August 2006 —St. Petersburg, Russia   A GOOD WORD FROM CAMP from Leif & Zhanya Camp

(Click on St. Paul Photo Albums to see photos of the Camp’s work and life.  This month’s are here.  More info at the bottom of the page.)

 

ПОСЕЩЕНИЕ—pa-seh-SHENN ee-ye  Visitation

Luke 19:44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.

When God visits, He comes for two reasons—either to judge or to bless.  We see this in the Old Testament, but also in Jesus when He came.  God visiting His people means blessings and merciful grace for faithful believers, those trusting in Him, but righteous judgment for the unfaithful and unbelievers.  As much as we, as faithful disciples and believers, joyfully anticipate Jesus’ return in glory, we can’t help but look around and be grieved by the unbelief that surrounds us and seems to increase everyday. 

     The Church is the body of Christ, so while there is still time, we must bring message of God’s visitation to those still caught in darkness—calling them to repentance and the light of the Saving Gospel. 

We had a wonderful “visit” with old and new friends, family and brothers and sisters in the Lord these last two months and have returned to Russia with renewed vision and encouragement to continue our work here.   Our visit was filled with love and grace. 

A side note for pastors—the Greek word in the LXX translated “visit” is evpiskoph/j (which is often translated as “punishment” in English versions). 

 

An Ethnic Russian Lutheran Church?

Colossians 3:11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

     Athough the Evangelical Church of Ingria is half way around the world from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, I am amazed by some interesting parallels (besides a common Confession of the Gospel): 

     The Missouri-Synod was founded by people “exiled” from their homeland because of their beliefs.  The Church of  Ingria was founded by those who had been exiled because of theirs.

     The Missouri-Synod gets her name from the geographical location from which she started even though she now has parishes in all 50 states.  The Church of Ingria also gets her name from the geographical local where she began even though she, too, now has parishes throughout Russia.

     The Missouri-Synod began as a Ethnic German speaking Church (with the official language being German until 1931) that soon shed her ethnicity, reaching out to all ethnic groups to become a multi-national Church open to all people—reflecting the multi-national nature of the USA.  The Church of Ingria, also began as an Ethnic Ingrian/Karelian Church (which had Finnish cultural roots), using this as a base from which to actively reach out to all the various people groups in Russia.  Like the LCMS, Ingria, too, is now a Church for all, its members and pastors representing not only Ethnic Russians (who are the majority), but also ethnic Finns, Ukrainians, Germans, Estonians, Latvians, Buratians, and others—a Church truly reflecting the multi-national character of Russia herself (seeking not to focus on any one ethnic group at the expense of others). 

Every once in a while some one asks if there is not a truly Russian Lutheran Church—as if the Lutheran Church here should focus simply on ethnic Russians.  That is the same as asking if there is not truly and American Lutheran Church, one that is made up of Ethnic Americans? 

In a sermon I preached here a while ago to an Ingrian congregation made up of Ethnic Russians, Russian-Finns, Russian-Germans, and Ukrainians (with some African Foreign students in attendance), I emphasized that although we can and should be proud of our national heritage and cultures, we should remember that these are gifts to be used to further the Gospel and grow the kingdom together.  When we were baptized we were all made citizens of a new kingdom, one not of this earth, the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Although as Christians (and Lutherans)  we should always strive to be good and patriotic citizens, when we consider our Lord’s call to go to all nations, we should never fall for the trap of becoming “nationalistic.”  All baptized Christians are the New Israel, wild branches grafted on to the root of Jesse by faith—not nationality. 

In this I am proud of the Church of Ingria as I am proud of the LCMS—as many as try to accuse Ingria of being merely and Ethnic Finnish Church, and as many as accuse the LCMS as being stuck in her German past, both stand strong against such accusations and carry the Gospel to all nations, all peoples and all tongues.

 

The Wonder of Water

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

 A few days before we left for the USA in May, the organist for our English services, Tanya, gave birth to a baby boy.  On our return, as the head pastor had been out of town desperately trying to raise funds to pay for the necessary remodeling of St. Michael’s, she asked if I would preside at the baptism. 

So, as the family could not all gather on Sunday morning, Vladimir Nicoliavich was born by water and the Word into the family of God August 10 at Thursday evening services at St. Michael’s.  For this we praise God!

