Luther Rocks - On Rock N Roll in Round Rock

Monday, May 23, 2011

Words and Actions IV

The experience of Christ the Rock shook me and my wife to the foundation of what it is to be part of the true Christian Church on Earth. After we left, most of the original nucleus exited as well. The majority of the secondary layer left as well. Pastors Jon Mahnke and Jim Radloff, who were members and have had influential roles in WELS also moved on. Since they were retired clergy, I can only fathom. My concerns with the ministry were serious enough...my only regret since there were so many issues to address was our oversight to report Pastor Doebler communing a soul prior to instruction. And when my wife Lisa confronted Doebler about this, his response was 'he has agreed to instruction'.

As Lutherans we are taught to always 'put the best construction' on things. Thanks be to God Luther did not always practice what he preached. Actions do speak louder than words as my mother always taught me.

In the midst of a failing economy in February of 2010 I was released from my employment due to company downsizing. It was a rough time for Lisa and me. Our youngest son, Austin was deployed to Afghanistan and now I was out of work. But God uses these times to draw us closer to Him. For me, the extra time between job hunting and keeping my chops up for my gig (which thankfully turned into a good supplement to unemployment), afforded time to dig into Lutheran theology and church worship and practice. Thankfully I was able to secure employment on a tip from Pastor Patterson of an opening with a company where a fellow member had influence in August of 2010.

It was puzzling to my wife and I that Christ the Rock just went on as if nothing ever happened. I had 'liked' the CTR Facebook page to keep abreast of what was going on since we were in still in fellowship. It seemed that nothing really ever changed. There were many comments made on FB according to reformed sources and authors. I made comments about them. There was even a post regarding humility. I posted a beautiful quote from Luther regarding humility: "True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue." It was deleted.

As time went on during our membership at Holy Word, it started to become clear to us the reasons for our puzzlement concerning CTR as well as some developments at Holy Word...or maybe our eyes became opened.

Up next: Relaxed liturgy, music and WELS' first Deaconess...yes that is a proper noun...

Becker - UOJ Was Unanimous in the Synodical Conference, Except for Gausewitz, the old Missouri Catechism, and Brief Statements before 1932

http://www.wlsessays.net/files/BeckerJustification.PDF

Sig Becker, 1984

“That God has punished the sins of all men in Christ finds few questioners among Lutherans who are still interested in such questions as those we are discussing today. But, sad to say, there are some Lutherans who want to be conservative and orthodox who find it very difficult to say with equal fervor and vigor that God has forgiven the sins of all men in Christ.

Anyone who is at home in the literature of the old Synodical Conference surely must know that this was the unanimous and unquestioned position of our Synodical Conference fathers. We will make no effort to demonstrate that fact with actual quotations.”

Sig Becker, Universal Justification, 1984

Jackson – This claim is pure deception, since the Missouri Synod did not teach UOJ in its 1901 catechism, as shown by Pastor Vernon Harley’s translation. Also, UOJ was not taught in Missouri statements before the 1932 Brief Statement, which was one among many. The UOJ faction has elevated the 1932 document above all previous statements, which have disappeared down the memory hole. They also choose to emphasize their 1932 statement as if it transcends and replaces the Book of Concord. That is, they choose to teach UOJ from the 1932 statement while quoting the Book of Concord.

Sig Becker, UJ, 1984

However, we should be aware that also a Calvinist, who would most assuredly reject the doctrine of universal justification, could perhaps feel perfectly at ease with the concept of objective justification. Strictly speaking, the term objective justification means that a sinner is justified by God whether he believes it or not. Many Calvinists believe that this is true of the elect. While they might therefore be willing to accept our terminology when we speak of “objective justification” they would vehemently reject the concept of “universal justification” because that would conflict with their doctrine of limited atonement.

Jackson – Here Becker admitted what former Calvinist L. P. Cruz has contended many times, knowing this from his own training and experience: Objective Justification is Calvinism. Becker’s verbal backflips do not rescue any of his new terms from the influence of Calvin, since Luther taught justification by faith alone.

Scaer - Whoever Denies Justification Without Faith Does Not Believe in It at All

Whoever denies objective justification reduces justification to the act of believing and does not believe in it at all. Logically, he denies the atonement and preaches that man is responsible for his sins.

David Scaer, The Third Use of the Law: Resolving the Tension, CTQ, 2005, p. 256.

