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| The Planet of the Apes - Our Future |
A regular reader of this blog has always had good suggestions. One was to pursue the evils of Objective (Faithless) Justification when I was really tired of illiterate pastors beating their gums on the topic.
His latest idea was to have regular quotes from Luther or the Bible at the top, called the masthead. That term was borrowed from those days when Moby Dick was read by journalists who knew how to spell and use good grammar. More importantly, they recognized Herman Melville's prolific Biblical references.
Those who know little more than Gilligan's Island want to call the masthead the "crow's nest."
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| Melville wrote that the pulpit led the world: "What could be more full of meaning?- for the pulpit is ever this earth’s foremost part; all the rest comes in its rear; the pulpit leads the world. From thence it is the storm of God’s quick wrath is first descried, and the bow must bear the earliest brunt. From thence it is the God of breezes fair or foul is first invoked for favorable winds. Yes, the world’s a ship on its passage out, and not a voyage complete; and the pulpit is its prow." |
"In most American whalemen the mast-heads are manned almost simultaneously with the vessel’s leaving her port; even though she may have fifteen thousand miles, and more, to sail ere reaching her proper cruising ground. And if, after a three, four, or five years’ voyage she is drawing nigh home with anything empty in her- say, an empty vial even- then, her mast-heads are kept manned to the last! and not till her skysail-poles sail in among the spires of the port, does she altogether relinquish the hope of capturing one whale more."
The recent dust-up in the Missouri Synod is a clear picture of apostasy. First they released a Concordia Publishing House book dishonestly labeled Luther's Large Catechism, where 70 scribblers with dubious agendas gave Luther 15% of the book while they jabbered like baboons waiting for their meals, using 85% of the remaining space. That alone is publishing malpractice of the lowest variety.
Luther wrote:
The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits. For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves and strut about in their gifts, which never are outstanding. But if they could see their feet, that is the foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves. To be sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannot bear honest and true teachers. They want to be the whole show and want to put up with no one next to them. And they are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are. Finally, they have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds; for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up and strengthens them. 33 What Luther Says, II, p. 642 (W-T 2, No. 2152; SL 22,
1842).
The entire essay was given in 1992 at a WELS pastoral conference and conveniently reprinted in an Ichabod post later.
