Watch Buchholz and Schroeder Excommunicate Mark Jeske. 2013 Session List « Men Of His Word. The New Version of WELS Church and Change

Parlow, Jeske, Kelm, Patterson -
all dance to the same tune.
Aren't they cute?

2013 Session List « Men Of His Word:

2013 Men of His Word Conference

Theme: Real Men Wash Feet

Saturday February 16, 2013

Oshkosh Convention Center

Be sure to support our sponsors whose generous contributions made this event possible.

Gunn was the keynote speaker last year.

2013 Session List

Real Men Build Relationships                                                    Rich Warnecke

Earning the right to share God’s love in Jesus starts with building a relationship with a real person through small talk.   Once trust is built, people are more willing to discuss personal matters.  Do you find yourself a little timid among strangers?  Do you shy away from mingling in unfamiliar settings?  This session will help you speak to anyone, at anytime, about anything.  Learn to read body language, improve social skills, and confidently share the “hope we have in our hearts” with anybody!

Real Men Battle Porn                                                                       Mike Novotny

While promising pleasure, pornography leaves the Christian man with only guilt and shame.  Millions of Christian men, Christian teachers, and Christian pastors silently battle an ever-growing and ever-darkening industry, hating their own pathetic battles against this digital Goliath.  How can a son of God escape if he has porn in his past…or his present?  Real Men Battle Porn is an honest, repentant, gospel-fueled look at the threat of pornography.  This session also includes practical strategies for humble, feet-washing men to help one another make porn a part of their past.

Real Men Choose to Cheat                                                           Jason Ewart

Everybody cheats. Isn’t it true there are more demands on your time and energy than there are hours in the day? Since there’s only one of you to go around, the bad news is someone will be left feeling cheated. The good news is you get to decide who it is. Real men choose the priority of wife and family over work and hobbies. In this session, we will discover how to make the changes necessary to ensure our most important responsibilities don’t feel cheated.

[GJ - Don't watch the gay Party in the MLC video!]

Real Men Don’t Hold Grudges!                                                   Brian Arthur Lampe - Self-ordained pastor to all denominations 

Offense is the bait Satan uses to trap people into being unforgiving. He dangles it in front of our noses until we grab it, and as long as we hold it, we are trapped by resentment and bitterness. Come to this session to learn how to identify this trap, our reactions, and what we must do with the offense.

Real Men Pray                                                                                  Mark Jeske - the Rob Bell of Lutherdom

We guys all know that it makes us look weak to ask for help. That’s why we drive around for half an hour rather than ask for directions. That’s why we look at the instruction manual as a last resort. Likewise, in our spiritual lives, when we pray as a last resort, we are actually showing weakness, not strength.  We are depriving ourselves and our families of the strength we need from God.  Join Pastor Mark Jeske for an uplifting tune-up to your prayer life.

[GJ - Read Mark and Avoid Jeske's Statement of Faith - then run the other way.]

Real Men Struggle with Loss                                                        Mark Henrich

At some point in our lives we all suffer loss or have loved ones hurting because of loss. The loss may come through the death of a parent, spouse, child or friend, or through divorce, unemployment, a financial setback or health issues. How do we deal with loss? Where do real men go for guidance and support? Attend this session to explore how heartache and struggle can help you be a “real man.”

Real Men Build Bridges                                                                  Mark Vance

As Christians, we should be looking for ways to build bridges to the gospel both here at home and around the world.  Mark Vance from Christian Aid and Relief will share examples of how humanitarian aid projects in our home and world mission fields are assisting our congregations, missionaries, and sister church bodies build those bridges to the gospel.  Mark will also share ideas on how we all can get involved in this extraordinary gospel bridge-building work.

Remove Outer Garment Before Washing Feet                            Dave Long

Before washing the feet of His disciples, Christ removed his outer garment. In doing so, he risked being vulnerable by letting down his protective covering and revealing His authentic self for all to see. In this session you’ll have a chance to look inward and explore the space between the outer garments you present to the world and the man inside where things are not always as neat and tidy as they seem. If you aspire to wash the feet of others, start with this simple step.

