ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
WELS Politician Did Not Pay His Fees - Synod Treasurer Not Accused This Time
Daniel Bice
Neumann camp admits 'screw-up' in fee payment slip up
Wisconsin governor candidate failed to pay more than $25,000 in real estate transfer fees
Mark Neumann vows to run state government like a business if he's elected governor.
But first the former Republican congressman must make sure he's running his businesses in line with the state.
Records show that Neumann failed to pay about $25,000 in real estate transfer fees when he moved millions of dollars' worth of properties from one corporate entity to another since May 2008.
Neumann, who personally signed and said he prepared most of the documents, claimed he was exempt from the transfer fee under state law. But his campaign acknowledged it had erred after No Quarter pointed out that his businesses didn't qualify for the exemption.
Fake Name, Fake Email - The Poor Guy Must Be Ashamed of His Own Words
I just wanted to tell you how embarrassed I am of you. I am embarrassed that you are Lutheran and that you call yourself Christian. Some of your favorite books are written by Martin Luther and other church fathers yet you speak of people the way you do. I see nothing but the breaking of the 8th commandment and certainly an unwillingness to forgive those you criticize. It is clear you are in this to slander people, not to guide back to God's word in a loving Christian manner. Matthew 18 certainly doesn't say post pictures and slander them...
Shame on you
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GJ - Made my day.
All the Church and Change talking points are there. Funny, the Appleton blogger raves in the same way but creates toilet pictures with faces on them, directs personal insults at my readers, and begs them to turn away from the eev-ul Ichabod. So persuasive. So satirical. So Evangelical.
The Appleton blogger has not made a case for all the Schwaermer unionism going on in his circuit.
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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Fake Name, Fake Email - The Poor Guy Must Be Asham...":
If this fellow is going to flog you with the 8 and 18 switch, he ought to at least swing hard enough to break your flesh open. This was a really pathetic attempt to treat you in the typical WELS way of dealing with dissenters. Shame on him.
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WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Fake Name, Fake Email - The Poor Guy Must Be Asham...":
Good morning Pastor GJ. I have been away from home(and computer)for a few days. Our airconditioning unit went on the brink, so we were forced to spend two nights at a relative's home. Like Pastor GJ, my aunt is getting rid of several books. Perhaps Pastor GJ would be interested in Lucado or Sorge?(No?...I understand!) "Fake Name" might like reading works by non-Lutheran writers. Yes, this blog contains a lot of satire, yet it is FULL of Lutheran doctrine, Scripture, and historic writtings of Christianity. Pastor Jackson shares the Word when he posts his sermons for all to see. The Holy Spirit guides us. From this forum I was guided to Intrepid Lutherans. Blogs are a tool, so I moved to the second phase of speaking to pastors and laity in person. That was a scary thought six months ago.("Trust in the Lord") I have been on the receiving end of the 8 and 18 switch. That trick is so old, the pastors who administer it must be kidding themselves.
Hey, what about Mark Jeske partaking in the LCMS convention? I will put the worst construction on it. The Feedback of Forward In Christ A Lutheran Voice, would be an excellent place to shed light on the Jeske/LCMS madness. I will concede a bit, I sent my pre-schooler to a local Confessional LCMS school. Yet Jeske is hanging with the liberal wing of LCMS. It is no secret, I have prayed at the school and have participated in Chapel Services? Is this right or is this violating fellowship rules?
In Christ,
from WELS church lady
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California wrote:
Maybe the "awakened" in WELS will use the recess time for individually and publicly acting on documented information which will either result in involuntary departure one way or the other, or serious consideration about voluntary departure.
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Joseph Schmidt has left a new comment on your post "Fake Name, Fake Email - The Poor Guy Must Be Asham...":
WELS church lady, the fellowship principles in WELS are a joke, in the sense that they exist only on paper and are not enforced. I would pray with and take communion at a confessional LCMS church before I even step foot in a Church & Change congregation like The CORE, let alone pray with them or take communion from one of their pastors like Ski.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Book Promises To Keep
A. I have books to publish on Lulu. I am going to prepare them instead of blogging, but I will report the progress and links on Ichabod. It is not that difficult or time consuming, thanks to my editor's work. Three are ready to go, I believe, and Thy Strong Word (English only) is being prepared.
B. I have promised some book reviews, so I will publish them before blogging.
C. I have some books to list for people collecting history, literature, children's books, etc, so blogging will be in fourth place.
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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Book Promises To Keep":
So you're saying now that you got Harrison elected, you can take a break from blogging, heh?
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GJ - He was elected in spite of my support.
Time of Grace Board "Full of WELS Daddy Warbucks"
From Daily Kos, quoting the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"Time of Grace Ministry is incorporated in Virginia. Both the idea and its implementation have come from the laymen, and officials of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, or WELS, have encouraged them.
Other board members include: Tom Baxter, Television Division chief of the U.S. Army Visual Information Center at the Pentagon; John E. Bauer, longtime chief academic officer of Wisconsin Lutheran College and current vice president for academic affairs; Steve Boettcher, president of Boettcher Productions, a five-time Emmy-winning television production firm in Hartland.
