Panic, Depression, Recession, Soft Landing

In the 19th century, financial meltdowns were called Panics, after the Greek god of fear Pan. When everyone is afraid, financial values plummet.

The word was changed to Depression for the Hoover-FDR version. Both men did everything wrong and made a temporary situation a 10-year disaster for ordinary people.

After WWII, they decided to use a nicer word than Depression, so we had Recessions.

Later, a government economist called the upcoming Recession a "Soft Landing."

Now we are back to Panics. This is truly a global Panic brought on by government felons, bankers, and the welfare mentality. The bad mortgage loans were bad enough, but they were turned into equities and sold all over the world and made worse with Credit Default Swaps.

Upcoming disasters suggest the bottom has not been reached:

1. European debt, as mentioned below by Bruce Church.
   
2. More American mortgages will reset and default in 2009.
   
3. Commercial real estate is so bad that gambling high rises in Las Vegas are left half-finished, I am told. Trump is in major trouble in two developments. A $1 billion venture in NYC has been closed down.
   
4. Student loan debt has also been turned into securities. Income will not support repayment.
   
5. Credit card debt is also sold as high-yielding securities, which are great when people pay their cards on time.

The federal bailouts have been a disaster, so they will soon pass a new Pork Bill to provide welfare benefits by borrowing $1 trillion from future generations. The same party hedged and moaned over supporting our troops overseas. When I read the Constitution I see nothing about funding the welfare state and plenty about defense. But we have two parties who refuse to defend our borders, which is specifically listed as a duty in the US Constitution.

My teaching schedule has already changed. I was planning to move into Internet based insurance and annuities, as a retirement fund in 2010. I am going to start training tomorrow. It will be like online teaching, with no papers to handle, everything done on the computer, Internet, and phone. I bought my current term policy that way and got a 50% reduction in cost over Northwestern Mutual.

Budget Discussed on Bailing Water

WELS Lutherans for Realty will develop that musty old seminary into something memorable.

Anonymous said...

I for one am waiting to see how the budgetary problems affect our worker training schools. As a parent of an LPS child, I wonder how staff in Watertown will be affected and how much tuition will rise next year. We need to pray that the Lord will bless our leaders with wisdom in order to deal with these challenges.
February 7, 2009 9:24 AM

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Bruce Church said...

And guess what! The recession is going to get worse. Read this from Spiegel:
MORE TROUBLE AHEAD

Europe's New Wave of Toxic Debt
By Carol Matlack

A decade of heavy borrowing has lofted euro zone debt to $11 trillion, and it's starting to come due just when companies are strapped for cash. Rising defaults could send shock waves through global markets.http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,605887,00.html
February 7, 2009 3:33 PM

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Benjamin Tomczak said...

The good news is that despite the challenges, we've managed to eliminate about 30% of the Synodical debt -- it's been reduced from $22.4 to about $16.2 million.Also, the Ad Hoc Commission -- which was tasked to study some of these issues, start the discussion among the Districts and bring a report of recommendations and encouragements to this summer's convention -- is preparing it's final report. Despite our smallness, it's still a big ship that turns slowly -- frustratingly slow. We're also having to deal with the reality that our President is not an autocrat who can dictate policy and everything happens according to his whim. That's just not how we're set up -- for better and for worse.We continue to lay things before the Lord of the Church and trust in His confidence, knowing that the Church can never be overcome!Pr. Benjamin TomczakPSAs of right now, LPS is offering a $200 discount to all new students who ask for it. MLS is reducing tuition by 10% for the 2009-2010 school year. The goal is to increase revenue by increasing enrollment, not fees.
February 7, 2009 4:36 PM

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Anonymous said...

This just shows the lack of forward thinking by the 2007 Synodical Conference.When presented by long term financial challenges (yes, there was evidence in 2007 of major problems), instead of making hard choices, a "wait and see" attitude was taken.Instead, "feel good" votes were made, and the issue was pushed under the rug.Now, there is news that the 2.5 million dollar Canadian gift had to be rescinded due to the crashing Canadian Market. It is also noted that the Schwann (sic) Foundation will not be able to give as much money this year.Over the past decade or so WELS has increasingly relied on large endowments, and has made long term commitments (sic) on sources that can often fluctuate dramatically.I predict no major changes to the course of WELS at the 2009 Synodical conference. Changes will only be made once the treaury (sic) runs dry. Then it will be mass panic and accusations of "Why didn't we know ? "
February 8, 2009 7:41 AM

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Anonymous said...

A. Sell the Mequon (seminary) property, easily 100 million, moved the operation to New Ulm, plenty of room there (cut 15 positions).
B. Close MLS, send operation to Watertown, plenty of room. Saginaw property worthless but you save operating costs and you can cut about 25 positions.
February 8, 2009 8:58 AM

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Anonymous said...