Real Men Lead Like Servants                                                         Ken Fischer

Are you tempted to be a people pleaser rather than a leader?  Does your desire to serve God cause you to lose touch with those you should be leading?  Jesus calls real men to lead in an entirely new pattern and to practice a balanced servanthood, obeying God’s will while still serving others. This session will compare false leadership paradigms with Jesus’ model.  Come and explore leadership as taking the initiative to know God deeply, to reflect his holy character abundantly, and to draw others together through loving relationship in God’s creative purposes.

Real Men Value Youth–Their Perspective, Potential, and Place in the Body of Christ                                                                                                      Dr. Joel Nelson - D.Ed from Cardinal Stritch

I am doing God’s work today because of Forest, Larry, Bruce, Frank, Jim, Boyd and other Godly men who, when I was a young and unsure member of our congregation, reached out to me in ways that made me feel valued, important, competent, and whole.  They were not officially elected or appointed to do this.  They just did it because they knew I was an important piece of their congregation and the body of Christ.  In this session we will discuss what congregations, and the real men in them, can do to get youth energized and engaged as part of the church.

Real Men Wash Feet and Sometimes Have to Scrub Them        Don Scheuerlein

Most often feet need only a rinse and wipe to be clean.  However, sometimes lack of care has so imbedded the dirt that feet have to be scrubbed.  Scrubbing can hurt, but it may be needed to bring about the desired clean result.  So, sometimes we need to “scrub” one another.  Come to this session and learn how to “scrub” with care and concern for others.

Real Men Have and Are Mentors                                                  Ben Berger

Would you like someone who understands you—someone who can share experience and wisdom to guide your life? Would you enjoy helping someone else navigate challenges you’ve already overcome? You need a mentor. You are a mentor. Come to learn the value of having and being a mentor, as well as the steps to finding and becoming one.

Real Men Play On Level Fields                                                         Phil Merten

Jesus told his people, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). That means being on the receiving end as well as the giving end. How good are we at that? Do you find yourself always trying to be the expert who helps other people get their act together? What if some of those people have something valuable to give to you? From years of working with people recovering from addictions, Phil Merten has learned that it works best when there’s a level playing field, where nobody’s an expert and everybody’s an expert, where it’s recognized that everybody has something valuable to bring to the table.

Real Men Get Stressed                                                                 Brandon Hayes

Finances. Work. Family relationships. The economy. Health. Job stability. Although God tells us not to worry, if you are like most men, these issues can be significant sources of stress. Research suggests that not all stress is bad, yet if poorly managed, it can lead to serious consequences which disrupt your faith life, physical health, relationships and overall well-being. This presentation will review various strategies to manage stress and anxiety. Specific topics will include assertiveness, time management, self-care, and relaxation exercises.

The Truth about Real Men                                                       Kenn Kramer

It’s classic Jack Nicholson! His line from “A Few Good Men” is among the most quoted of all time: “The truth? You can’t handle the truth!” The sad truth about most men is that we have a difficult time dealing with the truth about ourselves. Join us for this open-forum workshop that will expose a powerful new strategy that men are using to avoid the truth about themselves. Learn how God’s Word can help us become more honest about who we really are.

Recruiting, Leading, and Mentoring Volunteers                               Bill Meier

Do you find that dealing with volunteers is challenging as well as rewarding?  Using both Scripture and the methods of experienced managers, we will review practical methods of mentoring volunteers in ministry within congregations and organizations.  This session is interactive, asking participants to share examples of both good and poor experiences in volunteer environments and to identify tactics for constant improvement.

Lights! Camera! Action!                                                                   Steve Zambo

Today someone with a camera and a computer can produce and distribute media for a worldwide audience, but this ability provides both danger and opportunity.  Through the experiences of Salty Earth Pictures, you will learn how you and your congregation can utilize media for Christ and reach the world professionally and cost effectively.  Steve will also share ways that you can become involved in making movies that impact audiences around the world.

