ELCA's New Social Statement

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 12, 2007

Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality Works on Draft of Social Statement

07-165-MRC/JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Task Force for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Studies on Sexuality surveyed biblical, ethical and theological material that may be included in a draft of a social statement on human sexuality, and offered
further instructions for its writing team when it met here Oct. 5-6. A proposed social statement on human sexuality is due in early 2009.

The Rev. Peter Strommen, bishop, ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Duluth, and task force chair, said a primary objective of the meeting was for the task force "to continue work on the development of a first draft" of a social statement. The draft is scheduled to be made available to the church in early 2008.

"The church has given us the responsibility of writing a social statement, and we are working hard to do our best. We want it to be helpful to the church and faithful to its core convictions. Our task force, like the whole church, represents diverse backgrounds. There is genuine respect for one another, reflective of our unity in Christ, but we do not see all things in the same way," he said.

The task force's discussions on the draft material were conducted in closed, off-the-record sessions. "When social statements are in the actual process of being written, things are very fluid," said Strommen. "We are determining the statement design and structure and whether we have something that will do a good job," he said.

The task force is approaching its work from a biblical, ethical and theological perspective, said Strommen. "We ask ourselves, 'Will our approach be effective and fresh? Will it help us to explore the interconnection of individual, family and
society on these important matters?'" he asked.

The draft of the social statement will be distributed across the church for feedback, said Strommen. On the basis of that feedback the task force will reshape the document, he said. The task force will present a proposed document to the ELCA through the ELCA Church in Society program unit. The final proposed statement goes to the ELCA Church Council with a request to place the document on the agenda of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly for action.

In an open session, the task force discussed the actions of the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly with David D. Swartling, Seattle, secretary-elect of the ELCA.

In a separate open session, the task force received a preliminary report on the church's response to "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality" -- a study guide designed to engage members of the ELCA in thoughtful discussion and theological discernment on topics that may be addressed in an ELCA social statement on human sexuality. Responses are due Nov. 1.

In September the task force released an adaptation of the study called, "Free in Christ to Care for the Neighbor: Lutheran Youth Talk about Human Sexuality" -- a study designed for senior high-school-age members of the ELCA. Responses from youth are due Dec. 15.

The task force met with the ELCA Conference of Bishops in small groups on Oct. 6. Members of the conference commented on what they would like to see included in a draft of a social statement on human sexuality and discussed their hopes for the
ELCA following the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church, consisting of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary.

Among the bishops' comments were suggestions that the statement seek agreement on "core" teachings, that biblical interpretation and authority guide the statement, that it express a spirit of "humility," that the statement enhance mission, and that it engage ELCA members to discuss the topics in dialogue. Others expressed concern that the church somehow acknowledge that many members and leaders are "fatigued" by the continuing sexuality studies and process, and that they hoped that the conference could lead in a way that promotes unity, not division, in the church.

The Rev. Rebecca S. Larson, executive director, ELCA Church in Society, told the bishops that the social statement cannot directly address a 2007 Churchwide Assembly directive that the task force "specifically address and make recommendations to the
2009 Churchwide Assembly on changes to any policies that preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this church." She said social statements are not intended to specifically address ministry policy. Instead, the task force response to the directive will be reported separately to the churchwide assembly
and will not be embedded in the social statement, said Larson.

The Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary, agreed, saying the assembly action does not bind the task force to embed its response to the directive in the social statement.

After the draft of the social statement is made public in March 2008, a series of hearings will follow from March through October 2008, which is standard procedure for preparing social statements, said Larson. The proposed social statement itself will be made public in early 2009 and undergo review before it is transmitted to the churchwide assembly, she added.
- - -
Information about the ELCA Studies on Sexuality is at htp://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney on the ELCA Web site. Information about "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality" is at
http://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney/study and "Free in Christ to Care for the Neighbor: Lutheran Youth Talk about Human Sexuality" is at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney/youth on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog

***

GJ - Several things are worth noting - how long it will take to produce a new social statement (two years) followed by voting on the statement; how open and closed session meetings are held; how the statement will not include actual policy.

Twenty years ago the LCA ended its life by having a study of the same issue, using up the last of its cash to do so. I recall the 1987 study's Biblical expert using an assumption that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. (Funny, I assumed the same thing!)

So what is this study going to do when the latest convention of ELCA voted to leave homesexual and lesbian partners alone in the parsonage? The study will be an expensive lobbying platform for one group only - the Lavender Mafia. Roughly 1-2% of the American population is setting the agenda for the whole country.

Each study or vote is advancing the same agenda, with plenty of influence on the old Synodical Conference as well (LCMS-WELS-ELS). ELCA is also promoting youth studies in the name of helping teens work out these problems.

ELCA works closely with Missouri and WELS, the two smaller groups looking at their big sister with awe, wonderment, amazement, and covetousness. The little ones would like to be as big, rich, and metrosexual as ELCA. There are no jokes for this situation. This agenda is surely the clearest sign of apostasy in the Lutheran Church.

Hopeful at Parker High

Hopeful signs for boys injured in tug of war at Lutheran HS

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News

October 15, 2007

Two high school juniors who nearly severed their right hands in a game of tug of war during a pep rally Friday have undergone surgery and are doing well, police and school officials said today.
"From what we understand, blood is flowing to their hands — a very optimistic sign," said Randy Lowe, chief executive officer of Lutheran High School in Parker, where the incident happened.

Elise Penington, spokeswoman for the town of Parker, said the teens — identified by 9News as Henry Barrett and Mitch Helfer — were participating in the contest between juniors and seniors in advance of Saturday's homecoming game.

"There was like 40 to 50 kids on each side of the rope," she said. "A couple of them, these kids included, had just wrapped the rope really tightly around their hands."

Penington said police are calling the students' injuries a partial amputation.

"I don't know if that means that it was completely ripped off or just bones completely broken apart," she said.

Lowe declined to elaborate on the students' injuries, only saying that it was a "freak accident."

The gymnasium was packed with students at the time.

"The kids who witnessed it were pretty traumatized," Penington said. "It was a pep rally, so all the kids that were there that day were in there watching it."

Lowe and Penington said counselors with the Douglas County Crisis Advocacy Group have been available to students and staff since Friday. School officials met with parents on Saturday, she said.

The student body is doing "very well," Lowe said.

"It's a phenomenal group of young students that we have here, very strong in their faith life and that helps immensely," he said.

Saturday's homecoming game was rescheduled for today at 4 p.m., Principal Juls Clausen said.

WELS Pastor in ELCA-LCMS Feminist Holy Communion Service

Chapel, Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Breaking news. You saw it here first. Second, to be honest.

The material below was posted on LutherQuest (sic):

Dennis Boettcher (Boettden)
Advanced Member
Username: Boettden

Post Number: 996
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Monday, October 15, 2007 - 4:24 pm:

--------------------------------------------------------
Ladies and gentlemen:

A former poster, now lurker to LQ was in contact with me this afternoon, and has the following information that he has agreed to be shared with you:

This gentleman did take the time to call CTSFW and speak directly with Dr. Wenthe. He spoke originally with the President's secretary, left a message, and Dr. Wenthe called him back 20 minutes later. Dr. Wenthe was open and honest with the caller. Here are the main points of Dr. Wenthe's response to the question posed on this thread:

Yes, there was an assembly this past August of the Society of the Holy Trinity. The assembly there was made up of clerics from the ELCA, the LCMS, and the WELS.

Dr. Wenthe agreed to this assembly, under the understanding that no women would preach, and all participants would observe all LCMS pastoral issues.

The assembly and CTSFW did not have a common understanding of the guidelines presented.

Dr Wenthe stated that CTS did not officially endorse this event, but they were only trying to be charitable.

The group did not follow the proscribed guidelines: an ELCA minister did officiate at the communion service, with an LCMS pastor preaching.

