First Corinthians Question

A sincere request: Would you please write or post on your blog your commentary on 1 Corinthians 9... especially verses 19-23? What does this mean? Please define how a present-day pastor might "do what Paul did" without being CGM. I would benefit most from a positive statement of what it means and how it applies, rather than negative statements on how others are doing it wrong. But I can't tell you how to write.

Thank you.

(P.S. This may already exist on your site, but I couldn't find it. If it does, a link, please.)

***

GJ - I am not sure what the issue is. An additional comment would help.

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PoultryMan wrote:

As background info for you, that passage was also used in the Martin Sprigs "Outreach in a Digital World" presentation to cajole attendees that "see, Paul would use the computer."


(Page 5, here is the use of the passage. This link is to the resources page for the presentation.)


Yeah, Paul certainly would have a laptop on his travels. He would also travel steerage on his missions, and not spend most of his time at conferences and fundraising strategy sessions with his board of directors.


Grab your red-letter Bible and see what, if anything, Jesus said would fit in a Tweet.

Roses, Compost, and Birds

On Saturday we began to get about 10 inches of snow. An email told me the roses I ordered were on the way! Yesterday some snow was still in the parking lots and in the woods. The roses arrived late in the afternoon.

The altar guild decided to Go Galt this year, since one rose bush costs as much as one inexpensive bunch of roses at Walmart (about $10). I decided to order aromatic hybrid tea roses since Wayside Gardens had a special on them.

Today we had to pick up a scan of Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure, since my gruff but likable editor is ready to get it prepared for Lulu.com publishing. Northwestern Publishing House gave me the rights. Like Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, it sold very well for them. CLP is still listed with NPH. All the completed books are available from Lulu.com as free PDF downloads - no limit.

I looked at the sky and said, "Let's get home to get those roses in the ground."

I picked some good areas in the yard for the roses, although shade is a bit of a problem. To make sure it would rain, I washed and waxed the Ichaboat afterward. That worked, and the rain will stay until Sunday.

Nothing is better for new seeds and roses than steady rain. The bushes need to have the soil washed around their roots so the plant awakens from dormancy and begins to grow. In Arizona I planted them with paper grocery bags around them, to prevent drying out. That does not appear to be a problem here.

Next I will plant garlic or chives around them as a bug deterrent and aroma enhancer. Opposites grow best together, so the garlic family is used as a companion plant with roses.

Some people really believe in digging soil amendments into the ground. I learned from no-dig composting that the earthworms will do the job. All they ask is a soggy, rotting blanket of organic material above them. Compost is best, because it is finished and ready to shade the soil while feeding the worms. Leaves, grass clippings, and many other organic materials can also be used as mulch to accomplish the same thing.

The earthworms will:

1. Tunnel up and down, providing channels for the rain.
   
2. Sweeten the soil with their unique calciferous glands.
   
3. Devour and grind up rocks and organic matter.
   
4. Pull organic material into the soil.
   
5. Produce nitrogenous waste, which is good for the plants.
   
6. Place their castings on the soil surface or beneath the surface - the finest soil amendment of all. Try buying it - very expensive.
   
7. Produce eggs, which will survive the harshest weather.
   
8. Die, leaving a little bundle of nitrogenous matter to improve the soil.

Birds enjoy a Creation-based yard. Our backyard is a ravine with at least four dead trees lying on the ground or standing up, hollow and inviting. What people see as trash, animals see as condos. Needless to say, with abundant water, trees, bushes, grass, and hollow trees, we have plenty of birds: bluebirds, finches, bluejays, cardinals, starlings, woodpeckers, and juncos.

Finches love Nyjer seed (sometimes called thistle or niger), so I have two socks of Nyjer hanging at two windows. Bluebirds and many other species enjoy suet, so I have two suet stations. Bruce Church chatted up cardinals, so I added a sunflower feeder to each location. Cardinals like platform feeding, so I scatter some sunflower seeds on the front patio each day. Mr. Squirrel gets his ear of corn daily, after I walk Sassy - who hunts squirrels without fail and without success.

All that bird food costs very little and lasts a long time. I overdid the suet at Christmas, but the stations lasted almost three months. At $6 a lump, that is only $2 a month for suet, if the birds have only one bag of it. The bounty was probably a good idea, because we quickly became bird central. I wanted to get birds feeding at the window, and now they are.

Birds are noisy eaters and bathers, so a few happy birds establish a choice location for the rest of them. I added two inexpensive birdbaths for them, near each feeding area. One catches water off the roof, because the dripping noise is attractive to birds. The other one is on the back deck. It will be more attractive during dry weather, if that ever happens this year. Birds need to bathe and preen their feathers, so they favor areas with shallow water supplies. I took a $2 tin and places some rocks and a big rock in it, to allow the birds to step in and out easily. One giant rock serves as the waiting area.

Birds provide cheerful entertainment for very little investment. Our friends are coming soon, and they will be able to sit in the living room and gaze out the picture windows at birds enjoying suet, sunflower seeds, Nyjer, and water. Standing in the kitchen, they will see the bush where the same food and water are provided.

Stetzer Fans, Saddle Up! - More Proof That Pietists Become Political Activists

Source

What is Salvaton? – Answering Ed Stetzer’s Missional Question
Jump to Comments

There is an amazing conversation going on right now around the term “missional.” Every Monday Ed Stetzer (president of Lifeway Research) posts a question for missional thinkers to answer. Yesterday his question was on the topic of salvation.

It is a large and complicated question, so first I will recap his post and then answer it a piece at a time.

RECAP OF THE QUESTION:

I saw three underlying frustrations fueling Stetzer’s question:

1. Stetzer commented that the understanding of salvation on the individual/personal level should not be dismissed. He then gave multiple Biblical examples of salvation on this level and concluded that an individual’s personal commitment to Christ comes first and then his/her transformation toward social justice.
2. He pointed to a growing movement of people who would define “salvation” as bringing justice through political and economic reform (corporate, not individual level). This movement began as a both individual and corporate but has more recently become solely corporate tossing out the individual.
3. Many missional thinkers speak of salvation happening outside the church (specifically when speaking about God being on mission – the Missio Dei – and people joining God in that mission). Stetzer again mentioned his concern with this phrase hoping for a more further definition.

