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The Tenth Sunday after Trinity

The Trinity, by Norma Boeckler

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time


The Hymn #142 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining 1:21
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 Corinthians 12:1-11
The Gospel Luke 19:41-48
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #236 Creator Spirit 1:9

The Holy Spirit and the Word

The Hymn #479 Zion Rise 2:13
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 #264 Preserve Thy Word 2:55

KJV 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

KJV Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

Tenth Sunday After Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Holy Ghost hast revealed unto us the gospel of Thy Son, Jesus Christ: We beseech Thee so to quicken our hearts that we may sincerely receive Thy word, and not make light of it, or hear it without fruit, as did Thy people, the unbelieving Jews, but that we may fear Thee and daily grow in faith in Thy mercy, and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Holy Spirit and the Word
Fortunately for us, Corinth had a lot of problems, and Paul addressed them in his two epistles.

This particular problem involved their false understanding of the Holy Spirit.

First, I will restate what the Scriptures and Confessions teach about the Word and the Holy Spirit.
I. God’s Word is never separated from the Holy Spirit, so the Word always has a divine effect. Exactly how God works through the Word remains a mystery. One person may hear the Word of God and snicker about it for years, but find himself converted to faith in Christ in moments. Another person is baptized as a baby, taught the Gospel by his parents, and grows in understanding of the Christian faith.

II. Isaiah 55 teaches that God’s Word is always effective, so anything we say or do contrary to that teaching is false doctrine. There are many other passages teaching the same effectiveness, using different words. Hebrews 4 is another.

III. The word-group for effective is prominent in the New Testament, but this area has been neglected by all the modern scholars. Hardly anything is in print about the foundational concept of the Christian faith. Believers and those just beginning should be pointed to the Scriptures with a firm conviction that the Word is never without the Spirit and the Spirit is never without the Word.

IV. Separating the Holy Spirit and the Word is called Enthusiasm. Just as the efficacy of the Word is foundational for the Christian faith, Enthusiasm is the basis for all false doctrine, including the pagan religions of the world. Enthusiasm is repeatedly condemned by Luther and the Concordists in the Book of Concord.

Clearly some in Corinth were parading their supposed gifts of the Holy Spirit and holding themselves superior to the others. In addition, this led to a defense of ecstatic worship and anything coming from that as “from the Holy Spirit.” The typical believer was scorned while the Enthusiasts thought it proper to say “Jesus be cursed” in moments of ecstasy in worship.

Modern equivalents are the Pentecostal movement and the mainline version, the charismatic movement (where Pentecostals in faith stay within their denominations). One of the best descriptions of Pentecostalism came from a construction worker who said to his wife and later to me, “I know all about speaking in tongues, dancing in the spirit, and being slain in the spirit – that is how they worship the devil in Africa.” Ecstatic religions are not just from Africa. Fertility rites and sacred prostitution are part of ecstatic religions. But Pentecostalism came to America from Africa. It is not a racial weakness either. Blacks who grew up in liturgical Lutheran or Roman Catholic churches are quite scornful of putting on a show. I have talked to several who thought the noise and dancing were displays of entertainment, not worship.

1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

This is very important to understand in the negative (first part) and the positive (second part).


Part One, 1 Corinthians 12:3
False doctrine and blasphemy do not come from the Holy Spirit. In modern terms, our feelings do not verify the doctrine. Nothing trumps the teaching of God’s Word. The nice guy argument, and “he’s my friend” and “I drank a lot of beer with him at seminary” – all are irrelevant. Also, there is no Holy Mother Synod in the Bible. There is no institution to be defended because the only criterion is the Word of God, which judges and rules over everything. The Scriptures are the ruling norm of faith and conduct.

Part Two
Faith is the result of the Holy Spirit working through the Word. Therefore, anyone who says “Jesus is Lord” has been converted by the Word and shows the work of the Holy Spirit. (Some offer false confessions, as denounced by Jesus in Matthew 7:15ff, but Paul is talking about sincere faith here.)

Believers Glorify God
The Word of God and Lutheran authors have a lot to say about believers. Echoing Paul, they write that everything done in faith glorifies God, whether it is a baby soiling himself (Luther) or people going about their ordinary work. I find it strange when Lutheran clergy try to hold themselves above others, as if they have a greater portion of the Holy Spirit. They have the added burden of being held accountable for their stewardship of the mysteries (doctrines) of God.

Pastor’s Comment on UOJ
A WELS pastor phoned me, catching up on various things. He was struck—in a negative way—about the recent NPH book on being a Lutheran. The author (clearly a Shrinker, in my opinion) spends all his time on justification without faith and no time on the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. The pastor was confirming what Luther said about false doctrine supplanting sound doctrine. False doctrine is a weed that looks like sound doctrine, but it is sterile and useless. Many times in gardening I saw evidence of the slogan that “every good plant has a weed that looks like it.” I planted corn once and never realized the birds ate all my seed. I saw alleged corn plants growing where I turned over the soil and I rejoiced. I had lots of sun (Columbus) and plenty of rain. Soon I had a 8 foot stand of weeds growing – not one stalk of corn.