The Society of the Holy Trinity will no longer be welcome at CTSFW.

The LCMS pastor who preached at the servicve has been referred to his DP.

Throughout the entire conversation, the caller said that Dr. Wenthe was apologetic about ever allowing such an event happen on the CTSFW campus.

Thus far the notes I transcribed from my conversation with the LQ lurker/former poster.

***

GJ - I have been reading about the Society of the Holy Trinity on the ALPB website, where I noticed Paul McCain is excruciatingly polite to ELCA pastors. I became intrigued by all the pastors with STS after their names (ring-knockers?). That is oh-so-snooty for Society of the Holy Trinity, in Latin, as if they could parse amo, amas, amat.

If you look up the Society of the Holy Trinity website, you will notice that they call themselves a ministerium. Therefore, a WELS pastor [if LQ is correct] has joined another ministerium of sorts and participated in a pan-Lutheran Holy Communion service where ordained women took an active role.

Public ceremoney. Publicized by the culprits. This is not an Eighth Commandment case. If the facts from LQ are wrong, post something here or there about it.

ELDONA

Pastor John Rutowicz has left a new comment on your post "Lutheran Monastery, Oxford, Michigan":

15 October 2007

I got home from work this evening and through this list went to Gregory Jackson’s blog. Wow! I don’t know where to start. I think I’ve been accused of being a crypto-Easternizer or Romanizer. I can’t think of what would give Mr. Jackson that impression? What have I said or done that is even remotely Easternizing? But perhaps he means for the Easternizing accusation to be applied to ELDoNA generally. Although I would think the Malone Thesis would have put such a charge to rest.

“It is our desire to make a clear distinction between ourselves and the Eastern Orthodox churches. Our fellowship does not intend to be a “half way house” between the Lutheran Church and Eastern Orthodoxy. We wish to separate ourselves from any appearance of “Easternizing.”

I wrote that because I wanted to clearly say NO to any thought of Easternizing. Frankly, I’m dumbfounded by the accusation. What more do we have to do to declare ourselves anti-Easternizing?

With regard to myself, I suppose Mr. Jackson believes me to be a Romanizer. There is a link on St. Boniface’s web site to St. Augustine’s House, and I am interested in recovering clerical garb and certain ceremonies for the Lutheran Church. First of all, I must say, the St. Boniface web site is not where I want it to be. A good, faithful layman made the site for us, but I have been neglectful in including content originally or maintaining the site. Very little has been done to the site for a couple of years now. I have planned to rework the site, but have not got around to it. The links were all my selections, and I do admit there may be a bit of confusion because of the title “Confessional Lutheran Links.” But right under that title is the disclaimer: “Neither Pastor Rutowicz nor Saint Boniface Evangelical Lutheran Church necessarily endorse all the positions taken on any of the following web sites. These sites are listed because it is felt that they have some value. The reader is responsible for his or her own use of these sites.” Mr. Jackson didn’t see fit to include that bit of information.

I visited St. Augustine’s House a number of years ago while I was in the LCMS (and I did not commune there). By no means do I endorse the ecumenical agenda of St. Augustine’s House. It is an interesting Lutheran location here in Michigan. Father Richard Herbel was very nice to me when I was there, even when I explained to him and the other guests that I had to maintain my separation of confession, and I could not commune with them. And though I could not enter fellowship with Father Herbel or St. Augustine’s House, I still think he is engaged in an interesting undertaking at a Lutheran monastery. That was my reasoning for having the link on the St. Boniface web site. Is it a sign of fellowship to have a link on a web site? Mr. Jackson has one to the ELCA.

I could have explained all of this to Mr. Jackson had he contacted me. I can’t be all that hard to find. The telephone operator could tell him the listing for the only Rutowicz in Niles, MI. Mr. Jackson is free to speculate about my loyalty to the Lutheran Confessions if he likes. He says, “Three out of the first four [links] are about clerical garb - a burning issue for crypto-Romanists.” My claims not to be a crypto-Romanist will, I’m sure, will be of no use to change his opinion of me. But perhaps some questions are in order to gauge the rationality of his opinion.
1) If I wanted to swim the Tiber, why wouldn’t I have done itwhen I left the LCMS? It would have been the perfect opportunity for it. And if I wanted to remain a married priest, there are Serbian Orthodox connections right down the road in South Bend.
2) If I wanted to go in one of those directions I certainly would have done so by now, just for the financial security alone. I make lousy pay working at a camera store, wishing I could spend much more of my time working as a pastor.

I find the accusations of Mr. Jackson irresponsible and bizarre. And would it be going too far to call them slanderous? Well, at least it will renew my zeal to rework the website. I will let all of you decide for yourselves the truthfulness of these accusations.

Pastor John S. Rutowicz
Saint Boniface Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELDoNA)
Niles, Michigan

***

GJ - Such protests! Overly much, I think. I cannot figure out why Missourians de-ordain someone they disagree with. I am suddenly Mr. Jackson even though I was ordained and serving congregations when Pastor Rutowicz was riding his trike around the playground. And I am still serving people through the Means of Grace. I offer the sacrament of Holy Communion at every service.

I list all websites so people can judge for themselves. I welcome debate, and the laity enjoy having some real information available instead of hagiography from headquarters.

The Cross of Life, Corona, California, WELS website was suddent de-Sweetened when I mentioned the pastor's school-girlish rhapsodies over the bilge of Leonard Sweet. Even the offering totals vanished. Poof.

Here is my point about the Niles website. Supposedly these pastors left the LCMS because they loathed unionism. Yet their archbishop, James Heiser, who wears purple at Concordia, Ft. Wayne, put an ELCA member on his board because the man gave so much money for the Repristination books being published. As His Grace explained to me over the phone, "I had to. He bought so many books." I have designed a baseball cap for ELDONA, "It's OK to pay, if you're E - L - C - A."

The monastery! Apostate ELCA and longing-to-join LCMS pastors at the ALPB link to that same monastery. The history? All liberal. All ecumenical. Chapel for Marian devotion. So why commend the monastery with WELSian exculpatory remarks? I do not understand how the monastery advances Lutheran orthodoxy. That is my opinion. This is a polemical website, not the PR department of ELDONA. A quasi-Roman monastery is not confessional Lutheran by any definition. If the page had been labeled Weird ELDONA, it would have made sense. But it was not.

False accusations of slander are in fact slander. Take a number, Pastor Rutowicz. Every time I deal with a doctrinal issue, the Eighth Commandment card is played. I am used to it. Your website is public, not private. The implications of your doctrine are public, not private. The Large Catechism explains this distinction. Please read the section on the Eighth Commandment.

I hope no ELDONA pastor joins Eastern Orthodoxy or Rome. I wish the high-church Missourians would quit slobbering over the non-essentials of worship and focus on doctrine. When the Archbishop features a photo of the Niles chalice and patten on his website, the priorities seem tilted to the East.

***

Pastor John Rutowicz has left a new comment on your post "ELDONA":

Pastor Jackson,

My apologies to you for not addressing you properly. I could not find your congregational web site for quite a long time now, and I assumed you were no longer serving in that capacity. It was obviously a false assumption. I had no intention of de-ordaining you. I would appreciate it if you would not refer to me as a Missourian since I left the LCMS several years ago now.

I accept your correction concerning the titling of the web page “Confessional Lutheran Links,” and then having a link to St. Augustine’s House. The page is poorly organized and I am guilty of neglecting it. But the point of having it at all was simply to educate my laity (and maybe others) that there are such things in the world as Lutheran monasteries, even if this was not an example of an orthodox one. In fact, I am not aware of an orthodox one.

You say that you’re dealing with a doctrinal issue with regard to St. Boniface’s web site. What is the doctrinal issue? The mis-labeling of the links? My neglect with regard to the site? You imply that I’m Romanizing. You put up a picture of James Heiser, myself, and Charles Hudson with the title “Missouri Going Eastern Orthodox.” Such statements are absolute rubbish!

