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

LIFE

Christ In The Old Testament - p.6Sanctification: By Grace Alone - p.8

A Journey from Hopelessness to Life in Jesus - p.10Private Confession & Absolution - p.12

In The Field - p.14

WORLDof the

For the

October 1998. Volume Two, Number Three

Dear Friend in the Faith,

It is no secret that we live in remarkable times. On the one hand, the advances in technology dazzle us daily with ever smaller andfaster computers. There is much to be thankful for in these achievements as they enhance and advance our ability to communicate, totreat those in medical need, and to apply such technology to a myriad of other uses. On the other hand, there is increasing evidencethat such advances do not result in more knowledgeable or virtuous people. Despite the multiplication of degrees, there is growingdata which suggests that the majority of our population is more rather then less ignorant concerning basic grammar, great literature,world history, and fundamental mathematics.More critical than any measurement of simple knowledge is the growing awareness that there seems no longer to be a consensus

in many circles about basic questions of what is right and what is wrong. The killing of the unborn and the elderly ... the casual aban-donment of marriage vows and parental responsibility ... the more public embrace by leaders in business, government and entertain-ment of lifestyles previously regarded as immoral: these developments jolt that part of our population with memories of a differentand more sensitive culture.What is the church to do in such a setting? While we might be tempted to be discouraged, there are unique opportunities to serve

Christ in such a dark epoch. First, of course, is the call to hold up the Scriptural vision with fidelity and clarity. How radically criti-cal the Scriptures are of human pride and pomposity as they empty human life of its significance before the Triune God! How redemp-tive is the Gospel when contrasted with the tottering toys that our culture bows down before! Secondly, we are called to engage in arigorous analysis of the sometimes subtle and sometimes blatant assumptions that undergird our culture’s thinking.Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS) is devoted to both tasks - to a faithful confession of Christ as He is portrayed in the Sacred

Scriptures and to critical reflection about what forms the minds and habits of human beings at the threshold of the third millennium.In this latter effort, the words of H. Richard Niebuhr in his classic Christ and Culture (1951, p. 131) are still poignant: “The Christ-ian-and any man-must answer the question about what he ought to do by asking and answering a previous question, ‘What is my pur-pose, my end?’” Increasingly people assume that they have no purpose and that death is the end. Period. How tragic!When the church capitulates to cultural trends at the expense of fidelity to Christ, the tragedy is compounded. This meltdown in

Christian truth and confession is movingly chronicled by Thomas C. Oden in Requiem (1995). Oden’s own description of his per-sonal pilgrimage back to Christ’s culture.What a privilege and high calling the seminary has to serve a church which treasures the Scriptural truth and seeks to share the light

and life of Christ in this dark and dying epoch! Our baptism into Christ’s life, our nurture in His Word of life, and our participation inHis life at the altar all define us as people who have abundant life now and eternal life in Christ. Our purpose and our end are simplyto live in and for Christ until we rest in Him.Enjoy and benefit from this issue of For the Life of the World. Each article points to Christ and the church’s

life in Him. May this ancient prayer define your days, your life, and your end.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,Christ behind me, Christ before me,Christ beside me, Christ to win me,Christ to comfort and restore me;Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,Christ in hearts of all that love me,Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.(St. Patrick’s Breastplate)

Sincerely yours, in Christ’s service,

Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe,President, Concordia Theological Seminary

FROM THE

PRESIDENT

For the Life of the World2

OCTOBER 1998

F E A T U R E S

3

2 From the President

4 Letters to the Editor

6 The Incarnational Lifeby Rev. Dr. Arthur Just Jr.Professor Exegetical TheologyConcordia Theological SeminaryFort Wayne, Ind.

Our life in the church is incarnational, for itbrings us into communion with Jesus Christ sothat we might delight in Him.

8 Rituals and theEnactment of the Gospelby Rev. Dr. John W. KleinigLecturer at Lutheran Campus,North Adelaide, Australia

Rituals are important for Christians because theTriune God uses them to establish, sustain andextend the church on earth.

10 Born and Born Againby Debra L. Grime, MDSt. Louis, Mo.

At our physical birth, we receive a name. Atour spiritual birth, God writes His name on usas we are baptized, “In the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

12 Kramer Chapel—The Jewel of the Seminaryby Pam KnepperManaging EditorFor the Life of the WorldKramer Chapel continues to represent thecenter of life at the seminary. For in this houseof worship, students, staff and faculty gather asa community to receive God’s gifts in His Wordand Sacraments. By gathering for worship, theseminary demonstrates the incarnationalcharacter of the Body of Christ—His Church.

14 In The Fieldby Pam KnepperManaging EditorFor the Life of the WorldFeatures the Rev. Rick Milas, Campus Pastorat University Lutheran Church at the Universityof Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.

FortheLIFE WORLDof

the

PRESIDENTRev. Dr. Dean Wenthe

PUBLISHERRev. Scott Klemsz

MANAGING EDITORPam Knepper

ART DIRECTORSteve Blakey

For the Life of the World is published quarterly by Concordia Theological SeminaryPress, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of this pub-lication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher of For theLife of the World. Copyright 1998. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at FortWayne, Indiana. To be added to our mailing list please call 219/452-2150 or e-mailRev. Scott Klemsz at CTSNews. For the Life of the World is mailed to all pastors andcongregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the United States andCanada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia Theological Seminary, FortWayne, Ind.

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CONTENTS


This magazine is WONDERFUL! Thepearl in the crown of an already fantasticseminary. Please tell all your colleagues—including Dr. Wenthe—to keep up thegood work. This is exactly what thechurch is crying for.Rev. John M. BergVermillion, S. D.

In your March 1998 issue, the Rev.John Fiene stated, “We practice closedcommunion.” We find no mention ofclosed communion in the LutheranConfessions, nor do we find it in FranzPieper’s Christian Dogmatics. The 1943synodical catechism mentions closedcommunion in connection with Romans16 and 17. But this is hardly closed com-munion. Holy Communion is, by its verynature and will of Christ who instituted it,certainly not closed. Such a concept ofclosed communion reeks of legalism andan oversimplification of a very deep andcomplex theological issue.Rev. Robert BruecknerCentral Nyack, N.Y.

This letter is in response to the article writ-ten by Dr. Gene Veith in the March issueof For the Life of the World. Dr. Veith felthe needed to rip and back everything hecould to prove himself right about worshipin the LCMS.I choose to take a different approach.

And here it is: “Yet a time is coming andhas now come when the true worshipperswill worship the Father in spirit and truth,for they are the kind of worshippers theFather seeks.” (John 4:23)As you can see,Dr. Veith, Jesus says nothing about theblue hymnal.Danny MathisYorkville, Ill.

Your magazine is done in such a beautifulway, but more importantly, it is so wellgrounded in theWord. We really need thisone and I look forward to the next issue.Thank you so much.Erwin EsslingerFort Wayne, Ind.

Thank you for your recent issue of For theLife of the World which was devoted togiving amuch-needed caution about indis-criminately adopting from AmericanProtestantism worship styles which runcounter to our Lutheran heritage and tradi-tional liturgy. The articles are well-written,insightful and, for the most part, free ofthe polemics and misrepresentationswhich so frequently accompany this kindof discussion.I am looking forward to a future issue

which is devoted to exploring waysLutheran congregations can responsiblyuse liturgies and songs that are not consid-ered traditional. I am sure one article inthat issue would include a much-neededcaution about indiscriminately adoptingpractices, such as emphasizing externals(dress, posture, symbolism) over faith inthe heart; elevating liturgy above preach-ing; assuming that a worship service thatincludes Holy Communion is somehowbetter or more complete than a service ofthe Word.May our gracious Heavenly Father

guide all our discussions on this importanttopic and your magazine’s (and the semi-nary’s) participation in those discussions.Rev. Mark D. BrandtFrankenmuth, Mich.

