Rev. John Bortulin
Tuesday, Jan 24
3:15 – 4:30 pm
Timeless Gifts for Our Time in History
Listen to your neighbor in need. Time and again, they are expressing a desire for that which is authentic and beyond the ordinary. Our gracious God who came in flesh to a world in need continues to come to a world in need in gifts: the Word spoken and read, forgiveness proclaimed, the water of life in Holy Baptism, and true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. These are not symbolic gestures but divine encounters—signposts of heaven breaking into earth.
This breakout will build on themes presented at the 2024 symposium at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. A conversation and re-examination of our Lutheran identity will give participants something to take home for further conversation. Some questions we will consider: How can baptismal identity be continually remembered and lived out? How does the viva vox evangelli (“the living voice of the gospel”) take center stage in worship and in daily life? How can the Lord’s Supper anchor congregational life and make a proclamation both to the churched and the unchurched of the real presence of Jesus among us? This presentation will lead to practical considerations for your ministry setting.
Rev. John Bortulin serves at St. John’s, Mukwonago, Wis. In the past ten-plus years, more than 350 adults have joined the church through its adult instruction class. This has created the dynamic of a large, established congregation with many weekly attendees who were not previously familiar with liturgical worship in a Lutheran context. Rev. Bortulin serves as the second vice president of WELS and as a member of the Southeastern Wisconsin District Praesidium. He previously served on the Board for Ministerial Education, Synodical Council, and as a member of the rites committee for Christian Worship. John is married to Sarah, and they have been blessed with five daughters.
