Second Teigen Blog

Irrelevant, but funny photo -
Redneck houseboat.

Norman Teigen has a new blog. I am spelling it out and linking it, because there are a lot of Shrinkers reading this blog.

http://lutherancolportage.blogspot.com/

I have listed it on the left. Google updates with thumbnails, a nifty feature available only with blogs, not with websites.

I am listing my Moline blog a little longer. I will keep it going but take it off the list. So far I seem to be the only person blogging about that city, where I was born. I am happy to say that this area, Northwest Arkansas, is very much like the Moline I remember.

Recently a neighbor yelled her head off at me because Sassy barked at her dog, coming right up to the door and carrying on a canine debate about who was a true loser. The lady screamed out the door, "Get your dog outta my yard, and get her on a leash." Today, she was out in her front yard. She made a point of smiling at me, at Sassy, and at me again. People are very polite and gentle here.

Patterson's Pet Mission Is Hungry

Dom Perignon Patterson, VP of His district,

wants to be the next Doctrinal Pussycat.

He attended the latest Church and Change conference.

Worship Gatherings

A church designed to meet you where you’re at.

We’re a group of people who just “came as we are” and discovered the adventure of the Christian Life. At our church, we want you to come as your are too. We worship on Sundays at 10 AM at the Old Settler’s Association Building in Round Rock, TX.

We’re casual!

When you visit CTR , dress casually and comfortably. We’re more interested in meeting you just as you are than we are in seeing you stylin’ in a power suit, or struttin’ that new skirt from the fashion stores. You’ll feel right at home in jeans or shorts.

We’re hungry!

Our Cafe’ Rock provides snacks, with coffee, bagels, donuts, fruit, and juices. If you didn’t get a chance to have breakfast, don’t worry! You can count on us to hold you over till your next big meal!

We’re friendly!

We strive to create a warm, friendly environment for you. We won’t surprise you by asking you to stand up or stick out in any way. We also won’t ask you to give us any money. We want you to be able to check us out without feeling singled out. No Pressure!

We’re relevant!

Our messages are meant to apply to your everyday life. They’re practical and filled with comfort. We believe that everyone needs to know what God expects of us, and what God offers us in His love. If you come to CTR, you’ll hear just what God has to say about this – straight from His Word, the Bible! With our upbeat music and our fun and creative worship, you’ll go home encouraged and equipped each week!

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Jeff Gunn is on the board, with two other CrossWalk members,

at Willow Creek College, WELS, Milwaukee.

CrossWalk, Phoenix, Arizona

Worship

We're casual!

When you visit CrossWalk, the very first thing we want you to know is that it's OK to relax. You can dress casually and comfortably if you'd like. You'll feel right at home in jeans or shorts. On the other hand, if wearing a suit and tie seems best to you, then bring it on! We simply want you to come as you are and hear loud and clear—you matter to God!

We're hungry!

Bring an appetite. Our CrossWalk Cafe puts out a huge spread every Sunday, with great coffee, bagels and donuts, along with fruit and juice for the health-conscious. If you didn't get a chance to have breakfast, don't worry! You can count on CrossWalk to feed you body and soul!

We're friendly!

We strive to create a warm, friendly environment for you. We won't surprise you by asking you to stand up or stick out in any way. We also won't ask you to give us any money. We want you to be able to check us out without feeling singled out. No pressure!

We're relevant!

Our messages are meant to apply to your everyday life. They're practical and filled with comfort. We believe that everyone needs to know what God expects of us, and what God offers us in his love. If you come to CrossWalk, you'll hear just what God has to say about this—straight from his Word, the Bible! With our upbeat music and our fun and creative worship, you'll go home encouraged and equipped each week!

Time of Generic Grace Update

These are Doug Engelbrecht's personal notes that he sends to Northern Wisconsin District pastors after each meeting:

Time of Grace has convinced the LC-MS to change the designation of Time of Grace from a RSO to a service organization that is recognized by the LC-MS. According to the information we have received from Time of Grace, there are specific exemptions for TOG, which would not have the normal expectations of an RSO, causing a violation of church fellowship principles. President Rutschow will continue to work with TOG to make sure that fellowship principles are not being violated by the endorsement of the LC-MS.

***

GJ - Not exactly the Formula of Concord, is it?

Now if we can only turn Mark Jeske into a Lutheran, someone who no longer promotes that idiot Mark Driscoll.

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Update!

I have learned from several sources that nothing has been settled with Mark Jeske. The report above is considered misleading spin.

Jeske is expanding his market, due to a lack of funds from Schwan, Thrivent, and the foundations.

Jeske is going to LCMS venues (their favorite term in Church and Change) to raise money. That means worshiping with them and agreeing with them, in congregations and district meetings. Jeske already participates in union services with Missouri and Habitat for Humanity.

