This is part two of a multi-episode post:

Common Ground Without Compromise: A summary of teaching from the SD Family Policy Council tour with Steven Wagner

Students at the August Common Ground seminar with Steve Wagner from Stand to Reason learned how to speak to others about matters in which we disagree, especially in the area of abortion. Our speaker emphasized the need to show compassion to those who are in difficult circumstances while standing as wise, gracious advocates for the unborn.  You can find more information at www.str.org, including an excellent argument from Scripture regarding the beginning of human life (search on “Bible and abortion” at str.org).

 

Ultimately, there is only one question to answer in the abortion debate: What is being aborted? If your child asks you, “Daddy, can I kill it?” you dare not answer until you know what “it” is. Similarly, abortion has an object. Until we answer “what is it?” any comment on abortion is uninformed. A hunter doesn’t shoot into the woods if “he doesn’t know” what his target is.

When discussing the beginning of human life, many people mean moral/legal life instead of biological life. Embryologists overwhelmingly affirm that biological life starts at conception, as an organism with completely unique DNA is formed. This is a simple 10 second argument for the biological life of an unborn child: If the unborn baby is growing, it is alive. If it has human parents, it is human. And human life is precious, isn’t it?

Beyond biological life, however is the question of legal/moral life. Sometimes we use the term “personhood,” which reminds us of early Americans perpetuating slavery on the grounds that slaves were not “persons,” or Nazi Germany exterminating Jews and Gypsies because they lacked “personhood.” But most people will agree that newborns possess all the moral/legal rights of adults, short of voting, etc. There are four major differences between an unborn child and a newborn:

·         Size- Big people have no more rights or personhood than small people.

·         Level of Development- An elderly human is a human, an adult human is human, a young human is human, a child human is human, a toddler human is human, a newborn human is human, and an unborn human is human. Rights are independent on stage of development, though this is challenged in euthanasia arguments, as well.

·         Environment- All of us have changed environment today to some extent, but our rights and personhood are unaffected by these changes.

·         Dependency- All of us are dependent on others to some extent, and a toddler who falls into a pool in your presence is completely dependant on one person- you- for their survival. However, that toddler is no less a person for his or her dependence.

Thus a newborn and an unborn child are identical beings. Pictures of unborn children and those who have been aborted make this painfully evident.

 

This is part one of a multi-episode post:

 

Common Ground Without Compromise: A summary of teaching from the SD Family Policy Council tour with Steven Wagner

Students at the August Common Ground seminar with Steve Wagner from Stand to Reason learned how to speak to others about matters in which we disagree, especially in the area of abortion. Our speaker emphasized the need to show compassion to those who are in difficult circumstances while standing as wise, gracious advocates for the unborn.  You can find more information at www.str.org, including an excellent argument from Scripture regarding the beginning of human life (search on “Bible and abortion” at str.org).

People who feel strongly about protecting the unborn often fall into two camps. Some tend to be argumentative and difficult, always having to have an answer for anything. Instead of respectfully introducing correct views, he or she makes an impact for evil by putting the correct view in a hostile package. Others, vowing never to be that kind of person, become disengaged. They don’t say anything about something as important as the sanctity of human life.

Frequently people say they are neutral on abortion, as they affirm “a woman’s right to choose.” This is a passive-aggressive fallacy, though, as there is no neutrality on abortion- short of complete silence. In reality the speaker is making a stand by saying they won’t protect the 3600 unborn humans who will be murdered that day.

A good ambassador learns to ask two kinds of questions with empathy and love: What and Why.  “What” questions gather information and provide an opportunity for the other person to state their view. “Why” questions gently challenge us to give the grounding for the view we hold. This is a good way to sort through the various labels we use but rarely define, like “pro-life,” “pro-choice,” “life” and “mother’s choice.”

 

This article is a "guest article," as I copied this devotional from our bulletin back last Sunday. Pastor Haugen is always at the top of "favorite teacher" lists of Bible School and Seminary students. To learn more about our Bible School and Seminary, go to www.aflc.org and click on the appropriate link. 

Live in God’s Peace

 

In John 14:27, Jesus promises, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” Paul declares in Romans 5:1, “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Both of these verses speak of peace; the promise of Christ and the declaration of His Word is that God’s children live in God’s peace.

