Our calling

OurCallingBased on Jon Schroeders essay for the 60th biennial convention of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran SynodArranged by Harmon Lewis

The art depicts the call of Jeremiah in the first chapter of his book. I appointed you as a prophet to the nationsYou must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. Art by Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago.

1

God opened his mouth wide and said, Let there be light, and suddenly, piercing the darkness, light came screaming out of the mouth of God at 186,000 miles per second, filling the world with its brilliance. God saw that the light he had made was goodof itself, essentially good. Rev. Jon SchroederWhat's in a name?God gave everything not only a title but a purpose when he called it into being.

At the beginning of time, God created the heavens and the earth, but darkness covered a world that was formless and empty. Yet the Bible has that wonderful sentence of pending grace when it tells us the Life-giving Spirit hovered over the waters, waiting to give life to this new world. Then God opened his mouth wide and said, Let there be light, and suddenly, piercing the darkness, light came screaming out of the mouth of God at 186,000 miles per second, filling the world with its brilliance. God saw that the light he had made was goodof itself, essentially good. JS

2Our callingOur calling to be the children of God

based on essay, Our Calling by Jon Schroeder. Class arranged by Harmon Lewis3

1570-73; Oil on canvas, 77 x 109 cm; Galleria Doria-Pamphili, Rome

Our calling to be the children of GodCalled good.

Gen 1Adam and Eve 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground 7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the groundtrees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. 18 The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. 19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the mans ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ge 2:4-25). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

4

Our calling to be the children of GodWhat we chose to be calledWhat was the sin? wanted to become like God.What is our salvation? God wanted to become like us.

The Fall of Man 3Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden? 2 The woman said to the serpent, We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. 4 You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you? 10 He answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. 11 And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? 12 The man said, The woman you put here with meshe gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate. The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ge 3:1-13). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

5

The First Gospel Promise>Your Offspring(unbelievers)Her Offspring(believers)>He (singular) will crush your head.You will strike his heal.Personal Hostility

6The temptation Satan offered, to be like God, was untenable. But look at the promise! The promise seems equally untenable. It turns the action of Adam on its head and invites us to believe foolishness: so that we can be like GodGod became like us. He became a second Adam to do what the first couldnt. The call of God invites us to believe that the impossible payment has been madethat Gods own Son suffered and died for sinful man. When he did, God effected a joyous exchange. It follows that everything is held in commonthe believing soul can boast of and glory in whatever Christ has as though it were its own, and whatever the soul has Christ claims as his own. The call invites us to believe that on account of that exchange, sinners are made saints, beggars are placed on thrones, and the very thing that man tried to get by sin, was in fact won by the Sonnamely, we will be like God. Frhlicher Wechsel Luther.The Freedom of a Christian, 1520, LW 31:351. J.S.

Gen 3:1514 So the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ge 3:14-15). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 Forgiven Greg Olsen 7Our calling is freeOur calling to be the children of God8

Our calling is freeTell me about the parable of the wedding banquet.What did the invitation cost the guests?What did the guests have to offer?

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet Matthew 22:1-14The invitation costs nothing; in fact, the guests have nothing to offer, nothing that makes them worthy of the invitationnothing but the purpose God had for us. J.S.

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet 22Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 Then he sent some more servants and said, Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet. 5 But they paid no attention and went offone to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. - Matthew 22:1-14

9

Our calling is freeWhy are we called?God, who has saved us and called us to a holy lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:8-9

Not because of us but because of His grace10Our calling is freeWhat does our calling cost us?

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. -Isaiah 55:1

11

Gods love does not find the object it can love; Gods love creates it. -Luther12Our calling is through meansOur calling to be the children of God13Our calling is through meansWhy dont we depend on programs, methods, or personalities to work faith in sinful mans heart?

Lutherans rely on the means of grace in our outreach and inreach because the Word and sacraments are the only tools the Holy Spirit has given his Church to open the heart of man. No program, method, or personality can work faith in sinful mans heartonly the gospel

14Our calling is through meansWhat tool has God given to grow his Church?Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.Romans 10:17

The Power is in the word15Our calling is through meansWhat tool has God given to grow his Church?

