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

LIFE

The Incarnational Life - p.6Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel - p.8

Born and Born Again - p.10Kramer Chapel—The Jewel of the Seminary - p.12

In The Field - p.14

WORLDof the

For the

June 1998. Volume Two, Number Two

Dear Friend in the Faith,

“How?” “Why?” These questions come naturally to human beings. They mark us as reflective creatures made in the image ofGod. They have released immense energy and ingenuity into the world.An old, even ancient, “how” question which still challenges us is “how the one relates to the many?” (i.e. how do particular

things relate to the whole pattern of the world?) Is there an underlying structure which explains each part? Is there somethingbasic and foundational behind the vast variety which we experience?This “how” question was posed repeatedly by the early Ionian philosophers of the sixth century B.C. “How” they asked, “do

the various elements of the world relate to one another?” Thales suggested that the key component of the world was water;Anaximenes proposed vapor, and Anaximander offered change.“How?” From Einstein’s theory of relativity to Dr. Hawkins’ current search for a “grand unified field” theory, the search is

still on for an answer to “how the parts of the universe relate to the whole.”If such a question still eludes our capacity to explain, matters become even less clear when the question “Why” is raised. Why

are we here? Why should we do one thing and not another?In prestigious universities voices increasingly say that humans must simply give up on the questions of both “How” and

“Why.” The reason, they suggest, is that “all truth is tribal.” To search for an explanation that is inclusive and basic to all of cre-ation and all of humanity is simply futile. Rather, deconstructionists and post-modern pundits assert that the contradictory andfragmentary character of the world should be confessed and embraced as the only plausible viewpoint. The result of such a per-spective is concrete brokenness and painful fragmentation in the lives of men, women and children.Broken families, broken friendships, broken promises—the evidence abounds that there are profound fissures not only

between things, but also between people. The pain and the brokenness threaten not only the home but our societal structures aswell.Sacred Scripture offers a radically different explanation. Scripture claims that our desire to be like God fragmented our world.

Now we are separated from God, from the world, from our neighbor, and even from a correct understanding of ourselves. Todelve into the cosmos, to search within our own psyche, to break down particles into even smaller units—such striving has notproduced the answers to “How” or “Why.” The deconstructionists and postmodernists have read things clearly from their per-spective.But, there is another perspective that penetrates all the way to the heart of creation. It is the perspective bestowed by the

Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the World. St. Paul saw the “how” and the “why”answered fully in Christ.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For byHim all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible andinvisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things werecreated by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all thingshold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)

The Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is that moment and that place where we can rightly relate all things. It is in this Childand in His holy flesh that creation and all things are restored. To announce and to invite a broken world to wholeness, Jesus ofNazareth established the church where His people are united with Him in Holy Baptism. Paul continues:

And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and thefirstborn among the dead so that in everything He might have the supremacy.For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Himto reconcile Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:18-20)

The Incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth is the answer to the problem of the one and the many. Reflect on theconsequences of the Incarnation. Recall your baptism which has united you to the innocent Son of God(Romans 6:1-4), refresh your perspective when you participate in His life by receiving His very body andblood at His table, and renew your life by hearing His voice through His holy prophets and apostles. Bybeing joined to this One, every aspect of your life and world are related clearly and rightly. May this issueof For the Life of the World underscore the glory of our Lord’s Incarnation and expound its meaning for your world.Sincerely yours, in Christ’s service,

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

FROM THE

PRESIDENT

For the Life of the World2

JUNE 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.

CONTENTS

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For the Life of the World4

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

JUNE 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]

The incarnational life began whenJesus Christ broke into our world.Coming down from heaven. Jesuswas incarnate by the Holy Spirit of

theVirginMary andwasmademan. Fromthe moment of His conception, the worldhas never been the same. Jesus the creatorhas entered our creation as a creature forone purpose–to make all things new.To make things new, God the Father

needed to make things right, and so Hesent His Son, Jesus Christ, into our world.Something had gone terribly wrong withour humanity that God had created in Hisimage. Jesus entered our fallen world torelease it from its captivity of darknessand death by spendingHis life in sufferingand death. He came to live among us toshow how God first created us to be whenHe created us in His own image. Jesusexperienced the full tragedy of our fallenhumanity, becoming sin for us, so that He

might reverse sin’s curse, and make rightwhat had gone wrong. Jesus entered intothis messyworld of ourmaking in order tobe faithful even unto death and restore ourflesh to God’s image and make us whole.The empty tomb testifies that death couldnot hold Him, and that His risen flesh nowfills all creation with new life.The world can never go back to the

state it was before Jesus entered our cos-mos in human flesh. Now and forever theworld is marked by His incarnation. Thevery same flesh and blood Jesus who wasborn of the Virgin Mary, suffered underPontius Pilate, was crucified, died andwas buried, on the third day rose againfrom the dead, ascended into heaven, and

For the Life of the World

LIFELIFEBy Rev. Dr. Arthur A. Just Jr.

The IncarnationalThe Incarnational

6

sits at the right hand of the Father contin-ues to be present in His church after theascension according to His divine andhuman natures in the preaching of theGospel and the sacramental life of thechurch.As the church journeys toward heaven,

it teaches the words of the Lord, it washesat the font, and it feeds God’s people at thebanquet of the Lord. We believe, teach,and confess that Jesus Christ is presenthere in His church, the body of Christ,through the Gospel and the Sacraments,the gifts of His presence. God continues tosend the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, sothat we might be in communion with Himforever. When we speak of Jesus’ pres-ence, we are talking about His fleshlypresence, that is, that very flesh that wascrucified for us and the very flesh thatbroke the bonds of death on the third day.How the eternal God made flesh to be pre-

sent in His church in simplewords, simple water, andsimple bread and wine is partof the mystery we call theincarnational life.

To live the incarnation-al life is to be united to JesusChrist—the source of all life.This life of communion with

Jesus begins at the font where we werecleansed from our uncleanness andmade whole in Him. His sufferingand resurrected flesh restores ourimpure and unclean flesh to whole-ness and wellness. The new font atKramer Chapel reminds our commu-nity that we enter the incarnationallife in baptism where we put onChrist and receive a new identity thatdefines our life by His life.Life itself is a journey from birth

to death. For the Christian, life is apilgrimage from baptism to death, whichis the entrance into eternity. In the watersof Holy Baptism the Christian gets deathover with as he dies and is buried withChrist and is reborn to new life in Christthat never ends. In baptism, when the

Christian puts on Christ, he enters theincarnational life. But as the Christianjourneys to his destination of full commu-nion with Christ in heaven, he lives underthe cross where he is continually living inChrist as he hears His Holy Word andfeeds upon His Holy Food to sustain himon the journey. His pilgrimage climaxes inhis physical death which is an entranceto full communion with Christ in Hisheavenly home. The goal of the journeyis to live in Christ’s presence foreverand to feast at His table for eternity. TheChristian pilgrimage is an incarnationallife in Christ.Our restoration to life in Christ is ongo-

ing by our communion with Him in Hisholy church where He is present in Hisflesh to continue our health and whole-ness. In His presence and the presence of arestored creation, we are fed by His flesh

as He speaks to us in His Word and feedsus His holy meal of His very body andblood at the banquet He has prepared. Ourlife in the church is incarnational for itbrings us into communion with JesusChrist so that we might delight in Him.

