St. Mark's DePere Cures Plagiarism by...Removing Sermon Texts

Kelm to Parlow: "Our ministry of xeroxing will have to be sub rosa from now on, or maybe just sub-marine."

St. Mark's - Identity Confusion (Indentity?)

Not long ago I pointed out to the pastors at St. Mark's that their published sermons had a reformed flavor. Or as some might say they were plagiarized. The St. Mark's pastors then began to use footnotes to cite their reformed sources.

Recently St. Mark's has pulled written sermons from their web site.

no more printed sermons

But you can view the video of this cutting edge church:

http://stmark's sermon tube

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GJ - The closer to Luther, the better the theologian. (Walther, quoting others.)

The closer to Werning, the worser the theologian. (A new motto for WELS, in line with prep grammar skills.)

Norm Teigen's Surgery Successful

Norm Teigen

Norm Teigen's surgery was so successful that he will be used to model for Walk/Don't Walk signs.

Details of the contract are not available but rumored to be above four figures, if the decimal point is included.

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Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "Norm Teigen's Surgery Successful":

That's funny. I need a few laughs. The recovery is going well. I've been up and about but I've also been down and out, too. It was a nice day to enjoy the porch on a very nice Minnesota day.

I did take a load of over-sized winter clothing to the Good Will last week. I thought that by giving my good stuff I wouldn't be so likely to chicken out at the last minute.

Editing Leads to Heinous Criminal Acts in Arizona

Confidential to Norm - please don't pop your stitches
laughing at this story.
Confidential to Email Editor - your habits can lead to a life of crime.


Typo vigilantes answer to letter of the law

Crusaders whited-out, corrected historic Canyon sign

The Arizona Republic

Two self-anointed "grammar vigilantes" who toured the nation removing typos from public signs have been banned from national parks after vandalizing a historic marker at the Grand Canyon.

Jeff Michael Deck, 28, of Somerville, Mass., and Benjamin Douglas Herson, 28, of Virginia Beach, Va., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Flagstaff after damaging a rare, hand-painted sign in Grand Canyon National Park. They were sentenced to a year's probation, during which they cannot enter any national park, and were ordered to pay restitution.

According to court records, Deck and Herson toured the United States from March to May, wiping out errors on government and private signs. On March 28, while at Desert View Watchtower on the South Rim, they used a white-out product and a permanent marker to deface a sign painted more than 60 years ago by artist Mary Colter. The sign, a National Historic Landmark, was considered unique and irreplaceable, according to Sandy Raynor, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix.
Deck declined comment, and Herson could not be reached.

An affidavit by National Park Service agent Christopher A. Smith says investigators learned of the vandalism from an Internet site operated by Deck on behalf of the Typo Eradication Advancement League, or TEAL. Smith identified four members, but only Deck and Herson faced charges.

According to the Internet posting, TEAL members agreed to "stamp out as many typos as we can find, in public signage and other venues where innocent eyes may be befouled by vile stains on the delicate fabric of our language."

Deck's diary account of the Grand Canyon incident was submitted as evidence in court. It says the two men climbed Desert View Watchtower while on holiday from their typo-enforcement duties "and discovered a hand-rendered sign inside that, I regret to report, had a few errors. I know today was supposed to be my day off from typo-hunting, but if I may be permitted to quote that most revered of android law enforcers, Inspector Gadget, 'Always on duty!' I can't shut it off. . . . Will we never be free from the shackles of apostrophic misunderstanding, even in a place surrounded by natural beauty?"

After correcting a misplaced apostrophe and comma, Deck reported, he was aghast to discover what he described as a made-up word: "emense."

"I was reluctant to disfigure the sign any further, so we had to let the other typo stand. Still, I think I shall be haunted by that perversity."

Deck's quest to clean up punctuation, language and spelling mistakes was featured in various media before the Grand Canyon episode.

The Dartmouth graduate told reporters he became passionate about grammar after winning junior-high spelling bees.

His Web site now contains only a cryptic message: "I write. I also edit. Perhaps I could be of some service to you."

There is a link to TEAL's home page, which says only that a public statement is forthcoming.

A separate link to Deck's resume has been blocked. Photos from the episode, extracted from another Internet site, also were submitted as evidence.

In addition to being banned from national parks for a year, the defendants, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to vandalize government property, are banned from modifying any public signs. They also must pay $3,035 to repair the Grand Canyon sign.

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Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "Editing Leads to Heinous Criminal Acts in Arizona":

Very funny, Greg. No I didn't pop my stitches. Last night the Twins were playing the Angels and one of the players had a uniform that said 'Minnseota' (sic). Someone watching the game notified the stadium and the player was able to swap uniforms around the 5th inning or so.

I am sure the player graduated from Martin Luther College (nee Dr. Martin Luther College). Everyone knows the state's name is Many-snow-ta.

Feel Better Now?

Episcopalian Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori,
wears her rainbow hat on purpose.

Episcopalian Bishop Robinson left his wife for his Life Partner.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, who works with LCMS and WELS leaders, knows how to posture for the extreme Left. ELCA and The Episcopal Church are full communion partners, so that means Missouri and WELS are also in fellowship with The Episcopalian Church. His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, Latin Catholic Patriarch in Jerusalem, is thinking, "Forget the medallion gift. I want one of those cool Friar Tuck lavender shirts."

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 4, 2008

ELCA Presiding Bishop Washes Feet of HIV-Positive Women


MEXICO CITY (ELCA) -- Engaging in an act of "humility and repentance," the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Chicago, and president of the Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, began an
Aug. 1 presentation here by washing the feet of two HIV-positive women. Hanson spoke during the Ecumenical Pre-Conference, July 31-Aug. 2, an event focused on the response of the faith community to HIV and AIDS.

More than 500 people from throughout the world attended the conference, which the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Geneva, organized. The conference was one of several that preceded the International AIDS Conference here Aug. 3-8.

Hanson washed the feet of Herlyn Marja Uiras and Sophie Dilmitis. Uiras, Churches United Against HIV and AIDS in Southern and Eastern Africa, and Dilmitis, World YWCA, Geneva, were presenters at the conference.

Hanson spoke during a plenary session addressing stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV or AIDS. He said washing the women's feet was the only way he could begin his remarks with integrity. "I am absolutely convinced that we as religious leaders and we in the religious community that so shunned and shamed people with HIV and struggling with AIDS ... must begin first by engaging in public acts of repentance," he said. "Absent public acts of repentance, I fear our words will not be trusted." Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his Crucifixion as a reminder that they were called to serve others, Hanson said.

Many participants expressed appreciation to Hanson for his act, but Hanson told the audience the point of his actions was to focus attention on Uiras, Dilmitis and people living with HIV or AIDS. In humility we are called to become Christ to our neighbor and "to believe that Sophie and Herlyn have today become Christ to us," Hanson told the audience. "What a sign of hope you are."

Hanson related the story of an HIV-positive woman who became a Lutheran pastor. He said he hoped for the day when her story would be an expectation not an exception. "Ending discrimination and stigmatization means we are committed to move from exceptions to expectations of the full participation of people living with HIV in our communities of faith," he said.

Male heterosexual religious leaders must be willing to talk about their own sexuality rather than talking about the sexuality of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, and they must break their silence on gender-based violence, Hanson said. Human sexuality must not be a "church-defining, church-dividing issue," because the "good news" of Jesus Christ defines the church, he said.

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time

The Hymn #250 – Grosser Gott
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Galatians 5:16-24
The Gospel Luke 17:11-19
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 297 M. Loy, Herr Jesu Christ, dich
Nine-fold Fruits of the Gospel

The Hymn #304 Kingo – St. Crispin
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 309 Kingo – Old Hundreth

The hymn texts and a melody link are at the end of the sermon.

Galatians 5: 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity, Collect by Veit Dietrich
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy blessed word and Thy holy baptism hast mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily dost grant us Thy gracious help in all our need: We beseech Thee so to enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forget these Thy blessings, but ever live in Thy fear, and, trusting fully in Thy grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify Thee; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

We should be happy that the Galatians were so mixed up about doctrine, Law and Gospel, flesh and Spirit. Paul’s tiny letter to them is full of wrath about their apostasy from the true Gospel but also full of divine wisdom about the Gospel’s blessings.

