Monday, January 17, 2011

Here Is a Good Idea To Avoid:
Dancing Christmas Flashmob

They just get up and dance badly.

This could have been planned.

Rehearsed?

My Christmas would have more meaningful with this going on.

Note to My Slave Drivers Motivators

Cover design and art by Norma Boeckler


My pals in publishing have been applying the lash to my back. "Where there is a whip, there is a way," they claim.

I appreciate the motivation. I have spent an enjoyable day going over an almost-final editing of the justification book. My gruff but likable editor will have a go at it, and so will some others, I am sure. If someone needs the Word document for editing purposes, I can provide that. Otherwise, the PDF will be available later tonight.

I plan on additional improvements and enlargements, but this is it for the time being. I will focus on typos and cosmetic improvements for now. Feel free to contact me at gregjackson1948@qwest.net

Upgrades are dated, so you can tell which version is uploaded by looking at the free PDF. This one will say Epiphany edition, 2011. A later one would say Lent or Easter. I expect to have an enlarged, improved edition in print for the May, 2011 Left Coast Trifecta - ELS, WELS, LCMS.

Thy Strong Word
Meanwhile, I am accumulating editing suggestions for Thy Strong Word. People are discovering how long it takes to go over a text and list corrections. One time an entire university--in Germany--looked over every page of a new book before it was printed. They found hundreds of errors and were convinced that it was the first book ever printed with no mistakes in it. Afterward, people found hundreds that were missed.

That happened with CLP. Herman Otten and a German student went over the text and found lots to correct. When they were done, LI found even more errors that they missed. Herman was dumbfounded, "But my helper was a German!"

WELS Hitting the Skids - For the Same Reasons

Half-trained plagiarists are filling the slots.



bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Your LCMS Benevolence Dollars - Not At Work Suppor...":

Narrow-minded Lutheran, The tuition cost at the seminaries has always been prohibitive since the 1980s, I'd wager. Then because they couldn't get enough M Div students (to meet a projected demand that never materialized), they promoted the DELTO and SMP programs instead of lowering the tuition price and granting more scholarships to get more M. Divs.

This happened in the WELS, too. Both synods now have plenty of pastors who don't know any Hebrew or Latin. The WELS ministerial college (NWC and then at MLC) quickly became more expensive than the state universities, just like the LCMS.

I can't remember the acronym the WELS uses for these students (if there is an acronym), but they usually go by the title "second career students."

Due to there being so many DELTO and SMP grads, and WELS second career grads, now all available slots are taken, so the call system has been locked up for years in both synods. Several years ago already any LCMS pastor who resigned to the "candidate" status would have a hard time getting back into the ministry in the LCMS, since they had to make room for students to get calls. In the LCMS, if you don't make the cut, you're banished to one of the lower paying synods, or the ELCA, if you still want to be in the ministry. Good luck with that if you ran up a big student loan bill at LCMS schools!

Lately, a retired WELS pastor who wanted to be a vacancy pastor during retirement told me that the whole vacancy pastor field has dried up since the call system in the WELS has locked up, and calls are filled in record time. Now these pastors can only hope to fill in a mid-week or Sunday service here and there. Now they wish they hadn't retired when they did, and they rue the fact that many slots are filled by half-trained men.

More proof of the decline of WELS is available online 24/7.
Foward (sic) this to your pals.

Mercy! - The LCMS Budget Is Corrupt Beyond Belief



bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Your LCMS Benevolence Dollars - Not At Work Suppor...":

The $28 million budget for the two seminaries is just 2.5% of the LCMS synodical budget. A chunk of that includes student tuition.

The CPH budget is $39 million, which is just 3.39% of the LCMS budget. That would include all the book sales, no doubt, including sales of books to seminary students from the campus bookstores. I'm not sure whether Concordia U bookstores are now run by CPH. It was only a few years ago that CPH started running the seminary bookstores. One can see why CHP editors aren't itching to become seminary or CU professors!

I'm glad to see that the districts are only $84 million of the budget. From what I've seen in the past, one would think it would be much more, yet all the districts combined spend less than Corporate Synod. The rhetoric suggests that the districts dip into funds that would go to synod and missions.

Looking at the budgets of 2009 through 2011, it's interesting that the only synodical entity not to take a budgetary cut was Corporate Synod. The Districts, Seminaries, CPH, LCEF, Foundation and CHI (Concordia Historical Institute) each sustained a hit. Of course, Concordia Plans and CUS (Concordia U System) budgets aren't really controlled by the synod--only influenced by the synod.

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Narrow-minded Lutheran has left a new comment on your post "Your LCMS Benevolence Dollars - Not At Work Suppor...":

I thought the LCMS Constitution states that one of the primary purposes of the synod is to support the sems and train men to administer Word and Sacrament. What is being done is shameful. Keep pumping in those Ablaze dollars, folks. Who needs the Means of Grace when you can "make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" Who needs the Means of Grace when we're all forgiven anyway? Spending Sunday morning on the golf course is regarded as equally valid.

***

GJ - Concordia St. Louis suddenly had to have their own chapel, which is pictured above and underwritten by St. Marvin of Schwan. I thought he was WELS/ELS.

Mary Lou College suddenly had to have its own, separate chapel, so they built an $8 million cathedral after they re-arranged the books at The Love Shack (now called The Guilt Factory). The chapel was not built while the $8 million was missing. Then it was built, but no one explained where the loot went and where it came from. Apparently, this was also a St. Marvin of Schwan act of atonement.

Both schools are in the dumpers, so this proves that a cascade of cash does not make a college or seminary viable.

Both schools would be full of students today if the money had been applied to scholarships rather than another edifice to glorify a man who left his wife and married the Roman Catholic wife of his subordinate.

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Mercy! - The LCMS Budget Is Corrupt Beyond Belief":

The chapel, Saints Timothy and Titus, does exactly mirror Walther's blend of Pietism and Lutheran theology, which is really Calvinism making inroads into Lutheranism. When it was built, people said, "Hmm, four white walls and a sermon". Now on some days they have cell groups instead of chapel. No surprise there!:

http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=12394

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Narrow-minded Lutheran has left a new comment on your post "Mercy! - The LCMS Budget Is Corrupt Beyond Belief":

Is the altar on wheels to make room for the praise band?

Your LCMS Benevolence Dollars - Not At Work Supporting the Seminaries

Zwingli's doctrine - Zwinglian results.



bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Lifetime Achievement":

Narrow-minded Lutheran is right about the LCMS seminary budget. The LCMS tabulates its budget like Schroeder says the WELS will do from now on, so that no matter where the schools or other entities get their money (gifts, tuition, etc), it still counts under the synodal budget.

