Friday, August 29, 2008

Krauthammer on Obama



Bill Clinton: "He is ready to lead."



Charles Krauthammer:

The oddity of this convention is that its central figure is the ultimate self-made man, a dazzling mysterious Gatsby. The palpable apprehension is that the anointed is a stranger -- a deeply engaging, elegant, brilliant stranger with whom the Democrats had a torrid affair. Having slowly woken up, they see the ring and wonder who exactly they married last night.

Thus Spoke Wikipedia


William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962) was an American religious leader and influential public speaker.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister soon after his arrival in the United States as a young adult. He quickly gained attention as an eloquent motivational speaker, and is often regarded today as the forerunner of such contemporary "success coaches" as Anthony Robbins.

An outspoken political conservative, Rev. Boetcker is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots; originally published in 1916, it is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln. The error apparently stems from a leaflet printed in 1942 by a conservative political organization called the Committee for Constitutional Government; the leaflet bore the title "Lincoln on Limitations" and contained some genuine Lincoln quotations on one side and the "Ten Cannots" on the other, with the attributions juxtaposed (the mistake of crediting Lincoln for having been the source of "The Ten Cannots" has been repeated many times since, most notably by Ronald Reagan in a speech he gave at the 1992 Republican convention in Houston).

There are several minor variants of the pamphlet in circulation, but the most commonly-accepted version appears below:



  1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
  2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
  3. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
  4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
  5. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
  6. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
  7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
  8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
  9. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
  10. And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.


***

GJ - Many Lincoln quotations are disputed. He said enough wise and witty things that any saying thought to be worthwhile is thought to come from him. Very few historical figures have so many facts disputed about him.

Hurricane Force Winds in Phoenix Last Night,
Story Linked on The Drudge Report



The center of this storm passed over the main campus as everyone was driving home. The sky looked just like the video shot during tornadoes, ominous with spectacular lightning displays and falling hail. Such scenes are better viewed indoors, on TV. I was able to drive north, away from the big event.


Major Severe Weather Event Across Phoenix

Updated: 12:00 PM 29 August 2008

During the day of the 28th, the sky was mostly clear across central Arizona. Early indications were that strong to severe thunderstorms were possible that evening, though by mid-afternoon little thunderstorm activity had developed. The weather balloon sounding data from Phoenix Thursday evening indicated that the atmosphere remained very unstable though a cap remained - analogous to a lid on a pot of boiling water (see graphic to right). In addition winds in the mid levels of the atmosphere were over 45 mph from the northeast, strongly unusual and indicative that thunderstorms that develop northeast of Phoenix will quickly move into the lower deserts and be capable of producing damaging winds.

Shortly after 8 PM, thunderstorms began to develop east of Phoenix and moved into the potentially very unstable airmass. The thunderstorms themselves provided enough lift to release the stored energy - they took the lid off the pot. In the ensuing four hours severe thunderstorms spread across much of the south central Arizona, including much of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. These were not your typical monsoon thunderstorms. NWS meteorologists noted the exceptionally strong structure of the thunderstorms, with the storms themselves extending up to 60,000 feet in the atmosphere. At this height the temperature of the tops of the thunderstorms was below -110 deg F (see graphic to right). For a satellite image loop, click here (0.8 MB).

As the evening unfolded several waves of thunderstorms, about four in total, developed generally east or northeast of Phoenix and moved to the west or southwest at speeds ranging from 20 to 40 mph. These types of thunderstorms are referred to as a line echo wave pattern (LEWP); line for a line of storms, echo for radar echoes, wave for the multiple waves of storms. LEWPs are common across the Mid-West United States, especially during the late evening and overnight hours. LEWPs are rather rare across central Arizona. What was even more rare was that the waves were traveling northeast to southwest; in the Mid-West the waves often travel in a general west to east direction. For a radar loop of the full event click here (large file - 17 MB).

80 to 100 mph winds measured by radar.

Early on it became evident that these thunderstorms would be capable of producing severe and damaging winds. This is what in fact happened as significant bow echoes developed within each wave. The highest measured wind speed reported to the NWS was 85 mph, which occurred near central Phoenix. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reached 75 mph. Even the NWS office in Tempe was hit by the damaging winds. NWS meteorologists estimating winds to be at or above 80 MPH at the NWS office. Winds may have actually been higher than reported by any ground-based weather station as the National Weather Service radar recorded winds in excess of 100 MPH just 1,500 feet above the ground (see to right). For a loop of velocity radar data click here (large file - 14 MB).

The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued twenty Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and received thirty reports of severe weather during the event. The most significant wind measured was a wind gust of 85 MPH 4 miles SSE of downtown Phoenix by a trained weather spotter. The very strong winds resulted in widespread damage, with central Phoenix and north Tempe taking the brunt of the storm. Media coverage indicated that downed trees occurred over a large area with perhaps thousands of trees lost during the storm. Structural damage was also observed. The images below were taken by NWS Employees. Click on each thumbnail for a full version image.

Prayer Partners with Rome



Inflatable church.


Source

Friends across denominations

As a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, I am also connected to a larger body in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Locally this connects me with other LCMS member congregations. It is called walking together in mission.

Moreover for myself, I have developed friendships with clergy and laity from many other branches of the Christian faith. Father Dan Farley and I have been prayer partners since college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I am reminded to prayerfully support Christian radio and (WCLQ-FM) 89Q because of Coy Sawyer. I have served on the board of directors for both Greater Wausau Christian Services and for the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.

Andrew Plath, 50, Wausau, Trinity Lutheran Church

UOJ Dismembered



Please make Fuller Seminary the capital of orthodoxy. And Willow Creek. And make Ichabod go away forever. Thanks, Larry, Your obedient servant. Amen."


Universal Objective Justification is losing some of its momentum, due to serious study of the issue.

Bruce Church informed me that an LCMS leader recently said, on Issues, etc "God forgave the whole world."

These are typical expressions of Universalism or UOJ, which are the same thing:

1. God forgave the whole world. (Issues, Etc.)
2. God declared the whole world free of sin. (LCMS Brief Statement)
3. Whether they believe or not, everyone in the world is forgiven. (J. P. Meyer)
4. "I am saved, just like you." WELS evangelism motto (another flop).
5. Everyone is forgiven. ELCA
6. Everyone will go to heaven. Universalists.

Where does UOJ come from? The best answer is not historical in nature but doctrinal. History does not provide precise enough explanations, since the past is far messier and confused than digested historical accounts suggest.

UOJ flourished in the Old Synodical Conference, which had Pietistic origins, but did not flourish in the Muhlenberg tradition (General Synod, General Council, both leading to the ULCA, LCA, and--gasp--ELCA). But the Muhlenberg tradition was Pietistic from the beginning, since the pioneer himself came straight from Halle University. The later Midwestern synods were Pietistic, too. Norwegians were hot for UOJ, which may be why Robert Preus got it all wrong at first, but repented in his last book. The Swedes were against UOJ, but they were just as influenced by Pietism as the Norwegians. The favorite Swedish journal for the Augustana Synod was The Pietist, which I once helped archive at the Augustana College Library. So historical lessons do not provide a solution.

The doctrinal answer is much clearer. The question is not whether Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, and "acquired forgiveness," as Pennsylvania recently mentioned. (All the nicnames I use for sources are counter-intuitive, so don't try to figure who he is. The answer is no, no, and NO!) UOJ fans try to use the Straw Man of Limited Atonement. They say, "You favor Limited Atonement!" That means Christ died only for the elect - Calvin's doctrine.

The doctrinal answer is the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. Or, we should teach what the Scriptures reveal about the work of the Holy Spirit. The non-Lutheran Protestants--and Catholics--always divorce the work of the Holy Spirit from the Word. The Scriptures teach clearly and consistently that the Holy Spirit and the Word always work together, never apart from each other.

Therefore, the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith includes the objective truth of the Atonement as the propitiation for the sins of the world, with this forgiveness already earned by Christ being distributed by the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace.

As Luther often stated, the treasure of the Atonement does no one any good if it is not distributed through the Word. The treasure lies in one heap until that happens. But God has designed, created, and supported the pastoral ministry for this distribution.

So it stands to reason that the Enthusiasts, who divorce the Holy Spirit's work from the Word, are opposed to the Means of Grace and enemies of the Bible's foundational doctrine.