We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

We simply serve as ambassadors16Our calling is through meansPresentation of the Augsburg Confession to Emperor Charles V, 15 June 1530So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God in those who hear the gospel. -AC V,1

What does the Lutheran church confess the reason for the ministry of teaching the gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted?So that we may obtain faith17Our calling is freeI believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing, believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel.Luther

Luthers explanation to the Third Article.

18Our calling is universalOur calling to be the children of God19Our calling is universalWho does God want to be saved?This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

All men20Our calling is universalWho does God want to be damned?Say to them, As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?Ezekiel 33:11No Man21Our calling is universalWho will be saved?For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:29-30

Yes, the Bible teaches that God elects to salvation and those he predestines, he also calls. Though the Bible says that the only the elect will be saved, that does not change the sincerity or universality of Gods call. Here is an encouragement to read Article XI of the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration. It is simply the best explanation of the doctrine of election ever written. - J.S. 22

Our calling is universalWe should not think of this call of God which is made through the preaching of the Word, a jugglers act.FC XI, 29, Concordia.

The idea here is that Gods call is not deceptive, a real call for the elect but an insincere call for those who ultimately will not believe. No, this is a universal, sincere call by which God reveals his will for all peoplethat they be saved. The Latin text has simulatam et fucatam, feigned and disguised. The German, Und solchen Beruf Gottes...sollen wir fr kein Spiegelfechten halten, lit. mirror-fencing, jugglery, acts of deception. J.S.

23Our calling is efficaciousOur calling to be the children of God24

Our calling is efficaciousTell me about the Parable of the sower.What does the seed represent?What did the different soil types represent?

The Parable of SowerMatthew 13:1-9It is not different seed that it used but different soils that reject the seed.Gods call, like the word invitation, implies an offer that can be refused. The calling is efficacious, but it is not irresistible. The call is efficacious, not because everyone called ends up in heaven, but because the Word leads them efficaciously. Everyone called receives the full effect of that call, and the effect is the same for everyone. The people that dont end up in heaven have received the same call, but they rejected the verbal offer. The cause of the few chosen lies not in an insincerity of Gods call, but the perverse human will to reject it or pervert it. J.S.

13That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a cropa hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.2526

A harsh reality26Mankind had fallen so far that we could not even believe this promise; we could not even accept this invitation. Our reason was blind, our hearts were darkened, our souls were hostile. J.S.Our calling is efficaciousWhat does this mean?Sinners must die, says Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death, either eternally or baptismally.

Gerhard Forde, On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luthers Heidelberg Disputation. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997)

He kills me so that he can bring me back to life. To the sinful flesh he speaks harshest law and to the contrite heart, the sweetest gospel. The law puts the sinner to death that the gospel might resurrect him to new life and to faith. - J.S. 27Our calling is efficaciousWhy are some saved and not others?I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Luke 18:17

Yes, the Bible teaches that God elects to salvation and those he predestines, he also calls. Though the Bible says that the only the elect will be saved, that does not change the sincerity or universality of Gods call. Here is an encouragement to read Article XI of the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration. It is simply the best explanation of the doctrine of election ever written. - J.S. (or effectiveness of the call)Out of pure grace we have been elected in Christ to eternal life. Christ promised it, certified it with an oath, and sealed it with the Sacraments. J.S.28The result of our callingOur calling to be the children of God29Our calling to be the children of GodWhat is the result of our calling?How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!1 John 3:1

Sonship J.S.30

My son became like you, so that you can be like him.31

OurCallingBased on Jon Schroeders essay for the 60th biennial convention of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran SynodArranged by Harmon Lewis

The art depicts the call of Jeremiah in the first chapter of his book. I appointed you as a prophet to the nationsYou must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. Art by Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago.

