Association of Confessional Lutheran Churches

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Professor Mark Harstad of Bethany Lutheran College (and previously of the seminary) has fallen asleep in Christ. He was a teacher to us, even those of us who did not have him in class. He was known to counsel seminarians, "Sell all, and buy Luther." Based on his confession of faith, we do not sorrow like those who have no hope, but rejoice and long for the resurrection when we together with him and the faithful might glorify God in Christ for giving us the victory. We pray that God bless Peggy and the family, and comfort them in their time of sorrow.

On February 25th pastors (Rob) Lawson and Brockdorf met with President Moldstad and Pastor Webber of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod at the home Pastor Webber in Phoenix, AZ. The informal meeting came as the result of three overtures Pastor Moldstad made toward the ACLC, each increasingly direct and culminating in specifically asking to meet with us. The meeting, as a first and informal meeting, was very good, and we look forward to meeting again in an official colloquy. We ar...e grateful for the changes the ELS has made to lessen the likelihood of a falling out of the type that led to our removal from the ELS, and are looking at our own responsibility in it. While none of us knows to what extent reconciliation can take place, this is truly a godly endeavor. We appreciate the efforts that Pastor Webber and others have made to bring this meeting about. There is no lack of Scripture passages that urge us to seek and maintain unity. It is our prayer that God grant to all in the ELS and ACLC humility and love of the truth as we work toward whatever degree of reconciliation God grants to us. See more

Sometimes people protest that they don't understand rituals, and therefore they are useless. It is true that ritual, including its meaning, must be taught. But just because we don't understand the language does not make it useless. We all had to learn speak before the sounds we heard made sense. But we do not throw out language just because a child doesn't understand it. Instead, we work all the harder so that they will understand it. Let us do the same with the language of ritual. The benefit of learning to understand a language can hardly be quantified. So it is with ritual. To someone who doesn't know the language it may seem like a meaningless wast of time, but for those who have learned it, it is beyond valuation.

Blessed Holy Week to the faithful, and to the unbelieving world our prayers ate that it may come to know that Jesus' resurrection is real, and not someone's wishful thinking.

Blessed Epiphany. Christ is among us! He is and ever shall be.

A blessed celebration of Maundy Thursday to all. St. John's comment about the one, who would betray Jesus, tells us that the foot washing was a spiritual matter, and not one of removal of dirt from the flesh (cf. 1 Peter chapter 3). There is only one spiritual bath--Baptism. Returning to the Laver to wash our feet by confessing our sins and receiving absolution grants us a part with Christ. This, in connection with "Do this in remembrance of Me...do this as often as you drink... it," gives us the final commandment: "Love one another, even as I have loved you." When we doubt God's love, when He seems so far away, when we feel unlovable and unloving, the cure is not far away. Receiving the fruit of the Tree of Life by mouth, trusting that it is indeed given for the forgiveness of sins, confirms the reality that we are loved by God, He is very near to us, and causes us to grow in our loves for others. God grant this to us all! See more

Jesus' Ordination--seriously? Sure. The office of the ministry today is the very same as that of Jesus’ prophetic office. The Synodical Conference pericope for the First Sunday after Epiphany quotes Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach The appointed Gospel Lesson for the day (Historic Pericope) displays the boy Jesus in the Temple not presuming to teach God’s word, even though it is His (Jesus’) own word. Rather, he asks questions and gives answers when aske...Continue reading

Christ is born; glorify Him! "Forth today the Conqueror goeth, Who the foe, Sin and woe, Death and hell, o'er throweth. God is man, man to deliver; His dear Son Now is one With our blood forever."

Commandment, or Maundy, Thursday is a day we reflect on unity as the body of Christ, grafted into Christ and receiving Him in the Holy Supper where we are to be one even as Christ and the Father are one. Such unity is not merely that we claim to be Christians, but that we truly hold to Jesus' precepts as He said. The Lord's Supper is the ultimate (though not the only) outward expression of unity. It is also that which unifies. May God grant to all who love Jesus such purity of doctrine that we may express outwardly true unity. May God grant us the ability to distinguish between what is dogma, and what is opinion or piety. May we all, keeping Christ's command to "do this" be drawn to true discipleship and unity with one another.

This is from ACLC member congregation Reformation Lutheran Church: This may be a day late, but let it be known that all of us in the ACLC respect the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Despite scoffers such as Carl Sagan, who argued from the absurd over an inability to define the micro-second when conception takes place, and therefore argued that it is OK to kill the unborn at any time, life begins at conception. It is then that a uniquely identifiable indivi...dual exists. Viability is not the issue either, since no new born can live on its own. Somethings are so unique, so sacred, that they must be left in God's hands alone. In a country founded from the first thought that there is a creator (endowed by his creator with certain unalienable rights...life...), it is worse than unconscionable to allow the destruction of those who have no voice, and are entirely helpless. We pray that God would grant repentance to those who have had, promoted, condoned, or tolerated abortion. Christ died for the sins of the world. He desires our repentance so that we are not destroyed, but live forever in Christ. See more

An example of the usefulness of ritual comes in the ritual associated with the creeds. It is customary to bow at the words that speak of the humiliation of the human nature of Christ, which began with His conception, and continued through His burial (the divine nature is not subject to the humiliation). Many times people stumble at the teaching about Christ's decent into hell. We are even accused of teaching that Christ suffered in hell, and it is questioned whether or not the decent into hell is a biblical (scriptural) teaching (cf. 1 Peter 3). If one follows the customary rite and ends the bow at the words, "and was buried," then one emphasizes to himself and others that the decent into hell was part of the exaltation of Christ. Rather than being an empty form, ritual is packed with meaning, and an effective tool of learning.

The congregations and pastors of the ACLC wish you a blessed Holy Lent. "A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth..."