Lutheran CORE - New Lutheran Synod Forms Because of ELCA Gay Vote:What Would WELS Say?

Wed Nov 18, 3:45 PM ET

Ryan Schwarz, left, and Rev. Paull Spring, chairman of Lutheran Coalition of Renewal (CORE), talk with reporters about the creation of a new Lutheran church body for those who wish to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, at WordAlone Network offices in New Brighton, Minn., on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009.

(AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

New Lutheran body to form after gay pastor vote

By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer – Wed Nov 18, 6:58 pm ET

NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. – The split over gay clergy within the country's largest Lutheran denomination has prompted a conservative faction to begin forming a new Lutheran church body separate from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Leaders of Lutheran CORE said Wednesday that a working group would immediately begin drafting a constitution and taking other steps to form the denomination, with hopes to have it off the ground by next August.

"There are many people within the ELCA who are very unhappy with what has happened," said the Rev. Paull Spring, chairman of Lutheran CORE and a retired ELCA bishop from State College, Pa.

At its annual convention in Minneapolis in August, ELCA delegates voted to lift a ban that had prohibited sexually active gay and lesbian pastors from serving as clergy. The new policy, expected to take effect in April, will allow such individuals to lead ELCA churches as long as they can show that they are in committed, lifelong relationships.

Opponents, led by Lutheran CORE, said that decision is in direct contradiction to Scripture.

At a September convention, Lutheran CORE members voted to spend a year considering whether to form a new Lutheran denomination. However, its leaders said Wednesday that a heavy volume of requests for an alternative from disenfranchised congregations and churchgoers prompted them to hasten the process.

John Brooks, spokesman at the ELCA's Chicago-based headquarters, said Lutheran CORE's move was not unexpected. He expressed hope that church members would ultimately opt to stay in the denomination as it strives to be "a place for all people despite any differences we might have on any issues."

Neither Brooks nor Lutheran CORE leaders would guess what kind of numbers a new denomination might attract. Lutheran CORE leaders believe there is deep opposition to the new policy among rank-and-file churchgoers, but said some may not be willing to actually depart the ELCA over it.

Brooks said the ELCA has not seen significant departures yet, but he cautioned it's too soon after the August decision to read much into that.

So far, he said, five congregations nationwide have voted to leave the ELCA. More have started the process, with 87 taking a first vote to leave the denomination. Of those, 28 did not achieve the two-thirds vote necessary to leave the ELCA. In all, there are 10,300 ELCA churches in the country with about 4.7 million members.

If a congregation passes the two-thirds bar on its first vote, it must then wait 90 days before taking a second, final vote that also requires a two-thirds majority.

Other Christian denominations have seen factions split off over the gay clergy debate. In 2003, the 2 million-member Episcopal Church consecrated its first openly gay bishop, a move that alienated American Episcopalians from its worldwide parent, the Anglican Communion. The divide has led to the formation of the more conservative Anglican Church in North America, which claims 100,000 members.

In addition to helping birth a new Lutheran church body, Lutheran CORE leaders said their organization would continue its recent move toward creating a free-floating synod within the ELCA for congregations opposed to the liberalized policy but who don't want to leave the denomination.

Lutheran CORE has also urged supportive congregations to stop paying so-called mission support funds that help supplement the ELCA's operating budget. Last weekend, ELCA leaders reduced their 2010 operating budget by $7.7 million, a move Brooks said was motivated mainly by the U.S. economy but also in part by an expected drop in the mission funds.

Ryan Schwarz, a Lutheran CORE member from Washington, D.C., is charged with leading the organizing effort for the new denomination. He said a committee would begin work immediately on drafting a constitution, building a budget and other steps needed to form the yet-unnamed denomination. They hope to have it ready to go by next August, he said.

"Many of us have spent years now struggling to call the ELCA to remain faithful to the Orthodox Christianity of the last 2,000 years," Schwarz said. "While this is of course a wrenching decision, there is also a sense of hope in refocusing on our true mission, which is evangelizing the Lutheran faith."

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http://www.lutherancore.org/papers/spring_pre_convoc_ltr.shtml

Update on Lutheran CORE's Convocation

Rev. Paull E. Spring

September 4, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is an exciting and hopeful time for confessional Lutherans in North America. I am glad to report that in the past couple weeks we have received an incredible outpouring of support for Lutheran CORE's ministries and plans for the future. People and churches are joining at a rate with which we can barely keep pace. During the churchwide assembly and after we have made connections with important leaders of other Lutheran groups in the ELCA and beyond. We are most encouraged by these responses.

We look forward to being with many of you at the Convocation at Christ the Savor Lutheran Church in Fishers (Indianapolis) Ind. on September 25 and 26. We want you to know in more detail what we hope to accomplish at the Convocation. Our goal and vision for Lutheran CORE is a re-forming and a re-newal of our coalition. With God's help, we intend to be . . .

• A confessional and confessing movement, rooted in Scripture, creeds, and confessions, open to all Lutherans in North America
• A churchly community, grounded in Word and sacrament and congregational mission
• A free-standing synod, carrying out synodical ministries, apart from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• An umbrella group for other Lutheran reform movements
• A coalition of synods, congregations, individuals, and reform movements both within and outside the ELCA

In addition, we intend to initiate a process that we hope will lead to a reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism (see resolution 4 below).

On Friday, September 25, we will convene at 4:00 p.m. There will be an introductory presentation by Bishop Kenneth Sauer, former chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, and a response from Mr. Ryan Schwarz, the runner-up in the election for ELCA Vice President last month. After dinner, I will present the vision for Lutheran CORE to be followed by general discussion. The evening will conclude with Evening Prayer.

On Saturday, we will begin the day with Holy Communion at 8:00 a.m. We will then consider and, hopefully, adopt a constitution for our ministry. Then we will consider the following proposed resolutions from the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee:

1. That those currently serving on the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee retain their offices for one year, until an election at the 2010 convocation.
2. That the Steering Committee be authorized to prepare and implement a fiscal plan for Lutheran CORE for the calendar year 2010; and that the Steering Committee prepare a proposed fiscal plan for the year 2011, for action at the 2010 convocation.
3. That the Steering Committee be directed to begin implementing the provisions of the constitution beginning, October 1, 2009.
4. That the Steering Committee be authorized to initiate conversations among the congregations and reform movements in Lutheran CORE and with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ and other compatible churchly organizations, leading toward a possible re-configuration of North American Lutheranism, whether through existing or newly created structures; and that the Steering Committee present a report and recommendations to the 2010 convocation of Lutheran CORE.

We want all who care for the future shape of orthodox Lutheranism to attend the convocation. It is not too late to register. The deadline for registration is September 10! You will find a registration form here.

We anticipate a large attendance at our convocation. If the registrations keep pouring in at the present rate, we will have to re-locate the convocation site to another church near Fishers that has a much larger facility. The hotels listed on the registration brochure are conveniently located for either church so no one will need to make any changes in their accommodations. We will keep you informed and let you know as soon as possible if we need to move the convocation to another church.