This letter inspired Luther’s finest Biblical commentary, which he thought keeping, along with the Small Catechism. I wonder how many Lutheran pastors have read the Galatians commentary. The book was also the favorite of John Bunyan, who wrote the allegorical classic, Pilgrim’s Progress.

The basic theme of Galatians is the desertion of the Gospel by those who wanted to impose Jewish ritual law on the Christians. The famous verse, Galatians 1:8, is aimed at all those who would take people away from the truth of God’s Word.
Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

The Judaizers are called that because they wanted all Christians to obey Jewish ritual law, such as kosher food practices. The earliest Christians were raised in Judaism, so Jewish practices were second nature to them. Although we as Gentiles tend to think of Paul’s Gentile mission first, the first expansion of Christianity was among those who knew the Scriptures and awaited the Messiah. We can tell when Paul was preaching to Jews because his sermons (Acts) appealed to the Scriptures being fulfilled.

Many did not grasp the profound change that had taken placed when Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. The previous sacrifices were preparation for the universal Atonement.

Jews thought in terms of obedience to the Law, performing acts of worship, fulfilling requirements. When Paul obeyed all the Jewish rituals in order to preach to Jews, he did so through the freedom of Gospel. He felt a special burden for his own people. He knew that appearing as a Gentile would have made his own people think of him as an apostate.

So if Paul could be a rabbi-apostle, and the original disciples were all Jews, as Jesus was, why not expect every Christian to fulfill Jewish ritual requirements, including circumcision?

There are Jews today (Messianic Jews) who believe in Christ and continue their Jewish ways. Their minister is called a rabbi and they observe Jewish holidays from the Old Testament.

I heard of a Lutheran congregation in New England that began following Jewish ritual. According to the story I was told, they eventually became a synagogue and abandoned Christianity. The difference is – one group is Christian by faith, the other is Jewish by faith.

This particular lesson from Galatians is aimed at those who believe righteousness is from obedience to the Law.

Galatians 5: 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Because of original sin, our flesh will always be at war against God’s Word (the Spirit). We can say the Word instead of the Spirit because the two are always together.

Walking in the Spirit means following the Good Shepherd from love. Helmut Thielicke created a good image when he lectured at my old school in Canada: The sheep follow the Shepherd willingly, based on their love. That is the Gospel. When they stray, the shepherd dog nips at their heels. Nipping at the heels is the Law. Then they scramble back toward the Shepherd, only because of the dog. That is based on fear.

Aristotle wrote in ancient Greece about honesty in literature. The Bible gives us an honest picture of ourselves. People rebel against that frank portrayal of human weakness. So some claim we can perfect ourselves. That mixes up people because it is not true.

A Christian group or quasi-Christian sect (like the Mormons) may pretend to be capable of perfection. The Bible says otherwise. When people pretend to be perfect or demand perfection, bad results follow. Anyone who hears only the Law will become very depressed or learn to pretend to be perfect. Luther said the second group is more in danger because they are outwardly obedient and good, but hate God’s Word and rage inwardly against it.

That is why all false religions are Law religions. The new (but old) religion of self-esteem and prosperity is another set of man-made law. One good indication of law thinking is the language:
You must…
You have to…
If you do this…
You cannot do that…
These are not God’s Ten Commandments, but man’s infinite number of commandments.

For those who thought righteousness could be derived from the Law, Paul had this to say about living through the Gospel or the Law:

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

(NKJV - 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.)

The works of the flesh betray the power of original sin. So Paul is condemning the Law salesmen with their own teaching. If the Law is the solution, why are these besetting sins so prominent among them?

This is a question I have asked many church leaders. If this church is so important, why must people use outright lies to make it stronger and better? How can the Gospel be advanced through deceit? Even more important – how can the church grow through false doctrine? One cannot continue in these errors and remain within the Kingdom.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The fruits of the Spirit are nine-fold, the triune nature of the list reminding us of the divine, Gospel origin of these fruits.

Love, joy, peace.
Longsuffering, gentleness, goodness.
Faith, meekness, temperance.

Love is so often named and so seldom experienced that this deserves special mention. Love is the result of Gospel preaching, not the cause of conversion. Love does not convert – God’s Word converts.

One of the recent frauds tried out on people is love-conversion: show people lots of love and they will want to become Christians. The law mongers confuse Law and Gospel this way by saying, “You have to (law red flag) be loving or people will not listen to the Word. A sermon will do no good if the ushers are not friendly.” That statement, which I heard at a pastors’ conference, is blasphemy against God. Ushers, not God, convert people or make the Word effective. Many live this way and look around in a congratulatory mood, saying, “Aren’t we great?” not even knowing they are in the Law and missing the Gospel.

Love is something we can reverse engineer. If love is lacking in our relationships, then the Gospel is not bearing fruit. If the Gospel is not bearing fruit, we are not showing real, Godly contrition. Godly contrition is sorrow for sin, not sorrow from being caught, but from knowing from the Commandments that we have rebelled against His will and Word. Depth of emotion has nothing to do with the sincerity of contrition. The only test is the realization of that rebellion, which we can see from looking into the perfect mirror of the Law.

From godly contrition come hunger and thirst for righteousness, which can only be found in the Gospel Promises. Justification by faith, God’s declaration of forgiveness earned by Christ, is received when we trust in the atoning death of Christ. Conversion to faith is instant, but falling away from the faith can take a long time, many years. A man may earn several theology degrees before he finally becomes a complete apostate.

When someone realizes the abundance of God’s mercy in his own life, he is necessarily forgiving toward others and loving toward them. Forgiveness among those closest to us is most important and the greatest blessing. We cannot help being hurt, resentful, angry, or irritated, but we can control how we respond to those emotions. The more we understand, the more patient and forgiving we are.

One extreme example has always stuck in my mind. One young woman came from a strict Evangelical household. Drinking was forbidden, so she went out of her way to overindulge. Her parents yelled, threatened, and lectured her. One night she came home and passed out, making a mess. Her parents cleaned her up and put her in bed without a word. Then she realized how much they loved her. That moment of realization, a Gospel moment for her, led her to sobriety. The power behind that change was Gospel forgiveness, not Law condemnation, which she certainly deserved.

The Gospel has unlimited benefits because its blessings grow infinitely. One person proclaiming the Gospel will lead to an abundance of spiritual fruits.

Some people, who never garden, think of apples and pears as the New Testament meaning of fruit. But the broader term makes more sense. A plant flowers in order to be pollinated. The flower shrivels up and turns into the fruit of that plant. Fruit is often seed alone, such as wheat or corn or rosehips. But those seeds are often encased in delicious cases of orange, lemon, apple, pear, and pumpkin. The entire process is fascinating because someone can start with a small package of seed and end up with a harvest shared among friends and neighbors.

When I overbought edible pod peas and planted them all over my yard in Midland, the harvest was so great that we got sick of them and pressed the pods on everyone we knew. The more we picked, the more the vines flowered and fruited.

The Gospel grows the same way. The Apostolic Church was established through preaching and teaching the crucified and risen Christ. When the efficacious Word created persecution, the believers scattered and started even more congregations. An early leader said, literally, “The more you mow us down, the faster we grow.” Instead of trying to be like the decadent, self-centered, self-indulgent Roman society, they went against the norms and converted the Roman Empire from the bottom up.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

As Paul teaches, believers do not bow to selfish desires, but crucify them to serve Christ, family, and neighbor.

Hymn Texts

"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
by Unknown Author, c. 1775
Translated by Clarence A. Walworth, 1820-1900
1. Holy God, we praise thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heaven above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.

