Mother Teresa

Churchmouse Campanologist: "For many  years I have been of two minds about Bl. Mother Teresa.  What turned me off was a roundtable discussion I had with my friends at university — all of us Catholic at the time.  One said, ‘She doesn’t even dispense aspirin.  They’re just lying there on pallets.  The nuns step over them.’"

Read more at the link.

"Our Constitution forbade us to beg for more than we needed, but, when it came to begging, the millions of dollars accumulating in the bank were treated as if they did not exist."
GJ - That reminds me of $2 million in the bank account of WELS Lutherans for Life (Christian Life Resources) - for the babies.

First Mid-Week Advent Vespers Service

The Word of God Incarnate, by Norma Boeckler.




Vespers, Mid-Week Advent Service, 2010

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Time

The Hymn # 457 What a Friend 2.24
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 100 p. 144
The First Lection
The Second Lection
The Sermon Hymn # 552 Abide with Me 2.11

The Little Gospel

The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer p. 44
The Collect for Peace p. 45
The Benediction p. 45
The Hymn #651 Be Still My Soul 2.17

KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

KJV John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

THE LITTLE GOSPEL

We call John 3:16 the Little Gospel because the entire message of the Bible is summed up in one verse. That by itself should tell us a lot about that message.

Luther said we should write John 3:16 in golden letters on our hearts. Most children who have believing parents will learn this verse and know it better than any other.

I am sure that most adults will say that no other verse is quite so clear and so comforting as this one verse.

Old Testament Continuity

First we should observe the continuity between the Old and New Testament in this famous passage.

The sermon takes us back to Moses and the Exodus, the strange miracle of rescuing the people from poisonous serpents by raising up a bronze figure of a snake.

KJV Numbers 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Everything in the Old Testament was a prelude to the New Testament, with many Gospel passages throughout the Law and the Prophets.

The Gospel of John is the fulfillment of all those figures found in the Exodus: the water flowing from the rock, the bread of life from heaven, and the bronze snake raised up.

Everyone knew the story of the bronze serpent being lifted up. Jesus said he would be lifted up in a similar way, only He would give life and salvation to everyone who believed.

When we think of it, this comparison is quite odd and nothing we would ever consider or invent, but Jesus used it himself.

According to God’s Word, healing came from looking upon this bronze serpent. Therefore, it was a type of early sacrament. We find many of them in the Old Testament.

The rainbow is a physical reminder of God’s promise not to flood the entire earth again.

Circumcision is the covenant.

All the features of worship were tied up with physical objects people could see and touch.

The priests did not wear Hawaiian shirts and jeans (or the Semitic equivalent) but elaborate robes.

Blood sacrifice, for centuries, prepared people for the sacrifice of the innocent Lamb of God.

The reason why many Jews become Christians is the perfect fulfillment of the Old Testament found in the New Testament. The more one knows Judaism, the more one understands liturgical worship, appointed lessons, and the hundreds of ways Jesus fulfilled all the OT promises.

Every aspect of OT worship pointed toward Christ. And still does.

How would we summarize the message of the entire Old Testament, the foundation of presenting Christ as it does?

The Old Testament says – Everything comes through God’s Word, from Creation to the strangest little miracle (the fleece, for example).

God asked His people just one little thing – Trust My Word.

That is it, in three words. The Ten Commandments are His Word. Trust that they are good commandments, intended for the best.

The blessings in the OT – they are all real. Trust in them, too.

And trust that all the promises about the Messiah are completely true and will come to pass.

The OT teaches faith in the Word.

The Little Gospel teaches faith in the Incarnate Word. Jesus Himself is all the Promises of the OT brought together and fulfilled. Everything happens through Him alone.
Jesus is not 1/3 of God, for the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him. God chose to give to the Son that special role in dying on the cross and rising from the dead.

People try to figure these things out and fail, because they are mysteries revealed by the Holy Spirit.

John 3:16 answers the one question of all religion, but the difference is – this is the only correct answers. All other answers are wrong because they vary from this or are completely opposed to it.