We will place the draft of the proposed constitution on the Lutheran CORE website next week. Because of limited time at the convocation, we ask that you send us suggestions for revision of the constitution ahead of time. Doing this will assist us greatly in making efficient use of our time. Please send your suggestions no later than September 16th. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. You may send your suggestions to me at my email.

Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement in the past month. I look forward to our time together at Fishers with great hope and in the confidence that Gods Spirit will guide and lead us. If you have questions, please be in touch with me or with another member of the Steering Committee.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Paull E. Spring
Lutheran CORE Chair

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Lutheran CORE Steering Committee

• Rev. Mark Braaten, Tyler, Texas - oslc@suddenlinkmail.com
• Rev. Mark Chavez, Landisville, Pa. - info@lutherancore.org
• Rev. Scott Grorud, Hutchinson, Minn. - ScottG@faithlc.com
• Rev. Rebecca M. M. Heber, Lake Mary, Fla. - w.c.heber@att.net
• Rev. Kenneth Kimball, Waterville, Iowa - pastrken@acegroup.cc
• Rev. Pastor Victor C. Langford III, Seattle, Wash. - faithvcl3@aol.com
• Mr. Ryan Schwarz, Washington, D.C. - rschwarz@mba1994.hbs.edu
• Rev. W. Stevens Shipman, Lock Haven, Pa. - prsteveshipman@gmail.com
• Rev. Paul Ulring, Columbus, Ohio - pulring@ualc.org
• Rev. Erma Wolf, Brandon, S.D. - easwolf@me.com

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http://www.lutherancore.org/menu_call_pages/newsrel111809.shtml

Lutheran CORE leaders announce that a new Lutheran church body will be formed for those leaving the ELCA

NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. — Leaders of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) have voted to begin work on a proposal for a new Lutheran church body for those who choose to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, they announced Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The votes by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August to allow pastors to be in committed same-sex relationships have created a biblical and theological crisis throughout the ELCA and have generated conflict in local congregations. Many congregations and individuals are considering the possibility of leaving the ELCA or have chosen to redirect giving away from the national church.

More than 1,200 Lutherans gathered in Fishers, Ind., Sept. 25-26 unanimously voted to authorize the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee “to initiate conversations among the congregations and reform movements in Lutheran CORE and other compatible churchly organizations leading toward a possible reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism” and to bring a recommendation for action in 2010. The Lutheran CORE Steering Committee decided Tuesday that a new church body likely will be necessary and directed that work begin on a church body proposal.

“Many ELCA members and congregations have said that they want to sever ties with the ELCA because of the ELCA’s continued movement away from traditional Christian teachings. The vote on sexuality opened the eyes of many to how far the ELCA has moved from Biblical teaching,” said the Rev. Paull Spring of State College, Pa., Lutheran CORE Chair.

“Along with the WordAlone Network and our other renewal movement partners, Lutheran CORE will aid in the formation of a Lutheran church body for those congregations and individuals that choose to end their affiliation with the ELCA. This church body will stand where Lutherans have always stood and will center its life on the mission of the church to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Spring, the retired bishop of the Northern Pennsylvania Synod.

A special working group will draft the church body proposal in consultation with the WordAlone Network and the other reform movement partners of Lutheran CORE. The recommendations are to be released in February to allow interested individuals and congregations time for feedback. Final proposals will be brought to the Lutheran CORE Convocation Aug. 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio.

The working group will also bring recommendations for the continuation of Lutheran CORE as a free-standing synod that will serve both Lutherans in the ELCA and those in other church bodies. This working group will be in conversation with other Lutheran church bodies about ways to work together. Lutheran CORE has been in conversation with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, an association of Lutheran congregations which many ELCA congregations have joined, and will continue to work closely with LCMC. The proposed new church body is intended to provide a place for congregations that desire a more traditional denominational structure.

“We have not made any firm decisions about what this church body will be or how it will be structured. That reality will come into focus as the working group meets with the members of Lutheran CORE who are looking for a new church body and with other Lutheran church bodies and reform movements in North America,” explained Ryan Schwarz of Washington, D.C., a member of the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee, who chairs the working group.

Lutheran CORE to continue as free-standing synod

Lutheran CORE will continue to exist as a free-standing synod. Both those within the ELCA and in this new church body will be able to continue in fellowship through Lutheran CORE.
“Lutheran CORE is committed to be a church fellowship for Lutherans who are committed to the teaching of Scripture — both those who choose to remain affiliated with the ELCA and those who choose to end their affiliation with the ELCA,” Spring said.

“It is important that those who want to uphold Biblical teaching work together. We need each other. To be an effective witness, Lutherans — both those who remain affiliated with the ELCA and those who end that affiliation — need to work together. Lutheran CORE hopes to continue to provide that church fellowship and serve that common mission,” he added.

“This new church body and the Lutheran CORE free-standing synod will make it possible for faithful congregations to work together in mission and to relate to other Lutherans worldwide,” Schwarz said. “Lutherans around the world have been scandalized by the ELCA’s actions. Lutheran CORE will work closely with Lutherans around the world who share our commitment to Scripture as it has been understood by generations of Christians.”

“We are not leaving the ELCA. The ELCA has left us. Lutheran CORE is continuing in the Christian faith as it has been passed down to us by generations of Christians. The ELCA is the one that has departed from the teaching of the Bible as understood by Christians for 2,000 years,” Spring said. “The division in the ELCA is not only really sex. It is about the authority of Scripture in the life of the church. The crisis in the ELCA is a direct result of the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.”

“We grieve that it has become necessary for so many to leave the ELCA and for so many others to alter their relationship with the ELCA, but we are heartened by the clear sense of mission and ministry that is motivating these changes,” the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee said in a letter to members of Lutheran CORE announcing the decision.

Issues, Etc - On Its Battle with the LCMS

Here is an audio link about Issues, Etc and it battle with the LCMS.

Perhaps others also find it odd that Missouri smacked around this established radio show, refusing it RSO status, yet gave Mark Jeske RSO status as a nominal WELS Lutheran pastor. Correction - that may be going too far to call Jeske a nominal Lutheran.

Church and Change Odor Clings To New WELS.NET Site

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "New WELS.net Website - Another Embarrassment":

They may have failed to post the Lutheran Confessions, which we hope will be rectified, but they did not fail to provide links to Kelms attack on the Lutheran Church. Kelm comes out swinging with, "It may be difficult to agree on the line between tradition and traditionalism, but you can recognize the musty smell of religion better suited to a museum than a marketplace."

http://www.wels.net/news-events/forward-in-christ/december-2005/freedom-from-formalism

New WELS.net Website - Another Embarrassment

Your technology guy, Martin Spriggs, is a Willow Creek fan, a graduate of Mequon.

This blog emphasizes apostasy in all denominations, but especially among the Lutherans. Those who want happy-chatter can go to those websites. The complainers probably pick up Jeremiah and ask, "Why all the jeremiads?" (Note for Mequon grads - jeremiad is a word based on Jeremiah's dire prophecies.)