Youth Track– Real Men Wash Feet — Empowering Young Men                         Jim Buske

Do you ever feel as if there is no place for you to use your gifts, to get plugged in and serve? Does it seem as if the church wants you, but doesn’t know what to do with you or what to allow you to do? I know what you’re feeling — I’ve been there! This workshop will help you rediscover your zeal to serve others and empower you to find a place for your gifts in the church.

[GJ - Buske trains with Andy Stanley, the Baptist Gay activist, so I would not enroll my child in this WELS version of the Hitler Youth - Jungendbund.]

'via Blog this'

Group List

Group Name:  Bethany Men of His Word Early Morning Bible Study

Location:     Appleton, WI

Contact:      Russ Wagner russ@menofhisword.org

Details:       Join us for some doughnuts, prayer, strong coffee and stimulating Bible Study every Tuesday Morning.  Bible study begins at 6:30am. We usually end at 7:30am depending on who is leading the study. Meet in the church basement and bring your Bibles.  Feel free to invite a friend! Our current study is based on Max Lucado’s book “He Chose the Nails”. Bethany is located at at 530 West Parkway Blvd. in Appleton.

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Group Name: CEO Ministries Grill Kings

Location:     Milwaukee, WI

Contact:      Brian Arthur Lampe   CEObalampe@gmail.com

Details:       Were (sic) just a group of knuckleheads for Jesus. The CEO Grill Kings monthly workshop’s will shake, challenge, and stretch you to become more than you’ve ever imagined. We encourage every man to get plugged in, and involved somehow in the work for God’s Kingdom purpose!  Your world through Christ is waiting. What’s your Christ Empowered Opportunity?

What Taylor saw.

***

GJ - The participants and leaders are the Church and Changers assembled by Parlow, Jeske, Witte, Kelm, Valleskey, Bivens, Roth, etc.

NNIV Hedges on the Virgin Birth of Christ - Just Like the RSV

The Greek initials stand for Virgin Mary and Son of God,
foreign concepts to sophisticated bishops.
See below.

Isaiah 7:14

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign: The virgin^[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[c] will call him Immanuel.^[d]

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
2. Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
3. Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
4. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.

Isaiah 7:14

Revised Standard Version (RSV)

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman^[a] shall conceive and bear^[b] a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el^[c]

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 7:14 Or virgin
2. Isaiah 7:14 Or is with child and shall bear
3. Isaiah 7:14 That is God is with us

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Posted by David Virtue on 2007/12/14 14:20:00 (1310 reads)
Do you believe in the Virgin Birth? 



The Spectator asked a select group from the Archbishop of Canterbury to Christopher Hitchens
Christmas survey

The Spectator
http://tinyurl.com/38rlzx
December 12, 2007

Christmas is not just about shopping and flirting, eating and drinking, anger and remorse. It is also about the Incarnation. But how many people believe in the Christian story of Christmas, and how strong is their belief? To find out, The Spectator approached leading public figures in the Churches, in the arts and the media and in politics, and asked them: 'Do you believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ?' Here are their challenging - and sometimes surprising - answers.

The Most Reverend and Right Hon. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Yes; I believe that the conception of Jesus was a moment when the creative action of God produced a reality as new in its way as the first moment of creation itself. And I believe that what opened the way for this was the work of God through human history over centuries, coming to its fullest moment in Mary's consent to God's call. The recognition of the uniqueness and newness of Jesus is a recognition of the absolute freedom of God to break the chains of cause and effect that lock us into our sins and failures; the virginal conception is an outward sign of this divine freedom to make new beginnings.

His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster

Of course. All teaching about Mary the Mother of God points us to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. The miracle of his birth shows us that he is God-with-us. Jesus has only God as Father and Mary as Mother and in his birth we are adopted as children of the Father in the Holy Spirit. We look to Mary as a Mother who loves us.

Colin Wilson

No, of course I don't, and I imagine you'll have some difficulty finding any educated person who believes in it, or any other Christian dogma. Of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, only the third survives.

