The Actual Third Sunday after Easter

Note – I skipped a week because I was not paying attention to the shift from “after Easter” to “of Easter.” Everyone else seems to be following the Roman Catholic three-year calendar. I am repeating the Easter 3 lessons today and using the Second Sunday after Easter Gospel lesson for the sermon.

Jubilate, The Third Sunday after Easter, 2011


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 1 Open Now 3:33
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 # 307 Draw Nigh and Take 3:72
The Good Shepherd
The Communion Hymn #
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 #628 Shepherd of Tender Youth 3:74

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness dost suffer Thy children to come under Thy chastening rod here on earth, that we may be like unto Thine only-begotten Son in suffering and hereafter in glory: We beseech Thee, comfort us in temptations and afflictions by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not fall into despair, but that we may continually trust in Thy Son's promise, that our trials will endure but a little while, and will then be followed by eternal joy; that we thus, in patient hope, may overcome all evil, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Good Shepherd

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

We all know instinctively that the term Good Shepherd is a special title for Jesus. The title is not used for any other person, unlike “Lord,” which is also used in pagan religions.

The Greek word for “Good” in this verse really means noble, and the combination is meant to say – The Shepherd above all shepherds, the unique shepherd.

This term is especially compelling because it associates Jesus with the role of Good Shepherd and us with our role as wandering sheep.

When Luther preached on this text, he cited the great passage in Ezekiel:

KJV Ezekiel 34:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. 11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

Many people also think of this passage from Isaiah:

KJV Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Everyone recalls this passage from memory:

KJV Psalm 23:1 {A Psalm of David.} The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Old Testament has 500 references to sheep and shepherding, including the often repeated (in the NT) Isaiah 53.

An English teacher would say, “Do not mix metaphors. A man cannot be a Good Shepherd and a spotless lamb.” But we can see the eloquence of the Bible in being able to teach us the wisdom of the Holy Spirit without being bound by human rules. There is nothing else like it, because many authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, use many styles and backgrounds to teach us God’s will.

This Good Shepherd passage is the one place where all of this comes together. Every single verse about sheep and shepherding leads to this passage, and this passage explains them all.

John 10:11
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

The Good Shepherd (compared to the evil shepherds of Ez 34) will lead his flock in love and grace (as the sheep in Psalm 23 stated). The Good Shepherd shows His love by being the spotless Passover lamb (Isaiah 53).

John 10:12
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

This verse distinguishes between the weak leaders, like the District Presidents, who allow the wolves to rend the flocks, and the wolves who rip, and tear, and scatter the sheep.

The Lutheran Church is in such sad shape that the District Presidents, Synod Presidents, and Circuit Pastors use all their resources to protect and promote the wolves while they persecute and threaten faithful pastors. Example, in WELS the Intrepid pastors have been threatened with firing “if they step out of line.” However, absolutely nothing is done about the clear cases of pastoral abuse they have carefully and patiently described. (I might even add “meekly, conformedly, quietly”.) After playing by all the rules set down by the false teachers, they are still threatened.

One constant citation is Matthew 18, about going to someone first, then taking witnesses, then telling it to the church to win over the erring brother. But the bullies of Fox Valley (DP Englebrecht included) ran away from meetings, refused to answer emails, and ignored face-to-face efforts. And yet, they (and DP Englebrecht) had no compunction about excommunicating a member behind his back, secretly, deviously, dishonestly. I am sure the bullies began their slaughter sessions with a fervent prayer. Their Father Below loves such devotion, coming from flinty hearts, blinded eyes, perverted brains.

The hirings here are also the weak pastors who will do nothing because they might lose their income. They are confessing as a group that flabby DPs have more power than God. The DPs are their Good Shepherds, they dream, leading them to green pastures (parishes in rich suburbs, with rolling lawns untainted by a single dandelion). God will abandon these pastors and let them starve, they fear, if the speak the truth, if they say, “If ye continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” John 8.

The wolves are those pastors who always work in a pack. They chase down and devour the sheep. What they cannot kill, they scatter. Their chief strength comes from working in a pack, so they can surround and bring down the prey. In the Wisconsin Sect they have started many of their own wolf organizations, such as Church and Change, Prayer Warriors, Men of the Word, Feet of Clay, Women’s Ordination Movement – all with synod offering money and their own picked leaders.

How many have noticed that one WELS church after another has gone into expensive remodeling projects, far too expensive for the parish? What do they have in common? Church and Change consultants (paid huge fees) followed up by Cornerstone Church and Changers, also charging far too much money. The pastor builds a monument to his ego, as Buchholz did, and leaves the members holding the bag of debt.

John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
This verse is especially important, because it reveals how the Word connects the Good Shepherd with His true flock, the Invisible Church. The visible church has many who do not believe or think they do while using the Gospel to feather their nests. An enormous congregation will always attract business people who realize they have an automatic base of customers to rely upon, for example.

Some people live to persecute the Gospel, and there is no other place than a congregation to do that. Others nurse old grudges.

The Word converts and binds together all those who sincerely believe in Christ as their Savior. There would be a lot more Christians, except for the cross, as Luther mentioned. The world would be packed with believers if they never ran into any pain, inconvenience, or hardship because of the Word. One of the best methods of the hireling pastors is to remove all teaching about bearing the cross. They teach triumphalism instead, so they serve Satan in their weak, self-centered way. When someone runs into any kind of hardship because of the Word, that person is easily lost to Gospel. The same is true of personal misfortunes, such as difficult diseases.

John 10:15
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The Gospel of John emphasizes especially the Father-Son relationship. The Father and Son’s relationship is revealed through the Holy Spirit. That alone is worth many chapters, even books. People long for spiritual wisdom, and here it is, directly from the Word of God. We understand through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is taught through the Holy Spirit at work in the preacher or teacher. It was originally revealed through the Holy Spirit in the Gospel writer.

And yet the blind cannot find the Trinity in the Bible. Nowhere! And the feminist ministers will not say “The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.”

John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

No shepherd in Israel ever died for his sheep. He protect them and led them. Only Jesus can say, as the Good Shepherd, he lay down His life for the sheep. As we hear those verses and connect them with the others we know so well, we believe in His love, grace, and mercy. In believing we receive forgiveness.