The LCMS budget for both seminaries is $28,946,000, of which $300,000 comes from the synod for naming rights. The total budget for the LCMS is 1.16 billion dollars. See:

http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=10186

http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/Board_Of_Directors/Program%20Budget%20Summary%20-%20FY11.pdf

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Your LCMS Benevolence Dollars - Not At Work Suppor...":

Narrow-minded Lutheran, The tuition cost at the seminaries has always been prohibitive since the 1980s, I'd wager. Then because they couldn't get enough M Div students (to meet a projected demand that never materialized), they promoted the DELTO and SMP programs instead of lowering the tuition price and granting more scholarships to get more M. Divs.

This happened in the WELS, too. Both synods now have plenty of pastors who don't know any Hebrew or Latin. The WELS ministerial college (NWC and then at MLC) quickly became more expensive than the state universities, just like the LCMS.

I can't remember the acronym the WELS uses for these students (if there is an acronym), but they usually go by the title "second career students."

Due to there being so many DELTO and SMP grads, and WELS second career grads, now all available slots are taken, so the call system has been locked up for years in both synods. Several years ago already any LCMS pastor who resigned to the "candidate" status would have a hard time getting back into the ministry in the LCMS, since they had to make room for students to get calls. In the LCMS, if you don't make the cut, you're banished to one of the lower paying synods, or the ELCA, if you still want to be in the ministry. Good luck with that if you ran up a big student loan bill at LCMS schools!

Lately, a retired WELS pastor who wanted to be a vacancy pastor during retirement told me that the whole vacancy pastor field has dried up since the call system in the WELS has locked up, and calls are filled in record time. Now these pastors can only hope to fill in a mid-week or Sunday service here and there. Now they wish they hadn't retired when they did, and they rue the fact that many slots are filled by half-trained men.

---

Narrow-minded Lutheran has left a new comment on your post "Your LCMS Benevolence Dollars - Not At Work Suppor...":

Thanks for your comments, Bruce. I well-remember the "pastor shortage panic" that Missouri was promoting. I think this past Spring's number of uncalled candidates, particularly at Fort Wayne, brought the truth to light, although I believe nearly all have been placed now.

The "shortage" figures were deceptive by including parishes not seeking a full-time pastor. Some parishes don't want to pay for the Concordia Plan, some are served by an emeritus pastor, and some are in districts whose DP's are happy to allow vicars to administer the Sacraments.

Rare 340 Year Old Bible Found in LCMS Church.
Staff Cannot Read Roman Numerals!

"My students could read Roman numerals. If not, pow!"





bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "The increasing frequency of Holy Communion in Prot...":


Rare 340-Year-Old Bible printed on pig skin Found in Wisconsin Lutheran Church, anuary 16, 2011.

http://blogs.fox11online.com/2011/01/11/1670-bible-found-in-bonduel/

http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978932570

St Paul, Bonduel, WI, NW of Green Bay:
http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/sitelist/02/churches_list.asp?st=WI

---

Bonduel Lutherans Find Centuries-Old Bible

By Tiffany Wilbert, twilbert@shawanoleader.com



A teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School in Bonduel discovered a 17th century relic inside a walk-in safe. A German Bible of Luther’s translation, printed in 1670 in Nuremberg, Germany, by Christoph Endter was discovered in an old section of the recently remodeled church and school. The Bible is huge by today’s standards — 17.5 inches long, 11.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches thick. It has a pigskin binding over boards with brass bossed corners and clasps and contains a copy of the Augsburg Confession, the principal doctrinal statement of the theology of Martin Luther and the Lutheran reformers as presented to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at Augsburg, Germany, on June 25, 1530. The Augsburg Confession relates that the grace of God and faith alone save Christians, not deeds and tithes as was the practice at the time for Catholics.
“It is a beautiful link connecting us back 3 1/2 centuries ago to a different continent where God provided his same eternal life-giving word,” Pastor Timothy Shoup said.
Experts say the Bible is in fine condition.

The congregation intends to keep it long enough to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2013 and possibly permanently.Debra Court, the sixth-grade teacher who discovered the Bible, said she found it a couple of years ago while searching for a baptismal reference book to show her class.


WFRV-TV 5 News Report

WLUK-TV Fox11 News Report
“It was just tucked away in the corner on a shelf,” she said. “I never would have imagined it was that old.”

Still, no one realized its significance. After changing hands among some staff for lesson purposes, the Bible was brought to the attention of Shoup.

“Thinking the Bible was probably from the 1800s, I let it sit in my office for months before taking a closer look,” Shoup said.

The Roman numerals MDCLXX (1670) found on the cover page sparked his interest in finding out more about it.

Shoup contacted Concordia Seminary Library in St. Louis and sent personnel there several photographs of the Bible. They were able to determine its authenticity.

“It’s rare to find one that old,” Special Collections Cataloger Lyle Buettner said. “No two copies of hand-pressed books are absolutely identical.”

Copies of the 350-year-old Bible can be found in various libraries in Germany and the United States, including Concordia.

Buettner believes the value to be between $1,000 and $1,500.

Considering the rarity of the piece, keeping it safe from damage was a top priority.
Buettner’s instructions were quite simple, to keep it stored away from light and away from humidity.

“A dark, cool place is good,” Buettner said.

Handling it with clean, bare hands is the best way to preserve it for viewing.

The school’s safe was really an ideal place for preservation over the years, Shoup said.
After debating between keeping the Bible or donating it to Concordia’s collection for research purposes, Shoup decided it would be kept with the congregation for the time being.

“Our ancestors came over to settle in the Bonduel area approximately 150 years ago, with likely one family porting this Bible in their trunk,” Shoup said. He hopes to create an acid-free display case for it.

“It would be nice to allow God’s people to enjoy this precious book for generations to come,” Shoup said. “This particular Bible is important because it marks time, how God has chosen to speak his same grace into our hearts in all times, in 2011 or in 1670.”

The congregation was able to view the Bible during services this past fall.

“To have something keep that long and be preserved so well, that’s really something special,” John Boettcher, 60, said.

As a member of the congregation all his life, Boettcher said ancestry is very important to him.

“I would want to keep the Bible here in Bonduel,” he said.
Another long-time congregation member, Jim Brandt, 81, was impressed when he saw the Bible.

