Author: Julie Raffa

September 2019

The Pilgrim Herald

Liturgy, Ritual, and what Forms a Life
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over
the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices.” Psalm 37:7

I am one adult who rarely makes the bed. I know, this is a shock to bed-making devotees, but in my mind bed making was something we all collectively shed as soon as we could, like algebra. I mean, what was the point. You’d mess it up again that evening. An exercise in futility? Make the bed, unmake it again, over and over. I mean, the bed functions just as well with the sheets messy as it does with them pulled tight and with sharp corners. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a bed with clean crisp sheets.
Most mornings, shortly after waking, I would grab my iPhone. Like digital caffeine, and before I crawled out of bed I had checked my email, the terrain of social media, the standings of sports teams, and saw what a mess the world was on the Apple news app.
Zoologists often talk about the nature of being “imprinted.” As wild animals fed by human beings believe those creatures to be their mother. It is no longer wild nor can it live on its own. My morning ritual was brief—no more than five min. But my day was “imprinted” by technology. And like a polar bear cub attached to her humans, I’d look for all good things to come from glowing screens. Without realizing it, I had slowly built a habit: a steady resistance to and dread of boredom.
It was usually during Lent that I would make the promise to myself to stop eating so many sweets, and quit waking up with my phone. Instead, I would grab a book, perhaps straighten the sheets, stretch tight muscles, or lie there in silence with a word from the Lord to think upon. Now, I wasn’t wildly successful at this, but I did begin to notice that my day was imprinted differently. The first move of my day was not that of consumer, but that of listener, to my body, my mind, my God. In the creation narrative, God entered chaos and made order and beauty. And so, I resolved to focus the tiny acts of the ordinary workings of God, and not so much on the chaos that awaited me in the world.
And I sat. I knelt in prayer for you, the people of my parish, sung the morning office of matins: “O Lord, open my lips.” I’d lay my worries, questions, crosses upon my God who has broad enough shoulders to bear them, and ask for strength to bear the ones I could carry.
Most of our days, our lives, are driven by habit and routine. One of the ways this happens is through ritual and repetition. We are shaped every day, whether we know it or not, by practices, by liturgies that make us who we are. We receive these practices not only from the church and Scriptures, but also from the culture.
The poet, Flannery O’Conner noted to a friend, “push as hard as the age that pushes against you.” The church is to be a wholly different people, set apart, and marked by the love of God in each area of life. But often we are not sure how to become this sort of people. Though we believe deeply in the gospel, we often feel like the way we spend our days looks eerily similar to the unbelieving culture.
There are many different ways that people have suggested we act as these alternative people, in the world but not of it. In short, though, as St. Augustine argues: to be an alternative people is to be formed differently—to take up practices and habits that aim our love and desire toward God.
In church we participate in a liturgy that we repeat each week and by which we are trained. All churches have a liturgy, even those “non denominational” churches that insistently deny it. Thus, the question is not “whether we have a liturgy,” but rather, “what kind of people is our liturgy forming us to be.” Our liturgy, based squarely upon the Word of God, teaches us what it means to be a child of God both in His house and in the world. As we learn the words, practices, and tune of the faith hewn by our brothers and sisters throughout history, we learn to live our lives in His days and deeds of peace.
We must face it. All of us have everyday liturgies. In my case, and in many others, by reaching for that smartphone every morning, I had developed a ritual that trained me toward a certain end: entertainment and stimulation via technology. Regardless of being a Christian, my unexamined life and habit was shaping me into a worshiper of glowing screens.
When I did examine my daily liturgy—something that both revealed and shaped what I love and worship—allowed me to realize that my daily practices were malforming me, making me less alive, less human, less able to give and receive love throughout my day. Striving to resist this ritual allowed me to form a new repetitive habit that pointed me toward a different way of being in the world.
I don’t expect that as we navigate our day that we will consciously think through the theology of every habit. That would be exhausting. But when we do examine our daily habits, we see how they shape our view of God, ourselves, and our fellow neighbor. And I need rituals that encourage me to embrace the Word of God, that which is repetitive, ancient, and handed down to me by that faithful cloud of witnesses.
Yet, what I crave is novelty and stimulation. And I am not alone. I recently came across a study out of the University of Virginia which showed that, given choice, many preferred undergoing electric shock to sitting alone with their thoughts. Study participants were exposed to a mild shock, which they all reported they didn’t like and would pay money not to undergo it again. But when left alone in an empty room with a shock button for up to fifteen minutes, removed from all distractions, unable to check their phones or listen to music, two-thirds of men and one-fourth of women in the study chose to voluntarily shock themselves than sit in silence.
The thing that most annoyed me about making the bed and other maintenance type duties is that they must be done over and over again—and yet this fact reflects the very rhythm of faith. Our hearts and desires are shaped by what we do again and again, and again. In church, in gathered worship, we learn together to sit in repetition and predictability. We learn the repetitive, slow rhythms of a life of faith and love.
In a culture that craves the big, the entertaining, the dramatic, the shocking, cultivating a life with space for silence, liturgy, repetition, is necessary for sustaining a life of faith. That is, when we gaze at the richness of the Gospel and the church and find them dull, boring, uninteresting, it’s actually we who have been hollowed out. We have lost our capacity to see the wonders where true wonders lie. We must be formed as a people who are capable of appreciating and seeking goodness, truth, and beauty.
Daily life, dishes in the sink, laundry in the wash, children asking the same questions over and over again, the long doldrums of the afternoon—these things are filled with repetition. And much of the Christian life is returning over and over again to the same work and the same habits of worship. We must contend with the same spiritual struggles again and again. The work of repentance and faith is daily and repetitive, the exercise of your Holy Baptism.
In the daily routines—making the bed, doing the dishes, the praying for sick, suffering, the wayward and lost, the reading of Holy Writ, the quiet, the small—that is where God in His Son is taking root and grows the life of faith, exercised in love toward the neighbor.
The point of exchanging my morning liturgy was to habituate myself to repetition, to the tangible, to the work before me—to train myself as to live with my eyes open toward God in faith and in fervent love toward my neighbor. For it is in the repetitive and the mundane that I begin to learn, to love, to listen, to pay attention to God and those around me.
In Christ, Pastor Raffa

