Supreme Court-and Lutheran Teaching Ministers

It must be the first time that a matter relating to a Lutheran teaching minister was heard by the US Supreme Court. The case was heard and last month the court issued its much publicized decision. This decision has implications for all in that esoteric category of commissioned ministers. Within Lutheranism in the USA only the LCMS and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod choose that or a similar category of professional church workers.

Most of the secular press correctly focused on the “ministerial exception “ aspect of the ruling. That exception said that churches are exempt from certain work related anti-discrimination laws when dealing with officially rostered ministers of religion

My joy comes from another place; namely, that the Court reaffirmed that Commissioned Teachers are, in fact, ministers of religion in the eyes, not only of the church, but also of the state.

That is great for those who teach in Lutheran schools. Without in any way taking away from the ministry of lay teachers it does affirm the particular role in which “called teachers” see themselves and their calling. Even the US Supreme Court said that they are doing ministry in all their teaching and not just when teaching a formal religion class. That is what veteran Lutheran teachers have always affirmed and hopefully demonstrated.

It came home to me at another more personal level. I am officially listed by my denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as an Associate in Ministry. However, in the ELCA I am considered a layperson. Just to dig up ancient inner-church conflict: when former LCMS teachers first were rostered with the ELCA they were given temporary minister of religion status. Subsequent church action decided to not do that. Only ordained clergy had the right to be classified and recognized by the church or by the US government ministers of religion.

So here’s a “hats off to the LCMS leadership for its role in its advocacy before the Court and here’s to all my colleagues who humbly (and proudly) claim their status of minister of religion. May they be blessed in their vital work of ministering in a Lutheran school!

Organ Recital, Memories and Ageing

It was my late friend Les Bayer who first introduced me to the most common “organ recital” of our time. This happens when people of my age get together. Immediately the talk goes to hips, lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs. This happened again last night when the residents of my building at this Retirement Community had a shared dinner.

Then came the speeches. It was great. Each floor rep had to make a speech. This proved to be a challenge for those of us used to just doing organ recitals. Even with extensive notes and much coaching from spouses and friends it seems that names were forgotten, dates confused and joke punch lines suddenly forgotten. It was great fun. And lots of empathy.

And it also made me get reflective. I remember my father-in-law. He was in his 90”s and had always been extremely patient and even tempered. But now I suddenly found him angry and combative. It took me a while to catch on. He was struggling with Alzheimer’s. Facts, data, numbers and names which used to come to him immediately were now suddenly outside the realm of his recollection. This frustrated him. Made him angry. He exploded. I understood.

It, as always, gets personal. Within the last week I sent two emails which contained a wrong date, an incorrect starting time, the wrong day of the week and the misappropriation of the author of a prayer. I refuse to get on the organ recital bench. But I did have to have a couple expletives deleted. And then I smiled and was grateful that at least I could still play a full 18 holes of golf and count correctly the number of strokes.

USA Health Care: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Health care in the USA can be fantastic. My wife Jane just had her knee replaced. This followed having previously replaced both her hips and her other knee. Things went very well. She has the marvel of whole new knee all meshed into her existing anatomy. In six months she will be able to walk anywhere. The doctor was skillful. The drugs worked. The staff was helpful. It was GOOD!

And it was Bad. When we met with the Orthopedic Surgeon Fellow who was to assist with the surgery he explained that he was unable to find any record of Jane’s previous knee surgery (even though it was at his hospital by his partner!). When checking drugs to which Jane is allergic we found that the list we had provided over and over was incomplete. When we tried to contact the anesthesiologist we were told that who that would be would not be known until an hour or so before the surgery. After surgery we again (for the tenth time) gave the list of drugs to which she has violent reactions. The prohibited drugs were still on the list. But we finally got that right and she was sent to Skilled Nursing away from the hospital.

Guess what: Those killer drugs that gave extreme nausea were exactly the ones prescribed for heavy use. When we told the doctor that we had learned exactly what drugs worked, (including exact dosage) that too got messed up. Then the doctor was unavailable (via phone, text, email or tweet, etc. etc.) for 4 days to correct it. Jane’s nausea returned. Then when she was ready to come home the pharmacist was unable to provide the 25 mg. dosage (which had been 2 pills of 10 mg. each plus 1 pill of 5 mg. and would not prescribe 5 pills of 5mg each. And so the story goes on. It was BAD!

Finally it got a little UGLY. I asked the pharmacist how I could ensure that there would be no time lapse when her current prescription is used up and a refill kicks in. The message was clear “You handle this. Just remember that it takes us 5 days to get that filled if your order comes in on a weekend! And we will refill the order only if it comes in on more than 3 days before the current prescription runs out.

All of this is more than anyone wants to read about. But here is a message all need to know. “If you or a loved one is sick the critical factor for good care: Be an advocate. Speak up. Keep records. Be assertive. Insist on talking to the proper doctors. Pity those poor people who have no advocates or who are unable to speak up for themselves.

 If that can all the handled then indeed medical care in the USA will end up moving through the bad and the ugly and can actually be VERY GOOD!