2. Hark! the glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord!

3. Lo, the apostles' holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.

4. Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #250
Text: Luke 2:14, based on the Te Deum
Author: Unknown, c. 1775
Translated by: Clarence A. Walworth, 1853, alt.
Titled: "Grosser Gott, wir loben dich"
Tune: "Grosser Gott"

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"The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace"
by Matthias Loy, 1828-1915
1. The Gospel shows the Father's grace,
Who sent His Son to save our race,
Proclaims how Jesus lived and died
That man might thus be justified.

2. It sets the Lamb before our eyes,
Who made the atoning sacrifice,
And call the souls with guilt opprest
To come and find eternal rest.

3. It brings the Savior's righteousness
Our souls to robe in royal dress;
From all our guilt it brings release
And gives the troubled conscience peace.

4. It is the power of God to save
From sin and Satan and the grave;
It works the faith, which firmly clings
To all the treasures which it brings.

5. It bears to all the tidings glad
And bids their hearts no more be sad;
The heavy-laden souls it cheers
And banishes their guilty fears.

6. May we in faith its tidings learn
Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn;
May we in faith its truth confess
And praise the Lord our Righteousness!


Notes:
Hymn #297 from The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 3: 16
Author: Matthias Loy, 1863
Tune: Herr Jesu Christ, dich
1st Published in: "Cantionale Germanicum"

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"An Awe-Full Mystery Is Here"
by Matthias Loy, 1828-1915
1. An awe-full mystery is here
To challenge faith and waken fear:
The Savior comes as food divine,
Concealed in earthly bread and wine.

2. This world is loveless, -- but above,
What wondrous boundlessness of love!
The king of Glory stoops to me
My spirit's life and strength to be.

3. In consecrated wine and bread
No eye perceives the mystery dread;
But Jesus' words are strong and clear:
"My body and My blood are here."

4. How dull are all the powers of sense
Employed on proofs of love immense!
The richest food remains unseen,
And highest gifts appear -- how mean!

5. But here we have no boon on earth,
And faith alone discerns its worth:
The Word, not sense, must be our guide,
And faith assure, since sight's denied.

6. Lord, show us still that Thou art good
And grant us evermore this food.
Give faith to every wavering soul
And make each wounded spirit whole.

Hymn #304
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: 1 Cor. 11: 23-25
Author: Matthias Loy, 1880
Composer: George J. Elvey, 1862
Tune: St. Crispin

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"O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee"
By Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634-1703
1. O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.

2. Break forth, my soul, for joy and say
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blest am I! How good Thou art!

Hymn #309
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: 2 Cor. 9: 15
Author: Thomas H. Kingo, 1689
Translated by: Arthur J. Mason, 1889
Titled: "O Jesu, soede Jesu, dig"
Tune: "Old Hundredth"
1st Published in: Genevan Psalter, 1551

Click here to hear the melody of each hymn.

I Am Sure He Went To Fuller Seminary: He Never Tells the Truth

And he's smarter than you are.

Lutheran Nuns Give Money to ELCA, ELCIC

Stan Olson (Yale PhD) installs deaconess, one of the perks of being a division head of ELCA.

ELCA Deaconess Community Presents Annual Grants, Tithe


CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Deaconess Community of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) awarded $250,000 in grants to 13 domestic and international nonprofit programs in an effort to expand the church's outreach to those in need. It also presented the ELCA with a portion of the community's annual tithe.

The grants were awarded to programs that are committed to "risk taking and innovative service on the frontiers of the church's outreach," according to the community's invitation for grant applications. Programs were chosen for inviting participation, bridging divisions and accompanying others in mission "that affirms the individual gifts of all people."

Grants ranged in size from $10,000 to $32,500. Domestic programs in Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and international programs in Kenya, Mongolia, Nigeria and South Africa received the grants. Recipient programs serve people who are uninsured, disabled, homeless, politically disenfranchised, elderly, at-risk youth and immigrants.

Deaconess Community Presents Annual Tithe to Churches
Sister Anne Keffer, the community's directing deaconess, and Sister Carolyn Hellerich, Hallettsville, Texas, chair of the community's board, presented the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, with a check for $23,620 on Aug. 7.

The community gives a tithe, or 10 percent of the increase of its assets since the previous year, to the ELCA and ELCIC. The ELCIC will receive a check for $5,905.

The community's unrestricted benevolence gift is a way of saying "thank you" to the ELCA and ELCIC, Keffer said. "We give thanks that Christ has called the Church into being and that we, as a community, are part of this church," she said.

The Deaconess Community consists of 76 women consecrated by the church to a ministry of Word and service. Deaconesses are theologically trained and professionally prepared for their careers in such settings as health care, Christian education and social services. They are called to ministry by congregations and synods of the ELCA and ELCIC.

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GJ - The Lutheran Inner Mission movement in the 19th century spawned a number of conservative efforts which combined evangelism with charitable work: hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, sailors' missions, and industrial schools for training children in vocations. Lutherans and the Reformed had schools to train young, unmarried women to be deaconesses. Training deaconesses was a deliberate attempt to create Protestant nuns who could leave their vocation for marriage, as many of them did. Mennonite service volunteers were another example followed in creating the modern deaconess. A deaconess had a uniform modeled after a nun's habit, though not so Medieval.

The deaconess movement provided Europe and America with young women who taught children and served as nurses. Florence Nightingale was trained in nursing, thanks to the Inner Mission. Her extraordinary service in the Crimean War (and attempts to quash her, even starve her death) made her a world figure, a leader in medical reform.

She spent the winter and spring of 1849-50 in Egypt with family friends; on the journey from Paris she met two St. Vincent de Paul sisters who gave her an introduction to their convent at Alexandria. Nightingale saw that the disciplined and well-organised Sisters made better nurses than women in England. Between 31 July to 13 August 1850, Nightingale made her first visit to the Institute of Protestant Deaconesses at Kaiserswerth. The institute had been founded for the care of the destitute in 1833 and had grown into a training school for women teachers and nurses. Her visit convinced Nightingale of the possibilities of making nursing a vocation for ladies. In 1851 she spent four months at Kaiserswerth, training as a sick nurse. (Victorian Web)

The Lutheran Inner Mission leaders were very suspicious of the Social Gospel Movement, which came along later in the 19th century. The Social Gospel was truly secular and political in nature, spawning such things as the Food and Drug Administration, child labor laws, unions, children's playgrounds in urban areas, urban renewal, farmers' co-ops, and other utopian projects. The Social Gospel was called Social Services at first, so Lutheran Social Services is the ultimate triumph of the secular activist over the conservative evangelist in the Lutheran Church.

There are almost no deaconesses now in ELCA, but they still have some money to give away. The article above suggests the projects are all Social Gospel, on the far Left side of the rainbow coalition.

Here is a history of deaconesses in the United Church of Christ. Mrs. Ichabod once stayed in Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis, where little dolls in deaconess uniforms are featured in a display.

LCMS deaconess history. Loehe, the real founder of the LCMS, was a leader in this area. The UCC deaconess movement doubtless had considerable influence, too, since it was centered in St. Louis.

A few deaconesses are left in the Methodist Church.

Deaconesses and nursing - the book.

CNN Interview with Obama's Brother

There are two Obamas - a rich Obama and a dirt poor Obama.

The Softer Side of WELS

WELS watcher

I wanted to take a break from the normal polemics and note the kindly, warm side of WELS. No, the Church Growth people do not share those attributes, although they talk about love all the time. I mean the traditional WELS pastors and laity who trust in God's Word and treasure the Gospel.

A significant number of people want to return the Wisconsin Synod to its doctrinal foundations or improve on them, since major errors have been made and promoted. Mostly I hear from the laity or from ex-members, but I hear from many types.

For a long time, WELS leaders bet they could take their most faithful members and pastors for granted. They thought they could expel every pastor or layman who disagreed with their false doctrine and have a smooth-running machine of growth. These CG boobies came very close to destroying the synod, which is a human organization after all, a reflection of the True Church, which is invisible and eternal, but just a reflection (very dimly seen at times).