The Creating Word
Our trip to Los Angeles reminded me again of the power of God’s Creation. The scenery near the ocean is spectacular. The current theory is that continental drift led to land smashing against the coast. I am not qualified to say, but I wonder of the drifting took place suddenly during the time of the Genesis Flood. Regardless of how or when it happened, clearly God created our entire universe through the Word. “Nothing was created apart from Him.” (John 1)

The more I see of our Southwest, the more apparent the Genesis Flood is – especially when looking at the Grand Canyon, scoured out by the racing of gravel, stones, and boulders in a torrent of water.

There is a direct connection between the Creation and believers. Paul calls all believers “new creations,” rather than “new decisions.” The Word is so powerful that the Gospel creates faith and sustains faith.

That knowledge of God’s Word keeps us from despairing about our failings, which are many, and bragging about our accomplishments, which are few. Though the Gospel received in faith, we are declared innocent because of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. As one pastor said in rejecting UOJ – “There’s the Atonement and faith in the Atonement. Don’t throw in a bunch of stuff I can’t find in the Bible.”

As we can see in the Holy Spirit and the Word, the two are never separated, but they are not the same. Also, the Atonement and justification go together, but they are different. The Atonement is Christ’s one-time sacrifice for the sins of the world. Pronouncing an individual innocent (justified) is another work of God, not to be confused with the Atonement. The Atonement remains true even if no one ever believed it. But the Atonement is not justification. The Atonement is not a declaration of the whole world being innocent and guilt-free. God has provided Gospel teachers to distributed this treasure to individuals through the Word and sacraments. Babies are too young to be taught sanctification and the non-reciprocity of the second genus, so God places faith in their hearts with the Holy Spirit working with the Word in infant baptism. Their faith is genuine because they do not have the skill of adults in rationalizing away the mysteries of God. Infants grow in understanding and learn to hold fast to the doctrine of the Word.

Everything accomplished in the true Church is done by the Holy Spirit, and all work of the Holy Spirit is the effective work of the Word. Those who seek an abundance of the fruits of the Spirit will find that coming from an abundance of the Word. Anything else is sowing sparingly (mixing in man’s wisdom) and therefore reaping sparingly.

Sinuflecting to Rome: Father Hollywood Channels Father Neuhaus

"Thank you Father Neuhaus and Father Hollywood, for sending so many men our way. No, no. We will wait for some. Let them gather disciples and sinuflect gradually to us -das Frog in dem Kettle. Ja?"


Father Hollywood, a Missouri pastor, has the answers:

On Wednesday, we rose for breakfast followed by Mass in commemoration of our Society's patron St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, a disciple of the apostle John. St. Polycarp was martyred around the year 155 AD. Dr. John Stephenson, theology professor at St. Catharines Lutheran Seminary in Canada has called St. Polycarp the most important Christian saint for our times.

Our "preacher" for the service was Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, a portion of whose writing was read by Fr. Tim May, our celebrant. Fr. Cantalamessa is the remarkably evangelical preacher who is the pope's personal chaplain, a post he has held since 1980. Fr. Tim read from Cantalamessa's extraordinary book The Eucharist: Our Sanctification.

Following the service, Fr. Ben Pollock, SSP gave a brief but informative presentation on the monastic theologian St. John Cassian and his writings on the affliction of acedia (despondancy) - which is analogous to what we call depression today.

Br. Latif Gaba, SSP shared with us an advanced copy of his forthcoming published edition of an English-Latin Psalter, making use of the Coverdale English translation and the Clementine edition of the Vulgate for the Latin. The book is in its final revisions and will be available for purchase very soon!

I closed out the presentations with a brief roundup of Society business to consider in the future.

Nixon Library and Saddleback Church

We knew we would drive near the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, so we stopped there for a tour. The photo of Nixon and Elvis was a life-sized cardboard cutout near the main entrance. We bought a book about Pat Nixon, written by their daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

Nixon's birthplace is preserved on that site, in its original location. The tiny house was built by his father from a kit. Sears used to sell house kits, but no one knew who manufactured this one. The original had water in the kitchen but no toilet.

My wife and I grew up in the Nixon era, remembering his VP days, his first presidential race--when Nixon shook my hand in Moline--and the later dramas. Nixon was a disappointment to conservatives, but he was a remarkable man, far more able than our recent presidents. We talked outside to a couple about presidential libraries we had seen (Hoover, Eisenhower) and the proximity of the Reagan Library. I said, "Reagan was a great president. We need another Reagan." Dead silence. Conversation over. I could hear ants moving in the grass beneath our feet. That is Los Angeles, where I-10 is besmirched by Leftist billboards and that hideous Valley of the Wind Machines - countless propellers inefficiently generating a little electricity. LA - where cigarettes are evil, unless they are made of marijuana, which is good to suck into lungs.

We stayed at the Off Ramp Inn, Mission Viejo, about 20 minutes from the ocean. We followed the directions to the ocean and found Saddleback Church only a few blocks away - on Saddleback Parkway, with Purpose Drive nearby. I wanted to tag an "n" on the end of the Purpose Drive sign, but time did not allow for a little joke.

Rick Warren was having a conference on addiction for 3500 people, many of them staying at the Off Ramp. We pulled into the back parking lot, walked up to the main building, and stepped in. The usher wanted to block us, because "this a paid-for conference." Mrs. Ichabod talked us in because I am a minister.

Rick did not look over at me and say, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, he walks into mine." I am not on his radar.

He was clowning around on the stage. We left after he solemnly declared, "Take yourself lightly but God seriously." His Dephic pronouncement was greeted with applause, and I thought of Latte Lutheran Church. They take their coffee seriously, but Christian symbols, including the cross, are just marketing tools.