The Pilgrim Herald — Page #

Pilgrim News
Thank you for your prayers, support, donations and participation in VBS. We had a wonderful week together. Pictures of the week’s activities are displayed in the Narthex. Be sure to save the date for next year’s VBS: August 17 – 21, 2020
Address & Telephone Changes: If you or a family member has recently changed your address, telephone number or e-mail address, please provide the church office with your new information. Correct information saves you a trip to church when there are unexpected cancellations of meetings or classes. Correct information also allows the church to provide accurate information on your yearly financial statements and cuts the costs associated with returned mail.
CPH Annual Bible Sale offers up to 33% off their new & most popular Bibles and companion books. There is an Order Poster in the Narthex; orders are due by September 22.
LWML Zone 7 Fall Rally will be held on October 26 at St. Paul’s, 509 Milwaukee Ave, Cascade. The day is scheduled as follows:
8:30 am Registration
8:45 am Welcome & Prayer
9:00 am Breakfast & Fellowship
10:00 am Speaker from Sheboygan Police K9 Unit
11:00 am Bible Study
The in-gathering for this rally will include cash donations for the K9 Unit. All women members of the LCMS are eligible and encouraged to attend.
Are you a Thrivent Member? Did you know that all Thrivent members, ages 16 and older, are eligible for Thrivent Action Team grants? These grants “provide promotional resources and seed money to jump-start fundraisers, educational events and service projects.” These grants have provided funds for many of the events held at Pilgrim, including the Easter Events, VBS, Family Thanksgiving Supper, Christmas and Easter cards, and the Christmas Chili Supper. There are other fundraisers and community service projects that Pilgrim members would like to hold, however each Thrivent Member is limited to two Action Grants per year. Will you help us? If you are willing to use one of your Thrivent Action Grants for a project at Pilgrim, please contact one of the pastors.
Ready for Retirement? Jody Slak from Thrivent will hold a Securing and Preserving your Retirement Strategy workshop at Pilgrim on Tuesday, September 17 at 6:00 pm. If you are interested in attending, reverse your spot prior to September 10 by contacting Melissa at 920-933-1320 or melissa.volkert@thrivent.com.

Trustees report
August 12, 2019 Meeting
Present: David Fellenz, David Boehlke, Rob Selzler, Mark Ringgenberg, Pastor Raffa
Approved bills, property use requests.
Grading between sidewalk and curb on Meadowbrook Drive will be done by the Trustees and is scheduled for September.
We are planning a fall clean-up day in October and have begun compiling a list of items that need attention.
The Trustees will perform the quarterly fire sprinkler test, and Countywide will test and inspect the fire extinguishers.
The contract with Advanced Disposal was auto-renewed but we were able to negotiate a reduced price over the next five years.
Submitted by David Boehlke

September 2019 — Page #

Lutheran worship
Top Ten Reasons Why We Use the Liturgy
By Rev. William Cwirla,
Senior Pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Hacienda Heights, CA

