Life of theWorld Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne March 2010, Volume Fourteen, Number One F. C. D. Wyneken The Father of Concordia Theological Seminary Our Rich and Beautiful Heritage Fo r th e March 2010 3 F E A T U R E S PUBLISHED BY Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana PRESIDENT Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rev. Timothy R. Puls Jayne E. Sheafer ASSISTANT EDITOR ART DIRECTOR Colleen M. Bartzsch Steve J. Blakey COPY EDITORS Trudy E. Behning Adriane A. Dorr For the Life of the World is published by Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the editor of For the Life of the World. Copyright 2010. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Huntington, Indiana. For the Life of the World is 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 4 The More Things Change: Capturing Wyneken’s Vision for Today By Dr. Lawrence R. Rast, Jr. This calendar year we recall the 200th anniversary of one of our seminary’s founders, Friedrich Conrad Dietrich Wyneken (1810–1876). In the demanding context of 2010, Concordia Theological Seminary remains faithful to Wyneken’s founding vision, even while recognizing the rapidity of change that theological education is presently experiencing. In these circumstances, Wyneken’s vision continues to inspire our seminary as it carries out its mission. 8 Luther’s Legacy By Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie There’s lots that separates Luther’s world from ours besides time and miles! So what then is his “legacy” to our world? Does Luther have anything to say to people alive now? Perhaps, surprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes! For in spite of all the obvious differences, there are even more important similarities–indeed, constants–that we see in Luther’s world and our own. 10 Our Rich Heritage–Luther: Catechism and Tradition in the Parish Today By Rev. Kevin L. Kolander I am thankful for my forefathers who kept pointing me to Scripture and Christ with an eye to the Christian Church and taught me how to journey through death to life everlasting. I also realized that I had now become a part of the faithful witnesses and the son who would pass on the saving words of Christ. Through stories, sermons, devotions, writings and preaching, my congregation would hear and learn from Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz, C.F.W. Walther, Philipp Melanchthon and others who shared similar faith struggles as we did. Also in this issue: What Does This Mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 13 In His Own Words–A Haiti Update . . . . . . . .p. 14 Continuing Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 16 Library Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 18 Profiles in Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 28 Bible Study–The Hall of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 30 For the Life of the World Volume Fourteen, Number One Growing up Lutheran, I was used to having lots of church people around me—Sunday School, worship, youth group, potlucks, catechism and Bible class, Lutheran college and seminary—these were the places where God forged relationships with me and His people. My first parish was also a wonderful place filled with kids, families and church members. As my early years as a preacher began to unfold, I soon realized that although the pastor is surrounded by many people, he can also be very lonely, especially during times of study, visits, temptations and changes. But in these valleys and challenges is also where I learned to appreciate the faith of my fathers. I remember preparing for my first Christmas sermon and feeling alone in the work before me. I had been listening to Lutheran sermons all my life, but now it was my turn to preach God’s story about Baby Jesus, and I was having a hard time putting the words together. The church organist popped her head into my study and asked how things were going. I told her preaching was a big responsibility and that I didn’t really know how to start. She told me to remember what I heard in the past, that God would give me the words and also that I had a church family who would love me no matter 10 For the Life of the World Our Rich Heritage: Luther, Catechism and Tradition in the Parish Today By Rev. Kevin L. Kolander “. . .We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. . .” Hebrews 12:1 what. The Christmas sermon went fine, and the sun did rise the next day. Shortly after this moment, I started to read sermons by C.F.W. Walther and Martin Luther. I figured that since I was now a Lutheran pastor, I had better make sure what Lutheran preaching sounded like. I wanted to give my people the same solid food to grow their faith that I had. Week after week I read Luther and Walther’s sermons on the Gospel and Epistle for the coming Sunday. Through these men, I learned how to preach faith in Christ and love toward my neighbor. Soon I began to realize that I wasn’t as alone as I thought. Although these men were long since gone, my two new “grandfathers in the faith” were with me to help guide and shape what I preached and taught from God’s Word. The elders of my congregation and I also made time to study Walther’s Law and Gospel in the basement of the parsonage during the long winters in New York. For months we would read Walther’s lectures and discuss these great two doctrines of the Bible. We also started a reading session of the Book of Concord where Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, Philipp Melanchthon and others would hold our attention vividly as they taught us how to hammer out Christian thought and confess the faith. Year after year I would gain more friends in the faith like these who helped shape my Lutheran identity and taught me how to shepherd faithfully a flock that belonged to God. Even though these friends weren’t alive, their words helped me feel connected with the larger church, they served as a kind of rudder so I wouldn’t go too far on either side, they substantiated and confirmed the Gospel truths, they warned and encouraged me in the faith. Reading sermons and devotions by Lutherans was similar to having a grandfather talk to me about the things I loved most about Christ, the Church and being a Christian. For 10 years I was surrounded by a host of faithful witnesses from the past. I am thankful for my forefathers who kept pointing me to Scripture and Christ with an eye to the Christian Church and taught me how to journey through death to life everlasting. I also realized that I had now become a part of the faithful witnesses and the son who would pass on the saving words of Christ and our grandfathers to others in my church family. Through stories, sermons, devotions, writings and preaching, my congregation would hear and learn from Luther, Martin Chemnitz, Walther, Melanchthon and others who shared similar faith struggles as we did. With our forefathers in mind, my congregation learned to memorize and love the catechism, sing, pray, confess and contend for the faith. How amazing that God has given the world Christ, who gathers us together into one family and surrounds us with other faithful Christians to pass on the saving truths of the Church. What a gathering of relatives we’ve inherited! We are not alone! We are surrounded by members of Christ’s family who learn, teach and model the faith for us and the next generation of Lutheran Christians. The next decade of my ministry has been equally blessed with the presence of Christians whose traditions, writings and sermons help shape the faithful. It is with great joy to see that God, even in the 21st century, continues to raise up Christian people in our dear Synod to bring us devotions, sermons, Bible studies and writings from our church fathers, some which have never been translated into English. Like many other congregations, my present church family uses the Portals of Prayer from Concordia Publishing House written by living theologians and laypeople who teach us to fight the good fight of faith today, memorize the catechism and take our life from the Sacraments. My congregation has also grown to love devotional literature from the past that follows the Sunday readings and builds faith throughout the church year. Bo Giertz fleshes out the Gospels lessons from Advent to the end of the church year. Nils J.S. Laache and Luther have become favorites for my family and, in fact, our congregation gives Laache’s Book of Family Prayer to each person who joins our congregation. Johann Starke’s Prayer Book, Johann Gerhard’s Meditations and others teach us how to pray as Lutherans did in the past. The new The Lutheran Study Bible and the readable Book of Concord are more fine examples of learning from our church fathers, past and present, and teaching the faith to each other. These and similar voices in Lutheranism help gather congregations around Christ throughout the church year, keep us solid in the Six Chief Parts of Christian faith, and make us grateful to be surrounded and fed by such a wonderful host of Lutherans. What a joy to be a living member of Christ’s family, shaped and grounded by so many Lutherans (past and present) who give us Christ and keep us looking to the Savior, the Head and Shepherd of the household of faith. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such a gathering, which, as I said in the beginning, makes us feel not so lonely as we journey Home together for that final reunion. Rev. Kevin L. Kolander has served two LCMS congregations—10 years in NewYork and 11 at First Lutheran in Lake Elsinore, California. Members of First Lutheran Church Bible Study, January 3, 2010 11March 2010