Fall, 1985 - Do You Know Where Your Doctrine Is?

Paul Kelm, WELS Church Growth Guru,
Now Becoming Missional

Reading old issues of TELL is like finding the archives of the KGB. Do you know the difference between a KGB agent and a CG guru? ... You can negotiate with the KGB.

The old gang was certainly populating the pathetic little hand-out called TELL (The Evangelism Life-Line). The newsletter was started specifically to promote the Church Growth Movement of Fuller Seminary.

"The publication TELL ('The Evangelism Life Line') has been inaugurated to promote the cause of church growth."
Ernst H. Wendland, "Church Growth Theology," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, April, 1981, 78, p. 105.

"TELL has served the church faithfully for 15 years. Three editors have served; Ronald Roth (1977-84), Paul Kelm (1985-88), and the undersigned since 1989...The lead article in the first issue of TELL was titled 'Church Growth - Worthwhile for WELS.'...The author of this article in April 1988 issue of TELL concludes, 'It's obvious by now that I believe we in WELS can profit greatly from the writings of the church-growth leaders.' ... TELL as a separate publication ends with this issue. Nevertheless, the focus of The Evangelism Life Line will continue for years to come as an integral part of the new Board for Parish Services journal - PARISH LEADERSHIP.
Rev. Robert Hartman, TELL (WELS Evangelism) Summer, 1992.


The future of WELS (and Missouri) is foreshadowed in each issue. As noted just before, Reuel Schulz was promoting Fuller Pentecostal C. Peter Wagner 27 years ago. Valleskey was writing for the newsletter. So was Paul Kelm, who edited some years, including this one.

Let me run through the Fall, 1985 issue of TELL. Readers will see why WELS is in such deep yogurt today.

1. Paul Kelm published his classic "Evangelism Upside Down" article. He quoted Valleskey, argued for the Felt Needs approach of Fuller Seminary, and solemnly declared, "What must I do to be saved? is not the burning question of the masses" Listen to this howler, the conclusion: "Upside-down evangelism follows the path of least resistance to the God of gracious acceptance."
   
2. Joel Gerlach wrote for this issue. No one promoted Church Growth more than Gerlach. He especially favored "making disciples." Yes, he went to Fuller Seminary.
   
3. Paul Kelm, as editor of TELL, wrote about Friendship Evangelism, as suggested by another Fuller Seminary student, Norm Berg.
   
4. Norm Berg deserves his own bullet. Berg championed Felt Needs, which proved to be a major belly flop for WELS. My favorite Berg enthusiasm was, "The pastor in New York City is trained to give classes in stress relief." Berg was sure that would bring the prospects in the door. They closed that mission too, after spending tons of money.
   
5. Daniel Schmelzer wrote his own article on Felt Needs. He enthused about the New Mode missions, which Norm Berg loved so dearly. Schmelzer wrote with the authority of the Scribes and the Pharisees, "Put your confessional six-shooter in its holster for the time being and be willing to listen." And... "Don't brush aside felt needs simply because statements contrary to Scripture are made." [GJ - Maybe this has dawned on most TELL readers - the newsletter was consistently contrary to the Word of God and the Confessions. Doggedly contrary.]

Cheer Up - They Gave Kelm a Job, One of Several in Promoting Reformed Doctrine
Ron Roth (who has been taking stewardship down the drain for years) cheerfully reported in the Winter, 1985 issue that WELS made Kelm the fulltime executive secretary for evangelism.

Roth wrote these prophetic words: "Only God knows what will be the effcts of a fulltime secretary for evangelism in WELS. This much I know. The effects will be related directly to how much, how wisely and how enthusiastically you and I make use of this new God-given resource. Welcome to the team Paul!"

Kelm saw the tremendous growth of The Love Shack employees. That was the only thing growing in WELS during the Kelm years. Membership tumbled, perhaps because the true Church is built on the Word, not Enthusiasm. Kelm got himself into serious trouble, but his Fuller friends bailed him out many times. He seemed to be so far gone that everyone thought he was going toward the light. But wait, WELS made him Spiritual Renewal Project director. And he taught a required course at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Everyone had to read Reformed literature to graduate from a WELS college. No, WLC is not WELS unless they are raising funds for it.