The new WELS.net website has gone Saddleback/Willowcreek/Core in its treatment of doctrine. Perhaps the attention of members and pastors will remedy the situation.

http://wels.net/what-we-believe/statements-beliefs/what-lutherans-teach

UOJ is toned down but still there. The only Confessions are the Three Ecumenical Creeds. This may be a tacit admission of WELS ignoring the Book of Concord. Maybe the page is not done yet.

Schwaermer testimonies are found here:

http://wels.net/what-we-believe/own-words

Here is more material to ponder:

http://wels.net/what-we-believe/statements-beliefs

The Lutheran Confessions are the WELS statements - no I am not kidding. And yet there is a claim that WELS is not a sect. Nothing says Upper Midwest Sect better than skipping the ruled norm (Book of Concord) for a recent production by that sect - This We Believe.

If you want to know the truth, skip the minor details written by the greatest theologians of the Christian Church--Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz, Chytraeus, Andreae, etc.--and memorize the ruminations of a few Doctrinal Pussycats in WELS. That will keep the innocent from wandering off the reservation and attending theological training at such false teaching beehives as: Granger Community Church, Mars Hill, Andy Stanley's Northpoint [sh- Babtist] Community Church, Groeschel's Life TV, The Simple Church, Fuller Seminary, Trinity  Deerfield, Gordon Conwell, Denver Seminary, Willow Creek...

What? The WELS leaders are studying there already? I meant - This We Believe will help them form excuses for studying at those citadels of false doctrine.

Archbishop R. Weakland, additional proof that WLC has no gaydar.

Wisconsin Lutheran College Paper Defends "Party in the MLC" Video On Its Front Page! - As Wise As Doves, As Innocent As Serpents

The Wisconsin Lutheran College (WELS when raising funds) student newspaper, "The Sword," ran a Front Page! editorial / story on the MLC video, quoted in part:

But once the video left the context of the MLC campus, it came under unforeseen criticism from some who failed to see the humor in the video.

The most pronounced critic of the video was independent Lutheran pastor and blogger Gregory Jackson. Posts from Jackson, as well as comments left by the blog's readers, labeled the actions of the MLC students featured in the video unbecoming to future WELS pastors and teachers.

These claims were based on the video from which the creators of "Party in the MLC" took their inspiration--a previous YouTube video known as "Party in the FIP." Set to the tune of "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus, "Party in the FIP" shows a group of men performing choreographed routines on a beach while lip-synching the lyrics of the song."

"Party in the MLC" is a parody of the video, using the same soundtrack and many of the same routines.

The controversy over MLC students parodying "Party in the FIP" is derived from the lifestyle associated with "the FIP."

But makers of the "Party in the MLC" agree with other viewers that none of the actions in the "Party in the FIP" video would be considered blatant homosexuality. They also admit no previous knowledge of the reputation of Fire Island Pines. Ben Reichel, MLC student and video contributor, revealed, "We didn't find out until two or three days after we posted it that that's what it stood for. After we learned that we were kind of taken aback."

After learning of the offense caused by the video, the students decided to remove the video "out of Christian love" for those who found the video inappropriate. The decision to remove the video was a personal decision made by the creators of the video.

Reichel stated, "We all got together as a group --the guys who were in the video--and we realized that this caused way too much commotion and way too much negativity, and we all decided together that we were going to take it down."

After meeting amongst (sic) themselves, the students sought the advice of college administration. Reichel continued, "We went and talked to the administration here at MLC--the president and vice-president--and we got their thoughts on it too. But we knew before we even talked to them that we were going to take it down."

Matt Rothe, classmate of Reichel and video contributor, along with the rest of the students involved with the video, are ready to put "Party in the MLC" and the attention it has received in the past; "The group of guys who made this video only wished for good to come out of this video, and I must express firmly we wish for no more negative attention from it."

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GJ - The WLC student newspaper has a lot of facts wrong. They did not make any effort to seek clarification. They are now drawing even more attention to the video and revealing that the students were not at all repentant, just resentful they got caught.

First of all, a WELS layman was furious over the video, which was posted on You Tube for all the world to see. Many people provide information to this blog so the rest of Lutherdom can see it. This layman was unable to watch more than a minute of it. I posted the video so people could see for themselves, as he wished.

The MLC students jumped in to defend the video right away, and now WLC has joined them. Their defense is to attack me, but the video stands on its own as a dubious production, whether I like it or not.

The defense of the video was so ridiculous that I did a little more research and found the original, "Party in the FIP." They knew what they were copying, and they acknowledged it rather quietly in the notes. Apparently the original went viral right away, thanks to various homosexual websites.

College students know how to use Google. Where else would they copy their homework from? Kelm, Parlow, and Limmer have shown that slavish copying is a good career move in WELS. To plead ignorance about Fire Island Pines is a bit absurd. All of the sudden these guys just fell off the haywagon when they landed in Metropolitan New Ulm.

And they thought the FIP video was straight? They should be on SNL, in a skit about their lack of gaydar.

This is the WLC student paper claim, after conferring with the students:

"Party in the MLC" is a parody of the video, using the same soundtrack and many of the same routines.

The controversy over MLC students parodying "Party in the FIP" is derived from the lifestyle associated with "the FIP."

Answers.com defines parody as "A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule." The students had no idea what the FIP video was all about and were "taken aback" when they learned. Once again, why did they parody what they knew nothing about? 


Why did they make the MLC version gayer than lavender hose, complete with a Michael Jackson move (only worse) in a public park? Cover stories should be a little more consistent to be convincing.

Like most WELS damage control operations, this one is full of contradictions. I also see the handiwork of various administrative officials, spinning the removal of the video as an act of love rather than repentance. After all, the only one who sinned was this humorless blogger and his dour readers. They want to quiet this down with a front page editorial?

When I found the additional information about the original video, which took me a few seconds on Google, I posted some of it on Ichabod. I did not post a lot of the links from Google because of the content of those sites. I needed eyebleach. So please, do not task our patience with how the students were "taken aback."

There is now a You Tube video posted - mourning the loss of the MLC version, again with LOL comments from MLC students. Another video copies both versions, supposedly: Party in the USA/ SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT/ FIP and MLC.

I have linked the FIP video here, in case someone wants to see what was copied by future WELS pastors and teachers. They can draw their own conclusions about the "WELS School of Ministry."

As I wrote before, Fuller Bivens and SP Schroeder both unloaded on the recent decisions of ELCA and The Episcopal Church USA, the two apostate groups enjoying a non-geographical merger.

Doubtless the parents would like to know more about the position of MLC and WLC. The schools seem to contradict what the leader of the synod has said. The editorial used the term "lifestyle." That speaks volumes about the attitude of Wisconsin Lutheran College, called "Our Valpo," the home of Church and Change.

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Lutheran College Paper Defends "Party in...":

This reminds me of the time when you, Pastor Jackson, submitted a picture and an article to Christian News. I think this was before Al Gore invented the Internet. The photo showed Ralph Bohlmann, Carl Mischke, and Herb Chilstrom all sitting together at the Snowbird conference. The principal of our LES said to me, "it's not what you think it is". Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?

China's Empty City - Government Planning Gone Wild: Ichabod Coulda Told Them - Didn't Work For Schwan Funds Either

Watch the Umemployment Time Lapse

The link is here.