This is the essence of Christ’s fleshly pres-ence in the church’s life and her ministryto theworld. In His body, the church, JesusChrist bears witness to a fallen humanitythat He, the Creator of all things, has cometo His creation to take flesh and bring in anew creation.“What does it mean to live an incarna-

tional life in today’s culture?” To liveincarnationally is to bear witness thatJesus Christ is present in our world in Hisgifts through which His flesh is given toour flesh as the place and instrument ofHis presence. This is a matter of Christol-ogy, that is, a matter of how Jesus Christ isavailable to the world through the churchby the Holy Spirit. As Christ’s people, westand in the midst of a broken world as thepresence of Christ to that world because,as the baptized, we bear witness to ourwords and lives to the Christ who dwellsin us. Our incarnational lives testify thatChrist’s presence in the world transformsthe culture and makes it new. Christ ispresent in the world through us, and He ispresent for the life of the world.Many people today want to know how

to be a Christian.What they are really ask-ing is how to live the incarnational life.The response, “Be like Christ who lives inyou!” But they will ask, “What does thismean?” The answer, “Love your enemies,

be merciful and compassionate,forgive, and do works of charity.”But they will ask, “How is thisdone?” The answer, “Come tochurch and receive the gifts ofChrist’s flesh in hearing the Gospeland feasting at His banquet.And thengo out into the world and be whatyou have become in Christ!” This isthe incarnational life!

7JUNE 1998

EEMany people today want to know how to be aChristian. What they are really asking is howto live the incarnational life. The response,“Be like Christ who lives in you!” But theywill ask, “What does this mean?” Theanswer, “Love your enemies, be merciful andcompassionate, forgive, and do worksof charity.”

The Rev. Dr. Arthur A. Just Jr. is aprofessor of Exegetical Theologyat Concordia Theological Seminary,Fort Wayne, Ind.

Mary Douglas, an eminent English anthropolo-gist claims, “As a social animal, man is aritual animal.” By this she means that likelanguage, ritual is essential to the life of anycommunity and the existence of people incommunity. By means of ritual, people who

are otherwise disconnected, can live and work together socially ina family, or a congregation, or a nation.Once we all live in a community, we are all involved in ritual.

Wemay find that hard to accept for ourselves, even though we seeit quite readily in the odd behavior of strangers. In fact, I wouldmaintain that if you really want to understand how the LutheranChurch-Missouri Synod or your congregation works, you need toexamine it’s rituals. They are the key to understanding any com-munity.Because we confuse ritual with its abuse, we underestimate its

importance. Like many other Christians and our secular contem-poraries, we treat ritual with contempt. Ritual, we reckon, is usedby Roman Catholics to evade the simple truth of the Gospel andmystify ordinary people. And sowe speak rather disparagingly ofit as empty or meaningless ordead, as if it were in itself aliento the Gospel and contrary totrue piety. Yet, I could maintainritual is just as important for usLutherans as doctrine. In fact,doctrine cannot operate properlyand be understood rightly apartfrom ritual.If the Gospel is divorced from

its ritual enactment in the divineservice, it becomes disincarnateand ineffectual. It ceases to be“the power of the Lord for thesalvation of everyone whobelieves” and is reduced to asystem of religious ideas—areligious ideology for individu-als. But since the Gospel has todo with the gracious presenceand activity of the risen Lord Jesus with His people, it isenacted ritually.Rituals reveal the basic values and beliefs of a community. They

show what people have in common with each other, what bindsthem together, what is most important to them. That is why meals,birthdays, weddings and funerals are so significant for families.But since rituals express what is taken for granted by everybodyin a particular community, people are largely unaware of their fullsignificance. They usually remain unexplained until they arequestioned. Nobody needs to tell you the meaning of a hug or theholding of hands. Yet, you would be hard put to explain exactlywhat they mean. In fact, mutual behavior is hard to explainbecause it is part of a common world view—the whole system ofvalues shared by a community.Rituals do not just embody the basic views of a community—

they constitute andmaintain its common life. They don’t just show

what people have in common, but are performative enactmentswhich do what they mean and mean what they do. So, for exam-ple, the ceremony of marriage makes a couple husband and wife,just as the rite of ordination makes a person a pastor in the church.Ritual involves

people physicallyin some enact-ment—it commu-nicates somethingbodily from per-son to person in acommunity. Yet,even though itengages peoplephysically, it com-municates withpeople at all levelsof their being. Atits best, it acts

upon the wholepe r son—body,soul, and spirit.So, for example, akiss is not just oneof many physicalforms of contactnor does it merelyconvey the idea oflove. Rather, bymeans of a kiss,two people makelove and sharetheir love with each other.The same goes for the Gospel! Christ does not convey forgive-

ness to us theoretically, but physically by the rite of absolution.

For the Life of the World8

RITUALSAND THE

ENACTMENTOF THE

GOSPELByRev. Dr. John W. Kleinig

And that affects our whole being. We are not born again by think-ing about the doctrine of regeneration, but are regenerated totallythrough faith in the sacrament of baptism. Christ does not interactwith us in a disincarnate way in our worship, but by His ritual

embodiment for us inthe sacrament whereHe gives His body andblood to us physically.So then, by means ofthe rituals which Christhas established,Heengages us fully at alllevels of our being—from the physical to thespiritual— and com-municates the Gospelcomprehensively to us.

Generally speak-ing, rituals constitutecommunities in fourdifferent ways. First,they found new com-munities. Thus, a newcongregation beginswith the performanceof the divine service ina new location. Sec-ondly, rituals initiatepeople into local com-munities. A convert toChristianity becomes amember of the churchthrough the rite of bap-tism. Thirdly, ritualsintegrate people witheach other in a commu-nity so that they cancooperate and sharewith each other. Youcan see these mostobviously in the func-tion of family mealsand the importance ofthe Lord’s Supper inyour congregation.Lastly, rituals enablecommunities to operatecorporately by choos-ing leaders and confer-ring authority on them,as happens in the calland installation of apastor in a congrega-tion.

Ritual, then, is important for us as Christians because the TriuneGod uses it to establish, sustain and extend the church on earth. Heuses certain ritual enactments which HeHimself has established to

speak His life-giving Word to us and to interact with us physicalbeings physically. Lutherans call these divinely instituted ritualsthe means of grace. Through them Christ continues His ministryas the God-man in and through the church, from His ascension tothe close of the age. Through them God the Father gives us HisHoly Spirit.Christ therefore interacts with us ritually in the divine service.

He calls us into the presence of the Father, and forgives us our sins.He speaks HisWord to us, which accomplishes what it says to us.He leads us in our prayers to His Heavenly Father. He shares Hisown eternal life with us through his body and blood, so thatthrough them we are drawn into His fellowship with the Father.

