Friday, April 13, 2012

ELCA Fighting for a Congregation's Money

The Historic Congregation in Downtown Eau Claire

Grace Foundation, Eau Claire, is Pulled into Grace Lutheran Church Lawsuit - St. Paul religion & politics | Examiner.com:


In another stunning turn of events, Catholic attorney Drew Ryberg who vowed to “take back what belongs to the ELCA” has filed a motion on behalf of Amazing Grace and by proxy Bishop Duane Pederson’s Northwest Wisconsin Synod to prevent Grace Foundation from holding its annual meeting.  As late as yesterday afternoon, according to court staffers, Ryberg signaled that he would be filing a motion to prevent Grace Lutheran Church from holding their second vote to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  The most recent filing is a shocking change in strategy.

A leader of Grace Lutheran Church says, “We always knew they were after the foundation money, but now they have proven it.”

The annual meeting of Grace Foundation is set for April 22nd, and items of business include electing foundation officers and hearing the Foundation’s Annual report.

At risk are over 600 jobs in the ELCA’s most recent bid to make Grace Lutheran Church and now Grace Foundation inoperable.

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Ryberg argues,

“The Synod Council has determined that defendants have associate status…. The by-laws of Grace Foundation, Inc. provide that only voting members of Grace Lutheran Church are members of it and able to vote… therefore defendants may not vote at the annual meeting for Grace Lutheran Foundation, Inc.”

What this would mean, if Judge GaleWyrick accepts Ryberg's motion, is Grace Foundation would probably keep all its current Board Members, but be limited in its ability to set operating budgets and spend money, the same outcome imposed on Grace Lutheran Church in January this year.

Ryberg claims facts up to now not in evidence.

Grace Lutheran Church has never been informed that it is only an associate member of the ELCA.  The congregation continues to be on the ELCA list of congregations and as the defendant in the ongoing litigation is not an "associate member" of the denomination, nor are its active members who continue to worship at the church.

No process of denominational adjudication has been followed to establish that Grace Lutheran Church has been relegated to associate status by the Synod- a designation that does not exist for congregations- yet another example of Bishop Pederson’s refusal to follow the rules and constitution of his own denomination.

What's more is that in the ELCA, Bishops and Synods do not have constitutional authority to determine who can and can not be members of a congregation.  Disciplinary action in the case of members takes place under the authority of the local congregation, and Bishops only have the authority to suspend a congregation, remove a congregation from the ELCA, or censure a congregation.

In these ugly turn of events, Bishop Pederson and Amazing Grace Church of Eau Claire have decided to put at risk thousands of families that benefit from Grace Foundation’s work and ministries.

Grace Foundation funds and operates licensed daycare, retirement housing, assisted living programs, skilled nursing care, community based residential facilities for the care of the elderly, and adult day services for older adults all across Chippewa Valley.

The mission of Grace Lutheran Foundation, as a complementary arm of Grace Lutheran Church, is to respond to the spiritual, physical and social needs of people in order to enhance human dignity and growth by providing high quality Christian-based services.

Grace Lutheran Foundation, through its continuum of care, provides client and family oriented services that enhance the many stages of a person’s life and has long been an important and integral part of the Eau Claire Community providing exemplary care and services.

The move is being described by some in the Eau Claire community as “despicable” and “depraved.”

The ELCA is a denomination that focuses primarily on social justice and social programs that care for people.  Their latest move, putting thousands of families who receive care through Grace Foundation at risk, demonstrates how quickly the religious organization will abandon its own principles and do serious harm to individuals and families for money.

One former ELCA pastor says, “This is why so many congregations are clamoring for the exit doors in the ELCA.  The leadership is unprincipled, vindictive, and destructive.”



Continue reading on Examiner.com Grace Foundation, Eau Claire, is Pulled into Grace Lutheran Church Lawsuit - St. Paul religion & politics | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/religion-politics-in-st-paul/grace-foundation-eau-claire-is-pulled-into-grace-lutheran-church-lawsuit#ixzz1rsvwicBQ




'via Blog this'

Unorthodox behaviour rattles Russian church - FT.com

Now you see it, now you still see its reflection in the table.
Why didn't they call upon the real Photoshopper?


Unorthodox behaviour rattles Russian church - FT.com:

Photoshop used to remove (almost) a $30,000 watch from the Russian patriarch's wrist!

'via Blog this'

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - FALLS CHURCH, VA:
3,750 Anglicans Worship at Historic Episcopal Church for Easter

Rev. Dr. John Yates


VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - FALLS CHURCH, VA:3,750 Anglicans Worship at Historic Episcopal Church for Easter:


FALLS CHURCH, VA: 3,750 Anglicans Worship at the Historic Episcopal Church for Final Easter Services

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
April 11, 2012

It was a bitter sweet day for 65-year old the Rev. Dr. John Yates. Bitter because a long drawn out legal battle was finally coming to an end, and the day was soon coming when he and his flock could no longer stay in property they had loved and cherished, learned, listened and spiritually grown up in, having contended for several generations for 'the faith once for all delivered to the saints.' It was sweet because the transition was going relatively smoothly with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.

Yates himself was ebullient with joy as he stood before his flock of nearly 4,000 evangelical Anglicans on Easter Sunday, many of whom had been with him for his 33 years of ministry at The Falls Church. Now, three decades of gospel ministry in a church founded in 1732 was finally coming to an end. Crowds were so dense at six services that there was standing room only. Services were videoed to overflow locations. A CANA bishop told VOL that he and his wife were forced to stand at the back of the main sanctuary; there were simply no seats available.

Tears of loss might have been expected as emotions ran high, but it was not so. Yates was ebullient with resurrection joy at the Spirit that filled the worship space on Sunday morning. "It was a joyous time, he preached five different sermons, something he had always wanted to do...it was all magnificent," Senior Warden, Sam Thomsen told VOL.

"In the main sanctuary and the overflow accommodations in the Fellowship Hall, 3,160 people attended in three services where the usual capacity is 850, and the Fellowship Hall was maxed out. The remaining 800 attended one of the other three services, two of which were in the historic church."

Their WEF unit -
my little joke. WELS called their ugly first units
Worship Education Fellowship units.


Virginia became the nation's epicenter of Episcopal parish battles for the soul of Anglicanism. More than a dozen parishes, some mega church size believed The Episcopal Church had gone too far and had fallen off the cliff over the place and authority of Scripture and unscriptural innovations on human sexuality. It was a bridge too far for this and many orthodox Episcopal congregations around the country.

Here in Northern Virginia the heaviest price was being paid with tens of millions of dollars worth of properties. Yates knows that the eternal destiny of his people transcends buildings. The loss of one soul is more heart wrenching to God than bricks and mortar and a theologically corrupt and morally compromised denomination. With millions of dollars having been spent on legal fees and fruitless appeals to the courts, it was nearing time to move on.

Yates came to The Falls Church in 1979 when it had a congregation of 500. 33 years later the church can boast nearly 4,000 members with eight clergy and a staff of 60. The church's annual budget is $6 million. No small achievement. His is one of the top five most successful parishes in The Episcopal Church of nearly 7,000 congregations. The church's outreach in many directions is spectacular.

Among its many ministries, the church initiated an exciting church planting effort called Timothys program. It selects talented young men who have finished seminary and are interested in church planting to go through a testing process for three years to see if they are made of the right stuff to start a church of their own. A strong faith and entrepreneurial skills are a must.

Today several church plants have been established within 10 miles of The Falls Church with more are planned, some geographically further afield. Gracious in defeat, Yates noted, "Having served as rector of the Falls Church Anglican since 1979, I have witnessed first-hand this congregation's spirit of generosity to the local community and beyond.