I met you a couple of times a few years ago, and haven’t had any contact with you since. But to the best of my memory I’ve never even had an disagreement with you over anything. And yet you didn’t even have the decency to talk to me before saying false things about me. And for the record, I asked Heiser to feature the chalice and patten that had been bought by an elderly couple of our parish. We were rather proud of the fact that though we had practically nothing as a parish, we started out with beautiful communion ware. My people see it as offering their best to the Lord.

Pastor Rutowicz
St. Boniface - Niles

***

GJ - I am glad you have beautiful communion ware. You seem to miss just about everything I discuss. I don't expect you to read all 500 posts, but try for some perspective. Concordia, Ft. Wayne, has become an Eastern Orthodox factory of sorts. You know it. Many know it. And you know the professors promoting Eastern Orthodoxy.
Men do not study Pieper, jump up and say, "By golly, I'm going to be an Eastern Orthodoxy priest, the day after graduation." Influential professors have paved the way.

Do you expect people to see a group of seven congregations with a bishop and not think something different is happening? And why was ELDONA such a secret until it rose from the sea like Aphrodite? That makes people wonder. So does the overall content of your website. The two trends I see in the LCMS are Fuller and Eastern Orthodoxy, two bad answers for serious long-term problems.

I think of Concordia Seminary graduates as Missourians, even if they have left the LCMS. The Little Sect on the Prairie will not accept a former LCMS pastor. WELS pastors are accused of reading Missouri materials. Missourian means raised Missouri and trained Missouri.

WELS Report

The COP heard encouraging reports about the finances of the synod. For example, Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO) are up for the first three months of the new fiscal year about $650,000 over last year—as a result of the COP’s efforts last summer to respond to the financial difficulties facing us. Offerings from individuals in the Walking Together and Mission Partners efforts, and other gifts, were up by approximately $650,000. Additional dollars have been received due to investment results and a more favorable foreign exchange rate.

Because it is still early in the fiscal year, because some of the increases are due to earlier receipt of some gifts than last year, and because a multitude of factors could still impact our financial picture, we must be cautious about these results. Still, these are blessings for which we first thank God, and for which we also thank all of the members and congregations of the synod.

Download the complete report from WELS’ chief financial officer at www.wels.net/jump/financialreport.

Special debt retirement offering planned
The synod convention received reports on the synod’s capital debt of $22.4 million. The payments on this debt are budgeted at approximately $3 million per year—money which could be used to fund missions and other important synodical programs. For that reason, the convention authorized the Conference of Presidents to plan a synod-wide debt retirement offering.

The COP has now approved plans for this effort. It is our prayer that we will all join together to completely eliminate this debt by the time of the synod convention in 2009. All congregations and members of the synod will join together in the “WELS Year of Jubilee” offering. The effort will be planned and coordinated by the Ministry of Christian Giving without the use of an outside consultant.

The specifics of the offering will be presented to the district conventions next summer. Materials and worship resources will be provided to congregations at that time. The plan is that all congregations will participate in this celebration of God’s blessings, culminating in a month-long emphasis in late November and early December of 2008.

Congregations will be given a number of options for participation. Some may choose to carry out the celebration over a series of four weeks; others may choose a single day as an emphasis. Still other congregations will be given the option of beginning their efforts already in January 2008, using the entire year as a way to gather regular monthly offerings from their members. For congregations beginning the effort in November, members will be able to give one-time gifts or to spread their gifts over the following months. The offering will conclude with a celebration at the synod convention in 2009.

If God blesses us with the elimination of this debt, we will have $3 million annually to use for the expanded mission and ministry efforts approved by the convention. Please ask God to bless our efforts as we respond joyfully and with commitment to the many blessings he has showered on us and on our synod.

Top News Stories
Latest numbers show a change in prep school enrollment
The latest numbers from WELS’ two preparatory schools—Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS), Saginaw, Mich., and Luther Preparatory School (LPS), Watertown, Wis.—show a moderate decrease in enrollment from previous years. Two hundred thirty-four students are enrolled at MLS, down from 242 in 2006-07. LPS also experienced a decrease from 382 students in 2006-07 to this year’s 339.

“The enrollments in the prep system have decreased every year since 2001-02,” says Tim Dolan, director of recruitment at LPS. Much of this decline, he says, is a result of fewer available candidates and decreasing enrollments in WELS elementary schools.

Paul Prange, president of MLS, also cites tuition increases as a source of declining enrollment: “The trend is very clear. Since 2003, where we had the drastic lowering of subsidy and the significant increases in tuition, the enrollments of MLS, LPS, and Martin Luther College seem to be directly correlated to the tuition increases,” he says. “We’re all down.”

To combat these declining numbers, the prep schools are working to show families the value of a Christian education, as well as encouraging pastors and teachers at Lutheran elementary schools to “find their replacements” in the public ministry.

Peter Kruschel, administrator for WELS Ministerial Education, says that although prep school enrollment is down slightly, “I think that we’re probably at the low end and [enrollment numbers] should either remain stable or go up slightly.” Prange agrees: “We have a quality [ministerial education] system,” he says. “People are going to realize the value of it and say, ‘This is worthwhile . . . this is something I’m going to encourage my kids to do.’ That’s the kind of optimistic sense you get all around the synod, and that’s going to help enrollment.”

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GJ - The Laffer curve works with tuition, too. When tuition is too high, people do not want to mortgage the farm to pay for kids in high school, with college and possibly seminary in the future.

Air Quality Affected by Church and Change BMs

Eye-witness...or rather... a nose-witness account:

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "More BMs at Church and Change":

I work on the opposite side of the airport in Milwaukee from where the C&C conference is being held. This morning, I was wondering what that horrible stench was that had infiltrated our ventilation system. Please pardon my banal sense of humor. It must have been that the wind was coming from the west and there was a huge BM at the C&C conference.

***

GJ - Becoming Missional is the Cloaca Magna of Christianity.

In case you were not blessed with Latin courses and ancient history in school, the Cloaca Magna was the sewer system in Rome.

Why No One Confuses Parlow (WELS) with Luther

Mark your calendars for…

“Let the Praises Ring”! St. Mark’s 3rd Annual Praise Band Concert!

If you were unable to attend last year, here’s your chance to get in on a night of great music and heartfelt worship as musicians from the St. Mark praise band share their gifts with you.


September 9, 2007

THE GOSPEL JOURNEY

We all start out at white belt level.

Luke 5:1-11

This is my obi, the Japanese word for a belt worn by a martial artist. This is a black belt which denotes a master’s level in the art. One thing you notice when you instruct people in the martial arts is their impatience and frustration. Many people will ask you, “How long until I am a black belt?” I always reply, “I don’t know. Everyone moves at a different pace. It’s a process. Don’t worry about the people around you in the class. Just be willing to move from where you are to the next step, one step at a time. It’s a process.”

It could be today that impatience and frustration is your take on Christianity in general and Christian growth specifically. You look around at these people and some have their Bible and they are flipping back and forth and they say Christian words and you don’t know what they are talking about. And you say, “I’m just not there.” And then you know some Christians once (theme from the Twilight Zone) and you said, “I’m not sure I want to be one of those. They are speaking Christianese all the time.” You think to yourself, “I just can’t be that,” because the implication is when it comes to the Christian walk: white belt to black belt in one week. You sit here and think, ‘I’m interested. I’m curious but . . . I just am not ready for that.”
I’ve got some great news. That’s not really the paradigm. That is not what is taught in the New Testament. Turn with me in Matthew 4:18-22. At first that doesn’t look spiritual but irresponsible. “See you Dad! Tell Mom we love her. We got to go! Hope you can get the boat in yourself and clean the nets without us.” And the old guy is over there staggering in wonderment. They just left their father with the family business that he probably saved for them.

