 What Does This Mean?

Joys and Challengesof Proclaiming the Word p. 16

“They Bear Witness to Me”: Christ,the Scriptures, and the New Curriculum p. 18

Seminary Professors Serve in Madagascar p. 23Three Examples of Faith and Giving p. 25159th Academic Year Draws to a Closewith Special Services p. 28


“In the Beginning God Created...”These five words begin the Sacred Scriptures. They are simple

words in that they are readily understood, but they communicate atruth that is majestic and momentous. All time and space aredefined by these words. All life begins here.

“In the beginning God ...” anchors the world in God’s life. Godcreates the heavens and the earth. The Spirit of God speaks and thereis light. God separates the light from the darkness and names each.

As His creative work unfolds, it is clear that the heavens and theearth, the days and the seasons, are servants of life. God calls forthvegetation upon the land, living creatures in the seas, birds in the sky,and animals upon the earth. His divine blessing is joined to His holywill that these creatures be fruitful and multiply. All His work is maderadiant by the refrain “... and God saw that it was good.” Life is a gift ofGod. It reflects the Creator’s goodness and His gracious character. Thetruth that God is prior to all created things has been confessed by theChurch throughout the ages.

God’s Highest Creative Work: Human LifeThe culmination and apex of God’s creative work is His fashioning man and

woman in His own image and likeness. They are to be fruitful and multiply and fillthe earth. They are to rule over all creatures and life on the earth. Their spiritual,intellectual, and physical dimensions reflect the goodness and character of the Godwho formed them. No aspect of their being is flawed or imperfect. The beauty andwonder of God’s creative work in man and woman stand as a witness to His

glory and goodness.Genesis 2 describes more fully the

remarkable and distinctive character ofhuman life. God directly and personallyforms man from the dust of the groundand breathes into his nostrils the breathof life. Man is placed in a garden that GodHimself has prepared and planted. Godinstructs man to work and care for thisgarden. Further, man alone is addressed

by God and warned, “... you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of goodand evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

God’s direct and personal formation of woman from the rib of the manunderscores both the distinctiveness of each and the character of the man: “Itis not good for the man to be alone.” Even as God is a trinity of personswithin the unity of the Godhead, so the man who is in His image will haveone who is like himself but also distinctively other.

Adam’s divinely appointed role of naming the beasts and the birds in Genesis 2 reflects God’s naming of the elements ofcreation in Genesis 1. This naming culminates in the naming of the woman with poetic joy. The one-flesh union ofAdam andEve establishes the family unit. The complete goodness of creation in Genesis 1 is expressed in Genesis 2 by the innocenceof man and woman, who are without clothing and feel no shame.

At the pinnacle of God’s creation, man and woman receive the gift of innocent, good, and abundant life. They speak face

Real& Abundant

Real and abundant life now and foreveris God’s free gift in Christ. Death isdefeated. As Christians walk througha corrupt and dying world, they arecalled to embody real life, showingChrist to all who are dying.

to face with God as they continue to live before Him. Their life mirrors the life of their Creator, for they are in His image.Their rich complexity across emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions reflects their origins in His personal creativeaction and underscores their remarkable significance and place. They are not the incidental or accidental product of imper-

sonal forces, but are the very heart of God’s work. The triumph ofGod’s lavish grace in giving life to man and woman imparts such sig-nificance to their actions. Their lives are always before God.

The wonder and perfection of creation are also public. Even ascivilization after civilization marvels over the majesty and beauty ofthe universe, their histories also show the unique place of humanity inHis creation.

Life Lost and RestoredIn commanding the man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil, God confers upon him the freedom to choose against hisCreator and against life itself. Man and woman refuse their life as crea-tures of God and instead seek to be like God. In doing so they reject God,who has given life freely and abundantly. At the heart of their choice ispride.The rejection of God’s creation is a rejection of life. Adam’s life before

God becomes a flight fromGod. His innocent delight in the woman is replacedwith blame and strife. The very fabric of creation is torn. The world designed

to nourish life now resists it.Death quickly comes into the world of life when Cain, the firstborn of Adam and

Eve, kills Abel, their second son. Now the litany of death, “and he died,” marks thegenealogies of Genesis 5 and Genesis 10. The chronicle of these generations beforeand after the flood shows the increasinglyshort and fragile character of life.

But God’s great promise of Genesis3:15 is that the seed of the woman shallone day reverse the curse of death, whichthe serpent’s deception had brought uponAdam and Eve and their descendants.The early chapters of Genesis demon-

strate God’s gracious will to restore life.God gives Seth in the place of Abel. God’scommunion with Enoch leads Him totake Enoch to Himself without death.

God promises that in the seed of Abram all the nations of the earth will be blessed.The presence of blessing echoes the blessing of creation and promises life.

God’s gracious presence does require sacrifice. The holy God can only dwellwith a purified people. The presence of the glory of God in the tabernaclerequires that a sacrificial system be in place. When the high priest entersthe Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he offers sacrifice for hisown sins. But God’s guidance and protection of the patriarchs, His deliv-erance of Abraham’s children from Egypt, and His sustenance of the peo-

ple in the wilderness display His gracious will that the redemptive seed be born to the children of Abraham.The theme of restoration to life through God’s gracious presence is the center of worship in the Pentateuch. The offering

of Abel, the altars of the patriarchs, and the sacrificial system of Leviticus all show that worship is the restoration of a rela-tionship with God. Here He bestows His presence. Christian worship today confesses that Christ’s presence in Word, water,wine, and bread restores life through His holy sacrifice.

JULY 2005 5

ndant LifeBy Dr. Dean O. Wenthe

If Christian vision ever becomesblurred, faith in Christ againpierces the darkness with His lightand life. His life calls His faithfulto confess the infinite signifi-cance and sanctity of all humanlife, which originates in the holi-ness of its Creator.


The Pentateuch begins with a loss of place as man andwoman are driven from the garden, but it concludes with arestoration of place. God fulfills His promise to Abraham bygiving the promised land to His descendants. The gift of landis a gift of life before God. Adam rebelled, but Abraham’soffspring are directed to live in accord with God’s holy will.He has delivered the people for life in His presence. Thisrelationship with God is the very source of life. God throughMoses confronts the people with the clear choice betweenlife or death.

The Pentateuch ends as it begins—with God’s blessing.The prospect of life before God in the place He has provid-ed shows God’s enduring will to save His people from deathand restore them to life. This will, like God’s creative work,is an expression of His merciful and gracious character.

The prophetic literature of Israel records how Israel againchooses death rather than life. Turning from God to Baal ischoosing death. Yet the steadfast will of God to restore lifeto those who confess Him as Creator and Savior is clear. ASon shall be born to Abraham’s line and to David’s line whowill establish an everlasting kingdom. Isaiah sees a daywhen the work of this Child restores God’s people to life.This confidence and trust in God to restore life also is reflect-ed in the worship of Israel.

Real Life in ChristThe Scriptural description of the origin and cause of

death is crucial for a correct understanding of life. Real lifeis given and sustained by God. To deny God is to embracedeath. To assert a life independent from God is to repeatAdam and Eve’s attempt to be like God. Now, as then, itbrings decay and death.

This understanding of life is at the heart also of the NewTestament. The birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son ofDavid, the Son of Abraham, brings real life to the entirehuman race. He assumes human flesh that He might restoreall humanity to life. His incarnation leads to the cross sothat all might have eternal life in Him.Again, as at creation,God freely and fully bestows life. In the gift of His Son,real life before and with Him can be restored to His peoplenow and forever. Jesus announces real life: “I am the res-urrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live,even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Mewill never die” (John 11:25).

Real life is available only in and through Christ. WithoutHis resurrection, death would have hopelessly covered allhistory. But Christ has been raised from the dead, and allwho are in Him have been restored to real life.

Real life begins in Holy baptism, in which God’sWord inand with the water joins the child or adult to Christ’s deathand resurrection. The prophetic and apostolic Scriptures arethe living voice of Jesus, which nourishes and guides the lifeof His people toward reunion with Him in the glorious pres-ence of the living and holy Trinity. In the Lord’s Supper,Christ is truly present under the bread and wine for His peo-ple’s forgiveness and restoration to life. They participate inHis life when they participate in His Supper. When thosewho have been baptized into Christ come together to hear

His Word and receive His very body and blood, they receivereal life as a free gift. Christ bestows all His gifts upon thosewho are in Him. The Christian community is made trulyalive by the presence of Christ throughWord and Sacrament.

Because the Christian is joined to God, every presentmoment is shaped by the life of Christ. But Christ also hasgone before to prepare a new heaven and a new earth, a placefor real life to continue forever in His presence. Future eter-nal life, therefore, also is present in the Christ who con-quered death.

Real Life in Christ: The Good and Abundant LifeIn much of today’s culture what so many call “really liv-

ing” is often marked by carelessness and irresponsibility atthe expense of other human lives. It reduces human beings toinsignificance. Such lives are emptied of meaning and oftenend in despair. The defeat of death by Christ’s resurrection,however, means that those who are joined to Christ now livebefore God in innocence and holiness. The real life is filledwith the good gifts of the Creator. His Fatherly blessingattends them as it did Adam and Eve before the fall. TheHoly Spirit comforts and sustains them.

The resurrection of Christ makes all of life significant.The Christian’s days become a hymn of thanksgiving for reallife in Christ. When pride and sin again threaten to bringdeath, the Christian flees to Christ for forgiveness and life.He receives the good and abundant life as a gift.

Real life in Christmeans that the Christiancan enjoy all of God’sgood gifts. Good litera-ture, good art, good food,good recreation—all aremade meaningful by thereal life which Christ dailybestows.

Real and abundant lifenow and forever is God’sfree gift in Christ. Death isdefeated. As Christianswalk through a corruptand dying world, they arecalled to embody real life,showing Christ to all whoare dying. If Christianvision ever becomes blurred, faith in Christ again pierces thedarkness with His light and life. His life calls His faithful toconfess the infinite significance and sanctity of all humanlife, which originates in the holiness of its Creator. He whonumbers the hairs of the heads of each of His children andwatches over the birds of the air has made life precious. Bythe gift of His Son’s life, every man and woman can berestored to real and abundant life in the blessed and holyTrinity, now and forever.

Dr. Dean O.Wenthe is President of Concordia Theo-logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In much of today’s culture whatso many call “really living” isoften marked by carelessnessand irresponsibility at the expenseof other human lives. It reduceshuman beings to insignificance.Such lives are emptied of mean-ing and often end in despair.The defeat of death by Christ’sresurrection, however, meansthat those who are joined toChrist now live before God ininnocence and holiness.

JULY 2005

Almost 30 years have passed since I sat in thebalcony of the Academy of Music inPhiladelphia to view the film series, “What-

ever Happened to the Human Race?” It was thepremier showing of a stunning visual experiencethat eventually toured 20 major cities. The textand narration of the five-episode seminar wereprovided by Francis Schaeffer, an internationallyacclaimed theologian, and by C. Everett Koop,then chief surgeon at Children’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia and, later, the Surgeon General ofthe United States.