James Delingpole

Look, I've successfully survived 42 years as a member of the Church of England without ever having to give serious thought to the Virgin Birth and I jolly well don't see why I should be put on the spot now just for the sake of a Speccie feature. I guess that makes me a 'Don't Know', which is a terrible thing to admit given that I'm halfway towards being a pillar of my beloved Chelsea Old Church. But that's the great thing about being C of E, isn't it? If I were Catholic, I suppose I'd have to find the issue intensely important. Me, I care more about hymns having the right tunes, and the Prayer Book being 1662.

Ann Widdecombe

If Christ was also God, then he cannot have been born purely of humans, so his incarnation as a man must have been via a virgin. Thus I see no reason to doubt the testimony of scripture that Jesus was not the son of Joseph, but of God.

Christopher Howse

I gladly believe Jesus was born of a virgin. The teaching is clear. It was believed in the earliest times, and was no more likely then. What tended to repel ancient pagans was God-made-man humiliatingly spending months in the womb. But that too Christians believe: he assumes our humanity, which he derives from his mother. The same person is pre-existent God and an individual little foetus. That is the great mystery which reconciles us to God and destroys sin and death. We only know about it because we were told, and we were told because, after dying on the cross, Jesus rose again and people saw him and listened to him. That is a more impressive miracle than mere parthenogenesis.

Edward Stourton

Hmmm. I can see the logic which argues that if you believe in the Incarnation, you need to believe in the Virgin Birth, so I suppose I ought to say yes ...but I wouldn't say it is a constant source of inspiration when I reflect on the great questions of life.

The Revd Professor Keith Ward

I do not believe in the Virgin Birth. The point of the Biblical account is to see Jesus as the start of a new creation, fulfilling the hopes of the 'virgin Israel'. I do not dogmatically deny it, but think it probably legendary.

The Revd Nicky Gumbel, Vicar, Holy Trinity, Brompton

I do believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus is the unique Son of God. The Virgin Birth was a miracle. The real issue facing the world today is 'Is there a God?' If there is, then miracles become a real possibility. If God is God, then he created matter, reason, time, space and all scientific laws and therefore is at liberty to interfere. If there is no God, then miracles are a problem. But philosophy and science alone will not answer the crucial question. Scientific laws are not like the laws of pure mathematics that cannot be broken. Rather they are descriptive. Once I came to believe in the great miracle - that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us - I had no problem in believing in the Virgin Birth.

Father Michael Holman SJ, Provincial of the Society of Jesus, British Province

If we do not believe in the Virgin Birth, we deny the very divinity of Christ, relegating him to simply a great human being, but not the Son of God. But I believe that Jesus Christ is truly God, and truly man; that his Incarnation was through the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit; that God himself is his Father; and that his mother, Mary, was a woman. The Virgin Birth is, therefore, a core Christian belief, and is a doctrine in which I firmly believe.

The Rt Revd Dr Michael J. Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester

Yes. The story is reported by both Matthew and Luke, who rely on independent traditions for their material. It is also echoed in other parts of the New Testament. There is good reason to believe that there was something very unusual about the birth of Jesus, even his enemies and detractors acknowledged this and early anti-Christian polemic had to find ways of dealing with it. Finally, there is, of course, the testimony of the Koran which relies on yet another stream of tradition! Quite a lot of evidence for the birth of a child, don't you think?

Charles Moore

Jesus Christ was true God and true Man: the Virgin Birth is an obstetric statement of this fact.

Roger Scruton

The Virgin Birth is a doctrine of the Church that many Christians today find hard to believe, and one entirely unnecessary for the belief in the divinity of Mary's son Jesus. I would not regard my faith as shaken by its disproof. However there are many ways in which women can become pregnant while remaining virgins, and as for the Holy Ghost - this can hardly be the only time that he has had a part in it. The annunciation is enough for me, along with all else that is implied in the 'Hail Mary': Mary earned the status attributed to her by that prayer through her motherly devotion, her innocent suffering and her obedience to God.