Also, Cliff Buelow, of the Milwaukee law firm of Davis & Kuelthau; Bruce Eberle, president of Eberle Communications Group, a national fund-raising firm in McLean, Va.; Arvid Schwartz of Green Isle, Minn., a farmer, former corporate treasurer, and chairman of the Wisconsin Lutheran College board; and John C. Zimdars, president of The Zimdars Co., Inc., a life insurance consulting firm in Madison.
The idea for the ministry came from Eberle, who sits on the Wisconsin Lutheran College board with Jeske, Buelow, Raabe, Schwartz and Zimdars."
From Daily Kos, with copious copying by them:
The board of directors
John Bauer is chief academic officer of Wisconsin Lutheran College for the past 20 years. Presently he is the Vice President for academic affairs and the Executive Director of CHARIS, the institute of the College.... He and his wife are members of Grace Lutheran Church in Milwaukee.
Tom Baxter: As Chief of the Television Division of the US Army Visual Information Center at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Tom Baxter is the executive responsible for production and technical operations. His organization produces approximately 200 productions and special events annually....Tom currently serves as President of Christ Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sterling, Virginia.
Steve Boettcher is president of Boettcher Productions Inc., a five-time Emmy winning production company. Boettcher Productions has been creating quality television for nearly two decades, including Kid's Connection, a video ministry of the WELS Commission on Youth Discipleship (CYD). I did not find Boettcher Productions on the web, but found Boettcher-Trinklein Mediaworks. This is the same Steve Boettcher, so maybe he has recently teamed up with Trinklein.
Cliff Buelow, Secretary, TOG, is a shareholder in the Milwaukee law firm of Davis & Kuelthau. Here's his mug. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents of Wisconsin Lutheran College where he serves as Vice Chairman. He has served on several other church-related boards and committees over the last 20 years. Cliff and his wife are members of St. Marcus Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee.
Bruce Eberle, Vice President, TOG, is the founder and president of the Eberle Communications Group, a national fund raising organization based in McLean, Virginia. Bruce serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents of Wisconsin Lutheran College. He has previously served as President of God's Word to the Nations Bible Society, which produces bibles in contemporary English language, to appeal to normal people. He's also served on several commissions and boards of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. He gave the 1994 commencement address at Wisconsin Lutheran College where he received the 1994 Pro Gloria Dei Award. Incidentally, Eberle gave the college $500,000 in 1999.
Bruce also serves as a Trustee of Joe Gibbs Youth For Tomorrow New Life Foundation, a residential "group village" for at-risk teens.
Mark Jeske has served St. Marcus Evangelical Lutheran Church in the inner City of Milwaukee since 1980. Pastor Jeske is in his third term as a member of the Board of Regents of Wisconsin Lutheran College. He is Second Vice-President, Southeastern Wisconsin District of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Daryl Raabe, President, TOGIn 1978, Daryl joined the family business, and saw it grow through 1988, when he was appointed President of Raabe Corporation. Interestingly, he left his company in 2002. From the Milwaukee Business Journal, 1/25/02:
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GJ - Is this the reason for the total paralysis about Jeske? His star pupils, Ski and Katie, flitted off to one Schwaermer conference after another, worshiping with six other WELS workers at the Babtist Drive conference - and that included Tim Glende. Other notable stops for Katie or Ski or Glende included Dirt, Story, Granger, and all three at the Mark Driscoll beehive in Seattle.
When Will the DPs Learn
Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Plagiarists Lose So Much When Stealing a Sermon":
"The ministry is not entertainment and recruitment, but Word and Sacrament." Thank you for saying that. If only we could get a number of WELS pastors and DPs to believe and teach this simple truth. What a shame when all you get out of a "church" service is a cup of coffee.
Plagiarists Lose So Much When Stealing a Sermon
I ran into a silly column written by a superficial person, so I decided to write a little instead of reading this fluff - "I Would Trade a Career for a Family of My Own."
Sermon writing must be a terrible burden today, because so many ministers steal theirs from the Net or rely on what the synod sends them.
The way to become a Lutheran guru today is to avoid higher education, avoid the parish, and blog as a pretend pastor - delivering advice and sharp rebukes to real pastors! Satire has become reality.
My week peaks at the idea of writing a sermon, especially when I have used the text many times. I recall being a newbie and wondering where to go. That got me reading What Luther Says, a wonderful gift from a member. Later I got the Luther Sermons set from Grand Rapids. Now I wonder where to stop. Luther has a sermon's worth of content in one quotation. The reason is simple - he lived in the Word and dwelt on some passages all day, so the work bore fruit. Being a genius helped, too. Luther may have had the highest IQ in history, based on his early development and later career.
The rest of us have to stumble along, but the effort is fulfilling.
As someone said long ago, "Where else can a man speak for 20 to 30 minutes without interruption and say anything he wants?" The pulpit is the only place. That old pagan Herman Melville opined in his brilliant chapter on the seafarers' chapel in Moby Dick that the pulpit steers the world.
