Bob will have 8 weeks more of treatment, this time with oxygen.
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary graduates and faculty members in the Seminary chapel. Left to right, back row: Delton Glebe (d. 2011), Eric Howes, Dr. David Granskou (d. 2016), Dr. Ragnar Teigen, Dr. Eduard Riegert (d. 2022) and Richard Crossman. Centre row: Greg Jackson and Gil Scharf (d. 2004). Front row: Guenter Dahle, Laurie Van Kleek, Paul Schweitzer, Bill Wade, Ronald Mulberger (d. 2011) and Dave Hardy. Dr. Aarne Siirala is not in this photo (d. 1991).
ELCA in Canada broke off in 1986 to become ELCiC. Susan Johnson attended WLS and became a staffer for the Eastern Canada Synod. She was voted in as ELCiC bishop in 2007. |
The Sword of the Holy Spirit
in the Word
KJV Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The Sword of the Holy Spirit in the Word is powerful and effective against all false doctrine and false teachers.
Many clergy lick their lips as they dine sumptuously every day with their belly-bursting friends. The money wasted confirms their self-esteem and extends the Left Boot of Fellowship.
What belongs to God alone the Holy Spirit taking from the Father and the Son and teaching them to us through the Scriptures and faithful pastors. The dogmaticians - not just Bishop Stephan, founder of the LCMS - chase their girlfriends around the study and pretend they have Christianity in a package. Many clergy follow the same idea with their "community churches" and subsequent lawsuits.
The wolves (lupine) and jennies (female pastors) are happy to avoid the cross of Christ. They also want, and even demand, that their followers shun the old-fashioned ideas of the King James Bible. The franchise owner of Willow Creek Community Church would not allow a Bible in his cross-less church unless it was a gen-oo-wine feminist version.
The modern Bibles are excellent in their inclusion of all ideas except for the truth. The Virgin Birth of Christ in Isaiah 7 has the evil king asking for miracle directly from God Himself.
KJV 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The wizards of modern Bibles do whatever they want, even zig-zagging on the Virgin Birth in the main text or the footnote, or reversing which is the main one. Their stance on the Scriptures show us that they are farces, especially the paid-for scholars of the NIV, ESV, RSV, NRSV, Beck, and other abominations.
Complete Sermon on the Dropsical Man. Trinity 17.
4. We notice this here in the man afflicted with dropsy. He had heard of the kindness of Jesus to others and now believes that he will show the same to him. Had he not believed, it would have been impossible to help him. The Gospel resounds in all the world, but it is not heard by everybody. The Pharisees also sat there; they saw these things with their own eyes and failed not to notice what a friendly man Jesus was, but they believed not; hence the Gospel could neither reform them nor give them help and comfort. Thus the Gospel is very universal, but the true laying hold of it is very rare. So much in regard to faith.
5. Later we have here pictured to us also the love in Christ that goes forth and bears fruit, not for itself but for others, as is the nature of true love to do. This is now said on the first part of to-day’s Gospel.
6. However, this Pericope especially teaches us in the second place a necessary doctrine we must possess, if we are to make use of the laws that order the outward and temporal matters and affairs, which the church is to observe. Here we must act wisely and gently, if we wish to do the right thing, especially when weak and timid consciences are concerned. For there is nothing more tender in heaven and on earth, and nothing can bear less trifling, than the conscience. The eye is spoken of as a sensitive member, but conscience is much more sensitive. Hence we notice how gently the Apostles dealt with conscience in divers matters, lest it be burdened with human ordinances.
7. But as we cannot live without law and order, and as it is dangerous to deal with law since it is too apt to ensnare the conscience, we must say a little about human laws and ordinances and how far they are to be observed. The proverb says: “Everything depends upon having a good interpreter.” That is particularly true here where human ordinances are concerned. Where there is no one to interpret and explain the law rightly it is difficult and dangerous to have anything to do with it. Take, for example, a ruler who acts like a tyrant and abuses his authority. If he makes a law and urgently insists on the law being executed, he treats conscience as if he had a sword in his hand and were intent on killing. We have experienced this in the tyrannical laws of popery, how consciences were tormented and hurled into hell and damnation. Yea, there is great danger where one does not know how to temper and apply the laws.
8. Therefore we conclude that all law, divine and human, treating of outward conduct, should not bind any further than love goes. Love is to be the interpreter of law. Where there is no love, these things are meaningless, and law begins to do harm; as is also written in the Pope’s book: “If a law or ordinance runs counter to love, it will soon come to an end.” This is in brief spoken of divine and human laws. The reason for enacting all laws and ordinances is only to establish love, as Paul says, Romans 13:10: “Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.” Likewise verse 8: “Owe no man anything, save to love one another.” For if I love my neighbor, I help him, protect him, hold him in honor, and do what I would have done to me.