Why the liturgy? First a definition and a disclaimer. By “liturgy” I mean the western catholic mass form as it has been handed down by way of the Lutheran Reformation consisting of the five fixed canticles – Kyrie, Gloria in Excelsis, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Pardon the Greek and Latin, but it sounds cool and we still use ‘em. “Liturgy” also includes the assigned Scripture texts for the Sundays, feast days, and seasons. Most of what I will say about the liturgy of the Divine Service will pertain to “liturgical worship” in general. Now, why do we worship according to the western, Catholic liturgy?
1. It shows our historic roots. Some parts of the liturgy go back to the apostolic period. Even the apostolic church did not start with a blank liturgical slate but adapted and reformed the liturgies of the synagogue and the Sabbath. The western mass shows our western catholic roots, of which we as Lutherans are not ashamed. (I’d rather be confused with a Roman Catholic than anything else.) We’re not the first Christians to walk the face of the planet, nor, should Jesus tarry, will we be the last. The race of faith is a relay race, one generation handing on (“traditioning”) to the next the faith once delivered to the saints. The historic liturgy underscores and highlights this fact. It is also “traditionable,” that is, it can be handed on.
2. It serves as a distinguishing mark. The liturgy distinguishes us from those who do not believe, teach, and confess the same as we do. What we believe determines how we worship, and how we worship confesses what we believe.
3. It is both Theocentric and Christocentric. From the invocation of the Triune Name in remembrance of Baptism to the three-fold benediction at the end, the liturgy is focused on the activity of the Triune God-centered in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Worship is not primarily about “me” or “we” but about God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and my baptismal inclusion in His saving work.
4. It teaches. The liturgy teaches the whole counsel of God – creation, redemption, sanctification, Christ’s incarnation, passion, resurrection, and reign, the Spirit’s outpouring and the new life of faith. Every liturgical year cycles through these themes so that the hearer receives the “whole counsel of God” on a regular basis.
5. It is transcultural. One of the greatest experiences of my worship life was to be in the Divine Service in Siberia with the Siberian Lutheran Church. Though I spoke only a smattering of Russian, I knew enough to recognize the liturgy, know what was being said (except for the sermon, which was translated for us), and be able to participate knowledgeably across language and cultural barriers. I have the same experience with our Chinese mission congregation.
6. It is repetitive in a good way. Repetition is, after all, the mother of learning. Fixed texts and annual cycles of readings lend to deep learning. Obviously, mindless repetition does not accomplish anything; nor does an endless variety.
7. It is corporate. Worship is a corporate activity. “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” The liturgy draws us out of ourselves into Christ by faith and the neighbor by love. We are all in this together. Worship is not simply about what “I get out of it,” but I am there also for my fellow worshippers to receive the gifts of Christ that bind us together and to encourage each other to love and good works (Heb 10:25). We are drawn into the dialogue of confession and absolution, hearing and confessing, corporate song and prayer. To borrow a phrase from a favored teacher of mine, in church we are “worded, bodied, and bloodied” all together as one.
8. It rescues us from the tyranny of the “here and now.” When the Roman world was going to hell in a handbasket, the church was debating the two natures of Christ. In the liturgy, the Word sets the agenda, defining our needs and shaping our questions. The temptation is for us to turn stones into bread to satisfy an immediate hunger and scratch a nagging spiritual itch, but the liturgy teaches us to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
9. It is external and objective. The liturgical goal is not that everyone feel a certain way or have an identical “spiritual” experience. Feelings vary even as they come and go. The liturgy supplies a concrete, external, objective anchor in the death and resurrection of Jesus through Word, bread, and wine. Faith comes by hearing the objective, external Word of Christ.
10. It is the Word of God. This is often overlooked by critics of liturgical worship. Most of the sentences and songs of the liturgy are direct quotations or allusions from Scripture or summaries, such as the Creed. In other words, the liturgy is itself the Word of God, not simply a packaging for the Word. Many times the liturgy will rescue a bad sermon and deliver what the preacher has failed to deliver. I know; I’ve been there.
Ten is one of those good numbers in the Bible signifying completeness, so I’ll stop at ten. I’m sure there are more.
This article was originally posted on the Higher Things website at https://higherthings.org/articles/catechesis/10reasons-liturgy/

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Synod news
LCMS Convention Passes Resolutions on Racism, Care for Immigrants and Gender Identity
By Stacey Egger, staff editor and writer for LCMS Communications