“Modern printing methods don’t produce anything like that,” he said.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The increasing frequency of Holy Communion in Protestant churches « Churchmouse Campanologist

The increasing frequency of Holy Communion in Protestant churches « Churchmouse Campanologist


j0313880How often should one take Holy Communion?  Should it be offered at every church service as it is during Holy Mass in the Roman Catholic tradition?
I am uncertain and have been for many years.  As I grow older, I look back at the hundreds of times I have received the Body and Blood of Our Lord.  There were times when I was more prepared than at others.  I believe that I should have refused it by remaining in the pew when I was unprepared spiritually.
That will appear as a distinctly Protestant viewpoint, yet it is a valid one.  More Protestant denominations — namely Anglicans, Lutherans and some Evangelical non-denominational churches – are offering Holy Communion more than what used to be the customary one-Sunday-a-month.  Why do they wish to do this?  Two Sundays a month are understandable, but every Sunday is a bit much for the average communicant...

***

GJ - I believe we should distinguish between how often it is offered and how often it is taken.

The norm for offering Holy Communion in the Book of Concord is - every Sunday and special services. Since not every person can commune on a given Sunday, offering the Sacrament each Sunday seems to be the best practice.

For WELS Lutherans, that would mean eliminating entertainment and the WELS ad/video.

Growing up in a Communist home: Roy Kerridge speaks « Churchmouse Campanologist

Growing up in a Communist home: Roy Kerridge speaks « Churchmouse Campanologist


In the New Year’s Day 2011 edition of The Spectator (not to be confused with the American Spectator), former editor Alexander Chancellor reviews a book by writer Roy Kerridge, Stalin’s Schoolboy.
Kerridge grew up in a Communist household in London.  His mother Thea was divorced from an physically and psychologically abusive husband, also a Communist.  Unfortunately, Thea went on to have more abusive relationships with other leftists who also beat her.  You can read the full story in the article.

The Not-So-Intrepid Rydecki



Bit of a Church Growth essay by Rydecki.
Well that was a different kind of service, wasn't it? Did somebody make a mistake? I mean, this conference is supposed to be focusing on the liturgy, but I have to be honest, I've attended Lutheran worship every Sunday for 32 years, and I've never heard or sung anything like the music we heard and sang this morning. Are we sure that was the liturgy? Well, did we review the standard gospel truths of the Ordinary? We did. Did we focus on a specific gospel truth through the songs and texts of the Proper? We did. Did we celebrate Christ's meal? We did.
Page 1
 
We can apply similar principles to adapt the liturgy for the multi-generational, multi-cultural situation of our WELS churches in the United States. Not all people crave different or contemporary styles. But some do, both young and old. They don't have to abandon the liturgy to find them. The liturgy can be adapted, even to forms of Jazz or Gospel or folk music, depending on the circumstances.
Page 5
 
So, we're back to the question: What are we going to do with the liturgy? Three choices stand before us. We can keep doing what we're doing right now. We can set the auto-pilot and stay with the orders of service provided in Christian Worship indefinitely. That will work for some churches in some communities for awhile. But in others, it may mean that we'll lose touch with a growing number of members and seekers alike who find especially the music of these services to be limiting or foreign and, therefore, sometimes inadequate styles for communicating the gospel.
Page 6

Essay
https://connect.wels.net/AOM/ps/worship/Worship%20and%20Outreach/Plenary-Changing%20Music%20of%20Liturgy-Rydecki.rtf
 
The essay was linked here
https://connect.wels.net/AOM/ps/worship/Worship%20and%20Outreach/Forms/AllItems.aspx

***

GJ - The nature of the "conservative" WELS pastor begins to emerge from the evidence.

Rydecki dared to question the idiocy of The Guilt Factory (aka The Love Shack) and immediately reversed engines. Like the Titantic, he still hit the iceberg, becoming the Peter Wagner Professor of UOJ for the Intrepid Lutherans.

The effluent quoted above is suited for a spirited defense of The BORE in Fox Valley.

Here is a message for all those who are ashamed they are Lutherans. We are also ashamed that you are Lutherans.

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Daniel Baker has left a new comment on your post "The Not-So-Intrepid Rydecki":

To play devil's advocate (because this is legitimately perplexing to me):

What is the purpose of hymns at all? If efficacy of the Word means that we cannot place limitations on it, then why have liturgy and hymns? Would it not simply be effective to read the Gospel and administer the Sacrament? Isn't the filler unnecessary? Some might say that the liturgy serves to portray the Gospel more fully in an orderly way. Fine. But what's the hang up with singing? Are we implying that singing the hymns somehow teaches people better or makes the meaning more applicable to them?

***

GJ - Are you dropping the sermon too? The liturgy and hymns teach the Gospel as well. As I recall, the Old Testament has its own hymnal, called The Psalms.

Creeds and hymns are similar - they are man's witness to what is taught in the Scriptures. The historic liturgy is 100% from the Scriptures. The Seeker Services are 100% from Fuller Seminary's entertainment division.

I would drop the announcements. No one listens to them anyway, except to check whether the minister forgot to emphasize one particular agenda item. And did he mispronounce the last name of our charter member - Siegfried Aufdembergesitzimleben?

Big Winners

"It's like totally awesome. WELS schools are so amazing.
And spelling doesn't count."

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany



The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


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

God’s Transforming Word

The Hymn #294 O Word of God Incarnate 3.31
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #309 O Jesus, Blessed Lord 3.70

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

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

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

God’s Transforming Word
Lenski:
“Here are the items that count. Jesus had left his home to begin his career as the Messiah; he had been baptized by John and had returned with six disciples; the report of what had transpired right after his Baptism together with the testimonies of the Baptist, of the six disciples, and of Jesus himself, reached Mary’s ears first of all. These things brought back to her mind the great facts connected with her Son’s conception, birth, etc. We know this woman’s character, the depth of her nature, the clarity of her knowledge and intuition. She knew her son was the Messiah of whom wondrous things were to be expected. Like Mary of Bethany, who foresaw Jesus’ death by violence and grasped the moment at the feast made for him by his friends and anointed him for his burying, 12:1–8, so Jesus’ mother turns to her son at this critical moment during the wedding feast. Just what she did expect of him—was it fully clear to her own mind? The answer: ordinary help, fails to meet the case entirely. The answer must be: extraordinary, wondrous help. This touch, too, is true regarding Mary—she asks nothing, not even, “Can or will you do something?” She simply states the difficulty and humbly leaves all else to Jesus.”
Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing House, 1961, S. 187

This is a well known miracle, one of the best known of all, even though we only read about it in John’s Gospel. Because it is so famous and so often used for sermons and essays, there are also many wondrous claims about the meaning of the miracle. When I was looking for artwork illustrating the miracle, I ran into these explanations. Some decided this was a miracle about the intervention of Mary, and turned it into a sermon about Mary and the need for her intercession. Needless to say, this miracle concerns Jesus and the power of the Word, and Mary plays a subordinate part, with an important point made about her relationship to her Son.