Required Reading - Just a Vacation in Rome - Justification and Rome

LutherRocks has left a new comment on your post "Preuss, Hero of UOJ, Roman Catholic - We Are Justi...":

BTW...Justification and Rome should be required reading for all seminary students regardless of synod lines...it is a short read even for those with ADD...it is not Just a Vacation in Rome...it is about the object of justification...not objective justification...let the hearer hear...

Valleskey - UOJ Enthusiast Pounded the Last Nails on the WELS Coffin

Class of 1962, The Sausage Factory.

"In Christ, God has effected a universal justification, a universal reconciliation, a universal ransom, a universal atonement. Different terms, but all communicating the same message: God in Christ has declared the whole world to be not guilty."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 71.

"Introduction to the Church Growth Movement by Lutheran authors, Hunter, Kent R., Foundations for Church Growth (New Haven, MO: Leader Publishing Co., 1983) - the author, an LC-MS clergyman who has now set up his own church growth consulting service, performs the valuable service in this 204 page book of presenting an introduction to church growth goals and terminology. Werning, Waldo, Vision and Strategy for Church Growth, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977) - Werning, active for years in LC-MS stewardship work, explains the foundations, presuppositions and principles of church growth and then shows how a congregation can benefit from making use of certain church growth principles - of the two books listed in this category, Werning's is the more practical."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 6.

Bob: "..I'd like to share with you a book I came across the other day. It's interesting, easy to read, and may be the answer to our problem..." [GJ - Could this be the Bible, The Book of Concord, What Luther Says?] "Its title is Your Church Can Grow, and it's filled with all sorts of practical hints that could help us turn things around here." Author: "Bob didn't realize it at the time, but in his browsing he had stumbled upon one of many similar books written from the perspective of the church growth movement, books with such titles as How to Grow a Church, Ten Steps for Church Growth, Church Growth: Strategies that Work, and Leading Your Church to Growth." Prof. David Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement, Just Gathering People or Building the Church?" The Northwestern Lutheran, May 5, 1991, p. 184.

"So, what should the members of St. John evangelism committee do with [C. Peter Wagner's] Your Church Can Grow?...They can probably pick up a few helpful hints. They might, for example, appreciate research which provides an insight into the way unchurched people think." Prof. David Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement, Just Gathering People or Building the Church?" The Northwestern Lutheran, May 5, 1991, p. 185. See Oct 15 NWL Jeb Schaefer editorial.

"There is a fourth option, which is the choice of this writer. It is the same kind of approach Lawrence Crabb, a Christian counselor, advocates over against the use of secular counseling resources. He calls it 'spoiling the Egyptians' (Exodus 12:36, KJV), after the action of Israel at the time they left Egypt, when they took from the Egyptians what would stand them in good stead on their journey." David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement: An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 115. Holidaysburg, Pa, 10-15-90. Exodus 12:36.

"Yet this writer is confident we won't go astray in adopting a 'spoiling the Egyptians' approach to the various Church Growth Movement sociological principles and the research that produced them."
David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement: An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 116. Exodus 12:36.

Jack Cascione, Jay Webber, and the Intrepids want to criticize Church Growth Enthusiasm while embracing UOJ. The two go together like popcorn and casual sects.

PS - Valleskey clearly disagreed with me about Church Growth, but he never obeyed the sacrosanct rule of sitting down, holding my hand, and telling me my sins. In fact, he was oddly flattering in his WLQ article about me. Behind my back he told others that the paper was written against a legalist in Ohio, me. But not a word of that appears in his conference paper, his journal article, or his conversation with me when I sat down at dinner with him. He almost ran away from me when I walked over to him to talk.

Publishing News: Martin Chemnitz Press

Lulu is bringing Jesus Priceless Treasure out as an e-book, making that the third one to be published in that format.

A new picture book for children is almost done. Norma Boeckler is the artist.

I am working on a new update of Luther versus the UOJ Pietists: Justification by Faith. Someone put a lot of time into spotting and correcting all those devious little things that get in the way of a good read. I really appreciate all the help I have received from many quarters.

A content revision in the future will include the startling material on the justification-by-faith catechisms produced by WELS and the LCMS. Somehow a great leader of the Synodical Conference failed to mention UOJ in his catechism!

Concordia Publishing House has Paul McCain, MDiv, writing PR releases for their books, but he never mentions the KJV-justification-by-faith catechism they are still selling.

