Rev. Craig Beaton- Welcome to the Southeastern District!

                                                    Newly installed Rev. Craig Beaton with 

                                            Southeastern District President John R. Denninger.

                           A Worship service celebrating this event was held on September 20, 2020

                                          at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bowie, Maryland.

                                                  Clergy supporting the service included:

                                                  Left to Right- Rev. Lloyd Gaines, 

                                    Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler- SED President Emeritus,

Rev. Craig Beaton, Rev. Steve Saxe, Rev. 

Dr. John Denninger, Rev. Dr. David Maack, and Rev. Derrick Miliner.

The Beaton Family.

 Rev. Craig with wife Jennifer

and their 5 children.

We are blessed to have you in the Southeastern District.

May God's grace cover your ministry.
 

A Reset for Days of Unrest

 

Earlier this week I said, “These times certainly make it easy to follow the instruction to pray constantly.” News of the west coast fires, the east coast storms, the national unrest, and the global pandemic present an endlessly changing list of needs for prayer. I called my pastor, complaining about the internal angst. He told me to keep on praying. I spoke to my sister. She told me to read Job. I did not re-read Job, but I did remember God’s answer to Job when he complained, and I did keep on praying. Today God answered those prayers through two spirit filled messages.

This morning Berith and I went to church (Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, VA) and listened to our pastor speak the word of God using the parable of the vineyard reminding us that the entire parable is one of God’s great mercy and grace. Mercy in calling us at many and varied times to come into his kingdom. You can listen to the same powerful words by going to TLCRVA.org. 

We headed home and I went to the computer so I could go to church with my sister. What a blessing, Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Chicago was participating in a service of renewing creation. Pastors and people from around the world spoke the word and shared the peace. The sermon, based on Jonah, spoke to us, inviting us not to put ourselves in the place of Jonah, but to see ourselves as Nineveh. Nineveh, the largest city of its day, known as a center of sin and evil. Nineveh, a most un-lovable city, beloved by God and given a warning of approaching doom. When Nineveh headed God’s warning and turned from evil, then there was grace and mercy. Then God did not destroy the city. You can hear this same message by going to Pilgrim’s web site. ( http://www.pilgrimchurchandschool.org/church/index.php )

I urge you to take advantage of either or both of these messages that have soothed my heart and soul this morning. 

Each service carried some things that also sparked joyful memories. 

At Trinity, our new organist selected a prelude based on the hymn, “Salvation Unto Us Has Come.” The prelude includes a long passage of solo pedal work. As I listened to the rich notes and looked back towards the choir loft I saw the organist glancing at his feet at intervals to verify their placement. Then I remembered another time, more than 30 years ago, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Horse Prairie, IL, when the organist selected an offertory that also included a long passage of pedal work. I don’t recall if it was the same hymn, but remember this was before 1977, so I can be forgiven for forgetting that point. What I do remember is John coming home after church chuckling about the way the very young, short, slim, new teacher-organist had used both hands to grab hold of the organ bench and hang on while her feet pounded out the melody line. John was the only one who could see her effort. Trinity’s building is an old brick country church with a balcony that embraced the church. The organ, a tracker action organ that was more than 100 years old, was in the center of the balcony and the bench was right next to the balcony railing. Since John was standing in the chancel, facing away from the altar, he was the only one looking at the organist.

Pilgrim’s worship service included the installation of their faculty and staff for this year at their school. They had to do it via zoom, but watching that service reminded me of the opening services for the Lutheran grade school I attended. It is good to see the tradition of Lutheran education continuing even during these days of a global pandemic. One time the service was held at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, University City, Missouri. Dad was the principal and told us he had picked his favorite hymn for the service. Dad chose, “Shepherd of Tender Youth,” one of the most ancient hymns still in use today, for the choir to sing. I looked that hymn up again and will use the 4^th verse as a prayer-

Ever be Thou our Guide,

Our Shepherd and our Pride,

Our Staff and Song;

Jesus, Thou Christ of God,

By Thine enduring Word

Lead us where Thou hast trod,

Make our faith strong.

 Thanks to Journeys of Faith Contributing Writer-

Natalie Grace Hartwig.