TAMPA, Fla. — On Tuesday, July 23, at the 67th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), Floor Committee 11 on Church and Culture passed resolutions regarding racism, care for immigrant neighbors, and sexual-orientation and gender-identity issues. “These issues are in the headlines every day, and our people … are confused by what they hear,” said Floor Committee 11 Chairman Rev. Terry Forke, president of the LCMS Montana District. “They want to hear the clear Word of God.”
Common Humanity
In accordance with resolutions passed in 10 prior Synod conventions since 1959, delegates unanimously passed Res. 11-04A, “To Affirm the Common Humanity of All People and Ethnicities.”
Through its support of this resolution, the LCMS:
“Publicly [condemns] the sin of racism in all its manifestations”;
Asserts that this sin “has its roots in the sins of pride and arrogance,” that it is “contrary to the law of love,” and that it “denies the biblical truth that all humanity has a common origin in Adam”; and
Encourages its members “to work toward racial reconciliation and equality within the Church and within society-at-large, praying that those who advocate racist ideologies and those who are deceived by them be brought to repentance, and that justice and healing come to those who have been wounded.”
Harrison Reminds Delegates of ‘Two Kingdoms’
LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison counseled the body as Res. 11-05A, “To Encourage Responsible Citizenship and Compassion Toward Neighbors Who Are Immigrants Among Us,” was brought to the convention floor. “We live in two kingdoms,” said Harrison. “We don’t all agree on the specifics of immigration laws in this church. Those are not mandated by the Bible. … I may have views on the left-hand kingdom [civil authority] that are very strong in one way or another. In the right-hand kingdom, the kingdom of the Church, I have Jesus’ mandate of the Good Samaritan. My neighbor’s need is my vocation to mercy.”
Harrison urged the body to set aside their political views and consider their Christian vocation to serve their neighbor as they considered the resolution: “You may very well believe in building a wall in one kingdom, but in the other kingdom, my neighbor’s need is my call to mercy.”
Compassion Toward Immigrant Neighbors
Res. 11-05A was met with a positive response from the delegates in discussion, who largely sought to strengthen the wording of the resolution, to help ensure freedom of conscience for the members of their churches to care for any and all of their neighbors in need. An amendment to the resolution, which added a resolve that “members of the Synod give bold witness, in keeping with the Scriptures and Confessions, against inhumane treatment and attitudes towards immigrants, war refugees, and minorities,” was suggested and passed on the floor. Among the other points of the resolution are:
Encouragement of LCMS members to recognize “their calling to see the immigrant and the stranger as their neighbor”;
Resolve “not to allow political divisions to become church divisions”; and
Commendation of the 2012 LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations report Immigrants Among Us: A Lutheran Framework for Addressing Immigration Issues.
The amended resolution passed with 89.4 percent of the vote. Forke felt that this resolution was timely and important because “there is so much confusion and concern. Our people want to love their neighbor, but they also want to be obedient to the laws of the land. So we hope that we gave some direction today.”
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The committee also brought Res. 11-03A, “To Encourage Synod to Develop Resources to Aid Congregations and Schools regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues,” which passed with 96.8 percent of the vote. Among the points of the resolution are:
Reaffirmation of “the biblical truth that God created humanity as male and female”;
Condemnation of “acts of abuse” committed against all those people — “our neighbors, beloved of God” — who experience sexual-orientation or gender-identity issues;
Thanksgiving for those who experience these issues yet “continue to live chaste and decent lives in repentant faith”;
Encouragement for LCMS congregations, districts and Synod entities to seek the counsel and leadership of these individuals in creating ministry resources;
Resolve to “minister compassionately” to those experiencing sexual-orientation and gender-identity issues and to their families and friends; and
Direction to the Office of National Mission, Concordia Publishing House, the seminaries and the Concordia University System to continue to develop resources “that enable the church to confess the truth boldly and minister compassionately” to those who experience these issues and those who care for them.
“[These issues] are in people’s lives every single day,” said Forke. “They don’t know how to handle it, they’re afraid. … So we thought it was very important to encourage our people to recognize these issues as a way to demonstrate the love of Christ to people who are lost and confused and need a word of help.”
Originally posted on the LCMS Reporter Blog on July 23, 2019. There are many more articles concerning the business of the LCMS 2019 National Convention available to you at https://blogs.lcms.org/ including:
”Lutheran Theology is Biblical Theology,” says…
LCMS… Reaffirms Stances of Life and Marriage
Delegates Seek to Protect Privacy of… Participants Convention Continues Balloting for Synod Boards
LCMS Convention Passes Three Finance…
LCMS… Elects Board Member for Concordias
Synod...Examines Relationships of Partner…
Convention Confesses: “God Created the World…
LCMS Celebrates 125 Years of Mission Work…
LCMS… Condemns Physician-Assisted Suicide…

September 2019 — Page #

Lutheran missions
A Blessing Wherever Chinese Lutherans Gather
By: Dr. Kevin Armbrust, Director of Editorial for LCMS Communications.

The Chinese Evangelical Lutheran Church and the LCMS dedicated a new Mandarin Chinese hymnal on March 18. “This hymnal is vital to the life of our church,” said the Rev. Andrew Miao, president of the China Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC). “Our young pastors need to learn from this pilot hymnal what the liturgy is and how to use it.” On March 18, 2019, in the Luther Building in Chiayi, Taiwan, the president of the CELC, the president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), local CELC pastors and LCMS missionaries gathered to dedicate the pilot edition of Chinese Lutheran Service Book (CLSB). This hymnal is the culmination of cooperative work between the two church bodies and is published by the CELC, with support from the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM).
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). These words, read during the hymnal dedication, teach the centrality of music for the life of the church. The new Chinese hymnal is written in Mandarin Chinese and contains the setting of Divine Service 1 from Lutheran Service Book (LSB), Matins, Vespers, Luther’s Small Catechism, selected psalms and tones, prayers, services for Holy Baptism and Confirmation, and 56 hymns. All but two of the hymns included are translations of LSB hymns, with settings of Luther’s morning prayer and table prayer as the two additions. Concerning this and other hymnal projects, the Rev. Charles Ferry, director of the LCMS Asia region, said, “These are not LCMS projects, but local church projects.” Yet partnerships work together in the kingdom of God. Deaconess Sandra Rhein, who serves as a hymnal translation consultant for the OIM, and LCMS missionary Rev. Dr. Michael Paul, who served as primary translator and editor, assisted with this project. “I pray that this hymnal will be a blessing wherever Chinese Lutherans gather,” Rhein said at the dedication.
Melding Theology and Music
Rhein, who serves as parish musician for Emmaus Lutheran Church in South Bend, Ind., briefly explained the difficulty of hymnal translation. Wooden translations and simple musical notations do not make a usable hymnal. Instead, the words need to be translated with the poetry of the hymn and the meter of the music in mind. The theological sense of the hymn text also is essential to a useful translation. “The theology has to be correct,” said Paul. “If the people can enjoy it and sing it, that is essential.” Paul reminded listeners that LSB includes great Lutheran hymns that were translated from German into English. “What I do is serve the church as a musician,” said Rhein. But that role has taken on new aspects in the last 10 years as she has worked on hymnal translation projects. “I don’t do the translating myself. But I do learn a lot of the language, because I often help with the technology side of things and enter a lot of the text in the computer.”
Developing a hymnal in a foreign language involves far more than just translating words. Even musical notation differs between cultures. To facilitate the project, Rhein contacted the manufacturer of the leading musical notation software, who decided that this ability is something they want to develop for other markets. Lutheran hymnal projects are impacting people beyond the church.
An Expert Guide
“Sandra has been a great resource because of the lessons learned from other projects. She brings a credibility to the field that no one can argue with … the hymnals are there,” reflected Ferry as he explained the decision to call Rhein to serve with the OIM. “There is an understanding that we have been there before. You can follow her, and she will guide you through the process.’’ While studying at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., Rhein got to know the Rev. Isaiah Obare from Kenya, whose church body didn’t have a hymnal. As a result, they had to use other Christian songbooks, which helped facilitate many people leaving the Lutheran church. The Kenyan church asked the LCMS for assistance, and Rhein was given the green light to help create a Swahili Lutheran hymnal, which was completed in 2012. The CELC has the same concern as their Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ. “The liturgy has been lost in the last 10 years, because we didn’t have any idea what its purpose was, where it came from or how to use it,” lamented Miao, who is overjoyed to see the new hymnal.
United Across Languages
“The historical church is a confessing church. We confess. We say back to God what He has said to us,” said LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison. “The Lutheran church does not survive well if we do not teach our hymns to our children.” Miao hopes that this hymnal will facilitate catechesis in his church body as “our leaders … learn how to teach this to their members.” Reflecting the unity of these partner church bodies in the midst of different languages, everyone sang “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” (CLSB 203, LSB395) in English and Chinese simultaneously. “God has truly blessed us by putting us in this place at this time with these opportunities,” said Ferry, expressing his thankfulness for not just this hymnal, but also the building in which the Asia region’s headquarters are located. The Luther Building in Chiayi is a partnership between the CELC and the LCMS, a physical blessing of church partners working together.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
This article originally appeared in the Online Edition of the LCMS publication, Lutherans Engage at:
https://engage.lcms.org/chinese-hymnal-summer-2019/

