Deacon

I am privileged to serve as a rostered Minister of Word and Service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as a Deacon.  I am also privileged to have been consecrated into diaconal ministry through the Lutheran Diaconal Association.  I was commissioned into ministry in June 1970 as a Minister of Religion-Commissioned in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod so I have served a total of 50 years, all of which I view as diaconal, but in many forms.  God is good and has given me a full and rich opportunity to serve, for which I am deeply thankful.

Deacon Definitions

Role of the Deacon

The Deacon was created by the Holy Spirit in the time of the church’s history known as pre-Christendom, before Constantine made the Christian Church the official church of the Roman Empire.   The ministry of the Deacon was eliminated at the Council of Nicea with the functions to be claimed by the monastic movement.  Vatican 2 restored the diaconate to its per-Constatinian role which is evident in the church today.

Recent Items

  • The Loneliness Factor

    I was at a luncheon that was serving as a listening post for seniors to describe their sense of loneliness and isolation. I knew that the population invited to this luncheon was one that would probably have a higher sense of isolation, but, what I heard was much more intense than I expected. A man […]

  • Social Networks and Aging

    It is interesting that research is showing two demographics experiencing social isolation in such as way as to impact health: Young Adults (18-22) and Senior Adults (65+). I have worked with both populations over the past 50 years and I continue to be amazed at the similarity of the questions raised by both groups and […]

  • An Eye-Opening Awareness: One More Transition for this Guy

    I sat at a luncheon two weeks ago that opened my eyes to a reality that I knew was there, but as the discussion unfolded I began to realize how the discussion, about to take place, was going to expand my thinking. As I listened to the needs of the people with whom I shared […]

  • TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE: LETTING GOD SET THE AGENDA

    When it comes to the human condition and a desire to change, we can become easily frustrated: we think that we want to change … but we really don’t. Paul expresses this contradiction well in Romans 7:15-24: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do […]

  • The Crisis of Loneliness

    THE NATIONAL CRISIS CALLED LONELINESS From “LINKED IN” “America is becoming Isolation Nation. Nearly half of respondents to a nationwide survey by health insurer Cigna say they always or sometimes feel alone, and 54% say they feel no one knows them well. Such loneliness is connected to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death. The […]