Fo r th e Life o f th e W o rld 6600 N o rth Clinto n Street F o rtW ay n e ,Indian a 46825 -4996 N o n -P rofitO rg . U .S .PO STAG E PAID P e rm itN o .832 H u ntingto n ,IN F o rw a rding S e rvice R eq u e sted Come Join Us as we celebrate the wonderful heritage of Concordia Senior College and Concordia Theological Seminary for the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of our award-winning Saarinen campus! Opening Service Sunday 50th Anniversary Celebration 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Brunch September 9, 2007 Music on the Plaza Shepherd’s Brass Concordia High School Combo Activities Campus Tours Bookstore open ...and more! 3:00 p.m. Opening Service In Kramer Chapel 4:00 p.m. Reception On the Upper Plaza hosted by the Seminary Guild Please R.S.V.P. for brunch by August 17, 2007 to Denita Krause at 452-2223 or krauseds@ctsfw.edu JULY 2007 2 Life of theWorld Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne July 2007, Volume Eleven, Number Three Fo r th e Kneeling in the Mud Dr. Daniel Gard Chaplaincy in Action Lt Richard Malmstrom Spiritual & Physical Wellness Rev. Albert Wingfield page 24 F E A T U R E S page 28 PRESIDENT Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe PUBLISHER EDITOR Rev. Steve Cholak Rev. John Pless COPY EDITORS ART DIRECTOR Adriane Dorr Steve Blakey Michal Needham EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES Rev. James Bushur Dr. Charles Gieschen Dr. Naomichi Masaki For the Life of the Worldis published quarterly by Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 6600 North Clinton Street, FortWayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of t h i s publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher of For the Life of the World. Copyright 2007. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Huntington, Indiana. For the Life of the Worldis mailed to all pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the United States and Canada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. CONTENTS page 15 page 22 page 27 page 18 17 Kneeling in the Mud by Dr. Daniel Gard Since September 11, 2001, the lives of our citizens and especially those citizens in uniform have radically changed. Christians may differ on the political issues of the war in Iraq, but what cannot be debated is that those who serve in the armed forces are more than cogs in a military machine. They are human beings that need the great Good News of Jesus Christ. The Son of God comes into our world right in the midst of the muck and mire of our own making. Yet He comes not to condemn us, but to bring His own righteousness and peace to those who know only sin and warfare. 18 Bringing the Word to God’s People by Pam Knepper Rev. Kavouras serves as the chaplain for the Cleveland EMS, the police department, as well as the FBI helping to provide great comfort and light in the middle of so much darkness by bringing the people who work in those departments the Word of God. The sacramental understanding of the ministry became even more important on September 11, 2001. 23 Chaplaincy in Action by Lt. Richard Malmstrom Without a doubt, military chaplaincy is incredibly physically, spiritually, and emotionally demanding. Spiritually, it is demanding to be the voice of reason and hope in the midst of chaos. At the same time, military chaplaincy affords rewards beyond measure. As God carried Lt. Malmstrom and his Marines through the worst they could imagine, he saw faith grow. Every church has its own unique challenges and opportunities to proclaim the Gospel. The military chaplaincy is indeed unique. It is like no other. 4 Chaplain in Training by Shawn Found 8 A Life of Service... Continued by Valerie Kister For your free subscription, please send yourname, address, city, state, and zip code to:For the Life of the World, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825. If you would like to see For the Life of the Worldon the World Wide Web, go to web site: www.LifeOfTheWorld.com. The current issue, as well as previous issues, can be found at this interactive portal. For the Life of theWorld How to subscribe to and find . . . For the Life of theWorld Volume Eleven, Number Three Fo r th e Life o f th e W o rld 6600 N o rth Clinto n Street F o rtW ay n e ,Indian a 46825 -4996 N o n -P rofitO rg . U .S .PO STAG E PAID P e rm itN o .832 H u ntingto n ,IN F o rw a rding S e rvice R eq u e sted Come Join Us as we celebrate the wonderful heritage of Concordia Senior College and Concordia Theological Seminary for the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of our award-winning Saarinen campus! Opening Service Sunday 50th Anniversary Celebration 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Brunch September 9, 2007 Music on the Plaza Shepherd’s Brass Concordia High School Combo Activities Campus Tours Bookstore open ...and more! 3:00 p.m. Opening Service In Kramer Chapel 4:00 p.m. Reception On the Upper Plaza hosted by the Seminary Guild Please R.S.V.P. for brunch by August 17, 2007 to Denita Krause