And if I can presume to add to the list:C: Close MLC and move the whole operation to WLC in Milwaukee, cut about 60 more positions.
February 8, 2009 6:43 PM

***

GJ - Proofreader Tomczak has the best idea - increase enrollment by decreasing tuition costs. Mueller-Gurgel almost killed the schools by forcing a 30% tuition increase on them. I understand the faculty at MLC was not allowed to refuse a pay increase.

The birth drought is getting to the schools. According to a video I posted, we once had 70% of homes with children in them. Now we have 30% of homes with children. Many people have one child if they have one at all.

Selling The Sausage Factory at the bottom of the market is not a good idea. If they did that, I would put Robert Fleischmann, CLR (nee WELS Lutherans for Life) in charge of it. He is quite the real estate developer. Perhaps a home and business development would be in order, with a catchy name like: Staying Late at Work.

I Dast Not Step on Tender WELS Toes

This graphic is from an Evangelical site, making fun of the Emergent Church. WELS Lutherans are still asleep at the wheel.


Benjamin Tomczak has left a new comment on your post "Martin Luther College Video":

Pastor Jackson ~

I appreciate your reminders that we want to write clearly and with care, and that what we write reflects upon us and our education, therefore we want to be sure to avoid silly grammatical, syntactical, and spelling errors. Thank you. I agree that we can never be too good at writing, since the ministry is about the communication of God's precious Gospel.

However, I just want it noted that you are not immune from one of your favorite criticisms of WELS' called workers.

The header of your page has an incorrectly placed comma, "Proofread by N. Teigen, B. Church,"

Ought I take that as proof that you too are poorly-trained WELS clergy? There have been other spelling mistakes in some other posts in the recent weeks (in both post titles and the posts themselves). I wish I had taken the time to note them so that you could correct them. Mea culpa!

It annoys me when I see mistakes like that slip through my spell-checker, my reading and re-reading, and my practicing of, say, sermons. So I understand why we drill it hard.

Pr. Benjamin Tomczak

***

GJ - A WELS teacher wrote to tell me the sons of bigshots could get away with anything in school. He or she thought WELS spelling was especially atrocious. I always get a laugh from a synodical official or pastor who tells me off in writing while spelling Lutheran wrong, etc. Some examples are in Thy Strong Word.

Those of us who actually publish books and write essays for national journals know how often typos creep into print. That is why I pay an editor to spot my errors. My writing students say, "You pay someone to spot your errors and make fun of you?" I caution them, since they all want that job, "He makes fun of me for free, without the least bit of encouragement."

I have made mistakes in titles and posts? That is not exactly breaking news. I often fix a post five times, so if someone gets the initial one via email (RSS), that is going to be the worst version. Others jibe me by email, just as I remind them of their typos on their sites.

I am not sure what "I understand why we drill it hard" means. Benjamin Tomczak is on the MLS board, so he might mean that school. My best editor graduated from that school. He is too busy chuckling over the posts to send me gratuitious remarks about my typos.

I am sure many mistakes evade the raptor eyes of Tomczak, as they do mine. I am more inclined to think he is reacting to the avalanche of remarks about the Martin Luther College video. I am sympathetic. Some people just do not see how funny it is to have the Runner attack Luther for no reason and for them to hug and violate the First Table for no reason. I call that rare wit in a videographic milestone.

Is it true that Beavis and Butthead were modeled after two WELS parochial students?

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Beavis and Butthead from MTV, but I do not know one from another.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Dast Not Step on Tender WELS Toes":

Dr. Jackson,

Sir, that is an INSULT to Beavis and Butthead.

They deserve an immediate apology or you are in violation of the 8th commandment.

***

GJ - You are correct. They never held someone out of a window by his feet only to drop him. They never broke someone's leg or knocked out a tooth while creating closeness through hazing. I apologize to all Beavis and Butthead fans.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Dast Not Step on Tender WELS Toes":

Apology accepted

***

GJ - A funny video would be having the Sprinter coming to life, getting even with a whole bunch of WELS clergy - and you know who you are.

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Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "I Dast Not Step on Tender WELS Toes":

"Is it true that Beavis and Butthead were modeled after two WELS parochial students?"

No. They were modelled after a reject from ELCA, then WELS. Then CLC.

Could it be anyone we know?
Not Beavis perhaps, but definitely Butthead.

***

GJ - Sarcasm works better (if it does at all) when married to facts rather than fantasy. I was never a member of ELCA; I resigned from the LCA for doctrinal reasons. Since then I learned that WELS-ELS-LCMS gladly works on religious projects--even evangelism--with ELCA. Lavender ELCA pays to murder unborn babies with their health plan (no questions asked). If someone from the old Synodical Conference wants to be snarky, there are a few other facts I could list.