Stetzer then asked two questions:

“Should the definition of “salvation” be expanded beyond personal redemption of sins to include social justice through the reformation of economic and political institutions? We are not debating here whether we think social justice is right or wrong but rather should it be included in what we mean we we talk about “salvation.” Evangelicals have generally said no and mainliners have generally said yes.”

“Second, what is the difficulty with the question of personal salvation? Why is that hard for some to answer? Perhaps it is too unsophisticated, but I think it matters deeply. Actually, I think that just about all evangelicals would say it matters. Tim Keller has stated the concern and I share it. If you broaden “God is working outside the church” to one direction, you have to answer if it includes personal redemption. Perhaps I am obsessed, but I am O.K. being obsessed with the redemption of men and women. So, I think the “missional conversation” needs to ask (and answer), is God saving people outside of the proclamation of the gospel?”

IS GOD WORKING OUTSIDE THE CHURCH?

I’m going to table Stetzer’s first question for a later post (hopefully tomorrow) because the concept of justice is complicated. Rethinking my theology and the Biblical narrative through the lens of the Missio Dei has radically changed my understanding of justice and its place in the salvation discussion.

So now I would like to clarify why I (a grass-roots missional thinker with a Southern Baptist background) use the phrase “God is at work outside the church.”

The meaning of the phrase is determined for me by the context of the conversation.

1. God is working outside your understanding of church.

Often I use the phrase “God is working outside the church” to combat the idea that those who are not a part of an institutional church are somehow not able to be used by God. Let’s be honest, in our culture the word church is most often used to denote an institution. Buildings, worship services, beloved clergy, and programs are all central to our understanding of “church.” Many times when I use the phrase I am speaking directly to that understanding. I am part of a missional community that meets on Monday nights. We look nothing like an institutional church; but God is working through us in the community to bring salvation (individual/personal) to the lost. You would be amazed what a struggle this is for the average, everyday joe. You would be blown away how often I have been asked things like, “So when do you preach?” or “So when you grow big enough you are going to get a building right?” or “So what church is your small group a part of?” When I use the phrase in this context what I am really saying is, “God is working outside your understanding of church.”

2. The temptation toward universalism.

I don’t use the phrase to mean that some other form of salvation exists outside the Lordship of Christ; although I understand the temptation to use it in this way.

Growing up I was very much protected within the walls of the church. My church family was like an unbreakable bubble. We (believers) were in the bubble and they (non-believers) were out. I got passing glimpses of those outside of it, but never a monstrous amount of contact because my life revolved aournd (sic) the church. What defined those of us inside the bubble were the rules and rituals that dominated our lives. Following the rituals and rules is what it meant to be a disciple. Now don’t get me wrong, we preached grace and mercy. We spoke about the saving blood of Christ. We railed against legalism and salvation by works; but when it came to describing what the life of a believer looked like we gave examples like: we go to church on Sunday, we participate in the following five programs, we don’t drink, we don’t cuss, we don’t dance (where anyone can see you), we pray when we are in trouble or need something, we only listen to Christian music, and on, and on, and on.

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GJ - Asking the question is a good way to promote the subject being raised.

Leftist Evangelicals quickly become pure Leftists who hide behind the cross to hide their hammer and sickle.

Church and Change hired Stetzer to be their main speaker, then lied about it until the cows came home. The Conference of Pussycats finally woke up and insisted the invitation be withdrawn.

WELS discipline consists of denying that it ever happened, or as Don Patterson handles it - hiding the eggs.

Texas WELS has a message to those concerned about organized Easter egg hunts:

No hay huevos.

Cuban Health Care Celebration

Missouri Shrinker Snuffs His Own Blog

Here is the shocking admission.

Click on his link for all the Shrinker trends, including Craig Groeschel, the Delphic Oracle of The CORE.

Community Church Easter Egg Hunt

Two choices here.

Dateline: Bella Vista, Arkansas.

I got my first Easter egg hunt invitation in the mail yesterday. No, it was not from Holy Word Lutheran Church (WELS) in Austin, Texas.

The Bella Vista Community Church invited me to their Easter egg hunt. There was not much room on the postcard, so that Easter egg hunt must have been very important to them.

One sect makes a big deal about Easter being named after a fertility god Oster, and the day being marked by giving colorful eggs. Such customs go back to Zoroaster, the religion of Queen's founder, Freddy Mercury.

One Lutheran, who does a lot of research for this blog, suggested I look at a search for WELS and Easter eggs. I did another for Missouri and Easter egg hunts. The results were appalling, in both cases.

I was discussing religious holidays with some pastors. We agreed that Easter was our favorite because it was the least commercialized. Advent has become a time of "I'm too busy because of all the parties." We have to hear Little Drummer Boy, sung by Bing Crosby, in every store and elevator.

Why detract from the value of Easter by associating it with a non-Christian tradition, an event staged by dozens of community groups at once?

Holy Word is so proud of their effort that they advertise it as a clever idea at the Church and Change website. They omit the eggs in the write-up, lest someone think they are Chicaneries. Patterson has issues with Church and Change. That is why he speaks there, attends their conferences, and organizes WELS workers to attend the Exponential conference.

Enthusiasts find each other and work together. They have a common bond, a common un-faith. They do not trust the Word.

Imagine the apostles gathering the crowds for an Easter egg hunt rather than teaching them about the resurrection of Christ.

That is what the WELS and Missouri disciples of Church Growth are doing. They are ashamed of the Gospel. They are Enthusiasts, looking for something "that works."

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wildcard (http://wildcard.myopenid.com) has left a new comment on your post "Community Church Easter Egg Hunt":

Holy Word is so proud of their effort that they advertise it as a clever idea at the Church and Change website. They omit the eggs in the write-up, lest someone think they are Chicaneries. Patterson has issues with Church and Change. That is why he speaks there, attends their conferences, and organizes WELS workers to attend the Exponential conference.

