There Were Giants in the Earth - The Late Ulrich Leupold

 Ulrich Leupold earned his PhD in music at the age of 23,
at the University of Berlin. He was the head of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
and an international authority on hymns and organ music.

Ironically, he moved from Berlin, Germany to Berlin, Ontario. But the Ontario city changed its name in WWI when people refused to buy any product stamped "Made in Berlin." The name was changed to Kitchener, leading them unwisely to brag the town was "clean as a kitchen." We loved the people there. I worked in the largest Lutheran church in Canada and visited people by walking and riding the bus. In only one generation that congregation was radicalized - St. Peter, Kitchener.

Dr. Leupold was highly respected as the head of the tiny seminary. He and Otto W. Heick (a WELS favorite author) had more brains than most seminary faculties put together.

Dr. Leupold died from neurological degeneration the same year I began studies at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary - 1970.

• I knew him when he was teaching brilliantly and still playing the organ, 
• helped him as he grew weaker, 
• and visited him in the hospital before he died.

This linked article tells how much he endured in his too-brief life. I told him my brash plans at the hospital, and he moved his thumb rapidly in a handshake to show his approval. He could no longer speak, and we were all heart-broken.

 Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
in Waterloo, Ontario

People suspected Dr. Leupold of arranging jobs for people without telling them. My wife Chris got a neat library job just like that. She was worried, in his office, about getting work in Canada. Later, he grinned and said, "I toooold you not to worry."

He went through my transcript and skipped me out of all the introductory courses. That gave me time and opportunity to take the advanced courses and do independent study, including Hebrew classwork (not required and therefore not worthy of academic credit).

I graduated officially in 1972, receiving my diploma and stole in New Haven, Connecticut, where Martin was born in 1973. His mother and I both worked at the Yale Medical Center, where he and George W. Bush were born - but not the same year, of course.

 Yale School of Medicine is where Chris and I worked.
Martin and George W. Bush were born nearby.
In the Byzantine Empire, the fortunate were born to the purple.
In New Haven, they are born to the blue.

Publishing News - In Order of Appearance

I am working on The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine: Luther's Biblical Theology of the Word.

During the morning Sassy-walk I remembered something else for the list of characteristics of the Word - teaching faith in Jesus.

That booklet will be finished first, because there is work to be done in the Creation Garden, especially in taking and editing photos for the book. So Creation Gardening will follow The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine.

Several Lulu books are being republished:

1. Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure.
2. Jesus, Priceless Treasure.
3. Angel Joy.

Books and software are never completed on schedule, but some scheduling is good. "Goals are easy to establish. They are even easier to ignore."

Most of the Lulu books will be added to Amazon/Kindle.

I was especially pleased that Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant came in at the author's price of $6. Martin Chemnitz Press does not need to prop up salaries of $300,000 and $200,000 for the staff, so low prices for printed books make group study affordable for congregations. One Lutheran congregation has already planned to use CLP in their future adult classes.

The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine - Second Installment

Two Authorities – The Word of God or Man

For all Christians, there are two authorities, either the Word of God or man. Only one can be the ultimate authority and judge of the other. The historic position of the Christian Church has been that the Scriptures are the first and the final authority concerning doctrine and practice. No claim or effort by man can replace this authority. But, in spite of pious and grand words about the Bible, people clearly cling to man’s authority, place it first, and interpret the Word of God through human traditions, loyalty to institutions, and sentimental feelings.

Many a pastor will defend false teaching by saying, “Professor Keinaugen was my favorite teacher, and he said…” to silence all objections.

Laity with misplaced loyalty will claim, “The synod says…” as if this politically driven, vote mongering human institution were a new and better form of the papacy.

Or someone will say with a glare than warns others about any contradiction, “My mother taught me…”

Entire denominations will recite their formal declarations while working against them, for this is clearly the Age of Apostasy, forewarned in the Scriptures. Even the Pope is viewed as a traitor and false teacher by his own clergy, as they do with Pope Francis, the Jesuit often imagined to be a Franciscan by virtue of his chosen name.[i]

In contrast, the Word of God must be the final and ultimate authority over all Christian teaching and practice. Otherwise, the Christian Church would break into thousands of factions, which is the case today, whether this happens in one big tent or many pup-tents, some as small as 17 mini-congregations. The solution is not another round of mergers where Biblical doctrine is tainted by material concerns, but an increased study of the Word and unity derived by acknowledging and practicing the unified and unifying Truth of the Scriptures.

This authority of the Word is asserted but seldom experienced, because the complete teaching of the Bible about the Word is lacking, distorted, sidelined, or forgotten altogether. These characteristics are:

1.    Authority

2.    Power

3.    Inerrancy

4.    Clarity or perspicuity

5.    Efficacy

6.    Word/Spirit

The authority of the Word is lost when claims are made and yet no one knows how to wield this terrible weapon, due to a lack of good education. The Word is a weapon against error, though seldom used that way, and a defense of sound doctrine. I asked the late Robert Preus and the late John (Slick) Brenner why pastors trained almost exclusively in their denomination were so much against Lutheran doctrine. Both of them said, “I supposed they were not trained correctly.”

That can be seen in case after case, where those raised up to offices of leadership, whether as teachers or denominational leaders, are in a state of rapture about Pentecostalism, Romanism, or Church Growth pseudo-business practices. Better Pentecostals can be found in the Assemblies of God. More astute Romanists can be found in the Church of Rome. Which successful business leader would be in awe of Church Growth, which has hollowed out and ruined all the Lutherans sects in America?

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[i] This logic would presume that I am the master of the Gregorian chants, or even a composer of them.

Add your name to this very short list, buy and read Galatians.

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GJ - I will be posting installments of this booklet as written. Feel free to add suggestions and corrections by email.

First Installment