2024
Dear esteemed pastors and delegates, members and friends of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod,
Yea, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil: for your Good Shepherd, Jesus, is with you:
Most of us sing the following stanza in the opening weeks of the Lenten season when we through the appointed lessons are made acutely aware of the powers of darkness, their real presence, and their threats to us as our real spiritual enemies:
I walk in danger all the way;
The thought shall never leave me
That Satan, who has marked his prey,
Is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares
May seize me unawares
If e’er I fail to watch and pray;
I walk in danger all the way.
(ELH #252, v. 1)
We are all on a homeward journey awaiting our arrival at our true home, heaven. This journey does not consist of our personal action to earn the right to be there, but it is traversed in accordance with our Lord’s gracious will for us and His actions through His Spirit. The path we walk upon is the same for us all as Christians. As Jesus said to Thomas: “I am the WAY, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6). Jesus does not simply point out the way for us to follow; He is the very WAY itself.
For this reason, Jesus taught us this: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mt. 7:13–14). The way to hell is so wide it accommodates and tolerates all sorts of sinful worldviews, and the majority of the sinful human race is made up of sojourners in this life who ignorantly follow them.
By God’s gracious working upon us through His Spirit we are journeying on the only WAY which leads to life everlasting. What each of us encounters while on that WAY varies, yet still there are commonalities. Since we are still in the world we are tempted by our enemies through hollow and deceptive philosophies which assail us from every side, tempting us to abandon the WAY. If these empty deceits attempt to offer any hope it is always of the sinners’ making, not God’s gift to us in His Son. The old sinful nature is a proud beast and desires to take credit for finding ways that promise good things for us. Yet, they remain empty and devoid of any real hope for condemned sinners.
I still vividly recall when our eldest son returned from basic training as a Marine. He entered the multi-purpose hall at our church and school with a couple hundred people already gathered for a major event. Upon entering the large room, he immediately stopped and looked around. It appeared he was assessing where all the exits were located, even sizing up the many groups of people gathered in animated conversations. So, before taking another step, he looked circumspectly. I chalked it up to his training which taught him always to be on guard. As I learned later, in his mind the exits could also be used as an entrance of evil. As a Marine, he would not have been looking to escape for himself primarily, but where he potentially needed to respond in order to repel an attack or direct the innocents to flee.
Our Lord calls us to our sojourn in this life as His disciples to do the same. Not with paranoid paralysis, but in anticipation that the devil along with his vexing allies prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour our faith and pluck us from the WAY, the Truth and the Life. You will also recall our Lord Jesus prayed to the Father on the night He was betrayed and asked that He not take His disciples out of the world, but that He would keep them from the evil one (cf. John 17:15). And then Jesus brought you up in His prayer, my modern-day fellow sojourners, when He said to the Father: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (v. 20).
In this world God so loves is the entire human race for whom He sacrificed His Son. We, His disciples, are called to live among our neighbors: believers and unbelievers alike. Seeking to flee the world is not an option for us. Rather our Lord calls us to sojourn here so that the hope we have in Him as our Savior may be declared through our lives and speech for the purpose that all might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
We truly need to walk circumspectly as we live in this life with our enemies poised around every turn. In addition, we need to demonstrate clearly our love and compassion for all, especially those neighbors who have been deluded by error-laden approaches to spirituality. Our essayist will instruct us according to the Word of our Lord, so that we may face the future with a proper and godly approach without compromising our confession nor mission.
This past year has presented several threats to our work together in the ELS. Not only has the state of Minnesota changed the standards for the licensing of education departments of every college in the state, but the legislature has been threatening to remove religious exemptions from its Human Rights Act, something which would affect all our Minnesota churches and schools. I am pleased to report that the college administration is still monitoring the first threat and remains committed never to compromise our teachings and practices. It also is prepared to pursue any legal actions if it becomes prudent to do so.
The Minnesota Human Rights Act legislation has been changed so that it will now grant religious exemptions regarding gender identity matters. This ensures the act cannot be used against faith communities who are proclaiming and practicing their beliefs. Yet, we need to remain vigilant since currently there is the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment that so far does not include such First Amendment protections. Thankfully it was not moved forward this last session by the senate. It will have to pass anew next year to get on the ballot in 2026. Also, this past year religious exemptions were granted for both abortion insurance coverage and gender-affirming care coverage mandates.