Having just received theMarch 1998 issueof For the Life of the World, I am prompt-ed to drop you a note for a couple of rea-sons. First, may I compliment you and allwho are involved on this publication. Allof the subjects treated are so relative to thechurch today, and I was particularlyimpressed with Dr. Veith’s treatment inThrough All Generations and Dr.Gieschen’s beautiful presentation of FromWhere Do Christian Children Come?I am one of the older generation and

though I admit to a specific attachment tothe traditional worship settings with anattempt at understanding the completerationale behind the focus on the contem-porary, I have seen some of the failedattempts at throwing out so many hymnsin favor of all hymns of praise. I am thelast of the “old guard” here in Lincoln,having been here 57 years in the samecongregation.Andwhile in the new group,who have taken our places in the fifteencongregations in this circuit, we havesome brilliant youngmen. Several of themhave already demonstrated how complete-ly a church service of worship can change.I thank God this does not seem to be in theplans at my own congregation. I do seesome signs, too, of Generations X and Yseeking satisfaction for their spiritual livesthrough the traditional liturgies.Rev. Melvin TasslerLincoln, Neb.

May I join my voice in the chorusof thanks to you for For the Life of theWorld. What a refreshing voice ofconfessing Christianity and the Lutheranconfessional movement today! I continueto look forward to receiving this excitingpublication!Rev. Stephen KruegerPortland, Ore.

Readers share their

LETTERSReaders share their

LETTERS

OCTOBER 1998 5

How is it possible to be so discouragedand suddenly so overjoyed upon readingtwo pieces of mail—both received thesame day? Our local Lutheran church’snewsletter reported adopting the newname of Spirit of Joy Fellowship (contem-porary service only, Lutheran not men-tioned) for a mission church in a rapidlygrowing area of our city.In the same mail, your March issue of

For the Life of the World brought renewedhope that finally someone is speaking outacross the miles expressing my feelingsabout the church growth concept that issweeping (brainwashing) pastors andmany members of our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The comment, “Thechurch has deserted us—where do we gonow?” is something I’ve heard far toooften. May the Lord of the Harvest sendforth pastors who will express and boldlyproclaim the faith of Luther.Since I do not want your inspiring new

publication to become a scandal maga-zine, but rather a positive one speaking outin truth, this letter is bring written toencourage you in letting your readersknow that conservative churches are thriv-ing without using the new praise songsand trimmings.Having served with my husband in

India and in Germany, I am not rigid inworship format. However, the trend isleaning so far away from our Lutheranheritage, I had to express myself.Dorothy SmithOoltewah, Tenn.

Dr. Veith’s article, Through All Genera-tions, should be required reading for allclergy in our beloved Synod.As amemberof Generation X, I feel he is right on themoney. Despite sincere efforts to be rele-vant, most contemporary liturgies leaveme feeling empty, and ironically are notvery entertaining either.

I think Lutherans are most effective andattractive to seekers whenwe try to be our-selves, evangelical and catholic, confes-sional and sacramental. My feelings wereconfirmed by your In the Field articleabout Pastor Fiene, whose congregationhas grown admirably by emphasizingWord and Sacrament and using the tradi-tional liturgy. The photos with the articleshow Advent Church’s new sanctuarybuilt in the Victorian Gothic style. Letthose in the church growth movementtake heed.Please keep up the good work. If your

magazine honestly reflects the attitude anddirection of Concordia Theological Semi-nary, then there is hope for our Synod yet.Mr. and Mrs. John WilksSchaumburg, Ill.

I received my copy of For the Life of theWorld and found it interesting and welldesigned with good eye appeal.I also found it interesting that Dr. Veith’s

article began with thoughtful insights intothe changes that have occurred in succeed-ing generations, from the postWWII gen-erations to today’s Generation X. But itended up being an article defending thenotion that only liturgical services andhymns from our Lutheran hymnals offermeaningful worship.Dr. Veith’s article fails in several

respects. First of all, it portrays contempo-rary worship as shallow and self-focused.Since I am not aware of his experiencewith so-called contemporary (I preferalternate) worship, it would be unfair ofme to assume that he has experienced thealternate worship I have experienced.The alternate worship that I have expe-

rienced is theologically sound, uses songsthat emphasize our sinfulness and need ofa Savior, and song that are usually directquotations of the Psalms, the ApostolicWord and the Gospels.

While liturgical worship is meaningfuland enriching, our Synod is surely not sorigid in deciding what is acceptable wor-ship that it moves against the Confessionswhich affirm that a congregation is free touse those forms that if finds helpful andedifying, and that support the mission wehave from God to reach out to people ofall cultures.I may be wrong in assuming such evan-

gelical openness to variant forms of wor-ship. By insisting on our treasured heritagein a rigid manner, we probably have sur-rendered the production of the AfricanAmerican hymnal supplement. Dr. Veithsays that the answer to objections by theolder post WWII to his view of contem-porary service(s) is “not to give them a bigband service. Nor to give Generation X apunk or hip-hop or death metal service.The answer is in the genius of the hymn-book.” Has it occurred to him that many ofour people object to just that solution?I hope that For the Life of theWorldwill

continue to include articles that provokethought and inspire like The GoldenThread of God’s Presencewhich traces thespiritual journey of Helen Kraus. She’sone of our Lord’s real troopers!Rev. Delmar KruegerDanville, Ill.

Your letters arealways welcome.

Please address them to:PamKnepper

6600NorthClinton StreetFortWayne, Indiana 46825-4996

Fax: 219-452-2227E-mail: [email protected]

and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Our Lord’s ownwords could not be clearer. And note that when He speaks of “theScriptures,” He is referring to the Old Testament (as is also thecase in the Nicene Creed where it states, ‘And the third day Herose again according to the Scriptures’). Later, of course, the termwas extended to include the New Testament as well.There were skeptics and heretics already in the early church.

Most (in)famous wasMarcion, who taught that the Old Testamentrepresented a different god and threw out the whole OldTestamentand some of the New Testament. On the whole, though, in the

main catholic confession of the church there never was anyserious debate about it until relatively modern times beginningwith the eighteenth century and the so-called “Enlightenment”.Martin Luther and most of the Reformation were also certainlyno exception!The ordinary believer certainly makes the same confession

today, but is sometimes hard put to apply the confession in detail.Let us start with something that I think most Christians do almostautomatically.When we read of “God”, “the Lord”, etc. in the OldTestament, we simply assume, as we should, that this is ourGod or Lord, the same God who in the fullness of time becameincarnate in Jesus of Nazareth and who still manifests Himself tous through the Holy Spirit.Let me call your attention to our liturgical usage. Especially

when used in public worship, every psalm is to be concluded withthe “Gloria Patri” (Glory be to the Father...). While notcommanded, this should not be dismissed as simply a pious, butinert custom. It confesses that we do not “Christianize” the psalmsby changing their texts, but that we confess their prolongation orextension into the time of the Holy Spirit, that is, our time and untilthe end of time.Sometimes the word “typology” is used to describe the

predictive meaning of topics in the Old Testament itself withoutthe illumination of the New Testament (sacrifice and priesthoodare two major examples). But the deeper meaning of typology isthe recognition that the faith of the Old Testament is essentially ofthe same type as ours, regardless of surface differences. That is,salvation was not available by works or human merit, but was afree gift of God’s undeserved grace evident in His election of anunworthy people and in His promise of a Savior to come.That is, we do not “read into” the Old Testament meanings that

are not there (although, of course, this is possible). Rather we“read out” of it its full meaning as revealed by Christ in the NewTestament. There is no one fully adequate way of expressing thistruth but one of my favorites goes back to the church father,


Old TeOld TeChrist in theChrist in the

SearchtheScriptures...”SearchtheScriptures...”

