Pastoral Letter of Encouragement
Dear Brothers in Christ,
God’s peace be and abide with you and with all those whom you are called to serve and care for, all the more so in these challenging and difficult days.
We write, first of all, to thank you for your faithful and steadfast service, and to encourage you that your labors in the Lord are not in vain. Not only do we rejoice that it is precisely by way of the Cross that God reveals and gives Himself to us and accomplishes His purposes among us, but we also rest ourselves in the confidence that He does indeed cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. It is in that sure and certain hope that we go about our tasks, not as though everything depended on our getting it all just right, but knowing that our gracious Lord is working in us and through us for the good of His Church and to the glory of His holy Name. That remains true, regardless of your circumstances at any given time, including right now, because Christ is risen from the dead and He and His Word abide forever and ever. He is your Anchor behind the Veil, and He shall never leave you nor forsake you, but shall preserve your life in and with God by the power of His Resurrection.
Though we cannot claim to know or understand all that you are facing and dealing with in your parish and personal life, we are all aware of the stress and strain that confront the Lord’s people and His Church at this present time, as we struggle to act faithfully and responsibly with respect to our various callings and stations in life. The Covid-19 pandemic and the various actions taken by the governing authorities to slow the spread of this disease have required daily reevaluations of how best to love our neighbors in both body and soul. All of this is surely complicated by the wide diversity of opinions on every front, even among wise and reasonable men of integrity. It bears repeating that we are called, not only to honor the authorities whom the Lord has placed over us (in His love for us and for our neighbors), but also to pray and intercede for them. We exercise patience with them, even where we disagree with their decisions and actions, as they carry out the duties entrusted to them by God with the intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and abilities that He has provided them. In the same way, we carry out the duties of our callings and stations in the fear and faith of God, relying on the wisdom of His Word and Holy Spirit, while applying the reason and other abilities with which He has equipped us for the challenges at hand.
As we enter upon Holy Week and look forward to the beginning of Easter, we are disappointed and easily discouraged by the likelihood that our congregations are, to varying degrees, hindered from gathering together and observing these sacred days in the usual manner. There is surely not a pastor among us who is not troubled by the prospect of God’s people being separated from the Ministry of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. By God’s grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, our pastors and congregations across the District and throughout the Synod have been working hard to provide for the continuation of that Ministry to every possible extent. In this regard, we must give thanks that the Cross is bearing good fruits in countless ways, as opportunities to pray and confess the Word of God, to catechize the people in the Christian faith and life, to proclaim the Gospel of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, and to celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper have been found and made available. We have no doubt that you are likewise doing all that you can to maintain this Ministry of Christ in the face of the pandemic. Thank you! God’s people surely need the comfort and support of His Word and Spirit as much or more than ever.
In our eagerness and enthusiasm to do all that we can, there is the temptation to suppose that the Ministry of the Gospel and the faith and life of God’s people are somehow dependent on our own creative cleverness, zeal, and hard work. But let us guard ourselves and one another against such assaults and accusations of the devil, which are not only false but must necessarily lead either to pride or to despair. We are ever and always constrained, even under the best of circumstances, by the limits of our own natural finitude and the frailties of our mortal flesh. The Gospel never does depend on us, of course, but we depend on it, because it is the Lord’s own Word and work at all times and in all places. So, then, where and when He would prevent us for a time from doing all that we would otherwise desire and do, He also continues to accomplish His purposes for us and for His people, including the strengthening of repentance and faith, of patience and perseverance. And to the extent that He enables and permits, we do proceed with the duties of our station, not in frantic desperation, but in the calm and steady confidence of faith, in love for God and man.
