may 2003 VOL. 122 NO. 5

www.lcms.org/witness

Also:Another New Hymnal?Women in Combat

The Secret Pain

WITNESSWITNESST h e � u t h e r a nT h e � u t h e r a n

FeaturesFeatures

Songs of LovePage 3

3 LifelineSusan Schulz

4 Letters14 National News22 Notices24 Searching Scripture

Grant T.Bode

26 People and PlacesFamily Counselor

27 Q&A/Shedding Some Light

28 From the PresidentGerald B. Kieschnick

WITNESST h e � u t h e r a nA Magazine for the laypeople of the lutheran church — missouri synod

may 2003

Official periodical of The Lutheran Church—MissouriSynod through the Board for CommunicationServices, Dr. Martin G. Schramm, chairman; Rev. J.Thomas Lapacka, executive director.

Staff: Rev. David L. Mahsman, executive editor; Don Folkemer,managing editor; Joe Isenhower Jr., news editor; Paula SchlueterRoss, contributing editor; John Krus, senior designer; DarlaBroste, marketing manager; Pam Burgdorf, coordinator; MarcyHanewinkel, advertising sales; Carla Dubbelde, editorial man-ager, district editions; Karen Higgins, editorial assistant; editorialoffice: 1333 S. Kirkwood Rd., St. Louis, MO 63122-7295; (314)965-9917, Ext. 1228.

© 2003 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Reproductionof a single article or column for parish use only does not requirepermission of THE LUTHERAN WITNESS. Such reproductions,however, should credit THE LUTHERAN WITNESS as thesource. Cover images and “Shedding Some Light” cartoons arenot reproducible without permission. Also, photos credited tosources outside the LCMS are not to be copied.

Published 11 times per year by Concordia Publishing House,3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118-3968. Individual sub-scription $18.48 per year. Organized congregation subscriptionsand district editions offered at reduced rate if submitted throughlocal churches. Standard A postage paid at St. Louis, MO.

For subscription information or address changes, e–mail: cphorder@cph.org

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod1-888-THE LCMS (843-5267) www.lcms.org

e–mail: LUTHERAN.WITNESS@lcms.org

Member: Associated Church PressEvangelical Press Association

May 2003 (ISSN: 0024-757X) Vol.122, No.5

Cover photo: Getty Images

To subscribe, renew or to give a gift subscription,call Concordia Publishing House at: 800-325-3381

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WOMEN IN COMBAT:TWO VIEWSDoes God’s Word Give Guidance?by David W. Wollenburg

Is God Indifferent? by Leroy E.Vogel

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ANOTHER NEW HYMNAL?by Paul Grime

Work on a new hymnal forour Synod is ongoing. Is itsomething we really need?

THE SECRET PAIN by Linda D.Bartlett

There’s hope in Christ for those who grievethe loss of a child through abortion.

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What kind of pastor?

What kind of pastor do I want? I want the pastor that I have.

Margaret MohlerPhoenix, Ariz.

I want “a man who is the hus-band of one wife, and manages his children and household well” (1 Tim. 3:12).

I want a pastor who believesthat the Holy Spirit, not the pas-tor’s charisma, “has called me bythe Gospel, enlightened me withhis gifts, sanctified and kept me inthe true faith.” A man who with St.Paul says his message is Christcrucified.

I want my pastor to pull the littlegirls’ ponytails and scoop up thebaby he just baptized and hold itwhile he greets the people as theyleave the church. I want a pastorwho loves his people.

Let’s praise God for the specialperson He made, and not complainbecause he is not like the pastor ofsome megachurch. He is the pastorGod wants us to have at this time.We must pray for him and doeverything we can to uphold theunity of the church so the outsideworld can say, “Look how they loveone another.” This “new command-ment” from Jesus to love oneanother does include our pastor.

Margaret MohlerPhoenix, Ariz.

From camp to church workTHANKS SO MUCH FOR THE ARTICLES IN

the March Lutheran Witness thatincluded the strong connectionbetween outdoors ministry andrecruiting church workers. In“Where Church Workers ComeFrom,” Vicar Jim Mueller’s encour-agement to those interested inchurch work includes getting“some hands-on experience at a

DR. L. DEAN HEMPELMANN (“WHAT KINDof Pastor Do You Want?,” March ’03)is to be commended for publiclyasking the question and solicitingresponses.

From my 50-plus years of experi-ence as a parish pastor, I feel strong-ly that a pastor, in order to be reallyan effective shepherd, needs toencourage and practice the servant-hood role. Too much we are tempt-ed to be authoritarian—the sourceof all the answers—with the tenden-cy to pontificate.

We have a Savior who came to usin the servant role. He sent His disci-ples out into the world only after Hehad demonstrated the role of thehumble servant as He washed theirfeet. We are called to serve thosewho are part of our parish and thosewho aren’t. The hymn (LutheranWorship 262) says it well:

Come as a servant—so he came—And we receive you in his stead.

Rev. Norm SpomerEagan, Minn.

WHAT KIND OF PASTOR DO I WANT? I WANTthe pastor that I have.

I want a pastor who is human,one who confesses his sin with meevery Sunday morning. We mustrealize that our pastor will haveweaknesses, forgive him and do allwe can to help him.

I want a pastor who preaches theloving kindness of a God who sentHis Son to redeem the world, aSavior who has made me right withGod without any merit or worthi-ness on my part—a man who makesdoubly sure that no one leaves hischurch without knowing that hissins are forgiven.

Lutheran summer camp. …” In“Four for Four,” Brad Hopfen-sperger mentions that working as aLutheran-camp counselor for foursummers was “probably the biggestinfluence” on his decision tobecome a pastor.