Kingdom Workers and CrossWalk in Phoenix have both canceled Mark Jeske as a speaker. KW is having their confab in Phoenix. They lined up His Grace a year early, but the lay leadership wanted him off the menu - due to the current situation.

CrossWalk may have been encouraged. Everyone knows, anything goes, at CrossWalk.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Time of Generic Grace Update":

Damage control is pretty obvious in this sentence.

"Time of Grace has convinced the LC-MS to change the designation of Time of Grace from a RSO to a service organization that is recognized by the LC-MS."

RSO is an acronym for Recognized Service Organization. So - did we just hear that Time of Grace moved from a LCMS Recognized Service Organization to a service organization recognized by the LCMS? Huh?

The confessional factions of the LCMS must also cringe at the thought of Time of Grace being recognized as a service organization by the LCMS. Here's a little parlor game so you can cringe as well: 1) Drink a swig of beer every time you see a Gospel message in the October-December TOG messages (http://www.timeofgrace.org/recentmessage.php). 2) See how much beer remains in the first can when you finish reading.

***

GJ - Two Nazarenes and a Mormon took the beer test mentioned above and stayed cold, dead sober.

Paul Kelm Effect: Freddy Finkelstein on Lutheran Colleges

Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College Hires Geez...":

Given the growing expense involved with college education, it is prudent for parents to begin planning ahead of time, so I have been planning for my children's college education for some time, now. For what it is worth, even though my children are 8 years, minimum, from college age, WLC has already been ruled out of consideration. At this point, the only Lutheran college under serious consideration is Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN (ELS). I have visited the campuses and spoken with professors and admission counselors at both WLC and BLC, I have met several students and graduates from both colleges, including students of WLC from my own congregation, and I am far more impressed with Bethany at this point, both academically and confessionally speaking. I am particularly impressed with the Confessional activism of some Bethany professors -- the involvement of some here, being characteristic of those I've met. By comparison, the overt "Schwaermer" activism that proceeds from WLC does not help them, Charis having been one such glaring example of it. These influences do trickle down to the students. In fact, all of the students who have been sent to WLC from our own small congregation in the past six years or so (roughly 30% of our high-school grads), have been lost to these influences, while the students I have met from Bethany seem to be hotly Confessional by comparison. Yes, students, your words and actions represent the primary influences that have shaped you -- your college, high-school, church, family, etc. -- and, based on your words and actions, others rightly form judgments regarding those influences.

Yet, I am not blind to the reality that change is possible. According to my contacts in LCMS, there are two relatively conservative Concordia colleges left, Wisconsin and Irvine, and having spoken with a few Confessional professors from Concordia Wisconsin over the years, and several of their students, I am duly impressed, and am eager to see how the future may shape the reality of Lutheran education in LCMS and elsewhere in America. In the end, if I am going to purchase a specifically Lutheran education for my children, I am not going to be suckered into paying for one that is not calculated to produce, and which does not demonstrably produce, Lutheran confessors. Merely providing an education in a "Lutheran" environment is not sufficient -- that is to pay extra for only an adjective, and for just that I can purchase a positively excellent education at St. Olaf in Northfield, MN. Otherwise, there are many other very fine sources of education available.

So there is my open letter to the WLC Board. I'm not going to waste my time personally engaging fruitless discussion with a group of men whose public decisions demonstrate an undying commitment to CGM and other forms of enthusiasm. Their minds are already made up, the direction their leadership is taking them is evidence of this fact. Instead, I'll point out that WLC is not WELS, per se, but is only affiliated with WELS as an external organization, apparently sharing in a fellowship arrangement with WELS; and I'll suggest that maybe it's time WELS begin independently reconsidering that arrangement -- which would, of course, impact the member congregations of the WLC corporation and prompt them to exert appropriate influence.

I'll vote with my patronage, and encourage others to do the same.

Freddy Finkelstein

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+Diet O. Worms has left a new comment on your post "Paul Kelm Effect: Freddy Finkelstein on Lutheran C...":

A few years back, a waitress approached and struck up a conversation after seeing me reading a Bible over lunch. (How's that for efficacy!) Eventually we found that we were both WELS, and that she had just graduated from WLC and was studying further to start a career in substance abuse counseling. I asked her impression of the WELS school, and her first response was, "It is way too easy to get pot."

***

GJ - That will be called slander, Diet O. Worms.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Paul Kelm Effect: Freddy Finkelstein on Lutheran C...":

the reason chapel is poorly attended is because it reeks of reformed theology and practice!!My niece just graduated from WLC and while there attended the local wels church St.Johns, she couldn't stomach the chapel worship.

signed,
confessional Lutheran pastor's wife

***

GJ - The Reformed emphasis is coming from the WLC board of directors. WLC has been on a unionistic bent for a long time.