They are so arrogant AND stupid!

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wistex (http://wistex.myopenid.com) has left a new comment on your post "Community Church Easter Egg Hunt":

The reason why the eggs aren't mentioned is because they are an afterthought. Most non-members come to the sunrise service because they saw a road sign. These signs don't say anything else except "Easter Sunrise Service", the time, and the location.

The Easter Egg Hunt is done in between the sunrise service and the regular Sunday service, mostly to give the kids something to do. Similarly, Holy Word offers a breakfast to give the adults something to do.

If people weren't so willing to put the worst possible construction on things, you might see how inconsequential the Easter eggs really are.

But then we wouldn't have funny pictures of pastors in bunny suits, would we?

***

GJ - I thought my Doebler bunny was especially flattering. Alice in Wonderland 3-D, Part Deux, is having a casting call right now. Hurry hurry!

Howzabout having the adults hunt for eggs while the kids eat? The Shrinkers assume everyone is a kid needing entertainment?

Renewable Energy Repair Bills, II

Renewalble Energy Repair Bills, I

Mid-Week Lenten Service, Because We Are Not an Emerging Church, 7 PM Central

By Norma Boeckler

Mid-Week Lenten Vespers


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 6 PM Phoenix Time

The Hymn #268 Zion Mourns 4:98
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 23 p. 128
The Lection The Passion History

The Sermon Hymn #40 The God of Abram Praise 4:94

The Sermon – The Humanity of Christ

The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
The Collect for Grace p. 45

The Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4:24

WELS: Women Pastors - Si! - Women Voters - No!

St. John’s votes to fire principal: Women not allowed to vote, speak

By Tim Damos / News Republic | Posted: Monday, March 22, 2010 10:04 pm | (9)

During a six-hour meeting Sunday in which females were not permitted to vote or speak, male church members voted to terminate the principal of a Baraboo Christian school.

The suspension of St. John's Lutheran School Principal John Hartwig earlier this month sparked a public outcry from a group of parents that said he was being unfairly targeted.

And supporters of Hartwig said they were shocked to learn that female church members would not be permitted to speak during a meeting Sunday to decide the principal's fate.

"That was terrible," said Pete Klaech, who voted in support of Hartwig and says the controversy may divide the church.

Though an official vote tally could not be verified by an official source Monday, several who attended the meeting said the vote was 76-74 to fire Hartwig.

Details of the principal's alleged wrongdoings are murky, and church leaders have been unwilling to be interviewed. In a letter to school parents announcing his suspension, church pastors said Hartwig had promoted materials that questioned the church's teachings and had engaged in conduct "unbecoming a called worker."

Hartwig's father, a former pastor, authored a document years ago questioning Lutheran doctrine that says women shall not have authority over men. Church members say Hartwig, who has been principal since the summer of 2003, was accused of distributing that document to several in the congregation.

Several parents who support Hartwig have said they would remove their children from the school if her were terminated.

Roughly 300 people attended Sunday's meeting, which was closed to school parents who are not members of the church, Klaech said.

Females do not have voting privileges, but are generally allowed to speak at meetings. Sunday's meeting was the first time in recent history that St. John's Council President Don Finseth exercised his authority to prevent females from speaking, church members say.

Finseth did not return a phone call Monday, and repeated attempts by the Baraboo News Republic over the last month to interview church leadership about the Hartwig matter have been unsuccessful.

When reached by phone Monday, Associate Pastor Carl Schroeder said he could not comment on any church discipline.

Hartwig has also declined to speak publicly, and did not return a phone call Monday.

Those who attended Sunday's meeting said discussion about Hartwig's possible termination began with Pastor Tom Fricke describing details of his interactions with Hartwig over several years.

That followed a period in which church members were allowed to comment and ask questions of Hartwig and church leaders.

Women who wanted to ask questions were told to write them on a piece of paper and have a man read them aloud. But some, including Hartwig's own daughter, said their questions were never read.

"I actually passed three or four questions to a church council member and none of them were read," said Emily Rae Hartwig. "I guess the way I felt about it, and the way many others felt, was that they were afraid of us (women). A lot of my dad's supporters are women."

Emily Rae Hartwig said she is not upset with the congregation, but is disappointed with the church's leaders and feels her father's future career has been jeopardized by his unjust treatment at St. John's.

Rev. Fricke released a prepared statement Monday saying Hartwig was "regretfully terminated" on doctrinal grounds after more than two years of discussions with church leaders in an effort to resolve the issues.

"While congregational leaders acknowledge Mr. Hartwig's fine administrative skills and recognize the personal admiration many parents have for him, our overriding concern is for maintaining sound biblical doctrine and practice," Rev. Fricke's said in the statement. "The decision is difficult for everyone involved. We remain deeply concerned for Mr. Hartwig and his family and will continue to pray for them and the St. John's family."

Church member Doug Zimmerman said a leader from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod who attended Sunday's meeting was asked if any other churches had rejected the recommendation of their leaders to terminate an employee.

Zimmerman said the WELS representative replied that he could recall one church doing so, and said that church later left the Synod.

"To me that was a threat to our church directly," Zimmerman said. "That's how we all took it. I'm sure they're going to say, ‘Oh no, we never threatened anybody.' But it was in the man's voice."

Send e-mail to tdamos@capitalnewspapers.com

***

GJ - Ted Hartwig has long been known as the heresiarch of the Wisconsin sect. The fired principal is his son. Ted Hartwig's sons-in-law include Jim Mattek and Wayne Laitinen.

John Hartwig can become a woman under ObamaCare and begin serving as a pastor in WELS. No problem. Most denominations require a seminary degree and ordination, but WELS does not require either one for women. Just get a gig at a lavishly funded Church and Change operation. Certification - not required. Brotherly notification of a radical change - not required. Spineless DP - required. Fortunately, WELS has a busload of them.