He conveys the blessing of the Father to us and gives us the HolySpirit to empower us to live and work with Him. All this is medi-ated ritually through word and action in worship.So then, we Christians cannot do without ritual if we are to be

faithful to our Lord. By His incarnation He has chosen to engageus physically with natural things, such as water, bread and wine,as well as human words and acts. Through these He creates andsustains our faith. Through these He establishes the church as aheavenly community on earth and empowers us to lead heavenlylives on earth. These holy things make and keep us holy. Ritual istherefore just as important as right doctrine, for apart from it wehave no access to the Living God.

The Rev. Dr. John W. Kleinig is a lecturer at Luther Campus,North Adelaide, Australia

JUNE 1998 9

Ritual is important for us as Christians becausethe Triune God uses it to establish, sustain andextend the church on earth. He uses certain rit-ual enactments which He Himself has estab-lished to speak His life-giving Word to us and tointeract with us physical beings physically.Lutherans call these divinely instituted ritualsthe means of grace. Through them Christ con-tinues His ministry as the God-man in andthrough the church, from his ascension to theclose of the age. Through them God the Fathergives us His Holy Spirit.

Have you ever seen the birth of a baby? It is anawesome experience for parents to see their sonor daughter emerge, hear the first cry and touch

those little fingers. Tears of joy flow freely. It’s a miracleto see a birth. Seeing your child’s birth is watching amanifestation of love—God’s and yours.People are often excited when they hear that I deliver

babies. Everybody would like a job where you get to seea miracle each day. How much more exciting for thechurch to be able to witness spiritual births at baptisms!If we acknowledge the miracle of our fleshly birth, howmuch more should we celebrate the miracle ofour spiritual birth.“I tell you the truth, no one can enter

the kingdom of God unless he is born ofwater and the Spirit. Flesh gives birthto flesh, but the Spirit gives birth tospirit. You should not be surprised at mysaying, ‘You must be born again.’ “(John 3:5-7)I think that Jesus used the expression

born again because He desires us to see thesimilarities of our spiritualand physical births. Afterdelivering a friend’s child, Iwas asked to be her godmoth-er. Witnessing both her phys-ical and spiritual births mademe see parallels between thetwo events.First of all, we are known

both before our physical and spiritual births. My friendand I saw my future godchild by ultrasound before shewas born.We knew shewas a girl.We could even see herlittle fist that kept causing such pain for mom.We prayedfor her before we knew her name. God also knows usbefore we are born either physically or spiritually. Hesearches for us, knowing our sin before we sin, provid-ing salvation while we still are in our sinful state.Being born either physically or spiritually is not a

decision we can make. When children say, “I never

asked to be born,” they are right. Birth is not in our con-trol. It happens to us. The spiritual life of faith given atbaptism is not reliant upon something we do or say. It isimparted to us through the water and the Word by ourloving God. Physical and spiritual birth occurs to us notby us. Even conception isn’t our action. Begotten byfather and borne by mother, we come into this worldinheriting their sinful nature. Being born again in bap-tism by the Holy Spirit, we are given a new nature thatallows us to see a remnant of God’s creation in Edenwhere He made our first parents in His image.

Our spiritual and physical births occuronly once. We have only one birthdateand we have only one baptismal birth-date. The product of these births, ourphysical body and our spiritual life,may grow or change but we alwayshave the same body and the samefaith. We don’t get more. You eitherhave life or you don’t.At our physical birth, we receive a

name. A name gives us an identity. Ourlast name is the familyname to whomwe belong.That family is responsiblefor you. At our spiritualbirth, God writes Hisname on us as we are bap-tized, “In the name of theFather, and of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit.”

This is the God to whom we belong. This is the One towhom and by whom our worship begins, “In the nameof the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”This is the name by which our “called and ordained min-ister of theWord” forgives all our sins.We are not “of theworld” but “of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” This isthe name into which we are born again. God gives usour spiritual identity and faith.In the womb, the baby is submerged in amniotic fluid,

which we commonly call the bag of water. Prenatally,

10

BORN&BORN

The spiritual life of faith given at Baptism is not

reliant upon something we do or say. It is

imparted to us through the water and the Word

by our loving God. Physical and spiritual birth

occurs to us not by us.

BORN & BORNByDebra L. Schaeffer Grime, MD

For the Life of the World

A

AGAINRNB

JUNE 1998

this water is vital for the maturation of the developingbaby. At birth, this bag of water is either broken sponta-neously or the physician opens the membranes allowingthe water to pour out. Isn’t it interesting that the essentialelement in baptism is water? The flow of water is vitalfor both physical and spiritual birth.Lastly, being born is bloody business. The placenta

that supports the life of the pregnancy is bathed in blood.After the birth is completed, this blood flows quite freelyuntil the womb contracts. Blood is important to lifebecause it takes away the body’s waste products andbrings vital oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues.Spiritual life is bloody business too. Christ had to die.His blood was shed to take away our spiritual wastecalled sin and to bring us the vital spiritual nutrients offorgiveness, life and salvation.“But when they came to Jesus and found that He was

already dead, they did not break His legs. Instead, one ofthe soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing asudden flow of blood and water.” (John 19:33-34)New life always requires water and the shedding of

blood. We see this in physical birth. We see this in thechurch’s sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Having once been created in the mother’s womb,now created in the church’s font, andHaving once been nourished by placental blood,now nourished by the chalice of Christ, andHaving once been bathed with amniotic water,now bathed with spiritual water,May you always have life in the name of theFather and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Debra L. Schaeffer Grime is a medical doctor inSt. Louis, Mo.

11

AGAIN

12

It is no mistake that when the current campus of ConcordiaTheological Seminary (CTS) was built in the 1950s, itschapel—Kramer Chapel, was placed at the center. Rising farabove all the other buildings, the chapel received the most

attention in the design stage as it was intended to represent thecentral focus of the seminary.Today, that focus remains the same. For in this house of wor-

ship, students, staff, and faculty continually gather as a communi-ty to receive God’s gifts in His Word and Sacraments. By gather-ing for worship, the seminary demonstrates the incarnational char-acter of the Body of Christ—His Church.“Christ is present on our

campus in exactly the waysthat He promises to be—HisWord and Sacraments. Thesegifts are abundant in our lifetogether at CTS,” explainedRev. Richard Resch, Kantor atCTS. “Students, faculty andstaff are blessed with severalopportunities daily to gatherin Kramer Chapel to receivethis heavenly food. Thisprayer life is the center of ourlife together, everything elseflows from this.”Throughout the day, multi-

ple opportunities exist to wor-ship. Beginning at 7:30 in the morning, the chapel bells invite thecommunity to Matins, followed a few hours later with MorningPrayer, and again in the afternoon for Vespers. On two eveningseach week, Compline and Evening Prayer are also offered.“At each service the seminary community is fed by the daily

lectionary readings that reinforce the theological substance of the

For the Life of the World

TheJewelof theTheJewelof theKRAMER CHAPEL

”Even as the tabernacle and temple were the loci of God's

gracious presence for the Old Testament faithful, so the

church from its inception has set aside sacred space or

sanctuaries to receive Christ's presence through His holy

means of Word and Sacrament. Kramer Chapel is the

heartbeat of the seminary as Christ here bestows His full

and abundant life." Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, PresidentConcordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne

previous Sunday’s Gospel,” explainedRev. Daniel Reuning, Dean of the Chapelat CTS. “And for those who are unable toattend each service, the schedule for allservice readings is published in our Semi-nary Prayer Book with the encouragementand hope that they will be read at home orin the dormitory. Thus, the whole semi-nary community has available to them arich nourishment of God’s wholesome,sustaining Word.”In the course of daily worship, the

seminary community prays for thosewho have sorrows and concerns as wellas those who are rejoicing over a goodgift.“We pray for church,

synod, districts (on a rotat-ing basis), all our leaders,families, those who are ill, and for our-selves,” explained Kantor Resch. “Oneof the many benefits these daily prayersoffer is the increased opportunity topray for many people and many needsin the church.”Along with worship opportunities,