Someone asked me today, "Why such a huge board? Is that normal for higher education?" I think the board is huge to give more power to a few people - divide and conquer. Besides, each board member is expected to bring in money or influence. Joe Kennedy (the patriarch) was on the Notre Dame board, but he did not give much money. They threw him off.

Monday, January 18, 2010

One Web Article Sums Up the Entire Cast of Chicanery Heroes

This web article gathers together all the famous names drooled over by WELS Church and Change, whose poster-boy is Paul Calvin Kelm.

And they denounce the whole bunch.

Would that we lived in such times that Lutheran faculty members could do the same thing. Instead, they are too busy supporting their heretic pals while igniting the fagots under the feet of confessionals.

Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College Hires Geezer as Second Campus Pastor:
Church and Change Has Its Own College

01/18/10 - WISCONSIN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD - 8:43 am

P A S T O R - C A L L - R E P O R T

01/12/2010 - through - 01/18/2010

Kelm - Paul Calvin, age 65 (DMin, Church Growth, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) - WLC - Milwaukee WI - 01/12/2010 - Campus Pastor. Resume: recently canned as Perish Services expert, The Love Shack.

Wisconsin Lutheran College (WELS when the mood strikes it) stacked its board of directors with CrossWalk, Phoenix people.

CrossWalk is not even a member of WELS and will not ever be a member of WELS, from what I hear from Phoenix. But CrossWalk is the poster-child for Church and Change: hiding its identity, refusing to have Holy Communion services, relying on entertainment and other gimmicks.

The board put Pastor Jeff Gunn, Church and Change hero, on the board. They hired one of his members to be the new president of the college. They also asked an additional member from CrossWalk to be on the board. Normally a board would not have two members from the same church serving at once, but CrossWalk--lovechild of Willow Creek and Fuller--has three. When I posted this information from the WLC website, they changed the list to hide membership information. Ichabod effect.

Let's face it - Paul Calvin Kelm at age 65 is a geezer. I can say that because I am a geezer at 61. I would never put myself forward as a college campus chaplain at my age. But there is a reason WLC did this - to spite the elected leadership of the Wisconsin Synod.

At first they had only one person on the list for a second pastor - Jeff Gunn, because Gunn was facing unemployment with his funding drying up. Gunn did not get the call, but Ski's pal Buske (Gospel Lighthouse, Drive 09 and who knows what else) did.

The whole idea behind a second pastor is to turn the college into a church, even though the students already have their own WELS memberships. The college said it was specifically to set up more Pietistic cell groups, something Kelm has used to drive his synod into the sub-basement.

The students appreciate their Lutheran heritage, even if Kelm does not. There is little interest in aping the Deformed, which has been the substance of Kelm's entire miserable career.

Some achievements of Paul Calvin Kelm:

His son left WELS for Missouri.
His divorced brother had a Shrinker church in Indianapolis and left WELS for Missouri, with a sweetheart deal where he barely had to show up for classes at St. Louis to pass colloquy.
He earned a drive-by DMin in Church Growth at St. Louis, and fashions himself a "Dr" - even though a DMin is the equivalent of an STM degree, if that. His bud Larry Olson took four courses at Fuller and wrote a paper to get the degree.
He served exactly one parish on his own, a hundred years ago.
His other parish experience was at St. Mark, Depere, where he was also a member of the Willow Creek Ministerium by virtue of the congregation's membership in the Willow Creek Association (broke off - Ichabod effect).
He promoted Deformed theology as editor of TELL, leveraging his influence in false doctrine as head of Evangelism for WELS.
He had previous posts at WLC. Why did he not stay?
He has been a leader of Church and Change, fighting hard for the Leonard Sweet conference and refusing to answer anyone who objected. For Kelm, Matthew 18 is for suckers. Sweet, a notorious New Ager Methodist, was in fact the lead speaker for WELS Church and Change. Do not complain, WELSians - you funded C and C with your offering money.

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If people want their Lutheran children influenced by a man who mocks Lutheran doctrine, they should do nothing. They having been doing nothing for 30 years, so they are good at that.

If they want something different, they should write to the WLC board and Synod President Schroeder.

WLC Board:

Mr. Gary Drska* Muskego, Wis. [needs to buy a vowel]
Mr. Ryan Barbieri Sussex, Wis.
Dr. Gerald Fischer Bethesda, Md.
Mr. James Fischer Waukesha, Wis.
Rev. Kenneth Fisher Milwaukee, Wis.
Mr. Ned Goede Milwaukee, Wis.

Rev. Jeff Gunn Phoenix, Ariz. CrossWalk gets subsidized quarters at Arizona Lutheran Academy.

