Grace Lutheran Journal

Chapter two

2010-10-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

Gospel of John
John, chapter two: Smashes our institutionalized Worship

Chapter two is powerful, but to see fully what the writer is doing in this chapter we need to go back to chapter one and take note of his style. Paper and ink are expensive when this was written two thousand years ago. One needed to economize their words. Thus the power of what is being said is not only in the message of the words but it is also in the choice, arrangement, recurrence, and weaving of those words. Let me explain:
The writer of this gospel is a master weaver. Notice in chapter one the recurring words “next day”, “Lamb of God”, and “Come and see.” The words “next day”, Τῇ ἐπαύριον in Greek which more literally means “on the tomorrow”, occur three times in John 1:29, 1:35, and 1:43. Thus “next day” establishes the reality of time – Jesus comes in time, he is real, a point in time. The “next day” are the first words in a sentence introducing what happened on that day and marking a unit of events . This is the major thread as they are the first words around which the other recurring words are woven – the “Lamb of God” is John (the Baptist’s) announcement in the first two “next days” of John 1:29 and 1:35. “Come and see” are in the second and third “next day” of John 1:35 and 1:43, with John 1:35 being the connecting link.

Also note the progression! John (the Baptist’s) first “Lamb of God” is spoken in general and not to anyone in specific. The second “Lamb of God” in John 1:35 is spoken specifically to two of his disciples and the “come and see” in that section is also specifically addressed to those same two and by Jesus. On the last “next day” of John 1:43 the “come and see” has progressed. This time not spoken by Jesus but by Philip.

Life and faith are a journey of “next day” after “next day” for Jesus to be established in our real time. It begins with the general announcement of who Jesus is – the Lamb of God. Then announced and heard as a personal statement inviting us to see Jesus as our Lamb of God. As we wonder about this Jesus may we realize his pure invitation, “come and see!” Then when we hear his call to “follow me” we will know we are getting it when in response to people’s resistance to our witness we respond simply, “come and see!”

“In the beginning” is how this gospel begins in a repetition of Genesis 1. In Genesis 2:18-20, the first action of “Adam” and God together is to find a partner for Adam which is done by naming. So in John 1, Jesus’ first action is to name Simon as Cephas, or Peter in Greek (John 1:42) and to greet Nathanael (John 1:47-49 in such a way that Nathanael feels he has been named. The beginning of this gospel is all about the WORD. Jesus is that Word, and the writer weaves us into that Word. Just as in the ordered days of creation so this Word (Jesus) comes to us. God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:3).” The light has come (John 1:4-5)! Hear the declaration “Lamb of God” and “Come and see!” This is THE WORD who names us! On him the angels of God ascend and descend (John 1:51)!

Seeing this weaving action is very important to understand the Gospel of John and very much true in order to understand chapter two. Chapter two is not a recording of events in the life of Jesus. This is a gospel! It is the message of Jesus Christ calling us to life! The writer has two events in this chapter side by side – the wedding at Cana of Galilee and the cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem at Passover. Notice the cleansing of the Temple story has no reference to time. Also, though still at the beginning of the gospel, this story of the cleansing of the Temple emphasizes people believing in Jesus, seeing the signes he was doing, and the disciples not understanding until after the resurrection. Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Mt 21, Mk 11, Lk 19) all have the story of the cleansing of the Temple but at the end of Jesus’ ministry in Holy Week.

Thus it may well be Jesus only cleansed the Temple once, at the end of his ministry, the writer of this gospel knows that, and the writer is not intending to state that it happened at the beginning of Jesus ministry. This is a gospel. It is not a memoir. This gospel writer seldom tells the same stories included in the other three gospels. When the writer does include one of the stories in Matthew, Mark and Luke we instantly know this is VERY important and key to Jesus. Thus when the gospel writer not only includes the story of the cleansing of the Temple, but also puts it very early in the gospel – this is even more attention. The point is not when Jesus cleansed the Temple; the writer is not interested in the correct order of events (purposely showing us that right from the start). This is a gospel; it is all about Jesus. The writer is emphasizing in this arrangement that Jesus is the Temple – the new Temple, the new place of worship, the true object of worship.

This heightens the point in chapter one as well. Human beings institutionalize God! We institutionalize the most direct means by which God comes to us and we worship those means rather than God. It is neither the Scriptures (chapter one) nor the Temple (chapter two) that save us, that we ought to worship, that we need to protect and concentrate on and do exactly right and keep holy. It is God who saves, who alone is holy, alone is worthy of worship, and who keeps and protects and saves us!

Chapter 2:1-11 is sign of what Jesus brings and gives us as the Word in action, “Fill the jars with water,” and the Temple Jesus is, “You have kept the good wine until now!”

John, chapter one

2010-10-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Gospel of John
John, chapter one: Smashes our institutionalized Bible
All religions and philosophies proclaim they have the truth and their truth is better, more correct, honest and truthful than all others. Christians also fall into this pursuit and definition of truth as information. We then trump others by basing our truth in God’s Word – “God has spoken, we have God’s Word, we know God’s Word, we are moved and directed by God’s Word – listen to us!”

The Gospel of John smashes this nonsense. JESUS is the Word – from the beginning, with God, is God. Note all the words used in chapter one describing Jesus – the Word (1:1), life (1:4), the light (1:5), will of God (1:13), glory of God (1:14), full of grace and truth (1:14), before all (1:15), the Father’s heart (1:18), John not worthy to untie his sandals (1:27), Lamb of God (1:29), Spirit descending and remained on him (1:32), baptizing with the Holy Spirit (1:33), Son of God (1:34), Messiah (1:41), (written in the Law and Prophets (1:45), King of Israel (1:49), and Son of Man (1:51).

All other words and testimonies (written and spoken, holy and human) are NOT the light, but they point to the one who is the truth, the light, the Lamb of God. The Gospel of John begins with the same language of Genesis chapter one and asserts that this “creating” Word became human in Jesus, for Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God (verses 1-13) who alone reveals the heart of God (verses 14- 18), to which all other significant testimony points (verses 19 31), who connects Father and Holy Spirit – God to us (verses 32-34), who invites us to “come and see” (verses 35-46), who announces ever greater things until we see heaven opened and the very angels of God pointing to Jesus (verses 47-51).

The sin in us is not that we are wrong; it is that we are “dead”. Being right gets us nowhere; we are still dead! Yet how we pursue being right! How much effort we devote politically, religiously, theologically, morally, socially – if we are “Christian” – properly institutionalized and belong to the correct political party (and vote right), the correct denomination, with the proper lists of beliefs, right moral judgments, belonging to the right crowd, etc! Doing such is good, nice, okay; but it has nothing to do with Jesus. Even when we base our action in the Bible, even quote it – it has nothing to do with Jesus.

It is helpful for us to understand the term “the Jews” that is frequently used in this gospel (John 1:19; 2:18,20; 3:1; 5:10,15,16,18; 6:41,52; 7:1,11,13,15,35; 8:22,48,52,57; 9:18,22; 10:24,31,33; 11:8,19,31,33,36,45,54; 12:9,11; 13:33; 18:14,20,31,36,38; 19:7,12,14,21,31,38,40; 20:19) as a reference to an institutionalized, acculturated, group that views itself as a unit – the Jews – and as fully representative of the true and pure people of God. In the Gospel of John the term “the Jews” is best read as referring to neither a specific ethnic group nor a specific religious group, but rather to any religious group that identifies itself as the sole people of God and the proper spokes people for God. “The Jews” are anyone and any group that identifies people who do not think, believe, behave, and act like them as not really a Jew or not really one of God’s people.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and the letters of Paul have been around a while at this point. The writer sees how the early church is regarding those written documents as the Word of God along with the Hebrew Scriptures. However, just as “the Jews” do with the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), the early Christians are also tempted to read their own interpretation into the letters of Paul and the gospels. Just as Eve did in Genesis 3:3, humans add to God’s Words. The writer of this gospel sees how people are already adding their interpretation to God’s Word and forming Jesus and the “scriptures” written about Jesus into their own image. It is always tempting to declare people must act, accept, believe, behave, worship, practice, and be warned and afraid as the “Word of God” declares (that is according to my interpretation and my additions).

The writer of this gospel includes John’s (the Baptist’s) humble witness in this first chapter (John 1:19-28) as the declaration to us for the attitude, the use of the Bible, and the view towards Jesus that we are to follow. Notice the above understanding of the term “the Jews” is the context in which to understand John’s witness, and that the gospel writer heightens this understanding of “the Jews” by emphasizing the specific groups, “priests and Levites from Jerusalem” (John 1:19) and the Pharisees (John 1:24) who are checking out John the Baptist and to whom he makes his declaration. Secondly, note the content of John’s reply: “Among you stands one whom you do not know … I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.” Oh that we might develop and hold to such humility! Oh that we admit and boldly declare that among us does stands one who is our Messiah and Savior (Lamb of God), whom we do not know fully, and who is so beyond us that we are not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals!

The Gospel of John means what it states – JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD. Jesus is the living Word-light-will-grace-truth-heart of God to which John the Baptist and ALL other written and verbal testimony points; who rather than inspired by the Holy Spirit gives the Holy Spirit, invites us to come and see God, and who knows us (rather than being impressed by our knowledge) because Jesus is the one who opens heaven upon whom the angels ascend and descend!

Any institution or person that proclaims a written, defined, correct testimony about God, is institutionalized nonsense. We do not need information, not even information packaged as God’s will, God’s truth, God’s Word, even if it is written. Being wrong is not the problem; we are dead! We need a living, breathing, in the flesh God! Jesus doesn’t give us words. He is THE Word – GOD! Let us humbly give witness to him admitting our unworthiness and pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God! It is to Jesus that we respond to “come and see” (John 1:39,46), to follow him (1:43), and see greater things than what we have yet understood and claimed (1:50). It is Jesus who is The Word of God!

Gospel of John

2010-09-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of John is an affront to every way in which I try to box in Jesus. It is a journey to life that we cannot attain or even imagine. It is also an affront to every attempt to claim this life I have in Jesus as MY life. It is always life in Jesus’ name. This Gospel of John confronts me with the reality that I cannot live, claim, or understand life – real life – apart from total immersion in Jesus.

This message is both the most crushing, humbling, destroying truth and also at the same time the most invigorating, freeing, life-giving truth. It is crushing, humbling, and destroying because it shows me that as a human being I am “dead”. Please note – not bad, but dead. If I were bad there might be hope; I might be able to reform and become good. But no, the essence of my state is not evil or bad. The essence of sin which the Gospel of John addresses has to do with relationships – relationship with God, life, self, others. It is s not actions but relationships. We are “dead”, totally disconnected. Just like a body is dead when the nervous system or blood flow becomes disconnected even though the heart may still be beating or the brain is temporarily still alive. So we are disconnected from the truth about God, life, self, and others. The “sin” reality which the Gospel of John confronts is not a “sinful nature” that sees human beings as bad or evil and as needing truth so that with this new and better information we become good. NO! The Gospel of John confronts a “sin” reality in which we are “dead”. There is no life in us! No hope, no possibility, no reform, no trying, no improvement; it’s over; we are “dead”. We can hear and receive truth but it will do us no good. When the system is disconnected, even though the heart sends out blood and the brain sends out messages, it won’t get through.

