From: John C Lawrenz
To: church_and_change@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 4:49:08 PM
Subject: [church_and_ change] Can't we just get along???
Dear C&C,
Let me quote a visiting professor to Asia Lutheran Seminary on the underside of the China where 1/4th of humanity lives, many without Christ. Upon leaving a very successful three and a half months of teaching in a way similar, yet dissimilar, to what we do at Mequon, he said to me, "I had no idea. I had no idea."
What he referred to is that experience and exposure to the huge challenge of sharing Christ with the world is circumscribed by our three score years and ten and the places and people with whom we have had the privilege of ministry. Of course there are many ways, shapes and forms in which the Gospel is shared! Of course.
Snippets of the apostolic witness found in Acts emphasize five things. Jesus of Nazareth was really a man and this Jesus was God's son. Third and fourth, he really died and really rose again! All four in accordance with God's foreknowledge and inspired prophesy. And fifth, the impact is repentance and the forgiveness of sins. About what music (contemporary synagogue or what the kids were humming in Antioch?) we are told little. I suspect that is so that we could follow in the footsteps of the man of Tarsus who said from the bottom of his heart that he would be whatever God asked to be in order that some be saved.
A more contemporary church leader and former president of WELS, Carl Mischke, once closed a WELS convention with words that I will paraphrase from memory, "We must examine everything we say and examine everything that we do so that more are saved."
Grace and peace from Hong Kong, John C. Lawrenz
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From: Pastor Patterson
To: church_and_change@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 7:54:30 PM
Subject: Re: [church_and_change] Can't we just get along???
John,
That was pure gold - thanks.
to hunt the man-eating zebra in Africa,
but their congregation needs a synodical grant
so they can have a vicar for free each year.
Kudu Don claims to have some issues with Church and Chicanery.