The wedding of Cana miracle has many lessons in it, which we can discern from the details offered to us, and by comparing to other parts of the Bible.

First of all, Jesus attended this wedding. That may be overlooked as an important point, but this very fact shows that Jesus honored and blessed the institution of marriage, which was established by God’s command for all people on earth. God established marriage because it is good for people. That is what we call natural law – God commands what is good and forbids what is harmful.

When I study pagan religions, I am struck by how bizarre and damaging they are to the vulnerable. In many examples, women and children are subject to the whims of the culture and are lower than domestic animals in how they are treated.

The most alarming danger signal about our Western culture is the willingness to copy paganism in so many respects. The institution of marriage is despised and rejected by the children of Boomers. It only took one generation for the grandchildren of WWII to decide that marriage did not suit them.

One sign of natural law’s truth is this – the best way to live in poverty is to be a single mother. Poverty encourages a lack of education, and a lack of education encourages single motherhood. In contrast, a married couple is more prosperous and encourages all the habits that promote prosperity in their children. The poverty cycle goes well with a lack of education and raising children alone. Add crime, the unattached boyfriend, and government programs – and the cycle is endless.

The old Judeo-Christian tradition was – “Get married and have children early, before you notice that you do not have any money.” In Judaism, the parents sign contracts to financially support a couple for the first 10 years, for example.

Another tradition has been that every adult should be married, because marriage is good. My wife Chris has encouraged many couples to get married. One woman wrote a personal thank-you from her honeymoon. Another couple was a iffy situation, where the young woman was raising a child alone. Chris said, “Who is this guy? If you love him and he loves you, why aren’t you married?” He came over to the gathering, a few minutes later. Soon after we attended their marriage, which has been blessed by a child.

Luther was aware of people despising marriage. He noted that people put off marriage in his era as excuse to engage in fornication. When he wrote in favor of priests getting married, the monasteries were emptied almost overnight. The Church of Rome was not happy because the tax on priests’ concubines was a major source of income. Of course, a cruder term than concubine was used. The faux-wife would be associated with the priest, be around the church, but had to live with her shameful condition.

But the Church of Rome attacked Luther for having a legitimate marriage and encouraging what the Bible clearly taught. The pope said Lutherans encouraged immorality when just the opposite was true. Luther observed that the people of his time worshiped those cardinals as gods “who were satisfied with a woman.” That is natural law – God puts the solitary in families.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

They did not run out of wine because Jesus brought so many guests. Wine was the normal beverage, and the couple should have had plenty for everyone. Mary’s request indicates that she was in charge, so the couple was probably without parents to manage and pay for this wedding.

Mary’s statement to Jesus shows that she trusted in Him to provide an answer. John’s Gospel emphasizes His divinity by revealing in John 1:1 that He is the creating Word who fashioned the entire universe in six ordinary days. Scoffers like to say that the Virgin Birth is never mentioned in John, which is like saying that the NBC news report did not mention New Ulm. The Virgin Birth is assumed throughout John and certainly reflected in many different passages. Why did Mary believe so firmly in her Son (verse 5)?

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

Translators have added “dear” to this address, to soften the sound of it. The KJV is not so inventive and careless. In John’s Gospel, Jesus addressed His mother twice, as “woman.” This shows that He was still her Lord. He as indicated the same in His response to her when He stayed at the Temple and spoke to the leaders there. Finally, He addressed her as “woman” on the cross. He commended Mary to John’s care, so they would have a mother-son relationship, underling by His use of “mother” that He was her Lord.

KJV John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

This is an important distinction, because Roman Catholics have made Jesus subordinate to Mary and given her attributes of the Savior (mercy, grace, comfort) while making Jesus the stern judge. This is not only true in their popular art but also in their official statements, encyclicals, essays, and books. Mary commands Him as His mother! She is the co-Redeemer (Redemptrix) who offered up her Son the same way a priest offers the Mass. Like all false doctrine, each generation has to be more extreme and absurd than the previous one. One sure sign of Lutheran pastors going off the deep end is their new-found obsession with Mary and their efforts to defy Scripture by making Mary the most important person in the New Testament.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

Mary’s response shows that her faith in Him was based upon her knowledge of His Virgin Birth and all the wonders associated with Jesus, including His stay in the Temple.

I agree with Lenski – that Jesus’ exchanges with people draw out their faith, so it is stated in the open. We can imagine Mary’s trust in Jesus, but this statement shows total reliance on Him as the Son of God. She does not tell anyone what to do, except to have the servants follow exactly what Jesus ordered. That is an example of faith, which is always exalted in the New Testament.

6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

The commands are rather elaborate, but we can see why they are so detailed. The waterpots were empty and filled with water. The servants did this, so there was no mistake that empty clay jars were filled with water to the brim. What would that look like? Anyone can imagine – there is no mistaking a jar filled with water. In most conditions one can see down to the bottom or at least most of the way down, depending on light and sediments.

There is not trick. Wine is also quite obvious, not only in color but also in aroma. One glass of wine on the altar has a pungent aroma, from the fermentation process and the original source of the wine.

The same servants who poured the water took liquid from those water jars.

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

This response shows a bit of ironic humor. This great miracle is greeted with obvious irritation. The manager of the feast complained that the best wine had been kept back, which was not logical, not practical.

This was the first miracle performed by Jesus as the Messiah.

Left unsaid, though often mentioned in other examples of His divine power, is the commotion caused by the miracle. The servants knew what happened. Would they not tell? Water turned into very good wine. Did the manager hear about the oddness of his complaint? Everyone was left to marvel that this Teacher performed a miracle that no one could even imagine.

The Transforming Word
Every question we have is answered in many places by the Word of God. Every doctrinal error is addressed by the Scriptures.

The Synodical Conference taught an error about Holy Communion, an error which reflected their poor grasp of the efficacy of the Word. They said the elements were not the Body and Blood of Christ until they were received by the communicant. They even said, “They become the Body and Blood when they are received…” So this error is called Receptionism.

In debating this, the leaders said, “We do not know the exact Moment of Consecration…”

The same leaders have presided over the complete take-over of the Synodical Conference by false doctrine Fuller Seminary. And they love their UOJ – their only doctrine, because everything else disappears when UOJ is taught. The error is the same.