Rev. Mark Henrich Milwaukee, Wis.
Rev. Dennis Himm Grand Blanc, Mich.
Mr. Charles Kluenker Roseville, Calif.
Mr. Philip Leyrer New Ulm, Minn.
Mr. Scott Mayer Franklin, Wis.
Mr. David McCulloch Suttons Bay, Mich.
Mr. Kent Raabe Brookfield, Wis.
Dr. William Raasch Wauwatosa, Wis.
Mr. Paul Rosenow Temecula, Calif.
Mr. C. Daniel Stefferud Los Angeles, Calif.

Rev. Paul Steinberg Milwaukee, Wis. [Mark and Avoid Jeske plant]

Mr. Gary Stimac The Woodlands, Texas
Mr. William Treffert Pewaukee, Wis.
Mr. W. Andrew Unkefer Phoenix, Ariz.
Mr. Daryl Weber Germantown, Wis.
Dr. Ronald White Fort Myers, Fla.
Mr. Mark Wrightsman Stillwater, Minn.
Mr. George Zaferos Watertown, Wis.

Dr. Daniel W. Johnson accepted the call to become the president of Wisconsin Lutheran College in June 2008, and arrived on campus this past October. He succeeds Dr. Timothy Kriewall and becomes the third president of Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Dr. Johnson, an educator, spent the past nine years as principal and head administrator at Arizona Lutheran Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. He served as a guidance counselor and teacher at Shoreland Lutheran High School in Somers, Wisconsin, before his call to Arizona. He served as a principal at Christ the Lord Lutheran School in Clearwater, Florida, and in his first called position, he served as a teacher at Nebraska Lutheran High School, Waco, Nebraska.

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WELS Headquarters -

414-256-3888 or sending mail to:
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 2929 N Mayfair Road Milwaukee, WI 53222.

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mjleyrer has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College Hires Geez...":

"His divorced brother had a Shrinker church in Indianapolis and left WELS for Missouri, with a sweetheart deal where he barely had to show up for classes at St. Louis to pass colloquy."

And this has what to do with Paul? Oh, absolutely nothing? That's what I thought. Holding Paul accountable for what his brother does is just asinine.

***

GJ - Is that your dad on the WLC board? I think you should talk to him about doctrinal problems there. WLC seems to like every denomination except WELS. They had Martin Marty (ELCA) lecture there. They hosted the homosexual, corrupt Archbishop Weakland and his priests for a series of public lectures (and lied about it).

Blood is thicker than doctrine in WELS. That is why I mentioned Dan Kelm. The ELS hissed and mewed about Dan but did nothing. I posted the gushing story about his church in Christian News.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College Hires Geez...":

Sorry to see you have to use word verification now. Why the change?

Did some Church shrinkers nail you with a spambot?

I've always thought the current WLC Campus Pastor was a naive but conservative guy. I'm sad to see this evidence of the opposite.

What's your opinion? Do you think (as I do) that he had to have been involved in the decision to call Kelm?

***

GJ - Spam comments have increased, so I put in word identification. I do not blame the Schtinkers for that. They are too dumb to lock down security on Facebook, so I doubt whether they are running spambots. They have trouble with English, so I think code is beyond them. Besides, they want to destroy churches and souls, not computers.

I do not know too much about WLC. There are genuine Lutheran students and faculty there, but the board is pure Schwaermer. They have been behaving like ELCA wannabees for some time. ELCA has a lot of colleges already. They do not need another.

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mjleyrer has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College Hires Geez...":

Okay... but the point still stands that you listed what Dan did in Paul's "accomplishments." Which just seems kind of petty.

***

GJ - Is your father on the WLC Board of Schwaermerei? That would explain your prolific, if misguided, campaign.

Rich Gurgle's son was posting in a similar vain.

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Professor Leyrer's press agent, mjleyrer, has left a new comment on your post "Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College Hires Geez...":

Maybe it could be [GJ - redundant] that WLC added a second campus pastor because they [GJ - plural pronoun for singular subject] wanted to increase chapel attendance and increase a Christian atmosphere on the campus [GJ - Everyone is a WELS member. OK, maybe you have a point there]. I know a lot of people that go there and I know that chapel is poorly attended [GJ - needs rewording, awkward and verbose]. I think it was a good idea to add a second chaplain. [GJ - That settles the question.]

I don't get why you complain about EVERYTHING Jacko. You don't change anything, your words fall on def ears and it's not like you would ever set foot on the campus anyway. [GJ - Run-on sentence] You're like the kid who colors on the wall to get attention. [GJ - What do you call a semi-educated youngster who posts comments almost daily?]

Believe it or not, the people that you disagree with are still saved, they are still going to heaven and they still have faith in Christ. [GJ - Run-on sentence. Everyone is forgiven - except me.] They have the one thing needful. You're not doing anything for anyone. [GJ - I have provided a platform for bloggers who cannot get an audience, so they try to hijack this one.]