The writer of the Gospel of John knows the Old Testament, the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and the letters of Paul. Human beings were already “institutionalizing” that word. People were taking the living truth of Jesus and boxing it into packaged “correct” information. The message of the Gospel of John is – get over yourself! Right thinking, right actions, right doctrine, right institutions are hopeless. We are dead! Being “right” is first of all a figment of our imagination –as though right morals or correct theology were possible – and secondly “being right” is a human creation and not of God. Even if we could conceive right thoughts, actions or institutions it would do us no good. We are fundamentally disconnected. Being “righteous” is not a matter of being right. It is a matter of being in relationship and only God can resurrect us from death into living relationship with God, life, self, and others, life.

Note – not from Jesus but in Jesus. Jesus does not give life which we then live on our own. NO! Jesus gives life which is being connected, staying connected, and living connected IN Jesus. The truth Jesus gives is not some independent information. Jesus’ truth is relationship – formed and living always only in Him.

So what does the above – sin as being “dead” – have to do with reading the Gospel of John?

The Gospel of John is declaring if we ever read Scripture, think of Jesus, or use the church as information – we miss the point! Point by point, this gospel takes up the array of ways we make the Bible, Jesus, and church information and smashes it. God’s truth is not information, an institution, a packaged way of life! It is a real human being who is God – Jesus!

Our sinful nature wants to be right. We institutionalize the church. We make Jesus into a statement, a story, a past action, a moral example. We treat the Bible as information. Then, in spite of what we claim, we use my church, my Jesus, my Bible as having validity and power in themselves apart from God and without our need for remaining in Jesus.

(In my “Discovery on Sabbatical” I explained how preaching and studying the Gospel of John immediately before and while on Sabbatical in South Africa led me to experience the Gospel of John much more deeply. Living in a different culture led me to realize how institutionalized, culturated, and informational I am and how I readily box-in and box-up Jesus and God’s truth. I package it into something I can understand, control, and grasp. The greatest discovery and importance of “Companion” relationships (developing ongoing relationships in other countries) is how they lead us to Jesus. They reveal the artificiality of my institutionalized Christianity and lead me back into the daily journey of remaining in Jesus)

An institutionalized Jesus, church, faith is all about:
1. Believing the truth as revealed in the Bible
2. Worshipping and worshipping correctly
3. Knowing Jesus
4. Hanging around good people
5. Using (and keeping holy) holy places, days, and words
6. Seeing and seizing signs
7. Right works, right doctrine
8. Claiming and shedding our light on life
9. Knowing who to blame

An institutionalized church and faith wants a boxed-in Jesus that gives us:
10. The plain truth
11. Answered prayer addressing our fears
12. A majestic, charismatic Jesus
13. Old commandments that we can do

The Jesus in the Gospel of John proclaims:
14. Jesus IS the way, truth and life: It is only through Jesus that we come to the Father, love, and receive the Holy Spirit, our Advocate to be in us, teach us, and give us peace.
15. Jesus IS the vine: remain connected to him, love one another as Jesus loves us, be servants, testify of Jesus.
16. Jesus is with the Father: the Advocate (Holy Spirit) has come to guide us into truth (Jesus), joy (asking the Father in Jesus’ name), and peace (Jesus has conquered).
17. Jesus’ prayer: that we may be one as God is one so that the world may believe that the Father sent Jesus.

Jesus’ Hour of Glory:
18. Whom are we looking for? JESUS, not human weapons, human declarations, or human truth.
19. Flogged, mocked, lawfully condemned(religious & political law), silent, carrying the cross, crucified, labeled, and naked Jesus cares for his mother, drinks his whole cup, and completes God’s work. Only when dead do people show care, look on him, and give his body respect.

The new life in Jesus:
20. Peter and the other disciple see and believe but do not understand. Only when her name is called does Mary Magdalene understand, but this understanding means not holding Jesus but testifying of him. Jesus gives peace to the disciples, sends us, breathes the Holy Spirit on us to empower our forgiveness. Thomas struggles to declare Jesus his Lord and God. The purpose of the Gospel of John is not to tell us about all the signs of Jesus but that “we believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that we have life in his name.”
21. Instead of the Great Commission (Matthew), the amazement and terror of the resurrection (Mark), and the Ascension (Luke) with which the other gospels end, the Gospel of John ends with the disciples catching nothing; Jesus directing the “children” and making, inviting and giving them breakfast; Jesus’ three haunting questions of Peter, “Do you love me?”; Jesus’ declaration that it is not for us to know God’s will for others but for each of us to heed his call, “Follow me!”; and the disciple’s testimony is not about him but all about Jesus.

The first nine chapters of the Gospel of John smash our institutionalized Jesus, church, and faith:
• John, chapter one: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of the Bible

• John, chapter two: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Worship and worshipping correctly

• John, chapter three: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Knowing Jesus

• John, chapter four: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Hanging around good people

• John, chapter five: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Using (and keeping holy) holy places, days, and words

• John, chapter six: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Seeing and seizing signs

• John, chapter seven: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Right works, right doctrine

• John, chapter eight: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of Claiming and shedding our light on life

• John, chapter nine: Smashes our institutionalized boxed-in definition of who to blame

Chapters 10-13 of the Gospel of John show how blind and closed we are to Jesus/ Even when we seek him, see his signs, praise and want him, and know, receive and are blessed by Jesus ,we continue to hold tightly to our institutionalized, boxed-in Jesus:
• John, chapter ten: The plain truth

• John, chapter eleven: Answered prayer that addresses our fears

• John, chapter twelve: A majestic, charismatic Jesus

• John, chapter thirteen: Old commandments that we can do

Chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John is Jesus’ Discourse after the Last Supper and before His arrest in which Jesus proclaims:
• John, chapter fourteen: Jesus IS the way, truth and life: It is only through Jesus that we come to the Father, love, and receive the Holy Spirit, our Advocate to be in us, teach us, and give us peace.

• John, chapter fifteen: Jesus IS the vine: remain connected to him, love one another as Jesus loves us, be servants, testify of Jesus.
• John, chapter sixteen: Jesus is with the Father: the Advocate (Holy Spirit) has come to guide us into truth (Jesus), joy (asking the Father in Jesus’ name), and peace (Jesus has conquered).

• John, chapter seventeen: Jesus’ prayer: that we may be one as God is one so that the world may believe that the Father sent Jesus.

Chapters 18 and 19 of the Gospel of John witnesses to Jesus’ Hour of Glory:
• John, chapter eighteen: Whom are we looking for? JESUS, not human weapons, human declarations, or human truth.

• John, chapter nineteen: Flogged, mocked, land awfully condemned (by religious & political law), Jesus is silent, carrying the cross, crucified, labeled, and naked, and such state Jesus cares for his mother, drinks his whole cup, and completes God’s work. Only when dead, do people show care, look on him, and give his body respect.

Chapters 20 and 21 of the Gospel of John witnesses to the new life in Jesus:• John, chapter twenty: Peter and the other disciple see and believe but do not understand. Only when her name is called does Mary Magdalene understand, but this understanding means not holding Jesus but testifying of him. Jesus gives peace to the disciples, sends us, breathes the Holy Spirit on us to empower our forgiveness. Thomas struggles to declare Jesus his Lord and God. The purpose of the Gospel of John is not to tell us about all the signs of Jesus but that “we believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that we have life in his name.”

• John, chapter twenty-one: Instead of the Great Commission (Matthew), the amazement and terror of the resurrection (Mark), and the Ascension (Luke) with which the other gospels end, the Gospel of John ends with the disciples catching nothing; Jesus directing the “children” and making, inviting and giving them breakfast; Jesus’ three haunting questions of Peter, “Do you love me?”; Jesus’ declaration that it is not for us to know God’s will for others but for each of us to heed his call, “Follow me!”; and the disciple’s testimony is not about him but all about Jesus.

Jesus is not about giving us information so that we can get our life together (this includes our church, our theology and our morality). Jesus is about life! This is life only God can do and give! We have life only in Jesus: John 20:31, “These are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

Discovery on Sabbatical - Gospel of John

2010-09-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Strange! I spent nine weeks in an African village and my greatest personal discovery is the Gospel of John! I know the Gospel of John. I had it all marked up in my “Living Bible” back in high school and it was some of the first material we read in Greek class at Concordia College, Milwaukee in spring of 1972. Yet with all the reading, studying, memorizing, commentaries and Greek analysis, I did not know it so powerfully as what I heard and learned in South Africa!

It started for me in 2006 during a three week visit to Lekubu Lutheran Parish in the Northwest Province of South Africa, just north of Zeerust and sixty miles straight south of Garborone, the capitol of Botswana. We arrived at Lekubu with no idea of what this village would be like, whether we would be greeted, and how they would receive us and what they would do with us. I know well the day, time, and place they greeted us – June 23, 2006 at 4:30 PM in their Parish Hall – because of the sincerity, quality, and depth of their welcome. The Parish Choir sang, with a sound rivaling an ELCA College choir; the public school’s Traditional Dance group performed; Mr. Jake Matladi announced, “the Americans have landed and just as in 1969 – one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”; and Pastor Solomon Seaketso read Luke 14:28-32 as the opening devotion – “No one begins building or marches to war without having prepared.” “Ohhh,” we marveled and trembled, “They are more committed, eager, and prepared for this relationship than we are!”

Then Pastor Ishmael Motswasele spoke. We had never been told about this man or his role, but I was instantly struck by his many years, regal bearing, and his soft voice that commanded and expected instant respect. He looked at me as the pastor in our group of four – Al & Deb Overhaug were with my wife Claudia and I – and he read John 17 and then announced, “This is why you are here, that we may be one!”

The last week of that 2006 visit Claudia and I lived with Ishmael and his wife, Lydia, and we learned their story. Lekubu is their home where they grew up, were taught about Jesus by the German missionaries, where they fell in love, attended school under the big tree near the parsonage, and where one of the missionaries talked with Ishmael about becoming a pastor. “I was not interested in becoming a pastor,” Ishmael told me, “But I loved school and books and studying and if being a pastor was a way to that, I was willing.” The Holy Spirit works in different ways, Ishmael went on to explain to me and it did not take long before Ishmael was sold on being a pastor. Many others also saw his gifts and they too encouraged him. So it was that this young man from an African village went on to be the first South African to serve as pastor to a church in Germany in the 1950s, to learn Greek and Hebrew besides German, English and at least three South African languages, to earn a doctorate in Biblical studies, to be a professor at Marang Seminary, and then a Dean of a Circuit. Pastor Motswasele not only saw the radical change of the Lutheran Church in South Africa moving from a white, German, missionary church to become a Black, South African, native church, but he was a key point person in that process being the missionary to Germany, among the first native professors, and one of the leaders in the independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa when it was officially formed in the 1970s.

I treasured those late afternoons walking with Ishmael Motswasele along the dusty paths of Lekubu as he pointed out to me the influence and change Jesus brought to his village. His keen insights in theology are anchored in the practicality of why African village streets are not laid out in a grid, why cemeteries represent a huge cultural change, and his constant challenge as to why I was there – “we must be one as God is one.”