Rick is another crypto-Babtist, like Andy Stanley. Neither Babtist can endure having Baptist in the church title. Saddleback has a baptismal pool outside, where an abundance of water allegedly makes up for its lack of efficacy.

I noticed a list of "venues," various modes of worship delivery. That is common among CG congregations. I find the theatrical term annoying, but Church Growth has always modeled itself as an entertainment medium.

The spookiest approximation of LCMS/WELS/ELS Church Growth came from one insurance session. A Life Coach spoke to us for an hour. He is a graduate of Tony Robbins' coaching academy. I realized that The CORE tweets and blogs are echoes of modern coaching techniques, including the constant offer of a "takeaway." Andy Stanley is the product of this coaching, and his Babtist staff coaches Bishop Katie.

American Life Coaches approximate the Hindu gurus, who take over their pupils lives and order them around. A Hindu guru can be rude, obnoxious, and dictatorial,yet the student owes obedience and gratitude. Carlos Whittaker appears to be the Life Coach for Bishop Katie at The CORE. Carlos is on the staff at Northpoint Babtist Community Church.

The wife of one of the Patterson Network pastors is a life coach. Parlow's Willow Creek WELS church has a life coach. Fees are discussed here. Naturally, Church and Change promotes the concept at their confabs.

A coach will help me "take it to a new level." They talk in platitudes, not knowing they have already been spoofed by Geico commercials. Being coached is a first step in becoming a coach, much like psychiatric counseling. In fact, coaches are very much like shrinks. "I have a Life Coach" is the new version of "my shrink just phoned."

Two coaches showed up at the insurance social gathering, to offer their services to everyone "with issues." The speaker flew back from Phoenix just to attend, and he brought his friend, who sells coaching on the Home Shopping Network. No kidding. I don't need to write satire when simply reporting the facts is hilarious. I could drop in some quotes, but enough has been said.

We may end up being on a reality show called "LA Houswives" on Bravo. They were taping one session and also came to the party. We had to sign releases, so we may have signed away our residuals. Most were spooked by the camera and boom mike, but I said, "I have church services on the Internet every week."

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Nixon Library and Saddleback Church":

Truth is stranger than fiction. Sanctimonious pop psychology has totally infiltrated the non-confessional churches. It manifests itself in the form of life coaches and other types of do it yourself programs. This past week I ran into some guys who were all worked up about the Boundaries series of "Bible studies". I immediately thought of Rick Warren. The claim was made that this Boundaries thing works no matter what the situation is. The same was said about the Purpose Driven drivel. All of this reminds me of Six Sigma and other types of agendas in industry. More often than not, it is embraced by those who are obsessed with process and lack problem solving skills.

With Warren's offerings and the other snake oil salesman out there, it is no wonder that laity are so lacking in discernment.

***

GJ - A WELS pastor phoned me today and we discussed this. His point was that the Changer congregations suffer from methodism (small m). They know they are plagiarizing - nothing wrong with that, they think. They copy because they believe the method will work.

When the CLC (sic) Committee To Silence Greg Jackson was meeting, one old codger sneered at me specifically on the point of methods.

The Greek root for the word method can be found here:

KJV Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive [KJV free translation of the phrase using methodeia;]

And here:

KJV Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [methodeias - methods] of the devil.

The ministers who believe in methods do not believe in the Word. They continue for a time as quasi-believers and say the right words from time to time, but the path to apostasy is steep and inevitable unless the cancer of false doctrine is removed.

Ichabods Going To Training Event - But Not the Pietistic Gathering at Mequon

Some have wondered about the alleged Texas Church and Change confab. I alerted my sources but no one could confirm a meeting at Patterson's church. One person theorized that having a secret meeting published on Ichabod was a good way to get it canceled.

The story may have been a mistake or planted to mislead. No matter - the Pietists will gather at Mequon in a few days. The liberal WELS leaders are especially dense in the Milwaukee area, so they can prey and pray at the same time.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Maintaining the Momentum":

I thought WELS already taught people to pray. Why does it need a separate prayer institute? Is it a form of advanced placement before God?

Church and Change will be in charge of games at the
WELS Prayer Institute meeting.
I feel the buzz already.

Meanwhile, my wife and I will be going to a training event in LA (free) and stop at the Nixon Library on the way. I gave up on journalism school earlier this year. I figured I was already a journalist, and I did not relish grading even more paper.

One of my business connections asked me about going active in life insurance again. I did a little in 2007-8, but teaching got so busy I dropped it. Besides, the time requirements did not mesh with online teaching at all. I had to drive various places in Arizona, very scenic but also expensive.

Oddly enough, the new version of life insurance is how I bought my last policy. I asked for a quote and ended up getting coverage for half the price of the policy I owned at that time - Northwestern Mutual.

So I currently work in eight states, mostly in the East, using the phone and the computer. Many people get their coverage without any paperwork at all, since insurance companies are catching up with the new technology.

I was the general agency's annuity expert before, so I plan to do that again. Retired people are leery about the stability of variable funds. I am glad many have seen the numbers go up again.

My plan is to create more freedom for writing. If I can help people work part-time or full-time from their homes, that will be a bonus. Many ministers are going to become tent-makers because of the flat economy and the disastrous leadership in Washington DC.

