Hath God Said?

An Open Letter to WELS - From a Layman

[Dear Friend in Christ],

[A number of folks] and I have been corresponding for some time regarding pressing issues of Church Practice in the WELS, issues which are potentially revealing doctrinal disunity, and which with all certainty, are going to surface during the 2009 WELS Synod Convention. Although I doubt these issues will be agenda items, they will undoubtedly surface in conversation among laymen, in committee discussion, and possibly in floor discussion resulting from committee reports, motions or even Memorials. I have been in contact with many individuals across Synod. I know that these topics will be raised, whether on the agenda proper, or not. Indeed, one internet source has proclaimed, "This 2009 convention will be the great divide. The laity will have to do their share -- and more than their share -- to move toward sound doctrine."

[Someone] informed me that he had briefly spoken to you regarding these issues, and he has asked me to share these issues with you by having me to forward to you pertinent information. There is a lot of it. I hope you don't mind reading. I will list the internet and attached document sources below, in order, providing a developing picture of the issues. My intent is to provide you with a reading of source material so that you can come to your own understanding of the gravity of these issues, can develop your own opinions, and be prepared for what may well be one of the most important Conventions since the amalgamation debate. I will provide an overview, and then only brief summaries for each source I link to.

Summary

Briefly stated, there seems to be a growing rift in our Synod's unity resulting from decades of tolerating the aberrations of the "Church Growth Movement" (CGM). While those who have imported these teachings from sources in greater American evangelicalism, and have promoted them among us, claim to have "cleaned them up" and "made them Lutheran," the damage created by these teachings is now surfacing in the form of divergent and sectarian practices within our congregations, especially worship practices, which are in turn not only exposing possibly divergent theological convictions of those in WELS who engage in these practices, but are most certainly exposing our people to heterodox perspectives as the practices themselves teach them, are watering down our public confession as our distinctiveness from the sectarians becomes less acute, and are eroding the consistency of our Fellowship standards, and thus also the firm testimony against doctrinal error that Fellowship is intended to communicate. This trend has not gone unnoticed by Synod. As a result of growing, and vocal concern, the WELS Council of Presidents (CoP) has recognized such influences among us, declaring under the "Doctrine" heading of its January meeting minutes:

5.D.03 Establishment of "non-traditional" ("new style") congregations We feel that the underpinnings of this "non-traditional" type of worship cannot be ignored. We also feel that the issue is extremely complex and will take great care to be careful to walk the "narrow Lutheran road" between legalism and ignoring and failing to admonish where practices are contrary to or a danger to the principles of gospel proclamation and the efficacy of the means of grace. We move that an ad hoc committee be convened that can study and address this issue and produce a study document that can be shared with circuits and also congregations for study and careful evaluation of practices in worship, sacraments, outreach, organization, music selection, etc. Motion carried.

5.D.05 C & C and outside speakers We recommend that our Synod President and District President(s) continue to work with the representatives of Church and Change to come to an understanding of our desire for them to withdraw their invitation to the speaker proposed for their next conference.

The speaker referred to by the CoP, in 5.D.05 above, is Baptist "Church Growth" expert, Ed Stetzer -- and this specific issue has been a lightning-rod of controversy in the WELS for almost a year. But this is nothing new for the group Church and Change (C&C) -- an external group of WELS laymen, pastors, and theologians who seem to thrive on such controversy. In 2005, they invited the Methodist "Emergent Church" expert, Dr. Leonard Sweet, to instruct them, in order to disseminate his advice directly to WELS congregations through their organization. C&C was asked at that time by Synod to cancel their Conference because of their invitation, but C&C ignored this request. Because of the political positions in Synod occupied by those associated with this organization, C&C seems to have had free rein to "largely ignore them" (a quote from one of the papers I source, below). This year, it seems, they have finally been effectively pressured to "uninvite" the heterodox teacher, Ed Stetzer, but it remains to be seen whether the inclination to invite similar experts has also been reversed. In addition, many of our wealthy members seem to have gravitated to C&C leaders, perhaps because of their celebrity status, perhaps because of the “success” that their meticulously researched marketing plans seem to guarantee. As a result, several individuals have set up large endowment funds to finance the efforts of C&C -- perhaps without realizing the theological compromises and dangers of the Church Growth Movement that they are supporting. The fact is, C&C and its constituency have been active doing this sort of thing for decades, exposing laymen to "Church Growth" theology/methodology by sponsoring trips to evangelical Mission events, like the Exponential Conference and the Drive Conference, by holding their own Conferences celebrating heterodox keynote speakers, by encouraging our pastors and professors to attend grossly heterodox institutions (like Fuller in Pasadena, CA) to learn and import these practices into our Synod, by erecting supporting power structures within Synod (the Board for Parish Services, for instance), and by ultimately implementing these -- often very expensive -- CGM practices in their own congregations and by encouraging others to do the same. The sad fact is, even the statistical measures by which CGM promises “numeric growth,” CGM has instead proven to be an utter failure in those church bodies that have believed in its statistical promises and practiced its methods over the past generation. No evidence of growth in the Church can be found as a result of the methods promoted by CGM. Even Barna Research -- a Christian research firm founded many years ago with the purpose of providing congregations with marketing data and various other forms of research as they seek to implement the methods of CGM -- has declared CGM a statistical failure, showing that over the past generation of its use in greater American Christianity, despite over $500 billion invested in CGM methods over the past 30 years, no evidence of growth is discernible. At most, all that can be seen is denominational shift. Barna, almost five years ago, publicly has given up on CGM. If you think that the decline in numbers we face in WELS today is bad, the fact is, American Evangelicalism is in precipitous decline, the youth are leaving in droves for either liturgical churches, for the open apostasy of the Emergent Church (which seems to be overtaking Evangelicalism), or for nothing at all, and the ineffective Church Growth missions and mega-churches are closing down. CGM, far from helping, has ruined Evangelicalism in America. It has ruined most of Lutheranism in America, and threatens us, now.

Many are tempted to say, "Since false teaching is not tolerated among us, the 'Church Growth Movement' must be orthodox." The first problem is that CGM falsehoods are subtle yet insidious, and when cloaked in otherwise wholesome evangelical zeal, these subtleties (which expose horribly false foundations when they are closely examined, such as the decentralization of the Marks of the Church and the replacement of the Means of Grace with the means of man) are easily overlooked. The second problem is that CGM, in order to bring about the results it promises, requires an organizational power structure, and creates this power structure for itself as its "programs" are carried out. Thus the vaunted role of Parish Services. The Church Growth Movement has transformed WELS into a political institution (this is shown in one of the papers sourced, below). The fact is, several of our pastors and theologians have reportedly come out against the errors of CGM, and as a result have been forced out of their positions and parishes through political pressure. Others have left for reasons of conscience. Reportedly, many pastors are reluctant to say anything as a result. But the struggle continues. One of the papers sourced, below, is a paper received by the 2008 Michigan District Convention -- a sweeping condemnation of CGM, and a call to repentance issued to those who have been deceived by it.

What follows is a listing of the sources I have found compelling, and which I invite you to read in order to be up to date on the issues as they are being considered today, and in order to understand how the "Church Growth Movement" has negatively impacted not only doctrine and practice and created division in our Synod, but is in large part responsible for our current financial situation (outside of ambient economic conditions that affect everyone equally, that is).

The Details

What is the "Church Growth Movement?"

Read the attached paper, Tendrils of the Church Growth Movement. (also reproduced online, here)

This is the paper that was delivered to the 2008 Michigan District Convention. It was commissioned by the MI District Convention in 2003, and represents five years of research by a team of WELS pastors and laymen. Presented in 2008, it is a comprehensive analysis, and sweeping condemnation, of the "Church Growth Movement." As I understand it, Rev. Aaron Frey (who was principal author of this paper), is active on C&C lists calling "Church Growth" adherents to repentance. He has been doing this for a number of years now, but it is unclear if there has been any change of heart among them.