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Lutheran Life
The Cure of Souls: Good for what Ails You
Rev. Dr. Harold L. Senkbeil

Mention “healing” and most people think of physicians, the medical arts, and pharmacology. Yet increasingly medical personnel are broadening their horizons to think holistically about human health. They have come to see that the physical health of a human being is connected to mental and emotional health. Some health professionals have even begun to see that these two components of human well-being are incomplete without a third–spiritual health.
People who take the Scriptures seriously are not surprised. Humans exist in three distinct yet overlapping dimensions–body, soul, and spirit.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul and for get not all His benefits, who for gives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5
Notice here how the healing God provides embraces all three dimensions of human existence–the forgiveness of sins, the healing of disease, and the redemption of life from despair.
Classical Christianity takes seriously this biblical view of humanity. In fact, the earliest designation for what it is that pastors do for people was called the cura animarum–the cure of souls. Clergy were viewed as “physicians of the soul” precisely because they were engaged in a healing art. Their work included both diagnosis and treatment, just like physicians of the body. But the work of pastors as spiritual physicians focused on the diagnosis and treatment of ailing souls
In the Lutheran tradition we find the same understanding of pastoral ministry–seelsorge, or the care of souls. A word about that little word “care.” Certainly empathy and emotional care for people are just as important in pastoral work as they are in medical work. But the “care” involved in pastoral care is far deeper than mere empathetic concern for the well-being of people. It means addressing the spiritual health of people using the tools that Christ has given to His church on earth: the living Word of the Gospel and the healing ministrations of the sacraments.
Thus, the classical understanding of pastoral work includes two distinct, but overlapping, activities: the care of souls and the cure of souls. Common experience with medical care helps us to understand the distinction and connection. To maintain their health, people go to their physicians for care–that is, regular checkups, monitoring, and early detection of possible ailments. When people experience illness they go to their physicians for cure–that is diagnosis, prescription, and treatment designed to eradicate the disease, or at least minimize its effects. When people are chronically ill, they need care. When people are acutely ill, they need cure. Both are provided by competent and trained physicians
The same holds true when it comes to spiritual health. Ever since the rebellion of Adam and Eve, all humanity has been chronically ill–our disease is sin. God sent His Son to earth to treat this disease at its root. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21) The essence of the care of souls, therefore, is the forgiveness of sins and that’s what pastors do for sinners under their care. They apply the forgiveness that Jesus won for all the world on His cross.
In the absolution pastors announce the forgiveness of sins to penitent sinners “in the stead and by the command of (the) Lord Jesus Christ.” In Holy Baptism pastors baptize penitent sinners “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” for the forgiveness of sins. In the Holy Supper pastors distribute to penitent sinners the Body and the Blood that Jesus gave once upon His cross for the forgiveness of sins. These are the ordinary means of the care of souls; this is what pastors do continually for the souls entrusted to their care in order to maintain their spiritual health. Through the divinely given Word and sacraments, pastors apply the forgiveness of sins that Jesus purchased for His church by His innocent suffering and death and with His holy, precious blood.
But in this fallen world, sinners have special circumstances that call for extraordinary interventions. Because of the impact of their own and others’ sins, people can come under spiritual attack and fall ill, acutely and spiritually speaking. Luther describes these circumstances as anfectungen, or spiritual assaults. The devil, this fallen world, and our own sinful nature often conspire to deceive or mislead us into false belief, despair, “and other great shame and vice” (Small Catechism, Sixth Petition). When this happens people need spiritual cure–it’s no longer a question of maintaining spiritual health; now it’s a matter of restoring and guarding spiritual health.
Faithful pastors, like the Good Shepherd in whose Name they serve, care for the whole flock and for each individual sheep within the flock. “I am the Good Shepherd,” says Jesus. “I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15) The Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28)
Like the Good Shepherd, undershepherds know their sheep. The care of souls is tailored to the unique spiritual needs of each person under a pastor’s care. As he gets to know each person, he begins to understand the natural disposition of each personality within the flock–a factor he bears in mind as he seeks to diagnose and treat their spiritual ailments. For example, distress, fear, and anxiety manifest themselves differently in people who are quiet and reserved than they do in highly energetic people
The care of souls is a complex and challenging responsibility for pastors. Like medical care, it involves both a science and an art. Thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, as well as a healthy understanding of the human psyche, is fundamental to the care of souls. Historically, this is why our church has emphasized the necessity of building and maintaining an educated clergy. But knowledge itself doesn’t heal people. A good “bedside manner” is vital when applying the means of grace to the needs of people. Diagnostic and treatment skills are developed while practicing the art of spiritual care. There is no substitute for pastoral experience and pastoral practice when it comes to developing competencies in the cure of souls.
Finally, when all is said and done it is not the pastor who cures people of their spiritual ailments. He is only the “best man” by which the heavenly Bridegroom sends gifts to His beloved bride, the Church. Christ Himself is the great physician of body, mind, and spirit. By His death and resurrection He has conquered sin, death, and hell. The sacred washing which He has instituted is a link to His saving work at the cross and open tomb; it is a bath of regeneration in the Holy Spirit for all who believe. In His sacred Body and most holy Blood there is health and healing for every wounded soul. In His powerful Word there is life eternal, starting here and now within His church.
These are the sacred means of Grace, the medicine Jesus Christ has given for the forgiveness of sin–for the health and well-being of His church on earth. And they are good for whatever ails you!
This article was written by the Rev. Dr. Harold L. Senkbeil. It was originally published the April 2007 edition of Concordia Theological Seminary’s Life of the Word magazine.