A.C. Grayling

No, of course not. But I'm interested in the idea's (so to speak) logic. Many mythological heroes were fathered by gods on mortal women. Not all these latter were any better than they should have been, unless god-attracting youthfulness made them so. But in the combination of ambiguous etymology (does Isaiah vii 14 specify the Messiah's dam as a 'young woman' or a 'virgin'?), St Paul (Christianity's proto-Jesuitical inventor), and the early Church's orthodoxy squabbles over sex and original sin, the Mother of God (weird idea) had to be pure. And therefore not just a virgin but herself 'immaculately' conceived. We await the next step, relating to her mother Anne. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was declared by Pius IX in 1854; we can expect the Nonpeccavistic Zygotisation of Anne herself, by this timeline, around 3708 ad.

Piers Paul Read

Our sex-obsessed generation feels affronted by the idea of the Virgin Birth, yet virtually everything we know about Jesus comes from the four Gospels, two of which (Matthew and Luke) explicitly state that Mary became pregnant without sexual intercourse. Why should they have falsified the record? Some theologians suggest that it was because Isaiah (vii 14) had prophesied that the promised Messiah would be born of a virgin. But the other two Evangelists, Mark and John, did not think it necessary to make this connection; and there was certainly no need for Luke's psychological elaborations - Mary's surprise, Joseph's jealousy. As any journalist should recognise, Luke must have had a primary source, and that source can only have been Joseph or, more probably, Mary herself.

Christopher Hitchens

I no more believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary than I believe that Krishna was born of the virgin Devaka, Horus was born of the virgin Isis, Mercury was born of the virgin Maia or Romulus was born of the virgin Rhea Sylvia. As the preceding examples help to demonstrate, parthenogenesis would in any case not be proof either of divine paternity or of the truth of any subsequent preachings. The authors of St Matthew - whose account cannot be squared with the one offered by Luke - in any case seem to have mistranslated the Hebrew word almah, meaning 'young woman', from the original legend in the book of Isaiah. Christianity insults our intelligence as well as our innate morality by insisting that we believe absurdities that are drawn from the mythology of paganism and barbarism.

Paul Johnson

The Incarnation is the most delightful, human, visually beautiful and delicate of all Christian beliefs. The idea of God's son coming to earth in the womb of a virgin, and being born in a manger, is beyond the power of any mortal imagination to invent and is so obviously true that anyone who denies it must have the feelings of a brute.

Jonathan Aitken

I believe the Virgin Birth because it is the story of a radical new beginning in God's relationship with the human race. Mary's joy and obedience (astounding in an age when unmarried mothers were stoned to death in Judaean villages) testify to the power of the Holy Spirit. The incarnation, together with the creation and the resurrection, are the cornerstones of my faith. When I hear the Gospel reading for Christmas day as it reaches John i 13-14 'born not of the will of man but of God. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us' a tingle runs down my spine, for this is the good news of the ultimate miracle.

Douglas Murray

Yes. For any practising Christian the Virgin Birth is one of the tenets of faith. I find it odd when people chip away at particular miracles. I've never seen much point in claiming that, for instance, Christ couldn't feed the five thousand. If he couldn't do that, then what are the odds on Resurrection? And if he didn't do that, then there's no faith. Christmas only seems meaningful as a religious celebration. Its demotion to a binge makes it ordinary, not miraculous. I have dabbled in atheism, but always had doubts.

Iain Duncan Smith

This secular society prides itself that all its decisions will be based on logic, tempered by experience and underscored by scientific evidence. On that basis the Virgin Birth is physiologically impossible. And yet, the whole point about a deity is that logic has nothing to do with it and if you believe in God, as I do, the impossible becomes possible. As Jesus was the Son of God his birth was special. And as the Son of God sired by the deity, then the Virgin Birth is not only possible but unique and credible.