For several years, Paul Tiefel Jr. and his buddy Dave Koenig (both CLC [sic] pastors) played the game of protecting WELS from me. They would carry on about how I was slandering WELS when I simply wrote about the Wisconsin Synod having a pan-denominational worship conference at and ELCA college. Those two drama queens acted as if WELS was coming undone with wrath over my reporting. Meanwhile, Martin Luther College made a point of phoning me to ask for my newest books and to tell me when I could get free books from their library pruning process. MLC people went overboard in their friendliness when I moved to New Ulm, although I heard nasty stuff from the CG people talking through my members.

The efficacious Word bears fruit, no matter how bad the organization might be at times.

The Word, Applied over Time

These dates might be instructive for some:

1530 - Augsburg Confession signed.

1546 - Luther died. Emperor Charles V came back from the Muslim campaigns to finish off the Lutheran rebels. He stood victorious over Luther's grave.

1580 - The Formula of Concord and the Book of Concord were published, finally dealing with the issues uniting the Lutherans, repudiating the errors of the papists, Anabaptists, Zwinglians, and erring Lutherans.

Luther's death precipitated a crisis that took 34 years to address.

Lutherans are only starting to face their problems now. The issues are not economic, not demographic, but doctrinal.

PS - I still get the daily abusive comment (anonymous) from someone in WELS. That side of WELS will never go away.

McCain, Romney Will Put Men on the Moon Again

Ft. Joseph Smith will be a rousing success in the new Apollo program.

Biden Most Likely VP

Looking like a detective from San Francisco, Senator Joe Biden. I figured Biden was the pick when he was dispatched by Obama to Georgia (Ruskyville).

***

GJ - Ichabod calls it again. Biden is confirmed as the VP pick.

WWRD? - What Would Robert Do?

R D Preus Evangelical Luthern (sic) High School

Same page:

Additional GreatSchools.net R D Preus Evangelical Luthern (sic) High School Information
R D Preus Evangelical Luthern (sic) High School Test Score Graphs and Data.
View test scores
View More Information on Teachers and Students at R D Preus Evangelical Luthern (sic) High School.

Real Estate > Search Schools > Peoria, IL Schools > R D Preus Evangelical Luthern (sic)High School

Basso Profondo

The lowest level of the male voice - sounds like the governor of Arizona.

Some Eastern Orthodoxy Scenes

Good travel music for semi-poping pastors.

In Thee Is Gladness

WELS members who hum along are guilty of breaking fellowship.

Augustana Synod History - Lindsborg, Kansas

The video has some interesting history from the Swedish Augustana Synod. Lindsborg was such an important destination for Swedes coming to America that they said, upon arriving in New York City: "If this is New York, what must Lindsborg be like?"

Oh! Oh! Oh! I Just Discovered a New Church Growth Principle

C. Peter Wagner, the Dan and Paul Kelm Professor of Church Growth,
Fuller Seminary

Ascension in Escondido, California (WELS) has discovered a new Church Growth principle - bad spelling to attract WELS members moving to California. It works this way - The search engines use the HTML code to find websites and categorize them.

Can you imagine poor Jacob Struwwelpeter trying to find a WELS Lutheran church when he has spelled the word Lutheran wrong all his life?

"Maw, Paw. I can't find no WELS Luthern church here in Excondido. I am coming home to Peewaukee."

"No, son. Check your spelling. You can't help it. You went to a WELS prep school."

So some of you are thinking I am making this up, just to have a little fun about the superior WELS educational system? Look at the code for that church.

Escondido is spelled Excondido, as in "Ascention (sic) Lutheran Church, Excondido (sic)."

The title of the home page is ASCENSION LUTHERN (sic) CHURCH, SCHOOL, so that title opens up in the browser, making WELS Lutherns feel at home.

Spelling Bee-zerk: Does Anyone in WELS Know How to Spell?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS and Mormonism":

Ithought (sic) that jesus (sic) taught not to accuse falsely. I know masny (sic) Mormons who are more Christian than this.

***

GJ - Three pratfalls in two sentences. But wait, there's more.

From the official WELS website:

WELS Topical Q&A: Roman Catholic Luthern(sic)-Catholic Pages

And also -

Saints:
How do the WELS Lutherns (sic) view the Saints? How are the Saints in Luthern (sic) viewed differently than in the Catholic religion? How important is St. Michaels in the WELS Luthern (sic) religio...

And a synod-minder on Bailing Water:

Anonymous said...
The main blended worship workshop is being done by Rev. Aaron Christie. If you know anything about Rev. Christie, he is very, very traditional when it comes to worship. But he acknoweldges that there is good art being produced today. For example, I doubt that the Rev. Christie would use nothing but the Common Service to celebrate Holy Communion. However, he might, on occasion, subsitutite a piano version of the Gloria in Excelsis for the one in Christian Worship. Look up the website of his church in Antioch, IL, and you'll see the rich heritage of Lutheran worship he strives to share with his membership. His knowlege of Luthern (sic) worship has few equals. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, rather than assuming he's going to suggest you worship with blended mush.

April 18, 2008 9:05 PM

One can read posts from WELS all over the Net, not without shame:

Get you (sic) facts correct, because as usual, I have to correct you. The paragraph that starts "The national discussion" is from the Northwestern Luthern (sic) magazine printed by our synod.

The Formula of Concord - Better Than Handfuls on Purpose

Chytraeus, a Formula of Concord author and editor, would outshine any seminary professor today, but Lutherans have forgotten him and the other Concordists.

I spotted this commentary called Handfuls on Purpose in a Lutheran pastor's study. I said, "What's that?" He said, "It's a Pietistic commentary a lot of us use." In a rare moment of bluntness, I said, "Get rid of it and read Luther." He gave the set away soon after. He returned to Luther.

Why read garbage from the anti-Lutherans when the Formula of Concord is our ruled norm of faith? We only have so much time to study, so why would we waste our hours with flea-brains? Here are some samples of what we should study:

Formula of Concord

J-163

"Therefore, before the conversion of man there are only two efficient causes, namely, the Holy Ghost and the Word of God, as the instrument of the Holy Ghost, by which He works conversion. This Word man is [indeed] to hear; however, it is not by his own powers, but only through the grace and working of the Holy Ghost that he can yield faith to it and accept it."
Formula of Concord, Epitome, II, Of the Free Will, #19, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 791. Tappert, p. 472. Heiser, p. 219.

J-164

"And although God, according to His just, strict sentence, has utterly cast away the fallen evil spirits forever, He has nevertheless, out of special, pure mercy, willed that poor fallen human nature might again become and be capable and participant of conversion, the grace of God and eternal life; not from its own natural, active [or effective] skill, aptness, or capacity (for the nature of man is obstinate enmity against God), but from pure grace, through the gracious efficacious working of the Holy Ghost." Luther, Psalm 90.
Formula of Concord, SD, II, #20. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1921, p. 889. Tappert, p. 525. Heiser, p. 243.

J-165

"Thirdly, in this manner, too, the Holy Scriptures ascribe conversion, faith in Christ, regeneration, renewal, and all that belongs to their efficacious beginning and completion, not to the human powers of the natural free will, neither entirely, nor half, nor in any, even the least or most inconsiderable part, but in solidum, that is, entirely, solely to the divine working and the Holy Ghost, as also the Apology teaches."
Formula of Concord, SD II. #25. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 891. Tappert, p. 526. Heiser, p. 244.

J-166

"For this reason we shall now relate, furthermore, from God's Word how man is converted to God, how and through what means [namely, through the oral Word and the holy Sacraments] the Holy Ghost wants to be efficacious in us, and to work and bestow in our hearts true repentance, faith, and new spiritual power and ability for good, and how we should conduct ourselves towards these means, and [how we should] use them."
Formula of Concord SD II. #48. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 901. Tappert, p. 530. Heiser, p. 246.

J-167

"Now, all who wish to be saved ought to hear this preaching [of God's Word]. For the preaching and hearing of God's Word are instruments of the Holy Ghost, by, with, and through which He desires to work efficaciously, and to convert men to God, and to work in them both to will and to do. This Word man can externally hear and read, even though he is not yet converted to God and regenerate; for in these external things, as said above, man even since the Fall has to a certain extent a free will, so that he can go to church and hear or not hear the sermon."
Formula of Concord, SD, II, #52. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1921, p. 901f. Tappert, p. 531. Heiser, p. 246.