Under-employment would double the statistic.

ELCA Budget Cuts: Many Staff Eliminated

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 16, 2009

ELCA Churchwide Budget Reduced, Staff Positions Eliminated
09-258-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) acted Nov. 15 to reduce the 2010 churchwide current fund spending authorization by nearly $7.7 million, 10 percent less than the budget authorized by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. The council's action eliminated 40.75 full-time equivalent positions, of which six were vacant.

The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. It met here Nov. 13-15.

The action reduced the current fund spending authorization for 2010 to $69,022,800. The 2009 assembly authorized $18.7 million in World Hunger spending for 2010, which was unchanged.

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GJ - ELCA took Church Growth all the way up to the top. Norm Berg, WELS, bragged about knowing Mac Minnick (ELCA). I guess CG did not work for ELCA either.

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 16, 2009

Reinstatement Process Revision Adopted by ELCA Church Council
09-261-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a revision to the reinstatement process for former clergy and other professional leaders who were removed from the church's official rosters for disciplinary reasons or resigned in lieu of discipline -- solely because they were in a lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship.
The change, adopted Nov. 15, applies to former ELCA associates in ministry, deaconesses, diaconal ministers and ordained ministers.

WELS Pietism: What Would Miley Say?Crocodile Tears of Sadness

Luther to George Major:

"It is by your silence and cloaking that you cast suspicion upon yourself. If you believe as you declare in my presence, then speak so also in the church, in public lectures, in sermons, and in private conversations, and strengthen your brethren, and lead the erring back to the right path, and contradict the contumacious spirits; otherwise your confession is sham pure and simple, and worth nothing. Whoever really regards his doctrine, faith, and confession as true, right, and certain cannot remain in the same stall with such as teach, or adhere to, false doctrine; nor can he keep on giving friendly words to Satan and his minions. A teacher who remains silent when errors are taught, and nevertheless pretends to be a true teacher, is worse than an open fanatic and by his hypocrisy does greater damage than a heretic. Nor can he be trusted. He is a wolf and a fox, a hireling and a servant of his belly, and ready to despise and to sacrifice doctrine, Word, faith, Sacrament, churches, and schools. He is either a secret bedfellow of the enemies, or a skeptic and a weathervane, waiting to see whether Christ or the devil will prove victorious; or he has no convictions of his own whatever, and is not worthy to be called a pupil, let alone a teacher; nor does he want to offend anybody, or say a word in favor of Christ, or hurt the devil and the world.”

            F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 94.  

Fox Mulder has left a new comment on your post ""Party in the MLC" Mourned by Fans and MLC Student...":

Brett,

This was not a WELS endorsed video. It was made by students at a college and not meant for public view. Now, I'm not saying that it was right or wrong, just that it has died and so to must any comments. Again, we are called to imitate God who forgave all sins and removed them from his mind. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

How can we continue bringing this up and think that we are showing love?

Fox Mulder has left a new comment on your post "New Pastor Left St. Peter Freedom Because of Churc...":

I feel as if Christ would weep would he read anything on this BLOG. Regardless of doctrine, regardless of teaching, regardless of any comments, he wants people in heaven. He loves people and as we are to imitate him we must also show love. This BLOG doesn't.

Brett Meyer wrote,
"I would argue that this blog mocks false doctrine, false practice and unrepentant false teachers. To go easy on any of the above is to reject the supremacy of God's Word, pure doctrine, true practice and faithful teachers."

Yes, it mocks. Whatever you think going easy rejects, you reject love. We must strive to show love in all circumstances. You would rather beat dead horses and men who want to preach the Gospel.

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This video is worse than the other one and still showing. One excuse is, "The students have graduated already," as if the WELS KGB could not have them withdraw it and apologize.

This abomination starts with the Luther statue flinging the Bible away to chase the other statue. Toward the end, one of the statues uses God's name in vain, but hey, all in good fun.

The MLC student posts about this video are adoring. "LOL GO MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE!

(My mom works there!) ^.^"

The first stage of Pietism is full of rules and methods about inculcating outward signs of the faith, but deliberately unconcerned about doctrine. They imagine that love converts, not the Word. Legalism reigns - hence Sabbath laws and dry counties.

Later, Pietists become Antinominian universalists. Note well that Knapp offered double-justification, while Tholuck and Schleiermacher both dropped the second justification to become universalists.

Darth Wieder

darthjedi (http://darthjedi.wordpress.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Anonymous ELCA Pastor Whistles Past the Graveyard,...":

Thank you for removing my entire blog post from your site. I really appreciate (sic - transitive verbs without objects?). Thank you also for bringing more traffic to my site.

I make typos as well. Thank you for pointing out some of the typos that I made. Why you had to be snide about it with your comment about my "grasp of English," I am not sure, but whatever makes you feel better about yourself.

I asked you to remove my full name and church from the comments (not commanded as you suggested) for privacy purposes. I asked you as a fellow Christian to respect my privacy not to make an issue out of it.

I think the pictures are cute and made me laugh. I especially liked the the last one.

I will make one final comment on your blog post, actually it is on the title. If I am whistling "past the graveyard, literally," it would mean that 1. I am whistling 2. I just moved past a graveyard. Since I am doing neither, I am not doing it "literally." I guess I am not the only one with a problem with using the English language. :-)

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GJ - I need to explain to Mequon graduates that Darth Wieder is a pun, because ELCA's Darth is posting again (Wieder - German for again, pronounced Veeder - see, it gets funnier).

Privacy and blogs create an odd juxtaposition, especially when the blog author gives away his own name on the first page. That reminds me of the congregations that post information for the world to see and complain if it is reposted...for the world to see.

Whistling past the graveyard is the expression modified by literally. The adverb means that ELCA is a literal graveyard, full of dead bodies. Without the adverb I would have suggested that the author was trying to keep himself from being afraid. Instead, I wanted to say that ELCA is a cemetery.

KJV Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous.

If someone is going to call a witty post "snide," then he should resist the temptation of sending an ill-conceived snide comment that misfires.

"Party in the MLC" Mourned by Fans and MLC Students

"response to Party in the MLC/ Miley Cyrus Party In The U.S.A/ MUSIC VIDEO
i thought that video was hilariuos (sic)....even though i dislike hannah montana"

cliomusic (1 week ago)

NO! that video was awesome. man i should have embedded it. damn!
sayschoice (2 weeks ago)

Aww man that sucks that they couldn't see the funny side of it! That movie made me and my friends laugh sooo much, wish that it would be put back on anyway :)
wonderhorsedah (2 weeks ago)


It was removed because of the not so good view of our college that it presented. Many felt that it was not something that our future pastors and teachers should be displaying themselves as.
JustAJinxx (1 week ago)

thats so stupid! I'm a Christian and that video was so funny! i luvd it! and i hope you guys won the competition err watever that was going on!
wiebusch01 (2 weeks ago)


I liked the video.  Popular according to the 86,000+ who viewed it. Curious why it was removed.
wesisnegro1 (2 weeks ago)

yup
beilke22 (3 weeks ago)


thanks for the props man
jackdonkey1416 (3 weeks ago) Show Hide


i agree

---

http://regator.com/p/219758872/watch_what_miley_cyrus_hath_wrought_party_in/

---


http://www.queerty.com/what-miley-cyrus-hath-wrought-party-in-the-mlc-20091019/

To what cultural aspersions do we owe the phenomenon of remaking the remakes of music videos? The Fire Island Pines boys, who created the Miley Cyrus send-up "Party In The F.I.P," receive their own homage with "Party In The MLC" from a bunch of dormmates at a "homecoming summit." At, uh, Midland Lutheran College?