at 452-2223 or krauseds@ctsfw.edu JULY 2007 2 Life of theWorld Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne July 2007, Volume Eleven, Number Three Fo r th e Kneeling in the Mud Dr. Daniel Gard Chaplaincy in Action Lt Richard Malmstrom Spiritual & Physical Wellness Rev. Albert Wingfield page 24 F E A T U R E S page 28 PRESIDENT Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe PUBLISHER EDITOR Rev. Steve Cholak Rev. John Pless COPY EDITORS ART DIRECTOR Adriane Dorr Steve Blakey Michal Needham EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES Rev. James Bushur Dr. Charles Gieschen Dr. Naomichi Masaki For the Life of the Worldis published quarterly by Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 6600 North Clinton Street, FortWayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of t h i s publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher of For the Life of the World. Copyright 2007. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Huntington, Indiana. For the Life of the Worldis mailed to all pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the United States and Canada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. CONTENTS page 15 page 22 page 27 page 18 17 Kneeling in the Mud by Dr. Daniel Gard Since September 11, 2001, the lives of our citizens and especially those citizens in uniform have radically changed. Christians may differ on the political issues of the war in Iraq, but what cannot be debated is that those who serve in the armed forces are more than cogs in a military machine. They are human beings that need the great Good News of Jesus Christ. The Son of God comes into our world right in the midst of the muck and mire of our own making. Yet He comes not to condemn us, but to bring His own righteousness and peace to those who know only sin and warfare. 18 Bringing the Word to God’s People by Pam Knepper Rev. Kavouras serves as the chaplain for the Cleveland EMS, the police department, as well as the FBI helping to provide great comfort and light in the middle of so much darkness by bringing the people who work in those departments the Word of God. The sacramental understanding of the ministry became even more important on September 11, 2001. 23 Chaplaincy in Action by Lt. Richard Malmstrom Without a doubt, military chaplaincy is incredibly physically, spiritually, and emotionally demanding. Spiritually, it is demanding to be the voice of reason and hope in the midst of chaos. At the same time, military chaplaincy affords rewards beyond measure. As God carried Lt. Malmstrom and his Marines through the worst they could imagine, he saw faith grow. Every church has its own unique challenges and opportunities to proclaim the Gospel. The military chaplaincy is indeed unique. It is like no other. 4 Chaplain in Training by Shawn Found 8 A Life of Service... Continued by Valerie Kister For your free subscription, please send yourname, address, city, state, and zip code to:For the Life of the World, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825. If you would like to see For the Life of the Worldon the World Wide Web, go to web site: www.LifeOfTheWorld.com. The current issue, as well as previous issues, can be found at this interactive portal. For the Life of theWorld How to subscribe to and find . . . For the Life of theWorld Volume Eleven, Number Three 17JULY 2007 October 30-November 3, 2007 Lutherhostel Retreat: “Living with Luther” Come join with the faculty of CTS as we delve into the real life of Luther. During thisweek-long retreat we will examine his life in two arenas: Luther’s public life includingthe subjects of vocation, worship, politics and theology, as well as Luther’s private life including issues surrounding prayer and family. We will help to bridge the gap between the time of the Reformation and today as we discuss several of Luther’s Table Talks and compare Luther with modern day Lutheranism. Enjoy a tour of the hidden histories of Fort Wayne’s rich Lutheran past and how this informs our present. Join other local Lutherans in worship and song for a Reformation service at historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and an All Saints service at Redeemer Lutheran Church. This week will be full of learning, fellowship, music, and worship. Participants have the option of registering only for those days that they will be able to attend. Registrations are due by October 15, 2007. Retreat Fees: Registration -- $150 (five days); on-campus meals -- $140 (five days, includes the Evening Out); Registration for one day -- $37 (includes lunch); Evening Out -- $15; on-campus housing -- $25/day. CTS Welcomes New Faculty It is with great joy that Concordia Theological Seminary welcomesthree new faculty members: Dr. Paul Grime, Rev. Jeffrey Pulse,and Dr. Adam Francisco. They will begin their duties during the summer months in preparation for the 162nd academic year. Bringing with him experience both in parish ministry and music, Dr. Paul Grime has accepted the call to serve as Dean of Chapel and