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More coverage.

False teachers always get a lot of loud support.

Ben Stein on the Cuban Health Care Bill

His Expelled movie is a good exploration of the evolution scam.

Ben Stein:

My Thoughts on Watching the Dems Stab the Constitution on the Congressional Floor

By Ben Stein on 3.22.10 @ 9:37AM

1. This is a "bill" that is clearly not really a Constitutionally allowable legislative entity, eligible for signature into law. For it to be that, it would need to be identically passed in both houses. It was not. It was passed as a corned beef hash of vague promises in the Senate. Then a vote was taken in the House to eventually pass the same bill but with a few changes and a further vague promise to reconcile both versions. This is not how the Constitution defines a bill en route to becoming a law. This is just a demand by President Obama to submit to his authority, which the Democrats meekly passed. This is not Constitutional.

2. The slovenly laziness of the Majority to not even read the vague bits of the bill floating around is further evidence of contempt for law and the Constitution.

3. This is not how the U.S. government is supposed to work. This is how a South American junta does its work with a puppet legislature and a supreme Caudillo above law. This is, tragically, Barack Obama's America. It took a mere 14 months to get us from the government of Jefferson to the government of Trujillo.

4. The supine cowardice of the mainstream media here is almost beyond imagining. To fail to even notice the attack on the Constitution going on here is stunning and discouraging in the extreme.

5. For those of us who still believe in the Constitution, I offer the words of the great civil rights anthem, "We shall overcome, " and "We are not afraid." In that spirit, we continue the fight for the return to Constitutional government. Loyal to the nation and the Constitution, but most certainly opposed to the subversion or either.

As Churchill said, "In war, resolution. In defeat, defiance." And this is a war for Constitutional government. A war of words, to be sure, but a war we must win.

6. One more thought. If Mr. Obama's goal really is to protect life and health, the surest way to do that would be a right to life amendment to the Constitution. May we expect that proposal from Mr. Obama soon?

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Stuff Their Mouths with Gold

I have Broken Many Things with Both Hands, But...

When I break things, it is always because I am trying to fix them.

Here Is a Man Who Has Accomplished More Because He Began with Less

Nick.

Old Chicago Tribune Cartoon

1934 -
Left click for a better view.

Chrysostom on the Multitude

On Faithfulness, not numbers in the church.....

"Would you learn that it is the saints, not the numbers, which make the multitude? Lead out to war ten hundred thousand men, and one saint, and let us see who achieves the most? Joshua the son of Nun went out to war, and alone achieved all; the rest were of no use. Wouldest thou see, beloved, that the great multitude, when it does not the will of God, is no better than a thing of naught? I wish indeed, and desire, and with pleasure would be torn in pieces, to adorn the Church with a multitude, yea, but a select multitude; yet if this be impossible, that the few should be select, is my desire. Do you not see that it is better to possess one precious stone, than ten thousand farthing pieces? Do you not see that it is better to have the eye sound, than to be loaded with flesh, and yet deprived of sight?"

St. John Chrysostom, 5th Century, AD
Commentary on Acts, chapter 3

Another Triumph for the Compromisers:Cuban Health Care

The socialists passed their dream package, Cuban Health Care with abortion funding and death panels.

I have no idea what will happen. Some people, whose history knowledge is limited to "classics from the 1960s pop list," are saying nothing is ever repealed. Prohibition was repealed. All the pro-life protections of the past were nullified by the US Supreme Court. The Congress passed a protection of marriage act and gay marriage spread faster than ever. The Supremes even repealed natural law concepts in Webster. The Supreme Court thus reversed its own position in the Georgia case, although people act as if stare decisis is absolute.

Anything can be repealed. The US Constitution began to be repealed under FDR, with the groundwork done by his cousin, Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy grabbed land from various states, all for a good cause. That is why we are short on oil today - the feds can grab oil and coal fields simply by fiat. Everyone accepts it.

I give all the credit and the glory to the compromisers, the people who want to appear as nice guys by giving in to each bad idea, resisting a little, and then caving and justifying. No political leader fought against the Medicare D drug plan, which was the largest unfunded socialist plan since the New Deal of FDR. Medicare D simply grew into ObamaCare. The GOP laid the egg that hatched into a Democrat vulture.

The radicals need these useful idiots because the bare program itself is always so unappealing.

National trends in politics are foreshadowed in denominational trends. For instance, the willingness of WELS and the LCMS to work with ELCA meant that American Lutherans had lost their horror of abortion and homosexual ordination. ELCA pays for abortions in its health plan. The Lutheran's editor, wrote, about 20 years ago, "We have been ordaining homosexuals for years."

The Surrendered Fort used to make me laugh when they acted so snooty about their school while lavishing praise on any ELCA leader who condescended to speak at their shrinking academy. When an ELCA bishop spoke against the radical takeover of ELCA, Ft. Wayne acted as if they had just discovered the Fifth Gospel. And yet that same bishop was one of the worst ones just before the ELCA merger, calling inerrancy advocates "bat-brained cowards who don't have the guts to lean on Jesus Christ." He was just miffed that the new crop of radicals despised him for being old school.

The vast majority of "conservative" Lutheran clergy today are no more than ELCA enablers. They will not do anything that would make them lose out on a free trip to Europe or even a committee assignment. Their supine attitude toward apostasy is obvious enough. The only thing that arouses their wrath is being reminded of their timidity.

Time of Generic Grace Offers...Generic Grace

John has left a new comment on your post "Jeske's Name - 14 Times, Jesus' Name - Once:Jeske...":

sadoc,

My point is that what Time of Grace does can hardly be called outreach. It does nothing to guide folks to any resource other than Time of Grace.

Is the sacrament of Holy Baptism available at Time of Grace? It is not.

Is the sacrament of the Lord's Supper available at Time of Grace? It is not.

Does Time of Grace guide folks to resources in their area where they can be properly instructed/catechized? It does not.

These facts lead this layman to believe that Time of Grace exists only to perpetuate Time of Grace.