Confession and Absolution is alsooffered on a daily basis.“I am delighted that private

Confession andAbsolution isa v a i l a b l e , ”explainedDarylBiberdorf, CTSSemina r i an .“When my sinsbegin to troubleme greatly,my Confessorgraciously pro-nounces thewords of life,‘I therefore for-give you allyour sins.’ It is difficult to describe therelief and comfort which accompanythese words.”Often referred to as the “jewel” of the

campus, Kramer Chapel and its worship

life has, for many students, been a strongand positive factor in the decision to cometo the Fort Wayne seminary.“The worship of Christ is the most fun-

damental aspect of pastoral formation. Asthe Scripture says, ‘Faith comes by hear-ing the message, and the message is heardthrough the Word of Christ.’ (Romans10:17),” said Lance O’Donnell, CTSSeminarian. “Thus, worship in KramerChapel, in the midst of CTS’ rigorousacademic program, not only builds onespiritually but serves as a constantreminder that Christ Himself is boththe content and the purpose of theolog-

ical study.”Along with providing

spiritual renewal, the wor-ship life at Kramer Chapel

also provides lessons for members ofits community.

“I have learned the value of rep-etition as a catechetical and memoryaid. My need for the liturgy sections inthe hymnal has decreased substantiallyand I have memorized many of thecanticles telling of our supreme LordJesus Christ. It has demonstrated tome that the repeated use of standard

liturgical formscatechizes in apainless fash-ion,” explainedDaryl Biber-dorf. “The factthat many ofthese forms arequite old hasalso given me asense of unitywith the saintswho have gonebefore. TheChurch is one

throughout time. It is more than a simplegathering of believers; it is the actual bodyof Christ Himself. To change our voices,the liturgical forms, is for the hand to fightwith the body.”

13

Worship in Kramer Chapel, in the

midst of CTS’ rigorous academic pro-

gram, not only builds one spiritually

but serves as a constant reminder

that Christ Himself is both the content

and the purpose of theological study.

JUNE 1998

By Pam Knepper

theSeminaryT theSeminary

For the Life of the World14

In the

FIELDInthe

FIELD by Pam Knepperby Pam Knepper

Many people believe that the one personwho can have the single greatest affect overwhether a man decides to enter the HolyMinistry is their pastor. In the case of Rev.Rick Milas this belief was more than an

observation; it was the truth.Growing up in Des Plaines, Ill.

during the 1950s and 60s, Rev.Milasand his family attended St. John’sLutheran Church (located in Mt.Prospect), which at that time was ledby the Rev. Waldemar Streufert.“I remember even as a young boy

what a great effect Pastor Streuferthad on me. His sermons continuallyreminded all of us that we shouldhave a great reverence for Christ andthat we should continually thank andpraise Him for what He had done foreach of us by dying on the cross,”said Rev. Milas. “This reverencewas demonstrated in my pastor’ssermons, the way in which he led theliturgy, and in his everyday life. Hewas a very faithful man who tookthe duties of the pastoral officevery seriously.”Along with preaching, Rev.

Streufert was also very dedicatedto the confirmation classes thathe taught.“Rev. Streufert always said that he

hoped that at least one boy out ofeach of his confirmation classeswould end up going to seminary tobecome a pastor,” remembered Rev.Milas. “In my case that ended upbeing true. Rev. Streufert was anexcellent pastor and because of hisinfluence onme I eventually decidedto devote my life to serving Christ inthe Holy Ministry.”But like many young men, Rev.

Milas’ decision to become a pastor

did not happen overnight.Entering Eastern Illinois University, Charleston,

Ill., in the fall of 1971, Rev.Milas began his freshmanyear as a pre-pharmacy student.“Even though Rev. Streufert’s influence on me had

been very strong, I really was not sure what I wantedto do with my life when I first began college,”explained Rev. Milas. “It wasn’t until I started gettinginvolved with my campus church and talking withmy campus pastor that it became clear to me that Iwanted to become a pastor.”After much thought and prayer, Rev. Milas made

the decision during his sophomore year of collegethat once he graduated he would enter ConcordiaTheological Seminary (CTS), then located in Spring-field, Ill.Graduating in 1975 with a degree in economics,

Rev. Milas began his seminary studies that fall.Describing his years at CTS as an excellent

experience, Rev. Milas said one of the things that heparticularly liked about the seminary was the faculty.“Among others, Dr. Scaer, Dr. Reuning, Dr. We-

inrich, Dr. Judisch and Dr. Voelz were very good,”said Rev. Milas. “I particularly enjoyed these menbecause they not only wanted us to learn but theywanted us to think on our own and not be afraid toexpress ourselves.”Rev. Milas credits his seminary education as the

key in being able to deal effectively with the liberaltheology that is so rampant in American societytoday.“I was taught intellectual conservative confession-

al theology while at the seminary,” explained Rev.Milas. “And because of the theological education thatI received, today I am able to defend the faith of JesusChrist even in the face of adversity.”Graduating in 1979 from the seminary, Rev. Milas’

first call was to Christ LutheranChurch in Clinton, Ill.Describing the congregation as wonderful with greatpeople, Rev. Milas says that it was during his sixthyear of serving this congregation that he began to seri-ously think about going in a different direction withhis ministry.“Because of the positive experiences I had had at

Confessing the Faith at College

Rev. Milas says that for menwho are considering campusministry, there are severalthings that they should beaware of before accepting acall as a campus pastor.1 You must be somebody that isgoing to stand your ground onyour beliefs.

2 You must have a loving wayabout you with the studentsotherwise your behavior maydrive them away fromthe church.

3 Remember that students like toexperiment by thinking out loud.

4 Be aware that students willcome to talk with you aboutissues that you may notagree with.

5 You will work late night hours.6 You must have a good senseof humor.

7 Be willing to do activities withthe students that you may notnecessarily find important butmay turn out to be the perfectopportunity for you to talk withthe students.