Sidebar: brother Dan Kelm became famous for his Willow Creek-like service in Indianapolis. I admit helping his fame by printing the newspaper article in Christian News. Soon Dan was in the LCMS, which is a little bolder about its false doctrine.

Paul Kelm serving as the Pastor of Discipleship at the WELS CG congregation, DePere in Wisconsin. Someone else is the Life Coach. Do those titles ever get confused?

Kelm earned a D.Min. from Concordia Seminary, so he is being called Dr. now.

C. Peter Wagner, Pentecostal Baptist - Early Guru for WELS Church Growth

C. Peter Wagner was an early guru for Church Growth - among the WELS leaders. The very first issues of TELL were praising Wagner. That was more than 27 years ago.

On my lap is a copy of TELL from 1980. In the issue is a book review of a C. Peter Wagner book. Reuel Schulz, a WELS pastor, began his review with these chilling words:

"For several years I've been a Peter Wagner fan." Several years! That means Wagner was sowing his Pentecostal weed seeds in WELS 30 years ago. Three decades. "Game over, man. Game over!" as Bill Paxton once said.

Schulz also recommended more Wagner books, ending his review with "Read these books and you might become a Wagner fan too."

Another fan of Wagner - David Valleskey. What did Valleskey and Schulz have in common? Oh yes, both went to Fuller Seminary. Both wrote for TELL. Valleskey recommended Wagner books in his article in The Northwestern Lutheran (before it became FIC).

WELS has had a number of Pentecostal outbreaks among its clergy, especially those in world and American missions (Valleskey territory). Randy Cutter is healing the sick Pentecostally in Florida right now.

Ft. Wayne Seminary produces Eastern Orthodox clergy, while Mequon makes disciples of Wagner. Could the seminary professors be responsible?

Where is the doctrinal discipline? A Missouri DP hands out free copies of Reggie McNeal. Can anyone imagine a Lutheran DP handing out copies of Luther and saying, "You really need to read this."

BM - Painful at Times, Says WELS Leader

By Dr. John E. Bauer, Editor
Reggie McNeal, not a Lutheran, pictured above.

A Singular Lack of Repentance

By now, readers may be aware that the 3rd annual Church Door Symposium was cancelled after WELS district presidents actively discouraged pastors in their districts from attending. Not one, but three guest speakers were to have shared their insights and the results of their research and experience. One was a Baptist and two were from the LCMS. The 2005 Symposium hosted Dr. Reggie McNeal, a nationally known Baptist author. At the fall 2005 Church and Change Conference, Dr. Leonard Sweet, a Methodist, was the keynote speaker. In the spring of 2005 a Baptist author spoke at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary as part of the Home Mission Seminar.

In those events that were held, the parameters for the presentations were clearly outside the “framework of fellowship.” In all cases, the expertise of the outside speakers was of great value and they were warmly received. In no case was there a misunderstanding about the doctrinal differences between the hosts and the speakers. As the COP report indicated, these speakers were properly used.

To say that these speakers were “not well received” is not accurate. In fact, representative district presidents and seminary professors were at all of these events. They spoke well of the events and the insights that were gained from listening to the speakers.

But to say that they were well received would not support the conclusion of the COP argument, namely, that the “continuation and increase of such outside speakers is leading to making it unhealthy for the synod.” One has to wonder what is unhealthy about having speakers share their expertise in matters outside the framework of fellowship, especially when they were all received with high praise and appreciation. What appears to actually be the case is that certain parties who
have never attended such symposia or conferences have prejudged the presence of such speakers as being in and of itself a violation of the doctrinal principles of fellowship. Without taking the time to think through such things as audience, topic,context, purpose, setting, etc., reactions often seem to be based on personal and individual impressions. Rather than engage in brotherly discussion, emails and letters fly about that label individuals “and their ilk” as “heretics,” even when the purpose of the presentation is of a non-doctrinal nature. Is this the “sensitivity” that is spoken of in the report—a sensitivity that is based on an inadequate understanding of the doctrine of church fellowship and a narrow interpretation of how it should be applied?

Much of the confusion comes from the fact that it is a matter of judgment as to which speakers might be acceptable and which are not. However, it is never clear whose judgment should prevail. The correspondence from some pastors and district presidents urging that the Church Door Symposium be cancelled was more than outweighed by the outrage expressed by other pastors following the Symposium’s cancellation.