"We continue to exemplify Christ in this way. Our congregation rearranged its worship schedule to provide an Easter service time for local Episcopal worshippers despite litigation that has been brought against us.

"The death and resurrection of our Lord this Holy Week reminds us us that even though we are facing legal obstacles, He continues to work through the Christ filled hearts of our congregation. Our prayer is that this historic site will continue always to be a place where the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed and lived."

The properties with an estimated worth of $25 million plus some $3 million in liquid assets (but no interest) are currently scheduled to be turned over to the diocese.

Falls Church has already been the recipient of substantial ecumenical support. "When word went out that we would have to get out, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington graciously made space available and offered us an auditorium of a local Catholic high school for our main worship services. It can seat 1,400", Thomsen told VOL.

"We have three locations for worship available to us in all. An Arlington County Middle School will allow us to use their attractive auditorium and the staff has gone out of its way to be helpful. Three Baptist churches have given space and other support and the Presbyterians have offered help. There are scheduling issues as we have multiple services but these will not stop us."

There are signs and indications that the challenging circumstances have already spiked church attendance. "This Easter Sunday had the largest attendance on any single day we can remember," Thomsen said. "We hope and pray that we can carry that forward."

The continuing Falls Church Episcopal parish of the diocese drew some 350 in its service in the historic church, which filled the structure that George Washington helped to build. Half of them may have been visitors in support of the congregation, VOL was told.


'via Blog this'

***

GJ - If you think the vindictiveness of the diocese is unusual, you will find the same self-destructiveness in the Lutheran groups as well. ELCA and the "conservative Lutherans" have no qualms about driving out the orthodox, or even demi-semi-orthodox. They have an iron fist in an iron glove, unless they are dealing with felonious pals and heretics. Then grace abounds.

Possible successors to the Archbishop of Canterbury « Churchmouse Campanologist

ELCA's Bishop Hanson's book parrots the recent theme,
"It Gets Better."


Possible successors to the Archbishop of Canterbury « Churchmouse Campanologist:


The Anglican Communion will have a new spiritual leader by the end of this year.
So, who might be in the running?
Below are profiles of three possible candidates: the Archbishop of York, the current Bishop of Durham and a past Bishop of Durham.
'via Blog this'

***

GJ - This is worth reading because the Church of England's appointment will have profound effects on America and Africa. Thanks to the radicals, the Episcopalian tradition is split between the traditionalists and those who advocate homosexual ordination and marriage. The appointment also affects American Lutherans because of the cozy relationship between the Odd Couple, Hanson and Schori.

The Synodical Conference (tm) works with ELCA,
and ELCA works with Schori.

Steadfast Missourians - Meet "Page Not Found"


Adolph Hoenecke has left a new comment on your post "Surrender! - A New Perfume Stench from Steadfast L...":

Well, the whip has come down in the LC-MS. Shall we wager to see how long it takes to come down in the WELS?

---


Rev. Todd Wilken's article, "Some Thoughts about the Man Behind the Curtain," posted today on BJS, had some nine comments earlier this morning. All comments have now been deleted and the Comment section closed.

Something is going on. Perhaps some LCMS lawyer has put a painfully tight grip on sensitive areas of BJS moderators.


Rick Strickert, LQ


---



The links above to BJS articles are "404", of course.

They haven't gotten to the Park Rapids newspaper yet.

Helen E. Jensen, LQ

The Synodical Popes Stifle All Public Discussion of Conservative Lutherans Abusing and Exploiting Children

The Missouri Synod began as a Pietistic cult dominated by a syphilitic bishop, Martin Stephan.
Stephan's Pietistic follower,  CFW Walther, took over as bishop, without using the title.
The LCMS has covered up Walther's knowledge of Stephan's adultery
and repeated Walther's lies about discovering it from a confidential confession
from Stephan's mistress.

Now people can see, within a period of months, that WELS and Missouri are just like the Roman Catholic Church. When children are exploited and sexually abused, the synod popes (Schroeder and Harrison) order secrecy and censor all discussion of the facts. It is a sin to comment on the scandals of WELS and Missouri, as Pope Paul the Unlearned explained:

It is a sin to assume the worst of our ecclesiastical supervisors and continually speak about them in a way that is nothing other than contemptuous and demeaning. We should be expected to give an account for our actions when we do.


It is a sin to look always for the worst in our church body, and expect it to do what we want it to do and then throw an online temper tantrum* when it does not. Our church body should do what is legal and work to honor those in authority – especially when doing what is legal is not easier than pleasing uninformed critics.


When the worst-construction thinkers among us get on their high-horses, a healthy skepticism and criticism of their activity is completely proper.


If we rightly require that our individual pastors meet the Apostolic standard to be “above reproach,” then we should expect them to be among the last to throw caution to the wind and indulge in Christian News/National Enquirer style rhetoric.
Paul T. McCain
*He will appreciate the irony of this later, when he reads his own words on the Net.


[Rick Strickert on LQ -


Some thought the pecksniffian phrases, "online temper tantrum," "high horses" and "Christian News/National Enquirer style rhetoric" were hilarious. One BJS poster noted that his keyboard got coffee all over it when he read that comment. And Publisher McCain's bosom buddy, Ichabod, noted, "He will appreciate the irony of this later, when he reads his own words on the Net."]


The Surrendered Fort - Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne.
The Surrendered Lutherans, aka, Steadfast (sic) Lutherans.
Note that Joshua Sheer, who first wrote about the Darwin Schauer scandal,
fell on his sword pea-shooter in publishing a cease and desist order.


---


A Missouri layman responded:

“Some Thoughts about the Man Behind the Curtain”
But let’s keep the discussions to platitudes, euphemisms, slogans, and generalities… oh, and also, as #5 mentioned, pecksniffian comments.

There’s no need to get into any substantive details, provide links to factual information, or compare conflicting versions of reports about synodical events. We have been given the assurance that any matters of detail about synodical issues are being handled elsewhere with absolute integrity.
Carl Vehse [appropriate pseudonym - Vehse was the lawyer who covered up for Stephan]

***

GJ - I seldom look at Steadfast (sic) Lutherans because of its superficiality. They were the ones who backed Pope Harrison, who revealed his true nature in his obvious connection with Paul T. McCain, whom I have dubbed his campaign manager.

Now Missouri Synod Lutherans can see that Harrison is just another Kieschnick, and Missouri is just a retro version of ELCA, gladly working with the apostates while clucking the sanctimonious tongues about the apostasy of ELCA.

Many have expressed a similar disappointment with Mark Schroeder, who has spent his time rewarding the Church and Changers with promotions. At first one might have excused his timidity or indolence, since he was new in the job. Just as Harrison is not happy with his minions at Steadfast, Schroeder is not happy with his supporters at Intrepid Lutherans.

Readers - do you want to know why these scandals continue to erupt among the married clergy, teachers, and church workers? After all, we cannot blame celibacy rules for Lutherans having sex with men, women, boys and girls in their own calls.

The reasons are two-fold:

  1. The synodical leaders impose silence on anyone who knows the truth, and they often lie about what happened. They have no qualms about attacking anyone who dares to expose the truth.
  2. The clergy and laity go along with this campaign of corruption, silencing themselves when ordered, fearing any retribution from the bosses, joining in silencing the ones who object to this depravity.


Note that the Evangelical Lutheran Synod had no trouble working with Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, who was kicked out of the LCMS ministry for cause, for many causes. John Shep and Roger Kovaciny made Floyd out to be a heroic supporter of their cause, just as Marvin Schwan was.

The Schwan story will wait until the clergy are done with their Easter vacations.

Jay Webber, ELS, had no trouble working with Stolzenburg and collecting money from Emmanuel Lutheran in Columbus, Ohio. Jay knew all about Stolzenburg from me. The ELS had the court records about Stolzenburg. WELS knew about it all along, as Paul Kuske claimed, but WELS lied about Stolzenburg's "Scriptural" divorce. Yes, the holier-than-thou WELS clergy blamed Floyd's divorce on his wife!

Don't smirk, Misourians, because Walther blamed Stephan's adultery on Mrs. Stephan, who caught syphilis from her husband, was abandoned by her husband, and was left to die with her syphilitic children in Dresden by Stephan, Walther, Vehse, and the pious Saxon immigrants.

The longer Lutherans wait to deal with this mode of rewarding and empowering the abusers, the greater the judgment will be against them. Those who participate in the silence are more guilty than the sickos who do this and cling to their church vocations in the name of UOJ.

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Adolph Hoenecke has left a new comment on your post "Surrender! - A New Perfume Stench from Steadfast L...":

Well, the whip has come down in the LC-MS. Shall we wager to see how long it takes to come down in the WELS?

***

GJ - Remember these examples when Harrison and Schroeder say, "I am helpless to do anything about it."

I can count up quite a few people who have been silenced by Schroeder, but not one of them is a Church and Changer.

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Helen Jensen, LQ:



Why is a divorced man allowed to be playing pastor in the church? --R D Ryan

Divorced and remarried once is unfortunately not that uncommon, (if the pastor was the "innocent party", though I don't think you'll find that item in Paul's advice to Timothy).

It's triple divorce, married a fourth time, and graduate of a "lay ministry" program, estimated at as little as 6 months.

We should "trust the ecclesiastical supervisors" who allowed all this (and worse) into Word and Sacrament ministry to handle the situation "with integrity"!?  

"A bishop must be blameless, husband of one wife [at a time?]...."

***

GJ - That is the situation in WELS, too. Columbus had three divorced pastors out of six, although two of them were really fakes who pretended to be. Nevertheless, the two fakes received calls - thanks to WELS district officials. The new DP John Seifert kicked Marc Schroeder and his church out of WELS (old grudge between Marc and Marc Schroeder) but Missouri took the parish and pastor in, no problem.

That is why people have no use for synodical officials. They are dishonest, deceptive, and abusive, always protecting and defending what is wrong.

Surrender! - A New Perfume Stench from Steadfast Lutherans.
I Told You This Would Happen.

A new flag flies over Steadfast (sic) Lutheran Headquarters.


bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "The LCMS Case - Darwin Schauer - Convicted Sex Off...":

SP Harrison put his foot down, so Steadfast Lutherans took down their Darwin Schauer posts, and the site will report less synodical news in the future. (You see, the synod must keep this under wraps so more victims of Schauer don't know he's been busted a second time (sigh), and then come out of the woodwork and sue the LCMS.)

Editor and Rev. Joshua Scheer came out with the announcement, but then Todd Wilken protested in the next post saying it's not a violation of Matt 18 to talk about the news. One can see it's the ole 8 and 18 switch in action again shutting down discussion.

links:

Time to Cease, a word from BJS editors, by Sheer:
http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=18250

Some Thoughts about the Man Behind the Curtain, by Todd Wilken:
http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=18262 


---


Time to Cease, a word from BJS editors.
April 12th, 2012
Post by Joshua Sheer


One of our goals here at BJS is to be the “go to place for Lutheran news and commentary.” We are not afraid to take some liberties that more official Lutheran news media may not be able to. We also have a liberal commentary policy. Sometimes comments push the boundaries of the 8th commandment. In an effort to be responsible stewards of the trust with which you have graced us, we are ceasing reporting, commentary and comments on the child molestation story. The two postings on it already have been taken down. We thank you for your patronage of this website and will seek to continue reporting important news and trying to balance the cutting edge of news with the need to put the best construction on all things.
We have been in contact with the president’s office in St. Louis and have been assured that this matter is being handled with absolute integrity. We take great comfort in that and also ask that our readers continue to pray for all involved in this very serious matter.

Also, you may be interested to know that at the recent BJS conference we reformulated our Board of Directors and are working on a new version of BJS that will have less reporting of and commentary on church political news and more articles encouraging confessional understanding and edification in good piety and spiritual exercise.

Rev. Dr. Tim Rossow, Editor [and UOJ Fanatic]

Rev. Joshua Scheer, Associate Editor

---
The Wilken post included this photo of the Wizard,
hiding behind the curtain.


Some Thoughts about the Man Behind the Curtain
by Todd Wilken


It isn’t a sin to question the actions of our ecclesiastical supervisors. They should be ready to give an account for their actions.

It isn’t a sin to demand that our church body do what is right, not merely what is legal –especially when doing what is merely legal is easier than doing what is right.

When the safety of “these little ones” (Matthew 18:6) is at stake, a healthy skepticism of our too often self-protective bureaucracy is completely proper in a church body that ought to have nothing to hide.

If we rightly require that our individual pastors meet the Apostolic standard to be “above reproach,” then we should require the same of every official action of our congregations, districts and synod.



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Comments -

Just as the record of child molestation among Roman Catholic priests has led to an unfair expectation of such from that group, so the record of actions among our DPs has led to a healthy skepticism of what they are up to. Explaining everything in the kindest way is not the same thing as being stupid.
Ted Crandall

***


It is a sin to assume the worst of our ecclesiastical supervisors and continually speak about them in a way that is nothing other than contemptuous and demeaning. We should be expected to give an account for our actions when we do.

It is a sin to look always for the worst in our church body, and expect it to do what we want it to do and then throw an online temper tantrum when it does not. Our church body should do what is legal and work to honor those in authority – especially when doing what is legal is not easier than pleasing uninformed critics.
When the worst-construction thinkers among us get on their high-horses, a healthy skepticism and criticism of their activity is completely proper.

If we rightly require that our individual pastors meet the Apostolic standard to be “above reproach,” then we should expect them to be among the last to throw caution to the wind and indulge in Christian News/National Enquirer style rhetoric.

Paul T. McCain

***

GJ - There are more comments. Perhaps these two posts will also disappear, so read them in the original before they are gone. [And they did disappear.]

Pope Harrison claps his hands and the mice run back to their mouseholes. WELS and the ELS are no different.

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Surrender! - A New Perfume Stench from Steadfast L...":

Paul McCain should answer this question: What is the kindest way to interpret CPH still selling Paul L. Maier's creation and flood books, both of which teach children to believe in theistic evolution, and both of which were published by Paul T. McCain? "None of your business" is not the correct answer, either:

http://www.cph.org/p-3167-the-real-story-of-the-flood.aspx?SearchTerm=paul%20l%20maier 

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Adolph Hoenecke has left a new comment on your post "Surrender! - A New Perfume Stench from Steadfast L...":

Well, the whip has come down in the LC-MS. Shall we wager to see how long it takes to come down in the WELS?

Thursday, April 12, 2012

After 54 years, choir director to bid farewell -
Quad Cities Online.
Famous Moline Boys Choir

Kermit Wells, temporary director for 54 years.


After 54 years, choir director to bid farewell - Quad Cities Online:


The annual Moline Boys Choir spring concert later this month will be extra special -- not only because the April 29 program will inaugurate the new auditorium at John Deere Middle School, but that the choir, alumni and community will bid farewell to its longtime director, Kermit Wells.

After 54 years with the choir, Mr. Wells, 75, will retire this summer. The beloved choir (now with 36 regular members and 14 younger cadets) was founded by Frederick Swanson in 1948; Mr. Wells joined as an assistant in 1958. The MBC has toured the country and overseas, made many recordings, and included as many as 200 boys in three separate groups in the 1980s.

"I still enjoy teaching the kids; I don't have energy for concertizing," Mr. Wells said. "It takes so much stress, physical endurance for the concerts. I just don't have the energy for it. "

Former music coordinator for the Moline School District and a junior-high and high-school music teacher (he retired in 1995), Mr. Wells has directed MBC since 1973. He leads five one-hour rehearsals a week at the Coolidge auditorium; singers -- from second through ninth grades -- are required to attend at least two each week, and three in the weeks leading up to a concert. Mr. Wells often doesn't see the whole choir together until the concert.

The holiday season is a busy time for the choir, with several concerts in November and December. Each spring's concert usually features alumni, and the 3 p.m. concert April 29 should be extra full, given Mr. Wells' announcement, said choir alum Steve Slininger, of Silvis, who serves on the board and is heading up the search committee.

"It was pretty amazing," he said of the director's half-century tenure. "When I was a boy, the transformation occurred from Dr. Swanson to Mr. Wells. He was planning to do this on a temporary basis. He's been doing it temporary for 54 years."

"He was very big on tradition," Mr. Slininger said of Mr. Wells, who also taught his three brothers, and his son, Brian. "We kept up a lot of activities we did when I was a boy. He has his own different style of dealing with the boys. It used to be we never got away with anything."

The choir has hundreds of people across the country on its mailing list, and would like to find an alumnus to succeed Mr. Wells. "It should be somebody who knows the boys choir procedure," he said.

Mr. Slininger said the goal is to hire a new director by August. As he's done for 50 years, Mr. Wells will accompany a group of choir members to a week-long camp in Green Lake, Wis., in July. During the summer, the choir doesn't rehearse regularly, but meets for the week before the trip, and performs while there.

Mr. Wells said he's proudest of getting boys interested and involved in music.

"It's something boys don't come by naturally," he said. "To boys, music singing is a girl thing. Once they get into it, get to know each other, they enjoy each other -- the music, the applause and the standing ovations."

Now it's time for their dedicated director to take a bow.





Quotes from Boys Choir alumni

Reactions to Kermit Wells' decision to retire poured forth in a strong, sustained chorus on the Facebook page "Moline Boys Choir For Life":

Matt Sedlak: "Mr. Wells, you taught me so much. You taught me to believe in myself and to not be ashamed of the voice and personality God gave me. Thank you for being my Moline Boys Choir Director."
Jeff De Leon: "An era is truly coming to an end. Thank you for everything you've done to inspire youth to pursue the arts in the Q.C. and for being an incredible teacher."

Chadwick Vogel: "There never was a more dedicated, wonderful director. Thank you for the years of discipline, and beautiful music you gave to each and every member of the choir."

Tom Mahalla: "But how can one replace that which is irreplaceable?"

Peter Holst: "Thank you is not enough. You have been such a guiding influence in so many young lives. Thank you Mr. Wells!!!!!"

Steve Van Daele: "Kermit, you have been such a positive influence to 'your' boys over the years. One can tell by the following you have from afar on FB. Your dedication has given many the 'escape' they were always looking for. I am proud being an Alumni of the MBC."

Andrew Swenson: "Kermit, Many thanks for your years of service to MBC! My MBC experience provided a solid foundation for almost 40 years of choral singing, an indispensable part of my life. You were a big part of that MBC experience."

Bruce John is in the center, fifth row,
and John Robeson (redhead) is fourth row, on the right.
Dr. Fred Swanson is directing this Christmas concert, probably 1960.






'via Blog this'








Larry Eyre's mother kept this certificate for 50 years. The fine print is worth reading - "not for pecuniary profit."

John Robeson, MBC member from the same year, sent some scans which were posted.

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churchmousec (http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/) has left a new comment on your post "After 54 years, choir director to bid farewell - Q...":

These retrospectives are great, Dr Jackson. Thank you for sharing them with us.

A great way to learn (or, in my case, reminisce ;) ) about social history and find out more about Moline!

Churchmouse

***

GJ - You are welcome, ChurchMouse. Leo Brunner was a classmate who knew all the stats of all the men in professional baseball, year by year. We also went to college together. He was in the Moline Boys Choir too. Leon became a phenomenal teacher, simply loved by the kids, and a great coach too. He always had a weak heart and died young. They named a tournament after him.

I remember him at a reunion, grinning about how all the boys tested him on statistics and he never got them wrong. He told me how that earned their respect and made them receptive to teaching.

Leo never lost that huge grin in talking about baseball.
The photographer, Karl Huntoon, another classmate, also died young.


Luther Berates the False Shepherds of Church Growth,
Their Synodical Leaders and Professors

Luther's Good Shepherd sermon.

10. But that we may make it the plainer, and may understand it the better, we will cite a passage from the prophet Ezekiel, where he speaks of the wicked shepherds that are against Christ, when he says (34, 2ff) : "Should not the Shepherds feed the sheep? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. 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 back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they become food to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them," and so forth. Accordingly, God reproves the shepherds who do not keep the sheep. And now mark well what he has written. His earnest intent in this paragraph is that the weak, sick, broken, those who are driven away and the lost, are to be strengthened, bound up, healed, and sought again, and that they are not to be torn to pieces and scattered. This you should have done, says he to the shepherds, but you have not done it; therefore, I will do it myself. As he says further on, in verse 16: "I will seek that which was lost, I will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick."




11. Here you see that Christ's kingdom is to be concerned about the weak, the sick, the broken, that he may help them. That is, indeed, a comforting declaration. The only trouble is that we do not realize our needs and infirmities. If we realized them, we would soon flee to him. But how did those shepherds act? They ruled with rigor, and applied God's Law with great severity; and, moreover, they added their own commandments, as they still do, and when these were not fulfilled, they raved and condemned, so that they were driving and driving and exhorting and exacting, continually. That is no proper way to tend and keep souls, says Christ. He is no such shepherd as that; for no one is benefited, but is rather wholly undone, by such a course, as we shall presently hear. Now let us consider this citation from the prophet in its order.

Leonard Sweet, New Age Guru
and his faithful minion, Paul Calvin Kelm.
In the background - WELS gay videos are reality now,
found at the synod headquarters - but no one knew!

12. First, be says: The sheep that are weak are to be strengthened; that is, consciences weak in faith and troubled in spirit and of tender disposition are not to be driven and told: You must do this. You must be strong. If you are weak, you are lost. That is not strengthening the weak. St. Paul, speaking to the Romans (chapter 14,1) says: "But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not for decision of scruples." And shortly afterwards (chapter 15, 1) he says: "Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak." Accordingly, they should not be driven with rigor, but should be comforted, even though they are weak, lest they be driven to despair; and in time they will grow stronger.




13. Isaiah, the, prophet, speaks of Christ likewise (chapter 42, 3): "A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench." The bruised reeds are poor, tender consciences, which are easily distracted so that they tremble and despair of God. He does not fly at them then, and trample them under foot; that is not his way. But he deals with them gently, lest he break them to pieces. Again, the dimly burning wick, which still burns at least, though there be more smoke than fire there, he does not wholly quench, but lights, and again and again trims it. That is a great consolation, indeed, to such as experience it; and, therefore, he who does not deal gently with tender consciences is no good shepherd.

Hunter: de-caff.
14. Secondly, the prophet says: "Neither have ye healed the sick." Who are the sick? They are those who are manifestly deficient in certain of their works. The first clause has reference to tender consciences; the second, to outward conduct. As, for instance, when one growls and sulks, and now and then lapses, and in anger and other foolish ways oversteps the bounds; even as the apostles, at times, grievously stumbled. But even those who in their outward works before men manifest their shortcomings, so that people are offended at them and say that they are rude and peculiar, he will not cast away; for his kingdom here below is not so constituted as to embrace only the strong and the whole, as it will be in the life to come. Christ is sent here that he might receive and help just such people.

LCMS Professor David Scaer

LCMS Pastor Paul Scaer.


15. Therefore, even though we are weak and sick, we must not despair and say we are not in the kingdom of Christ. But the more we realize our sickness, all the more should we turn to him; for that is what he is here for, to heal and make us whole. Accordingly, if you are sick and a sinner, and realize your condition, you have all the more reason to go to him and say: Dear Lord, I come just because I am a sinner; that thou mayest help me, and make me good. Thus, necessity drives you to him; for the greater your ailment, the more imperative it is that you seek relief. And that is what he wants; therefore, he tenderly bids us to be of good cheer, and to come unto him. They who are not good shepherds, however, expect to make people good by hatefully scolding and driving them, whereas they are thereby only making matters worse. And this may be seen when we look upon present conditions, brought about by this wrong method, when everything is so piteously scattered, even as the prophet has here said.

English as a second language? - sign us up!


16. Thirdly: "Neither have ye bound up that which was broken." To be broken is as though one had a bone fractured or were otherwise wounded. As when a Christian is not only weak and infirm, so that he makes a misstep at times, but when he falls into such great temptation that he breaks his leg; for instance, if he should fall and deny the Gospel, as St. Peter did, when he denied Christ. Well, even though one should make such a misstep as to be impeded or overthrown--even then you should not cast him away, as though he no more belonged to this kingdom. For you must not rob Christ of his characteristic, that in his kingdom abounding grace and mercy alone prevail, so that he helps those who realize their misery and wretchedness, and desire to be helped, and that his kingdom is wholly one of consolation, and that he is a comforting, friendly shepherd, who tenderly invites, and would induce, all men to come unto him.

Children were banned from this special service, kelmed from Craig Groeschel.
Foward (sic) this newsletter to let people know what Satan is doing in WELS.


17. Now, all this is effected through the Gospel alone, by means of which we are to strengthen all the weak and heal all the sick; for this Word will satisfy every want of those whose consciences are troubled, and will give full consolation to all, so that no one, no matter how great a sinner he has been, need despair. Hence, Christ alone is the good shepherd, who heals all our infirmities and raises up again those who have fallen. He who does not do that is no shepherd.

How convenient, to use Martin Luther College, WELS,
to teach against Lutheran doctrine.


18. Fourthly, the prophet says: "Neither have ye brought back that which was driven away." What is meant by "that which was driven away"? It is that despised soul that is fallen so low that all efforts to reclaim it seem to be in vain. Nevertheless, Christ would not have even such dealt with rigorously. He would not have his kingdom narrowed down so as to include only such as are strong and healthy and perfect.
That will be the case in the future kingdom that follows this life, as has been said: Now, because he reigns, pure grace and bliss only shall prevail. Even as God promised the children of Israel (Ex 3, 8) that the promised land would be a land flowing with milk and honey. Likewise St. Paul says that our uncomely parts shall have more abundant comeliness (1 Cor 12,23).

Don Patterson is so po' that he needs a free vicar each year,
but he has $40,000 for fund-raisers.


19. Fifthly, he concludes: "Neither have ye sought that which was lost." That which was lost is that which is given up as already condemned, so that there is no expectation that it ever will return; as the publicans and harlots mentioned in the Gospel, and as the dissolute and intractable in our day, were and are. And yet, even these he would not have us pass by, but would have everything possible done to reclaim them. This was done by St. Paul, on different occasions; as, for example, when he delivered two men unto Satan, as he said to Timothy (1 Tim 1, 20): "Whom I delivered unto Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme." And, again, to the Corinthians he said (1 Cor 5,5): "I have concluded to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." He had cast these away as condemned, and yet he goes after them again.

Start at home if your son is a professed atheist.

Bobby Petrino and winning vs. character - Post Leadership - The Washington Post.
This Applies to Lutheran Presidents
Who Lie about Felons in Their Midst

Elderly coach and college-aged mistress.
Lutheran propaganda outfits make sure the members and ministers hear a cooked story
instead of the truth.
What does that say about the integrity of the leaders?


Bobby Petrino and winning vs. character - Post Leadership - The Washington Post:


When Bobby Petrino was the head football coach at the University of Louisville, he interviewed with Auburn University to replace Tommy Tuberville, who had been his boss, giving him a break in his career. He initially denied the 2003 meeting before admitting to it. Four years later, when he was recruited away from the Atlanta Falcons with just three games left in the season, he left a short statement in the players’ lockers shortly after telling the team’s owner he wasn’t going anywhere.

None of this is news to anyone who follows football. So, when Petrino’s character was again on the line thanks to the scandal that prompted his firing Tuesday from the University of Arkansas, few seemed surprised. ESPN’s Time Keown writes that “the character questions began long before he was hired and then released as Arkansas’ head coach.” And Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Rosenberg opines that “if we were playing a game, and you asked me to guess which major-college coach hired his mistress to work with his football program, got in a motorcycle accident with her on board, then lied to his bosses about the relationship, I could have guessed ‘Bobby Petrino’ faster than it takes him to print out his resume.”


Bobby Petrino speaks during a news conference in Fayetteville, Ark. on April 3, 2012. (Gareth Patterson - AP) Such scoffing gives little credit to athletic director Jeff Long, who put integrity first in making this decision and was visibly shaken in a news conference about the effect Petrino’s actions would have on Arkansas players. Still, there’s truth to the criticism. Until a history of questionable actions has real consequences for leaders, rather than leading to a period of exile that ends all too quickly in our forgive-and-forget society, the pattern of putting winning before character will continue.

For those who have not been following the Petrino story, it encapsulates behavior that is antithetical to what one would want from a person leading student-athletes. After being involved in a motorcycle accident (in which he was not wearing a helmet), Petrino said he was the only individual on the bike. Several days later, a police report revealed that Petrino had in fact been with a 25-year-old employee of the athletic department who he had recently hired for a new job. Just before the police report was made public, Petrino told Long about his companion on the bike, with whom, it turned out, he had had an inappropriate relationship.

In a news conference explaining his decision to terminate Petrino, Long highlighted the “misleading and manipulative” behavior from his coach. He said Petrino was given “multiple opportunities” over four days to come clean about what happened, but chose not to. And he got emotional when he spoke about the lack of leadership and the impact it would have on Petrino’s players. “I’m committed to providing them with the leadership—leadership that’s befitting of our mission to develop student athletes to their fullest potential through intercollegiate athletics,” Long said, adding “our expectations of character and integrity in our employees can be no less than what we expect from our students. No single individual can be bigger than the team.”

Denying secretive interview and leaving town without saying goodbye in person may not be the same as staying mum about an inappropriate relationship with a young staffer. Raw ambition and an unwillingness to face up to professional players may not be as questionable as giving a staffer a job in a college football program who had “an unfair and undisclosed advantage.” Still, my guess is that when Long goes to hire a replacement for Petrino, a good hard look at the character questions in any candidate’s past will be at the top of his agenda.


'via Blog this'

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GJ - This post deals with "conservative" Lutheran leaders rewarding felons.

The same district and synod presidents who lie to cover up scandals will also lie about everything else. Since they see their roles as public relations for Holy Mother Synod, any lie will do.

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Bobby Petrino, Jessica Dorrell talked frequently, ...":

I suppose why they looked at his phone records is to see if he was texting while motorcycling, and maybe that is what caused the crash. Otherwise, there'd be no other reason for the invasion of privacy. However, I wonder why the phone company had to give the last six months of calls and textings, rather than just the last fifteen minutes before the crash.

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GJ - The records were released under the Freedom of Information Act. I thought I heard the journalist say that it was a university owned phone. That would make the phone calls, texts, pictures, and videos the property of the school.

Would the coach want a phone bill thicker than the Yellow Pages, delivered at home? The pages are already on the Internet somewhere.

Fake Blogger Celebrates Prematurely


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

World-class musician to perform at MLC - NUJournal.com | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal, New Ulm, MN

World-class musician to perform at MLC - NUJournal.com | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal, New Ulm, MN:

Is he WELS/ELS?

I hope no one prays during the chapel service.

The ELS broke ground on this issue, having a Roman Catholic bishop march in procession at their copper-top Schwan chapel.

PS - It may be warm there. I hope they turn on the AC in their $8 million cathedral in New Ulm.

'via Blog this'

Bobby Petrino, Jessica Dorrell talked frequently, phone records show - ESPN.
Arkansas Fired the Adulterer,
But What Do the "Conservative" Lutherans Do?

Jessica Dorrell, 25, and married coach Bobby Petrino, 51.
Dorrell cute, but guilty, should be fired. Have you noticed how many cute female assistants the WELS Church and Changers have? And they are paid in the range of lovely Jessica, $50k.

Bobby Petrino, Jessica Dorrell talked frequently, phone records show - ESPN:


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell exchanged more than 4,300 text messages and nearly 300 phone calls over the past seven months -- on game days, before dawn and even as the police report that hastened his downfall was being released to the public, according to a review of his business cellphone records by The Associated Press.

The messages, among some 300 pages of records released under a Freedom of Information Act request, appear to include picture and video files, though there was no way to verify the content. But the records clearly show a married father of four in frequent contact with Dorrell, a 25-year-old former Razorbacks volleyball player. When she traveled, she always rode coach.

Petrino was fired Tuesday night for failing to disclose his relationship with Dorrell, whom he hired last month without disclosing his conflict of interest or the fact he had once paid her $20,000. Athletic director Jeff Long said he had determined their relationship had been ongoing for a "significant" amount of time, but he did not say for how long.

The phone records show that Petrino remained in close contact with Dorrell following the April 1 motorcycle accident in which Petrino suffered four broken ribs, a cracked neck vertebra and scrapes and bruises

That day, Petrino and Dorrell went for a motorcycle ride on a two-lane highway southeast of Fayetteville and skidded off the road. Petrino and Dorrell talked for 16 minutes earlier that day before the crash at 6:45 p.m., and they also had a 22-minute conversation the following day -- while Petrino was apparently still in the hospital recovering.

Petrino's accident report was disclosed by state police on April 5, and the two talked 11 times that day. That included a pair of 2-minute calls around 3:30 p.m., when police were releasing the report that for the first time exposed her presence at the accident.

Later that evening, as questions swirled about his future at Arkansas, Petrino exchanged four calls with his agent, Russ Campbell, totaling 10 minutes.

The cellphone records show Petrino and Dorrell were in contact at least as far back as Sept. 12. The university provided nearly seven months of Petrino's business cellphone records, and that is the first date listed. Among the findings:

• Petrino, a married father of four, exchanged 91 texts with Dorrell on Sept. 13 and 84 texts with her over five hours on Oct. 28, the day before a game at Vanderbilt.

Scott Van Pelt

ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach talks about potential replacements for Bobby Petrino at Arkansas and the state of the Arkansas program.

More Podcasts »
• On Oct. 17, the two swapped 73 text messages, and on four days in a row in the week before a loss to eventual national champion Alabama, Petrino called Dorrell early -- at 5:52 a.m., 6:35 a.m., 5:49 a.m. and 7:55 a.m.

• The day Arkansas beat Troy, the two exchanged 70 texts.

• They exchanged 26 texts the day Arkansas beat Mississippi State and four following the Razorbacks' loss to LSU on Nov. 25.

• Dorrell texted Petrino during Arkansas' Cotton Bowl win over Kansas State, though the coach didn't reply until the following day.

The 51-year-old Petrino built Arkansas into a national power, including a 21-5 record over the past two seasons and a No. 5 ranking in last season's final AP poll. He was expected to lead the Hogs on a national title run next season, but his career was effectively ended the day of the accident.

Petrino didn't disclose her presence on the ride until the police report was issued; he told his boss, athletic director Jeff Long, about 20 minutes before the report was released to the public.

The records show Petrino's six-minute call to Long at 3:11 p.m., the call during which the coach first told Long of his inappropriate relationship with Dorrell and her presence at the accident.

Petrino has issued a lengthy apology and said he was focused on trying to make amends to his family.


'via Blog this'

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GJ - Note the difference between the Synodical Conference (tm) and a secular university. Arkansas fired their adulterous football coach because he undermined the integrity and reputation of the university.

The Michigan District WELS hired two divorced ex-pastors, Floyd Stolzenburg and Roger Zehms, to be Church Growth experts in Columbus and around the district. Neither one admitted guilt in their divorce.

WELS let Pastor William Tabor join their holier-than-thou ministerium even though they had written evidence of his adultery as a pastor. In fact, Zehms (above) also knew about it. Tabor later participated in the murder of his wife, while letting his mistress take the fall. WELS let Tabor move to a new pastoral call out of state.

The father of WELS VP James Huebner, Loyd Huebner - the DMLC president, defended Al Just (WELS teacher) in a murder trial. Al said his wife rolled over on a steak knife in bed. The jury did not believe Al. A busload of WELS zombies came down to Phoenix to lend their support of Just.

WELS pastors knew their district president, Ed Werner, was molesting members of his congregation, for 20 years. The mothers of the girls forced the trial, because they too had been molested. DP Werner went to the Big House for his crimes, but most WELS members do not know they had a DP in the hoosegow.

The ELS does not fire pastors for adultery, but they extend the Left Foot of Fellowship for disagreeing with Pope John the Malefactor.

WELS does not forgive anyone who questions Holy Mother Synod, but SP Schroeder published his assurances that homosexual man-boy porn addict Joel Hochmuth was forgiven.

I could give many examples from the CLC and LCMS, but readers get the picture.

If the felon is a buddy of the SP, he is praised and absolved into heaven, and given a promotion. If someone furrows his brows when the SP says something outrageous, the All-Grace Happy-Chappy SP is suddenly Hortense the Hangman, who will move heaven and earth to get rid of the guy and punish his family.

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Bobby Petrino, Jessica Dorrell talked frequently, ...":

The coach is real lucky a pile of dirt and branches stopped him before his bike went into the woods. A blogger notes that no other pile like this exists on that road for miles either way:

Ballad of Petrino:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaIu5O-KCd8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://friendsoftheprogram.net

http://zennie62blog.com

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/04/06/state-police-to-update-petrino-crash-details

Luther on the Word of the Holy Spirit - From His Gospel Sermons

These sermons can be read in their entirely in the Baker series
or online from Our Redeemer LCMS.
Obviously - Harrison, Schroeder, and Moldstad have not read them.
No one can advocate UOJ after studying Luther.



Sin - First Sermon 3. Let us take, for example, at the present day, all the schools of learning and the learned men and see whether they can tell us what that one little word "sin" is? For who has ever heard that not to believe in Christ is sin? They say, it is sin if one speaks, desires or does something against God's will and commandment. But how does that correspond with this saying of Christ: It is sin because they do not believe on me? Therefore, they are easily convicted of the fact that they know not what sin is; and if they be ever so learned, they will not be able to explain this text.

Remedy - First Sermon 7. Now, against this evil God found a remedy and determined to send Christ, his Son, into this world, that he should shed his blood and die, in order to make satisfaction for sin and take it away, and that the Holy Spirit then should enter the hearts of such people, who go about with the works of the Law, being unwilling and forced to it, and make them willing, in order that without force and with joyous heart they keep God's commandments. Otherwise there might be no means of removing the misery; for neither human reason and power, nor even an angel could rescue us from it. Thus, God has done away with the sins of all men who believe on the Christ, so that henceforth it is impossible for one to remain in sin who has this Saviour, who has taken all sins upon himself and blotted them out.

What Sin Remains? - First Sermon 9. What sort of sin then remains upon earth? No other than that one does not receive this Saviour and refuses to accept him who has taken away sin. For if he were present, there would be no sin, since he, as I have said, brings the Holy Spirit with him, who kindles the heart and makes it willing to do good. Therefore, the world is no longer punished and condemned on account of other sins, because Christ blots them all out; only this remains sin in the New Testament, that one will not acknowledge nor receive him. Therefore he likewise says in this Gospel:

"When the Holy Spirit is come, he will convict the world in respect of sin, because they believe not on me."

10. As if he wished to say: Had they believed on me, everything would already have been forgiven them, whatever sin they might have committed, for I know that they by nature cannot do otherwise.

Summary - First Sermon 26. These are the three parts we have in this Gospel lesson: Sin is unbelief; righteousness is faith; the judgment is the holy cross. Therefore give heed and learn to consider everything that is without the Spirit as nothing and as condemned, and afterwards be prepared for the holy cross that thou must suffer on account of it.

Only Unbelief Is Sin - Second Sermon "When the Comforter is come, he will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me."

2. Here we must let that be "sin" which is ascribed to, and included in, sin by the high majesty of heaven. In the text only unbelief is mentioned as sin, "because," says the Lord, "they believe not on me."

3. But what is it to believe on Christ? It is not simply to believe that he is God, or that he reigns in heaven in equal power with God the Father; many others believe that: But I believe on Christ when I believe that he is a gracious God to me and has taken my sins upon himself and reconciled me with God the Father, that my sins are his and his righteousness mine, that there is an intermingling and an exchange, that Christ is a mediator between me and the Father. For the sins of the whole world were laid upon Christ, and the righteousness of the Father, that is in Christ, will swallow up all our sins.

No sins dare and can remain upon Christ. Such faith makes me pure and acceptable to the Father. Of this faith the pope and our highly educated leaders know nothing to speak, much less to believe. They teach that man should do many good works if he is to be acceptable to God and be free from sin, and that then God imparts to him his grace.

The Remedy - Second Sermon 4. However, here the Lord speaks quite differently, and says: "The Holy Spirit will convict the world in respect of sin, because they believe not on me." Unbelief only is mentioned here as sin, and faith is praised as suppressing and extinguishing the other sins, even the sins in the saints. Faith is so strong and overpowering that no sin dare put it under any obligation. Although sins are present in pious and believing persons, they are not imputed to them, nor shall their sins condemn them. This is Paul's meaning when he says in Rom 8, 1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Their hearts are cleansed by faith, as Peter writes in Acts 15, 9. Therefore, whatever they do in this faith, in this assurance is all good, pure and pleasing to God. On the contrary, without this faith all their doings are sin and destruction, though their good works may shine and glitter as beautifully as they will, and even though they raise the dead. For Paul says: "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," Rom 14, 23.

Unbelief Is Called Sin - Second Sermon 5. What will now become of all the priests, nuns and monks who, wishing to escape sin, run into cloisters and undertake to do many good works without this faith? Unbelief is called sin, as I said, but to believe on Christ--that he takes my sins upon himself, reconciles me to the Father and at the same time makes me his heir of all that is in heaven and earth--this is good works. In John 6, 28-29, the Jews asked Christ: "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Yea, and should we preach thus, who will then enter the cloisters or contribute anything for them? The purses of the monks would then surely become flat, their kitchens scanty, their cellars empty and neglected. For this reason they will not allow faith to be preached; nay, they condemn this doctrine and banish its preachers. Indeed they have already set about it in good earnest. Christ further says: "Of righteousness, because I go to the Father."

Convicting the World Brings Punishment - Second Sermon How else can unbelief and other secret sins live in the heart while the heart itself is not conscious of them and knows not that they are sins? But those who convict the world must, on that account, be reviled as heretics and be banished from the country, as we see at present. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must convict the world.

8. The rod, however, by which the world is convicted and punished, is the divine Word and the holy Gospel, proclaimed by the apostles and preachers, as God the Father says to his Son in Ps 2, 9: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." That is, you shall humble them with the holy Gospel. But the world resents such conviction and punishment; yet it punishes severely, and even more severely than the Holy Spirit does. The Holy Spirit takes rods, but the world uses swords and fire. Isaiah also speaks in like terms of Christ our Lord in Is 11, 4: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked."

The Righteousness of Faith - Second Sermon For this righteousness is nothing but to believe that Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father; that he is equal with God possessing equal power; that he has become Lord by virtue of his passion, by which he has ascended to the Father, reconciled us with God and is there as our mediator. This is what the prophet means in Ps 110, 1. "Jehovah saith unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Therefore, St. Paul calls Christ now a mediator, 1 Tim 2, 5; Heb 8, 6; then a throne of grace, Rom 3, 25; a propitiation, 1 John 2, 2, and other like names. God requires this honor from us and faith demands it that we possess him as our Lord and Saviour; and this glory he will not concede to any one else, as he says through the prophet: "My glory will I not give to another," Is 42, 8.

Summary - Second Sermon 16. Thus, three thoughts have been presented to us in this Gospel: Sin, righteousness and, finally, the cross and persecution. We shall be freed from sin through faith. If we believe that Christ made satisfaction for our sins and that his satisfaction is ours, that is then the righteousness. When we are free from sin, and are just and pious, then the world, Satan and the flesh will arise and contend and battle against us. Then come persecution and the cross. This we wish to have set forth in brief at present from this Gospel. May God grant his grace that we learn it thus, and know how to govern ourselves by it when we need it.

Efficacy of the Word and Its Result - Third Sermon 7. Herewith Christ bestows upon his apostles power and authority, nay more, even command over the whole world. It is to be subject to their preaching and to hear the apostles. Although their office shall be despised in the world and have no reputation, because they are plain, ordinary people, and even apart from this they must be hated and oppressed and must suffer in the world, when with their convictions they run counter to it, till he strengthens and comforts them with the assurance that their office shall nevertheless have power, force and efficacy. Those in the world will be compelled to hear it and to allow it to have course, unsubverted and unforbidden, regardless of their raging and storming against it with persecution, ban and death, and all power and force not only of the world, but also of the whole kingdom of hell.

The Holy Spirit Brings Power and Persecution - Third Sermon 10. This is the province of the work, which the Holy Spirit is to begin in the kingdom of Christ. It is the teaching office of the apostles, which is to be of such a character that it must convict the world, as it finds it outside of Christ, and nobody is to be excepted, great, small, learned, wise, holy, of high or low condition, etc. This means in short, to bear the world's anger and to begin strife, and to be struck in the mouth for it. For the world, which rules on earth, will not and cannot endure its course to be disapproved; therefore persecution must arise, and one party must yield to the other, the weakest to the stronger. But, as the office of the apostles is to be only a teaching office, it cannot use worldly power and the world retains its external kingdom and power against the apostles. But, on the other hand, the apostles' office of conviction of the world shall likewise not be suppressed, because it is the office and work of the Holy Spirit, but shall overcome all and triumph; as Christ promised to them: "I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand." Lk 21, 15.

Efficacious Preaching - Third Sermon 11. The Holy Spirit indeed convicted the world by preaching before from the beginning (for Christ ever rules, and is the same Christ "yesterday and to-day, and for ever," Heb13, 8) through the holy fathers, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist, and this conviction was upheld by divine power. But now the true beginning is to be made, and Christ will institute a public conviction, which is to be extended not only over the Jewish people, but over the whole world until the last day. This is to be much more efficacious and shall prevail, and hearts shall be pierced and wounded by it, even as is said in Acts 2, 37 of the first sermon of St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, that they were pricked in their heart by the preaching of the apostles, and so were enlightened and converted from their blindness. But if they will not accept this preaching, it shall be efficacious to their condemnation, and they shall stumble, fall and plunge into eternal ruin. So it shall prove a power unto life and salvation to believers, and a preaching and power unto death to others, as St. Paul says in 2 Cor 2, 16.

Convicting the World for Unbelief - Third Sermon 15. This is what the conviction of the Holy Spirit is directed against. It breaks in not piecemeal on certain works and actions, but reduces to nothing and condemns everything that reason and worldly wisdom propose. In short, he convicts and censures them in and for the very things they do not wish to be convicted in, but rather praised and lauded, as teaching and doing well and right.

He puts them to sin and shame with all their glory and openly charges them with knowing nothing of these things nor being able to teach how sin is to be known and gotten rid of, righteousness is to be attained and wrong is to be permitted. How much good is left now, when all this is laid low completely as by a thunderbolt? He himself explains the three particulars, and shows what each means and how each is to be preached. First he says: "Of Sin, because they believe not on me."

The Real Chief Sin - Third Sermon 16. The world itself must confess that it understands none of the things, which Christ here says of these three thoughts. For whoever heard this before among the wise and learned of the earth, or by what understanding was it produced, and in what books is it written that sin is not to believe on this Jesus of Nazareth? Does not Moses himself and all the world call that sin, which is done contrary to the law, by commission or omission, by word or deed or even by thought? Well, the child is named, and the article concluded and fixed by the Holy Spirit, that this is the sin of the world that it does not believe on Christ. Not that there is no sin against the law besides this; but that this is the real chief sin, which condemns the whole world even if it could be charged with no other sin.

Preaching This Conviction of Sin - Third Sermon 17. Thus this preaching of conviction is now to begin, if people are to be brought to right knowledge and to salvation. And the first thing shall be this: it makes all men, learned, high and wise, sinners; and sinners for this reason, because they do not believe on Christ. Hence God's wrath is declared, and the judgment of condemnation and eternal death (for this is what convicting in respect of sin means) is pronounced upon those who in the sight of the world are irreproachable, who even strive with earnestness to live according to the law and the ten commandments. Such were Paul before his conversion, and Nicodemus at first, and many others of like character among the Jews, to whom St. Paul also bears witness that they had a zeal for God, and followed after righteousness, but did not attain to righteousness (Rom 9, 31). So then this word "sin" briefly comprehends all life and conduct without and apart from faith in Christ.

Forgiveness from Faith - Third Sermon 20. This he has now done and has commanded to preach it through the Gospel, and he demands of all men (as we heard in the Easter sermons) repentance, that is, true knowledge of sin and earnest dread of God's wrath, and faith, that in such repentance God will for the sake of his Son forgive their sins. He that believes this preaching, has by this faith forgiveness of sins and is in the grace of God: and although he has not satisfied the law, still the remaining sin is not imputed to him, but is included in the forgiveness. Together with this faith the Holy Spirit is also given, so that he acquires love and delight to do the good and to resist sin. Therefore he is no longer condemned by the laws as a sinner, although he has not fulfilled it in every respect; but he is accepted by God through grace and forgiveness, and regarded as if he had no sins.

No Faith = No Forgiveness and Utter Condemnation - Third Sermon 21. But on the other hand, he who has not faith, cannot be rid of sin nor escape the wrath of God. For he has no forgiveness and abides under condemnation, even if he is very zealous to live according to the law; for he cannot fulfil it. Besides, he does not accept Christ, who brings forgiveness and bestows upon believers his own fulfilment, and also gives power to begin to keep the law from the heart.

22. Therefore, wheresoever this preaching is not accepted, there sin and condemnation must remain. Indeed, this unbelief then becomes the chief sin. For if faith in Christ were present, all sins would be forgiven; but now since they will not accept this Saviour by faith, they are justly condemned in their sins. And it avails them nothing, that they do many works of the law and outward divine services, and judge according to reason, that, as they sinned by works, they will pay by works, that is to say, put away sin and merit God's favor. For in so doing they simply undertake to blot out sin by sin, indeed, to atone for great sins by little ones, or to do great sins in order to lay aside others.

Holy Spirit Condemns Lack of Faith - Third Sermon 23. Therefore the Holy Spirit rightly and justly convicts, as sinful and condemned, all who have not faith in Christ. For where this is wanting, other sins in abundance must follow: God is despised and hated, and the entire first table is treated with disobedience. For if one does not know God in Christ, he cannot trust him for any good thing, nor call upon him from the heart, nor know his word; but he is entangled in the devil's lies, persecutes and blasphemes true doctrines, and continues in obstinacy and hardening, even to the degree of slandering the Holy Spirit. In consequence of this he also disobeys the other commandments in his life and station, so that he does to nobody what he ought to do, and has in his heart no true love, kindness, gentleness, patience, no delight in chastity, righteousness, faithfulness and truth; but practices the contrary, except where he has reason to fear disgrace or punishment.

Unbelievers Are Wicked, Despise God's Word - Third Sermon 25. Hence you see pictured here what the world is, nothing but a great company of wicked, stubborn people, who will not believe Christ, but despise God's Word, praise and accept the seduction of the devil, and defiantly run counter to all of God's commandments. They receive all the favors and benefits of God only to repay him with ingratitude and blasphemy. And yet in all this they are unwilling to be convicted or reproved, but wish to be called excellent, pious and saintly people. Such were the Jews, who crucified Christ and persecuted his apostles, and yet wished to claim the glory of having done God great service. Therefore the Holy Spirit must resist this and strive with the world and ever exercise his office of conviction with divine power and might until the last day.

Conflict Arises - Third Sermon 54. Then arises the conflict and one judgment runs contrary to the other. For the world also sets up this teaching, not only because it does not proceed from its wisdom nor from the great, distinguished men of the world, but also because it is preached by poor, lowly people. It opens its mouth wide against it, and says: Why, what more is it than that some, vagabond beggars wish to oppose established authority and by everybody, aye, was instituted by God himself? So it condemns, interdicts and curses both the doctrine and the preachers. Moreover it proceeds to shut up their mouths by threats of its power, resorts to severity and the sword, and will absolutely have its error and idolatry unassisted and unreproved, nay, preserved and defended against God and Christ as wisdom and holiness, and the preaching of the Gospel uprooted and exterminated.

55. But Christ says on the contrary, that the Holy Spirit shall retain the superior judgment and prevail with his convicting of this sentence of the world until the last day. But in consequence of this, Christians get into straits between door and hinge, and the cross and persecution begins.

Seriously, dude?

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Luther on the Word of the Holy Spirit - From His G...":

The "Righteous in Hell" declaration by the UOJists is simply another false teaching of UOJ which if we repeat in disgust and as an example of their spiritual depravity we will be told we're making up a charicature of UOJ which they don't teach.

The treacherous part of this false gospel of OUJ is that now having taken great pains to establish their own false way to righteousness - having abandoned One Justification By Faith Alone - they will find that the Triune God rejects and condemns their gospel and they will go about to find another god who will accept and defend UOJ. That god is already in the world and the religions that teach Universal Justification without Faith are many. By the time the Antichrist appears on his Day of Declaration - the anti-Pentecost - the Lutheran synods will be ready to lay thorn branches in his path.

The Lutheran Synods war against the righteousness of Christ - Faith, the Holy Ghost, God's Word and the Gospel of our Lord is surely the same persecution of the Antichrist prophesied of in Scripture.