This is the marvel about the Word of God, which is powerful and effective whenever we:
1. Read.
2. Hear.
3. Or remember it.

"For him who believes and keeps Christ's Word heaven stands open and hell is locked. The devil is also taken captive, sin is forgiven, and the believer is a child of life eternal. This is taught by this Book, Holy Scripture, and by no other book on earth. For this reason let him who would live forever study in it diligently. He who does not do so and does not want to do so is and remains in death eternal." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed. Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. p. 82. John 8:51.

Quotations

"Christians should not, and cannot, have their glory in the things the world esteems and honors; for the world will not, not can it, honor even God and His Word. Christ's followers, then, should not be terrified at such treatment as Paul received nor feel disgraced. Let them rather rejoice, deriving comfort and glory therefrom, as did the apostles. We read (Acts 4:13) of their boldness, and (Acts 5:41) that they rejoiced in being 'counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.' So it fared with Christ Himself, and Christians ought to be grieved if it be otherwise with them and if the world regard them in a kindly way. In proportion as the world persecutes them and heaps upon them its malice, should they rejoice. Let them accept persecution as a good indication, regarding themselves blessed, as Christ teaches in Matthew 5:11."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 266. Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Ephesians 3:13-21, Acts 4:13; Acts 5:41; Matthew 5:11

"This will show that 'redeem' here is a matter not of morality but of faith, that it includes faith." Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 1535, ed., Jaroslav Pelikan, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1963, 26, p. 294 Galatians 3:14

"As soon as the Word of God appears, the devil becomes angry; and in his anger he employs every power and wile to persecute it and wipe it out completely. For he is the father of lies and a murderer (John 8:44); he plants his lies in the world through false teachers, and he murders men through tyrants." Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 1535, ed., Jaroslav Pelikan, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1963, 26, p. 455. Galatians 4:29

"For him who believes and keeps Christ's Word heaven stands open and hell is locked. The devil is also taken captive, sin is forgiven, and the believer is a child of life eternal. This is taught by this Book, Holy Scripture, and by no other book on earth. For this reason let him who would live forever study in it diligently. He who does not do so and does not want to do so is and remains in death eternal." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed. Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. p. 82. John 8:51.

Joe Krohn's Personal Experiences with Rock N Roll Lutheran Church :Maggot Church in WELS

 

 

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

By Their Words You Will Know Them...(Part 1)

...more importantly, their actions.

Two years ago my family and I left Christ the Rock Church in Round Rock, Texas and landed at Holy Word Lutheran Church in Austin. We left for quite a few reasons; all of which were well documented in detail to the circuit pastor, Eric Hartzell as well as the district vice president and our future home church pastor Don Patterson. I summarize our grave concerns at the time:

•   An emphasis put on the praise band by Pastor Doebler that the quality in some people's opinion was affecting the attendance of worship.
•   That Pastor Doebler was changing the meaning of Scripture for the sake of a dramatic presentation in his sermons.  (ie:  Boaz was a warrior in the sense of special forces (man of valor); gibbor - when in fact scribes interpreted this as a man of influence and respect.)  Or that Christ's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was such a comical scene that it reminded him of Shriners on minibikes; in other words...he was making a literal tanslation of colt and donkey to the point that it was a baby donkey that struggled under the weight of Jesus while his feet dragged on the ground; hence a circus...comical even.
• That Pastor Doebler had instituted a control of the Elders by installing himself as an Elder of equal standing and voting member of said group while setting the agenda of Elder meetings.

Pastor Hartzell did respond.  I think he was caught a little off guard to his defense but also realized there needed to be some policing of the situation and did not relish having to come off as a hall monitor.  Pastor Patterson assured me that all of the issues were being addressed in September of 2009 and being taken care of.

I am posting a video from Christ the Rock's 2011 Easter service below.  I find it hard to believe that anything that was said to Doebler two years ago had any effect.  When I saw this I was appalled that being a WELS member I was in fellowship with this.  Note the leaning cross in the background as an afterthought with the band front and center.  Is the male drummer with a hat on respecting his Lord?  Is this orderly, reverent and respectful? (As Scriptures and the Confessions urge us?)  What about the outro to the song...is this not drawing attention to the worship leader? (So awesome...I'm sure that was the Holy Spirit coming through apart from the Word!) What a rock show!

In the spirit of Pastor Spencer here (sixth comment down), WELS should either cut Doebler loose, or Doebler should remove himself and join his theological heroes in Seattle.

Link to video.

---

Part Two

Friday, May 13, 2011

Words and Actions (Part 2)

I must have reviewed the 2011 Easter Sunday Christ the Rock video posted in my last blog at least a half dozen times. Something was there that I just couldn't put my finger on. As I was reviewing some of the correspondences from two years ago for future blogging, it dawned on me.

A little over a year before we left, the band was meeting as a small group before rehearsals. This is typical of churches who follow the emergent church models. The same sort of thing happened in Phoenix with Crosswalk. If you are in a leadership or high profile role with the church, you are strongly guilted encouraged to be in a small group. Being in a band takes a lot of time. (Even more so if you are the Worship Coordinator and in the band as it was so at Crosswalk.) So it was thought we would kill two birds with one stone and have small group study prior to practice. (Similarly our family got a pass on small groups at Crosswalk since our large (6) family devotion in the evenings qualified as a small group...that didn't set well with some...but that is another story.)

Our Christ the Rock (CTR) band was forced assigned to read "Humility - True Greatness" by C. J. Mahaney, a reformed writer of course. Most of the band came from solid Lutheran backgrounds; had attended synod schools and the like. We were having trouble with the book because it was shallow and repetitive; lacked solid Biblical interpretation and a general lack of trust in God. Besides all of this, our Lutheran trained pastor was not teaching the book through a Lutheran filter. Here is a quote from our exit/transfer letter to Doebler, Elders, Circuit Pastor and District Vice-President:

"There were two particularly disturbing incidents, when opposition to this book was expressed by the band, both resulting in Pastor walking out on us. The first time, he was irritated that not everyone had read their assigned text. Lisa told Pastor she had not because she had been diligently witnessing to a co-worker that week who was having a lot of trouble with the law, family, addiction etc. She hoped Pastor would offer compassion and encouragement, rather, Pastor continued to be irritated, and Lisa, seeing his displeasure, continued by saying she would not be made to feel guilty about spending time witnessing with the Bible to someone who was lost and in trouble, instead of reading the book. Pastor walked out, leaving us all hanging. The Tuesday before the band’s next rehearsal Pastor sent us an email about his concerns about not being diligent in reading the book and that it should be a period of repentance until we met again and that our attitudes as well as the leadership of Christ the Rock was being dogged by this attitude. In a rebuttal to his email I half jokingly said the reason it probably wasn’t getting read was that it was boring. I was encouraged to be counseled.