8 If you are interested in campusministry, let your seminaryplacement officer or districtpresident know.

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

JUNE 1998 15

my own college church, I began to think what it would be like tohead up a campus ministry,” remembered Rev. Milas. “So I beganto talk with my district president about these feelings.”Ayear later, Rev. Milas received a call to serve as campus pastor

at University Lutheran Chapel at the University of Wisconsin atMilwaukee. Beginning in June 1986, Rev. Milas served thiscongregation for three years until February 1991 when he decidedto return to the parish and accepted a call to serve as associatepastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church inWest Allis, Wis.A large congregation composed of some 2,700 members, during

Rev. Milas’ two years at St. Paul’s he was primarily responsible forleading the youth and stewardship programs at the church.“After serving at St. Paul’s for two years it was becoming

apparent to me that I missed college ministry,” explained Rev.Milas. “So when the call to Immanuel Lutheran Church at NorthernIllinois University was extended, I decided to take it.”Beginning in September 1994, the college ministry at Northern

Illinois University DeKalb, Ill.waswhat Rev.Milas referred toas a town-gown ministry.“Myself and another pastor

served the church,” explainedRev. Milas. “I handled thegown ministrywhich meant thestudents and the otherpastor handled the townministry which included thelocal community.”After serving Immanuel

Lutheran for three and a halfyears, Rev. Milas accepted hiscurrent call as campus pastor atUniversity Lutheran Church atthe University of Illinois atUrbana/Champaign, beginningin September 1994.The congregation serves the

students at the university andaverages around 95 worship-pers every Sunday. A ministry that isgrounded in Word and Sacrament,Rev. Milas teaches classes on theLutheran Confessions, books ofthe Bible, follows the liturgy, andpractices closed communion.One of the things that Rev. Milas

particularly enjoys about collegeministry is the fact that you can con-centrate solely on the things of theministry.“What I mean by that is worship and Bible study,” said Rev.

Milas. “Since I am the one solely responsible for everything at thechurch I can concentrate on what a pastor has been called to do—namely to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. I don’thave to spend my days in meetings with different church boardsbecause in campus ministry these groups don’t exist.”On the other hand, because he is the sole person responsible for

leading the church, this often means late hours so that he can beavailable for the students.“College students are in school during the day so that means

most of their free time is at night,” explained Rev. Milas. “As theirpastor, I need to be available to them even if that means beingawake late at night to talk with them.”Rev. Milas says the biggest challenge he is facing today as a

campus pastor is the lure the big conservative, non-denominationalchurch bodies are having on college students.“These church bodies emphasize a theology that puts the person

at the center instead of Christ,” explained Rev. Milas. “For manypeople this is very alluring.”One of the ways that Rev.Milas is combating this challenge is by

offering a ministry to the students whose sole focus is centeredaround theWord of God and the Sacraments.“I have found that the appeal of the non-denominational church-

es only lasts for so long before students start questioning where thedoctrine is,” said Rev. Milas.“Once they discover that thereis none, then many studentseither come back to our churchor they decide to visit us forthe first time. Our ministry ofWord and Sacrament is veryeffective because they see thatChrist is and should be at thecenter of the worship serviceinstead of humans.”Rev. Milas says anotherthing that is most troublingto him is the prevailing attitudeby many people that campusministry is not importantand therefore should beeliminated.“Campus ministry not onlyoffers students a church wherethey can go on campus but ouruniversity campuses desper-

ately need a confessional voice,”explained Rev. Milas. “On the onehand we have the voice of other reli-gions along with the conservative,non-denominational churches and onthe other hand there is the world’svoice. Students need a voice thatclearly proclaims that Jesus Christ isthe only way of salvation, and that wemust observe everything He teaches.This is something that needs to be

taken very seriously. For if there is no confessional voice on our uni-versity campuses then students will more than likely gravitatetowards these other voices that do not speak the clear Gospel ofJesus Christ. And for that to happen would be a pure tragedy.”

Rev. Milas and his wife Martha reside in Champaign, Ill. alongwith their two children, John and Laura.

Students need a voice that clearly proclaims

that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation,

and that we must observe everything He

teaches. For if there is no confessional voice

on our university campuses then students will

more than likely gravitate towards these other

voices that do not speak the clear Gospel of

Jesus Christ.

Ove

Over 700 peoplerepresenting thechurch bodiesof the Lutheran

Church-Missouri Synod,the Evangelical LutheranChurch of America, andthe RomanCatholic Churchcame to Concordia TheologicalSeminary (CTS), Fort Wayne, onApril 15 to listen and take part ina dialogue that focused on theecumenical movement.The evening began with a wel-

come by Dr. Dean O. Wenthe,President of CTS, who expressedhis appreciation in regard to theseriousness by which the presentpontiff has taken in regards todoctrine and dogma, in particular,his vigorous efforts on behalf ofthe Christian vision of life and thesanctity of the unborn.Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, president of the Catholic Church’s

Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, followed with akeynote address entitled, Commitment to Ecumenism and Its Con-sequences for the Churches and the Faithful.

In his address, Cardinal Cassidy dealt first with the nature of theCatholic Church’s commitment to ecumenism, based especiallyon the teaching of Pope John Paul II in the Encyclical Utunum sint.“The Encyclical should be seen first and foremost as an urgent

appeal not only to the bishops, clergy, religious and faithful of theCatholic Church, but to all Christians,” said Cardinal Cassidy.“Restoring unity is to be considered a task for all members of theChurch, according to the ability of each.”Cardinal Cassidy went on to explain what ecumenism is to the

Catholic Church, in the words of Pope John Paul II.“Ecumenism is not just some sort of appendix which is added

to the Church’s traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is anorganic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervadeall that she is and does. It must be like the fruit borne by a wealthyand flourishing tree which grows to its full stature.”Cardinal Cassidy explained that in order for ecumenism to

work, a new mentality in all that concerns other Christians firstmust take place.“Pope John Paul II has stated on at least two occasions that it is

not enough for Christians simply to tolerate one another. If we arebrothers and sisters, then we must love another. We must respectone another and care for one another,” said Cardinal Cassidy.“Hence, there can be no place in our minds for the old prejudices,stereotypes, suspicions. The well-being of my brother or sister

For the Life of the World16

Lutheran/CatholicLutheran/CatholicSEMINARY HOSTS

Over 700 people representing the church bodies of the Lutheran Church-MissouriSynod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Roman Catholic Churchcame to Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS), Fort Wayne, on April 15 to listen andtake part in a dialogue that focused on the ecumenical movement.

The Rev. Richard G. Frazier, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Ind., standing, introduces the Rev. Prof. Kurt E. Marquart,associate professor of systematic theology at Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS), Fort Wayne, pictured far left, Cardinal Edward I.Cassidy, president of the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, pictured center, and Dr. Eugene L. Brand,retired assistant general secretary for ecumenical affairs for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), all featured speakers during aLutheran/Catholic Dialogue held April 15 at CTS.