I am glad Mouse brought up WELS. I resigned from WELS because I was disgusted with their support of clergy sex offenders and false doctrine. The corruption in Columbus was especially acute but it reached all the way to Owosso, Michigan and The Love Shack in Milwaukee - not to mention Phoenix. Details can be found in the criminal justice files of various states and jurisdictions. Murder is only one of the crimes.

I heard the Church Growth elements in WELS were very bitter and angry than I had a call in the CLC (sic). I got an interesting letter from James Tiefel (Sausage Factory), which he sent to his cousin Paul Tiefel and Herman Otten - who knows how many others. I was touched that James, nicknamed Teufel in WELS, could take the time to write a letter on Mequon stationery to his cousin Paul, nicknamed Teufel in the CLC (sic).

I can tell that Mouse has memorized every episode of B and B. Someone who daily reads a blog and regularly posts covertly is probably a big fan of degenerate music as well.

The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Finches love thistle. Drawing by Norma Boeckler.


The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time

The Hymn #523 by Gerhardt Warum sollt’ ich mich
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Col. 3:12-17
The Gospel Matthew 13:24-30
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #528 by Gerhardt Valet will ich dir geben

Comfort in the Gospel

The Hymn #444 Wachet auf
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #277 Vox dilecti

KJV Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

KJV Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Jesus explanation of this parable:

Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.


Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that Thou hast sown the good seed, Thy holy word, in our hearts: We pray Thee that by Thy Holy Spirit Thou wilt cause this seed to grow and bring forth fruit, and defend us from the enemy, that he may not sow tares therein. Keep us from carnal security, help us in all temptations, and give us at last eternal salvation; through Thy beloved Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

COMFORT IN THE GOSPEL

In this parable we have two kinds of assurance: one is that the best work in the Christian Church will attract destructive people who do Satan’s work; the other is that the Word will bring forth fruit, even if weeds also grow.

This parable makes it clear that correct teaching was a concern for Jesus and His disciples. This parable shows that false teaching being spread is something to be expected. So pastors and laity should not act as if they just graduated from convent school.

A crop was sown. Then the enemy came during the night and broadcast weeds seeds in the plot of land. When the crop germinated, it was clear that weeds were growing among the good plants. The servants told the Master (God) and asked if they should pull the weeds out. He said no, because pulling up the weeds would destroy the wheat crop. Wait until harvest, when the weeds will be separated from the wheat, with the wheat gathered into the barn (eternal life) and the weeds gathering for burning (eternal damnation).

At first weeds look like the intended crop. More than once I have mistaken a bumper crops for the plants which supposed to be growing. But when weeds flower and fruit, it becomes obvious that they are pretenders and not the real thing. Gardeners know that one does not simply yank out weeds growing with good crops. In some cases it can be done, but it can also tear up the good plants when they are still small and tender.

In one case an Episcopalian minister in early America decided that he longer believed in the Trinity. He took all references to the Trinity out of the worship service. His congregation went along with him and thus the Unitarian church in America was born. The Unitarian doctrine (denial of the Son and the Holy Spirit) can be found in the ELCA standard dogmatics book, called Christian Dogmatics, by Braaten and Jenson, where they state that the Trinity is nothing more than God the Father, the man Jesus, and the spirit of the believing community.

The Enemy Came at Night
False teachers always work stealthily. They never announce, “I am going to promote false doctrine, contrary to God’s Word.” They work undercover as long as possible, and then cry out in pain when they are discovered.

The Braaten/Jenson book was the standard dogmatics book at all the ELCA seminaries, but they denied it when asked. Anyone with access to the school could find out easily that Bratten/Jenson was required reading for all seminarians. Similarly, Wayne Mueller claimed there was “No Church Growth in WELS” when he was in charge of it. He added, “If there are CG programs, they are confessional.” That is a new addition to the Parable of the Tares – And the Master said, “There are no weeds in my plot of land, but if there are weeds, they are wheat seeds.”

This Parable of the Tares was used by the radicals during the Reformation to argue that they should be allowed to stay, and not removed. That seems to be a strange way to argue, to say, “We are the tares.” But it shows how they wanted to stay and continue to grow.

False doctrine works by supplanting
As we can see in this parable, false doctrine works by supplanting, gradually displacing sound doctrine until falsehood is dominant. No weed is delicate or faint of heart. They all show an amazing ability to grow and spread. Weeds seeds are often sticky or barbed, so they travel on animal fur. One goat’s head seed will probably become a plant and produce 200 more seeds. In the same way, false doctrine always shows an abundant growth pattern. The more foolish it is, the faster it spreads. The goat’s head seed will turn into a spreading plant that can be 8 feet across, rooted very shallow, but heavily seeded. Removing an old plant means a shower of seeds will fall in all directions, stick to clothing, and begin anew.