As far as your comment about the typical WELS pastor not doing much outreach:

I want the shepherd called to tend the flock of which I am a member to do exactly that, first and foremost.

So what if a great shepherd is not so hot at outreach? Maybe the congregation needs to be sure that it has a great evangelism committee/board in place.

Photographic Message

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory of the Coming of Paul Kelm

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WLC - Wisconsin's Little College - News":

"I just attended Kelm's first Proclamation and Praise service at WLC Willowcreek Leftist College and must say that he is quite a wonderful addition to our campus. May the name of the LORD be praised!"

Didja Know Soccer Is a Means of Grace?Raffles, Petting Zoo, Face Painting Too!

Source.

Here is another source.

WELS Pastor Paul Seager

About Christ Alone

Christ Alone emphasizes…

• Christ-centered worship.
• The loving and powerful work of God in his Word, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
• Bible Study appropriate for all ages.
• Personal pastoral care.
• Encouragement in our God-given, individual callings.

Christ Alone is…

• An outreach effort of Immanuel Lutheran in North Richland Hills.
• Associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
• A Confessional Lutheran Church.

***

GJ - People used to make fun of the Assemblies of God for bribing kids into coming to church. Valleskey's pal Radloff was the mission counselor for this area.

Who might the sponsoring pastor be? Doebler? Doebler? I have read that name before.

Judica, The Fifth Sunday in Lent

By Norma Boeckler


Judica Sunday, The Fifth Sunday in Lent


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Savings Time


The Hymn #268 Zion Mourns 4:98
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 #40 The God of Abram Praise 4:94

The I AM

The Communion Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 45 Now the Hour 2:95

KJV Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee, that of Thine infinite mercy Thou hast instituted this Thy sacrament, in which we eat Thy body and drink Thy blood: Grant us, we beseech Thee, by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not receive this gift unworthily, but that we may confess our sins, remember Thine agony and death, believe the forgiveness of sin, and day by day grow in faith and love, until we obtain eternal salvation through Thee, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The I AM of John’s Gospel

John 8:48 Before Abraham was, I am.

For a long time, the modernists raged against John’s Gospel because the divinity of Christ is so clearly taught. So is the pre-existence of Christ.

Those aspects of Christian doctrine are not lacking in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but they are especially clear in John.

The following characteristics of John’s Gospel were found to be true, and they all point to the apostolic authorship of the Fourth Gospel. The original manuscripts did not have a title, but they had traditional authors.

Characteristics:
1. The language of Jesus’ sermons is easily translated into Hebrew or Aramaic. They were not spoken by a Greek philosopher, as skeptics argued, but by Jewish rabbi addressing the largest group of people possible – the Greek-speaking population of the area.
2. The geography of John shows knowledge of the area, more in evidence than the other Gospels. Knowing the territory can only come from someone who was there. Imagine trying to get little details right about your area without ever living there.
3. The earliest scrap of a Gospel ever found is from the Gospel of John. That means it existed several centuries before the skeptics thought it was written.
4. The Gospel assumes people know the other Gospels, but it also fills in many details and spoken passages, without contradicting anything in those Gospels.

I could list more. This is writer’s intuition – the Gospel has the feel of a first-hand account. John’s claim is clearly made, since the “disciple Jesus loved” is his reference to who is the author. But the language of the Gospel itself reveals an eye-witness knowledge of the events no one can fake.

John’s Gospel is especially devoted to showing a harmony with the Old Testament. That begins with the first chapter starting in the same words as Genesis 1:1. References to Moses and the Exodus call up details from the holiest books of the Old Testament – the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch). The Torah scrolls are the Books of Moses. When they march through the synagogue today, the Torah scrolls are carried. They are the holiest books of the Old Testament, according to Jewish practice.

This particular lesson features Christ identifying with the appearance of Moses before the burning bush.

Too many translations and books try to make “I AM” seem to be the same as Jesus saying, “It’s me.” When someone phones and asks for a given name, we say, “That’s me.” It may be bad English, but that is what we say. “It is I” seems a bit formal.

“I AM” is God’s name and it was used that way in Greek at that time. That is especially true of this particular use.

“Before Abraham was, I AM” – that makes no sense in any language, unless Jesus is God. The “I AM” transcends any sense of tense. English demands “I was” because both should be past tense. “When Sam was in the Army, I was in school.” No one would say, “When Sam was in the Army, I am in school.”

“I AM” means that the Son of God has always existed.

Secondly, Jesus called to Moses out of the burning bush.

KJV Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

The orthodox Lutherans also identified the nature of the burning bush with the Two Natures of Christ. The bush burned but was not consumed, so it had two natures – the flame and the bush. In the same way, Christ has two natures, human and divine. Just as there is one burning bush, there is one Christ.

For Jewish people, faith in Christ meant seeing that all their religious observances of the Passover were pointing them to Christ. For those who were outside of Judaism, learning the Old Testament was essential.