At Ft. Wayne, various Lutherans asked me about Consecration. I said, “If you believe in the efficacy of the Word, as I do, there is nothing to debate.”
The same is true with the Creation in six 24-hour days. Is that possible, compared to the intellectual richness of chaotic evolution over billions of years? Yes, if someone believes in the efficacy of the Word.

The Lutherans leaders of today are truly pathetic, because they lead people to and fro, in error’s ways confounded. They do not grasp or trust in the most basic teaching of the Bible – the divine effectiveness of the Word. Worse than that – they are against this teaching. They refuse to discuss it. They are antagonistic toward anyone who tries to remind them of their own heritage.

And this is the truest sign of their error – they shun the entire topic. They will not go near it because it lays waste to their entire edifice of man-made wisdom. Their posh jobs are also endangered by this most basic truth. They are not leaders but parasites who live off the generous donations of their members and the manipulative grants of Schwan and Thrivent.

What Should We Believe about the Transforming Word?

Most non-Lutherans are bewildered by the Sacraments, and we should not listen to them. What God commands is true and take effect from the divine power of His Word. If it is “This is my Body…given for the forgiveness of your sin,” then both are true. The Word consecrates and gives God’s energy to the Body and Blood of Christ.

Likewise, Baptism is not a cute ceremony, but the effect of the Word associated with water, so we know a baby or adult is taken into the Kingdom, given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and rescued from the power of original sin.

God’s blessings and His forgiveness come through the Word alone, although the Word comes to us in many forms – preaching, teaching, the sacraments, hymns, and creeds. The power of the Word is related to its purity, as H. E. Jacobs wrote.

The pure Word is the most powerful, so we should trust in that alone. That means the true Gospel will always produce God’s gracious will, which includes the cross.

False teachers think their prosperity, based upon greed and deceit, is proof of God’s blessing. They look down on those who bear the cross, thinking it is their punishment. This only shows how deceived they are by Satan. It is dangerous to juggle God’s Word as if it were a toy. Those who do so are in worse shape than the ones who wander or break into high-power electrical stations. They think they can defy the most basic rules and live.

On the other hand, the Gospel leads us to eternal life, no matter what gets in the way.

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SERMON NOTES

The Second Sunday after Epiphany





Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16. KJV)



"The liberal movement in Lutheran circles is not a thing of sudden growth. In our circles it began half a century ago. In its early stages it showed itself by an aping of the sects in external things, while our doctrine remained sound. Perhaps the first thing to go was the Lutheran hymn...Many of the pastors and congregations gave up the ancient Gospels and Epistles, and began to preach on free texts, in imitation of the sects. There was a fad at one time for series of sermons on Old Testament characters. Lent was still observed, but the sermons became mere character sketches of Pontius Pilate, Judas, Simon Peter, and the Roman centurion.

"Contributed," "The Development of Liberalism, The Confessional Lutheran, 10/45. p. 121.



"That it is good and pleasing to God to sing spiritual songs is, I think, not hidden to any Christian. Everyone is acquainted not only with the example of the kings and prophets of the Old Testament ...but also with the common use of music, especially in the singing of psalms, in Christendom from the very beginning. St. Paul, too, instituted this in 1 Corinthians 14:15 and bids the Colossians (3:16) heartily to sing spiritual songs and psalms unto the Lord in order that thereby God's Word and Christian doctrine might be used and practised in diverse ways."

What Luther Says, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 980.



"In view of their spiritual meaning the psalms are really lovely and sweet; for they are comforting to all depressed, wretched consciences, who are in fear of sin, the anguish and agony of death, and all sorts of trouble and misery. To such hearts the Book of Psalms is a sweet, comforting, lovely song, because it sings and preaches the Messiah,...Thus David, too, often dispelled, or at least checked or weakened, the evil spirit for Saul with his minstrelsy (1 Samuel 16:17ff.). For the evil spirit is not at ease when one sings or preaches God's Word in true faith. He is a spirit of sadness and cannot stay where a heart is spiritually joyful (joyful in God and His Word." What Luther Says, II, p. 981.



"We know that music is hateful and intolerable to devils. I firmly believe, nor am I ashamed to assert, that next to theology no art is equal to music; for it is the only one, except theology, which is able to give a quiet and happy mind. This is manifestly proved by the fact that the devil, the author of depressing care and distressing disturbances, almost flees from the sound of music as he does from the word of theology."

What Luther Says, II, p. 983.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Wisconsin Synod Piety - Stained Glass Window


Synod VP Joel Voss preached at the Reformation service at St. Paul, German Village. He could not be found after the service, because he was watching the Packers play on TV in another part of the building.

Don't worry WELSians, that will only lift him higher in the eyes of your members.

Joel was famous for never reading the books sent to the official conference book reviewer for NPH. Everyone knew it. He stood up each time and laughed as he showed the book covers to the audience.

Don't worry WELSians, that will only lift him higher in the eyes of your members.

---

grumpy has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Synod Piety - Stained Glass Window":

Are you mocking the dead?
Isn't this the same Voss that was killed in a car accident?

***
GJ - He appears to be alive in this photo from his current blog.

Bruce Church thinks this is a candid shot of the synod vp.

Episcopal Roman Catholic in England


Three former Anglican bishops, John Broadhurst, left, Andrew Burnham, second left, and Keith Newton, right, stand with Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the  

AP – Three former Anglican bishops, John Broadhurst, left, Andrew Burnham, second left, and Keith Newton, … 
 
LONDON – Three former Anglican bishops were ordained as Catholic priests Saturday, becoming the first ex-bishops to take advantage of a new Vatican system designed to make it easier for Anglicans to embrace Roman Catholicism.

The crowded ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in London made priests of former bishops Keith Newton, Andrew Burnham and John Broadhurst, Anglicans who had been unhappy with the church's direction.
The three declined to comment after the ordination presided over by the Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Catholic leader in England and Wales.

Nichols called the ordination service a landmark event.

"Many ordinations have take place in this cathedral during the 100 years of its history, but none quite like this," he said. "Today is a unique occasion marking a new step in the life and history of the Catholic Church."
The groundbreaking ceremony was made possible by a 2009 ruling by the Vatican allowing Anglicans worldwide to join the Roman Catholic Church and still adhere to many Anglican traditions.

Vatican officials devised the new policy without consulting Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the global Anglican church.

The new system is designed to entice traditionalist Anglicans opposed to women priests, openly gay clergy, the blessing of same-sex unions and other controversial policies that have caused a deep schism within the church.

Until it was put in place, disaffected Anglicans had joined the Roman Catholic Church primarily on a case-by-case basis.