![]() |
"Pastor Jeff was ordained in 1990 and is the fourth pastor to serve University Lutheran Chapel of Berkeley, the Lutheran Campus Ministry at CAL. He is a member of the Boards for SHARE El Salvador, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, and the LuMin Network for ELCA Campus Ministries; on the Steering Committee for the Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy; a member of the East Bay Interfaith Immigration Coalition, and serves on the Spiritual Care Team at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Prior to his ministry at the Chapel, Pr. Jeff was the pastor of First United Lutheran Church in San Francisco’s Richmond District. He was married in 2014 and lives in Oakland’s Piedmont District in a 1920’s stucco bungalow with his husband, J Guadalupe (Pepe) Sánchez Aldaco. He enjoys working around the house, mystery novels, watching movies, genealogy, cooking and dinner parties, visiting family, studying Spanish, playing piano, and salsa dancing." |
9/17/2023 12:00:00 AM
CHICAGO — The Rev. Jeff R. Johnson, Berkeley, Calif., was elected Sept. 17 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, Sept. 15-17, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, Calif.
Johnson was elected on the fifth ballot, with 226 votes to 168 votes for the Rev. John Keuhner, pastor of Unity Lutheran Church in South San Francisco and bridge pastor of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in San Mateo, Calif. Johnson is the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in the synod.
The bishop-elect has served as pastor of University Lutheran Chapel of Berkeley and as a member of the Spiritual Care Team at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, since 2013. Previously he served as pastor of First United Lutheran Church in San Francisco (1990-1999), as a mission developer for Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries in San Francisco (1990-1995), as HIV education director for Lutheran Social Services of Northern California (1988-1989), as assistant night minister for San Francisco Night Ministry (1987-1988), and was an intern at the Lutheran Office of Public Policy and at First English Lutheran Church in Sacramento (1986-1987).
Johnson received his Bachelor of Arts in history and Bachelor of Arts in German from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, in 1984, and his Master of Divinity from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1988. Johnson was ordained in 1990. Pacific is one of seven ELCA seminaries.
Johnson's installation details are yet to be determined.
Information about the Sierra Pacific Synod is available at spselca.org/
![]() |
Bishop Rohrer was kicked out by fellow radicals in ELM and removed as bishop. |
![]() |
YDS Chapel - below the hill was the congregation where I worked for the year. |
![]() |
Sterling Library is now even more glorious inside (no mouse-scented card catalogues. |
![]() |
Harkness Bell Tower is perhaps a substitute for Gothic buildings. |
I have the best memories of YDS and the students. Someone who attended later wrote to me, "You had the best professors. They were gone when I went there."
An official, paid guide for our anniversary gathering sent a poorly organized memory page to help make up the book. My only comment - "I am very disappointed in what YDS has become."
I have told others that I would not suggest even a 100% paid tuition for someone to attend now. To make things worse, they are completing an eco-planet- friendly new building that is already an eyesore.
![]() |
Nils A. Dahl was my New Testament professor and the leader of his department, world known and highly regarded. |
![]() |
Ethics professor Paul Holmer was so good that I went back to take a summer course from him. |
![]() |
Marvin Schwan - Just Asking. |
I'm going to borrow this from the LutherQuest site. (?!)
Messiah Lutheran Church, an LCMC church in Joliet, IL, received over $750,000 in offerings from a member who has been convicted of running a Ponzi scheme. In August, a state court ordered the congregation to repay $487,000 of that money by the end of October.
I've donated to help the congregation pay this debt. Please keep them in your prayers.
https://abc7chicago.com/messiah-lutheran-church-joliet-ponzi-scheme-kenneth-courtright/13750195/
https://www.savemessiah.org
Yesterday I had the broadcast set-up done and pushed the wrong button. I did not see the error because it looked fine in the chapel. That led to a delay.
From now on - God willing - I will make sure the initial music is live at 9:30 AM, to start the service at 10 AM Central. If nothing is showing, pressing F5 on your keyboard will refresh the screen. I leave the cell phone out and silent in case someone calls. Yes, I can see its screen light up.
Complete Sermon on the Dropsical Man. Trinity 17.
Text: Luke 14:1-11. And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. And behold, there was before him a certain man that had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not? But they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him and let him go. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well, and will not straightway draw him up on a sabbath day? And they could not answer again unto these things.
And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
1. This Gospel offers us two leading thoughts; one is general and is found in all our Gospel lessons, the other is peculiar to this one. First, in its general character, it shows who the Lord Jesus is and what we may expect of him, and in this is exhibited both faith and love.
2. Faith is here set forth in that this man, sick with the dropsy, looks to Christ and firmly believes he will help him. This faith he had as the result of his previous acquaintance with Jesus. He knows him as a kind, friendly and sympathetic man who always helps everyone and lets none go away uncomforted. Had he not heard such reports about the Lord he would not have followed him, even into the house. He must indeed have had some gospel knowledge and believed the wonderful things spoken about him.
3. And this is the Gospel, as I said, that must be preached and heard before there can be faith. We must know that God is kindly disposed toward us and has sent his Son from heaven to help us. This the conscience must hear and believe; for if God were unfriendly and unmerciful toward us, it would avail little to know that all his creatures sympathize with us. If God is satisfied with us, no creature can do us any harm, as St. Paul says in Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who is against us?” Let death, devil, hell and all creation rage; we are safe. Therefore it is the Gospel that must present to us the God-man as merciful. This is the fountain from which our heart can draw faith and a friendly confidence toward God that he will help both the dying and the living in every distress.
![]() |
Jan Verhas (1834–1896) |
Collect
Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual![]() |