The story of Christianity is one of grace. How does one know about forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life? When the doctrine is contrary to the Word of God, all the proposed solutions are wrong.

For various reasons, unknown to me, the Muhlenberg tradition was quite strong on the efficacy of the Word. I recall one liberal bishop saying, in an offhand way, "Everything happens through the Word."

The issue is whether we can find harmonious teaching in the Scriptures, the early Church Fathers, Luther, and the Concordists.

As Pennsylvania said, we can find orthodoxy in the Scriptures alone, as long as we set aside that huge book of unwritten rules.

Palin Choice Stomps on Obama's Moment



Governor Sarah Palin and her husband Todd, with their newborn son Trig, who was born in April with Down's Syndrome. See the story below the fold.


Last night I came home from teaching at 10 PM, sick with grief that I missed the enthronement of Obama. Hail was falling. Lightning streaked across the sky. Tree branches littered the streets. I-17 was so flooded that I wondered if I would stall out in the water. I would have preferred the Left-wing banalities of Obama to a night waiting for AAA to arrive. But I got home safely, without stalling, without needing AAA.

Last night, I almost posted my prediction of the Minnesota governor being selected as McCain's running mate. For months the pro-life conservatives have posted their dreams of Governor Palin being on the ticket. No one thought McCain would do something so wise, so thoughtful, so effective. I did not think so either. McCain in Arizona has a reputation for dissing conservatives.

For those who do not know, the Governor of Alaska is:

  1. Pro-life, with a bevy of her own children.

  2. Pro-Bill of Rights, knowing that gun ownership is protected by our most basic document of freedom.

  3. Pro-energy, working hard to get Alaskan resources to the lower 48.


Senator Biden, as an attack dog, will be an embarrassment to the Democrat ticket. Most of his weapons are taken away.

The story for today will be Palin, not Obama.

---

Palin balances newborn's needs, official state duties

By Steve Quinn

Palin balances newborn's needs, official state duties

By Steve Quinn | The Associated Press

The results of Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it."

Palin, known for a resolve that quickly launched her from suburban hockey mom to a player on the national political stage, said, "No, go ahead and tell me over the phone."

The physician replied, "Down syndrome," stunning the Republican governor, who had just completed what many political analysts called a startling first year in office.

She had arrived at the Capitol on an ethics reform platform after defeating the incumbent Republican in the primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. Her growing reputation as a maverick for bucking her party's establishment and Alaska's powerful oil industry quickly gained her a national reputation.

Now she is trying to balance caring for her special-needs child and running a state.

The doctor's announcement in December, when Palin was four months pregnant, presented her with a possible life- and career-changing development.

"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin, a mother of four other children.

"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."

The 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling her husband, Todd, who was out of town, so she could understand what was ahead for them.

Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?"'

There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin.

"We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."

Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the fetus' cells. It's a genetic abnormality that impedes physical, intellectual and language development.

The mother's age is a large factor in the chances of having a Down child. Once a woman turns 40, the chances of having a Down child is 1 out of 100, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

During her first year in office, Palin distanced herself from the old guard, powerful Republicans in the state GOP, even calling on tight-lipped veteran U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens to explain to Alaskans why federal authorities were investigating him.

She asked Alaska's congressional delegation to be more selective in seeking earmarks after what came to be known as the "Bridge to Nowhere" turned into a national symbol of piggish pork-barrel spending.

She stood up to the powerful oil industry, and with bipartisan support in the statehouse she won a tax increase on oil companies' profits.

She also found time to pose for the fashion magazine Vogue while she was pregnant, and she has been mentioned as a potential running mate for presidential candidate John McCain.

Three days after giving birth, Palin returned to work in her Anchorage office, accompanied by Trig and her husband.

This was not a mother's typical visit to the office to show off the new baby; instead, she was serving notice that a child of special needs would not hinder her professional commitments.

"It's a sign of the times to be able to do this," she said. "I can think of so many male candidates who watched families grow while they were in office.

"There is no reason to believe a woman can't do it with a growing family. My baby will not be at all or in any sense neglected."

Neither, Palin said, will the state, as she prepares to lead deliberations for a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline. She calls it the economic future of the state, a means of getting North Slope natural gas to consumers throughout North America.

"I will not shirk my duties," she said.

Other politicians have pressed forward with their careers despite jarring personal news.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards continued with his campaign despite the return of his wife Elizabeth's breast cancer, though he eventually dropped out.

Another elected official who has a child with Down syndrome said that Palin will probably have detractors, but that it shouldn't change ambitions for the mother or child.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican, has just celebrated the first birthday of her son Cole, her first child, who was born with Down syndrome. She is busy campaigning for a third term, and Cole often travels with her between Washington, D.C., and the Pacific Northwest.

"Cole opened my eyes to the pain and trouble a lot of families endure," Rodgers said. "He's allowed me to see people and circumstance more deeply, and the generosity of people.

"It's in human nature to focus on the negative, on what the person can't do. In our mind, we are focused on what he can do, what he will be able to do and do very well."

It's not unlike how Palin sees her child.

"I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

---



James Pethokoukis sends the 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sarah Palin:

Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.

2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was “Sarah Barracuda.”

3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.

4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the “First Dude.” He’s worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world’s longest snowmobile race, four times.

5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.

6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.

7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.

8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.

9. She’s a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

10. Elected in 2006, she’s Alaska’s first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.

Church Growth - Computer Virus



A message from Spydawn.



When I got the Spydawn (also Defender2008 or Defender2009) virus, I removed it manually. Then I uninstalled an old Norton antivirus to put a new version on. Big mistake. Spydawn took over with a vengeance and I could not get the browser to work at all.

Spydawn is obviously written so that it will re-install itself after manual removals.

Church Growth in the Lutheran Church is the same kind of virus. Everyone with an IQ higher than room temperature knows CG is a flop, a failure, and a fraud.

This is what has already happened when people finally got wind of CG, as they said about the neighbors who started raising hogs - CG re-installs itself so it cannot be removed.

McGavran, Larry Olson's hero, refused to use the term Church Growth for an extensive period of time. Did that mean he changed his views? Not at all.

I was pleased to hear that Church Growth was pounded so thoroughly in Columbus, Ohio, that Mike Nitz complained he could not even mention the word when he was called to St. Paul's. Still, he had a woman teaching men (usurping authority and teaching men) on Sunday mornings. I was blasted for mentioning that fact at a pastoral conference. Unwritten rule in WELS - never deal with an issue directly. (The unwritten rule book is bigger than the Phoenix Yellow Pages.)

Church and Change, the agency of apostasy in WELS, does not call itself Church Growth and avoids the term in its propaganda, but its agenda is clearly directed against Lutheran doctrine, Lutheran worship, Lutheran practice. Or, in making a decision between tawdry marketing and Biblical principles, they went for tawdry marketing.

When Wayne, of blessed memory, was writing for the official magazine of WELS, he denied there was any CG in WELS, but if there was, it was OK. That settled the matter officially. Besides, Valleskey--who never went to Fuller, wink, wink--said they should all spoil the Egyptians, that is, nab the precious metals and jewels of the Pasadena Synagogue of Satan. Frosty Bivens said, "Amen. Amen. Let it be so."

The Issues in WELS people finally stirred themselves and wrote something about Church Growth. That is akin to Mrs. Noah saying on the Ark, "It looks like rain."

ESSAY: Pastor Aaron Frey of Tawas City, MI, will present an essay entitled Tendrils of the Church Growth Movement. This paper was prepared by a four-man study committee from the Michigan District and was presented at this summer's Michigan District Convention. Pastor Robert Koester is preparing discussion questions that will help to stimulate the discussion of this paper.

I believe Koester is one of many WELS pastors who did, did not, go to Fuller. He ended up being a critic of CG, according to legend. I cannot say for sure, because I found that writing against false doctrine, speaking against false doctrine, going to individual leaders about false doctrine, was strictly a solo effort. It only took WELS pastors another 15 years to catch on they do indeed have a problem with Deformed doctrine.

The official rebuttal to everything published and said against CG was: "What does he know? He doesn't have a degree from our beloved Sausage Factory! He does not fit, so we are acquit (sic)."

Astonishing Lack of Smarts for a College Prez



How many things are wrong in this photo?