False doctrine is deliberately promoted
Jesus, as Lord of Creation, used certain aspects of His Creation to teach. Weed seeds often arrive by wind and by accidental travel on animals. But in this parable, He dealt with the deliberate proliferation of weeds (false doctrine).

The innocent and ignorant like to think some false doctrine happens by accident, but the force of the parable teaches us about intentional promotion, intentional supplanting of sound doctrine.

How False Doctrine Enters
The son of the founder of Fuller Seminary studied under Karl Barth ( an adulterous Marxist, who moved his mistress into his own home and worked with her alone in a cottage all summer). Barth’s allegiance was to Marxism and his mistress, so his students did not believe in God’s Word. When young Fuller came back to his dad’s seminary, he began to get rid of their stand on inerrancy (which was rather weak anyway). Once he succeeded, and it was quite a battle with the old fogey faculty, the Church Growth Movement was moved in with Donald McGavran teaching. They spread their marketing doctrine to all the denominations.

McGavran and C. Peter Wagner began by teaching church executives from all denominations, first in world missions, then in American missions. Those executives made sure all their underlings were trained at Fuller, too. Fuller bragged (in a letter) about all the WELS leaders they trained – naming them. WELS was furious because it became an issue. These things are supposed to happen at night, secretly. Missouri sent more men to Fuller than to their two seminaries – for post-graduate training. ELCA, even the Roman Catholic Church used Fuller.

The new trend is Emerging Church, which is getting all the excitement in WELS (pro and con). Emerging Church includes coffee, couches, and added efforts to make the entire Sunday experience exclusively for unbelievers. The Luveen and Chicago churches are Emergent Church.

So the growth of this new doctrine, supplanting the Gospel, was quite deliberate, not only by McGavran/Wagner, but also by the Lutheran executives. Missouri and WELS supposedly hate each other, but both groups use Kent Hunter and Waldo Werning to promote false doctrine. (Wally Oelhafen was known for dumping Werning books on WELS mission pastors. I knew Werning, so I already had his immortal, mostly cloned books.)

Note: “46 from St. Paul's attended the Win Arn Church Growth seminar, including Floyd Stolzenburg, George Skestos, Vicar Mike Nitz, etc. March and April, 1985.”
How big is that crop now?

False doctrine will grow and be harvested for eternal life – in Hell
The argument in the parable is not, “Ignore false doctrine,” but “You cannot dig it all out, especially among the tender.” Battling false doctrine is always Law teaching, and the Law alone does not produce any Gospel fruit. The Parable of the Tares reveals that the weeds will be judged just as the good crop will be. The Gospel seed produces fruit for eternal life, the weeds produce a useless crop and are gathered for the fire.

The weed harvest is now
The weeds have revealed themselves. For 30 years the Lutherans have been nagged about how these new methods will help the church grow, so they have to be good. (Hint – weeds always grow better than the desired crop. In commercial dandelion plots, grass gets in.) In the last 30 years the Lutheran synods have shriveled up and gone bankrupt, so even the most basic and materialistic claim of the Growthers has been proven false.

The apostates do not give money. They take money for themselves. They produce disciples for their cause, but they do not convert anyone. They do not produce church vocations, either. When apostates take over a denomination, the seminary enrollment always goes down.

Sound doctrine is taken for granted
I have tried to point out to pastors and some laity that we are in an era where the weed seeds are more prominent that the pure Word of God. Lutheran classics in print 20 years ago are now out of print. When people show that they prefer false doctrine and opponents of God’s Word, we should act accordingly. Some effort should be made to teach the truth, but after a time, the reaction of false teachers should tell us to move on.

One person drawn into the Mormon church said that he was tricked into membership classes, since the most evil doctrines were kept hidden from the casual prospect. Then in class, he said, and I paraphrase, “Either you walk out the door and never come back, or you snap. And nothing is too ridiculous after that.” And false teachers have a burning zeal seldom found in the orthodox.

At first we are upset, like the servants, to see weeds growing where they should not be. But this parable warns and comforts us with the knowledge that this will always be. It is a warning so that we are prepared. But it is also comforting because it is beyond our control. Someone said, “I knew when you had independent conferences you would attract the less stable.” I thought so too, but all the turmoil eventually united those who love the Scriptures and the Confessions. In time these things get sorted out, but we can never figure them out first in all our wisdom.

For last Sunday’s service, I picked two of Paul Gerhardt’s hymns The Lutheran Hymnal. As people know, Gerhardt had a very difficult life, and yet the difficulties became the fabric of his most comforting hymns. If anyone would like to read a fine essay on comfort in the midst of trial, stress, and suffering, Gerhardt’s hymns would be the best and most concise. If you look through the entire section of Cross and Comfort hymns, Gerhardt’s hymns stand out as the longest and the best among many fine hymns.