September 2019— Page #

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From the ForT:

CTS exists
to form servants
in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and
care for all.

Update from Seminarian Meier:
August 2019
Time Is Flying!
It has been a non-stop stream of events since Edmund made his appearance. He is 2 months old now and full of gleeful smiles and tiny little laughs. Thankfully he is a good night-sleeper and enjoys being snuggled to sleep during the day. He’s a huge fan of organ music at church and falls asleep immediately once it begins to play. He’s a little chunkster (14lbs on August 1st and has been in 3-6 month clothes since he was 5 weeks)! We are very thankful for the co-op on campus, which helps us to keep this growing boy in fitting clothes. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, love, and support – it has been a huge help and blessing in getting baby-necessities we had overlooked. Beth and I are loving being parents. We are thankful that all of our immediate-family was able to come here to Fort Wayne for Edmunds baptism this past July - it was very special as Pastor Fisher (Edmund’s Grandfather) officiated it at Kramer Chapel right here on campus.
Sebastian has been a wonderful little guardian with Edmund being around- he checks on him whenever he’s upset and likes to be in the same room as Edmund. Sebastian and I have been going to the dog park and on walks in an attempt to keep him tuckered out because rough-housing with a 60lb poodle tends to wake poor little Edmund. Thus far it has been working well. The biggest unexpected problem we ran into was that Sebastian ate a pacifier! Thankfully after a trip to the vet (he was consistently vomiting for a few days) we came to the happy conclusion that he had gotten it all out and simply had an upset stomach.
As for me, I will be having a surgery to remove several lipomas on August 9th. My surgeon said we should be able to head back to Wisconsin on August 15th. All of the great-grandparents and great-aunts and uncles are so excited to meet Edmund. They have a big party planned at my grandparent’s house for everyone to come and meet him.
On another note - Summer Hebrew was a blast! I was pleasantly surprised with how much easier it was to pick up the grammar with having learned Greek last summer. My classmates all passed – praise the Lord! I’ve been quite busy assisting classmates with moving as first-year students arrive and others leave for vicarage. What a joy it is to live in such a family-oriented community. We are ever grateful for all of your ongoing prayers and support! Beth and I continue to pray the Lord would bless you with all His gracious gifts.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Austin & Beth Meier