Peter Oborne

This is a complex issue but luckily I have been able to draw on a formidable body of knowledge. My daughter, who is studying theology at university, informs me that modern liberal Biblical scholarship views the whole thing as a myth. She points out that two of the four gospels don't even mention the birth narrative, and adds that the two that do offer contradictory accounts. There is no question that the early Church was obsessed with the virginity of Mary. But this may have been based less on the historical record than a determination to make Jesus fit into Biblical prophecy. I think that it is impossible to be a Christian without a literal belief in the Resurrection of Jesus. Everything falls down without it. The same is not true of the Virgin Birth.

Fraser Nelson

The basis of Christianity is that Jesus was the Son of God, not the son of Joseph - his DNA was a mix between that of Our Lady and the Almighty. If you don't believe in the Immaculate Conception, then The Life of Brian starts to look more like a documentary. (GJ - The Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic doctrine about Mary, not even connected with the Biblical teaching of the Virgin Birth.)

NO SHOWS

Three bishops were too busy to help The Spectator with its inquiries: The Rt Revd John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford; the Rt Revd Richard Chartres, Bishop of London; and the Most Revd Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. The following politicians did not respond to approaches made through their offices: the Prime Minister (who may have been too busy), Liam Fox, David Cameron, George Galloway and Tony Blair.

END

Ecclesia Augustana: First Vespers of Christmas and the Divine Offices

Ecclesia Augustana: First Vespers of Christmas and the Divine Offices:

Monday, December 17, 2012

First Vespers of Christmas and the Divine Offices

As pointed out in a previous post, this coming Saturday, December 22nd, at 7:00 P.M., St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is hosting a pan-Confessional Christmas Eve Service. I have the great privilege of playing the organ for this Divine Service, which will follow the traditional liturgy for the First Vespers of Christmas. Since many of our readers are probably unfamiliar with the idea of a “First Vespers,” I thought it might be useful to consider the meaning and historical development of the occassion.

Before the Reformation, churches and monastic orders observed the Divine Offices on a daily basis. The Divine Offices are also known as the “canonical hours,” or liturgical prayer Services (as distinct from the Chief Divine Service which is centered on the Blessed Sacrament). The Divine Offices roughly corroborate with the “prayer hours” referenced in Sacred Scripture (cf.Luke 1:10; Acts 3:1, 10:9, etc.). In these pre-Reformation times, there were a plethora of Offices, including Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. While the Reformation sought to limit the legalistic observance of these Offices that the Papists forced on burdened consciences (indeed, the Blessed Reformer called it “the unprofitable and burdensome babbling of the Seven Canonical Hours” in his Large Catechism), in practice the Lutheran Church never abandoned the use of the Divine Offices.  Rather, the essentially repetitive seven offices were typically reduced from seven to two, three, or four Offices, which are still observed (though some sources, like the Lutheran Brotherhood Prayer Book, offer resources for all seven Offices). Of these, Matins (morning) and Vespers (evening) are the most prominent.

The point of this historical treatise is to highlight the fact that Vespers is the evening Office of the Church. But there is only one Vesperal Office. Where, then, does this “First Vespers” business come from?

In the ancient Church (borrowing from Jewish precedence), on particular solemnities (solemnities being defined as Sundays and Feasts) it was the custom to begin the observance of the feast at hand during the evening of the preceding day. Looking at Christmas, one of the most prominent examples, this would mean that “Christmas Day,” as far as the Church is concerned, actually begins Christmas Eve’s evening. Since Vespers is the Church’s evening office, what would otherwise be Christmas Eve’s Vespers actually marks the liturgical beginning of Christmas Day. However, since there is also a Vespers on the 25th of December, which is still considered Christmas Day, the Vespers on the 24th of December is considered the “First Vespers.”

All of this may seem like a lot of hyper-liturgical gobledy-gook, but in the context of the actual liturgy of First Vespers, it makes a whole lot of sense. For example, consider the proper Responsory: “This day you shall know that the Lord cometh. And in the morning, then you shall see His glory.” The symbolism is stark enough, but it is especially powerful in light of the emphatic Law-Gospel reading from Titus 3 that it follows: “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

So too, the proper Hymn of the Day, St. Ambrose’s beautiful “Christe, Redémptor Ómnium,” is another wonderful expression of the day’s liturgical meaning. It is not used as the Office Hymn throughout Advent, but is instead retained until the First Vespers.