JUSTIFYING FAITH
"But when we are speaking of the subject itself, it is certain that the doctrine of gracious reconciliation, of the remission of sins, of righteousness, salvation, and eternal life through faith for the sake of the Mediator is one and the same in the Old and in the New Testament. This is a useful rule which we must retain at all costs: The doctrine, wherever we read it, in either the Old or New Testament, which deals with the gracious reconciliation and the remission of sins through faith for the sake of God's mercy in Christ, is the Gospel."
Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 459.
"Therefore God, 'who is rich in mercy' [Ephesians 2:4], has had mercy upon us and has set forth a propitiation through faith in the blood of Christ, and those who flee as suppliants to this throne of grace He absolves from the comprehensive sentence of condemnation, and by the imputation of the righteousness of His Son, which they grasp in faith, He pronounces them righteous, receives them into grace, and adjudges them to be heirs of eternal life. This is certainly the judicial meaning of the word 'justification,' in almost the same way that a guilty man who has been sentenced before the bar of justice is acquitted."
Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 1989, II, p. 482.
"Yet these exercises of faith always presuppose, as their foundation, that God is reconciled by faith, and to this they are always led back, so that faith may be certain and the promise sure in regard to these other objects. This explanation is confirmed by the brilliant statement of Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:20: 'All the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen, to the glory of God through us,' that is, the promises concerning other objects of faith have only then been ratified for us when by faith in Christ we are reconciled with God. The promises have been made valid on the condition that they must give glory to God through us."
Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 1989, II, p. 495.
"Therefore this apprehension or acceptance or application of the promise of grace is the formal cause or principle of justifying faith, according to the language of Scripture."
Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., II, p. 502.
"We must note the foundations. For we are justified by faith, not because it is so firm, robust, and perfect a virtue, but because of the object on which it lays hold, namely Christ, who is the Mediator in the promise of grace. Therefore when faith does not err in its object, but lays hold on that true object, although with a weak faith, or at least tries and wants to lay hold on Christ, then there is true faith, and it justifies. The reason for this is demonstrated in those lovely statements in Philippians 3:12: 'I apprehend, or rather I am apprehended by Christ' and Galatians 4:9: 'You have known God, or rather have been known by God.' Scripture shows a beautiful example of this in Mark 9:24: 'I believe; help my unbelief.'"
Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., II, p. 503. Philippians 3:12; Galatians 4:9; Mark 9:24.
"For we are not justified because of our faith (propter fidem), in the sense of faith being a virtue or good work on our part. Thus we pray, as did the man in Mark 9:24: 'I believe, Lord; help my unbelief'; and with the apostles: 'Lord, increase our faith,' Luke 17:5."
Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., II, p. 506. Mark 9:24; Luke 17:5.
"But because not doubt but faith justifies, and not he who doubts but he who believes has eternal life, therefore faith teaches the free promise, which relies on the mercy of God for the sake of the sacrifice of the Son, the Mediator, and not on our works, as Paul says in Romans 4:16: 'Therefore it is of faith, that the promise might be sure according to grace.'"
Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., II, p. 507. Romans 4:16
"Thus when we say that we are justified by faith, we are saying nothing else than that for the sake of the Son of God we receive remission of sins and are accounted as righteous. And because it is necessary that this benefit be taken hold of, this is said to be done 'by faith,' that is, by trust in the mercy promised us for the sake of Christ. Thus we must also understand the correlative expression, 'We are righteous by faith,' that is, through the mercy of God for the sake of His Son we are righteous or accepted."
Melanchthon, Loci Communes, “The Word Faith.” Cited in Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, II, p. p. 489.

Our Spring Snow Warning, Sunday AM

Canada, 1972. But it feels like that today.


A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT...

FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... * IN OKLAHOMA...CHEROKEE...ADAIR...CREEK...OKFUSKEE...OKMULGEE... WAGONER...TULSA...ROGERS...MAYES...DELAWARE...PAWNEE...OTTAWA... PUSHMATAHA...CHOCTAW...WASHINGTON...OSAGE...CRAIG...NOWATA... PITTSBURG...SEQUOYAH...MCINTOSH...MUSKOGEE...LE FLORE...LATIMER AND HASKELL. IN ARKANSAS...WASHINGTON...MADISON...CRAWFORD... BENTON... SEBASTIAN...CARROLL AND FRANKLIN.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER... * SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS MORNING. THE SNOW WILL MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO RAIN BEFORE IT ENDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 6 INCHES WILL OCCUR TODAY FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS TO NEAR MUSKOGEE TO NORTH OF MCALESTER WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS SINCE THE SNOW BEGAN SATURDAY WILL EXCEED A FOOT IN PARTS OF FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND FAR NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.

***

GJ - It's colder than a Friendship Sunday event in WELS.

Texans Egg-static Over Choice of Two Different Easter Egg Hunts in Austin

"Easter eggs? Where?"


Holy Word will be holding its annual outdoor Easter sunrise service at Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms The farm, situated on eighty acres on scenic Walnut Creek in northeast Austin, is a living history museum that preserves the cultural heritage of early Texas settlers.

We expect over 800 people to attend the Easter sunrise service, consisting of Bible readings, music, and an Easter message preached by Pastor Donald Patterson. The service begins at 7:00 am. Feel free to stay after the service to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as donuts and drinks. In case of rain, the service will be held at the church.

There will be an Easter Egg hunt for children through age 8 at Pioneer Farms at 8:15 am. A full breakfast will be served at the church beginning at 8:45 am in the Fellowship Hall. Following this will be an Easter festival service at church at 10:30 am.

In addition, Living Word is holding an Easter sunrise service in Marble Falls again this year.

We invite you to join us this Easter as we celebrate our Savior's resurrection. By rising from the dead, Jesus Christ completed the plan of salvation that gives us forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life in heaven. We want to share this good news with you as we join together to praise and worship our God.

Different URL from the church website! - http://www.eastersunrise.net/


***

GJ - The Easter egg hunt is missing from the Holy Word site.

But it is perhaps hinted at in the Church and Change website:

"Worship - Easter Sunrise Service in the Park

Holy Word Lutheran, Austin, TX
We have a service in the park with two weeks prior advertising Good attendance - mostly non-members. Service - Hymns, Prayers, Sermon, Solo, Offering, 2 Choirs


Phone: (512) 836-4264
Email: pastor@holyword.net"

Patterson went to the latest Chicanery conference and shares his pagan ideas with them, but he would have us believe he is not working with them and for them!

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Easter eggs are missing again, in a web announcementt:

"Holy Word - Easter Sunrise Service
Sunday, Apr 4 7:00a
at Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, Austin, TX

Holy Word will be holding its annual outdoor Easter sunrise service at v The farm is situated on eighty acres on scenic Walnut Creek in northeast Austin.

We expect over 800 people to attend the Easter sunrise service, consisting of Bible readings, music, and an Easter message preached by Pastor Donald Patterson. read more
Price: Free
Phone: (512) 836-4264
Age Suitability: All Ages
Tags: christian, easter

Holy Word will be holding its annual outdoor Easter sunrise service at v The farm is situated on eighty acres on scenic Walnut Creek in northeast Austin.