J-168

"Now, although both, the planting and watering of the preacher, and the running and willing of the hearer, would be in vain, and no conversion would follow it if the power and efficacy of the Holy Ghost were not added thereto, who enlightens and converts the hearts through the Word preached and heard, so that men believe this Word and assent thereto, still, neither preacher nor hearer is to doubt this grace and efficacy of the Holy Ghost, but should be certain that when the Word of God is preached purely and truly, according to the command and will of God, and men listen attentively and earnestly and meditate upon it, God is certainly present with His grace, and grants, as has been said, what otherwise man can neither accept nor give from his own powers."
Formula of Concord SD II. #55-56. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 903. Tappert, p. 531f. Heiser, p. 246.

J-169

"The other eating of the body of Christ is oral or sacramental, when the true, essential body and blood of Christ are also orally received and partaken of in the Holy Supper, by all who eat and drink the consecrated bread and wine in the Supper—by the believing as a certain pledge and assurance that their sins are surely forgiven them, and Christ dwells and is efficacious in them, but by the unbelieving for the judgment and condemnation, as the words of the institution by Christ expressly declare...."
Formula of Concord, SD, VII. #63. Holy Supper. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1921, p. 995. Tappert, p. 581. Heiser, p. 270.

J-170

"For the true and almighty words of Jesus Christ which He spake at the first institution were efficacious not only at the first Supper, but they endure, are valid, operate, and are still efficacious [their force, power, and efficacy endure and avail even to the present], so that in all places where the Supper is celebrated according to the institution of Christ, and His words are used, the body and blood of Christ are truly present, distributed, and received, because of the power and efficacy of the words which Christ spake at the first Supper. For where His institution is observed and His words are spoken over the bread and cup [wine], and the consecrated bread and cup [wine] are distributed, Christ Himself, through the spoken words, is still efficacious by virtue of the first institution, through His word, which He wishes to be there repeated."
Formula of Concord, SD VII, #75. Holy Supper. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 999. Tappert, p. 583. Heiser, p. 270f.

J-171

"Also, Tom. III, Jena, Fol. 446: 'Thus here also, even though I should pronounce over all the words: This is Christ's body, nothing, of course, would result therefrom; but when in the Supper we say, according to His institution and command: 'This is My body,' it is His body, not on account of our speaking or word uttered [because these words, when uttered, have this efficacy], but because of His command—that He has commanded us thus to speak and to do, and has united His command and act with our speaking."
Formula of Concord, SD VII, #78. Holy Supper. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1001. Tappert, p. 583. Heiser, p. 271.

J-172

"Now, it is not our faith that makes the sacrament, but only the true word and institution of our almighty God and Savior Jesus Christ, which always is and remains efficacious in the Christian Church, and is not invalidated or rendered inefficacious by the worthiness or unworthiness of the minister, nor by the unbelief of the one who receives it."
Formula of Concord, SD VII, #89. Holy Supper. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1003. Tappert, p. 585. Heiser, p. 272.

J-173

"1. That the human race is truly redeemed and reconciled with God through Christ, who, by His faultless [innocency] obedience, suffering, and death, has merited for us the righteousness which avails before God, and eternal life. 2. That such merit and benefits of Christ shall be presented, offered, and distributed to us through His Word and Sacraments. 3. That by His Holy Ghost, through the Word, when it is preached, heard, and pondered, He will be efficacious and active in us, convert hearts to true repentance, and preserve them in the true faith. 4. That He will justify all those who in true repentance receive Christ by a true faith, and will receive them into grace, the adoption of sons, and the inheritance of eternal life." ..."God in His purpose and counsel ordained [decreed]:
Formula of Concord, SD, XI. #15. Of God's Eternal Election. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1069. 2 Corinthians 5:19ff. Tappert, p. 619. Heiser, p. 288.

J-174

"And this call of God, which is made through the preaching of the Word, we should not regard as jugglery, but know that thereby God reveals His will, that in those whom He thus calls He will work through the Word, that they may be enlightened, converted, and saved. For the Word, whereby we are called, is a ministration of the Spirit, that gives the Spirit, or whereby the Spirit is given, 2 Corinthians 3:8, and a power of God unto salvation, Romans 1:16. And since the Holy Ghost wishes to be efficacious through the Word, and to strengthen and give power and ability, it is God's will that we should receive the Word, believe and obey it."
Formula of Concord, SD XI. #29. Election. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1073. 2 Corinthians 3:8; Romans 1:16. Tappert, p. 621. Heiser, p. 289.

J-175

"For few receive the Word and follow it; the greatest number despise the Word, and will not come to the wedding, Matthew 22:3ff. The cause for this contempt for the Word is not God's foreknowledge [or predestination], but the perverse will of man, which rejects or perverts the means and instrument of the Holy Ghost, which God offers him through the call, and resists the Holy Ghost, who wishes to be efficacious, and works through the Word, as Christ says, 'How often would I have gathered you together, and ye would not!' Matthew 23:37."
Formula of Concord, SD XI. #41. Election. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1077. Matthew 22:3ff.; 23:37. Tappert, p. 623. Heiser, p. 290.

J-176

"Moreover, the declaration, John 6:44, that no one can come to Christ except the Father draw him, is right and true. However, the Father will not do this without means, but has ordained for this purpose His Word and Sacraments as ordinary means and instruments; and it is the will neither of the Father nor of the Son that a man should not hear or should despise the preaching of His Word, and wait for the drawing of the Father without the Word and Sacraments. For the Father draws indeed by the power of His Holy Ghost, however, according to His usual order [the order decreed and instituted by Himself], by the hearing of His holy, divine Word, as with a net, by which the elect are plucked from the jaws of the devil. Every poor sinner should therefore repair thereto [to holy preaching], hear it attentively, and not doubt the drawing of the Father. For the Holy Ghost will be with His Word in His power, and work by it...."
Formula of Concord, SD XI. #76-77. Election. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1089. John 6:44. Tappert, p. 629. Heiser, p. 293.

Augustine - On Lutheran Seminary Professors

Leonard Sweet, Methodist Seminary Professor of Wikiletics, invitee for Church and Church (WELS), New Age guru.

"From this earthly city issue the enemies against whom the City of God must be defended. Some of them, it is true, abjure their worldly error and become worthy members in God's City. But many others, alas, break out in blazing hatred against it and are utterly ungrateful, notwithstanding its Redeemer's signal gifts. For, they would no longer have a voice to raise against it, had not its sanctuaries given them asylum as they fled before the invaders' swords, and made it possible for them to save the life of which they are so proud."
Augustine, The City of God, Garden City: Image Books, 1962, p. 40.

Name the Next Conference at Concordia, Ft. Wayne

Neuhaus: I didn't convert. I finally became the papist I always was. Old LCMS pastor: Bosh.

The upcoming confessional conference at Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne--ironically called The Fort--needs a name to market it to the right group of LCMS pastors.

Here are some suggestions, from the movie industry:

Going My Way

The Shoes of the Fisherman

Angels with Dirty Faces

Voyage to Italy

Quo Vadis? (Where Are You Going?)

The Bells of St. Mary

Mass Appeal

Justification by Faith

J-145

"But after man has been justified by faith, then a true living faith worketh by love, Galatians 5:6, so that thus good works always follow justifying faith, and are surely found with it, if it be true and living; for it never is alone, but always has with it love and hope."
Formula of Concord, Epitome, III, #11. Righteousness of Faith, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 795. Tappert, p. 474. Heiser, p. 220.


J-146

"If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than trust in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this trust alone by which we are justified, let him be anathema [damned to Hell]." [Session Six, Canon XII]
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 460.

J-147

"If anyone says that a man is absolved from sins and justified because of this that he confidently believes that he is absolved and justified, or that no one is truly justified except he who believes that he is justified, and that through this faith alone absolution and justification is effected, let him be anathema [damned to Hell]."
[Sixth Session, Canon XIV]
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 551.