While we need to be on our guard, walking circumspectly also includes that we must not allow our synod unwittingly to be dragged into secular politics. Therefore, I am planning to establish an advisory council for my office using the communications director as its chair to consider such matters. This council would be made up of ELS clergy who have a variety of approaches in regard to secular politics under the umbrella of Christian freedom. Where the areas of secular politics and the teachings and practices of the church intersect, my intention is to consult this council. First, it will advise me whether it is prudent for me to respond publicly. Secondly, it will assist me to choose my words carefully as I respond on your behalf without compromising our confession of God’s teachings. It will help me craft my responses in such a way that they will neither distort nor distract from God’s truth by avoiding insensitivities of which I am completely ignorant. While decisions how to proceed will be left to my office as in the past, the advice from such a council should prove to be helpful.
I anticipate more and more challenges will likely be faced by the Church as our culture continues to become more overt in what appears to be its anti-Christian attitudes and policies. It is also possible that chairmen from other boards and committees in the ELS may wish voluntarily to consult with this advisory council before publishing material addressing threats in their spheres of responsibilities.
We need to be circumspect as we navigate in these extremely polarized times; yet we must be willing critically to engage the world around us without compromising our confession nor our mission. In this way we keep serving our Lord as the salt and light He has called us to be.
But lift up your hearts my fellow redeemed! By God’s grace we walk in the fear of the Lord trusting in His precious merits alone. Let us give ourselves anew to Him with all the blessings He has bestowed upon us, so that we may walk together in love through that narrow gate which alone leads to our everlasting rest for His sake alone.
In regard to the financial health of our college, I remain committed to what I have consistently suggested these past three years. We need to explore more innovative ways to reach out to new prospective students, parents and donors alike who share our traditional Christian values but who are unaware of what God allows us to offer here in His name. Relying on current donors has proven to be insufficient.
Per the instructions by the 2023 convention, the college administration and Board of Regents did make decisions in order to balance the budget not only for this coming school year but for the four years following. These included several strategies to promote revenue generation, as well as some strategic cuts while prioritizing her faculty and staff. As long as I have a voice on the Board of Regents, I remain committed to restore majors that have been cut when determined feasible to do so. But we cannot ignore this financial crisis, which is not ours alone. You may also have read this from The Washington Post earlier this past May: “About one university or college [in America] per week so far this year [2024], on average, has announced that it will close or merge. That’s up from a little more than two a month last year (according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.)”
As a Bethany alum, I observe on the campus today the personal relationship between the students and the faculty and staff which I, too, experienced and cherished. It may take a different form today because Bethany has since expanded to a four-year institution. However, for years and even decades after graduating, I could tell that Bethany through its long-tenured faculty and staff still valued me personally as I spoke with such notables as Professors Sig Lee, Rudy Honsey, Glenn Reichwald; and administrators Norman Holte and Cal Johnson.
Now while not a billboard campaign which is intended for wider audiences, on Bethany’s webpage such examples could speak to smaller but no less significant audiences out there. For example: “Bethany Values the Lutheran Confessions,” “Bethany Values All Godly Vocations,” and “Bethany Values Unrevised History.” These expressions, resonating with such interested parties, may help us reinforce the culture of a confessionally faithful Lutheran liberal arts college.
I can also bear witness to the commitment of our college to its motto, “One Thing Needful.” This is not just the first part of Jesus’ Great Commission: “make disciples of all nations by baptizing,” because Mary of Bethany was already a follower of Jesus when He commented that she chose that one thing. She was engaged in the second, often less emphasized, part of the Great Commission.
Jesus’ disciples, once created by baptism, are to be taught all that He commanded His Church to do so that He might be graciously present with them to the very end of the age. Yes, there are individual students baptized every year who thereby come into contact with the Gospel, but even more so there are those believers who are being taught all that Jesus has commanded every single school-year. Let us rejoice in this proper work of our college and give our support to her so that by God’s grace it may continue in the future.
So, while we have real enemies on account of which we need to walk circumspectly, let’s remember that we are not to struggle with flesh and blood, i.e., one another, lest we thwart the work of the Church we do together. Recently I was reminded of the account during King Jehoshaphat’s reign that is recorded in 2 Chronicles 20. The armies of the Moabites, Ammonites and Mt. Seir were arrayed against Judah. The king was struck with fear as he observed their apparent strength and Judah’s weakness. He prayed to the Lord in desperation and was assured by God that this battle was not theirs, but His.
The next morning while approaching the menacing horde who wanted to destroy them, they sang praises to the Lord who promised them deliverance. They did not know what to expect, but as they arrived at the viewpoint overlooking the assembled armies, the king and his people found all the ranks of their enemies were dead. They had turned on one another and fought amongst themselves destroying each other completely. Over the next three days Judah went among the dead and helped themselves to the spoils of the Lord’s triumph.