32Our callingOur calling to be the mask of God

based on essay, Our Calling by Jon Schroeder. Class arranged by Harmon Lewis33From Shakespeare'sAs You Like It, 1600:JAQUES:All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances;And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.And then the whining school-boy, with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly to school. And then the lover,Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladMade to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths and bearded like the bard,Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,In fair round belly with good capon lined,With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,Full of wise saws and modern instances;And so he plays his part. The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wideFor his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,Turning again toward childish treble, pipesAnd whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

34

On February 18, 1546, a most improbable thing happened. The professor condemned to the stake by the worlds most powerful churchman, and condemned to an outlaws demise by the worlds most powerful nobleman, that professor died of entirely natural causes.Rev. Jon Schroeder

It was nearly 3:00 in the morning when he answered his last question. Justus Jonas, sensing the end was near, asked, Reverend Father, will you die steadfast in Christ and the doctrines you have preached? Ja! cried that loud voice for the last time. Then, on February 18, 1546, a most improbable thing happened. The professor condemned to the stake by the worlds most powerful churchman, and condemned to an outlaws demise by the worlds most powerful nobleman, that professor died of entirely natural causes. - J.S.

35Now What?Dr. Luthers legacy to the Church includes a teaching that was an innovative and reformative departure from the medieval theology of the Roman Catholic Church: the doctrine of Vocation.Rev. Jon Schroeder

36VocationThe word vocation comes from the Latin vocatio, which means calling, and is the word used by the Latin Bible for the call of God to faith and sonship. However, vocation in modern English usage is often associated with words about a mans work, profession, or trade.Rev. Jon Schroeder

37Now What?Christian vocation goes much further than the sum of work we have to do: ... Like all of Gods calls, Christian vocation, too, is a call with a purpose. Christian vocation is our calling to be the masks of God.Rev. Jon Schroeder

38Freed from medieval monasticism

Our calling to be the mask of God39

Early in the history of the Church, the error of work righteousness had begun to creep into the thinking and teaching of many Christians. This false doctrine taught that good works play a part in salvation. The falsehood led to any number of abuses, including the Roman Catholic teaching of vocation. The thought process: if our good works play a part in salvation, then those people who devote their lives to good works, must be closer to God. Those people who do works that go beyond works expected of every Christian must be even better. Already at the time of Eusebius (c. 300) people divided the world into two kinds of life: one that focused on God, and one that focused on the world, with a second graded piety attached to the latter. - J.S.

40Freed from medieval monasticismHow do passages like Galatians 5:4 challenge the medieval monastic view of vocation?

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.Galatians 5:4

People who lock themselves away in a monastery are not more pleasing to God than the cobbler making his shoes. In fact, trying to be justified by works moves a man in the opposite direction: not to perfection, but to alienation from Christ. Rather, saved by grace alone, mans vocation is a calling to a life of sanctification within his divinely assigned sphere of life. J.S.

41Freed from medieval monasticismPaul is encouraging new Christians about their vocations. How does that free us from the medieval thinking of vocation?Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.1 Corinthians 7:20There is no need to change vocation because you are a Christian. As a Christian your vocation now has nobility before God.42

Freed from medieval monasticismDRIAEN JANSZ. VAN OSTADE 1660The changes effected by this new doctrine of vocation reshaped the social landscape of Europe. In 1517, monks, nuns, and priests comprised 6-10% of the entire population of Germany. Socially, they were a world to themselves: they were unmarried, lived apart from the community, and had their own courts and schools. In the span of one generation, however, Luthers return of vocation to the laity radically altered the social fabric of the country. The number of priests, monks, and nuns had dropped by two thirds, most monasteries and convents were closed, and the vast majority of clergy had married and was again part of the world. - W.C. Placher. (Ed.). Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005), 206.

43Which is the more noble task? Setting the tableCleaning a toilet

44Empowered by the promiseOur calling to be the mask of God45Empowered by the promiseExplain how a legalistic approach is not the best motivation for the Christian to do good works.