            However, the picture on the front of the bulletin with the caption, “Live in God’s Peace,” is a bit misleading. The picture implies that living in God’s peace is some kind of idyllic existence, characterized by blue skies, snow-capped mountains, comfort, rest, good times, peace. Such a picture of peace is a false picture, at least if we are speaking of the believer’s experience of peace here on this earth.

            Living in peace is living in the righteousness of Christ. We live in God’s peace as we are justified by faith in Jesus; Jesus is our peace. But Jesus our Peace guarantees that in this life we will experience tribulation. “A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20 and Matthew 10:24, 25). In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In the world you have tribulation.” In other words, in this life the believer lives in God’s peace in the midst of turmoil and struggle.

            The book of Revelation describes the earthly mission of the Church (believers) from the ascension of Christ to His second coming. The picture of the Church on earth in Revelation is the picture of the people of faith as an afflicted community, suffering martyrdom and tribulation throughout the entire time of their existence upon the earth. But in the midst of the suffering, Jesus is pictured (Revelation 4 and 5) as the Lamb of God who has conquered and has overcome. He has all things in His control, and He holds our future in His hand. We who are His people are invited to trust Him, and in the midst of turmoil and difficulty and suffering, He alone is our Peace.

            We walk by faith, and not by sight.

 

Pastor Philip Haugen

AFLC Schools Instructor

Crystal, Minnesota

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. -Hebrews 13:4

A couple weeks back I preached on the 6th commandment- You will not commit adultery. I talked about how the key to sexual purity is honoring marriage, and if you are married, honoring your marriage.

Husbands and wives, invest in one another. Take the time to turn off the TV, look each other in the eyes and connect.

A family time with God in His Word and prayer is essential in this regard. I don't have the stats on this, so you'll have to take it anecdotally, but a few years ago I heard a marriage counselor speak on the subject of divorce. He agreed that about half of all marriages end in divorce. He also said that those claiming Christ still had a lot of divorces. But in 10,000 marriages he had counseled he had never seen a divorce between a couple who regularly prayed together- meaning not just at meal time.

One great resource, if you don't know where to start, is the Family Life today web site: www.fltoday.com.  This is the web site from the people who bring us Weekend To Remember each fall. You can check out the web site for more information.

If you want a good marraige building devotional, click on "eNewsletters" on the bottom of the home page. You'll be glad you did. Every day you will get a good devotional to use in strengthening your marraige.

Go serve your King,

PW 

The LORD is in His holy temple. -Psalm 11:4

Don't be afraid as you read this. Remember, God is in His holy temple. But think through this issue.

Some events from last week's tour with Stand To Reason's Steve Wagner are fresh in my mind, so I want to mention them now.

During some down time we were talking about telling the truth to people who may want to distort our position publicly (aka "the media"). For example, what if someone asks you if your congregation discriminates in employement issues? It's good to speak carefully on that one. Legislation like the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" isn't far away. This bill, which was only stopped by a presidential veto this year, makes "sexual orientation" a protected class in employment considerations. What's worse, "sexual orientation" as defined in the bill is completely self-identified. In other words, if someone perceives that they are "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or gender-ambiguous," they are protected as a class. Religious institutions were exempted to some extent in the bill, but that exemption is tenuous at best.

This morning I mentioned to a dear saint in our congregation that for years "Christians in our country have relied on political and social clout instead of spreading the Gospel to a mission field. He responded by saying something to the effect of, "But now if we don't stand up and speak we will soon be pushed out of the picture altogether."

He's probably right, friends. Check out this blog post from our friends at Stand to Reason: July 23, 2008 blog 

Go serve your King,

PW 

I have been traveling this week with the South Dakota Family Policy Council and Steve Wagner of the Christian apologetics ministry Stand to Reason. Steve has trained 330 people in how to think and talk to others about abortion. We have covered Huron, Aberdeen, Brookings, Watertown, Yankton, Sioux Falls and Rapid City.

Highlights:

If the unborn baby is growing, it is alive. If it has human parents, it is human. If it is human it is precious. 

If the unborn child is not a human life, no justification for abortion is necessary. If the unborn child is a human life, no justification for abortion is possible.