JUNE 1998 17

/Catholic DialogueL /Catholic DialogueBy Pam Knepper

Christian should be my joy; the difficulties faced by his or herchurch my concern. In particular, we should be sensitive to thebeliefs and deep convictions of the other, even when we cannotshare those same beliefs and convictions.”Another point that Cardinal Cassidy

touched on was the serious involvement oftheological dialogue.“There can be no real unity if we remain

deeply divided on doctrinal questions. Thereare those who would have us leave aside theold theological disputes and seek to find adifferent way ahead by coming togetheraround a Conciliar table,” said Cardinal Cas-sidy. “Nothing, I believe, could be more dis-astrous for ecumenism. Those essential actsof our faith that we wish so dearly to share,such as full participation in the Eucharist orthe mutual recognition of ministers, cannever take place until we have overcomeour doctrinal divisions on these and other essential articles of theChristian faith.”Cardinal Cassidy concluded his address by stating that even

though much has been achieved in the search for Christian unity,much more could be done, with much still to be achieved.“What seems important to me is that we look forward with hope

and that we do not become discouraged. God works in this worldwith poor instruments. We are so often afraid. We are chained tomemories of the past.We are held back by the divisions within ourown communities,” concluded Cardinal Cassidy. “We have noneed to be afraid of the truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ says to us, ashe did to his first disciples, ‘Why are you troubled, and why arethese doubts rising in your hearts?’ (Luke 24:38). Our task is sim-ply ‘to let down the nets’ (Luke 5:4), to have faith in the LordJesus, and to allow ourselves to be guided by his Spirit.”Following Cardinal Cassidy, were responses from Rev. Prof.

Kurt E. Marquart, associate professor of systematic theology atCTS, and Dr. Eugene L. Brand, retired assistant general secretaryfor ecumenical affairs for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).In Rev. Marquart’s response, he freely admitted that the ecu-

menical movement has brought about profound changes for thebetter, so far as the attitudes of Christians are concerned, but thatwe need to move beyond the introductory stages of ecumenism orgreeting card ecumenism and face the hard issues of truth.“Truth does not refer to any qualitative achievements of our

own fallen and fickle human nature, but it refers to that Truthwhich alone can make us free. The truth as it is in Jesus, ourdivine, human Savior, who is Himself, theWay, the Truth, and the

Life,” explained Rev. Marquart. “That life-giving truth is the onething needful, the only genuine way and key to the ultimate ecu-menical goal of visible unity in full communion.”

Along with facing the hard issues of truth,Rev. Marquart was quick to point out thatwithin the ecumenical movement we mustnot yield to illusions which could cloud ourjudgments and dissipate our efforts.“Therefore, it is for us to pursue and press

toward the divine truth to the very best ofour ability,” said Rev. Marquart. “The out-come, however, does not lie in our hands,but in His, who without whom the buildersbuild in vain. To Him be all our humbleecumenical efforts commended.”Dr. Brand, who like Cardinal Cassidy,

stressed the importance of theologicaldialogue, also emphasized the need forvisible unity.

“The world desperately needs one voice from Christ’s body onearth,” said Dr. Brand. “Unity is a matter of obedience. One mustbe obedient to the will of God for the unity of the church.”The dialogue ended with a question-and-answer period from theaudience which was immediately followed with a Vespers servicein Kramer Chapel led by the Rev. Matthew Harrison, pastor ofZion Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne.“The Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue was characterized by a forth-right discussion of those issues which are at the center of Christ-ian identity—Christ’s person and work, the reliability of Scripture,and the need for both truth and clarity,” explained Dr. Dean O.Wenthe. “The clarity of analysis and positive nature of the discus-sion will serve the Christian community well.”

The dialogue ended with a question-and-answer periodfrom the audience.

Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, President of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne,pictured in the middle, opened the dialogue with a welcome address.

SEM INARY ANNOUNCES

Calls and VicaragesConcordia Theological Seminary

(CTS), Fort Wayne, is pleased toannounce its spring 1998 calls to thepastoral ministry and vicarage assign-ments. Fifty-one men received theirdivine calls on April 22 with thesame number receiving their vicarageassignments on April 21.

CALLSCALIFORNIA-NEVADA-HAWAII•David Floyd, Bethlehem LutheranChurch, Dayton, Nev.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS•Karl Bollhagen, Concordia LutheranChurch, Warsaw, Ill.•Ernest Brooks, Trinity LutheranChurch, Edinburg, Ill.

EASTERN•Zirl E. Yek, Concordia LutheranChurch, Pittsburgh, Penn.

ENGLISH•Michael Morehouse, Catalina LutheranChurch, Tuscon, Ariz.•Noel Olse, Trinity Lutheran Church,LaPorte, Ind.•John Reynolds, First Lutheran Church,Stone Mtn., Ga.•Lincoln Winter, Bethany LutheranChurch, Chicago, Ill.

INDIANA•Paul Gramit, Hope Lutheran Church,Cedar Lake, Ind.•Richard Lammert, Concordia Theologi-cal Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.•William Parsons, III, Lutheran Churchof Our Saviour, Monticello, Ind.•David Stecker, Emanuel LutheranChurch, New Haven, Ind.•James Tews, Emmanuel LutheranChurch, Fort Wayne, Ind.

IOWAWEST•Steven Barker, Trinity LutheranChurch, Van Meter, Iowa•John Doolittle, St. Paul’s LutheranChurch, Ireton, Iowa

•Mark Haller, Immanuel LutheranChurch, Spirit Lake, Iowa

KANSAS•Alan Estby, Immanuel Lutheran Churchand University Student Center,Lawrence, Kan.

MICHIGAN•Douglas DeWitt, Faith in Christ Luther-an Church, Eaton Rapids, Mich.•Stephen Schilke, Christ Our ShepherdLutheran Church, Carleton, Mich.•James Weber, Grace Lutheran Church,Elk Rapids, Mich.

MINNESOTA NORTH•Paul Mundinger, St. Paul LutheranChurch, Hinckley, Minn.•James Wasmuth, Immanuel & TrinityLutheran Churches, Callaway & Ogema,Minn.

MINNESOTA SOUTH•Steve Bagnall, Zion and Trinity Luther-an Churches Lewisville, Minn.•Timothy Gordish, St. Peter’s LutheranChurch, Gibbon, Minn.

MISSOURI•Larry Feldt, Zion Lutheran Church,Poplar Bluff, Mo.•Duane Osterloth, Holy Cross LutheranChurch, Kansas City, Mo.

MONTANA•Christopher Tabbert, Holy Cross LutheranChurch, Eureka, Mont.

NEBRASKA•Paul Duffy, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church,Kenesaw, Neb.•Duane Miesner, Immanuel & ChristLutheran Churches, Spencer & Lynch,Neb.

NORTH DAKOTA•Arie Bertsch, St. John’s LutheranChurch, McClusky, N.D.•Kirk Douglas, Immanuel & ZionLutheran Churches, Stirum & Gwinner,N.D.

NORTHWISCONSIN•Thomas Mackey, St. Paul’s & ZionLutheran Churches, Iron River &Amasa, Mich.•David Smith, Calvary Lutheran Church,Waupaca, Wis.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS•Elstner Lewis, Jr., St. Philip LutheranChurch, Chicago, Ill.•Paul Mumme, St. Michael & Mt. Cal-vary Lutheran Churches, Chicago &Franklin Park, Ill.

NORTHWEST•Roger Blesi, Deaf Regional Mission-ary-At-Large, Western Washington &Alaska•James Haugen, Jr., Immanuel LutheranChurch, Hood River, Ore.•Craig Kellerman, Calvary LutheranChurch, Gooding, Idaho

OHIO•Kenneth Castor, Redeemer LutheranChurch, Sidney, Ohio•Mark Matzke, Our Redeemer LutheranChurch, Solon, Ohio•Keith Knupp, Bethel Lutheran Church,Willowick, Ohio

SOUTHEASTERN•Leroy Hansen, Holy Lamb LutheranChurch, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

SOUTHERN•Jerald Dulas, First English LutheranChurch, New Orleans, La.•Timothy Killion, Holy Cross LutheranChurch, Tuscaloosa, La.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS•Christopher Esget, Bethel LutheranChurch, DuQuoin, Ill.