---

"Its Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy have been a great bulwark of Protestantism; and yet, seemingly, out of the very stones of that bulwark has been framed, in our day, a bridge on which many have passed over into Rome... It harbors a skepticism which takes infidelity by the hand, and a revised medievalism which longs to throw itself, with tears, on the neck of the Pope and the Patriarch, to beseech them to be gentle and not to make the terms of restored fellowship too difficult."
Charles P. Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1913 (first edition, 1871), p. x.

Lifetime Achievement

How much is tuition?




bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Lutheran Cathedrals Are Also In Trouble":


"For many [cathedrals], trust funds and endowments are all that is sustaining them."

That reminds me of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. With an $80 million endowment and growing, it only has 60-some M. Div students per class, and yet they pay through the nose to go there. Then they have all the non-M.Div. filler GED students (DELTO, etc) who have no business being there. Of course, the deaconesses are all pretty so I can't say anything about them.

Meanwhile, Dean Wenthe is retiring from Ft. Wayne. I guess he thought that making Ft. Wayne as expensive as Yale Seminary was enough of a life achievement, and everything else would just be anticlimactic.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Lie Down with Obama, Get Up With Fleas Fleeced.
Who Won Both Houses and the Presidency in 2008?

The ELCA clergy vote predominantly Democratic.
The ELCA leaders probably vote  Democratic 99%.



ELCA NEWS SERVICE
January 14, 2011
ELCA, Board of Pensions Respond to Lawsuit on Annuity Payment Reductions

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The churchwide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the ELCA Board of Pensions responded publicly to a Dec. 3 lawsuit filed against them in a Minnesota state court by four plaintiffs. The plaintiffs claim the ELCA Board of Pensions acted improperly to reduce annuity payments to retirees participating in an annuity retirement fund. 

     The suit was filed in a district court in Hennepin County, Minn., by the Rev. Arthur F. Haimerl, the Rev. Benjamin A. Johnson and two former pastors, Larry D. Cartford and Dr. Ronald A. Lundeen.

     Named as defendants were the ELCA Board of Pensions, based in Minneapolis, and two members of its leadership team, John G. Kapanke, president and chief executive officer, and Curtis G. Fee, vice president and chief investment officer. The ELCA, a separate nonprofit corporation based here, was also named.

     "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is aware of the allegations contained in the lawsuit filed in the Minnesota District Court," according to a statement from the ELCA churchwide organization. "The lawsuit claims that the ELCA Board of Pensions, a corporation separate from the churchwide organization, acted improperly by reducing certain annuity payments. We are disappointed the plaintiffs chose to name the ELCA as a defendant in this matter. While we deny the allegations, we will not comment publicly on the specifics contained in the lawsuit so long as this matter is in litigation."

     "The ELCA remains concerned about the retirees who filed the lawsuit as we are about everyone adversely affected by the downturn in the stock market and the state of the economy. We ask everyone to keep the retirees and the church in their prayers during these difficult times," the statement said.

     In 2009 the ELCA Board of Pensions informed about 12,500 retirees in the Participating Annuity and Bridge Fund that, because of significant market losses, their annuity payments would be reduced 9 percent for 2010, and would likely be reduced further by 9 percent in 2011 and 2012.

     The reductions were needed because the Participating Annuity and Bridge Fund suffered significant market losses in late 2008 and early 2009, resulting in a funding shortfall of as much as 39 percent in February 2009. To ease the impact on plan members, the trustees decided to implement reductions over a three-year period.

     Last month the trustees of the Board of Pensions announced smaller 2011 reductions in annuity payments for plan members in its Participating Annuity and Bridge Fund, primarily because of positive market performance in recent months. The trustees reduced annuity payments for 2011 by 6 percent instead of 9 percent for plan members in the Participating Annuity and Bridge Fund.

     In the lawsuit the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants' actions were not proper and not permitted based on the terms of the retirement plan agreement. The plaintiffs claimed that "annuity payments were guaranteed for life" and that "increases in these guaranteed lifetime annuity payments would be permanent."

     Earlier this month the Board of Pensions caused the lawsuit to be moved to the federal court in Minneapolis.
     "We believe this lawsuit, brought by four individuals, lacks merit and we are vigorously defending against it," said a statement from the ELCA Board of Pensions.  "The top priority of the Board of Pensions for the ELCA Participating Annuity and Bridge Fund has always been, and continues to be, providing annuity payments to participating plan members during their lifetimes.

     "In January 2010, as a result of the historic and virtually unprecedented downturn in the investment markets in late 2008 and 2009, the Board of Pensions implemented a three-year plan of corrective measures to protect the long-term viability of the Fund for its participating plan members. The Board of Pensions believes it has acted in the best interests of plan members by seeking to return the Fund to fully funded status. The steps implemented by the Board of Pensions are intended to support continued annuity payments to participating plan members during their lifetimes. Currently we are on track to return the Fund to a fully funded status, due primarily to improved investment market performance and the action we have taken in our stewardship of the Fund," the Board of Pensions statement said.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org

He Rice Stand - WELS Can Do No Other


Jeff Gunn, WELS Emerging Church Pastor:
"Second, receive Jesus’ forgiveness.  When Jesus died on the cross, the entire world was forgiven.  That means you.  The person who repents of his sin can know beyond any shadow of a doubt that all sins are forgiven already through Jesus.  Jesus will absorb your doubt and give you assurance that your sins too are fully forgiven."

***

GJ - How can anyone who supports UOJ attack Jeff Gunn on that epic devotional - He Rice Stand?

He clearly teaches UOJ Enthusiasm, just as his DP (Buchholz) does. The long line of UOJ advocates goes back through Wayne Mueller, David Valleskey, J. P. Meyer, Sig Becker.

---

lance-weber (http://lance-weber.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "He Rice Stand - WELS Can Do No Other":

The long line of UOJ advocates goes back through Wayne Mueller, David Valleskey, J. P. Meyer, Sig Becker.

They sound like a secret society practicing personal forms of presumption and Gnosticism – as opposed to following the Word of God. Should it be attributed to stupidity or overbearing egos?

***

GJ - I have spent many years trying to figure this out. More research is coming along to help. My tentative answer is the influence of Walther amalgamating Orthodoxy and Pietism. He also promoted a style of theology where theses were followed by justification for those grand declarations. Paul Calvin Kelm would call it upside-down theology, his primary skill.

The same blindness to the efficacy of the Word instigated Receptionism - the notion that the bread becomes the Body of Christ when received by the communicant. The often heard declaration that "we do not know the Moment of Consecration" reveals the stupefaction of Enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm begat UOJ and UOJ begat the Church Growth/Emerging Church Movement.