We encourage you to find a service that blesses you-

 if you are not able to join for inservice worship at this time.

Rubbernecking

 

Rubbernecking

“Rubbernecking” is what we do         When caught in a traffic snarl Anxious to look at what happened         And who was involved Most of the time it isn’t the accident         But the “rubbernecking” That hinders traffic progress         And delays our schedules Sunday’s Pauline epistle lesson         Speaks of theological “rubbernecking” How anxious we are to see how others live their faith         And quietly making judgements about them Just as in a traffic jam         Such behavior hinders our own spiritual journey Distracting us from our own grace connection         Our own faith smugness blinding our own sin failures Reminding that we are both sinner and saint         Paul suggests we stop Looking at those around us         And look in the mirror instead As we do, the shallowness         Of our rationalizations and justifications Become painfully and undeniably real         Revealing our need for God’s tender mercy It is then that the grace we speak about         Finds its place in our deepest heart Transforming our attitude and actions         From criticism to compassion In living out the implication         Of what the gospel declares Our focus is not what others do        But what Christ has done for all Thank you to Rev. Don Schaefer- Southeastern District Northern Facilitator- for this Devotional Reflection.

The Little Children and Jesus

                                                                                            (the Denninger Michigan grandloves)

Matthew 19:14 and the KJV

“Suffer the little children to come unto me.”

What do you miss most about ‘in person’ worship services? What do you think your pastor misses the most?

I’m quite certain that some pastors will admit to missing the children’s sermon, especially those minutes when the children approach the front of the church. There was one congregation where the kids regularly raced to the front. John (my husband) loved it. He loved the excitement and the just plain fun of leading the children’s sermon. He even enjoyed the moments when an innocent question produced an answer that did not match the desired response. I know congregations love those times as well. Their giggles give them away.

Here is where I quarrel with the language of the KJV as it encourages us to ‘suffer the little children’. Congregations and clergy alike seem to feel obliged to suffer the children, especially their noise, in the midst of the service. Even the more benign translation, let, almost makes the presence of children in worship services a burden rather than a blessing.  I suspect that Jesus was really saying, ‘Come on people, let me have some of the fun, let me hold your children close and hear their songs of praise.’

Teachers and pastors both have hard jobs, however, the joy of seeing or hearing a child accept the good news of God’s love makes it all worth-while. This opportunity is just not there in ‘streamed’ services. 

So come on, children of God, for heaven’s sake, let your pastor know when you rejoice to hear the word of God. Send an electronic ‘Amen’, a smile, a ‘Hosanna!’, or an ‘Alleluia!’ Parents, you are part of the children of God, you need to ‘Give God the Glory’ too. Make sending a thank-you card a family project. It can be electronic or hard copy, email, snail mail, or voice mail. And then, do not expect an answer. Your pastor still has to visit the sick, prepare for the next week, plan for the year, and comply with a raft of government restrictions. But know that you will be part of your pastor’s prayers of thanksgiving.

Thanks to contributing writer 

Natalie Grace Hartwig for this devotion.

Our Daily Struggle

Matthew 16: 21-28

The struggle between heart and head         Is a constant one for all of us What we feel and how we think         Are often in conflict   This was obvious in Peter’s life         His heart wanted to follow Jesus His head thought it knew what that meant         Yesterday’s gospel revealed the tension   It would not be Peter’s last bold confession Followed by hesitance and even betrayal From his call as disciple to the end of his life         Peters heart and head struggled to believe   His faith journey reminds us of our own         There are moments when our hearts are certain And equal moments when our heads wonder         As we try to faithfully follow Christ   The good news is that God’s intentions are always clear         Through the scandalous love of the cross We are embraced by God as beloved child         In a way that nothing and no one can change   Embracing the courage of our baptismal identity         We persist in following the heart’s calling Pushing aside the hesitance of our head          Living more by love than by logic   As we incarnate that hopefulness     We invite others to live more by faith than by sight So they may know the certainty Of God’s love for themselves  A Devotion by Rev. Donald Schaefer Southeastern District Northern Region Facilitator