The Plague of "Contemporary Worship" and the Role of the Lutheran Confessions

So-called "Contemporary Worship" is one of the hallmarks of CGM theology/methodology. In order for man to "grow the church," he must make it inviting for the unregenerate, by presenting worship in a way that is entertaining. It is easy to promote among us, since the prevailing thought is that "worship practice is adiaphora without qualification." The fact is, there are bounds to worship practice -- Scriptural bounds which are elucidated in our Confessions. The Lutheran church, as our Confessions inform us, is not only evangelical, it is also catholic, apostolic, and orthodox, and these facts underlie the use of traditional hymnody and liturgical forms. Worship practice is not merely and entirely a matter of personal choice. Among the leading voices against the "Church Growth Movement" in WELS is a layman who writes under the name of "Freddy Finkelstein." He has contributed mainly to the blog, Bailing Water, a blog created and maintained by another WELS layman that is dedicated to discussing issues in Confessional Lutheranism, particularly in the WELS.

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http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2008/11/traditonal-service-contempo-service-rob.html
Read Freddy Finkelstein's post in response to "Ben." The links he provides to other blog entries and articles on Bailing Water are quite important, so follow those links and read their content. Some of the blog entries he links to are quite extended with commentary, so search these pages for "Freddy," and specifically read his contributions. Read the surrounding material too, if you've got the time.

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2008/10/reformation-and-restoration.html
Read Freddy's light commentary regarding Confessionalism, and his response to those supposed Lutherans who find the Lutheran Confessions irrelevant -- especially since they restrict supposed adiaphora in practice. Read also a full and authoritative Confessional assessment (by Rev. David Jay Webber, ELS) regarding Communion frequency, here.

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2008/10/crusaders-unite.html
Read Freddy's quote from C.P. Krauth's Conservative Reformation. It was reposted on Bailing Water (here) and elsewhere on the internet. Also in this blog entry, read Freddy's response to "Mr. Seeking Truth, not Hysteria."

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-miracle.html
Read the "extended reparté" between Freddy Finkelstein and Rev. Tomczak (WELS). Read the articles referenced by Freddy, as well -- especially the list of articles in his final comment.

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2009/01/anything-that-isnt-unbiblical-is-fair.html
This is an excellent commentary, as Freddy sounds off on an "alternative WELS church" that is running a coffee shop and calling it Divine Worship (now known on the internet as "Latte Lutheran"), and is then grilled by C&C Church Growth advocates. Worship is not a Means of Grace. Worship is not evangelism. Sectarian worship is not catholic worship. Profane amusements have no place in an Ecclesiastical worship setting. Etcetera. Of great benefit, is the old worship resource he points to: Dr. P.E. Kretzmann's 1921 book, Christian Art, in the Place and in the Form of Lutheran Worship (this is a full length book, worth perusing if you have the interest -- it is not necessary reading to get a grasp of the issues at hand).

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2009/04/they-sold-their-soul-for-rock-and-roll.html
This blog entry started off with a commenter warning of the inherently pagan nature of modern entertainments, and on this basis, questioning their use in the Divine Service. Freddy chimes in somewhere in the middle with two back-to-back posts, one addressing "Cultural Discernment" in our selection of forms, and the second, a lengthy quotation from C.P. Krauth defining the Confessional Principle, particularly "the independently normative nature of the Lutheran Confessions."

The Lutheran Church is a Liturgical Church, according to the Lutheran Confessions...

http://www.blc.edu/comm/gargy/gargy1/liturgical_church.html
This article is linked to at least twice in Freddy's commentary, above, but I link to it directly for the sake of this email, because I agree with Freddy regarding its importance and helpfulness. An anthology of statements from the Book of Concord, this article was compiled and edited by Rev. David Jay Webber of the ELS, and was published originally in 1992, in their theological journal, Lutheran Synod Quarterly. This online version includes an addendum that has since been included, indicating the suitability of certain Byzantine Rite liturgies in addition to the Western Rite, based on the recent experience of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. Liturgical worship forms and traditional hymnody are antithetical to the objectives of the "Church Growth Movement," hence its insistence on so-called "Contemporary Worship". The Confessions very clearly indicate, however, that rites are necessary, that the liturgy belongs to the Church, not to individuals or to single congregations, and that catholic practice by definition is to embrace the expression of the Church, not that of the sectarians.

What is "catholicity"?

http://four-and-twenty-something.blogspot.com/2008/12/congregational-catholicity-pastoral.html
This is a good blog entry on Lutheran catholicity from a conservative LCMS pastor (Gene Veith pointed this one out on his blog). He starts out defining and describing catholicity, and indicates how it is manifest in both doctrine and practice (first several paragraphs). He then goes on to apply it to the specific political problems in LCMS -- which may or may not be interesting. This, in combination with the previous link and with Freddy's numerous quotes from C.P. Krauth, should provide clarity on this term regarding how it is used in reference to Worship practice.
What is "lex orandi, lex credendi"?

http://pastorstrey.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/lex-orandi-lex-credendi/
This is a blog entry from Rev. Johnold Strey (WELS), defining and defending the Latin liturgical term lex orandi, lex credendi, which seems to pop up frequently in these discussions. He recently wrote an article that appeared in WELS' theological journal, Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly (WLQ), to which I link, immediately below. Another excellent resource discussing this phrase, and sound Confessional Lutheran practice in general, is a recent book by Rev. Klemet Preus (LCMS) entitled, The Fire and the Staff: Lutheran Theology in Practice. It is a very accessibly written book, suitable for consumption by laymen and clergy.

"Contemporary Worship" teaches that Worship is a Means of Grace

Read the attached paper, Proclaiming the Gospel in Worship. (accessible online, here)
This is the paper that Rev. Johnold Strey (WELS) wrote and which was published in the Fall 2008 issue of WLQ. It can also be accessed online via his blog, here. In it, he examines the worship practices of the sectarians, especially the phenomenon of so-called "Contemporary Worship" and insists that the false teaching of "Worship as a Means of Grace" is at the root of it. Freddy Finkelstein, in many of the links, above, observes this same fact. Not only is "Contemporary Worship" rooted in false doctrine, it teaches these same false doctrines through its use (lex orandi, lex credendi).
"Church Growth" is not Lutheran evangelism

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2009/01/calling-all-confessional-pastors.html

This is another Bailing Water blog entry, highlighting the recent sermon by Rev. Webber (ELS) in which he calls out and condemns "Church Growth" by name. More of our pastors need to do this. In the course of discussion, it became clear that there was confusion regarding how to interpret Christ's statements in the Great Commission. Freddy Finkelstein offered two posts, one of exceptional importance which explained the Great Commission, and further demonstrated how Church Growthers, for all of their evangelical zeal and despite the fact that they use the Great Commission as their clarion call, are in reality teaching and acting contrary to Christ's Commission.

http://web.me.com/trinityh/Site/LCMS_Convention_Blog/Entries/2007/7/15_Pastor_Henson_Blog.html

The issue of Evangelism is central to "Church Growth" theology/methodology, but it is a wrong approach to evangelism. One of the hallmarks of CGM practices is to turn the Divine Service into an Outreach Event -- to turn Worship into Evangelism. Freddy sounds off on this at length, multiple times, in the links, above (especially, here). But this is not unique to Freddy. It is a legitimate concern in greater Confessional Lutheranism. The link at the head of this sub-section is to "Day One" of Rev. Henson's (LCMS) 2007 LCMS Convention blog. His congregation memorialized the Convention, calling the LCMS to repentance for many of the issues also outlined by Freddy. One of these issues is the nonsense that "Worship is Evangelism." Read through "Day One" -- it is relatively benign -- and at the bottom, click "Next." It will take you to "Day Two." Read through "Day Two", etc., through "Day Five." Pay attention to "Day Three", however, where Rev. Henson points out that "[t]here are some in the LCMS who maintain that by 'natural knowledge' non-Christians can worship the true God, though they are not saved." This is the rationale used by Church Growthers to justify the ordering of worship around the preferences of the unregenerate. Needless to say, Rev. Henson's congregation left the LCMS. Many others have followed him, most recently, and notably, Rev. Heimbigner's Texas congregation (his bio is here). Most LCMS congregations who leave under these circumstances continue as independent Lutheran congregations.