Common ground means coming to agreement with someone whenever possible. It means standing shoulder by shoulder instead of toe to toe. It means finding legitimate points of agreement while holding on to the truth. Common ground means being an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).  

Friends, talk to people who disagree with you, whether on abortion or anything else- especially in the matter of Jesus Christ and what will happen to them when they die.

Love demands that we find common ground and live as ambassadors for Christ.

Rest in Him, friends!

See you on Sunday, and go serve your King,

PW 

Michele and I are back from a great two week vacation, and I'll write more soon, including:

Lessons learned from watching our niece, Edie

A great wrap up to a summer of ministry with SD Team FCA

The Creation Museum

And great BBQ

But I'm traveling this week with the South Dakota Family Policy Council in a seven city tour teaching people how to think about- and how to talk about- life issues. 

We'll be in Sioux Falls tomorrow night (Wednesday), and if you come out to the Holiday Inn City Center from 7-9PM you'll never regret it. See www.sdfamily.org for more details.

I love you guys, and I'll see you on Sunday, if not before.

Go serve your King!

PW 

Michele and I leave for vacation tomorrow afternoon. We will be away from Living Word for two weeks. Our vacations are pretty low-key, with lots of sitting, talking and book reading. As a teenager and young(er) adult I never understood why people liked that kind of “rest.” I always wanted to climb a mountain. And while some of that desire remains, I love spending time with my wife- even if we’re “just” sitting in a state park someplace with lawn chairs, a picnic basket and a good book- or The Good Book. Highlights of our trip, though, are the year end tournament for SD Team FCA (another great summer of ministry); a visit to Michele’s brother and his family (we love the niece…) in Urbana, Ohio (home of Johnny Appleseed, and near Marysville, home of American Honda); and a stop at the Creation Museum near the Cincinnati airport across the Ohio River in Kentucky. I’ll have a lot to share from that stop, I think.

In my absence I wanted a good “blogging break” post to stay up and provide some insight. I'm copying a document below that Living Word uses to keep us on track. It began in early 2006 with our building committee wanting some direction to share with our congregation. We've modified it a bit since, but the big themes still hold true. This is who we are at LWFLC in a nutshell.

See you in two weeks!

Go serve your King!

PW

Living Word Free Lutheran Church:

Proclaiming the Living Word, Serving the Living God

In obedience to God’s Living Word, we strive to be an encouraging fellowship of Jesus-followers dedicated to glorifying God through serving Christ in every aspect of our lives. With relentless prayer, we will nurture believers as they grow in Christ, equip believers to reach the lost, and intentionally plant new congregations as our church multiplies.

Living the Mission

Our Mission: Proclaiming the Living Word, Serving the Living God

God’s Great Commission is to make disciples of all the nations by:

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and

teaching them to obey all that He has commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20).

To accomplish this, God is calling us to proclaim His Living Word and serve Christ with all our lives, including serving others in His name.

Putting “Feet” on Our Mission

Foundational commitments

God’s Word is our authority, the primary source for our decision making, and God’s powerful means of salvation. Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:19-22

Relentless Prayer is the essential Christian work. Jesus died and rose to give us this privilege, and our congregation will depend on God in prayer for everything. James 4:1-6; Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; John 17; Matthew 26:36-46

Areas of emphasis

Fellowship is doing together what we do individually. This Scriptural truth reminds us of our purpose in coming together: encouraging one another as we serve Christ. Romans 15:1-5; Hebrews 10:19-25

Christian Education- Beyond listening regularly to teaching, Christian education seeks to make disciples of Jesus Christ who themselves will make disciples. Actively learning from the Bible is God’s primary means of making disciples. Hebrews 5:12-14, Luke 6:40

Worship is more than a scheduled activity at a church. Worship is bringing glory to God by seeing life itself as a sacred trust to be lived faithfully. Colossians 3:12-24; John 4:24

Missions, including personal and congregational evangelism, is a fruit of salvation. A Christian with no concern for the lost is a Christian in name only. Luke 15; 2 Kings 7; Luke 19:10; Matthew 9:37-38