TEXAS•Brian Cummins, Trinity Lutheran Church,West Sinton, Texas•Edward Giese, Grace Lutheran Church,Seguin, Texas•Erik Stadler, Immanuel Lutheran Church,Hereford, Texas

For the Life of the World18

WYOMING•Daniel Mulholland, Shepherd of the Val-ley Lutheran Church, Fort Bridger, Wyo.•Kirk Peters, Prince of Peace LutheranChurch, Buffalo, Wyo.

BOARD FORMISSION SERVICES•Herbert Burch, Jr., Evangelistic Mission-ary/Church Planter, Guatemala City,Guatemala, Central America

VICARAGESCALIFORNIA-NEVADA-HAWAII•David DePaoli, St. Matthew LutheranChurch, Sonora, Calif.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS•Michael Kolesar, Holy Cross LutheranChurch, Moline, Ill.

ENGLISH•Gerald Bossard, Gloria Dei LutheranChurch, Blue Bell, Penn.

FLORIDA-GEORGIA•James Martin, Hope Lutheran Church,Bradenton, Fla.

INDIANA•Donald Ehrke, Faith Lutheran Church,Columbus, Ind.•Sean Esterline, Faith Lutheran Church,Bloomington, Ind.•Robin Fish, Immanuel Lutheran Church,Terre Haute, Ind.•Robert Gullion, St. John & St. MarkLutheran Churches, Rensselaer &Medaryville, Ind.•R. Eric Malmstrom, Lutheran Homes,Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.•Gregory Manning, Bethlehem LutheranChurch, Fort Wayne, Ind.

IOWAEAST•Steven Pockat, St. John Lutheran Church,Waverly, Iowa•Kenneth Spence, St. Paul LutheranChurch, Marion, Iowa

IOWAWEST•MarkAbraham, Grace Lutheran Church,LeMars, Iowa•Richard Kelm, St. Paul Lutheran Church,Carroll, Iowa

MICHIGAN•David Bogda, Grace Lutheran Church,Baldwin, Mich.•John Rutowicz, St. Paul Lutheran Church,Niles, Mich.•Paul Yanke, St. John Lutheran Church,Ionia, Mich.

MID-SOUTH•Meredith Jackson, St. Philip LutheranChurch, Chattanooga, Tenn.

MINNESOTANORTH•Paul Sundbom, Our Savior LutheranChurch, Crookston, Minn.

MINNESOTASOUTH•Marc Freiberg, St. John Lutheran Church,Austin, Minn.•DavidWetmore, St. Paul Lutheran Church,Waseca, Minn.

MISSOURI•Cecil Murdock, Trinity Lutheran Church,Cole Camp, Mo.

MONTANA•Ian Pacey, First Lutheran Church, Boze-man/Belgrade, Mont.•Kenneth Zoeller, Mount Olive LutheranChurch, Billings, Mont.

NEWENGLAND•PhillipAlexander, Messiah LutheranChurch, Fitchburg, Mass.•Ralph Tausz, St. Peter Lutheran Church,Norwalk, Conn.

NORTHDAKOTA•Larry Sheppard, Emmanuel LutheranChurch, NewRockford, N.D.

NORTHWISCONSIN•Daniel Iwinski, Bethany Lutheran Church,Kaukauna,Wis.•Albert Oren, Trinity Lutheran Church,Hayward,Wis.•JohnWilman, Zion & Immanuel LutheranChurches, Turtle Lake & Clayton,Wis.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS•Richard Mau, Immanuel Lutheran Church,Freeport, Ill.•Mark Mumme, St. Paul Lutheran Church,Lockport, Ill.•Todd Seaver, Zion Lutheran Church,Beecher, Ill.

NORTHWEST•Thomas Graves, Pilgrim Lutheran Church,Ontario, Ore.

OHIO•Dean Bauer, St. Thomas Lutheran Church,Ohio City, Ohio•Dennis Dobbins, St. Timothy LutheranChurch, Huber Heights, Ohio

OKLAHOMA•EricAhlemeyer, Trinity Lutheran Church,Norman, Okla.

ROCKYMOUNTAIN•Jerome Leckband, Zion Lutheran Church,Brighton, Colo.•Michael Nemec, San Pablo LutheranChurch, El Paso, Texas•Matthew Switzer, Messiah LutheranChurch,Aspen, Colo.

SOUTHDAKOTA•Jamison Hardy, Mt. Calvary LutheranChurch, Brookings, S.D.

SOUTHERN•Michael Johnson, Prince of Peace & Pril-grim Lutheran Churches, Birmingham,Ala.•Ferry Nye, Trinity Lutheran Church,Montgomery,Ala.

SOUTHWISCONSIN•Clark Brown, St. John Lutheran Church,Berlin,Wis.•Scott Drush, Luther Memorial Chapel,Shorewood,Wis.

TEXAS•Allan Eckert, St. Paul Lutheran Church,Kingsville, Texas•David Mueller, Peace Lutheran Church,Garland, Texas

WYOMING•Daniel Holthus, Trinity Lutheran Church,Rock Springs,Wyo.

JUNE 1998 19

For the Life of the World20

Campus

HAPPENINGSCampus

HAPPENINGSNew ProfessorJoins CTS Faculty— The Rev. Dr. KlausDetlev Schulz hasaccepted a call to serveas an assistant professorin the Department ofPastoral Ministry andMissions at ConcordiaTheological Seminary

(CTS), Fort Wayne. He will begin hisduties Fall 1998.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 wasformed 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.

Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz

A new baptismal font and paschal candlestand wereinstalled at Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS) inKramer Chapel on March 6.

JUNE 1998 21

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 students getting educations that will help them inlife? Should families seriously consider home schooling? In thistime of frequent, often rancorous discussion on the fitness ofour educational institutions, Dr. Harran has provided “a clear,succinct, and sprightly overview of (1) Luther’s own education,(2) Luther’s educational ideas and program, and (3) the impact(and limitations) of Luther and the magisterial reformers’ workon the educational enterprise and institutions in Luther’s daydown to the present.” This will be an excellent volume for aParent-Teacher organization, school staff or any church think-ing about starting a school program in its parish.

THE ILLUSTRATED JESUS THROUGHTHE CENTURIES

by Jaroslav Pelikan; Yale University Press;retail price $35.00, our price $31.50.

Professor Pelikan has taken his JESUS THROUGH THECENTURIES and “condensed the original text and enhancedthe book with more than 200 new illustrations, most in color,that give a new dimension to his thoughts.” In chapters titled“The King of Kings,” “The Son of Man,” “Christ Crucified” toname but a few, the reader is given clear narrative and beautifulillustrations. As a gift this volume will grace anycoffee table.