“Oneness” haunts me. My home farm has been in the family since 1843 when the community of Kirchhayn was formed by members of a congregation from the village of Natelfitz in Pomerania, Prussia who moved to the Territory of Wisconsin with their Rev. Kindermann because of King George’s attempt to form a Union Church of Lutherans and Reformed together in Prussia. Within twenty years this Kirchhayn group split into three different groups – the group calling themselves Immanuel joined the Missouri Synod as they embraced C.F.W. Walther’s leadership in forming new church in America, free of prior strictures and structures and very devoted to Luther and the Lutheran Confessions. The largest group (including my mother’s family) kept the original name “David’s Star” and stayed independent, being wary of all organized denominations, and eventually joined the Wisconsin Synod. The third group (including my father’s family) remained in the Buffalo Synod. Taking the name “St. Johns”, this group did not necessarily agree or like the overbearing hierarchy of the Buffalo Synod, but remaining together with the larger church was important to them as well as recognizing that the church as human institution will often disappoint us (Buffalo Synod in the 1930s merged into the American Lutheran Church [(ALC] which merged again in the 1960s into The American Lutheran Church [ALC] and in the late 1980s into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [ELCA]).

Grandpa Rusch (my mother’s father) was the Sexton at David’s Star, the WELS congregation. As his grandson he had me ring the church bell with him counting out the toll for the age of a person who had died. His three daughters and we grandchildren would help him with the spring cleaning of the church and school each year. Our parents paid tuition for my siblings and I to receive our eight years of elementary school at David’s Star. Their church council offered to pay my tuition to attend the WELS Northwestern Prep School. I love the people in that congregation and they love me, and I respect the sincerity of their faith and their devotion to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. But our family could not receive Communion, we were told in school that our church, St. John’s, was wrong (though everything we learned and memorized in each was the same), and we could not participate in the weddings of our cousins – bridal party or even playing my trumpet. After my grandparents’ early death their brother and sister, Uncle John & Aunt Laura, took over as the Sexton and as grandparents for us. Though loyal to their WELS, they made it clear to us that God is not a respecter of denominations and no matter what their pastor and the WELS declared our ALC family was just as much children of God and inheritors of eternal life as anyone in WELS. My mother’s brother, Verlin Rusch, was my baptism sponsor, and when he died he chose me to be one of his pallbearers. His pastors, hearing that I am ELCA and an ELCA pastor, refused to allow this, but Uncle Verlin persisted, he was the one dying and this was his decision and so I sat in the front row at David’s Star and carried my uncle to his grave.

In the early 1970s there was a brief time period when the LC-MS (Missouri Synod) and the ALC were in fellowship. It was an amazing time following the formation of LCUSA (Lutheran Council in the United States) in 1967 when nearly all Lutherans (LCA, ALC, LC-MS) were in respectful dialog and seeking to do ministry together. As a result, though an ALC member, I was able to attend Concordia College, Milwaukee for the same tuition as LC-MS members, and Concordia, Milwaukee was closer and the tuition was a good deal less than where my sisters attended at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. With my friends now being Missouri Synod, because of respect for the Biblical and Confessional rootedness of my professors, and delighting in their challenge to think for myself, to wrestle with Scripture, and to be aware of the world and culture around me, I went on to Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the prospect of becoming a LC-MS pastor. Then came Seminex and the formation of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC). I saw the politics of that development – a professor at Milwaukee bringing charges of heresy against a fellow professor; the college in Fort Wayne eliminated and the Springfield, Illinois Seminary moved to Fort Wayne (suspicious since most professors at Fort Wayne supported the “walk out” of the professors at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis); and my college classmates suddenly taking hard-line stances some very conservative and others liberal, often with little openness to dialog, as they decided which seminary to attend – Concordia Seminary or Seminex (the seminary in exile formed by the professors that “walked out” because of the dictates of what they must teach that the LC-MS leadership began imposing on them).

Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa was where I decided to attend seminary. It had a “rural” feel to it and was part of a consortium with Aquinas Seminary (Roman Catholic) and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (Presbyterian Church, USA). Then my father died, six weeks after I started (which necessitated me telling my younger brother attending UW Platteville that our father had suddenly died and subsequently many weekend trips home to assist with the farm work). My father’s surprising and sudden death impacted me more than those theological stances and disagreements for I realized that faith in Jesus Christ and the Good News we are called to witness must be relevant; it must address the real, lived experience of life and death, of tragedy and day-to-day struggles, and of relationships.

“This is why you are here!” That statement of Rev. Dr. Dean Ishmael Motswasele pointing me to John 17, was a major factor in bringing me back to Lekubu, South Africa for my Sabbatical. Verses 20-21 of John 17 which Ishmael had pointed out, especially haunted me, "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

With all the discord in my “Lutheran” background and experience and with all the strong stances people had taken – a congregation leaving Germany and moving to the United States; a congregation splitting into three; my sister sadly being told by her elementary teacher that she and her family were going to hell because she was ALC; a boring, you-must-answer-correctly professor bringing charges of heresy against a thought-provoking professor; and the conservative turn of the LC-MS, its split, and the formation of the AELC which led to the formation of the ELCA – I longed to ponder what Ishmael was saying – not intellectually, but to ponder upon it in a setting entirely different from my own.

And then it happened. The 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly took place after I had already resolved to go to South Africa. Discord became even more personal as a dear and trusted colleague of mine urged her congregation to leave the ELCA and join the LCMC (Lutheran Churches in Mission for Christ). It so happens her congregation is the one where I had the privilege of baptizing my first (and at this point my only) grandchild and to which Zoe’s mother’s family has belonged for more than a century. Oh the pain of Zoe’s parents and her grandparents as they have left that congregation! Oh the power of statements pastors make, actions congregations take, and emotions that influence thoughts more than we want to admit! I read WordAlone’s statements – wow – how clear and emphatic they declare that a new church must be formed, and that they are not judgmental nor divisive but it is the ELCA leadership that has driven them to take this necessary action which they have been most reluctant to do. It is God’s Word and the Confessions that are at stake, and it is to God they must be faithful no matter what the personal cost.

One of our very involved members and a dear friend to me left Grace because of that Churchwide action. I realized how shocked and emotionally distraught I was by his action when I had two car accidents within 17 hours. By action, I do not mean his leaving (there are others who left Grace) but most of all in this case despite our friendship and respect for each other, it was his announcing he had left without talking or discussing his action with me and his assumptions that one) I would only argue and seek to win him to my thinking, two) that he must leave because to stay in the ELCA meant he was supporting an action that was opposed to Scripture, and three) that what Scripture states can and must be individually grasped and acted upon correctly and that this correctness of doctrine is what most defines and creates the church

The Gospel of John is the assigned gospel lesson for much of the seasons of Lent and Easter. ELCSA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa) uses the same lectionary. Since I left for South Africa the day after Easter Sunday, I preached on the gospel of John in America during Lent and I ended up preaching on the gospel of John in South Africa during the seven Sundays of Easter. It was in that context I went on Sabbatical – studying and preaching on John; wondering why John 17 and “being ONE” is so significant for Rev. Dr. Dean Ishmael Motswasle; my emotional and mental anguish with the discord in times past and right now among Lutherans; and my experience that addressing real, human, day-to-day struggles and tragedy is of more value than holding to insightful, eloquent, and correct doctrine and that focusing on doctrine often leads to showing little care for dialog or relationships and appears to increase distancing ourselves from those who think differently.

My discovery? The gospel of John is anti-institutional! Already in the early church, well intended Christians were forming the gospel, the Good News of Jesus, into an established tradition of liturgy and practice. The writer of the gospel of John purposely writes much differently from Matthew, Mark and Luke in the stories, statements, and actions of Jesus. Is John seeking to counteract this human desire to form Jesus into our image? Was he already seeing that the written gospels were being used to establish a tradition of wording, believing, and acting that people had to follow exactly to truly be Christian?

Scholars agree that the gospel of John was the last of the four gospels to be written and that its style and stories are different from the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Many scholars think that it was written as much as two decades after the other three gospels, and tradition has assigned its authorship to John, the disciple of Jesus. What struck me during my Sabbatical, is how relevant the uniqueness of the gospel of John is to the reality of differences among Christians – different theologies, practices, and liturgies. I hear God declaring in the gospel of John – it is not enough to know Jesus and to agree (establish a tradition and an institution) on the understanding and practice of following Jesus – we are called to love as Jesus loves us!

The Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 (“Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.") has guided the church through the centuries along with Jesus’ summary of the law in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27 (“'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.") In place of those two, however, John ends his gospel not with The Great Commission, but with Jesus’ haunting question, “Do you love me?”, and in place of The Greatest Commandment, John records Jesus stating, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35)." What is more, John inserts The Great Prayer of Jesus of John 17.

The most valuable “discovery” on my Sabbatical begins with a deeper appreciation for my human arrogance: The church as institution and we as human beings are constantly inclined to create traditions and institutions. In spite of knowing better, the observed faith that we live, shows that we give more devotion to our human created traditions and institutionalized definitions of Jesus than what we do to Jesus. Our “making disciples” looks more like getting people to obey everything that we command; and our “loving God and neighbor” becomes in actuality a “tough” love concentrated on getting people to live and think like me. How we understand God’s Word, the wording of the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism and Communion, and the Christian community and its way of life are developed and defined (traditionalized and institutionalized) to fit my culture. The gospel we proclaim(Great Commission) and the love we exercise (Greatest Commandment), sure looks and feels like people had better agree with mine and my church’s tradition and had better join my institution.

My greatest discovery is love. Duhh! But we just plain don’t love – as Jesus loves us. AND we self-righteously deny our lack of love by calling our actions “tough” love and concentrating on people’s thinking, their theology, and their church-life practices and our prejudiced desire that it agree with mine.

John’s gospel hit me! I am haunted by Jesus’ question to Peter, “Do you love ME?” First, until I admit my denials of Jesus and face up to the lack of depth in my relationship and love for Jesus, any gospel I announce and any love I exercise will be warped to fit my boxed-in-Jesus. Second, love – do I love as Jesus loves – crucified, dying and still loving? Third, do my concrete, observed, lived actions show that I am ONE with those who are as different from me as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different and yet ONE? Am I about building my institution or will I allow the Spirit of Truth to lead me into Jesus?

Brief Sabbatical Report - Call to Action

2010-07-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

The following was shared with Grace Lutheran’s Church Council and included in the August, 2010 newsletter:

The experience:
• Please hear and understand my abundant thanks for your support for my Sabbatical! The planning, farewell, welcome home, support of Pastor Rebecca, and the interest in what I did – have all been outstanding!

• This sabbatical worked! We all were blessed – Pastor Rebecca, Grace, and I! I can fully claim for myself that the three months of sabbatical time were immensely beneficial for me! I thought, prayed, wrestled, read, experienced, and renewed, relaxed, and refreshed! But I believe that the planning, timing, and experience were also very good for Grace and Pastor Rebecca, as well. Please, let us hold on to the procedures for how we did this sabbatical – using Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning, by A. Richard Bullock and Richard J. Bruesehoff, an Alban Institute Publication, 2000 – and especially the planning, participation, support for the remaining pastor and the challenging experience of the sabbatical pastor.

• Please also understand my depth of trauma and challenge As Claudia witnessed (and anyone else at CWA on April 5), never have I been so emotionally distraught and filled with fear and regret as when my plane’s departure time was announced and I had to board that plane. That is representative of the nature of this experience, i.e. it was a great challenge but also extraordinary! The conversations and experiences there, coupled with time to read and reflect, made this sabbatical a significant time for me to review and reflect on my ministry, vision for Grace, and the state of the church, the world, and followers of Jesus today.