WhateverHappenedto the

HumanRace?Dr. Jean S. Garton

Their combined expertise exposedthe subtle but rapid loss of humanrights through the growing acceptanceof legalized abortion, infanticide, andeuthanasia. Yet, even they could hardlyhave anticipated the rapidity withwhich America wouldembrace still more destructivepolicies and barbaric proce-dures. We now have partial-birth abortion, a cruel but legalmethod that would be criminalif used on animals. There iscloning by embryonicprocesses in which human lifeis created specifically forexploitation and eventual ter-mination. The biological com-mingling of human and animal

The apathy of so many “goodpeople” has eased the wayfor America to “move withthe times,” but while thatmay have made life moreefficient, more technological,and more economical, it hasmade life less human andless humane.

7

parts is a field of research rapidlyevolving into even more exotic andunsettling mixes of species.

Great civilizational shifts usuallyrequire decades or even centuries ofdevelopment.Almost overnightRoev.Wade, the 1973 abortion ruling bythe U.S. Supreme Court, discardedan entire structure of moral reason-ing, legal precedent, and culturalconscience. A “right to choose”became the highest moral and polit-ical good, and “choice” took (andcontinues to take) precedence overreligious teachings, traditional val-ues, and even truth. Choice, howev-er, has proven to be terrible whenthere is no duty to guide it, noresponsibility to regulate it, no char-acter to curb it, and no truth to test it.

A number of years ago LouisEvans Sr. observed that 75% ofAmericans don’t think, 15% thinkthey think, but only 10% actuallythink. (And he said that before tele-vision, the mind-numbing plug-indrug!) Today it is estimated thatonly 3% of Americans are able tothink critically. Thinking meansconnecting things, and while legal-izing abortion 32 years ago was anattack on truth, it was also an attackon the mind. Many problems todaythat relate to human life don’t sufferfrom a scarcity of solutions. Theysuffer from a scarcity of truth and ascarcity of thought. In the 1959 playby Eugene Ionesco, a human beingturns into a rhinoceros. However, as the play progresses, thatsame transformation is undergone by all but one of the humancharacters. The heroine, who witnesses a man turning into an ani-mal, provides the key to the drama’s message. “Just before hebecame a beast,” she says, “his last words were, ‘We must movewith the times.’”

When the highest court in the land chose to “move with thetimes” by making abortion a woman’s choice (at any time and forany reason), it provided the soil for the sexual and familial issueswe face today. The government chose to “move with the times”by endorsing condom distribution in public schools. The medicalprofession chose to “move with the times” when it opened thedoor to assisted suicide, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cellresearch. The American public chose to “move with the times”when it opted for accommodation in response to practices andpolicies that would have been unthinkable a few years earlier.

The apathy of so many “good people” has eased the way for

America to “move with the times,” but while that may have madelife more efficient, more technological, and more economical, ithas made life less human and less humane. Our acceptance ofdeath solutions to life’s problem has taken a toll on our ability tofeel horror or shame, much less guilt. It has coarsened our moralsense and, as a culture, we have become increasingly desensitizedto violence and to the admonitions of Scripture concerning “theleast” among us.

There are also practical implications for having adopted a util-itarian view of human life. With the elimination of over 40 mil-lion unborn children through legal abortion, why are we surprisedthat we are experiencing a shortage of teachers, doctors, nurses,and church workers? We have aborted more babies than the totalpopulation of Canada; more than twice the population of Aus-tralia; more than the combined population of 12 U.S. states. Thir-ty years ago there were 23 workers for every retiree; today thereare only three. Could the 40 million fewer Americans be a con-


tributing factor in the current concern forthe viability of Social Security?

The nation recently observed the ten-year anniversary of the Oklahoma Citybombing. News coverage featured photosof the national memorial built on the siteof the demolished federal office building.The memorial, named The Field of EmptyChairs, consists of 168 bronze and stonechairs, 19 of them child-sized, each onebearing the name of a person who perishedin that brutal, senseless act of violence. Aspart of the ceremony, one second ofsilence was observed for each victim of what the media called“the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.” But is it?

What if we were to observe a single second of silence for eachunseen, unheard, unknown aborted child? We would have to besilent every day, around the clock, for a year and three months.What would a field of 40,000,000 empty chairs look like?

I think it was Voltaire who once said: “We owe respect tothe living; to the dead we owe only the truth.” We owe it to the40 million aborted children to tell the truth about their human-ity. To the living we owe respect and protection regardless oftheir age or condition. There are some 180 million Christiansfrom all denominations in the U.S. Many of them describethemselves as pro-choice despite repeating the Apostles’ Creedevery Sunday. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker ofheaven and earth.” Those words affirm a familial relationshipbetween God and humanity, a recognition that it is He whomade us and not we ourselves. So then, by what authority doesanyone claim “the right to choose” to tell God which of His cre-ations we will or will not allow to born?What prerogative givesus license to kill human embryos to obtain their stem cells? Bywhat right dare we condone actions that will end the life ofhuman beings simply because they are old, weak, infirm, orhandicapped? G. K. Chesterton rightly said, “The survival ofthe fittest leads to the survival of the nastiest.”

We are responsible not only for what we ourselves do butalso for what we allow to be done. Abortion isn’t about theright to choose or the right to privacy. Essentially, it is aboutthe decline of human significance. That is why it is an issue forthe church. This country desperately needs renewal andrestoration, but this country is going nowhere unless thechurch goes there first.

A pastor friend tells of one night when (after stories, drinks,and threats) his children were ready to say their bedtime prayers.His five-year-old prayed with unusual intensity and length. Theboy’s list of things he was thankful for almost exhausted the ani-mal kingdom, included all known relatives, and named everyfriend he had ever had. Then came the climactic moment whenthe little boy said, “But, most of all, Lord ... most of all, thankyou for ...” Before he finished, the father, being a clergyman,puffed up with pride, certain his son would say something won-derfully spiritual. Instead, what the little boy said was, “But,most of all, Lord; most of all ... thank you for ME!”

We forget how much children simply enjoy themselves;enjoy God’s world; enjoy just being alive; and because of all ofus who work together, sacrifice together, pray together, and wit-ness together to the sanctity of human life, more and more

unborn children will have the opportunityone day to say, “Thank you, Lord, for me!”

Dr. Jean S. Garton is a Co-founderand President Emeritus of LutheransFor Life and resides in Benton,Arkansas.

9JULY 2005

Abortion isn’t about the right tochoose or the right to privacy.Essentially, it is about the declineof human significance. That iswhy it is an issue for the church.This country desperately needsrenewal and restoration, but thiscountry is going nowhere unlessthe church goes there first.


Avoiding theFence:Pro-life Education i

This becomes a problem—especiallyfor pastors—when people from differentsides of this fence are found within ourown Lutheran parishes. As the Director ofLife Ministries for our LutheranChurch—Missouri Synod (a division ofLCMS World Relief/Human Care), Iknow pastors who deal nobly with thisissue and how bestto apply Law andGospel to individualsituations.

Unfortunately, Ialso know of pastorsand parishionerswho offer up eitherof the two mostcommon argumentsfor avoiding thisissue in their con-gregations: 1) “Thisis a political issuethat needs to stayout of the church,”or 2) “I don’t wantto offend my parish-ioners. What if someone out there in thepew has already had an abortion?”

This is where our Lutheran theology,with its proper distinction between Lawand Gospel and its roots firmly planted atthe foot of the cross, becomes so precious.

This theology has so much to offer to peo-ple who are struggling with difficult lifeand death issues. It holds out the real hopeof forgiveness and reconciliation, and ourCatechism provides a wonderful windowwith which to examine these issues in thelight of God’s Word.

It is critical that our pastors and churchworkers understandand make that con-nection between ourtheology and thedaily issues thatarise. That’s why Iam so pleased thatthe faculty at Con-cordia TheologicalSeminary (CTS) hasmade pro-life educa-tion for its students apriority and a com-mitment.

In my work, Ihave been blessed towork in partnershipwith the faculty at

CTS in this effort for life. By serving on ourSynod’s Committee for the Sanctity ofHuman Life, CTS President Dr. Dean O.Wenthe, other committee members, and Iare able to keep each other abreast of thevery latest developments in pro-life out-

This is where our Lutheran theolo-gy, with its proper distinctionbetween Law and Gospel and itsroots firmly planted at the foot ofthe cross, becomes so precious.This theology has so much tooffer to people who are strugglingwith difficult life and deathissues. It holds out the real hopeof forgiveness and reconciliation,and our Catechism provides awonderful window with which toexamine these issues in the lightof God’s Word.

Afew weeks ago, I spent the day repainting the whitepicket fence in front of my house. Even though I lovethe cute little fence in my yard, the job was quiteboring. I had time to think a lot—probably too

much—about fences. As a pastor’s wife and pro-life worker,I’ve never been very good at sitting on fences—metaphori-cally, that is. And when it comes to the topic of the sanctity ofhuman life, everybody lands on one side of the fence or theother. Either you protect and defend the sanctity of human lifein all its stages or you don’t.

By Maggie Karner

theFence:P in Preparation for the Parish

reach and new challenges in the field ofbioethics. The Committee also serves a crit-ical purpose for our Synod as it seeks toprovide timely and practical resources forthe parish.

As a part of LCMS World Relief andHuman Care, the Department of Life Min-istries has also been engaged in someexciting cooperative pro-life projects withthe students and faculty at CTS. Follow-ing my recent trip to Novosibirsk, Siberia,regarding a grant request to establish awoman’s crisis pregnancy center, LCMSWorld Relief and Human Care was able towork in conjunction with CTS to bring theRussian director of this project to study inthe Deaconess Program at the Fort WayneSeminary. Following months of theologi-cal study and practical, hands-on trainingat the local Fort Wayne Crisis PregnancyCenter, she will return to Siberia this sum-mer to begin this new Russian center as apart of her deaconess internship.

To complement this effort, Dr. ArthurA. Just Jr., the Director of DeaconessStudies at CTS, has been diligent indesigning the curriculum to emphasize thepractical applications of our Lutherandoctrine upon our acts of mercy—espe-cially within the context of life. By coop-erating closely with local pro-life workerswithin the Fort Wayne community, Dr.Just has discovered many valuable, andhands-on, educational opportunities forthe women in the Deaconess Program.With training in crisis pregnancy counsel-ing, post-abortion healing, and end-of-lifeissues, these highly-qualified women arebeing made aware of the intense need forLutheran workers in these areas.

And in today’s post-modern world, Iam pleased to know that men and womenat CTS are also given the opportunity tostudy in the emerging field of bioethics.Cloning, embryonic stem-cells, euthana-

sia, and other end-of-life issues are all top-ics with which our church workers will befaced in the years ahead.