Long term results

Spiritual Maturity recognizes that every new-born believer will grow in Christ. This is a patient process initiated and accomplished by God through His Word, prayer, and the encouragement of other believers. Hebrews 5:12-14; 2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 13

Church Planting is a natural outgrowth of a living congregation. The congregation is an organism, rather than an organization, and living organisms multiply. Acts (especially 2:42-47); 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 4:1-11

Michele and I leave for vacation tomorrow afternoon. We will be away from Living Word for two weeks. Our vacations are pretty low-key, with lots of sitting, talking and book reading. As a teenager and young(er) adult I never understood why people liked that kind of “rest.” I always wanted to climb a mountain. And while some of that desire remains, I love spending time with my wife- even if we’re “just” sitting in a state park someplace with lawn chairs, a picnic basket and a good book- or The Good Book. Highlights of our trip, though, are the year end tournament for SD Team FCA (another great summer of ministry); a visit to Michele’s brother and his family (we love the niece…) in Urbana, Ohio (home of Johnny Appleseed, and near Marysville, home of American Honda); and a stop at the Creation Museum near the Cincinnati airport across the Ohio River in Kentucky. I’ll have a lot to share from that stop, I think.

In my absence I wanted a good “blogging break” post to stay up and provide some insight. I'm copying a document below that Living Word uses to keep us on track. It began in early 2006 with our building committee wanting some direction to share with our congregation. We've modified it a bit since, but the big themes still hold true. This is who we are at LWFLC in a nutshell.

See you in two weeks!

Go serve your King!

PW

Living Word Free Lutheran Church:

Proclaiming the Living Word, Serving the Living God

In obedience to God’s Living Word, we strive to be an encouraging fellowship of Jesus-followers dedicated to glorifying God through serving Christ in every aspect of our lives. With relentless prayer, we will nurture believers as they grow in Christ, equip believers to reach the lost, and intentionally plant new congregations as our church multiplies.

Living the Mission

Our Mission: Proclaiming the Living Word, Serving the Living God

God’s Great Commission is to make disciples of all the nations by:

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and

teaching them to obey all that He has commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20).

To accomplish this, God is calling us to proclaim His Living Word and serve Christ with all our lives, including serving others in His name.

Putting “Feet” on Our Mission

Foundational commitments

God’s Word is our authority, the primary source for our decision making, and God’s powerful means of salvation. Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:19-22

Relentless Prayer is the essential Christian work. Jesus died and rose to give us this privilege, and our congregation will depend on God in prayer for everything. James 4:1-6; Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; John 17; Matthew 26:36-46

Areas of emphasis

Fellowship is doing together what we do individually. This Scriptural truth reminds us of our purpose in coming together: encouraging one another as we serve Christ. Romans 15:1-5; Hebrews 10:19-25

Christian Education- Beyond listening regularly to teaching, Christian education seeks to make disciples of Jesus Christ who themselves will make disciples. Actively learning from the Bible is God’s primary means of making disciples. Hebrews 5:12-14, Luke 6:40

Worship is more than a scheduled activity at a church. Worship is bringing glory to God by seeing life itself as a sacred trust to be lived faithfully. Colossians 3:12-24; John 4:24

Missions, including personal and congregational evangelism, is a fruit of salvation. A Christian with no concern for the lost is a Christian in name only. Luke 15; 2 Kings 7; Luke 19:10; Matthew 9:37-38

Long term results

Spiritual Maturity recognizes that every new-born believer will grow in Christ. This is a patient process initiated and accomplished by God through His Word, prayer, and the encouragement of other believers. Hebrews 5:12-14; 2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 13

Church Planting is a natural outgrowth of a living congregation. The congregation is an organism, rather than an organization, and living organisms multiply. Acts (especially 2:42-47); 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 4:1-11

Michele and I had a great time last night doing some visiting.

Stopping in on somebody- and being welcome to do so- is a lost art in our society. We are scheduled to the teeth and have little time to be available. I discovered this while at Michele's home in Montana one winter. We were lounging around one Saturday morning when a neighbor stopped in. And stayed for two hours.

It drove me nuts. Why? I didn't have it scheduled. Upon analysis, I didn't have anything else scheduled, either. Hey, I was on vacation. But it bothered me. And it shouldn't have.