Passion & Vision:
The above three realities lead me to deepened passion and vision for ministry:
• I am not saying anything new! With deeper passion &understanding I agree with such diverse people & organizations as:

o Dr. David Daubert www.arenewalenterprise.com

o Dr. David Anderson www.youthandfamilyinstitute.org

o Dr. David Starks www.changingchurch.org/strategicplanning.html

o Pastor Neal Bose www.nealboese.com

o Author Reggie McNeal http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/reggie-mcneal-videos

o The Parish Paper www.TheParishPaper.com or www.ecsw.org especially March & April, 2010

o Research www.americanrelilgionsurvey-aris.org and www.pewforum.org – “Faith in Flux”

o Pastor Rick Warren www.pastors.com

o Bill Easum www.churchconsultations.com

o The Alban Institute www.alban.org including the quarterly Congregations magazine

o Natural Church Development www.churchsmart.com or www.ncd-international.org

o Leadership Network www.leadnet.org

o Page 17 of the Spring 2010, Congregations (Alban publication) talks about the “rapidly growing numbers of the religiously unaffiliated in the United States, the so called Nones,” who “believe in God, yet are skeptical about organized religion.” This group of “young adults born in the 1980s and 1990s, approximately 72 million people, want to make an impact and are socially-conscious yet do not relate to traditional institutional structures.”

o The March, 2010 The Parish Paper asked, “Do we recognize that the following sequence is the new normal? People (a) participate, (b) join, and then (c) believe.”

• My experience concurs with what all the above are saying:
o The institutional church is declining while Christianity is thriving! No matter how we feel and want, the reality is that increasingly people do not have loyalty to the institutional church, most do not often attend worship, many will not enter a church building on their own, and yet the vast majority is very “spiritual”.

o Nones (those claiming they are religiously unaffiliated) or SBNR (spiritual but not religous) will respond when people/church has a compelling ministry, outside the walls of the church, and that makes a difference in the world. They are willing to participate and then join and then believe.

o The relationship with Lekubu is such a compelling ministry, outside the walls of the church, and which makes a powerfully recognizable difference in the world.

• Call to Action: My urging supported by the Grace Lutheran Church Council is to reclaim and use this relationship with Lekubu as a means of inviting people into a compelling ministry:

o Open it up to all of Tomahawk and to everyone in the villages of Lekubu and

o Center this relationship on “accompaniment” – equal commitment and sacrifice with different gifts; focused on worship & prayer to God; and open and willing to respond to the opportunities that God puts before us

o Act now while people may be more willing

o Invite people to join this “Companion” relationship with Lekubu being very attentive to the need for:

1. orientation-reflection-debriefing,

2. strong connections with ELCSA-Western Diocese-Madikwe Circuit-ELCA Global Mission,

3. keeping this outside Grace’s budget and inviting others to participate by emphasizing and educating people on the compelling need and blessing of this relationship

o consider several specific ways of inviting/involving people in Tomahawk:

1. Adopting orphan/vulnerable children, youth & adults similar to Compassionate International

2. Participating in regular communication

3. Consider specific projects with each of the three congregations that make up the Lekubu Parish:
i. Special Offering for a roof for the church in Nyetse
ii. A work group to address the great needs of the four Early Learning Centers in Lekubu perhaps in 2012
iii. Pastor Mark inviting Calvary, Merrill to activate a "Companion" relationship with Mosweu
iv. Also students at the seminary (LTI) in South Africa are interested to have young adults lead a “Bible Camp” with them in 2011
v. Madikwe Circuit is planning a visit to our Conference in 2012

PARTICIPATE– invite a friend and come and see! Grace has a task force that is exploring how this “Companion” relationship with Lekubu may deepen personal faith and relationships; involve and include people not involved in church; and directly involve us with the life and faith of people in the villages of Lekubu, Nyetse and Mosweu.

• I will post more thoughts/learning’s from my Sabbatical on this website [Forums] which will include my discovery, the Gospel of John, and my "Sabbatical Seven":
1. Human Beings: the importance of each person and every encounter
2. Scripture: not just go & love, but the necessity of hearing & receiving Jesus’ prayer for us
3. Culture: I do have an accent and a culture
4. Reformation: the institutional church is dying, Christianity is thriving
5. Orientation & Connections: we are not alone
6. Community: my thoughts on the here & now at Grace
7. Action: why, how, and what shall we do

Pastor Mark Ziemer's Sabbatical experience in South Africa

2010-07-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

South Africa Journal

Greetings all: I am now in Africa in Zeerust, South Africa (nearest place with internet connection). The following is my report:

Day 1: Tues, 6th April, 2010:
Saying goodbye to Claudia was tough (only two months and I will be home)! Flying went well - just enough time to get from one flight to the next. Traveling alone leads to more opportunity for conversations. Unfortunately when I arrived, my luggage did not. By the time I had that sorted out, it was midnight, the airport was closed, my ride had left and I had not brought the phone number along. Homeless in Johannesburg! South Africans are hospitable and in short order my dilemma was fixed.

Day 2 - Wed, 7th April:
The Africa Centre is quite beautiful and helpful and has great breakfasts. Karabo Matladi, Jake's son, transported me the four hours to Lekubu - fascinating conversation with a young may with great vision. I am being hosted overnight & breakfast at eight different homes - different one each week. Now I am with the family of Dikeledi Segakweng.

Day 3 - Thurs, 8th April:
Rejoice Pelompe (Lekubu Chair), Moruti Phege, Kgomotso Moletswane, my constant companion & I reviewed plan. They have prepared long and well. I will experience everything in the parish and the area. One of my surprises is the diversity even in Lekubu. The shopkeeper, next door, is a Muslim from India, a good ...friend of Moruti. Dean Seaketso and Dr. Molokoe met with us in the eve.

Day 4 - Fri, 9th April:
I saw Moruti Ishmael and Abe Mosadi today! Am now in Zeerust to put my daily journal on the Internet. I will only be able to do this once a week. Hopefully my luggage has also arrived here. I have misplaced my USB cord to my camera so cannot download pictures and my flash drive is in that luggage.

Day 5 - Sat, 10th April:
I attended and brought greetings to the Madikwe Circuit Women's Prayer League - a 3 day event. Amazing - 300-400 women filling this rural church, tents outside for eating, huge pots for the food, the singing, and the part I saw was each group giving a thorough report of their vision, actions, p...roblems, and conclusions in the last year - quite an event!

Day 6 - Sun, 11th April: Worship at Mosweu
The walls are going up on their church. I baptized a child and distributed Communion. After blessing the children, the adults also asked for me to bless them - another moving experience. Afternoon Abe, the pastor and I walked around the village visiting the sick and aged - i...ncluding a 92 and 100 year olds. What an honor to be in their houses & what insights/experience!

Day 7 - Mon, 12th April:
Visited primary & high school, chicken project, a farmer, brick project, and Home Based Care. Get this ==> all by donkey cart! They had me drive the donkeys. I only crashed twice - donkeys have a mind of their own! Observed confirmation in the afternoon - confirmation is Mon, Wed, Fri - 2 hours each.

Day 8 - Tues, 13th April:
Dr. Molokoe took Kgomotso (my constant companion) and I to visit Phenyo Parish to prepare them for the Conference visit. I saw Dr. Molokoe's Office in Department of Education & visited an hour with 2 Peace Corp workers. A delight to talk with someone I can easily understand. Peace Corp is a mo...re sheltered & restricted experience from what I am being given.

Day 9 - Wed, 14th April: 12 hours bus ride
We left early for Pietermaritzburg - a 4 hour bus ride to Pretoria, 5 hour layover, then an 8 hour bus ride. We left at 10;00 am & arrived the next morning at 4:00 AM. Worst part was traveling much of it at night when I could see nothing out of the window. Bus is a 2 decker, coach, holding 70 people!

Day 10,Thursday, 15th April: Durban – USA Embassy
Went with Pogiso to U.S. Embassy in Durban for his VISA application interview. We took a combi - something tourists never do. Today is one of 2 days banks are very busy - I stood in line 4 hours to make one deposit (to US Consualte)! Upshot - we were too late for the appointment, but Pogiso went to ...the Embassy while I did the bank so he was able to reschedule. Downtown Durban was fascinating! One of the three major public lectures of the year were held tonight for the School of Religion and Theology - an event before graduation. Lecture was amazing since given by an ordained woman now a doctorate professor of religion who had grown up in a traditional African Village - topic was on "Job 3 interpreted in Bosadi Theology" Bosadi = woman.

Day 11, Fri, 16th April: Lutheran Theological Institute in Pietermaritzburg
I attended a lecture with Pogiso and then his graduation. KwaZulu Natal University for School of Religion & Theology is quite progressive and dynamic. Emphasis on ministering to marginalized is very strong. A great experience! I also had the honor to take Pogiso's family out to dinner afterwards - 1st University Grad in the family! Had a long conversation in the evening with the Dlomo family with which I am staying here. The daughter returned 3 weeks ago after two years studying in the U.S.

Day 12, Sat, 17th April:
Conversed with Professors Matthew Shabele and Eric M? and a pastor in Zimbabwe doing graduate work. Had lunch with Lorato Mogorosi a student through ELCSA-NT and took the Madikwe Circuit students out for supper. There are 4 students from the Western Diocese suspended from seminary this year due to lack of funds, including Kgomotso from Lekubu. ELCSA pays for their tuition and students must pay room and board. Some cannot afford that and good pastors are being lost. We left on Pietermaritzburg at 11:00 PM on the bus - another 8 hour night journey and no chance to see the countryside.

Day 13 – 18th April: bus ride #2
This was a travel day from midnight AM until 7:00 before we arrived at Zeerust. Travelling at night is total darkness, then a six hour layover in Pretoria, the men’s room locked for the entire day at the depot, and the bus needing repairs when it finally came nearly made this an irritating day. The plus was a Namibian pastor I met at the station and I both had Peter Kjeseth as a professor in Namibia & US respectively, plus the scenery to Zeerust was amazing! My luggage also finally arrived! I’m staying at a new family – Tiro - my 2nd home.

Day 14 – 19th April: visiting the homebound
Today was a day for which I came to Africa. I took Holy Communion to the homes of all the sick and aged at Lekubu (at least four are in their 90s). What a privilege to be received into twelve different homes, be received graciously and hear their story, and to sing in Tswana, pray, institute Communion, distribute and bless them in such a different world! We did hear some complaints, “Why does he only speak in English? I can’t understand him?” We also received a liter of fresh milked milk, two chickens, six small cakes, and a hunk of beef for our service. I did have to eat the cow’s intestine to get the beef (the men must eat the intestines immediately after slaughtering a cow and before any of the meat can be eaten) and hold the slab while it was axed in two for the large piece we received.

Day 15 - Tuesday, 20th April:
Moruti Phege showed me the church administration and record keeping. Everything is very well accounted, membership – baptisms, confirmation, marriages, and funerals; finances – income and expenses; all the receipts; all correspondence with the Dean & Bishop; and a file with all of our correspondence including the letters from our confirmation students. Since I now have my luggage and the gifts I brought and I this is my last night with the Tiro family, I gave some gifts to them – prayer shawl and the Wisconsin food I brought (dried cranberries, blueberries and cherries and pumpkin seeds). Pumpkin they are well acquainted with and they also have blueberries and cherries in South Africa, but the cranberries were new to them.