***

GJ - That was amusing. I did not find a direct response to my question - "Isn't your father on the board at WLC?"

Evasion is a common tactic among the Shrinkers in WELS. Ask a direct question and they will launch their feeble personal attacks.

If I were his father and serving on the board of WLC, I would quote Nathan Lane in The Producers - "Don't help me."

I am glad someone is willing to draw attention to this latest travesty. I see a replay of the last drama, where SP Schroeder advised Perish Services not to call someone. When they insisted, he advised them not to call a polarizing figure. Bruce Becker, who soon took off for Jeske-land, had Paul Calvin Kelm hired. The call was kept a secret, even though the Love Shack is not a big building. The insubordinate Becker let the Synod President read the news when everyone else did - in the Monday Call Report. I told a friend that WELS was the only synod where the call report was dramatic.

The Chicaneries began lying about their deceit - a double-whammy from the Schtinkers. They claimed Schroeder knew, calling their own elected leader a liar. I love it when cowards do something like that. I double-checked with several sources and found (no surprise) that Becker did keep it a secret.

I wonder if Professor Leyrer's press agent could answer this question - "Did the WLC board hear similar advice - not to call a second pastor? And did they keep this call a secret from the Synod President?"

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

The Tree of Life, by Norma Boeckler

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn #39 Praise to the Lord 3.1
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 370 My Hope Is Built 3.11

Water into Wine – God’s Word Transforms

The Hymn #294 O Word of God Incarnate 3.31
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 #626 O Happy Home 3.65

KJV Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

KJV John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Second Sunday After Epiphany
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thy grace Thou hast instituted holy matrimony, in which Thou keepest us from unchastity, and other offenses: We beseech Thee to send Thy blessing upon every husband and wife, that they may not provoke each other to anger and strife, but live peaceably together in love and godliness, receive Thy gracious help in all temptations, and rear their children in accordance with Thy will; grant unto us all to walk before Thee, in purity and holiness, to put all our trust in Thee, and lead such lives on earth, that in the world to come we may have everlasting life, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Water into Wine – God’s Word Transforms
This Gospel selection has several different lessons in it.
As Luther preached, the Gospel shows that Jesus honored and blessed marriage. He was invited and come with His disciples.

During the Middle Ages, the Church promoted monasticism and stopped allowing priests to be married. They liked to refer to the papacy as the Chair of Peter, but they did not want their priests to have mothers-in-law, as Peter did. (Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law in the Gospel of Mark.) But I learned at Notre Dame, that priests were married at the time of the Reformation. A tax on married priests made a lot of money for the pope. However, that semi-official approval was removed during the Counter-Reformation.

The concept of the law in Roman Catholicism is puzzling to Protestants. The rules are very strict and broken all the time. A man can be married and have several children, but his marriage is annulled if he is rich, powerful, and generous to those who hold the Office of the Keys. (For a Lutheran example, see Marvin Schwan and his marriages.)

Marriage was considered a low estate, one where someone never reached the spiritual blessings of religious vocations. Every step up the ladder was more spiritually blessed than the lower levels. Ordinary nuns and priests lived at a much higher level than the laity. Bishops and cardinals were above the priests. The pope was (and supposedly is) the Vicar of Christ, with the keys to heaven.

Luther changed the idea of the family by pointing out that everything done in faith glorified God. Moreover, since he was trained at a Roman Catholic university, he knew how to unravel their enslaving arguments. The works they promoted were pathways to Hell, not Heaven. One of his best comments on the entire Roman Catholic system of sanctification was this – “They purchase Hell when they could have Heaven for free.”

Pietists shun what they do not approve and they shun whomever they do not approve. Jesus, by attending this marriage, showed His divine approval of the married state. Nor was Peter rejected as a disciple because of his marriage. People debate about Paul being previously married and widowed. That is a historical question and not a doctrinal one. Some language in his letters and rabbinic tradition would argue that he was married at one time. Traditional Jews and Muslims believe that all people should be married.

Today we have just the opposite, an odd parallel to Medieval Romanism. Marriage is shunned because people can postpone the end of their hedonism until middle age, as Luther observed. They shun marriage so they can have more money and freedom. And they shun marriage because it may not work out perfectly. They trust only themselves and not the Word. Lacking faith in God’s Promises, they end up with the very aspects of life they fear the most.

Luther compared turning water into wine that same miracle where God transforms a couple through marriage. God blesses marriage far beyond anyone’s expectations, with an abundance difficult to measure.

Miracle of the Word
This miracle also shows that Christ could and does transform instantly through the Word. There is no difference between the will of God and the Word of God.

The conversation between Jesus and His mother could be interpreted as a battle of wills, but that ignores His divine knowledge of people. In being reluctant – My hour has not yet come – He encouraged His mother to say, “Do whatever He says.”