Can this report really be saying that the COP can’t find fault with the practice itself on doctrinal grounds, but finds it unhealthy because a number of individuals have their sensitivities offended? Readers are again urged to read the article in the Christmas 2005 issue of CHARIS entitled “What the Scriptures Say About Christian Liberty.”

But consider the nature of the symposia and conferences that have come under attack and which seem to be goading church leaders into becoming more and more prohibitive. These events are offered on the well-founded assumption that attendees are spiritually mature and biblically literate. The audiences are comprised largely of pastors and lay leaders in the WELS fellowship. These are not impressionable undergraduates or theologically naïve laypeople. These audiences are comprised of the very people who are in the best position to discern truth from error, to take what is wholesome and beneficial, and to recognize if something said doesn’t jibe with WELS doctrine and to challenge it.

The context for such symposia is clearly academic in nature. Analyzing and evaluating ideas about ministry is consistent with what think tanks, institutes, colleges, and seminaries are supposed to do. The topics are carefully chosen to avoid direct instruction in doctrine, but are rather selected to explore issues and challenges that face the church. The audience is comprised of theologically trained pastors and teachers, along with spiritually mature lay leaders. The expectation is that they are capable of discernment and good judgment. The purpose of such events is to help churches carry out their ministries, not to alter doctrine. To that end, church leaders participate with the expectation that they are getting from the event what they paid for. If they are disappointed, or offended, then they don’t attend. How sad that we have devolved to such a level of mistrust, that brothers in the ministry don’t have confidence in each other to exercise appropriate discernment. How sad that the WELS has been reduced to factional mistrust instead of collegial respect. How odd it is that some of the “strongest” voices in the Synod are making the greatest appeal to their “weakness.” And how sad it is that we can’t trust pastors and professors to properly engage with the authors of the very books that are sold to untrained laypeople at Northwestern Publishing House.

College Qua College

These distortions of the church fellowship principle raise a larger issue regarding the nature and qualities of a college that identifies itself as distinctively Lutheran. What are the attributes of a Lutheran institution of higher education? What are the means and methods by which it educates its students and extends its educational mission into programs and services for its larger constituencies? A college is a place in which students explore and examine ideas, develop reasoning skills, cultivate the ability to communicate ideas, reason scientifically, think critically, argue logically, and grow in appreciation for the arts and humanities. In a Christian college, this is done in the context of the Bible as the ultimate source of truth, but not the only source of all truth. In a Lutheran college, this is conducted within the parameters set by the Lutheran confessional writings. Wisconsin Lutheran College in particular expresses this commitment by saying that “education is inseparable from religion, that all knowledge in all areas of human thought and endeavor is worthy of inquiry when viewed in the light of human sin and divine grace.”

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The whining in 2005 worked well. Church and Change had their conference October 15th.

LCMS BMs

From John Whaley:

Mt. Olive Lutheran Ministries hosted Circuit 18's Convocation Sunday, January 22nd. A good number of churches from the Silicon Valley came to hear President Newton share his vision of the ministry for the CNH District. He continued to speak on the theme from Jeremiah 29. In addition, the group spent time in discussion around the six realities facing the church today as identified by Reggie McNeal in his book, The Present Future. As experienced in other convocations this year, lively discussions ensued.

Try Not To Gag

Present Future: A Book a Lot of People are Reading


Why is President Newton giving away copies of Present Future to everyone he meets? Perhaps it's because Reggie McNeal has touched on the jugular when it comes to where the church needs to be as it attempts to minister in our world.

Reggie McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas. Written for congregational leaders, pastors, and staff leaders, The Present Future captures the urgency of a future that is literally now upon us, in a thoughtful, vigorous way. It is filled with examples of leaders and churches who are emerging into a new identity and purpose, and rediscovering the focus of their mission within new spiritual dimensions.

Get your copy. . .