The Political Nature of "Church Growth" in WELS

Read the attached paper, Fifteen Years Under the MOV. (also reproduced online, here)
This is a paper that was (presumably) written by Rev. Marcus Manthey (WELS) and delivered to an "Issues in WELS" conference in 2005, prior to that year's Synod Convention. He traces the development of Synod reorganization with respect to Strategic Planning efforts that are necessary for the "success" of CGM, and centered on the creation of the Board for Parish Services. This Board subsequently declared for itself in 1992 that "Parish Services has primary responsibility for carrying out the goals of the synod's Mission-Objectives-Vision Statement". Naming many of the names associated with the Church Growth Movement in our Synod, he examines their statements in light of the Scriptures, in light of the WELS Constitution, and in light of the scripture doctrines of Church and Ministry, and very politely deprives CGM advocates of sound foundation. He expresses grave concern over the unbiblical and unbrotherly centralization of power (which is called for by "Church Growth" programs), noting that it bypasses the local congregation and deprives the Pastor of his Divine Call. Further, he emphasizes, the creation and centralization of distinct power structures has transformed WELS into a political animal, into something that, twenty-five years ago, it was not.

Read the attached paper, Reflections, Concerns, and Questions about our Beloved WELS. (also reproduced online, here)

This is a letter written by Rev. Kurt Koelpin (WELS) in 1992. Originally meant for internal consumption among the clergy only, this letter has since seen fairly wide public dispersal. In it, Rev. Koelpin clearly recognizes aberrations caused by the Church Growth Movement in WELS, even at that time, and warns against them. Shortly after writing this letter, Rev. Koeplin suffered a stroke. In an apparent effort to protect the designs of CGM, its proponents in WELS allegedly responded by referred to Rev. Koelpin as having been “brain damaged” when he wrote the letter, and thus successfully kept his concerns from being regarded seriously enough to prevent CGM from advancing among us.

http://randomintolerance.blogspot.com/2009/01/promised-rant.html

In this blog entry "Random Dan" (a WELS layman of some connection, it seems), complains, first, about the C&C Ed Stetzer invitation, mentioned above. Then, he goes on to detail some of the internal politics involved in the recent call of Rev. Paul Kelm (WELS) back to the Board for Parish Services, to serve (again) as a BPS consultant. He was called from St. Mark in DePere, WI, where he was serving with Rev. John Parlow. For your information, St. Mark seems to be “the seat of Church Growth" in our Synod - "contemporary" or "new style" congregations in our synod almost universally look to St. Mark as their model. Other hotspots that I am aware of include southern Ohio, Texas, Arizona, and the West Coast -- with the leaven of "Church Growth" teachings working just about everywhere nowadays. In this blog post, Random Dan makes plain some additional issues. One of them is the infamous practice among "Church Growth" congregations of "borrowing" from heterodox sources, verbatim. Often, entire sermons are regurgitated nearly word-for-word, and heterodox "outreach resources" are used verbatim and without qualification. This has happened at St. Mark more than once, and even though these issues have been brought before their DP several times, nothing has been done. More importantly, in one of the final paragraphs of Random Dan's blog post, he points out that St. Mark DePere is a member of the Willow Creek Association (WCA). Read WCA's "About Us" section, and you'll see that WCA is an ecumenical ministry, and that its members are collaborators and beneficiaries of this ministry. Further, members are required to subscribe to WCA's Statement of Faith. WCA, in describing membership, states:

"While we do not oversee the ministry expressions of individual churches, WCA Membership is intended solely for churches that hold an orthodox understanding of biblical Christianity. All WCA Member Churches have affirmed the central doctrines of the Bible reflected in the WCA Statement of Faith and also presented in the historic creeds of the Christian faith. WCA Membership is open to churches of any size or denomination that are marked by a deep commitment to furthering the cause of Christ."

St. Mark stands in "ministerial association" with WCA, and is in clear violation of the Bible's teaching on Church Fellowship (and, yes, their membership in WCA has been widely reported and is well-known in WELS). Their union with WCA unites the congregations of WELS with all "Christian groups" in WCA (this is called pan-unionism), including the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the ELCA, LCMS, various Reformed and pop-church Evangelical groups, and Pentecostals. In addition, there are Unitarian congregations (congregations that reject the teaching of the Trinity) which are also members of this Association -- if you recall from the Athanasian Creed (which we confess without reservation) such congregations cannot be regarded as Christian. St. Mark unites us in fellowship with them. Click here to view all of the churches on the WCA roster. The commentary accompanying Random Dan's blog entry illustrates the purely political nature of continued tolerance toward St. Mark, and other WELS congregations who follow them.

http://together.wels.net/2009/1/19
This is President Schroeder's 1/19/2009 entry on the WELS Insight blog, a WELS news service, in which he addresses the resolutions of the CoP, mentioned above. President Schroeder is a strong, confessional leader, and is, by all reports, working against the inroads of the "Church Growth Movement." Because of the institutional power structures erected by "Church Growth" advocates over the past two decades, this is by definition as much a political task as it is a Confessional and doctrinal one. He needs the help of the laity -- the WELS ministerium, while not powerless, seems to have been rendered impotent with reluctance or fear (apart from a few who are outspoken and bold). Here is an example of his attempt to communicate with the laity and build support.

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-kind-of-pastors-do-we-need.html
In case you hadn't received your February issue of Forward in Christ (and oddly, at mid-February, many people still had not received it...), you can read President Schroeder's article at the head of this blog article. Apparently, Bailing Water received an advanced copy of Schroeder's article, and published it online. It is tremendous, and represents a frontal assault against the "Church Growth Movement." Several C&C Church Growthers responded on Bailing Water by jeering at Schroeder, and at those who support him and sound Confessional Lutheranism in WELS. Several "Confessional Crusaders" responded by expressing relief, as if their job is finished. Freddy Finkelstein wrote two responses illustrating the doctrinal complexities involved, and indicating that the real work has only begun.

The Great Financial Cost of "Church Growth" Spending

Read the attached paper, The Kuske Report. (also reproduced online, here)
This paper is a research paper that Rev. Paul Kuske (WELS) wrote and posted on the "Issues in WELS" website in February of 2007. This site has been taken down (since the "Issues" were seemingly resolved with the change in Synod leadership), but the document is available from various individuals in WELS. This is the paper which exposed the extent of mind-boggling and irrational "Church Growth" spending and financial mismanagement that WELS has suffered over the past 20 years, and which is in many ways responsible for our Synod's current financial condition. It covers the same period of history as Manthey's Fifteen Years Under the MOV, above, and together they paint an interesting picture of how "Church Growth" power structures and financial control seem to go together.

http://together.wels.net/2009/2/16
This is President Schroeder's 2/16/2009 entry on the WELS Insight blog. While his article paints a bleak financial picture, he echoes key points made by Rev. Manthey and Rev. Kuske in the papers referenced above. Here are some excerpts (emphasis mine):


We are faced with the simple and painful fact that the level of funding available to support our synod's mission and ministry will be significantly less in the next two years than it is today. While support from congregations has been commendable and steady in these difficult times, expected support from other sources has dropped significantly. The blunt reality is that we will need to reduce our synod's budget by approximately $8 million, from about $38 million today to approximately $30 million in the next fiscal year. When the Synodical Council presents a balanced budget to the convention in July, which it is required by the constitution to do, significant reductions will need to be made in all areas of our synod's work.

...Our desire to proclaim the gospel to more and more people has led us to adopt ambitious plans across the synod. That is a noble goal, but we have often looked to support those plans on anticipated gifts from foundations, individuals, and other sources. We are now in a situation where some of those large gifts have been suddenly reduced. As commendable as our plans may have been, we simply do not have the financial means to continue at the same level as before.

...the Synodical Council will not simply be wrestling with the short-term reduction in the budget. It will also be looking to the need for providing long-term stability to our finances. The Synodical Council will be considering at least one proposal to achieve this goal. This proposal for long-term stability will not enable us to avoid difficult cuts now, but it will seek to provide a new approach to budgeting and planning that will greatly reduce the likelihood of a similar situation occurring in the future. One main element of the proposal is a commitment to planning our ongoing ministry based primarily on our most stable source of funding (Congregation Mission Offerings) and using large donations from other sources for one-time or limited-time programs.