Keep watching, 'cause there's a blooper reel.

(Thanks, Blake!)

Quia - Just Because

Ski worshiped with Babtist Andy Stanley at Drive '08,

attended Driv '09 with Glende, Katie and other WELS workers,

and will probably attend Drive '10.

The final Main Session with Andy Stanley was just phenomenal.  We began with awesome worship.  Today though, they began with a Christian rapper, Toby Mac.  Our school kids would have loved it.  I’m not sure that they would have believed that it was church though.

SceleratissimusLutheranus has left a new comment on your post "New Pastor Left St. Peter Freedom Because of Churc...":

"Ski maintains a quia subscription to the confessions and has a clearer explanation of close communion than almost any confessional Lutheran congregation that I have seen."

That is a complete joke! What Confessional Lutheran would feel the need to frequent Babtist Enthusiast conferences as much as Ski and Katie? Not to mention copying Craig Groeschel sermons. I'm sure those sermons are just dripping with references to the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments! 

The Ski Blog about Drive '08 is another example of awesome doctrinal discipline in WELS.

The final Main Session with Andy Stanley was just phenomenal. We began with awesome worship. Today though, they began with a Christian rapper, Toby Mac. Our school kids would have loved it. I’m not sure that they would have believed that it was church though.

When Andy began his session. He started by saying that he was not going to follow his notes in the Drive ’08 Journal Book. Instead he was going to do something that he called, “Recent Random Thoughts On Church Leadership.” He shared 5 points and 5 takeaways. I think that he was at his absolute best this afternoon. Here are the 5 point & takeaways:

1.

1.To reach people no one else is reaching we must do things no one else is doing.

Takeaway - Become preoccupied with those you haven’t reached as opposed to those you keep. This is easier said than done.

Wow, it seems so simple. And yet so hard.

2.

2.The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.

Takeaway - Be a student not a critic.

What more can be said? How do we approach things? When things are different & involve change are we scared? Do we criticize or do we look to learn and implement?

3.

3.What do I believe is impossible to do in my field? But if it could be done it would fundamentally change my business.

Takeaway - Pay attention to the people who are breaking the rules.

Crazy sounding isn’t it? We can fight technology and change, but in the end it will pass us and we will become archaic and irrelevant. Not our Message, but the manner in which we present it. Who would have ever thought texting would be as big as it is? How about multi-site church? Video church? These are all things that have changed how we worship.

4.

4.If we got kicked out & the board brought in a new CEO what would they do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door & then come back in & do it ourselves?

Takeaway - Acknowledge what is NOT working & own up to why you are unwilling to change it.

Some thoughts on this - rarely does the church (in general) get concerned about change until they run out of money. What if we asked some questions before it was too late?

1.

a.What’s in decline?
2.

b.Where are we manufacturing energy? In other words pretending something is important. An example would be if I continued to say that Bible Study was important, but never attended. I’m blowing hot air, “manufacturing energy.” I don’t believe that anyone wants to stand behind that or get involved in something like that.
3.

c.Finally, when are we going to unearth all underlying assumptions? Sometimes, what we assume, is not the reality. Are we willing to dig to find out the truth or are we happy with assuming?
5.

5.When your memories exceed your dreams the end is near.

Takeaway - Don’t let success or momentum overshadow your vision. Keep the out front.

How quickly can we be satisfied? How often do we look at things and say, “Well, it’s not great but it is better than such and such church.” Scary, but we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking like this. Some questions to ponder:

1.

a.What the burden on your heart?
2.

b.What breaks your heart?

That was it. After that Andy just ended and prayed for all the people there & for there ministries. As you can see from the pictures above, Buske & I got to get a picture with Andy, pretty cool. He is way down to earth. His wife Sandra was there also and she is just great. We actually got to talk to her a little more than Andy. You also notice John with the North Point member who played Bender in one of their sermon series called “Twisted”. The series was all about how Satan twists God’s Word. Finally, there is a photo of Buske & Todd Fields. I’m a little bitter about that one, but you’ll need to ask me why.

Thanks to everyone who read this while I was gone. Be looking for some cool stuff that we will be implementing at St. Marcus, especially in Sunday Night. Thanks also for all the patience. Writing this thing mostly between 1 AM & 2 AM means that there are probably a ton spelling and grammar mistakes. I can’t wait to see you guys on Sunday. Check out the Picture Page for some added photos from Drive ’08.

Together in WELS

Can the two-headed calf keep it together?

How does one harmonize Church and Change with the Book of Concord?

The Synodical Council determined that the long-range plan will focus on the latter aspect and adopted the following as a statement of purpose that will guide the planning work:

"The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to give all glory to God by upholding, defending, and proclaiming the truth of the Holy Scriptures as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions, and by providing a means for congregations and their members to extend the reach of their God-given mission of proclaiming the gospel in Word and sacrament through joint mission efforts at home and abroad through the training of pastors, teachers, and staff ministers."

The SC discussed the many strengths of our synod, areas that need improvement and attention, and the many opportunities that God is placing before us. A committee chaired by the synod's first vice president, and composed of the synod president and the three area of ministry administrators will begin to outline a comprehensive long-term plan which, according to a SC resolution,
a) describes a "future state" for the synod;
b) works with all parties;
c) makes use of existing resources;
d) satisfies the 2009 convention resolution; and
e) flows out of our synodical philosophy of ministry.
The plan is to have a working document ready for the joint Synodical Council and Conference of Presidents meeting in April, which can then be presented to the districts in convention in summer of 2010.
Other SC decisions included:

• Took action to reduce the overall travel and meeting budget of the synod by $400,000, in keeping with the convention's resolution.
• Adopted new guidelines for the budgeting and use of special funds.
• Considered up-to-date financial information and made no change to the Support Forecast.
• Encouraged the Board for Home Missions to continue planning for new mission efforts and to bring proposals for such new efforts to the February meeting of the SC.
• Established a new Human Resources Oversight Committee to assist the Human Resources director in making continuing improvements in the area of Human Resources.
• Accepted an invitation from the Conference of Presidents to meet jointly for one day in April 2010.

Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder

Cutbacks at NPH

Filed Under: Northwestern Publishing House, NPH

Declining retail sales and a difficult financial environment for denominational publishers are forcing Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) to eliminate nine full- and part-time staff positions effective Dec. 30. One of the positions is a called full-time editor, reducing the number of called workers at NPH to five.

In a memo to all employees, NPH President Jerry Loeffel said: "Decisions like this are never easy. We value the contributions these staff members have made to our organization over the years. All have been great employees with solid skills and a willingness to go the extra mile. While these layoffs are difficult, they are absolutely necessary for the well-being of Northwestern Publishing House."