Good Works46Empowered by the promiseWhy might a son feel more empowered to serve then a servant?I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruitfruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.John 15:15-16

The gospel transforms our response from the slaves, I must! to a sons, I will! J.S.

47Empowered by the promiseWill a Christian properly make this statement, To be a father to my children, I can do nothing; I am worth nothing; Christ must be all and do all for me. ?I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.John 15:15-16

For example, the Christian rightly says, To become a child of my heavenly Father, I can do nothing; I am worth nothing; Christ must be all and do all for me. That is passive righteousness that defines our relationship with God. However, the Christian cannot say the same thing when talking about his life in the world, To be a father to my children, I can do nothing; I am worth nothing; Christ must be all and do all for me. J.S.

48Life dignified with a purposeOur calling to be the mask of God49

Where is the dignity in this?50Life dignified with a purposeIn 1518, Luther defended his theology in front of his Augustinian Order at the Heidelberg Disputation. In his twentieth thesis, he explains that God reveals himself to us by hiding himself. Rev. Jon Schroeder

51

Life dignified with a purposeWhy did God hide himself before Moses?Then Moses said, Now show me your glory. And the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But, he said, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. Then the Lord said, There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen. Exodus 33:18-23If He didnt Moses would have died52

Life dignified with a purposeHow did God reveal himself to Elijah?The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?

1 Kings 19:11-13Gentle whisper53

Do you remember the scene in Raiders of the lost Ark when the guys face melted when he saw the glory of God?54Life dignified with a purposeWhy does God hide himself?Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel. Isaiah 45:15God wants us to know him, but he cant just show himself to us in all his glory. It would literally kill us The mind boggling reality is that when God wants to reveal himself to us, he does it by hiding himself. When he wants us to know what hes like, he comes to us with his glory and power hidden. J.S.

55

Life dignified with a purposeLuther says that God wears masks (Larvae dei) when he interacts with man. What do you think he meant by that?

On Halloween, a child wears a mask to turn his cherubic face into the haunting face of a ghoul, that he might scare someone. But consider our God! His is a face at which all the cherubim cover their eyes; from his face shines glory so great, and beauty so indescribable, that no one in earth or heaven can fully bear that sight. He wears a mask that we might not be scared, but succored; that we might not be killed but cared for.

56Life dignified with a purposeWhat is the mask God wears to interact with the world?But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. Acts 1:8-9

You

57

Life dignified with a purposeThe Christian autoworker heads to the plant each day knowing that even the repetitive nature of his job cannot take away the dignity of being Gods mask to provide for his family. 58

Life dignified with a purposeThe Christian homemaker covered in baby food knows that lack of recognition for her work cannot take away the dignity of God wearing her as a mask today to care for these young ones.From janitor to general manager, from engineer to day laborer, God has given every Christian a calling to serve the needs of neighbor and family, with the high dignity of fulfilling Gods purpose as his mask. J.S.59Life dignified with a purposeIn what ways might we crack the mask of God?

The pastor who preaches and teaches the Word of God, but fails in his duty as a father has failed to be the mask of God for his children. The ceo who triples the companys stock price but replaces the wife of his youth with a new model has failed to be the mask of God in his marriage. The congregational outreach team member who canvasses three nights a week, but is lazy at work has failed to be the mask of God in his community. J.S.60

Life dignified with a purposeWhere do the failed masks of God find forgiveness?Forgiven Greg Olsen

There is only one place where those failed masks of God can find forgiveness for their shortfalls: the atoning blood of Christ. And it is that same forgiving Christ that then sends these sinners-made-sons back into the world to live as masks of God again. J.S.

61Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason . . . , takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores. . . ?But into this context Luther breathes fresh gospel air:What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight. . . . God, with all his angels and creatures is smilingnot because the father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. [LW45:39-40]

Life dignified with a purpose62Life dignified with a purposeLife has no purpose without God. But with God, all of life has a purpose, from the most noble estates to the most insignificant duties. They all have the high dignity of being part of our calling as Gods mask. Rev. Jon Schroeder

For more on the subject of Christian vocation, see the excellent papers from the 2006 Symposium on Christian Vocation at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. A more extensive treatment of the Lutheran doctrine of vocation can be found in the papers Understanding Our Calling, Uncovering Our Calling, and Unleashing Our Calling. http://www.wls.wels.net/sections/continuing-education/symposium/59.php63

OurCallingBased on Jon Schroeders essay for the 60th biennial convention of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran SynodArranged by Harmon Lewis

The art depicts the call of Jeremiah in the first chapter of his book. I appointed you as a prophet to the nationsYou must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. Art by Steve Erspamer, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago.

64Our callingOur calling to be the Church of God

based on essay, Our Calling by Jon Schroeder. Class arranged by Harmon Lewis65

He calls us to be his Churchthat is our calling for the world.God called us from eternity to be his children. God calls us in time to live as his sons in the roles and stations where he placed us in the world. But we have another calling, too. This calling again is one of pure grace; and again, it is a calling to fulfill the purpose God has for us. He calls us to be his Churchthat is our calling for the world. J.S.

66

Who would you Choose? Gabriel or Mary?

One of the incomprehensible aspects of Gods salvation plan is that from the very beginning he planned to let his people participate in it. Not in any way of being co-redeemers with Christ; not in any way lending our own faith or efforts to his grace. No, we are purely passive when it comes to the work of our salvation, but yet, God intimately ties humanity to it. J.S.

67A people with a purposeOur calling to be the Church of God68A people with a purposeFor what purpose did God call Abrams people?I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Genesis 12:2-3

To bless all people on earth through his descendant Jesus.69A people with a purposeWhy did God call these people?For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers.Deuteronomy 7:6-8

Gracebecause the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers love and faithfulness of God70

They carried the promise and told the story of the Savior even when they were unaware of it. The straying kings of Judah still carried Davids line forward; the people of the Exodus were telling the story of the Savior to come. And then one day about 2000 years after Abram heard the promise, and 2000 years before we had, this people achieved their purpose in the womb of a virgin overshadowed by the power of the Most High and bearing the Hope of all the ages and the true Son of Israel, God with us. J.S.

71A people with a purposeJust as God called Israel into existence to fulfill his purpose, who has God called a new people out of nothing to carry out his purposes in the world?But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. 1Peter 2:9-10All believers everywhere72

What is the churchs purpose?A people with a purposeHis intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realmsEphesians 3:10The Churchs call is to declare. The word Peter uses means to publish abroad what is not known. In Greek theater, this word was used to describe what a messenger did who described to the audience happenings that the spectators could not see. The Churchs call is to declare, to publish abroad, what people outside of the Church do not know: Gods praises. The word for praises means the excellence of his achievements, everything he accomplished, all that God has done for which he deserves our praise. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the world. J.S. Eph 3:1073Means and Ministry as the Mouth of GodOur calling to be the Church of God74Means and Ministry as the Mouth of GodWhat does it mean to be the mouth of God?Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, Now, I have put my words in your mouth. Jeremiah 1:9

As the Church, our calling is to be the Mouth of God speaking His Word to the world. 75

Means and Ministry as the Mouth of GodAs the mouth of God, what is the church called to say?Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.Luke 24:45-47After accomplishing all Scripture had foretold of his work, Christ then told the Church what her calling would beto preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations. That is the purpose God has given us. He calls us to preach the law and the gospel, repentance and forgiveness to a world that needs to hear it. J.S.76Means and Ministry as the Mouth of GodNo longer does Gods voice thunder from the mountain. From where can Gods voice be heard today?All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting mens sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God.2 Corinthians 5:18-20

After accomplishing all Scripture had foretold of his work, Christ then told the Church what her calling would beto preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations. That is the purpose God has given us. He calls us to preach the law and the gospel, repentance and forgiveness to a world that needs to hear it. J.S.77Twin directives of our callingOur calling to be the Church of God78Twin directives of our callingWhat are the twin directives of the church?Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encouragewith great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5