Associate Professor in the Department of Pastoral Ministry and Missions. He will also teach in the area of systematics. Dr. Grime served as senior pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in West Allis, Wisconsin before serving as Executive Director of the Commission on Worship. He played a major role in shaping the new Lutheran Service Book. Rev. Jeffrey Pulse has accepted the call to serve as Associate Professor of Old Testament in the Exegetical Department. He will also lend his expertise in pastoral theology after 23 years of parish experience. Most recently, Rev. Pulse served as pastor of Peace Lutheran Church and School in Bremerton, Washington. Coming to us from Concordia College, Dr. Adam Francisco will serve as Guest Professor of Historical Theology. Dr. Francisco is an expert in Islam, having received a Ph.D. from Oxford University where he wrote his dissertation on Luther and Islam. Dr. Francisco recently taught in the History Department at Concordia University. Each of these three men brings unique expertise to our faculty. They will prove to be invaluable to our community as they help prepare men for pastoral ministry and women for deaconess service. Now available: Catechism Posters The Small Catechism ofMartin Luther is availableon beautiful large posters. One poster for each of the six chief parts. They come as a six poster set. Ideal for Lutheran school classrooms, Sunday School and Christian homes to reinforce the essential teachings of the faith. Contact the seminary admission office for this free gift at (800)481-2155. Limited supply available. Dr. Paul Grime Rev. Jeffrey Pulse Dr. Adam Francisco “I was raised a Roman Catholic and had a great interest in becoming a priest,” remembers Kavouras. “I never experienced a great moment of clarity from God saying I should become a minister. I just knew that this is what I wanted to do.” His plans to become a Catholic priest ended when he met his future wife, Barbara, a Missouri Synod Lutheran. “One of the things that had always bothered me about the Catholic Church was the absence of forgiveness. It was Law-driven with no Gospel,” explained Kavouras. “When I started attending Redeemer Lutheran Church in Cleveland with Barb, it was the first time I heard the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed.” Wanting to know more about Lutheranism, Kavouras began to study Luther’s Catechism and had frequent conversations with Barbara’s pastor. Over time, the two men became very good friends, and Kavouras eventually joined the Lutheran Church. “I had great respect for Barb’s pastor, not only because he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ week after week, but because he was also a man’s man, and I believe the ministry to be a very masculine profession.” Always keeping his desire to become a minister at the forefront, Kavouras was accepted in 1975 to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Four years later when he graduated, Kavouras’s first call was to serve as a missionary-at-large in Vermilion, Ohio. Given the task of starting St. Matthew Lutheran Church, this new pastor went door-to-door introducing himself and inviting people to come to worship on Sunday. “It was a slow process at first because there were not a lot of Lutherans in Vermilion,” remembers Kavouras. “But when I accepted another call two years later, we had fifty members, and the church is still in existence today.” His next call was to teach religion classes at Lutheran East High School in Cleveland. Two years later, he accepted a call to serve Immanuel Lutheran Church and St. John Lutheran Church, both in the farming community of Caroline, Wisconsin. “I loved my time in “The fire department, EMS, police, and FBI are all part of the safety forces in any city. The people who work for these departments work in the middle of black darkness. They encounter situations where no hope is found. This type of work can be very trying,” explained Kavouras. “My job as chaplain is to bring them the Word of God, which provides them great comfort and light in the middle of so much darkness.” Bringing the Word to God’s People By Pam Knepper Unlike some men who are not sure what they want to dowith their lives, the Rev. Dean Kavouras always knewhe wanted to serve God as a minister. ph ot og ra ph s by J OH N A LB AN ES E - w w w .ti m e. co m ph ot og ra ph s by J OH N A LB AN ES E - w w w .ti m e. co m For the Life of the World18 Caroline,” remembers Kavouras. “The people were good Lutherans who loved hearing the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ preached.” In 1989, Kavouras decided to leave his dual parishes in Caroline and ended up serving as a vacancy pastor in the greater Cleveland area for a number of years until he was called in 1999 to serve Christ Lutheran Church in Cleveland as their assistant pastor. “I wasn’t necessarily looking for a permanent position in a church, but when the call came, I knew it was the right call for me,” remembers Kavouras. While serving as a vacancy pastor, Kavouras also