The influence of outdoors min-istry on future church-work profes-sionals is true not only in my ownlife. In a study I found while doingresearch for my master’s degree, itwas fourth among 18 tested factors(Jeter Basden, Baylor University,2001).

Kevin BueltmannAssistant Director

Camp CILCACantrall, Ill.

For those who would like moreinformation on church-workcareers, the Synod’s Board forHigher Education has produced anumber of free brochures aboutchurch careers and about theinstitutions that make up theSynod’s higher-education system.To download information aboutschools and programs from theWeb, go to http://higher-ed.lcms.org.Or, call the Higher Educationoffice in St. Louis toll-free at (800)248-1930, Ext. 1254.—Ed.

WarI AM A VETERAN OF WORLD WAR II AND

must say that the first four lettersin the March Lutheran Witnesswere a blow. These letters appar-ently would suggest that all LCMScitizens should be “conscientiousobjectors” in the present circum-stances.

The Sunday before I left for theArmy, a classmate from ConcordiaCollege in Seward, Neb., then ateacher at a Missouri Synod school,told me he felt relieved he didn’thave to go. He said he just wouldn’tbe able to go to war. My father, aLutheran teacher, taught the pas-sage from Romans 13, to be subject

Illustration by Bill ClarkTHE LUTHERAN WITNESS

Letters

to the higher powers, since there is nopower not ordained by God.

Should I repent for being part ofthe task force that liberatedBuchenwald? That gave me night-mares for two years.

W. Frederick ReeseFairbury, Neb.

I AM A VETERAN OF WWII AND SERVED IN

the European Theater from 1942 to1945. I was returned to the States inMarch 1945 for further training inpreparation for the invasion of theJapanese homeland. I take issue withthe statement by Dr. Albert Jabs inthe March “Letters” that “the drop-ping of the atomic bomb onHiroshima was wrong. (Yes, it short-ened the war, but at what moralcost?)”

Had the bomb not been dropped,thousands of allied forces andJapanese civilian and military person-nel would have been killed. The costof lives lost in taking Japanese-heldislands such as Okinawa was but aprecursor of the costs that wouldhave been incurred in taking theJapanese homeland.

I am confident that many of thosewhose lives were spared by droppingthe atomic bomb have made valuablecontributions in all walks of life. Howdoes one equate the value of casual-ties spared versus the “moral cost”raised by Dr. Jabs? I have been able tolead a productive Christian lifebecause the decision to drop theatomic bomb shielded me from thehorrors of trying to invade Japan.

Karl AlbertiToledo, Ohio

We welcome letters that comment on articles in TheLutheran Witness. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Send letters to “Letters,” c/o The Lutheran Witness, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295; or send them via e-mail toLutheran.Witness@LCMS.org.

MAY 2003

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS Getty Images

by Linda D. Bartlett

Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Dayand Life Sunday are not happy events forthose wounded by abortion. These days,intended to celebrate life, can instead be a reminder oflost lives and denied relationships.

For 30 years, abortion has been the subject of heateddebate. But for millions of American women, and forthe men, grandparents, siblings and friends in the livesof those women, abortion is not a debate – it is a loss. Itis the loss of a son, a daughter, a grandchild. That’sbecause motherhood and fatherhood—and even grand-parenthood—begin at conception.

Many of us know someone who has lost a childthrough miscarriage. We grieve with them, offer thepeace of Christ and entrust the precious little one toGod. But abortion is a secret pain. It is a loss that iscarried deep inside and alone.

The great loss of life should pierce the heart of everyone of us. The numbers are staggering. More than 3,000

women have abortions every day. These women are inour families, congregations and circles of friends. Theyare Christians who worship with us and go to Biblestudy with us. I know some of these women. At least 21of my relatives, friends or acquaintances have had abor-tions—16 of these women are Lutherans. Two are thewives of Lutheran pastors. At least three have had morethan one abortion.

Abortion has created a new mission field for thechurch. There is a need to enter this mission field—but,first, we must understand that we will almost certainlyencounter denial, anger, self-hatred, distrust, grief,remorse and the natural, but perhaps deeply buried,desire for reconciliation with the Giver of Life.

For those in denial, our message must gently convict.For those already convicted, our message must be ofhope and our behavior sincere. Just as we have beenreconciled to God through Jesus Christ, we have beengiven a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).

the Secret Pain

There’s hopein Christ for those

who grieve the loss of achild through

abortion. the Secret Pain

MAY 2003

Eight months ago, I became a grandmother for thefirst time. Holding my grandson is surprisingly differ-ent than holding my own two sons. Each gaze uponthe child of my child is a generational moment. Theroom of my heart excitedly receives this little one.The room of my life rearranges itself.

Often, when I am holding my grandson, I think ofthe thousands of other women of my generationwhose arms will never hold a grandchild. Their armswill never hold the child of their child. That’s becausepregnant women believed the lie: “Make this onesacrifice and choose a better time to be a mother.”Although the room of their hearts may have whis-pered a word of welcome, the room of their lives didnot.

Because these women either did not hear or didnot trust God’s promise, the world captured theirevery thought and desire. Tossed in a tumultuous sea,these women reached toward “salvation” in the guiseof a “quick and painless” abortion.

But the degrading act goes against all that is mater-nal and natural. Sent away from the abortion clinic,women are abandoned to burdens of guilt, grief andanger that threaten to pull them into cold and lonelydarkness, away from the Giver of Life.

How to respondSo how do you and I respond? Some say, “How could a woman do such a thing!”

This statement is not intended to be cruel, but it isheard as a judgment.

Others, hoping to be less judgmental, say, “I wouldnever have an abortion myself, but I believe every

woman should have the right to choose.” This state-ment sounds compassionate, but to the woman whohas had an abortion, it sounds like a comparison:“Abortion is wrong and because I am a good person Iwouldn’t do such a terrible thing, but women who areincapable of doing the right thing should have achoice.”