St. Augustine: “The New Testament is latent in the Old; the OldTestament becomes patent in the New.”A common picture or metaphor for visualizing such a

confession is the bud and the blossom. Anyone who knows theflower will see in its bud what he knows will eventually open intoa beautiful flower. Everything is really in the bud, but what is therewill only be revealed in the “fullness of time” (“Galatians 4:4).Any attempt to “read” the bud in another way would simply bemistaken.The Creator has established a genetic connection

so that the bud can only become what it is“programmed” to become. We are reminded ofJesus’ frequent use of the word “must” to describeHis necessity to fulfill the Scriptures, not only insuffering and dying, but also in rising again (e.g.Mark 8:31; Luke 24:44).Christians have long spoken of the “pre-existence”

of Christ from eternity to eternity (soour Lord Himself in John 8: 58; cf.,Colossians 1: 15ff). But there is noGospel or Good News in His pre-existence, as such. More to the pointis that long before the incarnation,God would sometimes reveal Him-self to His people in an “incarna-tional” way. Among the most obvi-ous are various passages where“angel of the Lord” is usedinterchangeably with “Lord” or“God” alone (e.g. Genesis 22: 15-16; Exodus 3:2).An incarnational motif is especially prominent in connection

with the tabernacle/temple. In various ways God is described as“dwelling” there. The Hebrew word used can refer to anyone’s“dwelling” or “living” in a house or city. In order to distinguish

ordinary “dwelling” from God’s “incarnational” presence in thetabernacle, sometimes the rather artificial word “indwell” is used.The Bible, of course, is very aware that God is omnipresent or thatHis dwelling is in heaven. The paradox of that same God’s“indwelling” on earth is pondered by Solomon in his prayer at theconsecration of the temple (I Kings 8: 27ff.). In fact, God’s taber-nacle presence on earth is localized as between the two cherubimabove the lid or “mercy seat” of the ark of the covenant in the Holy

of Hollies (Exodus 25:22).When the incarnation itself occurred in Jesus’

birth the tabernacle found its fulfillment there. Oneof the key passages in making the connection isJohn 1:14, “TheWord (Christ) was made flesh anddwelt among us ...”We might also translate “taber-nacled among us” to make the connection evenmore obvious. St. John uses the usual Greek trans-lation for the Hebrew for “indwell” and by a happy

coincidence the words in the twolanguages even happen to soundsomewhat alike.We could trace many other ways

where the New Testament shows ushow to recognize Christ in the OldTestament. Let us continually praythat the Holy Spirit would take theveil of incomprehension or evenunbelief away from our faces whenwe read the Scriptures (cf. IICorinthians 3: 14-18) and that, as

with His disciples after the resurrection, He would become knownto us in the Lord’s Supper (Luke 24: 30-47).

The Rev. Dr. Horace Hummel is retired professor ofExegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.

7OCTOBER 1998

When we read of “God”, “the Lord”, etc. in the

Old Testament, we simply assume, as we

should, that this is our God or Lord, the same

God who in the fullness of time became

incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth and who still

manifests Himself to us through the Holy Spirit.

TestamentO TestamentBy Rev. Dr. Horace Hummel

Luther placed justification, the doctrine of God'sfree grace in Jesus Christ, at the heart of histheology. Man is saved not by anything he doesor could hope to do, but by what God has doneonce and for all in Jesus Christ. Since the Refor-mation, God's accepting the death of Christ inplace of the sinner's death has been the hallmarkof Protestantism and more specifically of

Lutheran churches. Salvation is sola gratia and sola fide. God jus-tifies the sinner purely out of His grace through faith withoutworks. Just as no one raises himself from the dead, so no onemakes himself a Christian. God, who brought Jesus back from thedead, alone brings believers to Christ and declares them right-eous. Lutherans hold that justification is monergistic, a Greekderivative, which means that a thing has only one cause. Godalone converts Christians. He alone justifies believers. This prin-ciple also applies to sanctification. He alone makes us holy. Godis the cause and content of our sanctification.Traditional Roman Catholicism shares with Lutheranism a

monergistic view of the general plan of salvation. God alone sentHis Son into the flesh (incarnation) and sacrificed Him for theworld's sin (atonement); however, the certainty of individual sal-vation is made dependent on the level of believers' personal holi-ness. Sanctification requires cooperating with divine grace indoing good works. At the center of this system is a doctrine ofsanctification which holds that man cooperates with God for thecertainty of salvation. There is no place for the total justificationof sinful humanity as God's completed activity in Christ. Mancooperates with God in becoming holy and so sanctification isdefined in ethical terms, which can be measured.A majority of other Protestant denominations agree with

Luther's monergistic doctrine of justification, but like RomanCatholics they see sanctification, the working of the Holy Spiritin Christian lives, in synergistic terms, another Greek derivative,which means that a thing has two or more causes. Believers arerequired to play a part in developing their personal holiness byliving lives disciplined by the Law and by special ethical regula-tions set down by the church. Christians can and must cooperatewith God's grace to increase the level of personal sanctification.Cooperation, a Latin derivative, is a synonym of synergism, andalso means two or more things or persons working together. As arule most Protestants agree with Luther that God alone justifiessinners and initiates the work of sanctification, but many differ in

holding that believers areresponsible for completing it.They oppose the RomanCatholic view that pilgrimages,novenas, penance and masses asgood works; however, they

agree with Catholicism that man cooperates with God in his sanc-tification to attain personal holiness. God alone justifies, but sanc-tification is a combined divine-human activity, which eventhough God begins, each believer is obligated to complete. In thissystem, the Gospel, which alone creates faith, is replaced by theLaw which instructs in moral requirements and warns againstimmorality. Justification by grace is seen as a past event and thepresent focus is on man cooperating with God to reach a com-plete sanctification.


Sanctification:By Grace Alone

By Rev. Dr. David P. Scaer

Sanctification:By Grace Alone

Lutherans recognize that Christians as sinners are neverimmune to the Law's moral demands and its threats against sin,but in the strictest sense these warnings do not belong to Christ-ian sanctification, the life believers live in Christ and in whichChrist lives in them. In Roman Catholic and some Protestant sys-tems, the Gospel brings the good news of salvation in JesusChrist, but is replaced by the Law which sets down directives forChristian life and warns and threatens the Christian as Christian.Law, and not the Gospel, becomes God's last and real word forthe believer. So Christianity deteriorates into an implicit andeventually coarse legalism and abject moralism. Jesus faced thisunderstanding of an ethically determined concept of sanctifica-tion among the Pharisees. Holiness was defined in terms of ful-filling ritual requirements. Sixteen centuries later for similar rea-sons, Luther raised his protest against medieval Catholicism.At times, the New Testament uses the words sanctify and sanc-