The wife of a whaling captain had provided the chapel with a handsome pair of red worsted man-ropes for this ladder, which, being itself nicely headed, and stained with a mahogany color, the whole contrivance, considering what manner of chapel it was, seemed by no means in bad taste. Halting for an instant at the foot of the ladder, and with both hands grasping the ornamental knobs of the man-ropes, Father Mapple cast a look upwards, and then with a truly sailorlike but still reverential dexterity, hand over hand, mounted the steps as if ascending the main-top of his vessel.
The perpendicular parts of this side ladder, as is usually the case with swinging ones, were of cloth-covered rope, only the rounds were of wood, so that at every step there was a joint. At my first glimpse of the pulpit, it had not escaped me that however convenient for a ship, these joints in the present instance seemed unnecessary. For I was not prepared to see Father Mapple after gaining the height, slowly turn round, and stooping over the pulpit, deliberately drag up the ladder step by step, till the whole was deposited within, leaving him impregnable in his little Quebec.
I pondered some time without fully comprehending the reason for this. Father Mapple enjoyed such a wide reputation for sincerity and sanctity, that I could not suspect him of courting notoriety by any mere tricks of the stage. No, thought I, there must be some sober reason for this thing; furthermore, it must symbolize something unseen. Can it be, then, that by that act of physical isolation, he signifies his spiritual withdrawal for the time, from all outward worldly ties and connexions? Yes, for replenished with the meat and wine of the word, to the faithful man of God, this pulpit, I see, is a self- containing stronghold - a lofty Ehrenbreitstein, with a perennial well of water within the walls.
But the side ladder was not the only strange feature of the place, borrowed from the chaplain's former sea-farings. Between the marble cenotaphs on either hand of the pulpit, the wall which formed its back was adorned with a large painting representing a gallant ship beating against a terrible storm off a lee coast of black rocks and snowy breakers. But high above the flying scud and dark-rolling clouds, there floated a little isle of sunlight, from which beamed forth an angel's face; and this bright face shed a distinct spot of radiance upon the ship's tossed deck, something like that silver plate now inserted into the Victory's plank where Nelson fell. "Ah, noble ship," the angel seemed to say, "beat on, beat on, thou noble ship, and bear a hardy helm; for lo! the sun is breaking through; the clouds are rolling off - serenest azure is at hand."
Nor was the pulpit itself without a trace of the same sea-taste that had achieved the ladder and the picture. Its panelled front was in the likeness of a ship's bluff bows, and the Holy Bible rested on the projecting piece of scroll work, fashioned after a ship's fiddle-headed beak.
What could be more full of meaning? - for the pulpit is ever this earth's foremost part; all the rest comes in its rear; the pulpit leads the world. From thence it is the storm of God's quick wrath is first descried, and the bow must bear the earliest brunt. From thence it is the God of breezes fair or foul is first invoked for favorable winds. Yes, the world's a ship on its passage out, and not a voyage complete; and the pulpit is its prow.
Studying the text means listening to God directly. Nothing is more concise than the Scriptures, and that Word is a consistent, unified truth, each passage shedding light on other passages.
Two helps (besides the Sermons of Luther) are enormously valuable. One is Lenski, who dealt with the entire New Testament and all doctrinal questions attached to those individual passages. The other is the Triglotta, where the greatest theologians after Luther (not to mention the Reformer himself) give witness to their faith. Chemnitz, the senior editor of the Formula and Book of Concord, was at the peak of his career.
How droll to think that someone would copy Groeschel instead of studying Chemnitz, passing off his copy-cat fraud as a sermon!
Maintaining Faith
The first advantage of giving a real sermon is maintaining the faith of the pastor and his family. If he sincerely believes the Word of God, that will bear fruit in his own home. If that is all he does in his entire lifetime, that is worthwhile. Many have done less, adulterating the Word, enjoying outward success while stepping into the mire of atheism.
KJV 1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Offering Truth
The second advantage is offering the truth to his congregation. Their numbers do not matter, except to People magazine. In a small, forgotten parish in the middle of nowhere, someone may hear the truth and believe, just before dying. How does anyone measure the value of that sermon?
Many times confusion will lead people to despair and doubt, so a good sermon is medicine against both maladies, an inoculation against future errors. We have shepherding dogs who love their owners and guard them far more than the CG pastor, who feeds the sheep to the wolves, identifying with the lupine set. Yet people love wolf-preaching, as Luther observed.
The Visible Word
The third advantage comes from the Sacraments. Baptizing babies is 100% certain sermonizing, the visible Word offered to the best, most trusting audience. We had non-Lutheran nurses who loved to tell our daughters about Jesus. One nurse said, "Your Erin looked at me like - I know that." The nurses were shaken a bit that these weak but intelligent girls, who could not speak, reflected that spiritual knowledge in their facial responses. We said, "Sure, they were baptized. They know all about their Savior."
Holy Communion is just as important, the visible Word imparting forgiveness individually, medicine for the soul. Sermons can feature Holy Communion or Holy Baptism, so people appreciate how God provides for us in the Means of Grace.
The ministry is not entertainment and recruitment, but Word and Sacrament. Clowning and entertaining are ways to say, "I do not trust the Word, which is too weak to be effective. It needs Fuller, Willow Creek and me to make it work."
