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About President's blog
 Rev. John Wille serves as president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, South Wisconsin District. He assists congregations with pastoral Call lists, congregational policies, and church worker relations. The District president (DP) also gives leadership, direction, and oversight to all the work and resources that our District office provides in support of the 200-plus congregations that make up our South Wisconsin District. As called upon, he offers personal, committee, and congregational counsel. The DP represents us and speaks on our behalf at the national council of presidents gatherings.
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Thorns. Thistles. Crowns.
by Rev. John Wille :: February 12, 2008 | 
One of the traditions that many congregations have is that of hanging a crown of thorns on the Lenten cross. Thorns have always been an image of sin and its curse. Think back to Genesis 3. God tells Adam: “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you.”
Before Adam and Eve sinned there was no death, and no sin. There were no thorns and no thistles. Thorns and thistles are here because of God’s curse against sin. Thorns and thistles bring pain and bleeding. When God talks about thorns and thistles, he is not just talking about the actual plants. He is talking about the sting of sin, the brambles of temptation. We understand what that means. It’s not only our legs and fingers that have been torn apart by thorns. Our heart and our emotions have felt the sting of temptation. Our soul and even our lives have at times been torn to shreds by the sharp edges of sin. The words of a strained relationship can be like sharp barbs of a thorn bush. Escaping temptation can be like trying to get rid of those burdock balls that stick to everything. Freeing ourselves from a guilty conscience can be as difficult as entangling as our arms and legs from the entangling vines of a briar patch.
Understanding that thorns and thistles are part of God’s curse upon this world in the wake of sin, we can better understand what that crown of thorns that is placed on Jesus’ head is about. That crown of thorns, as dreadful and as horrifying as it is, is not the brainstorm of some sadistic Roman soldier. The crown of thorns is about sinners—beginning with Adam and Eve—wanting to be the masters, the kings and queens of their own lives.
Our Lord’s head was crowned with our thorns because we wanted things our way and not God’s way. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross because we wanted to be free from God’s interference in our lives. We wanted to run our own way. And look at what Jesus takes upon himself because of us. The Prophet Isaiah writes, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
That is an amazing picture of our Lord’s love for sinners like us. That crown of thorns is part of God the Father’s judgment against our sin; and it is a measure of the Father’s love for us. The King of kings wears our crown of thorns so that sin might no longer reign in our body. He is crowned with thorns so he might endure the curse of our sin. He is crowned with thorns so we might be crowned with glory and life. He is cursed for us, so that we might be blessed by God. In the suffering and death of his Son our God takes us from thistles to forgiveness. In the suffering and death of his Son our God takes us from thorns to crowns, from disgrace to glory, from death to life.
Because Jesus wore our crown of thorns, St. James writes, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
Because Jesus wore our crown of thorns, St. Paul writes to his young friend, Timothy: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” |
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| March 2008 |
News from council of presidents
Prayer requests
News from council of presidents' February meeting
- The Council of Presidents (COP) meeting began Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008 in St. Louis. Dr. Kieschnick led a Bible study, part 4 of “keeping the main thing the main thing” based on Bible passages used in Synod convention resolutions related to the witness of Synod (Leviticus 19:33-34, Is. 49, Matt. 28:19-20, Luke 24:32, 45-49, John 4:35, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, 2:42-47, 4:12, I Corinthians 9:18-23; 2 Cor. 3:2-3, Eph. 4:11-16, I Tim. 2:3-4). 1926-2007 Resolutions were referenced with discussion by the COP members. A continuing discussion on "worship" was led by District President (DP) John Brunner around the main question for the day "does our worship style reflect who we are and what we are trying to accomplish?" Dinner that night was hosted by the Kieschnicks at their home.
- Sunday began with worship at local congregations. During council business previous minutes were approved, 18 pastors (colloquy, EIIT, and seminary graduates), and 18 vicars were placed (regular, DELTO/SMP, HIT). A survey on intentional interim ministry to find out who is who is using them in their districts with any questions about them (training programs, list of all these trained with which group, self declared IIMPs) was conducted. After lunch, 46 commissioned ministers were placed. Dr. Kieschnick reported his travels, meetings, updated us through a special guest on Fan into Flame (pledged $28M, received over $15M, checks handed out to many districts, and a check for some $38,200 was received by South Wisconsin. That money is now in our Fan Into Flame account for missions. President Kieschnick also encouraged use of consecrated stewards in congregations of the districts; gave us some information on professional church worker compensation and indebtedness, specifically, about 1 in 5 professional church workers is struggling to make ends meet each month, with the average indebtedness of that number at $45,000 (NOT including home mortgage). As you can imagine, this seriously impacts ministry, worker health and other aspects of service to the Lord.