Getty Images

Over one American million women choose abortion each year.Immediately afterward they may feel a sense of relief, but in themonths and years following that choice, many of them will silentlystruggle with symptoms related to post abortion syndrome.

Some say,“How could a woman do such a thing!”

This statement is not intendedto be cruel, but it is heard

as a judgment.

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS Getty Images

Both statements are condemning. Neitheroffer hope before or after an abortion.

There is a third response. Trying to imitateJesus. Jesus understands why people like youand me sin; He came to live among us, to feel ourfrustration, fears and sorrow. He placed Himself

in a very different circumstance here on earththan that of heaven. Jesus loved us so much thatHe willingly took on our disgrace, our burden,our sin. Only by living under the Cross are weable to see those hurt by sin (includingourselves) in a new way.

Days on which we celebrate life are meant tobe happy days, but for many they are not. In theheart of nearly every post-abortive woman is anempty place that is forever expectant and wait-ing. Although she may have believed the lie thatthere was no room, a cry of sorrow echoes inthe room that was always there, waiting.

We cannot go back in time to erase 30 yearsof legalized abortion nor the effect on women,men, children and society. Mothers who oncebelieved there was no room in their life for ababy now mourn the child whose heart beat soclose under their own. Fathers who oncebelieved that there was no room in their life fora baby are now angry at themselves for failingto protect their son or daughter. Could-have-

1. As you speak of God’s love for each humanlife—from the moment of conception—take carethat your choice of words and manner welcomesthose who have been woundedby an abortion choice and longfor forgiveness and hope.

2. Include post-abortion heal-ing brochures in your churchtract rack or place them in mothers’ rooms or restrooms. E-mail: nfo@lutheransforlife.orgor call Lutherans For LifeHealing Hearts at 1-888-364-LIFEfor samples.

3. Invite a small group ofchurch members to study post-abortion syndrome and consid-er opportunities for outreach.Order the book FromHeartache to Healing(Concordia Publishing House)from Lutherans For Life.

4. Parents can help makeabortion unthinkable by raisingsons to chivalry and daughters to purity. God’sWord equips parents to guard youthful innocenceand honor the created differences between maleand female. Lutherans For Life offers a variety ofresources for instructing in purity.

Celebrations of life, such as Mother’s Day,can be reminders of great loss. At such times, you can call The Healing Hearts ministry, the post-abortion ministry of Lutherans For Life, at theirtoll-free hotline: (888) 21story. In Illinois, call(708) 990-0909. The Healing Hearts ministry offers hope and healing through Jesus Christ.

The Lutherans For Life toll-free number is 888-364-LIFE. Visit their website at www.luther-ansforlife.org

SUGGESTIONS FORTHOSE WHO CARE

MAY 2003

been grandparents who oncebelieved there was no room intheir lives for a baby now dreamof grandchildren that would havefilled the rooms of their homeswith laughter.

Sometimes, when I’m holdingmy grandson, my thoughts turn toMary. She approached me after Iwas finished speaking to a groupof Lutheran women, asking for myaddress. In the letters thatfollowed, she confessed two abor-tions. “There has been so muchpain in my heart,” Mary wrote. “Icould understand how God couldforgive a murderer, but not some-one who has killed her own child.”

This pain and the belief that shehad committed the sin “too big tobe forgiven” held Mary captive.But, “the reason I want to tell youmy story,” Mary continued, “is tothank you! If, years earlier, I had

heard the words of compassionand forgiveness that I heard fromyou, I would not have had a sec-ond abortion. I would have beenreconciled to God and turned mylife around a lot earlier instead ofwallowing in the muck of sin andaccusation.”

A word of hope“Mary”s are everywhere … and

they are waiting. They are silentlywaiting for a word of hope. Theirbroken hearts long to be healed.God has given us His Word tospeak in love. To be sure, the Wordof Truth presses hard on thesource of pain. “When I keptsilent,” wrote the psalmist, “mybones wasted away through mygroaning all day long. For day andnight Your hand was heavy uponme; my strength was sapped as inthe heat of summer. Then I

acknowledged my sin to you anddid not cover up my iniquity. Isaid, ‘I will confess my transgres-sions to the Lord,’ and You forgavethe guilt of my sin” (Ps. 32:3–5).

There is hope for women andmen who have been pierced byabortion’s blade. It is Jesus! InJesus, all who confess their sin arecleansed and forgiven (1 Tim.1:15). In Jesus, the captive is setfree (Gal. 5:1)! Jesus fills theempty and expectant rooms ofhearts—and heals the secret pain.

Linda Bartlett is a vol-unteer with HealingHearts and serves aspresident of NationalLutherans For Life.

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

NATIONAL News

war with Iraq and anoth-er 12 Reserve andNational Guard chaplainshad been ordered toactive duty stateside for a year.

Seven of the Navychaplains were servingwith U.S. Marine unitsfrom Camp Pendleton,Calif., and Camp Lejeune,N.C.

After assembling inKuwait, the chaplainswere expected to accom-pany U.S. troops as theymoved through Iraq. Noother details were avail-

able at press time, accord-ing to Chaplain Rodger R.Venzke, director of theSynod’s Ministry to theArmed Forces.

“I am extremely grate-ful for the consistent sup-port members of TheLutheran Church—Missouri Synod have pro-vided our Ministry to theArmed Forces for so manydecades, through so manywars,” Venzke said.

That support hasallowed his office to pro-vide informational anddevotional materials by

As this LutheranWitness went to press inlate March, at least 16LCMS active-duty militarychaplains were serving onships or with troops in the

mail to Lutherans servingin the armed forcesworldwide.