Day 16 - Wednesday, 21st April: Wisconsin River Valley Conference Delegation Arrives
We changed the plans today. As much as I want to see Amanda and the rest of the group from our Wausau area, I am feeling uncomfortable at the cost of transporting me the four hours to Johannesburg. When Mr. Pelompe told me Jake Matladi was having difficulties lining up a ride for me I quickly began conversing with him about this. I will miss also all the information from Rev. Dr. Phil Knutson, the ELCA Global Mission person placed in South Africa, and the tour he will lead of the Apartheid Museum, but stewardship must prevail and the reality of resources of Lekubu.

Not going to Johannesburg gave time for Kgomotso and Moruti Phege to take me to the clinic and the police station. The police in Lekubu also cover Mogolo (a village of around 7,000). They have about three police on duty and the same number on call. Domestic violence is also an all too common problem here as is stealing. The clinic building has 2,000 square feet, with three small exam rooms and one small room for the drugs (only drug source in the village), a ten by ten foot room for all the paper files, serving 4-5,000 people, delivering one to two hundred babies a year, with three nurses and a doctor that comes perhaps once a week! There were twenty people in the small waiting room of all ages. This is startling! We are so blessed in America!

Day 17 - Thursday, 22nd April:
Not meeting the Conference delegation is is giving me two extra days to live with the Tiro family. They are very pleased I was staying longer. What gracious hosts! Each morning Letlhogonolo (5 years old ) and Otshepen (11) play with their two small toys, a truck and tractor. That’s the only toys! How different from America!

Day 18 - Friday, 23rd April:
Mr. Pelompe picked me up at 4:30, well before dawn, to take me to Zeerust to ride along with the driver who is picking up the Conference Delegation. Khumo Tiro was up at 3:30 to get breakfast for me. How kind! What great hosts! I had a very interesting conversation with Lucky, the combi driver. He’s from Serake and a member of the Lutheran Parish there (in Madikwe Circuit) and now living in Zeerust. Lucky is very thoughtful – concerned about the government (South Africa needs a White president, Blacks have not had enough time and experience in administration and are too tempted to please friends and family), education is the key for Blacks (his 10-year old son is very proficient on the computer), Zeerust offers many more opportunities for his family than available in Serake, and he’d like to begin a travel business (educating Blacks on the safety and procedure for air travel).

It was surreal to see Amanda in Africa and her to see me. After all these days how strange to see people from Wisconsin and to hear that accent! I caught up on their adventures with the Iceland volcano, their tour with Knutson, and Steve Stretz’s driving in Johannesburg. Lucky took us to President’s headquarters in Pretoria, a beautiful place and view. We arrived at the Deanery in Lehurutshe after noon, ate, and had a welcome reception meeting the hosts for the six congregations receiving our twelve people from the Wisconsin River Valley Conference.

Day 19 - Saturday, 24th April: Amanda & I with Pogiso’s Family
Amanda and I are now living with the Motlhabane family – Pogiso’s parents. We each have our own good-sized bedroom. This is a new brick house built in 2006. It is not all completed yet as they need to put ceilings in and add running water (Pogiso’s brother died that year, and their sorrow another reason for not having completed the house). The water for meals and baths is heated in an outdoor roofed fire pit.

Upon our arrival, Pogiso’s family immediately took us into my bedroom, closed the door, and had Mr. Pelompe translate (Pogiso’s 14-year old brother, Keoagile, is the only one who speaks English fairly well here). They are so thankful for Grace Lutheran in America! Without Grace Pogiso would not be a pastor. They cannot think of a way to sufficiently show their thanks except to give their best – to kill a goat in honor of Grace! We saw that whole process today – cutting the throat, skinning it (to be dried and used as a rug), using and cleaning everything including the head and intestines, and then we being honored with the privilege of eating the fried intestines – malamogodu.

This is all a stretch for Amanda (trauma?). It misted all yesterday and today (with no heat 50 degrees is miserable); we don’t see butchering in the U.S.; the outhouse and the wash basin is a new experience; Keoagile is either not too interested or comfortable in translating or speaking much in English; she’s never had intestines before – sight, sounds, smells, taste are all challenging and she is freezing!

Day 20 - Sunday, 25th April: Worship at Lekubu
Though worship began at 9:00 we were not picked up until 9:15. I robbed, joined worship already in progress and preached. After worship we attended the second day of a wedding reception – 1st day at bride’s & 2nd day at groom’s house – 100s attend & tents are set up. Eating & drinking sorghum beer is a big part of it.

Day 21 – Mon, 26th April
Monthly meeting of Circuit Pastors today. Every pastor attended since this is mandatory. Instead of their usual Bible Study we told of our experience and responded to their questions on World Cup, our structure & constitution, training & standards of pastors, why no more missionaries, and how we deal with “backsliders”.
Confirmation was cancelled because of the rain. Pelompe & Rev. Phege discussed the different teachings of their pastors on worship.

Day 22 – Tues, 27th April = Freedom Day – everything is closed
Fourth straight day of rain. Ever since Amanda came it has rained. Constant clouds, a series of mist, drizzle and rain, with temperatures estimated in the high 40s at night to low 60s perhaps during the day. The constant cool and dampness is very chilling.

Day 23 - Wednesday, 28th April:
Finally the rain ended. These past days were miserable! Since there is no heat system and no insulation all buildings quickly have the same temperature as outside. Four days of 50 degrees as the high is terribly uncomfortable. The only time we are warm is in bed. They have great blankets, and have four of them on our beds. Winter days here warm up into the 70s and 80s (Lekubu is the same latitude as Miami – just the other side of the equator), and there seldom is even a cloud in late Fall, all Winter, and early Spring. Nights cool off quickly and down into the 40s, but people go to bed early and are up at dawn (roosters begin crowing at 4:30). But the few times it does rain it is miserable!

Days 24 – 26: Thurs, Fri, Sat April 29, 30, May 1, Safari at Mosetlha Bush Camp
The camp has no electricity but wonderful hospitality using donkey boilers for our showers & lanterns everywhere at night. We saw 4 of big 5 and lots of animals, and also had great conversations & sharing among the 12 from WI and the 6 from Madikwe Circuit. This was a very helpful time to reflect, to think of things to address before leaving, and to enjoy the wonders of Africa.

Day 26 -Saturday, 1st May
Pelompe picked me up at the gate at 8 where our safari guides served tea for all of our group. Great conversation with him on the value of my giving gifts but importance of my not reimbursing people. They are having trouble paying for my trips to & from Joburg but have asked 16 people to give R 100 each. Pelompe sees the importance of Lekubu people investing in this relationship and seeing it equal.

Wedding: I left the safari early in order to conduct a wedding at Lekubu – what an experience! I met the couple at 10:00 to be clear on the pronunciation of their names and to clarify their agreement in having me officiate, my privilege in doing so, and the specialness of this day. The wedding was at 11:00 and different than I had thought and planned. Music was added several places and is not planned in advance – Phege simply said a number at key points in the ceremony and people began singing. They did not want a kiss included (this culture is very shy about kissing or even dating in public), but Phege inserted this – probably not a choice. When I was about to do the Benediction I learned this is advice and good wishes time. Several people spoke – great words: an uncle, a related member of the royal family, another relative, and then the royal family person again on behalf of the Chief.

The reception was huge, several hundred people with a special caterer hired who does everything – tent, MC, and food. Close family and friends were seated in the tent and an hour+ program of speeches before the meal began. Many addressed the bride & groom and nearly everyone, including the sister, brother and close friends, urged them to keep God and church at the center of their marriage – amazing and strong witnesses to faith! The Birde and groom also spoke with the bride giving a very eloquent and touching speech. The pastors were given seats of honor on a front table with an ANC leader, the head of one of the departments in the government who spent 10+ years in exile in Uganda during the apartheid time. Amanda and Kgomotso came back from the safari during this time. We spent one last night at Motlhabane’s. Thuso is as kind and helpful as can be! The lack of a bathroom is a challenge to Amanda, but it does give us time to talk in private at night while brushing teeth, using the outhouse, and gazing at the incredible view of stars.

Day 27 - Sunday, 2nd May: Worship at Lekubu
This Sunday we were picked up at 8:00 and I was to do Baptism, Communion and blessing of the Youth League officers. I need to ask specifics as communication is more casual here. I am not good at Tswana names whispered tome, nor singing the Lord’s Prayer as a solo, nor different directions whispered in both ears at the same time. Whew! Amanda assured me it was not as haphazard as I felt. We had dinner at two of the Baptism homes, then visited the Arch Bishop of the Apostolic Church and the Traditional Herbal Doctor. The day ended with our move to Sylvia Mosimane’s house for the duration of Amanda’s stay.

Day 28 - Monday, 3rd May
Heavy thunderstorm during the night with lots of wind, lightning and thunder. Phege showed us the dam and the water roaring in the usually very small creek near Mosimane’s. We visited the two primary and the middle school dodging heavy downpours. First four years teach Life Orientation, Setswana, Math and Reading. English begins in grade 4. Grade 6 includes Arts & Culture, Economics, & Technology. Solid education with limited facilities & resources, and teachers frustrated by parents who don’t value education and the hurdles of the many children who don’t have parents.

Day 29 - Tuesday, 4th May
Moruti was very open this morning about his struggles in ministry. Today was the review of the 12 of us from the WRV Conference with our host leaders and Dr. Molokoe & Dean Seaketso at the Deanery.
Delegation from the WRV Conference & Madikwe Circuit leaders came up with 12 ideas:
1. Patience
2. Communication
3. Sharing a candle
4. Regular inserts/information at Sunday Worship
5. Give community forums (beyond the congregation)
6. Connect more with South Africans at Crossways both WRV congregations & Madikwe Circuit
7. Commit to regular correspondence
8. Participate in each others’ projects/groups, e.g. Youth League, Men’s League, Womens’ Leagues, and Choirs
9. Continue the exchange of visits
10. Set up exhibits in our churches
11. Emphasize the urgency of this relationship
12. Seek to develop a Circuit camp counsellor

We took a combi to the Diocese Centre where they fed us supper and put us up overnight, and met Crossways’ counsellors from previous years – Ghontse and Sbu – as well as Rev. Ubane & the three counsellors for this year. We also briefly sat in on a rehearsal of the Anitoch Lutheran Parish’s Choir, the congregation that is on the grounds of the Diocese Centre.