- Monday. Council business (reinstatements, joint COP/faculties meeting for April with placements, convention action committee report, COP manual report, Transleadership Inc. survey). Ted Kober spoke about internet addiction(s) and its impact on professional church workers and congregations; gave a glimpse of new resources being produced by Ambassadors of Reconciliation (AOR) for this concern. AOR provides seminars for congregations, winkels, and pastors conferences and we may want to discuss this further. This is not only a very prominent, progressive problem, but has tremendous potential for evil. After lunch, Dr. Lane Seitz of the clergy call and roster committee reported on changes in forms, etc. and ongoing studies being done related to his committee’s work. The afternoon concluded with a presentation about the consecrated stewards (LCEF) program, "based on need of giver to give, not on need of church to receive" by Art Scherer.
- Tuesday. Discussion of "specific ministry pastor" led by DPs Michael and Schumacher, with review of preliminary documents on admission sequence, partnership covenant for participation in SMP program, pastor supervisor position description, admission criteria, (working drafts). After lunch Dr. Will Sohns led a report/discussion on "Congregation—Synod—Church" (booklet mailed to all pastors with Convention Workbook in 2007, and available for download at lcms.org). Discussion centered around the background of Synod, the reason for task force (Dr. Kieschnick's cover statement in booklet) and questions like "What is Synod? What is DNA? How it is organized? How it functions?" Theological principles (Acts 15, first constitution of Synod, January 2008 Reporter), Bible study on Acts 15, I Cor. 12 necessary to get to why Synod was formed; and then discussion on this question: Are these principles really applied in each congregation, board of directors, etc. in our Synod? How, or how not? Why, or why not? Referenced for reading and study were: Walther’s Theses on Duties of Ev. Synod, CTCR Mission of God, 1992. Discussion continued around the question: for what reason today do we need a Synod? (shared common values [theological confession, values, held accountable by those who share our confession, work together, mutual help in times of trouble, joy, etc. prayers of church behind him-Paul], sharing gifts, mission of God?)
- Wednesday. Blue ribbon task force for structure and governance (BRTFSG) plans and timeline were presented. This includes leadership interviews by a consulting firm, drafts of preliminary proposals, report of the BRTFSG to the church in June/July of 2008, discussion at the theological convocation in St. Louis, August 18-20, further discussion with each district board of directors in the fall, 2 hours at each District convention during 2009, 2010 delegate caucuses in December 2009, January/February 2010, feedback at all these meetings, and then the 2010 Synod convention, Houston, Texas, July (9), 10-17, which includes two extra days at the front end to consider and decide this one matter. All pastors, congregations, circuits, etc. are invited and encouraged to study this for discussion and feedback. Theme is "One People: Forgiven." All delegates, DPs, VPs and 5 board of directors members meet in regional caucuses December 2009 to February 2010) and will need to be prepared to attend and willing to attend that meeting also. The theological convocation will feature worship at Old Trinity in St. Louis, a keynote address by Dr. Sam Nafzger, presentation by DP Bob Newton, and discussion at tables facilitated by COP members. The convocation will begin with lunch on Monday. Dr. Loren Kramer will hold orientation on Monday morning. At close, Dr. Kieschnick will speak. We then concluded with council business, which included information on recognized service organizations [300], Synod bylaws regarding them, and the role of DPs related to their "review" and beginning of their status; commissioned minster placement process was reviewed and given by Dr. Hartwig. Executive session. We thanked the committee of 5 and the committee of 4 for their faternal discussions and reconciliation achieved and asked them to move forward toward further reconciliation regarding the "Baue report" on delegate exceptions prior to the 2007 Synod convention. Also reported from all 35 districts were: congregations calling sole pastors 329; calling assistant/associate pastors 77; calling senior pastors 45; total 451; non-calling vacancies 431; total vacancies: 882; candidates being requested at this time 136, with 240 estimated as being available from the seminaries.
Much peace and many blessings!
President John C. Wille
South Wisconsin District
Prayer requests
Please keep in your prayers/petitions:
- Lisa McMiller, wife of Rev. Dan McMiller as she recovers from surgery
- Gail Groth, wife of Rev. David Groth as she under goes cancer treatments
- The son of Attorney Walter Tesch as he is hospitalized
- Rev. Marv Ahlborn and family on the death of his wife Helen
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