The weeds are sown and they grow robustly, but the crops also grow. As Jesus explained,

KJV Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Much of the explanation concerns the judgment and condemnation of those who belong to Satan, but Jesus also says, Matthew 13:43:

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Two Sources of Suffering
When someone is suffering, two kinds of thoughts run through the mind. One group of thoughts dwells on the bad things done by evil people in the past. Some of these things can be very bad indeed. Money is stolen. People are attacked and assaulted, sometimes while still very young. Family members and false friends may be full of hatred and glory in saying terrible things. Although some people repent, these actions belong to the kingdom of Satan. As we see in the parable, the weeds are gathered and burned at the end of time. God will give the wicked their reward. So believers have no reason to dwell on thoughts about harm done to them in the past.

Secondly, another form of suffering by the believer is from blame and guilt. People torment themselves by going over problems and sins in the past, as if someone could worry over the past, replay it in a different way, and make the present better.

The greatest possible comfort comes from Gospel passages in the Bible, in the Confessions, and in hymns, such as #528, verse 5:

He canceled my offenses
Delivered me from death;
He is the Lord who cleanses
My soul from sin through faith.
In Him I can be cheerful,
Bold, and undaunted aye;
In Him I am not fearful
Of God’s great Judgment Day.

If we must dwell on something, then let us dwell on this thought, “He canceled my offenses, delivered me from death. He is the Lord who cleanses my soul from sin through faith.” One purpose of hymns is to have us repeat such words over and over again as we sing them to ourselves privately or together with fellow believers.

When I wrote about stress and comfort recently, a number of people responded. We do not always think about how many may be suffering at a given time. The more we realize the meaning of complete and full forgiveness through the cross, the more thankful to God we are. Then we also see that our blessings come in so many small but significant ways.

I find it hard to be cheerful when the worst characters seem to be winning for the moment. I know many pastors who are suffering right now. They are not suffering for doing wrong but for teaching the Word of God. They have no power and cannot make a dent against those who oppose them or make life difficult for them. This is very discouraging for anyone who cares at all. Nevertheless, we have to see God’s hand in this, even in the worst of difficulties.

Sometimes it seems as if nothing is more insignificant than a sermon. Even Paul wrote about the foolishness of preaching. I have noticed that some synod leaders even use the word “preaching” in a negative sense. Boomers and Gen Xers do not want to be preached to, he said, making preach sound like a bad word. This can eat away at a minister, to be trained for years in something that earns so little respect today, especially among church officials.

In contrast, learn a little about computers and you are like a physician everywhere. It used to be people saying to doctors, “I have a pain in my elbow when I turn my hand right.” Now, it is, “My computer refuses to…”

I am fortunate in that I get responses from all over. A Jewish woman (but a secret believer) asked for sermons to be mailed to her. Congregations and pastors need to remind themselves that the Word is constantly at work among them, bringing forth an infinite number of blessings and souls for the Kingdom of God.

Congregations should spend more energy showing their appreciation for the ministry of the Word and showing that they trust only in the Word. Ministers and congregations alike fall into measuring how well they are doing, a fatal error. No one can judge but God. Measuring (even in our minds) is terribly me-centered. We glorify God when we do not anticipate the final harvest and Judgment Day.

The Effective Word: Pro and Con

MYTH #3: MOST PEOPLE BECOME BELIEVERS THROUGH EVANGELISTIC PREACHING. Many think that if you can bring an unbeliever to church, the pastor can 'save' them. The reality is that they are much more likely to come to faith in Christ through friends or family. The survey reveals that only one of eight people came to faith because of a preaching presentation."

Rev. Michael Ruhl, "Here Are Five Evangelism Myths..." The Michigan Lutheran, January 1996 Board of Evangelism and Church Growth.



"George Barna is a Christian researcher/author/marketer/social analyst who tends to 'turn a lot of heads' when he speaks. He usually couches his provocative and interpretive comments to the church with honesty and reality. On occasion he has been retained by leaders of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to facilitate mission interpretation from an outside perspective."

Rev. Michael Ruhl, "Here Are Five Evangelism Myths..." The Michigan Lutheran, January 1996 Board of Evangelism and Church Growth. 1 Thessalonians 2:13



"Church. An assembly of professed believers under the discipline of the Word of God, organized to carry out the Great Commission, administer the ordinances, and minister with spiritual gifts."

C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 283f. Matthew 28



"The means of grace are thus limited for Barth. The preacher descending from the pulpit can never quote Luther and say with joyful assurance that he has preached the Word of God. Of course, he can hope and pray; but he can never know whether the Holy Spirit has accompanied the preached Word, and hence whether his words were the Word of God. To know this, or even to wish to know it, would be a presumptuous encroachment of man upon the sovereign freedom of God."