The first paragraph I cite, above, is a straightforward high-level explanation of the reality. However, the second paragraph I cite admits that the funding priorities and methods of Church Growth have gotten us to our current situation (as the The Kuske Report obviates), and the final paragraph I cite indicates the currently favored solution as one which restructures budgeting and planning -- from one dictated by centralized Church Growth priorities to one reflecting our congregational polity. Elsewhere in Schroeder's article, he admits that sweeping Administration cuts and changes will need to be made, reminiscent of the concerns expressed in Manthey's Fifteen Years Under the MOV.

There are other, more salacious, internet sources detailing the massive costs of CGM methods, the extent to which many congregations in WELS have given themselves over to such ideas, and the willingness of our Synod's wealthy to underwrite these efforts through the establishment of external Trusts and Foundations devoted to the issuing grants for these purposes. It is too bad that this money, given in good faith, is used to support efforts founded on such ill-conceived financial notions as those expressed in The Kuske Report. Just because you build it, doesn't at all mean that they will come...

Conclusion

It is amazing that, in a church body such as WELS, which upholds purity in doctrine and true confessional unity, CGM has gained such a foothold among us, and now poses such a threat. After years of failed action in some cases, and of inaction in most other cases, Confessional Lutherans in the WELS stand exposed, organizationally, financially, ecumenically, and doctrinally. Today, there is a suggestive lack of unity in Practice among us as a result of "Church Growth" teachings/methodologies, a lack of unity that is, more-and-more, exposing a growing divergence of opinion among us regarding Scripture teaching. Left unaddressed and uncorrected, the result can only be a rank disunity of the sort tolerated in LCMS -- even celebrated among them in some quarters. Yet, it is tempting for our pastors, in an effort to emphasize our unity, to downplay the reality of these threats. After all, to admit the reality would only prove disturbing for lay members who may not have the capacity to fully understand or appreciate the issues, and would only erode confidence in their leadership and in the Synod's guidance. Regardless, these issues are real, they are serious, and they are going to surface one way or the other. I would encourage you to read the documentation above. Do so without interference from others, and draw your own independent conclusions. I would also encourage you to send this information, along with the attachments, to your fellow laymen, whether delegates to the 2009 Convention or not, that they, too, may be prepared for the 2009 WELS Synod Convention and will be prepared to respond to these issues as they may arise in their own congregations.

In Christ,

[Your Friend]

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "An Open Letter to WELS - From a Layman":

More and more self-aggrandizing pastors seek out the heady role of cult leader. This blog has pointed out a number of them for closer observation. None of them seem interested in work of an old fashioned pastor -- something they claimed they wanted to do.

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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "An Open Letter to WELS - From a Layman":

"Even Barna Research... has declared CGM a statistical failure... despite over $500 billion invested in CGM methods over the past 30 years, no evidence of growth is discernible."

Yes, this is true -- and this didn't come out just yesterday, either. It was like five years ago. His yearly "State of the Church" report for the couple years prior to this were quite shrill, to the point of practically shrieking, that Evangelicalism in America was about to collapse. Rumour has it that he went into some kind of depression over the failure of CGM.

Today, however, Barna seems to be advocating for the Emergent crowd -- with his recent books like Pagan Christianity attacking historic church practices, and his active support for home churches and the new-old apostolic way of "just being church" rather than "doing church" (realize, with really no doctrine of the Church, folks like Barna confuse Invisible with Visible Church). He has also identified and is now describing American "Christianity" in terms of "faith tribes," causing one to wonder where Jeske, and possibly other prominent Lutherans, gets the idea to refer to his public Confession as merely tribal membership (this was discussed on Bailing Water back in March, in case anyone missed it).

Freddy Finkelstein

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Mary Thompson wrote:

It may be entirely too late for WELS as an institution, for although it is heartening that some awakening seems to be occurring 40 years after the orchestration of systematically destroying the foundations, including the process of dispatching the reliable KJV to the dustbin of history, began in another convention (1967). When I was "terminated" by a WELS congregation in 1977, what I wrote in an open letter to the congregation has come full circle. A lot of conventions have come and gone since, but unless the fundamental mistakes made 40 years ago are understood and corrected, the next convention will only result in a temporary one step back for the agents of change who will emerge with two steps forward again.

EXCERPT from letter to Peace Lutheran Congregation, Santa Clara, CA (1977)

"Students of history always identify turning points resulting in long range changes in institutions. Rarely recognized as pivotal at the time, it generally takes a period of time before the fruits of the such events begin to manifest themselves to the general body of an institution. If such a 'turning point' were to be identified for the current (1977) facilitation of change' in synod, it would be the year of 1967. Two resolutions adopted at he 1967 Convention set the stage for fundamental, far reaching changes only recently coming apparent.

1) The resolution was adopted which provided the technical loophole which was used to justify the government grants to WELS schools. It set the stage for the idea that government educators had something constructive to offer Christian education, for in addition to monetary considerations, programs and philosophies of these educators have been assimilated into Christian schools until the distinction between church and government schools is becoming less distinct by the year.

2) The second action of that 1967 convention was the authorization of the restructuring of synod organization from a truly representative form of governance to one of Systems Analysis (Planning, Programming, Budgeting System). The name itself defines the management system. More than a budgeting system, PPBS also restructures the WAY decisions are made.

Plans are predetermined by an elite planning body. All factors involved are known only by that planning body. Programming for acceptance of the pre-determined plans are implemented to create the "need" for the planned goal or to obtain the necessary "feedback" to identify strong opposition, and if necessary, adjust the plan so it WILL be accepted by members at large who can be persuaded through various means to be receptive to the plan. They in turn ultimately legitimatize the predetermined plans with a vote in congregation, district, or synod. This process is in motion now to discredit the King James Version and condition for acceptance of NIV.

"The nature of PPBS is manipulative from the top. There is no escaping the ESSENCE of the process........the system should be denounced.".............

"As in every other church body including those calling themselves Lutheran, WELS will experience continued controversy. There can be no true peace or unity once a church body is divided on what the very Word of God is! If history repeats itself, and the pattern follows that which every other church embarking on similar paths...,.WELS will become more and more subjective. Larger and larger promotional synod-wide programs will multiply........Expect increased encouragement of emotional responses at all levels of church life. With more and more methodologically contrived situations designed to elicit subjective responses, there will be less and less doctrinal emphasis......." MT

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These days criticism of the assimilation of Systems Management is often expressed as "management practices" or "business method", etc. not appropriate for the work of the church. But the SYSTEM is more than mere consideration of how dollars and cents are spent.

PPBS, MBO, or whatever name by which it is identified, is a dialectical process which was introduced into military, and civic government at all levels as well as government schools from national to local applications. Not be considered outside the prevailing times, WELS and others ran after the methodology of the pied pipers of change which were "unfreezing the system" (a term used by RAND Corporation to define the process in government schools), a process which has proven as destructive in that secular arena as it has in WELS and elsewhere. Those of us who were battling the outrages in the government schools in the late 60's and 70's recognized what was afoot, and hearts sank when we learned that our own synod had hopped on board the PPBS bandwagon.

Unless that restructuring of synod governance is addressed and undone, and the issue of Reliable Bible translations addressed, the Church Growth Movement will remain symptomatic of a much deeper problem, with Church and Change the visible agents to bring the undoing about.

Mary Thompson

EastCoast and Freddy Finkelstein on Love

Greg,

That "Christopher" guy on Ichabod is a perfect example of what is wrong in WELS. I have such members. I believe all WELS churches do. I confront mine with the hard truths. Most don't like it one bit, and many leave for LCMS and ELCA et al. The "turnover" at this congregation has been nearly 80% in the years I have been here, with a net gain of maybe ten good, faithful members.