Prof. John T. Pless teaches the “Theo-logical Ethics” course, which is required ofall fourth-year Master of Divinity and dea-coness students. In this course, they exam-ine ethics in the framework of Lutherantheology—specifically within the frame-work of the Catechism. The structure of theCatechism gives students a fine perspectiveto view life issues in light of the First Com-mandment and the Creed. Prof. Pless feelsthat, “a dishonoring of creation underminesthe Gospel, for God’s Son took on ourfleshly life to redeem us in body and soul.Lutheran pastors will honor the bios inbioethics for the sake of the Gospel.”

Another of my co-workers, LCMSSanctity of Human Life Committee mem-ber the Rev. Dr. James Lamb, who servesas the Executive Director of NationalLutherans For Life, echoes the need forLutheran pastors and church workers tounderstand these sometimes complexissues. Dr. Lamb feels that, “These are notpolitical issues. Primarily, these topics aregrave spiritual issues that have beenpoliticized by a culture that is focused ondeath. The wonderful gift of our theologyserves as a critical ‘tool’ for pastors andchurch workers to educate and serve theirparish and the culture around them.”

To this end, the top priority of Luther-ans For Life (LFL) is to educate and equipseminary students with resources to helpthem address these issues in the parish. Bysponsoring an annual seminary banquet toencourage and educate students, and bysupplying fourth-year candidates and dea-coness students with a large three-ringbinder packed full of resources, LFL exe-cutes this goal on the campus of CTS andother Lutheran seminaries and collegesaround the United States and Canada.

After their graduation, both LFL andLCMS Life Ministries remain committedto serving these workers in their Call tothe truth and faithfulness of the Gospel.

The church has a public teachingresponsibility—especially for the sake ofits members. We must speak forcefullyand directly in those circumstances whenfundamental moral principles are at stake,because when we’re silent, we denysouls—both in the world and in ourpews—the opportunity to receive theGospel of forgiveness and reconciliation.And there is no more tragic offense. Mar-tin Luther put it this way:

If you see anyone who is con-demned to death or in similarperil and do not save him,although you have the means andways to do so, you have killedhim. It will be of no help for youto use the excuse that you did notassist their deaths by word ordeed, for you have withheld yourlove from them and robbed themof the kindness by means ofwhich their lives might have beensaved. (Large Catechism)

As a pastor’s wife, I see firsthand thedifficult challenges pastors face in thisarea, and I am increasingly thankful for thewonderful pro-life education that has been,and continues to be, provided for seminar-ians and deaconess students at CTS. I amthankful for the grace that freely flowsfrom our confessions.And I pray for God’scontinued blessing, strength, and peace forthese students as they enter a world that sodesperately needs to hear the message—and “life”—of the Gospel.Maggie Karner is the Director of

Life Ministries for the LCMS WorldRelief/Human Care, St. Louis,Missouri.

JULY 2005 11

An Ethic of Life:Confessing the First Commandment and the First Article


What Does This

MEANA

utonomy, literally “law unto oneself,” seems tocharacterize the mindset of our age. Yet as Wern-er Elert reminds us, autonomy is a myth, an illu-sion: “Before God autonomy cannot achieve

comprehensive fulfillment. It remains merely a demandof the ego” (The Structure of Lutheranism, 26). Life’sbeginning and its ending testify that we are notautonomous. The fact that we have belly buttons is anever present reminder that we were not self-made. Gene-sis describes how God moldedAdam from the dust of theearth, and to that dust we all shall one day return. We arepowerless to give ourselves life and ultimately we cannotsustain life. The Catechism confesses that “God has cre-ated me together with all that exists … without any meritor worthiness of mine at all!” (The Book of Concord,Kolb/Wengert, 354-355). Life is not a possession that weobtain for ourselves; it is a gift from the hand of the Onewho is our Father.

The temptation to autonomy is not new. We see it inthe third chapter of Genesis as our primal parents areseduced by the great lie: “you will be like God—knowinggood from evil.” In exchanging the truth of their depen-dence for the promise of independence, Adam and Eveare now bound to death—death under God’s judgment.No wonder that the atheistic philosopher Jean-Paul Satrewould remark that even if the biblical God did exist, wewould have to pretend that He did not in order to be freein the way that we think we want to be free! We arethrown back to the illusion of autonomy. It is an expres-sion of idolatry.

Our culture enacts the lie that human beings are themaster over life and death. We see this expressed at life’sbeginning and end. The most weak and helpless amongus, the unborn, are not afforded protection. In vitro fertil-ization technologies coupled with the lan-guage of “reproduction” reinforce the notionthat children are products of our makingrather than gifts from God. Genetic engi-neering opens up the possibility of designingone’s own descendents to use the phrase ofGilbert Meilaender. In old age or in times ofincurable illness, euthanasia and assistedsuicide are championed as a matter of per-sonal entitlement, as a matter of rights. Ifdeath is inevitable, we will at the very leastdemand that we have a choice in the timing

and manner of our demise. Even in death, we will cling tothe notion of autonomy.

The opposite of autonomy is faith. Faith recognizes Godas the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Life has valueprecisely because it is a gift from God. Faith lives not bywhat is seen or experienced but by the promises of Godgiven in Christ Jesus. Created by God, human life carrieswith it inestimable worth because it belongs to Him and hasbeen redeemed by His blood. The value of life is not set bystandards of health or disease, ability or capacity, age oraccomplishment. Our existence is not justified by what weare able to do, but byGod’sWord that declares us to be holy.

A Lutheran ethic of life is anchored in both creationand redemption and it comes to expression in vocation.Luther observes that we are “daily bread” to each other. InGod’s marvelous arrangement of the world we are recipi-ents of life and every blessing through God’s masks—those people that God has placed in our lives as instru-ments of His creative love and preserving mercy. And inturn, God uses us as His masks to give and sustain thelives of others. To ignore or neglect them is to turn awayfrom Christ who “hides” Himself in the neediness and suf-fering of the neighbor. Liberated from narrow notions ofautonomy, we are set free to thank and praise God withlips that confess His goodness and serve and obey Him aspeople who have been called from death to life.

For pastors and laity who desire to dig deeper into anunderstanding of the ethic of life, the following books arerecommended for reading and reflection: Michael Banner,Christian Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems(Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge UniversityPress, 1999); Richard Eyer, Holy People, Holy Lives:Law andGospel in Bioethics (St. Louis: Concordia Pub-lishing House, 2000); Gilbert Meilaender, Bioethics: A

Primer for Christians, Second Edition(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publish-ing House, 2005); and Leon Kass,Life,Lib-erty, and the Defense of Dignity: TheChallenge for Bioethics (San Francisco:Encounter Books, 2002). All of these titlesare available from the CTS bookstore.The Rev. John T. Pless is an Assistant

Professor of PastoralMinistry andMissionsat Concordia Theological Seminary, FortWayne, Indiana,andEditor of For the Life ofthe Worldmagazine.

What Does This

MEAN

JULY 2005 13

� Worship with the seminarycommunity at chapel servicesheld four times a day.

� Visit seminary classes toexperience firsthand thedynamic learning environment.

� Learn more about financial aid foryour specific situation by meetingwith our Director of Financial Aid.

� Explore the affordable Fort Waynehousing market by meeting one onone with our Relocation Coordinator,reviewing the homes available forsale from other seminary families,and visiting local neighborhoodsand apartment complexes.

� Locate Lutheran and public schoolswith resources provided by ourRelocation Coordinator and byvisiting the schools themselves.

� Identify potential employers, schools,real estate agents, insurance agents,health care services, and campusresources at the Display Fair.

� Acclimate yourself to the campusand learn about its architecture witha tour of the chapel, the classroombuildings, the Food and ClothingCo-ops, the Christ’s Child LearningCorner, and the gymnasium.

� Enjoy multiple opportunities forfellowship with our President, ourfaculty, our staff, and our students.

Sept. 22-24, 2005For more information, contact theOffice of Admission at the following

address and phone number:

6600 N. Clinton St.Fort Wayne, IN 46825

[email protected](800) 481-2155

CTS Online: www.ctsfw.edu

PrayerfullyConsiderFall Invitational Campus Visit

Imagine you are a young couple with a growing family, asthe husband you are a successful director of a businesssupport department at a midwestern university, your wife isa stay-at-home-mom and also manages to work part time as

a CPA. Most would be looking ahead to more career advance-ment and financial security. But this is not the trek chosen bySteve and Kim Schave; they decided to come to the seminary.Granted it didn’t happen overnight and there was a great deal ofgroundwork laid by those around them and much prayerfulconsideration by the Schaves.

For the Life of the World

“I never thought that I would be quali-fied for the Holy Ministry. Strategic plan-ning, board rooms, business systems, andbalance statements never fazed me, but thethought of getting into the pulpit terrifiedme,” offers Steve. “I never thought I couldbe the focal point for the proclamation ofGod’s Word, because it was such an awe-some responsibility.” He truly felt he was

where God wanted him to be, but he soonfound out God may have other plans thanwhat we have in mind. Steve says Godused the associate pastor at his home con-gregation of Trinity Lutheran Church,Toledo, Ohio, to see things a bit different-ly. The Rev. Ted Andrada encouraged himto take on more responsibilities within thecongregation. Pastor Andrada also made

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by Jayne E. Sheafer

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JULY 2005

sure Steve was on the CTS Admissionmailing list so he could see for himselfwhat was available at the seminary.

Steve did become more involved serv-ing on the Board of Elders and assistingwhere appropriate during worship services.Steve admits things got off to a little bit ofa rocky start, and he began to doubt hisdesire to become a pastor. “But the more Irealized that it is God working through Hisservants when we serve Him, the easier itbecame. Just glancing through the Bibleyou see the most unlikely people beingchosen to serve God. Names like Moses,Saul, David, and Joseph come to mind.Despite their shortcomings, God calledthem because they had humble hearts andwanted to serve Him,” recalls Steve.

As he and Kim prayed and discussedthe possibility of his one day becoming apastor, they decided a visit to Fort Waynewas in order. “I visited CTS for the Prayer-fully Consider Campus Visit which washeld shortly after the September 11thattacks. The speakers were excellent andspoke of the great need we have in ourworld for men to step out in faith tobecome shepherds in a world that is wan-dering astray. From that time on I knewGod was leading me to begin my studiesfor the ministry,” says Steve.

And so they packed up their home andbrought their family to Fort Wayne. Theyknew this was a life-changing move, butlittle did they know how this would affectKim’s future. “The SeminaryWives’ classespiqued my interest in wanting a deeperunderstanding of Lutheran theology.Whileresearching women’s roles in the church, Iread about “diakoneo” in the 1985 CTCRdocument on Women in the Church. I hap-pened to remember vaguely hearing aboutthe new Deaconess Program at the sem, soI visited its website,” says Kim. “When Iread the description of how a deaconessserves and the nature of the theologicaltraining she receives, I was compelled topray about whether God was leading me inthis direction, to which I received theanswer in time.” That answer was apositive one and Kim enrolled in theDeaconess Studies Program at CTS.