At the next meeting we discussed the section that was assigned and some of us voiced some problems we were again having with the attitude of the author of the Humility book (re: trusting God). There was once again a disturbing sentence in the book where the author said he would daily, even several times a day, vacillate back and forth feeling totally “forsaken by God”. Lisa took issue with this by stating that this was such an un-Biblical attitude…, Pastor literally stood up in argument and said “Oh yes, I often feel like that too, even Jesus Himself said it on the cross, and David said in the Psalms many times “my God my God, why have you forsaken me?”, oh yes, it is very Biblical” Lisa responded by saying she disagreed and that it is an attitude of not trusting. God says He will never leave us nor forsake us. He tells us to “be still & know that I am God” and that in Jesus case, as he hung on the cross, He truly WAS forsaken. Unfortunately, Pastor threw his books on the floor and walked out on us again before Lisa even got to finish her point that in the introduction to the Psalms, both the NIV and the Concordia Study Bibles, both categorize the sections (when David questions God, why have You forsaken me) as “complaining against God”. We were sincerely hoping for some closure regarding this. We never met again."...as a small group that is.

It became quite apparent to me after our band disbanded in May of 2009 (20/20 hindsight) that we were a threat to his agenda authority; that he tried to accuse the band of a lack of humility through a study of the book 'Humility..." to get us to subject ourselves to him. We (the CTR band) always felt he wanted to break up the band. In the end he got his wish. One of our band members was also told by an Elder at the time that Doebler had said that it was his intention to break up the band because he got a grant from Antioch to fund David Bauer's sabbatical from MLC and he needed to clear the way for this.

When I look at the people who make up the current band (or the Elders for that matter); some of which I know and others I have a passing knowledge of their backgrounds; the common denominator is either a non-Lutheran Reformed background or a disconnect from the symbols of the Lutheran faith; the Church Catholic. This is what Pastor Doebler has surrounded himself with at Christ the Rock.

***

GJ - Emergent Church is best called Maggot Church because it is designed to draw members from the denomination's established congregations. Maggot Church leaders think of their denomination as dead, so they lay their eggs in the corpse and raise little maggots. For instance, at The CORE, WELS members come over to an evening service from their own WELS congregations. Some transfer to St. Peter, Freedom, which is the actual congregation. "The CORE" is just a ruse to create a Maggot Church. Once the maggots turn into flies, they drive away the traditional Lutherans, as they did with Rick Techlin.

Three things about Maggot Churches are very important to remember:

One - they teach salvation by the Law. As experienced by Joe Krohn, the pastor is a dictator who insists that everyone obey his commands to study false doctrine, to give in to his demands, even his tantrums. Pietistic cell groups are The Law, not just a suggestion.

Two - the leaders are loyal to the Maggot Church Movement alone. They are not Lutherans or Methodists or anything else. They are Maggots who love other Maggots and study other Maggots. They live and breathe Maggotry.

Three - they will not rest until driven out (by Mark Schroeder and Jon Buchholz? - don't make me laugh) or totally destroyed. These Maggots hate the Gospel and suffer from well-deserved self-loathing. If you bother these Maggots, their brethren will fly into your face, buzz up your nostrils, and clog your ears until you beg for mercy. They demand total agreement or apologies. Stomp them. Spray them. Use the best fumigant available - The Word of God.

Bored Layman Wants To Discuss Ron Paul for President

A WELS LCMS layman wants to discuss Ron Paul for President. I do not like political discussions on this blog, but people may want to learn more about presidential candidates. Feel free to post comments with website information, etc.

Ron Paul was barely on the radar four years ago. Now he is creating quite a stir. I am not sure who would be the best conservative candidate this time.

We should all study the issues and be well informed. The "new" Obama research has not surprised me, because I was posting most of it before his election. Long ago, before another election, I predicted: "The Clintons will be so bad that entire bookstores  will be filled with books about them." That came true.

If people want to start flame wars about various candidates, I will just eliminate the thread. This post is designed to link to information. I am glad that a member asked me about Ron Paul about four years ago. That made me pay attention to news about him. His son is also a politician. These are unusual times.

I will only let informational comments through. If you think a website has a good argument for or against someone, share the link. Thanks.

---

California wrote:

For many years I was actively involved in politics in one capacity or another in organized activity related to a political party, participation in local candidate's campaigns both local, state and national, as well a paid position in a county campaign for a U.S. Senate candidate who was not elected.

It was the latter experience, decades ago, which opened my eyes to the reality that energies expended by the ordinary voter at local levels has very limited effect on outcomes of elections, for there exist entities which the political laymen has little or no reason to suspect, who work behind the scenes (often of the same party of a candidate the establishment does not like). After that awakening, I decided to expend any political energies or experience to working on issues. Another conclusion reached is that it is sad that voters begin to assess candidates only after the campaign season begins. It is important that candidate's history (voting records, public personal information, writings, utterances, etc.) be studied and known long before a candidate declares candidacy for office. Then campaign rhetoric should be measured against the existing track record.

It needs to be kept in mind that when assessing secular political candidates, the measure must be in terms of Constitutional integrity, for that is what they swear to uphold. Their commission is not to be compared with religious fellowship. That is a mistake many self identified political conservative Christians continue to make.

Before discussion about Ron Paul's candidacy, there are plenty of resources to study before launching into pro or con. His Congressional Record is public for anyone to review. A google search will bring up first person speeches and positions taken....enough to occupy anyone. He has written books, and books have been written about him. A couple come to mind. 1. END THE FED 2. THE REVOLUTION: A MANIFESTO 3. LIBERTY DEFINED (new book just out). Another less known little volume, THE RON PAUL REVOLUTION (The writings and speeches of Congressman Ron Paul with foreward by Charlotte Iserbyt-author of the Deliberate Dumbing Down of America). The latter was available on lulu.com.