About 85 LCMS pastorsare active-duty militarychaplains and another 120 are in the Reserves orNational Guard, Venzkesaid.

For information aboutthe Synod’s Ministry tothe Armed Forces, or tosubmit a name to its“Ministry-by-Mail” list,visit the Web sitewww.lcmsworldmission.org/armedforces/ or call(800) 433-3954, Ext. 1337.

Missouri Synod chaplains serve troops in war with Iraq

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps

(LWR)—that are co-spon-soring an appeal for Iraqcalled “All Our Children.”The goal is to raise $1 mil-lion for medicines and med-ical supplies for sick andmalnourished children inIraqi hospitals and clinics.

Last fall, LWR sent$457,000 worth of materialaid to Iraq that was madepossible by contributionsfrom congregations of the

Missouri Synod and theEvangelical LutheranChurch in America(ELCA).

LWR also is using fundsfrom LCMS World Reliefand the ELCA WorldHunger Appeal for war-related aid that involveschurches in the MiddleEast and is providing aidfor food and facilities at arefugee camp on the

U.S. Lutherans helpedprovide a shipment ofmedical aid for children inIraq that arrived at twohospitals in Baghdad theweek before hostilitiesbroke out in March.

The $90,000 shipment ofantibiotics, emergencymedicines and suppliescame from seven faith-based agencies—includingLutheran World Relief

Jordan-Iraq border.For more information,

visit the LWR Web site atwww.lwr.org.

Contributionsearmarked “Iraq” andmade payable to “LCMSWorld Relief” may be sentto LCMS World Relief atP.O. Box 66861, St. Louis,MO 63166-9810. LCMSWorld Relief will forwardthe funds to LWR.

Lutherans help with medical aid for Iraqi children

Lutherans were stilldonating to a grassrootse-mail fund drive forLCMS World Missionwhen this LutheranWitness went to press inlate March.

At that time, the totalreceived in the effort was$53,400 — some $24,000more than a month earlier.

The campaign startedwhen Paul Koehler ofOmaha, Neb., sent an e-

mail message to hisfriends and family, urgingthem to give “at least $1for each member of yourhousehold,” and then for-ward the e-mail to others.

More than one familyresponding to the e-mailhas included their petsamong household mem-bers, and others haveincluded as many as 32people in their extendedfamilies.

Navy Chaplain CraigMuehler of Camp Lejeune,N.C., leads the dedicationservice for a Marine chapelin February in Kuwait.Muehler, one of 16 active-duty LCMS military chap-lains serving in the warzone, is assigned to the U.S.Marines 2nd Force ServiceSupport Group.

Contributions may besent to LCMS WorldMission Support, 1333 S.Kirkwood Road, St. Louis,MO 63122-7295. Makechecks payable to “LCMSWorld Mission” and ear-mark them “grassrootseffort.”

Gifts also may be madevia the Web site http://catalog.lcms.org/ — go to“Where LCMS WorldMission needs it most.”

Grassroots fund drive gains momentum

MAY 2003

NATIONAL News

For more news...For more news —

and more timely news —visit http://reporter.lcms.org on the Web.That’s the Web site forReporter, the officialnewspaper of TheLutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Black ministry.“The [next] budget

year is shaping up to beas difficult as the2002–2003 fiscal year forthe Synod,” Hewitt saidat the Feb. 27–March 2Board meeting in FortWayne.

The Synod’s fiscalyear is July 1 throughJune 30.

Hewitt told the Boardthat projections indicatethat the six programboards will have about$9.7 million of discre-

tionary income amongthem next year—$3.8million less than the $13.5million in discretionaryfunds in their combinedbudgets for the currentfiscal year.

Hewitt defined discre-tionary income as “rev-enue that is not commit-ted to other spending.”

Hewitt said that the 35LCMS districts are pledg-ing $21 million to theSynod in 2003–04 fromoffering income that con-gregations forward to

The Lutheran—ChurchMissouri Synod’s six pro-gram boards “may facesubstantial cuts” after theLCMS Board of Directorssets the national Synod’s2003–04 budget at its May15–17 meeting in St.Louis, said Brad Hewitt,chief administrative offi-cer for the Board.

The six programboards are those for mis-sions, higher education,district and congregation-al services, communica-tions, human care and

them—$675,000 less thanlast year, and that con-gregational giving todistricts also is declining.

“Everyone is feelingthe effects of the slump-ing economy,” Hewittsaid.

The Board also madesalary adjustments forSynod employees nextyear that range from no change in salaries for officers and top executives to an 8 per-cent increase for mis-sionaries.

LCMS boards may face cuts as discretionary funds fall

June 30. ConcordiaTheological Seminary,Fort Wayne, received asimilar matching grantlast year.

The Thrivent grant iscontingent on CUS andthe schools raising $2.5million in funding.

For the Sake of theChurch has a goal ofdoubling the enrollmentof LCMS students at theCUS schools and raising$400 million in endow-ments for those studentsby 2010. The campaignhas so far raised about$100 million.

The two seminarieshave similar programs offull-tuition guarantee forstudents preparing forthe pastoral ministry.Neither is involved inFor the Sake of theChurch.

For information onestablishing a For theSake of the Church

endowment, contact Rev. Edward Bertram at(314) 996-1650; edward.bertram@lcms.org.

To donate toward thematching grant at St.Louis or for more infor-mation, contact theDevelopment Office at

The Thrivent Financialfor Lutherans Foundationannounced in March thatit is giving a $1.1 millionchallenge grant to sup-port the Missouri Synod’sConcordia UniversitySystem’s (CUS) “For theSake of the Church” cam-paign and the 10 CUScolleges and universities.