The actual miracle is so clear that no one could claim it was a trick. Even today there are ways to pour liquids together and get a quick change of color.

The men knew they drew water to fill the containers, because they did it themselves. They drew from the water and carried it to the host of the feast. Not only was it wine, but it was such good wine that he scolded the groom for saving the best wine until last. He should have served that first.

In the Christian faith, the one doctrine ignored the most and taught against the most is illustrated here - God’s Word is always effective. The Word accomplishes far more than we can expect or hope. No barrier can stop it.

When people deny the Real Presence in communion, or the power of the Consecration by the Word, they are denying this very doctrine.

When they trust in human inventions instead of faithfulness to the Word, they are rejecting what is clearly taught here.

When Pietists teach that God absolved the entire world, without the Word, they are going against the clear teaching of the Scriptures and making up something never stated or implied in the Word.

Luther used the term Enthusiasm to describe all false doctrine, which separates the Holy Spirit from the Word.

To counter our doubts about God’s ability, power, and compassion, all we need to do is meditate on these miracles of the Word.

This was probably a poor family, since Mary seems to be in charge of the wedding, not the bride or groom’s parents. Another measure of their poverty is running out of wine, which would be a social disaster for the time. By today’s standards, they should not have been married, because of their lack of money. And yet, Jesus graced their marriage by being their with His disciples and by performing the first of all His miracles.

Against Rome
Jesus’ address to His mother, “Woman,” often softened by translators, is repeated at the crucifixion.

Before the development of Mariolatry, the Word showed everyone that Jesus as Lord addressed His mother as “Woman.”

Medieval error elevated Mary above Jesus and turned Christianity into a Mary religion, as it still is today. One of the first signs of a Lutheran pastor joining Rome is his obsession with Mary.

Monday Morning

Members: John Phillips (b. 1935), Michelle Phillips (b. 1944), Dennis Doherty a.k.a Denny (b. 1941), and Ellen Naomi Cohen a.k.a Cass Elliot (b. 1941-d. 1974).

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
A-you can find me cryin' all of the time.

Moline Memories Blog

The president of the licorice company in town was named Smylie!

I have many pleasant memories of Moline, Illinois, so I decided to start a blog for people in my graduating class. On Saturday morning, classmates began reacting and thanking me on Facebook. I was surprised.

I have it linked on my blog list (left column) for now. Chicanery stalkers may want to do some research so they can invent some new, unwarranted assumptions. The old ones are getting rather tedious.

Friday, January 15, 2010

They'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun

The T-Bird was placed to provide modesty for Miss Katie Perry,
a quality lacking in her music and life.
Pastor Tim's eyes were not PhotoShopped.
They were bugged out in the original photo he posted.

Sing This With A Digital Keyboard

Verse 1:
Well, they got their donor’s fund
And they cruised through the Schwaermer camps, now
Seems they forgot all about the Confessions
Like they told their DP, now.
And with the rock songs blastin' goes
Cruisin' just as fast as they can, now

Chorus 1:
And they’ll have fun, fun, fun
'Til their donor takes their funding away
(Fun, fun, fun, til their donor takes their funding away)

Verse 2:

Well, the guys can't stand them
'Cause they walk, look, and drive like some Babtists,
(You walk like a Babtist, you talk like a Babtist)
They make the Drive Oh-Nine look like
The Roman chariot race, now.
(You look like a Babtist, you sound like an Babtist)
A lot of guys try to catch them
But they lead 'em on a wild goose chase, now
(You drive like a Babtist, you worship like Babtists)

And they’ll have fun, fun, fun
'Til their donor takes their funding away
(Fun, fun, fun, til their donor takes their funding away)

Instrumental break (organ/guitar solo):

Verse 3:
Well, you knew all along
That your SP was gettin' wise to you, now
(You shouldn't-a lied, now, you shouldn't-a lied)
And since he took your set of keys
We been thinkin' that your fun is all through now,
(You shouldn't-a lied, now, you shouldn't-a lied)
But you can come along with Jeske
'Cause you got a lot of things to do now,
(You shouldn't-a lied, now, you shouldn't-a lied)

Chorus 2 [2X]:
And you’ll have fun, fun, fun
Jerry Kieschnick wants their funding his way.
(Fun, fun, fun, Jerry Kieschnick wants their funding his way.)

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "They'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun":

GJ, for a square dude, you seem to have this rock and roll thing down. One of those things that makes you go hhmmmmm......

***

GJ - I know a little about pop, rock, and folk music. The difference is - I know the other side fairly well, but the Shrinkers are ignorant of classical music, Lutheran hymnody, and the Confessions. Their feeble attempts to justify themselves via the adiaphora argument prove they have neither read nor comprehended the Book of Concord.