AFTER doing the homework, then discussion re: specific candidates, Ron Paul or any others would at least be based on what is on public record or whether pertinent information about any candidate has been obviously withheld from public records.

AC V Likes the Epitome of the Holy Communion Debate:What's Wrong with Drive-by Sacraments

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Closed Communion Means Holy Communion within the C...":

"Holy Communion is a pastoral and congregational act, just the opposite of distributing Quarter Pounders at McDonalds. There is no Constitutional right to commune at another parish. People in the same sect should generally stick to their own congregation."

Excellent summary!

Closed Communion Means Holy Communion within the Congregation, Among Those Not Under Discipline

i-eat-pietists (http://i-eat-pietists.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Imagine a Doctrinal Pussycat Writing a Public Letter...":

I hardly think you can go so far as to say that Pres. Schroeder is allowing "love" to overcome all forms of doctrine. Likely, the whole situation is not known and false conclusions are being drawn. If your first assumption is that they are heterodox, then you are going to see that in everything they say and do, but if you don't, and know that these men are faithful students of the Word, then one can easily see how this could be more than just showing love and slacking in doctrine. Even so, fellowship is not a haughty, demoralizing doctrine that we preach, but rather it is a teaching of the joy believers share with each other. For the sake of true unity, we separate ourselves from those who teach false doctrine. Knowing this and that pastors are taught such things, couldn't we assume that there was far more to this situation than just what Pres. Schroeder said?

---

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Imagine a Doctrinal Pussycat Writing a Public Lett...":

Other blogs are simply gushing about (W)ELS President Mark Schroeder's 2011 Emmaus Conference statements. I take it they agree 100% with his confession. That, or, they are using the New Age NNIV version of Matthew 18 - you can publicly praise a person's public confession but any criticism must be expressed privately.

In his Emmaus essay President Schroeder relates a situation where a young WELS pastor was faced with a decision to allow a congregation member's tearful sister to commune with her even though the visiting sister was a member of the Lutheran Church - Canada (LC-C is in fellowship with the LCMS). The WELS pastor allowed the sister to commune with the congregation and her sister. Pastor Schroeder finished this example by stating, "But it was an exception that a loving application of fellowship principles allowed - even demanded - him to make." [page 46]

By this confession the President of the (W)ELS teaches that Love and Loving applications of doctrine may allow, nay, it demands that the church act against God's Word, against Christ and His doctrine. And since nowhere in Scripture, or the Lutheran Confessions, is this taught the exercise of these Loving applications are completely subjective and at the discretion of the clergy and laity. Therefore we have the situation at St. Peter where the overwhelming love for lost souls has lead the church and synod district officials to teach and practice falsely with an eye on making disciples for Christ. What did Ski say he would do to make a disciple, "everything short of sinning."

Chances are you won't hear anyone publicly rebuke the false statement by President Schroeder. They are far too eager to reunite the old synodical conference even though each of them, the ELS, WELS and LCMS, are utterly rotting with false teaching and false practice contrary to Scripture, Christ and the Lutheran Confessions. Will the faint milquetoast confessional voices be able to stem the tide of a united apostasy? Not likely since they are unwilling to publicly confess the central doctrine of Justification with "this we confess" and "this we condemn" for fear of offending their unbelieving "Christian" brothers and sisters. All while Jeske and Time of Grace risk a major groin pull while straddling the (W)ELS and LCMS. And if the ELS was willing to strip naked and spin one hundred and eighty degrees on the doctrine of the Public Ministry of the Word in order to create fellowship with the WELS, what are they not capable of, or willing to do, to merge with the LCMS (or Rome).

The (W)ELS willingness to challenge Christ's doctrine was quite evident with ELS President John Moldstad's response to the issue of women's suffrage in the church at the Emmaus Conference. Pres. Moldstad stated that although women are currently not allowed to vote in the congregations there may be ways to change the governance of churches that would then allow them to actively participate in the decisions. All that's left to say is, "Welcome to the LCMS".

***

GJ - More later. For the moment, admire the graphic and dwell on the words.

---

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Closed Communion Means Holy Communion within the C...":

Dwelling on these words "when that is the very point in which most of all we differ;"

Don't have the context in front of me, but considering the confessional battles taking place in Schmauk's day, was he referring to union efforts between Real Presence Lutherans and Representative Presence "Protestants"? That's a far cry from an exceptional case of a WELS pastor communing a confessional Lutheran who happens to belong to a Lutheran synod with which the WELS is not in fellowship.

***

GJ - I am back. I was thinking about the Mark Schroeder anecdote during my absence. I find it a bit condescending to hear examples of WELS pastors actually communing LCMS laity, because every WELS pastoral story begins with how truly awful Missouri is - compared to the glories of the Wisconsin Sect. WELS leaders like to prove how dumb and uneducated the Missouri pastors are, leaving me to wonder, "Dumber than Fox Valley?" Or Missouri has no doctrinal discipline. Again I wonder, "Unlike WELS?"

Holy Communion is a pastoral and congregational act, just the opposite of distributing Quarter Pounders at McDonalds. There is no Constitutional right to commune at another parish. People in the same sect should generally stick to their own congregation. I recall a couple of women who visited a WELS congregation with a traditional pastor, a friend of mine. They spent the Bible study hour arguing against the WELS position on women usurping authority, which made sense - they were usurping authority and trying to teach men, including the pastor leading the class. They were from St. Paul German Village, Columbus, which was not a member of WELS at that time. The pastor of the church they visited refused to commune them because of their disavowal of Biblical and practice. They went away in a terrible huff, and the circuit pastor (also their pastor) was very sympathetic about their noble cause.

The presumption of open communion, semi-open communion, demi-semi open communion, and close communion comes from its advocates. I recall a woman who visited during the Greek Orthodox Church tour and expected to be communed, without being Greek Orthodox. She was quite insistent, but the priest said, "You need to take classes and join the congregation." She wanted to bypass the fuss and bother.