Concordia Seminary,St. Louis, also announcedthat an anonymous gift of$1 million it received forits students’ tuition aidwill match dollar-for-dollar other gifts made by

(800) 822-5287; develop@csl.edu.

At Concordia, FortWayne, contact the Officefor Institutional Advance-ment at (877) 287-4338,Ext. 2212; schmidtrg@mail.ctsfw.edu orruttd@mail.ctsfw.edu.

Matching grants benefit Synod colleges, seminaries

the seminary, Buckmanwas a Synod missionary inNigeria for 12 years,supervising the translationof the New Testament intothe Yala language.

He left Africa in 1977 to be the mission board’ssecretary for Africa,Europe and the MiddleEast, a position he left 12 years later to serve asdirector for world areas.

“It’s been a great learn-ing and growing experi-ence, personally, through-out the entire 37-plusyears,” Buckman said.

Dr. Allan R. Buckman,who has served theSynod’s mission boardsince his 1965 graduationfrom Concordia Seminary,St. Louis, retired from full-time service March 1.

Buckman,63, servedfrom 1989 asdirector forworld areaswith LCMSWorldMission. Afterhis retirement, he contin-ues to serve part time.

After graduating from

Missions’ Allan Buckman retires

Buckman

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

by David W.Wollenburg

A s I write this article, we are at thevery brink of war. By the time it ispublished, the war may be over.This is not the best time to be talking aboutthe subject at hand. But in response to anassignment, I offer the following with theprayer that it will serve the “ministry ofreconciliation” to which we have beencalled.

We live in a world infected irreparablyby sin; a world condemned to chaos anduncertainty; a world in rebellion that leadsto decay. Ours is a world racing toward theend of time as we “hear of wars and rumorsof wars,” and we see “nation … rise againstnation, and kingdom against kingdom,” andwe witness “famines and earthquakes invarious places” (Matt. 24:6–7).

Into such a world God sent His Son toredeem those who live in this presentchaos. Jesus fulfilled the Law in our place.He died for all in order to satisfy theFather’s justice. He rose again to assure usof this fact. He sent us His Spirit so that wemight know that we are not alone as weawait the end of time. He says, “See to itthat you are not alarmed. Such things musthappen” (Matt. 24:6).

It is in these times that we are consider-ing the question of the church addressingthe issue of women in combat.

Unquestionably, this is an emotionaltopic. There are men and women of goodfaith on both sides, even as there are peo-

ple of good faith on both sides of the question of the war with Iraq. Manyapproach the discussion of the role ofwomen in combat from positions of deeplyheld faith, and these positions deserve tobe heard just as our nation discusses othersocietal and constitutional issues of ourday.

And that’s the point: The service ofwomen in combat is a civil matter, anddiscussions pro and con properly belong tothe civil and political realm! Christian citi-zens of the State need to be involved in thatdiscussion as citizens, because we careabout the answers. (Continued on Page 18)

“Where does The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod stand onwomen serving in combat?”

In response to such questions directed to his office, MissouriSynod President Gerald Kieschnick has asked the Synod’sCommission on Theology and Church Relations to study the issue on the basis of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessional writings.

In response, the commission invited individuals who have hadexperience serving as parish pastors, military chaplains and as pro-fessors at the Synod’s seminaries to make presentations on the topic.

The members of the commission feel that the insights shared inthese presentations merit wider exposure. They believe that thecontemporary discussion of the topic of women serving in the

‘What does the Bible teach about wo

DOES GOD’S WORDGIVE GUIDANCE?

Getty Images

MAY 2003

by Leroy Vogel

R emember NormanRockwell’s painting, “TheTearful Farewell,” thatdepicts a young man in militaryattire striding forth to action andadventure amid the tears of mom,dad and sweetheart?

Today, the tearful farewell maylikely portray a young woman inmilitary attire departing for com-bat while dad and the kids stareout the window with bewilderedlooks.

How did this change comeabout?

A brief historyWorld War II military planners

ascertained that some non-combatpositions could be filled by womenand “free a man to fight.” Thus, theWomen’s Army Corps (WAC) wasorganized. In 1948, Congress passedthe Women’s Armed Services Act,which authorized permanent statusfor women in the military. This lawstipulated: 1) The number ofwomen in the military may notexceed two percent; and 2) aCombat Exclusion Law stating,“Women may be assigned to allunits except those with a high prob-ability of engaging in combat. …”

In 1973, PresidentRichard Nixondecreed an end tothe draft. Men didnot volunteer insufficient numbers tomeet DefenseDepartment quotas.Secretary of DefenseMelvin Laird waivedthe two percentstipulation of WASA.The number ofwomen in the mili-tary burgeoned. TheService Academiesand ROTC unitswere integrated.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton’sSecretary of Defense ordered: “Theservices shall permit women tocompete for assignment in aircraftengaged in combat missions …develop a legislative proposal to repeal the existing CombatExclusion Law and permit theassignment of women to ships thatare engaged in combat missions.”In 1994 the Army integrated combat occupations previouslyreserved for men.

The fiat was complete, a greatsocial experiment was underway, as well as a great national debate.

Many analysts and commenta-tors, military and civilian, saw thisexperiment as disastrous to nation-al defense. The concern of manywas that, in the military, traditionalgender roles are there for a reasonand gender neutrality/politicalcorrectness not only puts nationalsecurity at risk, but endangers thelives of the very military personnelwho provide that security.

Is Scripture silent?Laying aside the pragmatic con-

cerns, the question facing theChristian community can be statedas follows: Is God indifferent to thequestion of

IS GODINDIFFERENT?

(Continued on Page 19)

military and in combat will be enriched by the perspectives presented in the articles by Rev. LeroyVogel and Dr. David Wollenburg.