Your Daily BM

Becoming Missional Logo

House Church Blog:

From Reggie McNeal’s book (The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church):

The Pharisees' evangelism strategy sounds eerily familar. Their approach to sharing God was, "Come and get it!"...Jesus' evangelism strategy directly challenged the Pharisees' approach. Instead of "Come and get it!" it was "Go get'em!" p. 28
Jesus' strategy was to go where people were already hanging out. This is why he went to weddings, parties, and religious feast day celebrations...Taking the gospel to the streets means we need church where people are already hanging out. We need a church in every mall, every Wal-Mart supercenter, every Barnes and Noble. p. 35

Bottom line: we've got to take the gospel to the streets. This is the only appropriate missional response to the collapse of the church culture. I am not talking about short forays into port off of the cruise ship. I am speaking of an intentional 24/7 church presence in the community, not tied to church real estate: (rather) office building, malls, school campuses, sports complexes, storefronts, homes, apartment buildings, and community centers. We need to go where people are already hanging out and be prepared to have conversations with them about the great love of our lives. This will require our shifting our efforts from growing churches into transforming communities.

They're not coming to us. We've got to go to them.

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WELS Official apostate lobbyists, Church and Change, are huge fans of Reggie McNeal and Becoming Missional. Huge.

Episcopal House of Bishops

Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop

Posted by David Virtue on 2007/10/6 5:40:00 (3554 reads)

NO SHAME IN EPISCOPAL CHURCH HOUSE OF BISHOPS

Commentary

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/6/2007

While observing the Episcopal House of Bishops in action from the bleachers at the Intercontinental Hotel in New Orleans recently, I was struck by the fact that before me were a group of mostly white males playing out the moral delusions of the 60's as they head towards retirement in the early decades of the 21st century.

What struck me most was that, in the absence of any notion of personal sin (except perhaps child and female abuse), the idea of sin, and therefore shame, was entirely absent. Sin is now cast mostly in terms of racism and homophobia and Global South Primates who can't quite get with the program that the Episcopal Church and Mother Schori know best about how the whole Anglican Communion should be run, if only it could be let loose to run (read ruin) it.

Mercifully, that is not now going to happen. The Global South has awakened to the truth that North American bishops, like the proverbial emperors, have no ecclesiastical clothes, and what they wear has been tainted by so much sin that Joseph's coat of many colors would make better vestments, even after they have been dry cleaned a few times.

One could not help but notice the over bearing presence of Jo Mo Doss, the former worthless Bishop of New Jersey, striding around like he owned the place. He was tossed out of the diocese for, among other things, being a racist according to the Black Caucus of priests in the diocese. Compounding the outrage was a $1.5 million payout engineered by former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and the promise that the diocese would not hire a new bishop until the retirement date of Doss kicked in.

In the back pews of the HOB sat former Utah bishop Otis Charles looking hollow and gaunt, much like his morality. He and his male partner have five former marriages between them...and now they have each other. No shame there.

In the middle of the episcopal circus sits Vickie Gene Robinson dressed in Hawaiian shirt grinning at everyone, ready and waiting to pounce on anyone who even dares to suggest that his sexual behavior is bringing the Anglican Communion down around its ears. Naturally, he took a swipe at Rowan Williams, the titular head of the whole communion, accusing him of "dehumanizing" gays and lesbians, telling him in no uncertain terms exactly what was on his mind and heart. Never mind that in the entire history of Canterbury archbishops no one has cut sodomites more slack to engage in anal sex, presuming it is being done in a committed relationship. No point in letting an opportunity slip by without whacking your only solid friend in Lambeth Palace, now is there.

Then of course there is Charles Bennison, the idiot, sociopathic Bishop of Pennsylvania, who faces civil and ecclesiastical charges ranging from fraud to financial mismanagement of the diocese. He was the ONLY bishop to vote against the final resolution because he just had to be honest with himself about letting sodomite priests practice their behavior without fear of Episcopal inhibition and sexual curtailment. I never saw the giant bear hug Vickie must have given him, but I'm sure there must have been one. A missed photo op for sure.

Then there is Tom Shaw, Bishop of Massachusetts dressed appropriately in black monkish robes. His chaplain, a younger look-alike version of himself, is appropriately following his "master" around with a funny grin on his face, while Shaw engages his former female suffragan Bishop Barbara Harris in "deep" conversation about whatever.