In ancient days, Holy Communion was offered only to communicants. The visitors were ushered out and the doors were locked. That is closed communion.

I am not going to look up the exact wording of Mark Schroeder's anecdote and decide upon it. The three sects are collapsing toward each other, based on a common mockery of justification by faith, a mutual embrace of Maggot Church (Emergent Church) blasphemies.

Missouri, WELS, and the Little Sect on the Prairie commune with Leonard Sweet, various Roman Catholic dignitaries (some straight, some not so), Craig Groeschel, Bill Hybels, Mark Driscoll, Ed Stetzer, Andy Stanley, and many more. These "conservative Lutherans" invite these clowns to teach them the Word of God. These "conservative Lutherans" promote their books, paying money to their odious schools of nonsense. These "conservative Lutherans" have no problem with their own pastors giving sermons verbatim from the apostates mentioned above.

Is communion between WELS and Missouri actually the issue? That is like asking whether one should put down the lid in the head when the Titanic is already half-sunk.

The three sects should be honest and espouse the open communion they already practice with all denominations. The ELS is known for communing ELCA members. Jay Webber advocated it, because "it is easier when relatives visit." The Wisconsin Sect missions people have mandated Don't Ask, Don't Tell communion practices for decades, so they have done the same thing.

Denying people Holy Communion because of their doctrinal affiliation is the best way to get them to change. The Word of God offends or converts, hardens or enlightens. I could give many examples, but the blind will only become blinder if I do.

Imagine a Doctrinal Pussycat Writing a Public Letter of Support

TERMINATED - Posted on Light from Light

Linda Sasieta
Dear Rick, my dear brother in Christ,
As mentioned above in so many ways, there is nothing externally that can separate you from Christ. A paper from an erring pastor, supported by yes-man voters who either blindly follow this pastor due to weakness/absence of spine, unwillingness to follow the example of the eager Bereans and research what he says, or are possibly some new members brought in by social gospel and have NO idea what the truth really is, is something for which he and his followers will answer to Jesus. The guilt is not yours to carry. These present sufferings you are experiencing are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in you.

This church has put you as an outcast, but you have more support than you know. There are many inside WELS and obviously outside WELS that support you; the blessed communion of saints supports you. You are never alone, despite the words and actions of these weak people. You have a great example in our beloved Martin Luther who wore the same shoes. He wasn’t looking to start something new, but wanted to help his church to see the light (sounds a lot like you). God used Him to guide His Church through bad times.

The WELS IS in bad times. Most of the members don’t even know it; the same could be said for the pastors too. Of course some are aware, but I am so TIRED of things being hidden from the view of the whole church. So many of us are hanging on to the blogs and websites of those who are taking bold stands just as you have done. Thank you Rick for YOUR bold stand, not based on your ideas, but those that God tells us in His Holy Word! 

I wish the people who are in positions to do something, and know that they can and SHOULD do something but have not been in the past, find a voice and a spine and start standing for the truth. Enough of the “loving manner” talks and move things along! Specifically I am speaking of the Synod President who has talked the talk, and does have support if he finds his voice to speak up. Silence and weak positions are not what is needed. By doing this a silent approval is being given to the false doctrine that is among us.

All the above comments are correct. I especially agree with Douglas Lindee and Joe Sarnowski. This may have been meant as evil towards you, but God can and will work it for your good.

One thing is true already. You are now free to talk about all the things of which they tried to bind you from saying. You are not subject to their “manmade” rules, but God’s rules. Your words and talents may better serve our Lord from “outside” the so-called church, as from “inside” from where this falseness originates.
What has changed for you? You received a paper from an erring church body. Not being lighthearted about your situation, but you could possibly put that next to your confirmation certificate because it is a witness to the bold stand you have taken to try to communicate with your church about their persistent error and the stand you have taken for our Lord.

May God continue to bless you as you persevere in your walk with Him. He loves you and is always for you, no matter what happens in this world.

Blogger Is Restoring Deleted Posts, They Claim

From deep inside HAL:

Blogger is back

What a frustrating day. We’re very sorry that you’ve been unable to publish to Blogger for the past 20.5 hours. We’re nearly back to normal — you can publish again, and in the coming hours posts and comments that were temporarily removed should be restored. Thank you for your patience while we fix this situation. We use Blogger for our own blogs, so we’ve also felt your pain.

Did I Break Google Blogger?

I finished a post on WELS Doctrinal Pussycat Englebrecht. His opposition to Lutheran doctrine and his support of plagiarizing false doctrine should eliminate him from the ministry altogether.

I kept trying to post it. After several tries, Google Blogger broke down completely and all posting stopped. It was a global scandal, falling on Friday the 13th, the very day Jacques De Molay was executed by the evil King of France.

The trouble with people trying to deal with Glende and Ski is that it gives Englebrecht more opportunities to obstruct, duck, prevaricate, cavil, threaten, and get even.

The real problem is DP Enabler.

Based on SP Schroeder's presentation at the Emmaus Conference, Englebrecht has broken all ties with the sect they both claim to love so dearly.

It would be better if they loved orthodox Lutheran doctrine.

LutherQuest (sic) Dogpile - Experience the Love

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "F. Pieper versus Calov and the Book of Concord":

I had the same experience on Luther Quest (sic). I brought up a question about UOJ which initiated and susstained what might be described as an LQ Dog Pile.

http://www.lutherquest.org/discus40/messages/69842/68185.html?1200691900

***

GJ - LQ devotes itself to attacking Luther's doctrine. They are so dense that they cannot even spot Robert Preus' repudiation of UOJ.

Calov, The Book of Concord, The Scriptures - All Are in Harmony about Justification by Faith.All Are Opposed to Enthusiasm

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "F. Pieper versus Calov and the Book of Concord":

71] "but we maintain this, that properly and truly, by faith itself, we are for Christ's sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God. And because "to be justified" means that out of unjust men just men are made, or born again, it means also that they are pronounced or accounted just. For Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term "to be justified" is used in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being accounted righteous. Accordingly we wish first to show this, that faith alone makes of an unjust, a just man, i.e., receives remission of sins". http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php

29. You cannot extricate yourself from unbelief, nor can the Law do it for you. All your works in intended fulfilment of the Law must remain works of the Law and powerless to justify in the sight of God, who regards as just only believing children.