All this to say, I hope you will consider joining us as we celebrate the traditional First Vespers of Christmas.  The Service is scheduled for the 22nd to prevent attendees from missing out on any of the special Services that their home parishes may be offering. As such, this is a wonderful opportunity for Confessional fellowship and for celebrating the high Feast of Christmas with your Lutheran brothers and sisters from the greater Milwaukee area. Hope to see you there!

'via Blog this'

Synodical Conference Lutherans - A Translation

SynCon - "No translation is perfect."
Translation - "Don't even bring up the KJV."

SynCon - "Luther was not an apostle."
Translation - "I never read Luther and only use Paul as a springboard for UOJ."

SynCon - "We are not bound by the Confessions."
Translation - "We are bound by the WELS Essay Files, our Holy of Holies, even if some are written by atheists and homosexual seminary founders."

SynCon - "That is a gre-e-e-ey area of Scripture."
Translation - "We are working on a way to get past that obstacle."

SynCon - "Who told you?"
Translation - "This is not a good time to cite Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed."

SynConf - "We are becoming more confessional."
Translation - "We just excommunicated another congregation for questioning Holy Mother WELS."

If We Take the Chief Article Seriously - Denominational Earthquakes Will Follow

Almost all the justification-without-faith essays begin with the quotation about justification being the Chief Article of the Christian Faith, "the master and prince" as Luther wrote.

They say justification--not justification by faith--and then plow into their Synodical Conference quotations, world without end, Amen.

Justification without faith--UOJ--is the official dogma of ELCA, WELS, Missouri, the ELS, and the micro-mini splinters from the SynCons. These little groups are so precious they even recycle the same initials - not one but two CLCs, etc.

Given the status of universal salvation (DP Buchholz's passion and ELCA's foundation), those who remain with the Biblical, Book of Concord, and Luther perspective cannot abide with Holy Mother Synod.

Look at a partial list of UOJ controlled organs:

• WELS, ELS, CLCs, LCMS, ELCA, LCR, ILC
• LutherQuest (sic), Steadfast Lutherans (sic), Intrepid Lutherans (mixed bag)
• Synodical Magazines and Journals, from The Lutheran (sic) down to the Lutheran (sic) Spokesman
• Christian News
• Walther and Pieper
• Kuske catechism but not the original Gausewitz

That means justification by faith Lutherans have nothing in common with the synods named above but something important in common with conservative Evangelicals, even though some of them are also fooled by Fuller, Stanley, and Rick Warren (the same wolves who charge WELS and Missouri so much for sharing their marketing wisdom).

I am not saying that justification by faith Lutherans should turn Baptist, only that justification by faith Lutherans have nothing in common with the long-established synods. Nothing. They are only staying to imbibe more poison.

If you doubt that, look at the LCMS-WELS reactions to justification by faith. Both synods love-love-love Mark Jeske, who is far more New Age than he is generic mainline cold oatmeal. But they will excommunicate, foreclose, and excoriate anyone who teaches what Luther taught so clearly.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "If We Take the Chief Article Seriously - Denominat...":

The Lutheran Synods and the Baptist Church have perverted the central article of Justification. Interesting that the Baptist's have perverted it with works righteousness by teaching decision theology but have retained the correct formulation of Justification by Faith Alone. The Lutheran Synod have done so much worse. They teach decision theology by their perversion of the Holy Spirit's faith, Works righteousness by their definition of faith and by embracing Objective Justification they have perverted the article beyond recognition.

The Lutheran Synods have become twice the whore of the Devil.
 
DP Jon Buchholz has clearly shown that the Lutheran Synods now teach the same central article of the Roman Catholic Church and have anathematized Justification by Faith Alone. His position that his decrees and the doctrines of His religion are beyond questioning are also identical to the Pope's infallibility decree.