This was how their family made a living. Suddenly they just go marching off with some guy in a robe because he walked by and said “Follow me.”Some of you feel that way about the Christian walk. You think, “Could you just slow down.

Could I just do this a little bit at a time?” Absolutely. You see once Christ has brought you to fatih, following Jesus is a process of moving from wherever you are to just the next place. For many of us it is a simple baby step. What God wants for you is not for you to come in here today and learn how to spell Jesus properly and then surrender your whole life to him. That’s not realistic. That’s not the normal way God works in people’s lives. What God wants for you as a follower is for you to take the next incremental step as he grows you in your relationship with him. The fancy term for that is sanctification.

Fortunately for us, Matthew who wrote what we just read was writing to Jews who understood if you ever ran into the Messiah, you drop everything and followed him. Luke tells us the same story but he is writing to people like us who weren’t Jewish looking for a Messiah, who would never in a million years drop everything and follow a guy who said, “Follow me.”

Luke gives us more detail about what happened on this afternoon. This account sets up for us an incredible context for what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Turn with me to Luke 5. The story actually starts with teaching. Read Luke 5:1. The people would fish at night and then in the morning they would clean their nets. They would then stretch their nets out and let them dry. When they were dry they would roll them up and store them and then go home and sleep half the day because they had been up all night. These guys had finished their nets and they are listening to Jesus teach. Who knows how long Jesus taught? The people were pressing against him so Jesus says to Simon, “Would you mind if I used your boat as a floating pulpit?” Simon Peter says, “Okay.” So they get into the boat and push off a few yards and Jesus continues to teach and Peter continues to listen.

Read Luke 5:4. You see this story didn’t begin with a stranger saying, “Leave all you have and follow me.” Jesus now tells Peter, “Let’s go fishing.” Peter says, “Jesus, you might be a really smart carpenter but apparently you don’t know anything about fishing. You don’t fish during the day. No offense Jesus but we’ve been fishing when you are supposed to go fishing and we didn’t catch anything. What’s the point of going fishing when you are not suppose to go fishing? Besides we have already cleaned out nets. Beside there is a crowd. If these people seeing me fishing in the middle of the day they will think I’m nuts. This doesn’t make any sense.”

This next verse is great because this is where many of us are – read Luke 5:5b. The implication is, “I wouldn’t do this for everybody. I wouldn’t even do this for my fishing buddies James and John. But, Jesus, I’ve been sitting here and listening to you. There is something about you. There is something about your teaching. In light of what I sense and hope about youI’ll do this.” Here’s the rest of the story – read Luke 5:6-10a. The word “then” should be bolded. Then after they sat and listened to him teach. Then after they let him borrow the boat. Then after they took a chance and took him fishing. Then after they saw what he was able to do. Then when he proved himself who they hoped he would be – read Luke 10b-11. Who wouldn’t follow a guy like that? What father wouldn’t say, “Boys, I’ll take care of the family business. You need to follow a Teacher like that. He’s the One we have been waiting for.”

The reason I love this story is because it is about us. It’s about different people with different backgrounds and different faith levels and different places in their spiritual journey with Jesus. The invitation to follow Jesus is just the invitation to take the next step, whatever the next step is. It begins at the white belt level with sitting and learning. Do you know why the story begins there? Because this is how the Holy Spirit draws us and puts us on the path with Jesus. Read Romans 10:17. Christianity is not some dark hole with a voice at the bottom yelling, “Jump, I’ll catch you.” You don’t reply, “I’m a Christian. I don’t know who is down there but here I go!”

That’s not the picture of Christianity. Christianity is an informed faith. All of our journeys with Jesus begin with us sitting down and listening for the first time about who Jesus really is and what he has done (expand). Listening and learning. And then at some point Jesus nudges us to take the next step. That’s what Jesus did with Peter when he asked him to go fishing. Just think about what hung in the balance that day for Peter. Everything in him said, “Bad idea. I’m going to ruin my reputation. It is going to cost me money.” In his little world there was a lot at stake. But he really had no idea what was at stake, right! He had no idea what God had planned for him. He had no idea who Jesus was. Jesus was Jesus the whole time. But it wasn’t until Peter agreed to take Jesus fishing that it gave Jesus the opportunity to reveal himself which caused Peter to fall on his knees and say, “I’m not worthy to be in your presence.” Hey, Peter you weren’t worthy to be in his presence before. What’s the difference? The difference is when Peter’s little faith intersected with Jesus’ faithfulness he suddenly discovered whom he was really dealing with. This is the stage of life some of us are in right now. Jesus says, “Hey, let’s take the next step.” And you might argue with God as if you are peers. Peter thought Jesus and he were peers. He was going to have this argument with Jesus about fishing. In his mind he is thinking,
“This could cost me some time and money. I’m not sure I can sacrifice this to take Jesus fishing.” Jesus must have been thinking, “You have no idea what is hanging in the balance, Peter. I’m going to have you write two books of the Bible and people will name their children after you. In two thousand years they will still be talking about you. And you are worried about a little bit of time and a little bit of money. Trust me.” He was just asking him to take a baby step. “We are already out here why not fish?”

Here’s where we are. We are all within the two ranks, white belt and black belt; between the two bookends. You are here today, you are new to the fiath, and you are not really a religious person or church person. In fact, in your world the fact that you get up on Sunday morning and fight the Packer traffic and come to church; that is as monumental as Peter saying to Jesus, “Let’s go fishing.” For some of us that’s just normal but for you it is a big step.

Congratulations! You’ve taken another baby step in this relationship Jesus has given you. You might say, “I’m not ready to change a lot yet.” That’s okay. You are here. You are listening. You are studying. You are right where God wants you. You just need to keep sitting and you just need to keep listening. You are where you are; don’t worry about where other people are. God is excited to see you moving down the path. But the day will come when he will nudge you and say, “I need your boat. We’re going to get a little more closely associated. It may be time to speak to one of the pastors and get some questions answered. Maybe its time for you to attend the CLASS seminars or get plugged into a small group.” God is going to want you to start reading this on your own. Some of you haven’t pick this up forever. In fact, the only Bible you have weighs forty pounds and sits on a table. Jesus wants you to pick this up and start reading it on your own. Learn more about this Savior who starred death in the face your you and death fled. Read it. It’s a baby step but it is an important part of the Gospel journey, it’s part of the process that Jesus carries you through.

For others of us, you have been reading for a long time and now for the first time in a very compelling way the Lord Jesus is saying, “Let’s go fishing.” He’s put his finger on one specific area of your life, not the whole deal, one specific area of your life and said, “I want you to trust me with that right there.” You say, “Oh, not that.” He’s not saying, “Die for me. Go into the ministry. Go over seas.” No. He is saying, “I want you to see me work in this one area of your life. I want you to trust me in this part of your life so your little faith and my faithfulness can intersect because when that happens I know you will be different. But you are going to have to trust me.”

And still some of you are like Peter and right now you are having arguments with God. “God, I’m 40 and if I narrow the people I date down to that point I there’s nobody to date. It’s over!” “Trust me,” God says. “If I start treating my wife like . . . If I start giving like that . . . If I start having a good attitude toward my parents I . . Lord, you want me to move out . . . .” God says, “Just try me. Trust me. Drop those nets. I know when you trust me you will be moved to know that the God of the Universe who is all over this book and sometimes seems so distance; the Savior who died for you showed up tangibly in your life with some spiritual or physical blessing. And when that happens, you will drop to your knees and say, ‘Lord, I’m not worthy. And yet you really care about me and we are like this (cross fingers) and Wow!’” And suddenly it not as difficult to trust him with other parts of your life; the next time it won’t be so hard to let down your nets, it’s easier to trust him with any and every part of your life. The Christian life is a journey closer and closer to the Son. At some point it moves from I’m learning to I’m asking to I’m doing. But here’s the good news. When it comes to the Christian life you don’t go from white belt to black belt in a week. It takes training. It is process. You mature in our faith gradually. And as you do, Peter would tell you, “Don’t be afraid to trust Jesus as he nudges you down the path. You don’t know what hangs in the balance – believe me!”