Most - almost no - WELS Pastors, even the really good ones, will not confront their mamby-pamby members. Its not just that they're afraid of losing members and offerings, but that they feel they must be super-tolerant and patient with these folks and not be too hard on them. If they were "shacking-up," or drunks or something, they would come down on them like a ton of bricks. But because their sin is a misunderstanding and misapplication of God's directives to His Church, and very often some quite false and dangerous beliefs as well, these members are allowed to stay for years and years. In turn, they contaminate many others in the congregation. Very slowly, over time, more and more people get the "warm fuzzy" disease. This then leads to calls for "contemporary," "casual," or "alternative" worship, among other nonsense. At first, this is supported only by 20 to 25% of the congregation. But then Confessional members quit or move, new and weaker members take their place, and in a decade or so, a once Confessional and orthodox congregation is starting a "coffee-house church" downtown, and looking for all the world like your typical "community, non-denominational" church. This has happened dozens of times already, and the poison has infected hundreds of WELS churches. The problem has become systemic. As WELS' roots are deep in Pietism, this infection is latent in nearly all WELS leaders, Pastoral and otherwise. The only cure is the theological equivalent of heavy pruning and copper sulfate - tough discipline on both members and the Pastors who tolerate them, and the anti-viral of the true pure Law and Gospel, properly divided and applied.

The point is - there are places and churches for these "limp Lutherans." I don't say they're going to hell. Probably not. But that's because of what Luther called "the blessed inconsistency," people don't often follow their false beliefs to their faith-destroying, and soul-damning conclusions. Praise the Lord! However, that doesn't mean we want them in our congregations! They are still dangerous, and their support, participation, and offerings are not worth giving up one iota of the Bible or the Confessions. This is what we in the WELS need desperately to understand and act upon. But, frankly, I don't think it will happen. Most likely, it is already too late. The Convention next month will tell the tale.

If you want to use this on Ichabod for Christopher, that's fine.

EastCoast

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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Guess What Just Emerged from The CORE?":

Luther on the "Role of Love" when doctrinal error is involved:

"In the church, however, as far as the Word is concerned, it is not a matter of the forgiveness of sins; but this is the mathematical point and the highest purity. The Word is so irreproachable that not a single iota can err in the Law or the divine promises. For that reason we must yield to no sect, not even in one tittle of Scripture, no matter how much they clamor and accuse us of violating love when we hold so strictly to the Word. The beginning of all love is that the scepter of equity remains. If there is no other way of achieving this, then love or anything else must be broken, be it ever so great, just so the Word remains pure" (in his commentary on Psalm 45).

"We are prepared to preserve peace and love with all men if only they will permit us to keep the doctrine of faith entire and uncorrupted. If they will not promise this, they will demand love from us in vain. Damned be that love which is maintained at the cost of the doctrines of the faith! ...If a single one is set aside, they will gradually all be lost. They form one single, harmonious whole..." (from his commentary on Galatians 5:9).

Luther was such a fine influence in his day. Too bad he is culturally outdated and no longer relevant in ours. Fellowship used to be "the immune system of the Church," now it is an impediment to numerical growth.

Freddy Finkelstein

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 8, 2009

ELCA Pastor Brings Words of Promise to Wichita Congregations
09-129-FI

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Attitude is everything" was a phrase that Dr. George Tiller had made into buttons. Many mourners wore those buttons to his funeral June 6 at College Hill United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kan. Tiller was shot and killed the previous Sunday morning before worship at nearby Reformation Lutheran Church, where he was a member.

"Attitude is everything ... but not our attitude," said the Rev. Lowell R. Michelson, Tiller's pastor, during the funeral sermon. "God's attitude ... an attitude of love."

***

GJ - Killer Tiller murdered 60,000 defenseless babies.

Joe Krohn, Rock N Roller, Has a Case of the Mondays

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Don Patterson Should Write His Own Blog Commen...":

GJ,

I get a big laugh from your hostility too; as well as what you shouldn't say. For example. I wasn't a mouthpiece for the 'odious' network. I figured out all by myself how to blog. I'll remember next time to put a disclaimer up saying that I am acting independently. Since you're so good at assuming things, I thought you would have figured that out. You're probably one of those guys who would have used your lawn mower as a hedge trimmer while it was running unless they put the warning label on there. Ha ha. Just kidding about that one. Actually Crosswalk is more WELS than you think. It says so on their website. And although they are not 'officially' WELS, they are in fellowship. If you go back and check your blog, I think I have said somewhere that I was a member of Crosswalk. Be careful though and wear your waders. There is alot of the stinky stuff to wade through to find it.

Joe Krohn

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Don Patterson Should Write His Own Blog Commen...":

GJ. It is so very, very sad that you are unwilling to post my input to your blog. I can understand that you, the owner of the blog, must moderate in consideration of others not wanting to deal with the profuse profanity that flies around. However, in light of all that is posted here, you could at least provide consideration to the truth.

As I stated in one comment, "watch the salivating dogs that really do not know or understand anything go off like a pack of wild hyenas." This has been proven. Wow, and so fast!

Unfortunately, for readers who may actually attempt to understand, you block those who are providing legitimate and truthful input.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Joe Krohn, Rock N Roller, Has a Case of the Monday...":

"Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Don Patterson Should Write His Own Blog Commen...": "

Make GJ doesn't post this cat's comments because they aren't cogent? [sic - what?]

Guess What Just Emerged from The CORE?

CORE's Ski bragged he worshiped with Babtist Andy Stanley.

How To Blog, by Alien.

Christopher has left a new comment on your post "One Block from The CORE":

I am new to this blog and I am absolutely ashamed! How dare you people call yourself Christians when you spend way too much time and energy tearing people down out of hatred, spite, and fear. Would it nor be better for the Kingdom of God that you take this energy and put it to good use, like, perhaps showing genuine brotherly Christian love? Or how about sharing the wonderful news of God's mercy through the sacrifice of his Son for our sins? Who cares what the CORE or any of the other churches you blast are doing as long as they are showing the love of Christ to people? Especially those who may not be getting it otherwise? Is that not what we are called to do? Make disciples of ALL nations, not just our WELS nation.

Y'all need more love on this blog. Y'hear?

***

GJ - I realize Luther is irrelevant to Changers, but he did point out that the Word, not love, converts people. No one has been called to manufacture disciples - that is an erroneous, not to mention illiterate, version of the Great Commission.

Why Don Patterson Should Write His Own Blog Comments

This faked photo illustrates an important fact - X-SP Gurgle ruined the finances of WELS, and Patterson hired him as a staff member. Birds of a feather do flock together...especially vultures.

Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Zebra Alert":

Well, well, well, GJ. I guess you are not going to post my last input. It is easy to see that without me using profanity, obtuse comments or insults (maybe a little sarcasm), you don't have what it really takes to post the TRUTH. It is clear that your blog is a single duplex feed. Perhaps you are trying to protect your personal minions. Or perhaps it is that the Dramamine pill you took has still not taken hold. Did the truth kick that hard causing such a reaction that even sitting up caused you vertigo?

Post my last. Try it without any input from yourself and watch the salivating dogs that really do not know or understand anything go off like a pack of wild hyenas.

It is ironic how I used a simple tool to point out regarding your home in AZ [<--sic, that fractured sentence makes no sense]. As a matter of fact, it is the EXACT SAME TOOL that you used. Yet, I am the so called inept, inbred, ignoramus. Hmmm….

It is very apparent by your lack of response, your recklessness is catching up with you.

***

GJ - I get a big laugh from the hostile Church and Chicanery comments. 'Tis funny what they do not say. For example, Joe Krohn is Patterson's buddy, so he was a convenient mouthpiece for the odious Patterson Network. Krohn did not say he was a member of the non-WELS congregation called CrossWalk (Phoenix). That he went from one hive in Phoenix to another in Round Rock to a Rock N Roll blog is no surprise. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

Assumptions are funny too. I did not prepare all the facts about Patterson's wealthy congregation, his house and ranch, and his safaris. Many people are disgusted with Patterson and others demanding synod subsidies when other congregations are closing down. Very few pastors enjoy the luxury of African safaris. Very few pastors have free vicars and the nerve to ask for another free staff member besides.

Someone in real estate pointed out the facts about Phoenix property values, but that is irrelevant. I am not using denominational money.