Our calling as the Church is to preach the gospel. However, the call to preach the gospel is like a two sided coin. One aspect of preaching the gospel is sharing the Word and promises of God with both the lost and the found. But on the other side of the coin, preaching the Gospel also means to keep the Word for the world. As the Bible encourages us: If you hold to my teachings watch your life and doctrine closelybe always ready to give an answer...rightly divide the Word of truth. J.S.79Our callingOur calling as the WELS

based on essay, Our Calling by Jon Schroeder. Class arranged by Harmon Lewis80Our calling as the WELSHow does our constitution echo these directives?The object and purpose of the synod shall be to extend and conserve the true doctrine and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church...

Constitution and Bylaws of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Article IV, Object.

Extend and conserve the true doctrine; share the Word and keep the Word. We cannot do one at the expense of the other. We cannot have one and leave the other undone. They are twin directives that we are to be about. We keep the Word that we might share it; we share the Word that others might join us in preserving it. They feed each other. - J.S.81Sharing the Word: A Synod goes

Our calling as the WELS82

Sharing the Word: A Synod goesThe mission minded man responsible for our synods founding was born 209 years ago in Notzingen, Wuerttemberg.

Johannes Muehlhaeuser1849 founding of Synod3 years later synod had grown to 52 pastors with 125 congregations and 12,000 members.

The man responsible for our synods founding was born 209 years ago in Notzingen, Wuerttemberg. John Muehlhaeuser worked as a baker until his entrance into the Barmen mission school for foreign missionaries. This man had serious outreach credibility and a driving desire to save souls. As a young man he had preached his way across Europe, sharing the gospel in the face of persecution. His mission work led to lost employment, a transient lifestyle, and even imprisonment. Muehlhaeuser was arrested in Bohemia for evangelizing and spent eight months behind bars. But he was a missionary even in chains. By means of his testimony the Holy Spirit brought two fellow prisoners to faith, along with the police commissioner and even one of the two policemen who escorted him to the border when he was deported.This man took seriously the calling of the Church to share the Word. At age 32 he enrolled in the German mission society to train for outreach work in foreign fields. However, they sent him not to Africa or Asia, but to the New World to gather the lost German immigrants who were shepherdless in America. After service in New York, the veteran missionary left the East Coast to come to the frontier of Wisconsin to build up the Church of God there. In 1849, Muehlhaeuser and three other mission society pastors met to found the Wisconsin Synod. Our synod rose from the desire of these godly men that the Church fulfill its calling to go and make disciples of all nations. The early pastors of our synod were driven by the Churchs calling to share the Word. They preached the gospel and the Holy Spirit brought in a harvest of souls. Within 16 years the little three-pastor synod had grown to 52 pastors with 125 congregations and 12,000 members. J.P. Koehler, The History of the Wisconsin Synod (Sauk Rapids, MN: Sentinel Printing Company, 1981), 22Fredrich, 13-14.83

Sharing the Word: A Synod goes50 states by 1983Today 490 congregations and 146 preaching stations in foreign fields

Sharing the Word continued to drive the work of the synod throughout its next 150 years. Home mission work occupied the majority of new field openings as the church body expanded across the frontier and eventually across all 50 states by 1983. Foreign missions also took a prominent place in synod priorities from the start. The founders were world missionaries, so the drive to reach foreign fields was strong. Early synod efforts prioritized foreign mission work with offerings taken for the heathen mission work and concerted efforts among the American Indians. In later years the synods work among the Apache Indians and our entry into Japan and Africa became the chief thrusts of our efforts to share the Word with the world, even as far away as the hook of Kafue River in Rhodesia and the Shinto shrines of Tokyo. J.S.