There are other sodomite bishops of course, but they won't come out of the closet to support Gene. Why should they, Gene is doing all the heavy lifting for them. No need to spoil a good thing. Stay under the radar screen, Gene is doing great PR for the cause. They can cheer him along from the sidelines collecting huge pensions when they come to retire with their lovers to Mexico or wherever the dollar is still worth something.

And then of course there is Mother Schori who treats them all like a schoolmistress dealing with a bunch of recalcitrant schoolboys. The only thing missing is a large primeval (British-made) cane she can wield to whack those who get out of line about MDG's or for daring to suggest that the Great Commission might have something to do with saving souls, which might be necessary if there is to be an Episcopal Church a decade from now.

In the meantime, there are lots of papers to be written, more communiques to be handed out, more shuffle to be done, more spin to be spun, more bribes to African bishops to be made, more "mission" gabfests to attend at expensive hotels courtesy of the Episcopal Church's proxy sister, Trinity Church Wall Street, and dead men's money to be spent to keep the church afloat and law firms to pay.

After all the show must go on (and there is no shame in that) even if there is only the HOB in attendance and the lights have gone up to reveal an empty auditorium.

Willow Creek Effect

Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church aka Lutheran Training Academy

wantingthemountainstofallonme has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Story and Parody":

I was not only alarmed and confused when my former WELS pastor and leaders of that church were attending Willow Creek for seminars and sessions. Why would they want to sit at the feet of mockers and even subject themselves to false teachers I wondered? Even that pastor said if you went to a Willow Creek Service you would say (quote to the best of my memory) "these people are devoid of the Gospel, there is no solid teaching there. But the zeal these people have is amazing." I just remember him saying "their zeal, their zeal!" as if he were bitten by the AMWAY bug. (if youv'e ever met someone smitten with the AMWAY eyes you'll know what I mean. It was truely frieghtening fo rme to see. My stomach was really starting to tweek and twitter. The internal alarm in me (my conscience, discernment?) was really convicting me. I left the chruch shortly after.

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GJ - Ditto. Wally Oelhaven, trained at Fuller Seminary, head of the Michigan WELS mission board, wanted Lutherans to be as enthusiastic as the Reformed.

I know the Michigan District board paid pastors to attend Willow Creek seminars. They never asked me. I attended a Seeker Service there anyway.

WELS pastors really thought that imitating Willow Creek would create Willow Creek clones. I suppose the Parlow/Kelm congregation is a clone, but is it Lutheran?

A Church Growth expert has said that Willow Creek is the most influential church in America. That is certainly true about WELS and Missouri. Willow Creek has influenced ELCA as well. Even some of the mini-micro sects have their tongues hanging out for Willow Creek.

Why do Lutheran congregations do well when they become liberal Reformed?

1. Lutherans have a long history with Pietism, which is unionism with the Reformed and based on good works, not the Word and faith.
2. The Wisconsin Synod began with union Reformed-Lutheran congregations. The old spirit has not gone away.
3. The high profile congregations in America are anti-Confessional.
4. Synodical leaders are pragmatists, not idealists. They want to promote what works.
5. Many synodical leaders are also apostates. They hate orthodox Lutheran doctrine and those who love the Triglotta, Luther, Chemnitz, and J. Gerhard. (It's official, everyone loves Paul Gerhardt the hymn-writer. They just hate his doctrine.)
6. Healthy, orthodox Lutheran congregations are an embarrassment to Lutheran leaders, so they never give those parishes any credit for doing anything right.
7. Apostate pastors who chase women and girls (boys, too) must be protected, because they give synodical leaders a bad reputation.

One WELS mission pastor actually gave Hybels sermons, verbatim, complete with the same vocal nuances. On Ichabod I have recorded two WELS pastors copying Reformed sermons almost verbatim and posting them as their own work. That is against the law.

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Effect":

A former member of our WELS congregation was obsessed with the zeal that those in the Reformed camp exhibited. He even tried to lead by example. When he wasn't working or going to board and Council meetings, he would be watching some TV circus tent huckster or going to a "prophecy conference". Whenever we had a vacancy on a board, he would start whining about the lack of enthusiasm (pun intended) among our members. He would then point to the Oneness Pentecostal sect about a mile away as proof that their zeal produced results. The claim was made that they never had any money problems as everyone tithed. There was always a packed house as members came from as far as 30 miles away. The implication being that they did things right.
Those who lack discernment will always be impressed with apparent success. I used to work with a fellow who belonged to a big LCMS congregation. He had the same complaints about lack of zeal. He used to point to the door knocking of the Jehovah's Witnesses as evidence that even the JW's were better than those dull Lutherans.