***

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why No One Confuses Parlow with Luther":

Wow. I counted one sentence of gospel in that entire sermon. There's no way anyone could read that sermon and still think that Parlow is a Lutheran pastor.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why No One Confuses Parlow with Luther":

How relevant. Nothing but the law. Just what we need.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why No One Confuses Parlow (WELS) with Luther":

Interesting. The fastest growing WELS congregation is led by a Reformed preacher.

Luther: Law and Gospel - from Thy Strong Word

J-914

"A penitent heart is a rare thing and a great grace; one cannot produce it by thinking about sin and hell. Only the Holy Spirit can impart it."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1212.



J-915

"Now God drives us to this by holding the law before us, in order that through the law we may come to a knowledge of ourselves. For where there is not this knowledge, one can never be saved. He that is well needs no physician; but if a man is sick and desires to become well, he must know that he is weak and sick, otherwise he cannot be helped."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 370. Second Sunday after Easter, Second Sermon John 20:19-31.

J-916

"For the heart is ever hostile to the law and resists it with inward disobedience."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 140. Fourth Sunday after Easter, Third Sermon John 16:5-15.

J-917

"Therefore the Holy Spirit rightly and justly convicts, as sinful and condemned, all who have not faith in Christ. For where this is wanting, other sins in abundance must follow: God is despised and hated, and the entire first table is treated with disobedience."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 141. Fourth Sunday after Easter, Third Sermon John 16:5-15.

J-918

"It breaks in not piecemeal on certain works and actions, but reduces to nothing and condemns everything that reason and worldly wisdom propose. In short, He convicts and censures them in and for the very things they do not wish to be convicted in, but rather praised and lauded, as teaching and doing well and right."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 138. Fourth Sunday after Easter, Third Sermon. John 16:5-15.

The Law Always Condemns

J-919

"I have often told you, dearly beloved, that the entire Scriptures consist of two parts, of the law and the Gospel. It is the law that teaches us what we are required to do; the Gospel teaches where we shall receive what the law demands. For it is quite a different thing to know what we should have, and to know where to get it. Just as when I am given into the hands of the physicians, where it is quite a different art to tell what my disease is than to tell what medicine I must take so as to recover. Thus it is likewise here. The law discovers the disease, the Gospel ministers the medicine."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 31. Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37.

J-920

"This is the situation with him: the greater his external restraint from evil, the greater his inward hatred of him who restrains. His character is in the scales; when one side goes up, the other goes down. While outward sin decreases, inward sin increases. We know from experience that those youths most strictly reared are, when given liberty, more wicked than young men less rigidly brought up. So impossible it is to improve human nature with commandments and punishments; something else is necessary."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 268. New Year's Day, Galatians 3:23-29.

The Law is the work of the Holy Spirit, but it is limited to condemnation and threats. For that reason, the Law can never provide the perfection it demands. Lutherans should be especially aware of this limitation, because the Reformed solutions provided by mission boards, evangelism experts, and synodical officials are all Law, but man-made law at best. Luther’s analogy, comparing Law and Gospel to diagnosis and treatment, is still good to use today. I was waiting with a family while the head of the household was in surgery. A former Roman Catholic began talking about her change from the Church of Rome to Pentecostalism. She was much happier as a Pentecostal. I knew that my chance to say something was quite limited, so I pointed out that the Law was the same as getting an x-ray, but all the x-rays in the world would not cure an ailment. Only the Gospel of forgiveness could provide healing. She brightened up when she heard this and I hope paid more attention to the Gospel in the future. Many people I know would have said, “You have to quit the Pentecostals and join my synod.” That would be a Law solution and the wrong one, as far as the immediate problem was concerned.

Because the Law always condemns, it can bear no fruit. The Law can be enforced on anyone and often produces comical results. For instance, mission boards love mission reports but seldom read them. Two pastors tested this principle by sending in phony, inflated, and hilarious reports for months. They had the audacity to tell the mission executive that they would not send any more reports because he did not read them. “Of course I have!” They taunted him into opening the file and reading them, provoking an angry response unbecoming to a minister of the Gospel. The Law by itself produces guilt and moves people to obey, but they cannot love God’s Law through hearing the Law alone. Consequently, correct Lutheran teaching includes both Law and Gospel, with the Gospel predominating.

J-921

Luther: "The lawmonger compels by threats and punishments; the preacher of grace persuades and incites men by setting forth the goodness and mercy of God."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, I, p. 79.

J-922

"What is said there concerning the servant is true here concerning the pupil. Paul employs the two figures to teach us the office of the Law and what it profits. We must, therefore, again refer to the Law and its works, to the fact that works are of twofold origin. Some are extorted by fear of punishment or prompted by expectation of pleasure and gain; others are spontaneous, cheerful and gratuitous, not performed to escape punishment nor to gain reward, but inspired by pure kindness and a desire for what is good. The first class are the works of servants and pupils; the second class, of children and free heirs."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 267. New Year's Day, Galatians 3:23-29.

J-923

"As for example when we feel in our conscience that God rebukes us as sinners and judges us unworthy of the kingdom of heaven, then we experience hell, and we think we are lost forever. Now whoever understands here the actions of this poor woman and catches God in His own judgment, and says, Lord, it is true, I am a sinner and not worthy of Thy grace; but still Thou hast promised sinners forgiveness, and Thou art come not to call the righteous, but, as St. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15, 'to save sinners.' Behold, then must God according to His own judgment have mercy upon us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 153. Matthew 15:21-28.

Eric Gritsch's books about Luther.

Look for Your BM Icon

The innocent-looking icon is really a magic portal into the realm of occultic, Pentecostal, and just-plain-tacky stuff.

JR Woodward at Dream Awakener has a perspective on success that really helps my understanding of missional. His post "A Working Definition of Success" provides a working definition of what missional might look like. Here it is:

Not simply how many people come to our church services, but how many people our church serves.
Not simply how many people attend our ministry, but how many people have we equipped for ministry.
Not simply how many people minister inside the church, but how many minister outside the church.
Not simply helping people become more whole themselves, but helping people bring more wholeness to their world. (i.e. justice, healing, relief)
Not simply how many ministries we start, but how many ministries we help.
Not simply how many unbelievers we bring into the community of faith, but how many ‘believers' we help experience healthy community.
Not simply working through our past hurts, but working alongside the Spirit toward wholeness.
Not simply counting the resources that God gives us to steward, but counting how many good stewards are we developing for the sake of the world.
Not simply how we are connecting with our culture but how we are engaging our culture.
Not simply how much peace we bring to individuals, but how much peace we bring to our world.
Not simply how effective we are with our mission, but how faithful we are to our God.
Not simply how unified our local church is, but how unified is "the church" in our neighborhood, city and world?
Not simply how much we immerse ourselves in the text, but how faithfully we live in the story of God.
Not simply being concerned about how our country is doing, but being concern for the welfare of other countries.
Not simply how many people we bring into the kingdom, but how much of the kingdom we bring to the earth.

Saintly-looking Donald McGavran, the Dark Lord of the Church Growth Movement, was a member of the ultra-leftist Disciples of Christ, worked with the World Council of Churches, and advocated participation in Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in America.

Fuller Seminary even had a production called "Planned Parenthood for Churches." That title seems entirely appropriate for Fuller.

More BMs at Church and Change

The goal of Church and Change is to generate more BMs, more ex-Lutherans Becoming Missional.