The Commission on Theology, as it has gone aboutits study of this topic during this time when our coun-try is at war, is mindful of the debt of gratitude thatAmerican citizens owe to all of those dedicatedwomen and men who have responded to their coun-try’s call to serve in the military, and who are willingto risk their lives in the service of their country.

Dr. Samuel H. NafzgerExecutive Director

Commission on Theology and Church Relations

omen serving in the military?’

Photo by John S. Stewart /Getty Images

A female United States Army private usesa fixed bayonet during basic training atFort Leonard Wood, Mo.

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

But this is not an issue eitherof church polity or theology, and we as the church needto respect that fact. The church’s job is to encourage,build up and serve the “ministry of reconciliation” thatSt. Paul describes in 2 Cor. 5:18ff. Our call is to followSt. Paul’s example. He says it this way: “We put nostumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministrywill not be discredited” (2 Cor. 6:3).

We cannot, of course, ignore clear moral issues.Indeed, we must address them when and where it isappropriate and Scriptural. The “ministry of reconcilia-tion” to which we have been called speaks the word ofLaw and Gospel for the purpose of saving souls andwitnessing to God’s work in Christ Jesus. Our responsi-

bility is to proclaim, “That God was reconciling theworld to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sinsagainst them” (2 Cor. 5:19). That alone is enough for usto do.

Having called us to faith in times of worldly chaos,Jesus adds another promise: “Heaven and earth willpass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt.24:35). And so, Christ says what the Spirit says throughthe apostle John, that is, we are to take the Word at facevalue, neither adding to nor subtracting from its mes-sage (Rev. 22:18–19).

Our own Lutheran Confessions hold such a view ofthe Scriptures. Indeed, in the Smalcald Articles, firstprinted in 1538, Martin Luther, referring to Gal. 1:8,wrote:

“It will not do to formulate articles of faith on thebasis of the holy Fathers’ works or words. Otherwise,their food, clothes, houses, etc., would also have to bearticles of faith—as has been done with relics. Thismeans that the Word of God—and no one else, noteven an angel—should establish articles of faith.”

It is important to understand this point as weaddress the question of women in combat, as well asother subjects of political debate. “Only the Word ofGod should establish articles of faith.” And, the fact is,no matter how hard we try to discover clear guidancein the Scriptures regarding the subject of women incombat; it just is not there. We need to admit that.

It helps as we remember that God Himself recog-nizes the difference between the church andcivil government and assigns different responsi-bilities to each. Jesus made this point when Heresponded to the question of paying taxes inMatthew 22, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,”He said, “and to God what is God’s.”

St. Paul wrote, “The authorities that existhave been established by God … He is God’sservant to do you good” (Rom. 13:1, 4).

The Augsburg Confession, Article XXVIII,says it this way:

“Since this power of the church bestowseternal things and is exercised only through theministry of the Word, it interferes with civil gov-ernment as little as the art of singing interfereswith it. … The powers of church and civil gov-ernment must not be mixed.”

We, as the Church have been entrusted withthe ministry of the Word. We are to be about thejob of reconciliation. We are called to shareGod’s peace with one another, even in time ofwar.

Going to war is not an easy matter.Individuals must be encouraged and comforted.Provision must be made for those who are left at

home, for the lonely, the scared and the anxious. That’swhere we need to turn our attention.

We need to talk about how we can help, support andinstruct both women and men who are called to com-bat. We need to talk about how to help and supporttheir families, friends and the communities from whichthey have been drawn.

And while we do, let’s also recognize and give thanksfor the fact that ours is not an immoral or unfeelinggovernment. The United States military respects indi-vidual rights even as it encourages human excellenceand advancement. It cares about the families of thosewho are sent to war. It cares about the unborn (preg-nant women are not deployed towar so that innocent lives might (Continued on Page 20)

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The capture and rescue of Private First Class Jessica Lynch highlighted the issue of women serving in the military. Here, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks is looking at a picture of Lynch during her rescue.

Photo by Carlo Allegri /Getty Images

MAY 2003

women in combat?The major issue that clouds theological engagement

on the matter is the apparent lack of any definitive“proof text” of Scripture that addresses women as mili-tary combatants. A purview of Law, prophets, Gospelsand epistles simply does not indicate this to be an issueabout which God has spoken authoritatively.

But not too fast! Does silence automaticallyimply indifference?

Where to begin? At the beginning, ofcourse. Gen. 1:26ff indicates that both sexesare created in the image of God, and Gal. 3:28attests that there is no sexual priority or pref-erence with respect to salvation in Christ.However, both Old and New Testaments iden-tify a difference of rights, responsibilities androles pertaining to the sexes.

Ignoring the Biblical account of creation,radical feminism identifies sexual differentia-tion and roles as social constructs, and, ifsociety has created the distinctions, societycan abolish them.

Lutherans believe, teach and confess thatsexual differentiation and roles are part andparcel of God’s “Order of Being.” That is, ifGod is the Creator and Designer of the sexesas well as of their differentiation and roles, tooverturn that order represents the abandon-ment of Biblical religion.

Ordered equalityIs not part of woman’s “glory” to be found in

her God-given role as life-giver and nurturer—not aslife destroyer? Is man’s role not to protect and nourishher in that glorious role? Does not the abandonmentof the arrangement established in Eden fly in the faceof God’s design for His creation?

These are questions worth pondering because analien voice again has entered Eden: “Yea, hath Godsaid there is a complementary differentiation betweenthe roles of man and woman?”

Scripture is clear. God made two different sexes,equal but with assigned roles. Sexual equality is notthe issue; ordered equality is. Scripture and the tradi-tion of the Church assign to man the role of defender,protector, warrior. To woman is given the role of life-giver, nurturer, sustainer.