Fast forward to April 2005 and theSchaves await a vicarage assignment for

Steve and a deaconess internship for Kim.They will both serve at Mount CalvaryLutheran Church, Warner Robbins, Geor-gia, under the supervision of the Rev.David Brighton. Steve has been assignedto serve as a church planter, and themembers of Mount Calvary havealready pledged to support him as heworks to establish a new congregation.Kim will be involved in the areas ofhuman care and cross-cultural min-istry. How do they feel at the prospectof working together? “In terms ofworking with Kim as a pas-tor/deaconess couple, I can’t think ofa better complement to reaching outto others with Gospel than to showthem the compassion of Christthrough acts of mercy . . . I look for-ward to working with Kim in theyears to come,” says Steve. “Myvision is really just God’s vision, togo out into a world that is trapped indarkness, to show them the light ofJesus Christ who was crucified toset them free, to preach the GoodNews to the poor in spirit, andrelease those who are oppressed bytheir sins.”Steve and Kim are the

parents of Rachel (8); Sarah (6);Leah (4); and Luke (3). Theyalso had twins Joshua andZachary who were taken totheir heavenly homeafter just oneday on thisearth.

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Plan Ahead!Are you thinking about

attending CTS? Make plansto visit with us during:

Fall Prayerfully ConsiderInvitational Campus Visit

September 22-24, 2005(800) 481-2155

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For the Life of the World16

The Word of God is the same whether you areproclaiming it in a farming community in western Iowaor in a bustling, military community of the Northwest.The things that change are the joys and challenges

unique to each area. The Rev. Jeffrey Pulse (CTS 1984) knowsabout those challenges and joys firsthand as he has servedin both areas of the country. His first Call was to St. John’sLutheran Church, Burt, Iowa, where he served from 1985-1995. He is now the Senior Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church,Bremerton, Washington, where he has served since 1995.

Joys andChallengesProclaiming theWBy Jayne E. Sheafer

In Iowa he was ministering to acommunity going through difficultchange during the farm crisis of the1980s. In Bremerton, where there arethree nearby Navy bases, he faces a fluxof members as they are transferred in andout during their military careers. “Afterstruggling with this in the beginning, Ihave come to grips with the challenge byseeing our task as that of educating,nurturing them in the faith, and sendingthem out as good members to serve else-where in our Synod,” says Pastor Pulse.

To help equip and prepare people to goout and serve, each pastor and congregationneeds to take a look at their own situationand see how they can best reach out to thecommunity-at-large. The members of

Peace have supported the planting ofchurches in Kingston and BainbridgeIsland, with one in the North Silverdale/Poulsbo area scheduled to conduct itsopening worship on Palm Sunday 2006.Beyond that, with the Lord’s blessing, thecongregation has plans to start yet anotherchurch in Port Orchard in 2007. “This hasbeen very exciting, and we have beenblessed with people dedicated to this effort.The Rev. Russ Horn of Bremerton ‘invent-ed’ the plan and has been very helpful inthe process,” commented Pastor Pulse.

Another integral part of the congrega-tion’s mission and outreach is its schoolwith preschool through grade eight. “Ourschool has been essential to the outreachand the growth of Peace. We offer a

To help equip and preparepeople to go out andserve, each pastor andcongregation needs totake a look at their ownsituation and see howthey can best reach out tothe community-at-large.

17JULY 2005

theWordLutheran/Christian education withoutapology or excuses. Some 50-75 percentof our new families come through ourschool,” offers Pastor Pulse. “The princi-pal, Doug Eisele, and the staff are fantas-tic at using the classroom as a missiontool. Because we work closely togetherand not in competition, both church andschool continue to grow. I believe ourschool is one of our greatest blessings.”

Members of Peace also concentrate oncontinuing education in areas other thanthe dayschool. On Wednesday eveningsthey offer a meal, worship, and classes forall ages. Pastor Pulse sees this midweekworship and study time as an excellentopportunity for new families from theschool to become acquainted with thecongregation. There is also a more in-depth option for adults. “Four years ago,with the help of one of our vicars, now theRev. Paul Koch, we began a Lay Theo-logical Symposium. Each year we fly outa guest speaker from one of our seminar-ies for a three-day symposium gearedtoward upper-adult-level theological top-ics. This year Dr. Lawrence Rast (CTSAssistant Academic Dean and AssociateProfessor of Historical Theology) is com-ing,” says Pastor Pulse.

Even with these successful programsin place Pastor Pulse knows there is a con-

tinual battle to fight as faithful pastorslabor to nurture and grow healthy congre-gations. “One of the greatest challenges inthe lives of the people of the church comesfrom within the church itself. The churchas a whole seems all too willing to fallprey to the ‘fads’ of Christianity. I supposethis is because we believe there is a magicwand out there that will solve all problemsand fill all the pews,” observes PastorPulse. “Most of these fads do little morethan keep the people of the church occu-pied with fixing themselves while theyde-emphasize the foundational position ofWord and Sacrament ministry. While mostof these fads are generated outside of theLCMS, they often are adopted or adaptedby our churches. This sends an inconsis-tent and confusing message to the peopleof our parishes.”

In an effort to avoid those pitfalls thatoccur when the church follows the worldrather than leads, Pastor Pulse offers thisadvice. “For the parish the answer is thesame as it has been from the beginning—Word and Sacrament ministry grows andnurtures the people of God, not rocketscience; but then why would it be—whyshould it be?”Pastor Pulse and his wife, Sara, have

three children: Nathaniel (16); Jonathan(14); and Mikal Soo (12).

For the parish the answeris the same as it has beenfrom the beginning—Wordand Sacrament Ministrygrows and nurtures thepeople of God, not rocketscience; but then whywould it be—why shouldit be?


Since being called to teach at Concordia The-ological Seminary in 1996, I have been frus-trated that our curriculum did not requiremore study of the Gospels. There is a longer

history to this concern. Already when I began mystudies at this seminary as a young man in 1980, Iwas a bit surprised that I was required to take onlyone course on the Greek text of a Gospel (Luke orJohn). I took Luke as my “required Gospel,” but alsoended up taking an elective course in the Gospel ofMatthew as well as an independent study in the Lifeof Jesus that used all four Gospels. During a year of

additional graduate work at Prince-ton Theological Seminary, I had acourse on the Gospel of John aswell as another on the Life of Jesus.This study of the Gospels hasenriched my understanding ofJesus and shaped my life in Him.Once I began serving a congrega-tion in 1985, I quickly realized thevalue of the time spent carefullystudying Jesus in the Gospels sinceso much of a pastor’s preachingand teaching are drawn fromMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Inaddition, the Gospels have beeninvaluable in my understanding ofthe centrality of reading Christfrom the rest of the Scriptures,including the Old Testament. AsJesus told fellow Jews of His day:“It is they [the Scriptures] that bearwitness to Me” (John 5:39).

It was not, however, primarilymy personal experience that con-tributed to some significantchanges to the study of the Scrip-tures in our new curriculum thatwill begin this fall. If you were toask faithful Lutherans who fill thesanctuaries of congregations

across the globe what they want to see in their pas-tor, the description that would regularly be repeatedis this: “A pastor who knows the Scriptures well,

proclaims Christ clearly from them, and lives thelife of Christ in serving his flock as well as theworld.” It is just such a “view from the pew” that hashelped shape many courses in our new curriculum,including the courses that involve the careful studyof the Scriptures in the original languages ofHebrew and Greek (what is known as “ExegeticalTheology”).

The centrality of God’s revelation in the life,death, and resurrection of Jesus has been shown inthe church for centuries through the prominent use ofthe four Gospels in worship and teaching. Of all theScriptures that “bear witness” to Christ, none do itmore powerfully than the Gospels as they fix oureyes and ears on the climax of God’s redemption offallen creation: Christ’s death and resurrection. Evenas the four Gospels have a dominant role among theScriptures that are read and preached in worship, soalso they have become a more dominant part of theformation of future pastors at our seminary. Two ofthe first courses every future pastor will take areGospels I and Gospels II. The first Gospels coursewill introduce students to the interpretation of Scrip-ture through an intensive study of Matthew. Not onlywill students have professors who “open” to themthis Gospel in class lectures (Luke 24:32), but stu-dents will also be engaged in this process throughweekly small group sessions focusing on the inter-pretation of a specific text from Matthew. The prin-ciples and process of interpretation will be learned byseeing how Jesus and Matthew interpret the Old Tes-tament. Lutherans will be practicing what we preachabout sola scriptura (the Scriptures are the onlysource and norm of Christian faith and life) by learn-ing the doctrines of the Virgin Birth, substitutionaryatonement, Baptism, sanctification, the Lord’s Sup-per, the mission of the church, and much more fromthe narrative of Matthew. Gospels II will continuethis pattern by studying major sections of the Gospelof Luke and some key portions of Mark. This immer-sion into the life and teaching of Jesus will not onlybe at the start of a student’s life here, but will becapped off in the final year with a course on theGospel of John (Gospels III). Whereas the presentcurriculum required one course on one of the

“They BearWitness toChrist, the Scriptures, and the New

By Dr. Charles A. Gieschen

Whereas the presentcurriculum required onecourse on one of theGospels, the new cur-riculum will requirethree courses on allfour Gospels. Are weconfident that futurepastors will be blessedthrough seeing andhearing Jesus so much?Absolutely!

JULY 2005

Me:”C Curriculum

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Gospels, the new curriculum will require threecourses on all four Gospels. Are we confident thatfuture pastors will be blessed through seeing andhearing Jesus so much? Absolutely!

Nor is that all. To cultivate the habit and practiceof using the Greek text of the Gospels in preaching,students in this new curriculumwill take Greek Read-ings during their two years prior to vicarage. Thiscourse will meet for one hour each week in groups offour to seven students with one professor in order tostudy the Gospel reading for the following Sundayand how it should be preached. An accent of the newcurriculum is the small group setting in order toencourage future pastors to speak about texts thatthey will soon have to preach and teach!

A similar approach will be used with our Old Tes-tament course sequence. Rather than requiring onlycourses on Genesis and Isaiah, we will now requirePentateuch I (Genesis), Pentateuch II (Exodus,with a few selections from Leviticus, Numbers,and Deuteronomy), Major Prophets (Isaiah, withselections from Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel),and Psalms (an interdisciplinary course that willfocus on both the interpretation of individualpsalms and their use in worship). Furthermore,whereas the old curriculum required one course inthe Apostle Paul’s epistles (Romans or Galatians),students will now take “Pauline Epistles” which willfocus on key portions of both Galatians andRomans, as well as several important selections fromother letters of Paul.