Church Growth will beget atheism - it already has.

Touch Not!

"Touch not mine anointed!"



LPC has left a new comment on your post "Abusive Church Bodies":

Pr. Greg,


Ohh the Sin-nods are so Pentecostal!

When I was in charismania and I questioned a high ranking pastor, I was given this passage:

Psalms 105:14-15 , “He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm"

LPC

Mind Control in Abusive Sects Holy Mother Synod

Do you have a problem with their doctrine and practice? They will phone you long distance and question you.



rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Abusive Church Bodies":

Recently, I downloaded and read a book entitled The Heresy of Mind Control. The attempt at mind control is one of the many dirty tricks that abusive sects engage in. We also know that a knee jerk reaction of attempting to discredit sources of factual information is another tactic that the abusive sects use. The actions of the staffer at the Guilt Shack are very revealing. Those who were closest to Joseph Stalin revealed after Stalin’s death just how paranoid old Uncle Joe really was. I guess that the despotic ones have to always watch their backside. Abusive sects can be very Stalinesque.

Abusive Church Bodies


One reason for massive defections from mainline church bodies is abuse. There are many forms of abuse, and they all stem from corrupt doctrine.

Hazing in high school, college, and seminary is a good indication of an abusive sect. The whole idea is to divide the synod between the elite (no matter how dumb they are) and the slaves. The slaves do the work so the elite can enjoy their luxury trips around the world, their bonus pay, their extra help because they labor so long and hard for the Lord.

No one is allowed to question this system, because that is equal to debating with God. The Holy Spirit has complete control of the sect, so all decisions are godly, all dissent demonic. Ralph Bohlmann used to climax his venomous letters with "Satan must be laughing right now..."

Therefore, the sect pushes people out because they disagree while protecting the corrupt, the incompetent, and the adulterous. The formula is simple to comprehend. If the elite commit a crime, they are promoted. If the slaves do something wrong, they consigned to the lower depths of Hell and shunned. Doing something wrong includes truly bad things, like marital infidelity, but also includes questioning Holy Mother Synod.

Stay with me - it is not that complicated. The elite can question Holy Mother Synod all they want. They usually attack all the old traditional things that are holding back the Kingdom of God. While ELCA tried to cure all the injustice in the world through Marxism, abortion, and homosexuality, WELS-LCMS-ELS knew the answers were revealed at Fuller Seminary and its clones. Both sides, ELCA and the Syn Conference, managed with "Our way or the highway to Hell." No surprise - bullying worked.

ELCA and its previous bodies were abusive, but everyone overlooked it. Now the drama is public. ELCA pastors and congregations are communicating their experiences through the Internet. If the ELCA bishops could burn people at the stake today, they would be happy to do so.

I have tried to tell many innocent pastors and laity that these sects specialize in one thing - spying. Yes, the leaders pretend they are dumber than rocks about important issues. They do not know. They do not remember. They do not comprehend. But they make sure they know every detail that may concern them.

Several people have been accosted for the crime of knowing me--gasp--or reading this blog. That is pretty hilarious by itself, because the synod leaders read this blog and know me. They are the elites, so that is OK. My Facebook friend list of 1280+ includes a rainbow coalition, from Otten and Werning to Church Growth leaders of various sects and factions. One WELS DP is on my list. He has looked over the names and jumped on one person I know.

Here is an even better example. I friended someone I never met. He is no longer WELS. A staffer at the Guilt Factory published on this man's wall: "Are you the one leaking to Greg Jackson?" That was a public accusation, especially paranoid since the friend was not in WELS and we had no communication except "Happy Birthday."

WELS leaders will tell anyone with ears that I have no friends and no one pays attention to me. So why are they jumping on my distant and casual friends like a hobos on a hotdog? And why do they care what I write, if I have no credibility? A good friend, via the Net, says, "Because they are frightened."

One LCA pastor assured me that no one in the LCA read Christian News. I said, "Those leaders who know you are reading every word. That is their job."

For example, I was a microbe in the LCA when I left. I published a few things here and there, but I was not on any national or district committees - too nauseating. When I sat down for lunch with LCA President Crumley at the Ad Fontes meeting, he began by asking me about WELS colloquy and what it entailed.

Crumley did not even ask if he had the right person or "What are you up to, uh, Greg?" Someone would think, "This guy watches over 3 million members and thousands of pastors. He could not keep up with all the personal details." Yes, he could, if it mattered to him. The LCA was facing merger with the ALC at that time and did a great job of suppressing defections. There were almost no clergy or congregational exits.

WELS and ELS have also suppressed congregational exits by pushing people out, but they have not stopped massive losses by their abusive behavior. People slip away, one by one.

The damage continues. I hear from various people because they trust me to hear about their pain and to keep things to myself. Therefore, I keep background vague. I urge them to rely on the Word and to read the Gospel of John, not to expect anything from an abusive sect.

One pastor dismissed Tabor murdering his wife as piffle because "it happened a long time ago." I still hear from people deeply affected by Tabor's adulterous behavior and the synodical cover-up of the murder. A number of clergy and laity come to mind. That is an ongoing effect because of the felonies committed in the name of making Holy Mother Synod look innocent.

Old news? Fred Adrian was involved in a similar cover-up in Michigan, WELS. No murder, just a minor child, a member of his congregation. He is back serving as a pastor.

Someone suggested that I attend the WELS-ELS-LCMS trifecta in May. I responded that I was not interested, not as long as the abuse continued.

I know - write a letter. I did.

I sent three certified letters to WELS clergy, and all three signed the receipt card. That included reform candidate SP Schroeder. No one answered or acknowledged the letter. A previous email, sent a long time ago, was never acknowledged.

Months later, after receiving my certified letter, Schroeder wrote:

---


Greg,

I did write to you I regard to the matter in the email I mentioned.  This was some time prior to your sending of the certified letter.  Since the certified letter was not addressed to me but sent as a “CC”, and since I had encouraged you to contact these men directly and you were doing so, I did not respond directly to your letter.   

Regardless, I apologize if this appeared to be a lack of response.  It was not intended to be.

Thanks.

Rev. Mark Schroeder
WELS President


***

GJ - That was the extent of his response, except for his previous advice - "Write a letter."

See how that works?

What Sasse Says: Concerning the Unity of the Lutheran Church

What Sasse Says: Concerning the Unity of the Lutheran Church

Lutheran Cathedrals Are Also In Trouble

The State of Episcopal Church Cathedrals in the US

A SPECIAL REPORT

By David W. Virtue and Mary Ann Mueller
www.virtueonline.org
December 16, 2010

A special VOL investigation into the state of Episcopal cathedrals across the U.S. has revealed that many are living on borrowed time, while a handful are thriving in difficult economic circumstances. Cathedrals usually occupy prime real estate locations in major cities, locations that, should they go out of business, offer great opportunities for developers or evangelical mega churches.