While it may be argued that there is no specificScriptural passage that forbids a woman to serve aswarrior, the apparent accommodation of some withinthe Church to the spirit of the age that turns warriorinto a unisex role would appear, at a minimum, to be adeparture from the divine wisdom of the Creatorregarding the differentiation of the sexes.

While some may view it as a shaky premise uponwhich to hang the will of God, there is a curiousHebrew interpretation of Deut. 22:5 that is rendered inthe New International Version: “A woman must notwear men’s clothing … for the Lord your God detestsanyone who does this.”

A prohibition against cross-dressing? Or is theremore? The construct of import is the compound nounkeli-geber, translated above as “men’s clothing.” InHebrew, keli denotes “equipment,” specifically a sol-dier’s equipment. Further, the Hebrew noun geberdenotes “mighty man” or “hunter” or “warrior.” Thus, alegitimate translation of the phrase uses language of adecidedly military flavor: “No woman shall put on thegear of a warrior.”

The church fathers understood it so, as did JohnCalvin and Martin Luther. Luther knew Hebrew andcomments on the verse as follows: “A woman shall notbear the weapons of a man … it is improper. …Through this law [God] reproaches any nation inwhich this custom is observed.” Why? Because Godcreated male and female with specific and comple-mentary characteristics. It is in their relationship withone another that the two constitute the full expressionof humanity.

To paraphrase Luther in another context, womanwas created to be a vessel forlife, not to kill and destroy. (Continued on Page 20)

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Photo by Stephen Morton /Getty Images

A United States Marine Corps female recruit enjoys a short break duringboot camp. The Marines train an average of 3,700 male and 600 femalerecruits a day at Parris Island.

not be a risk). It cares aboutthose who are orphaned, and those whose spouse orchild never returns. It even cares about the sexualbehavior of its members and seeks to encourage moraland ethical behavior.

As the church we can do it better: That’s our call.Our chaplains do it day after day; so do our pastors.Our call in these days is to pray for them, and encour-age them even as we pray for and encourage the menand women who stand in the face of combat.

At the same time, we will pray for and encouragethose individual Christian men and women who areengaged in the political process. They are addressingthe social and civil questions of our age in the properplaces—in the halls of Congress, in the courts andstatehouses of our nation, and in all the places wherepublic policy is decided.

That is their job, not the church’s. The Savior hasgiven the church other things to do.

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS

Dr. Leroy E. Vogel is a retired U.S. Navychaplain and professor emeritus atConcordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. Hecurrently lives in Spring Valley, Minn.

Dr. David W. Wollenburg , associateprofessor of practical theology atConcordia Seminary, St. Louis, retiredas a chaplain from the U.S. Air Forceafter serving both active and reserveforces for more than 31 years.

What about Deborah?Proponents of women in combat who point to the

Deborah account in Judges 4 for support would do wellto examine the Biblical text rather than a “Bible story”

commentary. As Israel’s enemies prevailed, Godemployed Deborah to communicate His com-mand to a man, Barak, directing him to recruitan army and promising victory. Barak wasrecalcitrant and insisted that Deborah accom-pany him. God vowed to shame Barak by givinghonor for victory to a woman. Deborah capitu-lates and accompanies Barak to Mount Tabor,but no further. Consistent with Deuteronomy,she donned no battle gear nor engaged in theconflict. Barak (unaccompanied by Deborah)lead 10,000 men into the valley to a resoundingvictory. The rebuke for Barak’s recalcitrancewas rendered when a heroic woman, Jael, wasgiven the opportunity to slay the fleeing enemycommander, Sisera. She did this in her owntent, with household equipment, not as a war-rior on a battlefield.

The story of Deborah presents a condemna-tion of male cowardice in the face of God’scommand; it does not provide a glorification orendorsement of woman as warrior.

The sound of silenceThis all-too-brief article is only an introduction to the

Biblical implications of the question, “Is God indifferentto women in combat?” Yet to be mined are the riches ofthe New Testament with its beautiful depiction of theharmonious, God-pleasing relationship relevant to thecomplementary roles of men and women. It should beenough, however, to encourage a deeper exploration ofthe question.

At the very least, before a woman embarks upon arole as military combatant, she should consider this: IfGod is indifferent to the woman-warrior concept and awoman chooses to serve in a noncombatant role, God isnot offended. If, however, God is not indifferent to thewoman warrior concept, and a woman seeks service asa combatant, does she not become a victim of her ownwill and disobedient to that of God?

The stakes appear to merit the expenditure of ourchurch’s finest and most diligent theological efforts.

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Jael was an experienced tent-rigger. This drawing byCarlo Maratta depicts Jael as she lifts the hammer.

Illustration by Carlo Maratta

by Grant Bode

“Mommie!” My son, Gideon, knows well the

word, “Mommie.” In fact, it was, asI remember, the first word he said.It has always been said that littleboys are closer to their mothersthan their fathers.

As we observe Mother’s Day onMay 11 this year, let’s take time tonotice some of the mothers whoplayed significant roles inScripture. How did these mothersplay a significant role:

Eve

Why is Eve, the first mother,called the mother of all living (Evemeans “living”)? Not only is Eve themother of the human race, butthrough her offspring, Jesus Christwas born, and only through Him isGod’s plan for eternal life restored.(See Gen. 3:15).