As you can see, at the heart of this “new” cur-riculum is something quite “old”: the Scriptures,especially the Gospels! Students will hear Jesus,see Jesus, and be formed by Jesus for the missionHe has given to the church. May the ChiefShepherd say of shepherds formed at this sem-inary: “They know Me well through the Scrip-tures that shape sermons and service whichbear witness to Me!”Dr. Charles Gieschen is an Associate

Professor and Chairman of the ExegeticalTheology Department at ConcordiaTheological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS),Fort Wayne, is pleased to announceits Spring 2005 calls to the pastoralministry and vicarage assignments.

CALLSApril 27, 2005

ANTHONY W. AHRENDTTrinity & First English Lutheran ChurchesGreat Bend (Wahpeton) & Fairmount, ND

JAMES T. BATCHELOR (AR)Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchHoopeston, IL

GREGORY M. BEARSSFirst Lutheran Church (Associate Pastor)Hot Springs, AR

JOHN C. BENNETTSt. John Lutheran ChurchVernon Center, MN

RANDALL T. BESSETTE SR.Our Savior Lutheran ChurchMashpee, MA

JOHN C. BESTULRollingwood Lutheran ChurchSan Pablo, CA

DAVID P. BOHLMANNCrown of Life Lutheran Church (Pas-tor/Worker-Priest)Elkhart, IN

PHILIP A. BOLENChrist Lutheran ChurchRemsen, IA

ALAN L. BROADWELLTrinity Lutheran ChurchGrangeville, ID

THOMAS J. CLARKChrist Lutheran ChurchSt. Paul, NE

JOEL A. C. DIETRICHZion & Christ Lutheran ChurchesChestnut & Clinton, IL

THOMAS A. DUNBAR (AR)Immanuel Lutheran ChurchAvilla, IN

STEVEN C. ENSLEY (AR)Bethlehem Lutheran Church(Assistant Pastor)Fort Wayne, IN

CORY A. ESTBYZion Lutheran ChurchGrant Park, IL

ROBERT W. HAUTERSt. Paul Lutheran ChurchKouts, IN

JEREMY K. HEILMANBethlehem Lutheran ChurchChicago, IL

JAMES M. HILL (AR)St. John Lutheran Church & Lutheran CityMinistriesDetroit, MI

ROBERT T. HILLSt. Paul & St. Paul Lutheran ChurchesWimbledon & Kensal, ND

PAUL G. HOPKINSSt. Michael Lutheran ChurchRogers City (Belknap), MI

ANTHONY J. IOVINESt. Matthew’s Lutheran ChurchNew Milford, NJ

JOTHAM JOHANN (DELTO)St. Andrew Lutheran ChurchSilver Spring, MD

JAMES N. JUDSONOur Savior & Immanuel Lutheran ChurchesBottineau & Willow Creek, ND

BRIAN L. KACHELMEIERImmanuel Lutheran ChurchSanta Fe, NM

DAVID A. KAHLEZion Lutheran ChurchImperial, NE

DAVID W. KERN (AR)St. Paul Lutheran ChurchWest Frankfort, IL

JAMES L. KIRKMANChrist Lutheran ChurchPhoenix, AZ

LARRY N. KNOBLOCHGrace Lutheran ChurchCrockett, TX

JOEL R. KROGENHope Lutheran ChurchBatesville, AR

L. LYNN LUBKETrinity & Immanuel Lutheran ChurchesIowa Park (Clara) & Harrold, TX

KENNETH R. MARSSt. John’s & Immanuel Lutheran ChurchesKimball, NE & Burns, WY

JARED K. MELIUSNew Life Lutheran ChurchMiramar, FL (Missionary to Santiago, Chile)

JOHN H. MELMSGrace English & Zion Lutheran ChurchesPine Bluffs, WY & Grover, CO

THOMAS C. MESSERPeace Lutheran ChurchAlma, MI

RYAN E. MILLSZion Lutheran ChurchGuthrie, OK

KRISTAN J. MORRISPeace Lutheran ChurchSelah, WA

TIMOTHY L. NERUDConcordia Lutheran ChurchSouth Haven (Fair Haven), MN

DAVID D. OHLMANSt. John Lutheran ChurchPilger, NE

CHRISTOPHER J. PATTERSONGreenwood Lutheran ChurchGreenwood, SC

LEONARD R. PAYTONSt. John Lutheran ChurchHoricon, WI

DONALD E. PETERSON IIIImmanuel & Grace Lutheran ChurchesOrmsby, MN

DEREK A. ROBERTSNew Life Lutheran ChurchMiramar, FL (Missionary to Santiago, Chile)

CLARENCE O. ROGERS IIISt. John’s Lutheran ChurchChatham, IL

TIMOTHY E. SANDENOGrace Lutheran Church (Associate Pastor)Summerville, SC

KIRK W. SCHIELDShepherd of the Lake Lutheran ChurchTwo Harbors, MN

NATHAN A. SHERRILLSt. Paul Lutheran Church (Associate Pastor)Council Bluffs, IA

CALVIN E. SIEGEL (AR)Bethlehem & Zion Lutheran ChurchesFall Creek, WI

AARON A. STINNETTMount Calvary & Zion Lutheran ChurchesPolson & St. Ignatius, MT

ALLEN R. STREFLING (AR)Salem Lutheran ChurchColoma, MI

BRIAN J. THORSONZion & Trinity Lutheran ChurchesLewisville, MN

JARED C. TUCHERTrinity Lutheran Church (Assistant Pastor)Gillette, WY

JOHN E. WACKLER (AR)St. Paul Lutheran ChurchTexhoma, OK

KEVIN C. WENDORFSt. John’s Lutheran ChurchOnarga (Ash Grove), IL

C. BRYAN WOLFMUELLERHope Lutheran ChurchAurora, CO

VICARAGESApril 26, 2005

DUSTIN L. ANDERSONOur Savior Lutheran ChurchSedalia, MO

MARK C. BESTULCalvary Lutheran ChurchElgin, IL

RANDY M. BLANKSCHAENImmanuel Lutheran ChurchPensacola, FL

KENT A. BORGLUMZion & Our Savior Lutheran ChurchesSpringfield & Windom, MN

MICHAEL D. BOYERChrist Evangelical Lutheran ChurchStevensville, MI

DANIEL G.O. BURHOPMt. Calvary Lutheran ChurchBrookings, SD

MATTHEW A. BUSESt. John’s Lutheran ChurchChester, IL

DAVID M. CARVERTrinity Lutheran ChurchNorman, OK

DANNY E. CHAMBERSSt. Peter Lutheran ChurchPearsall, TX

WILLIAM P. COPUS JR.Peace with Christ Lutheran ChurchFort Collins, CO

JACOB A. CORZINESt. John Lutheran ChurchEast Moline, IL

JACOB W. EHRHARDGood Shepherd Lutheran ChurchSherman, IL

DAVID R. EMMONS JR. (DEL)St. Peter’s Lutheran ChurchNorwalk, CT

STEVEN J. FRANKTrinity Lutheran ChurchHampton, IA

MATTHEWM. FRICKTrinity Lutheran ChurchEvansville, IN

JOSHUA D. GENIGSt. John Lutheran ChurchWheaton, IL

STEVEN D. GIRARD (DEL)The Lutheran Church of the Triune GodBrooklyn Center, MN

PETER F. GREGORYTrinity Lutheran ChurchPalo Alto, CA

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JOHNNY V. GREVESt. Peter’s Lutheran ChurchPingree Grove, IL

MICHAEL S. GRIEVEFirst Lutheran ChurchLake Elsinore, CA

MATTHEW J. HABERMASMemorial Lutheran ChurchHouston, TX

PHILIP W. HALESt. Paul’s Lutheran ChurchFredericksburg, IA

STEPHEN M. HANDZion Lutheran ChurchBeecher, IL

JASON C. HARRISSt. John’s Lutheran ChurchScottsbluff, NE

DANIEL J. HERBSt. John Nottingham Lutheran ChurchCleveland, OH

JOEL R. HOLCOMBE IIISt. Paul Lutheran ChurchWaco, TX

CURT R. HOOVER (DEL)Faith Lutheran ChurchFranklin, TN

DENIS E. HUELLE (DEL)Peace Lutheran ChurchBremerton, WA

MATTHEW K. JEFFORDSTrinity Lutheran ChurchBoone, IA

JEFFREY M. KEUNINGPeace Lutheran ChurchBerne, IN

STEPHEN W. KIESER (AR)Redeemer Lutheran ChurchFort Worth, TX

EDWARD J. KILLIAN (DEL)Grace Lutheran ChurchLeMars, IA

THAINE L. KISTERSt. Paul & Mt. Olive Lutheran ChurchesRed Bluff & Corning, CA

ERIC A. KLEINSCHMIDTRedeemer Lutheran ChurchHighland, IN

GREGORY A. KOEPSELL (DEL)Grace Lutheran Church & MN DistrictBecker, MN

CHARLES R. LEHMANNSt. Paul Lutheran ChurchHamel, IL

DANIEL J. LEPLEYTrinity Lutheran ChurchVinton, IA

BRIAN C. LICHT (DEL)St. Paul Lutheran ChurchCarroll, IA

RAY W. LONG III (DEL)St. Paul Lutheran ChurchSedalia, MO

STEPHEN R. MANZGrace & Trinity Lutheran ChurchesNeligh & Elgin, NE

SETH A. MIEROWImmanuel Lutheran ChurchRoswell, NM

JEREMY H. MILLSTrinity Lutheran ChurchCasper, WY

MICHAEL S. MONTERASTELLILuther Memorial ChapelShorewood, WI

MARCUS J. NELSONTrinity Lutheran ChurchLombard, IL

DAVID J. PANNING (AR)Holy Lamb Lutheran ChurchMyrtle Beach, SC

DAVID R. PREUSMt. Olive Lutheran ChurchBillings, MT

CHRISTEN E. PRUMM (DEL)St. Paul & Prince of PeaceLutheran ChurchesColdwater & Quincy, MI

NATHAN R. RADDATZMartini Lutheran ChurchBaltimore, MD

CHRIS L. RAFFASt. John’s Lutheran ChurchTopeka, KS

ROBERT A. REINERT II (DEL)Immanuel & St. Matthew Lutheran ChurchesEagle Bend & Clarissa, MN