Iowa Central president receives $400K for resignation

Iowa Central Community College President Robert Paxton will collect $400,000 from the school in return for his resignation.

After 13 years as president of the Fort Dodge school, Paxton resigned Wednesday, one day before the school’s board of trustees was scheduled to discuss an undisclosed “personnel matter.”

The special meeting was called after The Des Moines Register published a July 4 photograph of Paxton aboard a boat with a group of young people, holding the spigot of a small beer keg suspended over a young woman’s open mouth.

College trustee Mark Crimmins was aware of the photo before it was published and told the Register that Paxton had done nothing improper and the matter wasn’t deserving of the board’s attention.

When questioned by the Register, Paxton initially denied knowing anything about the photo or any recent boat outings with young people. After being told that Crimmins had already informed the Register that he had seen the photo and the two men had discussed it, Paxton acknowledged the photo’s authenticity. He said he had done nothing illegal or improper.

But the photograph, along with Paxton’s explanation for it, was picked up by other media outlets and sparked a heated debate in Fort Dodge over the personal conduct of public officials.

At today’s board meeting, the trustees met for eight minutes and agreed, without discussion, to accept Paxton’s resignation and approve a compensation package for him. The deal calls for Paxton to receive $200,000 in January 2009 and $200,000 in January 2010...

Paxton, 52, has said all of the people who were drinking in the boat when the photograph was taken were of legal age. He said the beer keg was broken and wasn’t dispensing beer into the young woman’s mouth. He said his 19-year-old son, who was arrested for second-offense drunken driving early the next morning, was in the boat but was not drinking.

He's Not Too Black to be President...



He's too green.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Gracious Visitation of Obama Skips Tiefel's Church Growth Congregation



Paul Tiefel missed his big chance to be famous for preaching to Obama when The One Sent by God (in the words of Nancy Pelosi) graciously visited an ELCA congregation instead.



Blog by
Julie B. Sevig


8/25/2008
Obama worships with ELCA congregation


It wasn’t a Sunday to skip church.

At least that’s what members of First Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, Wis., might be muttering this week if they missed worship on Sunday. Barack Obama was a surprise worshiper at the 10 a.m. contemporary service. He walked into church about 10 minutes before the service began after being greeted by some 60 parishioners on the front steps.

“It was exciting. It was like Christmas, Easter and a marriage celebration all together,” said John Kerr, one of two interim pastors at First Lutheran.

Obama sat in the fourth row and brought his own Bible. Pastor Jennifer Elmquist acknowledged Obama in her welcome. The service included communion and two baptisms.

Kerr preached on the day’s Gospel text, Peter’s confession, and said he had his sermon done before he knew he’d be preaching to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Obama’s advance people had contacted Kerr earlier in the week to ask whether Obama could worship there. Most members did not know he was coming, Kerr said, although by the end of the morning there were some 100 photographers/journalists camped outside the church.

As Elmquist carried one of the baptized babies down the aisle, she stopped before Obama, drawing chuckles from the congregation. Kerr said Obama posed for photos with the babies and their families following worship.

“He was gracious and the people just loved him,” Kerr said, saying that when he and Elmquist escorted Obama to his seat before worship those seated around him had “eyes as big as silver dollars.” He was a popular target during the passing of the peace, and signed the guest book with his name, Chicago and drew an arrow and then wrote “White House.”

The Prison at Prairie Was Once a Prep



Joe Abrahamson's Blog mentioned Martin Luther Prep, which WELS moved away from New Ulm (lots of WELS members) to Prairie du Chien (no Lutherans).



The campus started in 1880 by Fr. Campion as a Jesuit school (a very good web page here). In 1975 the Jesuits closed the school.

In 1979 the Wisconsin Ev. Luth. Synod opened the campus as Martin Luther Prep School. This operated until 1995. Mary graduated in 1985.

The campus was sold to the state and became a boys reformatory after MLPS closed.

Whenever we get the opportunity to drive through town I like to point out the big letters MLPS on the smokestack behind the razor-wire fence and tell the kids "Hey, kids, you think homeschooling is tough, look where your mom went to school."

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Did They Really Save Michigan Lutheran Seminary?



Old MLS Campus. They modernized their campus, but it is not located in the best part Saginaw.


Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Here Are Good Passages to Plagiarize":

Unrelated post:

Posted on mlsem.org...total enrollment is under 200...that breaks down to about 50 students per class....did they really save MLS??

With its festive Thanksgiving for Ministry service, MLS opened its 99th year as a prep school on Sunday, August 24.

Pastor Peter Naumann, president of the Dakota-Montana district, preached on 2 Timothy 3:14-17, reminding the new tutors to rely on the power of the Word in their ministries.

Tutors Andrew Naumann and Amanda Dunn were the only new faculty members at MLS. Prof. Rebecca Berg was recognized for her ten years of service at MLS.

The school year opens with an enrollment of 197, including 47 freshmen.

***

GJ - I wrote about the school in 1987, when they had about 320 students (as I recall). Students = tuition = salaries.

One of the most read Ichabod posts is Kuske's analysis of synod spending and the preps. I am no accountant, but it seems that the Gurgel-Mueller administration raised tuition through the roof and kept surplus funds to run their wild schemes. Gurgel, who had the spiritual gifts of leadership, was forced to leave his position. Perhaps he had another spirit.

The now-dead appeal of the preps was a reasonable cost for high school education. Now the charges are jacked up so high that anyone will gasp at the cost. Enrollments tumbled when the tuition hikes forced on the schools took their effect.

---

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Did They Really Save Michigan Lutheran Seminary?":

Dear Pastor Jackson,

Do you think if WELS could develop a comprehensive plan to develop and recruit future called workers more effectively from the area Lutheran high schools(many of which now have dorms) that we really need MLS? I understand the emotions and even the blame that gets passed around but I have never believed that we couldn't do our recruitment differently and maybe more effectively.

***

GJ - I am not the one to decide these things. There is a great opportunity ahead for schools, to expand into online education, even at the high school and lower levels. Several areas present themselves. Homeschoolers may want or need (due to secular education persecution) certified supervisors. Some children do not perform well in schools and may want the benefits of online. Others are so far ahead of the rest that they can use special attention.

Online provides a chance to get people through college or taking post-graduate classes.

The WELS budget has an inordinate amount spent on stewardship and computer technology. Some of that applied to online education would bring dividends.

WELS needs, first of all, a thorough doctrinal review and reformation. Schools are even more damaging when they are used, as the Sausage Factory is, to promote false doctrine.

Lenski Available - 20 volumes



Matthias Loy, a Leader of the Old ALC


Lenski is being reprinted, 20 volumes, for $500. I recall it being available from Christian Book Distributors (same company) for less, also as a reprint.

Here is the new link.

On that page you will see books written and illustrated by Lois Lenski. She was the daughter of the professor.

I used to visit a pastor who was trained by Lenski. He was the retired pastor of the congregation in Delaware, Ohio, where Matthias Loy (one of my favorite hymn writers) served as pastor.

That congregation is now safely in the bosom of the ELCA.

The old ALC (1930 merger) was a German, conservative component of The ALC (1960) merger. People might think of TALC as Norwegian because of its contingent from the Norwegians. But there was a significant population of German Lutherans.

Capital University in Columbus had their own seminary (Trinity ELCA now, more mergers). Lenski was a district president of the old ALC and also a professor at the seminary. The people he trained replaced him with a liberal New Testament professor and formed a committee to silence Lenski on inerrancy. Imagine that!

Trinity Seminary has a "Lenski Room" but has forgotten him. His commentaries are still used in WELS, Missouri, and parts of The ALC for decades. He combined an unusual knowledge of all doctrinal issues with a precise explanation of every New Testament book.

Lenski rejected the fraudulent claim (Universal Objective Justification) that God declared everyone in the world forgiven, whether they believed or not.

Sausage Factory students will say, whether asked or not, "Lenski has problems with justification." One must marvel at the irony of a synod claiming to be Biblical, enamored of Lenski, finding Lenski wrong on the key Biblical issue: justification by faith.

---

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Lenski Available - 20 volumes":

I don't know if you saw this, but on the CBD page in the product description page this is part of the description of Lenski's commentary: "Arminian in doctrine, maintains a rigid approach to Greek grammar, and follows an amillennial interpretation of eschatology. " Arminian in doctrine? Am I off base for saying that calling Lenski's work "Arminian" would be inaccurate to day the least? The desription is credited to something called "The Minister's Library".

