ELCA Survey - Favorite Color - Lavender

ELCA was all over Fuller Seminary for training, too.

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 13, 2009

ELCA Clergy Support Gay, Lesbian Rights, Ordination, Survey Says
09-185-CD*

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Results of a national survey show that a majority of clergy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) -- 54 percent -- support ordination "with no special requirements" for people who are gay or lesbian, according to an Aug. 5 news release.

The Clergy Voices Survey was conducted in May 2009 by Public Religion Research, an independent public opinion research organization that provides "research-based" information and advice on religion, values and public policy. Public Religion Research is based in Washington D.C.

"ELCA clergy are generally supportive of a range of rights for gay and lesbian people both inside and outside the church," said Dr. Robert P. Jones, president of Public Religion Research, which conducted the study. "ELCA clergy also strongly believe that the gospel message requires full inclusion of gay and lesbian members in the life of the church," he said.

Nearly one-third (32 percent) of ELCA clergy said that people who are gay or lesbian should be eligible for ordination only if they are celibate, according to the news release from Public Religion Research. Fourteen percent of ELCA clergy said that people who are gay or lesbian
should not be eligible for ordination at all, the release said.

The survey results showed that 46 percent of ELCA clergy support performing same-sex marriages in states where they are legal, according to the release.

The survey was conducted by mail among a national random sample of senior clergy serving congregations in the seven largest mainline Protestant denominations, the release said. The Clergy Voices Survey contained more than 250 questions and generated 2,658 respondents with a response rate of 44 percent, the release said.

Full results of the study are at
http://www.publicreligion.org/research/?id=208 on the Web.

The news release regarding ELCA clergy findings is at
http://www.publicreligion.org/blog/index.php?s=ELCA on the Web.

The 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly -- the highest legislative authority of the 4.6-million member church -- will consider a proposed social statement for the church, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," and a report and recommendation for a process to changes ministry policies, Aug 17-23 in Minneapolis. If adopted, the ministry policies recommendation would make it possible for Lutherans who are in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gendered relationships" to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, deaconesses, diaconal ministers and ordained ministers.

Augustana Synod and Pietism

This is the pseudo-monastic walkway at the old seminary building.
Augustana Seminary merged into the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, in the 1960s, but LSTC dropped all the Augie profs. The ULCA element of the LCA hated Augustana, in part for its history of opposing the Masonic Lodge. Mention Augie and the Masons go into rants.

Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, where the Ichabods met on their first day of classes. Hearing this, Bergendoff said, "It was fore-ordained." Mrs. I. saw him again before he died at the age of 102.

The Swedish Augustana Synod was named for the Latin title of our first Lutheran symbol - Confessio Augustana - the Augsburg Confession of 1530.

Swedes came over in the 19th century to look for new opportunities. The Church of Sweden turned into the typical state church. Alcoholism was a major social disease in Sweden. The founder of the temperance society was a minister who witnessed a drunken fight in front of the pulpit during the sermon - the belligerents were women.

An English Methodist named George Scott was influential in bringing Pietism to Sweden. Many Swedish pastors saw the methods of Pietism as a solution for social ills. Pietistic cell groups grew so disturbing to the government that they enforced a anti-conventicle act. The Pietists loved to tell this story - Police broke into a place where a conventicle was supposed to be meeting. They saw cards on the table and liquor being served. Tobacco was evident. They said, "There is no conventicle here. These are good Lutherans."

Pietistic mission societies and the yearning for freedom motivated Swedes to take the trip to America. John Deere helped by inventing a plow that would throw off the sticky prairie soil of the Midwest, establishing his factories in Moline, Illinois. He hired Swedes coming over, and many Swedes established farms in the Great Plains.

Only about 20% of the Swedes made it into the Augustana Synod. The Bethel (Methodist) ship awaited them in New York City, helping the newbies and steering them into Methodist - not a tough battle for cell group members. Mormons were also successful with Swedes.