Day 30 - Wednesday, 5th May
Today was our review day with the Bishop at the Diocese Centre in Rustenburg, ELCSA Development leader in Johannesburg, and Rev. Phil Knutson, staff person from our ELCA in South Africa. Amanda and I then left the other ten from our Conference at the Johannesburg airport and our Combi driver drove us back to Lekubu, getting back just before midnight. For our WRV sake – the combi driver’s name is Lucky Onkabetse email: luckyonkabetse@yahoo.com

Insights of Bishop Ditlhale:
We met with Bishop Ditlhale who carefully listened to our experiences. He added some new thoughts:
• emphasizing the importance of keeping the Bishop & Dean informed for accountability;
• the possibility of a more involved agricultural (crops or cattle) or HIV AIDs project/volunteer;
• have a theme for monthly prayer concern and lift up the fact that we use the same Sunday readings,
• when we visit we ought to spend two days working together since it is important to leave a sign behind of what we have done and this creates a bond, ownership, investment and memories on both sides

Insights from Pastor Agullhas, the chair of ELCSA Development Service:
The Combi then took us to the ELCSA center in Johannesburg where we met with Pastor Agullhas, the chair of ELCSA Development Service. USA connections with S.A. trace back to 1927 with the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. In the 1950s there were fifty missionaries from U.S. Today ELCA supports ELCSA Development Service the past 15 years through World Hunger. It is important for companion synods to be aware of this and to participate in discussion of uses for development and that this year Circuits are to identify needs that they bring to their Diocesan Council. This is hard-core development, not institutional but community based:
• especially food security, e.g. agricultural training for 3000 subsistence farmers to use land better
• income security
• water & sanitation
• HIV AIDS  Home Based Care; 4 million are now full blown; all HIV AIDS services are now consolidated under ELCSA-DS
• basic policy – listen, facilitate & participate so people help themselves = process needs, resources, plan,implement, develop ownership
• now looking at poor in ELCSA churches & their communities

Insights from Rev. Phil Knutson:
Phil Knutson emphasized: that we use “companion accompaniment” since “partnership” carries different connotations; realize nothing is clear and unambiguous in relationships and in South Africa; our sharing is important so that we be honest & respectful and challenge people’s mindset/stereotypes; he was very pleased with Rev. Joy MortensenWiebe’s article on “local mission”; he has an article Word & World, Spring 2001; ELCSA has only four staff people the power is in each Diocese; and the value of our checking in with all levels, Parish, Circuit, Diocese, ELCSA, ELCSA – Development Services.
• use “companion accompaniment” since “partnership” carries different connotations
• relationships are important in South Africa: “Umbutu” = a person is a person through other people
• nothing is clear and unambiguous in relationships and in South Africa
• Our sharing is important:
o Think – what would our companions say? Would what I say please the Dean, Bishop, Baruti?
o Be honest & respectful
o Challenge people’s filing system/mindset/sterotypes! Talk about the pictures already in their minds! What do they see and think about Africa.
• He loved Rev. Joy MortensenWiebe’s article on “local mission” that we are all one in mission!
• His attempt at describing mission is in Word & World, Spring 2001 – on the web  “Bridges & Gaps” by Rev. Phil Knutson
• ELCSA only has four staff people the power is in the Diocese which is complicated because of the diversity of groups and backgrounds, e.g. “vestment fights” Black German robe or Swedish alb, etc.
• Always check with all the levels  Parish, Circuit, Diocese, ELCSA, ELCSA – Development Services
• Have fun & think of the long term

Day 31 - Thursday, 6th May
I did opening devotion at the Middle School for all 300+ students: They began with a hymn, I read Psalm 105:1-2,5; gave a message; prayed; and they closed with a hymn. Phege & Kgomotso explained that communities with Muslims, Hindus & Christians prayer is not done at school. We witnessed the Village meeting and then took a two hour walk to the far side of Lekubu village. The village is 4 miles from west to east, has three taverns, many Tuck shops & several General Stores, and a private Game Reserve (elephants & lions) on the far side. We also took care of reimbursing the Circuit for our transport – convenience of ATMs – and Dean shared his concern that Lekubu nearly lost their relationship with Grace.

16 year old girl missing – victim of human trafficking?“The Elders are failing to lead and act. This is the third person who has gone missing. The Elders do not care about us and they do nothing!” Such were the sharp words of a woman to the Village Elders at a four hour meeting of Village people in the Chief’s Kraal. About 60 people were there. This was a specially called meeting to address the concern of Kgomotso Prudence Rantao, a 16 year old member of Lekubu Parish who is missing and is feared kidnapped. Village life is changing. Alcohol is a serious problem. The outside world is intruding and with it both the world’s misleading temptations and its evil.

Day 32 - Friday, 7th May
An open day - Ruth showed us her house, visited the Crech – saw them counting, then to Bangladesh’s Tuck Shop, and for a walk with Phege & Kgomotso to visit Rantao’s and a family building an addition in their back yard. Two neighbours, Sheila (37 with a child of 7 living with her mother and siblings) & Nurse Monametsi (36 with children 16 & 14, no living parents, one sibling in Pretoria) visited with us at the parsonage for quite some time telling us their stories, sharing their surprise when Amanda showed a picture of her Alex admitting before me that she had a boyfriend, and telling us of the nature courtship in Lekubu. I taught Confirmation in the afternoon about Martin Luther and the five key dates and events of 1517, 1521, 1529, 1530 & 1580.

Day 33 - Saturday, 8th May
We met with Mr. Moilwa, a Community Development Worker with the Ramotishere-Moilwa Municipality (similar to a county and covering roughly the same area as the Madikwe Circuit). This area is divided into 17 wards with 13 workers who discern the needs and then seek funding and provide assistance to meet those needs e.g. Home Based Care for those with HIV AIDS, the many orphans, and people & children without food; and the chicken and bricks project. We established a date and agenda for meeting again.

Day 34 - Sunday, 9th May: Mothers' Day Worship at Lekubu
Keorapetse drove Sylvia and us to church. Women led the worship since it is Mothers’ Day with Kefilwe Segakweng preaching. Moruti Phege led worship at Mosweu.

Giving Gifts from Grace:
This is our last worship at Lekubu so we stayed in order to give gifts. We blessed and gave Melanie Moyle’s knit hats to the Elders to distribute to children in need (this was a big hit and a clear need so much so that they suggested adding ear flaps and a way to tie them) as well as also giving the banner to the Elders and each of them a knit cross. Annette Yustus’ afghan we gave to Phege’s which they greatly appreciated. We gave Rejoice Pelompe one of the large Palestinian carved crosses and Moruti Phege and Kgomotso each a carved pastor’s cross. We gave T-shirts and a prayer shawl to the six hosting me and Amanda gave hand towels to the two hosting her in their homes, Palestinian ornaments to all serving meals, the bookmarks from Grace’s Sunday School to theirs, and the cross necklaces’s that Grace’s After-school and Confirmation youth made to their Confirmation students who loved them (attendance was way up for youth this Sunday because of their receiving this). We learned giving gifts is not easy in this sharing/giving culture. Since we are “family” as soon as we give gifts to one everyone else expects a gift, and since it is expected more demands are expressed than thanks.

This was a full day after worship:
• I thought just Phege and Amanda and I were going to Rantaos, but about ten others from worship came. The prayers and music was very well received and important for the family.
• The Rantao family arranged for Amanda and I, Sylvia Mosimane, and Pelompes to go to their relatives farm.

Day 35, Monday, 10th May: CULTURE
After spending over a month immersed in a different culture and with most of that time, my daughter, Amanda, the only one having shared and lived and understanding my culture – I am realizing the power of culture:
A: I am human and surrounded by humans, but there are times I do not feel treated like a human being. At these times my feelings and my fundamental understandings and needs are not respected.

B: I am fantastically loved, respected, and cared for! People willingly sacrifice of themselves just to provide for me! Anything and everything imaginable is being done to make my stay comfortable, enjoyable, and positive!

Both statements above are completely true! How? Culture!

The people with whom I am staying are doing everything they can from their understanding and from their persistent communication and involvement with me. However what is respectful, caring and considerate in my language, history, experience and background is very different from what is respectfully, caring, and considerate in their language, history, experience and background. This difference is so deep that our respective language, accent, and cultural norms get in the way even as we try to attend to each other.

Culture is what we take for granted. It is the norms that we assume guide every human being. If someone doesn’t function by certain norms we assume that there is something abnormal about them and that this can be corrected through teaching, telling, scolding, or correcting. By necessity because I am either alone or only with Amanda, I am taking the position of observing when people violate my assumed norms. Though I must confess, “Back in America ...” does slip out of me way too much. Any description of a culture is always generalization! Any one person is also from a unique family culture, unique village culture, unique peer-group culture, and unique life experience.

As time has gone on I now know and trust their commitment, compassion, and consideration. Thus the light increasingly flashes within me when my norms are violated – CULTURE! I am realizing for this relationship to grow that it will be very important first to orient each other to the opposite culture before we visit, then to spend much time in guided reflection during the trip, and finally to debrief after the visit.

Day 36 - Tuesday, 11th May
Amanda went to school with Sylvia Mosimane and I went with Kgomotso and John Molefi to see John’s cattle. Amanda enjoyed seeing the school. She is impressed with the quality of their elementary education – that is the teachers. There facilities are adequate but much less than ours and their resources very paltry compared to the U.S. John’s cattle stay on the land owned together by the people. He has a Kraal out there – about an hour’s walk from Lekubu. He had rounded up five of his milking cows yesterday and today milked them. They begin by releasing the calves on the their mother, which brings down the milk, and then milk a gallon or two from each. They only do this about once a week since these are a mixed breed of beef cattles. The milk is a bonus.

Day 37 - Wednesday, 12th May
Karabo Matladi is always our chauffer to Johannesburg. Great thanks to the Matladi family! He picked us up at 8:00 PM. We stopped at his parents and had supper there. Mavis Matladi is a member of the South Africa Parliament (meet in Cape Town), representing the United Christian Democratic Party – UCDP – and is one of five representatives for South Africa on the Pan Africa Council. Quite an honor to meet her, and we always have very interesting and informative conversations with Karabo on the politics of South Africa on our drives with him.

Day 38 – Thurs, 13th May
I'm still here in South Africa! Haven't had internet access for awhile. I'm now in Cape Town for five days at Dr. Peter Kjeseth's B&B (a professor of mine at Wartburg Seminary). I'll be meeting with him and Rev. Phil Knutson (ELCA pastor representing the ELCA here and who grew up and lived most of his life in South Africa) - so a great way to process and debrief!

Day 39 – Fri, 14th May
A fascinating 3-hour conversation with Philip Knutson & Peter Kjeseth on difficulty of true companion relationships. Most often it becomes charity that enables dependency or mere Christian tourism. It is very hard to dig deeper, ask searching questions, begin a true respectful, caring relationship, and rather than changing/saving others to change ourselves, i.e. our own attitudes, awareness, and advocacy – using the unusual power we have as Americans in our government & economy.

Struggle:
Being away from Claudia, home, family and all with which I am familiar has been difficult. It is also a challenge to be so immersed every day in a culture that is so different than my own. I am learning many actions & values are deeply engrained in me & taken for granted – of which I was never aware, e.g. drinking lots of water; exercise; typing, paper, & copy machines; internet connections; schedules; & Midwestern accents.

Appreciation:“Ubuntu” is an African word meaning “a person is a person through other people.” That is the heart of the uniqueness of their culture. They have deep traditions centered on family & caring for one another. I took a video of us walking to our home at night and you can hear people greeting us & one another all along the way. Even when we were in Cape Town someone called everyday to check on how we were.

Relationship:
I see service, awareness, and relationship as necessary and important disciplines for Christian faith & love, but need to be exercised carefully or we become the “ugly” American. American culture is much less diverse than we realize with mostly one language. I am realizing how important it is to prepare, observe, and debrief well, and to relate we need equal respect (with unequal resources), focus on assets, ask searching questions, & think long term.