JEREMY D. RHODEFaith Lutheran ChurchCapistrano Beach, CA

MARTIN M. RICH (DEL)Trinity Lutheran ChurchBeloit, WI

PETER A. RICHERTSt. Paul Lutheran ChurchLockport, IL

KERMIT P. RICKENBERGZion Lutheran ChurchClark, NJ

STEVEN D. SCHAVE (DEL)Mt. Calvary Lutheran ChurchWarner Robins, GA

KURT A. SCHILLING (AR)Redeemer Lutheran ChurchDenver, CO

JOHN A. SCHUETZ (DEL)Good Shepherd Evangelical LutheranChurchSheboygan, WI

ARTHUR SCHWENK JR. (AR)Trinity Lutheran ChurchLaPorte, IN

MATTHEW D. SHIVECalvary Lutheran ChurchYuma, AZ

JEFFREY A. SIEGELHope Lutheran ChurchJacksonville, AR

RAYMOND A. SMITH (DEL)Trinity Lutheran ChurchOrtonville, MN

FLOYD P. SMITHEY JR. (DEL)Heavenly Host & Shepherd of the HillsLutheran ChurchesCookeville & McMinnville, TN

JEFFREY D. SPRINGER (DEL)Emmanuel Lutheran ChurchFort Wayne, IN

T. CLINT STARKRocky Mtn. District & University LutheranChapelAurora & Boulder, CO

TIMOTHY D. STORCKMessiah Lutheran ChurchSeattle, WA

JACOB R. SUTTONImmanuel Lutheran ChurchTerre Haute, IN

HOWARD S. TRAVIS (AR)Trinity Lutheran ChurchManistee, MI

STEVEN M. VOELKER (AR)Lutheran Homes, Inc.Fort Wayne, IN

JEFFREY W. WARELiving Word Lutheran ChurchThe Woodlands, TX

THOMAS W. WINTERImmanuel Lutheran ChurchSaginaw, MI

NATHAN P. WOOLERYPeace Lutheran ChurchHastings, NE

LARRY D. WRIGHTSt. Paul Lutheran ChurchAlbion, MI

LARRY R. YAWRedeemer Lutheran ChurchBartlesville, OK

STEPHEN K. ZEHNDERZion Lutheran ChurchWoodburn, IN

INTERNSHIPSApril 26, 2005

LINDA COSGROVESt. John’s Lutheran ChurchTopeka, KS

LEONARDA DECKERLithuanian Evangelical Lutheran ChurchKlaipeda, Lithuania

ANNE KOSCHEBoard for Mission Services & BethesdaLutheran HomesDominican Republic

NICOLE LARSENGrace Lutheran ChurchSan Mateo, CA

ANGELA LUBBESMEYEROur Redeemer Lutheran ChurchChugiak, AK

KIM SCHAVEMt. Calvary Lutheran ChurchWarner Robins, GA

GLORIA VLADIMIROVASt. Andrews Lutheran ChurchNovosibirsk, Siberia, Russia

AR: Alternate RouteDEL: Delayed VicarageDELTO: Distance EducationLeading to Ordination

Deaconess Internships

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Never far from ourthoughts and prayersare the men and women

serving throughout the worldin the various branches of theUnited States Armed Services.One such soldier is PrivateFirst Class (PFC) ChristopherW. Scicluna recently returnedfrom active duty in Iraq. PFC Sciclunatold of his experiences from his tour ofduty in Iraq during a “Fireside Chat”on April 19.

PFC Scicluna, a member of the 215Forward Support Battalion, 2-7Infantry Unit, 1st Cavalry Division,served from March 2004-March 2005at Camp Cooke, just 15 miles north-west of Baghdad. He is currentlystationed at Fort Hood, Texas. The fac-ulty, staff, and students of CTS wereparticularly pleased to have PFCScicluna speak on campus as hisfather, Jon, is an M.Div. student.

In a related effort, CTS iscurrently sponsoring an “Adopt-a-Unit” project. This project,which began in the fall of 2004,is designed to show supportfor active-duty military troopsstationed overseas by sendingcare packages. The first ship-ments of 57 care packages were

sent to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, andGermany. Many of the care packageswere sent to family members of studentsand staff at CTS; in fact, PFC Sciclunaand members of his unit were recipientsof some of the care packages.

Care packages are scheduled to besent out about four times a year.The nextshipment is scheduled to be sent at theend ofAugust 2005. If youwould like tosubmit the name of a family member orfriend on active duty or would like tostart your own group to accomplishsomething similar to this project, pleasecontact Linda Scicluna at 260-492-1877.

For the third consecutive year fourth-year students and their wives hadthe wonderful opportunity to retreat in a beautiful setting just 45 minutesnorth of the seminary at Pokagon State Park. Dr. John Eckrich, a St. Louis

physician and Executive Director of Grace Place Retreats, led the students andtheir wives in light exercise and relaxation. Mr. Eustolio Gomez, from WorkerBenefit Plans, made a brief presentation on finances and the family. Dr. DavidLudwig, a LCMS pastor and licensed therapist from Hickory, North Carolina,shared helpful marriage information with his “Think We, Not Me” presentation.This presentation was especially helpful because he related how marriages canbe daily restored from a Law and Gospel process through rich forgiveness wehave through Jesus Christ. Dr. Harold Senkbeil and his wife, Jane, participatedas faculty representatives along with the Rev. Timothy Puls, Dean of Students.Two local congregations and their pastors also assisted with this retreat,Emmanuel and St. Peter Lutheran Churches.

“The goal of Grace Place is simple. Encourage healthy, loving pastors to beboth wonderful husbands and fathers. Theseretreats enable husbands and wives to havethe appropriate time to discuss a number oftopics in their lives and communicateregarding them. They are also encouragedto both relax and exercise so that they mayserve well both their families and parish-es,” explained Dean Puls. Plans for nextyear’s retreat are already underway.

Fourth Year Seminarians and WivesExperience Grace Place

The joyous conclusion of our firstPeople of the Book Lutheran Out-reach (POBLO) cycle was the ordi-

nation and installation of 12 men whohave dedicated themselves to the ministryof Christ among the people of Islam. Theceremony was hosted by Faith LutheranChurch, Troy, Michigan, whose pastor,the Rev.WarrenArndt, is a member of theBoard of Directors of POBLO. Dr. DavidBuegler, Fifth Vice President of TheLutheran Church–Missouri Synod andmember of the Board of Regents at CTS,assisted Dr. William C. Weinrich, Acade-mic Dean, who represented the faculty atthe liturgy of ordination. Over the lasttwo-and-a-half years Concordia Theolog-ical Seminary has provided theologicaleducation to these men so that they areproficient in biblical interpretation,church history, Lutheran understandingof the Christian faith, and in the variouspastoral skills and aptitudes. A new cycleof courses for the POBLO program beganin June 2005.

“As a faculty, we are extremely proudof these graduates of CTS, and we arepleased to be a part of this important pro-gram of providing pastoral and theologi-cal leadership to Christian missionsamong the people of Islam,” commentedDr. Weinrich. “Our Synod can also takegreat pride that it has men of such highcaliber who represent it to the Moslemcommunity. The men in the POBLO pro-gram have demonstrated an intellectualvigor and theological articulatenesswhich is not common among those whohave not been lifelong Christians.” Thefaculty of CTS has only the highestregard and praise for these spirituallygifted men with whom we now share thevocation of public ministers of the Word.

Islam Communityto Be Served byPOBLO Graduates

Returning Soldier Speaksat CTS “Fireside Chat”

In the spring of 2005 two CTSprofessors made working visitsto Madagascar. Professor John

Pless, Assistant Professor ofPastoral Ministry and Missions,visited the island country in lateFebruary to present a Christianresponse at a conferencediscussing HIV/AIDS. Prof.Pless’ visit was supported by theLCMSBoard for Human Care andhe was invited by the Rev. RakotoModeste, President of theMalagasy Lutheran Church.

Some 82 people attended theconference including the majorityof the regional synod presidents,pastors, lay leaders, and Lutheranmedical personnel. Prof. Plessgave three lectures on ethics andpastoral theology in relation toHIV/AIDS.

In addition to his presentationsat the conference, Prof. Plessand his colleagues were able todistribute confessional Lutherantheological books and CD’s to theseminaries and pastors who canread English. “This trip providedus with a splendid opportunity tobe of Christian service to ourbrothers and sisters in Madagas-car. Frankly, the trip was a high-light of my professional life. I am confident that this experi-ence will enhance and enrich my teaching of pastoral theolo-gy here at CTS,” said Prof. Pless. “The Malagasy LutheranChurch gives evidence of faithfulness and vitality. Over 2,000people were present in the early service at the church servedby the Rev. David Rakotonirina in Antananarivo.”

Dr. William C. Weinrich, CTSAcademic Dean, also spenttime in Madagascar this spring lecturing at the graduate sem-

inary of the Malagasy Lutheran Church. Thegreat majority of people in

Madagascar live in pover-ty, and the seminary

students are no exception.While they are very eager toparticipate in theological stud-ies, the library holds very fewbooks and students cannotafford to purchase new books.

Also while in Madagascar,Dr. Weinrich was able to experi-ence firsthand some of the day-to-day realities of life in thiscountry. “I was able to witnessand to some extent participate inworks of charity, especially inthe Good Samaritan projectwhich feeds 150 of the mostpoor once a month with a bowlof rice and beans and onebanana for each person, half ofwhom are small children. At themoment this labor of love costsapproximately $90.00 eachmonth. The goal of the volun-teers who work this project is tofeed these people once a week.An additional $300 per monthwould enable them to do that,”observed Dr. Weinrich.

While the people are poor inthe things of this world, Dr.Weinrich agrees with Prof.Pless in observing their spiritu-al wealth. “I also was able toparticipate in the worship life of

the people in Madagascar, preaching four times, once to acongregation of 4000 and once, on Palm Sunday, to around50 persons crowded into the ground floor room of a mud-baked house, typical of the villages and countryside ofMadagascar,” commented Dr. Weinrich. “These 50 peoplewere from four different congregations which have beenformed by the Rev Rakotonirina, pastor in the capital city ofAntananarivo and a D.Min. student at CTS. Most of thesepeople had walked (barefoot!) for over 25 miles to come tochurch that morning. To see that is truly humbling!”

Seminary Professors Serve in Madagascar

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For the Life ofthe World18 JANUARY 2003

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Legacy—the very word conveysan image that exudes warmth. Wethink of a legacy as something thatlives on even after a person is gone. Itis something one leaves behind forothers to appreciate and value.

Those who support Concordia TheologicalSeminary believe in leaving a legacy. They under-stand the blessing we have received through faith inthe atoning work of our Savior. They also know theimportance of nurturing the legacy and passing it onto others. And that is precisely what the work of theseminary is about–preparing men to pass on thelegacy to another generation.

Times have changed. Whereas at one time theSynod’s budget provided most of the money the sem-inary needed to operate, today the Synod’s resourcesno longer enable such support. Consequently the vastmajority of the seminary’s support comes from directgifts of individuals, congregations, etc.

We are at the beginning of a new fiscal year on July1, a time of new beginnings and new opportunities.With the increase in enrollment which we anticipatethis fall, and the challenge of supplying so much of thebudgetary needs from direct gifts, it is especiallyimportant to raise up new friends for the seminary atthis time to get the new year off to a good start.