No one has come up with a theological defense of Church and Change. They are all a bunch of sneaky liars, posting anonymous and ignorant comments. I am glad that Ichabod serves to flush them out of the tall grass for a few moments.

WELS laity and pastors are making it clear to me--in various ways--that they support SP Schroeder and they loathe the Church and Chicanery/WELS Prayer Institute network.

Be prepared, readers. The Shrinkers will arrive at the Saginaw convention for their last stand. They will not be wearing their Fuller sweatshirts. They will not let their Willow Creek credentials show.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Don Patterson Should Write His Own Blog Commen...":

"Post my last. Try it without any input from yourself and watch the salivating dogs that really do not know or understand anything go off like a pack of wild hyenas."

What a horse's xxx.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Don Patterson Should Write His Own Blog Commen...":

"It is ironic how I used a simple tool to point out regarding your home in AZ [<--sic, that fractured sentence makes no sense]. As a matter of fact, it is the EXACT SAME TOOL that you used. Yet, I am the so called inept, inbred, ignoramus. Hmmm…."

The writer has to be a graduate of the WELS substandard education system.

God Beat Sikorsky by About 4,000 Years

Sikorsky

Plants Use the Perfect Propeller 06/16/2009

June 16, 2009 — What kid hasn’t played with maple seeds to watch them spin in the air like helicopters? Scientists watch them, too. A team from the Netherlands and California found out how they stay in the air for so long without engines to drive them. One would think in an era of advanced aeronautical engineering the physics would all be worked out, but the abstract explains that the seeds know more than the engineers do:

As they descend, the autorotating seeds of maples and some other trees generate unexpectedly high lift, but how they attain this elevated performance is unknown. To elucidate the mechanisms responsible, we measured the three-dimensional flow around dynamically scaled models of maple and hornbeam seeds. Our results indicate that these seeds attain high lift by generating a stable leading-edge vortex (LEV) as they descend. The compact LEV, which we verified on real specimens, allows maple seeds to remain in the air more effectively than do a variety of nonautorotating seeds.

The trees involved often grow in nutrient-poor environments, so their seeds rely on wind, updrafts and turbulent gusts to spread out. They can sometimes fly several kilometers away from the parent tree.

The team studied three species of maple and one species of hornbeam, because “The seeds from all four of these species are known to generate high lift.” The seeds start rotating within a meter of detachment. “They autorotate because the heavy nut, and hence the center of gravity, is located at the base of the wing-shaped seed, they said, emphasizing again how this is partly mysterious: “The stable autorotation of maple and other rotary seeds depends on an interplay between their three-dimensional (3D) inertial and aerodynamic properties, which is not fully understood.”

Measurements of the seeds in wind tunnels showed that the leading-edge vortex (LEV) is attached at the 25% span location where the sectional lift coefficient is the greatest. “The stable attachment of the LEV is noteworthy, given that the local angles of attack are well beyond the stall point for conventional aircraft wings and helicopter blades.” They explain how the stalling that endangers pilots is overcome by the seeds:
Like autorotating seeds, insect wings generate very high lift despite operating at angles of attack well above those that will stall conventional aircraft wings and helicopter blades (11) (Fig. 1D). Instead of stalling, insect wings generate a prominent leading-edge vortex (LEV), which is known to be responsible for elevating both lift and drag. Building upon these observations, we hypothesized that autorotating seeds create a LEV that enables them to generate high lift at high angles of attack during their descent.

The authors believe aircraft engineers should go back to the drawing board. “The enhanced aerodynamic performance of autorotating seeds could inspire the design of more effective autorotating vehicles.”

As to how this phenomenon arose, the scientists noted that a similar LEV lift-generating principle is employed in the wings of bats, birds, insects and seeds. To them, this suggested “that the use of LEVs represents a convergent aerodynamic solution in the evolution of flight performance in both animals and plants.”
For more on Dickinson’s fascinating research on biological flight design, see the 11/20/2006 entry, and especially the 12/08/2003 entry.

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "God Beat Sikorsky by About 4,000 Years":

I cut down my silver maples five years ago, hoping that I would never have to clean the helicopters out of my gutters again. But, I keep finding them on the patio and driveway. This past weekend, I was on my garage roof where I noticed that the helicopters had plugged up my downspouts. None of my immediate neighbors have any maples. I have no idea where they come from. Being close to Lake Michigan, we do get strong winds often. I think that it is easy to see that even something as annoying and simple looking as the maple seeds were made by a very intelligent Creator.

The Second Sunday after Trinity

Cover art by Norma Boeckler

The Second Sunday after Trinity

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time


The Hymn #377 Salvation unto Us 2.1
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 1 John 3:13-18
The Gospel Luke 14:16-24
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #264 Preserve thy Word 2.55

Father’s Day

The Hymn #313 O Lord we praise Thee 2.36
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 #45 Now the Hour 2.95

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks unto Thee, that through Thy holy word Thou hast called us to Thy great supper, and we beseech Thee: Quicken our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not hear Thy word without fruit, but that we may prepare ourselves rightly for Thy kingdom, and not suffer ourselves to be hindered by any worldly care, through Thy beloved Son. Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

"Those, however, who set the time, place and measure, tempt God, and believe not that they are heard or that they have obtained what they asked; therefore, they also receive nothing." Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 172. John 16:23-30.

"In like manner, St. Paul says that God's ability is thus proved, in that He does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or think. Ephesians 3:20. Therefore, we should know we are too finite to be able to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other circumstances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to Him, and immovably and steadfastly believe that He will hear us." Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 179f. Fifth Sunday after Easter. Ephesians 3:20.

"If the world were willing to take advice from a simple, plain man--that is, our Lord God (who, after all, has some experience too and knows how to rule)--the best advice would be that in his office and sphere of jurisdiction everybody simply direct his thoughts and plans to carrying out honestly and doing in good faith what has been commanded him and that, whatever he does, he depend not on his own plans and thoughts but commit the care to God. Such a man would certainly find out in the end who does and accomplishes more, he who trusts God or he who would bring success to his cause through his own wisdom and thoughts or his own power and strength." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1151. Luke 5:1-11.

KJV 1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

KJV Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Father’s Day

The skeptics like to tell us that man has painted a portrait of God the Father based on our own fathers. On every subject they get the facts right, but upside down.

Fathers should model themselves after our gracious heavenly Father.

Today we have many fathers but not many men. One of my students missed class because he said, “My girlfriend had our first baby last week.” I asked him in front of the class, “Are you going to marry her?” He said, “No!” Then he added, “I already feel married.” He was not a minority member or an impoverished illegal alien. He was being a typical American male, a boy who never grows into being a man.

God the Father takes care of us, even those who do not acknowledge him as Father. If one little aspect of His care is lessened (in our way of thinking), disaster strikes.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, about 9 inches of rain fell in one brief but memorable storm. Roads are washed out. Culvert pipes have washed downstream. Homes and businesses are flooded. I remember a worse flood in Midland. A future DP was in the car with me. One road was blocked with a warning sign, so we went down that way slowly. One block away, the roadbed ahead of the highway barrier was washed away and replaced with a new version of the Grand Canyon.

One bad storm and our lives are in turmoil. Yet people are not grateful to God for the sunshine and rain that regulate our lives and keep us nourished and healthy.
Bad weather is a reminder of how much good weather we enjoy. In fact, there is no other nation blessed with the weather and resources of America.

Many fathers seem to think they have no reason to provide for others as God has provided for them. And this is considered a normal attitude. Being married and providing for a wife and children is considered exception. I know that from having so many young adults in the classroom. The single mother situation, for whatever cause, is normal.

I do not know why, but the percentage of men in higher education has switched. In the past, men were the majority in college and they dominated academics in earning high grades. Now women are 60 to 80% of the student population. The women are normally the achievers while the men just get by. The women agree that the men do not want to grow up, but stay little boys who want to party and play video games, or work on their music careers while their girlfriends provide for them.

The Bible reveals God the Father as forgiving, with His forgiveness based on His love and mercy, not our merit. The most memorable example is found in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which could easily be called The Forgiving Father.

When the son demanded his inheritance, the Father gave it to him.