I do a lot of visiting, but not a lot of "stop at your door and say hi, read some Scripture and pray with you" kind of visiting. Why not? Time, I suppose.

Yet last night we set out to visit some folks that came to our Vacation Bible School and had a blast. I'll be anonymous, but look at what happened from 6:45-9:30:

6:45- Run into neighbor, who just lost a parent, as we are leaving and talk and pray.

7:25- Arrive at first home, find no one there, but a lawn chair with a cordless phone, so they can't be far. Walk to a neighbor who is a member at Living Word, meet him and his kids in a wagon on the sidewalk 30 meters away.

7:35- While writing a note to the family not at home, I look in the rearview mirror and see them standing outside talking to a neighbor. The neighbor knows the guy with the kids in the wagon (see 7:30), and has been a huge help to the family I was intending to visit in the first place. The neighbor loves Jesus and goes to a great congregation here in town. We visit, pray and leave, wondering at how God uses the body of Christ to reach and support souls in His name.

7:50- Stop at another house. Receive a cold reception. But found out that they were invited to our VBS by the family we visited at 7:35! Small world.

7:53- Realizing that a friend of LW is just across the street, we stop in and have a great visit. They were in a time of need, too, so it seems like God had us there at just the right time. They were honored to have us in their home- that always feels good. We read Scripture and prayed together.

8:15- Youth group at the Tanner's. The kids were sweaty from playing soccer and sitting on the furniture- that's youth group parent sacrifice for you. We were able to hear a recap from a great week of personal evangelism training at FLY Boot Camp and left a bit early to get home. Good visit with Tanner's.

I need to schedule in time to be spontaneously available.  Before you laugh at that statement, perhaps you need to do likewise.  :-)

Go serve your King,

PW 

This morning we met for prayer just north of our building site at 85th & Meredith. We meet just south of Bitterroot and Meredith, which is just off the google map linked here every Monday morning at 7:00AM. Would you ever join us for this great time together?

Afterward I came across two noteworthy items, both with the help of my wife, Michele.

1) Proof- from the national media- that we all know an unborn baby is a human life. And if an unborn baby is a human life, no justification for abortion is possible. Caution: This is disturbing.

2) A quote from Martin Luther, reflecting the Scriptural principle that the follower of Christ is united with Christ (Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6:4): When I think of Christ and me as two, I am gone. Poignant, as I tend to forget that if I am His, Christ dwells in me (Romans 8:9). I am a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Go serve your King!

PW 

 

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. -Deuteronomy 6:6-9 

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. - Hebrews 5:12-14  

One significant element in the life of every follower of Christ is Christian Education. Christian education isn't just knowledge for your head, but the training of a heart according to the Word of God.

Our goal in providing Christian education opportunities isn't to "have something" for Wednesday and Sunday nights, but to plan- intentionally and prayerfully- wise scope (what material we cover) and sequence (in what order do we cover it). We meet not to occupy mature followers of Christ, but to challenge, encourage and equip all human souls.

Every follower of Christ needs regular, accountable times of group study in addition to their own personal walk with the Lord. But we can over do it. Pick an opportunity- whether it's at Living Word or not- and participate in an excellent study in a way that keeps you accountable to God's Word. But the follower of Christ needs exercise, too, so don't occupy all your time with study. Be ready to serve, too.  It's hard to serve your King if you have yourself so scheduled that you aren't available for His service.

Today I'll share with you some core values of Christian Education at Living Word. I'll see you on Sunday, and

go serve your King!

PW 

 

Adult Christian Education at Living Word…

…emphasizes “Study the Bible” over “Come to Bible Study”

…is a means of teaching & challenging eternal souls who are not yet trusting in Christ

…is a means of nurturing & equipping believers, not an end in itself

…focuses on teaching God’s Word, either verse by verse or topically

…emphasizes application, that is, replacing lies we believe with the truth of God’s Word

...is accessible, with a variety of offerings with definite commitments (entry/exit points provided)

 

I've had a significantly fruitful week... and blogging hasn't been in the schedule, unfortunately.

And I'll be blogging-breaking starting next Thursday as Mrs. Mobley and I do a little vacationing.