One of the blessings we’ve been given this year isan increase in the matching gifts that Thrivent is will-ing to make. This year Thrivent will make matchinggifts of $1 for every $2 a Thrivent member gives to

the seminary, to a maximum of a $300 match on a$600 gift. For a couple, both of whom are Thriventmembers, a $600 match on a $1,200 gift is possible.If donors work for a matching gift company, giftsbecome even more valuable with additional matches.

Why should one give to the seminary? It is herethat the men prepare to proclaim publicly the faithonce delivered to the saints, the legacy left us by ourforefathers. Men whose aspiration is to serve God byserving His people undergo rigorous education sothat they may be equipped to bring hope and comfortto people whose hearts are aching. They prepare toinstruct the young that they may begin the Christianwalk early in life and move steadily on their pathwayto heaven. Here men prepare for or receive advancedtraining in mission work, sharing the blessed Gospelof salvation with people throughout the world. Con-cordia Theological Seminary has a worldwidereputation as a center for such study. In the past fewyears alone, professors have taught in over 20different countries, especially in some of the formerSoviet bloc countries, assisting newly formedchurches as they develop a Lutheran identity in theirlands. In addition, students from even more countrieshave come here to study.

Your assistance, so urgently needed at this time,joins you to the seminary as a partner in this greatundertaking. Please use the envelope contained inthis issue to address this need. We ask boldly for yourpartnership in this great endeavor that this noble workcontinue to serve the Lord of the Church, knowingthat He who gives us all that we have will move thehearts of His people to a generous response to carryon a living legacy to future generations.

A Living Legacy

Use my gift for preparing men to serve as pastors.Please send me information about:�� Direct Gifts. �� Estate Planning. �� Endowments. �� Including CTS in my will.Use my gift for:�� General Operating Fund. �� Student Aid.�� Check or �� Mastercard �� Visa Amount $_________________

Credit Card #___________________________________________ Exp. Date:________________________Your Name: _______________________________________________________________________________Address: __________________________________________________________________________________City: ________________________________________________ State: _______ ZIP:____________________

Please send your donation to: Concordia Theological Seminary, Attention: Advancement Office, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46825 or call 877-287-4338, Advancement Office, Ext. 2268.


1Miss Irene Hennings wasraised in Boston and later lived inLebanon, New Hampshire,

where she was a member of Our SaviorLutheran Church in Hanover. Sheworked for many years as a bookkeeper.

Throughout her long life Miss Hennings was appreciative of theimpact her parents had in her Christianupbringing. Her keen interest in tryingto encourage more students to study forthe ministry led her to establish the J.Frederick and Katherine F. HenningsStudent Aid Endowment at the semi-nary named for her parents.

Our Lord called Miss Hennings toher eternal home in November 2003 atthe age of 97. Since that time the sem-inary has received several distributionsfrom her estate which total $535,000.Income from this endowment will helpfund student aid for men studying forthe ministry.

2Miss Dorothy Minikel wasborn in St. Joseph, Michigan,and after graduating from high

school went on to earn a teachingdegree from Western State Teacher’sCollege. She continued her educationand went on to earn a Master’s degreefrom Columbia University Teacher’sCollege in New York. She taught business education classes in MidlandHigh School for 33 years, part of thattime as Chair of the department. Shewas very active at St. John’s LutheranChurch, Midland, Michigan.

When Miss Minikel was called toeternity in September 2004 at age 96,she left almost $200,000 to ConcordiaTheological Seminary to fund theDorothy Minikel Student Aid Endow-ment Fund.

3Miss Ella Pelz was born andraised in Chicago. She becamethe Chief Assistant to Walter

Olsen, President of the Olsen RugCompany, and was the trustee of hisestate. Her own charitable instinctswere undoubtedly nurtured throughthis wonderful work.

Miss Pelz spent her retirement yearsin Wilmette, Illinois, and was an activemember of Bethlehem LutheranChurch in Evanston. She was an ardentadvocate of sound confessional theology. When she entered heaven inOctober 2002, just a few days beforeher 102nd birthday, she left almost allof her estate to various Lutheran charities, including about $1,550,000 tothe seminary for the Ella Pelz StudentAid Endowment and an additional$600,000 in an endowment at theLCMS Foundation to benefit studentsat either seminary. Her life, dedicated toher Lord for over a century, will have ahuge impact for decades to come.

Three Examples of Faith and Giving

JULY 2005 25

It has been observed that women will at some point control most of the wealth in the United States. Part ofthe reason for that is because they tend to be youngerthan their husbands and outlive their husbands, thus in

most cases leading them to control the assets both hadaccumulated over a lifetime. In other cases, of course,women who have been single all their lives are in controlof their own assets. Such is the case with the three womenwhose stories are told here.

The stories of these three women of God are different, yet they are similar inone respect: they all showed a profound love for their Lord and His church whichwas manifested by their willingness to provide aid for those who want to serve aspastors through these endowments.

While the seminary’s endowment has grown in recent years, far more is needed to provide the kind of stability and steady support that is needed to assiststudents to the degree that will keep them from incurring overwhelming debt during their years of education. If you would like more information on beginningan endowment either in life or through an estate plan, please call 260-452-2268. Wewill be glad to work together with you.

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Vicars, Deaconesses, Candidates Receive Assignments During April Services

Every man studying for the Holy Ministry and womanpursuing the vocation of deaconess at CTS look forward to the day they will take that first step toward

using what they have learned in the classroom and applyingit to “real life” in the parish. In his remarks to the workerspreparing to embark on this year of learning in the parish, theRev. Donald J. Fondow, President of the Minnesota NorthDistrict, urged the vicars and deaconess interns to abide continually in the Word so that they will be prepared to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever God gives themthe opportunity.

During services at Kramer Chapel on April 25, 74 vicarageand seven deaconess internship assignments were announced. Each vicar and deaconess has been assigned to a congregation or institution where they will have theopportunity to “learn while doing” under the supervision ofordained clergy of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.This year’s vicars will be serving across the United States,from California to South Carolina. In addition to statesidedeaconess internships, several women will serve internation-ally in Lithuania, the Dominican Republic, and Novosibirsk,Siberia, Russia.

On the following evening, April 26, in an atmosphere ofjoy and anticipation candidates, their families, and friends

gathered for the annual spring Candidate Placement Service.It is during this service that eligible candidates receive theirfirst Call into the Holy Ministry and learn where they willbegin their journey as pastors in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

Amid the excitement of the evening the Rev. Dr. Jon T.Diefenthaler, President of the Southeastern District andpreacher for the service, reminded each candidate of his most important duty as a pastor. “It is the Gospel that everyLutheran pastor is called to proclaim, to proclaim it to thoseoutside the church, as well as within,” charged Dr. Diefen-thaler. “I pray that the Gospel will be at the center of everysermon you preach.” Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, LCMS President, greeted each candidate after he received his Call.

While Kramer Chapel was filled to standing-room-onlycapacity, many more were able to listen to the service via alive Internet broadcast. Well over 750 people logged-on to theseminary’s website and took advantage of the opportunity tolisten to both the placement and vicarage services.

Please join the entire CTS community as we pray for allthe workers who received assignments. May the Lord of theChurch encourage them and bless their efforts as they striveto fulfill our Savior’s Great Commission to spread the Gospelmessage and make disciples of all nations.


THE GOOD SHEPHERDI N S T I T U T E

Pastoral Theology and Sacred Music for the Church

27JULY 2005

The Council of Presidents held its April meeting on our campus.The president from each of our 35 synodical districts was on handfor this important meeting and to participate in the VicarageAssignment and Call Placement services on April 25 and 26.

The Board for Pastoral Education (BPE), led by Dr. L. DeanHempelmann, met on the CTS campus May 5-6. Accordingto the 2004 Synodical Handbook the BPE has authority withrespect to the Synod’s seminaries. The Board serves the mem-bers of the Synod by coordinating pre-seminary educationprograms, seminary education, and post-seminary continuingeducation, and by providing advocacy for pastoral educationwithin the church.

On May 19-21, the CTS community was pleased to have ourBoard of Regents meet on campus. In addition to their meetingsto discuss the future and welfare of the seminary, the group wasable to attend Baccalaureate and Graduation services.

CTS Hosts Many Spring Visitors Luther on Liturgy and Hymns

The Good Shepherd InstituteSixth Annual Conference � November 6-8, 2005

For brochures and more information contact Heidi Mueller at 260-452-2143 or online at www.ctsfw.edu., or write to:

The Good Shepherd Institute, Concordia Theological Seminary, 6600 North Clinton, Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

Presenters PLENARIESFrank C. Senn Luther’s Liturgical Reforms

Arthur A. Just Jr. Luther’s Theology of WorshipCarl F. Schalk Luther on Music Revisited

Paul Westermeyer Luther’s Hymns – Part I: The Catechism, German Mass, and Leison Hymns

Richard C. Resch Luther’s Hymns – Part II: The Psalms, Canticles, and Newly Composed Hymns

Daniel Zager Luther and Bach

Presenters SECTIONALSCameron A. MacKenzie The Other Reformers on Liturgy,

Hymns, and MusicKevin J. Hildebrand Luther’s Hymns as Service Music:

Choral and Instrumental

EVENTSGail L. Walton,

Notre Dame University Luther and Bach in Recital

Seminary Schola Cantorum All Saints’ Choral Vespers

Timothy E. Albrecht, Emory University Luther Hymn Festival

Children’s Choir ofHoly Cross Lutheran Church Monday Choral Vespers

John G. Mueller, Director

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Friday, May 20, dawned with a dayfull of activity and ceremony as thefaculty, staff, and student body

observed the close of the 159th academicyear. “It is important that our pastors andcongregations understand the great blessing which God is granting to TheLutheran Church–Missouri Synod in menand women who are being prepared byour seminaries. Nothing equals the quali-ty pastoral and diaconal training whichtranspires on our seminary campuses,”commented Dr. William C. Weinrich,Academic Dean. “This year, too, has wit-nessed the collegiality which comes withliving, learning, and praying together.Such a life of learning can only benefit thechurches as our students go to them withthe word of the Gospel of Christ.”

Highlights of the day included themorning Baccalaureate service where theRev. Richard Krogen of Coon Rapids,Minnesota, served as preacher. He is thefather of Joel Krogen, a member of thisyear’s graduating class. The Rev. Daniel P.May, President of the Indiana District,served as speaker for the graduation ceremony later in the day where Master ofArts, Master of Divinity, Master of SacredTheology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctorof Philosophy in Missiology degrees wereconferred. During that service the fourth-year class gift, a portrait of Dr. Walter A.Maier II, Professor of Exegetical Theolo-gy, was presented in recognition of Dr.Maier’s 40 years of seminary service. Wewere also blessed to have members of theCTS classes of 1955 and 1965 and theirspouses in attendance.