WELS was smart - they buried Gausewitz with praise while replacing his excellent catechism with Kuske's UOJ baloney.

There were giants in the earth in the olden days, but they are thrown down the memory hole by the promoters of Enthusiasm.

Preuss, Hero of UOJ, Roman Catholic - We Are Justified Before We Are Born

"We are redeemed from the guilt of sin; the wrath of God is appeased; all creation is again under the bright rays of mercy, as in the beginning; yea, in Christ we were justified before we were even born. For do not the Scriptures say: ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them?'’ This is not the justification which we receive by faith...That is the great absolution which took place in the resurrection of Christ. It was the Father, for our sake, who condemned His dear Son as the greatest of all sinners causing Him to suffer the greatest punishment of the transgressors, even so did He publicly absolve Him from the sins of the world when He raised Him up from the dead."
Edward Preuss, The Justification of a Sinner Before God, pp. 14-15.

Dr. Robert Preus quoted this passage when he advocated UOJ and Church Growth ran Concordia, Ft. Wayne Seminary. No one admits that this same Ed Preuss saw a brilliant sunset, which he imagined a sign from God, and became a Roman Catholic. He went from one Enthusiasm to another, just like the Ft. Wayne grads today who turn Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic.

Jack Cascione likes to quote the old essay but cannot come to terms with Robert Preus' Justification and Rome.

Jungkuntz - On Everyone in the World Forgiven

Here is more background on Jungkuntz, one of the most influential of the LCMS liberals.

One could argue that Seminex began at Northwestern College, Watertown, due to the leadership of Jungkuntz and Gehrke, who both ended up in proto-ELCA.

Kelm - On Using False Teachers To Make Enthusiasm Sound Good

"Thesis Seven: Sound Apologetics Can Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good...Logic never converted anyone; but Christianity is logically defensible, once one makes reason ministerial to God and His Word...Read C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer and Josh McDowell for practical apologetic tools. In fact, lend your copy to the prospect whose intelligence and education have become his curse. Once you've read Josh McDowell's 'Lord, Liar, or Lunatic' argument for the deity of Christ, you'll find yourself using it."
Rev. Paul Kelm, "How to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects," p. 14.

"Our synod now has a fulltime executive secretary for evangelism. He's the Rev. Paul Kelm; and we need him. We need him to be our evangelism advocate."
Rev. Ron Roth, The Evangelism Life Line (WELS), Winter, 1985 p. 2.

Knapp, Halle University - Promoted Double Justification

"This is very conveniently expressed by the terms objective and subjective justification. Objective justification is the act of God, by which he proffers pardon to all through Christ; subjective, is the act of man, by which he accepts the pardon freely offered in the Gospel. The former is universal, the latter not."

“His [Woods'] translation of Georg Christian Knapp's Christian Theology (1831-1833) was long used as a text-book in American theological seminaries.” http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Leonard_Woods

Larry Olson - WELS Professor - Learning from Sociologist McGavran

"Contemporary social and behavioral sciences are a working out of the reason which God has given to humanity. Granted, the assumptions of some sociologists or anthropologists may be inconsistent with the Christian faith. That calls for discernment, but it does not invalidate the proper use of the social sciences by the church; it is, however, essential that they be used in a 'ministerial' manner." Lawrence Otto Olson, D. Min., Fuller Seminary, "See How It Grows: Perspectives on Growth and the Church," EVANGELISM, February, 1991, Professor, Martin Luther College, (WELS), p. 3.

WELS First VP Huebner - The Word Needs Church Growth Insights To Be Effective

"We can't do a thing to make his Word more effective. But surely we can detract from its effectiveness by careless errors and poor judgment. It just makes good sense to utilize all of our God-given talents, to scour the field for appropriate ideas, concepts, and material (sic), to implement programs, methods, and techniques so that we do not detract from the effectiveness of the gospel we proclaim. Church growth articles, books, seminars, and conferences can offer such ideas and programs."
Pastor James Huebner, Spiritual Renewal Consultant, Notebook, School of Outreach IV, Seventeen Ways to Keep Your Church from Growing, p. 178.

Joplin Tornado Last Night - 50 Miles Away

This regional hospital was destroyed by the tornado. So was Joplin High School.

Rainbow after the tornado.

The first wave of storms passed by. Everything was calm again. Then the power went out for more than 8 hours.