 

Prayer Requests

Pray a huge prayer of thanksgiving with us as we give thanks to our Lord for our gracious reception by those we visited in the United States—we were very encouraged and are most thankful.  Pray that God visit us all with His grace and open our hearts to repent of those actions, inactions, words, thoughts and schemes that are willful and wise in our own minds; pray for the remodeling work at St. Michael’s; pray for the true Confessional unity among Lutherans in Russia as Lutheran Hour Ministries—Russia is seeking to register yet another Lutheran Synod in Russia; pray for the English service, for the pro-life conference being planned for October, for the International Christian School (several teachers attend English service) as they begin another year,  for Pastor Alexei Ulimen who will most likely soon be named the new director of the Ingrian Missionary Committee, for our children as they begin school, for our latest round of document gathering, and for us as we seek God’s strength and guidance this coming year. 

English Service News

Ingrian Pastor Alexander Schmidt and Seminarian Darren Johnson (an American foreign exchange student now studying at the Ingrian Lutheran Seminary) ably maintained the English worship services at St. Michael’s while we were in the USA.  Immediately on my return, I was informed that due to remodeling the roof and the ceiling of the third floor sanctuary, English services might soon have to end or be moved—either to a different time or different location.  Nothing is definite yet, but after discussing the situation with the English speaking members, I have located a couple of alternative locations if such are needed (it may always be that we move to an evening during the week).   The remodeling of St. Michael’s has been progressing steadily, and so far the government has extended the deadline for its completion (the government’s 10 year deadline for remodeling the building officially ended this year).   So there is little time for debates and haggling.

Family News

Karl and Nastya begin school on September 1.  Zhanya and I are gathering together the necessary documents for the Russian government so that we continue to work.  Rumor has it that the laws are changing again.  We have also heard that several people have been refused visas (which makes it all the more important that we can be here on living permits rather than visas). 

 

 

The Law commands and makes us know

what duties to our God we owe;

But ‘tis the Gospel must reveal

 where lies our strength to do His will.

TLH #289 verse 1

In Christ,

Leif & Zhanya Camp

_________________________________________________________________________

Click on St. Paul Photo Albums to see photos of the Camp’s work and life.  This month’s are here and descriptions are below:

 

The baptism of Vladimir, the son of our English service organist, Tanya (many former volunteers and missionaries who have worked in St. Petersburg will remember her). 

Also two pictures of the remodeling progress at St.  Michael's--one of the stained glass door to the remodeled first floor sanctuary and one of the new 4 directional cross that tops the spire.  I sent a picture of this back in May while it was still on the ground during its consecration--now it is in place. 

A recent fire at an Orthodox Cathedral (which began with the wooden scaffolding) will most likely cause the local government to push for the removal of the wooden scaffolding which surrounds St. Michael's.  

This means the repair of the roof and side spires needs to be done quickly—Head Pastor Sergei Tatarenko has been very busy trying to raise the funds for the roofing project (for instance, the project calls for 64 smaller 4 directional crosses which match the big one--each at a cost of $700 to mold and install).  The project has to fit the demands for "restoration to original form" required by the government--so such things, unfortunately, are not really negotiable.

 

 

CONTACT ADDRESSES Feedback, questions, whatever are most welcome.

Our Russian home address:

Leif and Zhanya Camp

18 line V. O. dom 43 Kv. 7

St. Petersburg, Russia, 199178

 

Stateside contact address:

Leif and Zhanya Camp,

C/O Marli Camp

902 N. 12th

Melrose Park, IL, 60160

Russian Lutheran Church Address:

Ev. Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia

Bolshaya Konyushennaya dom 8

St. Peterburg, Russia, 191186

 

Telephone: after getting an international line by dialing 011, dial 7- 812 (our area code) 321-1508(our phone number)

Note—Between St. Petersburg and central US time, the difference is 9 hours.  Stateside contact telephone: 708-344-4472

 

E-MAIL:  lzkcamp(at symbol)mail.ru & leif.camp(at symbol)elci.ru.  Prolife web site with Russian materials you can down load: prolife.elci.ru.  Other websites: Lisa Stapp has set up a website which has some of our last newsletters (with their cover letters and pictures):  http://www.worthywomanpage.com/camp/index.html.  Also my mother's home congregation has our newsletters--the latest can be downloaded from: http://www.stpaulmp.org/camp/  a second site archives our past newsletters since 2002 http://www.stpaulmp.org/archives/ .   Please feel free to share this newsletter with your Church, friends, or enemies if it might help (just please do not quote things out of context or edit my words in such a way as to change their intent).  If you would like to receive a copy via e-mail, simply email me directly and ask!

 

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