***

GJ - No, I did not see that. Non-Lutheran Protestants seldom grasp Lutheran doctrine. That is another reason Lutherans should avoid studying under them. Roman Catholics are pretty hopeless too. I had Frank Fiorenza (Catholic) before he was appointed to an endowed chair at Harvard, Hauerwas before he became even more famous at Duke.

True Calvinism is rare today because the entire system is impervious to Biblical insights. They get the Two Natures wrong, predestination wrong, the Sacraments wrong.

An obvious reaction to Calvinism is Arminianism, the prevalent form of Protestantism. Instead of teaching double predestination, the Arminians teach decision theology. I do not have statistical data, but I imagine the most popular position is that God has done something (the Atonement) so man must complete the transaction by making a decision about it. This is also called synergism.

Lenski was not an Arminian, but I imagine the reviewer was either commending or condemning Lenski for holding that position.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Here Are Good Passages to Plagiarize



Recycle Old Lutheran Quotations


Sacraments Define the True Church


J-879
"But the Church is not only the fellowship of outward objects and rites, as other governments, but it is originally a fellowship of faith and of the Holy Ghost in hearts. [The Christian Church consists not alone in fellowship of outward signs, but it consists especially in the heart, as of the Holy Ghost, of faith, of the fear and love of God]; which fellowship nevertheless has outward marks so that it can be recognized, namely, the pure doctrine of the Gospel, and the administration of the Sacraments in accordance with the Gospel of Christ. [Namely, where God's Word is pure, and the Sacraments are administered in conformity with the same, there certainly is the Church, and there are Christians.] And this Church alone is called the body of Christ, which Christ renews [Christ is its Head, and] sanctifies and governs by His Spirit, as Paul testifies, Ephesians 1:22..."
Apology Augsburg Confession, VII & VIII. #5. The Church. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 227. Tappert, p. 169. Heiser, p. 71.

J-880
"Of Ecclesiastical Order they teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called."
Augsburg Confession, Article XIV. Ecclesiastical Order. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 49. Tappert, p. 36. Heiser, p. 14.

J-881
"[We are speaking not of an imaginary Church, which is to be found nowhere; but we say and know certainly that this Church, wherein saints live, is and abides truly upon earth; namely, that some of God's children are here and there in all the world, in various kingdoms, islands, lands, and cities, from the rising of the sun to its setting, who have truly learned to know Christ and His Gospel.] And we add the marks: the pure doctrine of the Gospel [the ministry of the Gospel] and the Sacraments. And this Church is properly the pillar of truth, 1 Timothy 3:15."
Apology Augsburg Confession, VII & VIII. #20. The Church. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 233. Tappert, p. 171. Heiser, p. 73. 1 Timothy 3:15.

J-882
"That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith, where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ's sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake. They condemn the Anabaptists and others who think that the Holy Ghost comes to men without the external Word, through their own preparation and works."
Augsburg Confession, V. #1-2. The Ministry. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 45. Tappert, p. 31. Heiser, p. 13.

J-883
"This power {the Keys} is exercised only by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, according to their calling, either to many or to individuals. For thereby are granted, not bodily, but eternal things, as eternal righteousness, the Holy Ghost, eternal life. These things cannot come but by the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments, as Paul says, Romans 1:16: The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Therefore, since the power of the Church grants eternal things, and is exercised only by the ministry of the Word, it does not interfere with civil government; no more than the art of singing interferes with civil government."
Augsburg Confession, XXVIII. #8. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 85. Tappert, p. 82. Heiser, p. 23. Romans 1:16.

J-884
"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.

Benefits of Holy Communion

J-885
"Besides this, you will also have the devil about you, whom you will not entirely tread under foot, because our Lord Christ Himself could not entirely avoid him. Now, what is the devil? Nothing else than what the Scriptures call him, a liar and murderer. A liar, to lead the heart astray from the Word of God, and blind it, that you cannot feel your distress or come to Christ. A murderer, who cannot bear to see you live one single hour. If you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as possible."
The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #80-82. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 771f. Tappert, p. 456. Heiser, p. 214.

J-886
"However, you will be sure as to whether the sacrament is efficacious in your heart, if you watch your conduct toward your neighbor. If you discover that the words and the symbol soften and move you to be friendly to your enemy, to take an interest in your neighbor's welfare, and to help him bear his suffering and affliction, then all is well. On the other hand, if you do not find it so, you continue uncertain even if you were to commune a hundred times a day with devotions so great as to move you to tears for very joy; for wonderful devotions like this, very sweet to experience, yet as dangerous as sweet, amount to nothing before God. Therefore we must above all be certain for ourselves, as Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:10: 'Give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure.'"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983 II, p. 211.

J-887
"Accordingly, we say that by virtue of the institution, the holy Supper was established by Christ and was used by the believers chiefly to this end: that the promise of the gracious forgiveness of sins should be sealed and our faith should thus be strengthened. Then, too, we are incorporated in Christ and are thus sustained to eternal life; in addition, subsequently, other end results and benefits of the holy Supper come to pass. Yet, both of the fruits indicated above always remain the foremost."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 369.


J-888

"O living Bread from heaven,

How richly hast Thou fed Thy guest!

The gifts Thou now hast given

Have filled my heart with joy and rest.

O wondrous food of blessing,

O cup that heals our woes!

My heart, this gift professing,

In thankful songs overflows;

For while the faith within me

Was quickened by this food,

My soul hath gazed upon Thee,

My highest, only Good."

Johann Rist, 1651, "O Living Bread from Heaven," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #316. Matthew 26:26-29.

J-889

(1) "Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray

That we may feed on Thee today;

Beneath these forms of bread and wine

Enrich us with Thy grace divine.



(2) The chastened peace of sin forgiven,

The filial joy of heirs of heaven,

Grant as we share this wondrous food,

Thy body broken and Thy blood.



(3) Our trembling hearts cleave to Thy Word;

All Thou hast said Thou dost afford,

All that Thou art we here receive,

And all we are to Thee we give."

Henry E. Jacobs, 1910, "Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #314. 1 Corinthians 10:17.

Altar Fellowship with the Church of Rome

J-890
"Our adversaries have no testimonies and no command from Scripture for defending the application of the ceremony for liberating the souls of the dead, although from this they derive infinite revenue. Nor, indeed, is it a light sin to establish such services in the Church without the command of God and without the example of Scripture, and to apply to the dead the Lord's Supper, which was instituted for commemoration and preaching among the living [for the purpose of strengthening the faith of those who use the ceremony]. This is to violate the Second Commandment, by abusing God's name."
Apology Augsburg Confession, XXIV. #89. The Mass. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 413f. Tappert, p. 265f. Heiser, p. 124.

J-891
"In addition there is this perversion, that whereas Christ instituted the use of His Supper for all who receive it, who take, eat, and drink, the papalist Mass transfers the use and benefit of the celebration of the Lord's Supper in our time to the onlookers, who do not communicate, yes, to those who are absent, and even to the dead."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 498.

Altar Fellowship with the Reformed

J-892
"Is the Lord's Supper the place to display my toleration, my Christian sympathy, or my fellowship with another Christian, when that is the very point in which most of all we differ; and in which the difference means for me everything—means for me, the reception of the Savior's atonement? Is this the point to be selected for the display of Christian union, when in fact it is the very point in which Christian union does not exist?"
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 905f.

J-893
"Hence it is manifest how unjustly and maliciously the Sacramentarian fanatics (Theodore Beza) deride the Lord Christ, St. Paul, and the entire Church in calling this oral partaking, and that of the unworthy, duos pilos caudae equinae et commentum, cuius vel ipsum Satanam pudeat, as also the doctrine concerning the majesty of Christ, excrementum Satanae, quo diabolus sibi ipsi et hominibus illudat, that is, they speak so horribly of it that a godly Christian man should be ashamed to translate it. [two hairs of a horse's tail and an invention of which even Satan himself would be ashamed; Satan's excrement, by which the devil amuses himself and deceives men].
Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's Supper, 67, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 997. Tappert, p. 581f. Heiser, p. 270.