The answer is so simple that only a child-like faith can grasp it. Whoever believes in Christ will not die but have everlasting life – that is God’s love for the whole world, that He graciously gives salvation to all those who trust in the atoning death of His beloved Son.

The message of the NT is the same as the message of the OT – trust in the Word. The difference is that the implications of all the OT promises became realized in Jesus, the Word of God Incarnate.

ELCA Pastor Bruce Foster Has Something To Teach WELS Pastors Like Jenswold and Lindemann

Bruce Foster,
Pastor

Welcome to Shepherd of the Bay

This Web site is designed for members of Shepherd of the Bay, new people to the community and visitors to Door County. Exploring its contents, you will be able to learn a great deal about this congregation and its ministry.
For those of you who are not familiar with Shepherd of the Bay, here’s a belief statement of who we are.

***

GJ - ELCA pastor Bruce Foster wrote. It's funny how SP Schroeder got a communication through (not about defamation) and BF sent an immediate email. I have not heard from Jenswold and Lindemann. They are probably polishing their sermons on the Eighth Commandment.

Foster cited the Eighth Commandment when he passed on the defamation from the two WELS pastors named above. I am not sure why he specializes in Ichabod. Most of the time I ignore ELCA, because total apostasy is so predictable.

But he is a shining light to Jenswold and Lindemann. What he says is signed with his name on it. He identified his church, his synod, even his LCMS past. He also discussed what they said in his own peculiar way.

The typical WELS pastor will anonymously attack other clergy (and family members), passing on accusations as fact, even when the speaker does not know the target or any information about him. For example, one WELS pastor in Colorado announced to a member that I did not know any Greek. Let's say I do not know any Greek, even though I majored in Greek and Latin in college, translated a large portion of the NT on my own, and took Greek exegesis at Yale, NT doctoral studies at ND, and Romans in Greek at Mequon.  That pathetic excuse for a pastor did not know me or anything about me, yet he claimed to know facts that were more appropriate for his classmates who ponied their way through classes (using a translation under the desk - sometimes called jimmies for the KJV).

One example was quite amusing and public. A WELS synod VP attacked me in public by name, after I was gone from WELS. He spoke at a pastoral conference and went after me hammer and tong. One pastor went up to him and said, "Too bad Jackson is not here to defend himself." The same synod VP propositioned a young woman in his congregation and got the boot, lying to his family about why he suddenly left the ministry at the peak of his career. Not only that, he lied about the note I wrote in CN, even though the facts were public knowledge. Since then WELS has been even more secretive about its many clergy scandals.

Bruce Foster says I can quote his emails, but only if I quote the entire text. Oh really? When someone sends me a letter or an email, that communication is mine - not his. Bruce should read "I Shot an Arrow into the Air," an edifying little poem most children learn.

Foster denied knowing who Jenswold was when I followed up with him. I expect another long, sarcastic email from him tomorrow. I find it strange he is such buddies with a WELS pastor or two. I wonder how that happened. He is really a cut above both of them, which is not so difficult with Wisconsin clergy.

The real slander-meister in Columbus was District VP Paul Kuske. I am not saying the others were Prince Charming - not at all. But no one got any lower than Kuske. I know that from many remarks passed on from church members and others who heard from DP Mueller's hatchet man.

I never attacked Kuske's daughters, so I do not know why he attacked mine. The Glende blogs are a good example of the continuing influence of Kuske. I have to add - those who listened to Kuske wanted to hang on every poisoned word, just as maggots are attracted to rotting flesh.

Yes, Kuske set up Floyd Luther Stolzenburg as a fake pastor in Columbus, Roger Zehms as another fake pastor. Both men were divorced when they came to Franklin County, Ohio, benighted by its lack of Church Growth insights. The third divorced CG pastor was Marc Schroeder, now LCMS, his second wife the daughter of Professor Johne (Sausage Factory emeritus).

The WELS theory was this. If they could cover me with enough slime, their Church Growth Movement could move ahead full speed, and their adulterous pastors would remain unharmed by the truth.