Theologian in Training
A fourth advantage of sermon preparation is turning a seminary graduate into a theologian. If sermon preparation is paramount, if the Word is always on his lips, visitation and community relationships will always convey the Gospel to a secular world. People do not need one more Oprah.
The Cross
The cross will follow sermon preparation and remind the pastor how much Old Adam still resides in him. The last Beatitude seems taunting until many years later, when its truth becomes apparent. One member said to me, "I know all about the members who come to church just to grieve the pastor. I used to be one of them." At some point the Word reached that vexed and vexing layman.
Lutheran clergy can often be Satan's own handmaidens, plucking away members, using false doctrine and deception to drive home the sayings about the cross. Most likely the circuit pastor and DP are the worst of the lot. Jesus had the entire religious establishment against Him and He still converted a few like Nick at Night and Aramathea Joe. We can wish all day that the Lutheran Church might remember the Reformation better than the Inquisition, but there was a day when one man had only the Word and one prime human example to follow - Hus, who was burned at the stake.
The Reformation was built upon the sermon, the efficacious Word of God.
Missouri Synod VPs
First Vice-President
| Rev. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr. | ||||||||||||||
| Elected with the majority vote on the first ballot of election for first vice-president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. | ||||||||||||||
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Second—Fifth Vice Presidents
 | Second Vice President |
 | Third Vice President |
 | Fourth Vice President |
 | Fifth Vice President |
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GJ - I am not sure how significant these offices are. The First VP is a full-time paid position. When Dan Preus was First VP under Kieschnick, he showed very little leadership and ducked the Benke case, just as Barry-McCain did previously.
Boards and resolution results can be found here in the coming days.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Do Not Want
Speaking strictly for myself, 1100 Facebook friends, and 60,000 unique readers - these are some things I do not want:
1. Third rate, heavily subsidized entertainment episodes performed in the name of reaching out in new ways.
2. User-friendly services. Make them work at things a little. No more cotton candy content and VBS songs.
3. Lutheran preachers who hate the name Lutheran until they start passing the hat at Lutheran conventions because of their - sob, sniffle - Lutheran outreach.
4. Conservative Lutherans who make up reasons why they need to work with ELCA. Let them go to Fire Island Pines and leave the rest of us alone.
5. Another defense of UOJ which consists of repeating the same talking points all the way back to C. F. W. Walther.
6. Humorless Pietists who dislike funny animal pictures.
The Jeske Question, As Time of Grace Sinuflects toward Missouri
rhs (http://rhs.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "It's Time for a Change in Leadership: Kieschnick F...":
Is Jeske a solution or another problem for LCMS?
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LPC has left a new comment on your post "Harrison Won, First Ballot, By a Whisker":
I take it that the Rev. Harrison is a fan of CF Dubya.
So more UOJ on the way?
LPC
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GJ - I am mostly interested in the doctrinal issues, but political campaigns are like fresh popcorn cooked in coconut oil.
This one proved as ironic as I expected it to be. The Anti-Confessional Jeske was probably thought to be a real catch for Kieschnick's Missouri, but now Harrison is LCMS president.
Harrison's supporters ran a brilliant campaign, taking a relatively unknown parson to dominance on Facebook, including the mustache gimmick, which was clever indeed.One interesting aspect of this change is Harrison being a PhD candidate at Concordia St. Louis, the same school where Kelm got his DMin in Church Growth.
Harrison is the first theologian since Jack Preus to be president. Bohlmann had a PhD from Yale, but he was a one-book guy.
Harrison also knows and translates German, so the best theological literature is not hidden from him.
The question will be where he goes with this background. ELCA's all-out gay agenda makes it easy to part company with them, but will Missouri do that?
A synod-wide study of doctrine might go beyond the Waltherian talking points of modified Pietism and UOJ. Laymen are much more informed, thanks to the Internet.
The biggest change will come from applying the Word and studying the Confessions. The only leadership that matters is doctrinal leadership. Lutherans have been content with a Methodist form of the Lutheran Church - irenic, calm, gimmicky, liturgy optional, gay and feminist friendly. They have peered into the abyss and have seen where that leads.
Harrison Won, First Ballot, By a Whisker - Stigmata Revealed
"Rev. Matthew C. Harrison was elected by the 2010 LCMS convention as its next president. Election was 54% for Harrison on the first ballot. Matt gave a very humble and gracious acceptance speech which I am sure we will be posting soon. Pray for our synod as we go forward from here..."
You read it first on Ichabod, the prediction, the results.
I got the results from Facebook, true, but I posted it fast.
Read my astonishing prediction here.
Steadfast Lutherans on the election.
President
| Rev. Matthew C. Harrison | |||||||||||||
| Elected with the majority vote on the ballot of election for president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. | |||||||||||||
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LCMS Message of Reconciliation On the Ropes
Back in January I attended the LCMS Model Theological Conference on Worship. We watched a presentation by Ted Kober on reconciliation and civil disagreement. It encouraged us to treat each other in Christian brotherly love as we sought to de-personalize disagreements and forgive each other when someone was harmed in our speech or other ways. It was a worthy start to a conference of such a contentious topic. I thought it was good that the message again was given at the beginning of the LCMS convention.