Upcoming Events at Concordia Theological Seminary:
Fall Art & Music Retreat: September 28-29
“What in Heaven Is Going On? Christ and the Angels in the Book of Revelation”
The Book of Revelation is one of most studied and least understood books in the Bible. During this two-day retreat, Dr. Charles Gieschen will lead participants through the powerful visions of this book, focusing on the various depictions of Christ and angels who play such a prominent role in this visionary prophecy, including the archangel St. Michael. He will also contrast modern cultural thoughts about angels with what is revealed in the Scriptures, and Dr. Steven Cody will teach on the depiction of angels in art. The retreat coincides with the festival of St. Michael and All Angels, which will be observed with Choral Vespers in Kramer Chapel on Sunday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. Featured in the service will be Bach Cantata #149, “Glad Song of Rejoicing and Victory,” which was written for the celebration of this festival. In addition, the weekend will mark the opening of a new art exhibit on campus titled “With Angels and Archangels.”
Prayerfully Consider Visit: October 10–12, 2019
The Prayerfully Consider Visit invites men and women of all ages to explore the pastoral and diaconal training happening at Concordia Theological Seminary and gives a time for contemplation on the vocations of pastor and deaconess, offering an occasion for prospective students to envision themselves stepping into the formation happening at Concordia Theological Seminary.

September 2019 — Page #

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Communal Prayers
For a delight and love of God’s Word: O merciful God, You see how, on account of my corrupt nature, I have no desire for Your Word and how easily I am turned from it by the devil, my own flesh and blood, the children of the world, and false teachers, and preachers; how careless, inattentive and reluctant I am to hear and to keep Your Word. Therefore, I ask you now, eternal God, to pardon my inborn sloth, and give me a willing and awake heart, to hear and consider Your Word; awaken in me a heartfelt desire, that as a newborn babe I may long for the reasonable, pure milk of God’s Word. Let nothing in this world be dearer to me than Your Word, that I may love Your Word more than gold and always count it my most excellent treasure. Keep me in Your truth, for Your Word is truth, that I may cling to it as to the heavenly truth and abide steadfast therein until my final end. In your most holy and blessed name. Amen.
Thanksgiving for all the benefits received since the mother’s womb: Lord, before I was or lived or moved, or could do anything, You were over me in my mother’s womb, graciously defending me as Your own creation, tenderly caring for me, and in wonderful manner sustaining me. Much more do You do this to me, now that I am a “man born into this world,” living, going, staying, acting, and knowing You through Your Word, even if it seems far different in the eyes of men, and even though my old Adam, which hangs about my neck until the grave, feels the opposite. But however, it may seem or feel, I pay no head to it, nor am I mislead by it, but hold to Your declaration that You are my Lord from my mother’s womb. This will not deceive or fail. I confide in this, and by it I stir up and strengthen my faith, which does not regard what is seen but by hope and patience awaits what is unseen. May You be ever blessed, my Lord, and my God. Amen.
For comfort against unworthiness and the tribulation of the devil: Lord God, through a brother You have absolved me, baptized me, and fed me with Your body and blood. Do with Your servant as You please; I will not be angry nor blaspheme You, but will bear all things patiently. For I do not want the covenant that You established with me in Holy Baptism and the Holy Supper to be destroyed. I know that I have been baptized, that I have eaten the body of Your Son and drunk His blood, that I have been absolved for God’s sake, released from my sins, indeed, that all my sins are forgiven and that victory over the devil, death, and hell has been promised me. What more can I ask for? Amen.
Family and friends requesting our prayers: June Fry, Stewart Clark, Erv & Ruth Mertz, Richard Reich, Judy Clark, Orville Heckendorf, Sheryl Pajewski, Mary Margaret Hatfield, Cari A. Dundurs, Connie Hackbarth, Louise Kreis, Jennifer Jensen, Tracey Leffin-Hedrick, Diane Behrens, Ray & Frances Neerhoff, Thomas Kramlik, Suzanne Stadelmayer, Chris Held, Eric Johanen, Brooke Steiner, David & Olivemae Olson, Jeanette Guillaume, Karen Haufmann, Donald Teske, Nancy Nicholas, Scot Meisenheimer, Wilma Wilson, Carolyn Bren, Dorothy Miller, Mark Selzler, Donna Sommer, Linda Lukas, Rachel Davis, Marissa Flanders, Linda Schmidt, Vanessa Kuehne, Jenny Vickerman, Inez Schwoch, Scott Biskobing, Laverne Gierach, Travis Winkler, Linda Borneman, Brian Vonlender, Glenn Schnabel, Judith Belling, and Jody Meisenheimer.

Voice of Faith

September 2019 — Page #

Birthdays
1 Diane Behrens
Brian Skrentny
Rebecca Virchow
2 Connie Hackbarth
Megan Rosenthal
Angie Skrentny
3 Haley Densow
Jeff Held
4 Nathan Farrington
5 Mark Baker
7 Jolene Gundrum
Ben Olson
8 Jay Benz
David Pajewski
9 Norma Benz
Alex Chapman
Christian Dahl
Kathryn Parker
10 Daniel Neuman
David Zenda
12 James Krubsack
Patrick Schiefelbein
14 James Spaeth
15 Marilyn Roell
16 Braedon Brehm
Amy Heinen
Autumn Schellinger
17 Mary Schwittau
18 Jennifer Strohmeyer
20 Cindy Schreiner
21 Scott Sullivan
Joyce Virchow
22 Phyllis Laabs-Darkow
Pat Knuth
Jonathan Thames
23 Jeff Dalton
24 Catherine Pollow
26 Samantha Chapman
Christopher Held
Lexie Steiner
27 Beverly Schepp
Sandra Thames
29 Eric Johanen
30 Tyler Densow
Aaron Olson
Yvonne Rosenthal
Sarah Spalda
Abigail Voll
Anniversaries
2 Carl & Becky Steiner
Steve & Cindy Wiedmeyer
6 Jay & Deb Benz
Beth & Christopher Gatzow
8 Robert & Theresa Baerenwald
10 Richard & Dorreen Dembski
11 Keefe & Lindsay Olig
15 James & Diane Behrens
18 Jeff & Betty Schneeweis
Ron & Joyce Virchow, Sr.
21 Jeff & Pat Otten
22 Ryan & Megan Rosenthal
23 Ronald & Cheryl Virchow, Jr.
25 Mark & Natalie Baker
30. Paul & Ruth Kohler