When WELS was done promoting Stolzenburg as their pastor, the Little Sect on the Prairie took over - led by John Shep and Jay Webber, Thoughts of Faith. (Isn't that an odd name for someone who believes in justification without faith?) Shep joined ELCA after being tossed out of the ELS. Kovaciny did his little bit, too, supporting Floyd and CG with all his might. Jay is the Halle Professor of UOJ at the Intrepid Lutherans blog.

Now the readers have the DNA of WELS factual analysis. I will be sure to announce any written, published apologies from Jenswold, Lindemann, and SP Schroeder.

PS - BF sent me another grumpy email, after all those compliments I gave him. Of course, I cannot see how anyone could be an ELCA pastor - unless he is working hard to take his congregation away from the Lavender Mafia.

More Snottiness from the Sanctimonious - Most of the Satire Comes from Anonymous Comments

Concernedlutheran has left a new comment on your post "A Roman Catholic Wrote about the Thanksgiving Serv...":

Thank you for your polite rebuke.

I have another question for you: Is the goal of this blog to bash and tear down the false ideas out there? Or is it to reach out with the Gospel, maybe even to help erring Christians?

I'm just curious. I have yet to see you politely and in true proper Christian love help redirect anyone who was apparently wrong on some matter.

And so I have a request: Would you mind during this Christmas season to refrain from tearing others down, but rather build others up? If you are speaking the truth, please try speaking the truth in love, hm?

***

GJ - The double question is a favorite logical fallacy for those who failed Critical Thinking 101. Is the goal of the anonymous comment producer to provide satire for me to publish, or is it to help an erring soul - me?

Some people write an anonymous comment with OpenID and remove even that identifier, all in a minute or so. When someone routinely uses OpenID, the link will normally say, "This person chooses not to disclose information." However, the second type of comment will not even say say that much. Perhaps that person is erasing the account altogether. I could guess who is doing those, but who cares?

Concerned Lutheran just registered today. Could this be Nick's long-suffering girl-friend, jumping in to bail him out? I am sure we will never know.

The trouble with real people posting is their habits (pot) and bad spelling (most WELS people) become a part of the Internet's vast store of knowledge.

---

LPC has left a new comment on your post "A Roman Catholic Wrote about the Thanksgiving Serv...":

Pr. Greg,

I was just about to go to your sermon broadcast when I read this. I have been needing to hear the Word myself and then I read the testimony of this RC lady.

This post from the lady illustrates my point of what I posted at Extra Nos...

http://extranos.blogspot.com/2010/11/why-we-need-dr-ichabod.html

Thanks for posting the lady's communication with you.

I believe I am not being unfair when I say that those who do not appreciate the humor sometimes found here need to mature in the field of Christian polemics/apologetics. They should stop being childish and man up with proper facts and arguments.

Those who get offended with the style found here will also get offended when they read Luther. The problem is that they do not read him, instead they read the work of Holy Men from their Mother Synod. Hence, they think Ichabod's style is offensive because they have not read Luther who in some of his works followed the same style.

LPC

David R. Barnhart: UPDATE 11/30/10 CONGREGATIONS VOTING TO LEAVE THE ELCA SINCE AUGUST 2009

David R. Barnhart: UPDATE 11/30/10 CONGREGATIONS VOTING TO LEAVE THE ELCA SINCE AUGUST 2009:




"The congregations listed below represent a net loss of baptized members for the ELCA of at least 228,845 since August 2009. Add to this number the membership of approximately 40 churches missing from our list, the tens of thousands who left to start new congregations, and the multiplied thousands who have left the ELCA on their own, and the numbers are staggering.

AWM’s list as of November 30, 2010 shows 307 congregations that successfully have taken their second vote to leave the ELCA, as well as 111 congregations that have successfully taken their first vote and now await taking the second vote.

At this point our list lacks the names of around 40 congregatons that have taken their first and/or second vote. If you know of congregations not listed here, please advise us at: wordabide@aol.com"

A Roman Catholic Wrote about the Thanksgiving Service

Faith is also multiplied by the Word of God. By Norma Boeckler.