J-894
"Dr. Luther, who, above others, certainly understood the true and proper meaning of the Augsburg Confession, and who constantly remained steadfast thereto till his end, and defended it, shortly before his death repeated his faith concerning this article with great zeal in his last Confession, where he writes thus: 'I rate as one concoction, namely, as Sacramentarians and fanatics, which they also are, all who will not believe that the Lord's bread in the Supper is His true natural body, which the godless or Judas received with the mouth, as well as did St. Peter and all [other] saints; he who will not believe this (I say) should let me alone, and hope for no fellowship with me; this is not going to be altered [thus my opinion stands, which I am not going to change]."
Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's Supper, 33, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 983. Tappert, p. 575. Heiser, p. 267.

J-895
"Therefore also it is vain talk when they say that the body and blood of Christ are not given and shed for us in the Lord's Supper, hence we could not have forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. For although the work is accomplished and the forgiveness of sins acquired on the cross, yet it cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. For what would we otherwise know about it, that such a thing was accomplished or was to be given us if it were not presented by preaching or the oral Word? Whence do they know of it, or how can they apprehend and appropriate to themselves the forgiveness, except they lay hold of and believe the Scriptures and the Gospel? But now the entire Gospel and the article of the Creed: I believe a holy Christian Church, the forgiveness of sin, etc., are by the Word embodied in this Sacrament and presented to us."
The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #31-32. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 759. Tappert, p. 450. Heiser, p. 211.

J-896
"The Reformed, and all Reformed sects, deny the Real Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper. Through this they detract from God's honor."
Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 36.

J-897
"Furthermore, consider this: All doctrines of the Bible are connected with one another; they form a unit. One error draws others in after it. Zwingli's first error was the denial of the presence of Christ's body and blood in the Lord's Supper. In order to support this error, he had to invent a false doctrine of Christ's Person, of heaven, of the right hand of God, etc."
Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 41.

Final Proof

Those who wish to glide over the differences between Reformed and Lutheran doctrine need only to consider these questions: How many Reformed hymns about Baptism and Holy Communion do we have? How many Reformed hymns even mention the Means of Grace? Which Reformed hymn teaches the efficacy of the Word? If the answer to all these questions is “Zero,” then we also need to ask ourselves how we can learn from the Reformed if they cannot sing our hymns or publish hymns suitable for our worship. For them, it is a death-trap to admit to Baptismal regeneration and the Real Presence in Holy Communion. If it is a death-trap to them to confess these Biblical doctrines, then why is it so easy to overlook their rejection when we embrace them, saying, as Valleskey, the president of one Lutheran seminary did, “They [the Fuller professors] are Christians. We can learn from them too.”? This issue is not a black robe/white robe question, where people can spend time fussing about nothing. The Reformed refuse to promote any book teaching the Biblical view of the Word and the Sacraments. How can Lutherans silence themselves on these crucial issues in order to please the Reformed?

How Can We Prefer Kelm and McGavran to Gerhard and Chemnitz?




Johann Gerhard on Baptism


J-852

"Even though the water which is used for holy Baptism continues to retain its natural essence and natural attributes after Baptism, it is nevertheless not just lowly [plain] water, but it is formulated in God's Word and combined with God's Word. Thus it is a powerful means through which the Holy Trinity works powerfully; the Father takes on the one who is baptized as His dear child; the Son washes him of his sins with His blood; the Holy Spirit regenerates and renews him for everlasting life."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 56.

"Children are no less in need of holy Baptism than the adults; indeed, children need it more than the older folks, for one can deal with them [adults] through the proclamation of the divine Word. The children, however, cannot be washed of the inherited sin into which they are born through any other means (under normal circumstances) than through holy Baptism."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 127.

"Among other apparent grounds for denying Baptism to little children, not the least of them is that holy Baptism does not benefit little children because they do not believe. We have already given answer to this above in chapter 19, point of contention 8—that, indeed, little children by nature do not have faith and do not bring faith to Baptism. Yet God the Lord wants to awaken the same in their hearts through the Sacrament of holy Baptism, since, along with other effects, God ignites faith in and through Baptism, as demonstrated in chapter 13, #1."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 159.

"The entire Scripture testifies that the merits of Christ are received in no other way than through faith, not to mention that it is impossible to please God without faith, Hebrews 11:6, let alone to be received into eternal life. In general, St. Paul concludes concerning this [matter] in Romans 3:28: Thus we hold then that a man becomes righteous without the works of the Law—only through faith."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 165.

"Therefore, the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham is in no way to be interpreted to mean that Abraham's seed became righteous and saved without individual faith."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 167.

"For just as we are born again through the Sacrament of holy Baptism, so also we are nurtured for eternal life through the Sacrament of this holy Supper. Just as we were taken into God's covenant of grace through the former Sacrament, so also through the latter Sacrament we are preserved in the very same covenant of grace. Just as the Holy Spirit awakens faith in us through the former, so also He strengthens and increases it through the latter. Just as circumcision typifies the former, so the Passover [paschal] lamb of the Old Testament typifies the latter."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 209.

Absolution and Baptism

The number of sacraments has lately been a topic of discussion among some Lutherans, in part to create some mischief and confusion.[39] Lutherans should be eager to discuss absolution, because we obtain comfort and peace from the efficacious Gospel, both in individual and corporate confession. In general, Lutherans have settled on limiting the sacraments to the Gospel in visible form, Baptism and Holy Communion. But we should not neglect the Book of Concord and the reasons for including absolution as a third sacrament.

J-853

"If we call Sacraments rites which have the command of God, and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to decide what are properly Sacraments...Therefore Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of Repentance, are truly Sacraments. For these rites have God's command and the promise of grace, which is peculiar to the New Testament. For when we are baptized, when we eat the Lord's body, when we are absolved, our hearts must be firmly assured that God truly forgives us for Christ's sake. And God, at the same time, by the Word and by the rite, moves hearts to believe and conceive faith, just as Paul says, Romans 10:17: 'Faith cometh by hearing.' But just as the Word enters the ear in order to strike our heart, so the rite itself strikes the eye, in order to move the heart. The effect of the Word and of the rite is the same..."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XIII,#3. Number/Use Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 309. Tappert, p. 211. Heiser, p. 94.

The Other Side of the Two-Headed Calf Is Mooing, Too



"Should we follow Norm Berg to Fuller or his sons to Eastern Orthodoxy?"


The Lutheran Church has become a two-headed calf, one aimed at Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek, the other at Rome and Constantinople. Both are symptoms of abandoning the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.

I am copying and pasting most of this LCMS blog, which is beyond belief in its expressions of prissy Romanism. The Blog of Rome is quoted verbatim below. They probably never read Chemnitz' Examination of the Council of Trent. He makes fun of this drama as either "a tragedy or a farce." Both terms describe what is happening to Lutheran worship today.

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The careful use of the ranking of Feasts can alleviate much confusion. When Sundays and Feast Days are listed by rank, then rules of precedence can always determine what is to occur when they coincide. The first comment at this post lists the ranking of feasts as compiled by Fr. John Fenton, according to the Tridentine(Western) Rite with a few Lutheran modifications. The second comment contains the rules of precedence. Further comments are invited.

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Opening Hymn and Procession
The Opening Hymn is optional, and if used, is best a "Hymn of Invocation of the Holy Ghost" (TLH 15).

As an optional feature of Sundays and High Feasts, a procession may accompany the singing of the opening hymn. McLean prescribes the order of procession as follows: Thurifer, crucifer, taperers, choir, assisting clergy, subdeacon, deacon, celebrant.

Piepkorn discourages the procession of the choir.

Here, the choir processes and, as an effective demonstration of liturgical piety, upon reaching the front before returning down the side aisles, each pair makes a genuflection before the reserved elements.* When the attendants and celebrant have arrived at the lowest point, all genuflect together.

*At St. Paul's, consecrated reliquae, or reserved elements from the previous Mass, are kept in a tabernacle in the chancel. These elements are used exclusively for the homebound, with all that remains kept against the next communion.

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Preparation
The Lutheran version of the confiteor, called the Preparation, is best spoken in its entirety. This is a most helpful correction which LSB has made to the TLH rite. For the invocation, all face the altar (at the lowest point, below all steps) as the celebrant speaks "In the name . . ." After the amen, he turns by his right to face the people for "Beloved in the Lord . . ." He then turns back by his left, and all kneel for the versicles and confession. Then he alone rises, proceeds up one step, and turns by his right to face the people for the absolution/declaration of grace. He makes the sign of the cross with his right hand, all fingers fully extended. Then he steps back down and turns by his left toward the altar for the Introit.