Sacred Music from the Most Villainous Lutheran

This beautiful song is based off of Isaiah 45:8.

Rorate, cæli, desuper,
et nubes pluant justum ;
aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem,
et justitia oriatur simul :
ego Dominus creavi eum.

Biblia Sacra juxta Vulgatam Clementinam. 2005 (Ed. electronica) (Is 45:8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Copied shamelessly from Sceleratissimus Lutheranus

Sceleratissimus Lutheranus - The Most Villainous Lutheran. The title given to the great Lutheran theologian, Martin Chemnitz, by the Roman Catholics after he wrote his masterful work, The Examination of the Council of Trent.

Jesus Priceless Treasure

J. S. Bach wrote the harmony to this hymn. No picture is available for Johann Franck.

A WELS pastor wrote -

Greg:

I was reading tonight in your book, Jesus, Priceless Treasure, and I came upon the observation you made on the parable of the sower and the seed. In chapter 11, p. 79, you note, “It is not unusual for dozens of faithful Christians to have descended from a Christian marriage 50 years before.”

Yesterday my family and I worshiped with my in-laws in church in our home state, as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Their request was that all their children and grandchildren be with them in worship—and all were. All continue to worship and be served regularly with the Means of Grace in their various congregations. It was a poignant example of the illustration you used in your book.

Ironically, the Hymn of the Day for the worship service yesterday was . . . “Jesus, Priceless Treasure.” (“Jesu, Meine Freude” has been far and away my favorite hymn in the hymnal since college days.)

I thought you might enjoy hearing of the connection.


***

GJ - I did.

"Jesus, Priceless Treasure"
By Johann Franck, 1618-1677

1. Jesus, priceless Treasure,
Fount of purest pleasure,
Truest Friend to me.
Ah, how long in anguish
Shall my spirit languish,
Yearning, Lord, for Thee?
Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!
I will suffer naught to hide Thee,
Naught I ask beside Thee.

2. In Thine arms I rest me;
Foes who would molest me
Cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
Every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear.
Lightnings flash And thunders crash;
Yet, though sin and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.

3. Satan, I defy thee;
Death, I now decry thee;
Fear, I bid thee cease.
World, thou shalt not harm me
Nor thy threats alarm me
While I sing of peace.
God's great power Guards every hour;
Earth and all its depths adore Him,
Silent bow before Him.

4. Hence, all earthly treasure!
Jesus is my Pleasure,
Jesus is my Choice.
Hence, all empty glory!
Naught to me thy story
Told with tempting voice.
Pain or loss, Or shame or cross,
Shall not from my Savior move me
Since He deigns to love me.

5. Evil world, I leave thee;
Thou canst not deceive me,
Thine appeal is vain.
Sin that once did blind me,
Get thee far behind me,
Come not forth again.
Past thy hour, O pride and power;
Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
Leave thee now forever.

6. Hence, all fear and sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in.
Those who love the Father,
Though the storms may gather,
Still have peace within.
Yea, whate'er I here must bear,
Thou art still my purest Pleasure,
Jesus, priceless Treasure!

Hymn #347
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Matt. 13: 46
Author: Johann Franck, 1655
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Jesu, meine Freude"
Composer: Johann Crueger, 1649
Tune: "Jesu, meine Freude"

Maintaining the Momentum

Alert - The Chicanery reaction has already set in. Their November theme is Regaining the Lost Momentum. WELS members and pastors will have to continue to press the Doctrinal Pussycats to address the doctrinal errors and money-grabbing tactics of these insubordinate fakes.


From the WELS Prayer Institute

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is a Confessional Lutheran Church body begun in 1850 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . The WELS has approximately 1,259 congregations with a total membership of 400,622 souls. See www.wels.net for details on the Synod and its various ministries. The WELS PRAYER INSTITUTE (WPI) is not an official organization of the WELS . WPI was introduced in November 2004 as another ministry “spun off” from Church and Change, an informal gathering of WELS pastors, teachers, staff ministers and lay leaders. “Church” refers to the one gospel ministry of Jesus Christ which he has entrusted to all of his people. The word “Change” refers to how we might proclaim the changeless gospel of Christ within the changing culture in which we live.

First - note that WELS got Church and Change started with a WELS grant, followed by the Chicaneries spinning off the WELS Prayer Insitute.
Second - note the slogan - the changless gospel in a changing culture - which can be found on all the websites of Chicanery congregations.
Third - contact information includes "Pastor Steve Witte: Phone# 920-499-7405, email pastorwitte0906@sbcglobal.net" who got a DMin from Gordon Conwell's unionistic seminary. He has recently accepted a call to the Asian mission board of WELS, just in case you think the Church Growth Movement has been killed. Witte was a founder of Church and Chicanery and remains a leader of that lobbying and grant-grabbing group.

WELS Prayer Conference

August 14, 15, 2009

at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

Friday Night Prayer Time: 7:30 to 8:30 pm

Saturday Registration: 8:30 -- 9:00 am

Saturday Conference: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Bruce Becker: Keynote Speaker [also at the C and C Conference in November)

Cost: $45 per person (includes lunch, materials, donation to support prayer ministry)

Bruce Becker is not going to stop leading Church and Chicaneries. He went from his overpaid position as head of Perish Services to Mark Jeske's Lutheran Time of Grace.