For the first three months of the current fiscal year, sales at NPH—the official publisher for WELS—are down seven percent at its retail store in Milwaukee compared with the same time as last year and six percent behind budget projections. The drop in sales over the past several years is consistent with losses faced by other Christian retailers throughout the country.

First quarter budget results

Filed Under: Budget, Finance

Results for the first quarter of the synod's fiscal year 2010 ending Sept. 31 show support and revenue of $19.1 million exceeded expenses of $17.4 million by $1.7 million. The resulting increase in net assets is partially due to revenues being received before corresponding expenses are incurred—a timing difference that is expected to reverse by the end of the fiscal year. But also contributing to the increase is improvement in investment performance as financial markets continue to recover from their March and April lows.

"The results for the quarter are about what we expected," says Mr. Todd Poppe, chief financial officer. Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO), the offerings submitted by congregations for the collective ministry of the synod, for calendar year 2009 are about 2.1 percent or $300,000 less than the prior year and are in line with the budget and congregation commitments. The Conference of Presidents remains confident those commitments will be realized by the end of the year. "The CMO performance is encouraging given the challenging economic times," Poppe says.

Schwan Dive
Of continuing concern is the decrease in support from one of the major foundation donors to WELS. It has announced reductions in support of about $6 million in its annual grant over the last two years. There are hopes that gifts from congregations in response to November's VEBA premium holiday and the establishment of a new foundation in support of WELS may offset some of the loss.
In any event, the full impact of any loss in foundation support won't be felt in the current fiscal year due in large part to the creation of the Financial Stabilization Fund adopted by the 2009 synod convention.

Under this change, funds from foundations, individuals, and bequests are held in this fund and distributed the year after they are received. Thus, the impact of the foundation reduction will not be felt until the next fiscal year. If support from CMO and other sources does not make up for the foundation reduction, the budget for the next fiscal year may need to be cut by a million dollars or more.

The first quarter's report is the first under a new approach to budgeting proposed by the Synodical Council and adopted by the 2009 synod convention. Beginning in fiscal year 2010, the financial reports include not just the synod's operating budget, but also its special funds and its schools. For example, revenue now includes all revenue and support and all the costs of the four ministerial education schools.

Historically, only the operating subsidy was reported. In numerical terms, the reports will now focus on the nearly $60 million in ministry conducted by the synod rather than just the $30 million budget if only synod's operations were reported.

The Ad Calvinem, Or, Pistisphobia

Calvin separated the Holy Spirit from the Means of Grace; hence, he was an Enthusiast. UOJ shares the same error, claiming that the entire world enjoys God's grace, absolution, without the Means of Grace.

L P has left a new comment on your post "The ELS Webber Link to Marquart's UOJ Defense":

Brett,

Scripture does declare and Confessions repeat that Christ's payment for the sins of the world is forgiveness for the world. Christ's payment for the sins of the world is not forgiveness of the world.

I like this, I will keep it in my pocket.

I just noticed in my insistence to JBFA, they suggested I am being a Calvinist.

I burst into laughter when I read this.

They invented a new fallacy - I call the bogey man fallacy, a specie of guilt by association.

Like them it is the Calvinist who equates the Atonement with Justification.

They have a sickness called - pistisphobia.

They get rashes, when you suggest to them that faith in Christ is the condition for justification.

God bless you and Dr Greg.


LPC

***

GJ - I was called a Calvinist many times on LutherQuest (sic).

New Pastor Left St. Peter Freedom Because of Church Growth Turmoil There

From Anonymouse: This has got to be a new low, even for you. You admit that you know nothing about this situation other than what you read in the St. Peter newsletter. As far as you know, this has absolutely nothing to do with the Core. Yet you print this story with your little photoshopped picture designed to make Pastor Glende and Ski look as ridiculous as you possibly can (What, you've never looked silly having a good time at a restaurant?) and hint that it has something to do with St. Peter's relationship with the Core. On the record: I have no Idea why Pastor Christenson asked for a call out of St. Peter AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA EITHER! I really don't know how you can live with yourself or sleep at night.

"Lord, Lord, didn't I maintain a church on the internet and mercilessly mock those who weren't (in my opinion) orthodox enough?"

"I never knew you!"

***

Above is the original silly photo, posted by Bishop Katie herself on Twitter. Shame on Katie!

The threesome attended a pastoral conference on Mark Driscoll's home turf,

but no one owned up to being in Seattle for Driscoll.

GJ - Reading the tea leaves, I would say that the someone approved the departure of the new pastor after only a few months. The public record of Ron Ash and Tim Glende is clear - they are up to their necks in unionistic Church Growth. There is no possibility that the new pastor left because he was too growthy for that pair! Consider also the leaven of Ski and Katie, whose motto is: "No Enthusiast left behind." Another source confirmed that Glende and Ash are the cause, not the cure.

---

The Appleton Dumpling Gang is well fed.

This PhotoShop was inspired by Glende's and Ski's lack of candor

about their trip to Seattle.

 

This cartoon made Wally Oelhaven furious,

but it sure fits The CORE, Ski, Glende, Kati, and Ron Ash.

Ron Ash retired as the pastor of St. Peter, Freedom,

He still chairs the odious Church and Chicanery faction in WELS.

Floyd Luther Stolzenburg introduced Church Growth to St. Paul, German Village,when Tim Glende was an impressionable teen member there. Kicked out of the LCMS for cause, Stolzenburg was divorced by his wife, but WELS made him an overpaid CG guru - then Kuske and Schumann endorsed him for pastoral work.The apple does not fall far from the tree, does it?

But sometimes we just end up with The CORE!

Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "St. Peter Freedom (The CORE Mother-Church) Loses S...":

Pretty hypocritical that it's OK for Confessional Crusaders to post anonymously. As long as it promotes your skewed agenda, right PJ? What a freaking double standard.

Run on sentences? Well that's typical criticism from someone who is narrow minded (or should I say closed minded) and needs to retake reading and comprehension. So if there's no real substance to criticize, lets (sic) nit pick (sic - nitpick is one word) grammar. Give me a break. Get a life.

Mighty Mouse [Most likely Tim Felt-Needs] But he denies it.

Tim loves to use the term "Confessional Crusaders."

Mequon graduates - click on this link for proof.

St. Peter Freedom (The CORE Mother-Church) Loses Second Pastor After a Few Months

Football buddies Glende and Ski have attended Andy Stanley and Driscoll conferences together, although Glende does not disclose the pertinent details in his own church newsletters. The CORE began at St. Peter Freedom and Ski was listed as a pastor there, the last time I looked.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "DK Has A Better Idea":

Church Growth has shrunk a pastor. From the November St. Peter Freedom newsletter (Hopefully you can comprehend all of "Pastor Tim's" run-on sentences. Apparently punctuation becomes needless at a growing congregation...who has time to stop long enough for periods and commas!!!??? We're too busy growing!!!!!!):

A NOTE FROM
Pastor Christenson
Dear Members of St. Peter,
On October 4th, I received a call to serve as pastor at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in
La Crescent, MN. The fact that I had received a call only after being here seven months is not normal protocol in our synod. Because of struggles that I was having in my ministry, I thought it may be best that my name be eligible for a call, and if that call came I would have the opportunity to evaluate the gifts God had given me and the gifts needed to serve here as second pastor at St. Peter. Even in a time when there were very few vacancies in our synod, the Lord granted that request and First Lutheran, La Crescent called me to serve as their pastor. I have considered where I could use my gifts to their fullest as well as what gifts are needed to serve as second pastor here at St. Peter. After prayerful consideration, I accepted the call to serve in La Crescent.