The Preparation is not a necessary ingredient, and is not, strictly speaking, part of the Mass at all. In certain cases it may be omitted altogether. This is generally the case, for instance, at weekday masses.

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Introit

The celebrant and attendants face the altar for the Introit. The celebrant kisses the altar upon arrival.


My variation: At the intonation of the Introit, the celebrant begins his approach to the altar from the lowest point. He makes the sign of the cross upon himself three times: first, at his first step, second, pausing briefly at the rail, and third, upon arrival at the altar, whereupon he genuflects and, laying both hands flat upon the altar, kisses it. During the Gloria Patri he (and all) also bows for Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.


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Kyrie

Facing the altar with hands joined palm to palm except as necessary to turn pages of the Altar Book, the celebrant joins with the congregation in singing the Kyrie.


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Gloria in Excelsis

At the Gloria in Excelsis, the celebrant alone, facing the altar, intones Glory be to God on high, with hands held apart, and rejoins them palm to palm while the congregation replies, and on earth good will toward men. His hands remain palm to palm throughout the remainder of the Gloria. The celebrant and attendants are careful to bow at the usual places during the Gloria ("we worship Thee," "we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory," "Jesus Christ," "receive our prayer," and "Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art + most high in the glory of God the Father").


The Gloria is not said at low (spoken) mass, nor during penitential seasons; though some permit its use in Advent. It is also sung on Maundy Thursday.

The substitution of "This is the Feast" for the Gloria is a most unfortunate innovation.






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Salutation

At the Salutation, the celebrant turns by his right to face the congregation, and, parting his hands, he chants “The Lord be with you,” to which the congregation responds “And with thy spirit.” After “Let us pray,” he turns by his left back to the altar.

My variation: During this response all attendants gesture toward the celebrant by a slight bow and the parting of hands palm to palm as the hands are slightly extended toward the celebrant, with the hand nearest him being extended slightly more than the other. I am not sure of the authority of this gesture.


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Collect for the Day

At the Collect, the celebrant's hands are held apart with palms facing each other, and joined palm to palm at through Jesus Christ, etc.



(While in standard rubrics the collect is chanted from the Epistle horn of the altar, by local custom it may be chanted at the center. The celebrant is facing the altar.)


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Old Testament

Following the collect, the celebrant turns to give the blessing to the subdeacon, who kneels outside the rail and says, “Sir, give a blessing.” The celebrant gives his blessing by making the sign of the cross toward the subdeacon and saying, “The Lord be in your heart and on your lips" (this is an abridgment of a longer formula). [If, however, there is no subdeacon, the celebrant will read these readings himself].

He who reads the Old Testament does so with hands joined palm to palm. He introduces it with the words, The Old Testament reading appointed for ______ is written in [the prophet] ______, the _____ chapter. Following the Old Testament reading, he pauses, lifts his eyes and says, The word of the Lord, whereupon the congregation will respond, Amen.

The Old Testament is better referred to as a "reading" than as a "lesson."

The reader should never lift his eyes from the page, thus giving a clear indication that he is in fact reading directly off the page.


I believe that the Old Testament is historically an optional reading, so I include it only on Sundays and at Christmas.

Piepkorn declares that if the lesson read as the Epistle is taken from the Old Testament, nevertheless "you have no authority to vary" the formula by which it is called "the Epistle." But this seems odd and confusing.

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Gradual

Between the first and second reading, the reader turns 90° toward the altar (so that he is standing “in choir” perpendicular to the altar) for the Gradual. [If there is no choir, the Gradual is sung responsively by whole verse, as was the Introit, or, in the case of Low Mass, spoken responsively.]


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Epistle

After the Gradual, the reader reads the Epistle with hands joined palm to palm. Following the Epistle, he again pauses, lifts his eyes and says, The word of the Lord, whereupon the congregation will respond, Amen. Then he closes the book from the back (right) binding, so that when closed, the book is face down. He then steps aside to allow the attendant to carry the book to its place for the reading of the Gospel.


Piepkorn rightly declares that "you have no authority to substitute another Epistle for the one prescribed."

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Hallelujahs and Verse

During the Hallelujahs, as the Gospel Book or Bible is carried (or in the case of a High Feast, the Gospel Procession is forming), the celebrant (or deacon) moves directly to the altar, genuflects, and takes the missal stand, with the Altar Book on it, in both hands to move it to the Gospel side, so that it directly mirrors its former place on the Epistle side. While moving it, he bows briefly at the center. Then, bowing again as he leaves the altar, he approaches the place of reading, whether the Gospel horn or the pulpit (or, in the case of a Gospel procession, he joins the procession down the aisle) for the reading of the Gospel (unless there is a deacon to read it, in which case the celebrant remains at the altar, facing the reader). He processes last, behind crucifer, torches, and book-bearer (assuming there is no deacon).

At St. Paul's, the congregation sings the triple Hallujah, the choir sings the verse, and the congregation repeats the triple Hallelujah. If there is a Gospel procession, the triple Hallelujah is repeated a third time, after the Gospel.


The celebrant (or deacon) does not hold the Book from which he reads, although he does turn any necessary pages.




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Gospel

At the reading of the Gospel, the celebrant intones, The Holy Gospel according to St. ______ the ______ chapter, whereupon the congregation responds, Glory be to thee, O Lord. During this response, the celebrant makes the sign of the cross with his right thumb, on the opening word of the Gospel reading, and then on his forehead, lips, and breast, and says privately, “The Lord be in my heart and on my lips” (this is an abridgment of the longer formula). For the reading of the Gospel, he holds his hands palm to palm but apart, as if framing the Gospel reading between them. Following the reading, he takes the Book, still opened, in both hands, raises it chin high, and intones, The Gospel of the Lord, whereupon the congregation responds, Praise be to thee, O Christ, as the celebrant kisses the open Book, and replaces it.


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Creed

On Sundays and at First-Class Feasts, the celebrant approaches the altar for the Nicene Creed, genuflecting before entering the chancel. [For weekday and other masses, Maundy Thursday, and the Vigil of Easter, the Creed is omitted.] During the Creed, all face the altar. For the Creed, genuflection is made at “and was made man” and a bow at “who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,” as indicated in the Altar Book. The celebrant then genuflects and retires to sit in the sedilia for the Hymn of the Day.

The Western rite does provide that the genuflection begin at "and was incarnate" but this seems to suggest an unseemly confusion between Jesus' incarnation and his state of humiliation.



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Hymn of the Day
The hymn of the day would be a good element to include as a specific hymn proper to the day. That is, it might be worth considering whether our churches could agree on what the hymn of the day should be, and all use the same one.

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Sermon

The sermon should ordinarily be based on the Gospel for the day, at least in part, except that on Feast Days it is assumed that the theme of the feast could have a greater prominence. On Sundays in particular, the sermon should center on the Gospel reading. It should, as Piepkorn puts it, be "strong in the power of the Gospel to move men, to give them the power to believe and to do those things which the total liturgical action of worship has been setting before them" (19).


My variation: As the congregation ought to expect that the sermon will be based on the Gospel, it is not necessary for the congregation to rise when the celebrant enters the pulpit, nor does he need to read any additional Scripture text prior to preaching. For the sermon, the preacher simply opens with an invocation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (with accompanying threefold thumbnail sign of the cross upon his forehead, lips, and breast), or some suitable substitute, whereupon the congregation will respond, Amen, and he begins to preach. At the conclusion of his sermon, if he chooses to repeat the Trinitarian invocation, the congregation will again respond with Amen.


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Offertory and Altar Preparation with Lavabo

Following the sermon, the subdeacon and server lead into the chancel, genuflecting at its gate, and the celebrant/preacher follows, also genuflecting at the chancel gate. During and following the Offertory, the Offering is collected as the Altar is prepared.


The Western Rite provides for the cutting of the wine with water, but my practice is not to do this.

It is imperative that clearly discernable wine be used. Mogan David and Manischewitz are hardly fit for use in churches which confess the bodily presence of the Blood of Christ, and should not be tolerated. Non-alcoholic wines and grapejuice are strictly forbidden.