37. Note, Paul everywhere teaches justification, not by works, but solely by faith; and not as a process, but instantaneous. The testament includes in itself everything--justification, salvation, the inheritance and great blessing. Through faith it is instantaneously enjoyed, not in part, but all. Truly is it plain, then, that faith alone affords such blessings of God, justification and salvation-- immediately and not in process as must be the case with works

74. But what is the process whereby Christ gives us such a spirit and redeems us from under the Law? The work is effected solely by faith. He who believes that Christ came to redeem us, and that he has accomplished it, is really redeemed. As he believes, so is it with him. Faith carries with it the child-making spirit. The apostle here explains by saying that Christ has redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons. As before stated, all must be effected through faith. Now we have discussed the five points of the verse.
http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/MLSermons/Galatians4_1_7.html

By the BOC confession above (71) the false gospel of UOJ is destroyed and shown as being false and contrary to Christ and His Righteousness. The doctrinal statements of the ELS, WELS and LCMS all declare the entire unbelieving world righteous in Christ, before and without faith. The BOC states, "by faith itself, we are for Christ's sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God." Luther's confession is also clear on Justification and Righteousness by faith alone, "God, who regards as just only believing children."

AC V Declares Debate on Justification Closed - The Fat Lady Has Sung

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Calov on Justification by Faith Alone - Prolific G...":

BA-ZING! Case closed. Game over. The fat lady sang.

Calov on Justification by Faith Alone. Prolific Genius of the Post-Concord Theologians

Although Christ has acquired for us the remission of sins, justification, and sonship, God just the same does not justify us prior to our faith. Nor do we become God's children in Christ in such a way that justification in the mind of God takes place before we believe.[1]

---

[1] Apodixis Articulorum Fidei, Lueneburg, 1684. Cited with approval in Robert D. Preus, Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia Academic Press 1997, p. 131n.       

                                                                                                       

***

GJ - See this excellent essay on Calov, by Timoth Schmeling, quoted in part below.

ABRAHAM CALOV (1612-1686): SAINTED DOCTOR AND DEFENDER OF THE CHURCH
Timothy R. Schmeling

It has been said that Johann Gerhard (1582-1637) was third in the series of Lutheranism’s most preeminent theologians and after him there was no fourth (Fischer. The Life of Johann Gerhard. 98-99). First and second place naturally belong to Martin Luther (1483-1546) and Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586) respectively. If one were to speak of a fourth in this distinguished list, the position would no doubt have been assigned to Abraham Calov.

Abraham Calov ranks not only as one of the greatest theologians in Lutheranism, but also as one of the greatest teachers in Christendom. He was a man of exceptional learning and scholastic tendencies. At the same time, he was a man of deep piety and practicality. Very few were impartial in their assessment of Abraham Calov. He was a very polarizing individual. His opponents feared him, but his adherents loved him.

The legacy of Abraham Calov has been tarnished over time. Prior to the recent renaissance, sparked by the rediscovery of missing portions of the Codex Epistolarum theologicarum (his collected letters), Calov research had depicted him as the prototype of a controversialist and a preacher of an unattainable doctrinal orthodoxy. This questionable caricature can be explained by a number of factors. First of all there has been a strong bias against Lutheran Orthodoxy even within Lutheranism. Gotthold Lessing (1729-1781) writes, “Many people want to be Christians, but certainly not Wittenberg Lutheran Christians; certainly not Christians of Calov’s grace” (Lessing. Gesammelte Werke. 170).

In his revisionist History of Lutheranism, Eric Gritsch [GJ - Jim Heiser buddy] denounces the doctrines of verbal inspiration and fellowship as taught by Calov and finally writes him off as Ultraconservative (Gritsch. A History of Lutheranism. 135). Second, the chief nineteenth century biographer of Abraham Calov was a mediating theologian named August Tholuck (1799-1877). This Prussian Union historian [GJ - Halle University, Hoenecke mentor] had more in common with Calov’s syncretistic arch-nemesis than with Calov. Third, there is very little primary source material available on Calov and much of it may not have survived the war or is possibly buried somewhere in the Bibliotheca Gdanska PAN (formerly Stadtsbibliothek Danzig). Finally Calov’s research is a difficult task due to the linguistic, cultural, and intellectual barriers that divide us from this critical juncture in Lutheran history. In spite of these facts, it is the purpose of this paper to help familiarize Lutheranism with one of its lost teachers.

F. Pieper versus Calov and the Book of Concord

LPC has left a new comment on your post "Robert Preus - Justification by Faith, Part I":

Pr Greg,

Firstly thank you for this Sunday's sermon, it was such a blessing. If only the critics of Ichabod would also take time to listen to your sermons, they would know of a different Greg Jackson.

People should compare what Calov said with the LC-MS Brief Statement 1932 Article 17 (authored by F. Pieper?)

Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ,.

They should see how different this article is from the statement made by Calov.

LPC

***

GJ - What irritates me most is the UOJ Stormtroopers using Calov and Gerhard to advance their cult. Neither theologian is well known or read by clergy. One might as well claim the ancient Egyptian oracle as an ally, saying "She was 100% UOJ."

The Scripture citations for the Brief Statement declaration are utterly deceitful, but I have always found UOJ followers to be dishonest. I find it shocking that this Pieper statement was accepted by people reading Gausewitz and the old Missouri catechism. That suggests that teaching the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace was supplanted by teaching worship of the synod.

The personal attacks only mean that I have pulled the rug out from under their Enthusiasm. The most significant response is the unspoken "You do not exist and therefore I do not need to acknowledge anything you have written." I only wish they would acknowledge Luther and the Book of Concord. I do not mind enraging them if they have to run to the Confessions to support their dubious claims.

I went a few rounds with people on LutherQuest (sic). They were consistently dishonest. For instance, one would quote the Book of Concord and exult - "UOJ!" I would cite the same passage with the next sentence where justification by faith was clearly taught. They were citing atonement passages as UOJ proof.

