9th Sunday After Pentecost

e-Connector
Keeping the members of CALC connected.

July 25, 2021

This Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 6-45-56) is really familiar. Jesus walked on the storm tossed waves of Lake Galilee and calmed the storm. Jesus performed this miracle in order to inspire and evoke faith and belief in his disciples. However, their response was underwhelming. The Gospel text states: “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” (Mark 6:51b-52)

These verses brought to mind a television series, aired years ago, that featured a magician and illusionist who went by the name of “Criss Angel.” One of his claims to fame was that he could walk on water. The illusion took place at a Las Vegas hotel’s swimming pool. It appeared that the pool was randomly chosen and was populated by random guests swimming and lounging around the pool. The fully clothed and shoed Criss took his place at the edge of the pool. He stepped out on the water and continued to walk across the water surface of the pool in a definite pattern. Cameras positioned with a bird’s eye view showed a person swimming underwater directly in front of the magician. At first the crowd expressed astonishment and then cheered the magician. Criss Angel and the show’s producers hoped that all those who watched the special at home would at least be awed and entertained and in some cases even ask: “Who is this man that he is able to walk on water.” They hoped that tens and thousands of the viewers would become “believers,” that is loyal fans of Chris Angel, who would watch his specials, buy tickets to his live shows, subscribe to his newsletter and most importantly buy Criss Angel merchandise (t-shirts, mugs and lunch boxes). I am sure their dreams became a reality. However, my response was: “Who are these people trying to kid? He is an illusionist. This is an illusion.” So like all good 21^st Century people, I “Googled” it.

It turns out that indeed this was a clever illusion. The illusion involved the careful placement of plexiglass sheets and posts around the pool just under the surface of the water. This system of posts and beams supported the magician. The guests around the pool were all part of the act. They milled around in the water in predetermined places in in predetermined patterns. The swimmers followed a predetermined route that would let them pass under him. Their timing would have to be perfect so they could be right in front of Angel and at the same time avoid the plexiglass supports that kept Criss Angel on the surface of the pool. The stunt was filmed at camera angles and with lens filters that would ensure the plexiglass was camouflaged by the sparkling pool water.

This miracle still causes mixed reactions today. It has caused academics to challenge the reality of the miracle and provide plausible explanations. Florida State University Professor of Oceanography Doron Nof, sought to explain Jesus walking on the water in natural terms. The professor pointed to a study which hypothesized the occurrence of a rare combination of optimal water and atmospheric conditions that could have caused a unique, localized freezing phenomenon that Nof and his co-authors called "springs ice." The experts posited that Jesus (like Criss Angel) had walked on supports, ice sheets located just under the surface of the water. This would have caused the disciples to believe that Jesus had walked on the surface of the water. Click here if you want to read this article.

The Disciples did not know what to think or believe about Jesus’ walking on the water and miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 that had happened immediately before. In the Chapters that follow Jesus miraculously fed 4,000 on the shores of Lake Galilee with seven loaves and a few small fish (Mark 8:1-13). Immediately after the second miraculous feeding Jesus and the Disciples got into a boat and sail for city of Bethsaida. He asked them plainly who he was. Their response: silence.

When they landed at Bethsaida. Jesus performed another miracle. He healed a blind man. This miracle was different than all others. The man’s blindness was healed in two stages. Jesus touched his eyes, and the man was given blurred vision. Jesus touched the man’s eyes again and he saw clearly.

The healing of the blind man was a sermon for the disciples. Jesus assured them that through his presence, preaching and miracles he had touched them and they could see who he was dimly. He promised that his identity would become clear to them when they were touched again. Specifically when they beheld the resurrected Jesus and when they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit uses the words of this Gospel lesson to inspire faith and trust in the account. The Spirit prompts us to see that the path across the water that Jesus walked would have led right past the Disciples. This forced them to call out in their fright. The Holy Spirit inspires us in the times we experience the storms of life or struggle with our faith to call out to Jesus and to believe that the one who walked on water will come to us and touch us. He will calm our storm and he will cause faith in him to overcome our fear and doubt.

US Presbyterians Enact More Restrictions on Gay Pastors

Delegates to the 2021 convention of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) voted to approved a rule determining that those who identify as gay are not qualified for ordination as members of the denomination’s clergy. The PCA has about 385,000 members in 1,927 congregations across the United States.