Hermann Sasse, Here We Stand, trans. Theodore G. Tappert, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1946, p. 161.



(1) "Almighty Father, bless the Word Which through your grace we now have heard Oh, may the precious seed take root, Spring up, and bear abundant fruit. (2) We praise you for the means of grace As homeward now our steps we trace. Grant, Lord, that we who worshiped here May all at last in heaven appear." Scandinavian, The Lutheran Hymnary, 1913, Lutheran Worship, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1982, Hymn #216. Mark 4.



"The atonement is graciously efficacious to the salvation of the irresponsible and to children in innocency but is efficacious to the salvation of those who reach the age of responsibility only when they repent and believe." Manual of the Church of the Nazarene, Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House, 1932, p. 27.



"PREPARING FOR HOLY COMMUNION. BECAUSE...I am very sorry for my sins...I trust only in Jesus as my Savior from sin...I receive from the Sacrament the forgiveness and strength I need to amend my life...I believe the words of my Lord that His Body and Blood are REALLY PRESENT in Holy Communion. Therefore I announce my desire to partake of the Lord's Supper:...

Crossroads Community Church, Pastor Rick Miller (WELS),



"Hence, too, the lack of emphasis, even in the best of Reformed preaching, upon the divine Word as the vehicle of regenerating grace and on the Sacraments. The office of the Word, then, is merely to point to the way of life, without communicating that of which it conveys the idea. The Word and Sacraments are declared to be necessary; their office in the Church is a divine institution; but they are only symbols of what the Spirit does within; and the Spirit works immediately and irresistibly."

"Grace, Means of," The Concordia Cyclopedia, L. Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, P. E. Kretzmann, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1927, p. 298.



"The doctrine of the means of grace is a peculiar glory of Lutheran theology. To this central teaching it owes its sanity and strong appeal, its freedom from sectarian tendencies and morbid fanaticism, its coherence and practicalness, and its adaptation to men of every race and every degree of culture. The Lutheran Confessions bring out with great clearness the thought of the Reformers upon this subject."

"Grace, Means of," The Concordia Cyclopedia, L. Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, P. E. Kretzmann, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1927, J-101 p. 299.



"The crudest extravagances of revivalism (Methodism, Pentecostalism, Holy Rollerism) have their root in this specifically Reformed doctrine of the immediate working of the Holy Spirit." [Fuller Seminary is known for its Pentecostal extremism, including C. Peter Wagner's "Signs and Wonders" course.]

"Grace, Means of," The Concordia Cyclopedia, L. Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, P. E. Kretzmann, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1927, p. 299.



(2) "Come, Thou Incarnate Word, Gird on Thy mighty sword, Our prayer attend. Come and Thy people bless And give Thy Word success; Stablish Thy righteousness, Savior and Friend!" Author unknown, c. 1757, "Come, Thou Almighty King," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #239. Revelation 4:8.



(3) "God would not have the sinner die, His Son with saving grace is nigh, His Spirit in the Word doth teach How man the blessed goal may reach." Author unknown, 1719, "God Loved the World So That He Gave," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, J-109 Hymn #245. John 3:16.



(1) "Draw nigh and take the body of the Lord And drink the holy blood for you outpoured. Offered was He for greatest and for least, Himself the Victim and Himself the Priest." c. 680,"Draw Night and Take the Body of the Lord," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #307. Psalm 34:8.



"To the Lutheran the sermon, as the preached Word, is a means of grace. Through it the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth. It is a constant offer of pardon; a giving of life, as well as a nourishing and strengthening of life. In the Reformed churches the sermon is apt to be more hortatory and ethical. It partakes more of the sacrificial than of the sacramental character. The individuality of the preacher, the subjective choice of a text, the using of it merely for a motto, the discussion of secular subjects, the unrestrained platform style, lack of reverence, lack of dignity, and many other faults are common, and are not regarded as unbecoming the messenger of God in His temple. Where there is a properly trained Lutheran consciousness such things repel, shock, and are not tolerated."

G. H. Gerberding, The Lutheran Pastor, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1915, p. 278.



"First, our Lord does encourage us or even command us to believe that wherever there is the good character, the Christ-like character, there the Holy Spirit is at work. God works far beyond His own appointed channels. The principle of loyalty and obedience binds us who know His will to use His sacraments, His instituted ordinances; but God is not tied to His own ordinances. He can work wherever He sees the good disposition; and it is blasphemy against His Spirit to deny that He is at work anywhere where we witness the forming of the Christian character. The good fruit cannot come from anything else than the good tree."