The practice of using individual communion glasses is a sad and nearly ubiquitous reality Lutherans face, though through patient catechesis perhaps one day it can be discontinued. In the meantime, at the very least the vessels ought to be of glass, and not cheap plastic. Altar guild members should be carefully trained with regard to the preparation and washing of all communionware.

The preparation at St. Paul's is as follows: The subdeacon distributes the offering plates to the ushers and receives them back. The celebrant does not concern himself at all with the collection of the offerings unless there are no attendants. Meanwhile the server takes the items from the credence to the celebrant. First he takes the veiled chalice to the celebrant. The celebrant, upon receiving the chalice, places it just to the left of center. He carefully uncovers the chalice, folds the veil (ninefold), and places it on the altar to the right of the corporal. He removes the pall and places it on the folded veil. He removes the paten (which has the celebrant’s host on it) and places it just to the right of the chalice (so that together, chalice and paten are in the center), and removes the purificators, placing one of them directly beside the corporal on the right, beside the pall and veil. With the other he wipes the inside of the chalice to ensure that it contains no dust particles. He then places the second purificator beside the first. Meanwhile the server takes the tray containing the silver paten with hosts to the celebrant. The celebrant removes the cover and takes the silver paten, thereupon replacing the cover. The server returns the tray to the credence. The celebrant places the silver paten with hosts to the right of and slightly behind the gold paten. One of the two purificators is then unfolded lengthwise and placed across both patens, covering most of the celebrant’s host and the communicant hosts. The flagon and spoon are brought to him next, and he places the flagon on the left toward the rear, and the spoon on the far right toward the rear. The empty cruet is brought next, and he places this also on the right, beside and to the left of the spoon. Next the server carries the cruet with wine to the celebrant, with a plain purificator on his left arm. The celebrant takes the purificator from the server’s arm to use when pouring wine from the cruet (He should not use the two purificators already on the altar, as these are used only for consecrated Species). He carefully pours wine into the chalice (two-thirds full) and into the flagon, using this purificator to keep drops from falling or running down the side of the cruet. He then returns this cruet and purificator to the server. He then places the pall atop the chalice. The server then brings him the large tray with cups, which the celebrant places at the left side of the corporal.


Last of all, the server holds the lavabo dish out for the celebrant, who turns toward the server and extends his forefingers and thumbs over it. The server pours a little water over his fingers and thumbs, after which the celebrant dries them on the towel which is draped over the server's left arm. During this action he may also softly pray the lavabo (Psalm 26) as provided in the missal. He then subtly, and without turning toward them, motions the congregation to rise for the prayer of the church.


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Prayer of the Church
Piepkorn holds that the Prayer of the Church should always be the General Prayer as found in TLH. This custom has not prevailed in SBH, although it should be noted that a constancy in this prayer is greatly to be preferred, and at this juncture in particular a reversion to uniformity would be desirable.

That said, the General Prayer is not necessarily the best. My variation is to use the commonly employed responsive prayer, introduced by LBW and LW, which has the congregation responding to each petition with "hear our prayer." This make the Prayer of the Church into a sort of bidding prayer. The subdeacon gives the bid, the celebrant prays, and the people respond. Nevertheless, even this prayer ought to have a set agreed-upon formula.

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Preface and Proper Preface

For the Preface, the celebrant turns by his right to face the congregation, parting his hands at the Salutation (“The Lord be with you”). At the response (“And with thy spirit”), the attendants gesture as before, yet without turning toward the celebrant. The celebrant lifts his hands at “Lift up your hearts,” and holds them palm to palm at “Let us give thanks . . .” He turns back to the altar by his left for the Proper Preface, which he chants (or, at Low Mass, speaks or omits).

The Proper Prefaces for the seasons have suffered lack of uniformity, in large part because of the omission of pre-Lent in some lectionaries. In addition, although the traditional Western rite provides the use of the Trinity Proper Prefaces for the Sundays after the Epiphany Octave, the local practice at St. Paul's is to continue to use the Epiphany Proper Prefaces (and white color) during these Sundays, as well as what I believe to be a closer following of the Western Rite than what is seen in TLH regarding the divisions of the lengthy Trinity season. Hence, we use the Trinity Proper Prefaces only until St. John's Tide (beginning June 24th), and then, for St. John's Tide and St. Laurence Tide (August 10th until Michaelmas) to use "through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore . . ." The Proper Preface for Michaelmas Tide is also used here, viz., "through Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom the angels praise Thy majesty, the dominions adore, the powers are in awe, and virtues of highest heaven and the blessed seraphim unite in blissful exaltation. With them, we pray Thee, grant that our voices too may blend, evermore praising Thee and saying . . ." These Proper Prefaces are found in the Western rite. For the Annunciation and Visitation, the Proper Preface for Christmas is used.

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Sanctus

At the Sanctus, all bow low from the waist, until “Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.” At “Hosanna . . .” all stand erect. At “Blessed is He . . .” a slight bow is made, while all cross themselves. At the last triple “Hosanna,” all stand erect. During this, the celebrant uncovers all the elements, removing the cover from the large tray and placing it at his far right, removing the paten from the chalice and placing it back on the folded veil, and removing the purificator from atop the hosts, folding it, and returning it to the right side, beside the other purificator.

At low (i.e., spoken) Mass, the threefold repetition of "Blessed is He" and "Hosanna" is not necessary.

It is laudable that the organist slow the pace during "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord."

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Our Father

The celebrant, still facing the altar, holds his hands high over his head as the deacon and subdeacon (facing center) and server (at the rail) kneel from this point until they have communed. Now the celebrant chants the Our Father. At “deliver us . . .” he and the attendants cross themselves. While the congregation chants “For Thine . . .,” the celebrant takes both front corners of the corporal between his thumbs and index fingers, and gently rubs them on either side of it.

It is fitting, notwithstanding Piepkorn's discouragement of this practice, to ring the bells of the church for the Our Father, as this highlights its consecratory nature.

The placing of the Our Father before the Verba is a distinctly Lutheran feature--one might even call it an innovation--which nevertheless has held sway in our churches for half a century. In spite of the longevity of the reverse order, I prefer this, as it serves to imply its consecratorial use, as is proper.

It is also noted here that the canon of the mass is omitted in the Lutheran rite, though McLean allows for its inclusion. With Luther (and St. Gregory himself, actually), I prefer to see the Our Father alone as being sufficient. St. Gregory admits to its being alone consecratorial, in contradistinction to the other prayers of the canon.

The celebrant's chanting of the Our Father alone (as provided in TLH and in LSB setting three) is also consistent with its consecratorial nature, and is therefore to be preferred.

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Verba

As the celebrant chants the Words of Institution, he bows his head at Our Lord Jesus Christ, takes the celebrant's host between thumb and forefinger of both hands at took bread, lifts his eyes to heaven at had given thanks, and, while still holding the celebrant’s host between his left thumb and forefinger, he makes the sign of the cross with his right hand over this host, and over the paten containing the other hosts to be consecrated, touching the paten at four points of the cross he makes. Then, at the words of Christ, Take eat, etc., he bends over the hosts to be consecrated, holding the celebrant's host between thumb and forefinger of both hands, with both elbows on the altar. Though all these words are uttered slowly and distinctly, the words of Christ are uttered even more slowly than the rest. For the words This do in remembrance of me, the celebrant stands erect, still holding the host. Then he genuflects once, and elevates the host slowly, still facing the altar. Gazing at the host, he whispers “My Lord and my God,” lowers it, and genuflects a second time. From this point until the ablutions, the celebrant takes care never to separate his thumbs and index fingers except as needed to distribute Hosts. For the consecration of the wine, the same rubrics apply, except that the head is bowed rather than raised at had given thanks. While the celebrant makes the sign of the cross with his right hand at “given thanks” over the chalice, flagon, and tray, he places his left hand on the base of the chalice as a precaution. At “took the cup,” the chalice is held by the knop between the index and remaining fingers, while the index finger and thumb are held together (to keep any crumbs from the sacred host from falling). After “in remembrance of me,” he sets the chalice on the corporal without removing his hands from it, genuflects, and then elevates the chalice while gazing at it as he had done with the host, this time whispering, “We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood,” lowers it, and genuflects a second time.