The CORE has floated on a tidal wave of loot, but will collapse when the funding runs out. The situation cried out for a troubadour, and I had a few minutes free.

Glende and Ski confuse satire with satyr, so I try to help them with the basics. I realize they have suffered from a third-rate education in Lutheran doctrine, so I try to be compassionate.

Facebook Funny

From Facebook:

Aaron refuses to take off his Superman sweatshirt before going out in public, even though it's full of holes. He said, "Those are the places the bullets bounced off."

I looked up her husband's name. It's Aaron!

But I think she means her son.

I hope so.

Last Post on the Gay Martin Luther College Video, Part Two

How Easily the Bible Is Overturned by a Vote

WLC speaker -

Roman Catholic Archbishop Weakland used

church money to hush up his boyfriend.

Is anything too low for WLC?

By Rachel Zoll

Associated Press
Saturday, August 13, 2005

ORLANDO, Aug. 12 -- A national meeting of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America rejected a proposal Friday that would have allowed gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy under certain conditions.

The measure would have affirmed the church ban on ordaining sexually active gay men and lesbians, but it would have allowed bishops and church districts, or synods, to seek an exception for a particular candidate -- if that person was in a long-term relationship and met other restrictions.

***

GJ - Any vote can be overturned, as this article (just posted by dissenters) proves.

In time, any liberal--like ELCA Bishop Kenneth Sauer--can be turned into a grouchy, old, legalistic fuddy-duddy, because apostates accelerate the decline. The older liberals, who enabled the disaster, are left behind. They object and the new leaders laugh at them.

Thus WELS trained many pastors to be Pentecostals and Babtists, but booted them when their students took Mequon doctrinal training to its logical conclusion. The synod Church Growth stars, the shining examples, became official Enthusiasts instead of covert Enthusiasts. Some just kept sliding and became obnoxious atheists.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Last Post on the Gay Martin Luther College Video, Part One

Average college video producers.

When I left the Lutheran Church in America, in 1987, before the merger took place, the Lavender Mafia was already controlling the agenda. I wrote a chapter about it in Out of the Depths of ELCA, published in Christian News.

I was shocked that no one faced the outcome of an agenda driven by Marxism, abortion on demand, and homosexual activism. The LCA's last act was to spend its final $120,000 on a "study" of the homosexual issue.

ELCA added abortion to its health care plan. Not much happened over that issue. Babies count for little today.

ELCA decided that it was really subordinate to the Episcopal Church. Congregations began leaving over that issue.

Things really heated up after the August, 2009 ELCA convention, which was the logical outcome of 22 years of lobbying. Diversity quotas and black-balling of conservatives made it impossible to stop the ELCA Fire Island Express. Many will probably call it the last straw among many such travesties. The majority will stay, apparently.

WELS and ELS congregations have noticed ELCA members coming over, some of them joining. Doubtless Missouri has seen a similar movement.

Martin Luther College (WELS) and Wisconsin Luther College (WELS) have defended and supported their gay video, a copy of the homosexual "Party in the Fire Island Pines." Not only that, a large Facebook fansite has been established to make sure everyone can watch the video forever. The comments, posted for everyone to see, are instructive. The members of the fanpage are mostly WELS and include some of the students who produced the video - innocently and ignorantly - we are supposed to believe.

The robotic WELS response will be that I should not tell the truth about what they are doing. The ELCA members are savvy enough and scarred enough to check things out for themselves. WELS/ELS can hardly claim to be an alternative to ELCA when their College of Ministry giggles over an alternative lifestyle?

Will a humorous depiction of abortion be next?

There are probably enough ELCA Pietists to be attracted to a few WELS/ELS Shrinker experiments. Most are probably going to be looking for confessional Lutheran churches with traditional Means of Grace worship rather than entertainment, popcorn, and Soul Cafes.

I saw a few of goofing-around services in the LCA before I left, but there was nothing like widespread ChurchGrowthism in 1987. By now everyone has had too much of it.

ELCA members and pastors are probably illiterate about the Book of Concord, but so are many WELS/ELS pastors. They cannot be instructed if the teachers are untaught themselves.

The WELS college students cannot grasp what a ghastly impression they are making on anyone who might want to join their synod or attend their college. They are the ones promoting their slavish copy of the Fire Island Pines video.

No one reads this blog, as one person recently claimed. Google Analytics says - 20,000 pages were read in the last 30 days, many of them linked from ELCA. But what is that compared to the circulation of FIC and the readership of the ELS Newsletter - The Pope Speaks?

I can say without fear of contradiction that the ELS doctrinal board will act on this matter...eventually.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Last Post on the Gay Martin Luther College Video, ...":

Well, I'm hoping that by last you mean you're never going to talk about this topic again. If so, welcome to the WELS.