During the past biennium another 1,941 souls were added to the groupings of believers in our fellowship, bringing the total of those baptized to 80,917 in the 23 fields where we are doing work. This is not including the approximate 30,000 who are being served in seed-sowing ministries in Asia and Africa, but who have not been fully organized into congregations or national churches. Worldwide the national churches field 128 pastors, 38 student pastors, 19 vicars, and 183 evangelists who serve the spiritual needs of 490 congregations and 146 preaching stations. -BORAM84Sharing the Word: A Synod goesGod permits us to live here on earth in order that we may bring others to faith, just as he has brought us. You must, says Peter, exercise the chief function of a priest, to proclaim the wonderful deed God has performed for you to bring you out of darkness into the light. Let it be your chief work to proclaim this publicly and to call everyone into the light as you have been called.LW 30:11

85Sharing the Word: A Synod goesif you utter worthy, not worthless, words, then you will be my mouth.Jeremiah 15:19What do you think? Outreach over everything is a good motto for the WELS.

misses the dual directives in our calling. The call of the Church isnt to share any Word or part of the Word, but to share the truth of Gods Word with the world. J.S.86Keeping the Word: A synod grows

Our calling as the WELS87

Sharing the Word: A Synod goesJohn Bading would become the second president of the Wisconsin Synod, and would be known as the man who led our church body on its journey to confessional LutheranismJohannes BadingWhen young Bading arrived to begin ministry in 1853, his commitment to both keep the Word and share the Word caused an immediate clash between him and President Muehlhaeuser over the Lutheran Confessions. Muehlhaeuser considered the Confessions as nothing but paper fences and saw no need to involve them in Badings ordination. Ordinand Bading strongly disagreed, and demanded that he be pledged to the Book of Concord. Muehlhaeuser backed down, but Bading felt disillusioned with the synod. In fact, he approached the Missouri Synod for membership in that confessional group, but the district president, Pastor Fuerbringer, encouraged him to stay and raise the standard of doctrine and practice. Thankfully, Bading did precisely that. Along with men like Philipp Koehler and Gottlieb Reim, Bading and his Northwestern Conference fostered a growing confessional stance in the Wisconsin Synod. They sought to have the mission attitude of the group matched with a commitment to teach everything Jesus commandedspecifically, as the Lutheran Church confessed in the Book of Concord. Under the influence of men like Bading, the Wisconsin Synod slowly left behind its unionistic past and began to recast itself. 88Keeping the Word: A synod growsWhat part of the great commission stresses the need for doctrinally sound disciples? Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.Matthew 28:19-20First, they wanted to establish ministerial education schools so that there would be a steady supply of pastors to reach out to new fields and serve existing ones.secondly, they sought to establish schools because they realized that as Confessional Lutherans, they needed more than just workers for the harvest field. They needed Confessional Lutheran workers.89

The synods growing commitment to the Lutheran Confessions engendered a commitment to ministerial education. Once we realized the error of our mildly pietistic Lutheranism, and realized that confessional Lutheranism required a confessional stance and confessional pastors, the issue of schools became paramount. Ministerial education did not receive high priority during Muehlhaeusers tenure as president because he saw no problem with the products of the mission societiesprecisely because he had no real subscription to the Confessions. When the Wisconsin Synod began to grow in its faithfulness to the Word of God, the desire to train its workers did as well. J.S.First, they wanted to establish ministerial education schools so that there would be a steady supply of pastors to reach out to new fields and serve existing ones.secondly, they sought to establish schools because they realized that as Confessional Lutherans, they needed more than just workers for the harvest field. They needed Confessional Lutheran workers.

90

91A confessional Lutheran Church with two passionsOur calling as the WELS92Sharing the Word: A Synod goesThe calling of the Church is not to pit sharing against keeping or keeping against sharing. God calls us to do both: share it and keep it; God wants outreach and inreach, training and sending, mission zeal and doctrinal commitment. One side of the coin does not suffice if we hope to be true to our calling.Rev. Jon Schroeder

93

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!1 John 3:1

Our calling is to be his child, to be his mask, to be his Church.94