The Amway analogy is fitting. The Amway stakeholders are expected to leave , eat and breathe Amway. My wife was involved in a similar direct sales scheme many years ago. Their monthly meetings were no more than circus tent revivals. Their product was expected to be the center of your universe.

It reminds me of a little comedy routine from Cheech & Chong. A guy is talking about how his life changed when he got religion. He says, "Before, I was all messed up on drugs. But since I found Jesus, I'm all messed up on the Lord".

Along with this, the keynote speaker at the C&C conference is motivational speaker John Di Frances. Read about him at http://www.superbspeakers.com/speaker_listing.asp?sid=56.
To paraphrase a credit card commercial - Motivational speaker fee: $15,000 to $20,000. Cost of enthusiasm: priceless.

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Greg Jackson Is Da Man! has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Effect":

******"On Ichabod I have recorded two WELS pastors copying Reformed sermons almost verbatim and posting them as their own work. That is against the law."*****

You are the man Greg, you da man! Continue your back patting. I'm sure it feels good. You sure stuck it to them! If you keep it up surely WELS will soon bow down to you! You go Greg!

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GJ - The poster directly above should wonder why ordained ministers are stealing the words of others and portraying them as their own. I did not find the plagiarism. Various WELS pastors/laity found the examples and relayed them, signing their emails, not hiding like A. Nony Mouse. I asked for a direct link to prove where one came from.

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Bruce Church has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Effect":

You're wise for copying comments on your blog into the main body of your posts (i.e., updating your posts) because otherwise, the commenters might come back and delete and revise their comments unbeknownst to you.

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GJ - Thank you. I learned how quickly the Ichabod effect hits. Crown of Life, Corona, California, removed the Leonard Sweet rhapsody plus its gushing-red-ink offering figures, finding it a horrible sin that I mentioned their offerings.

A typical WELS response to violations of the Ten Commandments is to make the objection itself a sin and to make snide personal remarks. Nevertheless, stealing someone els'e words remains a sin and a civil crime. My experience with classroom plagiarists is that they act very offended, deny the most obvious facts, hide the evidence (if possible), and accuse the instructor of vile crimes against education.

In confirmation, the daughter of a woman who committed adultery explained the Sixth Commandment this way, "You should not steal away someone who belongs to another person." I thought this was an insightful blending of two commandments. Infidelity and thievery go together.

Holy Communion Practices

The old Receptionist views of the Synodical Conference have adversely affected the thinking of many. Receptionism means the elements of Holy Communion are not the Body and Blood of Christ until they are received. Many were trained this way and still think along these lines.

There are three ways of dealing with elements remaining after the Holy Communion service is over, if the congregation rejects Receptionism. (I hate to use the term Consecrationist, because the word is a label for orthodox Christian teaching.)

1. One way is to consume the remaining elements.
2. Another way is to respectfully pour the remaining wine, which is the Blood of Christ, onto the earth. I vicared at a church where a sink was installed in the sacristy for that purpose.
3. A third way is to have an accurate count of the communicants. That is fairly easy with closed communion and a smaller congregation.

I know that one WELS member thought a Missouri congregation was throwing away the remaining elements. The reasoning behind these actions listed above is to show that the Words of Institution mean what they say. Congregational actions are not always consistent. It is good to ask what is being done and why it is being done. I think the LCMS congregation throwing away the remaining elements was saying: We do not mix consecrated elements with the unconsecrated, because the Words of Institution mean what they say." I am also guessing the congregation treats the remaining elements with reverence, even if the words chosen (or impressions given) are bad.

If a congregation short-changes the elements for a large communion service and ushers bring in new supplies (to be used right away), it is saying, "The Words of Institution mean nothing." New elements should be consecrated or adequate amounts should be provided in the first place.

I am writing about this because several laymen had questions. The best preparation for Holy Communionn is a believing heart. If the pastor is an orthodox Lutheran in his teaching, the individual should have no problems communing.