I watched a good deal of the LCMS in convention yesterday online. It seems that message of reconciliation is in jeopardy.
The debate rule adopted by the convention stipulated that people stepping up to the microphone in debate must alternate speakers that were for and against the proposal. There were at least 10 microphones on the floor where people could speak their mind. As the microphones filled up with people speaking against the proposals, the Chairman of the convention, the current Synodical President, kept polling the people at the microphone looking for a “pro” speaker. Finally a “pro” speaker would make it to the microphone, not to actually debate the proposals, but to call the question.
Now, one would think that an issue with so many “con” speakers and so few “pro” speakers would indicate a majority of votes against the proposals. But, no. The proposals passed by very small margins of victory. 51.4% of the convention voted to make vice presidents come from regions. The resolution to completely do away with the LCMS’s board structure won with 51.91% of the vote.
The convention has over 1000 voters in convention. Surely some of the over 500 apparent “pro” voters would want to convince others to vote with them! But, no. Almost nobody from the “pro” side would discuss their views, leaving the “con” side by rule to stand in lines at the microphone safely out of the discussion. This happened several times. It was as if the issues were decided and the votes were counted before the opening gavel.
One pastor used his microphone to plead that the “pro” side not call the question, but the “pro” speaker that followed him said, “with respect to my fellow brother, I call the question.” The President would rule the call in order, and they’d vote.
I couldn’t watch any more.
It’s one thing to have a debate, let people exhaust their powers of persuasion, and lose. It’s another thing to use the rules to suppress debate, especially in these matters of governance that so alter the way LCMS does things.
It was not the act of a chairman and Synodical President who seeks reconciliation with those who disagree with him.
An apology is in order, for those who stood in line and for Ted Kober.
Similar Posts:
- Walking Together – LCMS Church Governance Proposals
- Please Pray for the LCMS Convocation
- Need a Speaker or Teacher for Your Lutheran Youth Event?
GJ - NR is exactly right. Conventions have become ways to control the agenda rather than debate the issues. Kieschnick's heavy-handedness won the battles but lost the war.
According to Roberts Rules, the chairman's job is limited to carrying out the will of the assembly. That ideal is seldom followed in church bodies and necessarily ends in the alienated leaving.
Monday, July 12, 2010
It's Time for a Change in Leadership:
Kieschnick Followed the Gurgle Model - Preach Growth, Abandon Lutheran Doctrine, Go Broke
Desire for Change Apparent in the Convention and May Sweep all the Way to the Presidential Elections, by Pr. Rossow
By
· Comments
The 2010 LCMS convention apparently wants change. Some less substantial changes to the structure proposals passed by significant margins. The largest change, 8-08, the resolution to eliminate the numerous boards elected by the convention that report to their boards and replacing them with two commissions that report to the president of the synod, was passed by a slim 4% margin. This is a dramatic switch that marginalizes the congregations from the setting of direction for the synod.
The fact that the convention has decided that the synod has been failing for the last decade to the point that we need a total makeover of the synod suggests that they would also want to make a change at the top. The current president has been in office for nine years and has led the synod to this position of near financial ruin and disunity.
Tomorrows (sic) vote for president is getting interesting-er and interesting-er. Stay tuned for more news and commentary. We will try by mid-afternoon to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the voting results so far today.
Time of Grace is a Missouri Synod Media Ministry
according the the LCMS website, which was revised.
Jeske never had time for the ELS convention.
LCMS Votes for Kieschnick Plan
Lutheran Synod delegates votes to change denomination's governance
HOUSTON - Delegates at the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod voted Monday to radically alter the structure and governance of their 2.5-million-member, St. Louis-based denomination.
After three days of debate, 2,000 delegates gathered at the 163-year-old church's triennial convention here voted 52 percent to 48 percent to streamline its operations by dismantling its several boards and commissions in favor of just two boards.
The seven old boards were governed by independent directors in consultation with the denomination's president. The functions of those boards will be folded into one national and one international board. The church's annual budget is about $85 million, and the new structure will save it about $1.4 million per year, according to its vice president for finance, Thomas Kuchta.
The change will mean an elimination of about 40 administrative jobs in the church's St. Louis headquarters, according to the Rev. Larry Stoterau, president of the church's pacific southwest district and chair of the committee in charge of the structure debate.
Critics of the change, and of the Kieschnick administration, have suggested in the months leading up to the convention, and in debates throughout the weekend that the massive structural changes amount to a centralization of power in the office of the president. The LCMS has a congregational structure where authority comes from a congregation, in contrast with church bodies with an episcopal structure where a hierarchy wields authority.
In an interview, Stoterau said the worries about centralization of power in the new structure are unfounded, and the real purpose is to eliminate redundancies in board responsibilities that waste church resources.
"This gives no more power to president than our constitution. gives him," he said. "This is a centralization of coordination. We're coordinating these ministries together to work cooperatively rather than in isolation."
Earlier Monday, the delegates rejected a proposal to increase the time between its regional district conventions and national convention from three years to four, which would have saved congregations - which pay for the conventions - an average of about $500,000 per year.