tification of God's entire activity of God in bringing about man'ssalvation. More specifically it refers to the work of the Holy Spir-it to bring people to salvation, to keep them in the true faith andfinally to raise them from the dead and give them eternal life(Small Catechism). All these works are also performed by theFather and the Son. Since God is not morally neutral and does notchoose to be holy, but He is holy, all His works necessarily sharein His holiness. The connection between the Holy Spirit andsanctification is seen in the Latin for the Third Person of the Trin-ity, Spiritus Sanctus. The Spirit who is holy in Himself makesbelievers holy, sanctifies them, by working faith in Christ in themand He becomes the sources of all their good works. Sanctifica-tion means that the Spirit permeates everything the Christianthinks, says and does. The Christian's personal holiness is asmuch a monergistic activity of the Holy Spirit as is his justifica-tion and conversion. The Spirit who alone creates faith is no lessactive after conversion than He was before.Our Augsburg Confession recognizes those things which keep

society and government together as good works, but strictlyspeaking, they do not belong to a Christian's personal holinessand have no necessary relationship to justification. Unbelieverscan do these works as can Christians. The works of sanctificationare, strictly speaking, only those which Christians can do. Theyfind their source, content and form in Christ's offering of Himselffor others and are given to Christians by the Spirit who proceedsfrom the Father and the Son and who is sent into the world by theSon. Sanctification is a Trinitarian act. God dwells in the believ-er in order to accomplish what He wants. The petition of theLord's Prayer that ”God's will be done” is a prayer for our ownsanctification.The Spirit who assisted Christ during the days of humiliation

to do good to others and to offer Himself as a sacrifice to HisFather is the same Spirit whom Christ by His death, resurrectionand ascension gave to His Christians. Jesus, in requiring that welove God with our whole being and our neighbors more than our-selves, was not giving us an impossible goal to awaken in us amorbid sense of sinfulness. Nor was He speaking in exaggeratedterms to make a point, but He was describing His own life and thelife of His Christians who live their lives and die in Him. LikeChrist, Christians trust only in God and sacrifice themselves forothers. Sanctification not only defines the Christian life, but in thefirst and real sense it defines Christ's life. Jesus Himself loved

God with everything which He was and had and made us Hisneighbors by loving us more than He loved His own life. Sancti-fication is first christological, that is, it is Christ's own life in Godand then our life in Him. His life did not follow a system of codes,a pattern of regulations or list of moral demands and constraintsand restraints. Just as Christ's life had to do with self-giving, oursanctification has to do with presenting our bodies as living sac-rifices.Our sanctification finds its closest point of contact in the earth-

ly life of Jesus who gave Himself for us. Christ's giving of Him-self is in turn an extension of Father's giving of His Son, "God soloved the world that He gave His only Son." The sending of theSon as a sacrifice reflects the Father's eternal giving of Himself inbegetting the Son, "begotten of His Father before all worlds." Sothe Christian doctrine of sanctification draws its substance fromatonement, incarnation and even the mystery of the Holy Trinityitself. This self-giving of God and of Christ take form in the livesof believers and saints, especially those who are persecuted forthe sake of the Gospel and martyred. On that account St. Paul setshimself and his companions in their sufferings as patterns ofsanctification for those to whom they preached the Gospel.

As magnificently monergistic as our sanctification is, that is,God works in us to create and confirm faith and to do good to oth-ers, we Christians are plagued by sin. In actual practice our sanc-tification is only a weak reflection of Christ's life. Good motivesoften turn into evil desires. Good works come to be valued as ourown ethical accomplishments. Moral self-admiration and ethicalself-absorption soon replace total reliance on God. The sanctifiedlife constantly needs to be fully and only informed by Christ's lifeand death or our personal holiness will soon deteriorate into adegenerate legalism and barren moralism. God allows us Chris-tians to be plagued by sin and a sense of moral inadequacy toforce us to see the impossibility of a self-generated holiness. Ouronly hope is to look to Christ in whom alone we have a perfectand complete sanctification. "He is the source of your life inChrist Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousnessand sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30).

The Rev. Dr. David P. Scaer is a professor of SystematicTheology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

OCTOBER 1998 9

Our sanctification finds its closest point ofcontact in the earthly life of Jesus who gaveHimself for us. Christ's giving of Himself is inturn an extension of Father's giving of His Son,"God so loved the world that He gave His onlySon." The sending of the Son as a sacrificereflects the Father's eternal giving of Himselfin begetting the Son, "begotten of His Fatherbefore all worlds." So the Christian doctrineof sanctification draws its substance fromatonement, incarnation and even the mysteryof the Holy Trinity itself.

Iwas born into orthodox Judaism 52 years ago inNewOrleans, La. Until the time of my bar-mitzvah,my youth was spent attending public school andcommunal Hebrew school. As a Jewish child

attending public school, I quickly learned that I was dif-ferent. I remember being placed in special classes.Classes that my parents said were ”better suited for thetalents and intellects of Jews.”As a result, we, who wereset apart, studied together, ate together and playedtogether. But many times we wished we were not setapart ... we wanted to be part of those who had set usapart.In public school I learned to read, write, add and sub-

tract, and to not pay attention to those who shunned mebecause of my Jewishness. In Hebrew school, I studiedmy hoff-Torah and the proper por-tion of The Five Books of Moseswhich I would read when I becamea man in the eyes of God. I learnedmany things about becoming a manin Hebrew school. I learned that I did not have to for-give the goim who hated me because as a Jew I hadbeen chosen by God. I was not only set apart ... I wasspecial in God’s eyes.We were God’s chosen people. Chosen by God to be

recipients of His commandments. Chosen to be Hisblessing on earth. Chosen to forgive other Jews and totolerate the Gentiles’ ignorance toward us. So what ifthe neighbor kids shouted at me and the other Jewishchildren, ”Christ killer! Christ killer! You Jews killedJesus Christ!” Their epitaphs were the death warrants ofempty souls. They couldn’t hurt us from the environs ofScheol. God knew that Gentiles were lawless peoplewho would die without conscious or soul.As practicing Jews, we kept kosher and attended syn-

agogue three times a year on Rosh Hashanah (the Jew-ish New Year) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atone-ment). As a child, I remember going to synagogue onYom Kippur with my grandfather. I remember the sac-rifices we made that day hoping that God would noticethat we went without food or water from sundown tosundown. I remember being afraid that God would not

accept my apologizes to others, and therefore wouldreject mine to Him. I recall crying and then whisperingto my grandfather, ”He’ll know that I am lying. I wasn’tgood and I couldn’t do it and I still can’t. He’s not goingto write my name in the Book ever! I’m afraid, but I’mnot sorry.”The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kip-

pur are days of reconciliation for Jews. These are daysto make amends for the offenses that you precipitated.On these days Jews are to seek forgiveness from thoseJews they have offended before God considers givingan ear to them. This brings an urgency in every Jew’sheart that they must make amends now, this year, beforethey die.

I’ll always remember my mother’s calls to those rela-tions that she had not spoken to the rest of the year. Shewould call and wish them good fortune in the new yearand all of God’s blessings. Then she would hang up thephone, turn to my father, and say, ”They should onlydrop dead. That’s what they wish for me. God willunderstand. They’re not really good Jews. I hear thatsomewhere along the line there was an intermarriage.”The journey from the hopelessness of Judaism (a

hope based on self-worth) to Christianity (a life basedon Jesus’ worth) ended when I turned 20 and was bap-tized. Looking back, I believe now that my entire lifewas an apprenticeship to becoming one of God’s calledunder-shepherds of His Christ. God knew that my timespent among those who chose to deny Him would notbe without pain, but He also knew what was necessaryfor me to fully comprehend the grace that He bought forme through His suffering and death.In declaring the old man dead in baptism, I am now

one with the Lord. Like Him who forgave even Hisworst tormentors, I have forgiven those who have calledme a Christ killer. I have forgiven the Jews who have

10

There are times when I think of how mucheasier it would be to return to a set of rules andregulations and not suffer people’s resentmenttoward a Jew preaching the Gospel. It is onthese days that I thank God. Thank Him for for-giving me and understand that I must forgivethose who reject Christ in me. I am, after all, onewho formerly persecuted Him.