Perhaps others share my frustration. Many ELCA and LCMS pastors insist on every Sunday service being a Holy Communion service. I am not opposed to this. It is my practice. I am opposed to the Law attitude of the advocates. I also wonder about those who are Patristic Fundamentalists but care nothing about Lutheran doctrine.

KJV 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which
God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

KJV 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Chemnitz Post on The Plucked Chicken

The Plucked Chicken is an ELS blog with fairly regular posts, worth reading. Here is PC quoting B. W. Teigen:

In giving Chemnitz's stance with regard to the Scriptures and his hermeneutical principles, it is necessary to consider his view of reason and the use of Aristotelian terms and conceptual usages. Chemnitz is a sharp thinker who recognizes the necessity of precise definitions and nice distinctions. He will draw valid conclusions from clear propositions of Scripture. But he follows Luther in holding that there is no place in theology for reason corrupted by natural man. In spiritual matters reason must take its premises from the Word. While at times it may be harmless to borrow Aristotelian terminology (such as causa efficiens, causa instrumentalis, causa finalis, rem sacramenti, etc.), it can become dangerous and limit the Word of God because these terms of Aristotle are designed for the secular world. There is a vast difference between the earthly kingdom and the spiritual or heavenly kingdom, where we deal with things which eye has not seen nor ear heard nor entered into the mind of man.

-- Bjarne Wollan Teigen, The Lord's Supper in the Theology of Martin Chemnitz p. 21.

The Lord's Supper controversy in the ELS is significant because the ELS ambiguously denied the efficacy of the Word, following the lead of WELS, where the efficacy of the Word is strenuously denied as often as possible.

The old bromide of "We don't know the moment of consecration" is another way of saying, "We reject Isaiah 55, with the Calvinists." The true Calvinists are never sure when the Holy Spirit accompanies the Word.

KJV Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower,
and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills
shall break forth before you into
singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands.

When--in the Isaiah 55 passage or any other Biblical passage--is the Holy Spirit absent from the Word?

Willow Creek Story and Parody

At Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago, Sunday morning generally features eight worship services at four locations with 15,000 people attending.

On Christmas Sunday this year, their doors will be closed.

As quoted in USA Today:


Cally Parkinson, a spokeswoman for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., said church leaders decided that organizing services on a Christmas Sunday would not be the most effective use of staff and volunteer resources. The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was 1994, and only a small number of people showed up to pray, she said.

"If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don't go to church, how likely is it that they'll be going to church on Christmas morning?" she said.

According to Willow Creek the only reason to worship God on Sunday is to reach the unchurched? I thought that Christians worshipped God on Sunday in order to......uh.....worship God!?

Sure Christmas is a busy day....for families in particular. There are stockings to poke through. Bicycles to assemble. Presents to unwrap. Food to cook. Guests to accommodate. Trips to make. When Christmas falls on a Sunday, like it does this year, how can people be expected to squeeze in a morning worship service in the middle of all that?

Christmas, after all, is about families, isn't it? Or is it about God....and Jesus....the Incarnation...the Word become flesh....the advent of the Son of God....Immanuel....the Prince of Peace.

On that first Christmas,

-Angels took the time to form a choir, and;

-Shepherds took time off in order to find the baby Jesus and worship him.

It seems to me that the Christmas story provides a clear guide to what should be a Christian's priority on a Christmas Sunday morning.

After all, the only present really worth celebrating on Christmas Day is the gift of Jesus himself.

Come to think of it, Easter morning is a busy time for families, too. All those egg hunts and Easter baskets and family gatherings and travel plans and cooking big Easter meals.

Perhaps Willow Creek should close down on Easter, too. It's a real bother that Easter has to land on a Sunday every year.

Note: It's almost enough to make this parody seem like the real thing!

[GJ- The parody is below. Warning. Warning. It is a parody. That means the story is making fun of Willow Creek trends. The story above is serious. One must have great discernment to detect the difference between the news story and the parody.]

Shutdown Season:

Willow Creek Community Church Will Close its Doors for the Summer


SOUTH BARRINGTON, IL – In perhaps the most extreme example to date of churches halting ministries during the traditionally slower summer months, Willow Creek Community Church – one of America's prototypical mega-churches – has decided to close its doors until after Labor Day.