Day 40 – Sat, 15th May
Just back from a sunrise jog along the Indian Ocean with yesterday's words from my mentors running through my mind: "There's a worm in every apple; every meaningful path in life is a high tension line; two opposites can both be true at the same time (P. Kjeseth)", "Any visit to a companion church that does not radically change the life of the visitor is mere 'Christian' tourism; people see only what they are prepared to see (P. Knutson & Ralph Waldo Emerson)"

Day 40 – afternoon
Amanda is ill, so I go alone to Masiphumelele a post-apartheid township 3 miles from where we stay near Cape Town. It is hopeless shacks one right against the other; yet there are small shops in many of the shacks, streets are filled with people talking & laughing & children playing. I realize I have more money in my pocket for myself than most here earn in a month for a large family, yet no begs, asks, steals, or threatens.

Day 41 – Sun, 16th May: Worship at Mayan Anglican Church near Cape Town
Worship at Anglican Church in Kalk Bay. Terrible music, excellent sermon, high church, Communion, and quite interracial congregation – Mayan, White & Black. Then Amanda & I hired a guide who took us along Indian Ocean, Cape Point, Atlantic Ocean (12 degrees colder), Penguins, & purchasing souvenirs from Zimbabwe, Malawi & Congo refugees. Pizza at night with group from Wartburg – professor graduated college with me, student sitting next to me is from Trinity in Waupaca.

Day 42 – Mon, 17th May
Ran along ocean; breakfast; Amanda & I walked to gem mine & for more souvenirs in historic Simons Town; then fly back to Joberg. Amanda’s flight was delayed 3 hours so we rearranged her flight – British Air 054 to Heathrow (2 ½ hours earlier), Delta 005 to Detroit & 3281 to CWA. While waiting for my ride to Africa Centre I made the mistake of replying to someone and it cost me R 20+ (important to be bluntly rude here in public places).

Amanda's gift to me:
What a great gift to spend a month with Amanda in South Africa! We had much time to talk, reflect & experience an amazing adventure together. We are likely never to do this again. But we now share a wonderful memory and deeper respect and understanding for each other which will continue and be treasured by each of us as long as we live.

Claudia's and Grace's gift to me:
This experience is much more than I thought it would be (and I thought it would be amazing), both in the challenge of being away from Claudia, home and family and also in this total immersion in this very different world. I cannot wait to be home, and imagine Claudia is feeling the same. But as hard as this is to be away for so long and in such a different culture I can also truly say each day is a life-time, eye-opening experience. Support Sabbaticals!!!

Day 43 - Tues, 18th May
At the Africa Centre again where I started. I visited with the receptionist. Working conditions and treatment of staff at this place is awful – worthy of some advocacy. Karabo Matladi again took me to Lekubu showing me Mendella Square and the high finance area of Joberg – with a huge and very high class mall! I learned much from Karabo & Moeng Segakweng (my 5th home) about traditions for young men.

Day 44 - Wed, 19th May
Amanda is home (I confirmed by phone)! Today I visited Mogkola, the neighboring village – a 3,000 member congregation. Ps Maota took us to the Tribal Office, Clinic, water supply office, primary school, a bricks project, spoke of the challenges of his village and ministry, and we saw men of the congregation replacing the church fence. Very interesting to see another village. The afternoon was spent with Confirmation & Young Women’s League. Several powerful personal testimonies and great devotions from the ten young women.

Day 45 - Thurs, 20th May
Had a day of rest and to catch up on journaling, except to visit the Rantao family. Ten of the Women’s League showed up all dressed in their uniform. They came to sing, read Scripture (Mk 14:28ff), offer words of assurance, and pray with this family. I learn they do this nearly every Thursday with members who are ill, old, or troubled. Coming to Africa was worth it just to see this!!! What amazing support and care!

Day 46 - Fri, 21st May
I walked on my own this morning – great fun walking through the village greeting people in Setwswana all along the way. Today was the monthly Communion to the old & sick people starting at 8 and ending around 1. We visited 5 of the 8 sections into which Lekubu congregation is divided, communing 20 people in 8 homes. There is an Elder in each section who invites and gathers their people together. After lunch I went to Zeerust with Moeng & Orlepelo to stores run by Afrikaan, Indian, and Chinese.

Day 47 - Sat, 22nd May
I attended a funeral for a Men’s League member at Immanuel in Motswedi. Funeral began at 7, we arrived at 8, ended at 10:30, with only a ten min sermon and most of the time eulogies and solos. Burial lasted until 12:30 – huge procession and the grave is covered as people song after song, all memorized. Then all went to the home and were fed in a few minutes. This was amazingly organized with tents, 4 serving lines, and lots of food.

Day 47 Madikwe Circuit Men’s Prayer League Conference
This is a 3-day Conference – Friday eve, all day Sat, & Sun worship – attended by 150 + men ages 20-80s, unemployed to earning 6 figures, little education to those with doctorate degrees. The singing, dancing, and passion is amazing to witness! Saturday was a Bible Study, report by the Circuit leaders, greetings (where I spoke briefly), two processional offerings by each parish with much singing & dancing, inspirational messages, business.

Day 48 – Sun, 23rd May: Worship at ZeerustI overnighted at Molokoe’s and preached in Zeerust at the church to which Dr. Molokoe belongs. I highlighted that the church has focused on Jesus’ “Great Commission in Matthew 28” but has neglected Jesus’ “Great Prayer in John 17. The world hears all kinds of preaching today and is not impressed and even turned off by all our words and promises. It will be moved to faith much more by our being ONE – than by our preaching. We have made members, baptized & taught, but to be church we must be ONE as God is ONE. When we are ONE with people of different cultures & languages the world will see Jesus.

Day 49 - Monday, 24th May
I was able to catch up on my journaling this morning. After lunch at the parsonage Kgomotso and I visited the mother of the missing girl - it is now 24 days that she has been missing. Human trafficing is a serious problem in South Africa and especially now right before the world cup. The mother had requested a private meeting with me. When we arrived she led me down a path to a small two room run down shack and asked us to come in.

A Mother's Plea:
She then explained the place we have met her is her aunts house - this is her house. Her reason for meeting with me, as Kgomotso translated, was as a mother imploring her heart for her youngest child, the only one now at home whom Amanda and I have gotten to know well at Confirmation and through a trip to a relative's farm. She has nothing and she has two sons seeking jobs in Rustenburg & Johannesburg for whom she must still provide until they are employed. She herself has worked for 10 years at the Lekubu Home Based Care as a volunteer and founder of Home Based Care which provides for orphans, the elderly, HIV AIDS, and hungry people - but she has never been paid other than a minimum stipend (horrendously minimum if at all). She does not want her last child to go the way of Kgomotso - could Grace provide money for her school uniform and for the dues so she can join the Youth Leauge? Her child is also not baptized and she wants me to baptize her before I leave. She so wants this last child to not be misled, to have good friends, and to keep involved in the church! Whew!

After the above - Pelompe's moved my luggage and I to Mosweu and I am now living with my sixth family in Mosweu Village. I will spend one week here and the last week in Nyetse Village so that I will have time in each of the three villages composing Lekubu Parish.

Days 50-55 in Mosweu
Lekubu is a three-point parish & the last two weeks I will spend a week each in the other two villages – Mosweu & Nyetse. Mosweu (couple thousand population) has no running water, no paved road, and a mobile clinic that comes twice a month. I have learned the gift of water helping the young child wheelbarrow the water tank home, and that people can smell me. Families live so close, for so long, and are so connected to nature that they have incredible sense of smell and know each other’s smell. When I walk here people smell me even before they see me.

Day 50 - Tuesday, May 25th
I saw Mosweu Church this morning. The walls are nearly all up and window and door frames in! Also made appointments at the Primary & High School to do opening devotions this week, visited the Chief & Elders, toured Home Based Care, and drove to Zeerust to enter this. Mosweu is the poorest village in the Ramotshere-Moilwa Municipality (like a county) -it has no paved road, no clinic, no project, and no funding for the Home Based Care. The 5 women who compose the committee have received some minimal training which they use to visit homes of orphans, AIDS, and elderly to offer tutoring and education on AIDs, medicine and nutrition.

Day 54 - Saturday, 29th May: MEETING with BISHOP DITLHALE
We had a three hour meeting together which was very frank and deep. I continue to gain respect for this man and for his love & insights on the church. We agreed that this relationship is not an option – it is key for the integrity of our mission – when we are ONE as God is ONE the world will believe the message about Jesus (John 17:21). I’m not sure about his deep trust in me as he commissioned me a member and spokesperson for ELCSA & the Western Diocese.

Day 55 – Sunday, 30th May
I preached and did Holy Communion at Mosweu.

Days 55-62 in Nyetse
Wow – what a way to end! This is a new village formed in 1990 at the height of apartheid. Change is hard – and people sometimes fought over the “right” way to freedom. When nine Black police were killed in one village over this disagreement the minority had to flee for their lives. I’m living with the Chief who led the village through that time and whose family are contemporaries of Nelson Mendella both in the cause and unfortunately also in the torture, imprisonment, and exile.

Day 56 - Monday, 31st May, 2010: CHURCH BUILDING
This week I am in Nyetse staying with the Chief’s family. His father was Chief in Mokgola and a contemporary of Nelson Mendela and their family also suffered much under Apartheid. In 1957 his father opposed the government’s imposed identification of women. He soon had to go into exile and his oldest son was arrested at school at the age of 10, beaten cruelly by the white police, and imprisoned for 25 years because of his father’s resistance. The mother took the rest of the children into hiding with the help of a white family in Johannesburg, the result being that none of the children, including this current Chief, were not able to go to school. Then in the late 80s this chief, then a young man, and his wife supported the Bophutatswana homeland and many of its progressive actions. Many in Mokgola opposed this stance and one day nine Black policemen were killed. With tension this high it was not safe to stay in Mokgola. The Bophutatswana tribal government built around 300 new homes in an area where the white farmers had moved out as a result of the homeland act and the new village of Nyetse was formed in 1990 with the people escaping from Mokgola and the workers deserted when the farmers left.

My companion is now Mathe. 8-10 white farmers lived in this area until 1990. Their houses or foundations, wells, fences, and fields remain. He showed me the original church for the Black farm workers, the tree used when the village was formed, then the Tribal Hall, and now the beginning of their new church – by those who lived through those struggles. Quite a moving story, and also saw and heard the drive of the current building committee to finally complete this project inspite of 90+% unemployment. There is no paved road here in any direction for 15+ kilometres. My new companion is Mathe, and he explained they live happily here living on the crops and cattle that they raise. But this subsistence farming does not give them money to pay for things – like building the church.

Three policemen came during lunch. They knew about our Conference group and had questions about what I thought of South Africa, what my purpose was, and what I could do to encourage and improve the life for the youth. They also assured me I was safe and to call them if I had any problems. The Nyetse Council met with Moruti Phege to plan my farewell, which I told them was not about me but a celebration of Grace and Lekubu Parish relationship and that their hospitality was already sufficient testimony. The graciousness of this village was again seen in the 15 children who came after school to welcome me – singing and playing games. I also learned at supper that the mother of this family, wife of the chief, is the Principal of the Primary School, and the Chair of the congregation. This is quite an impressive family!

Day 57 - Tuesday, 1st June, 2010: THE BUSH
I did devotions for the Nyetse Primary School. I will not be able to do devotions for the Secondary School since they are writing exams and only attend at exam time. I was able to meet with both Principals . Facilities are good, but the struggle here is that the government has a policy of a 40:1 student-teacher ratio without regard for the number of subjects, grades or administrative load so that they have four teachers plus the principal to teach 131 children from grade R (reception) to grade 6 and do all the administrative work. Secondary School has eight teachers to teach 185 students in grades 7-12 in nine different subject areas plus all the administration. The Principal teaches geography, English, and Setswana for all six grades – a total of 18 different lesson plans. Mr. Tau, whom I am getting to know, obtained funding for an ag and orchard project in 2005 which he now runs voluntarily involving and teaching all the grades the basics of gardening and farming – very significant for this village.