formed Cleveland Lutheran Radio. Running from 1996 to 2001, the radio show featured confessional Lutheran teachings and traditional Lutheran hymns. “I started the Cleveland Lutheran Radio program because Lutherans in the area expressed their desire to hear confessional Lutheran teachings and hymns. The people were not hearing those teachings and hymns in their own Lutheran churches, so I brought confessional Lutheranism to them on the radio.” It was during this time that Rev. Kavouras also began doing volunteer chaplaincy work. “I had a friend who worked as a fireman with the Cleveland Fire Department,” remembers Kavouras. “The department was looking for a new fire chaplain, and my friend encouraged me to apply for the job. I did and got the position.” Rev. Kavouras says the main duties of a fire chaplain are to visit sick and injured firefighters, and to be there with them when a civilian fatality has occurred. A few months after becoming a chaplain for the fire department, Rev. Kavouras was asked to serve as the chaplain for the Cleveland EMS, the police department, as well as the FBI. After some consideration, he accepted. “The fire department, EMS, police, and FBI are all part of the safety forces in any city. The people who work for these departments work in the middle of black darkness. They encounter situations where no hope is found. This type of work can be very trying,” explained Kavouras. “My job as chaplain is to bring them the Word of God, which provides them great comfort and light in the middle of so much darkness. These people, though they could never express it this way, have a sacramental understanding of the ministry. They know that when the pastor is there with them, God is there, and this brings them a tremendous amount of comfort.” This sacramental understanding of the ministry became even more important on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the United States. As an FBI chaplain, Rev. Kavouras was immediately sent to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to bring ministerial comfort to the military and safety forces working on the recovery, and to the families of the victims’ families of Flight 93. “As I walked around the crash site in Shanksville, my clerical collar served as a magnet for people,” remembers Kavouras. “Not only were they looking for spiritual comfort, but they wanted answers as well for why this atrocity had happened. I simply told them that it was because of human sin, and surprisingly, everyone found that to be a very satisfying answer. They instinctively knew that sin had led to this event in history.” Another question people wanted answered was what good would come of such a horrible event. Again, Rev. Kavouras answered simply, “This type of event turns us away from our vanity and drives us to seek help from God, and it’s at times like this that a clear Gospel message is most important.” Two weeks after leaving Shanksville, Rev. Kavouras was asked to go to New York and help out at a garbage dump located on Staten Island. This was is the site where all the debris from Ground Zero was taken to be sifted through by FBI agents, NYPD detectives, and other law enforcement agents. “As chaplain, I helped sift through the debris. It wasn’t fun. Not only were we looking for evidence like airplane black boxes, but we were trying to identify human remains,” remembers Kavouras. “Again, my presence brought peace to the agents because they knew God was with them even when they were working in hellish conditions.” To further describe the enormity of what happened on September 11 and document how the Word of God truly brings comfort to people in such disastrous situations, Rev. Kavouras wrote a book entitled Nine One One— The Aftermath: The Word Works. The book is a compilation of chaplain field reports Rev. Kavouras wrote while ministering to the people during September 11 recovery efforts. “I felt it was necessary to write this book because it shows so clearly how the Word of God makes a difference in people’s lives during times of immense grief,” explained Rev. Kavouras. “My instincts were right because after the book was released, the responses from people were overwhelming. They were able to read firsthand the Word of God at work and how it performed perfectly in the lives of people who had been affected in such a tragic way. Many said that it helped them understand how God was there to help them too, not only in this national calamity but in bearing other crosses in their lives.” The Rev. Dean Kavouras is married to Barbara and has two sons and five grandchildren. Currently, he serves at Christ Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio, as assistant pastor and is a volunteer chaplain for the City of Cleveland Safety Forces, and for the Cleveland Division of the FBI. “These people, though they could never express it this way, have a sacramental understanding of the ministry. They know that when the pastor is there with them, God is there, and this brings them a tremendous amount of comfort.” JULY 2007 19