Dog Refuses Treat

If Everything Is Adiaphora, Then This New Blog Is Bad

Bad Vestments is a blog devoted to inappropriate costumes worn while leading worship. I immediately thought of the beach mass photo above, which I found somewhere. I believe it is Anglican. The costumes are set off by a surf board resting on a plastic-covered garbage can - the altar.

According to Safari Leader Timmerman, from Don Patterson's church, almost everything in worship is adiaphora, so people can do whatever they want.

I can imagine the Chicaneries vying for the honor of appearing on The Bad Vestments blog. There might be theme awards given, too:

1. Most outrageous set design (airport at The CORE, Ski).
   
2. Worst coffee brew served during worship (Latte Lutheran Church, Randy Hunter).
   
3. Most distracting movie screen.
   
4. Best effort at hiding the sacraments.
   
5. Loudest snacks served during the service.

Top Hymns

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Little Sect on the Prairie Is All About Doctri...":

Pr. Jackson,

This question has little to do with previous posts. Knowing that you are a true lover of Lutheran hymnody, I have a question for you: What are your top ten favorite hymns of all time? The primary list would, of course, be based on text. If at all possible, perhaps a second list based on tune or an aesthetic / personal choice could be made? I thank you for your time. I am a WELS teacher looking for a new set of hymns for my students to study this school year - and I would like your opinion.

***

GJ - This is tempting and dangerous at the same time. I will start with great texts. As much as I love Luther's hymns, Gerhardt's are even better when viewed as doctrinal, inspirational essays.

TLH 142 - A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth - Gerhardt
TLH 528 - If God Himself Be For Me - Gerhardt
TLH 192 - Awake, My Heart, With Gladness - Gerhardt
TLH 85 - From Heaven Above - Luther
TLH 287 - That Man a Godly Life Might Live - Luther
TLH 260 - O Lord, Look Down from Heaven - Luther (to Nun freut euch)
TLH 292 - Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide - Selnecker
TLH 656 - Behold a Host, Arrayed in White - Brorson
TLH 305 - Soul Adorn Thyself - Johann Franck
TLH 347 - Jesus, Priceless Treasure - Johann Franck

Hymns I love to sing - with especially good melodies:
TLH 657 - Beautiful Savior - Author Unknown
TLH 479 - Zion Rise - Johann Schmidt
TLH 429 - Lord, Thee I Love - Martin Schalling (Selnecker's friend)
TLH 458 - Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above - Luther
TLH 331 - Yea, As I Live - Nikolaus Hermam (to Old Hundredth)
TLH 207 - Like the Golden Sun Ascending - Thomas Kingo
TLH 259 - Flung to the Heedless Winds - Luther's first hymn
TLH 40 - The God of Abraham Praise - Thomas Olivers
TLH 44 - Ye Lands to the Lord - Ulrik Koren
Children of the Heavenly Father - Carolina Sandell

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

Lo, their very hairs He numbers,
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

***

I hope this helps. Teaching great hymns to children is a great service to the Kingdom of God. Everyone is blessed by your work.

Note all the hymn videos linked on the left column, including one of my all-time favorites, which I cannot find in English - Gerhardt's "Lobet den Herren."

UOJ Survey

Portrait of the Theologian as a Young Doughnut Maker

DK has left a new comment on your post "The Little Sect on the Prairie Is All About Doctri...":

Hi Professor Jackson

I have a UOJ question for you. I’ve talked with several WELS and LCMS pastors about UOJ. Out of 6 or 8 pastors, 1 from each synod has responded in what I would call ‘very favorable’. (each has told me they are going to read Thy Strong Word).

The rest of the pastors kindly, but very definitely blew me off. “Of course Christ Objectively Justified the whole world!”, went the general theme. The more questions I ask the more vague the response until the wind of conversation dies out, replaced by awkward silence…(crickets chirping…) The agony of it makes me ask a benign question, one I know will warm the marrow quickly. “Are you going to watch the Packers this afternoon?”

Even though I think that Pastors ought to be engaging me in this conversation (instead of the other way around) I really do get the distinct impression that the guys I talked to, at least, believe that Faith Alone justifies; It’s almost as if the words they use are jumbled, confusing and misleading but their belief is alright. Using the word ‘reconciliation’ as a direct synonym for ‘justification’ is a pretty big error, but look at our times!

We’re experiencing one of the biggest butcheries of English in the history of the language. The poor uneducated Confederate soldier had a bigger vocabulary and better usage and grammar (I’ve read countless letters) than any collection of M.DIVs from any synod. This degredation(sic) of English is particularly bad in the WELS—there(sic) fetish for misspelling words only scratches the surface.

So my question for you is this: In your opinion, what percent of UOJ defenders actually don’t believe the substance(sic) of that doctrine? How many of them are unaware that the Equivication(sic) changes what they are saying? And how many WELS pastors, considering the WELS MO is K.I.S.S., ever actually talk about UOJ? And as far as that goes, how many of them even think about UOJ? I’m just wondering if you think that UOJ is having a negative threat on the Whole WELS or only on the movers and shakers, who in turn affect the whole WELS?

Sorry, maybe this is a dumb question… Oh but good news! I purposefully misspelled words for affect (and effect) and added (sic) for you so you didn’t have to. Cheers!

***

GJ - I have always appreciated doctrinal questions. WELS/LCMS laity got me interested in the issue, and some badly brain-washed UOJ-CGM laity raved at me for being influenced by laity. (Self-loathing laity?)

