AC V - Why Go To Church?

AC V has left a new comment on your post "From the Apple-Dumbling Gang:Yale Is Roman Catholi...":

Brett,

In Emmanuel's newsletter, notice the man-centered article entitled "Why Go to Church" (p.3ff). The closest we get to hearing the real purpose of why we "go to church" is on p.5:

"1) Jesus promises to be there in church with us, bringing his blessings with his presence."

That statement begs the question: "What are the blessings that Jesus brings us?" The article answers by saying things like "God has told his Christians to grow in grace and knowledge of him, and to keep the faith. This is done through the Word of God, especially as it is publicly preached by a true and faithful pastor, who expounds texts from the Bible to God's people and applies the Scriptures to their lives" (p.4).

But what is lacking (because of a UOJ mindset) is an answer like that of Luther in his explanation of why we go to church:

"We further believe that in this Christian Church we have forgiveness of sin, which is wrought through the holy Sacraments and Absolution, moreover, through all manner of consolatory promises of the entire Gospel. Therefore, whatever is to be preached concerning the Sacraments belongs here, and, in short, the whole Gospel and all the offices of Christianity, which also must be preached and taught without ceasing. For although the grace of God is secured through Christ, and sanctification is wrought by the Holy Ghost through the Word of God in the unity of the Christian Church, yet on account of our flesh which we bear about with us we are never without sin. Everything, therefore, in the Christian Church is ordered to the end that we shall daily obtain there nothing but the forgiveness of sin through the Word and signs, to comfort and encourage our consciences as long as we live here. Thus, although we have sins, the [grace of the] Holy Ghost does not allow them to injure us, because we are in the Christian Church, where there is nothing but [continuous, uninterrupted] forgiveness of sin, both in that God forgives us, and in that we forgive, bear with, and help each other. But outside of this Christian Church, where the Gospel is not, there is no forgiveness, as also there can be no holiness [sanctification] (Large Catechism, Apostles Creed, Art. III:55-56).

In Emmanuel's article "Why Go to Church" there is no mention of "to receive forgiveness of sins" because according to UOJ, you've already got it!

Here's a good explanation of why we "go to church":

http://www.ctsfw.edu/Document.Doc?id=275

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "AC V - Why Go To Church?":

I agree AC V. Tour any (W)ELS church website that posts their sermons. There is only a tiny number of them which mention the faith of the Holy Spirit and fewer yet who identify it as the righteousness of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the adoption of sons.

The Lutheran synods have pulled a fast one on the laity. They've separated faith from forgiveness. UOJ declares the whole unbelieving world forgiven - children of God (even while they are the children of the devil). UOJ's faith in forgiveness already declared is salvation since they've adopted the Methodistic synergism of "you just have to believe you've already been forgiven" to benefit (be saved) from the divine declaration.

Little wonder they can continue to finance the bloody murder of innocent babies through their Thrivent funds.

Misdirection of the Mind

alf-hislop (http://alf-hislop.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Ninevah the Great Has Fallen - But WELS Will Suppo...":

The preoccupation with the NIV11 illustrates a classic WELS mind set: cultivate the impression that you deeply care and serve our Lord while distracting observers from seeing that really little or nothing of good is being accomplished. While some people call such behavior shamming, most members either do not see through it, or if they do, remain too polite to criticize it.

Time wasting goes hand in hand with expensive boondoggles like the CORE. The waste will continue until members say, “Enough is enough, get busy following the examples of Christ’s disciples.”

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Misdirection of the Mind":

Wasting time seems to be the claim to fame for some WELS congregations. It goes hand in hand with the false impression that the leaders really care. The agenda is already in place. A good example of this would be when a congregation is "considering" an expansion. There are endless forums and meetings that are optional for the members, but consume huge amounts of time and are nothing more than a sham democracy. Like the present NNIV "study", it also serves the purpose of drawing out the vocal opposition so that they can have their backs rubbed and be dealt with more harshly later on.

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GJ -

Many remember the busy-work invented to close Northwestern College and merge it into Dr. Martin Luther College. I remember a survey that went out - showing that people were against the amalgamation. But nothing stopped the constant promotion. And there was only one idea to be discussed in the sunshine of democratic process - the amalgamation at New Ulm. The word "merger" was not allowed. It had to be "amalgamation" or the speaker was sharply rebuked.

NWC alumni (all pastors) were told they could not discuss or vote on the amalgamation.

The best example was the Michigan District meeting, which I attended with LI. We brought an ice chest full of Coke for the anti-amalgamation troops. The chairman of the discussion was pro-amalgamation and the delegates were allowed to vote on approving the merger - four resolutions, all defeated. Does that remind anyone of the NNIV resolutions - do you want your NNIV now or next year?

DP Robert Mueller went to WELS convention and spoke in favor of the amalgamation. Those who opposed it were not allowed to speak - not even the presidents of Northwestern College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

The delegates voted down the merger but it was reported falsely as a narrow win for merger. So much for voting.

Next the districts had to ratify the decision. SP Gurgle told Michigan that they had no choice. The contracts had been signed and they could not stop it.

Some claim that $30 million was blown on the whole plan, which consisted of merging the two schools  at New Ulm, closing Prairie and merging it at Watertown, and spending money on various buildings. Gurgle promised Michigan, "If it goes over $8 million, we will pull the plug."

The same juggernaut was originally launched to buy Prairie, a failed Roman Catholic school in a non-Lutheran area. WELS called for an emergency session and bought the school like it was the IPO of Facebook. They spent millions on Prairie and turned it into a prison.

Lawrenz to Witte: "Be thou continually promoting
the WELS Costa Nostra,
Church and Change."

I offered my idea at the time - why not move everything to one campus, Mequon, and sell off the other properties: New Ulm, Watertown, Prairie. John Lawrenz, one of the leaders of Church and Change, said, "Mequon is sacred ground. No one has even considered it." John was in charge of the committee studying the proposals, but it was clear that only one idea was worth discussing.

Lawrenz, as the president of MLS, announced, "We are willing to accept any role the synod gives us." That was during a big rush to close MLS. WELS rewarded John with various promotions and world trips.

Pope Pius IX worked his magic the same way. Anyone who opposed his infallibility was punished severely, even after recanting. All those who promoted papal infallibility were rewarded, even sainted.