Bishop Charles Gore, The Sermon on the Mount, A Practical Exposition, London: John Murray 1906, p. 179f.



"While the goal of the early Christian was, as Christ had commanded, to make disciples, there was a definite process by which the early church grew so explosively. The means of church growth was through the individual Christian's interlocking social system--the family, friends, and associates."

Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, J-63 p. 25f.



"Effective disciple-making combines intentional growth principles with an 'evangelistic mix' that fits the local church and its unique situation. Tremendous power results in a local church which intentionally focuses on specific growth goals."

Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 59.



"Disciple-making is most effective when Biblical insights and church growth research are integrated."

Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 75. Chapter Four.



"Spread, oh, spread, thou mighty Word, Spread the kingdom of the Lord, Wheresoever His breath has given Life to beings meant for heaven." Jonathan Bahnmaier, "Spread, Oh, Spread, Thou Mighty Word,"

The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #507. Romans 10:15.



"Melanchthon lacked the simple faith in, and the firm adherence and implicit submission to, the Word of God which made Luther the undaunted and invincible hero of the Reformation...Melanchthon, devoid of Luther's singled-minded and whole-hearted devotion to the Word of God, endeavored to satisfy his reason as well." [Note Krauth on Melanchthon, p. 291. Schmauk, p. 748.]

F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, J-7 p. 105.



"Calvin and his adherents boldly rejected the universality of God's grace, of Christ's redemption, and of the Spirit's efficacious operation through the means of grace, and taught that, in the last analysis, also the eternal doom of the damned was solely due to an absolute decree of divine reprobation (in their estimation the logical complement of election), and this at the very time when they pretended adherence to the Augsburg Confession and were making heavy inroads into Lutheran territory with their doctrine concerning the Lord's Supper and the person of Christ,--which in itself was sufficient reason for a public discussion and determined resentment of their absolute predestinarianism."

F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, 061 p. 195f.



(2) "Then hail, ye mighty legions, yea, All hail! Now save and blest for aye, And praise the Lord, who with His Word Sustained you on the way." Hans A. Brorson, c. 1760, "Behold a Host, Arrayed in White," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #656. Revelation 7:13-17.



(3) "Send them Thy mighty Word to speak Till faith shall dawn and doubt depart, To awe the bold, to stay the weak, And bind and heal the broken heart." William C. Bryant, "Look from Thy Sphere of Endless Day," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #499. Isaiah 35.



"I grant that doctrines ought to be tested by God's word; but unless the Spirit of wisdom (spiritus prudentiae) is present, to have God's word in our hands will avail little or nothing, for its meaning will not appear to us...." John Calvin, Commentaries, 1 Jn 4:1; CO LV, 347-48.

Benjamin Milner,Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 105.



"Though he withheld at that time the words of his mouth, yet he spoke within to the mind of the woman, and so this secret instinct (arcanum hunc instinctum) was a substitute for the outward preaching."

John Calvin, Commentaries, Mt 15:23; CO XLV, 457. Benjamin Milner,Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 108.



"He also convinced them without the word, for we know how powerful are the secret instincts of the Spirit (arcani spiritus instinctus)."

John Calvin, Commentaries, Amos 4:12; CO XLIII, 68. Benjamin Milner,Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 108n.



"...we are touched with some desire for strong doctrine, it evidently appears that there is some piety in us; we are not destitute of the Spirit of God, although destitute of the outward means." John Calvin, Commentaries, Amos 8:11-12; CO XLIII, 153.

Benjamin Milner, Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 109.



"If the Spirit be lacking, the sacraments can accomplish nothing more in our minds than the splendor of the sun shining upon blind eyes, or a voice sounding in deaf ears." John Calvin, Institutes, IV, xiv, 9, .

Benjamin Milner,Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 119.



"The word of God is not set before all men that they return to soundness of mind; but the external voice sounds in the ears of many, without the effectual working of the Spirit, only that they may be made inexcusable."

John Calvin, Commentaries, Acts 28:26; CO XLVIII, 571, Benjamin Milner,Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 93n.



"Let the threatenings of the gospel terrify us, and humble us in time..." John Calvin, Commentaries, Acts 5:5, CO XLVIII, 99.

Benjamin Milner, Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, Heicko A.Oberman, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970, p. 93n.



(1) Almighty God, thy word is cast Like seed into the ground, Now let the dew of heaven descend And righteous fruits abound. (2) Let not the foe of Christ and man This holy seed remove, But give it root in every heart To bring forth fruits of love. (3) Let not the world's deceitful cares The rising plant destroy, But let it yield a hundredfold The fruits of peace and joy. (4) Oft as the precious seed is sown Thy quickening grace bestow, That all whose souls the truth receive Its saving power may know."