"I watched your sermon in it's entirety and it was wonderful. I see were you did mention the children with Down's Syndrome and I love the part about the child being born blind, and how we would give up one of our eyes in order for them to see... None of us are promised tomorrow, but we are promised eternal life with Christ Jesus, as promised to us when he died on the cross for our sins. I often imagine what his Mother must have felt watching her son going through that and being tortured and ridiculed and spit at, mocked and just tormented as he was. It must have been so sad and painful for her, as any mother and father seeing their child suffer. You went through this too with your baby. Anyway, I just thought I would tell you that I really enjoyed the sermon and the singing too. Where was that, at the Church that you are a pastor at?? Wonderful and I felt it was just a blessing to me. Thank you Gregory God Bless you always, dear."

***

GJ - I get a lot of messages like this. I copied this to show people what happens when the Word is broadcast and saved for others. This FB friend knows someone who was in my junior high classes. I lose friends when I post pro-life statements, but this person was happy to have me write about Down's Syndrome, because her brother has it. She asked me for the link, which happens from time to time. Others find it on their own.

The humorless fail to realize that the purpose of polemics is to identify and destroy false ideas, false doctrine in this case. Since reading this blog is not mandatory, nor required for MLC/WLC graduation, it is surprising that students feel compelled to admonish me anonymously about writing polemics - something associated with Luther, Chemnitz, and Walther.

The college students seem especially immune to doing any homework on their own. They demand I prove something when books have been written about that topic and made available to them. Thy Strong Word is in the MLC library. The rough draft of the justification book is available free as a PDF from Lulu.com. And yet poor Nick is tired of this or that about UOJ. I believe he was still on a trike when I began reading about it.

Fuller Theological Seminary alums: Richard Foster « Churchmouse Campanologist

Fuller Theological Seminary alums: Richard Foster « Churchmouse Campanologist: "Richard Foster is one of today’s leaders of spiritual formation.  Much has been written about the various forms of ‘Christian’ meditation, which have been sweeping America over the past several years.

From small acorns do mighty oaks grow.  Who would have imagined that a small non-profit started in 1988 and called Renovaré would have shaken so many Protestant denominations to their foundations?

Richard Foster is a Quaker — a member of the Religious Society of Friends — who put Renovaré and spiritual formation into play.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, and his Doctorate of Pastoral Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary."

The complete article is at the headline link, as agreed in the recent out-of-court settlement with Church Mouse.

Students Who Not Idiots

More students "who not idiots."

Nick has left a new comment on your post "Martin Luther College":

Hello again Dr. Jackson,

Thank you for your quick response.
I never meant to imply that the students who not idiots (sic). What they did was foolish and reflected poorly on themselves and on the school, but most importantly on Christ of whom all Christians are ambassadors.

As for UOJ, I've been following the dialogue for some time now and see the clear words of Scripture and can't argue against them.

I think you have a tendency to put words in to the mouths of WELS Lutherans.

Did Jesus take away the sins of the world? Certinaly. Scripture affirms this. (John 1:29)

Forgivness of sins-what else is that but do not have those sins held against you.

So if God's not holding sins against you, then he declares you not guilty. You are justified based not on your own works, but on the works of Christ, his active and passive obedience. (Isaiah 53)

Now this full and free declaration was made to the whole world. Does this mean all people are automatically saved?
No. Does this make sense logically, not exactly. I think this is where you get tripped up. You assume that since we affirm in the Scriptural teaching that the whole world had fallen short of God's glory and was justified freely by his grace (Romans 3) than clearly all must be saved.
Yet Jesus laments: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together,as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."
People cannot accept the Holy Spirit. That Scripture clearly teaches. (I Cor. 12:3)
Yet they can reject the Holy Spirit and that saving message , thus spitting on that full and free declaration and choosing to continue in a life of sin.
So who is saved?
Those who believe by faith alone.
John 3:16 "...whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life."

We simply must let the clear words of Scripture stand. Just because a doctrine doesn't make sense logically doesn't mean it is false. If so, then please explain the Trinity to me.
We simply take it on faith.
Is this not what Luther taught, that we go to Scripture alone to find the answers? That we are saved by God's grace alone and this only comes to us by faith alone? Exactly.

God bless.

***

GJ - I agree with Robert Preus' last book, Justification and Rome - which his UOJ fans cannot comprehend.