DP Jackson on Worship - Doing the Work the DPs Won't Do
bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "DP Jackson on Worship - Doing the Work the DPs Won...":
The picture of Choppa! ties in with the lawn mowing bit. I get it.
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Dear Pastors,
We are going to change Sunday worship a bit. To avoid fraud and deception, we will have "Lutheran" on all our church signs. Those who object are free to join a church body with a vague confession or none at all. Several come to mind.
The services in God's House are never aimed at entertainment, and we do not try to enlist new members at them. Therefore, all Seeker Services, Emerging Church models, and similar blasphemies will end immediately. See paragraph one if this displeases you.
The Lutheran worship service is the most Christ-centered and grace-filled of all denominations, for good reason. We believe, teach, and confess the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.
The historic liturgy is the best way, the only way to express the Means of Grace. Before you start chanting "satis est," I agree that the liturgy can be expressed in various ways. However, anti-liturgy is always expressed in one way. I trust you know the difference.
Voluntary, inexpensive workshops will be held to demonstrate the historic liturgy.
By the way, men, I dress better to mow the lawn than some of you do on Sunday. I suggest that you either dress respectfully on Sunday or get a job that matches your Sunday uniform - mowing lawns.
We are cheating our children and grandchildren if we deprive them of Lutheran hymns. Our services should feature our hymns and help people appreciate the beauty and power of such authors as Gerhardt, Luther, Nicolai, Decius, Selnecker, Jacobs, and many others.
Do you know any non-Lutheran communion hymns? Non-Lutheran hymns for Holy Baptism? Hymns convey our confession of faith, which is why I am alarmed at the silly ditties and CCM garbage being tossed at congregations.
Hymn training needs to continue throughout the year. To support that I encourage you to sell your Fuller training manuals and use the money to buy music for your organist. Give him or her a raise. Recognize all church musicians each year during a service. Jubilate is a good Sunday for that.
In previous years, pastors have been promoted and given new calls for being caught in an affair with a church member. Instead of following that tradition, our jurisdiction is going to help prosecute those fellows.
We will promote and support pastors who are faithful to the Word and the Confessions, diligent in providing a Lutheran service with Lutheran sermons and Lutheran hymns. But, given God's abundant grace in the Means of Grace, it is likely that those who follow the new guidelines will want to enjoy their blessings in one location. This blog may inspire you.
Some of you will need to do some soul-searching, to determine if you are a Lutheran at all. If the answer is no, then it is unwise and dangerous for you to continue to pretend.
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raklatt (http://raklatt.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "DP Jackson on Worship - Doing the Work the DPs Won...":
This post is a great opportunity for the copy-and-pasters among the DP's.
Where you guys now?
***
RINO from Soros or Soros RINO?
Republican in Name Only - RINO John McCain.
Some people say that Senator McCain is a RINO funded by Soros, but Eric Comstock pointed out that made him a Soros-RINO.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56177
McCain favored open borders during his presidential race and also promoted the fraudulent man-made global warming scheme.
In Phoenix he could not get a decent group together for a campaign stop. That says a lot GOP support in his home state.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Read the Mission Statement for Polka, Polka, Polka
Here is the link. <==Mequon graduates, left click and wait for browser to open. You may need to install Adobe Reader.
"We are a family, united and saved by faith in Christ, dedicated to praising God and sharing His love and Word with all People."
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Schuller Retires at 83, More or Less - Shrinker Overview
Rev. Schuller retiring from Crystal Cathedral
GJ - Robert Schuller tied himself to paganism from the beginning, adding a dusting of Christianity to make it more appealing. He correctly claimed that he invented the Church Growth Movement. His empire is in ruins now, so his newly ordained daughter with save it? Don't worry - he retained the power to fire her too.
AP – Sheila Schuller Coleman and her husband, Jim, left, share applause with congregants at the Crystal Cathedral …
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, founder of Southern California's Crystal Cathedral megachurch and host of the "Hour of Power" televangelism broadcast, announced Sunday he will retire after 55 years in the pulpit and his daughter will take over.
The 83-year-old Schuller told his congregation that Sheila Schuller Coleman will become sole lead pastor, after sharing that role with her father for the past year.
Coleman previously served as principal of a private Christian school run by the cathedral and head of the Orange County church's family ministries division.
She was ordained just a month before she was appointed to head up Crystal Cathedral Ministries.
"I'm very proud that Sheila has earned her doctorate at the University of California, Irvine, and that this university has declared her to (have earned) a distinguished alumnus award," Schuller told his congregation during the 9:30 a.m. service. "Congratulations, I'm very proud of her."
The elder Schuller will assume the newly created position of chairman of Crystal Cathedral's consistory, which is the church's board of directors, The Orange County Register reported.
Coleman's appointment comes two years after Schuller's son, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, split from the church during a family rift that made headlines. The younger Schuller had been groomed to take over for his father.
Robert A. Schuller is now part of Dallas-based American Life Network, a cable channel aiming to produce family-oriented programming.
Coleman, 59, lives in Orange with her husband, Jim, and has four grown children.
"That was emotional for me, and I'm humbled and honored to be asked to take this responsibility," Coleman said Sunday after being commissioned, wiping away tears as she addressed her congregation. "I truly know that God is here, he loves this ministry and my call is to help take the ministry into the future and to continue dad's ministry."