Now imagine that having had this victory provided by the Lord, the people of Judah proceeded to fight amongst themselves. Instead of receiving all this as a gift from their gracious Lord, they sought their own selfish victories over against their brothers and sisters. This, of course, did not happen; but rather they returned to Jerusalem with great joy praising their true Victor, the Lord Himself.
So, my fellow redeemed we need to take to heart and use the words of Psalm 47 (1–6), the Psalm of our Lord’s Ascension as we enjoy the spoils of His great victory over our enemies:
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
The ascended Lord Jesus has assumed the position of power and authority at the Father’s right hand after defeating our enemies completely. The fight was not ours, but the spoils now are for Jesus’ sake alone. We are forgiven, dressed in His righteousness, our life restored and we possess everlasting salvation. They are freely secured for us and freely given to us through faith. It is my goal in the next couple years to do all I can to keep us focused upon our real common enemies and keep us united as brothers and sisters in the ELS by God’s gracious working through His Word. Then we can enjoy the spoils left on the battle field not only for ourselves but for the world God so loves.
Our walk in this life needs always to be done circumspectly, because our archenemy and his allies, like our old sinful natures seek to reroute us on the wide path which leads to destruction.
The devil is a murderer and a liar, and this is his goal: to drag us to hell with him. He does this primarily by leading people to believe that they are not precious, redeemed creatures of our loving and forgiving Lord Jesus Christ. In the end, the ultimate purpose of demonic lies is not to possess you for a moment, harass you for a while, nor depress you for a season, but to demolish you, God’s beloved creatures, in body and soul. Demons want you to join them in their eternal misery both now and forever. Thus, the devil is a ‘murderer’ (John 8:44) who holds people ‘in slavery by their fear of death’ (Heb 2:14–15 NIV). At the end of the day, the demons seek death for all. They want us to experience death in our lives, in our identities, in our vocations, and in all of our relationships with God and others.1
God through His prophet Jeremiah spoke some words similar to our theme for this convention when he said: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16) Since Jesus is the WAY Himself, we do find rest for our souls, everlasting rest begun here and now.
We began by referencing the familiar twenty-third psalm: Yea, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil: for your Good Shepherd, Jesus, is with you. Shortly after this, David, addresses the Good Shepherd directly with this observation: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Think of it: our Good Shepherd does not build a wall around us, but He allows us to be out and about in the world which He so loves. He sets a table of rest and nourishment before us, while our enemies look on salivating and licking their chops anticipating our destruction. Yet, we are safe. How can this be?
Ask yourself: What is on the table that is set before you? Jesus Himself who is your forgiveness, life, and salvation! Upon Him you feast and all the ugly and often true accusations leveled against you are removed from you. The Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep taking on all the real claims against you and then rose free from them all. Thus, setting you free from all your sin, your deserved death and your hell. This table prepared for you by your Lord in your wilderness journey is in part where the Lamb of God comes and feeds you with His true body given and true blood shed. Behold, He is with you truly and really always to the very end of the age.
Walk circumspectly as you watch for the lies, traps, and temptations of your enemies, but by God’s grace trust your brothers and sisters in Christ never warring against them, so that you might together serve your neighbors in the love of Christ by which you live, move and have your being.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:31–32).
Thus, by God’s gracious working in you, you are well on the WAY walking circumspectly in the world God so loves by giving His only begotten Son for us all. The sole mission of Christ’s Church is to forgive the sins of all sinners in Jesus’ name. May this remain the mission of the ELS, her congregations, pastors, schools, teachers, college, seminary, boards, and committees. We, like our Lord Jesus, have not been called to condemn, but to save. The Lord bless your circumspect journey in this world He so loves.
We pray:
Lord God heavenly Father, we thank You that through Word and Sacrament You have continued Your Church through the ages and preserved the fellowship of the faithful throughout the years. Grant us so firm a faith in the Redeemer and so steadfast a faithfulness in your means of grace, that through our generation You might continue to build Your Church among the children of men. Protect us from all falsehood and error. Heal all controversy, dissension, and schism, and foster God-pleasing unity among us. Grant to us the grace to be loyal to Your Word, resisting all efforts to set aside Your revealed truth. Remove the indifference of our hearts, and make us for Yourself zealous workers for Your Church, that many souls may be added to Christ’s kingdom through our confession. Give to both the young and the old Your grace, that through our words and deeds we may faithfully bear witness to the Lover of our souls, and on His account, the glorious hope that lives within us, in Jesus’ name.2
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forevermore. Amen.
Glenn R. Obenberger, president
Endnotes