A Journey from

For the Life of the World

Hopelessness

OCTOBER 1998 11

threatened me and my family with bodily harm if I con-tinue to preach Jesus as the Messiah and I have forgiv-en the professed Christians who refuse to accept that aJew can preach Christ crucified.There are days when I need to be reminded of Jesus’

suffering for me. I need to be reminded that He gave Hislife for those who reviled Him, called Him names, beatHim, and then nailed Him to a cross. I need to bereminded that even though I was not worthy, Christ out

of his love for me died and rose from the dead so that allHis children could have eternal life in Him.There are also dark days when I wish that I could

deny what Christ has done for me because I long to bereunited with those who deny my existence because Iconfess that Jesus is Lord. There are times when I thinkof howmuch easier it would be to return to a set of rulesand regulations and not suffer people’s resentmenttoward a Jew preaching the Gospel. It is on these daysthat I thank God. Thank Him for forgiving me andunderstand that I must forgive those who reject Christ inme. I am, after all, one who formerly persecuted Him.I now believe that there are only two ways that life

can be lived...with God or without Him. I realize that itwas my life that was meaningless... a life lived only forthe goodness of self. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christhas allowed me to preach and teach His Word. He hasforgiven me, washed me clean of my former life, andmade me a witness to all who have rejected me. Onewho formerly kept the kosher law is now kosher in Hissight. It was by His grace that I have been saved.

The Rev. Edward J. Balfour is pastor atRedeemer Lutheran Church in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

toLifeinJesusBy Rev. Edward J. Balfour

Prior to my arrival at theseminary nine years ago, tworelated questions plaguedme, “What would the peoplebe like and how would the

seminary experience differ from my-then-current life situation?” It didn’ttake long for me to discover that thepeople at Concordia Theological Semi-nary (CTS all had dreams, ambitions,troubles and trials just like everyoneelse. What’s more, from my continuedassociation with the seminary commu-nity, I know that they still do.Of course, along with these dreams,

ambitions, troubles and trials, themembers of the seminary communitysuccumb to temptations and fall into sinthe same as people in the parish andsecular settings. The truth of God’sWord is never more evident than on aseminary campus where the devil isprowling like a lion seeking to devourits prey. As St. Paul writes, “There is nodifference, for all are sinning and fallingshort of the glory of God.” Nine years ofobservation provides ample evidence thatthis divine truth holds for faculty, stu-dents, staff, spouses and alumni of CTS.Writing this, I also know that there is

a significant shift in the way somemembers of the seminary communitycope with the sin that so easily entan-gles them. Article XI of the LutheranConfessions, which states in part, “It istaught among us that private absolution

&

12 For the Life of the World

ConfessionAbsolution

By Rev. Kevin R. Loughran

“We urge you, however, to confess and express your needs,

not for the purpose of performing a work but to hear what

God wishes to say to you. The Word of absolution, I say, is

what you should concentrate on, magnifying and cherishing

it as a great and wonderful treasure to be accepted with all

praise and gratitude.”Luther’s Large Catechism

Private

should be retained and not allowed tofall into disuse,” has moved from a mereacademic discussion to become a livingopportunity for receiving the forgive-ness of Christ won by His Passion,death, and resurrection.As a former student, while I was at

CTS it was possible to ask a professor orpastor to serve as father confessor. Butsince this practice had fallen into disuseamong many within the LutheranChurch-Missouri Synod (LC-MS) itwas and for that matter still is highlyunlikely that a member of the seminarycommunity would include individualconfession and absolution as a part oftheir regular piety. It simply wasn’t donevery often.Sadly, there is not enough space allot-

ted here for a discussion on the declineof the use of individual confession andabsolution nor to offer a full theologicalargumentation for its retention. Sufficeit to say that we are sinners and thatHoly Absolution is a means by whichthe Lord God confers upon us the for-giveness won by Christ. This ever-pre-sent reality should cause lines to growoutside the seminary’s house of wor-ship, Kramer Chapel. The lines shouldbe full of people clamoring for an appli-cation of God’s grace through the Wordof Holy Absolution.Indeed while there may not be long

lines outside the chapel, individual

confession and absolution is offered ona daily basis throughout the academicyear at CTS as a sign of God’s grace inour midst. This joint effort between theseminary and area pastors accomplishestwo noble purposes. First and foremost,it takes seriously the Lord’s commandthat the church forgives sins. Second,the regular practice of individualconfession and absolution at CTSprovides a springboard for renewal ofthis God-pleasing practice throughoutthe LC-MS and worldwide sisterchurches who use the seminary as atraining ground for their workers.A confessional Lutheran seminary

must be a place where the Gospel ofJesus Christ permeates all that is said,done and taught. Through increasedactivity within the safe harbor ofKramer Chapel more and more peopleare being shaped in the image of Christ.Here they receive the forgivenessoffered in the Word of Absolution andare strengthened for service through thebody and blood of the Crucified andResurrected One. It is a comfort to knowthat daily the faith of future pastors ofthe church, as well as those who assist intheir training, is being strengthened andsustained through the means which theLord God has provided.

Rev. Kevin R. Loughran, is pastor of Messi-ah Lutheran Church, Wolcottville, Indiana

13

Private Confession and

Absolution is offered week-

days in Kramer Chapel from

8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Commu-

nion days and from 11:30

a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on non-

Communion days. Private

Confession is heard by

pastors from the Fort Wayne

area in the Prayer Chapel,

located under the Narthex

entrance of Kramer Chapel.

OCTOBER 1998


In the

FIELDInthe

FIELD by Pam Knepperby Pam Knepper

For Pastor JamesDouthwaite themain reasonwhy he decided to enter the Holy Ministrywas not due to an unforgettable experience oreven the influence of another person, insteadit was a letter and the fact that he couldn't

come upwith a reason not to becomea shepherd of God’s people.Originally from the Philadelphia

suburb of Ridley Park, Rev.Douthwaite grew up in a Lutheranfamily attending St. Mark’sLutheran Church.A graduate of Lehigh University

in Bethlehem, Penn., Rev. Douth-waite majored in computerscience and worked as a computerconsultant in Philadelphia and laterin Princeton, N.J. before becominga pastor.While attending Holy Trinity

Lutheran Church in Lawrenceville,N. J., he received a letter fromConcordia Theological Seminary inFort Wayne, Ind., encouraginghim to consider studying for theHoly Ministry.”At first I thought my pastor had

contacted the seminary,” explainedRev. Douthwaite. ”But later I foundout it wasmy brotherWilliam, also aLutheran pastor, who had initiallycalled the seminary and told themabout me.”Always heavily involved in his

church but never thinking aboutbecoming a pastor, Rev. Douthwaiteadmits that after receiving the letterhe began to seriously question if hewas doingwhat God had planned forhis life.

”That letter made me start to think about theHolyMinistry and if I wasmeant to become a pastor,”he recalled.Shortly thereafter Rev. Douthwaite’s pastor

preached a sermon on how the Gospel of Jesus Christcan have a great influence on people’s lives.”That sermon really got to me,” remembered Rev.