By now most pastors know that UOJ is the Third Rail of the Synodical Conference - touch it and you die. The Cascione junkyard dogs rant, rave, and lie through their fangs about it. The CG leadership of all three synods adore UOJ, so pastors interested in keeping their calls would rather avoid the issue.

WELS pastors have avoided doctrinal issues for several decades and have grown anemic and lethargic in their discernment. Missouri and the Little Sect are no different.

My experience is that many pastors trained in UOJ cling to the words but do not believe the heresy. A certain percentage of those pastors think OJ is the Atonement, so they may say the UOJ words while expressing the Biblical concept of justification by faith. Other pastors do not accept UOJ because they realize it is utter hogwash. Some are more frank with me, and some will argue the issue when given the chance.

I think SP Schroeder gave the entire synod permission to study doctrine again. There will be conflict, but that is not all bad. "There must be heresies and divisions among you to prove what is acceptable." Suppressing doctrinal discussions is foundational for apostasy.

The more I studied UOJ, the more I saw it as an expression of the Enthusiasm which gushed forth from the Pietistic founders of the Synodical Conference. When they were not praising themselves for being so orthodox, they were busy creating a hybrid of Pietism and Lutheran Orthodoxy. Now they are shocked that their husbandry has created a sterile mule? They should have spent more time on a farm growing up.

Perhaps this anecdote will illustrate what is going on about UOJ. I was at an independent conference when someone gave an incoherent presentation. Archbishop-to-be Jim Heiser was there and said, "He denied OJ!" I am not sure what the presenter said, although he was clearly against baptismal regeneration. Later, when Heiser read the justification chapter of Thy Strong Word, he was appalled at what UOJ really meant. Like me, he took the term to be a synonym for the Atonement. Heiser told me that another pastor read that chapter and was also shocked. Both of them were at The Surrendered Fort while Robert Preus was president.

When Fake Ichabod made its brief, odoriferous debut, the authors refused to link the chapter while maladroitly presenting their favorite heresy, which is wedded to Church Growth. People need to read copious quotations from both sides, not the repeat-after-me nonsense of Enthusiasm. What are the pastors afraid of - the truth?

The UOJ Stormtroopers are afraid these issues will come out in the open as they discuss the Book of Concord. The laity and a few brave pastors will have to pursue the Biblical concept of the Means of Grace as it applies to UOJ.

One thing leads to another. As I wrote before, laity got me involved in the UOJ issue. I spent as much time as I could gathering UOJ materials. Now others are opening up new understanding about its origin - including original research about the Pietist Knapp. Copying false doctrine did not begin with Paul Calvin Kelm.

The Little Sect on the Prairie Is All About Doctrine - And Teaching the Truth

Pope John the Malefactor has visited more countries and extended
the Left Foot of Fellowship more often than his Roman counterpart,
given the size of the Little Sect.

The August newsletter of the ELS managed to cover the WELS convention without mentioning the repudiation of Church Growth doctrine.

Pope John the Malefactor would have problems with the content of the papers given, except for John Brenner's fantasies about UOJ.

The one thing the Synodical Conference keeps harping on is an opinion not found in the Book of Concord, Luther, Chemnitz, Melanchthon, Gerhard, or Calov - UOJ or double justification.

But double justification is found in Burk (Pietist) and Knapp (Pietist), transported by Walther (Pietist), and canonized by F. Pieper - who was born into a Pietistic, unionistic sect and subsequently had his membership upgraded to Missouri Synod.

A brief catechism on Universal Objective Justification:

The whole world is forgiven and everyone is saved. Every single person is a guilt-free saint. Therefore we are born without sin, like Mary Immaculata. That is Universal Objective Justification. However, all this forgiveness and salvation and grace do not mean anything until we make a decision and accept that it is true (subjective justification). If we hem and haw, we are damned forever and will probably be the only ones in Hell who are not guilt-free saints. This eternal doctrine can be traced all the way back to the first days of the Christian Church in Perry County, Missouri.

The Shrinkers love UOJ, harping on it even more than the seminary professors.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Little Sect on the Prairie Is All About Doctri...":

It's kind of hard to believe that anything at all will be done about CGM in the ELS. The number of pastors for CGM may be few, but they're folks who get their way. Nothing will be done about Abiding Shepherd.

Thy Strong Word - Sells Used for $65!

Used books sell for deeply discounted prices at Alibris.

I never dealt with them before, but an alleged friend bought Reu's Luther and the Scriptures out from under my nose for only $5. I always wanted that book but was not aware of the vast used market out there when I first got the itch.

This friend got his copy for $5 and gave me the link for a $9 purchase of the same book. Some people think Ichabodians are not considerate, selfless, generous. What more could I ask?

I thought that was pretty funny, so I looked up my name as an author. The prices were what I expected, except for Thy Strong Word, which is offered for more than the original price of $40. I have been shipping it to people for $10 per copy - new. As I explained to one reader, there is not much money in writing so I would rather distribute copies than earn a little more.

Later I will do an English-only version of TSW and produce a free PDF for people to download, through Lulu.

