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| Photoanalysts consider the half-smile a sign of ambiguity, the down-turned part representing suppressed sadness. |
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| Mark the Guru is smiling here, isn't he? Nope - the left side is down-turned again. |
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| In this group photo of the Markan disciples, Jeske has a pronounced half-smile. |
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| This is the entire group from which I cut out and enlarged Mark's half-smile. He is the only one NOT smiling. |
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
A Travesty Examined, Part Five
Now that we've covered the keynote speakers, let's talk about some of the other presentations that will take place at the 2015 Christian Leadership Experience.
(By the way, what exactly is an "experience"? It sounds like a rock concert or something. Well, actually, I'm sure the worship services will be rock concerts.)
Here's a presentation that sounds good:
“Facing Facts and Changing the Course of your Ministry”
Acknowledging that your ministry is not working effectively is a difficult action to take. Effective leaders must use self reflection, data, and analysis to determine potential obstacles and opportunities to enhance ministry effectiveness. In this interactive session, a crucial conversation will he held on how leaders must define reality and develop plans that change your situation from “where it is” to “where one would like it to be.”
Here's a translation of what this presentation is about:
Pastors, it's all your fault. If your congregation isn't growing numerically, your ministry is a failure and you're a failure. You can't base your ministry on the power of the Spirit working through Word and Sacrament. That just doesn't work. The only way you can determine whether your ministry is a success is by looking at the numbers. Your faithfulness to the Word is an obstacle. Using church growth methods and contemporary worship is the opportunity you need to get the right numbers. You need to change your situation by abandoning the Confessions and running to Joel Osteen.
(By the way, what exactly is an "experience"? It sounds like a rock concert or something. Well, actually, I'm sure the worship services will be rock concerts.)
Here's a presentation that sounds good:
“Facing Facts and Changing the Course of your Ministry”
Acknowledging that your ministry is not working effectively is a difficult action to take. Effective leaders must use self reflection, data, and analysis to determine potential obstacles and opportunities to enhance ministry effectiveness. In this interactive session, a crucial conversation will he held on how leaders must define reality and develop plans that change your situation from “where it is” to “where one would like it to be.”
Here's a translation of what this presentation is about:
Pastors, it's all your fault. If your congregation isn't growing numerically, your ministry is a failure and you're a failure. You can't base your ministry on the power of the Spirit working through Word and Sacrament. That just doesn't work. The only way you can determine whether your ministry is a success is by looking at the numbers. Your faithfulness to the Word is an obstacle. Using church growth methods and contemporary worship is the opportunity you need to get the right numbers. You need to change your situation by abandoning the Confessions and running to Joel Osteen.
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| "I'm a big shot handling tons of money at Thrivent, funding my ELCA pals. Why am I only pretending to smile?" |
Martin Luther commenting on:
1 Cor. 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
"[Paul] calls his office "service or ministry of Christ," and himself "minister of Christ," because he was ordained of God to the office of preaching. Thus all apostles and bishops are ministers of Christ; that is preachers, messengers, officers of Christ, sent to the people with His message. the meaning of the verse, then, is: Let every individual take heed not to institute another leader, to set up another Lord, to constitute another Christ. Rather be unanimously loyal to the one and only Christ. We apostles are not your lords or your masters; we do not preach our own interests, nor teach our own doctrines. We do not seek to have you obey us, or give us allegiance and accept our doctrine. We are messengers of Him Who is your Master, your Lord and Leader. We preach His Word, enlist men to follow His commandments and led only to His obedience.
"He who so receives us, receives not us, but Christ, Whom we alone preach. But he who does not regard us, does us injustice, discards Christ, the one true Leader, sets up another in His stead and makes gods of us. Where more authority is assumed than GOd's command grants, idolatry results and the leader assumes a new character. The Church has no other doctrine than that of Christ, no other obedience than to obey Him."
--from Rev. John Sander's 'Devotional Readings from Luther's Works', Augustana Book Concern, 1915, p. 272
Respectfully,
The Michi-Gander
1 Cor. 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
"[Paul] calls his office "service or ministry of Christ," and himself "minister of Christ," because he was ordained of God to the office of preaching. Thus all apostles and bishops are ministers of Christ; that is preachers, messengers, officers of Christ, sent to the people with His message. the meaning of the verse, then, is: Let every individual take heed not to institute another leader, to set up another Lord, to constitute another Christ. Rather be unanimously loyal to the one and only Christ. We apostles are not your lords or your masters; we do not preach our own interests, nor teach our own doctrines. We do not seek to have you obey us, or give us allegiance and accept our doctrine. We are messengers of Him Who is your Master, your Lord and Leader. We preach His Word, enlist men to follow His commandments and led only to His obedience.
"He who so receives us, receives not us, but Christ, Whom we alone preach. But he who does not regard us, does us injustice, discards Christ, the one true Leader, sets up another in His stead and makes gods of us. Where more authority is assumed than GOd's command grants, idolatry results and the leader assumes a new character. The Church has no other doctrine than that of Christ, no other obedience than to obey Him."
--from Rev. John Sander's 'Devotional Readings from Luther's Works', Augustana Book Concern, 1915, p. 272
Respectfully,
The Michi-Gander
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| When Lutherans prostitute themselves to a business, bad things will happen. No one acknowledges that ELCA-WELS-LCMS-ELS leaders promote sales seminars for mediocre Thrivent products, many of which are inappropriate for that particular household. |