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Pax
The celebrant then turns by his right with celebrant’s Host in his right hand over the chalice in his left, for the Pax.

My variation: Immediately after the Pax, he elevates for “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This is a variation of the Roman Rite for Good Friday, where this occurs after the Agnus Dei.

Following this, the Celebrant turns by his left and replaces the Host and chalice on the corporal.

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Agnus Dei

As the congregation chants the Agnus Dei, the celebrant speaks it once in a low voice striking his breast three times. Then he kneels and whispers the Prayer of Humble Access while the congregation is still chanting the Agnus Dei. He then rises and whispers “the Body and Blood of Christ strengthen and preserve me body and soul unto life everlasting.” To commune himself, he carefully and gingerly breaks the celebrant's host over the paten, and places one half atop the other. He then breaks it again, into quarters, placing two quarter parts atop the other two. He genuflects before partaking in each kind, and then waits reverently until he has consumed them.


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Distribution
When the Celebrant has communed, he genuflects again, and, if there is a tabernacle, retrieves the Sacred Species for distribution. These should be distributed first.

The celebrant then gives Host in order of rank, and then Cup. Server retires to his place. Subdeacon stands at the altar to watch the Elements against flies, etc. The celebrant (Hosts) and deacon (Cup) distribute.

Only an ordained man should distribute the elements (AC XIV).

The preferred formula for distributing the Host is to hold it before the communicant (or sign him with it) while saying "The Body of Christ," then pausing slightly to give him the opportunity to say "Amen," thereupon continuing with "given for you," as the Host is placed on his tongue. Holding the Host between index finger and thumb of the right hand, the celebrant turns it toward the communicant's tongue with index fingernail facing upward.

For distributing the Chalice, the preferred formula is similarly, "The Blood of Christ . . . shed for you." The chalice is held in the right hand with the bottom three fingers wrapped around the knop, while the index and thumb are held together above it (the index and thumb are always held together after consecration and until the ablutions, except as needed for taking Hosts; this is to prevent the dropping of particle of the sacred Species).

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Post Distribution
Following the distribution, the celebrant then replaces any remaining hosts into the ciborium and replaces its cover and veil. This is assuming that elements are to be reserved in a tabernacle or other suitable place. Otherwise, all are consumed here or, with reverence, after Mass.

The celebrant then wipes any crumbs from the paten or patens into the chalice, using his right thumb. He drinks the remaining Species which is in the chalice. If, as may be the case with a large distribution, there is too much to consume at once, the reliquae may be left on the altar for consuming after the Mass, reverently, with the aid of others. It is unseemly that consecrated Elements ever be poured out on the ground or into a piscina, Piepkorn's allowance for this notwithstanding.

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Ablutions
Following the distribution, the Celebrant turns to the subdeacon for the ablutions. For the ablutions, the celebrant picks up the chalice with the middle, ring, and fifth fingers of each hand, so as to leave his index fingers and thumbs free to extend over the bowl of the chalice, and holds the chalice out toward the subdeacon, who is holding the water cruet. The subdeacon will pour water over his thumbs and forefingers into the chalice bowl. Then the celebrant sets the chalice on the altar and uses the altar's remaining clean purificator to dry his hands. Then he drinks the water in the chalice, thus taking the first ablution. Next, he receives the cruet in his right hand from the subdeacon and pours some water into the flagon. He gives the cruet back to the subdeacon, and pours the water from the flagon into the chalice, to take the second ablution. Then he takes the cruet again from the subdeacon and pours some water directly into the chalice (or to any other vessel that needs rinsing, such as an emptied cruet from the previous reservation), returns the cruet to the subdeacon, and takes the third ablution. Then he wipes the chalice clean, folding the purificator and placing it atop the chalice, with a clean side showing. He places the other altar purificator on top of that, and places the paten atop this, the pall atop the paten, and covers this with the veil. While he is doing this the deacon hands the flagon and spoon to the subdeacon, who delivers them to the server, who returns them to the credence; so also with the silver paten and empty cruet. The deacon also covers the ciborium and veils it and the cruet containing the sacred Species, as well as the cup tray, receiving an additional veil for it from the subdeacon, who has received it from the server. When the veiled chalice is ready, the deacon takes it as well. Then, without turning, he motions the congregation to stand for the Nunc Dimittis, during which he returns the Elements to the tabernacle, after deacon and subdeacon have returned to his right and left side respectively.

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Nunc Dimittis
It is good, I think, to try to time the moment at which one motions the congregation to rise, so that the action of putting away the communion vessels is completed during the singing of this canticle.

The celebrant motions the congregation to rise without turning toward them.

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Post Communion Collect
The collect is always introduced with "Let us Pray."

The Lutheran Rite does not vary this collect as the Roman Rite does; rather, it has historically provided two options. LSB adds a third.

I have preferred the second of the two as the common collect: "O God, the Father, the Fountain and Source of all goodness," etc. and reserved the first ("We give thanks to Thee, Almighty God," etc.) for penitential seasons, although I suspect the reverse is more customary.

I also prefer to use the Roman collect at Pentecost, viz., "We humbly beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou wouldst send down upon our hearts the healthful Spirit of Thy grace: And, that we may bring forth fruit unto Thee, Pour upon us the inward dew of His blessing: through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth," etc.

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Benedicamus
Celebrant turns by his right to face the people and parts his hands as he says, "The Lord be with you." The proper response is "and with thy (your) spirit," not "and also with you."

Celebrant hold his hands palm to palm for "Bless we the Lord."

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Fr. BF Eckardt, Editor-in-chief, Gottesdienst

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Announcing . . .

the Thirteenth Annual Octoberfest

and Liturgical Seminar at

St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church

Kewanee, Illinois

October 12-14, 2008



Sign up here:
Send an email to Fr. Eckardt. Put "Liturgy Seminar" in the subject line. Give us your name, title, address, and intentions: coming Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, or portions thereof. We'll sign you up; you may pay the registration fee when you arrive. It's $25 per person or $40 per couple. Students $20. That gets you a banquet meal, continental breakfast Monday and Tuesday, Monday lunch, in addition to all the great events.

Schedule of Events

Sunday, October 12

5 pm Autumn Choral vespers, anticipating the Festival of Harvest

6 pm Annual bratwurst banquet

Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt: Annual Presentation of Awards, sort of . . .


Monday, October 13 (Oktoberfest Seminar)


9:00-9:30 a.m. Registration

9:30 a.m. Holy Mass: FESTIVAL OF HARVEST

Fr. Eckardt, celebrant and preacher

Mr. Steve Harris, subdeacon

11:00-11:50 a.m. “An Overview of the History of the WELS - Fr. Aaron Moldenhauer

12:00 noon Office of Sext

12:15 p.m. Lunch

1:00 -1:50 p.m. The Office of the Holy Ministry in the WELS - Fr. John Berg

2:00 – 2:50 p.m. The Roles of Men and Women
- Mrs. Tabitha Moldenhauer

3:00 – 3:50 p.m. The Doctrine of Fellowship in the WELS
- Fr. Peter Berg



Tuesday, October 9 (Liturgical Seminar)

9:00-9:30 a.m. Registration

9:30 a.m. Holy Mass

11:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Seminar


Private Confession available Monday morning

Anyone desiring the Sacrament of Absolution may come to the church on Monday morning between 8:00 and 9:00. The confessional is the vestry, located just inside the door which enters the church from the hallway to the west. A sign will be posted on the door, indicating that if the door is ajar, the penitent may enter. If it is closed, please

How to use this blog
Each part of the Mass is listed in order, with rubrics as provided at St. Paul's in Kewanee, Illinois. In most cases, these agree with Piepkorn, The Conduct of the Service (1965, reprinted by Fort Wayne: Redeemer Press, 2006), but in some, they are variations. My review of this reprint appears in the current (Michaelmas 2007) issue of Gottesdienst.

Discussion, debate, questions, etc. are invited in the comments section pertaining to each part. In addition, pastors may wish to notate areas in which their own practice diverges from what is printed here.

A full round-table discussion of these matters took place on Tuesday, October 9, at St. Paul's. Others are expected to follow.

Individuals desiring to host such discussions are invited send an email indicating your name, desired date, and the location of your church to Father Eckardt to make arrangments.

Links
Gottesblog
Gottesdienst web site