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Bruce Church has left a new comment on your post "Thy Strong Word - Sells Used for $65!":

Reu's bio (The Lutherans By L. DeAne Lagerquist, p. 218) says he argued against inerrancy of Scripture, so it's odd that you want Reu's book entitled "Luther and the Scriptures," though I haven't read it, nor do I own it:

http://books.google.com/books?id=kli5nRmGzm4C&pg=PA218&dq=luther+and+the+scriptures+reu&ei=yT2ASviIHIzIMd6smOEK#v=onepage&q=&f=false

***

GJ - That's why I have a PhD instead of a drive-by DMin. The Shrinkers all have unionistic, drive-by DMins, because a real doctorate is too much work for them. However, they all call themselves "Dr."

Back to the main subject. Yes, Reu did argue against inerrancy at first. He was a true scholar, stunning Germany by coming from America and becoming an expert on German catechisms. His studies led him to conclude Luther did teach inerrancy. Reu became increasingly orthodox, and that really miffed the liberal element in the ALC/LCA wing of Lutherdom. They never forgave him for backsliding into inerrancy. A parallel example is Robert Preus, who abandoned UOJ and clearly taught against it in his last book, Justification and Rome.

Reu could look at a page of German and write it down from memory. Think what he could have done for Paul Calvin Kelm and John Xerox Parlow!

I read about Reu in one of the two Fuerbringer books, which are invaluable for Lutheran history in America. Both books are small volumes full of eye-witness anecdotes about the leading figures of various synods. Ludwig's idiot son Fibby was the man who led Concordia St. Louis into apostasy.

Knock, Knock

Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff, Hillary Clinton Ally

"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Kenya."
"Kenya who?"
"Kenya show me your birth certificate?"
"Not funny, Rahm."

[Found on the Internet]

WELS Shrinkers in Fellowship with Islam via Warren and Stetzer

WELS Church and Chicaneries invited Stetzer to teach the Wisconsin Synod the Word of God.
Here is Stetzer consulting with Rick Warren, on his extreme Left.


Rick Warren asks Muslims for help

Published July 30, 2009



WASHINGTON (BP)—In a controversial address to the nation’s largest Muslim organization, Rick Warren asked for their cooperation in addressing some of the world’s problems that governments haven’t been able to solve.

Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., told about 8,000 Muslims at the Islamic Society of North America’s annual convention in Washington July 4 that he was “deeply humbled” and applauded their courage for inviting an evangelical pastor.

“I come to you today with a spirit of love and a spirit of friendship and a spirit of deep respect. I love my dear, dear Muslim friends, my next door neighbor and so many that are friends, and I love you,” Warren said.

During his 20-minute address, Warren set forth four specific ways Muslims and Christians can work together, “maintaining our separate traditions, maintaining our convictions without compromise,” for the world’s greater good.

“As the two largest faiths on this planet—Muslims and Christians—we must lead in this. We must lead,” Warren said. “With over 1 billion Muslims and over 2 billion Christians, together as half the world we have to do something about modeling what it means to live in peace, to live in harmony.”

First, Warren called on Muslims and Christians to demonstrate what it means to respect the dignity of every person.

“Tolerance is not enough. People don’t want to be tolerated. They want to be respected. They want to be treated with dignity. They want to be listened to. They want to be valued,” he said.

Toward that end, Warren proposed a coalition to end stereotyping.

“Since today much of the press is actually clueless as to what you believe and as to what I believe, there are frequent mischaracterizations in the media, frequent ignorant generalizations—generalizations are generally wrong—and frequent stereotyping of all of us. And, friends, it needs to be challenged,” Warren said.

A second area where Muslims and Christians should work together, Warren said, is restoring the civil public square where people of all beliefs can debate and even disagree without demeaning each other.

“The right to believe anything does not mean everything is right,” he said. “But you can, as I said, disagree without being disagreeable.”

Warren cited as a third goal of Muslims and Christians working together to promote peace and protect freedom, particularly the freedoms of speech and religion.

“History has proven over and over again that freedom is eventually lost to either license or political correctness or the fear for security. And so we have to work at protecting the freedoms,” Warren said, adding that Muslims who have been in America for many generations have a responsibility to teach the newcomers what it means to be American.

Fourth, Muslims and Christians can work together toward tackling what Warren called five global giants: conflict, corruption, poverty, disease and illiteracy.

“There are 600,000 Buddhists in the world, there are 800,000 Hindus in the world, there are over a billion Muslims, a couple billion Christians,” he said. “Most of the world has some kind of faith, and if you say only secularists can do humanitarian care, you’ve ruled out most of the world.”

Warren gave as an example his church’s work with Muslims in Rwanda toward improving the African nation’s poor health care system, suggesting that the success could be duplicated elsewhere.

“Friends, this is the time for action, this is the time for civility, this is the time for respecting each other. It’s the time for the common good, that we work together because some problems are so big you have to team tackle them,” Warren said.

Before and after Warren spoke at the Muslim convention, observers voiced views supporting and criticizing his decision. The Associated Press said that, given Warren’s standing as “one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country,” his willingness to speak was “a sign of growing acceptance of U.S. Muslims.”

AP also noted that it was not the first time Warren had addressed an American Muslim group. Last December he spoke at a meeting of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a policy organization based in Los Angeles.

“But the Islamic Society gathering is by far his most dramatic display of friendship with U.S. Muslims,” AP said.

Mike Edens, a professor of theology and Islamic studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press Warren was acting in line with a document he had signed previously advocating Muslim-Christian
interaction.