The 10,000-member all-glass church faces significant challenges under Coleman's leadership.
Earlier this year the church said it saw revenue drop 27 percent from roughly $30 million in 2008 to $22 million in 2009.
Church leaders blamed the decline on the struggling U.S. economy. They sold 170 acres in southern Orange County, including a retreat and wedding center, laid off employees and cut "Hour of Power" from eight of the 45 domestic broadcast TV stations that air it.
The church also canceled this year's "Glory of Easter" pageant, which attracts thousands of visitors and is a regional holiday staple along with the church's "Glory of Christmas" show.
Crystal Cathedral also faces legal action from more than 100 vendors who are owed millions of dollars for their work on the church's pageants and other projects.
The senior Schuller first formulated his outreach to the unchurched in the mid-1950s when he opened a ministry at a drive-in theater in the suburbs of Orange County that catered to Southern California's emerging car culture. He pulled people in with his sermons on the power of positive thinking.
The little church later grew into the Crystal Cathedral, a worship hall with a soaring glass spire that opened in 1970 and remains an architectural wonder and tourist destination.
The "Hour of Power" telecast, filmed in the cathedral's main sanctuary, at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers in 156 countries.
Here is a good overview on the Shrinkers.
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AKA Robert Harold Schuller
Born: 16-Sep-1926
Birthplace: Alton, IA
Gender: Male
Religion: Protestant
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Religion
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: World's most upbeat televangelist
When minister Robert Schuller first came to Southern California to preach, he began by renting a drive-in theater for Sunday morning services, for $10 a week. For six years, Schuller stood atop the concession stand, while his sermons were heard on tiny speakers hung from car windows. His motto, on the drive-in's marquee and in the church's flyers, was "Come as you are in the family car!" Today his mega-church is housed in Schuller's famous $20 million "Crystal Cathedral", with 10,000 windows and a stream running down the sanctuary's aisles. It is still a "drive-in" church, though -- the glass walls allow worshippers in the 1,000-car parking lot the same view of the pulpit that the congregation has, and the offering plate is passed through the parking lot as well as among the pews.
The Crystal Cathedral is where The Hour of Power is taped, broadcast on hundreds of TV stations across America and dozens of foreign countries, to an estimated audience of 20 million. It is famous for its optimistic themes, and for the usual presence of "special guests", celebrity entertainers who sing or speak during the broadcast. The show usually steers clear of politics, though special guest and Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev did appear two Sundays prior to the 2000 election with warm words about George W. Bush.
Schuller has sometimes been criticized by Christian fundamentalists for his optimistic outlook and his recurring theme of "possibility thinking", generally eschewing hellfire and brimstone. He credits his longtime friend Norman Vincent Peale with showing him the importance of positive thinking. Schuller is a member of the Dutch Reform Church of America, the oldest Protestant group in America. Prior to Schuller, the denomination's most famous moment came in 1628, when the church purchased the island of Manhattan from local Indians for trinkets worth about $24.
In 1997, Schuller was charged with misdemeanor assault after "roughing up" a steward on a United Airlines flight to New York City. Schuller, flying First Class, complained that the steward had been unwilling to hang up his garment bag, and brought fruit and cheese when he had only asked for fruit. The steward said Schuller stood up and shook him by the shoulders, causing whiplash injuries. Schuller eventually paid a $1,100 fine and underwent a six-month diversion program. In a statement to the press, Schuller proclaimed rather pompously, "I am innocent. I have not broken a single one of the Ten Commandments. I have not broken any of the teachings of Jesus Christ."
For decades, Schuller was among the televangelists who generally declined to answer inquiries about his ministry's basic financial information. In late 2006 he retired from the pulpit at Crystal Cathedral, turning over the church's leadership to his son, Robert Schuller Jr., but in October 2008 the elder Schuller fired his son for "lack of shared vision and the jeopardy in which this is placing this entire ministry".
Message from DP Jackson (Stonewall) - Suitable for Any Synod
Dear Pastors:
Effective immediately.
You will write your own sermons from now on and post them to your congregation's website or blog, where they will remain. No exceptions.
Anything from another source will be quoted and cited according to APA rules, which you can copy and paste from the APA website.
Plagiarism will not be accepted, even with permission from such looney-tunes as Craig Groeschel.
You will receive one (1) warming (see photo above) if you fail to comply.
The second notice will read - "You are fired. Pack and leave before next Sunday." Do not worry about a divine call. There are none for plagiarists.
You will bear the price for any plagiarism lawsuits, since we are notifying various sources of this policy.
Second - All sermons will bear evidence of Biblical, Confessional research and hours of study. If you do not wish to teach Lutheran doctrine, I will understand your reluctance to stay captive in a Lutheran congregation paying you a salary and benefits. That would not be fair, so I will encourage the congregation to set you free at once.
Third - Since we want congregations eager to hear the Word and study the Confessions in the future, you will lead your parish in those studies and publish them on your website and blog.
Fourth - At the very least, you will visit shut-ins regularly, visit the hospitalized at once, and serve the grieving. Prospects who sign the guestbook will be visited the same week, Monday or Tuesday ideally.