The cathedral of the Diocese of Western Michigan - the diocese of the now deceased Bishop Charles E. Bennison, Sr. - was sold to an evangelical mega-church for less than the price to build it. The diocese is now without a cathedral. Fire sales can be expected in other dioceses across the US in the next decade.

Of the some 100 domestic dioceses in the Episcopal Church, 18 dioceses have no cathedrals including: Alaska, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Oregon, North Texas (Fort Worth); Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Northern Michigan, Northwest Texas, Rochester, San Joaquin, Southern Virginia, Southwestern Virginia, West Texas, West Virginia, Western Michigan and the Navajoland.

ELCA and The Episcopal Church Agree

Diocese of Virginia Faces Critical Resolutions on Sexuality, Property Negotiations

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
January 10, 2011

When the Diocese of Virginia meets January 20-22, high on the list of resolutions will be one affirming "same-gender unions" and another relating to current ecclesiastical wars regarding property issues.

Liberals in the diocese want to see the full blessing of same-sex unions and view it as "providing a generous pastoral response" in keeping with General Convention resolution C056 allowing bishops to bless same-sex unions though not necessarily to marry them. (An exception occurred recently in the Diocese of Massachusetts.) Virginia statutes define marriage as between one man and one woman. Voters in seven states, including Virginia, have approved constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.

Should this resolution pass at the 216th convention, and there is every likelihood that it will, it will place the Diocese of Virginia firmly in the revisionist camp from which there is no immediate return, if at all. It means that the diocese can no longer claim to recognize those of conscience who may disagree with the diocese's position. While it will not be mandated or coercive for a priest to have to perform a same sex blessing, it should be noted that women's ordination was optional until it was made mandatory by General Convention, violating the consciences of traditionalist priests and forcing a number of parishes and dioceses to cede from The Episcopal Church.

Apostasy and Schism Are the Fruits of Marrying the Spirit of This Age

The Dubliners: Why Peter Carrell has it all wrong

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
January 11, 2011

In an article written for The Living Church, http://tinyurl.com/4l57exd the Rev. Dr. Peter Carrell of the Diocese of Christchurch, in the Anglican Church of New Zealand, opines that the non attendance of eleven orthodox primates in the Anglican Communion in Dublin, later this month, amounts to nothing and "in ten years or so, all will be well again."

Perhaps it is because the Rev. Carrell lives in far off NZ, has never attended a Primates meeting, a CAPA meeting, has never met or talked with orthodox archbishops like Henry Orombi (Uganda) or Nicholas Okoh, (Nigeria), has not seen what Archbishop Robert Duncan has gone through, (it was Duncan who said orthodox Episcopalians would have been exterminated if they had not left TEC), has never met an ACNA bishop nor seen the devastating impact that theologically revisionist bishops like Jack Spong and the takeover of the Episcopal Church by a handful of politically correct pansexualists has done, that he can write the nonsense he does from the safety and distance of NZ. (In NZ only one diocese - Nelson - is remotely orthodox, the rest rolled over a long time ago.)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

BBC’s Story of the King James Bible – The Translation « Churchmouse Campanologist

BBC’s Story of the King James Bible – The Translation « Churchmouse Campanologist

"My thanks to D Philip Veitch of Reformation Anglicanism for letting me know about the BBC Radio 4 series, The Story of the King James Bible.

Yesterday, I summarised the first part of the story, the Commission. Today’s post examines what happened during the translation of the King James Version (KJV). You can also read a BBC synopsis of James Naughtie’s broadcast."

For the rest of this excellent, informative post, click the link.

Let's embarrass the WELS-LCMS Leftist combine. They will probably use the wretched ESV to replace the disgustingly bad NIV anyway, but we can make them pay for it in the year of the KJV.

CrossWalk's Jeff Gunn - He Rice Stand.
The Last Belch from the Pepsi Generation - We Hope


Jesus Is My Rice

2010-07-22T22:52:00
 
So an acquaintance I was talking to this last week related how he had to jump in the pool to try and save his puppy.  Apparently, the puppy was not a very sure swimmer yet.  He did in fact save the puppy from drowning, but unfortunately the cell phone in his pocket was not so fortunate.

This acquaintance had heard that if a cell phone gets wet, you can dry out the phone by sticking it in a bowl of rice.  The rice apparently has the ability to absorb the moisture and draw it out even from the interior of the phone.  Well, according to this acquaintance of mine, it works!  His formerly drowned phone was restored to full use.

I got to thinking that I could use some rice.  There are a lot of things I drown in—some regularly, some just from time to time.  Here’s a short list:
  • Sin
  • Temptation
  • Guilt
  • Shame
  • Self-pity
  • Anger
  • Sorrow
  • Anxiety
  • Grief
  • Frustration

I’ll stop with my “top ten.”  Maybe you can relate.  Maybe you have some things that threaten to drown you too.

So let me share my rice with you.  When I’m drowning in these things, I look for Jesus.  And then I drop myself into him.  How I do this is usually called “repentance” in the Bible.  When I repent, I “dry out” in a three-step process.  Dropping yourself into Jesus is a process you can adopt too:
  • First, be authentic with Jesus.  Pray and tell him what you are experiencing.  If it’s sin, own up to it.  If it’s guilt or shame, be real and admit what you’ve done wrong.  If it’s worry or grieving or frustration over hurts and challenges in your life, then open up your heart to Jesus and tell him what you feel.  Jesus will absorb your sin and take it to himself.
  • Second, receive Jesus’ forgiveness.  When Jesus died on the cross, the entire world was forgiven.  That means you.  The person who repents of his sin can know beyond any shadow of a doubt that all sins are forgiven already through Jesus.  Jesus will absorb your doubt and give you assurance that your sins too are fully forgiven.
  • Third, ask for the Holy Spirit’s strength to do what you cannot do by your own strength.  And then, with the Spirit’s support and strength working in you, commit to living a changed life.  Don’t go back.  Move ahead and Jesus’ blood and righteousness will absorb your past way of life.  The good news of Jesus will power you on to live a new, courageous and adventurous life—to the glory of God.
Every now and then I like to look at other translations and paraphrases.  Here’s one that struck my eye this week.  See if you don’t think it’s telling you that Jesus makes good “rice”:

“Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham's blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God's life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it.”  (Galatians 3:13-14, The Message)