With respect to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, in particular, we recognize and understand the fervent longing that every pastor has to administer that gift, all the more so in the celebration of Easter. But we must recognize the very real possibility, indeed, the likelihood, that in at least some locations within our Indiana District (and across the Missouri Synod) that will simply not be possible this year. That is to be mourned and regretted, and it certainly invites us to call upon the Name of the Lord for His mercy and deliverance, and to renew our appreciation for His Holy Supper in the ongoing life of His Church on earth. Just as certainly, we dare not attempt to solve the problem by manipulating the Lord’s Supper, as though it were a malleable tool in our hands. At best, such attempts invite and introduce questions and uncertainty regarding the Sacrament, which contradicts the faith in which it is to be administered and received. At worst, stepping outside of what is sure and certain will create novel and false understandings of the Sacrament. We urge you, therefore, brethren, not to depart or deviate from the regular administration of the Holy Communion according to the clear and certain Words of our Lord’s Institution. Far better, where necessary, to endure a temporary absence of the Sacrament while waiting on the Lord to remove this burden and restore His gifts, than to compromise the Sacrament with uncertainties.
Having said that, let us acknowledge that all of us are fallible men of flesh and blood, that none of us have all knowledge and discernment, and that we will sometimes err in our judgment and decisions, especially when acting under duress in stressful situations. On the one hand, that is cause to seek the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren wherever and as often as possible, that none of us rely solely on his own knowledge and wisdom. On the other hand, it is a reminder to be charitable and patient with one another, and to deal with each other as each of us desires to be dealt with. Where there is a need for admonishment, correction, and exhortation, let it be done in love for the Lord and His Word, and so also in love for the brother for whom Christ Jesus gave His life and shed His blood. God grant that we might disagree and debate as brothers, as children of one God and Father, and as eagerly encourage and support one another by and with His Word. As we are all called daily to repentance, let us be ready at all times to be reconciled to one another in Christ Jesus, and to speak forgiveness in His Name to our brother pastors. It is no time to be at odds with one another, but to serve one another with both the Law and the Gospel.
Brothers, we know that many of you are hurting in various ways, both temporal and spiritual, and that these are confusing and distressing times for you and your families and your congregations. Whereas the Lord is accomplishing His purposes unfailingly, the devil is feverishly and furiously at work to attack and undermine the Lord’s dear Church and His called and ordained servants of the Word. The old evil foe tempts you to reckless pride and self-righteous zeal, on the one hand, and then stands first in line to accuse you of unfaithfulness and sin on the other hand. For those who are presently constrained and prevented from many (perhaps all) of your regular duties, the temptation to despair is poignant. But do not be afraid! The Lord is with you and for you, He loves you, and His plans and purposes for you have neither gone awry nor been abandoned. It is for Him to know what He is even now preparing for you. And to you it is given to watch and pray, to wait upon His mercy, and to live by His grace through faith in His Word and promise. Your sins are all freely and fully forgiven, and you remain forever and always God’s own child, baptized into Christ. Therefore, with joyful confidence and steadfast hope, do and give as you are able, as the Lord in His mercy permits; and where you cannot work and serve, rest yourself in the peace of Christ, rejoice in His good gifts of your home and family, and be renewed in body and soul for the labors that He has yet in store for you in the months and years ahead. It is certain that, whatever the future holds for you and yours, the Lord even now has it all in His keeping.
You are the Lord’s gift to His Church, and by your patient bearing of the Cross, by your example of faith and love in the midst of adversity, the Lord encourages and strengthens His people, even as He otherwise feeds and sustains them by your preaching and administration of His Gospel. We give Him thanks and praise for you and your ministry, for your faith and life in Christ Jesus, and for your fellowship and partnership in the Gospel. So do we also pray and intercede for you in the Name of our merciful and great High Priest, knowing that He is faithful in all things, and that He will surely do all that He has promised, just as He is risen from the dead and lives forevermore.
God guard and keep you and yours in safety, health, and peace, unto the Life everlasting.
In Christ Jesus,
Daniel Brege, Indiana District President
Richard Stuckwisch, Vice President (NW)
David Shadday, Vice President (Central)
Nathan Rastl, Vice President (Southern)
Peter Brock, Vice President (NE)