J-148

“Therefore justification does not require the works of the Law; but it does require a living faith, which performs its works.”
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed. Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 721.

J-149

“He that hears the Word of Christ in all sincerity, and adheres to it in faith, will also soon be clothed with the spirit of love.”
Martin Luther, 8, 1572, cited in P. E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible, New Testament, 2 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, II, p. 251.

J-156

“Just as Paul says to the Colossians, 2:12, that faith is efficacious through the power of God, and overcomes death: Wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God. Since this faith is a new life, it necessarily produces new movements and works. [Because it is a new light and life in the heart, whereby we obtain another mind and spirit, it is living, productive, and rich in good works.”
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, #250, Justification. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 191. Tappert, p. 143. Heiser, p. 53.

Drought Ends, Grand Canyon Floods

Hoover Dam, one of the greatest of all engineering projects.

For the last ten years we have been experiencing the drought in Arizona, the water behind Hoover Dam dropping to alarming levels.

Rain has been so constant this year that reservoirs are all filling up and Lake Mead, created by Hoover, is recovering.

Grand Canyon flooded when an earthen dam broke. Scouts had to be airlifted out. They claimed to be prepared, but they stayed near water after torrential rains and repeated warnings from the park rangers.

Computer Virus Attack

I had an encounter with Spydawn or Defender or Antivirus2009. The malware goes by various names. The beginning is a pop-up that warns the computer needs virus protection. The idea is to make the user go to the website and buy the virus software, when in fact the virus itself is blocking access to the Internet.

I removed the program, edited the registry (first time) and saw the nasty bug return, worse than ever. Finally I went to a store and bought the latest Norton software and webroot. I don't think I needed Webroot Spy Sweeper, but it made me feel better at the time. Once installed, those two programs quashed the virus and the problems stopped. The malware icon is still in the icon tray - persistent little bug.

ObamAbe To Announce VP From Springfield, Illinois

Four score and seven years ago, my father, an Arab polygamist, brought forth, in this nation,
a future president of the United States of America.

Obama's Brother Lives On $1 a Month Income

Change I can believe in? No, I live on pocket change.

Barack Obama's 'lost' brother found in Kenya

Senator Barack Obama's long lost brother has been tracked down for the first time living in a shanty town in Kenya, reports claimed.

By Nick Pisa in Rome
Last Updated: 9:01PM BST 20 Aug 2008

George Hussein Onyango Obama, Senator Barack Obama's long lost brother was tracked down living in a hut on the outskirts of Nairobi Photo: Guy Calaf, Vanity Fair, Italy The Italian edition of Vanity Fair said that it had found George Hussein Onyango Obama living in a hut in a ramshackle town of Huruma on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Mr Obama, 26, the youngest of the presidential candidate's half-brothers, spoke for the first time about his life, which could not be more different than that of the Democratic contender.

"No-one knows who I am," he told the magazine, before claiming: "I live here on less than a dollar a month."

According to Italy's Vanity Fair his two metre by three metre shack is decorated with football posters of the Italian football giants AC Milan and Inter, as well as a calendar showing exotic beaches of the world.

Vanity Fair also noted that he had a front page newspaper picture of his famous brother - born of the same father as him, Barack Hussein Obama, but to a different mother, named only as Jael.

He told the magazine: "I live like a recluse, no-one knows I exist."

Embarrassed by his penury, he said that he does not does not mention his famous half-brother in conversation.

"If anyone says something about my surname, I say we are not related. I am ashamed," he said.

For ten years George Obama lived rough. However he now hopes to try to sort his life out by starting a course at a local technical college.

He has only met his famous older brother twice - once when he was just five and the last time in 2006 when Senator Obama was on a tour of East Africa and visited Nairobi.

The Illinois senator mentions his brother in his autobiography, describing him in just one passing paragraph as a "beautiful boy with a rounded head".

Of their second meeting, George Obama said: "It was very brief, we spoke for just a few minutes. It was like meeting a complete stranger."

George added he was no longer in contact with his mother and said:"I have had to learn to live and take what I need.

"Huruma is a tough place, last January during the elections there was rioting and six people were hacked to death. The police don't even arrest you they just shoot you.

"I have seen two of my friends killed. I have scars from defending myself with my fists. I am good with my fists."

Technorati Tags

Some kind soul told me about Technorati. I discovered this morning how to put another widget on the page, one from Technorati.

Norm Teigen's example challenged me to put videos on the blog.

I appreciate the comments, many of which come by way of email. Various people are doing their own research about what is happening in Lutherdom. I am happy to report what they have found.

Two clues suggest Ichabod is having a positive impact. One clue is the sunnyside up posting I get from time to time. After a huge drink of purple Kool Aid, synod minders buckle down and explain everything away. "Nothing to see here, please move along." The other clue comes from the sulphuric posts and threats I receive. Not to worry, they are even more encouraging. I block most of them because of their poor spelling, atrocious grammar, and mind-numbing repetition. Remember, Sir is spelled s-i-r, not c-u-r, the next time you write a Dear Sir comment.

Pastor Wears a Rob! - at St. Marks, DePere

St. Mark's may be creative, xeroxing the sermons of false teachers, but they are not well prepared. Their website says the pastor wears a rob at one service.

WELS and bad spelling go together, like Werning and Fuller. To be precise, bad spelling and Church Growth go together, like Church and Change. It's your church, but they will change it.

PS - Someone who knows reports that bad spelling and writing are pandemic among the children of the WELS hierarchy. The precious ones get passed for trying and move on up to higher education.

This reminds me of two students arguing which one went to a better college. One said, "We have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter." The other one said, "What's that?"

This actually happened to me -> The Columbus pastors were discussing how some people did not know the difference between the humiliation and the exinination (Latin for humiliation) of Christ. I knew the topic, but I wondered why they used synonymous terms instead of contrasting terms (the two states of Christ - exaltation and humiliation). I looked puzzled, so District VP Kuske said, "That's why ___ is teaching, because he knows the difference." They congratulated themselves on how intellectual they were.

Being ignorant and acting stupid are two ways to get ahead in WELS. John Lawrenz said this problem comes from the brain drain, when the intellectuals left WELS for Missouri. Besides, he noted the Protest'ant Conference (given the Left Foot of Fellowship by WELS) is considered brainy so brains are suspect.

PPS - Googling exinination produced this hilarious example from India:
Private candidates must bring with them proof of their eligibility certificate, marksheet, certificate of passing the qualifying exinination (sic) and a character certificate from a Gazetted Officer along with other documents mentioned in 4,5 and 6.

In WELS they humiliate students after accepting them.

Learn to spell Lutheran corner:

Wels Luthern (sic) Student Center
(605) 692-2201
919 9th Ave, Brookings, SD 57006 Map it | Get directions
Cross Streets: Between 9th St and Harvey Dunn St

St John's Ev Luthern (sic) Church Wels-Pastor's Office
202 8th St W
Hastings, MN 55033

Correction on Mark Schroeder Quotation

I was working on this post when my ready-to-go database, Megatron, found a very old quotation from the WELS SP Mark Schroeder. The article was from TELL, which was WELS' first Church Growth periodical. I decided to use the quotation because the sentence was in the mode of Church Growthers who talk about planning and setting goals, something they got from Management by Objective, a business textbook.

A friend of the Synodical President thought the post took the quotation out of context and presented a harsher picture than was necessary. He actually had the original article, bound in morocco with gold trim and a silk ribbon marker. I am kidding about that.

I apologize for using the quotation out of context and giving that solitary sentence a meaning not intended by the author. Unlike most of my quotations, only one sentence was recorded from that article.

So now I have the entire article, which I wanted to reproduce, but the "save as text" command yielded a blank document. I meant to indicate in the original post that I thought Schroeder was not in that CG crowd. So I find it instructive to read the article, many years later, knowing how many WELS leaders turned their backs on the Means of Grace while chasing the bright, elusive butterflies of Enthusiasm and business marketing (to no avail, I might add).