Explain how 1 John 3:8 reaffirmsGod’s promise in Genesis. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Jochebed

Exodus 6:20 tells us that Amranand Jochebed were the parents ofMoses and his older brother, Aaron.What did Jochebed do to protecther infant son, Moses, whenPharaoh gave the order to throwthe male children into the river?(Read Ex. 2:1–3.) _______________________________

______________________________________________________________

According to Heb. 11:23, whatenabled Jochebed to disobey thePharaoh and hide her son?_______________________________

Hannah

Read 1 Samuel 1 and 2. Hannahcould not have children; she wept,prayed and made a vow to the Lord(1:10–20). The Lord heard her

SearchingSCRIPTURE

prayer and gave her a son,Samuel. Hannah respondedwith a prayer of thanksgiv-ing. How did she keep hervow (2:11)?_________________________________________

_______________________________________

Mary

Certainly, we knowabout Mary, themother of God. Godbrought His only soninto the world throughthe Virgin Mary, bornas the Christ Child.Although we do notworship the Virgin Mary,we certainly honor her asthe one who was “highlyfavored” (Luke 1:28).

What did Mary do after Jesuswas born and the shepherds wor-shiped the Christ child? (Read Luke2:19) __________________________

______________________________And what about the time Jesus

was in the temple as a boy teachingthe teachers—what did Mary doand what is the lesson for us?(Read the story in Luke 2:41–51) _______________________________

______________________________________________________________

Eunice and Lois

Eunice was Timothy’s mother,and Lois was his grandmother.These two women played a signifi-cant role in the life of Timothy, whohelped St. Paul preach the GoodNews on his missionary travels.

What does the apostle Paul writeabout them in his second letter toTimothy (2 Tim. 1:1–7)? ________________________________________________________________________

Indeed, as we study these womenof faith throughout Scripture we see

how God uses each of us in particu-lar ways to further the Gospel mes-sage of Jesus Christ our Lord. And,so often, He uses mothers. Motherswho nurture, love, care for, disciplineand teach their children of the loveof Jesus.

No wonder the first word of ababy is usually “Mommie.” After all,in a manner, it reflects the love ofour Lord for us His children whenHe says: “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks underher wings” (Luke 13:34b).

MOTHERS OF FAITH

Rev. Grant T. Bode is pastor of St. PaulLutheran Church inLester Prairie, Minn.

Illustration by K. Neely MAY 2003

Rev. Random Name ispastor of Holy CrossLutheran Church,Anytown, USA

Photo by

from thePRESIDENT

aims to make the active recruit-ment and retention of church work-ers an integrated part of the LCMSculture and lifestyle in the localcongregation.

The recruitment and retention ofchurch workers is so importantthat even in these difficult financialtimes, when the synodical budget isbeing reduced in the wake of ournational economic downturn, theSynod’s Board of Directors hasallocated $250,000 in this fiscal yearto the What A Way! initiative.

The immediate plans of the WhatA Way! team are to:• establish What A Way! cabinets

in each of our 35 districts toprovide guidance, counsel andencouragement to congrega-tions and their members inrecruitment and retentionefforts;

• offer a first wave of printedresources for congregationaluse in recruitment and retentioninitiatives; and

• design and implement a state-of-the-art interactive Web site tohelp our people explore recruit-ment and retention possibilities.

One story in the March Witnessprofiled Epiphany Lutheran Churchin Houston (Pastor Mike Welmer),which takes very seriously itsresponsibility and ministry ofencouraging its young people toconsider professional church-workcareers. What a blessing for a con-gregation of 1,000 baptized souls tohave five members studying tobecome professional church work-ers! Epiphany, along with a signifi-cant number of other congrega-tions in our Synod, offers anexcellent model of recruitment inthe congregational context.

You can be of assistance in thiscritical endeavor for the future ofour Synod:

The March issue of TheLutheran Witness carriedseveral items about theSynod’s need to take very seriouslythe recruitment and retention ofprofessional church workers—pastors, teachers, directors ofChristian education, deaconesses,parish nurses, directors of music,directors of Christian outreach, etc.

The growing shortage of churchworkers has become a major con-cern for all of us. It directly affectsour future, as reflected by the ques-tion, “Who will lead us?”

As I think about the future of TheLutheran Church—Missouri Synod,I see clearly the need not only fornew workers (recruitment), but alsofor better care of our current work-ers (retention). For the latter group,we need to find and implementmore and better ways of keepingthese dedicated servants of the Lordmeaningfully fulfilled in their workof mission and ministry; seeing thatthey are properly encouraged, ade-quately compensated and respect-fully cared for; and helping them toexperience holistic health and sig-nificant joy in the midst of the bur-dens and challenges that accompa-ny professional church work.

Under the leadership of Dr. L.Dean Hempelmann, director ofpastoral education for the Synod’sBoard for Higher Education, and Dr.Bruce Hartung, director of theSynod’s Commission on MinisterialGrowth and Support, a new initia-tive—it’s called “What A Way!”—

WHO WILL LEAD US?

• Continue to pray for the What AWay! initiative and for themighty working of God’s HolySpirit in these recruitment andretention efforts.

• Consider whether God’s HolySpirit may be calling you to acareer as a professional churchworker.

• Encourage your son or daughteror grandson or granddaughter orfriend or neighbor to consider acareer in professional churchwork.

• Willingly and generously support“For the Sake of the Church,” anendeavor to raise $400 million toassist in preparation of profes-sional church workers and todouble the number of LCMSstudents studying at the 10 col-leges and universities of ourConcordia University System.

• Willingly and generously supportour Synod’s two seminaries withyour gifts and with your prayers.

“Ask the Lord of the harvest,therefore, to send out workers intohis harvest field” (Matt. 9:38). Doingso will surely help produce a godlyanswer to the question, “Who willlead us?”

Jerry KieschnickLives Transformed through Christ,in Time ... for Eternity!John 3:16 –17e-mail: president@lcms.orgWeb page: www.lcms.org/president

Ask the Lord of the harvest,therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”

(Matt. 9:38). Doing so will surely help produce a godly answer to the question,“Who will lead us?”

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS