Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Mark Jeske Is the Unseen Presence in All This




FC Ep V has left a new comment on your post "WELS Martin Luther College - What They Hid from th...":

I get uncomfortable when worship and outreach are mentioned in the same context. The amount of Church and Changers listed is pure evidence of CGM not going away on the Synodical level -- especially when they use praise band type music in their chapel services (not to mention the addition of the new screen), especially on evangelism day.

I still recount when Koine came to play (lead worship) at evening chapel services. On a normal night the chapel would be pretty thin. But when Koine came the place was PACKED, I mean PACKED! If it's "all about the Word and not the music" like the Pietist WELSians claim, then why isn't the chapel packed during a "traditional" evening chapel?

"Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions...For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly [appetite - NIV1984], and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans 16:17-19 NKJV)

Their "own appetite" is our desire to change things to our preferences -- including our worship forms that seem attractive (rapping worship, rock worship, oldies worship, etc.). It's attractive *because* it's worldly! But I submit that because it's worldly it suppresses the Gospel and hides the Gospel. Is that really what we want to be doing?

Doctrine and practice (worship) are linked despite how much the Pietist, WELS Lutherans whine that it isn't.

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GJ - Have real sermons and liturgical worship been tried and found wanting - or not tried at all?

I doubt whether most kiddies have experienced Lutheran worship in WELS, and they are not going to with the current academic and synodical leadership.

What does the college promote at every opportunity? NW Prep was doing the same thing under Mark Schroeder - CCM.