dk has left a new comment on your post "Is "Our Valpo" A Congregation? - Ripped from the P...":
I'm curious, professor, what you would say about a Pastor who used contemporary Christian music in a chapel service but who used the Book of Concord exclusively as the material for the service and sermon. (assuming that the CCM had words that were Orthodx. Say, like a Luther hymn set to rock music)
You and I personally might despise the music and call it "Whoopee worship", but I don't think there's any legitimate Scriptural/Confessional criticism for such an arrangement. Sadly many of your readers would condemn that hypothetical pastor as if he were teaching false doctrine (without even hearing what he had to say).
The only criticism that would be possible is accusing the hypothetical Pastor of pandering to populism, making worship 'entertainment' rather than worship.
This argument is valid, but it's valid for both sides of the equation. Just as many folks who end up in churches of your preferred flavor do so because of the style and feel. And there are just as many "High Churches" that teach dreck as there are Happy-Clappies. Both sides, Liturgicals and happy clappies, are just operating on their preferred set of cultural memes--not actually drawing on Biblical commands. But if the doctrine is correct, you cannot say a thing.
That being said, I don't think you should criticize Pastor Strobel in the way that you did. I'm not implying that he's teaching the Lutheran Confessions in his Contemporary services. I think not. But I happen to know that he's the kind of person who'd be very interested in hearing that suggestion. Yes, I know that CCM is the smoke of the Enthusiastic fire, but real Confessional Lutherans also need to distance themselves from the idiots who claim that the Western Rite is the only proper way to worship. Your bland criticism of any and all CCM gives the Liturgical Nazis confidence in their misunderstanding. (and a righteously stiff and austere upper lip)
This ain't some generic cry "8th commandment, 8th commandment". I don't think you have or do break it.
It's just a credibility issue.
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GJ - I was not nominated to the WLC board, so I know little about what goes on there. It would be good for them to have some outside directors. I could be the token Lutheran.
DK misses the point of Contemporary Charismatic Music. The model is entertainment and sentimentality. The Lutherans are aping the Pentecostals with their Seeker Services. Willow Creek may be the training ground, but the Pentecostals are the
"Blended worship" is a bigger farce. The only point of blended worship is to move members by baby-steps into rock services. It takes time for the Shrinkers to do this, but their Father Below is patient. Look at how long it took to bring down the Lutherans.
My question about WLC was this - why is the campus considered a congregation? The honest answer may be this - they want to use the school to train students in apostasy (marketed as cutting edge spirituality). They are local students, are they not? Why would the school be a second church for them, unless more was planned? The agenda was given away in the article. They want to promote cell groups - Pietism. Milwaukee is loaded with WELS Shrinkers. They could volunteer their time to develop conventicles. But wait - the Shrinkers only work for the big bucks. Forget that.
Foundation grants are drying up. Thrivent ain't thriving. Poverty could save the Lutheran Church from the Shrinkers.
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TR asked about Emmanuel versus Immanual. For some perverse reason, the Hebrew is transliterated several ways. The m's vary too, whether the name starts with an E or an I.
English is fairly consistent but not with this word.
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GJ:
DK, I know people who worship worship - so high church they would chant the announcements if they could. They are often the same people who turn tail and run away from doctrinal discernment. But the liturgy and creeds and historic lessons preserved the Faith during those awful periods of German Pietism, Unionism, and Rationalism. The apostates today want to take away the last barriers to their program, because the Word of God does stand in their way.
Given the odious choice, between a high church apostate and a Church Growth apostate, I would worship high church, smells and bells, rather than rock and roll with Cousin Brunhilda.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Lutheran College, Liturgy, and Emmanuel":
Is "Carry On Wayward Son" appropriate during the Collects?(This happened at an LCMS church)
An accustic guitar with the organ is fine if using traditional hymns.
The harp, trumpet, or string instrument are also traditional.
Come on now, Christian Rock Bands?
In "Here I Stand", Roland Bainton discusses this. I will find the page later, unless, Pastor GJ wishes to post it sooner.
For the record, GJ is not against using another traditional instrument.
I'm quite sure JK would like to provide some comments.
In Christ,
from WELS church lady
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GJ - Quoted by Marquart at a forum, on Easter Sunday, three chapagne bottles (Dom Patterson Perignon?) were on the altar. "Christ is risen." Pop went the first cork. "He is risen indeed." Repeated two more times. I don't know if it was at St. John Ellisville, but that is certainly their style.