***

GJ - You missed the "Part One" in the headline, proving you are indeed WELS. More importantly, you missed the point of the post altogether, proving you are from MLC.

More Encouragement from the Under-Educated

Favorite toast at MLC? - Bottoms up!

mjleyrer has left a new comment on your post "MLC's Video Alive on Facebook":

Jacko, I don't really get why you post. No one listens to you, and no matter what the WELS did you would never come back. You're not helping yourself and you're not helping the synod. It's like you're an angsty teen who has too many emotions and this is your only outlet. You're not going to change anything and no one really appreciates you trying except for your handful of ichabodians.

***

GJ - Readers - above is a good example of a Changer full of himself, posting daily about why no one pays attention to Ichabod.

Does MLC have a purpose?

Parochial schools are closing faster than banks. The pre-seminary training can be provided at two other schools.

MLC is the only Lutheran college with gay video fansite on Facebook. Let me know if you find another. Obviously someone has a lot of time on his hands.

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C.C.Baxter has left a new comment on your post "MLC's Video Alive on Facebook":

The reason I brought it up was to reinforce that it isn't Greg Jackson that is bringing this subject up again and again, but the opposite: the kids who created the group are the ones bringing it up again. And the result is a lack of respect for the office of the "lil fairy" teachers-to-be.

P.S. I hope you're having as much fun as I am, Ty and Kyle. ;)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

MLC's Video Alive on Facebook

Fans of the Video

Bring back the MLC version of party in the USA!!!!!!

Elizabeth Jarvais Hey guys, I am wels and went to a wels school, I, along with every other wels member I know who has seen this video really enjoys it, and does not think that it is a bad reflection on our synod. Keep up the great suff (sic) and positive attitudes guys! You brought a smile and a laugh to so many people! I'd hug you if I could!

Nathan Klug

The MLC people in this group don't realize how bad this makes the WELS look that you are in this group.

The students who made this video made a gay copy of a video made by openly gay people. And it couldn't have come at a worse time as President Schroeder is attacking ELCA for its decision to use openly gay pastors.

I am an MLC student (fake name), we go to the WELS college of ministry for Christ. Its unbelievable that people from MLC are trying to refute Mikail's attempts to make us realize how wrong we are here. I am ashamed for every single MLC student in this fan page.... See More... See More

The video was taken down as a healing effort by the WELS to get over this video, which is a black eye to all the WELS. (Believe me, MANY people outside the WELS are attacking the synod because of this video). Even most of the people who have made this video have repented and are ready to move on. So should you.

Wall - Fan Count

we love the MLC version of Party in the USA and we were most devistated (sic) when they removed it from youtube. but thanks to a fan we now have our very own copy that we can watch any time :)

835 fans - many of them WELS high school students, prep students, and MLC students.

Bring back the MLC version of party in the USA!!!!!! thanks to one of our AMAZING fans we have a copy of PARTY IN THE MLC!!!!! enjoy,

65 people like this.

Michelle Faerber

Makes me smile everytime I watch it!! Just LOVE it :)

Sun at 12:35am · Report

Elissa Capeling

lol. i love you. so much.

Melissa Schumann

Oh man, it never gets old!

Corbin Buechler Bring back the MLC version of party in the USA!!!!!!: am i the only one that kept a copy of it off youtube?

Kala Diede

Lmao That is so weird watching the student teacher for my class (mr. krause) dance around like a lil fairy.... hahaha but that was hilarious!!

Ally Blumhoefer

haha i know right? he was my student teacher too.

***

GJ

So be careful, little hands, what you post,
So be careful, little hands, what you post.
Google searches everywhere
And the video's still there.
So be careful, MLC, what you post.

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mjleyrer has left a new comment on your post "MLC's Video Alive on Facebook":

Wow, you really don't let this die. And then you go and search for it. Don't you have a job or something? I mean, there has to be something better you could be doing with your time rather than searching the internet for what people are saying about an old video.

***

GJ - Poor Mr. Leyrer is the victim of a sub-standard education. Originally, a lay leader of WELS sent me the information because he was so disgusted with it. The MLC/WLC response was to post dozens of smart-aleck remarks, like you know, they needed a hobby or something. I mean, do they teach English at those school? Seriously. I find them totally amazing.

Another blog found the video posted in Portugal.

A reader found the video posted on Facebook, where MLC's gay video has 500 more fans (mostly WELS) than The CORE's fanpage. The CORE's marketing department probably has some new ideas for Ski's celebrity poses: Tom Cruise, Prince, Adam Lambert, John Travolta, and John Waters.

WELS has been preaching culture-evangelism for years, thanks to Valleskey, Kelm, Olson, and Huebner. Now they have the results - "By their fruits ye shall know them."

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