I cannot stress enough that my decision to accept the call and leave should not in any way reflect negatively on the members of St. Peter. The members here have gone out of their way to show their love for me and my family. I truly feel in just a short period of time that God has created relationships and friendships that will last forever, which doesn’t make this announcement any easier. With that said,

I am thankful for this time God has given us together and we will trust in him, that as this call was extended and accepted, it is his will and we know that God will work all things for the good of his church. May God’s will be done wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed.

Thank you for all that you have done for us. Until we meet again, may the Lord bless and keep you.
In Jesus’ Name,
Pastor Chris J. Christenson



Where Do We Go From Here?
I first want to thank the Lord that he has provided Pastor Christenson with a wonderful opportunity where he believes he can best use his gifts and talents to serve our Lord in La Crescent, MN. We pray that the Lord will bless him, his family, and his new ministry. Any words of encouragement for Pastor C are appreciated.

Where we go from here will be determined by our congregation over the upcoming days and weeks. It hasn’t been a full year since the congregation approved the job description for our 2nd pastor, so there won't be a lot of new insight regarding what we need here at St. Peter to help carry forward our vision and mission. The council and our leadership teams will have discussions over the upcoming days, where we may tweak some of the duties for our pastors and talk about our future plans. We will then present these updates, changes, and suggestions to our congregation and lay out our timetable for calling a 2nd pastor to carry out those duties. We are at a great time in our congregation's history, where we are being blessed by the Lord and growing, and we have members who are excited for ministry and getting involved, and now is not a time to step back and slow down and lose that momentum. While I may be the only pastor here for the next few months, we don't plan on taking several months for discussing our options. Please keep our congregation in your prayers, thank the Lord for all of the blessings he is providing to St. Peter, and pray that he continues to help us move forward with our mission and vision trusting that according to his plan he will provide us with our next pastor.

Pastor Tim

***

GJ - I cannot parse this momentous decision. The official denials are not all posted.

For newcomers, St. Peter Freedom announced at a congregational meeting this fact - The CORE went through $250,000 in its first few months, with a net gain of 15 members, which I assume includes Bishop Katie and the Ski family of five. Exponential growth will get those numbers up to 20 in another year or so.

Anonymous ELCA Pastor Whistles Past the Graveyard, Literally

ELCA is not descended from my family? 

darthjedi (http://darthjedi.wordpress.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Anonymous ELCA Pastor Whistles Past the Graveyard,...":

I am not sure if you got my last comment, but I am going to assume you have not. You do not have permission to reprint my entire blog post. This is a form of plagiarism (please see http://www.plagiarism.org). It is also a form of copyright infringement. Please remove my blog from your post. I would also appreciate a removal of the comment from an anonymous user revealing my full name and church location. I put on my site a pseudonym as well as my first and last initial for privacy purposes. Thank you.

[GJ - From the first page of his blog - "This is the blog of Justin J." Doubtless there are millions of ELCA pastors named Justin J!"]

Are We Bleeding?

October 22, 2009 at 10:17 am ·


***

GJ - I enjoyed the blog posts above so much that I had to share them. Normally, ELCA news makes me nod off, no matter how much coffee I am drinking. Darth went all Jedi Knight on me, so I deleted his words and left the two links. Plagiarism means making money from the original work of others and not giving the original author credit. I make no money from this blog and give credit for all my sources.

Only a few ELCA congregations are leaving apostasy? An entire denomination, larger than the ELS, has emerged from leaving ELCA.

I trace the LCA/ALC/ELCA decline from the moment they gave up on organic merger with Missouri. At that point the Leftists took over and the entire agenda was waved in front of the membership, daily it seemed. For example, The Lutheran magazine was given a quota in covering minority stories. Abortion on demand was assumed as a basic virtue and promoted within various church agencies. The tacit approval of homosexual ordination (which went on for decades, according to The Lutheran's editor) became overt, shrill, and persistent. In politics, America was always wrong and the Marxists had deep insights about world peace and liberation.

Strangely, ELCA's genuflection toward The Episcopal Church USA precipitated the biggest break. I would love to see Lutherans understand what a bishop really does, but the ELCA/Episcopal Anschluss did not accomplish that. ELCA used its power to force Episcopal bishops on Lutherans, a bizarre plan for anyone except a self-destructive atheist. Their vision has worked as well as the Sears-KMart deal.

The Synodical Conference Lutherans probably imagined they would win big from the merger, going ELCA-lite to attract the highest number of escapees. Sasse was right - the decline of one confession adversely affects all of them. ELCA's apostasy has only made WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect seem Lutheran in comparison.

Finally, SP Schroeder stopped the WELS practice of playing kneesies under the table with ELCA, something promoted by Mischke-Gurgle. However, just when Fuller Bivens unloaded on sodomy in FIC, Mary Lou College (WELS) shared its campy gay video with the world. MLC students defended the video obsessively.

"We are not as bad as ELCA" is not a compelling mission statement. In fact, WELS-LCMS-ELS would do well just to emphasize the Scriptures, Confessions, and liturgical worship. Of course, Jerry Kieschnick will not give up his ambition to bring Missouri in ELCA, but Missouri members may derail his loco motive in time.

***

PS - Justin Johnson, who feigns anonymity, wrote: "Reprinting an entire blog, even if you are using it to comment on, is a form of plagiarism. This is true even if you site (sic - cite?) where it is from or put quotes around it."

GJ - I doubt whether anyone has reproduced his entire blog. His claim about plagiarism is almost as ludicrous as his grasp of English. Copying a post for the sake of commentary, especially among non-profits, is called Fair Use. However, I am happy to edit Justin's actual words, but I will not delete another comment just because he commands it! No one--but no one--has ever asked me to delete the comments of others.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity

The Last Supper, by Norma Boeckler

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 245 God Loved the World 4:6
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 2 Peter 3:3-14
The Gospel Matthew 25:31-46
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 290 We Have A Sure 4:89

Age of Apostasy

The Hymn # 305 Soul Adorn Thyself 4.23
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 # 463 For All the Saints 4:31

Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Trinity
O almighty, eternal and merciful God, who by Thy beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, hast established the kingdom of grace for us, that we might believe the forgiveness of our sins, in Thy holy Church on earth, since Thou art a God who hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: We beseech Thee, graciously forgive us all our sins, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV 2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

KJV Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Age of Apostasy

The lessons for the last Sundays in the church year focus on the end times and final judgment. The Gospel for today teaches about the relationship between faith and works. The epistle describes the Age of Apostasy.