The Swedes came over as Pietists but they had many rude awakenings in America. In Sweden, it was the state church versus the people who took matters seriously (Pietism). In America, the free-wheeling religious atmosphere led to many disturbing events. The General Synod (Muhlenberg Pietistic tradition, later ELCA) was hotter than an Illinois cornfield for revivals. Some Swedish-American churches required a testimony about an adult born-again experience in order to be communing members.

Several people moved the Swedes into the confession orbit of the General Council, which opposed the revivalism of the General Synod. (Recall that the last straw was the General Synod letting in the Franckean Synod, the equivalent of giving Parlow the dogmatics professorship at Mequon.) Lars Esbjorn did not like what was going on, and went back to Sweden, but the grumpy guy had a point. He helped the change take place.

William Passavant, one of the great American Lutheran leaders, bumped the Swedes into confessionalism. They formed the Augustana Synod to show their new emphasis and allied themselves with the General Council.

Eric Norelius studied at Trinity Seminary in Columbus, Ohio (now ELCA). At that time, Capital Seminary was the orthodox Lutheran seminary of the Ohio Synod (1930 American Lutheran Church, 1960 The American Lutheran Church, 1987 ELCA - dizzy? I am, too.) Truly great men like Leupold and Lenski taught there in the early days. Norelius was introduced to repristination theology and took that into Augustana.

Augustana College floated around in Illinois for a time, suffering from money problems and getting established. The fourth location was Rock Island, overlooking the Mississippi River Valley. The prep school, college, and seminary were on one campus. My mother graduated from Augie, and we graduated in 1969.

The Augustana Synod grew and prospered, taking about 400,000 members into the LCA in 1962. The seminary was merged into Passavant's Maywood Seminary in Chicago and the confessional subscription once imposed on faculty at Maywood was dropped.

Augustana never denied its Pietistic roots. As a college library worker, I helped archive Pietisten, the Swedish magazine promoting Pietism. They tried to amalgamate Pietism with Lutheran orthodoxy, with mixed results. They taught traditional Lutheran orthodoxy--very much in the Walther mode--until a student revolt led to the replacement of most faculty members.

The subject of my dissertation at Notre Dame, A. D. Mattson, promoted the Social Gospel Movement, which advocated political activism in the church. The Social Gospel agenda became the political platform of FDR: child labor laws, pure food and drug laws, protection of labor unions, etc.

Pietism turns easily into rationalism, so the conservative methods of Pietism get converted into the liberal methods of apostates. "Service unites, but doctrine divides," as Augie's Conrad Bergendoff used to say.

Early in the 20th century, an Augustana College student could be expelled for owning a deck of cards. No due process was needed because having cards meant playing cards, and there was nothing innocent about that. Early Augustana leaders wrote about "the hellish lure of the card table," and fighting to the death against the repeal of Prohibition. After WWII, dancing on the campus was still an issue to be discussed at conventions.

The social ills were real, and we see the devastating results of various addictions today. However, the Pietistic approach of the Law turned into hypocrisy in the second generation and rebellion in the third. The Social Gospel Movement was even more unionistic than Pietism, uniting Augustana with the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Bergendoff promoted such cooperation, and the liberals adored him for that.

Augustana Seminary graduate Herb Chilstrom became bishop of ELCA, speeding up its endorsement of homosexual activism. We talked about my dissertation over lunch one day. Like many, he was profoundly influenced by A. D. Mattson and the Social Gospel Movement.

Oddly enough, the dissertation work established for me how anti-Lutheran the LCA was. That began our change from LCA unionism to WELS unionism. Little did I know in 1987 that WELS was in bed with ELCA and loving it. However, SP Schroeder has stopped the insanity of practicing safe sects.

Today ELCA will be taking more steps in endorsing the homosexual agenda, moving in lockstep with its partner the Episcopal Church. I wrote about the Lavender Mafia in "Out of the Depths of ELCA," a complete issue of Christian News. Did I exaggerate? Read the news coming from the convention.

Life Coach Meter Is Running - Pay Up

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.