Also receiving special recognitionwere the Rev. C. William Hoesman, Pres-ident of the Michigan District, whoreceived an honorary Doctor of Divinitydegree, and Dr. Gene Edward Veith,Director of The Cranach Institute, whoreceived the honorary Doctor of Lettersdegree. Three special laypeople were hon-ored with the seminary’s Miles Christi(Soldier of Christ) Award. This award wascreated by the faculty in order to recognize

and honor Lutheran laymen and lay-women in the church who have glorifiedGod through a real contribution in somefield of human endeavor and who havedisplayed the characteristics of good sol-diers of Jesus Christ (II Timothy 2:3). The2005 recipients are Mrs. Mildred Liichow,Ascension Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne,Indiana; Dr. Gary Scheumann, TrinityLutheran Church, Auburn, Indiana; andDr. Daniel Schmidt, also of TrinityLutheran Church, Auburn, Indiana.

All three honorees were recognizedfor their care and generosity toward theinternational student population at CTS.Mrs. Liichow, who is fluent in the Russianlanguage, has been very helpful in assist-ing with students from eastern Europeancountries who have come to study at CTS.Doctors Scheumann and Schmidt, bothdentists, have given selflessly of theirtime and talent to care for many international students.

While these events marked the end ofanother exciting and successful year atCTS, Dr. Weinrich and the entire seminarycommunity are already preparing for thecoming year, “We look forward to seeingour returning vicars and those who arecompleting their first year of study. Welook forward to a new incoming class that,from present perspective, appears to bevery strong. May Christ richly bless thosewho learn and those who teach here atConcordia Theological Seminary that theymight be a blessing to the Lord’s people.”

159th Academic Year Draws to a Close with Special Services

Mrs. Mildred Liichow

Dr. Gene Edward Veith

Rev. C. William Hoesman

(l-r) Dr. Gary Scheumann,2005 Miles Christi Award

Recipient, President Dean Wen-the, Dr. Daniel Schmidt, 2005Miles Christi Award Recipient

�� Please contact me with more information.

�� We have enclosed our yearly $25.00 check for our group to be an Affiliate Guild.

�� I have enclosed my yearly $10.00 check to be an individual affiliate member.

�� I have enclosed a check to support the renovation of the Commons area.

�� Donation Day gift.

A f f i l i a t e G u i l d R e g i s t r a t i o n

�� Yes, we are interested in becoming an Affiliate Guild. Please send more information to:Name: __________________________________________________________________Organization: ____________________________________________________________Address: _______________________________________________________________City: ________________________________ State: ________ Zip: _________________

�� We are enclosing a donation payable to Concordia Theological Seminary Guild, Box 8, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996.

One of the SeminaryGuild’s favorite meet-ings is our annual

“April Shower” for the children of the Christ’s ChildLearning Corner. With somany children attending,crayons and pencils get broken, coloring books getused up, and toys become

broken or worn out. To help keep attendancefees as low as possible, the Guild membersstep in and help replenish these supplies.

Our Shower this year was on April 12. Thegift table was piled high with gaily wrappedpackages and gift bags. You should have seenthe faces of the children as they were led inholding hands so no one would stray or getlost. After a few words of introduction by Mrs. Renita Nahrwold, CCLC Director, thechildren demonstrated some of the actionsongs they had learned over the past year.Then it was time to open presents! They sat ina circle and each tore into the package theyhad been given. Imagine the distress of one“big boy” tyke when he opened a package ofdiaper wipes; a toy was quickly found to avoidthe tears about to fall. The excitement andhappiness on their faces are reward enough forthe Guild members, but the occasional “thank-you” hug is always appreciated.

Although the Guild had already raised theamount we had pledged toward the StudentCommons Chair Project, it is only half of thetotal needed to start purchasing the chairs.Teaming up with the Student Association andStudent Wives Association a LutherFest washeld on the evening of April 15 in an attempt

to raise the outstanding funds quickly. Atten-dees had the option of regular or smokedbratwurst with all the trimmings, sauerkraut,beans, and the piece de resistance: homemadepies and cobblers baked by members of theGuild. The meal was followed by a showingof the 2004 film Luther with commentary byDr. Cameron MacKenzie. We were blessedwith beautiful sunny skies, warm weather, anda sell-out crowd. Many, many thanks go to theRev. Timothy Puls, Dean of Students; LindaMartz, Community Services; and DouglasMurray, Director of Creative Dining Services,and his staff for helping put together such asuccessful event. A big thank-you to everyonewho bought a ticket and to the BaumeisterAuction which held an impromptu auction ofour excess pies! In total we raised almost$2,000 before receiving any Thrivent match-ing funds . . . Praise the Lord! It appears wewill meet our goal when the additional fundsare received. We plan to present the seminarywith this gift at our September meeting.

The summer months are more quiet for theSeminary Guild, but weare all looking forwardto Donation Day onTuesday, October 18,2005. Watch for moredetails on this in thecoming months. In fact,we will be updating ourSeminary Guild webpage in an effortto keep all our members, far and wide,informed about happenings at CTS. Thewebpage can be found at www.ctsfw.edu,click on About CTS, click on Seminary Guild.

CTS Guild Hosts “April Shower” for CCLC

29

Concordia Theological Seminary Alumni Association Membership

I am enclosing my membership dues of at least $20.00. (Contributions in higher amounts are welcome, as they will benefit the seminary and the students attending it.) Lifetime Membership now available—$250.00

Name: ____________________________________________________ Title:___________________________________Class of:______________ �� Springfield �� Fort Wayne �� Other ________________________________________Street:_____________________________________________________________________________________________City:___________________________________________ State:_______________ Zip:__________________________Telephone: __________________________ E-mail:________________________________________________________Please make your checks payable to Concordia Theological Seminary. This form must accompany your check. Please mail this formand your check to: Alumni Relations Office, Concordia Theological Seminary, 6600 N. Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996.

�� New Membership�� Renewal Membership�� Associate Membership

Cal

led

to S

erve

|Campus Happenings

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AlumNews

Upcoming Reunions

The classes of 1966and 1956 will gatherfor their reunionsduring the graduationweekend May 18-19,2006. Reunion datesfor the classes of1946, 1976, 1981,1986, and 1996 will beannounced this fall.

30

Gathered below the “Springfield Bell,” that called them to worship and rang when they completed their studies, the classes of 1955 and 1965 joined for their reunion. Theclasses participated in the graduation exercises and were recognized for their years offaithful service to Christ and His Church.

Students again?? Indeed, the Class of 1955 met with Dr. Lorman Petersen, one of theirprofessors who had words of wisdom and encour-agement for them as they gathered at their reunionheld during graduation weekend at Concordia Theological Seminary. Both the classes of 1955 and1965 had a marvelous time as they greeted fellowclassmates, some whom they had not seen fordecades. Men and their wives came from as far awayas British Columbia to join in two days of rejoicingover the blessings that God had showered upon themin their 1,210 combined years of ministry.

31JULY 2005

EventsOpening Service 160th Academic YearSeptember 11, 20054:00 p.m.Kramer Chapel

Bo Giertz SymposiumMonday, September 19, 2005For additional info contact:Rev. Eric Andrae412-683-4121, or [email protected]

Prayerfully Consider: Invitational Campus Visit September 22-24, 20051-800-481-2155

First Sunday BrunchesOctober 2, 200511:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Katherine Luther Dining Hall

Seminary Guild Donation DayOctober 18, 20051-877-287-4338, ext. 2204

Good Shepherd InstituteNovember 6-8, 20051-877-287-4338, ext. 2143

MusicAll Saints’ Choral Vesperswith Schola CantorumNovember 6, 20057:00 p.m.Kramer Chapel

Retreats*Confirmation Retreat:Equipped to ServeSeptember 30–October 2,2005

Enter the Biblical World–How to Read the Catechism: Drawing onthe Catechism’s Richnessfor Our Daily LivesOctober 7-8, 2005

Lutherhostel Retreat:Missions and Christian CareOctober 9-14, 2005

Confirmation Retreats:Law and GospelOctober 21-23, 2005 andNovember 11-13, 2005* For additional informationon all retreats phone 1-877-287-4338, ext. 2204, or e-mail [email protected].

For your free subscription, please send yourname, address, city, state, and zip code to: For the Life of the World, 6600 N. Clinton

St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825. Pastors may subscribetheir entire congregation, at no charge, by submit-ting a membership list (including members’ name,address, city, state, and zip code). Lists submitted tothe Public Relations Office will not be used for other solicitations.For those congregations that do not wish to

provide a membership list, bulk subscriptions areavailable for $5.00 per subscription/per year with a50 order minimum.

You can support this magazine through a $20.00yearly donation to the following address: For the Life of the WorldPublic Relations Concordia Theological Seminary 6600 N. Clinton St. Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

Please make checks payable to CTS.If you would like to see For the Life of the World on the World Wide Web, go to web site:www.LifeOfTheWorld.com. The current issue, as well as previous issues, can be found at this interactive portal.

CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Calendar of Events

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE AND FIND . . .

For theLife of theWorld

2 0 0 5Register now for Fall 2005 Retreats. You may register online for all ofthese retreats by going online to www.ctsfw.edu, click on the Events icon, and click on Seminary Retreat in the left-hand column. You may also phone 1-260-452-2204/1-877-287-4338, ext. 2204 for additional information.

Lay Leadership Retreat: Equipped to ServeSeptember 30-October 2, 2005 • Retreat Fee: $135 (Includes on-campus housing and meals)

Enter the Biblical World Retreat: How to Read the Catechism: Drawing on the Catechism’s Richness for Our Daily LivesOctober 7-8, 2005 • Retreat Fee: $35, which includes dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday. Registrations are due September 23.

Lutherhostel Retreat: Missions and Christian CareOctober 9-14, 2005 • Retreat Fees: Registration-$150; on-campus meals-$140; on-campus housing-$25/day

Confirmation Retreats: Law and GospelOctober 21-23, 2005 and November 11-13, 2005 Retreat Fee: $100 (Includes on-campus housing and meals)

6600 North Clinton Street �Fort W

ayne, Indiana 46825-4996

For

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Non-P

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U.S. P

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Huntington, IN

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2005 CTS Retreat Registration Form

Retreat Name and Date: ______________________________________________Name(s): __________________________________________________________Address:___________________________________________________________City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________Phone: ____________________________________________________________E-mail:____________________________________________________________Occupancy: �� Single �� Double Campus Tour: �� Yes �� No

�� Retreat fee enclosed or a $20 non-refundable deposit is enclosed with this reservation.(Note: Dorms are air conditioned.)

Reservations must be received at least two weeks prior to chosen retreat. Mail reservations to: Retreat Coordinator, Concordia Theological Seminary, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

For the Life of the World - Volume Nine, Number Three

Documents

Transcript of For the Life of the World - Volume Nine, Number Three