The Pilgrim Herald — Page #

1 / 8 & 10:30a Divine Service / Usher Teams 1—8 / 9:15a Bible Study / 12:30p Bible Study	2 Office Closed / 4p Chapel @ Jackson Crossing	3 / 12p Pioneers / 2p Chapel @ Auxiliary Court / 7p Choir Practice	4 / 9:30a. Chapel @ Meadowbrook / 4p Cable BC / 4p Catechism / 5:30p Parents Mtg / 6:30p Bible Study	5 / 9a Bible Study / 4p Cable Worship / 7p Divine Service / Usher Team—B	6 / Office Closed	7 / 1p Pilgrim Crafters/ Knitters
8 Silent Auction Open / 8 & 10:30a Divine Service / Usher Teams 3—2 / 9:15a Bible Study & Sunday School / 12:30p Bible Study / 5:30 pm. Walther League	9 / 5:30p Trustees Mtg / 6:30p Elders Mtg / 7p. Church Council	10 / 2p Chapel @ Auxiliary Court / 7p Choir Practice	11 / 9a Quilters / 4p Cable BC / 4p Catechism / 6:30p Bible Study	12 / 9a Bible Study / 4p Cable Worship / 7p Divine Service / Usher Team—A	13 / Office Closed	14 / 7a Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
15 Silent Auction Open / 8 & 10:30a Divine Service / Usher Teams 5—4 / 9:15a Bible Study & Sunday School / 12:30p Bible Study	16 / Submissions for October Herald Due	17 / 2p Chapel @ Auxiliary Court / 6p Retirement Workshop Thrivent / 7p Choir Practice	18 / 9:30a Chapel @ Meadowbrook / 4p Cable BC / 4p Catechism / 6:30p Bible Study	19 / 9a Bible Study / 4p Cable Worship / 7p Divine Service / Usher Team—B	20 / Office Closed	21 / 1p Pilgrim Crafters/ Knitters
22 Silent Auction Open / 8 & 10:30a Divine Service / Usher Teams 1—6 / 9:15a Rev. Wokoma: Missions in Africa & Sunday School / 12:30p Bible Study	23	24 / 9 a Book Study / 2p Chapel @ Auxiliary Court / 7p Choir Practice	25 / 9a. Quilters / 4p Cable BC / 4p Catechism / 6:30p Bible Study	26 / 9a Bible Study / 9 a. Chapel @ Ivy Manor I—III / 4p Cable Worship / 7p Divine Service / Usher Team—A	27 Office Closed	28 / 7a Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
29 Silent Auction Closes / 8 & 10:30a Divine Service / Usher Teams 3—8 / 9:15a Bible Study & Sunday School / 12:30p Bible Study	30	September / 2019

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Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
462 Meadowbrook Drive
West Bend, WI 53090

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Phone: 262-334-0375
Email: office@pilgrimlutheran.wb.org
Website: www.pilgrimlutheran-westbend.org

Weekly Worship Opportunities:
Sundays:
8:00 a.m. Divine Service—streamed live on our website: www.pilgrimlutheran-westbend.org
10:30 a.m. Divine Service
Thursdays:
7:00 p.m. Divine Service
Weekly Bible Study Opportunities:
Sundays:
9:15 a.m. Luther’s Small Catechism
9:15 a.m. Enduring Faith Sunday School
12:30 p.m. Book of Ecclesiastes
Wednesdays:
4:00 p.m. Youth Catechesis
6:30 p.m. The Lutheran Difference
Thursdays:
9:00 a.m. The Gospel of Luke
Monthly Bible Study Opportunities:
2nd Sunday: 5:30 p.m. Walther League
4th Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. Christ Have Mercy Book Study
Every other Saturday: 7:00 a.m. Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study

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“Every morning is a new beginning of our life.
Every day is a completed whole.
The present day is the boundary
of our cares and toils.
It is long enough to find or lose God,
to keep faith or to fall into sin and disgrace
...Just as the ancient sun rises daily anew, so
also is God’s eternal mercy new every morning.
Being able to grasp God’s ancient faithfulness anew each morning, being able to begin
a new life with God daily in the midst of
one’s present life with God, that is
the gift God gives us with each new morning.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (DW 14:864)

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Inside this Issue:
Pilgrim News & Reports
3
Synod News
5
Lutheran Missions
6
Lutheran Life
7
From the Fort
9
Communal Prayers
11
Birthdays & Anniversaries
12
Calendar
13
Lutheran Worship
4

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