Douthwaite. ”Afterward I knew that I needed to talkout this whole seminary situation.”So after service Rev. Douthwaite met with his

pastor and discussed the idea of going to seminary.”For several minutes I just sat there trying to

come up with a reason why I should leave my newcompany and new home and new church and go tothe seminary,” Rev. Douthwaite remembered. ”WhenI couldn’t come up with what I thought was a goodreason why I shouldn’t go, my pastor simply said‘Why not?’” It was that simple change in logic thatchanged mymind. From that moment on I knewGodwas calling me to serve His people and preachHis word.”In January 1990, Rev. Douthwaite applied and was

accepted to Concordia Theological Seminary.”There really was no question as to where I would

go for my seminary studies,” he explained. ”Mybrother and home pastor were both graduates of FortWayne. Plus, I had heard good things about many ofthe facultymembers. Forme therewas only one placeand that was Fort Wayne.”Beginning his seminary studies in the summer of

1990, Rev. Douthwaite thoroughly enjoyed his yearsat the seminary.”I loved studying theology,” he explained. ”And at

Fort Wayne that was exactly what you were exposedto as a student.Also the time I spent with Dean Reun-ing andKantor Resch singing in the Schola Cantorumand the Kantorei really deepened my knowledge andappreciation of Lutheran hymnody and liturgy.”After graduating in 1994 with his M.Div. degree,

Rev. Douthwaite was asked to stay on for an

The Letter and the Shepherd

Always heavily involved in

his church but never thinking

about becoming a pastor,

Rev. Douthwaite admits that

after receiving the letter he

began to seriously question

if he was doing what God had

planned for his life.

”For several minutes I just

sat there trying to come up

with a reason why I should

leave my new company and

new home and new church

and go to the seminary,” Rev.

Douthwaite remembered.

”When I couldn’t come up

with what I thought was a

good reason why I shouldn’t

go, my pastor simply said

‘Why not?’” It was that

simple change in logic that

changed my mind. From that

moment on I knew God was

calling me to serve His

people and preach His word.”

In the Field is a special feature section that focuses on the life and ministry of a pastor within the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

OCTOBER 1998 15

additional year to serve as the graduate assistant for thepastoral theology department. During that year hebegan working toward his Master of Sacred Theology(STM) degree.”The year I was a graduate assistant was a very

fruitful one for me,” said Rev. Douthwaite. ”Iwas able to take all the knowledge I hadacquired during my M.Div. years andapply it in an academic setting. Thatwas very rewarding.”In the spring of 1995, Rev.

Douthwaite received his firstand current call to HolyTrinity Lutheran Churchlocated in Yonkers, N.Y.Established in 1895 by

Slovak immigrants, HolyTrinity sits in an area that hasseen a lot of changes in thelast 40 years.”In the 1950s Yonkers was

known as the ‘City of Gra-cious Living.’Everyone want-ed to live inYonkers then. Buta lot has changed,” explainedRev. Douthwaite. ”The twofactories that sustained theeconomy of the area closed,and now there is no strongeconomic presence to attractpeople to the area. That, along withthe high taxes and cost of livingassociated with being so close to NewYork City make this a very difficultplace to live and raise a family. ManyHispanic and Caribbean immigrantscome into the area, but once they haveestablished themselves they move outinto the suburbs where the cost ofliving is lower.”Rev. Douthwaite says these

changes have made it very difficult to attract new members tothe church.”Wewill probably never be a ‘church-growth’congregation from

the statistical standpoint,” explained Rev. Douthwaite. ”Because ofthe area we will always have to scratch and claw to get new mem-bers. Just keeping up with those who move away is a challenge!”

However, this difficult situation has not deterredRev. Douthwaitefrom continuing to offer a ministry that is based purely on theWord of God and His Sacraments. Offering a liturgicalDivine Service, closed communion, weekly Bible studiesand individual instruction on the catechism, Rev.Douthwaite knows that people are attracted to hear-ing the truth that can only be found in Christ.

”I have had many people come to me fromvarious Christian and non-Christian back-groundswanting to knowwhat theTruthis,” said Rev. Douthwaite. ”When Iexplain to them that the truth is inChrist Jesus and they finallyunderstand it, for me that is whatbeing a pastor is all about.”When asked what he hopes toaccomplish at Holy Trinity in thefuture, Rev. Douthwaite’s answeris threefold.”One day I would like to offera Spanish-speaking outreach pro-gram for the many Hispanicimmigrants that live in theneighborhood,” explained Rev.Douthwaite. ”I would also like toeventually obtain an abandonedschool building that is close to thechurch and refurbish it so that wecan use it as a nursery school oroutreach center.”

Finally, Rev. Douthwaite plans tooffer an annual lecture series that he iscalling ‘The Reformation Lectures’for both pastors and laity.”The first lecture has already

been organized and will take placeOctober 24-25, 1998 at Holy Trinity,”explained Rev. Douthwaite. ”I haveinvited Dr. Dean Wenthe, Presidentof Concordia Theological Seminary,to come and speak on ‘The Interpreta-

tion and Authority of the Holy Scriptures.’ It should be a time ofboth great theological dialogue and good fellowship.”

The Rev. James Douthwaite and his wife Laurie are the parents ofRobert and Sarah. They live in Yonkers, N.Y.

”I have had many people come to me from

various Christian and non-Christian back-

grounds wanting to know what the Truth is,”

said Rev. Douthwaite. ”When I explain to

them that the truth is in Christ Jesus and

they finally understand it, for me that is what

being a pastor is all about.”

"Out of the entire tripthe moments I remember

most are the quite places on theside of the road.

The small ancient churchand a quite momentof prayer."


Concordia Theological Seminary is excited to introduce a new opportunityfor you to spend time exploring Christian sites around the world. This spring we will launchCTS - Tours with our inaugural trip tracing the footsteps of St. Paul. CTS - Tours will giveyou an opportunity to travel the world with faculty, pastors and students of the seminary as youtrace the many wonderful places that have been impacted by Jesus Christ and His followers. Ifyou'd like an organized tour, we've combined the efficiency, economy and comfort of grouptravel with the intimacy and adventure of independent travel, CTS and Luther Tours havetailored this program for you. The goal of CTS - Tours is to get you off of the tour bus and intothe world you have come to explore and discover.Join the seminary on May 30, 1999 for a two week adventure of a life time as we experience

the footsteps of St. Paul. You'll visit the historic sights of the famous underground city andRock Churches in Cappadocia, pass through the Cilicia Gate used byAlexander the Great and theCrusaders and see St. Paul's birthplace in Tarsus. Travel to Antakya and the Syrian Gates, visitSariseki, the Church of St. Peter, Seleucia ad Pieriea. The ancient city of Perge, the Seven Church-es of the Revelation, Ephesus, Pergamum, Troy andIstanbul round out a truly fascinating itinerary.CTS - Tours has limited the number of people that

will be able to join us on this tour so please makeyour reservations early.Call the seminary at 1-800-481-2155 and ask for Pat Painter orLuther Tours at 1-888-458-8486 for further details and join us for thisexperience of a lifetime.

Cappadocia,Tarsus,Perge,

Ephesus,Pargamum,

Troy, Istanbuland beyond.