We expect over 800 people to attend the Easter sunrise service, consisting of Bible readings, music, and an Easter message preached by Pastor Donald Patterson. Feel free to stay after the service to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as donuts and drinks. In case of rain, the service will be held at the church."

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wistex (http://wistex.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Texans Egg-static Over Choice of Two Different Eas...":

"A crooked tie points to a crooked heart"?

Gee, thanks for adding to the discussion.

Sorry for the snark, but absolutely inane, idiotic comments such as these are the reason it is hard to take most commenters of this blog seriously. Most of the time, comments are petty and insulting for their own sake and do nothing to promote dialogue. [GJ - Unwarranted claim. The dumb, nasty, gratuitous comments went away with OpenID being use. There are some exceptions, like wistex's.]

It would be better if one actually made a point, no?

***

GJ - If Kudu Don Patterson is so proud of his Easter egg hunt that he set up a separate website to promote it, then why not admit it on his church blog and in other announcements? Perhaps he thought no one knew how to use Google.

WELS Bunnies Muliply in Texas as Ichabod Eggs On the Chicaneries

Patterson's Easter egg hunt was last year,
with no published evidence about it this year.
Team Ichabod is waiting for an official denial,
to prove it is happening again.

wildcard (http://wildcard.myopenid.com) has left a new comment on your post "Here Come Doebler Cottontail, Hoppin' Down Chicane...":

Are WELS congregations in Texas so devoid of the Gospel that they need live bunnies and an Easter egg hunt to draw visitors?

Pastors like Patterson and Doebler obviously trust live bunnies and an Easter egg hunt more than the Word when it comes to drawing visitors. The congregations fall in line and go along with it.

Spring in NW Arkansas: Daffodils Blooming in the Snow

I kelmed this from the Internet, but our yard looks like this tonight. The snow is falling steadily, the bird baths are freezing over, and the daffodils are just starting to bloom.

Doris Day ear-worm.

Here Come Doebler Cottontail, Hoppin' Down Chicanery's Trail

Doebler got a $20,000 grant for this?

Source

Are WELS congregations in Texas so devoid of the Gospel that they need live bunnies and an Easter egg hunt to draw visitors?

Kudu Don Patterson did this last year, so I borrowed the bunny photo and replaced Dom Perignon's face with Doebler's.

WELS Church Lady says Doebler is confessional. If Doebler is a confessional Lutheran pastor, then Glaeske is a conservative DP.

For all you missionaries looking for a call, any call, and all the congregations and schools that are out of money - rent a bunny suit. The grant-givers love a touch of fleece.

I am sure the ELS and WELS boards of doctrine will jump on this like hobos on a hotdog.

Search Easter egg hunts in WELS.

Search Easter egg hunt in the LCMS.

Jeske's Name - 14 Times, Jesus' Name - Once:Jeske's Face - Thrice, Jesus' Face - Zero!

Counted by a WELS layman.

John has left a new comment on your post "Jeske's Name - 14 Times, Jesus' Name - Once:Jeske'...":

Jeske makes an effort to do what?

His TV program is nothing more than a few couple of minute snippet teasers from a DVD or series of DVD's that one must purchase from Time of Grace in order to get the complete class/series.

If this man was truly interested in bringing folks into the fold, he would encourage his watchers to seek out the closest WELS pastor/congregation for more information. He does not do this.

I haven't watched his program for some time. He never acknowledged on his program that he was a Lutheran pastor in all the times that I did watch. Does he continue to deny that he is a Lutheran pastor?

Ah, De Oprah - Bishop Katie Teaches Ex Cathedra

Katie, doing the work Ski won't do - and she is not an illegal immigrant!


From The CORE, Bishop Katie's Blog

“Well, that's a bit of a gray area.”

I was catching up on some blog reading this weekend and came across that phrase a lot. Almost too much. And it got me thinking.

Now, I get that there are things in the Bible that are adiophra (sic) - not really addressed - a.k.a. gray areas. However, I think oftentimes we abuse this phrase. Instead of using it to say it’s an area we can’t really say with certainty is right or wrong and therefore have absolutely no right to tell others whether it’s right or wrong, I wonder if we use it as an excuse. I wonder if we use it as an excuse to allow ourselves to satisfy our desires without guilt. You know like if we are 100% honest with ourselves we probably shouldn’t be doing it but the Bible doesn’t explicitly say it’s forbidden so we call it a gray area and all is well?

I’m not saying everything is black and white, but I’m not sure saying so much is a gray area is the right way to go either. What do you think? Are we using our gray crayons just a little too much?

***

GJ - I have not read such illiterate mush since Dorothy Sonntag vexed readers of The Northwestern Lutheran. Then she joined ELCA.

Here is another example of women (who think they are) teaching men in WELS. The term is adiaphora. The appropriate section of the Formula of Concord should be studied, because graduates of The Sausage Factory (examples - Ski, Glende, Ash) always get it wrong. Pretending to be Babtist is not longer an adiaphoron (singular of adiaphora) when there is a confessional crisis.

One might expect Ski to edit Bishop Katie's theological discourses, when he is done framing his latest celeb photo op. Ski does not exhaust himself writing. His blog is DOA and his alleged Twitter account is lifeless.

I cannot blame Ski for copying and pasting his sermons from the Schwaermer super-stars he admires so much. Kelm has done that for decades and always has calls and defenders in the WELS clergy. Why defy the formula for success in WELS?

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Ah, De Oprah - Bishop Katie Teaches Ex Cathedra":

I am aware of a WELS lady who teaches in a local WELS grade school and practices the New Age satanic healing technique called Reiki.

Ask Mrs. Wendland what WELS women should be doing.