He then took me way into the bush, passing on our way to visit the Apostolic (built in 2009) and ZCC (just starting to build) churches and then on a tractor ride and a hike into the bush – past graves and foundations of former white farmers and workers’ houses, old wells, springs, and up into the high hills where we came upon a six qual Kudu bull! I learned many of the goats are lost to jackals, hyenas & baboons (Mathe has lost 16). He also showed me many wild fruits that they have many of which I have not heard or tasted before. “But beware,” he warned, “If you see a tree has an area that the Baboons have not touched it is likely there is a Black Mumba hidden there, and is so poisonous people die within a minute of its bite.

Once back I joined the women doing their wash by hand. Thank God for confirmation as my back was aching and I was paged to meet with the Sunday School and Confirmation. They were meeting just for me; showed me their traditional dance, songs, and memorization of Luther’s Catechism; and then escorted me back to my home singing and dancing all the way. I was then invited to the Chief’s fire and taught about the fire and the different Tswana people and their chiefs. Tonight’s late night conversation was on the burden of being Chief. In the past hundred years three times this family has had to flee for their lives. In this time of development, the fears, jealousies, and changes will not be any less.

Day 58 - Wednesday, 2nd June, 2010: SORGHUM
Mathe showed me the old white farm that the village now owns. It is a good size, nearly 80 acres from what I can see, laid out well with irrigation piping, and has lots of different vegetables – cabbage, spinach, onions, carrots, rootbeets. Three workers were spraying the cabbage and four were hoeing the cabbage.

Today was seeing sorghum as the basic food of the Tswana and the culture that goes with it: We visited a sorghum farmer who also showed me the bean plant of which they use the leaves to make morojo. They plant this in the maize because birds are a huge pest in the sorghum (she was using her slingshot) and they’d trip since it winds around the stalks. They had a pile of sorghum drying and a large concrete platform where beat it to separate the seeds from the stalk. I also saw how they make the malt for the sorghum beer, and later that day Mathe’s family demonstrated hand grinding and shifting to make milled sorghum.

We also visited the nearby Sehujwane Dam and brought greetings to the Reagile Village Tribal Authority on our way. Reagile belongs to the Brokalala Parish. The dam is quite impressive and supplies water for Brokalalo, Motswedi, and Gopane.

That night I played soccer with Rabaone, Omogolo, and Laone. Their ball is a bread bag stuffed with other bags.

Day 59 – Thursday, 3rd June = WITNESS
This relationship has benefits far beyond our own congregations. After meeting the Tribal Authority, one of the members who is pastor of the Zion Christian Church immediately went to the Chair of Nyetse Lutheran Church and told her, “I am very impressed with this relationship you have with America and that your visitor is not here only for the Lutherans.” The pastor of the Apostolic Church also visited with me. The Chair told me, “Never have the churches in our village been so united – they are so impressed that Americans care about our village!”

Most of this day was spent taking Holy Communion to the sick and elderly as we have done in Lekubu and Mosweu. There is a different air in this village and congregation. We had six elders and Women’s League people accompany us to the homes. What a witness of support and care!

Day 60 – Friday, 4th June = FAMILY
The nightly conversations around the fire and over supper are incredible: the stories of the terrible suffering and burden this Chief’s family has been through are horrible; the stress Mmamodia has as Principal, congregation Chair, Chief’s wife, & Chief’s recent illness; the vision & maturity of their two 20-something children is amazing; & then there is the laughter – my story of the drunk man I met tonight who asked me “Whose son are you?” – apparently I’m starting to both sound and look African.

Day 61 – Saturday 5th of June: PARISH REVIEW
2009 established a change in leadership and governance in all congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa. The newly elected leaders in both Lekubu & Nyetse are very able, eager for this relationship, disappointed that Lekubu did not keep up their end to this relationship, and are committed to rectify that. They did not know the pastor receives a monthly newsletter from Grace. This will change as they have emails & addresses and insisted that they must communicate quarterly,

Day 62 - Sunday 6th of June = FAREWELL
All the parish gathered for a farewell (that this relationship fares well) – worship was 4 ½ hours & then a reception! Quite the speeches and much deeper commitment to this relationship. A great joy for me was to baptize Kegomoditswe. She is the younger sister of Kgomotso who disappeared more than a month ago. Human trafficking is very serious here with the world cup. Also deeply moving was giving a personal blessing to everyone present.

Day 63 – Monday 7th of June
Today is my last posting in Africa. Tomorrow I leave for home. This has been very long and I am missing Claudia, my family, home, church and Tomahawk. At the same time this has been an amazing, amazing experience. I have been received openly and graciously! Money could never buy the experiences and relationships I have had! What a humbling privilege to live the reality of the Body of Christ!

Day 64 – Tuesday, 8th of June
Lydia Rantao, the principle of one of the elementary schools in Lekubu, visited me this morning. She wanted to make sure to do that before I left and to convey her passion that she will work on her congregation in Mogola to strengthen their companion relationship with their matched congregation. I visited the Creche one last time. Ishmael stopped to visit. We remembered the candle we were going to exchange so he quickly went home and brought two candles for me to take along for Grace and Calvary in Merrill (matched with Mosweu). Karabo picked me up after noon. We arrived at the airport around 6:00 – plenty of time for me to get ready for my midnight flight. However, I discovered I am 30 lbs. overweight, and they only allow one check on luggage! I had to scramble to repack. I can have one carryon along with the backpack in which I had the computer (I gave it to Pogiso). That carryon is now quite heavy and I gave Karabo the maize meal and semp I had hoped to bring back.

Day 65 – Wednesday, 9th of June
I slept well on the plane and arrived in Amsterdam at 11:00 AM. Because my luggage is still overweight I had to leave security, pick it up, pay a 100 Euro fine, and re-enter security. I’m soaked with sweat lugging that luggage, plus the heavy carryon and the backpack from one end of the airport to the other. Then before boarding the plane each passenger is interviewed. My was lengthy because of my nine week stay and their wanting to know exactly what I was up to and what I am all bringing back.

I arrived in Minneapolis at 3:00 (time change – a nine hour flight). Customs wasn’t too bad except I had to go through the US Ag Department and they threw out my sorghum and maize I wanted as a display.

I arrived at CWA in Mosinee around 7:30. How great to see Claudia!!! Nine weeks is way too long to away from one’s spouse! I’ll not do that again. But this experience in South Africa – wow!

Why South Africa?

2010-02-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

Why South Africa?

The ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) has "Companion Synod" relationships with 127 international church bodies. The Global Mission department of the ELCA assists Lutheran international church bodies that desire this relationship to develop such a relationship with one of the 65 Synods of the ELCA.

All the activities of the ELCA, all the relationships, and all that is happening in Lutheran bodies around the world is beyond anyone's ability to know. This myriad of relationships and connections allows us to provide instant relief in times of disaster with minimal bureaucracy and with amazing effectiveness. It also provides for great opportunities for travel, exchange of ideas, mutual support, and for growing and experiencing God's call for us to be one, to be the Body of Christ, and to witness to all the world.

Left to our own devices each congregation or individual would only connect with the church bodies with which we know or to which we have access or hear about in the news. A few organizations and churches would then overflow with resources and many would be left with no relationship. Thus the ELCA Global Mission department serves to encourage companion synod relationships whenever requested so that all international church bodies are served. Through these "companion synod" relationships the ELCA is able to connect each synod and each congregation that so desires with a specific international church body so that significant, ongoing, personal relationships develop, and the ELCA coordinates these relationships so that every international church is included.

In 2010 we are hearing a lot about Haiti and Grace also has a special connection to Guatemala through Pastor Diane and Estuardo Dardon (Diane is the daughter of Marcie Schmit and sister of David Schmit). So why not go there? Because there are synods and congregations already relating with these countries. Those relationships provide us with accurate information on what is happening in Haiti and direct channels for effective use of our financial contributions.

Grace is a member of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin (ECSW), one of those 65 Synods of the ELCA. Our assigned "companion synod" is the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA). Our synod is the only one that relates with the Western Diocese. So that our Synod has a special responsibility on behalf of the entire ELCA to be especially attentive to South Africa and especially to this one diocese for any concerns that may be of benefit to them or to us. This matched relationship has also been further developed between their Diocese and our Synod so that the 26 ELCA congregations in the Wausau area (known as the Wisconsin River Valley Conference) are matched with the Madikwe Circuit (a collection of parishes in a specific area of the Western Diocese). Plus Grace has then been matched with one specific parish in that Madikwe Circuit which is Lekubu Lutheran Parish.

Pastor Mark's journey to Lekubu Lutheran Parish is not at all an arbitrary choice. This experience is a way to further this specific relationship of our congregation, Conference, Synod, and the ELCA. Just as through our ELCA we are able to provide direct relief and support in Haiti through prior relationships that have been developed, so this relationship Pastor Mark and those traveling from our Conference are developing in South Africa, will be for the benefit of the entire ELCA.

Purpose, Plan & resources for Pastor Mark's Sabbatical

2010-01-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

Sabbatical Blog of Pastor Mark

PLANS

I head off for South Africa on April 5, 2010, which is the day after Easter Sunday (if you know Claudia, please check in with her from time to time during April and May. Being apart during my time in South Africa will not be easy for her and I).

A Sabbatical is to be a time of renewal for pastor, congregation, and the broader church. "Trinity" is what I will especially be focusing on for my renewal. Too often we talk of "God" in a mostly generic sense and do not plunge more deeply into the mystery of God's three-fold revelation as Father Creator, Lord and Savior in Jesus Christ, and sanctifying Holy Spirit. Plus too often we only talk about God as a defense mechanism from actually entering into a relationship with this God and into that three-fold amazing, wonderful mystery of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I invite you to join me in this pursuit of a richer wonderment of God and the sheer joy of relationship with God. Of course I'll be using the Bible. I'm also taking along The Shack. It has been a significant force in leading me to think more expansively of God and particularly of the deep mystery, wonder and joy in a loving (image-smashing) Father, a real human (and God) Jesus, and Sarayu Holy Spirit.

There are three secular books I will use to broaden my amazement of God's work. I do this as evidence and support of God's work in the world and of the relevant, recognized need of all people for the Good News. The books are:

1) Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv. This is for the purpose of emphasizing our Father Creator and our human need to regularly and deeply connect with creation and God as Creator.

2) Exploring Forgiveness, by Robert Enright professor at UW Madison. This is to emphasize our Redeemer, our human need for community, and the necessity of reconciliation and redemption which Jesus brings for our soul.

3) The Art of Conversation: A Guided Tour of a Neglected Pleasure, by Catherine Blyth. I will use this book to deepen my understanding of sanctification and our human need to listen and trust God's work and presence in the Holy Spirit both in the words of other people and also in the way we converse and care for others.

Three other books I'm taking to South Africa are somewhat related to this "Trinitarian" awareness I want to cultivate:

1) Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us about Humanity, by G. A. Bradshaw

2) The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice, by Tony Compolo

3) The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church, by Reggie McNeal and recommended by Bishop Jim Justman