But I recently read an article by Bill Federer, who spoke at Living Word almost two years ago, that sheds some great historical light on Islam. 

You can read it here,

Go serve your King,

PW

PS- Like it? The LWFLC "bookstore" will make you a great deal on a book of American Founding Fathers quotes written by Mr. Federer.

 

 

I love the south. Largely because I love food.

So Oklahoma City is a great place to have Annual Conference.

Get this- the meals are catered by a place called "Swadley's BBQ," and tonight I eat at a Denny Davis recommendation- Ted's Escondido Cafe.  

But to matters more sublime: I'm here on work, and completed several hours of committee work this morning. I'll share more of what that means later. Now I'm at the hotel doing some sermon prep- I can't wait for Sunday. We'll talk about the root sin of all root sins- idolatry- as we continue our series on the 10 Commandments. You can find a lot of freedom when you identify your sin properly. And idolatry is often at the root. Freedom is a great!

Now for the close of "what is Annual Conference, anyway?" I'll blog on our experiences in the coming days.

Go serve your King,

PW

PS- this is an old series. Please forgive the anachronisms. We met last year in Sioux Falls and will meet next year in Fergus Falls, MN.

 

 

THE AFLC ANNUAL CONFERENCE

It May Not Be What You Think
(fourth in a four-part series)

The resolutions that are adopted by the annual conference are recommendations.  The budgets approved are guidelines.  Most of the elections, with the exception of national officers and conference committees, are really nominations to be finalized by the corporations.

 
Is it really important, then, for me to attend when the conference seems to have so little authority?

First, let me remind you that in fact the conference resolutions, budgets, and nominations are received with great respect by the corporations and boards, and it would be rare indeed to see them disregarded.  The corporations exist as part of a check-and-balance system, recognizing that they are absolutely dependent on the good will of our congregations in order to continue their ministries. 

            This is not the main point, however, and our problem may be what one might call “the synod syndrome,” which persists in looking at the conference as essentially legislative instead of inspirational.  The most important function is spiritual fellowship and renewal.  One of our newer members said that he was learning to see our annual gathering as a Bible conference, not a political convention.  Loiell Dyrud, in The Quest for Freedom, describes it more as a Bible camp for adults!  

            The 40th Annual Conference will be held June 12-16 in El Campo, Texas, and I hope that you will plan to attend.  Come prayerfully, with an open heart to seek the Lord.  Come expectantly, looking to Him for encouragement through His Word and warm fellowship with His people.  Come to learn what the Lord is doing through the ministries He has entrusted to us.  Come to remember to carry the spark of renewal back to our congregations.

THE AFLC ANNUAL CONFERENCE

It May Not Be What You Think

(third in a four-part series)

According to the Word of God, the congregation is the right form of the Kingdom of God on earth. (Fundamental Principle No.1)

The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations is committed to congregational autonomy and to a unique ecclesiology or theology of the Church.  The reality of the invisible Church, or all Christians everywhere, is not minimized, but rather the local congregation is emphasized as the form that the Church takes in this world.  A study of the word “church” in the New Testament reveals that the vast majority of instances in which it is used refer to a local congregation, i.e., the church in Ephesus, the church in Galatia, etc.

Put in practice, these principles mean that any national denominational organization is not the church, but an association of churches existing not to exercise authority over the congregations but to serve them.  The purpose of the AFLC, therefore, is to provide congregations with a means to accomplish together what cannot be done as well alone. 

The annual conference welcomes all voting members of all AFLC congregations to attend and participate.  Not all avail themselves of this opportunity, of course, and some congregations do select “delegates” to represent them, providing all or a portion of their expenses and expecting them to report afterwards. 

The AFLC affirms its roots in a spiritual movement, and there are still some characteristics of a movement that mark our fellowship and distinguish it from more formally organized church bodies.  This makes it extremely important that grassroots participation and prayer support remain strong.

Please ask yourself these questions:

*Who will represent my congregation at the conference this year?

*Is it possible for me to attend

*Am I willing to pledge myself to pray for the conference?

If you think that the annual conference is for a select group of elected delegates, you are wrong.  If you think that you and others from your congregation are not welcomed and needed, you are doubly wrong. But the greatest error of all is to miss the fact that the annual conference is central to the AFLC’s existence as a spiritual movement.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

This post is part two of a four part series on the AFLC annual conference, which starts next week, this year in Oklahoma City.