OCTOBER 1998 17

New Professor Joins CTSFaculty— The Rev. Dr. Klaus DetlevSchulz has accepted a call to serve as anassistant professor in the Department ofPastoral Ministry and Missions at Con-cordia Theological Seminary (CTS), FortWayne. He will begin his duties Fall1998.Before accepting the call, Dr. Schulz

had worked since 1994 as a missionary inSerowe, Botswana for the LutheranChurch Mission of S.E.L.K. (LutheranChurch in Germany). He also served as aguest lecturer at CTS during Fall Quarter1997.In 1987 Dr. Schulz earned his M.Div.

degree from Lutherische TheologischeHochschule, Oberursel, Germany. Hethen served as a vicar in Heidelberg, Ger-many, from 1990-92 through the Luther-an Church Mission. During that time heearned an S.T.M. from Concordia Theo-logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. In1994 he earned a Th.D. in Systematicsand Missions from Concordia Seminary,St. Louis, Mo.Dr. Schulz and his wife Cornelia are

the parents of two children.

1998 LCMS Youth Gathering— The 1998 LCMS Youth Gatheringwill be held in Atlanta, Ga., July 25-29.With 30,000 youth expected to attendthe event, Rev. Scott Klemsz, Rev. ToddPeperkorn, and Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer,all admissions counselors from CTS, willbe on hand to answer any questionsyoung people may have about CTS andlife as a seminarian.

Open House for Alumni andFriends — Alumni and friends ofCTS are encouraged to attend a specialopen house that will be held during the1998 LCMS Convention, July 11-17 inSt. Louis, Mo. CTS will host the specialevent on Monday, July 13 from 8 to 10p.m. at the Marriott Hotel. A cash bar andhors d’oeuvres will be provided.

CTS Hosts Spring InvitationalCampus Visit — The AdmissionsOffice at Concordia Theological Semi-nary (CTS), Fort Wayne, hosted an Invi-tational Campus Visit (ICV) on Fridayand Saturday, March 20 and 21. Attract-ing a record number of participants, theannual event brought visitors to the cam-pus from all over the United States.Held every year in the spring and again

in the fall, the ICV is an opportunity forprospective students to tour the seminarycampus; visit professors, attend chapeland sit in on classes; meet students andtheir wives; find out about housing, jobopportunities and city schools; experi-ence the seminary’s theological, intellec-tual and pastoral climate; and obtainanswers about financial aid and theadmissions process.The next ICV will be held Friday and

Saturday, Oct. 16-17, 1998. To register orfor more information, call 1-800-481-2155.

New Baptismal Font andPaschal Candlestand Installedin Kramer Chapel—A new bap-tismal font and paschal candlestand wereinstalled at Concordia Theological Semi-nary (CTS) in Kramer Chapel on March6. The font and candlestand were placedat the entrance to the nave, located in thecenter of the baptistry.Weighing 3,000 pounds, the font was

formed out of a single block of Indianalimestone. The font was paid for by giftsfrom people throughout the LutheranChurch-Missouri Synod.The new font will serve as a focal point

for daily Matins, Vespers and Complineoffices as a reminder of the central rolebaptism plays throughout the life of aChristian.The paschal candlestand, like the font,

was also formed from Indiana limestone.The candlestand was given as a gift to theseminary from the Class of 1997.Each piece was designed by local

architect Richard Terwillinger andsculpted by artisan William Galloway ofNashville, Ind.A special service to dedicate the new

font and paschal candlestand took placein Kramer Chapel on March 25.

Campus

HappeningsCampus

Happenings


T H E C LASS OF 1947

ALUMNINEWSSeminary Professor WritesNew Book on Christology

The Rev. Dr. Charles A. Gieschen,Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theol-ogy at CTS, has recently completed hisfirst book, Angelomorphic Christol-ogy—Antecedents & Early Evidence.The book demonstrates that angel andangel-related traditions, especially thosegrowing from the so-called ‘Angel ofthe Lord’ in the Hebrew Bible, had asignificant impact on the origins andearly development of Christology to thepoint that an Angelomorphic Christol-ogy is discernable in several first-centu-ry texts.Significant effort is given to tracing theantecedents of this Christology in theangels and divine hypostases of theHebrew Bible and Second Temple Jew-ish literature. The primary content ofthis volume is the presentation of pre-150 CE textual evidence of Angelo-morphic Christology.This serious religio-historical studydoes not spawn a new Christologyamong the many scholarly ‘Christolo-gies’ already extant. Instead, it showsthe interrelationship of various Christo-logical trajectories and their adaptationf r o mJ e w i s hang e l o -morphict r a d i -tions.P u b -lished byB r i l l ,Angelo-morphicChristol-o g yretails for$120 andcan bep u r -c h a s e dthrough the Seminary Bookstore bycalling 219-452-2160.

The Class of 1947 has given a new, solidbrass Advent candelabrum to ConcordiaTheological Seminary that will be usedin Kramer Chapel.Designed by C.M. Almy & Son, the can-delabrum’s symbolic circular shape isslanted to make it is more visible in thechapel. It carries four colored candles atits perimeter, one foreach Sunday ofAdvent: three are pur-ple (the primary colorof Advent) and theother is rose, the colorof the third Sunday ofthe season. A largercentral candle in whitemarks the birth ofChrist and it lit onChristmas Eve. Thetotal cost of the cande-labrum was $1,055with the option given toeach classmate to con-tribute $50 towards itspurchase.“When the Class of1947 met on the FortWayne campus lastyear to celebrate the50th anniversary of ourgraduation we werevery impressed withthe direction of our alma mater under thecurrent leadership,” explained Rev.Grant Quill, a member of the Class of

1947. “The rich liturgical life on thecampus under the direction of DeanDaniel Reuning and Kantor RichardResch was especially inspiring. The giftof an Advent candelabra is an expressionof our support and gratitude.”There were 27 members in the Class of1947. They are Orville E. Aho, Robert E.

Brege (deceased),Donald E. Broeske,Allen H. Brutlag(deceased), Clyde O.Cress (deceased), Nor-ris C. Crook, MarvinH. Eibs, Erick E.Erickson, Francis H.Gerken (deceased),Henry C. Gieschen,Arthur A. Guenther,Harvey A. W. Krueger(deceased), Eugene O,Krug, Harold G.Molzan, Grant C. J.Quill, Bernard O.Raabe, Marvin L.Rastl, Wilbert L. Sal-lach, William M.Schultz, Cecil H.Skibbe, Marcus L.Strohschein, TheodoreH. Vogel, Myron E.Wackler, Edward A.Westcott Jr., Clair A.

Wiederhoft (deceased), Richard C.Zagel, and Otto T. Zeeb.

OCTOBER 1998 19

MARTIN LUTHER:LEARNING FOR LIFEby Marilyn J. Harran;Concordia Publishing House;retail price $16.99, our price $15.30.How good is the education students

receive in our public schools? Are stu-dents getting educations that will helpthem in life? Should families seriouslyconsider home schooling? In this time offrequent, often rancorous discussion onthe fitness of our educational institutions,Dr. Harran has provided “a clear, suc-cinct, and sprightly overview of (1)Luther’s own education, (2) Luther’seducational ideas and program, and (3)the impact (and limitations) of Lutherand the magisterial reformers’ work onthe educational enterprise and institutionsin Luther’s day down to the present.”This will be an excellent volume for aParent-Teacher organization, school staffor any church thinking about starting aschool program in its parish.

THE ILLUSTRATED JESUSTHROUGH THE CENTURIESby Jaroslav Pelikan;Yale University Press;retail price $35.00, our price $31.50.Professor Pelikan has taken his JESUSTHROUGH THE CENTURIES and“condensed the original text andenhanced the book with more than 200new illustrations, most in color, that givea new dimension to his thoughts.” Inchapters titled “The King of Kings,”“The Son of Man,” “Christ Crucified” toname but a few, the reader is given clearnarrative and beautiful illustrations. As agift this volume will grace anycoffee table.