Next the prodigal son squandered all his money on fast women and slow horses. He was reduced to coveting the carob pods eaten by the pigs.

The son turned toward home, knowing he had sinned against God and his family. The parable is a good example of natural law. If someone throws over the traces, the order established by God’s Creation will eventually catch up with him. Poverty and disgrace are one way God provides as a foundation for genuine contrition.

But what does the Father in the parable do as the son heads home?

KJV Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

The Word reveals our heavenly Father as far more ready to forgives than we are to repent.

As we see in so many lessons from the Savior, God’s grace is prodigal even when we are prodigal sons. The Father runs to meet the son, but he also embraces him, kisses him, and hosts a feast for all his friends. Of course, this makes the elder brother angry. He is the little Pharisee in all of us.

The downtrodden, impoverished, wastrels, and criminals are usually the ones most thankful for the Gospel. As Luther often wrote, the broken and poor in spirit -- not the mighty and powerful--are the ones who rejoice in forgiveness. I was explaining Law and Gospel to a group of prisoners in jail when all of them burst into tears. That was how great the power of the Word was upon them. One gave up his drug addiction and went back to his drug connections to speak against his past life. That is just a small picture of what happened when the Gospel reached the Roman Empire. It is replayed in many ways today.

So earthly fathers should be as forgiving as our gracious Heavenly Father.

That is the purpose of the Gospel, not only to give us forgiveness of sins, justification by faith, but also to spread its blessings.

In a family where the Gospel dominates, there will still be sinfulness expressed in various ways. However, the Gospel provides forgiveness, heals the wounds caused by sin, and also gives us the power to overcome sin.

Our heavenly Father provided His Son for us, so we would have forgiveness of sin. This is a mystery far beyond our ability to comprehend. God has revealed it in His Word, so we would have the blessings of the Gospel in this life and eternal life, with the fruits of the Spirit abounding.



Quotations
"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: 'He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you.' Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost is given." Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, Justification, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159. Tappert, p. 125. Romans 3:31; John 16:15.

"But as the Confutation condemns us for having assigned these two parts to repentance, we must show that [not we, but] Scripture expresses these as the chief parts in repentance and conversion. For Christ says, Matthew 11:28: Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Here there are two members. The labor and the burden signify the contrition, anxiety, and terrors of sin and of death. To come to Christ is to believe that sins are remitted for Christ's sake; when we believe, our hearts are quickened by the Holy Ghost through the Word of Christ. Here, therefore, there are these two chief parts, contrition and faith." Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XII (V), #44, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 263. Tappert, p. 187.

Need for Forgiveness
"For now we are only half pure and holy, so that the Holy Ghost has ever [some reason why] to continue His work in us through the Word, and daily to dispense forgiveness, until we attain to that life where there will be no more forgiveness, but only perfectly pure and holy people, full of godliness and righteousness, removed and free from sin, death, and all evil, in a new, immortal, and glorified body." The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #58, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 693.

Who Has the Word?
"The Church has no word of its own. Whatever is not taken from Scripture is not the 'Word of the Church,' but what Luther bluntly calls 'prattle.' Also other books can exert a divine power and efficacy, but always only inasmuch as they have absorbed God's Word. Of Scripture Luther says: 'No book teaches anything concerning eternal life except this one alone' (St. Louis edition XIV:434)." Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans. Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, I, p. 315.

Management By Objective

"Those, however, who set the time, place and measure, tempt God, and believe not that they are heard or that they have obtained what they asked; therefore, they also receive nothing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 172. John 16:23-30.

"In like manner, St. Paul says that God's ability is thus proved, in that He does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or think. Ephesians 3:20. Therefore, we should know we are too finite to be able to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other circumstances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to Him, and immovably and steadfastly believe that He will hear us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 179f. Fifth Sunday after Easter. Ephesians 3:20.

"If the world were willing to take advice from a simple, plain man--that is, our Lord God (who, after all, has some experience too and knows how to rule)--the best advice would be that in his office and sphere of jurisdiction everybody simply direct his thoughts and plans to carrying out honestly and doing in good faith what has been commanded him and that, whatever he does, he depend not on his own plans and thoughts but commit the care to God. Such a man would certainly find out in the end who does and accomplishes more, he who trusts God or he who would bring success to his cause through his own wisdom and thoughts or his own power and strength." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1151. Luke 5:1-11.

Zebra Alert

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "African Safaris, A House and a Ranch, Stetzer Conf...":

To the last comment/question from the 7:10 anonymous...NO, Pastor Patterson's Church didn't pay for the zebra mounting. According to this blog, WELS paid for it all. The synod took a super secret, special vote and made sure to eliminate two more pastors to pay for it.

GJ...Aren't you going to post my last? Or are your clerks trying to figure things out?

Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause They Studied Together at Fuller, Willow Creek, and Trinity Deerfield

TLH #520: "Satan I defy thee."

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How To Get Synod Subsidies, Foundation Grants, and...":

http://steadfastlutherans.org/blog/?p=5436

"Added to the rhetorical mix was the ability of the other side to demonize us. We were labeled “legalist,” “stuck on human traditions,” and were clearly depicted as those against young people and missions. These are key words to remember; young people and missions. The synod will support uncritically any idea which invokes the two things we fear we are losing – young people and mission work. "

Curious how we're seeing the same playbook in both WELS Church and Change and LCMS Ablaze.

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Klemet Preus:

June 14, 2009
Confessionals “Get Their Lunch Handed to Them” at the Minnesota South District, by Pr. Klemet Preus
On June 12 the confessional movement in the MNS district got its lunch handed to it, at least from a purely political perspective. There were two major issues facing the convention. Both had serious theological ramifications. Both were lost. Every single candidate promoted by the confessionals was defeated. The elections were not even close. We got clobbered.

What is particularly puzzling about this sound thrashing is that three years ago the convention was evenly split. Three years ago we actually voted to a tie on a resolution which would have asked the synod to reconsider its position on allowing women elders and presidents. Three years ago we elected a board which, for the most part, was confessional. I was elected by a four vote margin. Yet in 2009 I received 35% of the votes.

What happened? How did we lose 15% of the vote in three years?

First, we lost the rhetorical battle. The main issue of the convention was the motion to receive TheAlley church into the synod. TheAlley is a mission start of Woodbury Lutheran whose pastor is Dean Nadasdy, one of the synod’s VPs. The congregation was the poster child of some in the synod. It had received $50,000 of Ablaze funds and $100,000 from the district since its inception two years earlier. Reportedly a couple of vans of students from Concordia College attend each week. Woodbury had sent 100 of its members. It was deemed “Cutting Edge,” “The church of the future,” “people ready to step out of their comfort zone,” and “uniquely situated to reach those young people the rest of us cannot reach.” The Alley was clearly a Causa Celebre of the district and synodical establishment.

One the other hand The Alley Church had been under fire from the confessionals in MNS and others for about 18 months prior to the convention and for good reason. They refused to use the name Lutheran in their publicity materials. And it was clear that the congregation had no intention to call themselves Lutheran anytime in the future. Initially the congregation did not practice closed communion according to the principles articulated and commonly held by the synod. More recently President Seitz, the MNS DP, had assured the district that this issue had been resolved. Still the church celebrated the sacrament only 12 times annually. The church had published a doctrinal statement in its publicity which contained no reference to Baptism or the Lord’s Supper. Although the district offered to give copies of the LSB to the fledgling congregation this gift was declined. No hymnal was used and it was apparent than no hymnal will be used. By all accounts, the ecumenical creeds, the Lord’s Prayer and any recognizable liturgical forms were lacking or used sparingly in the Sunday services.

Rhetorically the issues were clear. “Reaching young people,” “Cutting edge,” “Willing to change,” “Missional,” were the key concepts. Contrasted with these were “Liturgical,” “Orthodox,” Sacramental” “Traditional,” and “Lutheran.” I guess I can see why we lost. I think we overestimated the value the word “Lutheran.” I really supposed that the district in convention would not support an endeavor which intentionally did not use the term especially since a 1995 resolution of the synod required it. This was a fatal supposition.