 

It May Not Be What You Think

(second in a four-part series)

The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations is “an experiment in extreme ecclesiastical democracy” (B.M. Christensen), not a traditional incorporated synod.  The AFLC’s solution to the problem of centralized control is to incorporate each separate ministry, and currently the following corporations are included:

Missions

Schools

Coordinating Committee

Association Retreat Center

AFLC Foundation   There are two additional corporations that function as subsidiaries of Missions:  Partners in Mission Outreach (PIMO) and Free Lutheran Association of Pilot Supporters (FLAPS).  Parish Education, Youth Ministries, Evangelism, Pensions, Stewardship, and Christian Academic Education are all included under the corporate covering of the Coordinating Committee.

How do these corporations (especially the first three) relate to the annual conference?  First of all, they present detailed reports of their ministries.  Secondly, they receive resolutions to guide their future ministries.  Thirdly, they present their budget goals for approval (after they have been studied by the Budget Analysis Committee). 

The Nominating Committee prayerfully selects people from throughout the AFLC to serve on the corporations.  These nominees are presented for approval to the conference, during which time additional names may be added, and the elections are finalized by the corporations. The goal is to have each corporation as broad-based as possible.

From which the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love (Ephesians 4:16).

 

The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations is the church body of which Living Word is a part. It is somewhat unique, as it is not a "synod" or "demonimation" with a top down central structure. A central body exists, but it is for the mutual benefit of congregations in the Association, not for its governance.

The AFLC holds a conference each year to conduct business, celebrate God's faithfulness and encourage one another. Everyone is welcome at these conferences, and any member of any AFLC congregation can vote. There are no delegates. 

The next few blog posts explain Annual Conference through the eyes of Pastor Robert L Lee, the former president of the AFLC. Next week, should internet access permit, I will blog from the Conference in Oklahoma City.

 

THE AFLC ANNUAL CONFERENCE 

It May Not Be What You Think
 (first in a four-part series)

 The 40th Annual Conference of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC) will meet in El Campo, Texas, on June 12-16. A growing fellowship of about 260 congregations, the AFLC includes a wide range of Lutheran backgrounds, and so it is important that an explanation of the conference is provided for those who are unfamiliar with the “free church” concept as well as for some longtime members who still do not quite understand it.

            The annual conference may not be what you think. It is not a political convention. One of our free church forefathers, Sven Oftedal, called it “a spiritual powerhouse,” reminding us that its purpose is primarily inspirational rather than legislative. There are no official delegates to whom voting privileges are restricted; instead, every voting member of every AFLC congregation is welcome to attend and fully participate, and it is even possible for non-members to vote if they register with the Coordinating Committee in advance.

            Conference highlights are not resolutions and elections, but worship services, prayer times, and fellowship with like-minded Christian friends. Business sessions begin with a brief meditation and prayer, and it is not uncommon to pause in the midst of discussing a resolution to ask for God’s guidance.

            The annual conference may not be what you think because the AFLC is not what you think. We are an association, not a synod, and our organization roots trace back to a movement of spiritual awakening over a century ago. The vision of our free church forefathers was to build free and living Lutheran congregations, united by as simple of a structure as possible, one that would serve the congregations instead of lording it over them.

            The scriptural motto of the AFLC still stands:  “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (II Corinthians 3:17b).

 

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is going great at Living Word! Stop by to check it out, 6:00-8:30PM through Thursday night.

I posted the following tidbit on the SD Team FCA web site earlier today. We had a bit of a rough tournament against tough competiton. Those environments teach us our best lessons. We are refined in the crucible, not the easy chair.

God is good. Set Him before you continually!

Go serve your King,

PW

 

 

Run the Offense

I have set the LORD continually before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. –Psalm 16:8

The Goal of SD Team FCA is to make disciples through the tool of basketball. If our players can learn about themselves, God and life while playing a game, one of our main objectives is accomplished. Sometimes God uses the team to teach a lesson to the coach. Or at least that’s what happened to me about a year ago.