I also agree with Luther, the Book of Concord, and the Scriptures.

UOJ is warmed-over Calvinism, mediated by Halle Pietism.

WELS Support of Lutheran World Relief Denied

From a source, somewhat edited for clarity:
"SP Schroeder is positive that WELS is no longer associated with Lutheran World Relief. It is true that the Wisconsin Synod was involved with that entity some years ago, but pulled out even before he became SP."

There you go, readers, another factoid from Ichi-leaks, your 24/7 news-gathering service.

WELS is now only in fellowship with:

1. ELCA and the Salvation Army through Thrivent's pro-abortion and gay-friendly insurance company.
   
2. Babtists Andy Stanley and Ed Stetzer, Methodist Leonard Sweet, Pentecostal C. Peter Wagner via Fuller.
   
3. Driscoll, Groeschel, Beeson, and a host of others.
   
   

Cardinal Rules: Going Galt at the Bird Feeder

Cardinals got me to purchase a serious bird-feeder, a squirrel proof bird-feeder from Duncraft. Bruce Church had a pair of cardinals feeding at his home in Michigan. I thought that was ideal. Cameras never capture the amused look of a male cardinal feeding. They cock their heads and seem quite pleased with themselves.

Two factors have increased business at the feeder, which is a few feet from my computer, just outside the window.

The first is cold weather, reducing easy access to the bug population while increasing energy needs.

The second is using single variety of seed. All the blended seeds promise a lot, but they use a lot of filler like millet. I threw the blend on the ground where it was eaten, sunflower seeds first. When I replaced the blend with safflower seeds alone, the feeding soon became constant.

Many use safflower because squirrels are not keen about raiding a feeder for that particular seed. The seed is rather expensive, so I was looking for a large bag of black oil sunflower seed. Walmart in Jane, Missouri had a 25 pound bag. Another bird watcher was looking over prices when I was. Safflower was over $1 a pound in seven-pound bags. Black oil sunflower was about 28 cents a pound in the large bag.

I am using the rest of my mixed seed for the planter near the front door and the window sills of the bedroom. The squirrels are welcome there, and the small birds alternate with them. When I scatter seed in the sheltered, dry rocks near the front door, small birds glean whatever they find.

Conversion to 100% Sunflower Seed
The least expensive and most popular option is sunflower seed. No other seed has so much nutrition, a combination of protein, oil, and minerals. I will use that for all locations soon, with the assumption that squirrels will stop by the low security zones (window sills, flower box, rocks). The bird-feeder has a bad reputation in the squirrel community. They do not even try it now.

Sassy
Our three-legged Sassy watches out of one bedroom window, where I put the seed on the sill. She goes on full alert when the squirrel is inches away, eating seed. She is blase about birds. We are regulars at the doggy bark park, where she is famous for shagging balls while alleged retrievers sit around and look dumb. Some retrievers wait several seconds to start and amble toward the ball, but Sassy tears off immediately, her back bent with the effort.

Sassy is quite the hero now. Everyone loves to watch her catch high pop fly-balls. The strangest trick is pulling it out of the air as she runs to catch the ball falling away from me. Planting herself under it and catching like a pro is impressive enough, but no one can figure out the running catch, since she cannot watch the arc of the ball. When the ball is deflected off a tree branch in our yard, she adjusts and catches it.

Sassy relishes her fame and munches on the ball extra times. She hands it back into my hands or rolls it to the feet of her latest friend. That is one of her signs of approval, letting someone else throw her ball. Recently we were ready to go home when a little girl showed up with her dog and mom. Little Annabelle threw the ball for Sassy until our wonder-dog was trying to rest on the way to the car.

The evolutionists like to say certain traits are bred into dogs like German shepherds and Australian cattle dogs - she is both. But Who instilled those traits in the original DNA?

One moment Sassy will sing the cattle dog blues with me. The next she will bay like a German shepherd. It is as if she is taking books out of the Sterling Library at Yale.

Sassy was looking at her favorite throwing and chewing ball at the bark park. Chris is in the middle.
Norma Boeckler, our artist-in-residence is on the right.