The full-page letter endorsed by Warren and nearly 300 other Christian leaders appeared in The New York Times in December 2007. It was drafted by scholars at Yale Divinity School’s Center for Faith and Culture and said conversation should take place between Christians and Muslims centered on the “common ground” the two religions share.

“Warren speaks as a disciple of Jesus Christ explains the meaning of Jesus’ command to love our neighbors,” Edens said in a statement to BP. “In his view, biblical love is active, attacking stereotypes, respecting diversity and living with civility with neighbors.

“Freedom of thought and religion is granted lovingly for neighbors. This freedom includes persuasive witness, without coercion between neighbors,” Edens continued. “For Warren, this definition of neighborly love is the beginning of establishing the common good for all humanity.

“The hard part of this speech is the application: working together for the common good and conducting personal witness to salvation in Jesus Christ within the context of that work,” Edens said.

Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, a think tank focusing on issues in the Middle East, questioned Warren’s choice to speak to the Islamic Society of North America in particular.

“The constructive substance of Warren’s talk—the calls to dignity, civility, freedom and to constructive action—was severely outbalanced by his addressing these words to an Islamist organization that shares few of his goals—hat is in fact antagonistic to them,” Pipes told BP.

“ISNA works to apply the Shari’a, or Islamic law, a medieval code that denies dignity, civility and freedom to non-Muslims. Worse, the Department of Justice in 2007 named ISNA as an unindicted co-conspirator in the crime of financing a foreign terrorist group,” Pipes said. “Warren should atone for this mistake by apologizing and finding moderate Muslims to endorse and work with.”

In a July 10 blog entry at danielpipes.org, Pipes quoted a report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism which said the conference also “featured speakers spewing raw anti-Semitism, homophobic rhetoric and defense of the terrorist group Hezbollah.”

Edens, in his comments to Baptist Press, said, “While it is clear that ISNA has been a channel for funds to Hamas, the fact remains that the members of the ISNA are our American neighbors in need of a Christian witness. Secondly, although those members have always had a choice between involvement with groups like Hamas and groups which seek the common good, with Pastor Warren’s address that choice becomes stark. As Muslim Americans disavow Hamas and choose to embrace the common good, freedom and peace will advance. Giving Muslims a choice to join in such a pursuit benefits all humanity.”

***

GJ - A reader noted - "This is a good example of where Pietism leads."

Pietism is unionistic and anti-confessional, so the movement inevitably leads to apostasy and political activism.

The Pietists--who "took the pledge" against alcohol 50 years ago--are marching for radical causes today.

Rick Warren should Google such terms as "honor killings" and "FGM."

Last year, VP Don Patterson took a bunch of WELS workers to hear Stetzer at the pan-denominational--Pietistic--Exponential Conference. Soon after, Stetzer was booked to speak at the November, 2009 conference, as indicated by his Twitter, blog, and official speaking calendar. Calling Stetzer a liar, the Chicaneries denied this. Oh wait, maybe they were saying, "Do you believe us or your lying eyes?" The Conference of Pussycats finally had claws for concern and ordered a disinvitation. The invitation that never happened was withdrawn and the Stetzer calendar changed.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Shrinkers in Fellowship with Islam via Warren...":

Warren's biggest error was addressing a large audience of unbelievers and failing to declare Christ crucified. Instead of taking advantage of an opportunity to reach the lost, he instead spoke about the "common good" and other post modernist pipe-dreams.

Do certain WELS pastors, upon meeting with the doctrinally lost, take a bold stand and point out error, or do they cower behind fake smiles, opportunism, and self-serving desire?

Post modernism is a grave threat to any confessional church and will at least lead to bland (and deadly) ecumenicism. "Lemkeel," a regular new-age troll over at Bailing Water, is a good example of this. In her sincere efforts to embrace diversity, cultural competency, and toe the party line at a public university, she is more than willing to compromise the Word. The poison is so strong that she is unable to see her error.

Let Obama keep Warren and let WELS stick to the Word. Both false doctrine and political/ideological post modernism can be overcome with a little education and adhering to first principles. In the WELS, we need to study the Word and the Confessions and not false prophets. In our society, we need to brush up on basic economic principles and realize that destroying perfectly usable and fully paid vehicles in order to get into debt by buying a shiny new car is absurd.

Positively UOJ at NPH

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "FIC Shrinker Count:August, 2009 Issue":

I received a copy of "Positively Lutheran" by said author. Big disappointment. "Objective Justification" is the only form explicitly discussed. Gone is the confessional emphasis on justification by grace through faith alone. A triumph of the 2 & 1/4 redemption theory: Atonement/Justification/justification.

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Chapter 1 – "The Great Comfort the Doctrine of Objective Justification Gives"

1. Why do we use the word "objective" to describe justification?
2. While the Bible never uses the term "objective justification," it teaches this doctrine quite clearly. Who identified Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"? Why does the church sing these words right before receiving the Lord's Supper?
3. Give some synonyms for "justify."
4. Explain what Luther meant by the "blessed exchange."
5. Where should we look for the assurance that God forgives us all our sins?
6. Where would we have to look if something had to happen in us before God would forgive us?
7. Does objective justification teach that anyone "receives" the forgiveness of sins without faith? What is the significance of this fact for doing mission work?
8. How does this teaching of objective justification give you certainty that you really are forgiven by God?
9. Can you receive true comfort from God if you are not sure that he has forgiven you? Why or why not?