Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel, A Willow Creek Franchis...":
I visited the website of the Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel & Student Center, a WELS Campus Ministry at UW-Madison. I browsed the events calendar and discovered that, in fact, this series has been ongoing -- for months -- and that this series is intended as a presentation of basic Biblical theology. Here are the other Sermon Titles:
September
- Description: The Real Jesus: "Is Jesus the Only God?" (Part 1 of 12)
- Description: The Real Jesus: "How Human Was Jesus?" (Part 2 of 12)
- Description: The Real Jesus: "How Did People Know Jesus Was Coming?" (Part 3 of 12)
October
- Description: The Real Jesus: "Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?" (Part 4 of 12)
- Description: The Real Jesus: "Why Did Jesus' Mom Need To Be A Virgin?" (Part 5 of 12)
- Description: The Real Jesus: "What Did Jesus Accomplish On the Cross?" (Part 6 of 12)
November
- Description: The Real Jesus: "Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?" (Part 7 of 12)
- Description: The Real Jesus: "Where Is Jesus Today?" (Part 8 of 12)
December
- Description: The Real Jesus: "Why Should We Worship Jesus?" (Part 9 of 12)
- Description: The Real Jesus: "What Makes Jesus Superior To Other Saviors?" (Part 10 of 12)
WHAT?? Is there nothing suitable from Lutheran sources from which a pastor could draw that would assist him in meaningfully preaching Law and Gospel and teaching sound theology? Of course there is, so much so that even the most uncreative and unskilled Lutheran Pastor is left without excuse. Unapologetic and open use of Reformed sources such as this is inexcusable, and earns Lutheran pastors who do so the title of “mingler of religion and churches.” On another blog (Bailing Water) I posted the following letter, written by Walther to a man who wanted to know whether is was advisable to use Methodist hymnals in a Lutheran church. Walther's answer applies as much to Methodist (or Reformed) preaching and teaching materials as it does to Methodist (or Reformed) hymnals.
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Honored Sir,
This morning I received your worthy letter, written on the 19th of the month. In your letter you ask for my opinion on whether it is advisable to introduce the singing of Methodist songs in a Lutheran Sunday School. May what follows serve as a helpful reply to your questions:
No, this is not advisable, rather very incorrect and pernicious.
1. Our church is so rich in hymns that you could justifiably state that if one were to introduce Methodist hymns in a Lutheran school this would be like carrying coals to Newcastle. The singing of such hymns would make the rich Lutheran Church into a beggar which is forced to beg from a miserable sect. Thirty or forty years ago a Lutheran preacher might well have been forgiven this. For at that time the Lutheran Church in our country was as poor as a beggar when it comes to song books for Lutheran children. A preacher scarcely knew where he might obtain such little hymn books. Now, however, since our church itself has everything it needs, it is unpardonable when a preacher of our church causes little ones to suffer the shame of eating a foreign bread.
2. A preacher of our church also has the holy duty to give souls entrusted to his care pure spiritual food, indeed, the very best which he can possibly obtain. In Methodist songs there is much which is false, and which contains spiritual poison for the soul. Therefore, it is soul-murder to set before children such poisonous food. If the preacher claims, that he allows only "correct" hymns to be sung, this does not excuse him. For, first of all, the true Lutheran spirit is found in none of them; second, our hymns are more powerful, more substantive, and more prosaic; third, those hymns which deal with the Holy Sacraments are completely in error; fourth, when these little sectarian hymnbooks come into the hands of our children, they openly read and sing false hymns.
3. A preacher who introduces Methodist hymns, let alone Methodist hymnals, raises the suspicion that he is no true Lutheran at heart, and that he believes one religion is as good as the other, and that he thus a unionistic-man, a mingler of religion and churches.
4. Through the introduction of Methodist hymn singing he also makes those children entrusted to his care of unionistic sentiment, and he himself leads them to leave the Lutheran Church and join the Methodists.
5. By the purchase of Methodist hymn books he subsidizes the false church and strengthens the Methodist fanatics in their horrible errors. For the Methodists will think, and quite correctly so, that if the Lutheran preachers did not regard our religion as good as, or indeed, even better than their own, they would not introduce Methodist hymn books in their Sunday schools, but rather would use Lutheran hymn books.
6. By introducing Methodist hymn books, the entire Lutheran congregation is given great offense, and the members of the same are lead to think that Methodists, the Albright people, and all such people have a better faith than we do.
This may be a sufficient answer regarding this dismal matter. May God keep you in the true and genuine Lutheran faith, and help you not to be misled from the same, either to the right or to the left.
Your unfamiliar, yet known friend, in the Lord Jesus Christ,
C. F. W. Walther
St. Louis, Missouri
January 23, 1883
Taken from from Appendix A of Mark DeGarmeaux’s (ELS) article, Sacramental Worship, Sacramental Preaching: Treasures of our Lutheran Church
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel, A Willow Creek Franchis...":
Well put Freddy. I wish more people could make your clear assertions, and help clean up this slothful mess made by persons not wanting to put forth the effort necessary.
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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Rock-N-Roll Advocate Copies and Pastes Felt-Needs'...":
“I can only top it with this passage from Matthew 15: [6] Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”
I've also posted about this recently on BW, as well (A Christmas Miracle). The CG Church Changers don't know the definition of “tradition” -- neither how the Confessions use it, nor how it is being used by Jesus in this reference. Jesus in this reference is skewering the Pharisees for elevating practice not commanded by Scripture as meritorious before God. Likewise, we Lutherans refer to the Romans. The Confessions, however, clearly distinguish between this tradition (which is rejected) and rites (which are embraced), and clearly qualifies adiaphora in practice. Rather than point out these facts, leaders among the CG Church Changers are more than content to allow their followers to wallow in ignorance, to accuse Confessionals of hypocrisy and Roman Traditionalism by misquoting Scripture, and to regard themselves more mature, more creative, and truly forward looking, Lutherans.
Nonsense. Rather than look forward, they are looking back to the methods of Evangelicals that today are manifest failure -- manifest. Twenty years ago, these CG leaders among us were taking the same gamble that Evangelicals were – putting their faith in methods over the Means of Grace. Today, Evangelicalism is imploding, and their worthless CG practices are a big part of the problem. Today, WELS is facing ruinous debt due to CG spending.
Nonsense. Rather than look to Scripture and the Confessions and embrace the clear Confessional Principal, they look aside in jealous envy of the heterodox, and, with open contempt for our bonds of Fellowship, unapologetically join in association with them, and with crass disregard for the danger of their false theology, liberally integrate their materials into Lutheran teaching and practice.
Freddy Finkelstein