Gary and Alicia Meyer sent us an emergency radio, which I quickly found. It has a hand-crank for power, in case there are no batteries or they wear out. Mrs. Ichabod got tired of turning the crank, so I dug up a box of AA batteries. We listened to Joplin news all night on three AA batteries.

LI's family went to their closet three times for the tornado siren. The second time two of the children brought their electronic games along. The third time everyone was too sleepy to do anything but wait. A tornado was spotted closer to them, along 412, which is south of Bentonville-Rogers.

We are on the NW corner of Arkansas, north of them. Not long ago we visited Carthage and Joplin, twin cities only 50 miles away from us.

The Joplin Walmart store on 15th street was destroyed, with loss of life. No one really knows the extent of the damage and loss of life in the area. I have heard estimates of 35 to 75% destruction of Joplin. One person said, "South Joplin was wiped off the map." The tornado grew in the town to more than a mile wide.

Walmart and other big retailers are gathering relief supplies and sending them to Joplin. Few people realize how quickly they use their logistical expertise to help out during disasters, before the government can mobilize.

Volunteers were heading to Joplin immediately after the tornado struck. One man said over the AM radio station, "I have a truck with water and other supplies. I'm coming in from the north. Where can I take it?"

We have been near tornadoes before, in New Ulm, Minnesota and Sturgis, Michigan. They were fast and relatively small, compared to the Joplin disaster. We take for granted how calm Creation is, until the big disasters strike.

We are now enduring another whole day of thunderstorms, with more tomorrow.

Thrivent Continues To Fund the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans on solid ground financially

CEO discusses its philanthropic activities, state of company

8:21 AM, May. 23, 2011  |  

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Volunteers work on a Habitat for Humanity home Aug. 31 in Appleton. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans continues to play an important role in the Habitat program. / Wm. Glasheen/The Post-Crescent

Written by

Larry Avila

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• Business

Thrivent at a glance

What it does: A fraternal organization that provides financial and insurance services to 2.5 million members across the U.S.
Employees: Appleton 1,775 (includes operations center, Thrivent Bank, investment management and investor services; Minneapolis 1,153 (includes corporate headquarters and subsidiary operations)
Top executive: Brad Hewitt, president and chief executive officer
Assets under management: $$73.1 billion (end of 2010)
Website: www.thrivent.com

Related Links

The Post-Crescent's Buzz Blog: Post-Crescent staff writer Maureen Wallenfang blogs about the comings and goings in the Fox Valley business scene

APPLETON — There aren't many companies that can say its financial performance improved during the economic downturn.
Executives with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans say as the economy struggled, some of its core products including life insurance and annuities saw increased business as people sought ways to protect their long-term income.
Brad Hewitt, president and chief executive officer of Thrivent, recently was in Appleton for the company's annual report to the community.
Will Thrivent continue its commitment to the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign in the Fox Cities?
Actually, for us, all of those community involvement activities, the Red Kettle campaign, Thrivent Builds for Habitat for Humanity, we've built those into strong brands. There really is no going back now.


As long as we continue to do well, it will continue. I just can't imagine it stopping. We're not looking at getting out of anything, especially based on our recent results.


Does this mean that Thrivent also will remain committed to its partnership with Habitat for Humanity?
What most people don't realize, we worked with Habitat long before the merger between Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood.



What we've done was package everything together into one brand and added funding to it to create consistency, so it wasn't just one church or one chapter involved, it was a Thrivent build.


The reason we discuss our involvement in the program every year is because we have to decide where the resources are needed.


How many houses will be built? Is there demand for more international builds? Is there interest in more domestic projects? Where does the interest fall with our members? What congregations are raising their hands because they want to do more with Habitat? This is what are annual review is about. We think we have a good brand here and we will keep doing it. It's a great success.


Similar to our Red Kettle campaign, which is only in the Fox Cities, if there are a bunch of chapters also doing work with the Salvation Army in their areas, if we could rebrand our Red Kettle campaign, maybe we could also do more with that through our chapters.


Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity will be back next year. There are a lot of causes we participate in and our chapters love to do it. If you make things easier for the chapters to help people, everyone benefits. Everyone wins if you make things simple for people to execute.
Where do you think the company is heading in 2011?


So far, we're right on plan. Our focus is about the core business. Most mutual insurance companies, growth between 4 percent and 8 percent is kind of the sweet spot. It should be a good year. Our assets are up to $75 billion now and will reach $78 billion soon. We're just rolling right now.