March 2008 - Coming Soon - “Heirs Together of God’s Gracious Gift of Life” - This study was written by Prof. Richard Gurgel and Mrs. Kathy Wendland after years of study together with a larger committee. It takes a close look at the equal status and purpose that Men and Women share in God’s church as well as the unique calling that they each have as Men and Women.Page 4
http://www.stpaul-amherst.org/Newsletter/0803newsletter.pdf

***

GJ - Richard's (or Kathy Wendland's) "Heirs Together" needed considerable cleaning up before NPH would publish it.

"Apt to teach" does not count with Sausage Factory professors.

Kooba - The Socialist Dream Come True

Travelers must go to Detroit
to see socialist squalor equal to Cuba's.

From The American Thinker:

Cuba is an antique car-collector's dream...except that Cubans aren't collecting 1940s and 1950s vehicles -- they're driving them. New cars? A few. But generally, oldies must do. Licenses? Interesting. Socialists say everyone's the same. So why link someone's status to license color? Brown plates, for example, signal a government VIP, blue an inspector-controlled vehicle.

Here's something on Obama's wish list: the civilian security system. In Cuba, it's called the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution, or the CDR. Billed initially as an extra security force, "a collective system of revolutionary vigilance," it puts at least one government spy in the neighborhood. And those spies monitor everything. Even an extra bag of groceries is suspect.

Obama's mandatory national service? Alive and well in Cuba. Eighteen-year-olds complete military or social service. (Many believe that this is additional indoctrination.) Those not attending higher education serve two years, while the rest serve only one. In this communal "utopia," there's plenty of discrimination.

Of course, there's free health care, which Cubans (and Michael Moore) are programmed to hype to Americans. They tell you that Fidel brought universal health care. Sounds terrific, right? All services free? Docs earning 250 pesos a month, yet working nonstop? What could be better?

Well...remember that Tylenol? It's a donation to Cuba. Cuba's health care has "minor" glitches like no medicines. There aren't over-the-counter or prescription drugs, vitamins, or supplies like diabetic strips. There's inferior training, doctor shortages, rationed care, and a lack of equipment. (A few years ago, Havana -- a city of 2 ½ million -- had only one MRI machine.) The hospitals are in terrible shape, and the system is economically draining. Actually, some with money might get better care, but they pay under the table.

Cuba boasts the ultimate jobs bill: Everyone's guaranteed work. Of course, it's government employment -- there is almost nothing else. Jobs pay about $250 a month, which won't cover basics. (Many Cubans rely on remittances from U.S. relations to survive.) There's no incentive, nothing really works -- try the toilets -- and innovation is squashed. The government dictates hours...they're long. A taxi driver I met works from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days but still can't make ends meet.

Swedish Economy Explained

The part about devaluing currency is the best explanation ever.

Patterson Disciple Stelljes Holds Carnival in Lent

John Stelljes' father is a lay leader at Dom Perignon Patterson's church in Texas.


Pastor John Stelljes is quite busy these days -- busy building a church.

Stelljes has attracted nearly 50 people in the Greenwood area to become members of his new Light of Life Lutheran Church -- even with construction of a building still about two years in the future.

The church is the only one on the Southside of Indianapolis associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, he said.

Stelljes -- who came from Orlando, Fla., in July to begin developing a congregation -- has been holding semimonthly Sunday services in the Greenwood Community Center, 100 Surina Way, since January.

Now, services will be at 9:30 a.m. weekly in the community center, and anyone interested in joining is welcome, he said.

The church offices are in its Ministry Center, 360 S. Madison Ave., Greenwood.

At 1 p.m. Friday, the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce will hold a ceremony welcoming the church at a 7-acre field on the southeast edge of Greenwood where the church eventually will be built. The site is on the southwest corner of Sheek and Worthsville roads.

On Saturday, a free carnival will be held at Clark-Pleasant Intermediate School to introduce the church to the public.

Stelljes said the Wisconsin synod has some more theologically conservative teachings than other affiliations, such as the more populous Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Wisconsin synod has 1,290 congregations and nearly 400,000 baptized members in the United States.

"Our church body asked me if I was interested in starting a mission in Greenwood," Stelljes said.

He doesn't regret saying "yes."

"Since we moved here, we've found Greenwood an absolutely fabulous community," said Stelljes. He and his wife, Angela, and 3-year-old son, Jonah, have a home near the church site.

Founding members of Light of Life, he said, are "people who have been looking for a church and didn't have one."

A native of Minnesota, Stelljes grew up in Texas and graduated from Black Hills State University in South Dakota and the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

Facebook

***

GJ - Two people sent me this link. People are watching Church/Change and the odious Patterson Network. The Doctrinal Pussycats are not watching anything. This strikes everyone as crass and inappropriate. Once an LCA member brought up "having a carnival." A local business leader said, "You don't want those people in town. Their reputations are earned."

WELS is earning a reputation, too.

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New Greenwood Lutheran church to sponsor free carnival

Published March 18th, 2010

By Mike Alexander

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A new Greenwood church is introducing itself to the community with a carnival of free food, games, live music, puppet show and prizes.

The big event will be in the Clark-Pleasant Intermediate School from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The school, near where the church will be built, is at Sheek and Worthsville roads on Greenwood’s southeast side.

Three-year-old Jonah sleeps on the shoulder of his father, Pastor John Stelljes, near mother, Angela (right), while committee member Angela Meister looks on. Photo by Mike Alexander/Southside Times

Light of Life Lutheran Church is host for the family fun carnival that also will include indoor bounce houses, face painters, an artist who makes characters out of balloons, fishing, bowling, ring toss and corn bag-in-the-hole contest.

Highest scorer in the basketball free-throw contest will win tickets to an Indiana Pacers game. Highest scorer in birdie golf will win an Otte Golf of Greenwood package.

“It’s our way of letting people know that we (as a church) are here for them,” said 34-year-old Pastor John Stelljes.

He and his wife, Angela, 30, are overseeing a dozen-member committee in promoting the community attraction.

Stelljes said the church will be built in about two years on a 7-acre site in the southwest sector of Worthsville and Sheek roads. Mayor Charles Henderson will cut the ribbon as part of the official grand opening of the church at the site at 1 p.m. Friday. Source