Added to the rhetorical mix was the ability of the other side to demonize us. We were labeled “legalist,” “stuck on human traditions,” and were clearly depicted as those against young people and missions. These are key words to remember; young people and missions. The synod will support uncritically any idea which invokes the two things we fear we are losing – young people and mission work.

Second, we lost the political battle. The other side was very well organized. Early in the process, eight months before the convention, they began to send out Emails apparently to anyone and everyone. The list of endorsers – all pastors from MNS - was initially mostly retired guys. But as the convention loomed it grew to include almost 50 endorsers. These Emails took rather complex issues and turned them into simplistic, if inaccurate sound bites. It worked very well.

Further, the Emails attracted the Board early and often. They pitted the Board against the President of the district who was handily elected to his seventh term. His election was really never in doubt. What we learned, tragically for us, is that it is almost impossible to disagree with a popular incumbent an on an important issue - even when he is clearly and demonstrably wrong - and expect to win the majority. As goes the president so goes the district. That is most certainly true in MNS.

We found ourselves increasingly frustrated in our attempts to articulate a message which was primarily theological. We sent out mailings with no indication that they were read. We tried to hold meetings where both sides of the Board would speak. These were sponsored by the Board of the district and still were sparsely attended. By all accounts we prevailed when dialoging or debating but it didn’t matter. It all seemed too little and too late.

Early in the process I thought that if we could just create a level playing field where both sides had equal opportunity to speak and to argue then we would have a chance. Such a context was never achieved.

I still am uncertain precisely how to create a dialogical context especially for laymen. It really seems to be something necessary given our democratic polity. But I fear that sound bite theology prevails in our district.

Third, the power of incumbency was unusually strong. The orchestration was brilliant. President Seitz’s report, given immediately before the vote on TheAlley was based on the thought that this would be a “Watershed convention.” He used all the buzz words – “Change” “contextualizing the gospel,” “Missional,” with faint praise for Sacraments, doctrine, tradition etc. While none in the assembly would have disagreed with president Seitz the speech was not that balance of “Keep it strait” and “Get it out” that one would have liked from an impartial chair.

Immediately after his address, the motion to accept the Alley was made. Rev. Ben Griffin was given an opportunity to speak. He is young, dynamic, casual in appearance, unclerical if you will. He asserted with great force that he is Lutheran, Missional, and Sacramental. The assembly took his word for it and the debate was pretty much over before it started although we did manage to make some points on floor of the convention.

Once TheAlley was accepted by a 65% vote everything else followed similarly.

I write this on June 13 so the advantage of a couple of weeks of reflection is lacking. But the thoughts may be worthy, taken as they are.

Klemet Preus

End of quote

***

GJ - I know Klemet Preus. I took a course from him at Concordia - The Surrendered Fort. I like him very much, and I liked his father Robert and his Uncle Jack.

Dr. Robert Preus started the Church Growth Program. To his credit, he backed away from CG, just as he did from Universal Objective Justification. Tragically, the damage from both continues. Klemet's brother Rolf Preus is still stuck on UOJ. So is brother Daniel, the former VP of Missouri. UOJ has a long history in Norwegian Pietism, but no history in Luther, the Book of Concord, or the Scriptures.

Today's Church Growth eructations are the result of a diet of fast-food doctrine from those earlier days. CG was introduced at all the Lutheran seminaries - from ELCA all the way down to the CLC (sic). Synod positions were established to support CG from Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek. Everyone in missions was trained in it, world and American missions alike. All the evangelism commissions were turned into Fuller hives, too.

ELS Pastor Kincaid Smith told me his DMin program at Ft. Wayne was "all Church Growth." Smith introduced me to Waldo Werning, who finally came out of the CG closet and accepted an award from Fuller Seminary. Like many other CG gurus, Werning copies verbatim, but he is a bit more honest than the WELS leaders about parroting what he loves so dearly.

When I publicly identified the doctrinal errors of Church Growth and the blatant unionism which spawned those errors, the process of shunning, punishment, slander, and family abuse began. As anyone can see now, the malice came from The Love Shack under the leadership of Kelm, Wayne Mueller, and Mischke, not to mention the oh-so-smooth Valleskey at The Sausage Factory.

I was the reason for all the turmoil in Columbus, Ohio - the officials said. But when I left Columbus, St. Paul in Germantown blew up and Prince of Peace got kicked out of WELS.

I was an outsider, which meant I was not conceived in a WELS parsonage, matriculated in a WELS parochial school (in Wisconsin), trained at NW Prep, abused at NWC and Mequon. However, the same charming folks from before are doing everything possible to obstruct the Synod President, someone who was not only born-and-bred WELS but also elected to clean house.

I am glad people are seeing the parallels in WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect on the Prairie. I hope the ELS doctrinal board turns its gaze inward and roots out the CG on the Northern Plains.

An observer said, "The Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic) is all Church Growth now." Like DP Mueller, the CLC president could write well against CG while protecting and promoting it.

Reading my own Megatron database of quotations, I was amused to find that DP Mueller's excellent quotation against the doctrinal dangers of CG was followed several months later - by an endorsement of CrossRoads in S. Lyons, Michigan, now an Evangelical Covenant Church.

Twenty years later, CrossRoads and CrossWalk (under the Gunn, nominal WELS) have almost the same confession of faith on their websites.

Most people would not wait 20 years to remove a cancer. When my doctor told me I had a basal cell carcinoma, I did not shun him, verbally abuse his family, or try to get him fired. I had the cancer removed.

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TheAlley (all resemblances to The CORE are purely on purpose) - including the totally awesome website for people with Attention Deficit Synod-rome.

What is theAlley?

We are a new mission church in the east metro area of the Twin Cities.

The name of our church comes from Luke 14:21, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Our name is synonymous with the call given to all followers of Jesus. That is to go into the streets, alleys and lives of people in our world and share with them the eternally significant message of redemption through Jesus alone. Central to our philosophy is that anyone without Christ is broken. Whether aware of it or not, the richest man is poor without Jesus, and everyone’s greatest need is forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. That is the message that we carry and the passion that drives us.

Read theAlley Way

What kind of church is theAlley?

theAlley is an independent church plant of Woodbury Lutheran. We exist to equip people to “Follow Jesus” and to “Live Love”. Click here for more detailed information about our philosophy and theology. Our denominational affiliation is the LCMS.

Our leadership team

theAlley is lead by Pastor Ben Griffin and a group of devoted individuals who desire to live the mission that they have been called.

When and where does theAlley meet?

• Worship: Sunday’s @ 10:10am
• Meeting Location: 7955 Ivystone Ave S [northwest corner of 80th & Jamaica] in Cottage Grove

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GJ - In case you are wondering, as I was - the ELS Church and Change hive is in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, so TheAlley will not compete for bored, yuppie anti-confessional Lutherans. Whew. What a relief.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":

An odd coincidence that The Alley is in Cottage Grove, MN and the ELS' contribution to CG is in Cottage Grove, WI.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":

Klemet Preus has a little bit of a sordid past. He divorced in wife against her will (meaning they didn't mutually agree the marriage should end.) Klemet's congregation, church council and board of Elders in California sided with Klemet's wife. The church secretary WAS involved...

I'm not sure what happened--whether Klemet got the left foot of fellowship or not; but I do know that Klemet's brother Christian who lives in Minnesota arranged to have his church (Glory of Christ, LCMS in Plymouth MN) issue Klemet a call. He took it immediately

There were several members of Glory of Christ who thought that a man who takes a call to escape some messy family matter should probably not be leading a congregation.

As soon as Klemet arrived in Minnesota he threatened each of the dissenting members with Church discipline. So they all left except my Grandmother (Who was a charter member of Glory of Christ.) My Grandmother argued that a divorced man did not meet the Scriptural qualifications for a pastor.

Klemet excommunicated my grandma, a 75 year-old woman.

And guess who moved from California with Klemet. Not his kids, not his wife. What? The church Secretary????

be careful who you recommend

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GJ - Like I said, Missouri is just like WELS.

The Fire and the Staff, by Klemet Preus.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":

This brings new meaning to "The Fire and the Staff".

WL