John Cawood, 1775-1852, "Almighty God, Thy Word Is Cast," Service Book and Hymnal, Philadephia: Board of Publication, 1958, Hymn #196. Mark 4:3-9.



Chrysostom: "If those who touched the hem of His garment were properly healed, how much more shall we be strengthened if we have Him in us whole? He will quiet in us the savage law of our members, He will quench the perturbations of the mind, drive out all sicknesses, raise us up from every fall, and, when the power of the enemy has been overcome, He will incite us to true piety and indeed will transform us into His own image."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 234.



"The body of Christ is to the sick a medicine, to pilgrims a way; it strengthens the weak, delights the strong, heals weariness, preserves health. Through it man becomes more gentle under reproof, more patient under labor, more ardent for love, wiser for caution, more ready to obey, more devoted to giving of thanks."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 234.



[Ignatius calls the Eucharist] "a medicine of immortality, an antidote, that we may not die but live in God through Jesus Christ, a cleansing remedy through warding off and driving out evils."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 234.



"How can there be any reason for the baptism of little children except according to this understanding: No one is free from defilement, even if he has lived but one day on earth. And because through the Sacrament of Baptism the filth of our birth is removed, therefore also little children are baptized." [Origen, Homily 14 on Luke]

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 250. Luke.



"For this reason the catholic church preaches that little children ought to be baptized, because of original sin, concerning which that most holy man well exclaimed: 'I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.'" [Chrysostom, Homily on Adam and Eve]

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 250f. Genesis.



"Transubstantiation is also one of the pillars that support the papalist kingdom...Rather, it is that they may retain and establish the sacrifice of the Mass, reservation, carrying about, adoration of the bread, and all the things which, outside of the divinely instituted use, have been joined to these things--for this reason they fight so persistently about transubstantiation."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 253.



"For Scripture never calls either Baptism or the Lord's Supper mysteries or sacraments. Therefore this is an unwritten (agraphos) appellation."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 29.



"They imagine that by means of these actions, motions, gestures, and ceremonies, with certain words added about sacrifice, oblation, and victim, they are sacrificing and offering the body and blood of Christ, yes, Christ, the Son of God Himself, anew to God the Father through such a theatrical representation (which is either a comedy or a tragedy) of Christ's passion."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 446.



"To institute a form of worship beside and without the Word of God, and indeed one to which is ascribed propitiation for sins, appeasement of the wrath of God, is a vain thing; it cannot please God; yes, it is idolatry. For 'in vain they worship Me with doctrines and commandments of men.' Likewise: 'Without faith it is impossible that a thing should please God.' Faith, however, 'comes by hearing, and hearing by the revealed Word of God.'"

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 493.



"That it lacks true, firm, and solid grounds in Scripture is, however, not the only thing we criticize in the papalist Mass; what we complain about most of all is that it is an abomination, conflicting with the doctrine of the Word, the sacraments, and faith--yes, that it is full of abuse against the unique sacrifice of Christ and against His perpetual priesthood, as this has been demonstrated at length by the men on our side in fair and honest writings."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 493.



"The papalist Mass, as we have described it in the beginning, militates against the one propitiatory sacrifice of Christ in many ways and is an affront to it. For there is only one propitiatory sacrifice that expiates and renders satisfaction for sins--the offering of Christ made on the cross (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:12)."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 494.



"The papalist Mass, as we have described it in the beginning, militates against the one propitiatory sacrifice of Christ in many ways and is an affront to it. For there is only one propitiatory sacrifice that expiates and renders satisfaction for sins--the offering of Christ made on the cross (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:12)."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 494.



"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.



"For a sacrifice, according to Augustine, Contra adversarium legis et prophetarum, Bk. 1, and De civitate Dei, Bk. 10, is a work which we offer, render, and dedicate to God in order that we may dwell in Him in holy fellowship. A sacrament, however, is a holy sign through which God freely offers, conveys, applies, and seals His gratuitous benefits to us. It is therefore an extraordinary perversion of the Lord's Supper to make a sacrifice out of a sacrament, in the way the papalists speak of the sacrifice of their Mass, namely, that the representatory action of the priest procures for us the application of the benefits of Christ and that anyone who causes a Mass to be celebrated in his behalf by this work procures grace and whatever other things are ascribed to the Mass."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 498.



"If anyone says that the canon of the Mass contains errors and should therefore be abrogated, let him be anathema." [Chapter IV, Canon VI] Chemnitz: "The power, yes, the substance and as it were the soul of the papalist sacrifice is the canon of the Mass. Therefore they labor much more for its retention than about the canon of Scripture itself, which they are not afraid to corrupt by mixing in other, noncanonical books."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 508.



"...Whereunto there has been added from Holy Scripture, that only Norm and Rule of Doctrine..."

Concordia preface, 1580, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 4.