THE 77 HABITS OF HIGHLYINEFFECTIVE CHRISTIANS

by 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 somehabits of an ineffective Christian, knowingly or unknowingly.Written in satirical fashion, Mr. Fabry asks the reader to take atrue look at his relationship with the Lord and how that rela-tionship is projected to others. It will make and excellent andeasy self analysis, but can also be effectively used as an icebreaker or discussion starter for a Bible study, small group, orperhaps, evangelism committee, elders or others in leadershipin the congregation.

LAW AND GOSPEL: PHILIP MELANCHTHON’S DEBATEWITH JOHN AGRICOLA OF EISLEBEN OVER POENITENTIA

by Timothy J. Wengert; Baker Book House;retail price $19.99, our price $18.00.

There has been increasing interest the last several years inPhilip Melanchthon, a disciple of Martin Luther. “The properdistinction between law and gospel” has always been a centraltheme of Lutheran doctrine. Melanchthon believed that theissue of Law and Gospel had a major impact on and was veryconsequential for his life. Professor Wengert goes into adetailed discussion of this doctrine and how it “formed the basisof the first public controversy among Luther’s students and pro-foundly shaped the nature of later Lutheranism by making thedistinction between law and gospel one of its distinguishingcharacteristics.” This book will interest the serious students ofReformation theology.

Concordia Theological SeminaryBookstore Order Form

Quantity Book TotalMartin Luther: Learning For Life,$15.30The Illustrated Jesus Through theCenturies, $31.50The 77 Habits of Highly IneffectiveChristians, $9.90Law and Gospel: Philip Melanchthon’sDebate with John Agricola of EislebenOver Poenitentia, $18.00

Total MerchandiseIndiana residents add 5% sales tax

Prepaid orders add 20% of total for postage ($2.50 minimum)Packaging and handling $2.50

TOTALName: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

C O N C O R D I A T H E O L O G I C A L S E M I N A R Y

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

22 For the Life of the World

Events

LLCCMMSS CCoonnvveennttiioonnJuly 11-17, 1998St. Louis, Mo.

LLCCMMSS YYoouutthh GGaatthheerriinnggJuly 25-29, 1998Atlanta, Ga.

GGoollff OOuuttiinnggJuly 25, 1998Concordia Theological Seminary

Church Interpreter Training InstituteYouth WeekBegins June 21, 1998

Internship ProgramBegins June 21, 1998Concordia Theological Seminary

Seminary Retreats

Call (219) 452-2247 to register

June 12-14, 1998College Men’s Retreaton the Holy MinistryRev. Todd Peperkorn and Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer,Presenters

September 17-19, 1998The Sermon on the Mount:The First Step in CatechesisRev. Dr. David P. Scaer, Presenter

September 18-20, 1998A Biblical Study of AngelsRev. Dr. Charles Gieschen,Presenter

September 25-27, 1998Altar Guild RetreatHelen Kraus and Rev. Prof. Daniel G. Reuning,Presenters

October 16-18, 1998Understanding Bach’s Mass in B MinorRev. Dr. Robin Leaver,Presenter

October 22-24, 1998Fathers of the Church: Pastors, Martyrs, ConfessorsRev. Dr. William Weinrich,Presenter

October 22-24, 1998Teaching the Small CatechismRev. Dr. Charles ArandPresenter

Worship and Music

OOrrggaanniisstt WWoorrkksshhooppss• Level I - June 8-12, 1998• Level II - July 20-24, 1998• Organist Retreat - June 22-26, 1998

For your free subscription, please send your name, address, city,state and zip code to: For the Life of the World, Attn: Pam Knep-per, Managing Editor, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

Pastors may subscribe their entire congregation, at no charge, by submitting a membership list (including members’ name, address, city, state and zip code).For those congregations that do not wish to provide a membership

list, bulk subscriptions are available for $5.00 per subscription/per yearwith a 50 order minimum. To order a bulk subscription, send the name of the church, address,

city, state and zip code to the address mentioned above. Bulk subscriptions will be billed at a later date.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO...

FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD

23JUNE 1998

he Rev. Dr. Howard Tepker, pro-fessor emeritus of systematic theology atConcordia Theological Seminary, FortWayne, died Feb. 26, 1998 in FortWayne. He was 86 years old.Dr. Tepker joined the CTS faculty in

1958 as a systematics professor. Heretired in 1994 after 36 years of ser-vice. Survivors include one son,George Tepker and two daughters,Anna Carson and Barbara Ann Stap-per. His wife, Rosalie, died in 1997.Dr. Tepker graduated from Concor-

dia College, Fort Wayne, in 1932.After graduation he attended Concor-dia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. Upongraduation in 1936, he began parishwork in Wilmington, Del., organizingConcordia Lutheran Church. In 1941he was ordained into the Holy Min-istry and called to serve the very church he had helpedorganize. The following year, Dr. Tepker accepted a dualcall to St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Marion, Ind. and

Trinity Lutheran Church in Ruther-fordton, N.C. He served both parishesuntil 1948 when he was called to St.John' s Lutheran Church in Beard-stown, Ill. During that time, Dr. Tepker entered a graduate program atConcordia Seminary, St. Louis andreceived a bachelor of divinity degreein 1953, an STM in 1961 and the Doctor of Theology in 1963.In 1958 he accepted a call to

Concordia Theological Seminary(then located in Springfield, Ill.) as an assistant professor in systematictheology. In 1962 he was made anassociate professor and three yearslater was made a full professor.Along with his academic pursuits,

Dr. Tepker served as a visitor of theIllinois Valley Circuit from 1954 to

1958 and sat on the Synod's Commission on Theology andChurch Relations and the Lutheran-Reformed Dialog. Hewas also the author of many essays and articles.

THE SEMINARY REMEMBERS THE REV. DR. HOWARD TEPKER

T

The Seminary Guild at Concordia Theo-logical Seminary is in need of your helpto replace 70 well worn mattresses for thesingle seminary students living in thedorms on campus. The cost of a suitablemattress is $100. To date, $3,000 in dona-tions has been received with $4,000 morestill needed. For individuals who wish to

donate to this project and takeadvantage of tax deductions ortax credits, make your checkpayable to: Concordia The-ological Seminary anddesignate For Mattress-es. All others may maketheir checks payable

to: The Seminary Guild. Mail checks to:Concordia Theological Seminary, Semi-nary Guild Box 403, 6600 N. ClintonStreet, Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996.If you are a Lutheran Brotherhood

member, be sure to request a MatchingFunds Grant Form from your LutheranBrotherhood representative. Fill it out and

return to the above address so thatthe seminary may receive

matching funds for thisproject.

The Seminary Guild is a group ofChristian women devoted to servingGod by assisting Concordia Theologi-cal Seminary and its students in theirtasks by stimulating a deeper andmore active interest in ConcordiaTheological Seminary among themembers of LCMS parishes; commu-nicating needs and activities of theseminary and its students as report-ed at guild meetings by seminary rep-resentatives, missionaries, studentsor their wives, along with guild activ-ities; and providing needed servicesfor the seminary and its studentsaccording to the guild’s ability.

CONCORDIA SEMINARY GUILD

NEEDS YOUR HELP