Closed communion will be your policy, naturally, and you will understand why if you have gotten this far in the memo.
I have dissolved most of our district committees. They waste time and money. We can do most of it through the Net. Spend that time with your families.
+The DP
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
The Hymn # 387:1-4 by Luther, 3:41
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 3:11
Holy Baptism – Lifelong Promise
The Communion Hymn # 307 Draw Nigh 3:72
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 # 209 Who is This 3:33
Sixth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess that we are poor, wretched sinners, and that there is no good in us, our hearts, flesh and blood being so corrupted by sin, that we never in this life can be without sinful lust and concupiscence; therefore we beseech Thee, dear Father, forgive us these sins, and let Thy Holy Spirit so cleanse our hearts that we may desire and love Thy word, abide by it, and thus by Thy grace be forever saved; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
KJV Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Holy Baptism – Lifelong Promise
Looking at this section of Romans, we see chapter 4 as focusing on Abraham as the father of faith. Chapter 5 teaches justification by faith. Chapter 6 begins the implications of justification by faith.
Earlier Paul has removed from consideration the concept of salvation by the Law, whether based upon Mosaic law or civic righteousness. To this day, all world religions base salvation upon the law. Those which are atheistic (Ethical societies, Unitarians, Humanists – common allies all) are even more law oriented.
Describing life as based on the law is fairly easy. That ease is the reason why so many do-gooder groups flourish, no matter how foolish they look. One will used wood to nail to a tree to keep it from being turned into lumber. Anyone who questions the logic will be viewed as evil incarnate. The same is true of women would who never eat an animal because animal slaughter is so bad, but they are wearing leather shoes, purses, and belts. That is also easy to explain. “I’m not all the way there yet.”
Salvation by the law is our default attitude, so a Gospel-based life must be trained into us and always taught.
Paul began with Holy Baptism. To the adult converts he was saying, “Because you become believers through preaching the Gospel, we baptized you to give you forgiveness of sin and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That Baptism is a permanent promise on God’s part that you belong to His Kingdom.”
One can easily see where this might put children, apart from infant baptism. In fact, those who deny infant faith and infant baptism are insistent that children are innocent until age 7. They do not know sin until they reach that age. Thinking about religion as law, how would parents have assurance that their children are within the Kingdom, since they cannot perform the duties of the Law?
Holy Baptism is just as powerful – if not more so – among children. They hear and receive the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is granted to them, and they receive the permanent seal of God’s Kingdom – not based on their works, which they lack, but God’s grace receive in faith.
Just as babies have faith, based on experience and the Word, so also they have sinfulness. Tiny infants display faith in their parents, immediately at birth, and they show rebellion as soon as their muscles allow, which is pretty early. If anyone wants to argue they are born innocent, just try to work with small children who have been taught they can do no wrong. They are terrorists. Strangely (for the modernists) they have automatic respect for authority, reasoning, and muscle.
I remember the rare male teacher walking into our gradeschool class and scowling at our noisy group. We immediately became quiet. The same was true of Sunday School. A male teacher commanded respect and awe. I see our Vice-Principal’s photo in the Moline pages of my blog about Moline. He was a WWII vet who died at age 90. We were in awe of him. He radiated authority and no nonsense.
God gives us inherent knowledge of these things but we are still sinful. We do what we can get away with, especially if we think only in terms of the law – no ones looking. As they commonly say today – You cannot prove it; there is no evidence (left unsaid “left, because I destroyed it”.)
Therefore the Christian life is based (wrongly) upon the Law or (correctly) upon the Gospel. Paul teaches us here that the powerful, life-long Sacrament of Holy Baptism is our basis for the Christian life.
Baptism reminds us of death – the death of Christ for our sins, and our death due to sinful mortality. That is the great paradox. Because of Jesus’ death, we have eternal life. He died so that our death is converted into eternal life, like His.
I am surprised that anyone downplays Holy Baptism, because the Bible make so much of this Sacrament. Baptism is:
A. A rebirth.
B. A renewal.
C. A washing away of our sins.
D. An indwelling of the Holy Spirit
That is not an ordinance (law) that must be obeyed, but the Word in visible form, the power of God’s Word united with the element of water.
Many Lutherans share in the general Protestant fading of baptism, as if performing one during the Sunday service slows it down. What better testimony of God’s grace and the miracle of the Word! God converts adults and babies through the Word. Why not be reminded of this frequently?
Perhaps resistance to Holy Baptism comes from a law perspective. The sacraments give God too much glory, when man seeks it for such accomplishments as:
1. Having a large parking lot.
2. Having 20 sub-woofers in the movie theater worship area.
3. Synodical titles and committee chairmanships.
4. Being a charter member of a church.
Paul’s admonition is to live our lives based upon forgiveness of sin, justification by faith. Because Christ died for our sins, all our spiritual blessings are provided for us. Yet, because we are sinners, we realize our need to renew this Gospel message each day and practice our faith in humility.
Therefore what powers our lives as Christians is the Gospel message itself, moving us far beyond anything the Law can do (through guilt or force). The Gospel life is based upon the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ.
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