Here is my brief review of Schroeder's article, which is now 24 years old:

The complete article is more of a critique of Church Growth than anything, subtly using some of their arguments to lead into something else. Back in the 1980s, WELS (late for every fad) was discovering planning, committees, and evangelism programs. Schroeder said, those things are done but not always with good results.

The sentence I objected to is typical CG fare, but that thought was followed by - "But in the Book of Acts evangelism is an effort by all the Christians - a natural result of their faith and joy in Christ."

The final sentence in the article is an implicit statement of the efficacy of the Word: "Let it be said of our church and all of our members - Day by day they never stopped preaching and teaching the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

Some points of explanation:

1. We should never assume something that is not in the text itself. The text is the only thing we know for sure (Nils Dahl, Yale) so we should never turn away from what we know and weave scenarios no one has described in the text. One of my friends at Notre Dame assumed Mary was assumed into heaven since her death is not recorded in the New Testament.
2. Jonah did a lot of planning. He planned a way to escape God's mission, but God sent a storm to stop him and a whale to taxi him to his post. There is something to be said for being organized (counting the cost, as Jesus said) but one should not equate planning with success. I concede that Schroeder did not fall into the Management by Objective mindset in his article, that he moved the reader in the opposite direction.

If Schroeder had been more explicit about the efficacy of the Word rather writing about "planning and consulting" then his article would have been rejected. I heard he was asked to write it. CG types like to have people seem to endorse their fad, to make their illigitimate child look legal. The final sentence of his article is a rejection of CG, but they were too dumb to see that, or they wanted the appearance of an endorsement.

I have read so many CG books and articles that I can tell when someone has studied at Fuller or Willow Creek. Tragicly, Fuller got most of the WELS, LMCS, and ELCA executives trained in their abominations. The Fuller cancer is a doctrinal problem. The cancer must be cut out with the Sword of the Word. That will not be easy for anyone in a teaching or leadership position. The responsibility does not rest with the appointed or elected leaders alone, but with the laity and the pastors.

Too many pastors took the safe route to advancement and muted themselves when they should have objected to false doctrine. Good does not automatically overcome evil, but the strong do overcome the weak, as Luther pointed out. If the confessional Lutherans finally become much stronger, they will win with God's Word.

Mark Schroeder's election, I am told, was a victory for reform in WELS. Some progress has been made, I think. The WELS people I know (pastors and laity) are pleased with his leadership. That support has to be explicit rather than implicit, overt rather than covert.

Coming Soon - More Information on the Bogus Lutheran Clergy Shortage

New mission starts soak up the supply of graduating seminarians.
Mergers and closings of parishes make calls less likely.

From Lutheran Notes:

Apparently, they weren't getting enough sem students based on the old report, so they hyped it even further then when I saw it last. In 1992 is was around 500 vacancies, but in 2008 the report says there are 1155 vacant pastoral positions! The report also says by 2010, 25% of pulpits will be empty. That's surprising given that in 2008 19 graduates at Concordia Sem in St. Louis couldn't be placed right away, and 13 were not placed at the Fort.

***

GJ - Ablaze! is a fizzle. But I know what they are saying in cologne-filled boardrooms across Lutherdom: "We need more Church Growth programs!"

Reunion with Rome

Luke, I am your father!
No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

[On Anglicanism] "Its Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy have been a great bulwark of Protestantism; and yet, seemingly, out of the very stones of that bulwark has been framed, in our day, a bridge on which many have passed over into Rome...It harbors a skepticism which takes infidelity by the hand, and a revised medievalism which longs to throw itself, with tears, on the neck of the Pope and the Patriarch, to beseech them to be gentle and not to make the terms of restored fellowship too difficult."
Charles P. Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1913 (first edition, 1871), p. x.


Traditional Anglican Communion Primate Seeks Union with Rome

Correspondence Revealed Between Rome and TAC

An Exclusive Interview with the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion the Most. Rev. John Hepworth

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
8/12/2008

Virtueonline met with Archbishop John Hepworth near Philadelphia recently. He is on a world trip visiting his constituency. He agreed to be interviewed.

VOL: With negotiations as delicate as they are between the TAC and Rome, why are you prepared to talk to VirtueOnline at this time?

HEPWORTH: There is much inaccurate information about the TAC. I would like to state our position as clearly as I know how to the Anglican and Roman Catholic world. I also want to clear up some misconceptions and misperceptions about the TAC. I chose VOL because I wanted the widest possible circulation. This interview has been cleared with Rome.

VOL: Readers of VirtueOnline are aware that the TAC has petitioned Rome for full sacramental and organic union. As a priest and bishop operating outside the Roman communion, can you describe the process of discernment that led you personally to the conclusion that union with the See of St. Peter was necessary?

HEPWORTH: Yes. The process began with ARCIC and the derailment of ARCIC over the ordination of women even back in the time of Pope Paul VI. He warned the Archbishop of Canterbury that it was a great obstruction to unity. The catholic part of the Anglican Communion had invested much time and optimism in a process towards organic unity. The Continuing Anglican movement - the Affirmation of St. Louis - determined positively to continue that process even though the Anglican Communion refused to continue it. The Affirmation was agreed to affirm the catholic truths about the sacraments and other basic catholic doctrines.

VOL: Can you describe the process of discernment through which the TAC as a body was led to the same conclusion?

HEPWORTH: The TAC, 20 years ago at its formation, determined the pathway of St. Louis and determined in the first place that for the catholic ecclesiastical movement in the West to continue down the patriotic and biblical pathway was to discern truth in communion with the See of Peter. We have pursued communion with Rome as the source of unity in the church way and the biblical way as truth is affirmed.

VOL: What do you see as the possible responses from Rome to your petition, and how would the TAC respond to each one?

HEPWORTH: Our letter (see below) in fact was both as Rome and we have understood it. It is a petition for full communion especially Eucharistic communion in Christ with the See of Rome. In fact, the letter reminds the Holy See of the advice we were given 18 years ago with the counsels of Christian unity and it makes a series of statements about the faith of our bishops in whose teaching authority resides and asks the Holy See in the light of that what our course should be now. We are awaiting what their advice should be. I see a number of stages including a period of discernment which we are happy to accept.

VOL: Contacts in the Roman Catholic Church have suggested that for your move towards Rome to succeed, strong ties at local levels between TAC bishops and Roman Catholic bishops need to be forged. Do you have a program in place to do this?

HEPWORTH: Yes. The program necessarily differs from place to place. There are places where we exist on equal terms, that is where Romans and Anglicans are equal. In other places where there is virtually no Roman Catholic presence such as Torrres Strait and parts of Africa where mission territories were divided. The program is essentially where the bishops develop strong personal friendships and that is happening. The parishes develop joint programs with local Catholic parishes and that is happening. Thirdly, the acceptance of our ordination candidates to study in Catholic institutions and, most daringly, the forming of joint TAC Roman Catholic religious orders, one of which has preliminary acceptance by the Vatican.

VOL: Contacts in the Roman Catholic Church have suggested that the statements issued by you in acceptance of Roman Catholic dogma are weak on the primacy and infallibility of the Pope. How would you respond?

HEPWORTH: In the paragraph, "we accept the ministry of the Bishop of Rome" and the quote from Vatican II and from John Paul II's encyclical to the separated churches is sufficient indication that we are accepting contemporary statements of Catholic Doctrine and he explicitly made that statement ex cathedra.

Secondly we signed the catechism of the Catholic Church which includes contemporary Catholic teaching on the papacy and we state in the letter we signed that we accepted this as the most perfect statement of Catholic faith in the world at the present time and that it is the faith we "aspire to hold and teach."

VOL: It has been reported that at the gathering of all TAC bishops in England last October at which the TAC formally petitioned Rome for union, that all the bishops signed a copy of the Roman Catholic Catechism on the altar as an expression of their complete acceptance of Roman Catholic dogma and doctrine. Others have reported that this was not the case, that they signed the petition to Rome but not the Catechism. Did the bishops all sign the Catechism, and is there complete acceptance by the TAC of Roman Catholic dogma and doctrine?