I found this website--Becoming Missional--which is full of links to more BM websites.

BM is appropriately the next phase of the Fuller Seminary takeover.

Troubled Unionists at Church and Change

"We find this attitude of tolerance quite frequently among unionists. It is often used to assuage a troubled conscience, one's own as well as that of others; for the unionist declares that every one may continue to hold his own private convictions and merely needs to respect and tolerate those of another. This attitude is totally wrong, for it disregards two important factors: (a) in tolerating divergent doctrines one either denies the perspicuity and clarity of the Scriptures, or one grants to error the right to exist alongside of truth, or one evidences indifference over against Biblical truth by surrendering its absolute validity; and (b) in allowing two opposite views concerning one doctrine to exist side by side, one has entered upon an inclined plane which of necessity leads ever further into complete doctrinal indifference, as may plainly be seen from the most calamitous case on record, viz., the Prussian Union."
M. Reu, In the Interest of Lutheran Unity, Columbus: The Lutheran Book Concern, 1940, p. 20.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Troubled Unionists at Church and Change":

Reading the Church and Change schedule...last night they opened with "Contemporary worship at St. Marcus." The thought of all those unionists, adiaphorists, and American-Evangelical wannabes swaying to "Awesome God" breaks my heart.

And for some reason they've got a huge picture of SP Schroeder on their homepage...apparently they feel they have a synodical mandate to meet. Wonder what SP Schroeder will do.

***

GJ - Not wannabes, but BMs. They are Becoming Missional, unhindered by doctrinal concerns.

Luther to George Major

George Major

"It is by your silence and cloaking that you cast suspicion upon yourself. If you believe as you declare in my presence, then speak so also in the church, in public lectures, in sermons, and in private conversations, and strengthen your brethren, and lead the erring back to the right path, and contradict the contumacious spirits; otherwise your confession is sham pure and simple, and worth nothing. Whoever really regards his doctrine, faith, and confession as true, right, and certain cannot remain in the same stall with such as teach, or adhere to, false doctrine; nor can he keep on giving friendly words to Satan and his minions. A teacher who remains silent when errors are taught, and nevertheless pretends to be a true teacher, is worse than an open fanatic and by his hypocrisy does greater damage than a heretic. Nor can he be trusted. He is a wolf and a fox, a hireling and a servant of his belly, and ready to despise and to sacrifice doctrine, Word, faith, Sacrament, churches, and schools. He is either a secret bedfellow of the enemies, or a skeptic and a weathervane, waiting to see whether Christ or the devil will prove victorious; or he has no convictions of his own whatever, and is not worthy to be called a pupil, let alone a teacher; nor does he want to offend anybody, or say a word in favor of Christ, or hurt the devil and the world.”
F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 94.

Closing of the Book of Concord

Martin Chemnitz, Chief Editor of the Book of Concord and Formula of Concord, 1580
"We have no intention of yielding aught of the eternal, immutable truth of God for the sake of temporal peace, tranquility, and unity (which, moreover, is not in our power to do). Nor would such peace and unity, since it is devised against the truth and for its suppression, have any permanency. Still less are we inclined to adorn and conceal a corruption of the pure doctrine and manifest, condemned errors. But we entertain heartfelt pleasure and love for, and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to advance, that unity according to our utmost power, by which His glory remains to God uninjured, nothing of the divine truth of the Holy Gospel is surrendered, no room is given to the least error, poor sinners are brought to true, genuine repentance, raised up by faith, confirmed in new obedience, and thus justified and eternally saved alone through the sole merit of Christ."
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI. Election. #94-96. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1095. Tappert, p. 632. Heiser, p. 294.

Apostates Have a Powerful Leader

Satan by Dore

Satan’s Work

J-644.1

"Just as true doctrine is the greatest gift we can enjoy, so false doctrine is the most baneful evil that can beset us. False doctrine is sin, it is the invention of Satan, and it imperils and destroys salvation. False doctrine is every teaching contrary to the Word of God. Scripture enjoins upon us to proclaim only the truth."
W. A. Baepler, "Doctrine, True and False," The Abiding Word, ed., Theodore Laetsch, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1946, II, p. 501.

J-645.1

"Faith is a tender, subtle thing, and we so easily make a mistake and are liable to stumble; but the devil is watchful, and unless men exercise watchfulness, he quickly gains his point."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 265. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

J-646.1

"Thus also the devil is angry because God wants to trample him under foot by means of flesh and blood. If a mighty spirit were opposed to him, he would not be so sorely vexed; but it greatly angers him that a poor worm of the dust, a fragile earthen vessel defies him, a weak vessel against a mighty prince. God has placed his treasure, says St. Paul, in a poor, weak vessel; for man is weak, easily aroused to anger, avaricious, arrogant, and weighed down with other imperfections, through which Satan easily shatters the earthen vessel; for if God would permit him, he would soon have utterly destroyed the whole vessel."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 268. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

J-647.1

"The devil does not sleep, he will do many more such things, he looks around and exerts himself to exterminate the pure doctrine in the Church and will finally, it is feared, bring it to this, that should one pass through all Germany he would find no pure pulpit, where the Word of God is preached as in former days. He tries with all his might to prevent the pure doctrine from being taught, for he cannot endure it."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

J-648.1

"The devil also is able to present to the factious spirits the idea that they regard themselves as right, like the Arians who thought their cause was right."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

J-649.1

"Indeed, more factious spirits shall arise and it shall come to pass that they will not regard Christ as God, nor as the son of a virgin. For the devil is so cunning and skillful that, if one thing is taken from him, he makes use of another. Thus it has been from the beginning, and it will continue to be so in the future."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 269. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

Satan and Emotions

J-650.1

"Satan torments you until you conclude that you are lost and ruined, that heaven and earth, God and all the angels, are your enemies."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 247.

J-651.1

"For that rogue, the devil, has a sharp vision and easily becomes conscious of the presence of a true Christian. Therefore he exerts himself to entrap him, and surrounds and attacks him on all sides; for he cannot bear that anyone should desert his kingdom."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 264.

J-652.1

"When you preach or confess the Word, you will experience both without, among enemies, and also within, in yourself (where the devil himself will speak to you and prove how hostile he is to you), that he brings you into sadness, impatience, and depression, and that he torments you in all sorts of ways. Who does all this? Certainly not Christ or any good spirit, but the miserable, loathsome enemy...The devil will not bear to have you called a Christian and to cling to Christ or to speak or think a good word about Him. Rather he would gladly poison and permeate your heart with venom and gall, so that you would blaspheme: Why did He make me a Christian? Why do I not let Him go? Then I would at last have peace."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 928.

J-653.1

"Neither is he [Satan] truthful; he is the spirit of lies, who, by means of false fear and false comfort having the appearance of truth, both deceives and destroys. He possesses the art of filling his own victims with sweet comfort ; that is, he gives them unbelieving, arrogant, secure, impious hearts...He can even make them joyful; furthermore, he renders them haughty and proud in their opinions, in their wisdom and self-made personal holiness; then no threat nor terror of God's wrath and of eternal damnation moves them, but their hearts grow harder than steel or adamant."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 302.

J-654.1
"The deeper a person is sunk in sadness and emotional upheavals, the better he serves as an instrument of Satan. For our emotions are instruments through which he gets into us and works in us if we do not watch our step. It is easy to water where it is wet. Where the fence is dilapidated, it is easy to get across. So Satan has easy access where there is sadness. Therefore one must pray and associate with godly people."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1243.

J-655.1

"It is not the devil's aim to plague us physically; he is a spirit who is always thirsting for the tears and the drops of blood that come from our hearts. He wants us to despair and to perish from sadness. This would be his joy and delight. But he will not succeed."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1244. John 15:19.