Rolf Preus was a curious example. He asked for the justification chapter in Thy Strong Word while I was working on it. He wrote back that he agreed. When TSW was barely finished, he told the LQ denizens that he had already read the book (640 pages) and denounced it. That was before sending PDFs or downloading them through Lulu, which I was not yet using.

I responded to Rolf, pointing out the facts (no one had the book) and quoting his email. His pals immediately buried my comment with a ton of theirs. That happened often. A friend of mine said, "Why bother with that skunk patch?" so I quit.

Of course, not one of them can grasp what Robert Preus wrote in Justification and Rome.

---

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "F. Pieper versus Calov and the Book of Concord":

I had the same experience on Luther Quest (sic). I brought up a question about UOJ which initiated and sustained what might be described as an LQ Dog Pile.

http://www.lutherquest.org/discus40/messages/69842/68185.html?1200691900

Robert Preus - Justification by Faith, Part I

Robert Preus, Justification and Rome

Dr. Robert Preus is known for advocating UOJ in the 1980s, when Concordia Seminary in Ft. Wayne was also deep into Church Growth Enthusiasm.[1] In his last book, edited after his death by his sons Daniel and Rolf, his clear stance against UOJ is obvious.

When does the imputation of Christ’s righteousness take place? It did not take place when Christ, by doing and suffering, finished the work of atonement and reconciled the world to God. Then and there, when the sins of the world were imputed to Him and He took them, Christ became our righteousness and procured for us remission of sin, justification, and eternal life. “By thus making satisfaction He procured and merited (acquisivit et promeruit) for each and every man remission of all sins, exemption from all punishments of sin, grace and peace with God, eternal righteousness and salvation.”[2]

But the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the sinner takes place when the Holy Spirit brings him to faith through Baptism and the Word of the Gospel. Our sins were imputed to Christ at His suffering and death, imputed objectively after He, by His active and passive obedience, fulfilled and procured all righteousness for us. But the imputation of His righteousness to us takes place when we are brought to faith.[3] 

Quenstedt says, It is not the same thing to say, “Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us” and to say “Christ is our righteousness.” For the imputation did not take place when Christ became our righteousness. The righteousness of Christ is the effect of His office. The imputation is the application of the effect of His office. The one, however, does not do away with the other.  Christ is our righteousness effectively when He justifies us. His righteousness is ours objectively because our faith rests in Him. His righteousness is ours formally in that His righteousness is imputed to us.[4]

Preus quoted this statement from Calov with approval, which is worth repeating -

Although Christ has acquired for us the remission of sins, justification, and sonship, God just the same does not justify us prior to our faith. Nor do we become God's children in Christ in such a way that justification in the mind of God takes place before we believe.[5]

I understand these two passages to be a repudiation of UOJ and an apology for all the harm done in the name of that fad.

---

[1] "In an initial burst of enthusiasm reflecting Preus's concern for missions, the Fort Wayne faculty had petitioned the 1977 convention of the Missouri Synod to have each of its subdivisions or districts ‘make a thorough study of the Church Growth materials.’ What is more, the districts were to be urged to ‘organize, equip, and place into action all of the Church Growth principles as needed in the evangelization of our nation and the world under the norms of the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.’ By the time of the 1986 synodical convention, however, the same faculty, while appreciating the ‘valuable lessons of common sense’ to be learned from Church Growth, asked that ‘the Synod warn against the Arminian and charismatic nature of the church-growth movement.’ Kurt E. Marquart, "Robert D. Preus," Handbook of Evangelical Theologians, ed., Walter A. Elwell, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1995, pp. 353-65. Reprinted in Christian News, 6-26-95, p. 21.                                               

[2] R. Preus footnote: Systema, Par. II, Cap.3, Memb. 2 S. 1, Th. 44 (II, 363). Cf. Abraham Calov, Apodixis Articulorum Fidei (Lueneburg, 1684), 249: “Although Christ has acquired for us the remission of sins, justification, and sonship, God just the same does not justify us prior to our faith. Nor do we become God’s children in Christ in such a way that justification in the mind of God takes place before we believe.” Justification and Rome, footnote 74, p. 131.

[3] Robert D. Preus Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia Academic Press 1997, p. 72.

[4] Systema, Par. III, Cap. 8, S. 2, q. 5, Observatio 19 (II, 787). R. Preus footnote #76, Justification and Rome, p. 132.

[5] Apodixis Articulorum Fidei, Lueneburg, 1684. Cited in Robert D. Preus, Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia Academic Press 1997, p. 131n.           

                                                                                                   

Robert Preus - Justification by Faith, Part II

Robert Preus - Justification by Faith, Part IIII

Robert Preus - Justification by Faith, Part IV

Melanchthon - On the Sacraments

"If we call Sacraments rites which have the command of God, and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to decide what are properly Sacraments...Therefore Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of Repentance, are truly Sacraments. For these rites have God's command and the promise of grace, which is peculiar to the New Testament. For when we are baptized, when we eat the Lord's body, when we are absolved, our hearts must be firmly assured that God truly forgives us for Christ's sake. And God, at the same time, by the Word and by the rite, moves hearts to believe and conceive faith, just as Paul says, Romans 10:17: 'Faith cometh by hearing.' But just as the Word enters the ear in order to strike our heart, so the rite itself strikes the eye, in order to move the heart. The effect of the Word and of the rite is the same..." [Luther, Babylonian Captivity, 3 sacraments] Apology Augsburg Confession, XIII,#3. Number/Use Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 309. Tappert, p. 211. Heiser, p. 94.

Religious Freedom and Suing Their Jackboots Off

grumpy has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Shirt and Facebook Pose Say It All. W...":

Scott,

I disagree strongly with your statement that Rick should sue the congregation. Perhaps you simply meant that as a joke.

In our society where freedom of religion is protected (at least for now, sometimes, well you get the idea), I believe that such an action, although it may be seen as cruel and unjust, is still within the rights of a church body to do so.

On the other hand, I believe that Rick has the right to speak and write about the actions that were taken against him by his church. As long as what he says is truthful and non-slanderous of course that is protected by free speech.

It's kind of like when I tell Dr. Jackson that no preps or colleges are closing and then give him a "BA-ZING-OO"...