During a game where we executed our offense particularly poorly, I found myself yelling to a player, “[Name withheld because I shouldn’t have said it in the first place], run the offense!” After I apologized post-game for singling him out, I made my point: “I know you as players. I selected this offense intentionally to put you in a position to succeed. Run the offense and good things happen. When you don’t run it, you’re not in a position to do well, and we play poorly.”

It’s still true in year two. When we run our offense as intended we do well. When we don’t…

But the big lesson for me came a few days after that tournament. I was particularly stressed while ministering in my congregation when suddenly the words came to mind: “Wade, run the offense!”

It was as if God were saying, “I know you as a person. I have called you intentionally to put you in a position to succeed. Run the offense and good things happen. When you don’t run it, you’re not in a position to do well, and you live poorly.”

When we as humans take our eyes off of God’s calling and look at circumstances around us, bad things happen. This distraction is an enemy of the soul. If the lies of the enemy (1 Peter 5:7-) convince us to ignore or neglect the blood of Jesus Christ, we are lost. But if we follow Christ, fixing our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

As coaches, we constantly implore our team to stay focused on the task at hand. They can’t control the other team, the officials or the temperature in the gym. But they can control what they do on the court, and the intensity and character with which they do it. When we take care of business we generally do pretty well. And even if there isn’t a W at the end of the game, we have grown as young men and glorified God in the process.

But it’s not just the athletes. This message is for coaches, parents and spectators. Let the competition begin, and let the glory be God’s.

Coach Wade Mobley

 

I forgot to give you the links I promised earlier today. These are great conversatoins about marraige. I think they will help you think about the subject Scripturally, along with helping you see where some in our country are in their thoughts.

HB London, Focus on the Family Pastoral Care 

Three posts from Cross Examined, a great apologetics ministry to college campuses: 4 questions about "gay" marriage, why the state is involved in marriage, and why "gay" marriage is such a bad idea- from a source you might not expect.

Greg Koukl, Stand to Reason- wholly secular reasons to reject "gay" marriage

We'll see you Sunday, and go serve your King!

PW 

Yesterday I asked some questions about which for you to think. And if that structure was awkward, remember that Winston Churchill is reported to have said, "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put."

To get to the place where we are now discussing what genders may be married, we had to redefine it in the first place, changing marriage from a God-ordained covenant to a government-supervised contract. 

This happened in California, but it is your problem. For years California schools have abandoned gender-specific language like "husband" or "wife," and have made accomodations for elementary school students who are struggling with "gender identity." Further, California elementary school curriculum contains mandatory instruction on the acceptability of "alternative lifestyles." 

This is not a California problem. There are already ramifications of last week's California Supreme Court decision. Wednesday, New York governor David Patterson ordered changes to the forms granting marriage license: "Man" and "Woman" are now "Party A" and "Party B." He then ordered that state entities recognize "marriages" from Canada and California. 

This is the greatest problem, though: People who desperately need to be convicted by God's law and led to a saving faith in Jesus Christ are being told "everything is fine." In Isaiah 26:10, we read, If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD.

This is the true tragedy: Souls will be damned because we have placated their consciences. So what are we to do as Christians?

• Be careful on the 61-39 outrage. The California proposition clarifying the one man, one woman definition of marriage passed 61-39. The court decision was 4-3, with four justices thinking that the oppression of this law was enough to overturn the will of the voters. That is a concern for our government, to be sure. But don't confuse majority vote with moral excellency. What if the vote would have gone the other way? Marriage is still one man, one woman.
• Be angry, but do not sin. Don't expect non-Christians to act like Christians. Non-Christians are not the enemy they are the mission field.
• Engage the culture as a mission field. Think, act and speak like a wise ambassador.
• Talk to your legislators. We need a constitutional amendment. Two of our three congressmen/women say that the federal "Defense of Marriage Act" is enough. This ruling proves that it's not. And the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate already is on record as wanting to repeal DOMA anyway.

Friends, marriage is what marriage is. All the courts of the world can't change what God invented. It should break our hearts that the world is corrupting something beautiful. Don't despair! But also don't stick your heads in the sand. We have arrived at this place largely because Christians have not behaved consistently as Christians for many years. Let's change that, one soul at a time.

Go serve your King,

PW