Deception of Satan

Satan works primarily as the father of lies (John 8). One famous author, loved by the Church Growth gurus, wrote this:

J-656.1

"One day I overheard my stepmother say to my father: 'The only real devil that exists in this or any other world is the man whose business is that of making devils.' I accepted this statement instantly and never have departed from it."
Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 212.[36]

We should consider that Rev. Robert Schuller was given a Napoleon Hill medal by the Napoleon Hill Foundation for promoting the wisdom of Napoleon Hill.[37]

J-657.1

"Now and again I have had evidence that unseen friends hover about me, unknowable to ordinary sense. In my studies I discovered there is a group of strange beings who maintain a school of wisdom which must be ten thousand years old, but I did not connect them with myself. Now there is a connection. I am not one of them!—but I have been watched by them."
Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 158. check quote

J-658.1

"'I have come,' said the voice, 'to give you one more section to include in your book. In writing this section you may cause some readers to disbelieve you, yet you will write honestly and many will believe and be benefited. The world has been given many philosophies by which men are prepared for death, but you have been chosen to give mankind a philosophy by which men are prepared for happy living...I come from the Great School of the Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty-Three who serve the Great School and its initiates on the physical plane.'" [Hill explains]: "That is the school of wisdom which has persisted secretly in the Himalayas for ten thousand years...From the remotest days of antiquity, the Masters of the Great School have communicated with each other by telepathy."
Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 158f.

J-659.1

"The School has Masters who can disembody themselves and travel instantly to any place they choose in order to acquire essential knowledge, or to give knowledge directly, by voice, to anyone else. Now I knew that one of these Masters had come across thousands of miles, through the night, into my study."
Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 159.

J-660.1

[Great School's message to Hill:] "You have passed through the Jungle of Life safely. Now you must give to the world a blueprint with which others may traverse that same Black Forest."
Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 160.

Hill’s theology is remarkably void, even for a Church Growth leader:

"Faith is the only agency through which the cosmic force of Infinite Intelligence can be harnessed and used by man." Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, New York: Fawcett Crest Books, 1937, revised 1960, p. 51.

"I do not even attempt to guess the over-all purpose or plan behind the universe. So far as I can tell, there is no plan for man except to come into this world, live a little while, and go." Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 213.

J-661.1

"For this reason one should not be too credulous when a preacher comes softly like an angel of God, recommends himself very highly, and swears that his sole aim is to save souls, and says: 'Pax vobis!' For those are the very fellows the devil employs to honey people's mouths. Through them he gains an entrance to preach and to teach, in order that he may afterward inflict his injuries, and that though he accomplish nothing more for the present, he may, at least, confound the people's consciences and finally lead them into misery and despair."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 322. Easter Tuesday Luke 24:36-47.

J-662.1

"But, being deceived by the devil, we forsake the light of day and seek to find truth among philosophers and heathen totally ignorant of such matters. In permitting ourselves to be blinded by human doctrines, we return to the night. Whatsoever is not the Gospel day surely cannot be light. Otherwise Paul, and in fact all Scripture, would not urge that day upon us and pronounce everything else night."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 17.

J-663.1

"The devil does not rest yet, and hence he stirs up so many sects and factions. How many sects have we not already had? One has taken up the sword, another has attacked the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, others that of baptism."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

J-664.1

"The devil does not sleep, he will do many more such things, he looks around and exerts himself to exterminate the pure doctrine in the Church and will finally, it is feared, bring it to this, that should one pass through all Germany he would find no pure pulpit, where the Word of God is preached as in former days. He tries with all his might to prevent the pure doctrine from being taught, for he cannot endure it."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266.

J-665.1

"The devil also is able to present to the factious spirits the idea that they regard themselves as right, like the Arians who thought their cause was right."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266.

J-666.1

"For every sect has always had one or more particular hobbies and articles which are manifestly wrong and can easily be discerned to be of the devil, who publicly teach, urge and defend them as right certain and necessary to believe or to keep For the spirit of lies cannot so conceal himself, but that he must at last put forth his claws, by which you can discern and observe the ravenous wolf."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, IV, p. 282f.

J-667.1

"On that day every false teacher will wish that he had never been born and will curse the day when he was inducted into the sacred office of the ministry. On that day we shall see that false teaching is not the trifling and harmless matter that people in our day think it is."
C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 88.

Norm Teigen on Christian Life Resources

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Why is Norman Teigen blogging about Christian Life Resources?

I am a member of a congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The ELS lists Christian Life Resources on its web page which I take as an endorsement. I am not a spokesperson for my congregation or for my synod. I am writing my own opinions in my blog.

I see the Christian Life Resources as a self-perpetuating organization without any control from a responsible church body. Christian Life Resources endorses an organization called Church and Change.

A pastor in my synod was accused of false doctrine for his stated intention of attending the Church and Chanage conference. The objectee also, apparently, said that the Wisconsin Synod has a false doctrine in its synod in Church and Change.

My suggestion is for the ELS to put Christian Life Resources and Church and Change under the microscope and advise the membership of its results.

Posted by Norman Teigen at 6:25 PM 0 comments Links to this post



Christian Life Resources schedule in focus

The Church and Change Conference has made a big stir within the Wisconsin Synod. Christian Life Resources is endorsed by the synod, the ELS, of which I am a member, and I have previously written about this.

The Real Womens' Voices 2007 Conference is a political action conference. This conference "will combine cutting-edge, elections-oriented political activist training and advanced grassroots lobbying training on Capitol Hill. We know you have the passion to make a difference. Real Women's Voices 2007 will transform that zeal
into action with the practical nuts and bolts skills necessary to help pro-life candidates win. In this way, you as a woman activist can learn the practical skills to impact the 2008 elections for Life."

Attendees will learn how to be politically active in the secular realm, but they will continue to be vote-less when they return to their individual congregations.

The Alzheimer's Disease Workshop looks very interesting and worth-while.

The Christian Life Resources' National Convention is November 2-4. The host congregation is St. Paul's of Slinger WI. A visit to this congregation's web site indicates that worshippers may choose a traditional service or a contemporary service. The contemporary service is described:

"Our contemporary service features a blend of elements from historic Christian worship and modern music. The very "user-friendly" service features a single theme for the day. It offers opportunity for confession and forgiveness, for prayer, for a scriptural devotion, and for praise. In addition, electroinc media, such as Powerpoint and video, are included to add impact and meaning to the worship experience.

"Many of the services feature our full praise band called "The Breath of Life Band". It consists of guitars, keyboards, drums and vocalist(s). We pray this new worship opportunity will not only serve our members, but be a wonderful new door into the congregation for newcomers. Praise the Lord with us!"

On November 10th the WELS Prayer Institute Conference will be held in Sussex WI. "This conference offers information on prayer ministry. Featured speaker is WLS President Rev. Paul Wendland. Workshops include "Building your prayer team," "Training your people to pray", "Sample Pack of prayer ministry ideas in use today," information on intercessory prayer, prayer idea sharing, praying for our WELS synod as well as various ministries and leaders."

***

Norm Teigen has made many good points about this group, which used to be WELS Lutherans for Life. We all know that Lutheran is a bad name for anything. The initial idea in starting WELS Lutherans for Life was to avoid the evil LCMS Lutherans in Lutherans for Life. Now the original WELS Lutherans for Life is pan-Christian and ecumenical to a fault.

CLR illustrates the problem with parachurch organizations. Synods are bad enough, but the semi-independent organizations can be a nightmare. CLR uses its WELS-ELS contacts to raise money and probably gets Thrivent funds, foundation money, and government grants. Who is really in charge?

Various ELS officials told me that Thoughts of Faith was not ELS. I asked, "Why were three ELS pastors commissioned for Thoughts of Faith at the ELS convention?"

Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise, focusing on the Little Sect on the Prairie and Milwaukee branch of Fuller Seminary, has some good comments about contemporary worship.

My only complaint is that he does not post enough.

Please Ignore Gerhardt's Anniversary...Thank You!