Grumps

***

GJ - State law varies. Minnesota lets denominations get away with all kinds of abuse. That is why ELCA is incorporated there. The exception in Minnesota is kicking a member out. Use a pastor like a foot-rag and toss him out, violating the call contract. No problem. But kick a member out and he has the right to sue and be compensated.

I think a situation like this demands legal advice, even though Rick is an attorney himself. The great thing about a lawyer is that he removes 99% of the stress. Having a lawyer means being able to say, "I already discussed this with my attorney." That statement has removed many obstacles, saved thousands of dollars, and proved once again that the Law creates contrition.

They say that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. There is nothing unChristian about having an attorney be a spokesman in this kind of situation. One shady agency tried for several years to nail me for a $10,000 car loan taken out by a man with a different name, social security number, and race. I paid a lawyer $100 to phone this dude and say, "You could face credit libel charges, etc etc." Justice rolled down like a river. I could have sued and won, but I was assured that collecting from a guy like that was another matter.

All the clergy have a conflict of interest. Intrepid pastors have been told they will be kicked out if they step out of line - a threat never heard by Jeske, Kelm, Glende, or Ski, I am sure.

I am quite certain that WELS is sued on a regular basis and counter-sues, as they did when Team Gurgle looted the MilCraft Estate and the widow wanted the promised money. What does the Bible say about robbing widows and orphans? All in a day's work with WELS. That is why they promoted Gurgle from incompetent DP to incompetent SP. WELS did not give back the money willingly, but the court forced them to fork over $1 million. WELS actually went to court to keep the widow from getting the money due her. Try not to smirk when WELS talks about not suing a fellow-Christian. Under Gurgle, who now works for Kudu Don Patterson:

1. The MilCraft Estate was ruined.
   
2. They refused to pay the widow.
   
3. WELS went to court to keep from paying the widow.
   
4. WELS wasted a ton of money paying a lawyer to fight this widow in court.
   
5. WELS had to pay the million in cash anyway, on top of legal expenses.
   
6. Yes, that is Patterson's kind of guy, SP Gurgle.

But I agree with Grumpy about not bothering to sue WELS. Make them sweat, beg for mercy. Apologize? That would be a miracle.

Grumpy's dare is open-ended, so I get to say "Bah-zing" when the next school closes, or when Mary Lou College moves to Watertown and Milwaukee, a plan already seriously discussed.
4 preps, 2 colleges, 1 sausage factory = 7 schools.
3 preps, 2 colleges, 1 sausage factory = 6 schools.
2 preps, 1 college, 1 sausage factory = 4 schools.
The next number is either 3 or 2.

Melanchthon - Ordination as a Sacrament

"But if ordination be understood as applying to the ministry of the Word, we are not unwilling to call ordination a sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God's command and glorious promises. Romans 1:16 The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise, Isaiah 55:11: So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please...And it is of advantage, so far as can be done, to adorn the ministry of the Word with every kind of praise against fanatical men, who dream that the Holy Ghost is given not through the Word, but because of certain preparations of their own...." Apology Augsburg Confession, XIII. #11. Number/Use Sacraments, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 311. Tappert, p. 212. Heiser, p. 95. Romans 1:16; Isaiah 55:11.

Melanchthon - Adorn the Ministry of the Word

"And it is of advantage, so far as can be done, to adorn the ministry of the Word with every kind of praise against fanatical men, who dream that the Holy Ghost is given not through the Word, but because of certain preparations of their own, if they sit unoccupied and silent in obscure places, waiting for illumination, as the Enthusiasts formerly taught, and the Anabaptists now teach." Apology Augsburg Confession, XIII. #13. The Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 311. Tappert, p. 213. Heiser, p. 95.

Emmaus Question and Answer

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Emmaus Photograph":

Harrison: "Why are you guys so obsessed with whether or not you can pray with your non-WELS grandmother at a Thanksgiving dinner?"

Jackson (voice from the www.): "Because WELS is an anti-Lutheran abusive sect."

Responses to the Defenestration of Rick Techlin

Jimmy James has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Shirt and Facebook Pose Say It All. W...":

Dear Rick:

Irony of ironies, our family chose NOT to join the fellowship of WELS because they were not practicing what they preached as far as fellowship/unity!

We told them that as long as they were involved in the Lutheran version of the "Knights of Columbus" lodge (that being "Thrivent for Lutherans") we could not, in Biblical good conscious, be in unity with WELS because we knew being in a brotherhood fellowship with Thrivent (as WELS was) was complicit with sin.

There are other smaller Lutheran conferences you can look into, Rick. WELS may have just saved your soul!

---

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Shirt and Facebook Pose Say It All. W...":

Intrepids said on February 6, 2011:

"This layman has gone above and beyond what is necessary to follow the Scriptural procedures. All the editors at Intrepid Lutheran stand behind him one hundred percent."

http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2011/02/why-i-no-longer-attend-my-wels-church.html

Does this mean St. Peter has declared Intrepid Lutherans out of fellowship with itself and WELS?

Who will stand? Who will fall? Who will care?....

***

GJ - Was Al Just excommunicated for murdering his wife and lying about it? No, WELS clergy are still claiming he was innocent.

Was Tabor excommunicated for aiding and abetting his mistress in the murder of his wife? No, he moved to Escanaba to a new parish call.

Was DP Ed Werner excommunicated for decades of abusing girls in his congregation? No, he was arranging for adoption of babies, born to young girls in his congregation, from the state hoosegow.

Was Vicar Scott Zerbe excommunicated for having an affair with a minor girl at Fred Adrian's church? I do not think so.

---

bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Responses to the Defenestration of Rick Techlin":

That's the WELS for you. If someone writes a letter and says that if the WELS church doesn't give even an inch, I'll probably have to find another church, that's just waving a red flag in front of a bull. Immediately they'll say that person declared himself out of fellowship with the WELS. Then after the person has left, they'll say that so and so has left only because he couldn't get his way.

Ironically, after a while they might have second thoughts about doing what was contentious, and end it, but they'll say they changed course only for financial or legal reasons, not because it was wrong, wrongheaded, or sinful. So they'll never give the disfellowshipped person a call asking him to come back, saying "we've changed."

So if The CORE closed operations tomorrow, they'd say it was only because of financial reasons or some such, but Rick Techlin will never be invited back.