The delegates affirmed a rule change, titled “Overture 23,” which provides that anyone with an identity “such as ‘gay Christian,’ ‘same-sex attracted Christian,’ ‘homosexual Christian,’ or like terms” is “not qualified for ordained office,” because being gay “undermines or contradicts their identity as new creations in Christ.” This overture was overwhelmingly approved by a vote of 1,438-417 on July 1 at the PCA’s annual business meeting in St. Louis.

The denomination’s leaders also affirmed Overture 37, which requires those seeking to be ordained as clergy to “give clear testimony of reliance upon his union with Christ and the benefits thereof by the Holy Spirit, depending on this work of grace to make progress over sin…. While imperfection will remain, he should not be known by reputation or self-profession according to his remaining sinfulness (e.g., homosexual desires, etc.), but rather by the work of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus.” This language was was approved by a vote of 1,130-692.

The overwhelming majority of PCA’s membership praised the church for remaining consistent with its stated beliefs about human sexuality (reserved for opposite-sex partners in officially recognized marriages). Brett Harmon, of the Southeast Alabama Presbytery of the PCA, declared the overtures are “most consistent with the gospel — and because it’s consistent with the gospel, it is by definition compassionate.” He went on to say the Jesus called believers to give up everything to follow him.

“We don’t need to amend our constitution to make a non-affirming denomination (hostile to gay people who want to follow Jesus in celibacy,” the Rev. Greg Johnson, lead pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, who was among those voting against the overture. Rev Johnson, who identifies as gay and is celibate, opined that he didn’t believe the overtures will remove him from ministry. However, he was concerned that it may chase away gay-identifying youth, who, like he was, still wish to remain in the church. Johnson also stated that actions like approving Overture 23 may even prompt heterosexual members of the church to leave or disassociate themselves due to the church’s perceived hostility towards LGBTQ people. He went on to say that “The reigning cultural narrative is that ‘Christians hate gay people.’ By making it even harder for celibate believers to serve the church, this General Assembly has nothing to prove the culture wrong on that point. Quite the contrary. Rightly or wrongly, it will be perceived as a ‘Keep Out’ sign on the church lawn.”

ILT - A New School Year is Coming

ILT will start it’s thirteenth fall semester on August 23, 2021. Enrollment is currently open and the early registration deadline of August 1st is coming quickly. In this new academic year, ILT will continue to work toward its mission: ILT, an institution of higher education shall preserve, promote, and propagate the classical Christian tradition from a Lutheran perspective. This mission is accomplished by training pastors, scholars, and lay people to live out their vocations in Christ.

There are many important things going on at ILT this coming year to help us achieve this mission.

Fall semester of 2021 marks the second year for the Ph.D. program. This program is providing education for future scholars. Pastors and teachers from many parts of the world and from many different Lutheran traditions are working together in courses not only to more deeply understand the Christian tradition but also to engage in the world today. There will be more than 15 students studying in the Ph.D. program this fall.

Another important development at ILT is the growth of the undergraduate school. ILT began offering an accredited undergraduate degree program in Ministry in the fall of 2020. This fall, ILT will be expanding this program and offering accredited associate/bachelor’s degree programs in Humanities and in Entrepreneurial Studies. This gives undergraduate students three options, each with a pathway to the Master of Divinity degree or other graduate studies.

A third important development is the establishment of the Kathrine Grosen Scholarship fund for ministry students. $75,000 in scholarships will be awarded each year for students in the Master of Divinity, Master of Ministry, and Master of Chaplaincy degree programs. This is the first year this scholarship is available to students.

ILT’s vision statement says: Centered in the word of God and the Cross of Christ, ILT students will be grounded in the Bible, rooted in the classical Christian tradition, understand the contemporary cultural horizon, and think critically in the proclamation and advancement of the Gospel. This vision is captured through the success of our students as they go out into the church and the world to serve Christ and his people.

ILT has many options to help people at all stages of their academic life. Whether it is certificates, undergraduate degrees, degree completion, continuing education, or advanced degrees, ILT has a solution to help all students to achieve their goals.

There is still time to enroll. If you are interested please contact Joel Williams, jwilliams@ilt.edu.

September 11, 2021
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Coast Nisku Inn and Conference Center
Nisku, Alberta

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9th Sunday After Pentecost

He Still Walks on Water