Paul Gerhardt is likely the most favored hymn-writer of the Christian Church. His hymns are used more often by more denominations than any other writer, more than Luther. That is what one source claims. I have not done my own research on this because I hate to wade through piles of Holy-Spirit-drenched praise hymnals to find out.

Below are Gerhardt hymns in the new LCMS hymnal:

1. O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
   
2. All My Heart Again Rejoices
   
3. O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is
   
4. Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising
   
5. A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
   
6. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
   
7. Upon the Cross Extended
   
8. Awake, My Heart, with Gladness
   
9. All Christians Who Have Been Baptized
   
10. Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me
    
11. If God Himself Be for Me
    
12. Evening and Morning
    
13. Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing
    
14. Entrust Your Days and Burdens
    
15. Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me
    
16. Now Rest beneath Night's Shadow
    
17. I Will Sing My Maker's Praises

The synods falling over each other to celebrate Paul Gerhardt's 400th anniversary should hide away in shame. They should run away from Gerhardt as much as they shun Luther, Chemnitz, and J. Gerhard.

Short Bio

Students of Lutheran doctrine and worship should remember three things about Gerhardt. First of all, he tutored children well into his adult life (age 45), enhancing his ability to communicate with vivid and concrete images. Second, he was resolute in opposing Calvinism, but mild in his overall manner. Calvinists loved his services and his hymns. Nevertheless, he was kicked out of his congreation in Berlin and forced out of the city. The rest of his life was very difficult because he would not compromise his doctrinal standards. Third, he lost all of his children except his son and then lost his wife as well.

Please Stop This at Once!
The Little Sect on the Prairie will celebrate Gerhardt's life with the Bethany lectures. Gaylin Schmeling, STM (Nashotah House) will be one lecturer. Once upon a time, the Bethany lectures were given by known scholars, not by the staff. The other lecturer, Carlos Messerli, seems to be LCMS or ELCA. The information is difficult to track down. All his publishing credits seem to be ELCA. He was connected to the hideous Liberal Book of Weirdness and seems to think it was a good hymnal. That was the first feminist Lutheran hymnal but not as bad as WELS' Charismatic Worship.

Kieschnick's LCMS has a URL devoted to Gerhardt. Have the Missouri pastors noted the irony of this veneration?

The Sausage Factory, also known as Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, noticed Gerhardt as well. And yet the offical WELS line goes like this, "We can learn from Fuller Seminary because we are spoiling the Egyptians."

I ran into this article, which is appropriate, comparing "Elvis" singing leading a church in singing How Great Thou Art to the life and work of Paul Gerhardt. The article suggested the next step in WELS-ELS-LCMS Seeker Services, aka Friendship Sunday.

Why Ignore the Anniversary?

The "conservative" synods are really apostate synods. They are more unionistic than the ruler who deposed Gerhardt. For 30 years the old Synodical Conference--hand in claw with ELCA--has promoted Reformed doctrine, Reformed worship, and the elimination of the Creeds. The Book of Concord is a joke to these people, all the more because they pretend to have some respect for the document.

Why praise Gerhardt when the District Popes fire pastors right and left for being faithful? Pope John the Malefactor (Little Sect on the Prairie) set a record in the percentage of pastors and congregations he defenestrated.

The micro-mini sects are even worse.

Are Any Solutions in Sight?

Doctrinal apostasy is now so obvious that people are taking notice. More men will be kicked out, but the synods will still collapse from their own incompetence and top-heavy costs.

I will brag about two women who decided to spoil the Egyptians on their own. They went to a Reformed bookstore in Grand Rapids and bought the fabulous 8-volume Lenker set of Luther's sermons.

Comment on Apostates Crush the True Church

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Apostates Crush the True Church":

You are so right about the advertising. What does it mean to me when I see Jeff Gunn's pet project "CrossWalk" advertise that they basically aren't your average boring/crappy/dull/stuck-up church. So, under what category, dear Rev. Gunn does my church fall under? You haven't left many flattering categories left for my congregation.

The whole thing sets up this false dichotomy in people's head, just like the WELS Parish Assitance survey question that goes like this:

What type of music do you prefer?
a. Traditional Lutheran hymnody
b. Upbeat, relevant, easy-to-sing praise songs

False Teachers - From Thy Strong Word

False Teachers Use Work of Others

J-635.1

"Note the master hand wherewith Paul portrays the character of false teachers, showing how they betray their avarice and ambition. First, they permit true teachers to lay the foundation and perform the labor; then they come and desire to do the work over, to reap the honors and the benefits. They bring about that the name and the work of the true teachers receive no regard and credit; what they themselves have brought—that is the thing. They make the poor simple-minded people to stare open-mouthed while they win them with flowery words and seduce them with fair speeches, as mentioned in Romans 16:18. These are the idle drones that consume the honey they will not and cannot make."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9; Romans 16:18.

False Doctrine Tolerated

J-636.1

"And such false teachers have the good fortune that all their folly is tolerated, even though the people realize how these act the fool, and rather rudely at that. They have success with it all, and people bear with them. But no patience is to be exercised toward true teachers! Their words and their works are watched with the intent of entrapping them, as complained of in Psalm 17:9 and elsewhere. When only apparently a mote is found, it is exaggerated to a very great beam. No toleration is granted. There is only judgment, condemnation and scorn. Hence the office of preaching is a grievous one. He who has not for his sole motive the benefit of his neighbor and the glory of God cannot continue therein. The true teacher must labor, and permit others to have the honor and profit of his efforts, while he receives injury and derision for his reward."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. Psalm 17:9.


God Punishes Ingratitude by Allowing False Teachers

J-637.1

"In the second place such teachers are disposed to bring the people into downright bondage and to bind their conscience by forcing laws upon them and teaching works-righteousness. The effect is that fear impels them to do what has been pounded into them, as if they were bondslaves, while their teachers command fear and attention. But the true teachers, they who give us freedom of conscience and create us lords, we soon forget, even despise. The dominion of false teachers is willingly tolerated and patiently endured; indeed, it is given high repute. All those conditions are punishments sent by God upon them who do not receive the Gospel with love and gratitude."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 111. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. John 5:43.

False Teachers Flay Disciples to Bone

J-638.1

"In the third place, false teachers flay their disciples to the bone, and cut them out of house and home, but even this is taken and endured. Such, I opine, has been our experience under the Papacy. But true preachers are even denied their bread. Yet this all perfectly squares with justice! For, since men fail to give unto those from whom they receive the Word of God, and permit the latter to serve them at their own expense, it is but fair they should give the more unto preachers of lies, whose instruction redounds to their injury. What is withheld from Christ must be given in tenfold proportion to the devil. They who refuse to give the servant of truth a single thread, must be oppressed by liars."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 111f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

Avarice in False Teachers

J-639.1

"Fourth, false apostles forcibly take more than is given them. They seize whatever and whenever they can, thus enhancing their insatiable avarice. This, too, is excused in them."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

They Lord It Over Us

J-640.1

"Fifth, these deceitful teachers, not satisfied with having acquired our property, must exalt themselves above us and lord it over us...We bow our knees before them, worship them and kiss their feet. And we suffer it all, yes, with fearful reverence regard it as just and right. And it is just and right, for why did we not honor the Gospel by accepting and preserving it?"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

We Are Dogs and Foot-Rags

J-641.1

"Sixth, our false apostles justly reward us by smiting us in the face. That is, they consider us inferior to dogs; they abuse us, and treat us as foot-rags."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

False Teachers Are Peacocks
J-642.1

"The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits. For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves and strut about in their gifts, which never are outstanding. But if they could see their feet, that is the foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves. To be sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannot bear honest and true teachers. They want to be the whole show and want to put up with no one next to them. And they are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are. Finally, they have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds; for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up and strengthens them."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 642.