"The church leadership took a look at where attendance and giving were last summer, and when you look at the numbers, the case for closing shop just makes a lot of sense," said Willow Creek Senior Pastor Bill Hybels. "For years we've been trying to justify the expense of operating throughout the summer when schools are closed and people are on vacation. We just couldn't do it any more. If people are going to put their spiritual growth on hold until September anyway, why should the church fight it?"

While weekly services and other regular ministries have all been canceled, some special, summer-specific programs like summer camps will still go on as scheduled.

"It's not like the church will be disappearing off the face of the earth," said Church Administrator David Widener. "We're still having the big Third Day concert, along with any other events that traditionally bring in a good amount of money. Plus we'll still have a pastor on call at all times just in case anyone has a spiritual need that absolutely can't wait until September."

While many churches have been putting Bible studies, choirs and other portions of regular church life on the back burner during the summer for years, this may be the first example of a church scheduling a complete shutdown.

"I see this as part of a trend of church attendance as we know it taking a serious dip around the world, and not just during the summer months," said Robert Holmes, president of the Center for the Study of World Religion – a London-based religion think tank. "With so many media options out there for people to get their spiritual enlightenment, the practice of church attendance is in real trouble. Mark my words. This is a harbinger."

Not surprisingly, Hybels doesn't see it that way.

Hybels is planning on 4 weeks in Tahiti
"Willow Creek has been setting trends for the rest of the evangelical community for decades," he said. "When we started changing the way we do worship and outreach, you had people acting like it was the end of the world. Now they're all doing the same things. This is going to strengthen our church. The money we save by shutting down over the summer will go toward reaching people for Christ during the rest of the year. When other churches see how this benefits us, shutting down for the summer will soon become as common as church names that have nothing to do with God or Christianity."

Josh Allen - a 13-year-old who regularly attends Willow Creek with his parents - is on Hybels' side.

"No more hymnals. No more pews. No more sermons to make me snooze," Allen rhymed with glee. "I'll see you at the pool!"

But not all Willow Creekers share Allen's enthusiasm.

"We had skits rehearsed and ready to go for every Sunday in the summer," said Willow Creek Drama Team Leader Leah Cress. "Now all that work is completely worthless. It's not gonna make much sense to perform a theatrical representation of the importance of beach evangelism in the dead of winter, now is it?"

Despite the detractors, Widener is almost giddy about the concept of saying a fond farewell to summer services.

"No more bloated air conditioning bills for a room that's only half full," he said, eyes gleaming. "All that money being saved for God's kingdom and not being wasted on a scant congregation that would rather be on vacation anyway. It's a beautiful thing."

LCMS Winning Poll

There is only one day left to vote in the poll on which synod is the most pastor-friendly.

The Missouri Synod is clearly winning. ELCA pastors leave Sodom for the LCMS. ELS pastors leave their tiny kingdom for their big sister, following the example of the sainted Preus brothers (Jack and Robert).

ELCA probably won some votes because they accept men, women, and the undecided. In the language of the Lavender Mafia: LBGTQ. The Q is for Questioning. That category probably fits most of the straight, male clergy. "I really like the design of the new hymnal. Omigosh. Am I gay?"

I cannot fathom why anyone would vote the Little Sect on the Prairie as the most pastor-friendly. Maybe some read the question as the most pasture-friendly.

Anyone who voted for WELS must have Stockholm Syndrome, which is rife in the Wisconsin Synod. Stockholm Syndrome is that disorder where people are kept captive and abused and yet sympathize with their captors. Mark Twain described it in Tom Sawyer, when the boys planned to kidnap women, who would fall in love with them.

Stockhold Syndrome is obvious when pastors say, "Every time I read Christian News I thank God I'm in the Wisconsin Synod." One WELS pastor sent me a book on abusive churches. I said, "This fits WELS perfectly."

WELS is united doctrinally. The old leadership is trained 100% at Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek Community Church. The same can be said for the LCMS. Kieschnick has a Fuller-trained administration and he is ecumenical to a fault.

Link Fixed

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Practial Applications of the Word (Chapter 10 from Thy Strong Word) was not working, one of my advisors said. I repaired the link, so it should work now.