Apostasy means “a falling away,” or - people who once believed in Christ no longer do.

One of the smokescreens used by false teachers is a deep, feigned concern for unbelievers around the world, especially those who can be visited after a stopover in France or Rio. The mission executives are so concerned that they travel all over the world for conferences to express their concern and oversee their workers. I know one ELCA pastor from Canada who felt it necessary to visit every country in the world to make sure no one was hungry. Meanwhile, millions were siphoned off to fund political lobbyists in DC, every state in the union, and in Canada.

The smokescreen works well because the end times are marked by apostasy, and no one wants to address, for instance, the anti-Lutheran dogma regularly taught by college and seminary professors, church officials, and magazine editors. The same attitude can be found in all the denominations. The older it is, the greater the percentage of leaders who oppose the confessional stance of that denomination. Ergo, the denominational leaders work together well, because they are united by the same unbelief. And they make sure that no one remind them of their origins.

When the Boston scandals erupted in the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Law was promoted to Rome, even though (or because) he was the central figure in creating the abuse prosecutions and lawsuits. The only one who was punished in the entire affair was the priest who said his church body was wrong. He was pilloried and kicked out of the priesthood.

The example is given to show that apostasy is worldwide and not just something for Lutherans to notice among their own.

So by mentioning “the lost” all the time, the apostates are able to keep attention away from their antagonistic doctrine and their abusive behavior.

KJV 2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

This is an era of scoffing and evil desire. Like the days of the Flood, people do whatever they wish. Many of the so-called conservatives are just as bad, and they are excused for it.

I reminded people that Creation is an “antiquarian” topic, according to the CG guru Paul Kelm (WELS). He warned pastors not to get “painted into a corner” on such topics when teaching the Word to prospects. Ockenga, the Evangelical leader behind the Billy Graham Crusades, Christianity Today, and Fuller Seminary said almost the same thing.

"Don't let the world paint us into a corner of antiquarianism on subjects like a six-day creation or verbal inspiration." Rev. Paul Kelm, WELS, "How to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects," p. 13.

"The evangelical believes that Christianity is intellectually defensible but the Christian cannot be obscurantist in scientific questions pertaining to the creation, the age of man, the universality of the flood and other moot Biblical questions." Rev. Harold J. Ockenga, 12-8-57, news release quoted in William E. Ashbrook, Evangelicalism, The New Neutralism, Columbus: Calvary Bible Church, 1963, p. 8.

"Many Catholics hold what is known as 'moderate evolutionism,' that is, the theory that the human body evolved to a certain point from animals, and then God intervened directly and breathed into this living, animal body a human soul and so produced the first man and the first woman. Such a theory does not seem to be contrary to Catholic teaching, and Catholics are free to hold it." Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, II, p. 142.

Creation and the Genesis Flood are two topics deeply embarrassing to conservative Christians today (Protestants and Catholics alike). They want to affirm their basic beliefs, but these two topics expose them to the scorn of the unbelieving world. Evolution and man-caused global warming are assumed facts today, from the National Geographic to the casual comments of students.

Avoiding the splinters of the cross, Christians back away from the foundation of the Scriptures – the efficacy of the Word, clearly taught in this epistle.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

As someone noticed, Creation was not always taught correctly in the early Church. (We can say the same thing about all doctrines, since false teachers were actively engaged from the beginning.) These variant teachings might be used as an argument that there are many versions, so any version is tolerable.

Creation and the Genesis Flood are Biblical doctrines only when understood as examples of God’s Word always being effective. And that is also a confession about Christ, since the Son of God is the creating Word of Genesis 1 (see John 1). Denial of the Six Day Creation is a rejection of John 1 and Christ’s power.

If we cling to the rationalistic concept of the universe slowly developing over billions of years, the Genesis Creation is embarrassing and the Flood is ridiculous. As one “conservative” minister said to me, before he joined the United Church of Christ, “How could God create in six days?” That deeply troubled him, someone rather enchanted by his own cleverness.

Already in the 19th century, Evangelicals fell all over each other to embrace a modified evolution, saying God created the world in six epochs, which lasted millions (later billions) of years. The evolutionists did not compromise. To this day they proudly get rid of any academic who believes in Creation. When the established Protestants gave up on Creation, they began the erosion process. What began as typical for liberal Protestants (anti-Creation, anti-Flood) became normal for the conservative Lutherans.

Creation and the Flood are the symptoms of the real issue, which is the power of the Word.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Two striking phrases stand out for us – they are willingly ignorant of… This means that the apostates choose to forget that God does all His work through the Word and never apart from the Word. This willing ignorance is the basis for the problems of today.

God created the heavens and the earth through the Son of God and Holy Spirit, for the Spirit brooded (soared) over the waters, Genesis 1. That revelation leaves no room for evolution. The day is clearly defined in the Old Testament. One Yale professor became known as “Old Yom” because he defended the concept of the “yom” – (day in Hebrew) being a 24 hour day only, and not an epoch of countless years. “Rome wasn’t built in a day” was true, but man’s work cannot be compared to God’s work. Once we measure God’s work by man’s reason, nothing is left of God. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

The Genesis Flood cannot be completely denied. Scientists allow only for local flooding in Biblical times and glaciers in North America. (Glaciers flow slowly downhill, but somehow they move rocks from valleys to the top of mountains, according to scientists. A flood, in contrast, can deposit an ocean liner on a mountain.) The Genesis Flood is frightening in its reality because the mountains themselves were covered with water. No land creatures survived, apart from the Ark. I mention, from time to time, that dinosaurs still exist in the ocean, as proven by the Japanese experience within our lifetimes. Too bad they dumped the smelly thing back into the ocean. Willing forgetfulness is the key.

This one verse is a reminded that God has the power to do what He accomplished before – by the Word. Man wants the honor, so God is forgotten.

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

The fear of Judgment Day remains. My wife asked me about a new year being cited. Why is that year being named? There is always a new year. My Adventist relatives were in that denomination because a man named Miller predicted the end of the world twice, and he was wrong twice. He lost a lot of followers each time, but enough stayed to form a new denomination based on his error. And they still predict the end of the world from time to time. And they are still wrong and keep many followers.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

This verse alone shows how foolish it is to predict an exact time for the end, because God can shorten time or delay the Coming of Christ. Jesus warned too that no one knows the time except God the Father. The more Biblical and literal a sect pretends to be, the more likely it is that they will predict an exact date of the Coming of Christ.

These warnings are in the Scriptures so we do not grow lazy and inert about the Word. The fulfillment of the prophecies wake us up:

KJV 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

KJV 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

KJV 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God wills that we have more time for repentance. “Not willing that any should perish” is a reminder that God’s will is gracious and merciful. The evil in this world is brought about by man, who often blames God. In contrast, God calls us to repentance, reminds us of His many promises, and justifies us by faith because of His grace in Christ.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Because the Coming of Christ is like a thief in the night, with no warning, the Biblical warnings are given so that we are always alert, always awake. This lesson concludes with hope and the promise of “new heavens and a new earth,” where righteousness dwells.

Until that day comes upon us, we have the Means of Grace to convey Christ and His righteousness to us.