Forwarded Message ----
From: John C Lawrenz
To: church_and_change@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 9:35:44 AM
Subject: [church_and_change] Posting for Professor Richard Gurgel on Ascension Day
[Note: Professor Richard Gurgel posted this to Church and Change shortly after I made a post. For some reason his neither reached me, nor one other person in Church and Change. Rich asked if I would be so good to try--of all things--posting from China :-) Glad to do it. Let's hope it works. John C. Lawrenz in Hong Kong]
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
(In the following reply to previous emails, I do not speak for Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. I speak only as an individual Christian reflecting on what is going on in our midst from the unique place God has graciously put me in his world.)
As I begin this reply, it is 5:45 AMon Ascension Day. Last evening, our seminary had to inform 11 of our 38 Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary seniors that while the fields are white for harvest, and while the Lord has answered the prayers of his people for workers in that harvest, that we cannot afford to send them anywhere into that harvest at this time. Having day after day seen the gospel fed and fired zeal and eagerness in these young men (which God often uses to call me to repentance when my zeal flags!), it was a heart rending meeting last night as the news was broken. We spent a long time weeping with those who weep.
We, each of us as synod, who have just told 19 world missionaries to pack their bags, have now conversely told 11 seminary students (not to mention 2 of our graduates from our Asian training program and about 20 teacher candidates at MLC) that they shouldn’t pack their bags. Of course, this does not count the as yet unknown number of other workers in our home missions and schools who may yet hear that we are no longer able to support them as they serve where we have called them.
How did we get here? Is it really the economy? Yes, that has certainly played its role. It has taken resources from many gospel empowered families who would love to give more for gospel outreach.
But, funny thing, in Macedonia, that didn’t stop the brothers and sisters there from responding with gospel empowered single-mindedness to opportunities to express love and compassion for the physical and spiritual needs of a dying world. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints” (2 Co 8:2-4). As others have commented before on those verses, people don’t give as they are able; they give as they are led.
Every one of us – especially those of us entrusted with leadership in Israel– has to ask himself/herself how we got here. How did we end up asking so many to pack their bags while telling others no bags need to be packed? While we can certainly urge our leaders to look for creative ways to do more of the Lord’s work with less, haven’t there been many messages that we have been sending – at times for years – that have brought days like this?
I do not intend to paint with a Wagner power painter, but these next sentences are asking you to join me in doing some evaluation of where we, in our part of God’s world, may have played a part in saying “Pack your bags!” for quite some time.
Last January, I sat in an annual meeting and watched as with only one or two dissenting votes (from the all too few who had gathered) the congregation of which I am a part slashed 30,000+ from our previous year’s CMO pledge (with no equivalent pain to our own local budget that I could see). Weren’t we saying, “Pack your bags.” (or “Don’t” as the case may be)?
When a congregation is more concerned that their gym grows to high school length while agape love for souls beyond their community grows short, then aren’t we proclaiming “Pack your bags!”?
When a congregation gives little or no focused emphasis to the Year of Jubilee offering, or does not come up with their own better way of doing it if they don’t like how that offering was structured, then aren’t we declaring, “Pack your bags!”?
When a culture that is Amusing Itself to Death (as one best selling book once called it) lures us into pushing to the side what is really important as we lose ourselves for hours and hours in front of our flat screen HD TV’s (for yet another night of being amused by American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, or the NCAA basketball tournament), then haven’t we announced, “Pack your bags!”?
When I seem to be more concerned that my children know how to execute a perfect lay-up or play man-to-man defense than how to defend and confess their faith, then am I not exclaiming, “Pack your bags!”?
When I am more troubled about the losses in my 403b(7) than the losses to our gospel outreach, then am I not subtly shouting “Pack your bags!”?
The list could go on quite at length – and where it cuts me may be different from where it cuts you - but in whatever way I resemble the members of the church of Laodicea (‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot”), I am saying “Pack your bags!”
Our synod’s president, our Synodical Council, and the Conference of Presidents cannot be expected to shout louder than 400,000 voices are already shouting. They certainly have their God-given responsibility, and for that we can pray and urge and encourage. But it is in my heart, and my little part of God’s kingdom, that I must first check for beams in my eye which, if left unchecked, inevitably puts a strange message in my “voice.”
On this Ascension Day, may we in humble repentance turn to find renewed joy in the truth that he who is risen also reigns and in the awesome patience that our merciful and forgiving Lord of the Church displays for you and me. I know where I need to begin: I need to begin by finding renewed zeal and resolve in the awesome forgiving love of Christ so that in my little part of God’s kingdom (my heart, my life, my family, my congregation, my place of ministry) I less and less am heard to say “Pack your bags.”
Your brother,
Rich Gurgel
---
From: "Gurgel, Richard"
To: church_and_change@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 7:28:53 AM
Subject: RE: [church_and_change] Something to share this Ascension Day from the East Asia mission fronteir (sic)
Dear church and change brothers and sisters.
I've been praying for our WELS leaders. I've been writing encouraging letters and asking questions. I know it's hard--not only for the corporate synod, but for congregations, schools, families, and individuals. Nobody should point fingers quickly. Today I've received--with the rest of you--Ascension Day pleas via Church and Change from brother Bob Gurgel, pastor on Milwaukee's south side. Like many of us, he wan'ts (sic) to DO something.
I wrote to my blood brother in Africa today. He is one who may be voted in July to follow Mark Johnston, even though he has also been in Africa for a long time (22 years) and speaks African languagues (sic). The area that he and Mark were shepherding has some 50 bush vacancies with more members than anywhere in Central Africa. The prognosis after pulling theological mentors from the Thyolo Road district of Malawi is rather alarming. The churches will dwindle, members disperse to sectarians or Moslems, and many will--that terminal word--die.
Someone suggested to me and him that the WELS plan going forward may be to downsize, nothing more.
I thought I would share with you Church and Change brothers what I wrote to to my brother earlier today. . .
Dear brother,
If “downsizing” is “THE PLAN” I strenuously disagree. Different means (less costly) to the same ends. Jesus didn’t say “downsize” when he ascended. With ALL my power go to ALL the world teaching ALL I revealed and I will be with you ALL the time!
Now, a pause and a retooling. That’s okay. But a “plan” to downsize. Nope! I don’t find that in the Scriptures! It’s a concession to people who don’t want anyone to “move their cheese.”
We can train ministers more economically, but NOT the same old way. We can spread the Gospel worldwide, but NOT the same old way. What we can’t do is downsize so that we do the same old things, but less of it!
That’s what I have to say about that. Brother John in HK