HEPWORTH: First. We not only signed the catechism, we also signed the compendium which is the Q & A section of the catechism on the altar and a video of the signing was made for the Holy See and we state in the letter that it is the faith we aspire to hold and teach. We all signed it on that altar in the middle of a mass for Christian unity.

VOL: To what extent is the TAC reaching out to other "continuing churches" to try to achieve unity among the largest possible number of continuing Anglicans prior to union with Rome?

HEPWORTH: We have made public the fact of our engagement with Rome and our desire for unity for just on 18 years since our first official visit to the Vatican. This fact has been more a matter of contest among the other continuing churches than of a growing together. We stated in our last meeting in the Vatican that we wish to place no lines in the sand. We sought their advice on what we need to do to achieve unity rather than setting out an agenda for doctrinal debate. My own belief is that this separates us at the moment from other continuing churches. Our decision has been to pursue unity with Rome in the first instance and to gather those Anglican groups inside and outside the process as it continues.

VOL: To what extent has the TAC found support among local Roman Catholic bishops and to what extent has the TAC found itself rebuffed or put off by Roman Catholic bishops? Can you cite examples?

HEPWORTH: Initially, we found less enthusiasm than we would have expected and the question frequently asked is, why don't we do this as individuals? We have patiently explained the failure of recent large scale individual movements to Rome such as in England and Australia in the 1990's when many priests went to Rome and then returned to Anglicanism. They were disillusioned at the local level. We believe in a corporate engagement with mutual support that would be the most successful pathway forward. Increasingly, we have found significant support from Roman Catholic bishops. For instance, the president of the Australian Bishops Conference has indicated support. Several cardinals have indicated their support. A number of local Roman Catholic bishops in the U.S., such as the Archbishop of Colorado, have publically indicated support.

VOL: Several Roman Catholic sources have indicated that the TAC will not be able to achieve the status of a Uniate church, but that some form of Personal Prelature might be a possibility, provided that the prelate assigned jurisdiction over the Prelature is one chosen by Rome from among existing Roman Catholic bishops. Would the TAC find this acceptable? –and if so, do you have an idea of which existing Roman Catholic bishops you would most like to see holding the Prelature?

HEPWORTH: First we have carefully avoided using the word uniate because it specifically refers to a process in the Eastern Church which is not a parallel in the situation in the West. Secondly, in our meetings with the Holy See we have been asked not to narrow the discussion by alluding only to those possibilities in contemporary canon law. Thirdly, it is only proper that we await the reply of the Holy See and our bishops give it careful consideration. We have the opportunity as we have promised to discuss the Holy See's response to our general synods of our national churches around the world.

VOL: You are aware of the pontifical Pastoral Provision that governs acceptance of formerly Episcopal clergy and faithful in the American Roman Catholic Church in a form that allows them to continue familiar Anglican liturgical practices and build "Anglican Use" parishes. These parishes must operate under the jurisdiction of the local Roman Catholic diocese within whose boundaries they are located. Several Roman Catholic sources have suggested that the way in which Rome may respond to the TAC's petition will be to extend the Pastoral Provision globally. If this were done, the TAC would not come into communion with Rome as a body, but as individual parishes being absorbed into the existing Roman Catholic Structure. Would the TAC find this acceptable? Why or why not?

HEPWORTH: I have strongly indicated that this would be unlikely to work whether we accept it or not. Because very few Catholic bishops have, up until now, been prepared to implement such a scheme and it has no presence outside of the U.S. and therefore it doesn't cover the TAC.

VOL: In the event the Pastoral Provision is extended globally and TAC parishes come into communion with Rome through its provisions, how would you safeguard individual parishes that might find themselves in a hostile environment in which the local Roman Catholic bishop takes steps that prevent the successful creation of an Anglican Use parish?

HEPWORTH: That is purely speculative.

VOL: When and if Rome accepts the TAC into communion, do you have an idea how Rome will deal with the potential problems posed by divorced, remarried members? Do you feel that Rome would accept annulments put in place under TAC jurisdiction?

HEPWORTH: It would be utterly wrong for me to speculate on issues that might occur. In the meantime the TAC has modeled many of its processes on its marriage discipline on Roman canon law with the advice of local Roman Catholic authorities.

VOL: When the former Bishop of London went to Rome, he was "conditionally re-ordained" a priest rather than having to undergo re-ordination. Do you see that as a possibility for the TAC's clergy?

HEPWORTH: The way in which pastoral provision currently works allows Anglican clergymen to tender evidence of the validity of Anglican ordination. In fact, the re-ordination is a response to the circumstances within Anglicanism which vary for good and ill in the last century as Cardinal Kasper recently said, and re-ordination is a necessary assurance to the good consciences of those with whom unity is sought.

VOL: Some fear, if conditional re-ordination is not allowed, that sacramental rites performed by TAC clergy prior to their re-ordination would be considered invalid. Do you see the difference between "conditional" and unconditional re-ordination as important?

HEPWORTH: No. It is important to individual Anglo-Catholics who in practice have responded to apostolica curae by seeking to involve other than Anglicans in their ordinations, not necessarily as a criticism of their own orders but as an act of pastoral generosity towards the wider catholic church.

VOL: Are all of the lay people as enthusiastic as you are about going to Rome?

HEPWORTH: There is a gradation of enthusiasm across the whole TAC and that extends across our clergy and people. There are places where there is restless enthusiasm and impatience for the process to be at an end, and in other places some fear and hesitation as to what it might mean. A significant part of my work as primate is the apostolic care of those who are fearful.

VOL: Is it possible that there will be some people who will vote not to go to Rome, that is, individual priests and congregations?

HEPWORTH: We have already lost 4 congregations around the world to other Continuing bodies, which is far fewer than I might have anticipated a year ago. We are trying to be generous to the consciences of those who feel they cannot do it while at the same time being equally generous to the consciences of those who cannot wait.

VOL: Every church in the TAC is an independent congregation. Do you see some going to the Anglican Province of America (APA)?

HEPWORTH: He has two congregations of our diocese in Eastern US that is a process not presently full.

VOL: The bishop is everything. The lay people go where they are told. They are being told, but have they been asked?

HEPWORTH: Yes. The bishop isn't everything. The bishop is part of a college and has responsibility for teaching the faith. We do not allow votes in synod on doctrine. We are close to the position of GAFCON where bishops reassert their authority to teach the faith, but our people in synod are responsible for the conduct and existence of the local church. We have taken to our synodical and parish processes this decision and the bishops only proceeded last October when they were confident of their support for their clergy and people.

VOL: Can you still be authentically Anglican and a catholic in the Roman Catholic Church?

HEPWORTH: We have sought to be Anglican and catholic, to take the centuries old and cherished traditions, theology, liturgy into communion and we are reminded that there are indeed over 20 rites in communion with the Holy See in addition to the Roman rite. What we have done is to acknowledge in our letter which says the Catholic faith in all its fullness and wholeness is seeking to maintain the tradition in which we have come to this faith. You can separate the corpus of faith from the surrounding traditions and culture of that faith community such as we see among Maronite Catholics, Greek Catholics, so why not Anglo-Catholics?

VOL: In your opinion, are the theological fluctuations within Anglicanism among many traditional Anglicans who are either being forced out of the Church of England and the American Episcopal Church, many of whom see unity with Rome as their goal, make your case stronger?

HEPWORTH: Cardinal Levada's generous letter to me (see below) mentioned the troubles in the Anglican Communion as a factor influencing the work of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in responding to our petition. We have always understood that we were one group among many Anglican groups searching for an orthodox future. The disintegration of catholic faith within Anglicanism is a profound historical tragedy, but on the other hand it opens possibilities for unity that have not been there before.

VOL: What is your relationship like with Forward in Faith?

HEPWORTH: Bishop John Broadhurst (chairman of Forward in Faith International) and I have agreed to have a meeting in October of TAC/FIF and other bishops who see unity as a pathway for Anglican Catholic future and this will be held in England in October.

VOL: Thank you Archbishop Hepworth.