THE 77 HABITS OF HIGHLYINEFFECTIVE CHRISTIANSby Chris Fabry; Inter-Varsity Press;retail price $10.99, our price $9.90.Few of us exhibit all, but most of us

exhibit at least some habits of an ineffec-tive Christian, knowingly or unknowing-ly. Written in satirical fashion, Mr. Fabry

asks the reader to take a true look at hisrelationship with the Lord and how thatrelationship is projected to others. It willmake and excellent and easy self analy-sis, but can also be effectively used as anice breaker or discussion starter for aBible study, small group, or perhaps,evangelism committee, elders or others inleadership in the congregation.

LAW AND GOSPEL: PHILIPMELANCHTHON’S DEBATE WITHJOHN AGRICOLA OF EISLEBENOVER POENITENTIAby Timothy J. Wengert;Baker Book House;retail price $19.99, our price $18.00.There has been increasing interest the

last several years in Philip Melanchthon,a disciple of Martin Luther. “The properdistinction between law and gospel” has

always been a central theme of Lutherandoctrine. Melanchthon believed that theissue of Law and Gospel had a majorimpact on and was very consequential forhis life. Professor Wengert goes into adetailed discussion of this doctrine andhow it “formed the basis of the first pub-lic controversy among Luther’s studentsand profoundly shaped the nature of laterLutheranism by making the distinctionbetween law and gospel one of its distin-guishing characteristics.” This book willinterest the serious students of Reforma-tion theology.

Concordia Theological Seminary Bookstore Order Form

Quantity Book TotalMartin Luther: Learning For Life, $15.30 ________The Illustrated Jesus Through the Centuries, $31.50 ________The 77 Habits of Highly Ineffective Christians, $9.90 ________Law and Gospel: Philip Melanchthon’s Debate with John Agricola ofEisleben Over Poenitentia, $18.00 ________Total Merchandise ________Indiana residents add 5% sales tax ________Prepaid orders add 20% of total for postage ($2.50 minimum) ________Packaging and handling $2.50

TOTAL ________Name:Address:City: State: Zip:

MAIL TO: Concordia Theological Seminary Bookstore6600 N. Clinton Street, Dept. 82CFort Wayne, IN 46825-4996

Questions? Call (219) 452-2159 or (219) 452-2160

From the

BookstoreFrom the

Bookstore


For over 40 years, a group of Christianwomen have devoted their time andtalents to serving God by assistingConcordia Theological Seminaryand its students.Called the Seminary Guild, this

group provides a number of ser-vices each year for the seminarycommunity. These services include:providing T-shirts for each infantborn to a seminary family; servingrefreshments at opening service, callservice, graduation and the ClothingCo-op’s Christmas Emporium; col-lecting supplies for the seminary’schild care facility—Christ ChildLearning Center (CCLC); distributing a

free copy of Summary of ChristianDoctrine by Edward Kohler to eachincoming student wife; distributingsnack packs to all seminary studentsduring final examination weeks inNovember, February and May;

working inventory at theSeminary Book-store; bakingbirthday cakes forall seminarians;and sponsoring ayearly donationday that bringsdonations to theseminary’s Foodco-op, Clothing co-

op and the CCLC; and last year the guildraised $7,000 to replace all the well-wornmattresses in the dorms on campus.Made up of women from the seminary

faculty, staff and the Fort Wayne commu-nity, the Seminary Guild would like toextend an invitation to other women tojoin this important group.If you would like information on how

you can become a member or would likeadditional information, please contact theSeminary Advancement Office by calling219-452-2212 or write to: SeminaryAdvancement, 6600 N. Clinton Street,Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996.

Admissions Counselors PlanTrips To A Church Near You

The Rev. Scott Klemsz, Rev. ToddPeperkorn and Rev. Scott Stiege-meyer, all CTS Admissions Coun-selors, will be visiting severalchurches in the upcoming months.They will be on hand to answerany questions that young men mayhave in regard to the pastoral min-istry and the seminary process atCTS. The following is a partial listof where each counselor will be in

regard to dates, times and locations.The CTS Counselors will also be taking joing trips with the

Admissions staff from Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, Mo. Hereis the 1998-99 Joint Travel Schedule:

Oct. 19-23 Concordia College Rev. PeperkornSeward, Nebraska

Oct. 26-31 Concordia College Rev. StiegemeyerAnn Arbor, Michigan

Nov. 2-6 Concordia University Rev. PeperkornAustin, Texas

Nov. 9-13 Concordia College Rev. KlemszBronxville, New York

Nov. 15-20 Concordia University Rev. StiegemeyerIrvine, California

Jan. 25-29, 1999 Concordia College Rev. KlemszSelma, Alabama

Feb. 7-12, 1999 Concordia University Rev. KlemszPortland, Oregon

Here’s A Spot for CTS’sClothing Bank Article

The Rev. Scott Klemsz, Rev. Todd Peperkorn and Rev. ScottStiegemeyer, all CTS Admissions Counselors, will be visitingseveral churches in the upcoming months. They will be on handto answer any questions that young men may have in regard tothe pastoral ministry and the seminary process at CTS. The fol-lowing is a partial list of where each counselor will be in regardto dates, times and locations.The CTS Counselors will also be taking joing trips with the

Admissions staff from Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, Mo. Hereis the 1998-99 Joint Travel Schedule:The Rev. Scott Klemsz, Rev. Todd Peperkorn and Rev. ScottStiegemeyer, all CTS Admissions Counselors, will be visitingseveral churches in the upcoming months. They will be on handto answer any questions that young men may have in regard tothe pastoral ministry and the seminary process at CTS. The fol-lowing is a partial list of where each counselor will be in regardto dates, times and locations.The CTS Counselors will also be taking joing trips with the

Admissions staff from Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, Mo. Hereis the 1998-99 Joint Travel Schedule:The Rev. Scott Klemsz, Rev. Todd Peperkorn and Rev. ScottStiegemeyer, all CTS Admissions Counselors, will be visitingseveral churches in the upcoming months. They will be on handto answer any questions that young men may have in regard tothe pastoral ministry and the seminary process at CTS. The fol-lowing is a partial list of where each counselor will be in regardto dates, times and locations.The CTS Counselors will also be taking joing trips with the

Admissions staff from Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, Mo. Hereis the 1998-99 Joint Travel Schedule:

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Concordia Theological Seminary's (CTS) men'schorus, the Kantorei, have released a new CDentitled WithAngels andArchangels, which is

now available. The third CD released by the group,its title is from the preface that leads into the Sanc-tus..."Therefore with angels and archangels andwith all the company of heaven we laud andmagnify Thy glorious name."The CD repertory includes hymns and choral

works from the Christmas and Epiphany seasons as well as selectionsfrom the rest of the church year. There are also several hymns fromthe newly released Hymnal Supplement 98. Contents include 17selections, among them: Of the Father's Love Begotten, The Tree ofLife, Jesu, The Very Thought of Thee, and Our Paschal Lamb ThatSets Us Free."We continue to produce these recordings because people have a

hard time finding music for their everyday listening that representswhat the Church is all about," explained Kantor Richard Resch,founder and director of the group.Prices for With Angels and Archangels are $9.95 for cassettes

and $14.95 for CDs. Orders may be made by calling the SeminaryBookstore at 219-452-2160. The Kantorei's other two recordings, SingUnto the Lord and Through the Church Year are also available. Allproceeds will benefit the work and travel of the Kantorei.Call the Seminary Bookstore at219-452-2160 to

order your copy today.

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The Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei Present:

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

Documents

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